Following Bliss (The Quest series) Read Online Free Page A

into laughter yet again and leaned into
Daniel, giving him a big hug.
    As they pulled
back, Daniel looked into her eyes and said, “I have to see you again. You
game?”
    “Absolutely.”
    Shelby handed
him her card and wished him luck. Daniel smiled to himself as she walked away,
thinking, With you coming into my life, luck is the last thing I need.
    And just like
that, he walked into the ballroom, manuscript in hand to meet Ms. Kaley
Hamilton.
     
     

 
    Chapter 2
    Daniel was
buzzing from his exchange with Shelby, so much so that it hardly occurred to
him to be nervous about pitching his book to Kaley Hamilton. As he walked over
to the table, he was radiating—his smile beaming from his face in a manner he
could not contain. Kaley Hamilton took notice right away.
    “I have no idea
what your book is about, but I sure do love the positive energy emanating from
you!”
    She stood up,
extending her hand. Daniel returned her handshake, noting how strong she was. In
fact, he was pretty sure she might crush his hand. This was surprising as
Kaley’s petite 5’1” frame and brunette, slightly newscaster-ish-bob hairstyle could
possibly indicate a slight, demure woman. But, Kaley was a woman who meant
business—Daniel could feel it right away. Dressed to the nines in a charcoal gray
Ann Taylor suit, complete with a chunky gold-and-black bracelet and a matching
necklace, there was no way anyone could mistake Kaley Hamilton for anything
other than smart and on top of her game. And her handshake? Well, it cleared
things up in case there was any question. When it came to the literary arts,
Ms. Hamilton was certainly in charge and in control.  
    “Thank you so
much for taking the time to hear more about my book, Ms. Hamilton,” Daniel said
calmly, as he retracted his hand from her grip.
    “Oh, please—call
me Kaley.” Kaley sat back down into her chair, crossing her legs and leaning
one arm over the back of the chair, making sure Daniel had the opportunity to
notice her rather short, mid-thigh length skirt. Kaley smiled pleasingly at
Daniel as she said, “Now tell me, what kind of book are you going to
share with the world?”
    Daniel went on
to articulately and confidently outline to Ms. Hamilton—er, Kaley—the scope of
his novel, its relevance to readers, and the best ways to reach his market. He
felt like he was on top of the world. Never, in all of his faux practice
sessions, had he spoken so eloquently about what his message was and what he
wanted the world to know through his books. Kaley sat captivated, nodding in
approval and smiling at him as he spoke. When he finished, he took a deep
breath and paused. Kaley interjected.
    “Well Daniel,
that is quite the presentation. As I’m sure you may know, Western historical
fiction has been on the decline for some time now, and it’s not something
publishers are generally jumping up and down for. But, I’ve got to tell you, I
like your energy and if that’s shining through in your novel, then we just
might have a winner.”
    Daniel felt a
lump form in his throat, hoping his novel was as fantastic as he had made it sound. If only I had met Shelby last week — if this energy was embedded in the
manuscript, I wouldn’t be able to go wrong.
    “I’ll tell you
what,” Kaley continued. “I want to take the next few days to read over your
manuscript and see how it feels to me. Then, I’ll email you and we can discuss
next steps. If you don’t hear from me by Wednesday, feel free to reach out to
me directly.” She handed him her card. “My assistant, Sarah, usually responds
to this email address, but I’ll let her know to forward yours to me. Sound
good?”
    Daniel could
hardly believe his ears . Kaley Hamilton was going to make sure his emails made
it directly to her? He said a silent thank you to the Universe for this
incredible turn of events. It was as if someone else was orchestrating things
for him. From the moment he made the decision to go for it and make