Songbird
songbird
BOOK ONE
THE HARRISON DUET
Syrie James
ALSO BY SYRIE JAMES:
Propositions: Book Two, The Harrison Duet
The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen
The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen
The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Brontë
PRAISE FOR THE NOVELS OF SYRIE JAMES
Nocturne
“
You will love this beautiful and mysterious story, full of love and longing, but with a passion that sizzles through the pages. The characters are bold and imaginative, and our hero Michael is everything a woman looks for in a man, but just a bit more.” —
The Romance Reviews
“
Lyrical, lush, and intensely romantic, this infinitely touching, bittersweet story will weave its way into readers’ hearts, with its complex characters and compelling emotions sure to linger long after the last page has been turned.” —
Library Journal
“
Brilliant, couldn’t put it down…a wonderful read with a beautiful romance that pulls at the heart strings. A must read for any romance fan.” —
Book Chick City
“
What could be more romantic than getting snowbound with a dark and mysterious stranger?...Nocturne is the kind of book that makes you want to turn off the phone and the television so you can do nothing but read.”—
Barnes and Noble.com
Dracula, My Love
“
Syrie James weaves a tale of quite a different Dracula: a mouth-wateringly handsome, powerful, cultured, and passionate one. And…I...Loved...It! This is a gripping story, infused with passion, excitement and emotional turmoil. It sheds a whole new light on Count Dracula. In true über-vampire style, he completely outdoes Edward Cullen and Buffy’s Angel in the sexy tortured soul stakes. This vampire can bite my neck any time!”” —
American Book Center
“
Only Mina Harker, who once fell under the seductive spell of literature’s most famous vampire, knows Dracula’s true story. James gives readers an intriguing alternate theory as to the events that occurred in Stoker’s classic horror tale while at the same time delivering a spooky yet thoroughly romantic love story.” —
Chicago Tribune
“
Rich with emotion, feelings, and passion…a page-turner of a book...You come to crave the heat of Dracula and Mina’s passion while shivering from the cold and lonely torment of Dracula’s eternal existence.” —
Suite 101 Book Reviews
“
Extremely romantic! A truly beautiful story of love, deception, obsession, survival, and sacrifice. I was riveted, and could not put it down!” —
That Artsy Reader Girl
The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen
“
This fascinating novel will make readers swear there was such a man as Mr. Ashford and that there is such a memoir…Tantalizing, tender, and true to the Austen mythos…highly recommended.” —
Library Journal, starred review
“
The reader blindly pulls for the heroine and her dreams of love, hoping against history that Austen might yet enjoy the satisfactions of romance... offers a deeper understanding of what Austen’s life might have been like.” —
The Los Angeles Times
“
Syrie James is a fine story-teller, with a sensitive ear for the Austenian voice and a clear passion for research. The result is a thoughtful, immensely touching romance that does justice to its subject and will delight anyone who feels, as Syrie James does, that Jane Austen couldn’t possibly have written with such insight without having had a great romance of her own.” —
Jane Austen’s Regency World Magazine
“
You don’t have to be a Jane Austen expert to enjoy this book. You just need to be in the mood for a page-turning, romantic story filled with warm characters, great passions, enjoyable language, and a terrific plot. And it’s to James’s credit that her novel reads a lot like—what else?—a classic Austen novel.” —
Goodreads
The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Brontë
“
For fans of biographical tales and romance, Syrie’s story of Charlotte offers it all: longing and yearning, struggle and success, the searing pain of immeasurable loss, and the happiness of a love that came unbidden and unsought. I did not want this story to end.” —
Jane Austen’s World
“
James takes the biography of Brontë and sketches it into a work of art…specific, passionate details give the book its main pull…A can’t-miss novel for Brontë fans and historical fiction buffs alike.” —
Sacramento Book Review
“
Through Charlotte’s diary, the reader is privy to her inspirations and heartaches, her secret jealousies, and more importantly, her muse...The revelation of Charlotte’s romantic relationships—her shocking infatuation with a married man and the evolution of her relationship with her father’s curate and future husband, Arthur Bell Nichols—is fascinating. A must-buy!” —
Romance Junkies
“
I was swept away. James’s book provoked tears at times, and a delicious romantic shiver at others. It’s truly masterful.” —
Meditative Meanderings
The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen
“
A novel within a novel honoring what we love most about Austen:
her engaging stories, her rapier wit, and her swoon-worthy romance. James’s pitch perfect, brilliantly crafted prose will have you enchanted and in awe of her mastery until the very last page. 5 out of 5 Regency Stars!” —
Austenprose
“
This richly imagined Jane Austen ‘road novel’ is such a page turner...A standout addition to the crowded archive of Austen homages.”—
Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“
Syrie James has surpassed herself…She did a brilliant job both at delivering a well-designed plot echoing Jane Austen’s voice – but modernizing it for a present-day audience – and at enclosing it in an intriguing frame of quest and romance…an incredible gripping story…it’ll be one of your favourite reads in 2013!” –
My Jane Austen Book Club
Forbidden
“
Hands down the most fascinating book I have read in quite a while... As the characters develop and the story unfolds you will find yourself wrapped up in their world, indulging in every kiss and holding your breath with every twist.” —
Luxury Reading
“
A YA novel that hits all the right notes... If you enjoy angels, ‘forbidden’ romance and dashing heroes, then this should be added to your TBR.” —
USA TODAY
“
A YA paranormal fantasy gem! I LOVED IT! Young adults who enjoyed the Twilight series will be just as intrigued.” —
Book Reader’s Heaven
“
Full of intrigue, romance and humor …[and] very much about trust, discovery, and love… I was entertained by the inspired prose, witty dialogue, the humorous actions and reactions, and of course, the honest, pure character development…This may be written for Young Adults, however, might I also suggest, for the young at heart?” —
Austenprose
Author’s Foreword
Dear Reader,
It is with great pleasure that I share with you this newly edited edition of my very first published romance novel.
