Until one day her life actually did become blessed. The day she met a man who looked beyond the material, under the trappings, and helped her become visible again. For he could see her beauty even when his eyes were closed, even when things were so dark and awful that she dared not hope she would ever see the light again. But the man saw her, and he believed her, and he healed her. Simply by showing her how to see herself as he saw her—strong and important and beautiful and true and real and…
His.
* * *
Thank you for reading!
I hope you enjoyed Declan and Sara’s story.
* * *
If you did, please consider leaving a review on your preferred retailer’s website. No matter how long it is or how non-poetic you think it is, each review you leave is like a little chunk of gold for authors like me.
* * *
Your support and help spreading the word about this book and all my others means the world to me - and no, I’m not just saying that.
Why I wrote this book…
Fiction is a beautiful thing. It lets us live in someone else’s shoes for a while, see the world as someone else sees it, watch them fall in love, fall down, and get back up. It also gives us a safe, intimate place to think about real issues, real trauma we might not otherwise be ready to think about.
That’s why I wrote this book. For myself and for anyone who’s ever been afraid to speak, felt unheard, or not been believed.
Early on, I feared the possibility that writing about rape could trigger some readers and bring up the horrible memories they’ve tried to forget. But I know first hand how much energy it takes to pretend something never happened and how much it eats at the soul.
No one can undo the past. Regretting what we did or didn’t do, said or didn’t say, only prolongs the hurt.
Acknowledging shit like this still happens and being willing to listen to one another without judgment or assumption are the only ways to prevent others from having to deal with the guilt and shame that too often hits afterwards.
* * *
My hope is that readers walk away from this story knowing they aren’t alone in whatever they’re dealing with. Please, if you can’t speak your truth out loud, write a poem or a letter or a song. Give it to someone you trust, or burn it without ever showing anyone. It doesn’t really matter how you let it out, as long as you do. Don’t just keep it tucked away inside you, wishing it wasn’t there.
Seriously. Purge that shit! Think of it as an overripe avocado, that pair of jeans you wore in high school, a toxic relationship, or anything else you have no use for any more.
Take out the trash so you can go live the life you deserve, okay?
~ XOXOXO ~
Lauren
Acknowledgments
I hate thanking people in books. Not because I don’t appreciate the incredible people in my life or have trouble saying thank you. It’s because there are so damn many people who keep me going, and I’m terrified I’ll forget someone.
* * *
To my kids -
You drive me insane and, somehow, also keep me sane. Not sure how that works, but I think we should all pray it continues.
* * *
To my writing friends/mentors - Christina McKnight, Erica Monroe, Katy Regnery, Robyn Boldt, Olivia Rivers, Tina Folsom, Becca Syme, Caroline Hanson -
Some of you are new friends, some have put up with me for years, and a few might pretend they don’t know me in public. But whether you wanted to or not, you’ve helped me navigate this journey, given me more than I could ever repay, and brought countless smiles to my face.
* * *
To the freelancers who make it look like I know what I’m doing - Amanda Simpson, Anja Pfister, Laura Cummings, Julia Goda, Chelle Olson, Ena Amanda -
You all have talents I don’t possess but envy terribly. Thank you for endless patience, skill, and encouragement.
* * *
To my reading and blogging friends - all the Stewartists, Nadine, Angie, Aestas, Maryse, Gitte, Jenny, Jennifer, and a ton more who I’ll spend the next few months regretting not mentioning by name -
Are you tired of me thanking you yet? Well, tough shit. It’s your own fault for being so good to me. I’ll do my best not to make you regret it though. XOXOXO
The Hyde series
Hyde, an urban fantasy
Jekyll
Strange Case
* * *
The Heights
Unseen
Unearthed
Into the Light
* * *
Once and Forever
Darker Water
Virtually Impossible
Deeper Water
Immaterial Defense
* * *
No Experience Required
Second Bite
Find out how to sign up for my mailing list and get exclusive extras from the Once and Forever series and all my others.
Click here to get started
Contemporary Romance
Darker Water, Once and Forever #1
Some fairytales begin with a kiss…
Two people want the same thing--a commitment to nothing more than great sex in a bunch of different positions. Simple. Enjoyable. A win-win. Problem is, those two people have families and fears and pain that spill into every moment of their lives, control what they do and who they are. And if either of them can't free themselves from the past, they'll both be pulled under by it.
Virtually Impossible, Once and Forever #2
Love before first sight…
Hayden and Andi need to wake up to understand how perfect they are...for each other. If they can't, any chance either of them have of finding a happily ever after will be virtually impossible.
Deeper Water, Once and Forever #3
~ Carson & Laney’s After Happily-Ever-After ~
* * *
Two people can only tread water for so long.
A steamy new romantic comedy with the characters you fell in love with in Darker Water and Virtually Impossible.
Carson and Laney are back! Take a peek into their after happily-ever-after and be there for Hayden and Andi’s island wedding!
Immaterial Defense, Once and Forever #4
She’s all alone in the darkness.
