Thursday, November 29, 2012

E. Van Lowe Cyber Monday Giveaway




Heaven Sent
Falling Angels Saga Book Three
By E Van Lowe

Genre: Paranormal YA

What Does It All Mean?

Readers who devoured Boyfriend From Hell
and Earth Angel will be captivated by the
third book in the Falling Angels Saga.

As summer break for Glendale Union high
begins, heartsick Megan awaits Guy's return
while struggling to control her emerging
abilities. Love is in the air, but can the new
loves in Megan, Maudrina, Suze and Aunt'
Jaz's life be trusted? Nothing is what it
seems. Meanwhile, the Satanists are set to hatch their most diabolical scheme
ever, and if it comes to pass, Satan may finally win out.

Megan has precious little time to unravel the cryptic message hidden in the riddle
she received at the end of Earth Angel. If she doesn’t, the life of someone most
dear to her will be lost forever, and Megan may yet find herself living in HELL.

Excerpt:  

 
Earth Angel
Falling Angels Book Two
E Van Lowe

Genre: Paranormal YA

Heaven Can Wait!

Just because Megan Barnett recently
defeated Satan, has a fantastic new best
friend, and has won the love of deliciously
handsome, Guy Matson, doesn’t mean her
troubles are over. Far from it. For Megan
doesn’t realize it, but in her possession is
a powerful weapon, a weapon sought after
by both angels and demons and
everything in between. They will do
ANYTHING to get it.

In E. Van Lowe’s humorous, romantic
and thrilling sequel to Boyfriend From
Hell, Megan winds up in a gripping life or death battle to save herself, the boy she
loves, and all of mankind from unthinkable evil.

Megan Barnett has recently defeated Satan, found a fantastic new best friend,
and has won the heart of deliciously handsome, Guy Matson. But that doesn’t
mean her troubles are over. Far from it. For Megan doesn’t realize that she is
in possession of a powerful paranormal weapon, a weapon sought after by both
angels, demons and everything in between.

In E. Van Lowe’s romantic yet thrilling sequel to Boyfriend From Hell, Megan
finds herself in a gripping life or death battle to save the boy she loves, and all of
mankind from unthinkable evil.


Excerpt:

Boyfriend from Hell
Falling Angels Saga Book One
By E Van Lowe

Genre: Paranormal YA

Aww, Hell No!

Fifteen year-old Megan Barnett and her
single mom, Suze, have a special
relationship—they are friends, close
friends, who do almost everything
together.

“But come on, guys, she’s my mother…
Can I really tell her that while we’re
snuggled up on the sofa watching Spider
Man Three, I’m secretly undressing
James Franco with my eyes? Of course
not…”

The special bond takes a turn for the worse when Suze decides to start dating
again. She hasn’t had a man in her life since Megan’s father left ten years ago.

Enter two mysterious young men, Megan’s new classmate, sinfully attractive bad
boy, Guy Matson, and the dangerously handsome art dealer, Armando. Before
long Megan and Suze both wind up in steamy relationships. But neither of the
handsome guys is quite what he seems. In fact, one of them is Satan, with his
sights set on a new bride. Megan has precious little time to figure out how to stop
him. If she doesn’t, either Megan or Suze are quite literally going to HELL.



Excerpt:

About The Author

E. Van Lowe is an author, television writer,
screen-writer, playwright and producer who
has worked on such TV shows as "The
Cosby Show," "Even Stevens,"
and "Homeboys In Outer Space." He has
been nominated for both an Emmy and an
Academy Award. His first YA Paranormal
novel, "Never Slow Dance With A Zombie,"
was a selection of The Scholastic Book Club,
and a nominee for an American Library
Association Award. His Best Selling
novels, “Boyfriend From Hell” and “Earth
Angel,” are the first two books in the Falling
Angels Saga. “The Zombie Always Knocks
Twice” is the first book in his Hollyweird
series.

