Friday 31 October 2014

**Release Blitz** The Scars That Define Us by M.N. Forgy

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Title: The Scars that Define Us (The Devil's Dust, #2)
Author: M.N. Forgy
Publication Date: October 31, 2014

goodreads




Blurb
The Devil's Dust MC has a list of new threats to the club's lifestyle. Dani, to prove her loyalty, is trying to embrace a part of herself that she never knew existed until now. A sinful beast lurking beneath her surface has been awakened and is ready to eliminate anyone that stands in its way. Looking at her stained hands, she rinses the blood from them. She resigns herself to innocence lost and welcomes her thirst for more blood.

After a breathtaking turn of events, Shadow is looking at life in a different perspective. Not knowing who he can trust or who he can forgive has left him feeling desolate and alone. As Shadow is laying behind his rifle, he wonders if he can pull the trigger to eliminate the threat. He takes a deep breath and squeezes the trigger, the rifle recoil ignites the fuel that drives him.

Retaliations will be required.

Boundaries will be shattered.

Redemption will be lost.

Betrayal so deep, yet they still yearn for one another. Can Shadow overlook Dani’s transgressions? Can Dani overlook the mistrust that Shadow has placed upon her?





Listen to the music that inspired the book!



Wendy's 5 Bare Naked Stars Review

Back in August when I reviewed What Doesn’t Destroy Us, I wrote:

 “Sexy Ass, dirty mouthed Bikers, MC Club, duel POV, I am in heaven, a Shadow induced HEAVEN! I am also in shock, a Ms Forgy cliff hanger induced shock!”

Now I’m reading The Scars That Define Us book 2 of Shadow and Dani’s story and once again that Sexy Ass Biker is as annoyingly arrogant and sexy as last time.

We start exactly where we were left hanging and Shadow is real pissed off, betrayed, and if he will admit it also he is destroyed inside at Dani’s betrayal.

Dani is back and trying to explain.  Dani has grown, she is not as naïve as she was in book 1, she loves Shadow that much is achingly clear, but will he ever trust her again.

This second book brought us more drama, but it was also darker and edgier, with mistrust and intrigue running through the story.

If you enjoyed book 1 then book 2 will not disappoint you in any way, shape or form and as much as you may not like Ms Forgy while you are reading it, I’m pretty sure you will by the end.


Loved it and can’t wait for more.
Devils Dust MC
What Doesn’t Destroy Us (The Devil’s Dust, #1)





About the Author
M.N

M.N. Forgy was raised in Missouri where she still lives with her family. She's a soccer mom by day and a saucy writer by night. M.N. Forgy started writing at a young age but never took it seriously until years later, as a stay-at-home mom, she opened her laptop and started writing again. As a role model for her children, she felt she couldn't live with the "what if" anymore and finally took a chance on her character's story. So, with her glass of wine in hand and a stray Barbie sharing her seat, she continues to create and please her fans.

Giveaway!


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Thursday 30 October 2014

**Blog Tour** Izzy Moffit's Road to Wonderland by Victoria L. James





Book: Izzy Moffit’s Road to Wonderland
Author: Victoria L. James
Genre: New Adult








Making it to seventeen in one piece isn’t usually a concern for your average teenager, but if there’s one thing Isabella Moffit has never been, it’s average. Dragged through life by parents who couldn’t care less and surrounded by violence on a daily basis, Izzy reaches that epic birthday milestone in her life with only one person to thank for getting her there: her best friend and soul sister, Paris Hemsworth.
Vowing to stand side by side through thick and thin since they were four years old, the two of them have made it this far and are confident that now is their time to tackle the world head on, one shaky, naive little footstep at a time.
Except they have no idea what awaits them both on the other side of adulthood, and before either one of them can strap on their hard hat, they’re taking so many knocks and bruises that Izzy’s childhood suddenly seems like a stroll in the park.
Dodging as many bullets as they can along the way, Izzy tries to hold on to Paris’ hand for as long as possible without either one of them slipping away. But no-one ever told them how rough their journey would be. No-one told them that friends and family would change or leave along the way. And no-one told them that for every good intention they have, there’s a thousand people out there with bad ones, waiting to rip them apart.
Follow Izzy’s journey in part one of the Road to Wonderland series - a coming of age novel with a difference, where you’ll face tears, tantrums, laughter and heartbreak, but above all else, hope. Hope that no matter what life throws your way, it’s all part of setting you on the right path to your very own Wonderland and that, more often than not, everything happens for a reason






