Of all the
people to contact me at five o’clock this morning. It’s like the universe knew
I wanted some normalcy and for me, normalcy is chaos.
I got a
call from an unknown number. Normally, I avoid them because…obviously (this is
2020).
But it’s
Jason’s birthday today. I had this insane hope that he would call – just to let
me know that he’s okay. I think about him every day. Wonder how he’s doing. If
leaving us was good for him. If he was happy wherever he was. So many times, I’ve
thought about trying to find him. But that would only push him further away.
Still, when
I got that call, I hoped that he was coming back to us on his own.
Nope.
It was
Heather.
Fucking
Heather of all people decided to call me at five o’clock in the morning. I
haven’t talked to her since we moved. She was understanding and we promised to
occasionally contact each other just to keep updated but we really haven’t.
This is the second time she’s called me at this number. The first was a text that
read “Merry Christmas”. She didn’t call me from her number, though.
That should
have been a bigger read flag.
When I
answered she was clearly drunk and babbling about feeling guilty for what she’d
done. I didn’t realize she was still feeling guilty for killing her husband –
that was over three years ago – I thought we’d worked past it. I thought I had
helped her.
I leave for
a couple of months and apparently, she spiraled hard. She said she missed me –
missed having her friend. She needed someone who understood what she’d gone
through.
She was
scared and alone and drunk at 5am on a Wednesday.
Needless to
say, I’m about to do something very stupid. I’m going to go pick her up.
It took
some coaxing to get her to tell me where she was but I think she’s asleep now.
I can’t leave her like that. I wasn’t lying: Heather is my best friend and,
yeah, I feel a little responsible for what’s she’s going through.
I didn’t
murder her husband but I didn’t help matters by letting her in on my world. And
then I left.
I haven’t
decided what I’m going to do when I pick her up but I have a few hours to
figure that out.
Maybe I’ll
take her out for ice cream? Maybe I’ll bring her back to the house. Not sure
yet.
So instead
of celebrating my son’s birthday with him, I’m going to go rescue my best
friend from herself.
Okay. I’m
over it. I’m over feeling sorry for myself. I’m over watching cooking shows all
day to come up with ways to make dinner interesting. I’m over waiting for
something to happen. This is my life at the moment – restless and frustrated at
the unknown. And there’s nothing to be done about it so I’m just going to keep
living my life.
I’ve
started looking for online temp jobs. Obviously, not a lot of places are
looking to hire someone at the moment but the internet never takes a break –
though it probably should sometimes – so I’m sure there will be something for
me to do so I can earn a little extra cash. Once this is all over, I can work
on finding a more permanent position since I didn’t really have time to between
the move and James’ injury and the whole global pandemic of it all.
I’m also
taking Casey out at least once a week so she can do her thing. It’s sounds like
I’m walking a dog but I’m actually fostering a serial killer. Honestly, the
death rates are so high, I don’t think anyone has noticed we’re fudging the numbers
a little.
She’s doing
well; coping with online homework and a bit of restlessness of her own. But she
seems to be doing okay. I hope that if there were something wrong, she would
feel comfortable talking to me or James. Though James isn’t around much.
He’s back
at work fulltime. Still need prison security so he’s got all the hours and he’s
working as much as he can for as long as he can.
In their
own way things are returning to normal. Or they’re evening out. Either way:
things are okay and they will continue to be okay because I said so.
I am so
excited that GILDED RUINS by Chantal
Gadoury is available now and that I get to share the news!
If you
haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author Chantal Gadoury, be sure
to check out all the details below.
This blitz
also includes a giveaway for a $10 Amazon GC courtesy of Rockstar Book Tours and Chantal.
So if you’d like a chance to win, check out the giveaway info below.
Summer and
Darce are summoned by the order of Zeus himself to travel to the home of the
Gods: Mount Olympus, where they're to face even more ancient Gods and
Goddesses.
Summer
braces to confront her mother again, illuminating secrets about the truth of her
tragic pasts, while also persuading Zeus to allow her to stay with the God of
the Underworld, her true love - Darce.
Aboard
Poseidon's luxury yacht, Summer meets her mythological family, while also
uncovering what exactly happened to her past lives - and the true roles her
mother and Darce played.
When Darce
and Summer suddenly find themselves separated, Summer must find her inner power
and unite them together, before her mortal time runs out.
What if you were the missing piece in
one of the world’s most epic legends?
Despite being an art history student, Summer isn’t thrilled to be stuck with
her archeologist family all summer in Greece. While the rest of her college
friends are posting a million selfies by the pool together, Summer is stuck
alone, trying to entertain herself alone in a place where she doesn’t even
speak the language.
Upon her arrival to Greece, strange dreams and even stranger shadows seem to
haunt Summer, leaving her to ponder the meaning of pomegranate seeds and
twisted, darkened faces.
Suddenly, her stay abroad leads to tragic twists, leaving Summer in the arms of
a dark stranger, who claims to be the god, Hades, whom she feels like she knows
from another life. In a whirlwind through the busy streets of Athens, Summer is
seduced to the lowest point of Greece where Hades’ lair awaits…the Underworld.
