The day I met him, my only thought was his name was perfect because he looked like Sam from Lord of the Rings. His hair was shaggy and he was quiet; the kind of kid who probably got picked on in high school. It was one of ten reasons I used to explain why a frat might not be the best place for him, but Sam was determined to be a different guy than he had been.
I hadn’t meant to tell her I missed her. Those words were my secret. For four years, I held them close and refused to voice them. When she walked away from me just now, fear shot through my system and I couldn’t help but try to convince her to stay. She had been the one constant in my life and those words were the only thing I could say with utter certainty.
I could still feel her bony shoulders pressing into my chest and hear her sniffle as she told me goodbye for the hundredth time since my dad announced our move. Her fingertips gripped my back and for the first and only time, I kissed the girl I’d been in love with since I was five years old. It was just the top of her head, but for that brief second she had been mine.
Then she disappeared. In the four years since Charlie stopped talking to me, apparently Charlotte emerged.
I didn’t know who she was, but I was going to find out.
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Acknowledgments
Abe – This one was particularly brutal, wasn’t it? But you stuck with me, like you always do. And you pulled me from the creative abyss so many times, reminding me to take care of myself, and remember my life outside the writing cave. Your support means more to me than I can describe. I love you so.
Kristin – You knew how important this book was to me and even in the madness of your own life, gave it so much of your time and attention. As always, you saw through my first draft attempts and asked all the right questions to get me to the heart of the real story. I’ve said it before and I’ll probably never stop saying it, you’re so much of the reason I’ve made it this far. Thank you for everything.
Rachel Higginson – The past six months have been such a huge time of “What am I trying to do here?” introspection for me, and you’ve been there for every random question, every gut check, every “please talk me off the ledge” moment. I made some big decisions about what I want from this career and your mentorship was invaluable. There aren’t enough thank yous in the universe to tell you what it means to me.
Regan – You are truly the yin to my yang, my friend. I don’t know how many brainstorming sessions we had over the time I was writing this book, but you saved me from my own mind more times than I can count. I love every part of your whirling dervish personality.
The Rebel Writers – This was a crazy time for so many of us. So much happened from the time I published Spells until now. One thing stood out to me amongst it all - even when the words were hard to find, and there was no time, and it all seemed to be going to hell, we were all there. We did it together. Let’s not stop doing that.
My street teams (both the Rebels and the Storm Troopers) – So much happens behind the scenes. You let me bounce ideas, you celebrate my wins and you share my dreams with your friends and the world at large. You give me a place where I know I am talking to passionate readers, intelligent women and kind souls. Thank you for all of your efforts and know that I deeply appreciate each of you.
YOU. Books are an investment, both in time and dollars. The fact that you found my work valuable enough to invest both simply blows me away. I couldn’t pursue this dream without you and every message you send me or review you leave only fuels my passion for this craft and this life. The words “thank you” will never be enough.
And, no acknowledgement would be complete without a massive, humungous, asteroid-sized THANK YOU to every blogger, vlogger, and/or instagrammer out there who has talked about this series. Your passion for books is contagious and without it, authors of all kinds would suffer. Each post, tweet, comment, like or share is an affirmation that I did my job and my story touched you somehow. I couldn’t do this without you.
About the Author
Stormy Smith calls Iowa’s capital home now, but was raised in a tiny town in the Southeast corner of the state. She grew to love books honestly, having a mom that read voraciously and instilled that same love in her. She knew quickly that stories of fantasy were her favorite, and even as an adult gravitates toward paranormal stories in any form.
Writing a book had never been an aspiration, but suddenly the story was there and couldn’t be stopped. When she isn’t working on, or thinking about, her books, Stormy’s favorite places include bar patios, live music shows, her yoga mat or anywhere she can relax with her husband or girlfriends.
Other titles by Stormy Smith
Bound by Duty (Book one in the Bound series)
Bound by Spells (Book two in the Bound series)
Bound Together (Book three and a half in the Bound series)
Where you can find me
If you’d like to be alerted when my next book will release, sign up for this mailing list. I promise, you will not get spammed. But you will get exclusive content, contests and access to me. :)
Website: www.stormysmith.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorstormysmith
Twitter: @stormysmith
GoodReads: www.goodreads.com/stormysmith
Email: [email protected]
A note about reviews
Whether you loved it, hated it or were completely ambivalent, your review will help others decide if they would like to read my book. Please consider leaving just a few words on the site you purchased from and/or GoodReads. Every review matters and I read them all.
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