Eve Carter's Blog
September 27, 2017
August 17, 2014
Deceived 5 released today!
Deceived 5 is out today!Download it today!So excited to let you know my latest book, Deceived 5 is released today on Amazon and Nook.Get it here:
Amazon US: http://bit.ly/Deceived5
Amazon UK: http://bit.ly/Deceived5UK
Nook: http://bit.ly/Deceived5BN
I was married to the man of my dreams and expecting our first child together. We had a thriving business and amazing friends. What more could I want?
When Chloe Swanson finally married Patrick Collins, she thought her life was perfect. Then her best friend, Elyse, starts dating race-car driver, Ricky, and everything changes. Fortunately, Chloe has a new friend: Ricky's cousin Nina, a rich, sophisticated woman who seems almost too good to be true. The question is, is anyone who they really seem to be? You can still get book 1 for free here:
Amazon: http://bit.ly/Deceived1
Nook: http://bit.ly/1qN8Oqs
July 28, 2014
Raw Temptation Released
Raw Temptation Released!Big Release Sale!So excited to tell you that my new book Raw Temptation is now available. To celebrate you can now get Book 1 Pure Temptation for only $0.99 the first week while Raw temptation is $2.99 (normal price will be $3.99)Get the books here:
SALE $2.99Amazon US: http://bit.ly/RawTemptationAmazon UK: http://bit.ly/RawTemptationUK
Nook: http://bit.ly/RawTemptationBN
SALE $0.99Amazon US: http://amzn.to/19AczYsAmazon UK: http://bit.ly/PureTemptationUK
Nook: http://bit.ly/18xk97W
April 2, 2014
Carpe Diem - Jesse 3 Cover Reveal
Excited to reveal the cover for Jesse 3 - Carpe Diem, release April 25th. Love those blue eyes :)
December 17, 2013
Pure Temptation Release Sale
So excited to announce that Pure Temptation is released. The first week of release I am having a release sale. Get Pure Temptation for just $0.99 (Normal $3.99) this week only.
Download it here:
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1hZ8qlS
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1bOoRMV
Barnes&Noble: http://bit.ly/18xk97W
December 13, 2013
Pure Temptation update and blurb
I had hoped that I could upload Pure Temptation this weekend, but my editor had a slight delay. She now promised me that I will have the finished manuscript in my hands Sunday, so if everything goes as planned, I can upload the book to Amazon and Barnes & Nobel on Monday.
I am absolutely sure you will love the book. I am so excited about it.
The fascination of all things forbidden ignites pure temptation.
What would you do if you found a briefcase filled with 250,000 dollars? When the financially struggling college student, Danielle Carrington, stumbles upon just such a briefcase in a sleazy hotel room in Manhattan, she can’t resist the temptation.
She takes the money but soon discovers that it is connected to a deadly underground street fighting cartel. Fearing her life is in danger, Danielle jumps on the ‘Grey dog’ and heads south, ending up in a cozy beach town in South Carolina. There she meets the handsome twenty-four year old Harley rider, John Connors.
Dazzled by John’s sexy looks and hot tattoos, she finds herself once again tempted, this time with her heart at stake. Not until a bombshell of a secret reveals itself does she realize that the cartel is closing in on the money, putting not only her own life, but everyone else's, in danger.
Pure Temptation is a suspenseful New Adult Romance that will have you reading into the wee hours of the night.
December 6, 2013
Pure Temptation Cover Reveal and Prologue-Chapter 1
I'm excited to share with you the cover to my upcoming romance, Pure Temptation as well as the beginning of the book. Please note that this is not yet proof edited so there will be a few mistakes. Hope you'll like it.
