Book Bash Author Spotlight – Aly Martinez sent me two, and told me to choose one… hehe. Impossible. ;)

So like… once upon a time (just a few days ago) an author (Aly Martinez) sent me TWO scenes to choose from, for her “Book Bash Author Spotlight”.

*sigh*

Doesn’t she know I’m a book glutton?

Doesn’t she know I LOVED her “Wrecked and Ruined” series? Just take a look at my reviews. You’ll see —> Changing Course & Stolen Course.

And doesn’t she know I’m on the edge of my seat waiting for her next book? Doesn’t she know that there is NO possible way that I can choose between one of my most favorite, bone-chilling, heartbreaking, desperate scenes ever written… and a sneak peek at what she’s writing next? <— AND OMG YES to this one!!!

HA!

So you know what I did? I took ‘em both. No choosing. I refuse. Both MINE! OURS!!

*rubs hands together with devilish glee*

Note to authors:
Do not tell a book glutton to choose one. Impossible. They (—-> me) will take ‘em all!

So, first, I’m going to present to you, one of my absolute favorite scenes in her book (and in her entire series so far). In fact, it took me by surprise, that I connected to THIS one of all things. I even mentioned it in my review (and in the comments). It was just…. that… I dunno… harrowing? To me. YES.

Remember in my review, when I said this:

“OMG this one scene between Caleb and Sarah had me gasping… I can’t tell you it completely, because it is so moving and heart wrenching, but in a bad (sad) way, and you have to read it to fully experience the emotion in this scene. But when I recounted the scene to my husband, right to its very end (when he asked me about the guy who hates the “sister”), he was all… “Whoa.” I said, “Intense right?” He looked at me and said, “Exactly. Intense.”

I can’t look at her without my rage bubbling over.

“Please, Caleb. I need something, I’m dying here without her.” She all but crawls across the floor to my feet.

It catches me off guard to see this devastated side of Sarah.

I’m going to stop quoting it there (there is much more to it), but just know I will never forget it.”

Remember? And Jody agreed with me:

Jody: OMG that scene you mentioned almost killed me and at the end of it was gritting my teeth, cursing. If you know what I mean. Don’t want to give anything away. 

Well. The author sent it for us. Here. Right now.

So for those of you that haven’t read this series yet, I’m gonna give you a quick run-through. This scene is from book #2:

Two “guy” best friends, dating two “girl” best friends, and the girls crash on the way home one night. Nobody knows for sure who was driving, but one dies. And the one that lived pretty much lost her whole outgoing personality. She’s a wreck. And she’s mean as heck. And she is absolutely devastated by it, but doesn’t remember a thing…

And the guy that lost his girl, blames her. HATES her.

Ready?

**************

Stolen Course (Wrecked and Ruined)

“You are one selfish bitch, Sarah. Not three months ago, you killed the only woman I have ever loved. She was my f*cking life and you murdered her!” I roar so loud my voice actually breaks. “Then you show up on my doorstep, asking for her most prized possession? And you’re delusional enough to think that begging will actually make me to give it to you? If it were up to me, you would be rotting in a jail cell right now, but as it stands, you are prancing around town, while Manda is buried six feet under.” That admission hits me hard as my mind flashes to an image of Manda in a casket. I stumble over my words, trying to erase the image that can’t be unseen. “You need to really listen to me right now. I will spend the rest of my life trying to prove that you were drunk and driving the car that night. And when I do, I am going to take everything from you—the same way you did me.”

“I don’t have anything left for you to take.” Her chin begins to quiver as tears openly flow from her blue eyes.

“Oh, I think you do. Now get the f*ck out of my house,” I say, staring down at the floor with my hands securely on my hips. I can’t look at her without my rage bubbling over.

“Please, Caleb. I need something, I’m dying here without her.” She all but crawls across the floor to my feet.

It catches me off guard to see this devastated side of Sarah. I almost feel sorry for her for a split second, but just as quickly as that feeling passed over me, it disappears.

“Get out!”

“Please,” she whispers, still holding my leg.

I look down and lose whatever calm I thought I had. “You want her necklace?” I ask, and she immediately perks up. The tears still run down her face, but for the first time since she arrived, she appears to have some glimmer of hope.

I walk to my bedroom and pull Manda’s necklace off her nightstand. It’s been there since they handed me her belongings at the hospital. I stomp back into the den, where Sarah is standing, trying to collect herself. She is rubbing her fingers under her eyes where her eye makeup is running down her cheeks. My mind jumps to the million times I’ve watched Sarah and Manda swipe the makeup away after hours of drinking and dancing.