E lives in Beverly Hills California with his
spouse, a werewolf, several zombies and a fairy godmother who grants him wishes
from time-to-time.

www.evanlowe.com

http://vanlowe.blogspot.com/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/E-Van-Lowe/152364748167154

AND NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY!!!! GOOD LUCK!!!
E Van Lowe Cyber Monday Giveaway- win a YA theme Christmas them Gift Basket containing a plush bear, Santa hat,  fuzzy socks and gloves set, Christmas socks, sparkly Christmas tree decoration, snowman snowglobe, and a Bath and Body Works holiday gift set trio.
https://mail-attachment.googleusercontent.com/attachment/?ui=2&ik=8082b2e4a4&view=att&th=13b4476c6cc42e80&attid=0.2&disp=inline&realattid=f_ha1qbe9i1&safe=1&zw&saduie=AG9B_P_oWib1w39hgjlcHufn8fFx&sadet=1354140472238&sads=iSxNh1_X6HndmaGrWlzs0pMRWes
https://mail-attachment.googleusercontent.com/attachment/?ui=2&ik=8082b2e4a4&view=att&th=13b4476c6cc42e80&attid=0.1&disp=inline&realattid=f_ha1qbe9e0&safe=1&zw&saduie=AG9B_P_oWib1w39hgjlcHufn8fFx&sadet=1354140511032&sads=_AkUSVyPeHm5tnRT6Zeap3yjGPs
Open to US Shipping

Winner to be announced on December 7 so there will be time for the package to arrive before Christmas

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Reviving Bloom Blog Tour & Giveaway

Title: Reviving Bloom
Author: Michelle Turner
Published: Self Published – October 3rd, 2012
Word Count: Approx. 61,000
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Synopsis:
Bloom was abandoned by her mother at birth, but thanks to her dad she never once felt unloved. When he is killed in a car wreck, leaving her without any close family, she spends a year mourning him. Her heart has been cut out of her chest and nothing is left but an empty hole that she doesn’t think will ever heal. Then one night after work she finds a wounded dog in the woods behind her house and takes him in, not realizing he’s more than just some stray dog but a wolf shifter, who happens to be her mate.

Pike is getting over the loss of his father by running full force away from his responsibilities. He’s getting ready to go back to face his new position as the Alpha of his pack when he catches the scent that can only belong to his mate.

When Bloom finds out she may not be the normal human she always thought herself to be, she’s forced to search out the woman who abandoned her at birth.


Excerpt:
“Pike, I’m far from perfect,” I sigh, hiding my face back behind the door under the pretense of gathering the cooking supplies. I hear him hop down seconds before I feel his arms wrap around my waist.
His lips pressed to my ear and he whispers, “In my opinion you’re perfect and anyone that disagrees will have to answer to me.” Moving his mouth farther down to the crook in my neck he breathes, “Though you should know this little freckle right here might be the reason you are so perfect.” Then he takes my breath away by planting those deliciously kissable lips right on that freckle. I grab the counter in front of me and slam my eyes closed, praying for him to only move those lips if he’s going to take them from my neck to put them on my mouth, and for the first time since this madness began I thank the lord he can read my thoughts because he spins me around and gives me exactly what I was praying for.
He starts gently but when I throw my arms around his neck digging my fingers into his raven hair his lips become demanding and I part my lips so he can join his tongue with mine. We can’t get close enough, can’t get enough, and in that moment I feel fairly certain I’ll never be able to get enough of this man in my arms. His kisses taste sweeter than hot chocolate, chocolate chip cookies, and hot fudge sundaes combined.


About the Author:

Michelle is a 28 year old native Ohioan. Go Buckeyes! She lives with her husband and son. When she isn't spending time with her family or working you can find her with her nose stuck in a good book. On October 3, 2012 she released her first book as an independent author, Reviving Bloom.



Giveaway Details:
There is a tour wide giveaway for anyone who would like to include it in their tour posts. Prizes include three (3) eBook copies of Reviving Bloom via Smashwords coupon. Giveaway is International. There may be some swag added at a later date.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Thoughts: 

Reviving Bloom starts off with an emotional punch. Bloom's father died a year ago and she is still feeling the loss of him like a giant weight on her heart. Since her mother walked out of her life the day after she was born it had been just her and her dad, saying they were close would be a complete understatement. He was her world.