Pure TemptationTempted 1ByEve Carter
Prologue
I hate the taste of blood. It’s a testament to the fact that I was still working in a suck-ass profession. My jaw ached like a mother from all the punches and kicks I had taken. It was a damn miracle my entire head hadn’t been shattered into a million pieces. It just felt as if it had been, right now. But the pain from my sore head was nothing compared to what was being inflicted on me now as the man standing over me poked my chest. “For Christ’s sake, Mike, stop poking me.”He removed his hands from my chest. “Luke, you have three broken ribs. You should praise yourself lucky that you are still alive.” He groaned and shook his head. Mike, “The Fixer,” Hammond had been salvaging my body after my fights for years. “I keep stitching you up and you keep getting hurt. You know living this way is a one way ticket to hell, right?”I snorted. “We are all on a God damn one way ticket, Mike. The only question is when do we get off? Just stitch me up, will you? I can’t stand the smell of this shithole locker room.”Before Mike could finish patching me up and before I could get my ass off his table, someone kicked open the door. It swung wide and within seconds a very angry and very contorted face loomed over mine. “What the fuck was that out there, Luke. I thought I told you to take a dive tonight. You just cost me fucking two-hundred and fifty thousand, you punk ass son of a bitch. I ought to crush your balls myself right now. ”“Go fuck yourself, Bruno.” I glared at him and spit on the ground. Nobody else dared talk to him like that. They wouldn’t live to see the next day.“Don’t you forget who you’re talking to, buddy. I’m the one who calls the shots around here. I’m the one who tells assholes like you what to do in this business. The underground fight circuit is your life and bread, and I own your sorry ass, Renegade. Don’t you forget it,” he shouted in my face, red veins popping out of his neck. He paced a few steps, one hand shoved in his pant pocket and the other one frantically tugging loose his tie. With his gray suit jacket flying open, he leaned in, still shouting, “You should’ve taken that dive, damn it!”“I freaking tried,” I barked back. Bruno Costello was a pit-bull off the chain and not the kind of man anyone dared to cross, but what he had asked me to do tonight was fucking crazy.“Some fight premotor you are. You should’ve told the other guy about the plan; he almost killed me out there!” My blood was boiling and my voice went up a decibel with each word. I knew I was treading a fine line with Bruno but I was much younger and stronger than him. Even in my condition right now, I knew if those balled up fists at his side came my way, I could take him. “I had to fight back or I would’ve never been able to walk, much less fight again.” “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” Bruno hammered his fist into the locker with each word then pointed a fat finger in my face “You better make this up to me, Luke. You owe me. This was a quarter of a million dollars.”Bruno’s face was blood red and the veins of his temples popped out of his receding hairline. Oh, I was fucked so bad. “It’s not my damn fault. What was I supposed to do?”“Keep your end of the deal.” He said between gritted teeth.“Fuck you.” “Maybe you don’t know me as well as you think. You have to fix this.” I shrugged and winced in pain as I tried to shake my head in disbelief.He grabbed my jaw with his claw of a hand almost spitting in my face, “I want you to get my money back and I always get what I want.”“How the hell am I supposed to do that?” I spat back“I don’t give two fucks how you do it. Steal it back, for Christ’s sake!” He screamed into my train wreck of a face. His yelling wasn’t helping calm the sledge hammer of a headache I had pounding out what was left of my brains.Bruno pulled back and opened his coat jacket to reach for something in the inside pocket. I thought I was toast, bloody, fucking toast. When he pulled out a white handkerchief and wiped his sweaty head with it, my shoulders relaxed. I supposed Bruno’s blood pressure was sky high by now, as he paced the floor and spoke.“If I know Franco, that God damn son of a bitch bookie, he’s on his way to bang out some young pussy and celebrate his two-hundred and fifty thousand dollar win. Find him and lighten the fucking load in his pocket.”Was he serious? I wanted to bitch slap that fat fucker and watch him stroke out all over the floor. From the looks of him, he was only a few short artery clogging salami sandwiches away from a heart attack anyway. It wouldn’t take much to send him into cardiac arrest right now. “Look…Mr. Costello, I’m a fighter, not a damn thief. I can’t just steal the money from the guy.”He leaned over, his head was close to my face and I could smell the stench of whiskey and stale cigar smoke on his breath. Fresh beads of sweat had erupted along his brow and when he spoke into my ear in a whisper his voice was icy cold. “You better rethink that notion right now, or else our special friendship could see a very quick end…especially for you, champ.” He stood up, pushed his tie back up and strode out of the room.This night had just gone from crap to freaking shit. My options were slim to none and things were leaning heavily towards the ‘none’ side. I had no other choice; I would have to get the money back.Mike had floated to the corner of the room like he had been blown there like a balloon when Bruno stormed in. He knew his place in this organization and knew when to make himself scares. “Mike, you know Franco Gianni, the bookie, somewhat, right? Do you know where he usually hangs out after a big win?”He sighed. “Luke, you know I love you like my little brother but I can’t get involved, man. I got a wife and kids and these guys are not kidding around. I value my life too much.”“I know, Mike. I’m sorry but if I don’t get that money back, you know what he’ll do. I mean, if he does something to me, you wouldn’t be able to live with that, would you? We’re practically family, right? I’d do the same for you, man.” I looked straight into his eyes. He threw his hands into the air, knowing it was a losing battle. “Okay, I heard he sometimes likes to party with the ladies around Frampton Street, but don’t let anyone know I told you, got it?”“My lips are sealed, Mike. Thanks buddy, I owe you one.” I groaned and with restricted motion, slipped off the table, giving Mike a pat on the shoulder as I went. The slightest movement hurt like hell, but I had gotten the information that I needed. How the fuck did I get myself into this predicament? I’m not a damn thief, or one of the cartel’s idiot goons that roughs up guys. Whatever. I would need to get to Franco’s little private party before its happy ending. I knew exactly where he would be tonight and as much as I hated this dirty deed, it had to be done.