Victoria L James is a teenage girl stuck in a thirty-something year-olds body. Living somewhere 'oop north' in England, she has had a strong passion for words and stories going as far back as she can remember, which she credits to her grandmother and her love of reading anything that was on sale and cheap from the local market stall. Never once did she think she would release a novel, though. At best, she thought her love of language and her ability to create stories in her mind would provide her with a 'get out of jail free' card whenever she messed up and her parents were mad at her during her teenage years... and when even that didn't work out, she thought she was pretty much done for.

When an opportunity presented itself for her to take a back seat from paid working life for a few years, she knew straight away that she had to try and write about a few of these worlds she'd come up with along the way, and quieten all the voices in her head without racking up a heavy psychiatry bill for the pleasure.
Wearing her heart on her sleeve and trying to lighten her friends’ and family’s lives with naff, and more often than not, badly timed, nineties jokes, she has yet to learn the art of knowing when to shut up. Which is another reason writing became a passion of hers. With pen and paper, there are no limits.
A firm believer in never quitting, with a ridiculous obsession for all things Rocky, she hopes that one day she writes a story that will inspire at least one person out there to keep on going if they're struggling. Other than that, she's just a regular old converse wearing, corona sipping, English version of Chandler Bing, who loves and adores her family more than life itself. Oh, and she also has two cats. Every writer has to mention their cats, right?


















Victoria writes beautifully, I’m not ashamed to say I cried, I laughed, I gasped, everything that Izzy (and Paris) felt, I felt it along with them. It’s actually incredibly hard to edit a book you enjoy so much, I constantly had to go over it as I realised I was ‘reading’ instead of ‘editing’ and I’m looking forward to reading it purely for pleasure.

We meet Izzy and Paris in the Prologue, aged 10, immediately you can feel their bond, but also Izzy’s struggle. Her life is clearly poles apart from her best friend’s but even aged 10 they are funny, you actually can visualise this conversation between two 10 yr olds….

**“I’m her anchor.”
“Her wanker?” 
Unable to stop myself from looking up, still struggling against the pain that’s floating around in the back of my head and making my eyes fill with water, I turn to her and frown. “You just swore.”
“You did it first,” she replies, holding back a giggle.
“No, no I didn’t. I said anchor… anchor!”
“Like one of those things on a boat?” Her little button nose turns up at the end, something she only ever does when she’s confused. **


As Izzy grows up and her life at home becomes unbearable, she's forced to run to the only other place she's ever called home. She runs to her best friend, Paris, and the Hemsworth family for help.

Aged 17 she picks herself up with their support and feels like her life can only be on the up, because it could hardly get worse, right? Hmmmm life has a way of letting you think that, then kicking you right were it hurts with a sucker punch!

As the people around her change, she changes and grows, and grows up, with a few visible battle scars, and a few not so visible and watching how she copes truly makes you think that what doesn’t kill you, does make you stronger.

Izzy’s struggles are heartfelt, she is a character you immediately bond with, she is very real with very real emotions and flaws and as her life rollercoaster’s you can’t help but cheer her on when she fights back, and scream nooooooooo when she is knocked down. Her relationship with Paris is so reminiscent of any teenage girl’s relationship with their best friend (well mine anyway) and that in itself is fairly poignant.

I’m not going to lie, the story, in parts, is a tough read, but then so is life, you will also laugh OUT LOUD and you will FIST PUMP in triumph at times, what you won’t do is put it down until then end, until you’ve finished it…and smiled.

