Synopsis:
Amber Merchant had it all. Living with and engaged to her teenage sweetheart, nice house and job of her dreams.
Not anymore.
Following
a devastating revelation from her Fiancé, Amber finds herself single
once again and vows to never entrust her heart and soul to another.
After
a bad experience on a rare night out to celebrate her newly single
life, a chance encounter with a tall, dark and handsome stranger leaves
Amber’s head reeling. Intrigued by her draw to him but scared for her
heart she flees.
Twenty nine year old Craig Silver has been fighting
demons of his own. Intent on a life of meaningless affairs and one night
stands, he isn’t prepared for the overwhelming and immediate
attraction, and desire to protect the striking blonde on the dance
floor.
At first it seems the attraction is mutual… until she runs.
Bewildered and frustrated Craig wonders if he will ever see her again.
Sometimes
the roads to our future are paved with many trials. Will Amber take the
right path and find the silver lining to the happiness she deserves?
Excerpt:
“Are you alright,
Pingu? You have a strange look on your face.” We are walking along
the seafront towards the pier. It is a beautiful late May afternoon,
and the sun is shining and glittering off the ripples cascading
across the water. Gentle waves ebb and flow along the shoreline where
children sit with their families building fortresses, and other
unrecognisable structures, out of damp sand.
I stop walking and
move around to stand in front of Craig, reaching my arms around his
waist and snuggling into his chest. I take a deep breath in, inhaling
his now familiar earthy scent mixed with the fresh smells of the sea
air. “I’m perfect. This is perfect. Thank you.”
“You are
perfect. I’m glad you recognise that.” He smiles as he looks down
into my eyes and wraps his own arms around me. He places a kiss on my
forehead, leaving his lips attached to my skin. Why did I spend so
many years wasting my life on a man that basically thought he owned
me but had no interest in really being with me? I have missed out on
so many days like this.
Becki was right with
what she said. I’m starting to see that everything does happen for
a reason. Maybe I was meant to stay with David until now so that I
could be right here, right now, with Craig. He really is
my Silver Lining. He gives me hope and optimism for a brighter
future, despite whatever issues he has going on at the moment.
We spend the next
few hours strolling around town, looking in shops, chatting about
anything and everything, and just enjoying being together. When my
stomach suddenly growls rather loudly, letting me – and probably
everyone else in Paignton – know that it’s time to eat, we grab
some Fish and Chips and sit on the pier eating them. Craig wanted to
take me into some fancy restaurant, but relented when I started
ranting about not being able to come to the seaside and eat fish and
chips out of the paper. “It’s a British tradition,” I argued.
With our stomachs
full, we kick our shoes off and take a stroll along the sand. The
beach is quieter now, the falling early evening temperatures driving
families back to their hotels or wherever it is they came from.
“You’re a bit of
a snob, do you know that?” I say to Craig as we walk along an
almost deserted area of the beach. I’m walking backward, facing him
and laughing.
“Oh yeah?”
Craig quirks an eyebrow. “How’s that?”
“Only snobs would
be snobbish about eating fish and chips and candy floss when they
come to the seaside. These are staple Seaside requirements, Mr
Silver, along with making sandcastles and… this...” I flick my
foot in the shallow water and splash him.
“Oh, you’re in
for it now,” he growls, staring into my eyes.
Shit, this isn’t
good. He has a devilish look in his eyes that makes me want to jump
on him and flee at the same time. I gulp when he flinches and as
quickly as I can, turn on my heels and run away from him, squealing
in laughter, running as fast as I can through the soft sand.
I’m laughing and
trying to catch my breath while evading Craig’s attempts to catch
me. When I hit a large ditch in the sand, I stumble, giving Craig the
perfect opportunity to lunge forward and grab me around the waist.
The momentum from his attack causes me to lose my balance and we both
crash down onto the sand.
Turning over quickly
onto my back so I can swipe the sand away from my face, I look up to
see Craig leaning over me. He is breathing heavy, his chest rising
and falling sharply with each laboured inhale and exhale. We are both
laughing uncontrollably, trying to catch our breath. My heart skips a
beat looking up at him. He looks so young and carefree; a stark
contrast to his usual cool, calm and controlled demeanour.
Our eyes lock onto
each other and the laughter immediately ceases. We simply remain
frozen in time, lost in each other’s gaze. I vaguely hear music in
the distance, the song being carried along by the gentle sea breeze.
The words from “What About Now” by Daughtry filter into my
emotion filled haze.
“Craig, I...”
I’m cut off by a pair of soft, warm lips pressing down on mine. He
doesn’t try and deepen the kiss, just remains hovering over me with
our lips locked.
Giveaway:
About the Author:
EJ Shortall was born and raised in London, England where she currently still lives with her long
suffering partner and their son.
Having worked in education for the better part of 12 years, EJ decided a change was needed and
following a moment of inspiration one morning, she decided to put pen to paper and start writing her
first novel.
She has always enjoyed reading, but found it was mostly just a holiday extravagance, to while away
the hours whilst relaxing on the beach or by the pool. Then she discovered a certain worldwide best
seller, and that was it, she was hooked. She couldn’t devour books fast enough. The books on her
book shelves and reading device range from sweet, Young Adult romances, to smouldering, erotic
encounters.
“I am on one amazing roller coaster ride at the moment, meeting new and wonderful people,
discovering new music gems to integrate into my stories, and learning so many new skills. I can’t wait
to see where this journey takes me.”
If you would like to join E.J. on her journey, please follow or contact her. She would love to hear
from you!
Silver Lining, EJ’s debut novel was released on 21st February 2014.
