Guest Blogger: L.M. Gonzalez

L.M. Gonzalez is my friend Lupe Gonzalez. She and I are both members of SARA - San Antonio Romance Authors.

Before we get to Lupe's post, I want to wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving.

I'm thankful for many people and things in my life. And here Under the Tiki Hut, I'm most thankful for all of you who continue to stop in and say hi every once in a while.

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Gloria Amaya never dreamed she would fall in love again. In fact, she felt love had passed her by. For the most part, she was fine with that. She had two grown sons, one in college and her youngest, about to graduate from high school. Content – that’s the feeling she had. And that seemed enough for her.
The only other thing she really wanted was a rose garden. However, she hadn’t inherited her dad’s green thumb. Her friend, Tanya, suggested she contact her husband, Wayne. He owned a lawn and garden service and he could make any flower or plant flourish. Tanya confessed to Gloria that she believed Wayne got more pleasure from digging in the dirt than by being close to her. But, that’s another story.

For some reason, though, Wayne couldn’t make it to Gloria’s house, so he sent another gardener who also had his own lawn and garden service. When Gloria opened the door, she had her smile ready for Wayne. Matt Cerda stood on her porch. The smile froze on her face. Her mouth went dry. He was bronzed by the sun. His muscles strained against the white T-shirt he wore. The jeans showed off his strong legs. His dark hair waved with the slight breeze in the hot summer air.

Gloria closed her eyes and imagined herself on a sunny beach with this man for once forgetting her kids. Hey, they were grown. They could spare her for a few days. He held out his hand and she took it and together they walked up the beach. She felt the sand at her feet and wiggled her toes, heard the whoosh of the water as the soft wind blew over it. She leaned her head on Matt’s shoulder. Could it be possible? Was she really here with a man?

For years, her life had been consumed with kids, school and homework. Now, a whole new world seemed to be opening up to her. A world where she could be a woman again with a man like Matt by her side.

Gloria opened her eyes and she saw Matt. He grinned.

“Are you ready?”

“For what?”

“For a night of dancing and love under the tiki hut?”

Gloria saw her surroundings and she wasn’t standing at her doorway with Matt on her porch. She didn’t have a wilted rose garden to worry about. She saw herself amidst a sandy beach, blue water and a gorgeous man asking her out on a date.

“Yes.”

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L. M. Gonzalez lives in South Texas with her two sons. She obtained a degree in Business Administration because her dad advised her to "get a trade". However, in 1976 she wrote her first story and has continued writing stories since then. In 2001 she joined Romance Writers of America and her local chapter. This was the year that she decided to pursue publication of her stories. L. M. loves to write stories about Latinas, their lives and their loves, as well as about motherhood and single parenting.

Website: http://lmgonzalez.wordpress.com/

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1662759277

Books available here:
http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=index&manufacturers_id=182