Read Fractured Faith for FREE!

Starting today, you can grab a copy of Fractured Faith for free by clicking here.This deal lasts until Saturday, May 14th.

In this thriller for young adults (that readers of all ages will enjoy) shallow teen Faith Baker has her eyes opened to dark family secrets when she’s asked to write an autobiography for history class. With the help of her loving cousins, she tries to navigate the pitfalls of her discovery and tries not to lose herself along the way. But this is a thriller, so there are other forces working against her. You can read the official blurb by visiting it’s Amazon author page.

This new book series is special to me for a couple reasons. It’s a project that co-author Genna Denton and I are very passionate about. We love the Baker clan–well-meaning Faith, protective Brady, and charming Charlie and we think readers will enjoy watching this bond grow and be tested over the course of the series. It’s extremely difficult to get a YA book noticed these days, so if you download your free copy, it will help others discover the book. You can read a free preview below, and if you like it, please be sure to share with your friends.

Thank you! 🙂

Jasmine Denton

https://read.amazon.com/kp/card?asin=B01C2DVVAU&preview=inline&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_I.nnxbVSKF5YW

 

 

Fractured Faith Excerpt & Giveaway

I’m pleased to announce that Genna and I are launching a brand new YA series. We haven’t teamed up to write books for teens since From the Damage, and this is a project we’ve been crafting for a very long time.

Glass Houses will follow the Baker Clan (you may remember them from Another Life). In Glass Houses, Sam, Chad and Cameron are all grown up with families of their own. Their picturesque little life is built on a ton of secrets though, a fact their children are about to uncover…

Faith, Brady and Charlie Baker are the best of friends and as close as brothers and sisters, even though they are technically only cousins. When the walls of their Glass Houses begin to crack and shatter, will they be able to save each other from the secrets that come to light?

Fractured Faith launches on March 25th! Keep reading for the blurb and an excerpt.

When her sophomore year of high school began, all Faith cared about was fitting in. She’d made up her mind that this was the year—she’d be the most stylish girl in school, finally catch the eye of hottie athlete Tyler. All of that changed with a class assignment. The project was simple enough: write an autobiography.
When Faith looks into her past, she realizes her history isn’t as clear as she thought was. Driven by the nagging feeling that her parents are hiding something sinister and an ever growing pile of questions, Faith enlists the help of her cousins (and best friends) to uncover the truth. Faith is about to discover that some secrets are kept for a reason.
As she pokes at the past, she unleashes a hidden danger that could put her–and everyone she loves–in the ground.

 

Forgetting Yesterday Excerpt

“There’s someone…” Sara trailed off, turning to look at a dress on a mannequin. “It’s complicated.”

“Been there,” she said. She moved to the clearance rack to check out some quarter-length sleeved shirts. The weather was cooling off and she’d have to retire her tank-tops to undergarments.

“With the baby daddy?” Sara called after her.

Cameron glanced over her shoulder. “How did you…”

“Manipulative ex, brutal custody battle, tons of drama?” Sara asked, slinking past Cameron to check out some lingerie. “Shane filled me in. You poor thing. You’re only what, sixteen?”

“Eighteen,” Cameron corrected, clearing her throat. She crossed her arms and eyed the girl in a warning. “And are you intending to be such a bitch, or does it just come naturally?”

Sara turned, her mouth agape in a mock gasp.

“Drop the act,” Cameron said. “You’ve been playing frenemy all afternoon. What’s really going on here?”

She strode a little closer, biting her lip. “I guess I wasn’t being subtle, was I?”

“No.”

She sighed, planting her hands on her hips. “Then I guess I’m just going to…come right out and say it.”

Cameron raised an eyebrow, waiting.

“Truth is, Cameron, I just don’t like you.”

This wasn’t anything Cameron hadn’t heard before and didn’t bother her much. She responded with a sarcastic smirk.

“Shane always goes for the train wrecks and every time, they mangle his heart. You think you’re going to be any different? Sweetie, you’re barely out of high school and just look at the baggage you’ve got.”

“Excuse me?”

“A kid, an ex-husband. Then there’s the main issue—whatever screwed you up so much in the first place.”

Cameron inhaled a sharp breath as the words stung. “Shane warned me this would happen,” she said. “I was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt, but now I see what all this is really about.”

