St. Patrick’s Day Festival: Secrets Under Spanish Skies – Pauline Morgan Extract.

I’m excited to be joining Zooloo’s Book Tours on the St. Patrick’s Day Festival Blog Tour! Today I am bringing you an extract for Under The Spanish Skies by Pauline Morgan. Before we get to that, let’s meet the author and take a look at the book.

The call to Pauline Morgan’s native Northern Ireland was too strong and, after a fascinating stint overseas, she recently relocated there. Pauline had some unique mystical experiences in various houses she lived in and, as a result, self-published the paranormal Special Houses. She has been member of the Romantic Novelist Association and participated in their New Writers’ Scheme.  She attended a day course in Editing, tutored by author/mentor Morgen Bailey. 
Pauline is a member of Writers Ink, a multi-award winning http://www.writing.ie 
She has written short stories; published in Woman’s Way and Irelands Own iconic magazine. Pauline enjoyed entering Flash Fiction competitions and was long-listed at Kanturk Arts Festival. 
Her first poem Airborne, published on Pendemic.ie website March 2020 
Pauline has completed a women’s ‘fiction book called The Ballynoon Friendship Circle, her debut novel to be published by SpellBound Books in early 2021. Pauline is working on a standalone book Christmas novel. 
She engages with an extensive network of social writing groups on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.  
Pauline turns her incredible imagination into words to create beautiful stories in different genres. She has a relaxed style of writing, and her mentor describes it as heart-warming and cosy. Pauline never shies away from any given written tasks.

Across The Web:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paulinemorganachievingauthor/
Instagram: https://twitter.com/paulinemorgan56

Let’s take a look at the book in question.

A New Country.
A New Start.
Moya moved from Dublin to Nottingham when she was a teenager and met Kevin. But, after they were married he became increasingly controlling, and her only solace was in attending Spanish and book-keeping night classes.
When Moya finds out Kevin has cheated on her – worse still, re-mortgaged their house to support his now pregnant mistress, she is devasted and left broken hearted.
At an all-time low, Moya’s oldest friend suggests she join her in Spain. Taking a leap of faith, Moya decides a fresh start in a new country is just what she needs.
But upon her arrival a prediction by a Spanish gipsy’s unnerves Moya…
Is Mateo the mysterious Lawyer all he really seems to be or is Moya about to open up Pandora’s Box to secrets under Spanish Skies.

Published: March 17th 2022. Spellbound Books. Page Count: 270.

Book Hype.
The Story Graph.
Goodreads.
Amazon.
Book Depository.
Waterstones.

It’s time for the extract!

The panic surges, its roots twisting my aching brain and heart. How much more can Kevin add to the misery of my life? I glance at the unopened letter, setting it back on the kitchen worktop, among the other bills crying out for payment.
My laptop pings. I hope it means Joanne’s found the time to reply to my email requesting a video call. Friggin hell, would you look at the state of me. My hair is in bits, with a mind of its own. I try to smooth it down, but nothing will calm the mess of jet-black curls. And there’s no spare cash or time for a hairdresser’s appointment, with all the bills and no time packing up the house.
Ok, here goes. I press the green telephone icon. A blonde woman pops into my chat
window.
“Hello, stranger.” My voice sounds loud in the empty kitchen. Joanne pushes her lips into
a pouting position, giving me a wink and taking on a mock sexy pose. God, I miss this woman, especially our girly nights together before I married Kevin. Those were the days. We’d drink the cheapest wine and spend our wages on the latest fashion.
“Sorry, chicken,” she says, “I’ve been otherwise occupied with this new man. No ex-wife
or girlfriend lurking.” She takes a sip from a tall glass of what looks like sangria while sitting under a soft outdoor light. “And, Moya, don’t ask if I checked his profile on the dating app. I’m not daft.
It’s our tenth date together, and on every one he brings me a gift.”
Her enthusiasm bubbles over. It’s nice to see. However, it means this new man is her top
priority, not her old buddy of twenty-two years. Joanne’s way is to love them and leave them. For me, it’s different. I did love him with everything I had, but he left our marriage after twenty years for another woman. My emotions are all over the place, like my hair. I swallow to brace myself for the long-overdue catch-up with my best friend. It’s been twelve months, and so much has changed. How I envy Joanne, enjoying the warmth of a Spanish March in comparison to the chill of Nottingham.
“He’s certainly put the sparkle back into your eyes.” I lean on my elbow, weak with no
decent food in my stomach. I’m all ears to hear about someone else’s romance rather than the disastrous one I’ve been shot from, and she doesn’t let me down, giving me all the sordid details.
“Hey, Moya, we’ve chatted about my latest love for twenty minutes. How’re things in your neck of the woods?”
She tops up her glass from a jug full of citrus fruits, the ice cubes rattling against its
sides. I move my chipped cup out of the way, my tea made from this morning’s reused teabag.
How can I tell her how things really are? My home is about to be repossessed tomorrow.

What do you think of this extract? Does this seem like a book you’ll enjoy? Let me know in the comments. Don’t forget to check out other bloggers on the tour, by either following the bloggers on the graphic below, or by checking out the directory here.