​Today is the cover reveal for Follow the Music by L.C. Ireland. This cover reveal is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. 

Follow the Music (The Collective #1)
By L.C. Ireland
Genre: Fantasy
Age category: Middle Grade
Release Date: March 7, 2017
 
Blurb:
Ama is a talented, young musician whose life is changed forever when she is kidnapped by bandits and wounded so badly that she loses her hearing. Far from home and newly deafened, Ama discovers that the music she has been learning all her life possesses hidden powers. The music may even be powerful enough to guide Ama home … if she can learn to listen without hearing.
 
You can find Follow the Music on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34186687-follow-the-music  

​Leslie Colleen “L.C.” Ireland is an Arts Specialist in Ogden, Utah. By day she works as an educator and arts advocate for two elementary schools. By night, she writes plays and novels.
 
You can find and contact L.C. Ireland here:
- Website: http://www.ghostlight.ink
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/author.lc.ireland
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/LC_writes
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/l.c.ireland/
- Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14529635.L_C_Ireland
- Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/L.C.-Ireland/e/B01HX3O42Q/
 
 
Giveaway
There is a cover reveal wide giveaway for the cover reveal of Follow the Music. One winner will win an e-copy of Follow the Music by L.C. Ireland. Open International.

Quick, you're at a playground playdate, tell me where you and your little ones are at in this hierarchy.  I am most likely going to be close by my daughter. I use to hover. I use to fuss over every swing, every slide, and every equipment in the playground to make sure it was deemed "safe" for my precious little heart to use. There are the "helicopter" moms, and the sitting-by-the -sidelines-watching-the-kiddos-mamas, and then the 'in-betweeners,' like myself who want to appear confident that their child can climb the jungle gym, but you can see the fall that is coming, so you just wait.

I don't know if I'll get to the point where I sit by the other mamas and just watch. But I'll get there. I'm slowly getting there. One thing for sure, is that every mom that I have met at the playground and I will somehow converse about one thing: balancing. 

Seriously, how does the mom over there by the swings look so put together? I'm in sweats, and I'm pretty sure my daughter didn't brush her teeth this morning! It's like everyone around me, at least recently, seems so well put together. How are they balancing life, when I can't even get two kids out of the house?

In Tightropes and Teeter-totters by Lisa Pennington, this is one of my favorite lines: "Finding balance is not a onetime action; it requires repeatedly stepping back and looking at how we react and respond to the things that throw us off." 

Isn't life in the everyday details? I get caught up in rushing my daughter so that we're on time to look like I'm "owning it," as a mom. Of course, you can't rush preschoolers. There is ALWAYS something more pressing than getting out the door on time. I have pleaded. I have threatened. I even begged in tears. NOTHING. 

But now I am armed with this new knowledge of finding grace amidst all these "failures." I love the assignments at the end of the chapters. They're reflective of how we should implement this new found tips, and tricks. 

This book was filled with little zingers that made me chuckle, and made me feel a whole lot better that I'm not the only mom who gets off balance and off kilter in many areas of my life. Pennington takes the BALANCE and breaks it down into an acronym that we can use to help us when we feel like we're about to fall.

​Truly grace and happiness can be found in my playground lessons. I just need to learn that sometimes, there are tightropes, and then there are teeter-totters. 

Moms, do you wonder if you will ever stop falling over every time the unexpected comes along, or you get your feelings hurt, or you mess up? Lisa Pennington’s new book, Tightropes and Teeter-Totters, is tailor-made for you. Lisa Pennington knows how to get up after losing her balance, even with a full house, a not-so-full bank account, and never enough energy. For every woman who wonders if her satisfaction in life will ever match her dreams, Pennington has real-life answers full of hope and humor.
###


{MORE ABOUT TIGHTROPES AND TEETER-TOTTERS}Tightropes and Teeter-Totters: Finding Balance in the Ups and Downs of Life (David C. Cook, February 2017)
Do you wonder if you will ever find balance?
Lisa Pennington knows how to get up after losing her balance, even with a full house, a not-so-full bank account, and never enough energy. In her latest book, she offers readers:
—Strategies for finding balance in marriage, motherhood, and bad moods
—Playful yet biblically based tips for turning hard days around
—Inspiration for shaping obstacles into opportunities
—Ways to respond to irritations with gratitude
—Enthusiastic encouragement for living out God’s purpose.
For every woman who wonders if her satisfaction in life will ever match her dreams, Pennington has real-life answers full of hope and humor.
Learn more and purchase a copy.


