joi, 26 iunie 2014
luni, 23 iunie 2014
Where Life Takes You
Claudia Y. Burgoa
(Life #1)
Publication date: July 31st 2013
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult
Becca Trent lived her childhood next to a cruel woman—her mom—who lived to torment and neglect her. During her high school years, her mother married; bringing home not only a new husband, but a step sister her same age. The latter took over her Mom’s role—making Becca’s life miserable. Including stealing Ian—Becca’s best friend and boyfriend—Lisa treated her worse than her mother had for the previous fifteen years. A couple of years later, things ended up in tragedy.
Becca buried that part of her life in the deep corners of her psyche, but that only work during the days when the nightmares didn’t come back to haunt her. Her best friend, Dan gives her that family love she always lacked. Everything was close to perfect, until everything and everyone from her past came back. Now, she’s trying to figure out how to survive and keep that bond which seems now to be held together by a thread.
Note: This is the first part of a two book novel
About the Author
Claudia lives in Colorado with her family and three dogs. Two beagles who believe they are human, and a bichon who thinks she’s a beagle. While managing life, she works as a CFO at a small IT Company. She’s a dreamer who enjoys music, laughter and a good story.
Book Trailer
Excerpt
When I opened my door, I heard a voice. Dan leaving a message.
“Pick up, you can make it… Run, Princess,” he encouraged me, like a little kid, putting a smile on my face. “Bex, the outside camera caught your car entering the building a half hour ago. You swiped the elevator key five minutes ago. I timed my call… Answer. And I think your cell ran out of battery again. Come on, babe.”
He made me grind my teeth, with the nickname. “Don’t call me babe,” I growled, when I picked up the receiver. “You make me sound like one of your cheap dates.”
“No, you’re not a cheap date, baby. Bet you’re close to perfection on a date.”
Snorting, I answered truthfully, “I wouldn’t know, Dan. Just don’t call me that, please.” I cut the conversation and pushed him to get to the point. He dated tall willowy models, not average Suzy with brown hair, brown eyes and a foot shorter than his almost six four.
“I didn’t mean to upset you, Bex. But you picked up the phone. Why weren’t you home? It’s Sunday.”
I vaguely explained my journal-book expedition, with Connor’s encounter excluded. I lied by omission, but I hated worrying him. For the past few years, he’d been my best and only true friend. We’d become each other’s family. When he traveled—which was often—I missed him every moment.
He asked me to grab my iPad so we could Skype. I declined because I didn’t want him to see me on the verge of a break down. “I forgot to charge it yesterday, after our long conversation.” Hunger wasn’t excuse enough to terminate our call. He insisted on keeping me company over the phone while I prepared a sandwich and pulled out some chocolate cookies. My fake yawns finally caught his attention, and we said our goodbyes. We didn’t lie to each other, in theory. Dan knew me so well that the truth of how crappy I felt would eventually come out.
“Good luck with your journal.” Dan’s reminder made me want to cry; he wouldn’t be here if the nightmares came back. “Are you sure you don’t want to connect? We can talk until you fall asleep.”
“Goodnight, Dan.”
*
Dear Lisa,
Where shall I start? We never talked, yet I’m expected to communicate with you through a piece of paper and some ink. Will a simple letter give me closure? You ruined me.
Funny thing, I saw Connor today. Remember him? He has a son, Ryan, who called me Aunt Becca. Cute little boy. You would’ve made sure to inform the boy we weren’t related, wouldn’t you? Destroying my life was always your favorite hobby. I should’ve told everyone about your life. I wish for so many things, but there isn’t a magic lamp, a wishing well, or a genie around to fix everything. It’s too late.
I have so many wishes, but perhaps I could undo the curse you cast over me with only one: I wish your father never met my mother. Or if he did, that he’d dumped her, like my Dad did. Then he wouldn’t have brought you with him. Your brother wasn’t a problem, until your little finale. His few appearances were manageable―except the last one. Actually, he hated your father, and couldn’t handle you. Wonder why?
You didn’t like Mom, yet within months of the wedding you became the daughter she’d always dreamt of. The one she took to the spa, went shopping with, and did all those other MAD activities. The first summer was endurable, but after you took over the entire school, living with you became unbearable. You were the bombshell that hit Highlander High School by surprise. No one stood a chance, not even him.
In the beginning, Ian understood me, but slowly you took over, and by the time I noticed, you’d infected him. Why did you snatch my life… my happy ending? I’m glad the martyr act dropped when your condition came to light. Mom might not talk to me, but everyone knew the real you by the end.
Are you and Satan best friends yet?
Rebecca Trent
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luni, 16 iunie 2014
I like big books and I cannot lie!
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Quick Facts


Excerpt:
Liam Anderson sat in front of a blazing fire, in his pajamas and robe, puffing on his pipe, reading, for the last time in this house. The place he’d called home for so many years. The kids were asleep upstairs. Sleep had eluded him and he’d risen to read until he got tired.BAM! BAM! BAM!He looked up from the book he read and glanced at the mantel clock. One of the few things he hadn’t packed away. “What in the world? Who would be out in this weather at this hour?”What the hell?” said Liam, when he opened the door to his two younger brothers. “Jake? Zach? What are you two doing here? It’s the middle of the night.”Zach growled from behind Jake. “Are you going to let us in or make us stand in this rain all night?”“Come in. Zach put that gun away,” said Liam.“Can’t until the kid here,” he poked Jake in the back with his gun, “is inside and we’ve talked to you.”Jake, the youngest of his brothers, walked into the foyer of the house, followed closely by Zach. He stared down the hallway, packed with luggage and boxes down to the parlor, but didn’t question it. Didn’t even seem to notice that the house was packed up ready to move.Both of them were haggard, completely worn out. Their coats were soaked through and they couldn’t have been comfortable. He’d never seen them looking so exhausted or…desperate.“Sorry to do this to you, Liam. I know you’re leaving tomorrow,” said Zach as he holstered his gun and dripped water onto the foyer floor. He threw his had onto one of the steamer trunks. Jake followed suit.It was times like these that the difference between his brothers was so striking. Zach with his nearly black hair and dark blue eyes. There was one in every generation with the coloring of their Gypsy great grandmother, Zach was theirs and their father had been the one in his generation. It was rare to have two gypsies in the same family, usual it was an uncle or aunt rather than a parent of the latest child with the coloring.Jake with dark blond, overly long hair and light blue eyes most resembled their dear mother.Liam was somewhere between the two, with light brown hair and gray eyes. His children were different as night and day, too. Ten year old David resembled Liam not only physically but mentally too. David always seemed to weigh his words before he spoke them. Whereas Hannah, the gypsy of her generation, said whatever came into her little head. She was only five, but even at her age, David had been as contemplative as he was now.He smiled thinking of his children. They were his joy. His reason for living. He closed his eyes and grounded himself in the present and answered Jake.“Yes. At first light. Now, tell me what’s going on and why you brought Jake here at gun point.”“Only way I could get him to come,” growled Zach.“And?” Liam said, exasperated. “Don’t make me beat the story out of you word by word, little brother. Just tell me the problem.”Liam pointed at the two chairs in front of the fire and then went to the fireplace and stoked the banked coals back to a roaring blaze. He really didn’t need this now, not when he was leaving in the morning. Not when he was so close to putting the old, hurtful memories behind him.
Other books in the series:
The Author
books on the way.
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