1. I
Have People is about
‘out-of-control’ anger.
2. I
Have People is also about memory
loss.
3. I
Have People is about recognizing a
good man versus a bad one.
4. The
title, I Have People, was
born when I found myself with an empty nest for the first time. As my children
called home incessantly, I realized I HAVE PEOPLE and I always will.
5. My
inspiration for I Have People came from a strong dislike of people
who can’t control their tempers.
6. My
hope for I Have People is that women will read it and realize
that verbal and physical abuse is NOT OKAY! EVER!
7. I’ve
written TWO different versions of I
Have People. The published version is the first version and it is my
favorite.
8. The
second version of I Have
People is NOT an amnesia
story. Turns out, amnesia was the way to go. Hence, the second version will
never see the light of day. I’ve already forgotten about it. What other story?
9. My
heroine’s name, Holly Noel, came from a friend who had a Christmas baby and
named her Holly Noel. LOVE!
10. Gabriel (the hero) and Holly (the heroine) both have
Christmas names. Holly Noel (obvious) and Gabriel (the annunciation).
Contemporary Romance
Title: I Have People
Author: Taylor Dean
Date Published: 9/20/2012
Excerpt: The first thing that
registered in Holly’s slowly awakening mind was the fact that air was being
blown up her nose, fast and uncomfortable, whizzing into her in a most
unwelcome fashion. The impulse to swipe at the annoying apparatus seemed
unachievable. She lived in a dark world where movement was not possible. The
second thing that registered was the blast of air on her skin. She heard the low
hum of the air conditioner and felt the air as if it was millions of icy
needles pricking her skin. The shiver that coursed through her surprised her.
It was at that moment that she felt her body come alive. She felt her blood
pumping through her body, she felt her heartbeat increase rapidly, she felt
goose bumps rise up in rebellion to the icy air. She felt her lungs inflate and
deflate with a deep, cleansing breath.
Next, someone was
touching her arm, caressing it gently. “Holly, can you hear me?”
Yes, she wanted to scream, I
can hear you. Her lips moved, but no sound emerged, only a whoosh of air.
“Stay calm, Holly.
Everything’s going to be fine. Can you squeeze my hand? If you can hear me,
squeeze my hand.”
Holly immediately
squeezed the hand that touched hers. I can hear you, please help me, I’m
trapped. Help me out of here, please.
“Excellent, Holly.
You’re doing great.”
She fought to form a
word, to call out to the one person who she knew could help her. Her breath
seemed to stick in her throat, but then made it past the hurdle and whooshed
out of her in a small whisper . . . “Gaaabriellll.”
In her next moment of
consciousness, someone was speaking to her. “Holly, wake up, sweetie. C’mon, we
know you can do it, just open your eyes. Try, Holly, try.”
The words seemed to be
coming at her through a very long tunnel. Bright lights made her blink several
times. A number of people surrounded her, all looking down on her with smiles.
She didn’t recognize anyone. They were doctors and nurses—checking her pulse,
listening to her heart with a cold stethoscope, touching her toes and saying,
“Can you feel that?”
“Yessssss,” she said,
irritated. Then her eyes landed on a familiar face. “Angela?” she whispered.
Angela was crying,
tears pouring down her face. “Yes, sweetie, it’s me.”
The doctor was
overhead next. “Welcome back. We’ve been waiting for you to wake up. We’ll talk
more later. I’ll leave you to visit with your friend for now.”
Everyone left the room
except Angela. Dear, sweet Angela. Her best friend in the whole wide world.
Angela continued to
cry. “Oh Holly, I’m sorry. I just can’t help myself.”
Why was Angela crying?
What was going on? “Where am I?” Confusion gripped her, why couldn’t she think
straight?
“You’re in the
hospital, sweetie. You’ve been in a coma and we’ve been waiting for you to wake
up for the longest time. You’re going to be okay, though, you’re just fine.
Don’t worry about anything.”
In spite of the
comforting words, Holly felt herself panic. Hospital? Coma? “I’m okay?”
“Yes, honey, you’re
going to be fine.”
