**RELEASE DAY BLITZ** EMBRACE THE MOMENT by Andrea Michelle

Title: Embrace the Moment

Series: Shifting #2

Author: Andrea Michelle

Release Date: May 2, 2014

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

Synopsis

Torn apart by a tragedy, pushed together by fate. Nothing is coincidence.

Riley and Josh have been through it all together, first as best friends and now as a couple.

Faced with a decision that will test their relationship, these two learn to fight harder than ever before to keep their hearts intact. Once the decision is made, their is no going back. With the past creeping into their present, and miles between them, they learn nothing is easy. Every moment matters.

Can Riley and Josh survive the first year of college apart? Will their love remain strong enough to embrace every moment that belongs to them? Or will one interfere and take what he wants unwillingly and ruin them forever?

"For each star in the sky, I have a reason why I love you. When you look up at night, never forget this truth." ~ Josh Parker

BUY LINKS

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00K2G43PA/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00K2G43PA&linkCode=as2&tag=litredsboorev-20&linkId=DSCEMZZKY2BT3WSS

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1hiRu5c

Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1iJbE85

Amazon AU: http://bit.ly/1jmVAgZ

Excerpt

Josh’s POV

Those very blue/green eyes snap open and lock with mine when Bloodstream comes on the radio. Emily turns it up, “I so love this song. His voice is so damn sexy.” Neither Riley nor I reply. Speech is impossible when the images of what we did to this song fill my head. Her eyes flutter and glass over. She bites her lip and her breathing changes. She is remembering it, too. I can’t breathe. I just want to touch her—to feel her respond to me touching her again. She has her knees pulled up in the seat, and I trail my index finger from her knee down to the edge of her barely there shorts and back up. Her skin breaks out in goose bumps and she shivers. My eyes never leave hers. She reaches her hand up and traces my bottom lip. I harden instantly, and her eyes widen. Damn. Good thing her head is covering my lap. Bad thing is her head is in my lap—not really helping my problem here. I’m so turned on. Fuck!

So, about that backseat—it’s a small confined place—and all I can smell is her jasmine and vanilla scented lotion. I’m fucked and not in the way I’m imagining in this backseat.

Luckily, Collin exits the highway and stops for gas, because I’m struggling here with her in this tight space.

I thought I’d be safe from temptation for at least a few minutes, but then she buys a fruit punch Icee, blow pops and skittles. Good grief, I’m in a lust bubble of desire. We’re standing outside of the car just talking. I’m half listening to all of her words because I’m watching her sip from her straw and then lick her lips, which are now tinted red from her drink. Opening her bag of skittles, she laughs at something Em says and for the life of me, I can’t stop thinking about how much I want to taste the rainbow. And so I do. I grab her drink and candy, passing it to Em who says, “What the...” I don’t listen. I grab Riley’s face

and taste every crevice of her mouth. The fruity taste lingering all over her tongue and sending my senses into overdrive.

“Holy shit! Collin, what are we going to do with these two?” Emily asks.

I hear him laugh. “Uh, I guess move out of the way? Wait in the car? Give em’ dollar bills? Hell if I know.”

Her hands are in my hair, pulling as always. I have her pressed into the car door, my hands holding both of her cheeks in my palms. I glide my hand to the nape of her neck and into her hair as we deepen the kiss. I don’t know how long we kiss, just that I feel better once we do. I release her and step back as she lifts her hands to touch her lips. She always does that. It’s like the feeling left on them shocks her. She just stands there, dazed for a few seconds—staring at me. Collin leans out of his window. “Y’all coming, or you gonna stand out there eye and mouth-fucking all damn day?”

                                               ***REVIEW SOON TO FOLLOW***

About the Author

I am just a mom who had a dream to share my words with the world.

Well, I suck at writing bios, but it’s a necessary evil.

