Book Blurb: Hit radio show host Annalise Waters is challenged on-air
when one of her listeners, social studies teacher Christopher Sanders, accuses
her of being cold-hearted toward the needs of the local children’s hospital.
Afraid of public backlash, the station arranges a fundraiser for the hospital,
with Annalise at the head. But it’s a fundraiser that drags up painful memories
from Annalise’s past.
Christopher hadn’t intended to be hustled into a
fundraiser—he’d only wanted to make a point. But as he spends more time with
Annalise, and realizes his mistaken judgment, he can’t deny the growing
feelings for this woman who is anything but cold-hearted. Will she ever forgive
his on-air accusations and see the depth of his true feelings?
EXCERT:
Annalise
pulled two steaming cups close as she scooted past a coworker in the hallway. Sam
stood down the hall at the door of the studio, with her hands on her hips and
an exasperated expression on her face.
“You’re
on in thirty seconds!” Sam’s call from the end of the corridor urged Annalise
forward.
“I’m
coming!” She rushed as Sam shook her head and hurried inside. Annalise could
almost hear her thoughts: Why can’t that girl make it on time? She set her
coffee at her desk and hurried to Sam’s side to offer a hot chocolate peace
offering.
“You
know I love you,” she said with a wink. Then, she slipped into her own side of
the two-room studio and grinned across the glass at Sam.
Sam
smiled and rolled her eyes as Annalise jerked the headphones into place.
“You’re on in five, four, three, two, one.” Her voice carried through the small
pass-through that had been cut out from the bottom of the window separating the
rooms.
“Good
morning, sleepy Salem! Welcome to Mornings with Annalise. This is Annalise
Waters. We’ve got traffic on the hour, and we’ll be taking calls at twenty
after. Until then, enjoy a commercial-free music marathon.”
“Clear,”
Sam said. She leaned back in her seat and shook her head, her long, graying
curls bouncing around her shoulders. It was only the twinkle in her eye that
gave away her true feelings—she could never be mad at Annalise. At least,
that’s what Annalise liked to tell herself.
“Why do
you insist on doing this to me?” Sam teased.
Annalise
bit her lip and then blew on her still-too hot coffee. “Sorry. I really needed
my caffeine. And I brought you your favorite!”
Sam
chuckled. “You better be glad that I love you back. Now take off your coat.”
“I’m
glad for your love every single day.” Annalise removed the heavy coat, hung it
on her chair, and then flipped through the day’s script. Script was a loose
word. It was more like a few notes scribbled on a piece of paper from Sam’s
husband’s hotel letterhead. Some days it was longer, but today, the checklist
was short, just a few points she should touch on throughout the show.
“Are you
ready for the caller hour?” Sam asked. “Last week was a bit of a disaster.”
“I can’t
help it when people want to argue with me,” Annalise defended herself. Just
thinking of the woman who had started an on-air feud made her blood boil.
“Doesn’t anyone screen these calls?”
The plea
sounded true enough, but deep down she knew the truth. She thrived in the midst
of conflict. It got her blood pumping and her adrenaline rushing. Made her feel
alive, which was important.
Sam’s
raised eyebrows showed she wasn’t fooled by the claim. “We can all agree she
was a pot stirrer, true. But try being a little nicer next time, eh?”
“Her
theory was wrong. That’s the point of the segment, isn’t it? I’m teaching
fiscal responsibility in these little weekly snippets. What if the rest of the
listeners went out and tried her ridiculous suggestions?” Sam didn’t reply, but
she narrowed her eyes. OK, so maybe she could have been a little nicer. She
would try harder. It would make Sam happy, if nothing else.
Besides,
once they’d gone off the air, Annalise had offered to meet with the lady to
work out her budget—which the pot stirrer had refused.
“We’re
back on in thirty seconds. It’s the weather, news, then get ready for caller
one.” Annalise slipped the headphones back into place and adjusted herself more
comfortably. She hated the weekly Q & A, but when ratings had taken a
slight dip, Mr. Winslow, the station owner, had scrambled for something to keep
her afloat. The Fiscal Responsibility segment was Sam’s idea.
“Did you
know the number one reason for divorce is finances?” Annalise opened. Which was
a stupid line because everyone these days knew the number one reason for
divorce was finances. She hated opening with it, but Mr. Winslow insisted. “In
this week’s Fiscal Responsibility segment we’re going to take calls from the
public—that’s you—so get ready. But first we’re going to traffic, weather, and
news.”
