$50 Blast Giveaway and I am A Reader
Something About Forever by Kimberly Loth
Boys.
They are bound to be the death of me.
Especially one with blue eyes, perfectly Mormon cut hair, and probably the inspiration for the girl’s camp song “Hot Priest”.
Why the heck did he have to be the bishop’s son?
Cause here’s the thing. While I’m Mormon, I don’t really belong. I mean, I want to, but I just can’t seem to keep on the straight and narrow. Seriously, look at me. I’m not even supposed to use the name Mormon anymore, but Latter-Day Saint is a mouthful. So I’m sticking to Mormon. Sorry, Prophet.
The bishop knows my past. He knows my problems. There is no freaking way he’s going to let me date his son.
Yet, Nate comes after me anyway. And I fall hard.
But eventually….I will have to tell him about my past.
And I know, he’ll run far, far away from me when I do.
Praise for Something About Forever:
Something About Forever hit me directly in the feels. I haven’t read a book in a while that’s made me cry but this one got my tear ducts flowing. Lauren and Nate’s story is very reliable. I completely recommend this book if you haven’t read it yet! ~Brianna
While this book could have been preachy, it is far from it. Religion isn’t forced on you, even though it plays a major role in the story. It is simply one part of what helps Lauren turn her life around. I liked the way Lauren struggled to overcome her past and forgive herself. It was realistic. This story is unlike any I’ve read by Kimberly Loth. She moved in an entirely new direction with her writing. The result is a story well worth reading. I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to the next book in the series. ~Donna
Being not so perfect either, this book resonated deeply within my soul. The power of forgiveness for yourself and in giving to others can change your life. What a masterfully told story of love, acceptance, and forgiveness that is appropriate for teenagers and adults alike. ~Alie
I’m not really someone who is big on books with religion, but I really loved this story… This is such a sweet and forgiving story that the entire time I read it I felt light-hearted and happy. I really enjoyed the adventure of Lauren and Nate. ~Ruby
A different genre than normal, I was totally enraptured by this tale. This author truly breathed life into these characters and captured the very essence of forgiveness and redemption. ~Patty
A heartbreaking love story. It was hard for me to get passed the specificity of religion but I feel it could fit into any Christian setting. It’s a good story. Well written. I hope that you enjoy it too. ~Richard
This book draws you in from the beginning and keeps you enthralled in Lauren and Nate’s story. It’s a real tear-jerker, so make sure the tissues are handy when you read it. It has great characters that you soon become invested in and an emotional plot that keeps you turning the pages. ~Rabid
Add to your Goodreads Shelf
EXCERPT – Please choose 1 and delete the other two
Number 1:
Introduction
Hi, yeah, it’s me, Lauren. I’m breaking the fourth wall. Nate would be appalled. He hates it when people do this in movies or TV shows. He won’t even watch Ferris Bueller’s Day Off with me for that very reason. He’s nuts, but cute, so you know, I guess it all works out in the end. Anyway, I wanted to let you in on a few things.
I have no idea why you’re here. Maybe you want to hear about my journey to find eternity. Maybe you want to know if I’ll ever speak to my dad again. Or maybe you want to know why my mother married a guy who smokes a pack a day. Or maybe you just think Nate is hot. It’s okay. I do too. (You did see Nate, right? He’s on the cover. If you missed him, or even if you didn’t, go look. Sigh. So hot.)
Now I’m all flustered. Nate does that to me.
Where was I? Oh yeah, why are you here? I bet it’s the music. I’m all famous on YouTube and you wanted to see how it all started. Snort. Yeah, that was not my fault.
Anyway, whatever your reason, I feel I must make a disclaimer. This is my story. I’m not terribly funny or clever, but I do have a lot of obscure thoughts, and I promise I will break this wall again cause there are things that must be explained.
I’m a Mormon, so if that bothers you, you might want to stop reading now. But maybe you’re curious. That brings me to my next disclaimer. I’m not a very good Mormon. So if you’ve come here expecting me to quote the prophet or recite scriptures, you’ve come to the wrong place. I mean, I don’t even go to seminary.
Let’s talk about that for a second. What teenager willingly gets up a whole hour earlier than they are supposed to every single day? Not only that, but go to a class that is basically just reading the scriptures. Talk about a snoozer. They must be insane. Certifiably—we did already establish that Nate was nuts—I can’t even stay awake during Sunday School. How do people do it every stinking day of the week? Sorry, not my thing.
