The Long Way Home - Rachel Spangler, ebook, ebook.1400, Temp 3
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bold strokes bookse-BooksE-Books are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared orgiven away as it is an infringement on the copyright of thiswork.The Long WayhomeVisit us at www.boldstrokesbooks.comPraise for Rachel Spangler’s FictionTrails Merge“The meeting of these two women produces sparks that could meltthe snow on the mountain. They are drawn to each other, evenas their pasts warn of future pain. The characters are beautifullydrawn. Spangler has done her homework and she does a great jobdescribing the day to day workings of a small ski resort. She tellsher story with wonderful humor, and gives an accurate voice toeach of her characters. Parker Riley’s best friend Alexis is as true tothe sophisticated “City†girl as Campbell’s father is to the country.Trails Merge is a great read that may have you driving to the nearestmountain resort.â€â€” Just About Write“Sparks fly and denial runs deep in this excellent second novel bySpangler. The authors’ love of the subject shines through as skiing,family values and romance fill the pages of this heartwarmingstory. The setting is stunning; making this reviewer nostalgic forher childhood days spent skiing the bunny hills of Wisconsin.â€â€” Curve MagazineLearning Curve“Spangler’s title, Learning Curve, refers to the growth both of thesewomen make, as they deal with attraction and avoidance. Theyshare a mutual lust, but can lust alone surpass their differences? Theanswer to that question is told with humor, adventure, and heat.â€â€” Just About Write“[Spangler’s] potential shines through, particularly her ability to tapinto the angst that accompanies any attempt to alter the perceptions ofothers…Your homework assignment, read on.â€â€” Curve MagazineBy the AuthorLearning CurveTrails MergeThe Long WayhomebyRachel Spangler2010the long way home© 2010 By Rachel SpangleR. all RightS ReSeRved.iSBn 10: 1-60282-178-XeiSBn 13: 978-1-60282-178-1eThis ElEcTronic Book is PuBlishEd ByBold sTrokEs Books, inc.P.o. Box 249VallEy Falls, ny 12185FirsT EdiTion: sEPTEmBEr 2010This is a Work oF FicTion. namEs, characTErs, PlacEs, andincidEnTs arE ThE ProducT oF ThE auThor’s imaGinaTion orarE usEd FicTiTiously. any rEsEmBlancE To acTual PErsons,liVinG or dEad, BusinEss EsTaBlishmEnTs, EVEnTs, or localEsis EnTirEly coincidEnTal.This Book, or ParTs ThErEoF, may noT BE rEProducEd in anyForm WiThouT PErmission.cReditSEdiTors: shEllEy ThrashEr and sTacia sEamanProducTion dEsiGn: sTacia sEamancoVEr dEsiGn By shEri (GraPhicarTisT2020@hoTmail.com)AcknowledgmentsThere’s a common narrative in gay and lesbian fiction in whicha young person grapples with her sexuality within the confines of hersmall town, surrounded by small-minded people and overbearingfamily members. The protagonist somehow finds some reserveof courage hidden deep inside herself to come out and make hergetaway, leaving all the small-town narrow-mindedness behind asshe bravely chases her dreams to the big city. Those are commonthemes in our books because for a long time those were commonthemes in our lives. For many of us, the need to get away in order tofind ourselves is still part of our coming-out stories, but this is notone of those stories.This is a book about going back and having the courage tostay. Mostly, this is a novel about being wise enough to look paststereotypes and caricatures and learning to see our friends, neighbors,families, and even ourselves as complex, dynamic human beingswith the capability to change and grow.I’ve done a lot of changing and growing over my last fewyears at Bold Strokes Books. Radclyffe has surrounded me withan amazing support staff (Connie, Lori, Kim, Cindy, etc.) andprovided me with the best cover artist in the business in Sheri, whosomehow manages to outdo herself every time, even with authorslike me meddling with her vision. Shelley Thrasher is more than aneditor. She’s a professor who has taught me more than even I canput into my very wordy sentences, but any improvement you see inmy writing should be credited to her. Stacia Seaman, copy editorextraordinaire, does a job I could never do, and she does so witha ceaseless efficiency. Thank you also to the bigger Bold StrokesBooks crew of authors who never fail to offer support and advice,or even a playful distraction, all while continuing to raise the bar forme as an author.I have amazing friends who’ve challenged and supportedme both as a writer and as a person through the creation of