All The Future Holds Sneak Peek!

Hello readers and friends! Seeing as tomorrow is the release of All The Future Holds, I thought I would give you all a little sneak peek at the book. Below I have a couple pages from the first chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter 1

Almost Perfectly Happy

It was a cold winter day in January 1917 as Abi Hensley sat reading David Copperfield, with Heathcliff, her beloved cat, at her side. Snow floated like feathers against the grey sky as evening approached and she looked up periodically from her book to watch them from her apartment window. It was a Sunday and she had stayed home and read her Bible, not up to walking to the beautiful church down the street through the frigid air a winter in New York produces. Thanks to lessons from her good friend and former neighbor Mrs. Wood, she was able to keep a cozy fire burning in the fireplace and she and Heathcliff were quite comfortable in the apartment. When her eyes felt tired and heavy, she lay her well-worn and dog-eared book aside and fixed buttered toast and a cup of tea.

"It may not be much," she told Heathcliff as he watched her stir sugar into her tea with his golden eyes. "But it fills the hollow spots. At times I feel there is no better snack than a nice piece of toast and a cup of tea."

When Abi's second novel had been released in the fall of 1916, her career began to flourish. Though her first novel had been well received for a debut, her second had far surpassed it in popularity. She was now able to live comfortably with the money she earned from writing, and was recognized on occasion by individuals who had read her books and attended the book signings Martin & Co. had set up for her. She also noticed a change taking place within her personal relationships. Family members that had all but shunned her upon her refusal to marry the very eligible suitor whom her parents had chosen for her were slowly beginning to forgive her in light of her success. Second cousins who had read of her success in newspapers now wrote to her on occasion, aunts and uncles who had scarcely acknowledged her existence in the past now asked after her. Yet it was a gradual process, and Abi's chosen lifestyle of a single woman living alone in New York City was still frowned upon by most of her relations.

Despite her family's misgivings about her career and lifestyle choices, she happily continued to write, progressing in her talents. Her third novel was set to publish in February, which thrilled her, particularly when she thought back to the days when publishing novels was but a dream that seemed all too far from her reach.

When she had finished her snack and fed Heathcliff some left over chicken, she took to her writing desk, the intense need to put words on paper pounding in her head.

After working for several hours on the story that had been sparked by her first trip to London the prior fall, she retrieved her journal and began to write out her thoughts.

On this cold winter's day, I sit at my desk writing, in a place I call my own, nestled in the city that I love. I feel almost perfectly happy today. This is what I have dreamt of for ever so long, dear journal. I get to write in a lovely apartment that is all my own with Heathcliff at my side, who is wonderful company, knowing all the while that I have my friends at The White Rose and family and friends scattered about the country. What more could I possibly ask for?

A contented smile danced on her lips as she placed her pen back in its inkwell, closed her journal and went back to her typewriter.

So there’s a little taste of All The Future Holds! If you own a Kindle and would like to pre-order the book, just click here. Tomorrow is the official release day. I’m so looking forward to seeing what you all think!

-Miranda Atchley