Showing posts with label covers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label covers. Show all posts
Monday, November 5, 2012
GOODREADS / PURCHASE BOOK 1
Two years after watching her kidnappers go to prison, Naomi Jensen is still in love with one of them. Jesse will be released in a few years, and Naomi knows college is the perfect distraction while she waits. But when her new friend Finn makes her question what is right and what is wrong, she begins to wonder if Jesse is the one for her … until she discovers he's out on parole. Naomi must sort through her confusion to figure out where love and freedom truly lie—in Finn, who has no connections to her past, or Jesse, who has just asked her to run away with him.
WATCH the TRAILER
About The Author
GOODREADS / TWITTER / WEBSITE / FACEBOOK
So what do you think? Do you like the cover? Have you read The Breakaway? Are you interested in reading either of these books? I'd love your thoughts!
Friday, November 2, 2012
Hey Ya'll! Two fabulous covers to show you today. The first is for one awesome blogger's own book! Presenting Unresisting by Shane @ Itching for Books...
Unresisting by Shane Morgan
Seventeen year old Natasha Johnson is having a rough year. Her twin brother, Sean, died last summer after a car crash, and her parents decided to pack up and leave the only home she’d known all her life. It's a lot to take in, and Nat has decidedly given up on the world, until moving to Stetson Valley and meeting high school ‘outcast’, Chace Owens.
Chace's dark and mysterious aura is not exactly seen as 'normal', but Nat already knows that not a lot of things are of the norm when it comes to her life. She soon finds herself unable to resist Chace's strange pull on her heart, unleashing a sudden attraction to the unnatural forces that have always been burning within her. But with uncovering her true self brings forth great danger, as Nat learns that her brother's death had a lot more to do with the side she's unable to resist.
Can Natasha calm the blazing flames and withstand the threat of danger, or will this new found power destroy her?
Isn't the cover GORGEOUS! Congrats to Shane! The book comes out later this month in November via Creatspace. What do you think?
Seventeen year old Natasha Johnson is having a rough year. Her twin brother, Sean, died last summer after a car crash, and her parents decided to pack up and leave the only home she’d known all her life. It's a lot to take in, and Nat has decidedly given up on the world, until moving to Stetson Valley and meeting high school ‘outcast’, Chace Owens.
Chace's dark and mysterious aura is not exactly seen as 'normal', but Nat already knows that not a lot of things are of the norm when it comes to her life. She soon finds herself unable to resist Chace's strange pull on her heart, unleashing a sudden attraction to the unnatural forces that have always been burning within her. But with uncovering her true self brings forth great danger, as Nat learns that her brother's death had a lot more to do with the side she's unable to resist.
Can Natasha calm the blazing flames and withstand the threat of danger, or will this new found power destroy her?
Isn't the cover GORGEOUS! Congrats to Shane! The book comes out later this month in November via Creatspace. What do you think?
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Welcome to the Cover Reveal for ABANDON, sequel to Posession & Surrender! This cover is gorgeous so without further ado I present........
It's BEAUTIFUL! I'm so glad I get to share it with you. Irony is, I've not gotten to read these books yet! But I want to and I've heard tons of great blurb! Have you read them? Do you want to?
COVER-REVEAL Giveaway!
Elana is running a Pinterest contest for the cover. She wants to get 500 pins (or repins) over the next two days. If we can get that many, she'll pick someone who pinned the cover to win a $50 Amazon gift card. It's so easy to do this. All you have to do is click this PIN IT button and select one of your boards to pin the cover to. Elana has done everything else! Don't have a Pinterest board yet? Put it on your Tumblr page. Your Facebook page. Your twitter stream. Elana will count those too! Just be sure to tag her (@ElanaJ on twitter, Possession by Elana Johnson on Facebook).
It's BEAUTIFUL! I'm so glad I get to share it with you. Irony is, I've not gotten to read these books yet! But I want to and I've heard tons of great blurb! Have you read them? Do you want to?
COVER-REVEAL Giveaway!
Elana is running a Pinterest contest for the cover. She wants to get 500 pins (or repins) over the next two days. If we can get that many, she'll pick someone who pinned the cover to win a $50 Amazon gift card. It's so easy to do this. All you have to do is click this PIN IT button and select one of your boards to pin the cover to. Elana has done everything else! Don't have a Pinterest board yet? Put it on your Tumblr page. Your Facebook page. Your twitter stream. Elana will count those too! Just be sure to tag her (@ElanaJ on twitter, Possession by Elana Johnson on Facebook).
