posted on February 19, 2014 by Shirley Hailstock

His Love Match

HIS LOVE MATCH - COVERHave you ever thought about using one of those dating services?  The commercials for Match.com and eHarmony.com appear every few minutes on some television stations.  When they first began to appear, I poo-pooed them.   But the idea of meeting someone through an online matching service took root in my mind and I came up with the idea for HIS LOVE MATCH.

Our hero, feeling like the last bachelor in the United States, went onto a service late one night and as a rouse added requirements that no woman could possibly meet.  The service promised a minimum of three matches.  Scott got nothing but a circling cursor on the screen.  He was about to leave the computer when it pinged and one account came up.

From this point on Scott’s life would never be the same. When finally the two decide to meet in person, Holy cow!  They know each other.  And there is no love between them.

So what would you do if this happened to you?  I know many couples who have met online.  I know people are subscribe to the online services and enjoy the experience.

This gave rise to my story between Diana Greer, the owner of a wedding consulting business with offices in several states and Scott Thomas, a corporate pilot

9780373863716_SMP.inddHIS LOVE MATCH is book one in my new series called Weddings by Diana.  Book two, SOMEONE LIKE YOU will be out in September.

Below is a short excerpt from HIS LOVE MATCH.  I hope is wets your appetite.

It can’t be him.  Diana knew him.  No computer would do this to her.  Not twice in one day.  Diana Greer sat at the table of the local coffee shop across from Princeton University.  Her usual unshakable demeanor had just taken a hit to the heart.  The place was geared up for the lunch crowd and both students and white-shirted lawyer types poured in like Christmas shoppers just before closing on December twenty-fourth.  Dread cut through Diana like a hot laser.  Glancing through the wall of people, her eyes darted around bodies, hoping against hope that what she looked for wouldn’t be there.  Her heart sank when the human sea cleared for a second and confirmation forced a groan from her throat.  He had the DVD in his hand.  The one they had agreed to both carry as identification.  The cover photo faced her, despite his hand cutting a wedge out of the romantic couple.  There was no mistake.  It could be a coincidence, but Diana didn’t hold out that a man she knew would come in carrying the exact DVD that she had and he not be the one.  It was her suggestion that they identify themselves using this method.  She’d seen it in more than one movie.  Usually it was a rose or a book.  But this was a new century and both books and movies could be carried on the enhanced medium of a DVD.  She hadn’t thought the suggestion would prove so close to the Hollywood version of a couple who met online actually knowing each other.  She could kick herself for not insisting on a photograph before they met.  But not knowing what he looked like had been intriguing, romantic even.  And they were only meeting for lunch.  Opinions on vanity could be judged then.

She had to get out of the shop before he saw her.

Glancing at the ceiling she cursed the universe for its wretched sense of humor.  “This is not funny,” she muttered.  People at a nearby table looked to see who she was talking to.  She smiled quickly and dropped her head, choosing to stare at the golden liquid in her cup.  Maybe there was someway she could get out without him seeing her.  Diana looked side to side.  She was hemmed in.  The tables were very close together especially since two additional friends had pulled chairs up to the table next to her which was designed for two.  She knew it would be rude to leave without talking to the man she’d spent three months corresponding with through e-mail.  But if anyone deserved being stood up it was Scott Thomas.

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Shirley Hailstock

Shirley Hailstock

Shirley Hailstock began her writing life as a lover of reading. She likes nothing better than to find a quiet corner where she can get lost in a book, explore new worlds and visit places she never expected to see. As an author, she can not only visit those places, but she can be the heroine of her own stories. The author of thirty novels and novellas, including her electronic editions, Shirley has received numerous awards, including the Waldenbooks Bestselling Romance Award and Romantic Times Magazine’s Career Achievement Award. Shirley’s books have appeared on Blackboard, Essence Magazine and Library Journal Best Seller Lists. She is a past president of Romance Writers of America.

http://www.shirleyhailstock.net

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