Summer Romance Reads + an EXCERPT
Hi everyone! Today, I come with two exciting tidbits!
First, I am participating in another group promo with the theme Summer Romance! You can pick up Destined to Be Normal for free, and there are many other novels up for grabs! Whether you want YA, Contemporary, Fantasy, or anything else—we’ve got you covered!
And now… I’d also like to share an excerpt from my first chapter of my ongoing work in progress, tentatively titled Be True. Have a fake cover I made the other day just for fun!
I’m still in the revision stage, but I’m slowly and surely getting closer to the finish! I think it’s safe to share a bit from Chapter 1, as I don’t see myself changing much before I let an editor take the reins. But you never know with me.
I hope you enjoy!
Be True (Chapter 1 Excerpt)
“Will?”
I froze, head whipping to my left, where the voice had come from. I’d been too in my head to pay attention. Dread sliced through my stomach as I took in my surroundings. The old park, the darkened street—this was the worst place to be.
“Shit, it’s you,” the voice slurred, and Jesse Gardner stumbled out of the darkness.
“Hey, man,” I mumbled, heart slowing as he clapped a hand on my shoulder.
Jesse and I weren’t exactly friends, but he was cool with me. Ever since middle school, we’d been playing on the same sports teams. Throughout school, we often ended up in the same group projects. At parties, when our friends ditched us to hook up with each other, we’d end up hanging out together. We’d sit on a random set of front steps and smoke, him a cigarette, me a joint, and talk about things that didn’t matter. And I’d always kind of hoped we’d end up being the friends who ditched someday, but he’d never made a move. My wild fantasies just kept me hanging onto hope, even though Jesse showing any interest in me would likely not be much better than Ezra.
“Good to see you,” Jesse said, clapping a hand on my shoulder.
I glanced at him sideways, trying to scrutinize his expression in the dark. All I could see was his smile—all teeth and brilliant. He’d had braces in middle school. Then, he had a growth spurt. Then, his curls started behaving and he was suddenly the hottest person alive.
“You know Connor Woodard is having this party.”
“Oh, really?”
“He’s my best friend. Kind of.”
I knew exactly what he meant. I was just a bit taken aback to hear that Jesse was kind of friends with Connor Woodard, of all people. Jesse never seemed to really have friends—he was just everywhere with everyone. He knew everything about everyone.
“I was gonna go there,” he explained. “But… I dunno, I was feeling some type of way.”
I nodded, as though I understood. It didn’t seem like I was meant to.
“What’re you up to?” Jesse asked. “Lurking in the dark like this.”
He laughed, leaning in a little closer. The heat of his breath against his cheek made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Apprehensive, but curious. Wanting.
“Nothing,” I replied.
“Come with me, then,”
“Why?”
He shifted his weight between both feet, and stepped away from me. He stared at the ground, running a hand through his perfectly curly blond hair. And just when I thought he wasn’t about to answer, he looked into my eyes and said, “I don’t wanna be alone.”
My gut twisted uncomfortably. That was too honest.
“But you have Connor, apparently.”
He slapped my arm again. “Yeah, man, but he’s the fucking host. Shit. You know what I mean? He can’t hang out with my boring ass.”