Some favourite quotes:

**“You're beautiful,” he whispers softly, reaching up to tuck my hair behind my ear so he can see me properly.
“Lay off the cheap beer, Matt. It's messing with your head.” I chuckle awkwardly. There's no real laughter behind it at all. It's just a noise for me to make that I'm hoping will drown out the thudding sound I'm certain my jaw must have made when it landed on the floor.** 

**I look down briefly, unsure I can find the strength to continue with this conversation, my head nodding in slow acknowledgement of his question. 
“The will is in place, but it's not enough for me. I can leave you all the material things I have in this world, but what I want more than anything is to leave you with my voice.”
A single tear drops down my cheek as I look back at him.**

**The next thing I know, I wake up in a cold, dark room, the faint glow of the moonlight drifting through the windows, casting eerie shadows around my barren apartment. My neck aches from the angle I’ve been laid on it as I try to turn and look at the flashing, red numbers on the clock that sits on my small fireplace. It’s almost one in the morning. I haven’t eaten. I haven’t moved. I haven’t even taken off my robe. I haven't celebrated. I haven't even seen a single second of the night. 
Most importantly, I haven’t heard back from Paris, either.**

**My days in Cyprus seem to melt away in a haze of Parker-induced fun and conversation. After our introductions at the bar and several more drinks, Jack convinced me to dance with him poolside and ignore the gazes of those around us. 
I can’t be sure what makes me agree to his every suggestion, but no matter what he tells me to do, he always seems to have a way of making it sound like a good idea. **

**Paris lifts her head as though what I've just said has had the exact same effect on her. Her eyes light up under the midday rays of light and her hair blows around her shoulders, framing her face. The smile playing on her lips is genuine and full of excitement. “Wonderland. I like it.” **














**Blog Tour** Damaged Jacinta's Story J.L Perry


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Damaged - Jacinta's Story (Destiny Series)

by J L Perry Blog Tour






Damaged – Jacinta’s Story


Jacinta’s story takes place seven years after the day Brooke and Logan Cavanagh saved her from the violent clutches of her father. Her mother has now
remarried and Jacinta has a new step-brother, Connor, whom she is adores.


Jacinta


After Jacinta’s step-brother Connor moves to Sydney, she decides to move back there to live with him.


She is still so damaged from her violent past that, at twenty years of age, she has never had a serious boyfriend, and is still a virgin. So her best
friend, Cassie, convinces her to have a one-night-stand with a stranger before her 21st birthday.


The next day, Jacinta is surprised to find she is actually upset that she will never see him again, but would not take back the memories of that night for
anything. She also feels that she is way too damaged to ever have a serious relationship anyway.


Unbeknownst to her, their paths will cross again. Will the attraction she felt that night still be there? Or will she regret it ever happened?


Mason


Mason doesn’t do relationships…ever. He has sex with random women, often. When he meets Jacinta though, things change. He finds there is a deep connection
between them that he just can’t explain.


When she does something that not only leaves him feeling crushed, but extremely pissed, he is left feeling lost. He doesn’t even know her real name and has
no way of finding her.


But when fate brings them together again, will he be able to forgive her for what she did? Or will he forget about that one night they spent together and
go back to his playboy ways?


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Add to Goodreads:


Buy Links:


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Destiny Series Box Set: My Destiny, My Forever and Damaged - Jacinta's Story

Box Set:


Book trailer:
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Excerpt - Prologue for Damaged.


The past
Jacinta
I followed my mum through the front door. She’d just picked me up from school. I love this time of day—it’s my calm before the storm, so to speak. These
few hours in the afternoon that I spend with her, are the best. That’s the only time I ever feel safe in my own home. It’s also the only time my mum and I
can be ourselves. Everything changes around 5:00 p.m.; that’s the time my father comes home from work.
I’m sitting at the table doing my homework. I chat and laugh with my mum, while she cooks our dinner. These are the only times I ever see her smile. She’s
a totally different person when my father’s not home. She’s always a nervous wreck, but it escalates when he’s around.


My father acts like he hates us. I can assure you the feeling is mutual. I’ve never understood why he doesn’t love me. I try my best to be a good girl, but
nothing I do is ever good enough for him. I remember praying when I was little that something would happen to him on his way home from work. That sounds
terrible I know, but I truly wished for that. My father is cruel, he’s always hurting me and my mum.


Suddenly I hear, “Bang” as the front door slams shut. My mother and I both jump, because we know what’s coming. I hate the feeling I get in the pit of my
stomach, whenever he comes home from work.