{MORE ABOUT LISA PENNINGTON}Lisa Pennington is a homeschooling mom of nine who shares her life—one laundry load at a time—on her blog, The Pennington Point. She is a sought-after speaker at conferences and women’s groups and is the author of “Mama Needs a Do-Over.” Lisa and her family live near San Antonio.
Find out more about Lisa at http://thepenningtonpoint.com

Today is the cover reveal for Behind the Lens by Cassandra Giovanni. The cover is designed by Gio Design Studios - https://giodesignstudios.wordpress.com. This cover reveal is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. 

Behind the Lens (Boys of Fallout #2)
By Cassandra Giovanni
Genre: Coming of Age
Age category: Young Adult/ New Adult
Release Date: 14 March, 2017
 






​


Blurb:
Natalie Scott's life is simple with no strings attached. As a band photographer, she's made metal music her life, and life on tour means no relationships.
 
At least not ones that last and that's the way she likes it.
 
She only has one rule.
 
Don't date or otherwise screw around with the client.
 
But she never said anything about love.
 
Brent Andrews knows Natalie's rules.
 
And he's about to make sure he's an exception to them.
 
All of them.
 
Even ones she didn't know she had.
 
You can find Behind the Lens on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23393232-behind-the-lens
 
You can pre-order Behind the Lens on Amazon: http://bit.ly/BuyBTL

Get book 1 in this series!
Book one in this series Out of Beat is available now! You can buy a copy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Out-Beat-Boys-Fallout-Book-ebook/dp/B01M8LIR8F/

Excerpt:

