We'd like to share with you an excerpt from Jessica Miller's Y.A. Paranormal Romance, THE WANDERERS. Enjoy!
The Wanderers by Jessica MillerWhat do you do when you learn your family is the one who's holding all the secrets? Secrets that could get you killed...
Ella is looking forward to starting college in the fall with her best friend Josie. She’s looking for a place where she can get away from her overbearing parents and two older annoying brothers. Unfortunately Ella realizes that sometimes the past comes back to haunt you.
Ella soon learns that the man who terrorizes her dreams is in fact real and coming after her.
When one of her classmates is murdered, Ella slowly recognizes this is not some strange coincidence. Ella fears that the boy she’s falling in love with is the one who stalks her dreams and no longer knows who she can trust.
When she finally learns the truth of her family’s deepest secret, Ella has to face her demons by taking out one of the people she thought she could trust…before they kill her.
Excerpt:
Not being in the party mood, I wandered around the house, venturing upstairs, to see if maybe there was a more private area with less people. The first door I tried had a half-naked couple rolling around on the bed. I quickly closed the door although I highly doubted they even noticed me. “Wow, some people don't waste any time, do they,” I said to myself.
I walked down the hall and found another door. I knocked first this time. When I didn't hear a response I opened the door slowly to find an empty room with a futon and some chairs. I turned on the light and closed the door behind me. I carefully sat on the futon afraid of what I might sit on. After what I just witnessed, who knows what could have happened on this couch. Letting go of the thought I leaned back closing my eyes and listened to the bass of the music vibrate through the walls.
I was instantly brought back to reality when I heard a toilet flush and a faucet begin to run. I sat up, ready to leave, when Tristan appeared from the bathroom. “Sorry, didn't know anyone was in here. I'll leave,” I said quickly getting up.
“Don't go,” he said and I stopped. “Sit, relax, I promise I'll be good,” Tristan said innocently.
I sighed and turned around. I knew the only way I was going to be able to get through this was to be myself. “What are you doing up here? I thought you'd want to be downstairs drinking and taking some poor girl as your next victim.”
“Ella, Ella, Ella,” he said shaking his head. “When are you going to realize I'm not that guy?”
“Really, then how come every time I see you, you have your arm around a different girl?”
“I can't help that I'm loved,” he smiled reminding of the guy he was the first time we met. I turned to walk out. “Ella wait...sit.” He pointed to the futon. I hesitated until he started to beg me with his eyes, causing me to give in. He padded the spot next to him, but I chose to sit at the opposite end to be safe.
He leaned back casually, one arm resting on top of the couch, watching me intensely. I waited for him to say something, anything, but knew I would have to be the one to break the silence. “Okay, you have five minutes to prove to me you're not an arrogant, stubborn, chauvinistic pig.”
“Arrogant yes, stubborn yes, a pig...sometimes, but that's just what's on the surface.”
“Oh so it gets worse?” I quipped.
He just laughed and then turned serious for a moment. “Everyone has layers Ella. I happen to have a lot and so do you.” I saw his cocky smile start to play on his lips. “Now, how about we start taking away some of those layers, starting with your sweater.”
“God Tristan!” I stood up to leave. “You can't even be serious for one second.”
Tristan got up to stop me from leaving. “I'm sorry,” he chuckled. “This time I promise I'll be good. Cross my heart,” he said, making an X with his finger over his chest. I let him pull me back over to the couch, but kept my distance by sitting at the opposite end. “Why so far away? Don't you trust me?” he asked innocently.
“No,” I said simply. But to be honest, I almost didn't trust myself. Being alone with him makes resisting him a lot harder. I was determined to hold my own.
A devilish smile danced across his lips and he slid closer to me. So close if I tried to move I'd fall off the couch. Not in the mood to deal with his shenanigans, I decided to try and hurry this along. “Last chance, no more jokes, and no more cheap, tawdry come-ons.”
