Paula Freda

Paula Freda, also known as Marianne Dora Rose, presents new short stories in this second volume of her Romantic Short Stories. (Rated "G" for General Audiences) Five love stories that warm the heart and the spirit: A Blue Rose from Galaxy Andromeda The Flower in the Dell The Girl in the Green Booth

Paula Freda, also known as Marianne Dora Rose, presents new short stories in this second volume of her Romantic Short Stories. (Rated "G" for General Audiences) Five love stories that warm the heart and the spirit: A Blue Rose from Galaxy Andromeda The Flower in the Dell The Girl in the Green Booth

(A clean, sensitive and heartwarming Inspirational Romance for hearts of all ages) Ever wonder what happened to Abby from Paula Freda's "Beautiful Dreamer"? Find out in the romance novella, "The Lark and Robin Red." EXCERPT: "What's wrong? Is it something I said?" although she hadn't said much. Perhaps the way she was dressed. Yet she had taken pains to dress simply. Tan slacks, a soft mint green top, and windbreaker and tan sneakers. She wasn't dressed much unlike him. "Not-nothing's wrong, sweetest. I guess most guys in my position would feel nervous." Oh God, he's going to break off with me, Abby thought, steeling herself for the worse. She didn't blame him, of course. Unbelievable, his dating her had lasted this long. Johnny swallowed hard. "All right, Abby," he said. "Just ignore everyone who will soon be staring at us, or aiming their smartphone cameras at us. Keep your attention on me." He released her shoulders and drew a small velvet box from his pants pocket. Kneeling on one knee, he snapped it open. "Abigail, I know it's probably too soon to make my declaration. But I won't wait to ask you. There's too much sadness in your eyes. You think so little of yourself because of someone in your past who was blind to the real you, the sweet and generous and selfless you. I'm not making that mistake. Abby, if you think you could bear with my faults, and just see the love in my heart, and the desire to spend the rest of my life with you. If-if you can see yourself growing old with me, patiently ... Abby will you marry me?" No, she thought, this wasn't real. She was in bed, dreaming. Any moment the alarm on her radio-clock would go off and her favorite country singer wake her gently with a guitar-strung melodious song." He took her surprise for hesitation. "Abby, I know this is sudden. But if there's the slightest inclination on your part to consider my proposal, take the ring, wear it, until the day you feel absolutely certain you have no feelings for me, then you can give it back to me. No questions asked, no recriminations. I'll exit your life as suddenly as I entered it." Oh, No, Abby thought, tears welling up. Thoughts raced through her mind, silly thoughts. How could such a gorgeous hunk of a man fall for the likes of her? How could anyone feel such love for her after so short a time? And yet, I don't care what his reasons are. My head is not going to ruin my one chance, if there is the slimmest possibility; he's actually fallen in love with me, for myself. Vocal chords trembling. and forgetting her self-promises to be tactful and reserved, she blurted, "Johnny, Yes, I will wear the ring, because I know I couldn't love anyone the way I love you." She took the box, removed the small Marquee diamond ring from its velvet bed of white, and slipped it over the fourth finger of her left hand. He'd probably ask her for the ring back one day soon, but she didn't care. She'd take whatever happiness was allowed her, for whatever short time, before he said goodbye to her. The happiness on his face was hard to discount. His smile so earnest, she dare believe its sincerity. He stood up and took her into his arms, and kissed her tenderly, oblivious to the crowd that had formed around them and their clapping and ooohs and aaahs, or the phone cameras trained on them. One man, though, wasn't clapping or smiling. He was a thin, sallow-faced young man in a wheelchair. He stared at the couple, not with rancor or jealousy, but with a heart-wrenching sadness. The young nurse guiding his wheelchair watched him stoically. She extended one hand and clasped his shoulder He turned partly in the wheelchair and lifted his head to meet her compassionate gaze, and missed Abby's shocked expression, as absently looking over Johnny's shoulder while he held her in his embrace, she saw the man in the wheelchair, Jason, the man, healthy, strong, athletic, selfish, she had once loved with all her heart, the heart he had broken in t