I love poetry and music. In fact, that is where my writing obsession began as a young teen. You can find my original poetry and songs I have written in my novels. I gave it to my characters and now I share it with you. I adore music. I believe music can heal any bad day, or inspire a great love story. I don’t have a favorite genre of music as I listen to everything but bluegrass. It really depends on my mood. However, I love to write with Jared Leto in my ear. He’s good company. I am a dreamer—a true Gemini. I often stare off into space where my fictional friends play. I love to escape into a great book (any genre). I have to drink coffee in the morning to be human. Sweet tea and fave red starbursts are my guilty pleasures, sometimes chocolate when necessary. I love wine. It’s my tool for relaxing with my imaginary friends. I am in love with romance in any facet of life. I love it in books, on film, in songs and when it’s full of angst. Maybe, I wasn’t hugged enough as a child. ;) I don’t believe all romances end in HEA, that’s not

reality. However, in my mind when I read and watch movies where the ending isn’t what I desire—I change it. It unfolds in my brain the way I need it to, so the story never ends. I’m weird, yes, I know. I am very blessed to have found my soulmate at a very young age, married him at twenty. The sweetest of my blessings are my three daughters. My oldest and I share a very close book love with one another. I do believe she will one day follow in my footsteps and try the hat of being an author. I am excited, yet nervous to share my passion with you, but I look forward to the journey ahead. I love to hear from my readers, and I encourage those connections.

Blog ~ Twitter ~ Amazon Author Page ~ Wattpad ~ Facebook ~ Google+ ~ Goodreads

Purchase Her Other Book Today

Amazon ~ Amazon UK ~ Amazon CA ~ Amazon AU ~ B&N

**BOOK BLAST** KNIGHT OF MY DREAMS by Lynsay Sands

                                                            Title: Knight of My Dreams
                                                            Author:   Lynsay Sands
                                                            Genre: Romance / Historical / Medieval
                                                            Publish Date:  April 29, 2014
                                                            Publisher:  HarperCollins 
                                                           Event organized by: Literati Author Services, Inc.

 

~ Book Synopsis ~

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lynsay Sands comes a classic short story of a knight in need of a bride…Lady Alice knows she is not the type to entice a man. She’s too voluptuous, too intelligent, too strong-minded. Why, she even reads! But then Jonathan, Earl of Fairley, arrives at court. Tall, dark and handsome, the knight is any woman’s dream. And he has just been ordered by the king to find a bride…and Alice is to help him!

Jonathan has been evading his mother’s matchmaking schemes for years, so why does she insist that Lady Alice isn’t for him? Alice is only to aid in his search for a bride, yet Jonathan can’t help but be distracted by her glorious hair the color of a sunset, and her figure that is like a lush berry about to burst to full ripeness… Has Jonathan fallen prey to love?

Add to Goodreads:

Excerpt

“Are you all right?”

Alice glanced up in surprise at the concern in Lord Jonathan’s voice. He wasn’t looking at her; his gaze was traveling down her body in the wake of his hands as he checked her over to be sure she wasn’t injured. She flushed at the familiar way his fingers skimmed over her, and took a quick step back, nearly tumbling again.

“I am fi-fine,” she got out a little breathlessly as he caught her arms to steady her. “Really,” Alice added when he continued to look concerned. After a brief pause, he swallowed and nodded, then turned to grab at the reins of his mount.

Her gaze moved distractedly back to the small swatch of blue cloth on the ground by her feet. She was about to draw Jonathan’s attention to it, when she was suddenly caught by the waist and lifted onto his horse.

Alice promptly began to protest. “Oh, really, my lord. There is no need for us to ride. I can walk back to the clearing. I—”

At last she gave up her protests, mostly because he was ignoring her. He mounted in front of her and drew her hands around his waist.

“Hold on,” he instructed.

