Waste Not, Want Not

Greetings! As I was working on blogs for my blog tour launching HEALING LUKE in September, I saw on the list Danielle sent me "Books and Needlepoint". So I wrote up a blog post tailored for readers who needlepoint... only to realize later that the Books and Needlepoint opportunity was an INTERVIEW. I didn't need a blog post! Well, not wanting waste the effort I'd put into the blog post, I thought I'd share it with you today! :-)

So without ado...

I'm honored to have the chance to guest blog here and tell you a bit about my book HEALING LUKE. When I first learned of my opportunity to blog here, I wondered what I might have to say that would be of interest to readers who also needlepoint. Sure, way back when I had more free time (as in before children, writing deadlines and part-time jobs), I used to needlepoint. I learned from my grandmother and loved the relaxing rhythm of the needle and yarn. But I could hear you all saying, "So what? We all needlepoint. That's why we're here."
Then I remembered a scene in HEALING LUKE where Abby, the heroine, has Luke, a man's man if ever there was one, try sewing as part of his physical therapy practice.
Ah-ha! Luke wielding a needle and thread was far more interesting.
Here's a snippet of that scene:
"What the heck am I supposed to do with those?" Luke scowled at the needle and thread Abby offered him.
"Plant a garden," she quipped with a sarcastic edge. "You’re going to sew, of course."
He scoffed. "Like hell I am."
When he tried to stand up from the sofa, she planted a firm hand on his shoulder and shoved him back down. Luke knew he could fight her on the point if he really wanted to. One hundred pounds of woman couldn’t stop him from leaving if he were truly determined, but his male pride insisted he put up at least a token resistance to sewing.
Geez, if he didn’t owe her big for this morning’s debacle, he’d be gone in a heartbeat. Sewing!
He gritted his teeth and sank back into the couch. His hand already hurt from the hour or so of stretching and strengthening exercises she’d put him through.
Abby held out the needle and thread again. "Your OT thinks you need to practice using your left hand to develop that hand’s dexterity and fine motor skills." She paused, tipped her head, and regarded him with a certain smug confidence. "Sewing fits the bill, but I guess I could find something simpler if you’re not up to the challenge. Even I have trouble threading a needle sometimes."

Ouch! A sucker punch right to his ego. Damn, she was good.
Abby started to turn away.
"Yeah, yeah, all right." He took the sewing things from her and stared at them for a moment. "So what am I supposed to do?"
"For starters, you could practice threading the needle."
Luke arched an eyebrow skeptically but said nothing. Abby knelt in front of him, in the V of his legs and demonstrated the technique. Then she passed the needle and thread back to Luke. "Now you try."
He blew out a slow breath. How could he concentrate with Abby between his legs? Her placement gave him far too many ideas of other things he’d like to try with her. Even the goal of poking the thread through the needle’s eye called graphic images to mind. To make matters worse, she propped her arm on his leg while he awkwardly gripped the thread between his right index and middle fingers.
As he squinted, hoping to bring the thread into focus, he was keenly aware of her hand on his thigh. The contact rattled his thoughts and kicked up his pulse. If her hand moved just a few inches up… well, he wouldn’t be responsible for his actions.
"Come on. Try again. Lick it." She patted the outside of his leg, and his libido went ballistic.
He cocked an eyebrow and sent her a you’ve-got-to-be-kidding look. Lick it? He bit his tongue and swallowed the moan that swelled in his chest. She was determined to taunt him with graphic images, apparently. He closed his eyes to take a deep breath and collect himself. He’d imagined therapy sessions with her would be hell, but this was a torture he hadn’t been prepared for.
***
So how does the sewing therapy work out? What happens when Luke's brother walks in and finds his brother sewing? Does all the sexual tension building in Luke from Abby's proximity lead to a first kiss?
Did you really think I was going to answer all those questions? :-) Sorry! You'll have to read HEALING LUKE for yourself to find out!
I had a blast writing the sometimes contentious, always smoldering relationship between Abby and Luke. Even I got frustrated with Luke's stubbornness in the early stages of his therapy, but I knew if anyone could work past Luke's protective barriers and penetrate the wall of his fears, Abby could! She proved to be a tougher, more patient, more determined character than even I had planned for her to be. Funny thing how sometimes the characters take over, and the writer has to keep up with where the characters take the story!
Well, thank you for the chance to share an excerpt of HEALING LUKE today. Writing this blog has inspired me to pull my needlepoint out of my closet and renew my love of the needle craft my grandmother gave me.
For more information about HEALING LUKE or my other books, please visit my website at http://www.bethcornelison.com/ .
Happy reading to all,
Beth Cornelison