Thursday, August 23, 2012
~~~~~
Today on CD I'm doing a special feature for one new cover....Timeless by Michele Madow. This is the third book in the Transcend Time series! Woot! I hope you like it! 
Timeless by Michele Madow
Gorgeous isn't it? It's beautiful! Also don't miss Michele's RAD celebratory giveaway on her blog!
Any thoughts on the Timeless cover? Have you read any of the books? I'd love to hear!
Friday, August 17, 2012
Hellooo everybodee! It's time for another round of Cover Dazed, my own featurette spotlighting New & BEAUTIFUL covers! I mean, I don't know about you but I could sit and browse covers for hours! Woot! I have some lovely ones today so look and read on.
The Fairest Beauty
Author: Melanie DickersonWill Release: 12. 3. 12
Sophie
desperately wants to get away from her stepmother's jealousy, and
believes escape is her only chance to be happy. Then a young man named
Gabe arrives from Hagenheim Castle, claiming she is betrothed to his
older brother, and everything twists upside down. This could be Sophie's
one chance at freedom—but can she trust another person to keep her
safe?
Gabe defied his parents Rose and Wilhelm by going to find Sophie, and now he believes they had a right to worry: the giromel's inner and outer beauty has enchanted him. Though romance is impossible—she is his brother's future wife, and Gabe himself is betrothed to sone else—he promises himself he will see the mission through, no matter what. When the pair flee to the Cottage of the Seven, they find help—but also find their feelings for each other have grown. Now both must not only protect each other from the dangers around them—they must also protect their hearts.
Gabe defied his parents Rose and Wilhelm by going to find Sophie, and now he believes they had a right to worry: the giromel's inner and outer beauty has enchanted him. Though romance is impossible—she is his brother's future wife, and Gabe himself is betrothed to sone else—he promises himself he will see the mission through, no matter what. When the pair flee to the Cottage of the Seven, they find help—but also find their feelings for each other have grown. Now both must not only protect each other from the dangers around them—they must also protect their hearts.
Isn't this cover beautiful? I only recently discovered it so I have no idea how long it's been out, but I'm thunderstruck. Gorgeousness! And this looks like a totally cool retelling of Snow White! Double Score!
Nobody
Will Release: 1. 22. 13
There are people in
this world who are Nobody. No one sees them. No one notices them. They
live their lives under the radar, forgotten as soon as you turn away. That’s why they make the perfect assassins. The
Institute finds these people when they’re young and takes them away for
training. But an untrained Nobody is a threat to their organization.
And threats must be eliminated.
Sixteen-year-old Claire has been invisible her whole life, missed by the Institute’s monitoring. But now they’ve ID’ed her and send seventeen-year-old Nix to remove her. Yet the moment he lays eyes on her, he can’t make the hit. It’s as if Claire and Nix are the only people in the world for each other. And they are—because no one else ever notices them.
Sixteen-year-old Claire has been invisible her whole life, missed by the Institute’s monitoring. But now they’ve ID’ed her and send seventeen-year-old Nix to remove her. Yet the moment he lays eyes on her, he can’t make the hit. It’s as if Claire and Nix are the only people in the world for each other. And they are—because no one else ever notices them.
Ooh-la-la! Isn't this intriguing and stunning and GORGEOUS! Woot! I totally give this cover, and synopsis a thumbs up! I enjoyed Jennifer's Raised by Wolves, and I'm totally intrigued by this new one. Totally gonna check out this latest assasin book! (Is it just me or has there been a lot of those lately?)
Special Feature: Perception (w/excerpt)
Seventeen year old Zoe
Vanderveen is a GAP—a genetically altered person. She lives in the
security of a walled city on prime water-front property along side other
equally beautiful people with extended life spans. Her brother Liam is missing.
Noah Brody is a natural who lives on the outside. He leads protests against the GAPs and detests the widening chasm they’ve created between those who have and those who don’t. He doesn’t like girls like Zoe and he has good reason not to like her specifically. Zoe’s carefree life takes a traumatic turn. She’s in trouble and it turns out that Noah, the last guy on earth she should trust, is the only one who can help her.