Alice nodded against his back, breathing in deeply to try to steady her nerves. It was rather novel to be in such close proximity to a man. She had never done so before. Unmarried women were simply not allowed such familiarity. Of course, this was an unusual circumstance, and…

Her thoughts died as she breathed in the scent of him. He smelled of the woods and the river and…male. It was a surprisingly pleasant mix, she decided, breathing it in again as her fingers interlocked at his middle. Feeling the muscles of his stomach bunch and ripple, she flattened her fingers over them to get the full sensation, then, realizing what she was doing, stopped breathing in embarrassment. Her fingers stilled.

Of course, Alice couldn’t go long holding her breath. She managed to do so for the short ride back to the clearing, but there the breath left her in a slow hiss. The place was empty. Lady Fairley and her uncle had not waited for them; they had apparently ridden on ahead. Alice recalled the small swatch of cloth she had spotted near the horses and pondered silently, wondering why Lady Fairley had been by the horses. Surely she hadn’t untied Alice’s mount and let it go? Had she really been so annoyed with Alice as to wish to have her walk back to the castle?

“Well, we shall have to ride quickly to catch up,” Lord Jonathan said.

Alice glanced at the back of his head, then pressed close and held on tightly as he spurred his mount into a trot. She didn’t hold her breath this time. Instead she sat, her breasts pressed against his back, her hands clutched at his front, breathing in deeply of his scent. She was enjoying it so much, it took her most of the ride to realize that despite his words, Jonathan wasn’t trying very hard to catch up to her uncle and his mother. He had the horse going at a trot, but a rather slow one, really. They had ridden here faster. She was so startled by the realization that she loosened her hold and started to pull away, but he stopped her by catching her hands with one of his own.

“You had best hold on,” he said. “I would not wish to see you fall.”

Alice wondered at the husky note to his voice, but decided to merely enjoy the ride. She relaxed against him.

Purchase Links

                                                           Amazon | Barnes and Noble

About the Author

LYNSAY SANDS is the nationally bestselling author of the Argeneau/Rogue Hunter vampire series, as well as numerous historicals and anthologies. She’s been writing stories since grade school and considers herself incredibly lucky to be able to make a career out of it. Her hope is that readers can get away from their everyday stress through her stories, and if there’s occasional uncontrollable fits of laughter, that’s just a big bonus.

Author’s Social Media

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Giveaway

3 digital copies of  To Marry a Scottish Laird

Knight of My Dream

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***REVIEW**** I LOVED THAT ABOUT HER by C.R. Everett

I LOVED THAT ABOUT HER by C.R. Everett – SYNOPSIS

In Love, Carry My Bags, we felt Camryn Johnson’s joy and pain during her heartwrenching and heartwarming journey through life’s circumstances, poor choices, and difficult lessons. Through her relationships with both Glenn and Reese, she became the person she wanted and needed to be.

Now it’s Glenn’s turn.

Glenn, who feels chronically misunderstood, shares his side of the story in the stand-alone novelI Loved That About Her, revealing his own inner struggles and showing what it’s like to live at the mercy of forces beyond conscious control. These forces take him and his family to the edge when college arch nemesis, Raine Babcock, wreaks havoc on their lives. Glenn shows us that all is not necessarily what it seems, even to himself.

Walking a mile in his shoes, may change hearts and minds about the bad boy from Love, Carry My Bags that readers loved to hate.

Recommended for mature audiences 17+ for language and sexual situations.

EXCERPT 

So I found out this girl’s name was Camryn. I helped her carry a stack of boxes up to her apartment and stood there looking around until she told me where to stick it. Well, she didn’t exactly tell me where to “stick it.” That would be rude, and she seemed like a nice girl. She kindly told me where to put them. Sometimes I know what I want to say in my head, but the words come out wrong. It’s not until I hear what comes out of my mouth that I realize my eloquence has failed me, and sometimes that eloquence-detection system fails too, leaving me and everyone else frustrated five ways from Thursday. Goes along with the territory.

