Society of Benevolent Strangers by Leslie Parker

Book Genre: Contemporary Romance/Adventure
Publisher: indie
Release Date: September 6, 2014

From a clinical perspective, Dr. Kate Hastings found acquiring a disease she had been treating for over twenty years fascinating. Emotionally it was terrifying. Especially when her access to the operating room was curtailed and her colleague has drastically cut her patient load.

The life-altering diagnosis coincides with Kate’s thirty-year high school reunion, a reunion that has Kate reminiscing about her first love and her plans to have Clayton Beech by her side through the rigors of med school, a lengthy surgical residency and the rest of her life.

An idealistic Clayton Beech, an expert in languages, a player of jazz piano and football, dreamed of saving the world. Exploring this calling, he signed on for a stint with the Peace Corp. Clay planned a life of service, always with Kate by his side.

However, futures cannot be planned. Neurosurgeons get sick, lovers leave with no explanation and saving the world might best be done alone.

A no-show at the reunion, Kate discovers Clay is the head of an important healthcare organization in East Africa. With time on her hands and the growing conviction that they should have always been together Kate follows his trail to London. It is in London that she discovers that it was she not Clay who made a serious mistake that destroyed their dreams.

After almost thirty years their lives are continents apart. Can Kate find a way to correct past wrongs? Can she merge into the life they should have had although Clay is adamant that he has no time to take her on safari and does not want her in Africa?

With the sole responsibility for a large NGO weighing on his broad shoulders and wanting to be with Kate weighing on his heart Dr. Clayton Beech knows that until he makes the most difficult decision of his life, neither weight can be lifted. Until he makes that decision, Kate is a distraction he just cannot afford.

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Excerpt

Sitting in the airport, waiting to board her flight to London, trying to quell the butterflies in her stomach, Kate pulled out the envelope that Mrs. Lautenberg had handed her. It had been shoved to the bottom of her travel bag and forgotten until she discovered it while packing for Europe and decided to save it for something to do on the long overseas trip. Carefully, Kate ripped the seal open and slid the contents out.

Sorting through odds and ends, Kate discovered a postcard she had sent her father from her first summer camp when she was eleven. Ticket stubs from the last play they had gone to see in New York City, Le Miz. A photo of the two of them at the Deer Park, she remembered Paul, the bartender, snapping it on her twentieth birthday; they looked happy. Other pictures were of Evan Hastings over the years with grad students and colleagues she barely remembered.

A woman with a familiar face surrounded by curly dark hair, holding an infant, smiled up from a black and white Polaroid, gone sepia with age. Kate smiled at the picture, the face mirroring her own.

Hi, Mom.

After a moment, she leafed through the rest of the stack. There was a packet of slit envelopes containing letters from colleagues. Kate recognized names but had never met them and did not bother to read their notes. The last letter in the stack was addressed to Kathryn Hastings c/o Dr. Evan Hastings, the script clear and familiar. The return address had been water damaged and was illegible. The stamp was from the Dominican Republic. She turned the envelope over slowly and looked at the seal.

A chill crept up her spine and her heart started to thump hard in her chest. As far as Kate could tell, the letter had never been opened.

Her hand shook as she tried to use a fingernail to slit the dry, aged paper. She stretched her fingers, willing away the tremor and taking a deep breath. She finally got her fingertip wedged under the corner and ripped the envelope across the top. One page of notebook paper, folded into a neat rectangle, had been tucked inside. Slowly, Kate unfolded the paper, smoothed it carefully, and then read the handwriting she still recognized after so many years.

Dear Kitty-Kate,

I know you think that because my plans are more recent, yours should take priority. Believe me I heard you loud and clear, and I understand, but that doesn’t make mine any less important.

I have been pulled in the direction of the Peace Corp and the REAL work I could do there, and pulled toward you, to the most love and admiration I have ever felt for another human being. I have no doubt those two forces can move in the same direction. I can follow my calling and still be with you as you follow yours.

We can do it together. Just as we planned.

Calling. Does that sound corny? I cannot think of a better way to express how I have felt the last few months. I have read that people believe they are called to the ministry, to politics, to teaching. This is my calling.

You set me on this path and I am following it without fear or hesitation. It feels right. Like medicine, your calling, feels right to you. I know you understand.