This story is especially meaningful to me because it was inspired in part by my relationship with the man I love. Just like Desiree and Kyle, Bill and I had a whirlwind courtship. But we lived in different cities and were faced with the challenges of a long-distance relationship. From the very start it was difficult, and when he moved many hundreds of miles further away, it became more difficult still. I’ll never forget how devastated I was each time he or I had to get on a plane and leave. But from the moment of our first meeting, we each recognized our missing other half. We’ve been married now for thirty-seven wonderful years, and I am grateful for every minute.
I wrote
Songbird
in 1985. This gently edited version better reflects my current sensibilities as a novelist, but the story remains unchanged—and it is like a little time capsule. While re-reading it, I couldn’t help but smile fondly at the descriptions of clothing, songs, popular recording artists, and at every mention of technology. Car phones? Phone booths? Who can even remember such things?
No matter how much the world changes around us, however, the fundamental things in our lives do not change. We work hard. We have dreams. We fall in love. We experience the joys of a new relationship, and risk our hearts on the road to happiness.
I hope, as this story takes you back to an earlier time and place, that it will touch your heart and make you smile.
Happy reading!
Syrie James
This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
“
Songbird” Copyright © 1986 by Syrie Astrahan James
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
Syrie James
is the bestselling author of eight critically acclaimed novels, including
The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen, The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen, The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Brontë, Dracula My Love, Nocturne, Forbidden,
and
Propositions.
Her books have been translated into eighteen foreign languages. She lives with her family in Los Angeles, California. Syrie welcomes you to follow her on facebook and twitter, and to visit her website at www.syriejames.com.
One
The song ended. Desiree leaned forward on the high stool, bringing her lips close to the padded microphone. “That was Rita Coolidge singing the hit from her new album, ‘Be Mine Tonight.’ Before that we heard from Johnny Mathis with ‘So in Love with You.’ ”
She checked the pie-sized clock on the wall above the console. “It’s twenty-five past three here on this hot and sunny Wednesday afternoon in June. You’re listening to KICK Anaheim, 102 on your FM dial. This is Desiree Germain keeping you company for that long drive home.”
Right on cue, the first soft notes of the next song began to play. Desiree removed the massive black headphones and lifted her toffee-colored curls off her shoulders, letting the cool air from the overhead vent flow freely around her neck. A fire-engine red bumper sticker affixed to the window above the console caught her eye: SPEND THE NIGHT WITH DESIREE...KICK 102 FM!
Time for a new slogan, she thought, carefully peeling the length of vinyl off the glass and tossing it in the trash. Seven years of working evenings and nights, and she had finally made it: Prime time, daytime radio in Southern California. So whatever you do, she told herself, don’t blow it.
She turned up the volume control, leaned her head back, and closed her eyes, hoping the mellow tune’s soothing rhythm would help calm her senses.
It’s the same job as before, only the time has changed.
Forget about Arbitron and shares and rating points. Forget about the hundreds of would-be deejays standing in the wings, chomping at the bit, just waiting for you to mess up. Put it out of your mind. You’re good—one of the best jocks this station has—or Sam wouldn’t have given you the afternoon drive. Just relax and enjoy yourself.
She heard the studio door open and straightened up. Tom, the station’s part-time gofer, rushed in, his forehead perspiring beneath a tangle of wiry red hair.
“
Man, it’s hot out there,” he said, fanning his youthful face with a stack of small newsprint sheets. “The air conditioner can barely keep up. You’re lucky—your cubicle is nice and cool.”
“
I know. I am lucky. And cubicle is right.” Desiree glanced about the studio with a smile. It was tiny, the equipment was out-dated, and dog-eared posters of Elvis, The Beatles, Kenny Rogers, and Streisand were plastered across the dingy beige walls. She knew that some people got claustrophobic in elevators, yet she was stuck in this microscopic space for four straight hours every day—and she loved it.