### The End, But Don’t Go Away - There’s More To See ###
Forever Young: Blessing or Curse by Morgan Mandel
First Chapter Excerpt:
A limp object lay sprawled in the parking lot where Dorrie was to meet her husband. It looked like, no it couldn’t be...
Pulse pounding, she hit the brakes and flung open the door. A few steps, and she stood staring in disbelief at her husband’s still form. That red streak didn’t belong in Larry’s salt and pepper hair, nor should it mar his olive skinned cheeks, and trickle onto his white cotton shirt.
She groped in her purse for the smartphone. Fingers shaking, she dialed 911. “There’s been an accident at the Life is for Living Institute. I need an ambulance. Hurry, please.”
A helpless feeling engulfed her. If only she knew first aid, but in all her fifty-five years, she’d never bothered to learn. She had to do something, but what? Bending down, knees scraping the asphalt, she touched her husband’s hand. “Larry, it’s all right. I’m here.” She wanted to be brave for him, but couldn’t keep her voice from quavering.
He whispered something she couldn’t catch, something about his iPhone.
“I found it on the nightstand, Larry. It’s right here in my purse.”
“Dorrie, I want you to keep it. Something’s…on it,” he gasped.
She bent closer. “I know honey, all those songs and photos. They mean a lot to me, too. Don’t worry, when we get home tonight, we’ll share them together.”
“No, more…Life is for Living isn’t…Forever Young isn’t…”
He struggled to speak, but his voice faded in and out. He probably shouldn’t talk. Where was that ambulance? Her husband needed help.
Larry flashed a weak smile and looked straight into her eyes. “Love ya,” he whispered.
Stifling a sob, she completed the ritual. “Love ya, back.” In their thirty years of marriage, how often had they said those words to each other?
His lips stilled. His hand slackened. His brown eyes stared unseeingly, as his face froze into a smile.
This can’t be happening. Larry, you can’t leave me. It’s too soon.
Blood rushed to her head. Roaring filled her ears. Larry couldn’t be gone. She’d prove it. Dorrie bent to kiss his lips. They felt warm and soft. He must be alive. Soon the ambulance would come, the paramedics would fix him, and he’d be all right.
She glanced again at Larry’s still form. The truth hit, sucking her breath away. She didn’t need a medical examiner to tell her what she could see with her own eyes. Larry had left and would never return. Her stomach convulsed, her chest heaved with sobs.
It shouldn’t end like this, not in the middle of a parking lot. Larry deserved better. So did she.
See Next Page about the Coming Sequel to Forever Young: Blessing or Curse
Blessing or Curse: A Forever Young Anthology
Consuela and Diego – He’s got Parkinson’s. She’s desperate to get back the husband she had, but will he be the same man she fell in love with?
Excerpt:
Ah, the wonderful love they=d shared. Why must it end this way?
“Diego, eat,” Consuela Morales said, holding out a spoonful of puree to her shrunken, wheelchair-bound husband. His dry parched lips remained obstinately shut, his gray eyebrows furrowed. He wanted to die and she didn’t blame him. God help her, sometimes she wanted him dead too. Till death do us part seemed a long time to live with half a man. Placing the spoon into the jar, Consuela gazed morosely at her husband. Mamacita had warned her not to marry a man twenty years younger, but the ripe, chestnut-haired Consuela had paid no heed, choosing passion over common sense. Diego of the raised eyebrows, straight black hair and cocky mannerisms fevered her blood, making her come alive as no other man could. Once he’d released the woman in her, she couldn’t live without his touch. That was then. Forty years later, she was paying the price. Parkinson’s ravaged her beloved’s mind and body, casting in its wake a helpless, stiff shell.
Ezekiel (EZ) Steadway – He’s a 50 year old black man riddled with performance anxiety. How far will he go to restore his manhood?
Excerpt:
The male enhancement pill had not done the trick, so neither could he.
Ezekiel rolled off the water bed. “Be right back.”
She flashed a smile. “I’m not going anywhere, big boy.”
Wincing at her choice of words, he stumbled into the bathroom and shut the door.
Dee Dee Marshall – She’s a 60 year old doormat whose husband has left her for a younger woman. Can she learn to assert herself and start over?
Mike Walinski – A Chicago cop – He’s out of shape, but must pass a physical to stay on the force. Will he win the race against time, or is it already too late?
Sherri Cartland – A model/actress – She’s too old by Hollywood standards and will do anything to look young, but are looks everything?
Next Page – Read About the Author, Morgan Mandel
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Morgan’s website is: https://www.morganmandel.com. She’s an avid networker, and would love to connect with you on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Youtube and more. She belongs to tons of e-groups, maintains a personal blog at Double M’s Take on Books, Blogs, Dogs, Networking and Life, and also appears at the group blogs: Acme Authors Link, Make Mine Mystery and The Blood-Red Pencil.
Morgan lives in a Chicago suburb with her husband, affectionately known as Good Paul, plus their lovable pit bull, Rascal, who lives up to her name. When Morgan’s not reading or writing, she enjoys going on long walks, attending local events, watching romances and mysteries, as well as hunting for finds at garage and rummage sales. Her vices are: pizza, ice cream, chocolate, and a propensity for playing slot machines.
And Now, Here’s A Short Message to My Readers
This book was previously published in 2006. Marshall Field’s was since bought out by Macy’s, but those of us who remember Field’s as Field’s still have a fondness for the old name and what it stood for. That’s one reason, when I decided to re-release this book, I chose to retain the original timeframe.
Although some locales are fictional, I’ve included many references to places I remember from growing up in Chicago, including DePaul University, where I met my husband.
Morgan Mandel
Two Wrongs Page 37