Second Chance Hero was always supposed to be a standalone title. It is long – readers have either loved or hated that. You’re never going to please all the people all the time and that is something I drilled into myself before I even thought about sharing what I had written. But I wanted to develop the story and give it more depth than a love story that would soon be forgotten.
The feeling an author gets when they read a review of their work is indescribable. I have had one star reviews labelling it as nothing but smut and five star reviews calling the best book someone read all year and I am grateful for every single one.
            Reviews are more than an ego boost. Our potential as writers is never reached; the bar is always being raised and we are always growing as storytellers. If you have read a book and loved it (or not) please leave a review. The world of fiction is tough, competitive and insanely rewarding, but we rely on readers to tell us what we’re doing wrong. Or right.

Having said that, I have had messages and reviews either assuming Second Chance Hero is a series, or suggesting it should be. After reading enough of said reviews and messages to get me thinking about continuing the story, the voices of the characters popped up and told me where to take their tales. I will be continuing the story of Folquay but it will not be a full-length novel. It will be a collection of six short stories, each with a theme, an accompanying song and the ending each character deserves. So I invite you to sit back with a beverage that will last a while, read the preview below and join me in discovering the secrets of a seaside town…



From Folquay, the harbour town that gave us Second Chance Hero comes Secrets of A Seaside Town, a collection of short stories that reveal what happened after the final page of Jenna and Deacon’s story was turned.Secrets of A Seaside town catches up with Deacon and Jenna, Bradley and Rachel, Jonas and Grace, Esteban and Mindy and Emma. Six short stories that tell of hidden desires, undying love, the fight for forgiveness and a ticking clock.With situations unresolved, stories left untold and endings still to be written, sit back and listen as the wind blows through the narrow, cobbled streets of the town by the sea and Folquay whispers its secrets to you.

Extended Preview Please note: The following preview contains spoilers and the ending for Second Chance Hero. If you haven’t read SCH yet, you can find a shorter preview with no spoilers here
***The Only Exception

He was the love of her life, always had been. She held his heart, always had and always would. The big day had arrived; the day where they would profess their love in front of those who doubted and judged them. It was the day they would tie their lives together in every way. They already belonged to each other; they had gone through life as partners in crime and partners in love and devotion. Nothing could break their bond; nothing could take away the everlasting love they shared. In a world where love was had too often but not enough; where it was lost at the drop of a hat, they had found an admiration, a passion, a connection that could only be described as all-consuming, all-powerful and true, true love.
The bride stood in front of the mirrored-wall, the butterflies in her stomach dancing in excitement at the thought of looking into his alluring blue eyes, and looked at the reflections of the women around her. They were in the tiny little room adjoining the church. The church was on the cliff-top, where seagulls and the crashing waves would be heard when she tried to put her love into words. Her mother stood behind her, making sure every hair on the bride’s head was in place. The bridesmaids were in a corner, checking each other over; there would be no cleavage spillage, no lipstick on teeth, no frayed dresses. The flower girl sat on a chair in the other corner, swinging her legs as ballet pumps were being slid on her little feet by the groom’s mother. The flower girl wriggled in excitement as the hairstylist slide tiny little roses into her dark, curly hair.The bride was not nervous. She was eager to get to the end of the aisle and see the man she would grow old with.
The groom stood in front of the mirror in the vicar’s office. His grey suit fit his body with ease, and the lemon yellow waistcoat stretched across his wide chest comfortably. He looked at the men in the office with him. His best man and brother was busy attaching the buttonhole to the left side of his jacket, over the heart that would only ever belong to one woman. The three groomsmen were in the corner fiddling with their own pins and making jokes at the groom’s expense. He simply laughed with them as his thoughts turned to his father, who was absent in body; he believed he had given himself to the angels, so that he could marry his. His Lois Lane. But he would always be present in spirit, standing next to his son as he recited his vows. He thought about his soon-to-be wife, honoured that she would be taking his name and wondered what she was thinking as she was surrounded by the women in her life who were responsible for helping bring her back to him.The groom was not nervous. He was eager to stand at the altar and see the love of his life walk towards him. He couldn’t wait to look into her chocolate brown eyes and, in front of everyone they knew, promise to love her forever and beyond the day that the death parted them.
The door clicked open and the vicar popped his head in to take the bride’s father. He stepped out of the room and headed across the corridor to prepare to give his youngest daughter away to the man he considered a second son.The vicar’s eyes locked with the groom’s. The smile that played on his lips mirrored the rest of the town’s, knowing that this was the day the childhood sweethearts of Folquay would get their happily ever after. And then he said the words the groom had been waiting his entire life to hear.“It’s time.”
