WAITING FOR THE STORM Excerpt

WAITING FOR THE STORM comes out two weeks from tomorrow! AAH!!!

I’m excited and terrified and just basically a bundle of nerves. Even though this is my third novel, I’m beginning to think those nerves will never go away.

Today I'm finally sharing the very first excerpt from the book. I hope it'll pique your interest and maybe even convince you to add the book to your TBR if you haven't already!

Charlotte O’Dell knows this summer is going to suck. Her beloved mother just died, her sister hates her, and her dad has completely checked out. Fulfilling her mother’s final wish, the family heads to Angel Island for the summer to stay in a beach house her mother once loved.

After a year of being shut away taking care of her mother, Charlotte is numb and practically afraid of her own shadow; she hopes going to the island will give her the time and space she needs to begin healing, and an opportunity to bring her family back together. When she meets her mysterious neighbor, Ezra, it doesn’t take long for Charlotte to confess the issues she’s developed. Ezra begins giving Charlotte assignments to get over her fears, and although she accepts his tasks, all she really wants is to be with him. When she’s with Ezra, she’s able to forget the hollow ache in her heart and the fact that her family is falling apart. But Ezra has secrets…

Can Charlotte pull what’s left of her family together, mend her broken heart, and allow herself to fall for Ezra? Or is it all just a storm waiting to happen?

His mouth turned up slightly, but his eyes were sad. “I told you I understood better than you could imagine.”

“Two peas in a pod,” I murmured. What had happened in Ezra’s life to bring that haunted look into his eyes? He worked so hard that sometimes I thought he tried to stay busy not just for the money, but also to keep his mind occupied. There were times when I’d watched him work and he’d be intent on the job at hand, but his eyes would be distant, his jaw tight.

“A pair of tortured souls,” he joked lightly, squeezing my hand. I expected him to release it then, but he didn’t, and we sat like that until the sun was long gone and the sand underneath us began to cool.

When his phone beeped, he tensed beside me, and I knew my reaction mirrored his. He cast me a rueful glance as he pulled out his phone and checked it briefly before stuffing it back in his pocket. “I’m really sorry…”

I waved him off. “Don’t be. I’m used to it by now.”

He looked almost hurt by my words. “I hate to leave you, especially tonight. I…I know it couldn’t have been easy for you to tell me about your mom’s death.”

He was right; it wasn’t. He was the only person I’d told. Even Dad thought I’d just been waiting for him to return home. He didn’t seem to think it was strange that I was waiting outside in the middle of a raging storm, but then he’d had more important things on his mind at that moment.

“I wouldn’t leave if I didn’t have to.” Ezra’s eyes were pleading, as if begging me to understand that he didn’t want to leave, he had to. Even though he wouldn’t tell me why.

“It’s okay, Ezra,” I sighed. “Honestly. Go.”

He nodded slowly. He gave my hand another squeeze before releasing it and getting to his feet. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay? Maybe we could go to Angelo’s and grab a slice of pizza for lunch.”

“Sure,” I said, forcing a smile. “See you tomorrow.”

He headed off across the sand, and as I watched him go, something in me shifted. I was tired of whatever secret he was keeping. I was tired of spending the entire night wondering where Ezra went and what he did. If he was into something bad, I needed to know sooner than later.

Plus I couldn’t stand the idea of another night by the bonfire with strangers, then going back to my room and sitting there for hours with no company other than a book and the moon. Not after exposing such a raw wound to him. “Ezra,” I called, jumping to my feet. When he looked over his shoulder, I blurted, “Take me with you.”

He stood frozen for a few seconds, then took a step back toward me. “Charlotte…” He stared at me for a long moment, his expression conflicted. Finally he let out a long sigh. “I don’t know if it’s something I want you to be around.”

My stomach dropped. He really was a drug dealer. Before cell phones had become so popular that almost everyone had one, my dad used to joke that they were only for doctors and drug dealers. Ezra never bothered with his phone during the day, but the minute it went off at night, he jumped up and took off.

“Take me with you,” I repeated. I glanced up at my window, imagining myself sitting there for the next few hours, unable to sleep, my mind racing.

He followed my gaze and sighed again as if reading my thoughts. “Fine. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

If you’re a blogger who would like a review copy of WAITING FOR THE STORM please email me at irishstar_83(at)hotmail(dot)com. Just tell me the name and link of your blog  and what format you’d prefer (pdf, epub, or mobi) and I’ll email it to you as soon as it’s ready. 

Also, on the release date I’m going to be putting up a giveaway as a thank you (and incentive) to reviewers - anyone who reviews WAITING FOR THE STORM in the first month will be entered to win a swag pack. It’s pretty cool if I do say so myself. Even though this is my third novel, this is the first time I’ve ordered swag, and I think it’s beautiful. So if you’re interested in reading and reviewing the book, be sure to email me!

*Note - for those people who have a review waiting list and won’t get to the book for a few weeks or even months, I’ll be having more giveaways, so don’t worry there’ll be more chances to win!

 

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