Tag: @jbmcgee

LIVE – OUT OF THE STORM by J.B. McGee

Leave a comment
Title: Out of the Storm
Author: J.B. McGee
Genre: Romantic Suspense

THEO
There’s an eerie calm before the storm,
And my best friend is in the direct path of the hit.
I have to protect him, no matter the cost.
He’s like a brother to me.
I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure he’s safe.
Even if that means being pulled into the vortex that is Jules Hemingway,
A sexy, fiery tempest that has the potential to destroy everything in her wake. 
All I want is to dive in, take my chances. 
But first, I must complete the mission—save my friend.
Though it may mean losing what really matters,
The only woman worth drowning for.
JULES
Something’s amiss—strange and ominous, 
And I can’t quite put my finger on it. 
When Theo Katawhateverhisnameis comes thundering in,
It’s like lightning to my heart, my body, my soul.
It’s a shock—a jolt, as I realize my life is a scam,
A scheme with no winners.
I’m in over my head, treading in a sea of lies, 
Leery of whom to trust,
Only looking to protect myself, my heart.
Together, we’re wreckage, debris, 
but are we collateral damage in this perfect storm?

“Passionate. Angsty. Mind-blowing. A masterful tale of intrigue, lust, and jaw-dropping sex…Yep. It’s one of my hottest reads this year.” -Ilsa Madden-Mills, Wall Street Journal Best-Selling Author

Swiping my face with my shirt, it’s hard to ignore the searing gazes of the girls in the gym that roam to the exposed skin of my ripped abs. A small sideways smirk quirks at the corners of my lips as I duck my head down, heat rushing to my cheeks. I work damn hard for this body, and I love when someone appreciates it. I nod at Rockin’ Red, who’s licking her pouty lips like I’m a fine piece of meat she’s hoping to slowly devour. She probably has a better chance with Charlie, unfortunately for her. Of course, there’s a lot more of him to consume. The thought causes me to chortle.
Making my way to the locker room, I swing the door open. “I’m meeting Jules tomorrow night. You can have your guy do it—” They glance in the mirror at me.
I nod. “‘Sup?”
“What’s happenin’?” Their jaws tick. It may have been posed as a question, but it was definitely a statement.
“I heard you overtalkin’ out there. You know I was engaged once. Never again. I say, get as much ass as you can while you can, man.”
Charlie’s eyes narrow at me as he sizes me up, but he’s more than six inches shorter than me. “It’s not nice to eavesdrop.”
“Didn’t mean to. Normally, I have my iPod with me, but I forgot it. And, if it was a secret, maybe you shouldn’t be talking so loudly I could hear you two machines over. But anyway, I’m not here to socialize.” I glance down at my pecs and abs as I pull my shirt over my head. “In case you can’t tell.”
“Right.” He laughs. “And as for my fiancée. If you saw her, you’d understand why I wanted the best of both fucking worlds, man. Have a nice night.” Charlie pats Tattoo Guy on the back. “Let’s get outta here, Angelo.” Ah. Charlie looks back over his shoulder. “Sorry, I didn’t catch your name. I’m Charlie Hawke.”
I didn’t miss that he didn’t extend his hand to me, so I push mine out toward him. “Theo. Theo Kataigída.”
“Greek, huh?”
I nod, smiling. “You got it.”
He never takes my hand. They both just give me a look that screams ‘go fuck yourself’ before walking out. Yeah. The feeling is fucking mutual fuckers.
J.B. McGee is a mother, wife, and the Amazon Top 100 author of the best-selling This Series. Amazon Crossing acquired the German rights to her debut novel, Broken. Heartfall, her coming of age novel about a bullied ballerina, is a #1 best seller in the Teen and Young Adult Performing Arts genre. Skipping Stones, a military romance about a young woman strongly influenced by her faith and her family all the while searching for her true love, is a #1 best seller in Women’s Christian Fiction.

When J.B.’s not writing, she enjoys reading as well as watching and live-chatting her favorite television shows with her friends. Her favorite shows are Quantico, Blindspot, Grey’s Anatomy, The Bachelor/Bachelorette, Below Deck, The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, and Scandal (mainly because of her love of Scott Foley).