Chapter 1
Earlier that same evening.Dani“I can’t believe I let you two talk me into this.” My words were lost in the swell of cheering voices although I shouted them in the direction of my two girlfriends, Joey and Krissy. My breath withered as it came out of me. I realized even my loudest voice was no competition for this cacophony of sound. And my timing was off. I turned to talk right when the brute in the cage landed a savage kick, directly on the side of his opponent’s bloody face, sending him straight to the canvas. I wondered for a moment if the beast would leave a blood spatter trail of footprints all over the white canvas fighting ring after putting his foot into the guy’s crimson stained cheek. It didn’t end there and I didn’t know if I had the stomach to keep watching. The fighter in the red shorts pummeled his opponent with brutal jabs and blows and seized upon him in a flash, pinning the guy to the deck, hammering explosive fists repeatedly in his face while pinning him down with his legs. I was no expert at fights but it sure as hell seemed like the brute had an unfair advantage over his opponent. The referee didn’t intervene; it appeared he was allowing this mayhem to happen. There was a fine line in these kinds of fights between the sport and just plain unrestrained evil, or so it seemed to me. I had never been to this kind of an event and I was astounded by what I saw. But what looked like violence to me apparently was not to everybody else surrounding me. I looked at Joey for understanding. Her eyes were focused on the fighters and the expression on her face seemed to be a mixture of enjoyment and amusement. I jerked on Joey’s arm and yelled, “He’s killing him! Doesn’t anybody care? Do they let this kind of thing just happen?”Once again, the deafening roar swept my words and my concerns away. Joey laughed and her long dark pony tail bobbed. She cheered louder, practically jumping up and down as she gave me a playful shove off with a look on her face like I was the crazy one in the scenario unfolding in front of us. It sure looked like a man was getting killed in public, in front of hundreds of onlookers and no one seemed to care. Was this blistering violence supposed to be entertainment for people? The look of pleasure on my friend’s face confirmed my suspicions. What was I thinking coming here to witness this barbaric display of aggression? I wasn’t cut out for this type of sport, if you can call it a sport. I took it to heart. The moment Joey had pleaded with me to escort her and Krissy to an underground cage fight in an undisclosed factory building the Bronx, I should have realized it was something that would make me sick to my stomach. And I was literally sick… about to throw up on the spot. The sight of blood always did that to me. And all this so Joey could see some guy again, one she had met last weekend...Jimmy something. Apparently he works for one of the fight promoters. He must be pretty high up because he managed to get the three of us on the list at the door. Joey was going to owe me a whole dozen of Krispy Kreme donuts for this one.But I always caved for my friends, Joey and Krissy. They were the kind of friends a girl like me could just dream of getting. Popular and well-liked by everybody. Joey was the down to earth and level headed girl. Krissy was sweet as pie and the kind of person who wanted to take in every stray cat she found wandering the back alleys. However, their lot in life was a more financially s
Hope you enjoyed the preview. Pure Temptation will be available Friday the 13th of December.
Eve xx
Pure TemptationTempted 1ByEve Carter
Prologue
I hate the taste of blood. It’s a testament to the fact that I was still working in a suck-ass profession. My jaw ached like a mother from all the punches and kicks I had taken. It was a damn miracle my entire head hadn’t been shattered into a million pieces. It just felt as if it had been, right now. But the pain from my sore head was nothing compared to what was being inflicted on me now as the man standing over me poked my chest. “For Christ’s sake, Mike, stop poking me.”He removed his hands from my chest. “Luke, you have three broken ribs. You should praise yourself lucky that you are still alive.” He groaned and shook his head. Mike, “The Fixer,” Hammond had been salvaging my body after my fights for years. “I keep stitching you up and you keep getting hurt. You know living this way is a one way ticket to hell, right?”I snorted. “We are all on a God damn one way ticket, Mike. The only question is when do we get off? Just stitch me up, will you? I can’t stand the smell of this shithole locker room.”Before Mike could finish patching me up and before I could get my ass off his table, someone kicked open the door. It swung wide and within seconds a very angry and very contorted face loomed over mine. “What the fuck was that out there, Luke. I thought I told you to take a dive tonight. You just cost me fucking two-hundred and fifty thousand, you punk ass son of a bitch. I ought to crush your balls myself right now. ”“Go fuck yourself, Bruno.” I glared at him and spit on the ground. Nobody else dared talk to him like that. They wouldn’t live to see the next day.