Sunday, April 30, 2017

Cover Reveal: Cloudy Mirrors by Shane Robert



Cloudy Mirrors by Shane Robert
A Standalone Novel
 Romantic Suspense Novel
Releasing June 5th!


Addiction—I can’t beat it without you; I can’t beat it with you.

When I’m with you, I’m addicted.
The way you taste, feel, and burn will forever be my favorite.

The way you messed my life up is exactly what I asked for.

I had the perfect life but was starving for something more.

Then I met you.

A perfect disaster I couldn’t get enough of no matter what the cost.

Shane Robert spent his whole life a Michigan native until he entered the United States Air Force after high school graduation. Traveling from San Antonio, Texas to Biloxi, Mississippi, he eventually found a new home as an Air Traffic Controller in Salt Lake City where his tower overlooks the mountains of Utah. 

He spends the summer playing soccer and the winters skiing while studying Counter Terrorism at American Military University. You can often find him in the tattoo shop adding to his collection, or writing on his sofa with his feet up and the XBOX on in the background. If there's one thing he's good at doing, it's living in the moment.


Audiobook Review: The Good Spy Dies Twice (Bullseye Book 1) by Mark Hosack

Author: Mark Hosack

Narrator: Mark Hosack

Length: 10h 19m

Publisher:Wide Awake Audio⎮2017

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Release date: Jan. 19, 2017


Jake Boxer, investigative journalist and host of the conspiratorial news show Bullseye, is in serious trouble. Not only is his soundman murdered by Russian intelligence agents while reporting on a secretive New World Order, but his network cancels his show, leaving Jake humiliated and spiraling into a deep dark depression. Years later, a condemned murderer, who claims he was abandoned by the CIA, and who starred in an early episode of Bullseye, is finally executed for killing two supposed Soviet spies back in the 1970’s. Jake Boxer, still trying to piece his life back together, is on his honeymoon in a posh ski resort in the Alaskan mountains when he gets word of the inmate’s execution . . . and the old killer’s final words: “The good spy dies twice.” Those five words, seemingly meant for Jake, draw the ex-reporter from his forced retirement and into a complex and deadly global conspiracy involving his newlywed wife, the secretive New World Order, and the hotel’s hundred or so “guests.” Everyone is a suspect. Described as James Bond in a Stephen King novel, THE GOOD SPY DIES TWICE is the explosive first book in the Bullseye Series. Part spy thriller, part whodunit, this fast-paced novel introduces an exciting new hero, the intrepid, conspiratorial journalist, Jake Boxer.

Buy on AudibleAmazoniTunes

Mark Hosack is the author of THE GOOD SPY DIES TWICE (Book 1: The Bullseye Series, nominated for the 2016 RT Source Award), and IDENTITY (Simon & Schuster). He also wrote on the web series SEQUESTERED for Sony Crackle, the screenplay for GIVE 'EM HELL, MALONE (Thomas Jane, Ving Rhames), and he both wrote and directed the award winning independent film PALE BLUE MOON. Mark lives in Los Angeles with his wife and a brood of gremlins who insist on calling him Dad.
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Hosack did an amazing job on “The Good Spy Dies Twice.” I couldn’t get enough and was up late listening every night until I was finished. The plot kept thickening and getting more intense and the characters were extremely well written and felt real to me. The audio was done very well with the deep tone of Hosack’s voice which made the story even that much better. Overall, I highly recommend this book. 
 
How did you come up with the title?


Well, I had many titles for this one. The first being Titan… the second being The Scarecrow of Mad River (don’t ask)… the third, and longest-running, being Bullseye, and then, about a month before we published… The Good Spy Dies Twice.


I can’t get into the why without entering spoiler territory, but It’s a key phrase in the book and works on a couple of different levels.


Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?


If you ever find yourself trapped in a posh hotel in the remote Alaskan hotel with a bunch of questionable millionaires, your life is most likely in danger.


What books have most influenced your life?


I grew up reading fantasy - the Dragonlance series, Forgotten Realms, The Hobbit - and while I don’t read as much fantasy these days, I think the core ideas of these - the battle between good and evil - persists.