Working with the foreign students really opened my eyes. Until now, my life has been narrow and safe, and too damn easy. Writing that, I notice that easy is a four-letter word. For many people, life is not easy, or just, or safe, or free. Lots of four letter words. For many, life is barely survivable.


I think everyone should be given the chance to survive. At the very least.

There is so much I need to ask you about the choice you made. Maybe your leaving me was right, but it doesn’t feel right. I only hope it’s not too late. It was just a stupid argument. I don’t understand why you left without telling me.

But I don’t care. I want to make it work for both of us. Whatever I have to do, I am prepared to do it. Just tell me what it is. I know I can make do without most things, but the one thing I can never give up is you. And I desperately need your love to sustain me on my life’s journey.

Please write back. Please. We can work this out. You are the love of my life.

Always and forever, 

Clay

As she finished the letter, the call came over the intercom for first-class passengers to begin boarding. Tears filled Kate’s eyes as she stumbled through the gate onto the plane. She quickly settled into her seat, whispered water when the flight attendant asked quietly if she needed anything. And then she read the letter all over again.

His words did not make any sense at all.

How could he have written this letter? Nothing he had written made any sense.

Clay was blaming her.

Author Bio:

Between stints as a lion tamer and exotic dancer, LA Parker earned a degree in Art History from the University of Delaware.

After a harrowing experience excavating ancient ruins along the Amazon, she earned a second degree in Computer Science from East Carolina University.

Dabbling in the art of lying for fun and profit, she has published three works of fiction: Against the Grain, Stella's Sheets and Society of Benevolent Strangers.

Settling for a quieter life, LA is currently residing in North Carolina with her husband, son and dog, Tony, Zach and Max the Bandit, where she is happily dreaming up more fantastical and phenomenal lies for your entertainment.

Author Links

Facebook: www.facebook.com/LAParker                     www.facebook.com/SBSaNovel
Goodreads:http://www.goodreads.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=society+of+benevolent+strangers

Where are you from?
Originally I am from Newark, DE but I now reside in Greenville, NC.

Tell us your latest news?
My big news is having my third book published. This was the first time I used an editor. I need to give a shout out to Rogena of Rogena Mitchell-Jones Manuscript Service and Karri Klewiter of Art by Karri for the wonderful cover. This is my first book tour and really the first time I have felt confident promoting my work though I love all of my books as if they were my children.

What inspired you to write your first book?
Gosh, a lot of little things. My first published book was “Against the Grain”. I guess I always had an expectation that college grads married college grads due to similar economic and educational backgrounds or experiences, but a woman told me that her sister, a pediatrician, preferred dating artisans because two high powered, demanding careers did support a happily-ever-after life. The idea interested me and I explored it with my characters, Delaney and Lee. Delaney is an executive with her family’s grain mill and Lee is more country than country club.

My newest book, “Society of Benevolent Strangers” was supposed to be a study in obsession but once I knew my main characters, obsession was not how they would relate to each other at all. Other ideas came to the forefront and the story I started was not the one I ended up writing.

How did you come up with the title?
As part of the story I needed a charity, one established in East Africa before 1900, and I came up with the name Society of Benevolent Strangers because the woman who started the philanthropy gave masked balls to raise funds for local hospitals… I thought it made a good title.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Other than Clay’s speech in London, I tried not to preach, but the work Clay does is very important. What happens in other parts of the world truly affects us as Americans. We cannot isolate ourselves. The funding that the US sends overseas helps those who have no resources to help themselves. I believe offering our help is necessary for worldwide stability.

What books have most influenced your life most?
I love the magic that Alice Hoffman effortlessly weaves into her tales, the interlinking lives in Harold Robbins’ The Carpetbaggers and the keen sense of time and place in Herman Wouk’s Marjorie Morningstar. I am enthralled by Jacqueline Suzanne’s sharply drawn women in Valley of the Dolls, Judith Krantz’s glamour in Scruples and the quirky, eccentricities of John Irving’s characters in The World According to Garp. I take to heart Lawrence Block’s advice to writers in Telling Lies for Fun & Profit.

I believe every book leaves a mark. Some are deep and last a life time, other are just a fleeting touch of magic.

Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
I have been doing a lot of writing so I have not had time to read many new books. But I’m a sucker for all kinds of love stories. I like romantic suspense and I have recently enjoyed Abigail Roux’s Cut and Run series.

What are your current projects?
Currently I am working on “Saving Rainbow Falls”. I hope to have it out sometime next summer. The first draft is done and my beta readers are giving me feedback. It looks like my winter will be spent polishing it. It is about a small town that finds an unusual remedy for their failing economy. Writing it I got to explore LGBT themes which was a learning experience for me. In all of my books I end up exploring something new, changing my perspective and growing as a person. I think that’s my favorite part about being a storyteller.

What would you like my readers to know?
I love five star feedback and fawning accolades. Who doesn’t? It’s part of why I share what I write. But even if your review is negative, I want to hear from you as long as you give me a reason for your opinion. Constructive criticism is never bad. I am always learning and working to improve my craft. The best way to do that is to hear from my readers.

Writers and Books that Influenced Me

I am a reader and have read everything—well almost. So there are many, many authors and books who have influenced me. It is hard to name just a few.

I love the magic that Alice Hoffman effortlessly weaves into her tales, the interlinking lives in Harold Robbins’ The Carpetbaggers and the keen sense of time and place in Herman Wouk’s Marjorie Morningstar. I am enthralled by Jacqueline Suzanne’s sharply drawn women in Valley of the Dolls, Judith Krantz’s glamour in Scruples and the quirky, eccentricities of John Irving’s characters in The World According to Garp. I take to heart Lawrence Block’s advice to writers in Telling Lies for Fun & Profit.

• Rich Man, Poor Man and Beggarman Thief by Irwin Shaw
• The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough
• The Far Pavilions by M. M. Kaye
• Trinity by Leon Uris

Oops! I think I may have just given away my age. The list above has a common thread, these writers do not tell simple stories. They have many characters, each one has a life of their own and the complex relationships between them. The art is intermingling the tales into one novel, seamlessly blending in issues of social awareness and historical conflict.

I am still working on the craft—I always will be--but these are definitely my influences.

In Society of Benevolent Strangers my characters have lives, long and full, each with their own tale to tell. The main characters, Dr. Kate Hastings and Dr. Clayton Beech are the glue that holds the story together from their first meeting in college to their work in Kenya.

The woman Kate meets, Angelique, Alice, Dianne, Marie and Marjani, illustrate the varied and sometimes terrible lives of women in Africa—exemplifying the need for refugee camps and access to healthcare. The current trend is to defund these efforts and I find that very misguided and cruel. I admire the people who do aid work, especially now that it has become more dangerous. I began this book in 2008 and based it in 2006, since then Kenya and east Africa has undergone more turmoil.

The book is fiction but the places I describe--except for the SBS Compound –while used fictitiously are very real, and I do hours of research to describe them as accurately as I can. To give the reader a real sense of time and place.

Please share your 6 bests, telling us from the topics below. Write as much, as little, and provide as many images as you'd like.

• Best writing wardrobe.
• My nightgown and robe.
• Best Inspiration for writing.

Things people say that shock me and objects-people-places I see on the road during my daily commute. The internet is a great place to find something shocking, but so is work, and a twice daily thirty-six mile commute on a rural highway presents an ever changing landscape.


Best writing place.

Locked in a tower with an endless view of the surrounding city. That way, when I’m stuck on some plot point, I can look out and watch what’s going on all around me. Most times I have to make do with the leather sofa in my living room and the view of squirrels playing outside my window when I’m stumped. 

Best Pick-Me-Up book.

You’re going to think I’m crazy but two of my all-time favorite books from childhood which I have on my kindle and have reread multiple times are: Johann David Wyss’ “The Swiss Family Robinson” and Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women”. If I think about it too hard I can see how they both have influenced my writing. The span of time both tales cover and the making of things, the resourcefulness of the family in Wyss’ book, these are ideas that interest and inspire me.

Best secret talent.

I’m pretty wide open. What you see is what you get so I don’t have many secret any-things to share. Probably my best kept secret was that I wrote. I was hesitant to tell people about my stories until I published “Against the Grain” in 2010. After that it has gotten easier to share that part of myself with others.

Best experience or writing idea.