“Don’t you forget who you’re talking to, buddy. I’m the one who calls the shots around here. I’m the one who tells assholes like you what to do in this business. The underground fight circuit is your life and bread, and I own your sorry ass, Renegade. Don’t you forget it,” he shouted in my face, red veins popping out of his neck. He paced a few steps, one hand shoved in his pant pocket and the other one frantically tugging loose his tie. With his gray suit jacket flying open, he leaned in, still shouting, “You should’ve taken that dive, damn it!”“I freaking tried,” I barked back. Bruno Costello was a pit-bull off the chain and not the kind of man anyone dared to cross, but what he had asked me to do tonight was fucking crazy.“Some fight premotor you are. You should’ve told the other guy about the plan; he almost killed me out there!” My blood was boiling and my voice went up a decibel with each word. I knew I was treading a fine line with Bruno but I was much younger and stronger than him. Even in my condition right now, I knew if those balled up fists at his side came my way, I could take him. “I had to fight back or I would’ve never been able to walk, much less fight again.” “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” Bruno hammered his fist into the locker with each word then pointed a fat finger in my face “You better make this up to me, Luke. You owe me. This was a quarter of a million dollars.”Bruno’s face was blood red and the veins of his temples popped out of his receding hairline. Oh, I was fucked so bad. “It’s not my damn fault. What was I supposed to do?”“Keep your end of the deal.” He said between gritted teeth.“Fuck you.” “Maybe you don’t know me as well as you think. You have to fix this.” I shrugged and winced in pain as I tried to shake my head in disbelief.He grabbed my jaw with his claw of a hand almost spitting in my face, “I want you to get my money back and I always get what I want.”“How the hell am I supposed to do that?” I spat back“I don’t give two fucks how you do it. Steal it back, for Christ’s sake!” He screamed into my train wreck of a face. His yelling wasn’t helping calm the sledge hammer of a headache I had pounding out what was left of my brains.Bruno pulled back and opened his coat jacket to reach for something in the inside pocket. I thought I was toast, bloody, fucking toast. When he pulled out a white handkerchief and wiped his sweaty head with it, my shoulders relaxed. I supposed Bruno’s blood pressure was sky high by now, as he paced the floor and spoke.“If I know Franco, that God damn son of a bitch bookie, he’s on his way to bang out some young pussy and celebrate his two-hundred and fifty thousand dollar win. Find him and lighten the fucking load in his pocket.”Was he serious? I wanted to bitch slap that fat fucker and watch him stroke out all over the floor. From the looks of him, he was only a few short artery clogging salami sandwiches away from a heart attack anyway. It wouldn’t take much to send him into cardiac arrest right now. “Look…Mr. Costello, I’m a fighter, not a damn thief. I can’t just steal the money from the guy.”He leaned over, his head was close to my face and I could smell the stench of whiskey and stale cigar smoke on his breath. Fresh beads of sweat had erupted along his brow and when he spoke into my ear in a whisper his voice was icy cold. “You better rethink that notion right now, or else our special friendship could see a very quick end…especially for you, champ.” He stood up, pushed his tie back up and strode out of the room.This night had just gone from crap to freaking shit. My options were slim to none and things were leaning heavily towards the ‘none’ side. I had no other choice; I would have to get the money back.Mike had floated to the corner of the room like he had been blown there like a balloon when Bruno stormed in. He knew his place in this organization and knew when to make himself scares. “Mike, you know Franco Gianni, the bookie, somewhat, right? Do you know where he usually hangs out after a big win?”He sighed. “Luke, you know I love you like my little brother but I can’t get involved, man. I got a wife and kids and these guys are not kidding around. I value my life too much.”“I know, Mike. I’m sorry but if I don’t get that money back, you know what he’ll do. I mean, if he does something to me, you wouldn’t be able to live with that, would you? We’re practically family, right? I’d do the same for you, man.” I looked straight into his eyes. He threw his hands into the air, knowing it was a losing battle. “Okay, I heard he sometimes likes to party with the ladies around Frampton Street, but don’t let anyone know I told you, got it?”“My lips are sealed, Mike. Thanks buddy, I owe you one.” I groaned and with restricted motion, slipped off the table, giving Mike a pat on the shoulder as I went. The slightest movement hurt like hell, but I had gotten the information that I needed. How the fuck did I get myself into this predicament? I’m not a damn thief, or one of the cartel’s idiot goons that roughs up guys. Whatever. I would need to get to Franco’s little private party before its happy ending. I knew exactly where he would be tonight and as much as I hated this dirty deed, it had to be done.
