It only took one look into his eyes for her to know she was in trouble.
Adam Bricklin has heard the melody in his head for years, the melody that told him if a decision was right or wrong. When he met Ragan Newlin the song told him she was the one. He was devastated when circumstances tore them apart. It has taken three years for Adam to finally move past the heartbreak he suffered when Ragan left town in the middle of the night. No note, no email, no text. She was just gone. Now he has a new girlfriend, a new album in the works, and his daughter is doing well in school. Until the day Ragan returned to Fairfield Corners.
Ragan came home to celebrate her parent’s anniversary hoping they would forgive her for not telling them about her marriage or her son. When she discovered that Adam was still living in Fairfield Corners she hoped her secrets were safe; secrets that drove her away three years ago, secrets that could change their lives forever.
Excerpt:
He pulled open the back door and lowered himself into the car behind the driver’s seat, wincing as the freezing river water soaked through his boots. The water level had almost reached her face and it was still rising. The driver groaned and turned her head.
“Don’t move, I’ll get you out of here as fast as I can.”
The driver forced a yell, “Skylar, answer me, baby.”
Adam crouched down and reached between the front bucket seats to place his hand on her shoulder. “Shhh, he’s okay. He’s up the hill, inside my truck. He’s safe,” he said as he started cutting the seatbelt with his pocket knife. “Let’s get you out of this seatbelt. Then I’ll get you up to him in no time.”
“Adam?”
His heart stuttered in his chest when he heard her voice.
“Ragan? What the hell are you doing here?” Adam asked as he continued sawing at the seatbelt. Blood ran down her face and dripped into the water, making his heart race with fear. “Hold onto me. I’ll get you out of here,” he said, trying to maintain a calm voice.
He sawed harder at the seatbelt with his pocket knife as he tried to hold her out of the water as much as possible. Her lips were blue and she had stopped shivering, the cold water was taking its toll. She grabbed at his shoulders, trying to keep her face above water level.
The water continued to rise, forcing Ragan to turn her head towards Adam to keep her mouth out of the water. The car lurched, sliding farther into the river.
“Oh God, Adam. Hurry,” she screamed as the water inched up, her arms tightening around his neck. She spit out river water, gasping in air, afraid the water would soon cover her mouth and nose completely.
Adam dropped his pocket knife and wrapped his arms around her. That’s when he felt the seatbelt finally break. His heartbeat roared in his ears as he grabbed her with both hands and pulled her into the back seat, making sure her face was out of the water.
“C’mon Ragan, stay with me for a little longer, baby,” he said, his voice wavering with fear. “I need you to hold yourself up for just a minute until I can pull you out.”
She grabbed the back of the passenger seat and held on as Adam pulled himself out of the car. He reached back through the open car door and pulled her out, grunting with the effort. Her lips were blue as he wrapped the blanket around her; he knew he had to get her warmed up fast.
The feeling of her in his arms made his heart beat faster and his hands began to shake. He stopped for a moment… holding her, pushing the memories back before he raised her into his arms and started up the hill. It was difficult carrying her while using the rope to pull them up the muddy hillside. Maintaining traction wasn’t easy and they fell a few times.
When Ragan’s eyes started to roll back and her arm across his shoulders went limp, he gripped her tighter.
“Hold on, Ragan, we’re almost there.” Adrenaline coursed through his body as he climbed the hill, his one objective to get Ragan to safety.
Adam lowered her onto the back seat of his truck beside Skylar and brushed the hair out of her face.
“Dammit, why did you have to come back into my life?” he asked, as the elusive tune he’d been trying to get on paper for years started playing in his head. He thought it was gone for good when she had left three years ago. Was it a coincidence? She had come home to Fairfield Corners, and it was back.
Buy Links:
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OX5EKFE
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00OX5EKFE
Createspace: https://www.createspace.com/5066849
Interview:
Me: What inspired you to write your first book?
L.A.: It actually goes back to high school (way back when)… Me and my two best friends made up a story about the three of us and our lives that we told through letters to each other – we loved famous people, had exciting lives, you get the idea. Anyway, in 2012 one of my friends told me she had continued the story and she let me read it. I thought, “how cool, I should do this too.” She introduced me to NaNoWriMo that year – we signed up and I actually did it! 50,000 words which eventually became my first novel, Saving Cassie.
Me: Do you see writing as a career?
L.A.: Someday I would love for writing to be my “main” career, currently it’s just a sideline but I am ever hopeful that my books will sell and allow me to pursue writing full-time. Until then, I will continue to be a payroll professional.
Me: This book is the second in a series. Do you prefer to write single title or series? Why?
L.A.: I love to read a series, I can really connect with the characters so it’s natural that I love to write series. A series gives me that chance to explore other connected stories.
Me: Is there a message in your novel you hope to convey to your readers?
L.A.: Never give up and sometimes fate has a wicked sense of humor.
Me: I love a good conflict. What draws your main characters to each other and keeps them apart?
L.A.: Ragan and Adam fell in love before Ragan left and broke his heart. When she returns they both realize their love never died but outside forces keep them apart. Can’t go into detail – don’t want to give away the twist!
Me: How did you come up with the title?
L.A.: Once I had the basic plot and character names it just made sense.
Me: I usually get plot ideas in the shower and while driving. When/where does inspiration strike you?
L.A.: Most of my plot ideas (so far) have come from music so inspiration can strike (and has!) any time I’m listening to music or just thinking about a song.
Me: What new stories are you working on?
L.A.: I am attempting NaNoWriMo again this year, my story is a sci-fi/fantasy romance. Here is blurb:
Ammica led a boring life until the summer she turned sixteen when Stone came to town and started working at her father's garage. When he left at the end of the summer he left Ammi with a broken heart and more questions than answers.
After her father is killed in an apparent robbery gone wrong, Ammi settles into life alone until that fateful day on the "haunted" side of the lake when she falls into the lake trying to escape from a would-be mugger. A hand reaches up from the depths of the lake and pulls her down into the darkness and into a world she never knew existed.
Bio:
An avid reader all her life, she finally put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) during NaNoWriMo in 2012 and has never looked back.
Paranormal romance, romantic suspense, no romance genre is out of bounds!
Links:
Website: www.laremenicky.blogspot.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/laremenicky
Twitter: www.twitter.com/remenickywrites
Google+: www.google.com/+LARemenickyauthor
Amazon Author Page: http://amazon.com/author/laremenicky
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1zANq9n
Remember to comment by midnight (EST) on Wednesday, Dec. 24, for a chance to win a swag pack!
Mellanie Szereto
Romance...With A Kick!
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