“Are you drunk right now?” I pause, edging toward the door.

“What? No!” she screams.

“You sure?” I ask again, pulling open the front door.

“I’ll never drink again,” she solemnly swears, but it does nothing to quell the flame burning inside me.

“Sarah, I’m going to destroy you the same way you did me, even if it’s the last thing I do in this life. Now get out,” I repeat as I extend my hand, showing her Manda’s half of the necklace.

Her eyes light before her whole face crumbles in despair. She rushes toward me, ready to claim her reward. But as far as I’m concerned, there will never be a reward for her. I turn just as quickly and sling my arm as hard as I can toward my front yard. Her eyes go wide while trying to track the necklace’s trajectory, but the darkness cloaks everything.

“No!” she screams, rushing outside.

I slam the door behind her and move toward the window to watch her scramble. She frantically starts searching the grass, collapsing to the ground for a better view. I watch with a sick sense of triumph as she pulls her cell phone out of her pocket for extra light. I smile to myself before walking back to the door, casually flipping off the outside lights and heading for bed.

I stay awake for hours, constantly looking out my window. Sarah must have combed every inch of that yard, and I took great pleasure in watching her look. By the time she finally relents, her knees are covered in mud and her face is streaked with tears.

Five hours after she pulled into my driveway, Sarah pulls out of it.

Thirty seconds after she leaves, I reach into my pocket, pull out Manda’s necklace, and gently place it back on her nightstand. Right where it should be.

*GASP!!!!!!!!*

OMG that just gutted me!!!!!!!! THAT… as much as I though I disliked (hated? Oooooohhh too harsh for me to say hate…) but you know —> Sarah (UGH!!), yet, this one made me truly feel her. And him. This is just AMAZING writing to me. Amazing emotion. Amazing hatred.

WOW, you guys MUST read this series!

Now… wanna see what’s next? From what I can tell, not at all from the same series, but sounds just as awesome!!

Among The Echoes

“Riley, you don’t always have to be strong.” He guides me into our run-down two-bedroom apartment.

“Neither do you,” I snap.

I walk inside, head straight for the closet, and slip out of my heels.  Suddenly, I feel him behind me. His hand starts at my collarbone and slides up my neck, forcing my head back to look up at him.

“Erica.” He whispers my real name so quietly that, if I didn’t know what he was saying, I wouldn’t have heard it at all. But I did hear it, and it sends chills through my entire body—quickly followed by tears. I rock back into him and immediately fold toward the floor. His strong arms catch me before I fall even an inch. “I’ve got you,” he whispers carrying me to the tattered couch. His brown eyes pierce into mine, and I try to lock down the emotions. But no matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to find the latch.

“Let it go,” he urges, reading my struggling body language.

I fight it for a few more minutes before finally releasing it all. I roll over to my stomach and bury my face in the pillow, sobbing. He rubs my back for hours as I fade in and out of sleep—waking only to cry some more.

Some hours later, I wake up dehydrated, starving, and with a splitting headache. I look down and find him sleeping peacefully at the end of the couch with my feet resting in his lap. I both love and hate this moment at the exact same time. Those moments shouldn’t cross for a person, but for me, they are dangerously similar.

“Dave.” I push against his leg, but he remains still. “Dave.” I nudge him again with absolutely zero reaction. Finally, I give up and lean in close. “Leo,” I whisper.

Knowing the drill, I quickly back away as he flies to his feet—fists raised and swinging. His eyes flash around the apartment before landing on me just a few feet away.

“God damn it, Riley!” he huffs.

“You wouldn’t wake up,” I try to explain.

“I don’t give a f*ck if I’m dead. You don’t call me that. Ever. Do you understand me?”

“Whatever. I’m going to bed.”

I hear him growl as I march to my bedroom. “Riley, wait.”

“Go to bed, Dave. We have to be at work in a few hours.”

“It doesn’t mean the same to me as it does you,” he says from my doorway.

“Get out. I want to change clothes.”

“Your name means something to you. But if someone knows mine, it just means that I’ve failed—and we’re both dead.” He runs a frustrated hand through his hair.

I suddenly feel ashamed. I know he’s right, but what he doesn’t understand is that sometimes I need to say his name. I need to be reminded that not everything is a lie.

WHOA!!!!! What IS THIS!??? Yep. Another must-read for me!