She
switched over to the affiliate news station, who jumped right into the latest
traffic pile up. Sam sat across the glass, already taking phone calls and
questions. Annalise took another swig of
coffee, which had finally cooled to an acceptable temperature. The sweet but
bitter warmth spread through her. It loosened her muscles and mind as she
pulled out the financial guru stuff the bosses had put together for her to
reference. She’d read through it multiple times, but when it came to answering
these people’s questions, having it nearby gave her a boost of confidence.
The
traffic, weather, and news went off without a hitch, and Sam gave the nod.
Annalise leaned toward the microphone, ready to go live, and this time she was
ready. She waited for Sam’s fingers to tick down.
“We’re
back with this week’s Fiscal Responsibility segment. We welcome your financial
questions, and I believe we have our first caller.”
Sam
nodded and punched a button on her end. A smooth masculine voice filled the
airways.
“Miss
Waters, do you advocate supporting local charities as a part of regular fiscal
responsibility?”
“Charitable
donations are a great way to get tax breaks. So as long as it’s in your budget,
I say go for it.” She waited for the standard “thank you” that always followed.
“Funny,
because I’ve been a listener for a while, and I’ve never picked up on any
charities you actually support. In fact, I’ve done a bit of outside research,
and I still haven’t been able to find anything.”
Heat
erupted in Annalise’s ears, and she turned worried eyes to Sam. Sam frowned and
bit her lip, but the public was waiting. Dead airwaves were bad airwaves. Annalise fumbled for something to say. “And what would you suggest?” That was as
good a save as any.
“Well,
the children’s hospital is my personal favorite. Have you ever visited?”
The heat
faded into a throbbing, a deep spasm in the pit of her stomach. It spread
quickly to her heart and brain until she couldn’t block it out.
“Once or
twice, yes,” she forced out. Painful memories flooded her mind.
“And you
didn’t find it donation-worthy?”
She
swallowed hard. “Your point has been made. I will update my donation
information on the website soon. Thanks for your call.” She switched herself
off the air and glanced at Sam. “I’m taking a break.”
Sam
nodded and hurried to switch the station to music, while Annalise stomped to
the bathroom. Images from the past raced through her head—hospital beds,
beeping machines, and worried faces that would never leave her mind’s eye.
She
turned on the faucets and splashed cool water over her cheeks and eyes. Then,
she grabbed a paper towel to dry herself off. What a disaster. Now she looked
like a monster, and they were going to be getting hate mail and who knew what
else. The nerve. How dare anyone question her donations? She gave to her
church, above and beyond what she tithed. It wasn’t anyone’s business what she
did with her money.
She
closed her eyes and leaned her head against the mirror. It was everyone’s
business. She was a public figure, and people wanted to know. They always had
and they always would. Now the station was going to get demands that she prove
what types of charities she supported. It was going to mean public announcements,
fundraising events, the whole shebang.
And that meant people would be getting to know her. Asking her
questions. Digging into her past—a past she didn’t want to remember.
The
bathroom door opened and Sam slipped inside. “You OK? You looked as pale as a
ghost.” Annalise straightened and took a deep breath. She was overreacting.
People forgot things they heard on the radio five minutes after it aired.
“I’m
fine. I told you we needed to screen these calls.”
“I’m
sorry, sweetie.” Sam’s arm slipped over Annalise’s shoulders. “You’ve got to go
back on air, though. Can you do it?”
Suck it
up, sweetheart. Dad had always told her that when she was a kid. She did it
then, she could do it now.
“Yeah, I
can do it.”
“Good.
And we’ll get lunch on the station. What they don’t know won’t hurt them.”
Annalise
managed a smile. “They told us yesterday they were buying lunch today anyway.”
Sam
grinned. “You remember that, do you?” Annalise went back on the air like
nothing had happened, but her mind was never far from the caller. The guy who
thought he should challenge her on the air, for all the world to hear. If she
ever met him in person, she’d give him a piece of her mind.
BUY LINKS:
BIO:
KATIE
CLARK started reading fantastical stories in grade school and her love for
books never died. Today she reads in all genres; her only requirement is an
awesome story! She writes sweet Christian romance for adults, as well as
exciting speculative fiction for Christian teens. You can connect with her at
her website, on Facebook,
or on Twitter.
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