I know I will never get over her. Watching her walk away with him ripped my heart out and left it bleeding on the floor. But I can’t hide anymore. I have to face my life without her. ~ Brad
Brad has been in love with Lisa for as long as he can remember. One night years ago they took each other’s virginity but while it was the best night of Brad’s life, for Lisa it was a way to forget about Bobby. Or was it?
Brad re-emerges right when Lisa needs him most. Only Brad knows everything about her and when Lisa’s insecurities come to the surface the shoulder Lisa needs is Brad’s. Now Brad has to decide if he has it in him to trust his heart.
MB's INTERVIEW
Thank you, Mrs. Prand
What makes a good love triangle and how it looks the Happy Ever After from a “love triangle author” point of view?
A good love triangle has to have a character that in conflicted about the choice. If the character doesn't feel something for both the other two and has a difficult time with the decision then it's not really a triangle as much as a third wheel. Lisa is connected to both Bobby and Brad. Brad has been her safe harbor while dealing with her alcoholic father. After her parents separated she met Bobby, and he never had to deal with her when she was being verbally abused by her father. Lisa helped Brad through his own abuse and she is protective of him in a way that she hasn't had to be with Bobby. But while she loves Brad, Bobby is her soul mate. The physical draw to him is something she can't deny.
The first volume of the Walking Series, Watch Me Walk Away, is categorized as a New Adult. What it is your opinion about this age categories for books and how a writer respects these “rules”?
It was hard for me to classify these books. New Adult is someone in college or just out. Lisa has been out of college for a couple of years but I think she still fits into this category. She's not really settled in her life which to me signifies more an adult. I would love to hear what your readers think about this distinction.
Walk Into Me was written from Brad’s POV. Why this choice and how different was for you to change the character from which POV the story is told?
There really isn't a choice when that character is screaming in your head. LOL. When I started Walk Into Me I thought Brad would be finding another love, I had it all planned out; her name was supposed to be Cynthia and they were going to meet on his boat. Brad had other ideas, he wasn't ready to give up on Lisa.
From your youth you read a large pallet of authors, from Stephen King to Danielle Steele. Did they influence your writing style or just the reading habits?
I think for an author whenever you read your writing style is influenced. The more you read the more you think of ways to word your character's feelings. As for my reading habits, I'm eclectic about reading. If it's a good story I can read it, on the flip side if I can't get into a book then finishing it is very hard for me. I've pushed myself to do it for reviews but it sort of feels like a college course at that point and I find myself skimming instead of reading.
What we will always find in your books and what we will never find in them and why?
You will always find a first person point of view, I suck at third person. And you will always find hot sex, if you're a prude you don't want to read my books. What will you never find? Characters being untrue to themselves. Many people have had a problem with Lisa cheating and not being able to make up her mind. I'm not going to sugar coat her just because cheating is a problem for people, sorry but it's not like you weren't warned from the other reviews.
EXCERPT
TOUR SCHEDULE
Brad & Lisa
She graces me with an awesome smile while putting packages in my arms and hanging gift bags from my fingers. In minutes, she has almost the entire contents of the table loaded on me. The only thing left are cards and your gift. “I’ll take these,” she says as she smirks at me. “You good?”
“Yeah, I can handle it,” I follow her to her room trying not to drop anything. I make it into her room just as one of the boxes starts to slip. I try to save it, but by doing that two others are falling. I sprint to her bed and open my arms, and all but the one that was originally falling land on the bed. “I hope that wasn’t breakable,” I comment as I glance at the gift on the floor.
I hear her laugh behind me. God, I love that sound. “I’m surprised you only dropped one,” she chuckles. “You should have seen your face.”
She comes over to the bed still laughing and clears off a place for us to sit. I drop down next to her and pull her into me; I just need to hold her. I breathe her in and I am instantly hard. Why do I always react this way to her when she has no interest? “I missed you,” I whisper.
She keeps her head on my shoulder. “I missed you, too, and I’m sorry.” She sits up and pulls away from me so she can look in my eyes. “I never meant to leave you like that, but when Bobby showed up I couldn’t think of anything other than getting in his arms.” She looks down at her hands before speaking again. “I know that hurts you and you have no idea what I would do to take that pain away.”
I can’t stay mad at her; I never could. I know she is hurting for me and I love her all the more for it. If she just turned away from me and locked me out of her life, maybe I could get over her. Our lives are intertwined now, her friends are my friends. The only people I talk to from high school are the same ones she talks to; so unless I want to cut ties with all of them, I need to figure out a way to deal. I take her hands in mine, she looks up at me with tears in her eyes and I just want to pull her into my arms and tell her everything is alright and I will be here for her forever. Instead I say, “I know you don’t want to hurt me Lisa, but I can’t tell you that seeing you with Bobby is easy for me. At the same time, I want to see you and be a part of your life.”
The tears fall from her eyes and she leans against me. I put my arms around her and hug her wishing I could pull her onto my lap, but that would be hard on both of us. I stroke my hand up and down her back hoping it will be comfort enough because if I touch her any more I won’t be able to stop. I pull back slightly. “Why don’t you open your present?”
