Inked Hearts (Lines in the Sand Book 1)
Page 19
I’m not stupid. I’ve learned the hard way that, like tattoos, love isn’t permanent. Even a tattoo can be scorched off with copious amounts of time, money, and pain or changed into something new.
Vows of forever can also be wiped away, obliterated with the monotony of time, the touch of another, or the changing of a heart.
I’m not afraid, though. Jesse’s taught me to live free, to dream big, and to go after what I want. I want him with every fiber of my being. When I look at my future, at my dreams, I see him.
We found love in a small tattoo parlor by the sea. Our hearts are inked with our entwined hopes for the future, our infatuation with each other, and our mutual belief we can make a life together.
Love isn’t always permanent, and the ink can fade.
Now, though, our hearts are inked on each other, a symbol of our belief in a new start, a new relationship, a new beginning together.
Someday, we might wear our inked hearts on our tattooed sleeves. We might promise ourselves to each other in every way humanly possible. When I look into his eyes, I can see myself standing in the sand, our tattooed wedding rings burning as we say those vows. In his eyes, I see promises for tomorrow, hope for forever, and a burning love I never thought I’d find.
Today, we’re okay with wearing our inked hearts on the inside. We’re okay with knowing we love each other, with promising to see where that feeling goes. No matter what happens, no matter what tomorrow brings, I know I’ve found exactly what I was looking for when I came here—myself.
Book two, Wild Hearts will be released spring 2018.
If you enjoyed this story, please consider leaving a short, honest review for Lindsay.
More from Lindsay
THEN COMES LOVE
(Then Comes Love Book 1)
Three generations of women,
Three second loves,
All with a dose of chaos mixed in.
Sometimes in life, changes can be good...
After losing her husband, her five cats, and her home, Charlotte Noel hates feeling dependent. As Charlotte tries to find her identity in this new stage of life, she comes to realize that drama never ends, dance aerobics can be a war zone, and love is always a possibility.
You never know when a midlife crisis is going to strike...
Charlotte’s daughter, Annie, is going through struggles of her own. Recently divorced, she is feeling frumpy and worn-out. Run ragged, Annie mourns her youth and wonders where her life is headed, all while hoping she can help her daughter Amelia get it together.
Settling down can be overrated, especially when you’re falling for a rock star look-alike...
Amelia is the wild child of the family. Working three jobs, because she just hasn’t figured out what she wants in life, she realizes happiness isn’t always settling down with a steady, dependable man; sometimes it’s about following your true passion and living on the edge.
No matter what age you are, life and love can be crazy...
https://www.hottreepublishing.com/then-comes-love
WHERE LOVE WENT
(Then Comes Love Book 2)
Sometimes unexpected miracles can shift your life off course.
A year ago, Amelia, Annie, and Charlotte found second loves in unexpected places. Now, everyone’s life seems to have fallen into place… until a late night knock on Charlotte’s door shakes up everything.
Love rarely goes as planned…
Unexpected news leaves Amelia confused and worried. She loves Owen but is not sure what her future holds, especially with them living the tour life. As the months pass by and Amelia begins to question everything, she wonders if her relationship with Owen can truly last forever.
Sometimes a first love creeps back in…
While helping Amelia sort out her life, Annie finds new problems of her own. A visitor from her past threatens to overturn her relationship with Joe. Annie must make some difficult choices.
As the three women face new complexities in the sequel to Then Comes Love, they learn the fairy tale can fade, leaving you to question everything you thought you knew. However, family and friendship can sometimes be the link you need to find what you want.
https://www.hottreepublishing.com/where-love-went
WHO WE WERE
Feisty Sophia never shies away from life. Playful, romantic, connected—her marriage was the thing of fairy tales. But when tragedy strikes, Sophia is left to pick up the pieces of her life.
After leaving the army, Jackson is ready to start afresh. But when he returns home, his life spirals out of control. As Sophia and Jackson find themselves in each other, they start to see redemption is possible.
Trying to piece together a new life, they must answer the question: Should they forge a life together and say goodbye to their pasts completely, or should they loyally go their separate ways to avoid heartache?
https://www.hottreepublishing.com/who-we-were
TO SAY GOODBYE
Feisty Sophia never shies away from life. Playful, romantic, connected—her marriage was the thing of fairy tales. But when tragedy strikes, Sophia is left to pick up the pieces of her life.
After leaving the army, Jackson is ready to start afresh. But when he returns home, his life spirals out of control. As Sophia and Jackson find themselves in each other, they start to see redemption is possible.
Trying to piece together a new life, they must answer the question: Should they forge a life together and say goodbye to their pasts completely, or should they loyally go their separate ways to avoid heartache?
http://www.hottreepublishing.com/to-say-goodbye
INKED HEARTS
(Lines in the Sand Book 1)
“Six years, a complex about my freckles, a love for pastrami, and a fear of failure.
That’s what he gave me before slaughtering my heart and my faith in men.”
Suffering from the sting of betrayal, twenty-eight-year-old Avery Johannas quits her job and moves hundreds of miles away to Ocean City, the beach town of her dreams. With the help of her zany roommate, Jodie, Avery finds a new career, home, and freedom. Throughout her self-exploration, she makes only one rule: She won’t give her heart to a man again. She’s living for herself this time.
But then she meets Jesse.
A tattoo shop owner, the green-eyed Jesse Pearce is wild with a touch of mystery. As Jesse and Avery explore Ocean City and their friendship, they’ll have a hard time drawing a line in the sand between their hearts.