I scrunch my nose up as I look at the door hanging open for us. "It's going to be a love fest in there, isn't it?"
Brent scratches his chin. "Honestly, every time the girls have shown up, I've had a girlfriend--so I've never really paid much attention."
I swallow, looking down at my shoes before looking over at him. "Was it a love fest for you?"
He blinks at me a few times, his lips in a stern line. "We don't just start fucking all over the bus."
I throw my hands up. "Hey, I know how it is. You haven't gotten laid in a few months and you get to see your significant other--"
"Is that all you think we think about?" he asks, a slight smirk on his face. "Or is that all you think about?"
My face burns red, and I shake my head. "No--not at all."
"Brent?" a woman's voice calls at our backs.
"Tay!" Brent replies as he turns, pulling her into a hug. "It's good to see you!"
Tay smiles as she pulls away from him. "I forgot how lovely you guys smell right after you get off stage."
I watch as Brent's face turns red, and he puts his hands in his pockets as he rocks on his heels. "Sorry, I haven't gotten a chance to shower."
She punches him in the shoulder. "Seriously, Brent? Believe me, Kie smells no better than you do. Speaking of which, where is he?"
Brent glances at me and then to the woman. She has long blonde hair curled into waves with ice blue eyes that are anything but cold. She smiles as she looks over at me, holding out her hand. "I'm sorry, this was rude of me--you must be Natalie, the photographer? I'm Taylor, Kie's girlfriend. Everyone calls me Tay."
I shake her hand. "You're the first one to actually introduce yourself to me. The other girls didn't even notice me at all."
She laughs, running a hand through her hair. "I'm sure if I saw Kie, I would've ignored you too!"
I nod over my shoulder. "Brent, go take a shower. I'll help Tay find wherever Kie ran off to."
Brent narrows his eyes at me, and I smile up at him. "You do smell."
He blinks at me. "And you smell any better?"
My eyes widen and he puts his hands up before backing slowly onto the tour bus.
"I'm sorry if I smell," I say as I look down at my damp tank top.
Taylor laughs. "You definitely don't smell like any of them do."
"Thanks," I reply. I nod towards the building. "I think he went somewhere inside the venue."
We fall into step with one another and she looks over at me with a slow smile. "So you...and Brent?"
My face burns and I feel a cold sweat building on my spine. I tell myself it's just the difference in temperature between the air-conditioned backstage and the heat of Arizona outside.
"No, not at all," I reply, and my voice cracks.
Because I'm thirsty. Who wouldn't be after the workout that is doing show photography?
She bites her lip. "Sorry, I didn't mean to assume--"
I put a hand up, laughing a bit too high pitched. "Believe me, I've gotten used to people assuming that."
"So do you?" she asks, biting her lip as she looks at me.
"Like him?" I finish her sentence.
She closes her eyes as we walk further into the venue and shakes her head. "You don't have to tell me. We don't know each other...It just seemed like you do."
An awkward silence falls over us, and I clear my throat. "Uh, I think I saw Kie go this way. All these places are so different -- crazy mazes."
I hear a muffled noise that sounds like Kie and head towards the door I think it's coming from. I open the door to peek my head in and blink as I stare at Kie with a half naked girl wrapped around him and his pants at his ankles. His eyes meet mine, going wide before I slam the door shut.
Taylor stands back behind me, and she swallows, staring at the closed door. "Anything?"
My hands go into fists as I try to control my facial expression. "Place has rats apparently."
Her eyes drop to the floor, and she nods. "Sometimes they do."
"Maybe he made it onto the bus by now?" I say, linking my arm in hers. Guilt washes over me as I try  to act like I saw nothing.
Her body is stiff, and I can tell by the blank look in her eyes that she knows the way Kie is. "Sure, if not, I'm sure he'll make his way there eventually."
Silence falls over us as we make our way towards the bus. My chest tightens as I glance over at her, and I bite my lip before asking, "So it's that obvious?"
Taylor shakes her head, looking over at me and her friendly eyes have a dark hint to them as does her tone when she replies, "What?"
I feel the need to distract her from whatever is going on in her head.
"That I might be..." I suck my lips into my mouth before admitting, "A tiny bit attracted to Brent?"
Taylor bursts out laughing. "A tiny bit? And who says it's only obvious one way?"

​Cassandra doesn’t remember a time when she wasn’t writing. In fact, the first time she was published was when she was seven years old and won a contest to be published in an American Girl Doll novel. Since then Cassandra has written more novels than she can count and put just as many in the circular bin. Her personal goal with her writing is to show the reader the character’s stories through their dialogue and actions instead of just telling the reader what is happening. Besides being a writer, Cassandra is a professional photographer known for her automotive, nature and architectural shots. She is happily married to the man of her dreams and they live in the rolling hills of New England their dogs, Bubski and Kanga.
 
For regular updates visit Cassandra’s website and sign up for her newsletter.
 
You can find and contact Cassandra here:
- Website: https://cgiovanniauthor.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CassieGiovanni
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/cgiovanniauthor
- Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6094287.Cassandra_Giovanni
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cgiovanniauthor/
- Newsletter: http://cgiovanniauthor.us3.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=203d8dfc40f8c412687d68ac1&id=7ae3e3dac3&orig-lang=1
 
Giveaway
There is a cover reveal wide giveaway for the cover reveal of Behind the Lens. One winner will win a swag pack including bookmarks and postcards (US only). And an ebook copy of the both books in the series, Out of Beat and Behind the Lens by Cassandra Giovanni (International).
 