She grabs the box behind her shaking it lightly; she can hear jingling. I know this is something that she will appreciate and give her a place to go if she needs to think. She looks up at me before opening. “What is it?” She asks me quietly.
“Open it and find out,” I tell her with an evil smirk.
She rips the paper, opens the box, and gasps at the contents. “Are these keys to your boat?” She takes out the keys attached to a floatable buoy. Her eyes light up and I know I picked the perfect gift.
“Yes, I made you a set. You can take it out whenever you want, just make sure you gas it up when you use it. I don’t want to get half way down the river and run out,” I say as I smile at her. “I want to take you out the first time to show you the channels so you don’t run aground again, but after that you have free reign.”
Laughing she says, “Well, I wasn’t driving last time we ran aground, but I have no problem going out with you to make sure it won’t happen to me.” She hugs me before adding, “You have no idea how much I need this, thank you.”
Lisa & Brad:
Brad walks in and I hadn’t even heard his car pull up. When I get up and give him a hug, it hits me again how much I’ve missed him. “I’m so glad you came over,” I murmur. It just slips out in a whisper; I didn’t really mean to actually say it. I try to cover it up. Pulling him with me to the couch and down next to me just like usual. Only I’m not close enough. I need to be touching him for some reason. I lean into him and he puts his arm around me and there is the feeling I need, secure at peace, I sigh. He hugs me tighter to him.
John says something to him, but I missed it because I’m so caught up in being in his arms. I hear him answer and his voice is hesitant. Is he here because he wants to be? Am I being selfish? I don’t want to hurt him anymore, but I need him.
Jodi tells him how everyone missed him and I realize that it’s not just me that he pulled away from but everyone. My actions cut him off. How did he get through it and do I have the right to put him through it again? My heart breaks for him knowing that he had no one to help him through the pain. I can feel the tears coming to my eyes and I look up at him. “I’m sorry,” two words that I seem to say to him over and over.
He caresses my cheek and puts his lips to my forehead and whispers, “It’s okay pretty girl.”
He hasn’t called me that in years! I don’t remember when he started the name, but I know when he stopped. After we had sex and I wouldn’t be with him. When I broke his heart the first time, the first of many times. How can he stand to be around me?
Tears flow out of my eyes. I hear Jodi and John get up and go into the kitchen then I look up at him. “Am I still your pretty girl?”
I see the indecision in his eyes. He wants me, but he knows he can’t have me. I want…I don’t know what I want. I want to take his pain away. “You have always been my pretty girl, and you always will be.” He wipes my tears away, but more fall. “Please don’t cry. You’re ripping my heart out with your tears.”
I see his pain, can feel it radiating off of him. He drops his hands and moves to get up. “No!” I can’t let him leave! I need to get this out and in the open. I need to be near him. “Please don’t leave me. I know it’s not right, but I need you here with me. I need you.” My body moves on impulse alone and I’m straddling him. This is an intimate position. I put my hands to his face, but my eyes don’t move above his lips. The lips that tell me the truth, that comfort me when I’m hurting. I move forward slowly, if he stops me I’ll let him, but I really want to feel those lips on mine. Just once. Just for a second to see how it feels. I lightly touch his lips with mine, quickly pulling away, but that wasn’t enough. I go back and press my lips to his and there is that flutter in my stomach again and it makes me sigh. As my mouth opens Brad wraps his arms around me, drawing me closer to him and his tongue is in my mouth. Stroking, exploring and I feel him get hard under me. I want to grind myself into him, but I can’t. I’m not free to follow this and I do want to follow this. What does that say about me? Tears stream down my face, my heart is fracturing in half. One side has attached itself to Bobby, but the other half has just ripped out of my chest and given itself to Brad. I’m broken and I don’t think I’ll be whole again.
Brad feels the tears and pulls back. “Did I hurt you?” He asks. It’s not what he thinks.
“No, but I can’t do this,” I say. His hands drop from my face and his eyes get hard. Struggling to explain, I say, “I want to do this and I’m confused. I feel like my heart is being cleaved in half and I’m scared.” I’ve always been truthful with Brad. He will understand. He may not like it, but he’ll understand.
He closes his eyes and takes a few deep breaths. He puts his hands on my thighs and I don’t know if he is going to push me off him. I wouldn’t blame him and I would let him go this time. If he needs to think away from me I will give him space. Suddenly he pulls me to him and buries his face in my neck. My hands move to him, one stroking his hair, the other fisted with his shirt on his back. I just hold him and let him gather himself. He needs this, the closeness, he’s scared, too. I know it, I know him and I will give him anything right now.
We stay this way for what feels like an hour, but in reality it was only minutes. His breathing slows and he starts stroking my back. He lifts his head and looks at me. His eyes...his beautiful blue eyes are filled with unshed tears. My hand releases his shirt and moves to his jaw, covered with stubble, and I stroke it. I don’t know what to say to him so I just let my eyes do my talking. Questioning him and hoping that he understands that I want him, but I want Bobby, too, and I don’t know how to choose one of them. I need them both and it will probably end up killing us all. We will all end up bleeding in the end and I wish I could walk away from both of them, but I’m not strong enough for that.
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