THE HEART CALLETH (A novella with drama, romance, adventure, and science fiction.) ... Cosmic dust from a supernova explosion millions of light years away, finally reaches our galaxy and collides with our sun. The impact of the collision is so fierce that it increases the explosions in our sun to the degree of causing intense solar flares to radiate toward earth, causing apocalyptic devastation. As the earth heals, Sandra Kile marries the man of her dreams, knowing full well that his heart still belongs to his first wife, Laura, whom he adored, but who died during one of the resulting earthquakes. For fifteen years Sandra has believed herself at "heaven's gates." Her life has been filled with her husband's respect and caring, five beloved children, and a simple, fulfilling, if hardworking life as a farmer's wife, until the morning when she answers the door and Laura stands before her.... This story appeared as part of the anthology novel Heart Bouquets that comprised 3 novellas and 3 short stories written by the same author.

Clean, Western Sci/Fi/Fantasy Contemporary Romance Novella Excerpt: The room was dark, the blinds shut and curtains drawn to keep out the dawn's light so as not to interrupt Ben's much needed rest. The loud thump, closer to a crash, shook his bed and rattled the dozen spaceship models on the upper shelf of his bookcase opposite his bed. His body jerked awake. His gasp slurred through lips dry from a night's sleep. "What the-" Silence. Ben groaned. He must have been dreaming. He peered drowsily at his wrist watch. It was 5 a.m. He yawned drowsily, pulled the covers tighter about him and went back to sleep, missing the bright colors seeping from behind the perimeter of the drawn curtains.... Excerpt: She gave herself one last look in the mirror above the bureau. Fiona had helped her choose a wardrobe. "Wear this one, tonight," she had advised, a simple but elegant pink short-sleeved, A-line sheath with a scooped neckline, not too high and not too low, showing enough of her neck and chest to make her desirable, but not available. A thin silver bracelet dangled from her wrist and coordinated her single strand necklace and pendant earrings. Good choices, Jessica thought. The dress did not detract from her na vet , a trait that Ben hadn't yet admitted to himself, he liked about her from their first meeting. The doorbell rang again, this time more insistent. She had a complicated job ahead of her, to convince Ben to fold to his initial attraction to her. As for herself, the human term, love at first sight, although often not a reliable truism for the human mind, in the case of her civilization, was extremely reliable. The heels of her pink leather shoes clicked across the tiled floors. She intentionally avoided the oriental area rug centered under the coffee table and the gray suede couch, to avoid snagging the narrow heels, they as well, not too low and not too high. The bell rang a third time. Patience was not his best quality, but then, neither had it been hers when she decided to come here. Something they both needed to work on. "I'm coming," Jessica called apologetically. She reached to unlock the door, then remembered Fiona's advice always to look through the eye hole, to see who was behind the door before she opened it. She did as advised. Ben waited, dry faced, but spiffy in a Stetson, tan blazer and pants, beige shirt and black bolo tie, the two braided leather strings clipped with a thumb-sized oval eye stone. She took a deep breath to calm the accelerated beating of her heart, contemplated her own self-worth, and unchained and unlocked the door. She opened it wide, greeting Ben with a welcoming smile. Excerpt: "Too soon. I showed Ben too soon. You were right not to tell Lester the truth all these years for fear of losing him."She turned pleading eyes to her friend. "Oh, Fiona, I should have waited " For the first time in her young life, Jessica burst into tears. Fiona clasped her in a sisterly embrace. "Dearest, don't be upset. He loves you. I broke the rules and looked into his mind for you. That man adores you. I assure you. He'll come around. You'll see." "No ... no. He ... he thinks I'm insane." Fiona pressed Jessica to her heart. "I've known Ben since he started working for the magazine. He's a good man. He won't abandon you. Tell me what happened." Jessica swallowed the gulp in her throat. "I know ... he won't ... leave me," she said between body-wracking sobs. "But for his own ... happiness ... I may have to ... leave him."