Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Unexpected Release Day Party





Happy release day to my writer friend Faith Sullivan. I met Faith a little while back and through our blogs and Twitter, I've discovered that she's a great person and a great writer. Her first book Heartbeat released in February and I devoured it. Today, I hope you'll help me congratulate Faith on the release of her second book, Unexpected.




September 11, 2001.

A day that forever changes the destiny of college overachiever, Michelle Rhodes.

Shattered, confused and alone, no one understands the trauma consuming her until she meets Connor Donnelly.

A native New Yorker, he believes he can aid in getting her life back on track. But what if he's even more broken inside?

Offering her a chance at a fresh start, Connor convinces Michelle to move in with him. Hiring her to waitress at his bar, their mutual attraction only complicates matters.

As more details surrounding Connor's past emerge, Michelle uncovers the full magnitude of the loss he's trying to hide. Refusing to let her feelings for him hinder his recovery, she makes a decision that winds up hurting them both.

By sacrificing her heart, Michelle thinks she is helping Connor come to terms with his grief. Little does she know, Connor is gambling everything for the sake of having a future with her.

What happens is truly unexpected.


Title: Unexpected
Author: Faith Sullivan
Expected release date: April 2, 2013
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Category: New Adult
Ebook available at: Kindle ($1.99)
http://www.amazon.com/Unexpected-ebook/dp/B00C112I7O
Paperback available at: Amazon ($6.99)
http://www.amazon.com/Unexpected-Faith-Sullivan/dp/1483933695





And here's an excerpt:
Chapter Six

“W...what?” I stutter despite myself.

He gives me a crooked grin. “All night, I’ve been freezing my ass off out here waiting for you. I didn’t think you were gonna show.”

If his first remark didn’t floor me, the second leaves me utterly confused. “Whoa, slow down, buddy. How do you even know my name?”

Again, he laughs. “Does it really matter? I’m here to talk some sense into you.”

The dimples in his cheeks distract me. He has such a cute smile. But I’m not letting him off that easily. “Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m done with New York.”

“Really? You could’ve fooled me.”

“And why’s that?”

“Because you should never run from something that scares you.” His hazel eyes catch the moonlight as they bore into mine. “And this time, you won’t be alone. I’ll be with you.”

This whole conversation is getting way too intense. Standing up, I wrap my arms around myself. I have to get out of here. This guy is crazy.

I jump as the front door opens and my ex-boyfriend Tony emerges, giving me a hopeful look. We broke up after our senior year. He understood I wasn’t planning on sticking around, so I set him free. He met someone else over the summer, and I only talked to him once on the phone when I got back. But with the way he’s looking at me now, I can tell he feels sorry for me, and that’s something I won’t tolerate.

Inching closer to the steps, I attempt to play it cool. “Oh hi, Tony. It’s good seeing you. I wish I could stay and chat, but I was just leaving.”

“I don’t think so.”

I whirl around. That’s it. Who does this guy think he is? “Listen, you little...” I begin, but Tony interrupts by grabbing my arm.

“Michelle, calm down. There’s no need to freak out,” Tony says, slowly releasing his grip on me. “Do you remember me telling you about Sal, my roommate at school, the one from New York?” I nod, but I can care less at this moment. “Well, this is his older brother, Connor. I kind of told him all about you, and I thought it’d be a good idea if you two met.”

I shake my head and sigh. “So you made him wait out here alone in the cold?”

I can tell Tony’s nervous. He’s running his fingers through his hair. “I thought you’d bolt otherwise.”

“She nearly did,” Connor chimes in.

Frustrated, I slam my fist on the porch railing. “The both of you just stop it, right now! I knew it was a bad idea to come here. I don’t need some random guy from New York giving me advice on how to live my life.”

Pushing off the swing, Connor gets to his feet. “Well, what are you doing with your life then? What’s plan B?”