Chapter 1
Earlier that same evening.Dani“I can’t believe I let you two talk me into this.” My words were lost in the swell of cheering voices although I shouted them in the direction of my two girlfriends, Joey and Krissy. My breath withered as it came out of me. I realized even my loudest voice was no competition for this cacophony of sound. And my timing was off. I turned to talk right when the brute in the cage landed a savage kick, directly on the side of his opponent’s bloody face, sending him straight to the canvas. I wondered for a moment if the beast would leave a blood spatter trail of footprints all over the white canvas fighting ring after putting his foot into the guy’s crimson stained cheek. It didn’t end there and I didn’t know if I had the stomach to keep watching. The fighter in the red shorts pummeled his opponent with brutal jabs and blows and seized upon him in a flash, pinning the guy to the deck, hammering explosive fists repeatedly in his face while pinning him down with his legs. I was no expert at fights but it sure as hell seemed like the brute had an unfair advantage over his opponent. The referee didn’t intervene; it appeared he was allowing this mayhem to happen. There was a fine line in these kinds of fights between the sport and just plain unrestrained evil, or so it seemed to me. I had never been to this kind of an event and I was astounded by what I saw. But what looked like violence to me apparently was not to everybody else surrounding me. I looked at Joey for understanding. Her eyes were focused on the fighters and the expression on her face seemed to be a mixture of enjoyment and amusement. I jerked on Joey’s arm and yelled, “He’s killing him! Doesn’t anybody care? Do they let this kind of thing just happen?”Once again, the deafening roar swept my words and my concerns away. Joey laughed and her long dark pony tail bobbed. She cheered louder, practically jumping up and down as she gave me a playful shove off with a look on her face like I was the crazy one in the scenario unfolding in front of us. It sure looked like a man was getting killed in public, in front of hundreds of onlookers and no one seemed to care. Was this blistering violence supposed to be entertainment for people? The look of pleasure on my friend’s face confirmed my suspicions. What was I thinking coming here to witness this barbaric display of aggression? I wasn’t cut out for this type of sport, if you can call it a sport. I took it to heart. The moment Joey had pleaded with me to escort her and Krissy to an underground cage fight in an undisclosed factory building the Bronx, I should have realized it was something that would make me sick to my stomach. And I was literally sick… about to throw up on the spot. The sight of blood always did that to me. And all this so Joey could see some guy again, one she had met last weekend...Jimmy something. Apparently he works for one of the fight promoters. He must be pretty high up because he managed to get the three of us on the list at the door. Joey was going to owe me a whole dozen of Krispy Kreme donuts for this one.But I always caved for my friends, Joey and Krissy. They were the kind of friends a girl like me could just dream of getting. Popular and well-liked by everybody. Joey was the down to earth and level headed girl. Krissy was sweet as pie and the kind of person who wanted to take in every stray cat she found wandering the back alleys. However, their lot in life was a more financially s
Hope you enjoyed the preview. Pure Temptation will be available Friday the 13th of December.
Eve xx
August 27, 2013
Fearless - Jesse Book 2 Is Now Live!!
Woohoo! Fearless - Jesse Book 2, the anticipated follow-up to my NY Times bestseller, Breathless, is now LIVE on Amazon and B&N. Get your copy here:Amazon US: http://amzn.to/16MB0fl
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1doIjTY
B&N (Nook): http://bit.ly/17iECdl
August 12, 2013
Fearless Prologue
Hope you are ready for a taste of Fearless - Jesse Book 2. How about the entire prologue?
We meet Jesse's mom, Emily, back from when Jesse was just a kid. Hope you enjoy it.
Disclaimer. This is not edited yet
FEARLESS - JESSE BOOK 2 Prologue – The Fourth of July 1996
Emily
“What the hell are you doing, Emily?” Frank barked, too loudly as usual. “Who’s this asshole? Your secret lover, the one you’ve been sneaking around with?” He leaned his face, red from drinking, into mine. The stench of hideous bad breath mixed with alcohol filled my nostrils.
I pulled back, wrinkled my nose in distaste and took a breath. “Shut up, Frank. You’re embarrassing yourself.”
I had been casually chatting with a male guest at my best friend, Lisa’s, Fourth of July party. Two hours into the event, my stupid ass of a husband trashed my conversation, drunk and made a fool out of himself. Again. This was the very reason why we rarely got out and socialized.
My new acquaintance I had been chatting with, paused in mid-sentence and threw his hands in the air, still clasping to his drink. I gave him an apologetic look. He shook his head as he started towards the people milling around the pool bar, women in bathing suits covered with sassy-sarongs tied around their hips, men gesticulating with drinks in hand and kids, cannon balling into the water.
Lisa and her husband owned a beautiful Tudor style house on expansive grounds, with lavishly landscaped gardens and a pool, in the affluent area of Thunder Ridge in upstate New York.
The outdoor bar on the pool deck was stocked with every alcoholic beverage imaginable and Frank had already sampled too many. No surprise to me. He’d made a beeline for the bar as soon as we had arrived; smirking when he discovered it was stocked with Heineken instead of his usual cheap brand. Didn’t matter the brand, beer would always wake up the green-eyed monster in him. Every time.
