Head Over Feet in Love
by
Patti F. Smith
Patti F. Smith
Genre: Chick-Lit, Romance
Rebecca Slater is running away from a stay in a mental health facility, a
writing career that never got off the ground, and a dying best
friend. She has nowhere to go, but nothing can stop her—until she
crashes her car into a tree, possibly on purpose, but probably not.
Without a cell phone and in a strange town, Becca starts knocking on
doors, looking for someone to help her. The only person who answers her call is Mike Riley.
writing career that never got off the ground, and a dying best
friend. She has nowhere to go, but nothing can stop her—until she
crashes her car into a tree, possibly on purpose, but probably not.
Without a cell phone and in a strange town, Becca starts knocking on
doors, looking for someone to help her. The only person who answers her call is Mike Riley.
Becca and Mike begin a friendship that neither realizes they need. A
firebrand feminist devoted to all things Generation X, Becca shares
her unique life view with Mike and finds an ally in the reclusive and
shy man. Becca tells him her story and the pair falls in love slowly,
and then passionately, realizing that two lost souls have finally found each other.
firebrand feminist devoted to all things Generation X, Becca shares
her unique life view with Mike and finds an ally in the reclusive and
shy man. Becca tells him her story and the pair falls in love slowly,
and then passionately, realizing that two lost souls have finally found each other.
When Becca thinks Mike is dead, she impulsively runs away again, this time
to a place where she thinks no one will ever find her. She prepares
for a life without her true love but committed to remaining mentally
healthy and strong, continuing her story that she now believes will have an unhappy ending.
to a place where she thinks no one will ever find her. She prepares
for a life without her true love but committed to remaining mentally
healthy and strong, continuing her story that she now believes will have an unhappy ending.
But will it?
Suddenly, I stop ringing the bell, knowing that I am being ignored. “Seriously? Really?” I announce to the empty porch. I have become a walking first-world problem, and I hate everything.
My very best friend is in a medically induced coma following two heart attacks and a stroke. Two heart attacks and a stroke. I have to say it twice sometimes. Just because I have to. My parents go to the hospital every day, sitting, waiting, hoping. I have a year off from school, so I can write a book, but I can’t write a word. And now my beloved Jeep is in a strange neighborhood, making noises like the Candyman.
I sit on the porch swing. Pin pricks of ice, drops of cold rain, all at once. Passive-aggressive suicidal. That’s what a shrink called me once. Drives recklessly, drinks until black out, refuses to look both ways before crossing the road. Latent death wish. Blah blah blah blah blah. Why, yes. I do feel all of this now, because hashtag “first-world problems” I don’t have a phone.
The rain continues. It gets darker. I think about throwing out the pills, magically fixing the Jeep, and driving into something. Driving into a freeway concrete barrier. Driving into a river, like where my friend was when he had his two heart attacks and his stroke. His two heart attacks and a stroke. I see Rick’s face above me. He has no eyes. Jesus! I holler out so loudly that I wake myself up.
I look around, my heart pounding. Incredible. Freezing, wet, miserable–and I fall asleep. I truly amaze myself at times. I shake my head, like that will clear things up for me. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the curtain flicker again.
“Okay, asshole!” I call to it. “I’m cold, and I’m wet, and my car is dead! I need a phone! I need a phone now!” Because surely, the addition of the word “now” will get things on and popping. “Please?” I add.
Nothing. No flicker of movement. Nothing.
“Well, go to hell then!” I shout, and sit back down on the swing. What the hell is wrong with this neighborhood? I grew up in the best place on earth, where people at least it’s called. I sit with my knees to my chest, my head buried.
“Why are you here?”
I literally jump off the swing in utter terror. Naturally, I only land on my left foot, my right foot catching on the swing. I do a quick dance before falling onto my butt.
I keep my head lowered, crying and wanting to blame someone else for this mess. I start going through names in my head. I start with Melissa from first grade. She was a know-it-all brat. I can’t imagine what she’s like now.
A hand appears before my face. I take it and allow the stranger, now known as The Man Behind the Curtain, to pull me to my feet.
He repeats himself. “Why are you here? Did you come to get a report on me and turn it into local folklore?”
At first, I think he’s kidding. I look at him for the first time, but I can’t see his face. Dressed in a hooded rain coat and looking like Paddington the Bear and the Gorton fish stick guy’s bastard child, his features are hidden from me.
“My car—” My voice breaks. I clear my throat. “My car crashed. I crashed it. I think maybe on purpose.” I say this out loud for the first time, not knowing if it’s true.
Silence. Finally, he turns and walks back to the house, leaving me alone. Tears slip down my cheeks. He’s going to leave me out here to freeze, I realize.
But then he turns. “Aren’t you coming in?”
Patti F. Smith is the author of two books: Images
of America–Downtown Ann Arbor and A
History of the People’s Food Co-op Ann Arbor (and
of the forthcoming Forgotten
Ann Arbor, which will be published in 2019). She has written for CraftBeer.com,
Concentrate, Mittenbrew, The Ann, AADL’s Pulp blog, and the Ann
Arbor Observer. A former legal aid lawyer and current special
education teacher, Patti serves as a commissioner for the Public Art
Commission and the Recreation Advisory Commission, as a storyteller
in the Ann Arbor Storytellers’ Guild, volunteers for the Ann Arbor
Film Festival and WCBN.
of America–Downtown Ann Arbor and A
History of the People’s Food Co-op Ann Arbor (and
of the forthcoming Forgotten
Ann Arbor, which will be published in 2019). She has written for CraftBeer.com,
Concentrate, Mittenbrew, The Ann, AADL’s Pulp blog, and the Ann
Arbor Observer. A former legal aid lawyer and current special
education teacher, Patti serves as a commissioner for the Public Art
Commission and the Recreation Advisory Commission, as a storyteller
in the Ann Arbor Storytellers’ Guild, volunteers for the Ann Arbor
Film Festival and WCBN.
Patti lives in her favorite city on earth, Ann Arbor, with her husband Ken
Anderson and their pets. HEAD OVER FEET IN LOVE is her first novel.
Anderson and their pets. HEAD OVER FEET IN LOVE is her first novel.
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Love.
ReplyDeleteSeems like a mysterious love might be brewing between two and I love that.
ReplyDeleteLooks like an interesting book.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the contest.
slehan at juno dot com
Thanks for the great giveaway!
ReplyDeleteThe book cover looks intriguiung!
The cover looks very romantic, almost timeless.
ReplyDeleteI love that this one is addressing mental illness and gives a friends to lovers romance.
ReplyDeleteOh I like this character, Becca. She sounds a lot like me, and yes, I do have some mental issues, but it makes me fun most of the time. ;) I would love to read this one!
ReplyDelete