Perusing Princesses

Showing posts with label Kathryn Andrews. Show all posts

Title: Blue Horizons
Author: Kathryn Andrews
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance
Published: October 19, 2015

Will Ashton
Music is my motivation. I’ve always believed that, because of it, I would be somebody. Somebody to someone, and something to myself.

At age four, I picked up my grandfather’s acoustic guitar and, up until three weeks ago, I’ve never put it down. From a single chord to a full arrangement, music fed my soul. I craved it with every fiber of my being, but now, I just don’t know. That driving force that’s always pushed me has somehow stalled, along with the thrill, the passion, and the familiarity . . . it’s all gone. I’m beginning to worry that my love for music just isn’t enough.

As the summer tour finally comes to an end, I head to the Blue Ridge Mountains instead of returning to Nashville. It’s here that I’ve always been able to lose myself amongst the solitude and the lake, but what I didn’t expect to find was her.

Wild blonde hair, light blue eyes, and a laugh I find myself trying to coax from her has me completely enamored. She’s quiet, incredibly poised, and driven by secrets as big as the mountains around us. They’re what’s made her untouchable, and left me wanting to know more. Maybe that’s what I need. Maybe I need more. Maybe I need her.

Ava Layne
They say that life isn’t about how many breaths we take, but how many moments take our breath away. But what if those moments aren’t filled with happiness and love, but something dark and haunting? For me, it’s those moments that’ve shaped and taken over my life. I can’t change who I am, God knows I’ve tried, and, because of this, I’ve accepted the silver lining . . . I’m alive.

Fifty-two white keys, thirty-six black keys, ten fingers, seven notes, two friends, and one stage. At the piano, on the stage, with my two best friends, I finally found myself, and I live for those moments. One by one, I collect them, cherish them, patiently waiting for the next, until it arrives and changes everything. That’s the moment I meet him.

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I hear Ash’s footsteps the minute they hit the stairs on the back deck. A smile springs to my lips and my heart starts racing. I’m excited to see him and I feel optimistic for the first time in a long time.
As the door pushes open, his eyes immediately fall to me and panic streaks across his face.
“Are you okay?” he drops down next to me and starts looking me over. The richness of his voice blankets over me and I’m immediately engulfed in his scent. He smells like sweat, some type of sporty deodorant, and the outdoors.
My heart stops at his nearness . . . in a good way.
“What do you mean?” I ask, looking him over from head to toe. His face is flushed and the stubble is thicker this morning. He has on a gray pullover that’s soaked through, white athletic shorts, a dark blue beanie that covers his ears, and his feet are bare.
“You’re on the floor and covered in flour.” There’s tension in his words and around his eyes. He runs his hand over his face and through his hair, pushing the beanie off in the process. His hair is damp from sweat and sticks straight up. He’s so good-looking, and with those bright blue eyes, I’m awestruck.
“Making cupcakes,” I mumble, trying to ignore the flush that’s crept into my cheeks.
“On the floor?” His eyebrows rise in confusion. He then looks around the rest of the kitchen and sees the mess that I’ve made.
“Yep, needed to use my legs to hold the bowl.” His eyes drop to my lap, where I’m sitting cross-legged with the bowl securely in the middle. He lets out a warm chuckle, and it does amazing things to my body: tingles, pounding heart, sweaty palms.

Will Ashton is disillusioned. Having dreamt of making it big in the music industry since picking up a guitar, he has spent the last 5 years riding the waves of success that have catapulted to the top of the country music scene. But at what cost? Compromising everything he wanted when he started making music with his best friend Clay all those years ago, this isn't how he envisioned it to be. Lost and lonely, he makes a decision that will give him the break he so desperately needs, but that could also mean the end of the road for his music.

Avery Layne lives, eats and sleeps music, but she also craves the peace to move on from her past. Born and bred in the Midwest, she moved to New York to escape the darkness of betrayal and move forward with her life. But those ghosts still follow her all these years later. If it wasn't for her best friends Emma and Cora, who knows where she would be. They have been her backbone, her strength, but maybe it’s now time to finally escape the past and look toward a brighter future.

Two people in desperate need for change. When they meet the chemistry is tangible, but is it enough? One is in need of inspiration for the future and one is desperate for liberation from the horrors of the past. When they meet as just two people in a bar, little do they know the effects that meeting will have on them both.

Another emotional read from Kathryn Andrews. Beautifully written, this author doesn't shy away from tackling subjects that don’t necessarily go hand in hand with formula romance writing. Once again she has created two characters that face their own problems, but somehow become a healing balm for someone else. Kathryn has created a real atmospheric love story, and one that is very different to her début series. It feels more mature and will appeal to people that maybe found that series bordered in a more YA/NA setting. This is very much NA and I think her writing style really suits it.

If you like your romance to have soul and emotion, Blue Horizon is the perfect read.

OVER TEN YEARS ago my husband and I were driving from Chicago to Tampa and somewhere in Kentucky I remember seeing a billboard that was all black with five white words, “I do, therefore I am!” I’m certain that it was a Nike ad, but for me I found this to be completely profound.

Take running for example. Most will say that a runner is someone who runs five days a week and runs under a ten minute mile pace. Well, I can tell you that I never run five days a week and on my best days my pace is an eleven minute mile. I have run quite a few half marathons and one full marathon. No matter what anyone says . . . I run, therefore I am a runner.

I’ve taken this same thought and applied it to so many areas of my life: cooking, gardening, quilting, and yes . . . writing.

I may not be culinary trained, but I love to cook and my family and friends loves to eat my food. I cook, therefore I am a chef!

My thumb is not black. I love to grow herbs, tomatoes, roses, and lavender. I garden, therefore I am a gardener!

I love beautiful fabrics and I can follow a pattern. My triangles may not line up perfectly . . . but who cares, my quilts are still beautiful when they are finished. I quilt, therefore I am a quilter.

I have been writing my entire life. It is my husband who finally said, “Who cares if people like your books or not? If you enjoy writing them and you love your stories…then write them.” He has always been my biggest fan and he was right. Being a writer has always been my dream and what I said I wanted to be when I grew up.

So, I’ve told you who I am and what I love to do . . . now I’m going to tell you the why. I have two boys that are three years a part. My husband and I want to instill in them adventure, courage, and passion. We don’t expect them to be perfect at things, we just want them to try and do. It’s not about winning the race; it’s about showing up in the first place. We don’t want them to be discouraged by society stereotypes, we want them to embrace who they are and what they love. After all, we only get one life.

In the end, they won’t care how many books I actually sell . . . all that matters to them is that I said I was going to do it, I did it, and I have loved every minute of it. Find something that you love and tell yourself, “I do, therefore I am.”