Salsa or Die

By Allyson R. Abbott

What happens when life gives you a couch potato while you want adventure?

You go Salsa Dancing of course!

#1 International Bestselling Author
Pinnacle Award Winning Author
Finalist in OKRWA 'Contemporary Short' Book Awards
Readers' Favorite 5 star seal winner for six books

Pam discovers the local hall salsa lessons hold all the answers.

A fun short rom/com story as Pam not only learns new steps, but finds herself on the run from a silver fox.

"This was an absolute delight to read. The story address how couples later in life become like a pair of matched pilled slippers with no life to them. Through a series of circumstances this couple reignites what brought them together in the beginning. Allyson Abbott tells a magical story of what reality is for those of us in our salt and pepper years. Great Hen Lit book!" Grace

"Ms. Abbott captures the beauty and angst of growing old with the one you love, providing a concise view of what happens when comfort becomes more important than lust. Beautifully done; a few tears at the end, which is what I expect from something that moves me the way this did. Now, I have to get busy and read the rest of this author's offerings." TheLadyEV


Pam wishes her life could be more exciting, so she joins salsa classes with her best friend.
Pam wishes she had more romance in her life; enter Victor, an attractive and very attentive salsa dancer.
Pam wishes she could have a little adventure now and then: until she discovers that actually a simple, unromantic and boring home life might be a bit safer and secure.

An Interview with Allyson
Q: How do you find inspiration for your characters?
A: The characters grow within the book. Salsa or Die is one of my first short stories and I had this method where I'd write the first line and see where it took me. I try to make my stories about realistic situations, and put myself in the characters shoes and think, 'what would I do now?'

Q:Do you salsa dance? Is this story linked to one of your hobbies?A: Ha-ha, no. My husband loves salsa and used to go to a weekly club, but I've never learned. Although to be fair, I've asked him to teach me and bought a boxset of salsa cd's, but so far he hasn't taken me up on the challenge. Hmm, I wonder why?

Q: I've noticed you write in different genres, sweet romance, women's fiction, erotica and even nonfiction. Do you find it hard to switch your thoughts from one to the other?
A: No, not really. I'm now writing erotica under a pen name, Cyra May, so I put on another hat to do that. Nonfiction I write when I feel the need, although I have to say I am itching to write a cookery book. Women's and contemporary romance really go hand in hand and it depends on how the story develops as to whether it is sweet or not. I mean Linda in Goodbye Hello, deserved to have a good time and I just couldn't fade to black. I also write for New Adult genre and mature readers, so I try to keep in mind what my readers would appreciate. I even tried a little paranormal/fantasy with A Prickly Christmas Kiss, which was well received.

Q: What projects are you working on at the moment?
A: I'm focusing on a brand new Vigilante/justice/romance series with a character named Foxxy. She is the modern day Equalizer and her hero is the Robin Hood. Foxxy is a lot grittier and extremely motivated to help others in unfortunate situations.
 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Allyson R. Abbott
• Release date: May 30, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393129080

Allyson R. Abbott

I 'm very lucky to have the indulgence of time and space to enable me to write. I took a sabbatical from work to accompany my partner on his bucket list travels and adventures, and never went back. I really thought I would struggle with all the free time, so decided to write to keep myself occupied. Now writing has consumed my time and I am never sure where we will be or when, hence my novels could be classed 'international' as they may have been written across a few countries. We are still travelling, although we do pop back to the UK for a few months every now and again. I love the fact that no matter what our age we can use new technology to connect to the rest of the world and enhance our lives. Back in the UK I have my friends and family and with emails, phones, Skype or face-time, we are never out of touch for long. Even my mother at eighty-six uses face-time to catch up with me. I have the world at my fingertips and only twenty-four hours away from anywhere. Being a 'mature aging gracefully' woman, I feel akin to the problems of aging and relationships. I spent many years on my own before finding my truly remarkable and very patient partner who I happily gave up my whole world for. My stories are about mature relationships with mature people. People who have character and humour, who have a history; people just like us. I like to call it Hen Lit, Not Chick Lit, but it is not just about falling in love. They are about real relationships. I hope you enjoy my stories. Please check my web page or social media pages if you would like to contact me. I love emails and try to answer every one as soon as possible.

Book preview

Chapter One

‘The average life expectancy for females in the UK is 81.68 years, for men it’s 77.38.’

Suddenly, I’m on the brink of tears. A small pressure is rising up in my chest, waiting to explode from my mouth. Lifting my head slowly from the magazine, I blink rapidly to clear the clouds and water from my eyes. My mouth opens to inform Jeff of this interesting, although scary piece of news. On seeing him slouched in the chair, feet on the pouffe just gazing blankly at the television, I shut it again quickly. Even if I did tell him this nugget of information, he’d probably only grunt in reply, not even moving his eyes from the screen. Not that he’s actually watching anything interesting; any programme will do. This is his life for at least twelve hours of everyday. Zombied in front of the huge television that he bought with his redundancy money. A special treat for us, he called it; ‘now we have some money in the bank’ he said. I wish he’d never bought the damn thing; it’s like a demon; sucking the life from him day by day and breath by breath.

I can feel the tears bubbling up again and swallow quickly while slinging the magazine down on the glass topped coffee table. Raising stiffly from my new powered reclining chair - another treat from the pot of gold - I ask Jeff if he wants a cuppa as I shuffle into the kitchen trying to get some movement into my joints. I’m not sure if the noise from his throat is a yes or no, but I’ll make him one anyway. At least by filling him up with cups of tea or coffee means he gets a bit of exercise when he goes to the toilet. I’m not sure all this posh reclining chair stuff is good for old age. It stops you using muscles and that’s not good. What we need is exercise.

Reaching for the kitchen roll I tear off one piece and blow my nose. I feel flat, deflated and lonely. We used to talk all the time and laugh about everything and anything. Now it’s too much effort to try and get a smile from him, so I don’t bother.

Life seems to be draining away and I’m only 60 years old. This thought reminded me of my birthday celebrations four weeks ago. Jeff made a special effort that day and took me to that fancy Italian restaurant in town. It was a lovely evening and I enjoyed having Jeff back for a few hours. I should feel grateful, but I was hoping we could’ve had a holiday or a cruise. That would’ve been lovely. But we have to watch the ‘pennies’ apparently. All I see are the pennies growing with interest in the savings account as we sit here withering with old age and preparing to die.

That’s what made me feel so sad, I realise, as I move slowly around the kitchen gathering cups and saucers while the kettle bubbles away. The article has emphasized that there are possibly plenty of years ahead. The thought of living another twenty-two years like this is depressing; and then I might live longer. My mother’s still alive, in her nineties and she’s got a better social life than me, always out and about doing something or other. Oh God, another twenty or thirty years of this boredom. Surely there’s more out there than this for us. Maybe I should ask mum to introduce us to the Derby and Joan club.

I take Jeff his cup of tea and settle back down in