I'm continuing for a few more weeks with my YA coming-of-age mystery, Shades of Blue. (You can catch up on the earlier excerpts here.) As promised last week, here's a scene where JoJo and Sam are talking about his real dad who left when Sam was a toddler.
“My mom didn’t seem like she’d been drinking as much as usual when I went to tell her goodnight, and she kept saying how much I was starting to look like him, then she got out her yearbook so I could see for myself. It said under his picture that not only was he quarterback for Pine Grove, he was a High School All-American signed by Florida State.”
“Do you really look like him?” I asked.
“Yeah, except he’s a lot bigger. He’s got blond hair like me, and our chins are the same shape. You know, that was the first time I ever saw a picture of him, and he didn’t look like a guy who would run off and desert his wife and kid. He looked like he’d be kinda nice, and you should see how pretty my mom was in high school.”
I’d always wondered if there was more to the story about Sam’s dad than we knew, but unless he suddenly decided to come back someday, I didn’t see how we’d ever find out the truth.
I'm guessing they do find out more about him, what about you? Of course, you could always go buy your own copy of Shades of Blue here and find out. ;-) Please also check out the other Snippet Sunday folks and the Weekend Writing Warriors. Something for everyone among these talented writers!
~Stay true to yourself and your dreams will come true!
See all my books at my Web site
Follow me on Twitter
Like my Facebook Fan Page
Runaway dads . . . sad for life, great for stories. Emotional excerpt :-)
ReplyDeleteInteresting how logical and dispassionate teens can be sometimes. Nicely done, Joyce.
ReplyDeleteInteresting how logical and dispassionate teens can be sometimes. Nicely done, Joyce.
ReplyDeleteAw, poor Sam, having to wonder what his dad was really like and knowing that he had such promise as a kid.
ReplyDeleteIntriguing snippet! I hope he does come back, so we can find out more. :)
ReplyDeleteThis is such a wonderful coming-of-age story, Joyce! Good tension throughout. You pulled plenty of emotions out of me, and the ending was perfect.
ReplyDeleteI reviewed in on Goodreads and on Amazon.
Such a melancholy tone to this snippet. You definitely hit the emotions just right. Nice snippet!
ReplyDeleteLovely writing. I bet there's more to this than meets the eye.
ReplyDeleteIntriguing - I want Sam's Dad to come back and be a hero for them...you've REALLY got me involved with your characters here. Excellent excerpt.
ReplyDeleteNever did understand how dads could run off...hopefully there was some valid excuse behind this one.
ReplyDeleteIt's heartbreaking his dad left ... but at the same time, I like characters who act against type. A guy who looks nice behaving like a deadbeat is much more effective than the class tough guy doing the same thing.
ReplyDeleteLooks aren't everything, but now you have me wondering if what he thinks happened isn't the truth!
ReplyDeleteThings aren't always what they seem... Was it his father's idea to leave or his mother's?
ReplyDeleteI definitely want to know more about the circumstances, and I can almost hear the hurt in Sam's voice. Great snippet! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm starting to get the distinct feeling there is more to why he deserted his wife and kid. Some reason that left him no choice maybe? There's always more than meets the eye, and I think it has something to do with the mom's drinking.
ReplyDeleteAwww, what a sad moment. Yeah, I'm getting a sense there's more to this family desertion story than meets the eye.
ReplyDeleteMany it's time for a little investigation. That could be fun too.
ReplyDeleteSo much emotions in such a little snippet. Love it!
ReplyDeleteThe real question is did he leave them or did mom leave him? Great snippet, Joyce.
ReplyDelete