“Oh, really?”

“What’s wrong? Afraid to tell Shane he’s got to save you again?”

Something in Sara’s hazel eyes flickered.

“I’ve seen your type before too, sweetie,” she said. “In fact, last summer I was you. So what kind of mess are you in and have you told him yet?”

She smirked. “You think you have it all figured out, don’t you? I’m just the screw up sister who crashes everybody’s life. That’s so…last summer.” She turned on her heel and sashayed away. “Every story needs a twist. Let’s see if you figure this one out before it blindsides you.”

Forgetting Yesterday is available now for only .99 cents!

 

 

Men of Honor Excerpt + Giveaway!

**Special kickoff price: 99¢ all week long**

 

I’m excited to announce that I’ve once again partnered with my awesome and talented twin, Genna Denton to bring you an exciting new trilogy, Cosa Nostra.

Cosa Nostra is the story of the DeLuca family, a notorious crime family in New York. Trey is the ambitious heir to the dynasty and Bela is the oppressed daughter yearning for freedom. Both of their lives are complicated when they meet Vincent, a man from a rival mob family. Vincent falls in love with Bela and wants to work for Trey, but are his motivations pure?

Keep reading for an exclusive excerpt from the book.

An ambitious prince…

Trey DeLuca has it all. Heir to the dynasty his father, a notorious mob boss has built, he’s ruthless and determined to step into his father’s shoes. Until someone threatens to ruin it all…

A prodigal son…

Vincent Marcano walked away from his own life of crime five years ago. Now he’s back and wants in on Trey’s crew. Trey has no reason to trust Vincent—he’s from a rival family and has proved to be a traitor in the past, but the boss allows Vincent to join the team in spite of Trey’s protests. But Vincent’s keeping a lot of secrets…about where he’s been, why he’s back, and the fact that he’s in love with Trey’s younger sister, Bela. Desperate to prove his loyalty to Trey, Vincent plays a dangerous game of cat and mouse that threatens to expose his relationship with Bela and the truth about his past.

And the only girl who could come between them…

The daughter of a mob boss, Bela has grown up to hate organized crime, but she loves Vincent enough to overlook his decision to join her brother’s gang. His mission will test her beliefs, strain their relationship and turn her world inside out. As Vincent becomes more embroiled in the mob’s dark world, the threat of exposure heightens. Can Bela continue to be with Vincent, knowing her love could sign his death sentence?

Are you excited about the new book series? Join us on Saturday, December 20th and you can have a chance to win one of five free copies.

 

 

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Vincent stood in front of Sal’s desk, a gunman on each arm. “Vincent Marcano,” Sal said in an amused tone. “Never thought anyone in the city would see you again. Truth be told, I thought you were at the bottom of the river.”

“Not yet,” Vincent replied dryly.

“It’d serve you right.” Sal leaned back in his chair, gazing evenly at Vincent. “Tell me, what makes a man run out on his own family?”

“To understand, I guess you’d have to know my family the way I do.”

Sal didn’t respond to this. He stayed eerily quiet.

“I get it,” Vincent said, stepping forward. “I left my family, so why would I want to work for yours? Why would you trust me to work for yours? Well, the reason is simple. The enemy of my enemy. As long as we have that in common, I swear you my undying loyalty.”

“Those are big words, kid,” he said.

“I know,” he replied.

“I saw the security footage from the docks,” Sal said finally. “You’ve got moves. And you showed real stones today. I see no reason you can’t continue to prove yourself.”

Trey’s instinct was to protest, but he made sure to stay quiet until he could speak to his father alone.

“I’ll do anything,” Vincent said, like a praise-craving lap dog.

“We’ll get to that.” Sal stood from the desk and started walking around it. “For now, everybody give me a minute with my son.”

The people cleared from the room without another word. Trey gave Vincent a steady, even glare as he left.

Sal leaned against his desk while the door closed. Trey waited for his father to be the first one to speak up. This was both out of habit and respect.

Trey and his dad resembled each other in many ways, but the most obvious was their looks. They had the same jet black hair, although Trey didn’t keep his quite as short as Sal did. They shared identical dark, hardened eyes. And both of them wore a non-stop poker face of intimidation and callousness. It was safe to say that Sal had groomed Trey in his own image, but Trey had never minded. That was what sons were for; to please their fathers and eventually step into their shoes. And Trey made it a point to be the best son he could be, even if that meant he had to sell his soul to do it.

