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| Look at this Sizzling Cover! |
SHATTERED EDGE
By: A.M. Hargrove
I am so excited to be a part of revealing this cover!
If you have read Edge of Disaster, you will love this second book that follows Terri and Justin's story. Shattered Edge will be released on Feb 14th, so share the love
If you haven't read Edge of Disaster, here are the links:http://www.amazon.com/Edge-of-Disaster-ebook/dp/B00AR2V1CM/ref=sr_1_5?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1360438228&sr=1-5&keywords=am+hargrove
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/edge-of-disaster-am-hargrove/1114014332?ean=2940016118253
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/267050
Book Description:
Their
trial relationship was meant to last six months, but things didn’t quite work
out the way they planned...
Justin
Middleton, who has left a string of broken hearts across the state of South
Carolina, has only one thing on his mind, and that’s winning Terri Mitchell’s
heart in six months. That’s all the time she’s given him...six short
months. If he can’t do it by then,
they’ll go their separate ways.
Terri
Mitchell knows she’s lost her mind when she even suggested this harebrained
scheme. She finally thinks her heart is
on the mend from her past encounter with Justin. However, when he shows up at
her house late one night looking deliciously sexy and irresistible, her iron
will to fight him vanishes and the words tumble from her lips before she’s barely
aware of what she’s done.
Within
weeks, both of them find themselves passionately involved, but when Terri’s
brother, Preston, shows up, mysterious things begin to happen, turning their
blissful world into something dark and dangerous.
Doesn't this sound hot?! Yeah, I think so too. So how about a little excerpt for those of you who need further convincing...
Terri
My best friend
was getting married in ten minutes. I was
about to walk down
the aisle as her maid of honor and I’d never been so nervous in my entire life.
My palms were pretty much dripping water and I only hoped my dress wasn’t
stained beneath my arms, because I was sure that about right now I was having
massive antiperspirant failure. I had practiced walking in these shoes for two
solid weeks at physical therapy. My therapists had convinced me (I actually
made them pinky swear to me) that I could do this. At this moment I was quite
certain that they had fed me some boldfaced lies. I knew when I took my first
few steps, that I would stumble, then my bad leg would give out, and I would go
rolling instead of walking down that aisle.
Crap in
a handbasket!
I looked at
Tana, the wedding director, and she nodded, signaling it was my turn. My grip
tightened on my bouquet of fresh cut flowers. I was surprised the damn stems
weren’t crushed by now. No doubt my fingers would be green by the time the
ceremony was over.
My left foot
went out, followed by my right. Okay, I had this. I repeated this
mantra...left, right, left, right, until I was up at the altar and taking my
place next to the spot where Lexi would stand.
I smiled and
I’m sure it reached my ears, because I swear I could feel my earrings tickling my cheeks. Then I
forgot the promise I made to myself. I totally blanked out because I was so
excited about the stupid fact that I had made it down the aisle without looking
gimpy. I let my eyes wander across the altar and damn if they didn’t land
directly on him.
Shiz!
He looked like
the dude in the Ralph Lauren Polo ad...tall dark and alluring. Dressed in a
black tux, he was perfect. Justin Middleton, brother of the groom and best
man...my heartbreaking nemesis. I
suppose nemesis is relatively harsh, but heartbreaker isn’t. I had dreaded this
day now for months. I should be happy for Lexi...she’d been my bestie since
freshman year at UVA. But I was pulling the selfish card today. I tried not to,
but everything I did was useless. I pasted a smile back on my face and jerked
my head to the back of the church so I could watch Lexi walk down the aisle.
Damn, that
girl looked gorgeous. Her dress was really something. I’d never seen a bride
where anything close to that. Originality...pure and simple. Her dress had an
illusion neckline, making it appear sleeveless and off the shoulders, when it
actually had sheer fabric that afforded a boat neckline. The dress was fitted
and had fabric beads sewn onto it until it hit mid thigh where it was covered
in layers of chiffon and stiff ribbon, giving it a totally off the charts look.
And she was getting married in the church
every Charlestonian would give their left hand...hell their right hand too...to
get married in. St. Phillips was the church on every Charleston postcard ever
made. You had to be connected to get married there. And the Middletons were
certainly connected. Hell, they were
Charleston. South of Broad, blue blooded born and bred. Lexi sure lucked out here.
And
Pearce...didn’t he look yummy? Not nearly as yummy as Justin, but girls all
over South Carolina would be grieving today because one of the most eligible
bachelors, not to mention one of the wealthiest, was getting hitched. Once again, Lexi sure lucked out. But if
anyone deserved it, Lexi did.
Now, I sure wish the show could get a move on,
because I would love for this thing to get the hell over with. I only had
enough plastic smiles to last for a certain amount of time and once they ran
out, I was gonna have to hit the road. I
hated to be so snarky about this, but I couldn’t stand around with this happy
assed face when I was cracking to pieces on the inside.