For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:

Ever get the feeling that some serendipitous moments are more divine interventions? Or maybe that's me. I've been "chasing" Jesus almost my whole life. I've read every book in the New Testament, and managed only to make it through Numbers in the Old Testament. When I look back to my past for reflections, I can pinpoint where I felt Him the most, and the days where my doubts and fears won me over. 

It's a bit - and I'll use the word, weird here, as I have no other words right now - weird to read someone else's musings and simultaneously say, "that's me," and "that's so not me." I read Confessions in one sitting and Sarahbeth is witty, and honest, and incredibly curious about her faith - both her place in Judaism and her eventual path to Christianity. 

I suppose if I was born Jewish, with the same fervor in finding Christ, I would have penned almost exactly this story. Except, I'm not. Growing up in the Philippines, you were either Catholic or a Muslim. I remember being introduced to a few Baptists when I moved to Texas. As an adolescent girl who wanted to fit in, I noticed that most of my counterparts were Southern Baptists. I wasn't a "Christian." Because of my ignorance - you were either a Christian (Baptists) or not - I deflated anything Catholic related. I remember in college being 'saved.' Nevermind, that I had grown up in the Church, did the religious classes for communion, and confirmation - rite of passages for a Catholic kid. Also, glaring obvious that I've pointed out to several Southern Baptists who have tried to convert me, that I didn't realize that there were two Jesus Christs in history. She counterpointed by saying, I'm not a true Catholic then, if I didn't know the names to ALL the Saints......There are thousands, let me tell you, and I promise not knowing all of them is not a basis to determine if you're a "good Catholic" or a "bad Catholic."

I know nothing about my faith. I still equate my collegiate year in 2004 as the moment I felt at peace with the world and my place in it. It's funny that Sarahbeth said her literal "come to Jesus" moment happened on the bathroom floor of her dormitory. Mine was on a stairwell, bottom floor of my dorm, overlooking the campus gym. Not exactly the perfect setting for both of us to begin our spiritual journey. I also remember the hypocrisy of Evangelicals and the "Christian" culture. I felt the pull of being torn. That no matter what I do, how many questions I ask, I will never be good enough to warrant a place at His table.

I'm digressing. This story isn't about my walk in faith. It's Sarabeth's. But I feel so connected to her that her story might as well be mine! While I didn't grow up wanting to be a Nun (her case, a Rabbi), I often felt out of place in high school and college. Where my friends partied and experimented, I only wanted to drink from His cup and know so much more about Christ. He really is someone worth knowing. He is worth loving.

Him.

His Words.

His way of life, of living and being should be looked at, read over, poured and thought about, and followed - especially in today's glaringly hypocritical Christian culture. We're not all worshipping the same way, but love looks like Him. Is Him. Somewhere in our society, we pick up pieces that we like, and throw away the ones that we don't. 

Thank you, Sarahbeth for your story. Your pilgrimage and testimony of a faith is something that most of us 'cradle Christians' take for granted. I truly believe in this divine intervention and that Confessions of a Prodigal Daughter isn't just your memoir, as much as it is stories and reflections on some of us who lost the spring in our spiritual step, and waiting until we can come back home again. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

​Sarahbeth (SB, Beth) Caplin is a blogger, freelance writer, editor, and self-published author of nonfiction, young adult fiction, and poetry. Her memoir Confessions of a Prodigal Daughter (2012) ranked #1 in Amazon’s top 100 bestselling personal growth books, and her follow-up memoir Confessions of a Jew-ish Skeptic (2016) ranked #6 in Amazon’s Ecumenism category. On the side, she is also a jewelry maker and figure skater.
A former seminary student, Beth holds a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Kent State University, and is currently at work on a master’s in creative writing at Colorado State University.
Her work has appeared in The Sun (magazine), xoJane, FeminineCollective, Patheos, and Christians for Biblical Equality, among other places. She writes regularly for Off the Page and Friendly Atheist. Beth edited five novels for Booktrope before the publisher closed its doors in 2016, and she is an associate editor for the Colorado Review. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, she lives in northern Colorado with her husband, Joshua, and two cat children, Zoey and Catniss Everclean.