Finally, Sal broke the silence, “How’s the arm?”

Trey shrugged, and even though the movement hurt, he didn’t show it. “Doc patched me up,” he said. “I’m good as new.”

“Good,” he said. “You did good today too. You almost caught that truck.”

“Almost,” he said.

“Just be faster next time,” he said with a dismissive wave.

There was a moment—just a fraction of a second—where this caused Trey to feel a twinge of shame, as if he’d let his father down. In a way, he had. This had been his chance to show he could handle the big jobs and the problems that came with them. And instead, he’d been upstaged by his enemy. “Listen, about the Marcano guy—”

“Fishy, isn’t it?” Sal’s expression turned thoughtful and suspicious. “I don’t trust him, either. Can’t trust a man who turns his back on his own family.”

“That’s what I said,” he said. “So why are we letting him in? Wouldn’t it be better to use him to send a message to the Marcano family?”

“You want to what, shoot him and leave him on their doorstep?”

He nodded. “Maybe in pieces.”

Sal chuckled, but a glimmer of pride marked his face, too. “My crazy, trigger happy boy,” he said. “All rage and no vision. He’s more useful alive than dead.”

Trey still didn’t agree with this, but kept his mouth shut out of respect.

“Just thinking about the look on Tony Marcano’s face when he finds out his oldest son is working for me makes it worth the risk that he’s a rat.” His father smirked with amusement and then pushed himself up off his desk. “You’re in charge of breaking him in,” he said. “Make him earn it, too.”

“Gladly,” Trey said, straightening his shoulders. This was the best news he’d heard all night.

 

If you’re a book blogger or reviewer check out my ARC/Reviewer Signup page.

Jasmine Hits the Streets

Well, the cyber streets, that is. And only with your help. 🙂

In an effort to bring me closer to my readers, I’ve created a street team via Facebook groups. Join Jasmine Denton’s Street Team to stay up-to-date on my newest releases and help me spread the word about these great books. It’s also the #1 place to learn about new giveaways and promotions. Don’t forget to share with your friends and followers 🙂

Follow @jasmineldenton

 

 

 

10 Easy Ways to Create 3-D Characters

It’s been awhile since I’ve blogged about writing tips, but it’s something that I really love to do. Today, I thought I would share with you some ways to create three dimensional and realistic characters for your story. This post is mostly for beginners or people looking to hone their craft, but pro’s might find it helpful too.

1. Know your creation–and I mean, know everything about them. Their favorite color, favorite food, when they popped their cherry and how they feel about politics (if they even care). Not all of this information will be pertinent to your story and so all of it won’t be needed in the manuscript. But, the more you know about your character, the more capable you will be of introducing that person to your readers.

2. Character Profile Sheet--If you haven’t created one already, fill out a character profile sheet like the one found here. This will definitely help with step #1. Keep this as a reference while writing or during revisions.

3. Everybody has a past–even your fictional characters. I hate opening a book and feeling like the character never existed before the opening lines. Maybe they have some glimmer of a past, but you don’t feel like it was real.  I like to feel like I’m picking up in the middle of a character’s life or at an important moment in the course of their life, not at some random point when the person happened to be created. Everybody has a past, so make sure your character has one, too. This could be a scandalous past or a meek one, it’s up to you–as long as it feels like it happened.

4. Pick a model–find a picture of someone you think looks like your character. It could be an actor or friend or model. Study this image and come up with different ways to describe the person’s features. (This is particularly helpful when writing romance, since romance readers love elaborate descriptions.) This will help you create a visual picture in the mind of your readers.

5. Trivia Quizzes–get together with a trusted friend or relative who knows your story and do a trivia quiz. Asking each other questions back and forth will help you retain knowledge of your character’s stats. **It may be helpful to keep an answer key on hand, just in case.

6. Lather, rinse and repeat–While it may seem tedious, repeat these exercises for all main characters in your book. If the book is a romance, do it for the hero and the heroine (and their villain, if any). If it’s a book about friends, do this for each friend.