Then one night after another day of barely getting by, Bloom hears a "dog" outside of her house and he sounds hurt. She rushes out to help him and then everything changes. She brings him home to clean up his wound and starts to feel her heart healing with his presence. After introducing Pike to the local vet who happens to be her best friend Bonnie's father and her "Uncle" Billy things start to become clearer to us, the readers.

I have to say for the most part I really enjoyed Reviving Bloom it has a nice twist on the werewolf myth which keeps it from reading like just another werewolf book, if you know what I mean. There are lots of struggles and touching moments that help you get to know the characters better throughout the story. My only complaint and this is really just a personal issue was that I was able to get to know Pike first as he was in wolf form and I really liked him. Once he becomes a man and starts to interact with the other characters as a man I didn't like him quite as much and I was never able to understand exactly why that was. My best guess was that his "voice" wasn't as I expected it would be. Maybe it was the constant "darlings". This didn't stop me from getting into the story and now I really hope that Michelle writes a book about Bonnie (she was my favorite character).

If you love those alpha male types that happen to turn a bit furry on occasion then you should grab yourself a copy of Reviving Bloom.


 

Thursday, November 15, 2012

The Wild Ones Blog Tour, Giveaway and Review



**MATURE CONTENT ADVISORY: May not be suitable for younger readers**

Passion as hot as midnight in the South and love as wild as the horses they tame.

Camille “Cami” Hines is the darling daughter of the South’s champion thoroughbred breeder, Jack Hines. She has a pedigree that rivals some of her father’s best horses. Other than feeling a little suffocated at times, Cami thought she was pretty happy with her boyfriend, her life and her future. 

But that was before she met Patrick Henley.

“Trick” blurs the lines between what Cami wants and what is expected of her. He’s considered the “help,” which is forbidden fruit as far as her father is concerned, not to mention that Trick would be fired if he ever laid a hand on her. And Trick needs his job. Desperately. His family depends on him.

The heart wants what the heart wants, though, and Trick and Cami are drawn to each other despite the obstacles. At least the ones they know of. 

When Trick stumbles upon a note from his father, it triggers a series of revelations that could ruin what he and Cami have worked so hard to overcome. It turns out there’s more to Trick’s presence at the ranch than either of them knew, secrets that could tear them apart.



M. Leighton
Social Media links:
Twitter: @MLeightonBooks

Links to find/buy book:

Giveaways: SIGNED The Wild Ones Paperback & T-shirt and SIGNED Blood Like Poison Paperback & T-shirt
a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Thoughts:
The Wild Ones is indeed a wild ride (too corny?). This is the second contemporary romance that I've read by M. Leighton and I can't wait to read more. With just the right amount of chemistry, anticipation, drama, and angst, Leighton has shown that she really knows how to write a fun, sexy and satisfying love story!

Trick and Cami are such a fun couple that will have you rooting for them the whole time. I really enjoyed watching them fall for each other and fight to be together against all the odds. While Leighton follows a pretty standard romance formula it never gets boring in fact I couldn't put it down, it was an all nighter for me.

Plot: Fun, light and sexy.
Characters: Leighton writes the kind of characters that you really want to get to know. From Trick and Cami to their friends Jenna and Rusty. (I'm actually hoping for a separate book about Jenna and Rusty.)
Writing: Engaging and entertaining all the way.
Ending: Just the kind I like.
Mature Content: YES! This book is definitely for the older YA and Adult Crowd. Trust me if you can't handle smexy scenes then you should not read this book. Not porn graphic but still intense.
Overall: A quick romantic read that you won't want to put down.


Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Heaven Sent by E. Van Lowe Cover Reveal


What Does It All Mean?

Readers who devoured Boyfriend From Hell and Earth Angel will be captivated by the third
book in the Falling Angels Saga.

As summer break for Glendale Union high begins, heartsick Megan awaits Guy's return while
struggling to control her emerging abilities. Love is in the air, but can the new loves in Megan,
Maudrina, Suze and Aunt' Jaz's life be trusted? Nothing is what it seems. Meanwhile, the
Satanists are set to hatch their most diabolical scheme ever, and if it comes to pass, Satan may
finally win out.