Camryn had nothing, not even a bed, only a mattress to sleep on. Funny thing was, she didn’t even seem upset about it. She actually seemed happy. I invited her to an icebreaker event at the school, told her I’d pick her up after I did a few things, but I got there late and when I knocked on her door no one answered. I decided to go without her, after all, no sense sitting around the apartment alone. Then when I walked into Kitty Hawk I saw her talking to some guy, Raine, I think his name was. I immediately didn’t like him just because he was talking to Camryn, so I walked right up to them and put my arm around her shoulder, “Sorry, I got hung up in traffic,” I said even though it was a lie. I’d simply lost track of time. The sun shines on some people and everything goes their way, but I’m not one of them. Me and the “time?” We weren’t friends. I fully intend to show up on schedule, but the rain cloud of lateness pours down on me for inexplicable reasons, and I’m running behind. We have a long, sordid history, and I’ve come up with ways to hog tie that time-bitch. Still, those ways aren’t foolproof. I’m cursed. It’s embarrassing. And I’d never admit it in a million years because it’s truly not my fault and the best way to deal with my curse is to fib. Lie is such a strong word. I explain the unexplainable with reasons people will buy without the blame being on me. I’ve had enough blame too. It sucks.

We played several games at the icebreaker, including lacing arms together while back to back. We then had to sit down on the floor and get back up, each of us standing on our own two feet again, arms intertwined the whole time. Falling down was the easy part. We pressed against each other, trying to be careful at first, but three-quarters of the way down, Camryn’s legs gave out and my weight landed us on our asses in an unceremonious plop.

“That kinda hurt,” she said, but she was laughing, so it was fine. Getting back up was more of a challenge. She leaned her back into mine, trying to get up, but not getting anywhere, obviously, without my help. I leaned into her, but ended up pushing her back down with my weight, so she pushed harder and I backed off until we found some sort of balance and stood back up, leaning on each other the whole time. It felt like a huge accomplishment.

“That was hard,” she said. She looked worn out from all the pushing and pulling between us. I felt exhilarated, having reached our goal together. I got the feeling I’d like to reach goal after goal with Camryn if it meant I’d get to touch her more often.

Our last icebreaker was a staring contest. Raine stood right next to Camryn, and Camryn stood across from me as my partner. Some homely chick stood next to me, giving me the heebie jeebies. Thankfully, she was the one staring into Raine’s eyes and not mine.

“Ready, set, go,” the event coordinator instructed. I was hell-bent on bringing Camryn down, having her blinking in no time, outlasting her. But when her gaze fell into mine, it felt as if she peered into my soul, which caught me off guard because I’d never had that feeling with anyone. I was shaken and taken at the same time. I had to look away.

“You’re determined,” I said to Camryn, making it seem like just a game, covering up my unexpected feelings. “Congratulations.” She smiled back at me, seeming satisfied with her victory. Raine had taken his partner down, but in his case, his gaze seemed cold, at least to me, but when we left for the evening, he turned on the charm for Camryn and asked for her number.

“Maybe later,” she told him. Was she playing hard to get? My job was to make sure later never came. I made sure I got to her first.

Purchase Links

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JL4P38U

Amazon UK http://www.amazon.co.uk./dp/B00JL4P38U

Barnes & Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/i-loved-that-about-her-c-r-everett/1119059229?ean=2940045799638

Apple iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/i-loved-that-about-her/id852498910?mt=11

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21801037-i-loved-that-about-her

                                                  *****REVIEW*****

I Loved That About Her is book two even though it can be read as a stand alone of Love,Carry My Bags.  In I Loved That About Her you get the other side of the story.  Both sides are better than only hearing one.  Especially if you side with one person and NOT know what the other has done or said and why they have.   I enjoyed this book better than book one.  Maybe cause I felt that Love,Carry My Bags started off really slow for me and I couldn't get into it right away.  I Loved That About Her took off great and caught my attention through the whole book.  Great story line and loved the Male POV from Glenn.   I do recommend this book.   Well written C.R. Everett.  