Noah Brody is a natural who lives on the outside. He leads protests against the GAPs and detests the widening chasm they’ve created between those who have and those who don’t. He doesn’t like girls like Zoe and he has good reason not to like her specifically. Zoe’s carefree life takes a traumatic turn. She’s in trouble and it turns out that Noah, the last guy on earth she should trust, is the only one who can help her.
Lee asked me to share this as a part of the release cover reveal! Doesn't this look fantastical? I think it's beautiful. The book sounds awesome as well so I'm for sure hoping to get this one in hand ASAP! As part of this special reveal I've got an awesome book excerpt for you!
I
balanced on my surfboard, right thigh burning and salt water stinging
my eyes, while the best wave of the early morning carried me like a
goddess on a pedestal to shore. My older brother Liam and I shared a
friendly competition, and it gave me a certain, blissful satisfaction
to catch the same wave and to get to shore first.
“Beat
ya!” I shouted over the noise of the crashing surf.
Seagulls
flocked and circled over us, squawking loudly, adding to the
cacophony.
The
sun glistened off Liam’s damp blond curls as he shook them out. His
eyes sparkled as his lips tugged up into a grin. “I let you win.”
“Did
not!” I smacked him playfully on the arm. “One more ride?”
Liam
unzipped his wetsuit letting the top half fall down past his waist.
He was in fine form, and I understood why all the girls raved about
him. He was responsible for a long list of broken hearts.
“I
gotta get going,” he said, lifting his board.
I
fell into stride beside him, my feet sinking into the cold, wet sand.
“So soon?”
He
nodded, the glint leaving his eyes. My lips tightened into a frown
“You’re taking off with Jackson again?”
Jackson
was my boyfriend but lately he’d been spending more time with my
brother than he had with me. It was starting to tick me off.
Liam
stared straight ahead. “Lab stuff.”
“What
are you working on?” I rushed to keep up with my brother’s long,
strong strides. He flicked his head, tossing the hair out of his eyes
but didn’t answer.
“Come
on,” I knocked into him sideways. “Tell me!”
“It’s
just stuff.”
“Just
stuff? Like what? Top CIA stuff? I know you’re smart but I think
the government has been doing a good job without your help.”
I
meant it as a joke, but Liam huffed. “It’s just stuff, okay? So
leave it.”
I
stopped short shocked that he’d snapped at me.
He
turned around and exhaled, “Zoe, I’m sorry.”
“Fine.
If you can’t tell me, you can’t tell me.”
We
resumed our trek along the beach, and I pushed back my frustration.
Liam used to include me in everything. It was always him and me
against everyone else. Him and me against Alison and Paul, aka our
mom and dad. Him and me against the surf. We were a team. When did we
start keeping secrets from each other? Rather, when did he start
keeping secrets from me?
Friday, July 6, 2012
Welcome to Cover Dazed, the new feature on my blog where I spotlight new covers from the past week! It's basically the equivalent of Cover Reveal but with a snazzy title and picture, and some fabulous blurb from yours truly! Today, on Cover Dazed I have some AMAZING new covers, that you might have already seen, maybe not. Either way prepare yourself for extraordinary art!
 |
| Across the Universe, A Million Suns and Shades of Earth by Beth Revis |
Cover Blurb: I'm kinda bummed that they redesigned the covers before Shades of Earth comes out. I feel like the original beauties (see below image) fit better. I'm not saying that I hate the new ones, but they feel more like a paperback kind of cover. I really wish they'll still come out with a matching Shades of Earth cover for the first one. The new ones fit....just not the way I imagine.
 |
| Scarlet by Marissa Meyer |
Cover Blurb: I love this cover! It looks BEAUTIFUL with the cover for Cinder and from the blurb I've heard it will fit the story perfectly! Eeep! Must get my hands on this book! And guys...that red is beautiful. I very much approve.
Cover Blurb: Feeling Crooked? Try Sly! (ooh! It rhymes!) This cover looks uber cute! I love how it follow the pattern of the first book and the shade of green is awesome. I promise it's not a biased blurb just because green is my fav color. Can't wait to get this book....after I read Pretty Crooked. ;)
Cover Blurb: Oooooh. This looks like one of those creepy, thriller kind of books. *looks at book summary on goodreads* Well look at that. It sort of is! Haha! That's awesome. Well anyway. I love it. I think it looks totally cool with the whole frame and missing head part of the picture. Way cool. Can't wait to read the book now!