“I am anything but cheap,” he retorted. I gave him a warning look and he put his hands up in surrender. “Look, I just like to have fun. What's wrong with that?”
“I believe those girls you use for your own personal entertainment might think otherwise.”
“I never had any complaints.” I rolled my eyes. “What do I have to do to convince you to go on a date with me?” he asked hopeful.
“You would have to be someone else,” I replied.
“I see you're into role playing,” he smirked. I stood up but he grabbed my wrist pulling me back down. His touch made my heart race. I pulled my hand away and placed it in my lap not wanting to let him know the strange affect he had on me.
His smile faded and he looked at me seriously. “Why do you pull away from me? Are you afraid of me?”
“Ha,” I laughed. “More like repulsed by you.”
“That hurts Ella,” he said as if he was truly offended. “Do I really repulse you?” This time when he asked I could see a slight hurt in his eyes.
“No Tristan, you just, I don't know...annoy me?” I offered, hoping it was a better choice of words and not actually a lie.
“Thanks,” he said laughing. “Because that is so much better.”
“What do you want to hear?”
“The truth.”
I bit the inside of my cheek and looked away. I had no idea what the truth was anymore. “Is it because of that Jack guy?” he asked.
“What, Jack, no,” I said shaking my head. He picked a piece of lint of his pants refusing to look at me. “Are you jealous?” I asked trying to hide my smile.
“Puh, of that twerp? I think not.”
“Jack is not a twerp,” I said a little more defensively then I intended. Neither of us said anything for what felt like an eternity. I looked back to Tristan. “What do you want from me?” I asked hoping for once he'd answer me honestly.
“Just one date, Ella. One date to prove to you that my intentions are only the purest of heart.”
I sighed, scared that I might give in. He reached over and placed his hand on mine and for a moment I lost all my senses. I looked deep into his eyes and for the first time, I knew he was being sincere. But part of me was still unsure. The last thing I wanted was a broken heart and I had a hunch that is what Tristan would deliver.
I turned away, no longer able to look at him. “Tristan, I just can't,” I said. When I turned back to face him, he leaned in closer to me leaving our lips inches apart.
Not being in the party mood, I wandered around the house, venturing upstairs, to see if maybe there was a more private area with less people. The first door I tried had a half-naked couple rolling around on the bed. I quickly closed the door although I highly doubted they even noticed me. “Wow, some people don't waste any time, do they,” I said to myself.
I walked down the hall and found another door. I knocked first this time. When I didn't hear a response I opened the door slowly to find an empty room with a futon and some chairs. I turned on the light and closed the door behind me. I carefully sat on the futon afraid of what I might sit on. After what I just witnessed, who knows what could have happened on this couch. Letting go of the thought I leaned back closing my eyes and listened to the bass of the music vibrate through the walls.
I was instantly brought back to reality when I heard a toilet flush and a faucet begin to run. I sat up, ready to leave, when Tristan appeared from the bathroom. “Sorry, didn't know anyone was in here. I'll leave,” I said quickly getting up.
“Don't go,” he said and I stopped. “Sit, relax, I promise I'll be good,” Tristan said innocently.
I sighed and turned around. I knew the only way I was going to be able to get through this was to be myself. “What are you doing up here? I thought you'd want to be downstairs drinking and taking some poor girl as your next victim.”
“Ella, Ella, Ella,” he said shaking his head. “When are you going to realize I'm not that guy?”
“Really, then how come every time I see you, you have your arm around a different girl?”
“I can't help that I'm loved,” he smiled reminding of the guy he was the first time we met. I turned to walk out. “Ella wait...sit.” He pointed to the futon. I hesitated until he started to beg me with his eyes, causing me to give in. He padded the spot next to him, but I chose to sit at the opposite end to be safe.
He leaned back casually, one arm resting on top of the couch, watching me intensely. I waited for him to say something, anything, but knew I would have to be the one to break the silence. “Okay, you have five minutes to prove to me you're not an arrogant, stubborn, chauvinistic pig.”
