Skylar had spent her entire summer after college graduation in Key West for an internship at the Aquarium. And the experience had changed her in more ways than she’d realized. Gone was the sorority princess with materialistic ideals, and she was embracing the more authentic version of herself that was emerging in its place. Now, she wasn’t sure if she really wanted to return to the life she used to live, and to the fiancé who had already proven himself unfaithful to her.
Just a few days before she’s supposed to leave, Skylar meets Cooper – and the shy, rugged, gentle man is everything she never knew she needed. There’s no denying the connection between them, but is he enough of a reason for her stay? Can she be strong enough to give up the life she no longer wants to take a chance on the possibility of something better? Skylar discovers if she can give herself the latitude she needs to change her life, or if she’ll fall back into the rut of a predictable existence.
Dance with Me
By the time she’d graduated high school, Addison had found who she thought was the perfect boyfriend, and was excited about the prospects of a promising dance career for them both in New York City. The world was at her fingertips. But when Preston disappeared without explanation the night before they were supposed to move together, her illusion of the perfect life was shattered to pieces.
Putting the past behind her, she pursued her path alone and built the career she’d always dreamt of. But no one had been able to fill the gap that Preston had left behind. No one, that is, except Preston himself.
Addison finds herself wrestling with conflicting emotions when Preston joins the company she dances for now. And when she discovers that he’s been cast as her partner, she’s afraid that the resentment she’s held against him might be too much. Will she be able to forgive him in time to save her career? And can they reconcile enough for a second chance together?
Crushed Excerpt
As soon as I walked through the perfectly polished glass doors, I was assaulted by a rush of bright colors, vibrant music and overly friendly people just dying to put their bodies through the most grueling workout they could endure. And I had to admit to myself, their enthusiasm was a little contagious. People of all shapes, sizes and ages surrounded me, and I began to feel those nerves dissolve – just a little bit.
Maybe, just maybe, this wouldn’t be so bad after all.
And that’s when I saw him. He was leaning casually against the check-in desk, the absurdly chiseled muscles of his arm flexing under the weight of his perfect body. They were easy to see, thanks to the black top he’d cut the sides out of. His dark brown eyes glistened with boyish mischief while his lips curled into an appealingly delicious smile. The low rumble of laughter that flowed from his chest moved through me, over me, and almost immediately – I’m ashamed to say – I could picture myself in those sexy arms with his hands moving in all sorts of ways. It was one of those knock-down-drag-out images that stilled me in my tracks. And I’m pretty certain my face turned a million shades of red.
All at once, I felt those nerves flooding back. Only they were a thousand times stronger than they’d been in the parking lot, and for a fairly long second I thought I might hurl right then and there. But I swallowed down the sensation, clenched my jittery hands and tried my best to manage a natural smile as Savannah walked confidently up to scan her little card. As we approached the desk, getting closer and closer to the hottie at the side, I secretly wished I’d worn a cute little outfit like Savannah’s...
Everyone behind the desk greeted her by name – she was daily regular, and she had the body to account for it. I crept up timidly behind her, hoping that no one noticed me. But I didn’t stand a chance at that for too long. Before I realized what had happened, Savannah had turned around and gestured in my direction. “This is my friend Brooklyn, she’s signing up today.”
Suddenly, all eyes were on me. Including the hot stranger’s. And I felt my face blush against my will again. “Hi.” I waved timidly, and I could feel him smiling beside me.
“Cute name.” He said, but I’m pretty sure I was the only one who heard him. And I was also pretty sure I was crushing on him pretty hard.
After getting the necessary pre-requisites out of the way about how trials and memberships work, and after they gave me their boring sales run-down with the hopes of converting me right then and there, I was given a little card like Savannah’s that would only be active for a week. Then the main girl behind the counter with the too-chipper voice said, “You also get one free session with a personal trainer with your trial. Did you want to use that today? Most people say it helps them to get familiar with the equipment.” She shrugged.
I opened my mouth to object, but before I could push the words out, Savannah had gestured toward the hot guy who was still leaning against the counter. “Collin, you’re a personal trainer, right?”
My head jerked in his direction, and I wondered if my expression looked as panicked as I felt. Knowing Savannah like I did, I knew exactly where this was going.
“Yeah, sure am.” He smiled as he straightened.
“Great!” She was overly enthusiastic, and I felt my morbid embarrassment heighten. “Do you have time to show her around?”
“I’m on in ten.” After glancing at a clock on the wall, he turned his full attention directly to me. “Want to meet me over by the lockers?”