I look up at my mum from where I’m sitting. The easy-going woman I saw a few minutes ago has vanished. Her hands are shaking violently as she stirs the
sauce on the stove. The look on her face breaks my heart, because now she looks terrified. I wish I could protect her from him, but she never lets me.
She’s scared that he will hurt me again. He’s lashed out at me a few times over the years when I’ve tried to come to her aid.


She quickly motions with her eyes for me to leave the room; that’s our secret code. It means that shit’s about to go down. She’d told me years ago,
whenever she gives me that signal, I’m to go straight to my bedroom and lock myself inside. I’m not allowed to come out under any circumstances. No matter
what I hear, or how scared I am, I have to stay there until she comes to get me.


The waiting is torture. This has been my life for the last thirteen years. I truly hate living here with that man. Come to think about it, I actually hate
all men. They’re horrible, mean and cruel. I don’t trust them—at all!


I’m never, ever getting married. I’m not even gonna have a boyfriend.


Once I’m in the safety of my room, I make my way over to the corner beside my bed. I always go to the same corner. I’m not sure why, maybe because it’s the
one furthest from the door. I sit down and, like so many times before, I pull my legs up against my chest. I wrap my arms tightly around my knees, drop my
head and rock back and forth. I can’t tell you why I rock like this, because I don’t know the answer. It comforts me somehow.


I hear what sounds like someone being slapped. He’s hit mum so many times before, the sound is firmly embedded in my brain. That’s followed by something
metal clanging on the floor. It’s probably the spoon my mother had been holding in her hand. I want to put my hands over my ears so I can’t hear them, but
I don’t. I never do. It would make it so much easier for me if I didn’t have to hear him hitting her. But I have to listen, it seems like I don’t have a
choice. What if my mum calls out to me? What if she needs me to save her?


“You fucking stupid, lazy, good for nothing bitch!” he screams. “You can’t even cut the grass properly, you useless piece of shit.” Then I hear,
“Slap…Slap” again, followed by my mum whimpering.


“I’m sorry, please don’t hurt me,” she cries out. It breaks my heart when she begs like that. I wish I was stronger. I want to hurt him, like he hurts us.


Thoughts flood my memory when he mentions not cutting the grass properly. The trouble had begun yesterday afternoon. My mum had been mowing the lawn when
the lawnmower broke down. She was terrified. How would she tell him?


Her body trembled violently when she had to approach him and explain what had happened. She always lowers her head when she speaks to him. I don’t know if
it’s because she’s scared to look at him, because she doesn’t want to see what we both know is coming or, she doesn’t want to see the hatred he has for
her.


Whack! It had earned her a backhand, followed by a few more slaps to the side of the head. It wasn’t her fault the lawn mower had broken down, that never
mattered to him.


****


He didn’t speak much during dinner last night, but I could see he was fuming. I knew in my gut it wasn’t the end of it. Later, while mum was doing the
dishes, he snapped again. He’d been outside trying to fix the mower and when he couldn’t, he came back inside to take his frustration out on her.


He grabbed a pair of scissors out of the drawer in the kitchen before he stalked over to my mum. He grabbed a chunk of her long blonde hair and tugged on
it, hard. She stumbled as she was dragged towards the back door. She remained quiet. I could tell she was terrified. She’d learnt a long time ago to never
fight back. Never! It only makes him rage more.


The fear in mum’s eyes makes my heart hurt. The tears are already streaming down her beautiful face and as she passes me, the signal is clear. Go to your
room, stay safe. I can’t move though. The terror running through my tiny body keeps me planted to the chair. My eyes are drawn to the scissors in my
father’s hand. Will today be the day? The day he finally goes too far and actually kills her.


She stumbled again as he dragged her down the back steps, her legs grazing the wooden treads. She tried to regain her footing and stand up. He didn’t give
her a chance. He continued to drag her across the yard by her hair. Bastard! I willed my body to move and when it eventually responded, I hadn’t gone to my
room straight away. I needed to know mum was going to be okay. I was petrified he was going to use the scissors to stab her.


My body trembled, my arms wrapped around my waist protectively as I continued to watch on in horror through the kitchen window.