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

C.R. Everett was born in Northern Illinois and has lived in various places over the years, currently residing in Utah. For twenty years she worked in finance, but today devotes her time to writing. She lives with her husband, two kids, Shiba Inu, and cat. When not writing, she updates her website, connects with her readers, does the mom thing, or cleans up after unruly pets. In her free time she enjoys reading, usually at the gym while on a treadmill, baking, taking walks, enjoying nature, and going to Starbucks. Mocha is her favorite.

Website -www.creverett.com

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/creverettbooks

Blog - http://creverett.blogspot.com/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/authorcreverett

Goodreads -https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6564542.C_R_Everett

Love, Carry My Bags Amazon Link UShttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B009SZYJ3W

Amazon UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B009SZYJ3W

Barnes & Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/love-carry-my-bags-c-r-everett/1114473132?ean=2940044288553

LOVE, CARRY MY BAGS – SYNOPSIS

Camryn Johnson’s world is turned upside down when long lost love, Reese Dahlgren, re-enters her life at a pivotal point in her already challenging marriage. She faces an excruciating predicament: choose between a broken home for her daughter or a broken life for herself.

After her parents' divorce, Camryn first meets high school basketball star, Reese, at the Harvard Milk Day Festival bed races. Reese hides baggage of his own…until Camryn melts his heart and learns secrets entrusted only to her. Still, the weight is too much to bear. Unable to cope, Reese unwittingly backs Camryn into a corner during his air force enlistment—love him from afar, or leave him.

Enter aerospace engineering student, Glenn Conroy. Persistent and savvy, he woos Camryn during her junior year of college and wins her heart. Or does he? When Reese re-enters her life, further disrupting her tenuous marriage, Camryn turns to best friend, Megan, for advice, but refuses to believe Megan’s suggestion that she’s caught in a “simple” love triangle.

Camryn unveils hidden mysteries and secrets as she embarks on a life-changing journey of revelation and forgiveness, transcending doormat qualities inherited from her mother, and in the process finds what life's struggles are really all about.

C.R. Everett's heart-wrenching debut novel takes the reader on an emotion-packed journey that lingers long after the last page is turned.

LOVE, CARRY MY BAGS – EXCERPT

Reese’s dad was putzing around the kitchen when we walked in. “Oh, you’re staying too,” he said, my duffel prodding his memory. “You can put your stuff in Helen’s room. Since she’s not using it anymore, you may as well.”

“Hey.” Reese greeted his father.

“If you want something to eat, you’ll have to fix it the old fashioned way.” Mr. Dahlgren stirred leftover spaghetti heating on the stove. “Your mother made sure I’d be living in the dark ages when she absconded with the microwave . . . . At least she left the television.” Reese and I exchanged uneasy glances.

“Well, that’s a good thing because you and Reese would be bored watching the microwave together while I do my homework,” I said, grasping for the bright side. “Reese, would you show me upstairs?” I asked, conveniently escaping the awkward moment.

He carried our bags up the stairs and placed mine on a low-set king-sized bed in the first room on the left. The room reminded me of my grandmother’s house with dimly lit gabled walls and a faint odor of must, the vintage green bedspread, a ‘50s remnant. “Your parents didn’t sleep together?” I asked, surprised. It hadn’t occurred to me that married people might not sleep together. Well, there were the Samuelson’s I’d heard of, but they were in their nineties and had health issues which made a shared bed logistically impractical.

“They haven’t shared a room for years,” Reese said, like this was normal—at least in his parents’ household. I stood, focusing through the bed, my head, lost.

“Look,” I said with reluctance, “I’ve got some homework that’s due tomorrow. Why don’t you go downstairs and spend some time with your dad?” Reese’s eyes told me he knew it was the right thing to do even though he’d rather not.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” he reiterated, giving me a parting kiss then closed the door behind him. I flopped on the bed, opened Accounting II.

Twenty T-squares later, Reese knocked on the door.

