Jen Frederick's Blog, page 18

Last Breath, March 25

We have a release date and it’s early. As you know, Jessica Clare is a super prolific author and she’s got a fabulous release (think stuffy uptight billionaire matched with a down home farm mouse) coming out April 15: Once Upon a Billionaire. With that release, we either had to delay our book to May or push it up to March.

We didn’t want readers to wait so we’ve been working extra hard to deliver this baby early. It’s going to be at retailers on March 25, 2014. Hurrah! The downside is that people might not be expecting this book to come out so soon. If you liked Last Hit, you may want to share with your fellow readers that Daniel and Reagan’s book will be available very soon.  Right now you can add it to your Goodreads shelf.

Charlotte XVII

Nathan

It’s torture, as in actual real torture lying next to Charlotte after she’s basically told me she wants to have sex. Worse I’m the one putting her off and though she’s lying silently beside me I can feel the waves of frustration emanating off her.  But I didn’t expect her to want to have sex tonight. Hell we hadn’t even kissed yet.

Part of me is annoyed that she went and told Greta that she needed a condom. Maybe I’m a complete hypocrite but I want Charlotte to look to me for anything to do with sex because God only knows what her friends are telling her. I’d like to wrap Charlotte up and just velcro her to me so that I can control the ingress and egress of information that flows her way.

Sex is going to be good and it’s going to be with me. Full stop. Period.

That’s all she needs to know. Everything else is fake bullshit. Greta might be telling her the only way to keep a guy is to spread her legs and I don’t want Charlotte to feel pressured like that. Even though I can probably make her body ready, I want her ready in the head otherwise it’ll never be good like I promised.

Her tense body finally relaxes and when her hand falls away from my arm I can tell she’s asleep. I wish I could follow her into dreamland but my mind is still racing.

I want her first time with me to be something she remembers forever. I want to imprint myself on her so that no matter where she goes, she can feel me, smell me. She doesn’t know it yet and I’m not prepared to tell her but we’re going to be apart longer than the few months that she’s going to be away in Switzerland.

While we’re separated I know that Charlotte will be pursued by other guys so I’ve got to make every encounter with her be one that she can’t forget. I can’t rely on Nick to cock block everyone even though I know he’ll do his best.

Maybe that’s why I’ve held back from Charlotte, just watching her and being irritated to the nth degree when she dresses in her short skirts or her cropped tops or her fucking tiny bikini. I know that I might lose her and that would kill me.

I guess I thought I had more time. Time to wait until she was completely ready. I’d fixed her sixteenth birthday in my head. When that day came, I’d show her that she was mine and that we were meant to be together. I’d show her that there wouldn’t be anyone else she’d meet that would ever fit her better than me.

But waiting until she’s sixteen isn’t an option anymore.

I slip out in the pre dawn hours again. This time Aunt AM isn’t hiding in the kitchen and I don’t go and wake Nick up. Instead I fall into my bed and finally get some rest. I only get a little shut eye before my mom is at my door telling me I have thirty minutes before the car is taking us to school.

Groaning, I get up. This is good practice for my future, I tell myself. There’ll be times when I’ll go without sleep for days.

But I’m pretty much worthless through most of my classes so when Greta comes up to me during lunch and asks me about the previous night I just stare at her blankly. Unfortunately my pause only causes her to raise her voice.

“So you and Charlotte last night?” And the tone of her voice is so loud that everyone in a ten foot radius stops eating. Her hand spins a milk carton around. I remember Charlotte telling me that Greta is always in motion or some part of her is.

“Shut up, Greta.” Nick’s on her before I can clear the cobwebs and I throw him a thankful glance. He silently tells me to nut up and get with the program before Greta announces to the whole school that Charlotte and I are screwing.

“What’s the matter, was it bad?” Greta asks in a mock whisper. I say mock because it’s still loud enough for everyone at the table to hear. A collective hush settles over the table.

I tilt my head and just look at her, trying hard to remember my dad’s admonishments to respect every woman who comes into my orbit. Of course if dad heard this chick talking about Charlotte like this, he might change his mind. “I don’t know why you think I’d answer any question of yours about my personal life.”

Greta proves herself to be one dumb bitch when, instead of leaning back or just leaving, she presses on. “Um, because I gave her the condom she asked for so she could do you.” Her lips frame the last two words in a big oval. She probably thinks this is a sexy look but it reminds me a fish. “I told her that I didn’t think her frail little body could handle a big boy like you,” she winks. “But you probably did her out of sympathy. Let me know if you want a different kind of ride.”

The milk carton is still spinning in circles. I take my fist and crush the carton and milk spurts all over the table, some of it catching Greta right in her fish lips.

“I don’t even know who you are,” I tell her, shoving the rest of the milk carton into her lap. With a jerk of my head, I head out knowing Nick is right behind me. And behind him are the rest of the guys from my table. We’re all jocks but this is Nick’s crew because he’s the guy with the golden arm. I’m the reluctant couldn’t care less player who can’t wait to graduate and do real fucking things so I let Nick lay down the law to the crew as I stand behind him, arms crossed, feet planted wide like a looming angry asshole. Which is exactly how I feel at the moment.

“You asswipes say one word about Charlotte that is remotely sexual and Nate and I will give you a beating that will have you shitting out your piehole.”

“No worries, dude,” Kenny claps Nick on the back. “We got your girl’s back.” He gives me a nod and glides down the hallway. One by one they pat Nick on the shoulder and give their promise to keep it locked down.

Nick’s eyes turn to me with fury in them. “What the hell is up with that bitch?”

“No idea,” I say. “Charlotte knows her through gymnastics.”

“You gonna talk with her?”

I glance back at the door. “No. She wants the attention. Best way to teach her a lesson is to make sure she gets none.”

Nick nods and we separate to head to our next classrooms. Good thing Charlotte isn’t coming back to North Prep until next fall. Hopefully she’ll have better taste in friends when she gets back.

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Charlotte Chronicles XVI

Don’t forget all the prices of my Woodlands books will be going up to $4.99 on February 16 except for SnowKissed which will be priced at $2.99. In the future, all books will be priced at an introductory $3.99 with the price going up to $4.99 after the first month of release. This is designed to reward the early purchasers. 

***

When Nick and I were ten and Nate was twelve, we went to the Shedd Aquarium for all school field trip. I had a crush on a boy named Lancelot. Everyone did but I think it was because his name looked like it belonged on a Valentine’s Day card. In the basement of the big aquarium there is a dark room devoted just to showing off jellyfish.  Attached along one carpeted wall was a grouping of fake squishy jellyfish made of some kind of weird translucent polymer. You could stick your finger against the pliable rubber and bisect the jellyfish in half and when you released it, the half moon body would spring right back. Lancelot was standing next to me and I was transfixed as he stuck his finger inside the jellyfish repeatedly.

He whispered to me that this is what sticking his finger up a girl felt like. If Nate hadn’t been there hovering behind me, maybe all I would have done was blush or maybe I would have hit him. But before I had a chance to react, Nate had pulled Lancelot around and stuck a fist in Valentine’s Day’s face.  Lancelot tried to punch back and the entire class was sent back to the bus for causing a ruckus.

Later that night Nate relayed the whole story to our families, much to my embarrassment. Dad ruffled Nate’s hair and Noah patted him on the back. But the rumor got out that Nate and Nick would beat up any guy who even looked cross eyed at me. It was Lancelot’s revenge and an effective one because until right now, I hadn’t ever been kissed. Not once. Not even a not-so-accidental bus of my lips against a Y chromosome during a birthday party game mostly because every co-ed party, birthday or not, has also included at least one—if not both—Jackson boys.

But as I lay there in my bed, my lower legs entangled with Nate’s and my hands trapped between our bodies, feeling his soft, gentle lips move across mine, I’m just so glad I’ve never kissed anyone before. The shivery sensation that is tingling me from the inside out is being generated by Nate and only him. This is the safest thrill ride I’ll ever be on but I want so much more.

