The Pain in Loving You

by Steiner, Kandi

  The Right Player

  She’s avoiding love at all costs. He wants nothing more than to lock her down. Sexy, hilarious and swoon-worthy, The Right Player is the perfect read for football season!

  On the Way to You

  It was only supposed to be a road trip, but when Cooper discovers the journal of the boy driving the getaway car, everything changes. An emotional, angsty road trip romance.

  A Love Letter to Whiskey

  An angsty, emotional romance between two lovers fighting the curse of bad timing.

  Weightless

  Young Natalie finds self-love and romance with her personal trainer, along with a slew of secrets that tie them together in ways she never thought possible.

  Revelry

  Recently divorced, Wren searches for clarity in a summer cabin outside of Seattle, where she makes an unforgettable connection with the broody, small town recluse next door.

  Black Number Four

  A college, Greek-life romance of a hot young poker star and the boy sent to take her down.

  The Palm South University Series

  Rush (book 1) ➔ FREE if you sign up for my newsletter!

  Anchor, PSU #2

  Pledge, PSU #3

  Legacy, PSU #4

  #1 NYT Bestselling Author Rachel Van Dyken says, “If Gossip Girl and Riverdale had a love child, it would be PSU.” This angsty college series will be your next guilty addiction.

  Tag Chaser

  She made a bet that she could stop chasing military men, which seemed easy — until her knight in shining armor and latest client at work showed up in Army ACUs.

  Song Chaser

  Tanner and Kellee are perfect for each other. They frequent the same bars, love the same music, and have the same desire to rip each other’s clothes off. Only problem? Tanner is still in love with his best friend.

  Weightless Acknowledgements

  This is always the hardest part, because the truth is there are too many people in my life to thank for getting me to where I am today in my writing journey. I’d love nothing more than to just gather all of you around a fire with a cooler full of beer and tell you how much I love you, but for now, a few sentences will have to do.

  This book would have been dead and buried in an RIP file on my hard drive if it weren’t for Staci Brillhart, who has become one of my very best friends in the short year we’ve known each other. You will forever be the Hype Man to my Polly Pocket, and I can never truly thank you enough for helping me elevate this book to the next level. #JuiceBoxHero

  Becca Hensley Mysoor, you helped me build Weightless up from a little tiny outline. You saved the ending, but more than that you saved me from my crippling self-doubt. Thank you for your love and your friendship — both which are invaluable and cherished more than you know.

  To my lifelong best friend Sasha Whittington, thank you once again for reading my work in every stage along the way and helping me make it better. I’ve written you into every acknowledgement I’ve had and I know you’ll be in every single one until the day I stop writing because you’re not just my best friend, but my biggest fan, too. Now, prepare yourself — we’ve got a big job ahead of us with this next one. ;) #ALLTW

  A big shout out goes out to the Circle of Trust — Erin Spencer, Cassie Graham, Ashlei Davison and Jess Vogel for beta reading, helping me choose teasers, saving me on the late nights when I felt like quitting and always knowing how to make me laugh. I love you all so much it hurts and I can’t imagine doing this without you.

  Momma, thank you for letting me stay up past my bedtime to read Harry Potter and for not judging me when I majored in Creative Writing. You will forever be my biggest inspiration and the wind beneath my wings.

  Brittainy C. Cherry, thank you for breathing confidence back into me with every message you sent as you read Weightless. Thank you for believing in me, for sharing my work, for loving my words and for being literally the best human being I know. Period. My life wouldn't be as bright without you.

  A HUGE, special shout out goes to Angie Doyle McKeon for being the best damn Bumble Bee to ever buzz around in the land of lifeless flowers. You bring life and color to everything and everyone you touch and I appreciate your support and love more than you know.

  To the rest of the beta readers — Kellee, Sahar, Novo, Monique, Trish (Queen Mintness), Maegan, and Tina, thank you for petting my hair and helping me whip this thing into submission. You’re the best ride or die team and I’m so thankful for each and every one of you.

