Romantic Suspense Snippet- Sneak Peek Time!

I am really excited about my WIP, Higher Elevation.  It’s a Romance set during the height of the Cold War, a turbulent yet relatively innocent time in America’s history.  The New Age movement had just begun, fueled by interest in Eastern religions, and great strides were made in the research of psychic phenomena.  But there was also a lot of paranoia- spies were supposedly everywhere, as were UFO’s and government conspiracies.

These two opposing elements are the backdrop of my novel, where two college students fall in love but get in way over their heads.  Will their ‘soul-connection’ be enough to save not only their love, but their very lives?

This Snippet is from a scene in the first chapter, where our Heroine, Sarah McKenn, is hiking in the Rocky Mountains, near the small town in Colorado where she is a student.  She has a strange encounter that has a lasting effect on her…..

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Sarah wandered around, gathering flowers, picking up interesting rocks.  She never imagined she’d be here, especially not in her current state of mind. This freedom to do what she wanted on any given day was exhilarating, but scary sometimes.  Her life was all up to her now, and if she failed at school, at this chance to make something of herself- there would be no one else to blame.  It was all on her.

She pushed worrisome thoughts of school from her mind. She was already failing in two of her classes- Algebra and Chemistry.  The two damn classes in her schedule that she had to pass to continue her major in Environmental Science.  That particular major was the reason she had chosen to attend Ft. Winston, against her parent’s wishes.

“Oooh, if they could see me now,” she muttered.  She stopped and gazed at the breathtaking vista before her.  Her eyes turned skyward as she watched a hawk flying overhead.

Tawny wings spread wide, it circled above, elegantly gliding to a stop as it landed on a nearby tree limb.  It seemed to be observing her, and she stood still, watching the creature in return.  When the bird suddenly took flight, her eyes followed as it sailed down into the canyon, unwilling to let it go so soon.

Another movement below caught her eye as the hawk disappeared into the trees.  A man was standing on the same ledge where she sat only an hour before, and he was completely naked.

What the hell?

She blinked and rubbed her eyes, thinking it might be an illusion.  But there he was, alone in all his glory among the rocks and pines.  She scanned the terrain, searching for any other naked hikers, or perhaps his lover.  But there was no one else.

He looked to be about mid-twenties, with long brown hair.  His build was muscular yet slim.  She was struck not only with desire, but also with awe.  In this magnificent setting, he fit like a wild animal.  She saw no clothes, no backpack near him.  Did he hike all the way up here in the buff?

She smiled at that thought- hiking around, feeling the sun, the wind, with all your skin exposed.  No barrier between you and the Universe.  She stared transfixed, as he moved to the edge of the rocks and lifted his arms to the sky.  He seemed to be joyful, reveling in his nakedness.

Is he a nudist, or just stoned out of his mind?

From her vantage point, she could not make out many details about him, except that he was in excellent shape- and there was some kind of marking that resembled a circular tattoo on his right shoulder.  A shimmering, bluish light began to radiate around him, and she blinked her eyes hard.  The blue glow intensified, and he moved slowly toward the edge of the rock he stood on, though she never saw his legs move.  With arms extended, he dove off the cliff and disappeared into the shadows below.

Sarah’s mouth opened to let out a scream, but she made no sound.  It was impossible to breathe for a second, and nausea rose up from her toes.  She bent over to squelch it down, and black spots in her vision threatened a blackout.  Falling to her knees, her breath returned.  She gulped in the air, gasping.

“Noooooo!”

The scream finally erupted, and she stared down at the ledge where the young man had been.  The scene below was as calm as it had been moments earlier, before she witnessed what may have been a suicide.  There was no sign that anyone had ever been there.

“Helloooo!”  Helpless, she yelled down into the canyon.  This is insane!  I really did see him, didn’t I ?

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I am currently editing the second draft, and my goal is to have it ready for publication soon.  I hope you have enjoyed reading this sample scene as much as I enjoyed writing Higher Elevation.  Thanks for stopping by!