Cover Blurb: This one looks more vintage and historical and I like how they've done that. It sets it apart from some of the traditional eye-popping covers and It's really pretty. I already liked the synopsis and the cover gives it more depth and awesomeness!
And now the BEST FOR LAST!!!!!!
Guys are you ready to get CONVERGENT?!!!!!?
"Fake" Cover Blurb: I love it! It's beautiful and totally catches everything I hope the 3rd book to be! And honestly, this is EXACTLY the title I'm guessing the book will be called! So in my mind this is a perfect cover and whoever made it is one AWESOME-TASTIC person. What are you thoughts? Title? Fake Cover?
 |
| Pretty Sly by Elisa Ludwig |
 |
| Hysteria by Megan Miranda |
 |
| The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd |
Other Covers Of Note:
Furious by Jill Wolfson, Fragments by Dan Wells,
Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter & Pivot Point by Kasie West
And now the BEST FOR LAST!!!!!!
Guys are you ready to get CONVERGENT?!!!!!?
Disclosure: This is not the real cover. No title or cover has officially been released as of yet. The above is the product of intense fandom! I came across this and it was to awesome to pass by and not blog. Thanks to The Readers Heartstring for sharing!
"Fake" Cover Blurb: I love it! It's beautiful and totally catches everything I hope the 3rd book to be! And honestly, this is EXACTLY the title I'm guessing the book will be called! So in my mind this is a perfect cover and whoever made it is one AWESOME-TASTIC person. What are you thoughts? Title? Fake Cover?
And that's it for Cover Dazed! I'd love to hear what you think about these AWESOME-SAUCE covers! Let me know!
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Guys! I love sharing new covers with you, even if you've already seen them. I've got a TOTALLY new one for you all. Just revealed by the author! This is for Witch Born by Amber Argyle which is going to be released this fall. It's the sequel to Witch Song. By now you've probably skipped all my blurb haven't you? Okay yeah fine, I get your point. Without further adoing.....
Witch Born by Amber Argyle
Release Date: 9. 5. 12 by Starling
Brusenna thought it was finished. She defeated the Dark Witch, saving the Haven Witches from imprisonment and death. She found love and a place to belong. She was wrong. Haven is not the sanctuary it appears to be. Even love is in danger of slipping away like water through cupped hands.
Some things can't be saved. A new threat merges with the old as the Witches’ dark history begins to catch up with them. Only Brusenna knows the extent of the danger and how to stop it, though doing so might cost her everything. Including her life. Will Brusenna be required to make the ultimate sacrifice?
Release Date: 9. 5. 12 by Starling
Brusenna thought it was finished. She defeated the Dark Witch, saving the Haven Witches from imprisonment and death. She found love and a place to belong. She was wrong. Haven is not the sanctuary it appears to be. Even love is in danger of slipping away like water through cupped hands.
Some things can't be saved. A new threat merges with the old as the Witches’ dark history begins to catch up with them. Only Brusenna knows the extent of the danger and how to stop it, though doing so might cost her everything. Including her life. Will Brusenna be required to make the ultimate sacrifice?
Oh my Witch! Wow! Guys isn't that GORGEOUS! I love it! It's even prettier than the first on and that was pretty! Here is the full jacket cover:
I'm in love. Doesn't this just BLOW YOUR MIND?
To get a Countdown Widget, go HERE.
To add Witch Born to your Goodreads go HERE.
To Vote for Witch Born on Goodreads go HERE
And that's all for the cover reveal! I'd love to hear what you think!
Friday, June 22, 2012
GUYS! I had to share another cover reveal today! EEEP! There are so many amazing covers! Today's reveal is for BOUNDLESS, the 3rd book in the Unearthly series! I'm SO excited for this last book. It's gonna be amazing! So are you ready for the cover?
Thoughts? Feelings? What do you think of the new Boundless cover?
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Feel free to squee with me! It's the new cover for EVERBOUND, the sequel to Everneath, the lovely darling CRAZY AMAZING book by Brodi Ashton! Isn't it simply STUNNING? Ack! I'm in love.
Okay moment over.
Make sure to stop by Brodi's blog for a special Cover Reveal GIVEAWAY!