In high school, I was introduced to Kurt Vonnegut, which was a big game changer for me. I read everything he wrote. Around the same time, I discovered the Coen Brothers in film. That combination sent me down the path of dark comedy/satire for quite a while.


I didn’t start reading thrillers until my thirties. Out of them, Stephen King and Dennis Lehane are probably the biggest influences. I also found Hitchcock in my thirties - he’s also a big influence.


What book are you reading now?


All The Light We Cannot See.


It’s fantastic.

Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?


Oh sure - I just discovered A.S.A. Durphy, who wrote a great detective novel called The Thing Speaks for Itself, and a friend of mine, Michaelbrent Collings, somehow puts out a new book every few months. If you’re into horror/thrillers he writes really gripping stuff.


What are your current projects?


I’m wading through the next Bullseye book, of course, and editing a recently completed dark comedy.


If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?


I worked on this one a long time. And having narrated it the audiobook, I really poured over it. I was very happy with it when we released it. Sure, there are things I'd change, but if I concentrated on that, I’d never produce anything new. So I try not to think about it.


Can you share a little of your current work with us?


Sure, the Good Spy Dies Twice is part thriller, part mystery. It’s a different sort of spy thriller. It doesn’t star a spy but rather a disgraced journalist trying to redeem himself after an on-air nervous breakdown sinks his ratings, then his show. It’s probably as much psychological thriller as it is spy thriller--for a good portion of the book, we aren’t sure if Jake’s suspicions are rooted in reality or conjecture. There’s a big Hitchcock / Stephen King element in the claustrophobia of it all--him being stuck in this hotel in the dead of winter. When I started this one, I’d just completed a bunch of action screenplays, and I think I was a bit burned out by explosions and gunfire, so I wanted to write a book full of suspense, and very little in the way of “action on the page,” to see if I could maintain a sense of dread throughout.


Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?


The last third of a book or a script is always the hardest for me. I usually charge out of the gate like a racehorse, then flounder for months, rewrite after rewrite, outlining / notecarding / etc figuring out how to piece it all together to make a compelling ending.


Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?


Right now it’s Dennis Lehane - he writes with a tremendous sense of impending doom, probably because his characters are so well realized.

Do you travel much concerning your book(s)?


For my first book, Identity, I spent about a week crisscrossing San Francisco, learning the city. I visited a lot of old hotels in San Francisco and Los Angeles for The Good Spy Dies Twice, but sadly never made it to Alaska.

What was the hardest part of writing your book?


The toughest part was working through the last act. That’s always the hardest for me.


What were the challenges (research, literary, psychological, and logistical) in bringing it to life?

It’s all hard! Well, not all of it. The beginning, as I mentioned above, is usually a rush. But really I suppose the hardest thing is making a habit of it. I’m a big believer in writing every day, if possible, but it doesn’t always happen for me. I think the best analogy for writing is to imagine you’re a car on a dark highway with your lights on - you can only see what’s in your headlights - and you don’t know what’s at the end of the road until you get there. The only way to get there is to write the damn thing. Along the way, you gotta keep your foot on the gas, fix the flats and make sure you don’t overheat so you can get there. This one started as a script, then turned into a book, which I rewrote several times. All told, it probably took a few years to write. That’s a long road to drive! But there are lots of good folk driving down their own roads right next to yours - it’s good to meet them - if for no other reason than to learn which rest areas have the cleanest bathrooms.

 





  Apr. 18: Dab of Darkness 
  Apr. 19: Lomeraniel 
  Apr. 20: terriluvsbooks 
  Apr. 21: Spunky-n-Sassy 
  Apr. 22: Blogger Nicole 
  Apr. 23: Read Day and Night 
  Apr. 24: The Bookworm Lodge 
  Apr. 25: Desert Rose Reviews 
  Apr. 26: Read Day and Night 
  Apr. 27: Hall Ways 
  Apr. 28: Lilly's Book World 
  Apr. 29: Between the Coverz 
  Apr. 30: A Book and A Latte 
  May 2: Shh I Am Reading 
  May 4: 2 Girls & A Book 
  May 5: Holed Up In A Book 
May 6: Gota Love Books 
  May 7: Bound 4 Escape 


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Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Release Blitz: Moments of Joy by Ysa Arcangel

Moments of Joy by Ysa Arcangel
Contemporary Romance


With her family history of Alzheimer's and at great risk of acquiring the disease, Brandy Curtis always plays safe. She had always avoided commitments like the plague.