“I’m fucking leaving. I’ve had enough of this shit. You coming?” he said.
Sourness stung in the pit of stomach. “No, Frank. We just got here. We never go out anymore and I’d like to have a fun Fourth of July for once.”
“Suit yourself,” he snorted. “I’m fucking out of here. You and your boy toy over there will have a better time with me gone anyway.” He waved his beer can in the air and gave me a watery-eyed glare.
“Just go, Frank. I’m sick and tired of your bullshit drunken behavior every time we go out. But don’t drive. Call a cab.”
“I’ll drive if I want to.”
He swung around to leave and I grabbed hold of his arm. “Frank! Give me the keys.”
He wrenched free and shoved me hard. I teetered and reeled back, the solid wall of the house kept me from completely landing on my back. There were at least sixty potential witnesses at the party. But no one saw.
“Fuck off, bitch!” He tipped his head back to drain the last swallow of beer and stumbled into the house.
Frank was such a jerk every time we were out in public, especially if he imagined, in a fit of jealousy, that I flirted with other men. And honestly, he wasn’t exactly a prince at home either.
I pondered for a second to go after him, force him to hand over the car keys, but knew it would be hopeless and most likely I’d end up on the receiving end of a black eye. Maybe a patrol car would pull him over and arrest his sorry ass. That would teach him a lesson.
I would never call the cops on him though. We needed him, or rather, we needed his income to pay the bills. Things had been tough lately, not only with our marriage, but also financially. Three months ago I was laid off from my job as a secretary and Frank’s contractor job…well, let’s just say it didn’t bring in much. With two kids and Frank drinking up half his paycheck, there wasn’t much left over. We ate a lot of Hamburger Helper, minus the hamburger. If only drinking was a job, then we’d be millionaires.
I bolted into the house to the family room where I last had seen Jimmy and Jesse, our two boys. I prayed that Frank wasn’t serious about driving. I decided to give another shot at getting the car keys before he could hurt himself, or even worse, hurt someone else.
I rounded the corner that led into the kitchen and stopped up short right in Lisa’s face. “Hey Lisa, have you seen Frank?” I asked out of breath.
“Yeah, I think he just left with your boys.” She blinked, bewildered.
“He took Jimmy and Jesse? Why didn’t you stop him?” A hot bolt of fear tore through me like wildfire.
“Well, I’m sorry, Em. I was just about to come and find you… he seemed really upset--”
I flung open the front door and sprinted past several parked cars, down the long curving driveway. Thank god. Frank was still there fumbling with the key, unable to sink it into the ignition of our old beater car. Jimmy and Jesse were sitting in the backseat and Frank was up front in his reckless drunkenness, lolling from side to side searching for the keyhole. I jerked open the front driver’s door.
“What the hell are you doing? Are you out of your mind taking the kids with you when you’re stupid drunk like this?” I turned to the kids. “Jimmy - Jesse. Get out of the car. Now!” I yelled.
Jimmy opened the backseat door and pulled Jesse out with him. I shut it and guided the kids behind my back to safety, using my body as a shield, as I backed away from the car.
“You fucking cunt!” Frank screamed and slammed his door shut.
Once I got a couple yards away from the car, I turned around and hustled the kids inside the house. With my back against Lisa’s front door, I sucked in a deep breath of relief, and encircled both arms around my two little angels, tears stinging my eyes.
***
“Jesse, did you brush your teeth yet?” I called up as I ascended the stairs to put the kids to bed.
“Just two more minutes, mom. Can I stay up a little longer? Pleeease…”
Jesse‘s eyes adored me. I ran my hand over his hair, down the side of his sweet, innocent face, cupping his chin in my hand. “No baby. Even though it’s the Fourth of July, it’s time to get to bed. Go on. Get going.”
I bent down and gave him a kiss on the top of his head as he buried his pouting face in the soft cotton of my T-shirt. It would be only a matter of minutes before Jesse would be peering at dirt-bike magazines with a little clip-on light he had fashioned himself from various junk items he found at the basement workbench.
Jesse had been infatuated with dirt-bike magazines ever since last summer when his dad and his Uncle Kenny took the two boys to the Motocross races and Jesse immediately fell in love with anything that had to do with motorcycles. Of course, Kenny covered the cost of tickets and treats at the race, it was his idea to take them anyway. That darn Kenny.
I chuckled as I laid my hands on Jesse’s shoulders. I turned him around and marched him into the bathroom.
“Teeth, mister.” Handing him the toothbrush, I cracked a smile and dug my fingers into his sides.