  Kash Monay and Elaine Hudson York — thanks for editing and formatting Weightless to perfection. Now it’s pretty inside and out, and it’s all thanks to you two.

  Two the two groups who keep me going — Tribe and Kandiland — thank you for the daily posts and messages, the support, the love, the giggles, the whiskey, and everything in-between. I’m convinced that I’m the luckiest writer because I have y’all, and I hope the day never comes where I learn what it is to do this without you in my corner.

  To you — the reader — for loving my characters and stories as much as I do and for reading all the way through the acknowledgments (Like seriously, who are you?! You rock.). Thanks for choosing indie. I hope I didn’t let you down.

  Lastly, as always, I have to thank God. Without His blessings and love, I wouldn’t be able to chase my dreams the way I do. I only pray he gives me the strength and the courage to never stop.

  A Love Letter to Whiskey Acknowledgements

  A book is never truly written by just one person, and I had the A-team on this project. I have so many people to thank, but first (mostly to save you from having to read this novella), I want to address you — the reader. Man… that was a rough one, wasn’t it? I know I put you through a lot of emotions with A Love Letter to Whiskey — some that you probably loved, and some that you probably wanted to kill me for. I just want you to know that I love you, and I am so thankful that you let me take you on this journey — even if it wasn’t the easiest. Please, don’t ever stop reading. And don’t ever stop taking a chance on Indie. OH, and come find me on the internet, because I love to hang out with my readers. You can start by joining the Kandiland group on Facebook.

  Hey Staci Hart — WE DID IT! Can you believe it? We actually wrote books together… at the same time… and survived! And, it was the best experience ever. I don’t want to remember what it was like to do this without you, and I hope I never have to again. I love you more than whiskey sours. #SteinHarts #BestieRelease

  This book would have been an absolute train wreck without the help of Sasha Whittington and Monique Boone. Thank you for not only being two of my best friends, but also being the most kick ass beta readers ever. I know it was hard, reading in chunks, letting me leave you at the WORST possible places, but it was worth it in the end. You helped me see what I couldn’t, and for that I’m grateful. I love you both!

  Becca Hensley Mysoor, GOD I love you. Thank you for always being there to send me encouraging hearts and gifs and just for spreading light into the world. My life is brighter with you in it. I love you.

  Thank you, Brittainy C. Cherry, for loving my words and me, too. Writing with you is such a privilege and an honor. You are quite possibly the most beautiful soul to ever exist. Thank God we found each other.

  I can’t forget about my Buddy Brew coffee buddy — Kathryn Andrews. You are just… the absolute SWEETEST person. Thank you for making me laugh, celebrating my successes, and helping me through the rough days. I love writing with you, and I hope we can make this a ritual that lasts much longer than just one book.

  Karla Sorensen and Ilsa Madden-Mills, thank you for propping me up like two bad ass, gold-plated crutches. Writing this book was HARD, and each of you helped me in your own ways along the road. I appreciate you more than I can say in words.

  Momma, I always write the sweetest acknowledgement for you. This time, I want to thank you for teaching me how to drink like a champ. Those whiskey references came in handy, after all. ;)


  To Beau Taplin, thank you for inspiring me with your words and for letting me quote my all-time favorite poem in this story. It set the tone, and I’m thankful to have your blessing.

  Oh, Kellee Fabre. You have been here since the very beginning and Lord help me if you ever decide you’re over my shit. LOL! Thank you for threatening me EXTRA hard this time around. Your (scary) but loving messages make my life.

  To the rest of the beta team: Monique Buntin, Ashlei Davison, Jess Vogel, Maegan Abel, Kristen Novo, Tina Lynne, Patricia Leibowitz (QUEEN MINTNESS), Sara Butler, and Sahar Bagheri. WHEW. I wasn’t kidding when I said I had the A-Team on this one. You guys seriously KILLED this beta read. You brought the best feedback and for that I’m thankful. You ALSO brought a lot of emotions, with voice messages, texts, phone calls, and snotty-faced photos. Thanks for tapping into this world with me and loving it as much as I do. I’m so thankful for every single one of you.