However, everything changed when she met Ivo, a gorgeous doctor with irresistible charm. He was just supposed to be another hookup, but he quickly became so much more.

It started as a one night stand which was followed by another, and another. The more nights they spent together, the more Brandy felt that life had given her something to live for.

The timing couldn't be worse. As her heart gets closer to Ivo, her memories begin to fade.

Will Brandy be able to actually have moments of joy with Ivo against the odds of losing herself into the recesses of her tangled brain?


Subscribe to the author's newsletter!
http://bit.ly/ysaarcangelnewsletter

— NOW AVAILABLE —



— ABOUT THE AUTHOR —
Ysa Arcangel, in real life, is a Spanish speaking GDS Consultant and mother to three amazing kids ages twelve, nine and six. 
Her alter ego is an attention seeking and a hopeless romantic author who melts over a tattooed hero with 6-pack abs. Underneath her rhino skin exterior lies layers of insecurities. She is a perpetual doubter of her own creation but extremely proud of her works. Her alter ego is extrovert and a social media junkie. And just like in real life a coffee addict.

She is the author of Underneath It All and Love at First Sit. She has also written an urban fantasy novella, “Nexus Series Book 1: Anathema”. She is a Filipino author based in Manila and a loving partner to a very talented chef. She is also a tattoo fan, giant dog lover and an extreme sports enthusiast.


— GIVEAWAY —
1 $10 Amazon Gift Card
5 eBook copies of Moments of Joy
1 Paperback copy of Moments of Joy

Monday, April 24, 2017

Promo: Dating the IT Guy

DATING THE IT GUY
Author: Krysten Lindsay Hager
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Published by Clean Reads

Emme is a sophomore in high school who starts dating, Brendon Agretti, the popular senior who happens to be a senator's son and well-known for his good looks. Emme feels out of her comfort zone in Brendon's world and it doesn't help that his picture perfect ex, Lauren, seems determined to get back into his life, along with every other girl who wants to be the future Mrs. Agretti. Emme is already conflicted due to the fact her last boyfriend cheated on her and her whole world is off kilter with her family issues. Life suddenly seems easier keeping Brendon away and relying on her crystals and horoscopes to guide her. Emme soon starts to realize she needs to focus less on the stars and more on her senses. Can Emme get over her insecurities and make her relationship work? Life sure is complicated when you're dating the it guy.




– EXCERPT –
He put the magazine between us, and when I moved forward to see it, he put his arm across the back of my chair. Now lots of guys did put their arms on chair backs, even Kirk did that with Rory, and he definitely wasn’t interested in her, but I couldn’t help but hope it meant something. I got this shivery feeling, and he asked if I was cold. I shook my head. I always got a feeling before something major was about to happen, and it has nothing to do with being cold, but I didn’t know why I got the feeling. Grandma used to do the same thing and always said, “Somebody just walked across my grave.” Somehow I didn’t think Brendon would understand if I told him I needed to move my future burial plot to a less high-traffic area.

“Are we still on for the art fair?” he asked.

I had only been circling it with hearts on my calendar since he asked.

“Sure, I think I’m still free,” I said.

We finished up our work, and he walked me out to meet Kylie.

“Okay, I’ll pick you up at three tomorrow,” he said, walking off.

“Can I ask a stupid question?” Kylie asked as soon as Brendon was out of earshot. “What’s he like? Because he’s so well-known, and I can’t imagine what it’d be like to grow up with your whole life under a microscope. I mean, my mom remembers his first birthday party pictures being shown on the news. And he’s hot, but he’s not like I-know-I’m-a-hottie hot, but more like a confident, ‘Yes, I am hot. Any questions?’ I mean, he has to have noticed there aren’t any guys who look like him walking around.”

“I should tell him what you said.”

“Don’t you dare,” Kylie said.