All of my ideas are the best, until the next one. Right now I am caught up in “Saving Rainbow Falls” and loving the fun I am having with developing and researching this story. Hopefully it will be out next summer.

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November 27 - Introduction at VBT Café Blog
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December 3 - Spotlight at Deal Sharing Aunt
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Aftermath by Sandy Goldsworthy Book Blitz

Aftermath

(The AfterWorld Saga)

By  Sandy Goldsworthy

Published day: December 2nd, 2014

Publisher: Clean Teen Publishing

Page Count: 361

Genre: Paranormal Romance Action Adventure

Content Warning: Adult language, violence, and sexual content

Age Recommendation: 14+

Synopsis:

After losing her father, Emma Bennett moves to her aunt’s small town of Westport to finish out her senior year of high school. Emma wants to forget the pain and loss of the past few weeks, finding relief in the company of Ben Parker—a local boy who she has an instant attraction and uncanny connection with. When Ben seems a little too preoccupied with other responsibilities and has no time for her, Emma turns to the town’s hottest flirt—Lucas Crandon—for affection. Unfortunately, she realizes a little too late that, sometimes, bad boys really can be bad for you.

Life as an undercover agent for the Afterworld’s Bureau of Investigation isn’t an easy job. When Ben Parker finds his soul mate, Emma, in a small town, he finds himself forced to choose between doing his job or rekindling a relationship with the love of his existence. After Ben is notified that a notorious immortal is loose somewhere near Westport, he realizes that his love life will just have to wait. There is a criminal to apprehend before he can have his girl.

When lives are at stake and immortals are on the loose, can two soul mates find their happy ever after?

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Ben’s First Day of High School

In all the years I spent undercover, I was never a high school student.

Hey, you structured this cover. Molly’s voice rang in my head, as I followed the flow of annoying adolescents in the hallways of Westport High. You could have waited to meet Emma when she was in college, or working her first job. Instead, you decided seventeen was the right age to introduce yourself.

It wasn’t her age. I timed it in the aftermath of her dad’s transition, I responded in defense. I took a seat near the window in calculus. It was my first period of the first day of school.

Yes, yes, whatever! You dragged me along into this assignment, she muttered. And I’m not any happier than you are, sitting through the secondary education system.

You volunteered, I rebutted. Remember? ‘I could use a bit of down time, Commander’. I mimicked her meeting with our leader when I came up with the idea several years earlier.

Molly sighed in defeat. I acknowledged Drew Davis. He took the seat behind me. Mr. Vieth called us to attention. Molly was greeted by her Spanish teacher in another classroom.

Are you two done bickering? Pete Jorgenson’s voice interrupted Vieth’s roll call.

We don’t bicker, Molly replied.

Jorgenson knew better. As our handler, he was privy to every thought, comment, action, even feeling, our human disguises encountered on earth. It was part of our contract, succumbing to the tether, the bond between our world and an agent on assignment. It was an invisible leash that allowed him to keep tabs on our whereabouts at all times.

Right. And you were Mother Theresa in your last life, too, Jorgenson joked.

Ever since the pioneer field agent Victor Nicklas went rogue over a century ago, the tether was required. It didn’t bother me.

Good luck in your senior year of high school. Jorgenson’s chuckle echoed in my mind as Vieth called my name. I raised my hand, acknowledging my attendance.

Thanks.

And, stay out of trouble this time, Jorgenson curtly added. I don’t particularly like explaining your stupidity to the commander. It makes me look bad.

The First Time Emma Sees Ben

I barely noticed the guy in front of us before, but took a look at him while the bronze girl continued flirting. From the side view, I agreed he was attractive. He stood several inches taller than Matt did, but seemed to carry himself with more confidence. When he smiled, his eyes squinted and his jaw tightened. It was a masculine look I never saw on Matt or any other boys at my school. It was a more mature look, like a grin on a man, not a boy, and I guessed he was probably much older than I was.

He couldn’t be from here, I thought.

I didn’t realize I was staring at him until he turned and looked at me. Heat crept up my neck, and I focused on the sand around my feet. My heart began to race. He was much more attractive than I originally thought. He wasn’t cute like the boys at school. He was handsome like the Prince Charming I dreamed of when I was little. Like the fantasy characters in all of those sappy Disney stories Mom used to read to me.