7. Character Interview–If you’re still having trouble gaining knowledge on your character, try doing an interview with them. Come up with some questions or Google some premade sheets. I’ve done this a few times and found it to be helpful, and at the very least, entertaining. This is also a great way to identify your character’s unique voice so you can incorporate that into your manuscript.

8. Motivation–Everybody wants something and your characters should, too. Identify what your character wants, and why they do the things they do. For example, in my new release Another Life, the protagonist Cameron is desperate to keep her secrets buried. Identifying what she was hiding and why was a major obstacle in writing the book, but without it the story made no sense. What drives your characters will drive your plot forward as well, and without a clear-cut motivation, your story could fall apart. Dig deep and ask yourself “What does (name) want most right now?” Do this for all key players in your story.

9. Obstacle–A person’s strength isn’t shown until they’ve struggled, and the same goes for characters. Now that you know what your people want, come up with ways to keep them from getting it. Is there that one person or one event that could mean total ruin for your character’s dreams? In Another Life, it’s Cameron’s ex, Julian. He’s the last person she ever wanted to see again, because he used to be her most trusted confidant and now that she’s kicked him to the curb, he has no reason to keep his mouth shut. For a character whose peace-of-mind hinges on secrecy, this adds up to disaster. What is it that will be your character’s downfall? Why is this the worst possible thing that could happen to them?

10. Triumph–What is the point in watching someone struggle, if it isn’t to see how they triumph? For Cameron, the solution turns out to be something as simple as being honest, but her moment of triumph will never come until she has the strength to do that. What inner-battles do your characters struggle with and how will they win the fight? Or, if your major obstacle is another person, how does your main character finally take the villain’s power away? This moment of triumph is your chance to leave a lasting impression on your readers. This will be one of the things they think about when they remember why they loved your book. Make it epic–it’s your chance to shine.

I hope you found these tips helpful. Do you have any questions about writing? Ideas for future posts? I’d love to hear them! If you enjoyed this post, please follow me on twitter or check out my amazon author page.

10 Reasons You Should Read Another Life

 

Cameron Baker has always felt like the punch line to a bad joke. She’s an orphan, borderline alcoholic party-girl and chronic screw-up, but the summer she turns eighteen, her life hits a new low. She wakes up after a drunken night to find out she’s married to her very manipulative frenemy, Julian. In a panicked frenzy, she packs her belongings and flees. On the run from the police as well, she seeks refuge with her two older brothers, whom she hasn’t seen in years.

Returning to her childhood home in a small town in Georgia, Cameron makes up an excuse about bonding with her brothers for the summer, and secretly tries to figure out how to get herself out of this mess. Though Cameron is seemingly safe, she can’t shake the urges to drink her pain away, and her brothers notice this quickly. As awkward and protective instincts fly in the wounded family, Cameron feels like the black sheep among them. She harbors more resentment about their estranged years than she initially thought. Shane, a reformed bad-boy and long time friend of the family quickly takes her under his wing. His belief in hope and second chances is just the ticket she needs to straighten out her life, and a reluctant romance blooms between them. Just as she’s about to settle in and allow herself some happiness, Julian tracks her down. His threat: leave with him, or he’ll tell everyone all of her dirty little secrets—and she has much more to hide than her marriage.
As the family struggles to accept each other, flaws and all, the past just won’t stay buried. With so many secrets to hide, it’s only a matter of time before it all blows up in her face. Her only way out is to admit the terrible truths she’s been running from, and finally face her demons, but will she be strong enough?

Since I know deciding to read a book can be a hard choice, I’ve compiled a few reasons that could tip the scales.

1.) It’s the little engine that could- I’ve been editing, rewriting, and trying to publish this book for 8 years! Everyone who is anyone in the business passed on it, some more than once. Obviously, I’m not the type to be stopped, so with today’s wonderful technology I published it myself. Aren’t you a little curious if it was worth passing on?

2.) Hot guys!– Lot’s of metaphorical eye candy in this one. Not only Cameron’s two love interests, Julian (a manipulative trust-funder) and Shane (a sweetheart mechanic) but she also has two hot brothers. One is love sick and pining for a girl who got away and the other is a cop. Who doesn’t love hot, tortured guys?

