Category: Romance Publisher: Acquistions Publish America
ISBN-10: 1588519597
Type: Fiction
Pages: 108
Copyright: Feb 1 2002
Next Time Around is a work in which to blend elements of drama, character study and romance tinged with tragedy in a tale that depicts a man who finds himself at a cross roads in his life regarding his relationships with two women.
The early portions of the work set up the situation between Dylan and Molly, describing the fleeting moments of attraction between them that lead to a high school romance of emotional extremes for the two of them. This is contrasted by the love that Dylan finds later with Jessie, and a symbolic event occurs when Seth and Matt lure him to Las Vegas for a bachelor party. He unexpectedly meets up with an old friend and his feelings for her come to the surface, but the conclusion finds him following through with his intentions to marry someone else, while the loss of Dylan for the last time drives an old friend to take her own life.
“Next Time Around” is designed to illustrate these extremes of heartbreak and joy for your central characters, and the brisk pace that is brought to the work may add to the overall impact of its conclusion.
Dylan Walters was a twenty-seven-year-old doctor, who lived in Madison County, Virginia. Despite his maturity, his heart and mind remained with a girl he had known and shared the best years of his childhood and adolescence. Molly, on the other hand, wanted something different. She was very stubborn and disturbed by what other people may have thought of her and the choices she made. Together, they made the perfect example of a modern-day Bonnie and Clyde but one day realized that they had fallen for each other. Molly didn’t want to accept her feelings toward Dylan and her home life was a constant reminder of what she didn’t want her life to become. They part after a small quarrel to attend separate colleges. There, Dylan met his bride-to-be and made plans for their future together. His friends, Mat and Seth, also his best buddies from high school, decide to throw him a bachelor party in Las Vegas. They thought Dylan was not ready to settle down with just one woman and needed to experience more of the world and all the exciting things it had to offer. But Dylan never expected to run into an old friend while celebrating his engagement. In a race against time, they rushed to make it back to Madison County to his bride waiting for him to take her hand in marriage. But his heart beats in a different direction . . . or does it?
Excerpt
Chapter 1~“Look at you. We are too different. You, in your khaki pleated pants and your button up shirt and collar. It’s not my style. Now come on, go get dressed and I will be waiting.” Molly grinned that irresistible grin Dylan loved to see and the door shut behind her.
Chapter 1(Dylan's influenced by his friends)~“Uh oh. I know what the problem could be,” Matt followed Dylan but the storm door slammed between them, “it is that Molly you have had a soft spot for since elementary school. Man think! You are Mr. Popularity! You can have any chick you want. She’s trash, man, get over it already!”
Chapter 1(Dylan decides to tell Molly)~"I have always loved you and I need to know if you feel the same for me. Please, I need to hear you admit it.”
Chapter 1(among the rest of her response, she doesn't take it well)~"I don’t need anyone. I don’t need you.” With that, Molly again turned to leave knowing he was
Chapter 2 (his new love)~“Jessie,” he took the ring from the box and slid it just to the knuckle of her finger, “will you be my wife?”
Chapter 3(Matt throws Dylan a bachleor party)~“You bought me a prostitute?” “So you want to go to Las Vegas in one day and be back in time for the wedding by one o’clock Sunday afternoon?”
Chapter 3(after the party)~“Oh my god! You! What are you doing here?” Dylan jumped up and wrapped the bedspread around him and ran to stand at the foot of the bed.
Chapter 7(fiance's reaction)~“You’re late.”
Chapter 10~"He's your son, Dylan" Dottie replied.
Chapter 10(Jessie finds out about the boy)~"Just what exactly happened during that bachelor party?"
