Uncharted Fate by Cynthia Racette

Literary Nymphs Interview

Title: Uncharted Fate

Author: Cynthia Racette

Publisher: Soul Mate Publishing

Genre: Women's Fiction with Romantic Elements

Release Date: Aug. 28

Do you write in more than one genre?

A: Yes, I write Contemporary Romance and Women's Fiction with Romance

What if any, is the hardest part of writing for you?

A: Revising—I write lean and then add details and descriptions and often internal dialogue later. I find that difficult, mainly because it is tedious.

What inspired the story?

A: A couple of things. First, I've always wondered how a woman goes on after the death of a spouse, both emotionally and economically. Second, I've feel so much empathy for people who are out of work and scraping to get by. Don't get me wrong—the book is not a downer; it's got many exciting and warm-hearted moments about people helping people. And the love interest brings the heroine back into the world of caring and passion. A few reviewers and critique partners have read the Uncharted Fate and loved it. I can't wait to have it come out and see if everyone else likes it as well.

BLURB:

A young family's lives are destroyed when the man of the house, Mike, is killed by a crazed criminal on his way home from work. Left virtually penniless, the family flounders under a mortgage suddenly too large, a teenage daughter so traumatized she becomes involved in drugs and stealing, and a younger son who believes it is his fault God took his father. Anna is now the head of a one parent family and must look for a job, with no experience and an irrelevant degree. Out of her element, out of money and without her first love, Anna struggles to cope.

Jeff Thomas is a divorced detective who brings in Anna's daughter Mallory when she's caught shoplifting and then finds himself entangled in the family's trouble. As times goes on, he realizes he's also falling in love with Anna. Can he take Mike's place in Anna's life and in that of her family? Before Jeff has hardly begun to try, a dangerous situation threatens to determine the fate of the woman he's come to love and Jeff is the one person who can save her.

Excerpt:
After dressing in something attractive because she was sick of sitting around in jammies, Anna went to the police station and asked for Detective Thomas. The desk clerk directed her to an office in the back corner of the first floor. She knocked on the open door and he looked up.

"Mrs. Lamoreaux. Come in. Have a seat. What can I do for you today?"

She sat in a plastic chair in front of his desk and fidgeted nervously for a moment.

 "I—ah, saw on the news last night that you caught the guy that killed Mike. It kind of threw me."

"Damn. I was afraid you'd hear that way. I'd have been there last night to tell you what happened but I got called out on a case and couldn't go. Then, I was going to take a long lunch and stop by to make sure you were okay."

"I don't think I am, really. I've had a hard time holding back tears since I saw the news. It was pretty awful."

He got up and came around the desk to her, taking her hand. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you. I should have been."

His hand felt warm and solid but it also made her feel guilty to accept his comfort. She pulled hers away.

 "Please. Just tell me what happened."

He did, in gentle tones, but she wanted more.

"Do you have a picture of him? I want to see what he looks like."

"You didn't see him on the news last night?"

"No, I turned it off."

"I'm not so sure it's a good idea for you to see him. It might prove to be very traumatic."

"I have to see him, detective. It'll help give me closure. I know it'll be painful, but in the long run . . ."

He gave her a long look before pulling the man's mug shot from a folder on his desk.

Anna stared at the man, and could see he looked thin and gaunt. He had long scraggly hair and glasses held together by masking tape across the top. She guessed he was about forty years old.

She didn't even notice that her breathing was getting fast and frantic, but Detective Thomas apparently did.

He gently pulled the photo out of her nerveless fingers and she didn't realize at first he’d taken it. Tears coursed down her cheeks and she leapt out of her chair, throwing a glance back at Thomas, who was sitting with his elbows on his desk and his eyes looking sad.

"I'm sorry. I have to go. Thanks . . ."

And she flew out of his office and ran to her car, collapsing in a puddle in the front seat, sobbing with great wrenching sounds as her head rested on the steering wheel.

The passenger door opened and Detective Thomas slid in. His strong arms pulled her over the console, onto his lap, and he sat with his arms around her as she cried her eyes out on the front of his dress shirt. Neither of them said a word.

BIO

My hubby and I moved to Buffalo, NY, to be with our daughters and grandchildren, so you can see that family is very important to us. We spend as much time with our wee grandchildren because we know what a short time they are little. I have written since I was a teen and was, at various times, a reporter, an editor, and an author. I joined RWA with my daughter Cassandra and we have each had great success since then.

In my spare time, we like to travel, especially to warmer climes in the middle of winter, swim in our pool here at home, read and watch hockey. We're big fans of the Buffalo Sabres. My hubby is a runner and I am a watcher—I watch him run. LOL I will read anything, including a cereal box but I draw the line at phone books.

Website www.cynthiaracette.com

Blog www.authorcynthiaracette.com

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CynthiaRacette

Twitter https://twitter.com/cindy_racette