When I felt normal again, I glanced back at Prince Charming. He wore a white T-shirt with the sleeves cutoff and the seams torn at the side. As he filled out the form on the clipboard and his left arm moved, I caught a glimpse of his tanned chest. I felt like a middle-schooler staring.

The bronze girl perched herself in front of him. Her elbows rested on the counter with her chin sitting in her hands. I could tell she was talking to him, but her voice was low, so I couldn’t hear what she said. I wondered what Prince Charming thought of the brunette, as he pushed the clipboard back to her. Then, an instant later, he glanced in my direction.

Busted again.

The same tingling I felt earlier, returned. I caught my breath and stared at my feet, pushing sand around, hoping my face wouldn’t redden. How ridiculous. He was clearly older than I was and staying at the hotel. He obviously wasn’t from around here, so the odds of me ever seeing him again were slim. The idea lessened my embarrassment. I focused on my surroundings, on anything to avoid looking at him. I stared at the sign hanging on the building listing the ten rules of the lake, and I wondered if anyone ever read them.

“Hey man… sorry for the delay,” a deep voice spoke, jolting me from my daydream. I looked up. Prince Charming was talking to Matt. “Paperwork.” He tilted his head toward the open window as if in further explanation. The brunette was no longer in view.

“No problem.” Matt shrugged.

Don’t look at Prince Charming, I told myself. But I wanted to. My eyes were drawn to him like a magnet to metal. I wanted to look, but when Matt leaned toward me and his upper arm gently touched my shoulder, I snapped back to reality.

I felt like a kid again.

Ben Sees Emma at Lake Bell

Sand crept between my toes, as I stood waiting to rent a Jet Ski.

It was my first official day undercover as Ben Parker. Normally, I was a confident person. Molly called me arrogant at times.

I was never nervous, until now.

Seeing Emma brought back all those insecurities I left behind in adolescence, when I was still alive. I stood at the counter, waiting for the brunette to get approval for my rental. I was under eighteen she told me when I handed her the paperwork and my undercover driver’s license. If only she knew how old I really was. I could have convinced her to release the Jet Ski without the hassle of paperwork, but with Emma standing behind me in line, I was in no rush.

Of course, Brinn, as her name tag clearly read, wanted to stall my application as long as possible. She took her time making the call to my fake aunt, Marty McMann, who worked in the office. Minutes passed as Brinn moved slowly. Her thoughts of me were initially flattering while she hovered, as I completed the form. But after a few overdramatic eye gestures and fake giggles, I had enough and blocked out her thoughts. Besides, they interfered with eavesdropping.

Emma and Matt talked about meaningless stuff while I waited for my rental. How long are you staying? When are you moving? Are you coming back to Highland Park? Topics that made Emma immediately tense up. I felt her pain, as she mentally relived the notification at school and the days that followed. I glanced at her as she tried wiping away her tears before Matt noticed them.

Stupid punk. He didn’t even realize the impact his words had on her.

I turned to face him, locking my eyes with his. I knew what I was doing. He stood paralyzed, his eyes focused and unblinking. I could manipulate him any way I wanted to right now. The power I had as an immortal was far greater than any human could imagine.

I wanted to kill him for hurting her. For being with her. I had the ability.

No one would know.

A simple heart attack or accidental drowning all came to mind, as I held him in my mental grip. I never did anything like that before. My phone buzzed in my pocket, but I ignored it. I never killed anyone for no reason, or without just cause.

But I could.

And part of me wanted to. I wanted to protect Emma and that meant eliminating anything or anyone that hurt her. Getting rid of anyone that stood in my way of protecting her, even if the pain she felt was unintentional.

Ben-ja-min! I heard her screech my name in my head before her hip bumped into mine. “Hey neighbor. Renting a Jet Ski?” Molly said aloud. Her thoughts were less bubbly as she yelled in her British accent, Exactly what the bloody hell are you doing?

My focus was lost, and Matt was released from my stare. I turned to look at Molly.

You can’t possibly think compulsion is the answer, she said firmly.

“I’m just waiting for the paperwork right now, Molly,” I said, pretending we weren’t having a private mental discussion. I wasn’t going to hurt him.

You wanted to. You thought about it.

But I didn’t.