  To Elaine York, my incredible editor and formatter. I may breathe life into my stories, but you breathe freshness and beauty, and I am so thankful I found you. Your encouraging editor notes made my heart flutter. Please don’t ever leave me!

  Half of you probably wouldn’t have purchased this book without the beautiful photography from Lauren Perry of Perrywinkle Photography. I am simply amazed by your talent and your soul, Lauren, and I hope we can work together for many years to come.

  Erin Spencer, where do I even start with you? Thank you for promoting me like your life depends on it. And, thank you for your voice messages while you read ALLTW. I’ve never gasped out loud in the grocery store before, but I guess there’s a first time for everything. ;) Our friendship is one of my very faves. I love you!

  To my “Writing Little” Cassie Graham, thank you for checking in on me while I wrote ALLTW and always having nothing but sweet things to say about my writing. We’ve been together since the very beginning, too, and I know we’ll last until the very end.

  Angie Doyle McKeon, my BUMBLE BEE! I cannot tell you how happy I am to see a message from you in my inbox, whether it’s book related or not. Thank you for coming into my life and please say you’ll stay forever. I adore you!

  Shout out to Jessica McBee for chasing your dreams so hard you made me want to get up and chase mine. You inspire me as much as I do you, my dear, and I love your soul. Thanks for being a friend.

  A huge thank you goes to the team at Give Me Books for taking me on for promo. You guys teaming up with Southern Belle Book Blog was like riding a magical unicorn down a rainbow road.

  To the two groups that keep me going — Tribe and Kandiland. I am… just completely flabbergasted that I have somehow surrounded myself with the most uplifting women (and man — lookin’ at you, Chase!) in the entire world. You push me when I feel like quitting, hold me when I can’t catch my breath, and pop champagne when it’s time to celebrate. Thank you for always being there.

  And, as always, thank you, God, for blessing me with a writer’s heart and a dreamer’s soul. I pray He will always keep me humble, thankful, and kind.

  Make Me Hate You Acknowledgements

  There are so many people to thank for helping me bring Make Me Hate You to life. This book put me through the emotional ringer, and I would not have survived writing or editing or publishing it without a team of amazing humans behind me.

  Jack, thank you for believing in me even when I didn’t. There were several times during this process that I felt like I’d never be able to get this story out the way it was in my head. You never doubted, and always held me and assured me it would come. The calmness and peace you bring to my life, and to my writing process, is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.

  To my incredible mother, thank you for reading every single one of my books and never being too shy to tell me when I can do better. I always have your voice in my head when I write, and I make sure I polish my projects until I know you’d be proud. You brought me into this world with a writer’s heart and a dreamer’s soul, and I could never thank you enough for that.

  Staci Brillhart, even though you were hands off on this project (because let’s be honest – you just CAN’T do cheating of any kind, fiction or not), I appreciate you being there throughout the day to day work. You were always there sprinting with me, high-fiving me from afar when I conquered a difficult scene, and helping me work through issues as they came up. Plus, you helped me craft the perfect blurb, and without you, this book would not be a success.

  My early critical readers on this project were absolutely instrumental. Tyler and Jasmine gave us all grief as we brought them to life, and this team helped me yank these two out of their dark holes in my mind and put the spotlight where it needed to be. So, thank you Kellee Fabre, Trish QUEEN MINTNESS, Sarah Green, Danielle Lagasse, Carly Wilson, and Sasha Erramouspe.

  Speaking of Sashas, a huge shout out to my best friend, Sasha Whittington, for not only reading but also getting just as pumped as I was about the concept of this story. You helped light the fire I needed to finally write it and bring it to life. Thank you for always supporting my writing journey!