Parting my lips, I give a silent plea for him to take my offering and lead me deeper into the heart of our connection. Right now I feel like we are standing on the periphery looking down. He hesitates for just a moment and then I feel it. His tongue running lightly across my bottom lip. The shivers are turning into quakes and my body seeks purchase against his. When his tongue sweeps inside my mouth, I stroke it with my own. His barriers melt, like an icicle in winter under the heat of the midday sun.

He’s no longer holding me a safe distance apart. His hands are in my hair and then he’s rolling me over, pressing his long body into mine. A hard ridge in the middle of his body settles between my legs and I clutch him even closer—my legs hitching up around his hips and over his thighs. His tongue feels huge in my mouth and he’s licking every inch inside me as if I’m the tastiest thing he’s ever had the opportunity to savor.

All the locker room gossip suddenly makes so much sense. Kissing is the best thing in the world. It’s more exciting than a roller coaster at the Navy Pier. It tastes better than a root beer float from The Brown Cow in Franklin Park. It feels better than sitting by the fireplace after eight hours on the slopes in Aspen. I wish I had the courage to reach down and palm him. To feel what Greta was so shocked I’d never touched before. But I’m also distracted by the way the weight of him between my legs makes me feel and how that rigid length between his legs is making me pulse and itch. My fingers are digging into his muscular shoulders and my hips are moving, almost as if they are independent of the rest of my body. I’m moving and pushing and pulling against him all at the same time.

My sudden flurry of activity causes Nathan to pull his mouth from mine and burying his face in my neck. He groans out my name. “Charlotte. God.” Then he’s pressing down against me hard and I’m whimpering. I don’t know what I need or want right now but I instinctively know that he can give it to me.

“Please Nathan,” I plead.

“Oh Charlotte,” he repeats as if in pain. Then with a giant sigh he pulls away from me and flops onto his back. His chest is heaving as if he’s run a very long distance and I hear myself panting lightly. I lean forward to kiss him again, to restart all those lovely feelings but he holds me away. “I need a moment,” he says.

“Why?” I’m genuinely puzzled. “We don’t need to stop.”  I start to roll out of bed to find the condom wrapper that Nate had thrown aside but a large hand on my wrist makes me pause.

“I do.” Rolling to his side, he props himself on one elbow and pats the space right next to his body. I climb back into bed and cuddle up next to him staring up with big eyes. “I want this all to be special for both of us Charlotte. There’s no rush.”

His hand has burrowed its way under my t-shirt and just that action makes my breasts feel a little heavier and a little more sensitive. “But I want more now,” I say a little petulantly.

“Me too,” he responds with a rueful laugh. “It’s just that I want to do this so right for you that when we finally do it, it will be one of the best memories of your life.”

“It will,” I promise because how could it not?

He shakes his head as if I’m not really understanding him.  “It’s your first time—no our first time,” he corrects.

I scrunch up my nose remembering that he’s had other girls before me, ones with more experience who aren’t as fragile as I am. Maybe he’s afraid I won’t be very good at this and that he’ll be sorry for all the promises he felt like he had to make because he’s Nathan Jackson and I’m Charlotte Randolph.

“Is it because I don’t have enough experience? If I’d done this before, we’d be having sex right now?” I ask in a small voice.

“No!” He shakes his head and pulls me closer to him. “I’m glad, selfishly, that I’m your first. And I wish I’d waited too because we could be learning together. I just think that we should take our time.” He gives a small shrug. “I didn’t come here tonight or last night just because I want to have sex with you Charlotte. I want to hold you. Make some memories before you leave.”

“So let’s make the best memory,” I beg but Nathan is resolute. I know I’m not going to be able to move him from his path so I allow myself to vent some of my frustration in the form of a punch on the arm—the one he’s leaning on. I hit in just the right place and he collapses next to me with a huff of laughter.

“I’m going to make it so good for you Charlotte.” Tucking my head against his shoulder, he draws up the blankets around us. “So good.”

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Charlotte XV

A couple of important housekeeping issues. All the prices of my Woodlands books will be going up to $4.99 on February 16 except for SnowKissed which will be priced at $2.99. In the future, all books will be priced at an introductory $3.99 with the price going up to $4.99 after the first month of release. This is designed to reward the early purchasers. Update: I forgot that I plan to run a 99c promotion for Undeclared within the next month or so. 

Second, I’ve created a page for the Charlotte Chronicles, loosely grouping the parts into chapters and I’ve uploaded the story to Wattpad if you want to share with a friend. New parts are released one week early via the newsletter.

Charlotte

There are different colors, sizes and I’m a little stumped by the choices I have.”Where does your sister get all these?”

“I think when you go to college it’s in your welcome packet.” Greta runs her fingers through pile messing them up and then she re-sorts them. Greta has a lot of nervous energy. One of her extremities–an arm or foot has to constantly be in motion.  I’m too weak for nerves these days. I only have the energy for doing.

“I can’t wait.” But really I’m not even sure if that’s a truthful statement. College was once a foregone conclusion. Nick and I had talked about it often—arguing about whether I would go to Notre Dame where Nick hoped to get a football scholarship. Nate, now that I think about it, never participated in these discussions. I’d lived so much in the moment with the future this nebulous forward mass that was simply full of opportunity, hopes and dreams.Was being the key word now. My future was still nebulous but the shape of it had changed and I didn’t like looking at it anymore.

“I know. Me either.”

She picks up a gold foil one and one that is lime green.  I can’t imagine putting one of these on Nathan and definitely not a lime green one.  I pluck the gold foiled one out of her hands. “I’ll take this one.”

“The green one tastes like lemon-lime,” she sings.

I make a face and stick the gold one under my pillow. We chat a little while longer until Dad comes by and says that the car is ready to take Greta home.

It’s getting late and so I get ready for bed. It occurs to me that I should have had Greta bring over something sexy to wear to bed. I have nothing that might stir a boy’s interest. My bras are plain and so are my underwear and what’s not plain is rather juvenile.

Perhaps I could filch something from mom. I creep out of my bedroom and down the hall to my parents’ bedroom. Their door is closed but I hear their voices which means there is no way I can get inside. Turning I start to head back to my room when I hear my name and then Nathan’s. Instead of leaving, I draw closer and press my ear to the door.