“I get what you mean—he’s grown up with everybody knowing his dad and watching him, but he’s pretty down to earth.”

“So what’s up with you two? You guys didn’t do any work last Saturday, and now you’re going to an art fair.”

“I dunno. He just asked me to go with him.”

“Asked you to go with him as his study buddy or asked you to go with him because he’s desperately in love with you?” she asked.

I said we were just friends, but she wouldn’t let it go.

“Okay, duh, obviously I like him, but let’s be honest. He’s out of my league. He’s out of most people’s league. It’s weird because normally if I like a guy then one of two things happens—either he likes me and asks for my number…or I find out he’s not into me and I cry in my pillow and listen to man-hating music for at least three days,” I said. “But this time’s different because he’s, I dunno, not just ‘some guy.’ I mean, I’m not putting up a shrine to him in my room, and I haven’t rooted though his garbage can, but I have as much chance of going out with him as Kirk does of getting an ‘A’ in this class.”

“You listen to man-hating music?” she asked, and I narrowed my eyes at her. “Whatever. Anyway, Em, he’s asked you out once already, and you are seeing him tomorrow. Plus, he’s always staring at you.”

I said he was probably just bored in class today, but she wouldn’t let it go.

“I’m not just talking about today. When we watched the movie on Monday, he watched you instead, and whenever I see you guys, he acts like there’s no one else in the room,” she said.

I couldn’t hold back the big, stupid smile spreading across my face. “He does? For real?”

She nodded. “You know, it’s weird. Here you were all upset you didn’t have a partner at the beginning of the semester, and then you ended up with like, Mr. Perfection, as your partner.”


Praise for Dating the It Guy:

“A sweet, endearing story—you’ll fall in love with Emme just like I did!” 
—Kimber Leigh Wheaton, YA/NA author

"Hager's authentic characters will resonate with readers of all ages as they are immersed in the story - complete with teen drama and angst, but also the relationships which make it all worthwhile." 
—Leslie L. McKee, book reviewer, Edits and Reviews by Leslie


— ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Krysten Lindsay Hager —
Besides mining her teen years and humiliating moments for her novels, ​Krysten is a also a book addict who has never met a bookstore she didn’t like. She’s worked as a journalist and writes young adult, middle grade, new adult, and adult fiction as well as humor essays. She is originally from Michigan and has lived in Portugal, South Dakota, and currently resides in southwestern Ohio where you can find her reading and writing when she’s not catching up on her favorite shows (she's addicted to American Dad to the point where she quotes episodes on a daily basis and also loves Girl Meets World). She's also a third generation Detroit Lions fan. 

Krysten writes about friendship, self-esteem, fitting in, frenemies, crushes, fame, first loves, and values. She is the author of True Colors, Best Friends...Forever?, Next Door to a Star, Landry in Like, and Competing with the Star (The Star Series: Book 2). Her debut novel, True Colors, won the Readers Favorite award for best preteen book. Krysten's work has been featured in USA Today, The Flint Journal, the Grand Haven Tribune, the Beavercreek Current, the Bellbrook Times and on Living Dayton.



What people are saying about Krysten’s work: 

From Teenage Book Recommendations in the UK: "This is a fantastically relatable and real book which I feel captures all of the insecurities and troubles which haunt the modern teenage girl. It is about a young model who has to go through tough times when she is torn between a life as a model and managing her friendships. You learn which friends she can most trust and which will create the drama typical of teenage life. Follow the life of Landry and try to see if you can find out which are her true friends before their true colours are revealed. This book is all about relationships, hopes and truth. I loved this book!" 

From Books & Authors Spot: “This book is such an inspiration for those who just care about their looks and are tensed about them. This thing is looks aren't everything. This book is related to every teen's problem. Hager has written a very inspiring novel.” 

