Breathe for Me -Excerpt 2

Have you ever noticed that sometimes things seem one way but turn out to be something totally different? This book has brought on a lot of wonderful speculation.  But believe you me, there are so many twist and turns in this book, that each chapter is sure to keep you guessing. I thank God for the imaginative mind He has given me.  I'm sure my husband wouldn't always agree that this is a blessing (lol), but for the purposes of creating a page turning novel, I am grateful.  I am actively searching for a publisher or literary agent willing to take on a newcomer. My prayer is that it reaches the right ears and the right heart.

So you know something about Tara from the previous blog, here is a small excerpt about Marcus. Let me know your thoughts below. Please reference "Excerpt 2".

Stay Blessed,

~Terri Whitmire

Marcus approached the front of the room with applause.  He grabbed the cordless microphone from the podium and moved nearer to his teenage congregation. He wanted to get as close as possible to them.

“My young brothers and sisters I want you to know that God loves you. No matter what's going on in your life. We are more than conquerors.”

A couple teens yelled out “yeah”, while others cheered. He continued on.

“There is nothing too hard for my God. Many of you are struggling with your school life, your home life and your unsaved friends. You are not alone. I have some of the same struggles. I know I don’t look like your typical saved teenager. I’m not a bible thumping, straight laced teenager. When you see me on the basketball court, I look like one of the fellas. But inside I have the spirit of truth.”

He strolled up and down the isles hoping to maintain their attention. His relaxed look already had a few of the younger girls giggling and whispering. He drew their attention back to where it should be, on God.

“I know what God has in store for me. I know what He promised me. He has that same promise for you.”

He stood inches away from the first row. He wasn’t sure how well his story would go over.

“My Mom and Dad went through some tough times with us. It was really strict in my house, or so I thought. So when I got a little older I decided that I was gonna do me. How many of you really know it was just childhood rebellion? I was hanging with the wrong people and they decided it would be fun to sneak into a club. Of course we were all under-aged, around fifteen. The club was hot, the ladies were everywhere. So we showed them our fake ID’s, paid our twenty dollars and went in. It wasn’t the first time we got into a club. But this time the devil had a plan for me. We were in there and we were partying. The music was pumping and the drinks were everywhere. We had only been there for an hour when gun shots rang out. People ran everywhere; getting knocked down, cut up and run over. All but one of the emergency exit doors was open, the rest were chained shut. I guess they didn’t want people sneaking in; bad idea. Bodies were pinned up against those doors with no way to get out. You could here them gasping for air, faces sweaty and flushed. Can you imagine lying on the bottom of a grimy sticky floor suffocating? That's a horrible death. Those cute little votive candles on the tables flew up against the red velvet drapes and the place became an instant inferno. I will never get the smell of burning flesh out of my nostrils. I was one of the lucky ones.”

Marcus pulled up his shirt sleeve to reveal a gun shot wound.

First Look

Hi:


I am the author of the new book Breathe for Me.  I can't tell you how excited I am to be able to share my first excerpt from the book.  This project was placed on my heart years ago but of course life happened.  However, I can honestly say that I needed those years to grow and mature so that I could produce the wonderful story that God intended for me to deliver. It is by His power alone that I am able to come this far. Now I am thrilled to see that it has finally come to life.   If you have a second, review it and let me know what you think by adding your comments at the very bottom.  


Love ya and stay blessed.
~Terri Whitmire

Chapter 1

It wasn’t supposed to be like this. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. This can’t be happening.

Tara’s sheets lay crumpled at the bottom of their bed. A plump untouched pillow lay next to hers, ushering her back to the realization that she was yet again alone. She steadied her legs and defiantly marched herself into the bathroom; there was no time for self pity. The cool water hit Tara’s face with an unfulfilled promise of restoring her focus. She continued to navigate the water across her forehead, cheekbones and lips paying special attention to the dried up tears that sat in the creases of her eyes. As she patted her face dry, a blurry reflection glared back from the mirror. She tugged on her eyes. They told the story of an unsettling nights sleep. Tara grabbed her toothbrush and vigorously brushed forgetting to even apply toothpaste. Her face was void of any color, the life… her life had been drained out of her. No amount of personal grooming could fix the sorrow she felt. She wondered what it was about her that made people want to leave.

Rushing back to their otherwise meticulous bedroom, she jerked open the top dresser drawer almost toppling over their five-by-seven-framed picture; taken during happier times. As the tears began to well up, Tara’s vision began to blur. Focus, she had to focus. She was determined to quickly find something to wear; something that hid the pain and covered the scars of a lifetime of abandonment. She pulled open the bottom drawer rumbling through two piles of worn out sweatpants until finally settling on her grey Nike sweat suit.

Tara pulled her hair into a pony-tail, slid her feet into her white laced Reeboks and headed downstairs. Tears like these hadn’t made an appearance for some time but now they were back with a vengeance.

Tara's eyes darted from the kitchen table across the counters and finally to the front door, where she spotted her keys still hanging in the lock. Two lefts and a right turn on Livingston Road and she would be at Fort Washington Hospital. The uncertainty of what she would find when she got there was terrifying.