Didn’t your reprimand for that compulsion teach you anything? She was referring to my borrowing of Officer Scott Michaels’ squad car the day Emma learned her father died.

What reprimand?

You’re kidding, right? I thought Commander E would have you doing community service by now. After all, you left that garage manager in a compelled state for hours.

Molly, he was fine. I shook my head.

Yes, but your spell didn’t wear off as quickly as you guessed it would, Benjamin. You overdid it. Your emotions are running on steroids right now, and you need to tone it down.

I looked over at Emma and realized Matt was holding her in his arms. Maybe my subtle thoughts helped push him along. Or, maybe he isn’t so bad after all. Molly’s thoughts crept in. At least Emma felt better. I could sense that.

Marty waved at Molly and me, as she entered the rental office and signed the papers Brinn had waiting for her. “Want to go for a spin?” I asked Molly.

“Maybe later,” she said aloud. Join me first?

I shrugged, waiting to hear what she was talking about.

We need to resuscitate a young boy that is about to choke on a pecan in his turtle sundae at the ice cream shop by the marina. Poor clerk. Some young lady new to the job… Didn’t get her CPR certification yet. Perhaps this will light a fire under her ass, as they say.

I raised an eyebrow.

Come with me. It’ll be rewarding. She smiled, her gray eyes convincing.

Brinn’s expression turned to disappointment as she handed over the key to the Jet Ski.

Fine. But you’re buying ice cream.

Deal.

Ben’s Apology to Emma

I smelled him before I saw or heard him.

It was a cool and fresh scent, like crisp air I imagined breathing in atop the highest mountain. I turned when I heard Ben’s deep, pleasant voice. He was just inches from me, the closest I had ever been near him. He leaned around the door of my locker with his masculine hand holding the top edge like a shield, separating him from me. His fingernails were perfectly oval and neatly trimmed.

My heart skipped a beat when our eyes met. A gentle smirk flashed across his face.

“Aren’t you supposed to have tons of pictures taped up in your locker?” Ben asked after he swung my locker door open wide and peered inside.

I looked away briefly, trying to contain my smile. My heart skipped again with the realization that he was talking to me, and not to someone else. “I guess I didn’t get around to it yet.”

The hall was quiet, with only a few kids at the other end. We were basically alone.

“I thought you’d have pictures of your boyfriend posted. Matt, is it?” he asked. “I mean, what would he think if he knew you didn’t have his picture plastered up for all of us to see?”

My lips betrayed me, and I grinned. “Um… Matt’s not my boyfriend.” I grabbed my books without looking at him. I was afraid I’d blush.

“Oh.” He hesitated for a second and then continued. “Well, I just wanted to apologize for the other night.”

I glanced up at him.

“I was out of line. You’re free to drink as much as you want. I shouldn’t have said anything… It’s none of my business.”

I stared into his cocoa-brown eyes and reached to close my locker door, but he didn’t move. My fingertips grazed his shirt, and I imagined a rippled stomach underneath. He always looked nice. His deep red shirt complimented his tan skin and dark brown hair. I wanted to touch him, but quickly cleared my thoughts.

We were just friends, if that.

“Thanks,” I said, still holding the door. I felt the blood rush to my face. My stomach felt a little queasy.

“Can we start over?” He extended his hand. I reached for it and nodded.

“Friends.” His grip was firm, yet comfortable, like a good fit. I couldn’t deny how attracted I was to him. I never felt this way about Matt and especially not about Lucas. My cheeks had to be fuchsia. Get control of yourself, I thought.

He smiled, still holding my hand in his.

“So did you finish the homework for calc?” he asked after letting go of my hand.

“Yeah… and you?”

“Pretty easy.”

“I thought so, too.”

He glanced behind me, and then said, “You going to the library for study hall today?”

“Yeah, I’ll be there.”

“Good. See you later,” he said and left.

Would he really ask if he just wanted to be friends? 

About the Author

Sandy Goldsworthy was born and raised in a small Wisconsin town. Her passion for writing began when her high school English teacher inspired her to be more descriptive in her work. Today, Sandy is writing the second book of Emma and Ben’s story. When she’s not writing, Sandy enjoys spending time with her husband, Mike, and two children, Brittany and Kyle, or playing with her English Mastiff, Miles.

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