“Krysten captures the teenage girl today. The struggles are real, the issues are something children have been dealing with since before I was a teen, and oddly-Krysten captures the readers! I was prepared for another "Mean Girls" story. This is NOT that. This is the real story of teenage girls! You watch Landry flower into a young woman who finds out trust is an invaluable item to find, and friendships are hard to seek genuine realism in. You will learn about relationships with not just friends, but peers, boys, and others. The details put into the book will draw you, and make the story so much more realistic. Krysten expresses emotions beautifully through her writing, and the story flows flawlessly…” By Candice J. Conway Simpson 

“True Colors, is just a dazzling story of how middle school kids show their true colors of jealousy, drama, loss and gains of friendship. However, the way Krysten wrote her story; she wrote it with passion, creativity and honesty that this story line could be placed in anyone's life at any age.” Review by Double Decker Books 

“Krysten Lindsay Hager understands what it means to be a teen today, and she writes with an authentic voice. Landry, the main character, is funny, lively, and very real. Readers will relate to her struggles with friends and family, self-esteem and self-discovery, boys and school and life in general. It's fun to read about Landry's blossoming modeling career and the changes it brings.” Review by Author Diana Jenkins

Saturday, April 22, 2017

Release Day Blitz: Four O' Clock by Josephine Traynor

Four O’Clock by Josephine Traynor
Series: Time Series #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release: April 22, 2017
Cover: Pink Ink Design


Charlotte and Chris were happy to play matchmaker for Ava and Patrick - they certainly didn’t expect to find love themselves.

Charlotte
I’m the kinda girl that’s looking for one night and not anything after that. I refuse to date. I’ve been down that road before and it ended in heartache. For now, I’ll focus on my designs, my business and me. That’s what I told myself until tall, dark and dimpled walked into my shop and everything changed.

Chris
I’m the kinda guy that girls only want for the night and even then, I make sure there’s no invitation for breakfast. Broke, living at my brother’s place while working in his kitchen - I’m not exactly boyfriend material.

Commitaphobes Charlotte and Chris have never felt understood. These two have so much in common, it feels like they have found the other half to themselves. Shying from relationships, they move into the unknown territory of being … daters.



— NOW AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE! 


Have you read book 1, A Quarter to Twelve

— OTHER BOOKS BY JOSEPHINE TAYNOR —
ROCK BOTTOM: AMAZON | iTUNES


— ABOUT THE AUTHOR: JOSEPHINE TRAYNOR —
I’m a writer with a dream of sharing the characters I see in my head with others and have you fall in love with them too. I have been a writer since I was a little girl and finally got brave enough to show my work to a friend. My friend asked for more and that, in turn, resulted in me showing a couple more friends, who told me this book needs to be published.

On the other side of the pen name, I’m a mother of two and that’s a big part of why I’m using a pen name. This is MY career choice, not theirs. It’s not about being ashamed of my work, far from it, I am super proud but I have a responsibility. The other reason is due to wanting to keep the focus on my work. For the lack of a better pun, I’m an open book, ask me anything, but I think my books are far more interesting than I am.

I think about writing and characters all the time. I love nothing more than sitting down at my computer, or even with my pen and notebook, to get my imagination down on paper. I try to create characters that feel like friends, people that the reader would want to know. I aim to write stories that not only give you a laugh, but have you thinking about your own life.

About the actual name – I’d chosen another name and found out that there is another author out there with the same name. Back to the drawing board, I chose my favourite name – which was Josephine. As for the Traynor part, I’d just finished reading Jojo Moyes’ Me Before You and Will Traynor’s choices and suggestions about living to the fullest and without regret was another push for me to follow my dreams.

Thanks for dropping by and I hope you fall in love with a few laughs along the way.



Friday, April 21, 2017

Review: 180 Seconds by Jessica Parks

 
180 Seconds by Jessica Parks
Release Date: April 25, 2017

Publisher: Skyscape
Genre: Teen & YA, Social & Family Issues
Source: Netgalley

Synopsis:
Some people live their entire lives without changing their perspective. For Allison Dennis, all it takes is 180 seconds…
After a life spent bouncing from one foster home to the next, Allison is determined to keep others at arm’s length. Adopted at sixteen, she knows better than to believe in the permanence of anything. But as she begins her third year in college, she finds it increasingly difficult to disappear into the white noise pouring from her earbuds.
One unsuspecting afternoon, Allison is roped into a social experiment just off campus. Suddenly, she finds herself in front of a crowd, forced to interact with a complete stranger for 180 seconds. Neither she, nor Esben Baylor, the dreamy social media star seated opposite her, is prepared for the outcome.
When time is called, the intensity of the experience overwhelms Allison and Esben in a way that unnerves and electrifies them both. With a push from her oldest friend, Allison embarks on a journey to find out if what she and Esben shared is the real thing—and if she can finally trust in herself, in others, and in love.