He’s lighting up the stage.
But not even the brightest spotlight can reach the shadows of a broken soul.
Once and Forever is a series of standalone romances inspired by the themes of various tales and legends.
Because while fairytales aren’t real, love is.
Humorous Mystery
No Experience Required
a Summer Rains mystery
After leaving the hippie commune she grew up on, Summer Rains set a modest goal for herself: earn enough money to live a normal life in the real world.
Maybe she was aiming too high.
This novel is a fun comedic-mystery, similar in tone to the books of Janet Evanovich, Meg Cabot, and Stephanie Bond. Also available as an audiobook.
Paranormal Romance
Unseen, The Heights Vol 1
Job security isn’t something Addison is all that concerned with. Death, however? Yeah, death is a major concern.
While a prophesied war brews in the Heights, Addison and Rhyse must decide which carries more risk—trusting someone who could destroy you or trusting someone who could love you?
Unearthed, The Heights Vol 2
What would you give up for freedom? Even if it wasn't yours?
Two people from opposite sides of a war will discover the price of freedom and what they’re willing to pay for it. But in the Heights, nothing is ever fair. For something they both want, one of them will pay with their eternity.
Unwanted, The Heights Vol 3
~ coming soon ~
The werewolf pack doesn’t want Noah almost as much as he doesn’t want to be one of them. Until he discovers what he really wants and where he truly belongs - next to the daughter of his e
nemy.
The Heights not only protects the secrecy of vampires, shifters, demons, angels, and other supernaturals, it protects the humans unaware of the world hidden within their own.
This series is a mixture of urban fantasy and paranormal romance with multiple interlocking stories and characters and plot lines as well as different races of supernatural beings, each with their own cultures, hierarchy, and attributes. It’s not a series about only two people, or three, or even four.
This is a world in which everyone will have to pick a side.
The Hyde Trilogy
Hyde ~ Jekyll ~ Strange Case
The Complete Hyde Series Box Set
“...my favorite series of the year...a perfect blend of what makes a book go down in history.”
— Ohhh My Shelves
* * *
Dark and light, good and evil—mankind’s universal struggle.
But what if you’re not a man? Or can never allow yourself to be kind? What about on those nights when you’re not quite human?
Two people bonded by a curse of heredity and the manipulation of an unknown entity. When the truth leaves them nothing to hold onto, they will be forced into a partnership neither expected…or wanted.
Because in life, who you trust is as important as who you are. And when you can't even trust yourself, sometimes the only person you can rely on is the last person on earth you should be falling for.
All three full-length novels are intended for adults because of very naughty language, biting sarcasm, and descriptive love scenes. They are not a retelling of the classic story. Not even close.
Second Bite
A second chance…
A second lifetime…
Can Daniel overcome two lifetimes of guilt and be the man Olivia needs? Or will both of them lose everything?
There will be more.
Much more. More in The Heights, Once and Forever, Summer Rains, a spin-off of the Hyde series, an as-of-now untitled YA paranormal series, and a billion more projects all impatiently waiting their turn. So stay in touch to find out what’s next.
About the Author
Lauren Stewart lives in Northern California with two teenagers, a mellow cat, and a very high maintenance, very large puppy. On the nights Lauren doesn’t collapse from exhaustion, she reads almost every genre so, naturally, her writing reflects that. With every book and every story, you'll find elements of other genres—fantasy, mystery, romance, paranormal, suspense, YA, women's literature, all with a touch of humor.
Because what doesn't kill us should make us laugh.
* * *
How to help your favorite authors
& make them eternally grateful
* * *
Leave reviews
Tell your friends
Share their posts on social media
Recommend their books to readers’ groups
Contact Me
Need to get hold of me? Email me, like me on Facebook, follow me on twitter, visit my website, or meet me at Starbucks.
I’ve set up a Facebook “support” group. I’ll be chatting, laughing, and randomly giving stuff away. Click here if you’d like to join us!
Contents
Also by Lauren Stewart
Once upon a time…
1. Sara
2. Declan
3. Declan
4. Sara
5. Sara
6. Declan
7. Declan
8. Declan
9. Declan
10. Declan
11. Declan
12. Sara
13. Declan
14. Sara
15. Sara
16. Declan
17. Sara
18. Sara
19. Sara
20. Sara
21. Sara
22. Sara
23. Declan
24. Declan
25. Sara
26. Sara
27. Declan
28. Declan
29. Sara
30. Declan
31. Sara
32. Declan
33. Declan
34. Sara
35. Sara
36. Declan
37. Declan
38. Sara
39. Sara
40. Declan
41. Sara
42. Declan
43. Declan
44. Declan
45. Sara
46. Declan
47. Sara
48. Declan
Once upon a time…
Thank you for reading!
Why I wrote this book…
Acknowledgments
Also by Lauren Stewart
Contemporary Romance
Paranormal Romance
About the Author
Contact Me
Immaterial Defense: Once and Forever #4 Page 32