For more about Sarahbeth:
Website/blog: www.sbethcaplin.com
Facebook: Facebook.com/authorsarahbethcaplin
Twitter: @SbethCaplin

I admit to being ignorant about the American civil rights movement. What I know about that era are from history books, a couple of movies and a play. I know about Martin Luther King, and his "I have a dream" speech. I can picture Rosa Parks on that seat on a bus. 

I acknowledge that we as a nation have come so far, while also agreeing that we have so much work to do. 

Echoes of the Struggle follows a 30 year old writer, Daniela "Dani" Joseph. Born to a family of upper middle class privilege, artists and a prominent lawyer for a father. When a family friend - nay, a child - is gunned down, she retreats into her own grief. When an opportunity arises about going on a Civil Rights tour, she hesitantly accompanies her friend. 

Janelle Gray takes Dani on a civil rights pilgrimage, which in our current climate, would serve us best if we follow suit. I felt Dani's frustrations about the pieces in history that were forgotten, or left behind. Every name, every action, every soul that took part in that period - be it in marches, sit ins, helping someone who looked different than ourselves - make up the backbone of the movement. And they deserve more than passing sign, more than a blip in a commentary. Her narrative reminded me that I know nothing but names, and a recollection of places and time in history.

They were someone's grandparents or great grandparents. The 50s and 60s are not far removed from any of us but we walk around proud of what was accomplished and ignorant of what it took to get there. I felt Dani's  anger take a hold on me and shook me from my own preconceived assumptions.

Every word that a tour guide uttered, I actually highlighted. These are important. This history, those moments, the faces, the fear, the hate, the anguish. All of them carry weight. They weigh our decisions, our prejudices, and ties our hateful past and our indifferent present. How could we possibly hope to move forward in today's world, if we barely remember the echoes of those that struggled?

Well done, my friend. 

​About the Author:
Janelle Gray is a writer, poet, vocalist, and author of Mosaic: Pieces in Poetry, a poem collection. Echoes of the Struggle was inspired by her experience on a guided civil rights tour. In 2014, Janelle left corporate world and the US to pursue writing full time. She currently resides in Colombia where she also teaches English.

Find her and subscribe to her blog at www.echoesofthestruggle.com 

​Today is the cover reveal for Humanity's Hope by Pembroke Sinclair. This cover reveal is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. 

Humanity's Hope (Saving Humanity #1)
by Pembroke Sinclair
Genre: Zombie
Age category: Young Adult
 
Blurb:
Caleb, a 17-year-old boy, survived the zombie uprising, but he didn’t come out of the ordeal unscathed. He’s been scarred—both mentally and physically. The rest of humanity is trying to rebuild, to make the world normal again. Caleb is trying to return to a normal life also, but after all he’s seen, after the loss of his family and friends, the transition is difficult. The darkness that led him down a path of self-doubt and self-harm keeps trying to creep back into his mind.
 
Things only become worse when he discovers he’s immune to whatever makes a zombie a zombie. Fighting zombies was predictable. He knew what to expect. Fighting humans is volatile. They are malicious and treacherous. They won’t stop to get what they want, and Caleb has to figure out exactly what that is.
 
*Trigger warning: attempted suicide
 
You can find Humanity's Hope on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34039021-humanity-s-hope

About the Author:
I am an editor by day and a zombie-killer by night (at least in my books). Since the first time I watched Night of the Living Dead, I have been obsessed with zombies and I often think of ways to survive the uprising.
 
I have written YA novels about zombies and the tough teens who survive the apocalyptic world, along with adult novels in the sci fi and fantasy genres. I have also written kids' books under the pen name J.D. Pooker.
 
I have written nonfiction stories for Serial Killer Magazine and published a book about slasher films called Life Lessons from Slasher Films under my real name.
 
