Meg Harding's Blog - Posts Tagged "romance"

Hello Everyone!

As you may, or may not, know I have self-published what is perhaps my favorite short story I've written. It's fluffy and sweet, with an exotic locale, and some Comic-Con loving men. I'm extraordinarily proud of it and in love with it.

That being said, please check it out, review it, and feel free to ask me questions about it.

You can find it here:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TIS20ZI

I saw a post on tumblr the other day saying that instead of meet cutes, there should be more meet uglies: I accidently hit you with my car. I left an angry note because your parking was bad. I slammed the door in your face or knocked you over and didn't apologise. The idea has stuck with me since I read it. Are meet cutes overdone? Would readers prefer meet uglies? I for one think the latter might provide a new element of entertainment and tension. What do you think?

Excerpt:

“There aren’t going to be any weird creatures in the water?” he thought to ask, as Adam gave up on waiting for Oliver to make up his mind and just tugged him along to one with only two other people in it.

“What is it with you and your fear of sea creatures?” Adam muttered as he scrambled over a rock and slid right into the water.

Oliver watched as he then proceeded to hiss and jump around, arms wrapped around himself. The couple in this particular little niche giggled at Adam’s antics and the woman expressed her sympathy. Her teeth were chattering the entire time. Oliver sat on one of the rocks and dipped a toe in. He yanked it back out. Ice. It felt like the water was made of ice. The rock he sat on, in contrast, felt nice and toasty warm.

The rock was looking like a pretty good bet.

Hands circled his ankles and he was being forcibly yanked down into the pool of ice. His squawk was high pitched and angry and abruptly cut off by the chattering of his teeth. He was clinging to Adam like a monkey, wrapped around him and trying to climb up him to get out of the water almost.

“You bastard,” he gritted out.

It was like little icy needles were stabbing his flesh.

Adam dunked him.

Oliver’s eyes bolted shut and then opened wide to stare into the blurred face of the massive pain in his ass. Adam’s eyes were wide open and looking back, his lips quirked upwards in a close-lipped smile. Oliver narrowed his eyes and set about doing his level best to knock Adam over.

They grappled under the water till Oliver’s lungs were burning and he absolutely had to come up for air. He took in great gasping breaths as his head broke the water, his chest heaving to restore the air. Beside him Adam was doing the same, though a little more calmly. He would probably have been able to hold his breath for another thirty seconds if he needed to.

The couple in the water with them had backed away from their splash zone, but they were smiling fondly at them, clearly amused.

Oliver braced himself against one of the rocks, letting himself just float in the water. When Adam came near he put his hand out palm forward in a stop gesture. “Don’t even think about doing anything other than sitting here.”

Adam rolled his eyes and collapsed next to Oliver, letting his head thunk against the rock. “I think we should find some hot springs next,” he said. “I’ll ask the guide if there’s any on the island.”

Tired and just wanting to relax, Oliver let his head slide down to rest on Adam’s shoulder. His body felt heavy and his eyes were drooping. Laughing, Adam prodded him up and out of the water. They stretched out on two long rocks and Oliver closed his eyes. He moved his hand till he felt Adam’s and Adam turned his over, interlocking their fingers.

***

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Currently on a Kindle Countdown Sale.