How Richard Sees Gabriela

As I said, the first time he saw her the attraction was brutal, like a gut punch.  Then...

“Is it gone?”

“Yes.  It’s over, for now.”

She opened her eyes and looked at him, tears welling up inside them.  “Is it okay if I cry now?”  Without waiting for an answer, she burrowed her head into his shoulder and began to weep.

Richard closed his arms protectively about her for a fraction of a second and then leaned into his need.  He wanted to shelter her, protect her, and consume her.  She belonged nowhere else but in his arms.  She felt right.  He held her tighter, with tenderness, aware that this sudden need was irrational, alien to his nature.  He rocked her gently, letting her weep away the tension and the fear, uncaring of his own discomfort, rubbing his cheek against the softness of her hair.  His back was straining from the effort of keeping her balanced on his shoulder, but he didn’t mind.  All he cared about was that she felt good, her delicate perfume pervading his senses.

Richard shifted his body and nestled her closer still, not analyzing his behavior.

How Gabriela Sees Richard

Ah, yes, Richard.

Gabriela was surprised that an American was on her doorstep.  There was no doubt—his tall frame, his strong features, and his casual, arrogant stance.  For a moment, she thought it might be one of her husband’s coworkers recently arrived from the States, but she rejected the idea immediately.  Roberto would have warned her.  Besides, his coworkers never looked like the man standing a couple of feet before her.  He was lean, yet muscular, and he was quite handsome, she thought, inspecting him casually with an artist’s eye for beauty.  His light brown hair fell carelessly over a wide forehead; a straight, aquiline nose preceded a full mouth, framed by a strong jaw-line; and the man had remarkable eyes of gray-blue.  Quite remarkable indeed, she thought.  She must remember to use them in her illustrations.

Origin of my Hero's Name - Richard Harrison

Some writers are into names.  I'm not particularly into collecting all types of names or into researching meanings behind names to attach to my characters.
I picked the name Richard Harrison for my wonderful, incredible manly man in The Coin, because, well, I liked both name and surname.  Had always liked those and they sounded so good together.  So,  I thought today I would find out what each meant.

Richard, according to the Behind the Name website, means as follows:
Means "brave power", derived from the Germanic elements ric "power, rule" and hard "brave, hardy". The Normansintroduced this name to Britain, and it has been very common there since that time. It was borne by three kings of England including Richard I the Lionheart, leader of the Third Crusade in the 12th century. Famous bearers include two German opera composers, Richard Wagner (1813-1883) and Richard Strauss (1864-1949), as well as British explorer Sir Richard Burton (1821-1890) and American musician Little Richard (1920-).

Harrison, according to House of Names.com, means:
Son of Henry, derived after the Norman conquest.

I was a bit surprised about Richard's meaning, since in my novel, he is brave, powerful, rules, and is hardy.  Not bad for someone who got his name just because.

About the Novel

France, 1993.
Gabriela Martinez has a problem to solve: she strongly suspects that her mentor and friend wants her as his mistress, her husband is increasingly neglecting her, and her latest illustration has been ruined. But while going to her favorite thinking spot in La Marbriére, the mountain overlooking her home in the Côte d'Azur, Gabriela makes a wrong turn and finds herself lost. There, in a clearing cocooned in emerald forest and towering cliffs, she finds a beautiful French coin, half-buried in dirt. Little does Gabriela realize the danger of that discovery, nor does she suspect the devastating consequences placing the coin on her favorite bracelet will have on her life.
Richard Harrison, an American intelligence officer, is unwillingly assigned to protect Gabriela after the resurfacing of the coin. Together with Maurice Nôret, Harrison's counterpart in French intelligence, Richard attempts to bring to light the madman's identity. But as the psychological games to terrorize Gabriela into silence grow more lethal, Richard's budding love for this beautiful, talented woman becomes a dangerous handicap to them both. 
Set in the exotic French Riviera, The Coin is a story of unfounded hatred, betrayal, love, and duty—of terrible and painful choices that, nonetheless, bring about personal triumph.

Welcome to my Blog!!!

I am extremely excited to share my blog with you, which is dedicated to my first novel, The Coin.  The novel is a romantic suspense set in the Côte d'Azur, France (where I lived for five years) and where the action of the novel takes place.
The Coin was a labor of love from the very beginning, especially after creating the characters of Richard and Gabriela.  The story was born out of an outing with my children while hiking the mountains near my home in Grasse.  That day, I did find several coins in a clearing abutting a path.  It sparked the 'what if' scenario and the rest is, as they say, the novel.
Use this blog to ask questions about the region, about the characters, about the plot and how I came up with the ideas.  Show your enthusiasm.  Post pictures of the area, if you know it or have visited it.  Share with friends your thoughts about the chapters, but I will ask all of you a favor:  No spoilers!
Come visit!  Visit often and stay in tune for the progress of my next book, The Book of Hours.
Good reading!!
Maria Elena Alonso-Sierra