Determined to find out who she is and where she belongs in an age-old myth,
Summer joins Hades to discover that the secrets about her past life are beyond
anything she could have ever imagined.
“Have you heard the news?” Hermes asked as he came to pause in front of
Darce. “There’s been a slight change of plans.”
“Change?” Darce asked, brow arched. He crossed his arms against his chest
and shook his head. “What do you mean?”
“Do we get to go home?” I asked, doing what I could to keep the hope from
my tone. Hermes chuckled and shook his head as he leaned lazily against the
doorframe.
“We’ve been invited to the Mediterranean Sea.”
I didn’t miss the dark look Darce gave Hermes.
“The Mediterranean Sea?” I asked, wrinkling my nose. “What about—”
“Zeus thought it would be better for everyone to meet on more neutral
ground.”
“So he chose the sea?” Darce snorted, shaking his head. “Sounds more like
he couldn’t resist an invitation to Poseidon’s superyacht.”
“Wait a second,” I asked, looking skeptically between the two of them.
“Poseidon has a superyacht?”
The irony hadn’t been lost on me.
“Yes,” Hermes said, flashing me a smile. “It’s a beautiful ship. There
are several amenities I’m sure you’ll enjoy your time aboard. The hot tub is
one of my personal favorite places there.”
“I don’t think so,” Darce said, the muscles in his jaw tightening. “We’re
not going.”
Darce pushed himself from the wall and grabbed my hand.
“But—” I started, feeling unsure. Was it so easy to just turn around and
leave? Could we really go home? Just as Darce turned on his heel, and started
towards the door, Hermes cleared his throat.”
“You know you have very little choice in this, my Lord. You know if you
snub your brother, he’ll not resist punishing you, and her too.”
His words caused Darce to pause. Darce turned to look to Hermes over his
shoulder.
“He gave me no indication that we’d be meeting out at sea. It was agreed
that I would go to Mount Olympus. He demanded that she go there. . .” Darce
tried to argue.
“Certainly you do not oppose a more neutral place-”
“It’s hardly neutral, Hermes. You know that,” Darce hissed. “It’s a show.
All of this is a show.” I could hear the growl in his voice as he slid his
hands to his waist.
“He obviously intends to make this meeting into nothing but a grand,
dramatic performance.”
Hermes seemed unbothered by Darce’s outrage. “I’m just the messenger.”
About Chantal:
Chantal
Gadoury is an Amazon Best Selling Author who is originally from the countryside
of Muncy, PA. Chantal likes anything Disney, plays a mean game of Disney
trivia, enjoys painting and has a interest in British History. Chantal first
started writing stories at the age of seven and continues that love of writing
today. As a recent college graduate from Susquehanna University, with a degree
in Creative Writing, writing novels is a dream come true.
The monotony
of life is getting me down. I wish I had better news, something uplifting but I
have to admit: this thing trapping me inside; I’m not enjoying it. Murder doesn’t
seem fun anymore. It just feels like a way to pass the time. How screwed up is
that?
I do, I
feel trapped. I feel stuck and I hate it.
I live with
uncertainties every day. I live with the knowledge that one day I could be
arrested or lose my family and I keep going. But this, this isn’t a threat, it’s
just a thing that’s happening. And I can’t do anything to change it.
I wish I
had a funny anecdote or some strange insight into my life but I’ve got nothing.
I almost didn’t write an update because I had nothing new to say.
But you,
dear readers, are keeping me afloat.
Every week
I write to you – or try to – and it’s not always perfect or coherent but it is
something I look forward to every single week. So, thank you, those of you who
have chosen to skirt the laws of morality and read my innermost thoughts.
When it
feels like everything is falling apart: this is something. I hope it’s enough.
I am thrilled to be hosting
a spot on the TATE'S TRUTH by international bestselling author Lilith Darville Blog
Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make
sure to enter the giveaway!
I have four destined mates. That all sounds like a great time if I
weren’t tasked with running a retreat infested with incubi, coping with a
suddenly out-of-control sex drive and calming jealousies among my guys. If only
I could remember our past lives, surely that would give me some insights into
how to bring us together this time around. And now all kinds of weird things
are happening. Why can’t the afterlife be easy?
TATE'S TRUTH is the fourth book in the gigglicious Sexy Sins
Retreat series, a sizzling paranormal rom-com with four irresistible guys and a
spunky heroine who doesn’t need to choose.
Lilith Darville is the
international bestselling author of dangerously delicious romance—paranormal
reverse harem, dark and contemporary. Her stories are guaranteed to make
readers flush and blush. She lives in Ontario with her beloved Hubster and
their somewhat challenged cat.
People.
People are just so dumb. I love it because there’s so many options for me. But…come
on, people.
You don’t
have to like the government but you need to listen to the doctors who are
trying to protect as many people as possible. And you certainly can’t get into
violent fights over face masks.
That’s
almost too dumb for me.
People can
be so self-serving – myself included – I’m just feeling so frustrated because
we’re all being punished for stupid people. Only I should be punishing stupid
people.
I went out
for groceries over the weekend and first of all, oh my god, the line was down
the block. There were signs near the front entrance that said we were required
to wear some sort of protective wear when entering the store because the
facility couldn’t guarantee safe distancing. Okay. I grabbed some gloves and
didn’t make a fuss.