Megan has precious little time to unravel the cryptic message hidden in the riddle she received at
the end of Earth Angel. If she doesn’t, the life of someone most dear to her will be lost forever,
and Megan may yet find herself living in HELL.

“The third book in E. Van Lowe’s Falling Angels Saga is his most thrilling yet.”

Expected Release Date: December 15, 2012


Gorgeous covers by Adara Rosalie
You can find E. Van Lowe here


Sunday, November 11, 2012

Destiny Cover Reveal


Destiny (Brightest Kind of Darkness, Book 3)
By P.T. Michelle
Expected Release Date: March 31, 2013

Summary from Goodreads:
When destiny is on the line, will love be enough to light the way?
In order to save Ethan, Nara gets pulled deeper into his dark world, where everything she thought
she knew about Ethan and herself turns on its head.
Ethan and Nara turn up the heat with bone-melting seduction and heart-rending moments,
but surprising revelations, lies, treachery, betrayal, and unimaginable evil will challenge their
relationship and their future together.
As the stakes rise, encompassing more than just her relationship with Ethan, will Nara make the
ultimate sacrifice?


***
Other books in the Brightest Kind of Darkness Series: 
Brightest Kind of Darkness, Book 1 (currently FREE)

Lucid (Brightest Kind of Darkness, Book 2)

About the Author

P.T. Michelle is author of the young adult series BRIGHTEST KIND OF DARKNESS. She
keeps a spiral notepad with her at all times, even on her nightstand. When P.T. isn’t writing, she
can usually be found reading or taking pictures of landscapes, sunsets and anything beautiful or
odd in nature.

***
Want to help spread the word about DESTINY's upcoming release? Click the link below to get
the countdown widget script to put on your website or on your blog's side bar. :)

http://www.widgetbox.com/i/60cdbefb-af9e-42fa-b8d8-80345e3a5519

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Defy The Stars Blog Tour and Giveaway


Defy the Stars
Release Date: 07/30/12
e-book
325 pages


Julia Cape: A dedicated classical piano student just trying to get through her last semester of high school while waiting to hear from music conservatories.

Reed MacAllister: A slacker more likely to be found by the stoners’ tree than in class.

Julia and Reed might have graduated high school without ever speaking to each other…until, during a class discussion of Romeo and Juliet, Julia scoffs at the play’s theme of love at first sight, and Reed responds by arguing that feelings don’t always have to make sense. Julia tries to shake off Reed’s comment and forget about this boy who hangs with the stoner crowd—and who happens to have breathtaking blue eyes—but fate seems to bring the two together again and again. After they share an impulsive, passionate kiss, neither one can deny the chemistry between them. Yet as Julia gets closer to Reed, she also finds herself drawn into his dark world of drugs and violence. Then a horrific tragedy forces Julia’s and Reed’s families even farther apart…and Julia must decide whether she’s willing to give up everything for love.

Defy the Stars is written in an edgy free-verse style that will appeal to fans of Ellen Hopkins and Lisa Schroeder; however, the writing is accessible enough to speak to non-verse fans as well. The novel’s combination of steamy romance and raw emotion will appeal to fans of Gayle Forman, Simone Elkeles, Jennifer Echols, and Tammara Webber. With a story, language and form that both pay homage to and subvert Shakespeare’s play, Defy the Stars is much more than just another Romeo and Juliet story.

Goodreads:
Amazon:

About the Author
Stephanie Parent is a YA author repped by Brenda Bowen of Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. She is a graduate of the Master of Professional Writing program at USC and attended the Baltimore School for the Arts as a piano major.

Giveaway Info:
1st prize: $30 gift card from Amazon and a e-book copy of Defy the Stars.
2nd place: 4 e-book copies of Defy the Stars.
Additional Prize: A query letter critique by Stephanie Parent.
All giveaways are open internationally!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Thoughts:
Defy the Stars is a frustratingly beautiful and heartbreaking novel. You know you've fallen for characters when you find yourself screaming at them and expecting them to listen to you. Then feeling devastated for them when you see the outcome you predicted. Right away you know that things aren't  going to all sunshine and lollipops for Julia and Reed. I knew my heart was going to be broken, I just didn't realize how severely it would break.

