As promised...update #2 Valentines edition

It's here, the holiday you either love or hate, Valentines Day. Me, I'm kind of indifferent, with my built in sweetheart of 23 years. He is an amazing man and I'm lucky to have him by my side.

But....today we're not checking in on my life. I'm here to give you a progress report on the upcoming books. I've just hit 36,000 of about 50,000 which is AWESOME! Today, in honor of the holiday of LOVE I'm going to tell you a little about Nikola and her first love, Malan. Last update, I posted pics of Lake Hubert where Nikola grew up and Malan spent every summer in the house next door to Nikola's place. Here's a picture of what Nikola might look like as she's starting college.

Nikola is an only child and is grows very close to Malan over the years...although they have their share of scuffles. They always seem to be competing for something,who can swim the furthest, who can catch the biggest fish. Once Nikola tricks Malan into thinking there is flesh-eating guppies in the lake. Boy is he made when he figures out the truth.

 Malan has a sister and sees Nikola almost like family until...Okay I can't tell you what happened. But, Five Days, Five Kisses will give all the delicious, sweet details. Here's a picture of what Malan might look like. It's funny they are both blond but the only blond characters in the book.

Yeah, I could stare  at him all day too. I hate to leave you with bad news, but here it is.  Something terrible happens in Nikola's family and she is forced to leave her idyllic childhood home forever and say goodby to Malan, likely to never see him again. 

Here's a little excerpt from their goodbye scene.

“Malan,” I called out. “Don’t you want to say goodbye?”

I held my breath. One, two, three, I counted. Finally, he turned and looked at me. It was far enough away that I couldn’t see the deep crease in his forehead and the corners of his lips turned down, but I knew what his face looked like when he was upset. I knew every angle of his jawline and the way his hair curled on the ends when it was wet.    I swallowed. My heart began to race. How could I leave him without saying goodbye? I couldn’t.

Without another thought, I dropped my phone on the dock and jumped into the lake. 

I hope your Valentines Day is good! Until the next update, thanks for stopping by.