I don’t remember what else I wanted to say to you. Au revoir. Enjoy my story. You’re going to be examining my every flaw and thought. I do find that rather creepy. Good thing I never have to see you again after it’s over.
Hugs and kisses. Just kidding. I’m so not a hugs and kisses kind of girl… unless you are Nate. Which you’re not, cause I would never let him read this.
I’m out.
Lauren
Number 2:
“Lauren, we need to talk.”
Those four words needed to be expunged from the English language. Seriously. They build some stupid dread that might or might not be warranted. Every time I heard them, my hands started to sweat, and I didn’t even know what the issue was.
I took a sip of my hot chocolate, savoring the taste of the whipped cream before the liquid burned my tongue. I set down my mug, my lips still stinging. I knew better than to drink it that fast, but Mom had distracted me. What on earth did she want to talk about?
Maybe she’d found out I’d been drinking. My stepdad, Steve, wouldn’t have told her, but there were a number of other ways she could’ve found out. In the last few months, she’d been a lot more aware of what was going on around her.
“What’s up?” I asked with mock casualness. Steve sat next to my mom and would not meet my eyes. Heat crept up my neck and my face flushed. This would not be good.
“I got a new job,” Mom said with a grin.
Phew. “Oh, that’s good.” I let out a breath. See, she didn’t have to say, we need to talkand get my nerves up all unnecessarily.
Mom dropped her eyes. “But we have to move.”
Oh, yes, finally! I knew she’d been looking in the city. I’d wanted to move to New York City for years. At least twice a month, Cherise and I hit up parties there. I’d officially be cooler than she was now. I blew on my chocolate, now feeling silly for overreacting.
“Really? That’s awesome. Will we be living in Brooklyn by Sierra?” My sister had lived in New York for the last three years, though when I went, I didn’t see her. She wouldn’t approve of my antics in the city. I only visited her when Mom went too.
“No, love, we’re not moving to the city.” She’d dropped into her pity-mom voice—the one she always used when she delivered bad news.
“I don’t understand.” My hands gripped the hot mug.
“One of the restaurants I interviewed with wants me to open a new location in Tucson, Arizona.”
Wait. What? The room went silent for several long moments. The only sound in the room was the slow drip of the coffee maker. The bitter smell suddenly assaulted my nostrils. Maybe I misheard her.
“Excuse me? Arizona? What about Steve’s job?”
This couldn’t be happening. I had friends here. I was content with the way things were. I had a routine and it was good. This was my life. They couldn’t just up and move me to Arizona.
I wasn’t sure I could even locate that on a map, let alone fathom living there. I’d never been out of the northeast. They didn’t have snow in Arizona.
Nope. This was not happening.
“Steve can work from anywhere,” Mom said. I thought back on the last several months. I should’ve seen this coming—the whispered conversations between her and Steve, her sudden trip out west to visit her sister, mom packing up the guest room. I missed all the signs. It was like sleeping until noon and realizing you missed the sunrise.
I clenched my fists, thinking through all the implications. I didn’t like change, and there had been altogether too much of it lately. “But we don’t need the money, right? Steve makes enough.”
“Sure he does. But this is a great opportunity for me to get back into the business. I miss working.”
I couldn’t go. I was horrible at making new friends, and I liked partying. What if the kids in Arizona didn’t like me? I blinked away tears. “But, Mom, you could get a job at Denny’s. I don’t want to move.” She was a chef. A good one too, but after Dad left, she sank into a deep depression and lost her job. After that, she only worked odd catering jobs. She’d been looking for something better for months.
Her lips formed a tight line. “I’m sorry. The decision has already been made.”
I met my stepdad’s eyes. He loved the snow as much as I did. We hadn’t even had a good snowfall yet this year. “Steve, help me out here.”
He took my mom’s hand. “I’m ready for a change of scenery. This is a good thing. A fresh start. Your mom deserves this.”
“When are we moving?” Given enough time, I might be able to talk her out of it. Show her that I couldn’t move. Maybe I could just move in with my bff, Cherise. Her mom liked me well enough. Yeah. That’s what I’d do. Besides, mom wouldn’t move me in the middle of the school year. That was like GPA suicide. Not that my GPA was any good anyway, but that didn’t matter.
Mom let out a breath.
“Please don’t get upset. We have to move midyear. But it will be okay.”
I knew better than to think we could stay for another six months.
“Maybe Steve and I can stay here until the end of the school year.”
Steve gave my mom a look. “No. I don’t want to be away from her that long.”
My chest tightened. “When?”