Julia has everything going for her, she seems to have the perfect life, but looks can be deceiving. Her life was missing something, that spark that you don't even know you need until you find it and realize that you don't ever want to be without it again. She makes stupid decisions, lies, and forgives more than any person should. Reed is sweet and pathetic all at once. One minute I adored him and the next I didn't want anything to do with him. I think there comes a point in a relationship where no matter how much it hurts you have to let go of that other person to save yourself. Reed was one of these people that needed to be let go of and it was hard to watch Julia hold onto him even as he was breaking her.

This book is written in verse but didn't always read like a verse book if that makes sense. Not a bad thing at all, I just noticed that it was different from other verse books that I have read. I definitely enjoyed Defy The Stars even though the ending left me with tears streaming down my face.

Plot: You know all along where this story is taking you but as it pulls out emotion after emotion you forget that you knew all along.
Characters: The characters are so frustrating because as the reader you can see the logic that they can't and you just want to save them from themselves. (that wouldn't make for a very good story though) They are so believably flawed.
Writing: The verse style of Defy The Stars makes it easy to read this book straight through to the end in one sitting because of how wonderfully it flows.
Ending: Completely heartbreaking
Content: This book contains drug use, and some non graphic sexual content. This is by no means a light or fluffy read.

Check out the rest of the Defy The Stars blog tour here:
http://yabound.blogspot.com/2012/09/blog-tour-schedule-defy-stars-by.html

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Alibi Blog Tour and Giveaway



By Annie Miles, John Byrne, Isabel Eckersley, and Sorrel Provola
Publisher: Twisted Library
eBook, 254 pages

Abigail Shelton is dead. 

Spring Valley's golden girl is found floating face-down in her boyfriend’s pool, hands bound behind her back, head bleeding, drugs and alcohol in her system. Her friends are the only suspects – and they all have reasons to want her dead. Everyone has an alibi, but no one is innocent.

ALIBI is a 4-part young adult e-book series. Each one-hundred page installment reveals the perspective of a different character: the secret love, the nemesis, the boyfriend, the best friend. As their tales unfold, we learn that Abby is not as perfect as everyone believes, but she’s not the only one with secrets to hide. This page-turning tale of suspense, betrayal, murder, and lust will keep fans of Gossip Girl and Pretty Little Liars up and reading well past curfew.


