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James Scott DeLane
The Method
Michael Dupree, a young actor, and Jonathan Franks, his legendary mentor,
clash while preparing for a Broadway production. Michael's attraction and
sympathy for Elizabeth Franks draws him into the bitter, smoldering
relationship between the young woman and her famous older husband. The
emotional tension between the three builds to the breaking point.
Andrea Esterhazy, the powerful media mogul who discovered Michael,
watches helplessly while her young protégé falls deeper into Elizabeth's
gasp. A final confrontation occurs between Michael, Elizabeth, and Jonathan
before a shocked theater audience.
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Theme: Love Triangle
Length: 48,000 words
"We each have dreams, but how much will we sacrifice to realize them?
This is the story of a young man with aspirations for the theatrical stage
and the woman who refuses to let him quit."
~ James ~ |
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Cover Art by Jinger
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COMING SOON
THE METHOD
ISBN: 1-60601-183-9
E-book $4.50
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EXCERPT
Michael was no stranger to attractive women, but even he was stunned
when he saw her. Elizabeth wore snug-fitting jeans and a brown
leather jacket. Her thick blonde hair, hanging naturally over
her shoulders, framed her youthful face. The light blush in her
cheeks spoke of vitality. Her excited dog pulled her along the
city street. Elizabeth drew glances of admiration from all she
passed.
While she waited to cross Fifth Avenue, Michael stared at her. In a city
full of beautiful women, she stood out. Elizabeth was
five-feet-seven-inches tall, with lean legs and full hips. Her
long fingers were delicate, and her every movement distinctly
feminine. After she crossed the light, the leather dog leash
slipped from her hand. The excited animal dashed into the
street, unaware of approaching cars.
“Grab Bobbie,” Elizabeth shouted with her fingers anxiously held to her
lips. Michael managed to seize the leash and pull the dog away
from an oncoming taxi. Elizabeth hurried toward Michael and
knelt beside her rescued pet.
“Thank you,” she gasped with tears in her eyes. “I don’t know what I
would do without my sweet Bobbie.”
Elizabeth clutched her dog by the neck and allowed the playful animal to
lick her face. “Bad dog,” she scolded, but she did not mean it.
When she stood, a small brown glass vial tumbled from her open
purse. Michael retrieved it from the pavement.
“Those are Bobbie’s heartworm pills. Just drop them in my purse.”
She wiped a tear from her eye and gave her dog an affectionate rub. “How
can I ever thank you? Bobbie means the world to me.”
Michael gave the playful dog a pat and displayed his best smile. “The
weather is nice today. I was going for a walk in the park. May I
join you and Bobbie?”
Elizabeth peered anxiously over her shoulder, back toward her penthouse,
as if anticipating someone following her, but she did not appear
to recognize anyone. “I normally walk alone. It is best that
way. Please let me pay you for your trouble.”
“Don’t be silly,” Michael replied while he handed her the leash.
Elizabeth took a questioning gaze at Michael’s face. “Wait a
second, I know you,” she said. “You are Doctor Reed Banyan on
Hudson General, aren’t you?”
Michael blushed and shuffled his feet. “Actually, I am Michael Dupree,
the actor. Reed Banyan is the character I play.”
“Yes, of course,” Elizabeth agreed with a smile. “How interesting. I was
an actress once.” She shifted her gaze toward the park. “Before
we moved to New York.”
“There you go,” Michael replied. “Two actors enjoying a stroll in the
park. What could be more natural than that?”
“I don’t know,” she replied with a slight shake of her head.
“Don’t worry, I’m not a stranger. You’ve seen me on TV. Don’t make me
walk alone on such a fine afternoon.”
“I guess it can’t hurt, just this once,” Elizabeth replied.
Michael led the way to the park while Elizabeth took a final glance at
her penthouse. “Come on,” Michael encouraged. “We have a nice
day.”
After a brief hesitation, Elizabeth joined Michael, with Bobbie pulling
her along. The excited dog sniffed the air and wagged its tail.
“How long have you had your dog?”
“For a year. I’ve always wanted a pet, and now I have my Bobbie. We are
the very best of friends. We look after each other.”
Michael expected her accent to be British, not that he understood the
nuances of educated English speech. His sole exposure to proper
English was from the programs he watched on TV. Still, her
Americanized manner of speech surprised him. “What type of
acting have you done?” Michael asked.
“Theater. I had a brief career on the London stage, but that was years
ago. I’ve often thought of acting again, but the proper
opportunity has never come along.”
Bobbie stopped to sniff the base of an oak tree. While they waited for
the dog, they exchanged pleasant smiles. Michael estimated she
was in her mid-twenties. He had turned twenty-four this past
summer.
“How exciting to work in television,” Elizabeth said. “I’ve always heard
how difficult it is to work under all those bright lights with a
camera in your face. It must be challenging to perform without
an audience.”
“I’ve never found the job difficult. The director and editors do most of
the work. The way the program appears on TV and the way the
scenes are shot are very different. Sometimes a conversation
between two people is filmed with neither being on the set at
the same time. The scene is later spliced together by the
editors.”
“How odd,” Elizabeth reflected with a curious turn of her head. “You
perform to no one? Only an expressionless camera peering into
your eyes? I don’t believe I could work in that manner. I
require an audience and other performers.” Her reflections made
her laugh. “Listen to me, talking such foolishness. My days on
the stage are over.”
“Why? You could find plenty of work in New York. You are very—” Michael
paused before completing his sentence. He was about to tell her
how beautiful she was, but he feared Elizabeth might mistake his
complement for a come-on. He cleared his throat and started
over.
“I’m sure there are opportunities for you. Do you have an agent?”
Elizabeth pulled Bobbie away from the tree and directed her pet along
the sidewalk. “Let’s don’t talk about acting anymore,” she said.
“Do you live nearby?”
Michael pointed down Fifth Avenue. “I live a few blocks that way. You
can almost see my balcony from here.”
“I suppose you make a great deal of money. Is your wife involved with
television?”
“I’m not married.”
“You are divorced?”
“No, I’ve never been married.”
“I see,” Elizabeth observed with a smile. “Too many women to chose from,
I’ll bet.”
Michael shook his head. “No, it’s not that. I just haven’t met the right
one.”
Elizabeth glanced at his boyish face. “Are you looking for the right
one? Would you know her if she tapped you on the shoulder?”
“I certainly hope so,” Michael replied while he gazed into
her sparkling green eyes.
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Copyright © 2008
All rights reserved, Siren-BookStrand, Inc. Cannot be reproduced in whole or in part in any form without expressly permitted to do so in writing from the
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