For more information, please check out my blog at pembrokesinclair.blogspot.com or email me at pembrokesinclair[at]hotmail[dot]com.
 
You can find and contact Pembroke here:
- Blog: http://pembrokesinclair.blogspot.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jessicarobinsonauthor
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/PembrokeSinclai
- Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3522214.Pembroke_Sinclair
- Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Pembroke-Sinclair/e/B007RFYJ6W/

The Return (The After Trilogy #2)
by Kelly St. Clare
Genre: science fiction/ dystopian
Age category: Young Adult
Release Date: June 2017
 









​Blurb:
The dystopian science fiction story continues in this action-packed novel for young adults by internationally best-selling author Kelly St. Clare.
 
Three months ago, Romy emerged from the cultivation tanks after a year floating inside.
 
Body intact. Mind broken. Memory gone.
 
Now she undergoes regular testing as doctors work to find out . . . well, she’s not exactly sure what.
 
The tests must have something to do with the reason she can’t remember her knot—the single lucid memory the other insane soldiers on Orbito Four still possess. Whatever the researchers are searching for, if it aids the soldiers in the deathly war against the lethal alien invaders—the Critamal—the excruciating pain is worth it.
 
But a grey-eyed man has other plans.
 
Boxed in and caught, Romy is taken hostage by people who shouldn’t exist! They dress in black and carry weapons she’s never seen in her genetically enhanced life.
 
Reunited with Knot 27. Memories returned.
 
Fifteen months have passed since her world shattered into bright red, ringing chaos. Things have changed—people have changed. How long until what was once as familiar as breathing is familiar once more?
 
Friendships. Love. Freedom.
 
Can the new Romy reconcile with the old, or will the two halves of herself remain locked in an internal battle?
 
And if a victor should arise from this silent war . . . will it be the part of her that kills without hesitation, without mercy?
 
All it takes is for the cracks to join and blood will pour.
 
You can find The Return on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33987332-the-return
​

Start this series with The Retreat

Earth is ruined. Humankind destroyed. And it’s old news.
 
The Retreat is the first book in the After trilogy! You can get your copy of The Retreat on amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Retreat-After-Trilogy-Book-ebook/dp/B01JVN9LCY/
 
Finalist in the YA books central annual book awards for best YA sci-fi of 2016.
 
The Retreat was awarded a Five Star badge by Readers’ Favorite in 2016.
 
Praise for Book One in The After Trilogy, The Retreat:
"superbly written" - Readers' Favorite ★★★★★

"part fantasy, part sci-fi, and all cosmic-chemistry" - Amy's Bookshelf Reviews ★★★★★
 
"all I can say is WOW!" - Taking It One Book at a Time ★★★★★

"I had very high expectations for this one and I'm happy to say that the book met them all and more."  - Bookaholic ★★★★★

"I can't start talking about this or I won't stop. This is a must read!"  - Amazon Reviewer ★★★★★

​When Kelly St Clare is not reading or writing, she is lost in her latest reverie. She can, quite literally, drift past a car accident while in the midst of her day dreams, despite the various police sirens and chaos.
 
Books have always been magical and mysterious to her. One day she decided to start unravelling this mystery and began writing. Her aim: To write stories she would want to read.
 
The Tainted Accords was her debut series, and her second series, The After Trilogy, is now available.
 
A New Zealander in origin and in heart, Kelly currently resides in Australia with her soon-to-be husband, a great group of friends, and some huntsman spiders who love to come inside when it rains. Their love is not returned.
 
You can find and contact Kelly here:
- Website: http://www.kellystclare.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kellystclare/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/KellyStClare
- Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/11362882.Kelly_St_Clare
- Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Kelly-St.-Clare/e/B01MXEYHDJ/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellystclare/
- Newsletter: http://www.kellystclare.com/free-gift
- Barracks group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/234875400242676/
 
 
Giveaway
There is a cover reveal wide giveaway for the cover reveal of The Return! Threee winners will each win a paperback copy of the Retreat. Open International! 