I advance toward him. “I don’t have a plan B, asshole. I don’t have all the answers, but apparently you do.”

Connor closes the gap between us. “I wish I did, but I think you can figure it out. You were brave enough to take on the big, bad city once. Why not try it again under different circumstances?”

Tony clears his throat, and for a moment, I forgot he was there. “Michelle, Connor owns a bar downtown. He thought you could go back and work for him. Give it another go.”

“I’m no bartender,” I retort.

“You sure aren’t,” Connor fires back.

Tony holds up his hands in an attempt to keep the peace. “Just hear him out, Michelle.”

“Fine,” I say glaring up at him.

“Go on, Connor. Tell her about it,” Tony urges, knowing I may flee at any moment.

Connor’s eyes find mine again, but I look away as he starts speaking. “My family’s owned a pub on Beekman Street for years. Not too long ago, my dad had a heart attack, so I took over. I can offer you a waitressing job plus room and board above the bar for as long as you want it.”

For a minute, I stop and consider the possibility. It actually doesn’t sound that bad, and it’d be a welcome change from my original intention of becoming the next film school prodigy. It would be fresh start, and I wouldn’t be alone. But can I really go back there?

Sensing my trepidation, Connor pats me on the shoulder. “Listen, I know it’s not what you imagined. Tony told me how smart you are and how you were hoping to make it big at NYU. I can understand how working in a bar sounds like a letdown after that. But honestly, I think it’d be good for you.”

“And why do you care about what happens to me?” I ask, raising my eyes to his.

“Because I was there that day, and so were you.”




To celebrate, Faith is offering a giveaway for a $25 Amazon gift card, and yes, it's open internationally because Faith is that awesome! Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And before you go, don't forget to leave a comment to congratulate Faith. :)

36 comments:

  1. Happy release day to Faith. I'm wishing her much success.

    ReplyDelete
  2. There is visibly a bunch to know about this. I believe you made certain nice points in features also.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Congratulations and Happy Release Day to Faith! It sounds like a good book. Cute cover.

    Shannon at The Warrior Muse

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have it on my Kindle right now and will be starting today! :)

      Delete
  4. Congratulations and Happy Release Day, Faith! Love the cover and the premise. And thanks for the wonderful giveaway opportunity too!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sounds like another great read - congrats, Faith!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Congratulations on your release day. Love how it reads.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sounds intriguing. I want to know what happened to her at NYU!! And him.

    ReplyDelete
  8. What a neat cover, and an interesting excerpt. Congratulations and best wishes.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Congratulations, Faith!! The story sounds wonderful, and I totally heart your cover. :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Kelly, I'm so glad we became author compadres. You are a woman of integrity and I'm proud to know you :-)

    And thank you to everyone for the lovely comments! *HUGS*

    ReplyDelete
  11. Congratulations, Faith, and best of luck!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Congrats to Faith. I'll check this out.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ooh, Beth, you'd like Faith's books. I should have recommended them to you.

      Delete
  13. I'll add my congrats to Faith along with my best wishes for her success!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Congrats, Faith! I'm really enjoying some of the NA titles, and I'm happy that this genre is expanding.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Congrats, Faith! The blurb's really interesting, the cover lovely, and I enjoyed the excerpt. Thanks for sharing :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Oh, this one sounds good. And I love how close up the cover is. :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Wow. This sounds like it will tug at the heart strings. Congratulations to Faith.

    Thanks for sharing Kelly :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm so excited to read it. I've had a migraine for two days and couldn't start it yet, but I'm dying to.

      Delete
  18. Congratulations, Faith! Unexpected sounds like a great read. I remember September 11th so clearly. I am curious to know more about the characters.

    Thanks for the giveaway!
    ~Jess

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I did tweet about the giveaway- but I don't remember if I posted the right link in the Rafflecopter. :) https://twitter.com/dmsfiles/status/319968324169646080

      Delete

All anonymous comments will be marked as spam and not published.