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Welcome to the special Cover Reveal for Dark Seraphine. Are you ready? Yay! Here it is:
About the Book
Published 9/12
"Mom always says the angels walk among us. She forgot to tell me that sometimes they're not all fluffy and nice."
Seventeen-year-old Caleb Wood has seen people he calls the walkers since he was a baby. It didn't take long for him to realize something…no one can see these strangers but him. They never stuck around or tried to touch him. And they never said a word. That was until one day on the first day of class in his senior year when an incredibly gorgeous girl strolls into his life…and things are never the same
again.
Soon Caleb realizes he has stepped into the middle of a growing conflict between two ancient groups. And his ability to see the invisible ones, the half-breeds that want to modify the human race, just might be the only hope both he and the mysterious, but infuriating Gia have of making it out alive.
Sneak Peek @ Dark Seraphine:
Sneak Peek @ Dark Seraphine:
There was no one in the classroom besides the two of us. To admit this girl made me feel a little shaky sounded weak. I put on a manly face, squared my shoulders,and sat in the desk behind her. The little kid in me still wanted to run away like a baby, though.
And then she laughed.
It was a high-pitched giggle, a normal girl’s sound. That wasn’t right. I don’t remember any of the other spirits laughing before.
“So you wanna run from me, huh? Go ahead. I’ll just find you like I always do, Caleb,” she said, still facing the chalk board in the front of the classroom. Her voice was smooth like a musical instrument, maybe a flute. Nah. It was more like a harp. I could listen to it all day.
But even her sexy pipes didn’t change the fact that she just read my mind. How did she do that?
“Are you going to run, or stay? I need a quick answer, because I have a lot to do today.” She turned her head to the side a bit.
“I don’t run from anything,” I said, trying to ignore the prickle in my underarms. Good thing I used my dad’s deodorant this morning. That old-timers stuff was strong enough to knock out anything.
She didn’t scare me as much as some of the other walkers, my nickname for them. But I wasn’t ready to get her digits either. As a baby, I remembered talking to a fewof them. That ability disappeared sometime around my thirteenth birthday. This was the first time I spoke to one in four years.
“What are you people: angels, ghosts, or zombies?” I asked, my voice squeaking on the last syllable. What a dork.
“Can’t you be a little more creative?” She turned around in her seat to face me, an amused expression on her ridiculously gorgeous face. I sucked my breath. Her strange amber-hazel eyes pierced through me. The word beautiful didn’t do enough for this walker-girl.
“I thought I was pretty creative,” I said.
“Nope. Your ideas suck,” she said with a smug face.
“Nice. Thanks,” I said, getting annoyed.
“And I don’t sparkle in the sun, either. So scratch that one off your list too.”
I frowned. “Then tell me the right answer. And you can go ahead and explain how I won the honor of being stalked?”
“I’m a creative mix of many things. Feel better now?” She tilted her head. Blue-black hair flowed around her face as if it were made of silky thread. “So others have come before me?” She seemed to be talking to herself rather than asking me.
“Maybe,” I said. Why should I tell her everything? One thing I did know. At this rate, I was probably going to be committed to the loony ward on the first day of school.
“I’m going to need your help soon, Caleb. You have to be ready,” she whispered, her face suddenly serious. Right then, I knew my world was about to change…forever.
About the Author:
KaSonndra Leigh was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. She now lives in the City of Alchemy and Medicine, North Carolina. She likes to write about people doing fantastical things in magical worlds. Her two sons have made her promise to write a boy book next.
She holds the MFA in creative writing, and loves to play CLUE, Monopoly (the Indiana Jones version), and Pandora's Box (good writer's block therapy). She lives in an L-shaped house with a garden dedicated to her grandmother. It has a secret library complete with fairies, Venetian plastered walls, and a desk made out of clear blue glass.
Thanks for stopping by! Make sure to keep an eye out because Dark Seraphine will officially on tour soon, complete with reviews and yummy giveaways!
Friday, June 15, 2012
As part of this awesome-sauce Promo Blitz I get to share the awesome cover for Dead Radiance and some sneak-peek awesomeness! (I'm all about the awesome.) Therefore introducing the spanking beauty that is the cover of Dead Radiance.....