The groom stood at the altar with his hands behind his back, flanked by his best man, Bradley. Silence descended on the church as the double doors at the back opened slowly. Phillipa stepped out first, an excited grin on her face as she took her first step. She walked down the aisle as practised, her dark ringlets bouncing as she scattered yellow rose petals from a wicker basket swinging in her other hand.Everyone, from the three women sitting at the back who had been labelled as nothing more than ‘trait girls’, to the town busy body, to the owner of the florist that provided the flowers for the day, to the bride and groom’s families in the front, smiled as the little girl danced her path with glee.Phillipa reached the end of the aisle, gave the groom a sly high-five and took her seat in the front next to her grandma.Pachelbel’s Canon sounded out as the bridesmaids, Jade, Grace and Abbie, dressed in lemon-yellow, floor-length tube dresses and holding small bouquets of white roses, took their journey down the aisle, accompanied by the groomsmen, Steve, Jonas and Carl.All eyes returned to the entrance as the bridesmaids and groomsmen took their places and the Wedding March began to play…
Esteban lead his daughter into the moment she had dreamed of since she was a little girl. She wore an ivory dress that lightly brushed the floor when she walked, and a train that reached the floor and trailed behind her. The dress was made of silk with lace detailing and flowed over her curves with ease. Her white plimsolls were silent on the floor as her eyes locked with the man who had always been her everything and she walked towards him. He had never seen her look as beautiful as she did in that moment; her eyes glistened with emotion and sparkled with joy. Her cheeks flushed with a healthy glow that seemed to light up the space around her. She took his breath away.She held her breath as her father placed her hand in her soon-to-be husband’s and squeezed them together before taking his seat. The groom kept the bride’s hand tightly in his as they turned to the vicar and breathed a sigh of a relief. It was finally happening.“Dear friends and family. It is with great affection and pride that we are gathered here today to witness and celebrate the holy matrimony of Deacon Axel Reid and Jenna Nina Bethan Rivera. To this sacred moment they bring the fullness of their hearts as a treasure and as a gift, to share with one another.“They bring the dreams which bind them together in an eternal commitment. They bring their gifts and talents, their unique personalities and spirits and will unite together into one being as they build their life together. We rejoice with them in thankfulness for the creation of this union of hearts built on friendship, respect and love.”A single tear fell from Jenna’s eye as she and Deacon turned to face each other and held their hands between them.“Deacon and Jenna have chosen to write their own vows. May we have the rings, please.”Bradley stepped forward and handed them the rings.Deacon held the ring over the tip of Jenna’s finger.“Jenna, I love you.I promise to be yours forever,I promise to hold you as mine,I promise to be your lover, your soul mate,As you are mine, the other half of myself.I promise to hold you when you cry,To laugh when you laugh,And comfort you when you need it.I’ll be your forever, as you are mine.I promise to love you until I take my last breath,To be your best friend,Your hero,For as long as we both shall live.”The tears built in Deacon’s eyes as the relief of putting his feelings for Jenna into words washed over him. Tears fell from their families’ and friends’ eyes and Jenna’s lip trembled as she prepared to devote herself to her beloved.Jenna held the ring over the tip of Deacon’s finger.“I promise to be yours,And to call you mine.I promise to be your love, your companion,And your sidekick.I promise to tell you every day how much I love you,You are the other half of my soul.I promise to be your lemon drizzle,Your butterscotch,And everything in between.I promise to be your best friend, beyond my last days.You are my hero and I love you.So much it hurts.”The rings had been engraved ‘Loving you is my life ¥’ and would forever bind them to each other.“Deacon Axel Reid, do you take Jenna Nina Bethan Rivera to be your lawfully wedded wife?”“I do.”“And do you, Jenna Nina Bethan Rivera take Deacon Axel Reid to be your lawfully wedded husband?”“I do.”Deacon and Jenna slid the rings onto each other’s fingers as the vicar spoke the words that would turn the page onto their next chapter together.“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”Jenna and Deacon’s lips connected and they sealed a union that would last beyond their time on earth together as the entire town stood in celebration.When he could tear his lips from the woman who was his in every way physically and spiritually possible, Deacon whisked her away so she could sign her name, for the first time, as Mrs Jenna Reid.
***When the dinner had been eaten, the speeches had been made and the cake had been cut at The Haliwell Country Club that held the reception, the guests moved from the dinner hall to the dance hall for a night of drinking, dancing and celebrating love and life. The guests lined the dance floor as Deacon led Jenna in their first dance as a married couple. They had chosen ‘The Only Exception’ by Paramore and it was right for them. Deacon looked down at his wife as she stood settled into his embrace. He stroked the small of her back and leaned down to whisper in her ear as they disappeared into their familiar bubble and the other guest coupled up and joined them.