He threw her to the ground before kicking her in the stomach. She instinctively put her hands up to protect her face. It was the only thing she could do.
His boot kicked her viciously in the leg, before he threw the scissors down beside her.


“Cut the grass by hand you dumb, fucking whore,” he yelled. He struck again with his boot, mum yelped and screwed up her face. She’d been hurt, bad.


He stood, hands on hips, legs spread apart. He was intimidating her. She folded herself into a ball on the ground. His intimidation always works. He’s a
bully and the bastard knows we are both petrified of him. The sick, perverse monster that he is seems to revel in the fact he can terrify us both. I can
always tell by the sadistic smile plastered all over his evil face as he hurts us.


Mum unfolded herself and reached for the scissors. Her hands shook so much, she couldn’t grasp them. The evil dick then stomped on her hand, hard. A
tortured cry of pain escaped her lips before she had finally managed to pick them up.


I hate him so much!


My mum wiped away the blood that flowed from her nose with the back of her hand, pulled herself onto her knees and began cutting the grass. Tears cascaded
over my cheeks as I watched her. He’d stood there, a cruel smile curling his lips, before turning around and coming back inside. As he approached the
house, I dashed to my room and locked the door.


I desperately wanted to go outside and help my mum but I knew she wouldn’t want that. It would have sparked his rage, seeing me help. She’s told me, she
can take the beatings, as long as he leaves me alone. Sometimes though, I wish my father would hit me more, just so she could have a break from it. I know
it would be her worst nightmare come true if that was to happen though.


I’d laid awake in bed for hours, listening and waiting for her to come inside. I finally heard the back door close with a familiar click and my mum’s
footsteps walking down the hall towards her bedroom. I glanced at the clock on my bedside table. It was 2:00 a.m. My poor mum had been cutting the grass,
with scissors, for nearly eight hours.


“I love you mummy,” I whisper into the dark. I know she can’t hear me, but I feel compelled to say it. I need her to know that someone loves her, and
somebody cares.


Because I do—so, so much.


****


What happened last night has to be the reason why mum’s receiving a beating right now. My father’s obviously unhappy with the way she cut the grass. He’ll
justify her beatings in any way he can. The man is insane!


She had been forced to use a pair of scissors, for Christ sake! It had been dark outside. How can you possibly cut the lawn perfectly, with a pair of
scissors in the damn dark? He’s such an arsehole. I hate him so much.


In his mind, there is always an excuse for his psychotic behaviour. “My dinner is too hot.” Slap. “My dinner is not hot enough.” Slap. “The gravy you made
tastes like shit.” Slap. “My shirt smells like fucking flowers.” Slap. “I had a bad day at work and it’s all your fault.” Slap.


Always an excuse, no matter what she does. She tries so hard to ensure everything’s perfect, to try and keep him happy. It’s a waste of time, nothing she
does is ever good enough in his eyes.


He’s a monster!


I rock back and forth in my bedroom. Things are smashing as my father screams at her. The only sounds from mum are cries of pain. This beating is bad, they
don’t usually last this long. The sound of things shattering filters into my room. That bastard must be throwing her around the house!


I can’t bear it any longer. I slide my hand under the mattress and retrieve the phone I’ve hidden there. It’s the one Brooke, my dance teacher, gave me to
use in case of an emergency. Before I get a chance to call her, everything goes quiet. I listen…silence. I hear the front door slam. Relief floods through
my body.


Finally, it’s over! I begin to relax.


He always slams the front door as he leaves the house, it indicates the beating is over, for now anyway. He leaves for a few hours once he’s done with her.
Unfortunately, he always returns, reeking of alcohol. I asked my mum once where he went after he hit her.


She said, “I think he goes to the pub to have a few drinks and calm down.”


I wish he’d drink so much that it killed him.


I wait quietly. Mum will come and get me. I am tempted to rush from my room. Every fibre in my being wants to go to her, but she’s told me over and over,
never leave until I come for you. She will only come and get me when it’s safe for me to come out.


I sit there impatiently, waiting for her. She doesn’t come. My mind starts to race, all sorts of images flash through my mind. What if she can’t come to
me? Maybe this time my father has killed her. I jump from the floor and dash to the door.