My Thought’s:
I’m not sure where to begin with 180 seconds except that I absolutely loved what Jessica Parks has written here. 180 seconds will make you laugh, cry, ponder about life’s problems as a young adult.
This book really hit home for me as it was always difficult for me to make friends, but that doesn’t bother me anymore. At least I try not to let it bother me. I’m an introvert and would much rather be at home reading a book curled up under a nice comfortable blanket. Allison has basically convinced herself that she’s better off alone and it gets to the point where she must choose to keep to herself or open up to people.

I loved this book and I haven’t read one in a while that I fell in love with like this. Jessica, you did one hell of a job on 180 seconds. You had me laughing and crying and really reflecting on my life. I highly recommend 180 seconds and definitely give this one five stars!          

Thursday, April 20, 2017

Review: Loving Summer by Kailin Gow

Title: Loving Summer
Series: Loving Summer #1
Author: Kailin Gow
Genre: NA Contemporary Romance
Release Date: April 17, 2017

***Soon to be a Film***

Love hits you when you least expect it, grabs you, sucks you in whole, and twists you around until you could hardly breathe. Love hurts like a sucker punch, that's both glorious and beautiful. Falling for Summer was like that for me, every time. - Nat Donovan
The Donovan Brothers
Two brothers as gorgeous as they are dangerous.
Nat Donovan, the older more responsible brother with the passion of a starving man. Knows what he wants, but knows he can't have it without giving up everything.
Drew Donovan, the really bad boy, the black sheep, the one who has a devil-may-care attitude, wants what he wants, but knows he would have to go through the ones he loves to have it.
Nat and Drew Donovan has known Summer Jones since they were kids. She had always been the girl next door who was best friends with their little sister Rachel and was cool enough to play with the guys. Now Summer is all grown up, gorgeous, and scorchingly sexy without even knowing it. Responsible older brother Nat, who had always tried to keep their friendship platonic, now can't stop thinking of her and wanting more. Carefree Drew, who had always had a crush on Summer, but knew Summer's heart was already taken, can only fall further for her. But no one had anticipated what would happen between the time the Donovan brothers fell for her and now. No one knew how hard they would fall.

My Review

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and don’t get me wrong she did a wonderful job but there’s some things wrong. First off, the writing doesn’t flow together very well. The characters are simple-minded. The wording and grammar is horrible. I had to go back and re- read sentences and change wording in my head to make it flow correctly. I didn’t like the huge love triangle where Summer was bouncing from three different guys.  However, I did like the overall story that Gow was trying to tell and I will be continuing to read the rest of the series to see who Summer ends up with. Lastly, I think Gow did a wonderful job with the overall story.


5 out of 5 Stars - Loving Summer touched on issues like divorce, illness, and self-respect. Gow was able to guide her characters through tough situations without making it too heavy for the first book in the Loving Summer Series. It's very possible that you'll be reduced to tears while reading the passion in the characters' words, actions, and motivations. There isn't anything cookie-cutter or simple about Loving Summer. - Lovey Dovey Books
5 out of 5 Stars - This is hands down one of my favorite books that I've bought for my kindle, EVER." - McKayla
5 out of 5 Stars - Finally a college age/young adult contemporary romance where the girl is strong, has a choice with her love and life, but still captures the vulnerability and femininity of a woman who can attract all kinds of guys, including the hot alpha guys in Loving Summer and all Kailin Gow fiction books. With balance and sensitivity, Kailin Gow writes women characters appropriate for today's modern contemporary world. - J. Hoover, University of Southern California
In the pool Drew laughs. “Grilling meat isn’t much of a culinary skill.”