Esteban led Mindy to the floor and they danced slowly, holding each other as they always had.“She looks happy doesn’t she?” Esteban asked his wife of forty years.“She is happy.” His Welsh wife answered, looking into the brown eyes that he had passed down to their children, “No one will make her as happy as Deac. We’ve all known that for a long time. I’m just glad the game of cat and mouse ended when it did.”“The past can always be forgiven. What we do in our present, to make us better in our future, is what matters.”Mindy had heard him say that many times in their forty five years together. But she had never believed it as much as she did then as she looked around at their three children and their granddaughter, happy and smiling and together.Esteban’s knee buckled as he danced and with a frustrated groan, he let Mindy lead him back to their table to rest his aching body. He sat down heavily in the chair, his bones stiff, his brow knitted and misery in his voice. He couldn’t hide his anger at his aging body and he was powerless to stop time. It made him feel older with each passing day, and every second that seemed to thump in his foggy mind as they ticked by on the watch he’d worn since his younger days. Days when he had his whole life ahead of him, like the couple who had just joined in matrimony.
Emma Reid sat at the table with Esteban and Mindy and helped Phillipa with the colouring sheets that came in her bridal goodie bag. She liked playing with Phillipa; it reminded her of when her boys were younger and would ask her to draw pictures of cars and airplanes for them to colour. She let Phillipa colour on her own for a few minutes so she could take a sip of her wine and watch her youngest son dance with his wife. She came closer to losing him than any mother should. He had repercussions from his accident and dance with death. Deacon suffered from nightmares only abolished by the comfort and warmth of Jenna’s body next to his. They were bad dreams that mirrored what his father must have seen in the final moments of his life. His leg still hurt, although he would never tell anyone, and he had more pain in his neck in the morning than most woke up with when they’d slept awkwardly. She watched him, grateful to see the glint in his eyes that he lost for those five years that he was without Jenna. Emma smiled to herself, took another sip of wine and scanned the room for Bradley, her first-born. She hoped he was happy, even if he hadn’t found the same ending as his younger brother.
“Is this seat taken?” Bradley stopped at the table, empty except for Rachel, his ex-girlfriend, who was watching her parents. Her mother and father had been arguing a lot; the economy was starting to have an effect on Petals of Passion and they were struggling to make ends meet. The wedding had brought some money in and Rachel watched them, happy together for the first time in a long time.She said nothing in response, just kicked out the chair next to her for Bradley to sit down.“No date tonight?” He asked, lowering himself into the chair and trying not to look at the cleavage exposed by her low-cut dress.“No. But I’m surprised you don’t have one.”“Best man duties come first.”The atmosphere felt tense at the reference to his brother as they both remembered a time not so long ago.“Isn’t the best man supposed to sleep with one of the bridesmaids? I hear Abbie is lovely.”She tucked her hair behind her ear nervously.“Yeah, she’s nice. But that’s not happening.” Another silence hung over them. “Dance with me, Rach.”Rachel stood with Bradley and allowed him to lead her to the dance floor where they joined Jonas and Grace, and the other guests.
Things hadn’t been right between Jonas and Grace for a while. Jonas and Bradley were similar in more ways than just their age. They both had problems keeping girlfriends; problems that had nothing to do with what was on the inside or outside. The couple didn’t speak while they danced; they didn’t really speak much at all anymore. It was something they were going to have to talk about. Maybe they wouldn’t make it through Christmas together.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t fly us out tonight.” Deacon said, turning to Jenna and pressing a kiss to the top of her head.They had retired to a table, away from the attention. They had thanked their families and friends and people whose names they didn’t know for coming and Jenna was now wrapped in his suit jacket and leaned against him, ready to go home. The day had been more than they could have ever hoped for.“Jen.” Jade, the maid of honour addressed her sleepy sister and held out an envelope, “I’ve finished the collection.”Jenna shook her head and pushed the envelope back.“I don’t want to know.”They hadn’t asked for anything; hadn’t made a wedding gift list. They simply asked for a donation, a discretionary amount of money from their guests. They decided the money would go to the neuroscience research department at the university; specifically to the department that specialised in Traumatic brain injury. No amount of kitchen appliances or cellophane wrapped bubble bath would have brought Deacon back if he had lost his life the night of the crash.“Jen?” Deacon nudged her gently when Jade had returned to the party.“Hmm?”“I said I’m sorry.”“Don’t be.” She sat up and looked to him, “There isn’t anywhere I would rather be tonight than at home with you.”He kissed her on the lips, always amazed by how laid-back she was. He refused to think again of the time they had each other stressed out and strung up.“Can we go home now?” She continued, nodding towards the party on the dance floor, “I think this lot can keep going without us.”Deacon nodded and stood up, tucking his wife into his side. He would never tire of calling her his wife, never tire of the way her body fitted his like the last piece of his puzzle.They said quiet goodbyes to their parents and slipped out of the country club unnoticed.
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