Author S.E. Holden: Presenting the Big News!

It’s my pleasure to welcome author S.E. Holden back to Thoughts in Progress as the special guest blogger today as he makes a stop in blogdom promoting his latest book.

S.E.’s latest release is THE WET REUNION OF TWO SOULS. Here’s a brief blurb about it: On a glorious Thursday afternoon, May’s dream of having a baby is finally coming true. Bursting with excitement, she’s eager to share the news. But her best laid plans disintegrate when Jim returns home from work with a different idea…one that didn’t include her. Doubting whether they still share the same dream of a family, May contemplates her future with Jim until the rain washes in an unexpected tryst. Can their relationship weather the storm of emotions unleashed.

Thanks to S.E., one lucky visitor to Thoughts in Progress can win a copy of his new book. Visitors can win a copy of THE WET REUNION OF TWO SOULS by answering a question he has in his post within three days of this blog posting. The giveaway is open to international. Be sure to include your e-mail address with your comment if it’s not included in your profile.

S.E. stopped by today to talk about ‘Presenting the Big News.’

Life brings change. Getting published for the first time, getting married, having a baby, getting that big promotion or any other of a host of ginormous good news needs to be conveyed in a big way. Just saying, "Hey, guess what?" in a text or over a hot dog at the 7-Eleven doesn't cut it. You need to do it right. You don't get that many opportunities to tell someone they're going to be a father and watch their face light up. At least, you hope that's the reaction. I guess there are some times when the guy's face implodes, but let's not dwell on that case. We are talking about jubilant times here.

So, how have you shared some big news? Did you break it in a clever way or simply blurt it out over the bathroom sink around a mouth full of toothpaste? When my wife and I were trying to get pregnant, we were very, uh, diligent. Yeah, that's a good word for it. Diligent. Anyway, we were both keyed in to the timing of her cycle and the alignment of the planets so when things didn't flow as expected and Andromeda was in the lower house of Mars (just kidding, I have no idea what that means, but I wanted to distract you away from talking about my wife's, err, you know, uh, monthly thing) we both kinda knew at the same time. When she took the pregnancy test, I waited in the other room biting my nails and pacing like they do in those old-school black and white movies. My wife came out with a dazed look in her eyes and a radiant smile that told me all I needed to know. I wasn't surprised by the news, but it was still wonderful and the delivery of the message couldn't have been better.

My wife and I were clued in as to what was going on, but my mother wasn't. She knew we were trying to get pregnant, but not that we were successful. Hehe. It was a perfect opportunity to take this wonderful news and kick it up a notch. We found out we were pregnant about a week or so before Christmas and, though it was hard to keep it a secret, we decided to wait to tell my mother until she opened her presents on Christmas day. Borrowing a little toy crib from Barbie's dream house, my wife wrapped it up like a normal present and set it under the tree. That morning, we steered my mom to all the other gifts until only that one present remained—saving the best for last.

The last present on Christmas is always a little bitter sweet. At least, I think so. I mean, all the build up and preparation and suspense for twenty minutes of frenzied unwrapping and it's over. Yes, I know, the season isn't about the presents. It's about all the spiritual stuff. Right. Gotcha. So after twenty minutes of torn paper and "what's next", the last present is a sign to me that it's all over for another year. Funny how I didn't feel that way that year. For the first time in my life, I actually looked forward to that last present.

Back to my mother…she opened that present like it was any other normal old present, not knowing she was holding a symbolic representation of her first grandchild. When she held that small plastic crib in her hand, she turned to me and said, "What's this?" I looked at her all serious like then let a small smile play across my face. It took her another minute, but she got it. The first sign was her hands. They started to tremble. I was watching for a reaction so I saw it move from her hands to her face. Her eyes opened big and filled with tears while her lips quivered as she looked from me to my wife to confirm. As my wife nodded, my mom lost it. Hell, we all lost it. It's one of those memories that'll stick with me forever.

But what if it hadn't happened that way? We were lucky and were able to plan around Christmas. But what if it had of happened in the middle of the year? No other big holidays or annual events to hide behind, but we cooked up something big anyway. Excited, anticipating a huge response from the big reveal, we wait for mom to show. But she doesn't show and then the phone rings. It's mom and she's calling to cancel because something came up, or she had a hair appointment that she forgot about or bleh, whetever else. How does one feel in this situation?

In my latest release, THE REUNION OF TWO SOULS, the heroine, May, has something similar happen to her. Only, it's not her mother that's a no-show, but her husband. Not realizing the night was special, Jim made other plans with his friends and spoils May's big night. This major blow-off leads down a road that could destroy their relationship…baby or no baby. Check it out to see what happens.

Share a brief example of your big news reveal in a comment for a chance to win a copy of THE WET REUNION OF TWO SOULS.

S.E., thanks for guest blogging today. I love your story of telling your Mom she was going to be a grandmother. Wishing you much success with your latest book.

Now for a bit of background on S.E. Since he was a kid, S.E. wanted to be an author and explored many genres through high school and college. After greasing the gears of the corporate machine for many years, he escaped the Information Technology vortex to focus full-time on his writing dream. A romantic at heart, S.E. loves to write about committed couples struggling with and overcoming life's obstacles only to emerge stronger. The fact that they have steamy, mind-blowing sex along the way makes it even better. S.E. lives with his wife and two children on the west coast of Florida.

For more on S.E. and his writing, check out his website at http://www.seholden.com, find him on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001173999283&v=wall, on Twitter: @seholden25 or by email at seholden@verizon.net
 
Be sure to answer S.E.’s question and have a chance at winning a copy of his latest release. Thanks so much for stopping by. Miss y'all.