When summer nights get a little more heated than either expected, they’ll have to ask themselves: Can they let go of their notions of love, or will their hearts be permanently inked by past pain?
https://www.hottreepublishing.com/inked-hearts
REMEMBER WHEN
This wasn’t how it was supposed to be….
They met at a wedding, Todd the only man wearing jeans, Jessica the beauty with a troubled background. Settled into married life after falling in love, they have so many things left to do in life. They think they have so much time… until Jessica and Todd’s average married life comes to a halt on a snowy back road. When their truck careens down an embankment, they find themselves in a life-or-death situation. With rescue seeming impossible, they cling to the only hope they have left: their love for each other.
As they fight for survival, their connection carries them through the biggest challenge of their lives. Memories and regrets swirl around the couple as they finally take a moment to reflect on what they’re doing in life.
There’s one big, icy question that haunts them, though: Is this where their story will end?
https://www.hottreepublishing.com/remember-when
Acknowledgements
Foremost, I want to thank my amazing publisher, Hot Tree Publishing. You have believed in my writing and have helped shape me into the writer I am today. Thank you for always working so hard to help me with my writing and confidence. The family feel at Hot Tree Publishing is something I was looking for but did
n’t think existed. Thank you for taking me into the family. Thank you to Becky, Claire, Peggy, Olivia, Justine, and everyone else who works so tirelessly to help get my stories into the hands of readers. Thank you to all of the Hot Tree Publishing authors for your constant encouragement and support.
Thank you to my readers. When I started this journey as a small-town girl with a big dream, I didn’t know if anyone would ever read my words. You have shown me so much love and support. You’ve shown me that dreams can come true. Thank you for helping me pursue my wildest dreams.
Thank you to my parents for encouraging me to chase after my goals, and for showing me the value of working hard. You instilled a love for books and writing within me at a young age. It is because of both of you that I am standing where I am today. Thank you for being tireless fans and supporters.
I want to thank my supportive husband who is always right beside me, on the good days and the bad. On days I felt like giving up on these dreams, you pushed me forward. You are there to encourage me and to remind me of all of the positive things. Whether it’s standing for hours in the rain at an outdoor book festival or wearing your shirts around town, you do whatever you can to help my dreams come true. You are my best friend and my soul mate. Thank you for walking this crazy journey called life with me.
Thank you to all of my friends and family who support my writing. A special thanks goes to Christie James, Kelly Rubritz, Carla Firment, Sandra Corey, Lynette Luke, Jennifer Carney, Alycia Schmouder, Kay Shuma, Dr. Letcher, Jamie Lynch, Kristin Books, and Kristin Mathias. Thank you, Grandma Bonnie, for being at every single author event and always supporting my goals. Thank you to my local Barnes & Noble and Bradley’s Books for always hosting my author events and graciously welcoming me into your stores.
Thank you to the teachers who shaped my journey, especially Diane Vella, Tom Kunkle, Sue Gunsallus, and all the Mount Aloysius College professors. You gave me the confidence in myself to be a writer and the skills I needed to pursue it.
Last but not least, thank you to my four-legged best friend, Henry. Even on my worst day, you remind me that there is beauty in every single moment. You’re always there to lend a nonjudgmental ear and to eat way too many cupcakes with me. Thank you for all of the memories and for showing me what unconditional love looks like.
About the Author
A high school English teacher, an author, and a fan of anything pink and/or glittery, Lindsay's the English teacher cliché; she loves cats, reading, Shakespeare, and Poe.
She currently lives in her hometown with her husband, Chad (her junior high sweetheart); their cats, Arya, Amelia, Alice, and Bob; and their Mastiff, Henry.
Lindsay’s goal with her writing is to show the power of love and the beauty of life while also instilling a true sense of realism in her work. Some reviewers have noted that her books are not the “typical romance.” With her novels coming from a place of honesty, Lindsay examines the difficult questions, looks at the tough emotions, and paints the pictures that are sometimes difficult to look at. She wants her fiction to resonate with readers as realistic, poetic, and powerful. Lindsay wants women readers to be able to say, “I see myself in that novel.” She wants to speak to the modern woman’s experience while also bringing a twist of something new and exciting. Her aim is for readers to say, “That could happen,” or “I feel like the characters are real.” That’s how she knows she’s done her job.
Lindsay’s hope is that by becoming a published author, she can inspire some of her students and other aspiring writers to pursue their own passions. She wants them to see that any dream can be attained and publishing a novel isn’t out of the realm of possibility.
Lindsay loves connecting with readers. She’d love for you to reach out to her.
Website: http://lindsaydetwiler.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lindsaydetwiler
Instagram: http://instagram.com/lindsayanndetwiler
Facebook: www.facebook.com/lindsayanndetwiler
Newsletter: http://bit.ly/2u42BjU
About the Publisher
Hot Tree Publishing opened its doors in 2015 with an aspiration to bring quality fiction to the world of readers. With the initial focus on romance and a wide spread of romance sub-genres, they envision opening up to alternative genres in the near future.
Firmly seated in the industry as a leading editing provider to independent authors and small publishing houses, Hot Tree Publishing is the sister company to Hot Tree Editing, founded in 2012. Having established in-house editing and promotions, plus having a well-respected market presence, Hot Tree Publishing endeavors to be a leader in bringing quality stories to the world of readers.
Interested in discovering more amazing reads brought to you by Hot Tree Publishing or perhaps you're interested in submitting a manuscript and joining the HTPubs family? Either way, head over to the website for information:
http://www.hottreepublishing.com
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Epilogue
More from Lindsay
Acknowledgements
About the Author
About the Publisher