Everything in me wanted to scream yes! with the same force that it wanted to bolt right back out the door, get in my car, and never return. I was torn, undecided on which would be the least embarrassing, and the internal controversy had paralyzed my ability to respond with any ounce of smoothness. Finally, I felt myself nodding my head, and he seemed to accept this as a positive confirmation.
“Great. See you in a few minutes.” There was a slight chance he might have winked at the end. But it also could’ve been the sun streaming in through the all the windows at the front of the building, so I tried my best not to get my hopes up. As he walked away, assumedly to change into a less distracting ensemble, I wondered if anyone else noticed my gaping mouth as I stared at his impossibly tight ass and broad, well-defined shoulders. When Savannah nudged me, I decided that was confirmation enough.
Though I would never admit this to her in a hundred years, it was occurring to me that maybe my friend had been right – maybe this was exactly what I needed. Hell, I was beginning to feel better already.
Interview
1. Tell us a little about yourself.
Oh geez, where do I start? I love writing in all its gazillion varieties. I’m a huge supporter of anything arts related – theater, dance, music, art, fashion, you name it! I’m as addicted to lipgloss as I am to coffee. I’m a huge foodie and love trying new, fun recipes at home. I believe in romance and the perfect love and all that wonderful, sappy stuff. And I have two adorable cats that I consider to be my furry babies.
2. Tell us about your book. What inspired this story?
CRUSHED was my experiment with a different type of story and different type of characters than I normally write. I wanted to write something that was fun, sexy, slightly realistic and with a twist at the end. It’s one of three New Adult romance stories that I wrote to try something new, and I really liked the end result. So there may be more like this in the future. The other two, for those who are interested, are LATITUDES and DANCE WITH ME.
3. Is there a message you’re trying to get across the readers? What’s the one thing you want readers to think when they’ve finished your book?
There isn’t really a deep, underlying meaning with this book. Except to keep in mind that you can bump into the love of your life anywhere at any time, so keep your mind open to possibilities. Brooklyn certainly never expected to meet anyone at the gym. I really want readers to feel like they can connect in some way with the characters, and to just have fun with the story. It isn’t mean to be serious in any way.
4. When did you know you wanted to write a book?
It’s always been a lifelong goal of mine to be a published author. And now I am, how cool is that!
5. Do you have any “odd” writing habits?
Define “odd” lol. Not really, but I have to have complete silence to really get inside the heads of the characters.
6. Where’s your favorite place to write?
I have an office that I call my writing cave. It’s a really cozy and quiet and I love it there.
7. What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Write because you love it, and for no other reason. That’s when you produce your best work, and it will make you the most satisfied in the end.
8. What’s one thing about the writing process that you think every writer should know?
That it’s extremely hard! And success doesn’t always come right away. Also keep in mind that everyone gets the occasional bad review and it’s a real blow to the ego. But all the wonderful comments and reviews make up for it.
9. What’s your favorite part about the writing process?
Finally getting all the stories out of my head! And I actually love the editing part. Writing that first draft can be really tough, but going back and making it better and better is so much fun!
10. What are you working on next?
Well, my second installment in my Boyfriend series, The Perfect Boyfriend, comes out on July 27th, so I’ve been busy getting everything prepared for that. Next I’m working on the third installment to my psychological thriller series, Avenged. And then after that I’ll write the third installment in my Boyfriend series, The One.
About bio
Renee' Novelle is preceded by a long line of published family members, including Pulitzer Prize nominated author and Poet Laureate of Kentucky Jesse Stuart.
As a child, Novelle was already gaining recognition for several of her works, and in her formative years, she continued this trend by earning local awards for her short stories and poems.
Inspired to cultivate her talent, Novelle pursued freelance journalism and has found placement of more than 80 of her pieces in both online and print publications since 2008. Additionally, she has written multiple screenplays, and contributed her savvy, effective writing style to many non-profit and for profit organizations. She also launched several blogs over the years, which garnered international attention.
In 2013, Novelle returned to her first love - fiction. Writing under the names Renee Novelle and R.S. Novelle, she has a publication schedule that includes psychological thrillers, suspense, paranormal fiction, contemporary women's fiction, chick lit, and new adult.
Though she received her Bachelor's of Science in Communication, Summa Cum Laude, she considers herself a constant student of the written word. She's an avid reader, an enthusiastic quote poster, and rarely takes "no" as a final answer. She has an unhealthy obsession for theater, dance, music and art, and strongly believes that wine is simultaneously the beginning of, and resolution to, all of life's problems. She believes in following dreams, and that in the end, you always end up where you're meant to be.
For more information, to view pictures, read blog posts and see the upcoming release schedule, please visit the website at
www.RSNovelle.com
Author links:
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