“Aren’t we just saying sure Nate come and defile our angel all you want. In fact let me buy you the condoms. Need any help slipping them on?” It is dad sounding surly and gruff, a pretty unusual state for him. He’s always easy going with mom and me. I make a sad face for him. I hate that my daddy is sad because of me but does he really think I’m never ever going to have sex? That sounds pretty dismal. How would I ever have kids? How would they have grandkids?”If her current medical regime wouldn’t have made birth control contraindicated, I would have put her on the pill.” Mom’s voice is farther away and I can barely make out her words. My guess is she’s standing in the adjacent bathroom and Dad is sitting on the sofa in front of the fireplace in their bedroom. He’s probably drinking a scotch or something amber in color. I’ve learned that anything that is darker than say a mountain dew is going to make me sick.”I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that sunshine. “Mom laughs. “Didn’t we make this decision together that we’d rather have Charlotte experience safe sex than explore it with strangers without protection?”"Sure but we made that decision when she was eight and still called me Daddy unironically. I thought I had a good twenty years before she’d start thinking about sex.”Really dad? When I was thirty? I stop making my sad face for him. Now I’m frowning. ”Would you really not want your baby girl to enjoy sex Bo? That’s your wish for her? “” I feel like this is a trick question. Like there’s no right answer.”I hear him shift on the sofa and then footsteps. Mom’s voice is louder, clearer now. She’s joined him on the sofa.  ”I’m not ready for her to grow up either but I don’t see how we stop it and I’d rather she learn about stuff from someone like Nathan who’d gnaw off his own arm before he hurt her than some other stupid North Prep punk.”"When you put it like that…” Dad sounds reluctant but he’s obviously given up the fight. I grin to myself.”Besides it’s only for a short while and I out the fear of God into Nate this morning.”"You did? Because I worked him over last night with the whole I trust you not to betray the goodwill of your Aunt and me.”There’s a slapping of hands as if they’ve just high-five each other. My parents. Gah.”We make such a good team,” says my mom.”I know,” dad says smugly. “Now swing your leg over here, sunshine, and let’s practice some of our other team moves. Like the one where you–” His voice is abruptly cut off and there aren’t any more words, just noises that gross me out. Wrinkling my nose I straighten up only to run into a Nate sized wall. He places a hand over my mouth to stifle a yelp of surprise and then winks at me, slowly dragging me down the hall to my bedroom.“So your parents still get it on regularly?” he grins.Inside my room, I flop onto the bed and try to shut out the visual. “Gross, Nate. Really.”“Why’s that gross you out? How do you think you were born.”“Do you really want to think about your parents having sex?”He shrugs. “It’s not like I’m thinking about it everyday but don’t you think that it’s cool that they’re so into each other even after all this time? I mean, yeah, it’s not like I want to watch my dad chase my mom around the living room every night but makes me glad that they still work for each other years after they met. Don’t you want that?”I do and I know who I want it with.He nudges me over and climbs onto the bed next to me. Plumping the pillow his hand brushes something and it crackles. Oh no, the condom. Nate sits up and pulls it out. “What’s this” His face looks hard.“A condom?”“I know but why do you have it under your pillow?”I blow him a raspberry. “Why do you think?” There’s nothing for me to do but brazen it out.

“Who gave this to you?” His hand is crumpling the condom and I’m worrying about the integrity of the rubber.

Reaching over, I pluck it from his hand and try to smooth it out a little perturbed he’s jumping to some crazy assumptions and is ruining my plans. “I think you ruined it.”

He takes it from me and throws it across the room. “I didn’t ruin it and you’re not going to need it.”

“Geesh, Nathan, you’re as bad as my dad.” I lean up on one elbow to stare at him, acutely conscious that I’m wearing an old snoopy t shirt and some sweatpants. I get really cold easily these days. I’m unsexy and frail and probably the last thing that Nathan wants. These past weeks he’s been giving me attention has probably all been out pity. Fine then, I’ll use the damn condom with someone else. I drop on my back and start rifling through all the North Prep guys that might help me out. I’d ask Nick tomorrow. He’d make a face but ultimately he’d help me.

Nathan runs a hand through his hair and falls back on the bed. “It’s not like that.”

Not like what? I think. I burst out, “Is it because I’m too thin? My port too ugly?”

“Do you really think I’m that shallow?” He looms over me now, his big body like a plank of wood. Stiff, straight and hard.

“What is your problem then?” I yell at him.

He slaps a hand over my mouth to stifle the noise. Sitting up, he drags me over to sit on the edge of the bed and then he drops to his haunches between my legs. He lays his head sideways so that one cheek rests against my knee. It’s the most intimate position I’ve ever had with a boy and it’s setting my heart racing. He kisses the scar I got on my knee when I dragged myself over the carpet in the television room not realizing that Nick had left his Leatherman tool open. I’d cut myself and then Nick and I were afraid to tell anyone so it got infected and healed badly. Nick got a whooping and so did I.  Nate was mad at both of us for a week and hid Nick’s pocket knife. I’m not sure if Nick has ever gotten his original one back although one of our Dad’s friends gifted him a new one a couple of years ago.

“You’re beautiful Charlotte. With your soft hair and your port and your scars, you’re everything I would want in a girl. Don’t you believe differently,” he turns his head again so I can see his brown velvet eyes staring straight at me.

I believe.

He kisses up a little higher, to the top of my thigh. “I love your laugh. Your willingness to put up with the Jackson boys’ shit constantly. Your endless optimism. No one has your spirit.”

He rises and pushes me backward on the bed so that I’m caged on either side by his muscular arms. Why Nate, you haven’t been skipping arm day have you? I think ridiculously because I’m nervous and excited and I’m trying not to squeal.

He is going to kiss me. His face comes closer and I lick my lips in anticipation. This is it. Lower. This is what I’ve been waiting for my whole short life. This is why I have to keep living so that I can remember this event over and over and over. Slowly his lips brush mine. I want to keep my eyes open but they are drug down as if there is a string attached to my lips.

“I just want to take things slow. Make them right for you. Do you trust me?”

I nod.

“We can’t go back. What we have between us,” he waves his finger back and forth, from his chest to time, “will never be the same. We will have to fight to keep Nick with us. We have to fight to keep together. No matter what. Will you do that?”

“I will,” I vow. I loved him so much for remembering Nick—that we were all unit.  And that he wanted me to fight for him and for us.

He bends forward then and presses his mouth against mine again. His arms are shaking with the effort of something, some unknown force either holding him back or pushing him forward. He’s straining with the power of it but his lips against mine after featherweight, light and without pressure. It’s a hello kiss. It’s a we’re going to get to know each other one new second at a time kiss. It’s endlessly sweet and wonderful but it’s not enough.

So I grab hold of his wrists and it’s easy to tumble him down but he turns at the last minute so he’s lying on his side, still kissing me, still telling me that kissing me is all he wants for now. He threads his left hand through my right but his other hand is no longer occupied with holding him up and so it drifts downward until it finds the curve of my waist. There it stops and finds purchase, gripping me tight. He won’t let me get closer but as our lips move against each other I feel his fingers bite into my skin and that movement tells me that he’s so close to the very edge of something that he doesn’t even notice that his touch might be a little too tight. I revel in that—that I’m making Nathan Jackson feel out of control.

But his iron will is still in charge and so we are just kissing, loving each other with the soft movement of our lips against each other.

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Charlotte XIV

Charlotte

“So you’re having nighttime visitors now?” Dad asks me over dinner. Mom’s at a work dinner and it’s just the two of us. Choking on my apple sauce, I cough until half of it is up my nose. Lovely. Dad hands me a napkin impassively not looking at all sorry that I almost choked to death in front of him. Dramatic of me? Yes, a little but I feel like this situation calls for a spectacle to distract his attention. I wipe away the bits of apple sauce and then push away from the table, ignoring his question.

“Greta is coming over soon, can I be excused?”

Dad sighs heavily and then rubs the back of his neck which signals his frustration. That he doesn’t yell at me or start lecturing make me feel guilty and I hop over and wrap my arms around his broad shoulders. “Daddy, it’s just Nate.”

He gives me a return squeeze on both of my arms. “It might be just Nate to you but it’s a seventeen year old boy lying in my daughter’s bed all night long.” He’s more resigned than anything. Mom must have gotten to him but his dismay makes me feel worse than a lecture. “I’m torn between loving the kid and wanting to pound him into the dirt.”

“I don’t think Uncle Noah or Aunt Grace would be happy with getting Nate back in a dustbin,” I joke lamely.

Dad scowls. “Then maybe he should sleep in his own damn bed.”

I say nothing but inwardly I’m clutching my hands together in joy. Dad’s current state of unhappiness suggests that maybe last night wasn’t an anomaly. Could I expect more visits from Nate?  “I’m going away soon and I want to spend as much time as I can with the Jacksons.”

He opens his mouth to say something but the intercom rings and it’s the doorman telling us that my friend Greta is on her way upstairs. Dad doesn’t release me right away though. “I’m trusting you, Charlotte, to do the right thing.” He swivels in his chair and gives me a hard look. “I’m relying on both of you to make sure that nothing happens that you wouldn’t be proud of telling your parents about the next day. Can I do that?”

I should tell him yes. I love my daddy but three weeks is a long time and I have plans for Nate. Plans that include things that I don’t want to share with my parents, especially my dad. But I can’t lie to him either so I’m grateful when the buzzer rings again. I give dad a quick kiss and run off to the door to answer Paul, our doorman.