“Stop mom!” Jesse wrenched and squealed. “Don’t tickle me…”
I let loose of him and caught the reflection of my face in the mirror. Brushing my hair aside, I dabbed a fingertip of extra makeup to hide the purple and red bruises on my forehead and rearranged my bangs to cover them. Jesse finished brushing his teeth just as the doorbell rang.
His little blue eyes lit up. “Maybe it’s daddy?”
I ushered my youngest into bed and trotted down the stairs. Knots formed in the pit of my stomach with each descending step.
I stood up on tiptoes and looked out the small glass window in the door. My peering gaze was met by the somber faces of two police officers standing on the front porch wearing dark blue uniforms. I flipped the deadbolt on the heavy wooden front door and opened it a crack.
“Yes…?” My voice was barely a whisper.
“Hello ma’am. Are you Emily Morrison?”
My lower lip quivered and I stepped back allowing the door to swing open wider. “That’s me. Something wrong officers?”
“Is your husband Frank Morrison, ma’am?”
“Yes…” I pulled at the fabric of my dark T-shirt with white knuckled hands, twisting it into nervous, angular pleats.
“I’m afraid we have some terrible news. Your husband was involved in an automobile accident this evening. His vehicle ran off the road, hit a tree straight on…he wasn’t wearing a seatbelt. His body was thrown out, head first, through the windshield. I’m afraid he died instantly. We’re so sorry, ma’am.”
That day, The Fourth of July 1996 was the day the earth stood still and fell out from under me.
Hope you enjoyed it. Fearless will be released August 28th.
We meet Jesse's mom, Emily, back from when Jesse was just a kid. Hope you enjoy it.
Disclaimer. This is not edited yet
FEARLESS - JESSE BOOK 2 Prologue – The Fourth of July 1996
Emily
“What the hell are you doing, Emily?” Frank barked, too loudly as usual. “Who’s this asshole? Your secret lover, the one you’ve been sneaking around with?” He leaned his face, red from drinking, into mine. The stench of hideous bad breath mixed with alcohol filled my nostrils.
I pulled back, wrinkled my nose in distaste and took a breath. “Shut up, Frank. You’re embarrassing yourself.”
I had been casually chatting with a male guest at my best friend, Lisa’s, Fourth of July party. Two hours into the event, my stupid ass of a husband trashed my conversation, drunk and made a fool out of himself. Again. This was the very reason why we rarely got out and socialized.
My new acquaintance I had been chatting with, paused in mid-sentence and threw his hands in the air, still clasping to his drink. I gave him an apologetic look. He shook his head as he started towards the people milling around the pool bar, women in bathing suits covered with sassy-sarongs tied around their hips, men gesticulating with drinks in hand and kids, cannon balling into the water.
Lisa and her husband owned a beautiful Tudor style house on expansive grounds, with lavishly landscaped gardens and a pool, in the affluent area of Thunder Ridge in upstate New York.
The outdoor bar on the pool deck was stocked with every alcoholic beverage imaginable and Frank had already sampled too many. No surprise to me. He’d made a beeline for the bar as soon as we had arrived; smirking when he discovered it was stocked with Heineken instead of his usual cheap brand. Didn’t matter the brand, beer would always wake up the green-eyed monster in him. Every time.
“I’m fucking leaving. I’ve had enough of this shit. You coming?” he said.
Sourness stung in the pit of stomach. “No, Frank. We just got here. We never go out anymore and I’d like to have a fun Fourth of July for once.”
“Suit yourself,” he snorted. “I’m fucking out of here. You and your boy toy over there will have a better time with me gone anyway.” He waved his beer can in the air and gave me a watery-eyed glare.
“Just go, Frank. I’m sick and tired of your bullshit drunken behavior every time we go out. But don’t drive. Call a cab.”
“I’ll drive if I want to.”
He swung around to leave and I grabbed hold of his arm. “Frank! Give me the keys.”
He wrenched free and shoved me hard. I teetered and reeled back, the solid wall of the house kept me from completely landing on my back. There were at least sixty potential witnesses at the party. But no one saw.
“Fuck off, bitch!” He tipped his head back to drain the last swallow of beer and stumbled into the house.
Frank was such a jerk every time we were out in public, especially if he imagined, in a fit of jealousy, that I flirted with other men. And honestly, he wasn’t exactly a prince at home either.
I pondered for a second to go after him, force him to hand over the car keys, but knew it would be hopeless and most likely I’d end up on the receiving end of a black eye. Maybe a patrol car would pull him over and arrest his sorry ass. That would teach him a lesson.
I would never call the cops on him though. We needed him, or rather, we needed his income to pay the bills. Things had been tough lately, not only with our marriage, but also financially. Three months ago I was laid off from my job as a secretary and Frank’s contractor job…well, let’s just say it didn’t bring in much. With two kids and Frank drinking up half his paycheck, there wasn’t much left over. We ate a lot of Hamburger Helper, minus the hamburger. If only drinking was a job, then we’d be millionaires.