3.) Speaking of tortured…you’ll never meet a girl more tortured than Cameron. She’s a hot mess. Reminiscent of my favorite hot mess of all time…

R.I.P Katherine 😦 

4.) It’s a testament to the NA Genre–Another Life is a book that wasn’t possible to publish just a few years ago. Too edgy for YA and not right for Women’s Fiction. For so long, I thought the book just didn’t make the cut. Then the New Adult genre was born and boom….there’s a place for it at last.

 

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5.) Toxic relationships–the relationship between Cameron and Julian is reminiscent of Chuck and Blair (though I didn’t become a fan of Gossip Girl until recently). Julian will do anything to get under Cameron’s skin…and he always gets what he wants.

 

6.) Healing–but it’s not all just eye candy and hot hookups. It’s really a story of a family reconnecting after 12 years apart and rediscovering the healing power of family.

 

7.) It’s cheap!– It’s a good sized story (212 pages) and only 1.99 per kindle copy. So you save…

 

 

8.) It’s a series–It’s the first in a series and you can start today. If you like it, you’ll get to watch these characters grow and change from the beginning. Lots of drama planned. 🙂

9.) It’s ebook only– so it’s good for the environment. Go green!

 

10.) You can download a free sample here.

 

Again you can buy the book or read the sample by clicking the picture below.

 

 

Any questions about the books or writing in general? Leave them in comment section below and I’ll respond ASAP. Happy reading 🙂

Collateral Damage is Here! (Sneak Peek Included)

I worked on this until my eyes went crossed and the characters infiltrated my dreams. Now, after almost a year of hard work, it’s finally here! Collateral Damage went live last night and it’s on sale for just $2.99! This book is very special to me, not only because I love the story and the characters, but also because it marks my first release since I lost all of my work-in-progresses (including the original version of Collateral Damage) in a house fire. It took me awhile, but I’m back. And Collateral Damage is better than ever. See for yourself, you can buy it right here. 

Aren’t familiar with From the Damage books? It’s an emotional, eye-opening story about a group of teenagers who are brought together by a support group. Each one dealing with their own problems and situations, they aren’t exactly thrilled about therapy or letting each other in. Their ambitious young counselor goes above and beyond to prove they can trust her, in hopes they will let her help them. 

Not convinced you want to buy it? Here’s a sneak peek. 

Kendall walked around the park, located only ten minutes from Clearwater Elementary. She hadn’t been there in years, and was surprised by how different things looked. In her memories, she saw it differently. Or maybe she imagined it differently. She wasn’t sure which.

Mulch cracked under her feet as she moved past the see-saw and continued to the slide, nursing on a large bottle of liquor, teetering around the half-way point and soon to be gone. She sat down at the foot of the slide, resting her elbows on her knees and tilting her head to look toward the swing set.

It was perfectly still, like a picture or a freeze frame and not something real. Even the leather seats dangling by chains didn’t sway in the cool breeze. The tall and thick wooden frame cast an elongated shadow across the ground, highlighted by the streetlight a few feet away. And behind the swing set, shrubs led the way to a thicket of trees, the trunks and branches forming impenetrable shadows in the dead of night.

She shivered as she looked into the darkness. Then, tilting her head back, she took another long gulp of alcohol and relaxed against the slide. Trying to stare up at the sky, she felt her attention being drawn toward the woods. It was really starting to creep her out, even before she heard the soft footsteps on the sidewalk.

She didn’t move a muscle, didn’t budge an inch, didn’t take a breath, like her sole purpose right now was to remain invisible, unseen. Protected. Soon, a shadow stretched out alongside the slide, stretching further and further as the footsteps came closer and closer, until she could make out a tall, slender man.

By now, she knew she’d been detected, but she still couldn’t move. Still stuck in panic-and-hide mode, she stayed perfectly still, but her mind raced with a million different paranoid questions about the man, his intentions in the park, and most importantly, would he hurt her?

Turning, Seth’s face came into the light and she released the breath she was holding, but didn’t get up. “Scare the hell outta someone why don’t you?”

“Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t know you’d be here.”

“Why are you here?”

He shrugged, looking around. “I come here all the time.”

Still laying on the slide, she sat up just enough to take a drink and then let her body slouch back down again. “That’s morbid,” she said, coughing against the bitter taste of alcohol.