“I brought you some water.”  He set the glass on the bedside table then sat down next to me. “How’s it going?”

“I’m almost done.” I took a sip of water. “Thanks.”

“Good, I could use some company down there. Dad keeps bringing up sore subjects, between channel surfing. ‘Have you spoke to your mother?’ ‘Why did she leave?’ ‘The grass isn’t greener . . . it’s damn brown for me.’ ‘Why don’t you do something worthwhile with your life?’ Stuff like that.” I put my accounting text down and climbed onto Reese’s lap. I wanted to make all his bad disappear.

***RELEASE & REVIEW*** BENDER by Stacy Borel

All Keegan wanted was a roommate who was quiet, minded their own business, and paid for part of the rent. Instead, she got Camden Brooks.

Camden, with his sinful body, sharp tongue, and the inability to stay out of Keegan’s personal business, couldn’t seem to curb his interest in the new girl who wouldn’t put up with his domineering ways.

Feelings were running rampant, sexual tension was thick, and both were struggling to let go of control.

To some people, getting a roommate simply meant living with another person. But to both Camden and Keegan it was a curveball that neither was prepared to swing at.


***REVIEW by Terri***

Stacy Borel, you have found a new fan!  I loved the way it was written around baseball.  The brothers in this novel were such great guys. Dodger and Camden especially.  Keegen had to deal with a lot in her short life and things finally start going the right way for her.  This story has you wondering, page to page, how the characters are going to act toward one another, and that is just so true to life.  This was a great, quick read and I can't wait for the next part of this story to come out!!

BUY LINKS:

AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JUC8DNK/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00JUC8DNK&linkCode=as2&tag=litredsboorev-20  

AMAZON UK:   http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bender-Core-Four-Stacy-Borel-ebook/dp/B00JUC8DNK/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1398202506&sr=1-1&keywords=bender 

AMAZON CA:   http://www.amazon.ca/Bender-Core-Four-Stacy-Borel-ebook/dp/B00JUC8DNK/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1398202469&sr=1-2&keywords=Bender

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bender-stacy-borel/1119275735?ean=2940149548545

iBooks (Paperback):http://www.ibookstore.com/products.php?i=1499142978 

FACEBOOK / GOODREADS / AMAZON

Stacy Borel currently resides in southeast Texas with her husband and two kids. She grew up as a military brat and has lived everywhere from California, Alaska, Azores Portugal, and Hawaii. She loves traveling and seeing new places, so being a military spouse is perfect for her. Stacy enjoys the adventure of moving every 2-4yrs. It's refreshing to experience a new place.

Stacy is a self proclaimed reading addict and Facebook addict. If she's not doing one of those two things, she can be found writing, or playing with her kids. Some of her hobbies are listening to new music, going fishing, being active outdoors, and she always loves spending time with her out of state family.

Stacy discovered Indie Authors in early 2012 after reading Fifty Shades of Grey, and there began her passionate love affair with books. She always wrote stories and journals growing up, but she decided in December 2012 to really dip her toes in the water with a romance novel. She now has three full length novels under her belt, and a whole new series for the 2014 year.

KEEGAN

CAMDEN

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***COVER REVEAL*** EVERYTHING I SHOULDN'T (Nashville Nights #2) by Stacey Mosteller

Title: Everything I Shouldn't (Nashville Nights #2)

Author: Stacey Mosteller

Release Date: May 20, 2014

Cover Design by Ashley at Ashbee Designs (http://www.ashbeedesigns.com)

Cover Models – Kathy Riddle Hodge & Brandon Lowman

Photographer – Kathy Riddle Hodge & Ted Alley

Synopsis

It’s been eight days, sixteen hours and forty-seven minutes since life as I know it ended. I know, it sounds so melodramatic and teen-soap worthy, but it’s the truth. Eight days, sixteen hours and forty-seven minutes since David found out. Since he kicked Jeremy out, ended their friendship and told me I could never see him again.