thisbook. Toni Whitaker and Barb Dallinger served as beta readers, andGod bless them, they are the sweetest, kindest, gentlest souls whounderstand that they have been entrusted with my baby. Neither oneof them made a sharp or hurtful comment throughout the processand yet still somehow managed to guide several characters intomuch stronger, more refined positions. This story is fuller becauseof their input. Outside of official beta readers, I’ve also gotten boatloads of attabois and confidence boosters from Will Banks, GeorgiaBeers, Lori Ostergaard, Jamie Glass, Lynda Sandoval, Jove Belle,Kim Baldwin, Smitty, Lee Lynch, Elaine Mulligan, Cate Culpepper,Heather Lohnes, Gill McKnight, Rev Cynthia Wickwire, JLeeMeyer, Cheryl Craig, Carsen Taite, VK Powell, Gill McKnight, andthe FSU Rock Band/Theological Poker Night Crew.And to the people who keep me coming back for more, thankyou to every reader who’s ever bought and read one of my books,and even more gratitude to those of you who took the time to write,ask questions in the VLR, e-mail, or comment on my Facebookwall, and say what you liked (or didn’t) about it. Y’all have taken ahobby of mine and transformed it into a passion.Finally, to my family, the people who’ve shaped who I am, Icannot thank you enough for the love and support you continue togive me. I’ve pushed you all out of your comfort zone a time or two,but you’ve never failed to rise to the challenge. I know there’vebeen times when you’ve been a lot more patient with me than I waswith you, and I appreciate that. To Susie, who continues to be thesingle biggest influence in my life and writing, I don’t know why anamazing woman like you would ever take a chance on a boi like me,but I’m so glad you did. You are the reason I want to keep gettingbetter, come what may. And to Jackson, you’re teaching me moreabout life than I’m teaching you. Thanks, Jackie boy.Most importantly, thank you to my Creator, Redeemer, andSanctifier, for giving me such a long list of people to thank.DedicationTo all who have the courage to live the lifethey want to live regardless of what the world tells themlife is supposed to look like and to every person in a smalltown who refuses to be typecast as small minded.And to Susie —whether you believe it or not,this one is your fault, too.The Long Way homechapTeR oneAugust 1Ali was sexy as hell, but she was awfully high maintenance fora sometimes lover. Now she wanted to go downtown to the theater.Raine said, “For the fifth time, I’m broke and out of energy.And I told you I don’t want to go anywhere right now. I’m stayingin and trying to find a way not to get evicted.â€Ali rolled her eyes. “You won’t get evicted. No one inBoystown would evict their Little Orphan Annie. You’ve spent tenyears playing the disowned teenager. Why stop now?â€â€œI’m not seventeen anymore. Eventually I’ll have to—â€The phone rang, mercifully saving Raine from having to comeup with an end to that sentence. How could she get her life back ontrack? Change her act? Find a new career? She didn’t like to thinkabout either of those options. She glanced at the caller ID and sawthe number of her agent, Edmond Carpenter. “I have to take this.â€â€œWe’re already late,†Ali whined.“We’re done, Ali.†Raine turned her back to the living roomand answered the phone. “Edmond, please say you’ve found me ajob.â€â€œWho loves you, baby?†Edmond asked a second before Raine’sfront door slammed shut. Ali had recognized her cue to exit.Raine chuckled. “I hope you do, because I’m pretty sure Alidoesn’t.â€â€¢ 11 •RacheL SpangLeR“Another one bites the dust. Good riddance to bad trash, there’reother bitches in the sea, and all those standard breakup clichés thatare supposed to offer comfort.â€â€œI don’t need comfort. I need a job.â€â€œHow about a job, room and board, and a chance to getpublished again?â€Raine flopped onto her couch, dizzy with relief. “Oh mygoddess, you’re shitting me.â€â€œUgh, you can’t be that vulgar if you accept an academicposition at a liberal arts college, especially since they’ve offered toput you up on campus as their guest lecturer for the year.â€â€œA lecturer position?†Raine felt giddy. “That’s exactly whatwe wanted. Could it be more perfect?â€â€œNow before you get all excited, it’s not totally perfect. It’sfour hours away from Chicago.†Edmond’s voice pitched a littlehigher, a sure sign he was tense.“That’s not necessarily a bad thing. This place is starting towear on me.â€â€œIt’s at a small college. You’d be their first guest lecturer.â€...
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