  To my lovely angel of a personal assistant, Christina Stokes, thank you for reading and providing feedback that was absolutely crucial in the final stages of Make Me Hate You. More than that, thank you for caring about my work and my brand as much as I do, and for always getting what I need done before it even crosses my mind to start. You’re the most valuable asset on my team and I couldn’t do this without you!

  Elaine York of Allusion Editing & Formatting, you have been with me for years now and I still am in awe at how adaptable you are when it comes to me. I know I can be a pain, but you always put up with me with grace and a smile. Thank you for your thoughtful critique and editing in this book, and for formatting it to make it shine.

  I am so honored to be with the amazing team at Valentine PR. To Nina, Mary, and the rest of the team, thank you for thinking outside the box on ways to promote this book and others. Your time and attention mean the world to me.

  This is one of my favorite covers I have ever had on a book, and it’s all thanks to the magical queen who blesses me with her beautiful photography time and time again. Lauren Perry, thank you for working with me and bringing my vision to life even during the craziness our world has found ourselves in this year. Please, don’t ever leave me! (Also, fun fact for any readers who have read this far, the couple on the cover is a real life couple, and they got engaged the day before this shoot. Cue the “aww!”)

  My book would be just a fart in the wind if not for the incredible, avid, passionate book bloggers and influencers who make up our online community. To everyone who shared, reviewed, and posted – I see you, and I thank you.

  I have this little corner of the world online reserved for my favorite people. It’s called Kandiland, and it’s a group on Facebook that has somehow grown to nearly 5,000 members now. Those 5,000 members are my family, and I am so thankful to each and every one of you for being such dedicated readers that you want to hang out with me in that capacity. Thank you for putting up with my weird live videos and obsessive love of whiskey. Thank you for pushing me on the hard days and being there to celebrate on the best days. You are what keeps me going.

  Lastly, if you’ve read all the way to this part of the book, YOU ARE AMAZING. I have dreamed my entire life of not just writing books, but having readers like you inhale them, and I am so thankful that out of the millions of novels out there, you chose mine. Thank you for reading indie. Thank you for reading romance. Thank you for reading ME. I hope you’ll join me for more adventures in the future.

  Weightless Bonus Epilogue

  Promises, Promises

  “BUG?”

  I heard William’s voice from a distance, like he was somewhere in the clouds I stared at out the plane window instead of in the seat next to me. As we descended, the clouds thinned, and the beautiful country of Italy came into view. It should have stolen my breath, should have had me giddy and latching onto Will
iam’s arm as I squealed with joy — but instead, I watched the scenery unfold with red, tired eyes.

  It wasn’t my first time in Italy, but it was my first time traveling internationally with William, and that was what made this trip so special. I’d dreamed of us eating gelato and walking the old cobblestone streets of Rome ever since he agreed to come with me. I pictured us walking hand in hand as we laughed and soaked in the foreign language around us, imagined late night talks on the balcony of our hotel, saw him kissing my cheek after I captured a shot of every tourist attraction imaginable with my camera. Images of pasta and wine and William’s eyes had filled my dreams for weeks.

  But those dreams had been muted, lost in the fog of my thoughts ever since the announcement we received from his sister that morning, right before we left for the airport.

  “Bug?” William asked again, and this time he reached over, squeezing my hand.

  I blinked, pulling my gaze from the window to look at him, instead. His brows steepled together as his jade irises searched mine, and for a moment, I let myself take him in — his sandy hair a little shorter now than when we’d first met five years ago, his jaw cleanly shaved, just the way the restaurant liked him to have it, though I knew he’d sport a slight beard by the time we were on our way back home. His biceps stretched against the fabric of his t-shirt, his chest broader than ever, his body less that of a boy and more that of a man every single day.

  We had both grown so much since that summer we met.

  “Get any sleep?” he asked.

  I forced as much of a smile as I could. “A little,” I lied. “How about you?”

  “I slept like a rock, honestly. Is everything okay? Anything you want to talk about?”