Woot! What do you think? Lovely ain't it? I love the colors. It blends and fits so well. Yay for sweet covers. Now you may be wondering what in the world this book is even about! Well I've got the synopsis and a special excerpt from the first chapter of the book! Read on lovelies!
Synopsis:
That day I knew for sure. I'd lost control of my tears then. They fell in huge, mocking drops. I stared at Joshua through those bitter tears, my heart missing beats as I tried to remember to breathe.
I finally knew what the glow meant.
I was a freak and Joshua was going to die.
Bryn Halbrook had always seen the glow. But it is only when her best friend dies that she discovers the meaning of those beautiful golden auras — Death. Alone, lost in the foster system, she struggles to understand who she is and why she was cursed with the ability to see the soon-to-be-dead.
The new foster kid, Aidan, isn’t helping any. Mr. Perfect seems to fit in no matter what, making her feel even more pathetic. But when his affections turn to her, Bryn finds him hard to resist. Impossible actually. A mystery himself, Aidan disappears, leaving behind a broken heart and a mysterious book that suggests Bryn might not be entirely human.
Bryn stands at the threshold of a journey of discovery. Will destiny help her find herself, find her purpose and her place in a world in which she’d never belonged?
I finally knew what the glow meant.
I was a freak and Joshua was going to die.
Bryn Halbrook had always seen the glow. But it is only when her best friend dies that she discovers the meaning of those beautiful golden auras — Death. Alone, lost in the foster system, she struggles to understand who she is and why she was cursed with the ability to see the soon-to-be-dead.
The new foster kid, Aidan, isn’t helping any. Mr. Perfect seems to fit in no matter what, making her feel even more pathetic. But when his affections turn to her, Bryn finds him hard to resist. Impossible actually. A mystery himself, Aidan disappears, leaving behind a broken heart and a mysterious book that suggests Bryn might not be entirely human.
Bryn stands at the threshold of a journey of discovery. Will destiny help her find herself, find her purpose and her place in a world in which she’d never belonged?
Sneak Peek @ Dead Radiance:
Chapter 1
I was cold, like the roses on Joshua’s casket, like the muddy dark-brown soil waiting to embracethe lifeless remains of the boy who was my friend.
My fingers curled around the stem of a butter-yellow rose, knuckles tight. I blinked away the liquid burn stabbing my eyelids. I had to get out. Give him the rose. Then get the hell away. I tried to squeeze past the old woman who guarded my route to the center aisle, glaring. Her stares slithered down my neck as I passed. I shuffled by, careful not to touch her. But she huffed, her shoulders stiff and unimpressed with my rudeness. Her disapproval slid down my back.
I straightened my pencil skirt and short coat, scraped my wet hands on my hips. I knew the cool black silk wouldn't dry my sticky palms, but I did it anyway, needing to do something with my hands other than clutch the dead flower.
The slim heels of my pumps sank deep into wet ground. I jerked them free and swallowed, my throat aching with tears.. My best friend would soon be entombed within this sodden mush, to lie beneath Craven forever. Until his flesh fell off his bones and he turned to dust.
A cool hand tapped my shoulder.
"Bryn Halbrook. " She spat my name, each syllable harsh, and dripping venom to match the tiny emerald flecks in her hazel eyes. "You've got some nerve coming here." Cherise Barnes knew she looked good, even in drab funerary garb. She stood, a bony hip jutting out, one foot forward. The Cherise pose.
The last thing I needed was a bitch-match. Not here. I straightened, pulling my jacket closer in the face of this poisonous storm. Her eyes widened as I drew to my full height. Guess Cherise forgot it wasn't easy to intimidate a person who was a full head taller. I stared down at her. Waiting.
"Perhaps you should leave." She tapped the foot. "Now."
"I am leaving, as soon as I pay my respects. You are holding me up."
A streak of red colored her cheeks. She avoided my eyes, then addressed my ear. "You shouldn't have come in the first place. You aren't welcome here."
She wasn't backing off and I knew why. Cherise was The Body here in Craven. Not the body to die for, though, as most guys didn't need to go that far to sample Cherise. Joshua had belonged to her, and she'd lost him. Lost him to me. Or so she thought.
I brushed past Cherise, had no patience for her any more. I fingered the bandage on my temple, touched the braid tied at my nape so my deep red hair wouldn't tangle in the stitches on my scalp. The slight ovement shifted my hair and the wound stung, releasing a flash of memory.