He hauls himself out of the water; his muscles flat and well defined. I spend so much time training for volleyball these days that it’s easy to tell myself I’m just taking an interest in another fitness fanatic, but he does look gorgeous. Not as gorgeous as Nat, maybe, because there isn’t that history with us, but still pretty hot. His presence is hard to ignore, and I find myself taking him in from head to toe. 

He throws on his shoes. “If Nat’s showing off his ‘culinary skills’ I’d better go too.”

“Like that?” his brother says. “You’re wet, bro.”

Drew looks across to me and shrugs, those muscles of his moving in complicated ways. “You mind or do I need to change?”

I stare at him, then remember to answer. “A t-shirt would be good.”

“You don’t mind about the boxers?” Drew asks, and he moves a little closer to me. Is he trying to tease me? His boxers are wet, dripping, and cling to him like a second skin. My mouth nearly drops open. I can feel myself getting ready to blush, but I’m ready with an answer. “I didn’t notice them. I’m more interested in the water you’re planning on dripping on the rugs while you go through the house.”

Drew grabs a towel, and while he’s busy drying off, Nat takes my hand. “Come on,” he says. “We should get going, or there won’t be time to cook.”

“Hold on,” Drew insists, rushing inside. He comes out in just over a minute wearing jeans and another white t-shirt. Maybe he didn’t dry himself that well, but the t-shirt clings to his muscles.

“That was quick,” I say.

“With all those one night stands of his,” Nat explains, “he had to learn to dress fast. He has to get out of there before a girl can think he might actually care.”

I look at Drew and he shrugs again. “They know what they’re getting into,” he says. “Why complicate things with emotional stuff?”

“You’re a pig, you know that?” Rachel calls out from the pool.

“You want to join us, Rachel?” I ask.

She shakes her head, getting out of the pool and heading for a lounge chair near it. “I’m fine here. It’s going to be good having some time away from these two.”

“Then we should go,” Nat says. His hand is still in mine, and it’s so gentle and warm there. Compared to his brother, he’s a total gentleman.

The three of us drive over to the nearest Trader Joe’s and Nat starts picking out food for the grill: corn-fed beef, scallops, fish. He seems to know what he’s looking for, and pretty soon, he’s filled most of a cart with it. By the time he’s done that, Drew has been around the store and comes back with a cart of his own, filled with soda, chips, hot dogs, hot sauce and more, exactly the kind of junk food he said they were going to get.

“Glad you remembered,” Nat said.

“Like I’d forget the hot sauce.”

While they’re doing that, I become aware of two things. The first is just how well the brothers still get along. It seems three years haven’t changed that. The second is that there are two girls around my age, maybe a little older, checking them out. I can’t blame them, but they’re pretty obvious about it, just watching them and talking in low voices to one another. One, a dark haired girl whose tight clothes do a lot to emphasize the curves she has, even comes over and pushes what looks like a slip of paper into Drew’s hand. They both walk off then, giggling.

“What just happened?” I ask.

Nat shakes his head with a smile. “Just the Drew effect. I’ll be back in a second. I just need one more ingredient.”

He heads off, leaving me with Drew. I look at him. “The Drew effect? Seriously?”

“I get it most places,” he says, starting to grin but then stopping himself. “Honestly, it can get pretty annoying.”

“Oh, poor Drew,” I say. Like pretty girls giving him their number is really a problem.

“I mean it,” Drew says. “Think about it. If I was a pretty girl, and guys were constantly coming up to me harassing me, judging me just by my body, that would be a problem. But because I’m a guy, that’s somehow okay?”

“So, girls just want your body?” I ask, as innocently as I can. After all, I’ve stared at him.

“Ever since I got in shape and made the football team…it’s been non-stop.”

“Why can’t you stop it?” I look around, hoping to catch sight of the girls and tell them to leave Drew alone, but they’re long gone.

Drew shakes his head. “It’s just what guys do. A girl throws herself at you, you go with it.”

“Nat doesn’t,” I point out.

“No, Nat doesn’t,” Drew agrees. “He never takes a chance. Never does anything. He wouldn’t know a good thing if it were standing in front of him.”

I’m suddenly, hotly, angry. Drew can’t talk about Nat like that. “Nat might not have your body, Drew, but he’s considerate, kind… he wouldn’t do anything to hurt a girl.”