The happy
couple said their vows and damn it all, I started crying. Thank God the Tana gave
us a list with a bag at the rehearsal last night, which included waterproof
mascara and eyeliner, or I would’ve looked like Rocky raccoon, resident maid of
honor and side kick to Bullwinkle. Yeah, this was gonna be fun.
Now, I had to look forward to picture time and more
plastic smiles. I pulled up my bootstraps and watched as Lexi and Pearce walked
down the aisle as Dr. and Mrs. Middleton. Oh good lord, they looked so happy. I
really couldn’t help the true smile that formed then, because looking at them
made me believe in it all...their love was nothing short of bursting from them.
I heard a
throat clearing and looked up to see Justin waiting with his arm bent. I’d been
so engrossed in watching the happy couple, I’d forgotten I had to walk arm in
arm with him.
Well,
isn’t this a crap storm?
I didn’t have
time to prepare myself. When I put my hand on his arm, I felt the jolt all the
way to my toes. I forced myself to look at my feet, when all I wanted to do was
to fall into his eyes...his perfectly gorgeous eyes. Lexi always called Pearce,
Smoky Eyes, because he had gray eyes. Well, Justin’s were gray too, but his
were the color of the sea, right before a storm hit. Deep, dark bluish gray and
every time I looked at them I was pulled into their depths...just like I would
imagine the sea as it would call to me.
Mysterious, with things unknown lurking below the surface. That was
Justin. Beautiful and sometimes frightening because he made me feel things I’d
never felt before.
He leaned his
tall frame down to my smaller one so he could whisper to me, “You were perfect
when you walked down the aisle, Terri. You made me proud.”
That caused my
head to jerk up. I shouldn’t have done that because my eyes landed right on
his. And there I was, falling into them...deeply, dramatically, and yes,
painfully.
“God, you’re
beautiful.” Three simple words that nearly made me cry. I felt my lower lip
tremble, but forced myself to smile instead.
“Thanks. You
clean up pretty good yourself,” my voice trembled.
He smiled and
it felt like someone lifted all the blinds and curtains in the church. The
light just entered and blazed around him. He was that kind of beautiful. I knew
I needed to get away from him. That’s the sort of effect he had on me.
Suddenly, I
was back there again...last March.
“Ms.
Mitchell, we’re taking you into surgery. You were in a car accident and your
leg was broken. We’re going to fix you right up.”
Car
accident? Where was Justin? Was he okay? Surgery? The next thing I knew I woke
up again in a room and there were my mom and dad.
Several
surgeries later, that damn wheelchair, physical therapy and Justin...Justin.
God, why couldn’t I forget him? Things had been moving along so well until that
wreck. All those surgeries and he couldn’t stop blaming himself. And then Lexi
catching him with those two girls and my heart nearly breaking. Yeah, my leg
had been broken and I’d been left with a twisted mass of scars, but my heart
was the one that felt more damaged.
We reached the
back of the church and were whisked off to the side by Tana and the
photographer to where pictures would be taken. I was hoping they could put this
thing on fast forward, get to the reception, have a little face time with Lexi
and get the heck outta Dodge. That was my plan anyway.
Picture after
picture and tons of pasted smiles later (I hope Lex didn’t shoot my ass when
she saw these pictures), we finally hopped in the limos and left for the
reception at the Charleston Yacht and Harbor Club.
I mingled with
some of the guests, and made my way around to chat with Lexi and Pearce for a
while, but before long, the throbbing in my leg and the aches and pains, had me
hunting a chair. I spied one back in the corner so I walked, or at least gave
my best imitation of one, over to it and blew out a huge puff of air when the
weight left that leg. I was happy Lexi had approved the long dresses that we
wore since they hid the scars that covered my disfigured limb. I absently
rubbed it, like I often did, wishing for a huge bag of ice. They ought to invent Spanx you could cram an
ice bag into for people like me. Maybe I could join forces with the Spanx lady
and we could come out with Spanx on Ice. I bet those professional ice skaters
would love that! We could even make a version for hockey players.
“You must have
something terrifically funny on your mind by the look on your face.”
That voice of
his made me want to strip off every thread of clothing and run naked through
the streets yelling, “Take me, take me!” Crap! What kind of sexy did that man
have working?
“I guess so. I
was thinking about a joint venture with the Spanx lady. We could call it Spanx on Ice.”
“What?” he
asked, bewilderment clouding his eyes.
“You
know...for my leg.”
“Oh.” He
smiled, nodded and acted like he was with me. I knew better from his odd
expression. He didn’t get it at all.
“Do you even
know what Spanx are?”
“No clue.”
I burst out
laughing. “Never mind then. They’re something no man should ever know about.”
“Hmm, now I’m
intrigued.”
“Oh God! Don’t
be.” The last thing I needed was for Justin Middleton to see me in a pair of
Spanx.
Mother
of God save me now!
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