Finding Isadora(116)

“You’re very good at finding creative solutions in your work. Apply that skill to your personal life.”

“I’m too old to be father to a baby.”

In the beginning, his age had been an issue for me. Yes, I still wanted a man to grow old with, but the truth was, there were no guarantees. Above all, what I wanted was Gabriel, and our children. I squeezed his fingers and felt the strength in his hands as he squeezed back. “Gabriel DeLuca, you’re the most vital man I’ve ever known. You can do anything you set your mind to.”

His fingers still gripped mine. “Or my heart,” he said softly, and my own heart began a crazy, hopeful dance. “It’s pretty much a virgin heart, Isadora. Didn’t know I had one until I met you. Now you have to help me learn what to do with it.”

That crazy mist was back in my eyes. “From what I’ve seen so far, you’re an amazingly fast learner.”

We both leaned forward to touch lips across the table, and a tear of joy spilled down my cheek.

Maria, predictably, interrupted. “Gabriel, finish soup. Shrimps ready. Time for kissing and babies later.”

Gabriel and I pulled back, smiling at each other, and I knew we’d have lots of time for kissing, and babies, and everything else we decided we wanted to do together.





Note to Readers


After more than twenty publications with Kensington and Berkley, Finding Isadora is my first venture into the world of self-publishing.

Many of my books straddle the line between romance and what is often referred to as women’s fiction, meaning stories that focus on the heroine’s journey at a transitional time in her life. In all of my books to date, you’ll find a romance with a happy ending, and you’ll also find a character arc for both the heroine and the hero. Each protagonist confronts personal issues, makes tough decisions, and grows into a stronger, better person—and that growth occurs in part because of their growing love for the other person.

Most of my stories include both the heroine’s and the hero’s point of view, as is typical in romance fiction. Finding Isadora is different. I put the reader firmly inside Isadora’s head. You don’t know Gabriel’s thoughts, or Richard’s, or any other character’s, except through their actions and Isadora’s perceptions. That’s like real life, isn’t it? You can never know what your new lover, or your husband of thirty years, is truly thinking. You can only guess, based on what he says and does. That’s the element of realism I’m going for in Finding Isadora.

Over the many years I’ve been writing, I have discovered that the core theme in all my books is finding yourself. That theme plays out in different ways with my various characters, and I suppose, really, “finding yourself” is what the entire journey of life is all about.

In Isadora’s case, it’s a matter of finding out how much she’s like and not like her parents, what her core values are, and how she wants to live her life. At twenty-seven, she starts the book pretty complacent, thinking she’s figured out exactly who she is and what she wants. And isn’t that true of many twenty-somethings? But of course, life often intervenes, and that’s the challenge I set for Isadora in this book. Will she stick rigidly to her current beliefs, or does she have the flexibility and strength to re-examine her beliefs and values—particularly when that re-examination leads to hurting someone she loves and creating a future full of uncertainty?

This manuscript was initially written several years ago, before my first book was published in 2006. I was very proud when it was a finalist in the Romance Writers of America? Golden Heart contest. I have revised it considerably since then, and each time I work on it, I fall in love all over again with Isadora and Gabriel. I hope you will, too.

I’d like to thank the following people who, over the years, have provided critique feedback on drafts of the manuscript: Nazima Ali, Betty Allan, Lacy Danes, and Michelle Hancock.





Author Bio


Award-winning author Susan Fox, who also writes as Savanna Fox and Susan Lyons, writes “emotionally compelling, sexy contemporary romance” (Publishers Weekly).

She is published by Kensington Zebra, Brava, and Aphrodisia, Berkley Heat, and Harlequin Spice Briefs. Her books have won the HOLT Medallion, the Booksellers Best Award, the Aspen Gold, the Golden Quill, the More Than Magic, the Lories, the Beacon, and the Laurel Wreath, and she was nominated for the RT Reviewers Choice Award. Publishers Weekly gave His, Unexpectedly a starred review and ranked it as a Top 10 Romance. Sex Drive was a Cosmopolitan Red-Hot Read.

Susan is a Pacific Northwester with homes in Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia. She has degrees in law and psychology, and has had a variety of careers, including perennial student, computer consultant, and legal editor. Fiction writer is by far her favorite, giving her an outlet to demonstrate her belief in the power of love, friendship, and a sense of humor.



Website: Visit Susan’s website at susanlyons.ca for excerpts, behind-the-scenes notes, discussion guides, recipes, articles, newsletter sign-up, contests, and give-aways.

Facebook: Find Susan on Facebook at facebook.com/SusanLyonsFox.





Other Titles by Susan


(writing as Susan Fox, Savanna Fox, and Susan Lyons)

NOVELS

Caribou Crossing Series

Welcome to Caribou Crossing, a western community made for love, adventure, and second chances.