​THE STORY OF US
by
d. Nichole King
Release Date: Feb. 9, 2017
Genre: NA Contemporary Romance








— SYNOPSIS --

Moments.

Every life is made of thousands of them, each one strung together with the next. Some are yellow and happy, some are blue and sad, and some…

Some wipe out color altogether.

“I love you,” is what I should have told Maverick.

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m still fighting.”

Instead I just watched him leave.

Now my husband, my everything is battling for each breath, and all I can do is stare at the machines as the clock ticks off precious minutes.

The doctors said the first twenty-four hours are critical—but every moment is critical.

You never know which will be your last.

This is our story, and I’m not ready for it to end.
 
Subscribe to the author’s newsletter: http://bit.ly/2kUe3t9
 
BOOK LINKS:
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2iAQfWI
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2kIHX1p
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2lp7njE
Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2llqkaR
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2lprWN2
 
EXCERPT:
I’m cold sitting in one of the waiting rooms in the ICU. Maverick is still in surgery, the nurse tells me. They’ll come get me once he’s in his room. It shouldn’t be too much longer. No one else is close by. It’s just me and my thoughts.

It’s strange the things you think of to distract yourself from the real reason you’re sitting here. Me, I focus on the oil painting on the wall. Wonder how many people have stared at it and wanted to tear it down. How many liked it. Has anyone noticed that it leans a little to the left or that there’s an inconsistency in the corners of the wooden frame? Did anyone deliberate why this painting?

I’m sure it’s meant to calm the people who look at it. Doesn’t everyone find a lake dotted with sailboats calming? But the colors are all wrong. They don’t soothe me. They’re bright and bold and demanding. There’s too much crimson, too dark of navy.

I have to turn away from it. There’re magazines on the tables, but they scream at me too. Loud headlines of celebrities with large divorce settlements, jail time, and plastic surgery. The science ones boast of the newest medical advances and archeological finds. What they don’t realize is that in here, life beyond these walls no longer exists. In here, there’re only three things that matter: life, death, and the battle between them.

I shiver again. I should have brought warmer clothes.

Hugging my knees to my chest, I focus on the fake plant in the corner. There are no windows in this area, which is how I know it’s fake. It might be a fern of some sort, I don’t know. The leaves are long and skinny, but again, the color is wrong for this place.

I shift my attention to the hallway. In here, the lights are dim, but out there they’re on full and reflecting off of the cream floor. There’s a nurse at the nurses’ station, sitting behind a computer. She’s different from the one before. A moment later, another walks up to the desk. They keep hushed voices, and I hear nothing. The one at the computer lifts her eyes to me and when she meets my gaze, she offers a sympathetic smile. I don’t smile back.

I lower my head until my cheek rests on my arms, and I close my eyes. My skin is ice against my face. Cold is what it means to be alone, and right now, I’ve never felt more alone. Alone, but not lonely. No, because being lonely is different than being alone. Lonely is a fleeting state that ends. When Finley gets here, I’ll no longer be lonely, yet without Mav, I’ll still be alone.

I think about the happy moments Mav and I shared. Our time in Cancun. The dance under the stars. His smile. His silly pet name for me.

That was us. The whole, take-on-the-world, in-love us.

The us before we broke.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
​d. Nichole King was born with a book in her hand. During her school years, she’d hide books inside textbooks, read during recess, changing classes, and while walking home from school. She wrote her first book at the age of 11, and the re-worked version of that book is her debut novel, LOVE ALWAYS, KATE.

Her YA urban fantasy series, THE SPIRIT TRILOGY, along with her NA contemporary series, LOVE ALWAYS, was acquired by Limitless Publishing and includes a total of six books. BREAKING THROUGH, an NA science-fiction romance, is her first self-published novel.

d. Nichole King currently resides in a small town in Iowa with her supportive husband, four amazing kids, a dog, a cat, a fish, and a turtle.
 