“You didn’t answer me!” I hear Dad bellow behind me. Pressing my lips together, I try to hold back a giggle. He’s all bark when it comes to me. I try not to take too much advantage of this but I figure mom has covered this all with him or Nate wouldn’t still be breathing. At least I hope he’s still breathing. I’ll have to text him tonight. Just to see what’s up.

“Hey Paul,” I say into the intercom.

“Greta’s on her way up,” he responds. “How you feeling?” The how you comes out as one word. Paul sounds and looks like the South Side boxer that he once was. I guess Uncle Noah found him in a gym one day, kind of down on his luck. Uncle Noah cleaned him up and now he’s the doorman at our building. He’s more like security. I mean, no one’s getting passed Paul up to our penthouse floor without the person being totally safe.

“I’m good Paul. Real good. My weight’s up and I haven’t been puking or anything.” Everyone knows about my condition in our building. At least all the staff. This is part of what I’m going to miss but if spending six months in intensive treatment and therapy makes me come home sooner then that’s a worthwhile trade.

“Glad to hear it. We’ll all miss you when your gone.” Paul’s voice is gravelly. I wonder if his larnyx was damaged with a throat punch. I’ve wondered a lot of things about Paul but he’s too scary for me to ask. But I keep talking to him because as long as I’ve got him on the phone, my glowering parental unit won’t interrupt.

Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake introductory notes signal Greta’s arrival. “Gotta run, Paul. Greta’s here.” Paul says goodbye. I toss my dad a bone before I open the front door.

“I hear you Daddy.” But I don’t give him even a moment to respond before I pull Greta into the apartment and hustle her down to my bedroom.

“Hulloooo Mr. Randolph,” Greta coos. The blatant appreciation Greta has for my dad usually strikes me wrong but today I’m grateful because Dad’s face turns white and he stalks off to his office. Greta fans herself with a hand. “Your dad is smoking hot. I would so do him.”

“Greta, jeez, my dad, really?”

“Yes, Charlotte. Your dad. And Noah. God, I’d do the whole Jackson family.” She flops onto the bed and stares up at the ceiling lost in a little fantasy that I don’t want shared with me.

“Call dibs on Nate,” I say lightly.

“Mmmm.”

I don’t know what that sound means but Greta’s the one friend from gymnastics that also goes to North Prep with me. Maybe if we didn’t have gymnastics to tie us together we wouldn’t be friends because Greta and I are pretty different even before I got sick.

She’s just interested in other things like going to concerts and using her dad’s connections to go backstage. She’d like NorthPrep to be a reality tv series and is constantly roaming the hallways filming people with her camera phone. It gets her in trouble from time to time. Actually what gets Greta in trouble is that she doesn’t believe in monogamy. Monogamy is for small minded people and since I’ve never had a boyfriend I figure I’ve got no place to judge.

But now that I’ve accepted that I have really strong feelings for Nate, the idea of him with another girl makes me feel like puking.

“What’s with the icky face. You still sick?” Greta asks, sitting up now and leaning back against her hands.

“No,” I sigh. Sitting down in my egg shaped chair across from her, I pull up my legs and confess. “It’s this girl who lives downstairs. Madeline? She’s a college student. I think her and Nate had something going on one time.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Because I saw her walk in with him once and she was touching him and it just looked…” I search for the right word.

“Intimate?” Greta suggests. “Where’d so touch him? On the arm? What?”

“The waist. Like she ran her hand down over his shirt.”

“Yeah, they’ve fucked,” Greta confirms. “So your going to have Nate take your v-card, huh? That’s memorable.”

“For him or me?” I ask, still thinking of Madeline’s hand on Nate’s shirt. When I saw it, I wanted to run over and rip her away from him but since I was on my way to a doctor’s appointment with my mom, I mumbled some sort of greeting and left.

“For you. Maybe for him. Depends on how many virgins he’s had. What’s the count do you think?” Greta asks.

“God, I have no idea. I try not to think about that.” I place my hand over my stomach to quell the churning.

“I’d guess a few because he’s had sex with several of the North Prep girls and they can’t all have been having sex before Nate, right? I mean, if I was going to give it up the first time, it’d be with a Jackson for sure.”

“Why?” I ask. I haven’t given it much thought. Not like Greta has.

“Because they are both super hot. They are nice guys, like they open doors for you and will carry shit if you ask them to without complaining. And they’re super kind to you.” Greta enumerates. “It just seems like they aren’t selfish pricks in life so they wouldn’t be selfish pricks in bed. Nathan Jackson is a good choice.”

I haven’t told anyone about my crush on Nate because I thought…well, it would be stupid. I mean, Nick knows because he’s my best friend and I can’t really keep anything from him. But I don’t feel comfortable talking to him about having sex with his brother. I certainly can’t ask him for what I asked Greta to bring me.

“So where’s this going to take place?” Greta looks around. “Not here, right?”

I bite my lip and nod slowly. “Where else?”

“Dunno. Rumor was that you guys were doing it in the training room after or during football practice.”

“What?” I exclaim, sitting forward. “I was sleeping!”

“Yeah, I mean, after the EMTs came we all figured it wasn’t sex, but who knows. Maybe you were doing something kinky and Nate hurt you necessitating medical first aid.” Greta wiggles her eyebrows.

“I have no idea what that could be and I don’t want to know.” I hold up a hand to forestall any further discussion on that point. “Is that really what everyone is saying?”

Greta gives me a half smile. “Who knows? People are gonna talk. Does that really bother you? I mean, having sex with Nate Jackson is nothing to be embarrassed about. If it were me, I’d have fliers made up. Hand them around school.”

This makes me laugh because she so would. “I think when I do have sex with Nate it’ll be apparent on my face. You won’t need a flier.”

Greta guffaws and then hops up. Pulling a bunch of square wrappers out of her purse she lays them on the bed. “Okay, I got these from my sister. She says there are different sizes. You know what size Nate is?”

“I have no idea,” I say slowly as I take in the dizzying array in front of me.

“Never felt him up?” She asks incredulously. “Not even through his jeans?”

I shake my head. Placing her hands on her hips, she asks in amazement. “How do you know he’s even going to agree to this. Have you guys even kissed?”

“Nope.” I can’t explain to Greta the connection I have with Nate and how I’ve felt tethered to him all my life in a way that I’m not linked to anyone else in the world. Not my parents, not Nick. No one. I just know that I want my first intimate physical encounter to be with Nate. The world may end tomorrow. He might end up marrying Madeline. I know he’s been with other girls but there’s some deep seeded belief that Nate will do anything for me, including this one thing that I want so desperately before I leave. He won’t turn me away or make me feel bad. This is a truth that is so solid yet unexplainable to someone else outside of us. Nate and I…we were meant to be together in some way.

He just needed a push and I was going to provide that to him. If not tonight then before the week was out.

Unraveled Blog Tour Day 6

Thanks to Alii’s Book Jungle, The Book Tart, T&A After Dark, random jendsmit for posting about the release of Unraveled.

Yesterday marked the last day of the blog tour. There is still time to visit one of these great sites to enter to win a $200 GC to the retailer of your choice or a signed set of the Woodlands series. Thank you to every blogger who participated in the blog tour. I really appreciate it. Authors really depend on the word of mouth of readers like you to spread the word about our books.

Thank you to everyone who has left a review on Amazon or Apple or Barnes and Noble. Those help in convincing the retailers that are book is worth recommending to the buyers who don’t follow blog tours.

Finally, a special note of gratitude to the ladies at The Rock Stars of Romance without whom I would not be able to release a book. Thank you ladies.

Battery Operated Book Blog likes the boyfriend resume. (It’s a running joke in the book between Sam and Gray about all the things he’d put on his resume for a potential mate).