I can feel tears starting to form in my eyes. Why? Why should they?

Drew takes in a slow breath. “Look, I’m just trying to be honest, Summer. I’ve forgotten what it’s like to have a girl around me who only wants to be friends. Except Rachel, every girl my age is suddenly a prospect.”

“Well I’m not,” I say sharply. “I’m not the kind of girl who could sleep with a guy without it meaning something, the way it works for you, so I guess you have one girl who’ll never be anything else. Besides…”

I glance over at where Nat is still hunting for his missing ingredient, his height making him easy to spot.

“You’re still into Nat,” Drew says, “so even if you were that kind of girl, you wouldn’t be into me. Three years, and you still love him? Summer, let him go. He’s not ever going to feel that way about you.” 

“You don’t know that,” I insist.

“I’m his brother,” Drew says. “I know.”

Nat comes back, a jar of something in one hand and his cell phone in the other. “I know,” he says, “Chrissy, I miss you already. No, don’t worry, there’s nothing here that could ever make me forget you.” Chrissy? 

I push the shopping cart away, heading down the ice cream aisle. After this, I’m going to need it.

“I was trying to tell you,” Drew says, keeping pace with me. “Nat has a girlfriend.”

“He knows how I feel,” I insist.

“But he still isn’t with you,” Drew points out. He puts a hand on the cart, bringing it to a halt. “You need to move on, or this summer is going to be a hard one for all of us.”
Kailin Gow is an international award-winning author, producer, woman director, and spokesperson for charities who hopes her stories will inspire women of all ages to become their most beautiful, independent, and happy self. Currently the Program Director and Emcee of the Celebrating Lives, Fighting Cancer International Musical Charity Concert Benefiting the American Cancer Society held at the Pasadena Civic Center (home of the Annual Emmys Awards) to be televised to over 25 million viewers worldwide, she is also a recognized humanitarian. Goodreads calls her an "Innovative Author" and "Author Influencer" during BEA 2014 where she was a speaker. Amazon profiled her on the homepage and also in their book, Transformations. She has written and published over 300 books under "Kailin Gow" and more under pen names since 2001, selling over 5 million books in multiple genres such as Thriller, YA, Fantasy, Sci Fi, Contemporary Romance, Erotica, New Adult, and Non-fiction in multiple languages. An indie publishing pioneer, she has written for and been quoted in Fast Company and Huffington Post as a publishing authority, and have appeared in the top radio shows as an authority on Women's image and self-esteem. USA Today recommends her steamy thrillers, while PBS Kids recommend her fantasy YA books. Internationally, she was featured on the front page of The World Journal, the largest Chinese-language newspaper outside of Asia, as an Author Phenomenon and been a speaker for Asian Week. Noted as a top bestselling author of YA and Contemporary Romance on CBS TV, she has won the Reader's Choice Nomination in Fantasy/Sci Fi from the ALA YALSA for her Bitter Frost Series, the Benjamin Franklin Silver Award for her Dystopian Thriller- The FADE Series, for Best in Class, and the Best in Erotica Award from the NIEA for The Protégé Series. Bitter Frost was made into a mobile game and adapted into an animated film that was released on Amazon Prime TV and more channels in March 2017. PULSE Vampire Series, The FADE Series, and the Wordwick Games Series were also adapted into animated films that released on Amazon Prime TV and other channels in February and March 2017. Her bestselling Romantic Thriller and Family Saga, The Loving Summer Series, is currently in development as a Featured Film. 
In 2016 and 2017, Kailin Gow completed and hosted an entire season of the popular KAILIN GOW'S GO GIRL Travel, Food, and Lost History show that is on Amazon Prime TV. She just completed an entire season of hosting and directing the tv series, KAILIN GOW: THE CRAZY ONES, a series where Kailin presents and analyze past and present day innovators who have disrupted business and society with their innovations, and the animated superhero series, Super Supers: No Fan of the Ban.
She enjoys hearing from her readers at http://www.facebook.com/OfficialKailinGow

Her film and tv news can be found on http://www.imdb.me/kailingow

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