“I know.” He reached down and took the bottle from her hands, taking a drink of it before he repeated softly, “I know.”

She looked toward the swing set now, watching as the swings swayed gently in the cool breeze, hearing the chains rattle. “I came back here for a reason,” she said, looking up at him. “To figure out what happened back then.”

“Kendall, what are you talking about?”

She sat up on the slide, reaching out to take her alcohol back. {EDITED FOR SPOILER}

He simply stared at her, like he didn’t understand at all, or he didn’t care. His voice was quiet and calm as he said, “It’s in the past. Just let it go.”

She stood up and crossed the mulch until she came to the balance beam. Taking a good long look at it, she passed the bottle of Jack over to Seth and pushed up her sleeves. Lifting herself on to the beam, she placed her feet heel-to-toe and stretched her arms out for balance. Taking her first step, she said, “I’m hoping that putting the pieces together will help me do that.”

“We swore we’d never talk about it.”

“Back then. But things are different now, Seth.” She looked down at the wooden plank as she steadily crossed it. “I need to know.”

“Trust me, you don’t.”

Reaching the end of the balance beam, she turned to face him and started back the other way, teetering a little from her buzz. “Why not?”

“You just don’t, okay?”

“I’ll decide that,” she said. “Just fill in the blanks for me, okay? Seth, please?”

“Kendall, I can’t,” he said. “I won’t.”

She stopped in front of him, staring down at him from her spot on the balance beam. She couldn’t believe he would deny her this, something she had every right to know. Something she desperately needed to know. Finally, she reached out, yanked the alcohol from his hands and brought it to her lips. Tilting her head back, she chugged until every drop was gone. It took at least a minute, but she drank without even coming up for air. Her head swam when she finished, and the world blurred in and out of focus. She coughed against the acrid taste, but soon the discomfort was gone, leaving her with that floating, intoxicated feeling she loved. The numbness she was always searching for.

Seth filled most of her vision as he looked at her with that knowing, slightly disappointed but compassionate expression, and it made her hate him.

Who was he to act like he understood her, when he didn’t? If he did, he’d give her the information she needed, so she wouldn’t always have to wonder what was real and what wasn’t. The not knowing was killing her, driving her to choices like the one she’d just made. A choice she was beginning to regret as the liquid swirled in her stomach, burning like it might come right back up.

Acting on her hate toward him, she hurled the bottle at him, missing wildly. The glass hit the mulch with a soft thud.

“You have…half…haveta…” her tongue was heavy and her voice slurred. She swayed on her feet as her head started to spin faster. And suddenly, the scene was shifting, the mulch filling her vision as she tumbled forward, the ground rushing toward her. Jutting out his arms, Seth caught her, one hand behind her knees, the other behind her back. Before she even realized she was in danger, she was safe in his arms. Wrapping an arm instinctively around his neck, she leaned into his ear, but couldn’t quite lower her voice to a whisper as she said, “Tell me.”

Locking his gaze on hers, he studied her, gaze raking over her in an expression hinting at a bond that was much deeper than they were supposed to share.

Like an expert, she detected the lust in his eyes and used it. Biting her lip, she raised an eyebrow suggestively. “I’ll do…anything.”

He narrowed his eyes, looking shocked and a little disgusted. But the second the words were out, she felt sick. She felt the liquor burning her stomach and her throat as it rose higher and higher…

Just in time, Seth dropped her to her feet and turned her to face the balance beam. She dashed over to it, grabbing on to the wood as she leaned over and puked on the other side. Seth reached up to hold her hair back and out of the way. Her head spinning, whirring with dizziness and fatigue, she puked for what felt like hours. When her stomach was finally empty, she wiped her mouth and sat up, leaning her elbows on the beam. Letting her hair fall, Seth stepped back, looking at her sympathetically.

“I have to know the truth,” she whispered. 

He was quiet for a minute. Finally, shaking his head, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a package of gum and handed her a piece. After she took it, he crossed his arms and looked at her, choosing his words carefully. “The truth is a tricky thing. It’s complicated. It hurts people. And I think you’ve been hurt enough.”

“My hero,” she spat, standing up. She turned, aiming herself toward the sidewalk and took a step. Though she was stumbling and swaying, she headed toward the park exit.

