WARNING: This is a totally unedited, unsanctioned preview to a book that may never be accepted for publication. All criticism welcome, but please be kind as I'm delicate.
Blurb/ Back of Book
Life
is like a bucket of high octane fuel for Augusta Stuart. With her career careening down the track at
high speeds already, she thinks she is ready to find someone to love. Being an expatriate southern belle lesbian in
the midst of south San Antonio's conservative Catholic Latino culture makes
finding a companionate soul more challenging, but Gus prides herself on being
progressive and races out to try internet dating. After dozens of harrowing and hilarious "miss-dates,"
Augusta meets Callia Alexena. Cal is the
antithesis of everything Gus thought would be attractive to her, but their time
together is like playing with matches.
Both women will have to decide what preconceptions they are willing to
burn in the race to find love.
Plot Summary/ Synopsis:
Augusta moves to south-central San Antonio to start a mental
health clinic for disadvantaged children. She has always wanted to do something
to help children in her own country and she has always wanted to use her
training and skills in clinical psychology to do so. As rewarding as it is to be in the thick of
her career, doing what she has always wanted to do someplace where it feels
like her work will make a real difference, Augusta is lonely. As a self-proclaimed
lipstick lesbian far from the support of her big tight-knit family in Atlanta,
Georgia and surrounded by the Latino machismo conservative culture of
south-central Texas, Augusta feels like a social freak. In an attempt to jumpstart her social life
Augusta decides to join an Internet dating site, but each hilarious and
horribly wrong date leads her to believe that most of the women available are
no more mentally stable than her patients and their parents. Hopeless and
disappointed, Augusta decides to take a chance and go on a blind date with the
founder of a company that provides logistics technology for healthcare
services.
When Callia Alexena shows up to meet Augusta the sparks do fly,
but is it really good chemistry? Callia doesn't expect a whole lot from a blind
date, but she certainly doesn't expect a wanna-be social debutant, too wrapped
up in her own pre-conceptions to even ask what Callia actually thinks about any
given topic. Augusta finds Callia to be
the antithesis of everything she would have said was really attractive in a
soul-mate, but Callia's no-nonsense technocrat practicality is far more
entertaining than any of the baggage offered by her other disaster dates. Helping 50,000 families displaced by a hurricane will give them a
chance to butt heads and hearts. They
will challenge each other's motivations before learning that loving others well
requires you to drop all of your pre-conceived notions first. Will they learn that expectations are just the
kindling sticks you burn to get enough light to discover a deeper compatibility
of souls?
“You
did what?” June’s thick Georgian drawl rose an octave at the end of her
question.
Augusta
Stuart smiled at the incredulity in her older sister’s tone. “I joined an
on-line dating service called San Antonio Matches.”
“What
for?” The voices of her nephews squabbling filtered through the connection
along with June’s skepticism.
“Because
I’m tired of being alone, but don’t tell Mama that.”
June
laughed through her nose. “Yeah, we know her answer. She would tell you to quit
trying to save the world and come home were you’re needed and loved. And you
know what? I’m not so sure she isn’t
right.”
“This
is a good opportunity to use what I’ve spent the last decade learning and
wanting to do, June. I can’t give it up
now.”
“I
get it. You want to help children. I even get that you want to help impoverished
children, but I don’t see why you can’t do that here in Atlanta.”
Gus
squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed her forehead. “The chance to build a mental
health service program for impoverished youths is here in San Antonio. I get to establish and direct the whole
program from its start.”
June
snorted softly. “I think those two years with the Peace Corps in Guatemala
turned you into a bleeding heart liberal.”
“You’re
one to talk. Besides I think it was my
fellowship at Harbor House that gave me the bleeding heart part and made Tyler
Foundation interested in offering me this job.”
“You’re
fluency in Spanish probably didn’t hurt either.” Her sister pointed out.
Gus
smiled. “Yeah.”
With a sigh, June said,“You
know we’re proud of you. I just worry
about my baby sister, playing with matches on-line and all that.”
“And
Mama is putting the pressure on you to put the pressure on me, since July got
engaged.”
June
gave a rolling laugh. “You know it, Sister.
Ever since our darling baby brother conned that sweet girl into marrying
him, she’s been telling me there is undeniable proof of miracles and asking how
come it’s so hard to find a wealthy, healthy lesbian to make her most-educated
daughter a wife.”
“That’s
exactly why I signed up for the online dating site. I’m telling you all, it’s impossible to find
myself a wife if I never date—and you don’t want me recruiting lesbians in
bars.”
“And
they don’t go to church?”
“Oh,
sure. And you know the Catholic Church
is so welcoming of gays these days they’ve even taken to hosting lesbian
socials in Texas’ most Catholic city.”
“Now
there is no reason to be so sarcastic with me, missy.” June chuckled. “With that kind of obstinacy it’s no wonder
we can’t marry you off before you’re an old maid.”
“Well,
that’s probably a good part of the truth.” Gus brushed aside a strand of her brown
unruly hair and gave a small sigh.
“Oh
now, don’t go getting all morose and moody on me now. You make friends with a
fencepost easy enough.”
“Yeah,
but its hard being so far away from you all again. And if things work like I want them too here,
that also means I will remain far away from you all.”
“You
can always decide you’ve done enough and come home, Gus. It doesn’t have to be forever, no matter
whether it goes well in San Antonio or not.”
Gus
twisted her cellphone charging chord around her index finger and let it loose
again. “Yeah. You’re right. I think I’m
just PMSing on top of stressing over the move and my first day jitters.”
“You’ve
done it before. You’ll do it again, and
we’ll send care packages.”
“Oooo.
Chocolate covered goobers?”
“Sure,
and some of my pecan pie cookies.”
“You’re
the best.”
“I
know.”
“Modest
much?”
“Nah,
my sister, the psychologist, told me too much humility damages my self-worth
and ruins my social credibility.”
“Blah,
blah, blah. Your sister uses too much
psychobabble.”
“Yeah,
she does. I love you, Gussie. I gotta go change your niece’s diaper.”
“I
love you too, June. Kisses to all.” Gus smiled as she heard her newest niece,
March give a hearty squall.
June’s
reply was harried but warm, “And sugar back at ya. Bye, Hon.”
The
call ended.
 |
| Draft of an idea cover only (NOT REAL) |
Even blinding saints.