WOW!  I am just absolutely blown away.  It’s been a while since I read a book and sat down immediately to write the review, but I’m just that freaking excited about this story and how it made me feel.

I loved the humor in this one.  Grayson and Samantha crack me up!  Like Grayson coming up items she likes him him or thinks are hot that he can add to his boyfriend resume.  Their adventurous dates are anything but ordinary but were intense and fun and sometimes frightening.

fiction’s our addiction is jealous of Sam!

These two have an instant physical connection. They are both going to some deep internal battle in regards to love and neither really in my opinion know how to cope with what they are feeling. Written in Sam and Gray’s POV. This is a very good book! I thoroughly enjoyed it and I am left with a crush on Gray and so jealous of Sam!

For Vi at Happiness is a Book, Gray and Sam were interviewed. This is just a tiny excerpt:

Vi: Sam, how did you get started with knitting? What’s the most difficult thing you have made?

I got started knitting when I joined a support group after my husband died. It was the only widow group I could find that had women there under the age of 50. The most difficult thing I made was a sweater for one class. We were challenged to incorporate as many different techniques into one project. It’s pretty hideous.

Gray: ugliest thing ever. Even uglier than, well, you know, Vi, but I don’t want to ruin it for everyone.

Sam: It is really, really ugly.

Tracie at ilove lady porn loved the ending!

Over at In My Room Reading, she wrote:

Her writing style and the stories she tells are precisely the type that I would love to read and reread several times. I like her plots. She writes funny and witty banter really well, and the romantic parts my toes just curl!

Kimberly Faye writes on her blog that The Woodlands is her favorite New Adult series:

f you like your romances sweet and sexy, with strong, smart women and sexy, protective men, you have to check out Jen Frederick’s Woodlands series. From the first moment I picked up Undeclared, I fell in love with her characters and her writing. There’s more than just romance in these books. There are some seriously steamy scenes that leave me fanning myself, but there was also real emotion in each of the books that took me for a ride. Unraveled definitely put me through the most of them, though. Tears were cried. (I know, I know… it doesn’t take that much to make me cry, but still.) This is one of my favorite new adult series.

Live Read and Breathe enjoyed the banter but the real emotion. She also has a very funny some ecard to go along with the review.

I feel she captures banter with ease with a good balance of angst and true emotions.  I am really starting to adore this series and can’t wait to find out more from these Woodland boys.

Love N. Books, Court’s 2 c are as follows:

I love seeing the characters from the previous books make appearances and sort seeing how they are progressing.  It keeps the series alive and enjoyable.

Overall this may not be my favorite in the series, I truly enjoyed it.

Red’s Book Blog enjoyed the families, both the blood ones and the friendship ones

In my opinion, we need the sort of story that gives us heart and makes us smile. But we also want the kind of story that curls our toes and gives us butterflies. Butterflies are both good and bad in my case. It depends on what my hero/heroine is doing of course. I get a well rounded amount of butterflies whenever I read Ms. Frederick’s work.

Sizzling Pages Romance Reviews has some beautiful graphics to go along with the reviews. The unique thing about this review link is that several of the bloggers contributed their own thoughts and they had varying opinions from 3.5 to 4.5 stars.

SMIBookClub suggests a few moments of privacy when reading Unraveled:

I loved the growth that Sam and Gray do individually as well as together. Sam is ready for more of life and Gray is just the person she can trust to let go and have some fun she so desperately needs. Sam is probably one of my favorite female characters ever and I love that she knits. Gray is a total hopeless romantic even if he refuses to think he want to get serious with anyone and I loved what he had planned for Sam at the end.

The Book Hookers‘ Tray reviewed Unraveled and loved the dialogue. I enjoy writing it. It’s probably the most fun for me as a writing:

Jen Frederick has a way of writing dialogue. The interaction between characters feels natural. ..The male characters in this series talk like real men and real soldiers. They cuss like sailors, they tell embarrassing stories about each other, and their bedroom talk is so hot it’ll catch the sheets on fire.

Joann at The Book Junkie is a fan of the series and enjoyed the instant connection between Sam and Gray.

[H]e meets Samantha (Sam), a young widow of an Army soldier, who is still stuck in her stages of grief- not moving on with her life either. Their paths collide one night while at the bar that Sam works, and it is explosive!! These two– I’m talking instant chemistry. All of a sudden, the girl who has lived inside of herself for two years since the death of her husband, suddenly starts to feel. And fall. Head over heels for this Marine that she just met.

The Flirty Reader says that she didn’t quite connect to Gray like she did to the previous two male protagonists in the Woodland series but she loved Sam:

I really, really enjoyed this book. But not as much as I enjoyed the first two. Maybe it was because I was expecting the book to be about Mal or Finn. I’m not sure. There was a disconnect with Gray sometimes for me and I couldn’t put my finger on why. Sam completely had me from the beginning of the book to the end. I love her character and felt that Frederick did a fine job of conveying what it is like to be a very young war widow. It’s a life that most people don’t know, or really want to know.

At Who you callin a book whore, Erica writes

Sam isn’t looking for anything that leads to forever and neither is Gray but sometimes you just can’t stop fate? RIGHT?!?! Jen does a great job of showing that sometimes the thing that you think you want the least is what you truly want the most deep inside your heart and your head. When you don’t over think things!!!!

Knock Your Books Off gives Unraveled four stars enjoying the journey and the camaraderie (isn’t that the weirdest spelled word ever?) between the characters.

Gray is just yum!!! He’s badass and loyal and honest and *sigh* a man!!! Yeh he fucks up – more than once he lets his mouth run away with him and he loses out dearly but what Gray shows himself to be in-between his cock ups is more than enough for even the hardests of hearts to forgive.

Sam & Gray together are a roller coaster ride and they epitomise the saying of “the path of true love never runs smooth” they have more than their fair share of hurdles to overcome together and eventually apart.

Unraveled Blog Tour Day 5

Thanks to The Book Bellas, Reading is my escape, Dirty Books Dirty Boys, Booky Ramblings of a Neurotic Mom, As the Page Turns, and Made for you Book blog for alerting their readers to the release of Unraveled.

The Biblio-Files confesses she kind of fell for Gray during his brief appearances in Unspoken and I’m sure glad I didn’t disappoint her with the full length novel. And I made her blush. I hope that was a good thing.

All I can say is holy hell! I think this book was actually steamier, dirtier and hotter than Undeclared and Unspoken combined. Jen Frederick got pretty naughty with this one…and…I loved every minute of it!!! I could not put it down I started reading after midnight and finished by 2:30am…yeah I was pretty hooked. This is a great read for new adult fans who like steamy scenes. Gray and Sam’s chemistry is scorching. I think Gray and Sam may have actually given Bo and AM a run for their money!!! I had to cover my eyes while reading…shame on you Jen, you made me blush hehe!

Peace Love Books: Ramblings of a Dork left an amazing review. Rambling on Miss Dork!.

This is really a story of love conquering all. Facing your fears and learning to love even with life throwing a wrench in every plan you make. Will love conquer all? I recommend reading and finding out. Unraveled was another great addition to an already great series. Can’t wait for more.

Nose Stuck in a Book
 
Margay Leah Justice appreciated that Gray was a man of action and one who kept his word. (Those are big things in my book. You don’t want someone who can’t follow through!)

He is the ultimate Marine, the ultimate Alpha hero, and he talks dirty like nobodies business! The things he says to Sam would turn a saint into a sinner in a heartbeat. They are deliciously dirty and they’re not just words because he can back them up. Big time. Everything he says to Sam is a promise and this guy can sure deliver on a promise, let me tell you! So he’s not all talk – he’s also a man of action.