“Kendall, wait. Come on,” he called, still over by the balance beam. “Where are you going?”

She reached out, placing her hand on the swing set frame for balance. Looking over at the swings, she remembered the first time she’d met Seth. They were ten or twelve, and she’d been playing here by herself while her mom was ‘at the store’ which was code for meeting her drug dealer. He came out of nowhere and offered to push her swing. Charming and playful, he’d made her crush on him almost instantly. She’d never stood a chance.

Pressing a hand against her stomach, she felt like she was going to throw up again. Seth came up behind her, grabbing her shoulders, making her heart leap into her throat. Stifling a scream of surprise, she jumped, spinning around to face him and pulling back at the same time.

Alcohol amplified the motions, making her dizzy. She lost her balance, stumbling back, and grabbed onto the swing’s chain. Wrapping her fingers around it, she held tight, like if she let go she might lose herself completely. Her heart pounding wildly, she glared at him. “Don’t do that!”

He just stared at her, a pitying gaze scorching her skin. Finally, he said, “You’re a mess.”

“And you’re so perfect, aren’t you?” Her glare deepened, filling with resentment. “With your stupid football games and your perfect little girlfriend and all those people, willing to do whatever you say. It’s almost like you’re trying too hard to seem normal. No one would ever guess that you’re exactly like me.”

“You’re drunk,” he said, stepping forward. “You need to let me take you home.”

“Home?” she repeated, laughing. “Yes, please take me home so my dad can yell at me about how irresponsible I am, so Kelly can act like she’s better than me and her mom can sit there and watch. Please, by all means, twist the knife because I’m still breathing!”

He didn’t flinch at her outburst, he just came a little closer. “Is it that bad?”

She knew she was drunk and emotional and rambling, but she couldn’t stop herself. Tears clouded her eyes as she uncontrollably over-shared. “I don’t belong,” she whispered. “Not with my mom, not with dad and his new family. And I definitely don’t fit into your world. So where does that leave me?”

He stepped back. “I guess that’s something you’re gonna have to figure out.”

She watched, waiting for him to say the magic words that she did belong with him. That he cared about her, or something. But he just turned, shoving his hands into his pockets and walked away, leaving her alone in that shadowy park haunted by the ghosts of their past. 

 

Again, you can buy the book here.

For more information on From the Damage, visit the series website. 

Cover Reveal!! “Collateral Damage”

It’s finally here! Genna and I have been working very hard to bring readers this third installment to the popular series “From the Damage”.  Some of you may remember production was delayed last year when the first draft of this book burned in a house fire. (Ouch) But it was so worth it, because Collateral Damage is darker, funnier, sexier and more ‘damaged’ than the previous books in the series. And did I mention that, for the first time in FTD history, Collateral Damage is a full-length novel? 

So what’s this book about, exactly? 

“New revelations, new love, and new heartache…

The teens from the Discover-U Center think they’ve been through a lot, but the drama has only begun.

Kelly’s stepsister crashes into town—literally—and steals the show. Quickly weaving herself into Kelly’s home, school and even her support group. Even worse: Kendall has a surprising history with Kelly’s crush, and another key player at Clearwater High. As the rivals clash, Kelly begins to suspect that behind Kendall’s bad attitude and reckless behavior is a front, covering secret so dark it’s never been spoken.

Ryder’s never been perfect, but when he discovers secrets about his past, including something so horrible it could permanently damage his relationship with Meagan, he begins to question his true nature. After the fallout, will he continue on the path of redemption, or return to his criminal ways?

Kay has lived under the thumb of her abusive father for too long, and with help and support from a budding flame, Alex, she’s finally feeling normal for the first time in her life. But when her mother’s double-life is exposed, Kay’s world is shattered, leading to a dramatic night that will change her life forever.

Daphne risks everything, including her career and her safety to help a patient in crisis, but is she too late?

In this exciting third installment to the “From the Damage” book series, relationships heat up and problems turn darker, and the lines between right and wrong are blurred. Will these teens ever find the strength to pull themselves from the damage?”

If you’re just now learning about the series, you’re just in time! As soon as Amazon approval comes through, Opposites Attract and Coming Clean will be on sale for just .99 cents each!

Stay tuned for updates on this and the release of Collateral Damage by subscribing to the blog or following us on twitter.