“Arrogant yes, stubborn yes, a pig...sometimes, but that's just what's on the surface.”
“Oh so it gets worse?” I quipped.
He just laughed and then turned serious for a moment. “Everyone has layers Ella. I happen to have a lot and so do you.” I saw his cocky smile start to play on his lips. “Now, how about we start taking away some of those layers, starting with your sweater.”
“God Tristan!” I stood up to leave. “You can't even be serious for one second.”
Tristan got up to stop me from leaving. “I'm sorry,” he chuckled. “This time I promise I'll be good. Cross my heart,” he said, making an X with his finger over his chest. I let him pull me back over to the couch, but kept my distance by sitting at the opposite end. “Why so far away? Don't you trust me?” he asked innocently.
“No,” I said simply. But to be honest, I almost didn't trust myself. Being alone with him makes resisting him a lot harder. I was determined to hold my own.
A devilish smile danced across his lips and he slid closer to me. So close if I tried to move I'd fall off the couch. Not in the mood to deal with his shenanigans, I decided to try and hurry this along. “Last chance, no more jokes, and no more cheap, tawdry come-ons.”
“I am anything but cheap,” he retorted. I gave him a warning look and he put his hands up in surrender. “Look, I just like to have fun. What's wrong with that?”
“I believe those girls you use for your own personal entertainment might think otherwise.”
“I never had any complaints.” I rolled my eyes. “What do I have to do to convince you to go on a date with me?” he asked hopeful.
“You would have to be someone else,” I replied.
“I see you're into role playing,” he smirked. I stood up but he grabbed my wrist pulling me back down. His touch made my heart race. I pulled my hand away and placed it in my lap not wanting to let him know the strange affect he had on me.
His smile faded and he looked at me seriously. “Why do you pull away from me? Are you afraid of me?”
“Ha,” I laughed. “More like repulsed by you.”
“That hurts Ella,” he said as if he was truly offended. “Do I really repulse you?” This time when he asked I could see a slight hurt in his eyes.
“No Tristan, you just, I don't know...annoy me?” I offered, hoping it was a better choice of words and not actually a lie.
“Thanks,” he said laughing. “Because that is so much better.”
“What do you want to hear?”
“The truth.”
I bit the inside of my cheek and looked away. I had no idea what the truth was anymore. “Is it because of that Jack guy?” he asked.
“What, Jack, no,” I said shaking my head. He picked a piece of lint of his pants refusing to look at me. “Are you jealous?” I asked trying to hide my smile.
“Puh, of that twerp? I think not.”
“Jack is not a twerp,” I said a little more defensively then I intended. Neither of us said anything for what felt like an eternity. I looked back to Tristan. “What do you want from me?” I asked hoping for once he'd answer me honestly.
“Just one date, Ella. One date to prove to you that my intentions are only the purest of heart.”
I sighed, scared that I might give in. He reached over and placed his hand on mine and for a moment I lost all my senses. I looked deep into his eyes and for the first time, I knew he was being sincere. But part of me was still unsure. The last thing I wanted was a broken heart and I had a hunch that is what Tristan would deliver.
I turned away, no longer able to look at him. “Tristan, I just can't,” I said. When I turned back to face him, he leaned in closer to me leaving our lips inches apart.
Bio:
Jessica is a budding new author with a passion for writing in her veins. She stems from the suburbs of Pennsylvania where most of her time is spent writing, listening to new music, or reading a good book. When not busy writing, Jessica works part–time in a salon where she enjoys making people look beautiful. You can catch up with Jessica on her blog or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.Blog: www.jesslmiller.blogspot.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorJLMiller
Twitter: Jessica Miller @JLMreadingrocks
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5989926.Jessica_Miller
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There are secrets & then there are secrets & some are deadly.
ReplyDeleteIt looks really good. Congratulations on it's release.
ReplyDelete