I get to chat with Lovin Los Libros via Twitter which is great. Twitter is so much more fun when you get to interact with readers. Hit me up sometime! In Jessica’s wonderful review she writes:

I have to first discuss the camaraderie between Gray, Noah, and Bo. It is absolutely incredible. I love how these guys interact with one another. All having served in the Corps together, it really left them with a sense of brotherhood and they always have each other’s back and watch out for one another. Now that Bo and Noah have settled down and are in serious relationships, they definitely have more wisdom and advice to offer. However, I think Jen does such a great job of capturing the male voice in her novels. These guys are Marines for pete’s sake. They don’t get fluffy and spout pretty words at each other. They tell each other how it is and deliver the hard truths. Literally, one second they can be on a more serious tangent and the next one of them is bound to say something sexual, ridiculous, or flat out goofy.

I read Indie Mandie thought that knitting was adorable and that there wasn’t a moment she could take a potty break!

 Who though knitting could be so adorable? I enjoyed every second of the story, every single word. I couldn’t put it down. So far that has been my only problem with books by Frederick. Not really a problem, per se, but gosh! She never leaves a dull moment for you to say ‘Now is a good time for that potty break.’ Nuh uh. You have to keep reading and reading and reading.

Escape into a Book Review enjoyed the connection and the steaminess:

I loved the connection and attraction between the two. I loved the overall story. I loved the characters and love that there is more then one point of view.

It was another great blog tour stop. One day left folks! Can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings.

Unraveled Blog Tour Day 4

I had a lot of fun visiting the blog tour stops today because I love reading other reader’s opinions, no matter what they were. I feel like I can get a sense of what worked and what didn’t for some and that always gives me food for thought. Plus, the effort that you bloggers put into these reviews and posts is really mindblowing.  I appreciate and applaud you all.

Anna at Book Lovin’ Mamas doesn’t care who book 4 is about because she loves the Woodlands crew and she really loved Gray and Sam:

I LOVED this book. So much that I find it hard to express! Gray is just an all around fun character and I love that dirty mouth of his! Very hot! And it was nice to see Sam turn from the sad widow into the sexy young woman she really should be. Together these two have some crazy hot chemistry and it shows up loud and clear in those oh-so-hot sex scenes! And it’s not just that, they get each other like no one else does.

Bridger Bitches book blog Harper says that she liked the slow build and despite the 45 day time frame really felt like the connection between Sam and Gray was believable:

Holy smokes I love me some Gray Phillips!! This dirty talkin’ Marine had me wiggling in my seat while I read Unraveled! Jen gets a round of applause by me because this series is amazing and I can’t wait to get more of the Woodland series! Gray & Sam’s connection did not feel rushed at all. Their attraction to one another was instant and hot and steamy but during Gray’s leave they fell for each other more and more on an emotional and physical level. Even though the time together was short as a reader I felt like they knew each other forever.

Lauren at For the love of Books can’t wait for the next entry and enjoyed this one.

Have you ever been afraid to do something because you know what will happen? Or at least you think you know what will happen. Being afraid to take a chance because you’re scared history will repeat itself. That’s a lot of what this book is about. This is the third installment of The Woodlands series, but can be read as a stand alone.

Michelle at Give Me Books put together some eye catching graphics and said:

Overall, I enjoyed reading Unraveled. This book will leave you believing in second chances at life, love and most importantly to take adventures. Life is too short to wonder the what ifs…. Gray and Sam reminds us all we must live, laugh, love and never regret.   I just want to thank Ms. Frederick for introducing us to Noah, Bo, and Gray.  When these three men love, they really LOVE and put everything on the LINE. So if you are looking for a series, that will leave you with those butterfly feelings then I would highly recommend you to  read the Woodlands Series. Just be prepared to sigh and swoon for Noah, Bo, and of course Gray.

Gabic at Gabic Reads said that the yarn shop scene had her howling with laughter. Here’s a confession. I’ve knitted but can’t do much more than purl and knit. In my drafts I kept spelling intarsia wrong. Sometimes I spelled it interstarsia. Other times instarsia. As Gray says, “fucking impossible is what it is.” I salute you accomplished knitters!

Unraveled has it all: intense scenes, humorous scenes, sweet scenes, fun scenes. I can’t put into words how much I loved the book. Sam and Gray are my favorite couple of the year so far. They understand each other amazingly well. Gray is right, Sam is the perfect military wife. She also broke my heart several times when talking about Will. I love that Gray understood that she would always love Will, but that she was packing up those feelings and making room for Gray. And the scene towards the end in the yarn shop with the old ladies had me dying of laughter.

I hope you know you bloggers are so damn creative and entertaining and are such a great and important part of this whole book business. I’m in awe of the time and effort you put into running your blogs and making everything look so fantastic. Kawehi put together this awesome collage. Thank you!

She didn’t love Unraveled because she wasn’t convinced about Gray but overall she had nice things to say about it and she’s on board for the next book which is great.

A very sweet and steamy romance that was just okay in my book. I hope the next installment will be on Tucker or Hamilton!!

At Made for You Book Reviews, Caitlyn shared that she loves a good military hero.

I really loved this book, Sam has been through so much in her short life and I can understand her reluctance to let herself fall in love with Gray.

Gray was an awesome Hero as well. I love reading a good military romance and no one does it better than Jen Frederick.

Sleepless Nights  Filled with Endless Books said that Gray made her forget about the first two Woodlands heroes. (Psst. It’s Noah and Bo).

I knew going into this book that it would be different from the first two Woodlands books, and boy was I right. Even though the book was different from the other books doesn’t mean it was any less AWESOME! I thought I loved the first two Woodland boys, but then came Gray and I couldn’t even tell you who the first two boys are. Grayson Phillips is a fantasy. He is caring, sweet, adventurous, HAWT, a little damaged, did I say HAWT? and just the most perfect man EVER!

The Readdicts enjoyed Unraveled but it wasn’t their favorite. Still, Sam won them over.

Samantha lost her husband to an IED in Afghanistan. She has been mourning his loss for years and regrets not going after what she wanted. Then she meets Gray and even though Sam is determined not to fall for another military man there’s no denying the attraction between them. I liked Sam. You can feel her grief but her feelings for Gray are true.

Over at Three Girls and a Book Obsession Leary writes that she loves the series and that she loved spending time with all the Woodlands crew.

I want end the day sharing two reviews for Unspoken even though we are here to celebrate the release of Unraveled. It’s great to see that there’s still love out there for Bo and AnnMarie.

At Best Book Boyfriends Riley Lynn writes:

I love their friendship. I love how they learn to trust each other. And when they finally give in to their attraction, damn. Their first time scene is uber steamy. Bo is the stuff all amazing book boyfriends are made of.

She’s going to read Noah next. Oorah!

Megan at ReadingBooksLikeaBoss made this stunning graphic to go along with her amazing review. Click on over to see its full gorgeousness.

I love stories where the couple becomes friends organically and slower develop deeper feelings for each other.  This was that kind of story.  Even though it was clear that they wanted to rip each other’s clothes off from the beginning, Bo and AM’s actual relationship took awhile to build up.  I love feeling that build up, waiting for one of them to make the first move.  To move closer. The moment right before they kiss for the first time.  This story had all those feelings.  And once these two finally realized that they both wanted each other, it was game on.  The scenes between AM and Bo were scorching, yet tastefully done.

Thank you ladies! 

Charlotte XIII

I have to tell you that I’m prepping the newsletter for tomorrow’s release and I’ve lost a major part of Charlotte’s story. It was…somewhere and now I can’t find it. You’ll still get a scene but it might be truncated.  The next couple weeks are from Charlotte’s POV.

I loosely grouped the released story into chapters which you can access via the menu bar above. Hover over the “Woodlands” tab.

Nathan

I bust into Nick’s room. “Get up, asshole. We’re working out.”

He moans and rolls over. “No and fuck you.”

“Nice language there, little man.” Nick is about two inches shorter than I am. He’ll probably be taller than me by the time we both stop growing. I have to get my jabs in while I can. I climb on top of him and start punching him lightly over the blankets. He kicks out with his legs but any force is stayed by the blankets. I roll off, laughing.