I didn’t plan on David getting suspicious, and I definitely didn’t plan on getting caught. My selfishness has cost Jeremy everything, my brother won’t even look at me, Lyric must hate me for practically blackmailing her to keep silent and my best friend is barely speaking to me.

Now my life is full of secrets and lies. The people around me have been affected by the choices I’ve made and the lies I’ve told. But what will they do when they discover the biggest secret of them all?

Jeremy is everything I shouldn't want, and the person I can't live without.

Prologue

SarahBeth

I've been in love with my brother's best friend, Jeremy, for as long as I can remember. Just saying the words aloud causes my heart to clench. I’ve never admitted it to anyone other than Olivia, but I knew she’d never tell a soul. She encouraged it actually, went out of her way to help me find sexy outfits to wear around him and helped me come up with some crazy plan to make him notice me. Those usually ended with him scolding me so they probably weren’t the best way to get his attention.

I’m not really sure when my feelings for him started changing. First, my love for Jeremy was the love any child has for her hero. My dad was always busy, and while, my brother David loved me, Jeremy was the one who kissed my knee when I fell off my bike, the one who taught me how to climb a tree, all the things my brother - who even as a teenager was over-protective of me - didn't want me to do. He never grouched about having to watch me like David did, he was always willing to play games with me and include me in whatever he and my brother were doing.

I was heartbroken when David went away to college, but the fact that Jeremy was gone too devastated me in a way that not even losing my parents did. All of a sudden I was alone. They both kept in touch after they left for school, at least at first. The phone call came every few days for months, but gradually became only once a month or less, especially after David came back for Christmas and argued with our dad. After that, the only time David would call was when he knew Dad was gone.

Then, when our parents died and everything fell apart; Jeremy was there to comfort me, to hug me, to dry my tears. That doesn't mean that my brother wasn't there, because he was. He was just stuck being the grown-up. David had to deal with funeral arrangements, lawyers, wills, the court and our grandparents.

Once Jeremy and David moved back home, David became more of a parent than a brother, and Jeremy made every attempt to fill that role. Unfortunately, my feelings for Jeremy were never that simple. The fact that he became as over-protective now as my brother is did nothing to discourage my

growing infatuation with him. Up until recently though, Jeremy never gave any indication that he saw me as anything other than David's little sister.

I’ve been chasing after Jeremy since about a month after my brother moved back and brought him with him. We spent a lot of time together because he was trying to distract me from the life I was thrust into, taking me to the movies, hanging out, helping with homework… all the stuff that brothers do with little sisters. It didn’t take long for hero worship to turn romantic. But looking back, it’s clear I wasn’t the only one with a secret. At the time, I thought that the reason my brother didn’t react the same way Jeremy did when I really started dating was because he was so preoccupied with getting his business off the ground and raising me. Now, I can see that the reason Jeremy always did his best to scare away any guy I brought around was because he was jealous.

I imagined that convincing Jeremy to give me a chance, to really look at me like a woman, instead of his best friend’s baby sister would be impossible. But just when I thought I should give up, he kissed me. We continued our relationship in secret because I was afraid of what David would say and how he would react. It didn’t take much to convince him to keep it a secret, even though I know it bothered him to not be able to tell him.

I finally got everything I wanted, but I fucked it up royally. I lied to my brother, my best friend, even Jeremy. I was so concerned with what I wanted that I didn’t give anyone else a thought. Jeremy wanted me and maybe even fell in love with me, but now, everything I had, all the people who loved me; none of them are here. It’s all so completely screwed up, and I have no idea where to start fixing anything. Jeremy's friendship with David is ruined, my brother broke up with Lyric, Olivia won't even speak to me. I'm completely alone for the first time.

I have so much to make up for. I’m the hateful bitch who destroyed a friendship, made someone who could have been a friend lie to my brother, and I kept secrets and lied to my best friend’s face. I have no idea how to even begin to make things right, but I know I have to try.



