I slowly turned around to face the one person on the planet who could understand how hard it was for me to be here right now. Without winning Huck over, I had no hope of setting my life back to the way it was before someone else successfully took it over.
“Hi, Huck. Long time no see.”
Everything seemed to fall deathly silent as I found myself pinned in place by a pair of eyes that were the same color as the world’s purest, sweetest honey.
“Ollie.”
It wasn’t a question or a curse. It wasn’t a greeting or a dismissal. As always, it was somewhere in between.
It was said flatly with little emotion. I went cold all over, and this plan that I’d spent weeks concocting suddenly seemed like the stupidest idea I’d ever had.
“Wait.” Vernon’s voice broke through the tense moment, as did his wildly waving hands. “You two know each other?”
Once upon a time, we were inseparable.
Now, we were further apart than most strangers.
The distance between us was confirmed when Huck growled, “Not anymore.”
Just call me Goldilocks.
Not just because we had the same hair, but because I’d been bouncing around all the wrong places until I realized the only spot that was ‘just right’ was right next to the boy glaring at me like he wanted me to drop dead on the spot.
You can download Goldilocks on my website.
First and foremost, thank you to each and every one of you who picked up this book. Whether you are back for more or you’re a brand-new reader, I appreciate you spending your time and money with my words and worlds.
And an extra heartfelt thank you to anyone who has or will take a few minutes to leave a review. I hate sounding like a broken record every time I release a book, but reviews really do help, and leaving one is the very best thing you can do for a new release and an author. In case you hated the book and worry that a bad review will be unwelcome, that isn’t the case. Any honest review is helpful and super encouraged. Never trust a book with no bad reviews…lol.
Of course, there would be no book—good, bad, or ugly—without my creative team. One of my favorite parts of publishing a book independently is getting to handpick the folks I want to work with. I think I have the best of the best and cannot recommend Hang, Elaine, and Beth enough. You can find their info at the beginning of this book. My books wouldn’t make as much sense, look as good as they do, or read as professionally without them. They are worth their weight in gold and you may have noticed I go back to them time and time again. FOR GOOD REASON!
Also, a big thanks to Jessica over at InkSlinger for handling all the promo for this bad boy. I’m like the laziest marketer ever, and I hate having to sell myself or my books to others. I’m so grateful she steps in and handles all the dirty work for me. I also have endless gratitude for those bloggers, bookstagrammers, booktokers and readers who give up their time and social media space to help a girl get the word out about her new book. I know it can be a thankless job, but I see you and I appreciate you.
I owe my beta team all the thanks in the world. I think I finally have this author thing figured out nearly a decade into it, with over thirty books published. But without fail, I learn something new and figure out a way to be better and write better books each time they hand a rough draft back to me. I appreciate them so much. It’s such a huge deal for anyone to offer their time and talent for the benefit of someone else. Seriously, they show up regardless of how tight the turnaround time is or how awful my initial draft may be. My beta team really is the best. I adore them, even when the suggestions they toss at me make me want to pull my hair out. Pam, Traci, Alexandra, Kelly, Cheron, Sarah, and Karla all bring something invaluable to the table. I couldn’t imagine putting out a book without having them be the first eyes on it. Thanks so much for all you do, ladies. I owe you BIG!
Last, but certainly not least, is my undying gratitude to my assistant Melissa. She takes on any challenge I throw her way, usually with a smile and the occasional curse word. She’s southern, so she excels at the first and is adorable when she drops the second. She forces me to see the glass as half full, even on the hardest days. I feel like we’ve accomplished so much and grown together as a team over the years. We’ve worked together for a long time, and I think the best parts of both of us have rubbed off on one another. She remains one of the kindest, most compassionate humans I’ve ever met, even when the world feels like it is constantly on fire. Thanks for always being the voice of reason and the calm to my constant chaos.
I always want to shout out my most awesome reader’s group, Crownover’s Crowd. They are just the chillest, most encouraging group of readers on the interwebs, and I’m so happy we have a safe place to gather and interact regularly. If you haven’t joined, I highly suggest you do.
Below is a list of all the places you can find me:
Facebook.com/groups/crownoverscrowd
Bookbub: bookbub.com/authors/jay-crownover
Website: jaycrownover.com
My store: shop.spreadshirt.com/100036557
FB page: Facebook.com/AuthorJayCrownover
Twitter: twitter.com/jaycrownover
Instagram: instagram.com/jay.crownover
Pinterest: pinterest.com/jaycrownover
Spotify and Snapchat: Jay Crownover
Email: [email protected]
Jay Crownover is the international and multiple New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men series, the Saints of Denver series, the Point series, the Breaking Point series, the Getaway series, and the Loveless, Texas series. Her books have been translated into many different languages all around the world. She is a tattooed, crazy-haired Colorado native who lives at the base of the Rockies with her awesome dogs. She can frequently be found enjoying a cold beer and taco Tuesdays. Jay is a self-declared music snob and outspoken book lover who is always looking for her next adventure, between the pages and on the road.
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