“Asshole,” he mutters, untangling himself and stumbling into the bathroom. Nick is not a morning person but I am. I’ve been getting up and lifting for two years. Not for basketball or football though. School sports hold no real interest for me. I have other plans—ones that I haven’t shared with anyone. Nick, on the other hand, has real skill with the ball. Everyone around us knows it but he doesn’t appreciate his gift yet.

One day when he’s playing pro ball he’ll thank me for getting him up at the ass crack of dawn to lift. And I think he knows it because after the initial resistance, he always gets up and spends an hour with me in the weight room.

It’s leg day today which makes it easy for us to talk and ordinarily I enjoy it but this morning Nick is feeling extra cranky because he starts in on my right away.

“Did you get laid last night?”

My leg slips off the riser and I nearly tumble forward on my face in the middle of a split squat. Did he know I had slept in Charlotte’s room? I hadn’t even touched her!  “What’d you mean?”

“You’re in such a friggin’ good mood this morning, even more so than usual.” He grunts as he begins his leg extensions. “Thought you’d be pissed off about Charlotte.”

I right myself and start methodically lowering myself, working my quads. “Nothing we can do, right? Not like we can kidnap her and stash her somewhere.”

He examines me and whatever he sees doesn’t satisfy his curiosity  “Huh, you’re sounding rational and calm. What gives?”

I might have one secret from Nick but that’s about it and he deserves to know what is going on with Charlotte and I. Plus, I need to make sure that he’s okay with it. I mean, I think he is but I have to know for sure because Nick’s my brother and means just as much to me as almost anyone. Grabbing a towel from the stack by the water cooler, I throw one toward Nick. He catches it and drapes it around his neck. Neither of us have worked up enough sweat necessitating a towel. I’m just using it as a ploy to gain some time and gather my thoughts. Nick sees this and waits me out.

“You know that Charlotte and I spent—“ I stop talking when he covers his face and a pained moan comes out of his throat. Christ, I’d never thought that Nick had feelings for Charlotte. My heart sinks to my feet and I can’t stand upright anymore. Charlotte and Nick had always been brother and sister and I—I guess everyone could say the same thing about Charlotte and me. Heart heavy, I stumble over to the weight bench. “I’m sorry, man, I never knew.”

“Knew what?” Nick’s hand falls away. He doesn’t look heartbroken but would I even know what that looked like? I think hard to the last time I saw Nick disappointed about something. When our dog Hobo died, Nick was sad but he never loved Hobo like I did. Hobo was my dog just like I thought Charlotte was my girl. There was the one time when Nick was ten and I broke his vintage Marvel Superman. He’d cried like a baby for at least a half hour until Mom found a replacement on eBay but he doesn’t look like he’s on the verge of tears. He just looks like he needs to take a shit or something. Pained—that’s his expression.

“Is it Superman bad?” I ask tentatively.

“Did you drink last night? Because you aren’t making any sense.” He half rises from the weight machine. “Wait, did you break my Superman action figure again?”

“No.” I raised both hands in an innocent gesture. “Haven’t touched the replacement.”

Nick sits back down. “Then what’s with the weird act and the threat about Superman? Because I’ll kick your ass if you touch that again.”

“You could try, but then you’d run to momma because I made you weep like a little girl.” I shoot back. We are straying from the original topic and I need to make sure everything is okay between Nick and me. The best way to do this is just to be straightforward, even if the responses are something that I don’t want to hear. “You okay with Charlotte and me being together?”

He gives me another weird look. “Like I said, did you drink last night?” At my negative head shake he continues, “Everyone knows that you and Charlotte are together. She never gets even one invite at school to parties or shit because you’ve already made it clear that any one even looks wrong at her, they’re going to lose a finger or five.”

I don’t realize that I am that obvious. “But I’ve never said anything,” I protest.

Nick throws his towel at me but it falls harmlessly between us. “You didn’t have to. Your glares are enough. Plus, bringing her into the locker room? You might as well have pissed on her leg.”

I probably should be sorry but I’m not. Not at all. I pat my subconscious self on the back. Hadn’t even realized I was doing it.

“What’s with the moaning and covering your face then?” I ask.

Rolling his eyes, Nick shoves his leg under the padded lever and starts his extensions again. “I just don’t want to hear any detail about that shit. Charlotte’s like my sister and you’re my brother.”

Offended, I snap back sharply, “Like I would say anything.”

He grunts and this time I’m not sure if it is a grunt of exertion or exasperation. “You’ve never held back before.”

Okay, exasperation. “But this is Charlotte.” I shake my head at him. “It’s different.” So yeah, maybe Nick and I’ve shared some information between the two of us about other girls but I’d never tell him about Charlotte. Whatever I did to Charlotte’s body or she did to mine was a private thing. Not that anything is going on and I tell Nick that. “Besides, there isn’t anything to tell.”

“Then why even bring it up?”

“Because I wanted to make sure you’re okay with it.” Picking up a medicine ball, I throw it up, squat and catch it.

Even over the clanking of the weights, I can hear Nick’s impatience. “I don’t know why I wouldn’t be but I do care that she’s going to be gone for six months. How are we going to stop that?”

“We don’t,” I tell him. “She wants to go.”

“No way. She’s been against that for weeks now.”

“I talked to her last night and she thinks it’s the best thing for all of us.”

“Last night, huh?” He eyes me speculatively and a protective urge drives me to dispel whatever images he might be conjuring.

“Nothing happened,” I say frowning so he can see that I don’t want him to pursue this but Nick doesn’t care.

“Because you think she shouldn’t be touched until she’s some magical age of what? Eighteen?”

“Eighteen?” I rear back. I had thought keeping my hands off of Charlotte until she was sixteen deserved some kind of medal but Nick is thinking eighteen? I wonder if my balls would fall off by then.

My expression of horror and dismay must be plainly evident because Nick starts laughing so hard he almost falls off the machine.

“Man, if you could see your face right now,’ he chokes out. After laughing for at least a solid minute, Nick slides off the machine and picks up his towel so he can wipe the tears out of his eyes. “Shit man. Okay, sixteen then.”

I restart my squats determined to ignore Nick now because he was pissing me off. He cheerfully ignores my mounting bad mood and barrels forward. “Bet Charlotte doesn’t agree with your plans.”

At this rate I’m never going to get a work out in because his words cause me to pause again. “And you know this how?”

‘Because Charlotte’s always going on about how there is such a double standard, still, between girls and guys. How you didn’t wait for her but you probably expect her to wait for you.”

“She talks about this stuff with you?” I’m not sure what is more surprising to me at the moment. That Nick is okay talking sex with Charlotte but didn’t want to hear about us or that both of them have discussed my own sexual history. The latter kind of makes me feel ill. I don’t want Charlotte thinking about me with any other girls because I didn’t wait for her. The night of Charlotte’s surgery springs to mind. I couldn’t even keep it in my pants that night.

“Yeah, we talk about some of that shit. She is my best friend you know.  She was feeling down last year that no one asked her to the spring dance and so I told her you probably threatened the locker room with castration.”

I raise my eyebrows and nod approvingly. “I hadn’t but it’s not a bad idea.”

Nick shakes his head at me. “I don’t get why she can’t have a little fun if you are as well.”

“Who’s side are you on?” I ask with disgust.

“The side of the person not getting any, I guess.” He grins at me unashamedly. It’s evident that Nick’s been spending too much time with the upperclass girls.

“I’m not getting any,” I point out.

“But you did with Madeline from downstairs the night Charlotte had her tumor out.” After dropping that criticism, Nick gets up from the leg machine and picks up my abandoned medicine ball. At my silence, he continues, “Don’t worry. I haven’t said anything to Charlotte.”

“What are you trying to say, Nick?” I ask carefully. I’m mad that he’s brought up Madeline again but only because it reminds me of a weak moment—one that I would take back if I could. It’s a moment that I’m afraid will hurt Charlotte and maybe even me.