Jeremy

I fucking knew this thing with her would blow up in our faces. I should have known better, but instead, I went for it. It’s always been SarahBeth for me, always. And not in a dirty old man way, don’t call Chris Hansen and To Catch A Predator because it’s not like that. When it started, I was jealous of David. He had a dad and a mom, which was already something I didn’t have, and then came SarahBeth. She was this tiny little thing with big eyes and curly blonde hair, I swear to God, she looked like an angel the first time David showed her to me.

He was disgusted and pissed because she was crying all the time and taking all the attention. Meanwhile, I would have given anything to have the life he had.

As she got older, she worshipped her brother, and me by association. Following us around, trying to imitate us and running after us on her short little legs. By the time she was old enough to chase us, we were thinking about cars and tits not little sisters, and she drove David crazy. He’d get impatient and yell and she would cry. Big, fat tears that broke my heart, even back then.

We grew up, moved out and then moved on, leaving SB behind us. At least for a while. Then, the unthinkable happened. That night, it almost broke David. I think it did in some ways, but SarahBeth? Man, it destroyed her. In the blink of an eye she lost her parents. In a way, she gained a new parent in David because he took the “guardian” title to a whole new level. In fact, and it makes me feel like an asshole to say it, but I think Dave may have been more her father than her actual dad was.

When we moved back, David spent a lot of his time building his business. It was easier for me in a way because I just had to get hired. David built his job from the ground up, which took up the majority of his time, leaving me to entertain SarahBeth. We got extremely close during that time. I knew she had a crush on me, but I thought it was more hero worship than true romantic feelings. I was wrong.

The older Sarah got, the more beautiful she became. Gone was the tiny tomboy who wanted to follow us everywhere, and in her place was a beautiful woman. The more time I spent with her, the more I started noticing things about her; the smell of her hair, how soft her skin was. The more I noticed, the more I tried to stay away. The sister of my best friend shouldn’t be the girl I can’t stop thinking about. I did everything I could to distance myself from her, making excuses when she asked me to take her places, showing up with a date when I knew she would be there, even though I knew it would hurt her. The lengths I went to were atrocious and shameful, but I was trying to avoid this situation. Instead of thinking of her like a sister, I was thinking of her as someone I wanted to own. She became the girl I wanted to claim, to make sure everyone knew she was mine.

Finally giving in and taking her should have brought relief, but instead all it brought was more stress and in the end more heartache. I’m old enough to know better. Hiding things never works, secrets always come out. I wanted her more than I wanted his friendship, and look where it got me. He hates me, she’s devastated, and everything is completely fucked up.

I have to make things better; I need to fix this. Fixing my friendship with Dave and deserving SarahBeth is the only thing that matters to

me now. He has to understand that hiding our relationship wasn’t to hurt him; we weren’t trying to deceive him. We were only trying to figure out how to tell him. David discovered us before we were ready, before we could figure out what to say to him. We should have just been honest from the beginning. If I had just gone to him before, explained that I do love her, that I will be good to her, maybe he would have given his blessing.

At least then, we would know. David’s reaction might have surprised us. Instead, I let the fear of losing his friendship, of no longer being like brothers color my reactions and influence my decisions. I’m done being afraid; I’m done hiding. Making him understand just how much I want to be with her, that she is it for me has become my top priority. Now I just have to figure out how to get him to talk to me without him kicking my ass.

Save Me From Myself (Nashville Nights #1)

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Southern Seduction Box Set – featuring Never Wanted More (Nashville Nights #0.5)

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About the Author

I am a wife and mom to 3 boys, ages 15, 14, and 8! After spending the first half of my life in a small town outside of Philadelphia, PA, my

parents moved my brother and I to another small town outside of Greensboro, NC. I moved to Hickory, NC after marrying my husband. We dated a total of three months before getting married, and we’d known each other for a total of six! People thought we were crazy, but 2014 marks our 10 year anniversary, so it obviously worked out!

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