This time I don’t hesitate. I unlock my door and peer out. Nothing, no-one. My hands are shaking as I step into the hallway. I freeze for a few seconds,
listening…still nothing. Panic sets in as I run down the hall. I round the corner to the lounge room and see her, my heart skips a beat.


She is lying, crumpled on the floor. Blood is flowing down the side of her face and into her beautiful blonde hair. She’s not moving. My heart is
thundering in my ears, I struggle to remain calm as I step tentatively towards her. My body is trembling with fear.


“Mum,” I call out as I drop to my knees beside her. Nothing. Why isn’t she moving? Why won’t she answer? Tears burn my eyes.


Blood flows from her nose and mouth. Her beautiful face is already swollen and the bruises are starting to show. I shake her softly.


“Mum wake up,” I cry. I’m desperate to know she isn’t dead. She lays there, motionless. I drag my eyes over her battered body as the tears stream down my
face. “Mum, please wake up,” I beg. “Please mum, don’t leave me here by myself,” I plead. “Please mummy…Please, I need you.” I’m hysterical now.
“Mum…Mummy, please open your eyes.”


I stand slowly. I need to hurry to my room and get my phone. I have to call Brooke, I don’t know what else to do and I need to do something.


I hear a male’s voice calling my name. It sounds far away. I feel a hand grab my arm. Panic sets in. I begin thrashing.


“Jaz…Jaz wake up. You’re having another nightmare,” he says.


I recognise that voice immediately. I know I’m safe. I open my eyes…


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J L Perry is a mother and a wife. She was born in Sydney, Australia in 1972, and has lived there her whole life. Her love of reading, from a young age,
gave her the passion to write. My Destiny was originally written for her sister, in 2013. It was never intended to be published. However, after finishing
this book, she felt there was still a lot of Brooke and Logan's story left to tell. This inspired her to write My Forever. With the encouragement of her
family and friends, she decided to follow her dream and become a published Author.


That dream was realised on the 6th of June, 2014.


My Destiny is her debut novel in the Destiny Series. My Forever is the conclusion to this book. Her third book Damaged - Jacinta's Story was released on
October 15th, 2014. This is a stand alone book, but is based on a character in My Forever. Her fourth book Against All Odds, is also a stand alone book. It
will be released early 2015. She is also currently writing a fifth book, Loving you. It will be available mid 2015.


J L's love of romance and happy endings makes a perfect combination when it comes to writing her beautiful love stories.


Her hobbies include reading, writing, drinking wine, shopping, listening to music, cake decorating and anything artistic or creative. She loves spending
time with her family, friends and pets when she isn't writing. She also loves being outdoors and travelling and exploring the world.



Amazon Authors page:


Facebook Authors page:


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Wednesday 29 October 2014

**Blog Tour** The Truth About Air & Water by Katherine Owen




The Truth About Air & Water 
by
Katherine Owen
(truth in lies book 2)
        
The Truth About Air & Water, book 2 in the Truth In Lies Series. READ This Much Is True, book 1 first, although it's been written as a standalone. Readers say, don't do that. 

“The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places.” -Ernest Hemingway ~ A Farewell To Arms 

They share an epic love but one moment changes everything. A life together that seemed certain is shattered. One learns you never love the same way twice; the other learns what it means to come home. You only think you know how this love story goes, but do you really know how an epic love can end? 

“There are all kinds of love in this world but never the same love twice.” 
-F. Scott Fitzgerald 
She is living color, and I’ve been in a black-and-white world for far too long without her.
Powerful stuff. It surrounds me. I’ve felt it since I first arrived. The forcefield of her. The magnetism of her. The power she wields over me. I’m alive again because of her, like a dying plant that finally gets some water. I’ve got it bad for this girl.
Reality dawns.
The light comes through the darkness and shines on me.
She’s my water.
 
-Lincoln Presley 

The truth is I breathe with him. He is my air. Raison d’etre. 
-Tally Landon 

Author's note: This novel is part of the Truth In Lies series. It can be read as standalone, however, fans of my fiction already are highly recommending that those new to my work, READ This Much Is True book 1 FIRST. 

As Lincoln Presley would say, "do as you must, Princess."