“I’m saying that you shouldn’t dictate to Charlotte when she’s ready or not ready. She should be the one to make that decision. If you can fool around before you think she’s ready then it should be okay that she’s with other guys before whatever arbitrary date you have set in your head for when you guys can be ‘together.’” He holds up his fingers into air quotes when he says together.

A new fear creeps into my mind. Charlotte and I won’t be together at all for six months. She’ll be in Switzerland at a place filled with teens just her age who are going through the same thing she’s going through. They’ll understand her situation—get her—in ways that I can’t. And if she’s thinking about experimenting and I’ve repeatedly told her no…did I have any right to think she’d not explore those urges with someone else? Did I think that nothing could happen in six months? Suddenly I feel having my own Superman moment.

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Unraveled Blog Tour Day 3

To kick off tonight’s post, let me share Books to Breathe lovely review as part of Day 2 of the blog tour but I missed it. I’m exited to share the great review today.

I fell SO hard for Gray and Sam. Whether the scene was sexy, tender, fun, or serious, I loved them all equally. The way these two connected and communicated, there was a pureness that was refreshing to witness. I could not get enough and would have kept reading forever if it was possible. But that’s what Jen does. She writes characters that are so relatable; you are instantly embedded in their lives, never wanting to return to a world where they don’t exist. I’m not sure which Woodlands man is next, but I cannot wait to find out! I’ll never get enough of these men and the women they love.

Hetty at BestSellers & BestStellars gave the book 4.5 diamonds and shared some lovely things about the grief theme:

The numerous themes weaved into the storyline gave this novel a lot of depth. I appreciated the grief discussions and explanations of how this affects people in different ways. Sam gives Gray this knowledge that assists in his healing. It also helped Sam realize she was still clutching the past and needed to let go. The concept of living life to the fullest was very encouraging and inspiring. Allowing yourself to trust and accepting love were lessons this duo learned together.

At Above Average Below Special  Lettie confesses that I might have put her off skydiving (or abseiling) for life.

Once again the side cast was brilliant! It was great to see the Woodlands boys from Gray’s more outside view. Bo, Noah and Gray had a great camaraderie between them from their service together and Bo and Noah seemed to completely understand Gray, at times better than he did himself! I especially enjoyed Bo’s tough love advice! Biblio Belles (Review)

Book Drunk Blog interviews me and I tell them who I think would be best able to survive a zombie apocalypse. In the book, Sam says she’s good because she can stab people with her needles and create clothes out of fiber. Gray immediately says Sam should join his team. But truthfully I think there is one other Woodlands roommate who I think is uniquely suited to survival but you’ll have to read the interview to find out.

Over at Booze, Bookz, and Bad Boyz  Dee has a neat story about how she came upon my books. She won one in a rafflecopter! Even better she enjoyed the book she won. That’s so cool. Dee shares:

My introduction to Jen Frederick’s books was via a Rafflecopter contest. I won a copy of Unspoken, the second book in The Woodlands series. Jen’s writing style and relatable characters hooked me instantly! I immediately bought Undeclared, the first book in this series, and read it in one sitting. It’s her mix of alpha males, strong yet vulnerable female heroines, and her compelling story telling that keeps me coming back for more.

At Her Juicy Reads, Kristen writes:

Gray is sexy as hell and the stuff that comes out of his mouth! *fans self* Prepare yourself!

I feel like this story has the perfect balance of emotional, sexy and angsty moments. It deals more with the emotional aspect of these two characters growing and coming together.I was very impressed with Sam’s character. Although her life the past few years has been at a stand still she is still very strong and never let her grief completely devour her. I loved how she never tried to hide the fact she still loves her husband and never shied away from speaking about him.

You should be jealous of Kristen because she’s reading that hot looking Reaper’s Legacy by Joanna Wylde.

Love Between the Sheets is a blog where Megan reviews. She shared that she wants directions to the house. I can’t give those out!

  I loved this book. Sam and Gray both brought baggage to their relationship, but each time a problem would rise up they would concur it. It may have taken a while (sometimes a loooong while) but they always found their way back together .I adore this series along with everything else Jen Frederick writes. I definitely see more hunky Woodlands men in my future. Oh, and one more thing, did I mention Gray has a dirty mouth? Yeah, I absolutely need directions to that house.

Love Between the Sheets is also having a big January giveaway. Check it out here.

Mean Girls Luv Books says that her allegiance to Bo from Unspoken was tempted!

Not only are her men extremely BBF list worthy but the woman are equally well written and endearing. They are the girls you wish were your BFFs….FYI for Bo fans – which this girl is TEAM BO 100%, even more after reading this – but watch out, Gray definitely makes him work for it a little. Go get your copy of the Woodlands books and fall in love with this series…you won’t regret it

Thank you to Dirty Girl Romance Book Blog, Romance Addict Book Blog, Turner’s Antics, and Ms. Harvey from The Romance Evangelist for sharing the promotional post of Unraveled. Ms. Harvey has great taste. If you visit her site, you’ll know immediately why. (Spoiler: we share the same template)

So Lorie at The To Be Read List makes these awesome cups. Aren’t they fantastic? Lorie also suggests that Unraveled is good if you are suffering from book depression. No one should suffer from book depression.

Unraveled isn’t a simple boy meets girl story.  It’s much more.  It’s a story about loss, hurt, and living again.  People make mistakes and rash decisions so I love there are ups and downs, bumps in the road, and that it’s not perfect.  It just makes the story that much more real.

Starbucks & Books Obsession was the first review I read this morning and it made me smile for the rest of the day.

I really FELT the passion between Sam and Gray and I definitely had butterflies in my stomach a time or two. I could tell Sam and Gray were falling for each other before they even admitted it to themselves. Gray may not do relationships but he’s not a man-whore and he has so much respect for women. I loved the way he protected and cherished Sam and the sweet things he did for her to open her up to life again. He took her on some really sweet and thoughtful adventures and I absolutely loved seeing Gray fall in love with Sam. She totally took him by surprise and buried herself into his heart, which isn’t easy to do.

So I have to share a little personal story which I hardly ever do because I’m pretty protective of my family. But the other day I was driving and my rear windshield was so dirty! I needed to clean it but I forgot when I got home, wrapped up in the promotion of my book and writing Last Breath. The next morning I got into my car and noticed that the rear windshield was perfectly clear. Not only was it clear but my entire car was washed. I went to get lunch later that day and I remembered I had only five dollar so I was going to use my credit card but lo and behold, my wallet had extra cash in it.

I kind of teared up. My husband is always doing these little things to take care of me. The advice is always to write what you know and I guess that part of him and his caretaking nature is in my books.

Anyway, Chelsea even has a mini playlist. Thanks girl!

Melanie from Stories and Swag:

I loved the dirty talk! I wish I could put a bit in the review but I would need to put an XXX warning at the top!

Sam & Gray know going in that this was just temporary. Sam was finding herself again and Gray was trying to figure out what he wanted to do with his life. They only has 45 days, but that was all it took for them to fall in love and then it was anything but temporary.

Ava at the new group blog The Biblio Belles can’t give up the place in her heart where Bo and Noah reside.That’s perfectly okay and I’m glad that you are still interested in future books in the series.

I think if I had read this as a standalone I would have loved it more but I can’t help compare it to the first two books and I enjoyed them more. Sam was the main reason I liked this story as much as I did as I could empathise and connect with her.

I do look forward to the rest of the books in the series, I can’t wait for Mal’s story as well as Finn’s and I’m hoping Lana appears in there somewhere! Unraveled can be read as a standalone so it is a good place to start but all the books are well worth a read so you need to check them out.

Thanks again to everyone who participated in Day 3 of the blog tour. It’s been great reading everyone’s reviews and visiting your blogs.  See ya tomorrow!