White light, blinding, sears my eyes.
Brighter now. Bright enough to hurt.
Tires squeal, harsh screams rip at my eardrums.
I swallowed a gasp, shoving the memory out of my head. I had to get a grip. I'd survived and he hadn't. It didn't matter anymore. The only person who'd supported me had died on me. I'd known he would die. And I'd done nothing to stop it.
As I neared Joshua's parents, they threw me weak and teary smiles, which made the dam of tears inside my own heart yearn to burst free. Even in their time of grief, they'd been so concerned about me, asking if I'd recovered enough to get out of the hospital, if I'd grieved enough, let it all out.
No one shared their concern, not last week and not today. Claws of ice scraped up and down my back. Again. More accusing stares. Too many eyes. More heads turning. Whispers. I ignored them. Concentrated on anything else but those voices. Cars passing by at the bottom of the hill. People going about their daily lives, neither knowing nor caring that a friend and a son and a brother was about to be consigned to the dead earth of Craven. Stepping closer to the coffin I sucked in a sob; the hollow in my gut grew harder, more painful, as I stared at the shining black casket.
Roses trailed the ebony lid, droplets of color scattered across its gleaming surface by a careless yet artful hand. Eternity crept by while the box descended into the dark mouth of the grave. The rainbow of color shivered, slim green stems entangled on the curve of the lid. One rose, bright, blood red, slid off, as the coffin moved deeper and deeper.
Ice sliced through my veins. Piercing to the bone and to the soul. Blank, grey afternoon skies shed occasional tears for Joshua O'Connell. The casket lurched, then continued its descent. I gave in. Better give him the rose, a little piece of me to take with him. I choked on a breath, swallowing a wave of nausea.
Metal shrieks, grating in a lurid embrace. Deafening.
Sparks spit, ozone coats the back of my throat.
Gasoline fumes creep up my nostrils, burning, suffocating.
I stopped at the edge of the gaping wound in the earth. Something felt wrong. Inside the grave, the black box came to rest within deep grasping shadows. Darkness simmered, broken by a line of glimmering, golden light that seeped through the edges of the casket. He still glowed and I was still helpless.
My fingers uncurled their desperate grip on the rose and it fell, tilting, to drop head first onto the coffin, twirling as it descended into the eerie depths. It hit the lid and shattered. Petals flew in all directions and everywhere yellow scraps of the dismembered flower reflected Joshua's iridescent light. I turned, eager to flee.
Not possible. Not in heels, which sank into the mushy soil as if the soft earth itself yearned to claim me. Not when mourners had risen from their seats and were lining up to toss soil and tributes onto the casket. I struggled for breath, my heart knocking double, triple time like an angry jackhammer abandoned in my chest.
I steered a path through the crowd. Ignored a young man in the middle row whose skin held the first yellow specks of iridescence. Who was he? Did it even matter who he was? I sighed. It wouldn't be much longer for him anyway. I ignored the woman with the red-rimmed eyes, holding onto his arm. I didn't want to see him patting her pale hand and giving her that watery smile.
Will she be alone, like me, when he's gone? Who will pat her hand then? Turning away, I kept walking. Didn't want to look anymore. Didn't want to see any more glowing people.
I breached the throng and paused to breathe. To wait for my erratic heartbeat to slow down. To forget I left my friend behind, alone in the unforgiving ground.
***
About the Author:
I have been a writer from the time I was old enough to recognise that reading was a doorway into my imagination. Poetry was my first foray into the art of the written word. Books were my best friends, my escape, my haven. I am essentially a recluse but this part of my personality is impossible to practise given I have two teenage daughters, who are actually my friends, my tea-makers, my confidantes… I am blessed with a husband who has left me for golf. It’s a fair trade as I have left him for writing. We are both passionate supporters of each other's loves – it works wonderfully…
My heart is currently broken in two. One half resides in South Africa where my old roots still remain, and my heart still longs for the endless beaches and the smell of moist soil after a summer downpour. My love for Ma Afrika will never fade. The other half of me has been transplanted to the Land of the Long White Cloud. The land of the Taniwha, beautiful Maraes, and volcanoes. The land of green, pure beauty that truly inspires. And because I am so torn between these two lands – I shall forever remain cross-eyed.
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Till Next Time,
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