“Where’s Gabe? I need
Gabe.” Her throat hurt. Her voice was scratchy and unrecognizable even to her
own ears.
Angela’s sobs stopped
abruptly. “What?”
“Gabriel. Where is
he?” she uttered with extreme difficulty.
“I . . . I’m not
sure.”
“Tell my husband I’m
awake,” she mumbled through an irritated throat. Angela was quiet and had gone
very still. “Tell him, please tell him.”
Holly wiggled
her toes and stretched her legs. She wiggled her fingers and lifted her arms
off the bed, proud of herself for being able to accomplish these tasks. She
could feel every part of her coming back to life.
“Why isn’t
Gabriel here?” Holly asked again, feeling devastated. Angela was silent for
several moments, looking at her as if she didn’t know her. Holly’s head came
off the pillow, “What is it? What’s wrong? Did something happen to Gabe? Tell
me, Angela, I want to know,” she said in a raspy whisper.
Angela rubbed her arm
softly. “Holly, please don’t get worked up. Calm down. Nothing’s happened to
Gabriel. He’s perfectly fine.”
Holly let out her
breath and collapsed onto her pillow. “You had me worried. Why isn’t he here?”
She was tiring quickly. It took all of her strength to utter the words.
“We . . . we weren’t
sure when you would wake up, honey. Don’t worry, I’ll call him.”
Holly felt fuzzy and
her thoughts were jumbled. “Why am I so tired? What happened to me?”
“The doctor said it
was best for your memories to come back to you all on your own. I’m not
supposed to tell you anything or prompt you. The important thing is that you’re
going to be okay.”
“Oh, all right.”
I’m going to be okay. I’m going to be okay. The
words ran through her mind as if a mantra. Holly closed her eyes and tried to
think, tried to command her thoughts to return to her. The only thing that
wafted through her mind were her memories of Gabriel. His blond hair. His
perfect smile. His brown eyes. His kiss. Her worried gaze met Angela’s wide
eyes. “I . . . I can’t remember anything. Except Gabriel, of courssssse. I
could never forget my husssssband.” Her words were beginning to slur.
Angela’s smile died on
her face.
“Why do you look
sssssso upssset?”
“I’m not upset. I just
. . . I just wish he was here to see you wake up, that’s all. He’ll be so . . .
disappointed.”
Holly’s eyes slowly closed
as she whispered, “He’s always late for everything. He’s never in a hurry.
Remember that, Angela?”
“Yes, Holly, I . . . I
remember.”
Holly quietly fell
back to sleep, the conversation, completely wearing her out.
Review: I think I might have mentioned that Taylor Dean is one of the best discoveries I've made this year as far as authors go. I've read 3 of her books so far, Lancaster House, Sierra and now I Have People. There's one element that binds them together, suspense.
I'm so glad that my copy of I Have People was an ebook, because the suspense in this book would have been to tempting for me otherwise. I know if this had been a physical copy I would have been flipping the pages to find out what happens.
Like all of Taylor's other books, I find it hard to review the story without giving away things that you really shouldn't know unless you've read the book.
Here are some things I can tell you.
1. This book deals with domestic violence.
2. Holly is at times the stereotypical battered wife as well as a head strong female. You will love her and be frustrated with her all at the same time.
3. Gabe is the man you absolutely want to have in your life.
4. Ange is the bff we all need and want.
I really liked how Taylor built the suspense around Holly's accident and the other characters in the book. She gave you just enough information to keep you turning the pages, but not enough to make you go "A ha!'
If you haven't read one of Taylor's books yet, you really should pick one up. They are all emotionally charged and full of wonderful characters that you can't help but love and root for.
Rating: 5 flowers
Author Bio
Taylor
Dean lives in Texas and is the mother of four grown children. Upon
finding herself with an empty nest, she began to write the stories that
were always wandering around in her head, quickly finding that she had a
passion for writing, specifically romance. Whether it’s paranormal,
contemporary, or suspense—you’ll find all sub-genres of romance in her
line-up.
Twitter - @taylordeanbooks
Links to Buy