Twist Literary Publishing
Social Media links:
Twitter: @TwistLiterary

Links to find/buy book:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Excerpt From Alibi
The night of Abby’s death
“Mason…”
Mason “Ace” Mackenzie blinked at the watery faces around him. They shifted and blurred, their voices coming out garbled.
“Mason,” his mother said in a slow, demonic voice that clashed with her pink suit and starched hair. “Do you know why you are here?”
Ace shrunk back in his chair. They were all facing him—his mother, his father, and the family’s lawyer. They sat in their posh leather chairs and were looking at him.
The lawyer stood up and came at Ace. Slowly.
Everything was happening slowly. And Ace knew why.
He was drowning. Drowning like Abby had. Drowning under the weight of whiskey and Rowan’s drugs and a horrible, head-splitting pain.
“Mason, be a good boy,” the lawyer said. “Answer your mother.”
Ace shook his head. The small movement made his skull feel like it would burst open.
A tan, fleshy fist shook in Ace’s face. “Damn it, Mason. You answer your mother right now.”
At his father’s voice, Ace sat up straight and struggled to find the right words. “Abby—my girlfriend—is dead.”
The lawyer turned to his mother. “Good. I think we’re getting somewhere now.” To Ace, he asked, “Do you remember anything about Abby tonight? Did you—” He glanced at Mrs. Mackenzie. “Did you hear anything outside?”
His father cut in. “Who saw you out there by the pool?”
“Charles did,” Mrs. Mackenzie answered. “When he pulled Abby’s body out of the pool.”
The memory of Abby’s body hit Ace; she was pale and dripping, her long hair curled like wet fingers around her neck. His face crumpled. He was going to cry. Oh, God. Not now. Not in front of everyone. And then he caught a hazy glimpse of the whiskey bottle on his mother’s desk and another memory came over him. It was Charles, sitting stupid and unsuspecting on the floor of his mother’s office, his hand outstretched for a glass of whiskey.
Ace started to giggle.
“William,” his mother said in her demonic voice.
Ace’s father reached out. He grabbed Ace by his shirt and pulled him up.
“Mason Anderson Mackenzie, you better get this straight. Your girlfriend’s death is going to be on the six AM news. You need to give us some answers now so we can get your mother—I mean, you—out of this mess.”
But Ace kept laughing, his voice getting higher and higher. “Do—do you think that—h—hot chick in the tight swe—sweater will be here?”
His father looked over at Mrs. Mackenzie. “What the hell is he talking about?”
For a brief moment, Mrs. Mackenzie’s face came into sharp focus, her disdain clearly visible as she said, “Mason has always had a thing for that reporter from Channel 4. The dumb blond with the big—”
The intercom crackled on. “Mrs. Mackenzie?” came the raspy voice of Andrew, the head of his mother’s security team.
Mrs. Mackenzie cut off and swallowed hard. “Yes, Andrew?”
“I have some videotapes for you.”
Ace howled with laughter. His baseball hat tumbled off his head as he slithered out of his father’s grasp onto the floor. Caught somewhere between pain and hysteria, he curled into a ball and hugged his aching head.
“What is so funny?” his father demanded.
“Andrew—he found your old porno tapes! Ha ha, you think he’s going to score with them? Get it? Score ?”
His mother winced. His father flushed red. The lawyer lifted one finger and stroked his beard nervously.
His mother hissed, “They’re security tapes, Mason.”
Security tapes? Here? At the mansion?
Ace’s laughter died a quick death. Time sped back up to normal. His mother’s sharp, fox-like face slid back into crystal clarity.
Sweat trickled from Ace’s scalp through his thick black hair and down his neck. Ace held his breath, not knowing what had gone wrong. Only knowing that, somehow, he had been found out.
“Could you see what happened to her on the tapes?” Mrs. Mackenzie asked in a tight voice. She glanced at Ace and even in his drunken state, he couldn’t miss her barely suppressed fury. She was going to lose the governor’s race, and all because her son was stupid enough to get caught on tape.
They all held their breath.
Andrew said, “Not exactly. We don’t have any good angles of the pool and it was pretty dark back there. But I think you should look at them anyway. There are a few things that are…well, you’ll have to see them.”
Four sets of lungs exhaled.
“Perfect. Get the tapes ready. William and I will meet you in a moment.” Mrs. Mackenzie snapped her fingers, back in perfect, cool command.
As soon as the intercom switched off, she fixed Ace with a steely glare. “I don’t think you realize how this looks, Ace. You’re young and you’ve never thought about anything seriously. But since I have to spell it out for you.” She glanced at Ace’s father, who hauled Ace up from the floor and dropped him in a chair.
Mrs. Mackenzie stepped forward and leaned over Ace. “It looks really bad that your girlfriend died and you were found next to her body. At myceremony. In my house . Before the election, for God’s sake . So you better think hard about everything that’s happened. We need to know what you did yesterday so we can get out of this mess. Write down everything that you did, down to every pimple you popped.”