“Two weeks.”
“Two weeks?” I shrieked. That was before Christmas. I had plans. Big ones, including watching the ball drop in Times Square on New Years Eve. I’d never been allowed to go by myself before, but this year, Cherise and I had an elaborate plan to go anyway. It included a lot of lies, but they’d always worked before.
Two weeks? This was impossible.
Number 3:
I pulled into the parking lot and gaped at the school. It was at least three times as big as my old one. Now I wished Mom had come with. Terror gripped me. A few kids looked at my car funny. Oh yeah, this probably wasn’t the best image. I needed to get out of there, so most people’s first impression wasn’t of a crazy girl in a ladybug. Seriously. My dad had to know this would humiliate me.
I hurried out of the car and kept my head down as I approached the school. I entered the front doors. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust. The light inside was unnatural and weird. I spotted the office right away. Mom had already submitted all my paperwork, so all I had to do was pick up my schedule and a map. The secretary was impersonal and short with me. So much for a good start. I stopped outside the door, not sure where I was going.
Nicki’s familiar purple head bobbed over to me. She gave me a wide smile. “Hey, you look lost.”
“Yeah, a little.” She had no idea how glad I was that she found me.
“Here, let me look at your schedule.”
She perused it. “We’ll make sure you don’t get lost.”
“We?”
“Yeah—me, Jessica, Emma, Nate, and Fitz. Come on. Nate brought donuts.”
What an odd thing. “Does he always bring donuts?”
Nicki gave me a crooked grin. “No. Don’t tell Jessica, but I think he’s trying to impress you. Either that or his mom is making him be nice. My money’s on the first one though. Nate’s a nice guy, but this is a little over the top.”
“Why would he try to impress me?” I wanted to believe her, but it seemed too good to be true.
She sniggered. “I’m not even going to answer that. Miss I’ve-got-curves-for-miles, great hair, and a smile to die for.” Yeah, so I had an hourglass figure, and I did have good hair. It was deep brown and thick. No one ever mentioned the smile before though.
Nicki chattered as we moved through the crowds. “We all eat lunch together. Don’t feel obligated to sit with us though. It’s just something we’ve done since freshman year. It’s more than just us though, and it’s a mix of juniors and seniors. You’re a junior, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Me too.”
I liked her a lot. Something about being around her immediately put me at ease. It was like she assumed we’d be friends. Things were like that with Cherise, but Nicki was a better person than Cherise. At least I hoped so.
We entered the cafeteria, and conversations buzzed all around us.
“There are so many people.” I missed my little school where everyone knew everyone. Though maybe this was better. No one here knew my past, and I didn’t have to be that person. Maybe my past would go away.
“Yeah. It’s easy to get lost among the crowds.”
I sat across from Nate and shocked myself on the table. I tried not to look like anything had happened, but Nate met my eyes, and I got another shock. My heart raced. Nicki took the seat next to me.
“She’s in my pre-calc and lit class.” She handed the schedule to Jessica.
“We’re in American History together,” Jessica said with a fake smile.
Nicki took the schedule back. “Oh, you’ve got speech with Fitz.”
“If you’re in Jessica’s history, I’m in there as well,” Nate said.
My head spun. It sounded like I’d have classes with all of them. Emma sat on the other side of Jessica but didn’t even look up at me. She had her head buried in some book.
Nate opened the donut box. “I got glazed because everyone likes that.” He met my eyes for a half second and then dropped them again. My heart raced. There was no way he was interested in me. He was completely out of my league.
I took a donut even though I’d already eaten. Jessica looked down her nose at the box and stood. “I’ve got to run. See you in class,” she said and spun on her heel.
She’d decided not to like me from the moment she saw me in the chapel. She never bothered to even know who I was. She pretended to be nice, but I’d obviously angered her in some way just by existing.
Author Kimberly Loth
Kimberly Loth has lived all over the world. From the isolated woods of the Ozarks to exotic city of Cairo. Currently, she resides in Tucson, Arizona with her family including an old grumpy cat named Max.
She’s been writing for ten years and is the author of the Amazon bestselling series The Dragon Kings. In her free time, she volunteers at church, reads, and travels as often as possible.
Giveaway Link:
http://www.iamareader.com/2018/09/blast-sign-ups-something-about-forever-by-kimberly.html
$50 Blast Giveaway
Winner’s choice of a $50 Amazon Gift Code or $50 in PayPal Cash
Ends 10/29/18
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. The giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
No comments:
Post a Comment