I bolted into the house to the family room where I last had seen Jimmy and Jesse, our two boys. I prayed that Frank wasn’t serious about driving. I decided to give another shot at getting the car keys before he could hurt himself, or even worse, hurt someone else.
I rounded the corner that led into the kitchen and stopped up short right in Lisa’s face. “Hey Lisa, have you seen Frank?” I asked out of breath.
“Yeah, I think he just left with your boys.” She blinked, bewildered.
“He took Jimmy and Jesse? Why didn’t you stop him?” A hot bolt of fear tore through me like wildfire.
“Well, I’m sorry, Em. I was just about to come and find you… he seemed really upset--”
I flung open the front door and sprinted past several parked cars, down the long curving driveway. Thank god. Frank was still there fumbling with the key, unable to sink it into the ignition of our old beater car. Jimmy and Jesse were sitting in the backseat and Frank was up front in his reckless drunkenness, lolling from side to side searching for the keyhole. I jerked open the front driver’s door.
“What the hell are you doing? Are you out of your mind taking the kids with you when you’re stupid drunk like this?” I turned to the kids. “Jimmy - Jesse. Get out of the car. Now!” I yelled.
Jimmy opened the backseat door and pulled Jesse out with him. I shut it and guided the kids behind my back to safety, using my body as a shield, as I backed away from the car.
“You fucking cunt!” Frank screamed and slammed his door shut.
Once I got a couple yards away from the car, I turned around and hustled the kids inside the house. With my back against Lisa’s front door, I sucked in a deep breath of relief, and encircled both arms around my two little angels, tears stinging my eyes.
***
“Jesse, did you brush your teeth yet?” I called up as I ascended the stairs to put the kids to bed.
“Just two more minutes, mom. Can I stay up a little longer? Pleeease…”
Jesse‘s eyes adored me. I ran my hand over his hair, down the side of his sweet, innocent face, cupping his chin in my hand. “No baby. Even though it’s the Fourth of July, it’s time to get to bed. Go on. Get going.”
I bent down and gave him a kiss on the top of his head as he buried his pouting face in the soft cotton of my T-shirt. It would be only a matter of minutes before Jesse would be peering at dirt-bike magazines with a little clip-on light he had fashioned himself from various junk items he found at the basement workbench.
Jesse had been infatuated with dirt-bike magazines ever since last summer when his dad and his Uncle Kenny took the two boys to the Motocross races and Jesse immediately fell in love with anything that had to do with motorcycles. Of course, Kenny covered the cost of tickets and treats at the race, it was his idea to take them anyway. That darn Kenny.
I chuckled as I laid my hands on Jesse’s shoulders. I turned him around and marched him into the bathroom.
“Teeth, mister.” Handing him the toothbrush, I cracked a smile and dug my fingers into his sides.
“Stop mom!” Jesse wrenched and squealed. “Don’t tickle me…”
I let loose of him and caught the reflection of my face in the mirror. Brushing my hair aside, I dabbed a fingertip of extra makeup to hide the purple and red bruises on my forehead and rearranged my bangs to cover them. Jesse finished brushing his teeth just as the doorbell rang.
His little blue eyes lit up. “Maybe it’s daddy?”
I ushered my youngest into bed and trotted down the stairs. Knots formed in the pit of my stomach with each descending step.
I stood up on tiptoes and looked out the small glass window in the door. My peering gaze was met by the somber faces of two police officers standing on the front porch wearing dark blue uniforms. I flipped the deadbolt on the heavy wooden front door and opened it a crack.
“Yes…?” My voice was barely a whisper.
“Hello ma’am. Are you Emily Morrison?”
My lower lip quivered and I stepped back allowing the door to swing open wider. “That’s me. Something wrong officers?”
“Is your husband Frank Morrison, ma’am?”
“Yes…” I pulled at the fabric of my dark T-shirt with white knuckled hands, twisting it into nervous, angular pleats.
“I’m afraid we have some terrible news. Your husband was involved in an automobile accident this evening. His vehicle ran off the road, hit a tree straight on…he wasn’t wearing a seatbelt. His body was thrown out, head first, through the windshield. I’m afraid he died instantly. We’re so sorry, ma’am.”
That day, The Fourth of July 1996 was the day the earth stood still and fell out from under me.
Hope you enjoyed it. Fearless will be released August 28th.
August 5, 2013
Breathless Is Now A New York Times Bestseller!
So excited to share that my New Adult novel Breathless, has entered the New York Times Bestseller Ebook list at number 22 this week. It also entered the USA Today Bestseller list and The Indie Reader Top 10 Indie Books Bestseller list. Life couldn't be more amazing. Thank you so much everybody <3