Chapter 2 - Tally

“She’s got the story,” I say to Linc hours later as we lie next to each other taking up only half of the king-sized bed because our bodies remain intertwined at an all but intimate level. The money shot photograph session took twice as long as the interview. After another three hours, we finally told Candy we had to go. I had to pick up Cara from preschool and Linc had a late practice.
We left Candy and her photographer while they were still packing up their gear. By this time, the reporter had given up on asking us any more questions. She had the money shot. She had the story. We weren’t going to like it. The unsettled feeling nagged at me, but Linc didn’t seem to care. “She’s got the story.” Apparently, my fears need repeating.
“So?” He asks with a laugh. “Come here.” He pulls me closer and trails his hands down between my legs knowing full well this is my ultimate weakness for him. I cannot not respond. His touch right there gets me to do just about anything for him. I moan. He laughs again as he starts to make his move.
We put Cara to bed fifteen minutes ago and left the bedroom door slightly ajar so we can hear her but closed enough so she doesn’t hear us. Usually, we wait the agreed-upon half-hour before commencing with doing the deed as I still like to call it, but she was extra tired because I let her stay up late to watch Entangled. I’m not sure she understands the story line completely. I’m not sure I do either but she loves Rapunzel’s long hair. We watched it together while we waited for Linc’s return from practice. Cara played with my hair for most of the movie and kept running her little fingers through it over and over, while I filled out endless wedding invitations, imploring the ninety-five percent of strangers I do not know to come witness our nuptials in the middle of October.
“The article won’t run for weeks. Don’t worry about it. By the time it does, the season will probably be over. We’ll be married. Settled. Nobody is going to care about how we met or what happened in Moscow. They’ll be staring at your photograph, the Dirty Dancing one, and be thinking how did that guy get so lucky and get a girl like her? All those Sports Illustrated fans wishing they were me and holding you up in the air just like Baby.”
“Even the girls?”
He laughs. “Even the girls. When are you going to start believing we’re the two luckiest people in the world?” I turn into him then and stroke his face and search his eyes for solace and truth but I don’t answer. “When are you going to let go and let this happen and believe in it? In me? In us?” Linc asks again.
I trace his lips and kiss him. Lightly. Just a trace.
In the next, he smothers my face with kisses of his own and eventually pulls me up beneath him. “Come on, Tally. Let it go. Let it all go. I’m here. I’m not going anywhere. Don’t put a time clock on this. Don’t walk down the aisle toward me, less than a month from now, still not believing that this isn’t real or this won’t last because it will. I’m here. You’re here. So. Believe it. In me. In us. Now.” He pulls away from me and studies my face. Guilt arrives right on time. I wince along with it.“What is it? What aren’t you telling me? Because with that face? It is definitely something.”
“Dr. Eldon scheduled an ultrasound. I just…she’s optimistic and I just hope that we can find a way to have another child. I want to give you a son because you’ve given so much to me. And I want you to be happy. With me.”
“I am happy with you. I love you because you’re my life. You’re my water. Don’t forget that. I couldn’t survive without you.” He plays with a strand of my hair and lets it slip through his fingers. “And I’m your air.” He sighs a little. “I love you just as you are whether we have more kids or not. That’s why we’re going to make it. But you have to stop believing that something bad is going to happen. You have to believe in us as much as I do. We’re going to have this great life together. We already do. I love you. You love me. And believe me; love is enough. Our love is enough.”
I hold my breath and gaze at him for a long while. The commitment and compassion I see in the depths of his eyes begins to steady me. All the doubt, and even the guilt, begin to fade away. Like a protective shield, his love encircles me from all around.
Then when he pulls me into his arm and looks at me as if I’m the only one that counts, just before he kisses me, it is reassuring in the only way that matters.
Lincoln Presley, baseball star, is one of a kind.
And, he’s mine.
It’s a miracle really.
What an unbelievable stroke of luck at having him in my life and loving me back. I kiss him and let go of all my deep-rooted fears: falling, failing, even losing. I actually feel them disappear as if a strange wind has come by and blown them away.
I take in air—his air—that allows me to live and breathe.
“Okay,” I eventually say.
Then, I grab his hand and lightly kiss the inside of his wrist, and then trail my lips along his broad chest. He leans back against the pillows with a knowing look pulling me along with him, but cedes all control to me. I start to smile, but then another errant thought crashes in on me and threatens to undo all of these joyous declarations.
Everything breaks. 