But the man
in front of me, refused to comply and then refused to leave. He got into a huge
argument with the security guard which ended in punches being thrown and then
the police escorted him off the property.
People.
I was so
angry with that asshole, I cut out of line to follow him a couple of blocks to
another store. I waited by his car until he was coming back with a bag full of
food and I just stabbed him.
And then
took his groceries because he wasted my time.
Stuffed him
in his own open trunk and drove off.
That man
ate a lot of frozen food. No wonder he was so grumpy all the time.
So we’re
eating a lot of frozen pizzas this week but it’s not as though we’re entertaining
guests.
I just.
I hate
stupid people. Even when they’re easy to kill.
Because
stupid people ruin it for the rest of us and make us eat frozen vegetarian pizza.
Today Lynn Veevers and Rockstar Book
Tours are revealing the cover and an exclusive content for EDEN’S ECHO, her new
Own Voices YA Romantic Suspense Book which releases May 15, 2020! Check out the
awesome cover and enter the giveaway!
RWA (CIMRWA) ELEVATION OF LOVE 1ST PLACE WINNER
2018
True love knows no boundaries, it sees no color,
even if that love is forbidden. Believing that got Eden’s mom, Echo killed at
the age of sixteen, and the identity of Eden’s father was one of many secrets
she took to the grave. Instead of moving on, Echo’s soul moved in. With her
mother’s presence in her body, Eden can feel Echo’s emotions and hear her
thoughts. When Eden tells, pseudo father, Uncle Daryl, about the voice in her
head, it takes her down a road that leads to a diagnosis of multiple
personalities. Now at seventeen, Eden has a secret love affair of her own with
Drew. If Uncle Daryl ever found out the consequences would rip them apart, but
that’s the least of Eden’s problems. As new clues surface surrounding her
father’s identity, Eden finds herself on a dangerous path that could answer her
paternity questions and the mysteries of her mother’s death, but at what cost?
Eden can feel the weight of the secrets Echo keeps from her—secrets that have
Echo’s killer returning after seventeen years with a mind to make history
repeat itself.
“You’re too far away,” he said, pulling at the sleeve of my baseball tee a
little harder.
Heat rose in my cheeks, and a ball of fuzzy flutter overtook
my stomach. I wiggled across the windshield and ended up exactly where I wanted
to be—comfortably settled in his arms. Dad was determined to make sure I kept
my virginity intact until I was married, by all means necessary. The temptation
that was Drew might very well make him fail. With all my physical reactions to
his nearness and the presence of my overbearing morals, it made me question my
affections and urges. Were they the real deal? What if they were simply
Wonderlust, yet another doubt good ol’ Dad had drilled in my head when I was
barely starting to look like a woman instead of a young girl. He’d said, “Any
feelings you think are love before you turn twenty-one aren’t really love.
They’re just lust.” I reined in the lustful, curiosity, and the
feeling of shame that quickly followed.
If Dad could hear my thoughts, I’d definitely be a goner. The
thought trotted through my mind, and I mentally shivered over the possibility.
But he can’t, and I won’t say anything if you decide to
bend his little rule. What’s life without a little rebellion?
I inwardly rolled my eyes and directed my thoughts toward
the same place.
Echo, even if you wanted him to, he wouldn’t hear you,
because only I can, remember? You exist only in my head. Besides, the reason
Dad is so strict is because of what happened to you. He is terrified your
history will repeat itself with me. Talk about living in someone else’s shadow.
You and I are nothing alike.
You know what they say, Eden, “Great minds...”
At that, I laughed mockingly within the confines of my head. Unlike
you, Echo, I’m responsible and think things through. You didn’t then and still
don’t.
I am too responsible, Echo whined, and I
do think things through. You wouldn’t be here with this boy right now if I
hadn’t.
Oh, you did, the resentment I felt toward her
rolled through me, sweeping any tact I may have used with her swiftly
away, then why are you dead, Echo?
My challenge was met with silence—I sensed her withdraw into
the deeper recesses of my mind and instantly felt guilty, something I knew she
felt too because of how our emotions were tethered and intertwined.
About Lynn:
Lynn Veevers is originally from
Washington State. An award winning author she is both traditionally and self
published. With her mother being from Christchurch, New Zealand and her father
being a well-traveled retired Navy Chief, Lynn has always had a fascination
with different cultures around the world. An avid reader, she prefers books
that take her to a place she's never been and teach her something new at the
same time. The Young Adult Genre is her absolute favorite to read, so it comes
as no surprise that it is also her favorite to write. Lynn, on average, pens
two to three novels a year.
Aside from being an author, Lynn is also
an award winning graphic designer, and an editor. You can see this side of her
here: https://www.storiedgraphics.com/
Today Lynn lives with her husband and kids in Southeast Oklahoma. Her young
adult and adolescent children are supportive and avid beta readers of her work
and give her a straightforward and honest point of view about how authentic her
characters voices and personalities are for their age group. What better
reference than someone close to the same age as the main character. Her kids
always have and always will be her greatest inspiration.