Ace bristled. He never got pimples.
His mother continued, “We’re going to look at the security tapes. You better have something for us by the time we get back—some statement we can give to the reporters. They’ll be back in two hours.”
She marched through the door, Ace’s father trotting after her. Only the lawyer hesitated. He stopped at Ace’s chair and peered at him, comprehension at last dawning on his face. “Mrs. Mackenzie, I think your son needs to go to the hospital.”
“Nonsense. Why would you think that?”
Ace wasn’t so far gone that he couldn’t hear the returning note of panic in his mother’s voice. Despite what everyone thought, Ace wasn’t actually dumb. He might say stupid stuff a lot, but he understood more than he let on. Like now, for instance. The lawyer understood, too. Still, he gave a half-hearted attempt to help Ace. “His, uh, pupils look a little large.”
“Nonsense,” Mrs. Mackenzie repeated. “He’s just in shock. After all, the poor boy’s girlfriend just died. Let’s give him some privacy.”
Translated: Let’s give him time to sober up.
Again, the lawyer nervously stroked his beard. “O—kay. Are we going to watch the tapes now?”
“Yes. Hurry up. We only have a few hours before the reporters come back.”
At the door, the lawyer paused one more time and shot Ace a look. What was it that Ace saw in his brown eyes? Disgust? Pity?
Fear?
The door shut behind him and Ace fell into a paranoid panic. The security tapes. Abby. Rowan. Palmer. Charles. Oh God, what was on those tapes? Ace stumbled to his mother’s desk. As he yanked a pad of paper off the top of it, he knocked into the whiskey bottle. It teetered precariously on the edge of the desk. Ace grabbed it, clumsily twisted the top off, and raised it to his lips. He knocked a few gulps back. A few more.
Abby, how could you leave me now? he thought. I need you here. I need you to tell me it will all be okay.
For the first time in a long time, Ace remembered how it used to be between him and Abby. Before they’d started dating, she was his best friend. She listened to him talk about his family, his sports, his worry that he’d never be good enough.
His eyes burned. To keep his tears at bay, he thought of the way Abby had turned out—whining, clingy. Deceitful. But really, was that any worse than who he himself had turned into? A blinding rage took hold of him. He hurled the bottle across the room and watched it shatter, drenching the walls of his mother’s study with pale brown liquid.
I’ve got to get control of myself, he thought. I’ve got to get out of this.
But he couldn’t think straight. He couldn’t focus. He couldn’t escape the thousand emotions that were swirling around inside him.
Painfully aware of the clock on the wall, ticking off precious minutes, he forced himself into action. Maybe, for once, his mother was right. Maybe all he had to do was write down everything he did yesterday. Anyone reading it would realize that none of it had really been his fault. Abby’s death, Palmer’s fear, that final, bloody showdown with Charles. What else could Ace have done? Half the town would have done the same thing in his situation.
Ace grabbed a pen. He raised it and focused hard before carefully writing:
6:00 a.m. Woke up. 200 push-ups. Went for a 5-mile run. Gravity boot sit-ups. Injections.
7:00 a.m. Lifting.
9:00 a.m. Shower. 3 egg-white omelets. 12 grams of protein. 3 Adderall, crushed and snorted.
10:00 a.m. Football practice. Charles scored a touchdown. Just like he did with my girlfriend, the whore.
He viciously scratched that last word out and continued.
12:00 p.m. Sorta got a BJ in the parking lot behind the practice field.
12:30 p.m. Shower in the locker room.
12:45 p.m. 80 squats in the weight room. 100 more push-ups. Shot up some more—
No, you idiot, don’t write that in.
1:15 p.m. Shower again. Go home.
Watched Palmer stuffing envelopes. Think she wasn’t wearing a bra.
He jotted down the rest of his day, focusing on how helpful he’d been with his mother’s event and leaving out the things that no one needed to know.
When he was done, he took a proud look at his masterpiece. The writing was a bit crooked, it was true, but overall—No, wait a minute , he thought, looking with absolute horror at what he had written about Palmer.
He ripped the paper off the writing pad and shredded it with stiff, awkward fingers. Maybe he really was as dumb as everyone thought.
Behind him, the clock chimed four-thirty a.m..
One and a half hours to go before the world wakes up to hear about Abby.
Ace pulled a handful of pills from his pocket. He hesitated. He really didn’t want to do this anymore. But, after a moment, he carefully selected a small tablet. After placing it on the desk, he bashed it with his pen, over and over, crushing it. Minutes later, his nose burned but his brain began to gather steam. He was focused—well, almost, if it weren’t for the tremors.
Once more, Ace picked up his pen and began to write. Fast, furious words streaked jaggedly across the page. Only he wasn’t starting his story yesterday. He went back weeks ago, enough time for everyone to realize that, really, Abby’s death wasn’t his fault at all.
By the time he was finished, everyone would know whose fault it really was.

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