TBird's 5 star Review

Have you ever had the chance to read something from an author that is new to you and think you just hit the jackpot?  

Well that is how I would describe this experience for me.  I was blessed to be able to finish the first book and go right to the second one which is what this review will be about. 

Tally knows how she wants her wedding to be and let’s face it, after what she has given up and endured to get to this point she deserved to plan her own wedding.  Unfortunately because of what they do for careers, it won’t be a smooth ride to plan their own wedding.  Being a ballerina, she is in the spot light but nothing compares to the chaos that Linc’s career puts them in. This wedding has to be perfect and many people are willing to do whatever they need to do to get their front page drama or serve their own agenda.

Linc knows Tally is the woman he wants to spend the rest of his life with and for her to be the mother to his child.  With his career in baseball he is placed in whatever team/city buys him so his life is not his own and soon Tally will also be in the same boat.  He is at the whim of many and has the goal to please his woman.   As usual with men, I didn’t get the feeling he really cared where or how the wedding went down, as long as he gets to marry Tally and people aren’t mad once it is over. 

This book is full of ups and downs and that sucked me in and brought out the empathy in me for this couple.  There were times I was upset with Linc but then I had to remember he is a man with great influence but limited power.  After a while you can understand why any extra stuff that was thrown at him in baseball, marriage, and every other bullet coming he is way wore him down. Tally being a normal woman had her dream and she had already given up so much to make this work, why wouldn’t she feel she should have her special day as she wants it.  I won’t risk spoiling this story for you or take away the impact of emotions that you will experience by detailing what they go through to get to the end of the book but trust me it will take you on an epic ride and you will fully understand the title of this book. 

My favorite part, the scene that made me stop and really understand these two precious people was in the beginning when they were talking to the pastor.  Secret dreams and wishes came out and my heart broke for both of them.  Tally was honest about what she has sacrificed for him; he explains what dreams he put on the shelf to be her husband.  I never wanted a happily ever after for those two more than that moment. 

So if you can’t tell by now the author impressed me beyond my wildest expectations.  Her style was smooth and classy and the characters were so developed I felt I was right there with them celebrating through the happy moments and holding their hands during the downs.  What I loved most about the authors approach was she took a love story and made it real.  She showed us what two strong people who love each other can do when they focus on each other in the midst of chaos and uncertainty.  Pure brilliance comes to mind when I think about her style.  She doesn’t just write a book, she tells a story and I highly recommend you take the time to read it.  

International bestselling author of the New Adult Novel, This Much Is True and the most recently released second novel in the Truth In Lies series of The Truth About Air & Water.

Katherine Owen writes contemporary edgy fiction, which translates to: she writes love stories that are contemporary in setting and both edgy and dark. Some readers term her books emotional roller coasters. She is not sorry. Owen writes about trust, love, and fate and how relationships are often tested by all of these things in one way or another. Love, loss, and starting over.

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The Truth About Air & Water (truth in lies book 2)

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This Much is True (book 1) currently on sale $0.99

Both on the verge of fame. A ballerina who lies. A baseball player who believes her. Well, the truth changes everything. 

Tally Landon is just trying to survive the death of her twin sister, graduate from high school, and escape her tragic story by pursuing her ballet career in New York. She doesn't count on Lincoln Presley, Stanford's baseball wonder, to affect her at all. Adding him to a long list of one-night stands is the plan. Lying to him about her age and name is her standard method of operandi. She doesn't count on being found out, on seeing him again, or falling in love. 

Lincoln Presley's life is all mapped out for him. There is only baseball. With Major League Baseball circling their favorite prospect with a lucrative offer, he cannot afford to mess up. And, he doesn't; until he meets up with the girl he saved in that burning wreckage on the 101 on Valentine's Day months before. By the time he learns her real name and of all the lies she's told, he's in far too deep to ever really let her go. 

Fate has a different set of plans, but when fame and lies tear them apart, one truth remains. 

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