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/authordnicholeking/
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/dNicholeKing
WEBSITE: http://www.dnicholeking.com/
READER GROUP: http://bit.ly/2kU17Ds
AMAZON: http://amzn.to/2ebeKbl
 
—— GIVEAWAY —--
Enter to win a SIGNED PAPERBACK of THE STORY OF US by d. Nichole King! OPEN INTERNATIONALLY!

One of my favorite lines here is this: "....happy endings don't happen without unhappy middles." I'm a realist. Though, I believe in happy ever afters, I still want to know what happens after you say, "I do." The Story of Us takes a couple, Alieya and Maverick, from their first chance meeting, to their first kiss, and then to their "I dos." It opens a curtain to the reality of a marriage - the first fight, the first hurdle, and the first heartache.

I like how simple d. Nichole King's format is. It's told in entries; in series of flashbacks that take us back to the present. I love how she examines that moment between life and death; the waiting period. The period where we are bargaining to God, to ourselves, to the people we love, and making promises to do better and be better people, if only.

If only we could have just a few more moments.

A few more memories.

But some memories and regrets invade our thoughts until we're consumed with what-ifs and if-onlys playing over and over in an endless loop. 

One of the things that got to me was how vivid the colors were used throughout the book. I could see the color of a first kiss. If I could paint, I could tell you what colors to use to paint our grief. Did you know you could paint your brokenness? Actually put an image of what haunts us?

It was pretty intense reading material, let me tell you. Maybe I'm made of more softer materials, but I cried all the way through. I remember all the unhappy middles in my almost 12 year fairy tale, and those lessons, regrets, and tears have strengthened my marriage. 

If you're looking for a little romance, a dose of marital reality, with a fun couple who, aside from the lawyer and artist thing, could very well be every couple you've ever met...even you and your spouse! I recommend this book for you. 

This is a story of two ordinary people; just a girl and a guy - and how they fell in love. 
It's a story of knowing, understanding, and accepting, who we are, before and during our marriage.
It's what happens when we let people go, that makes room for someone else to come in. 
It's a series of moments and lessons that make us.
It's a painting of our memories; in sunsets, and sunrises; in shades of pastels or charcoals.
It's the story of choosing love over grief.
This is The story of us. 

I imagine most of us at 17 felt caged in our homes. I also imagine that most of us at 17 tried to rebel at some point. Maybe it's a rite of passage that we all have to go through. We feel too much at that age. So much anger, so much will and wants; some of us feel numb, and need daily reminders just to feel alive. 

There are some of us at that age that were lucky to take all of our rollercoaster emotional teenage mess, and channel them into something productive. While I can't speak for someone who used athletics as a means of escape, I can say that writing truly helped me.

And this is where I connected with Cassie. She's a goody two shoe - just like I was, and much like all of us at that age, yearned for freedom. I love how Cassie's poetry and snippets of Emily Dickison's poetry is laced in little pieces throughout the book. I can only imagine how Cassie’s sheltered world fed her poetry, and how much her poetry made her feel connected and isolated, at the same time.

I love her. I love the passion brewing underneath her silent resolve. I could feel the anger, the hurt and her wants and needs, when I read her poetry. Poems can say more about who and how a person is, than anything descriptive they tell us. 

If I was a teenager, I would call James dreamy - ha! But what a sweet guy to give Cassie pause amid her internal battles. 

Tessa Hall takes us back into our high school, teenage drama years but in a sweet, heartfelt tone. I had to stop reading for a bit, as I had become so invested in these two. This book is great for anyone who still haven't quite figured out how to channel something internal into something productive. I'm a firm believer that we all have a story to tell, whether that comes across through our writings, our spoken words, our actions, or the notes we play on a piano.

If we just listen for a moment to the world around us; the silence, the sounds of nature, the tones in people's voices, their footsteps, the breaths we take...... just maybe that Unwritten Melody that we've written in our heart, just may reveal itself.