Born and raised in Aiken, South Carolina, she attended Converse College and eventually earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education from The University of South Carolina-Aiken in 2006.

In college, she was told by her children’s literature professor she would be the one student from her class to be an author. McGee shook her head and laughed. But in 2012, over six years after that statement was made and after a love of reading had been reignited, she gave writing a shot. J.B. gladly ate crow when she emailed her first book to the above mentioned children’s literature professor thanking her and acknowledging the accuracy of her prophecy.

In 2011, it was discovered that not only do both of her children, but also she and her husband, have mitochondrial disease. Affecting 1 in 2500 people, it has no cure or treatments. Being a writer allows J.B. to care for her family’s unique needs while also providing a platform for raising awareness for this disease.

She is a hopeless romantic who loves to escape into fairy tales—some she reads and some she creates.
J.B. McGee and her family now reside in Buford, Georgia.


Check out J.B. McGee’s Release Day Event Giveaways
over on her Facebook Author Page
–> http://www.facebook.com/authorjbmcgee
HOSTED BY:

RELEASE BLITZ – THE SECRET: A FORBIDDEN LOVE ROMANCE (Magnolia Grove Book 4) by J.B. McGee

Leave a comment

release-day-bannerThe Secret by JB McGee is out now! Follow the release week blitz and grab your copy today!

the-secret

About The Secret:

The past finally catches up with Holden and Cammie in book four of the Magnolia Grove Series. Hidden lies have destroyed and robbed him of nearly everything Holden Masters cares about.

 

As buried truths come to surface, the only question that remains is whether he can finally be redeemed. Well, and will they be strong enough to survive the secret?

dreams-teaser

Get Your Copy Today:

THE SECRET: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N7560B7

EXCERPT

When I open the garage door as I’m pulling in the driveway, the front door opens, and lo and behold, out walks Heather. Instead of pulling the car in the garage, I park it right where it is and hop out. “Hey. Violet’s at the Spencer house.”

“Yeah,” she says. “I was heading there now. We had a miscommunication. For some reason, I thought we were meeting here.”

Why would she have thought that? Why would Vi have said that? I was with her the entire day. She never acted like there was any confusion in regards to where we were going when we left the pool. In fact, I don’t recall ever seeing her doing anything other than hanging all over Wells. When did they have this conversation? I furrow my brows. “Really?”

“Yep. You can leave your car and ride with me if you want to come with. I can bring you both home. I’m thinking Cammie may be there.” She winks.

Narrowing my eyes, I shrug. “Well, chances of that are pretty high since she lives there.” She’s lying to me. I’m not sure about what other than the fact that if she’d talked to Vi, she’d know my cock’s endured all the teasing it can withstand from Camellia Spencer today. “But thanks. I’m good,” I say for the sake of my friendship with Cam. I’ve strictly prohibited being around her anymore tonight because I’m pretty sure if she gets too close to me, I’m going to do something I might regret. I knew I had to get the hell out of that house when I was seriously considering picking her lock after she admitted to being naked in her room doing only God knows what.

Heather smirks, like she can see straight through my façade. “Right.”

“But if you wanna bring Vi home, that’d be awesome.”

“Sure,” she says before walking away. “Bye, Holden.”

“Later.” My mind drifts back to telling Cammie bye, about how hard it was. She’s right, though. Our game isn’t Chicken Fighting. That requires there to be an ‘us’. Us fighting against someone else, us against the world. No, we’re definitely Marco Polo. I need her to run in the opposite direction as fast as she can to keep me from catching her, from falling for her.

 

 

Catch up on the series:

The Auction: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LW4ZWJW

The Date: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M1IO7AY

The Promise: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MDNKI6L

youre-my urban-dictionary

About JB McGee:

2016-bw

J.B. McGee is a mother, wife, and the Amazon Top 100 author of the best-selling This Series. Amazon Crossing acquired the German rights to her debut novel, Broken. Heartfall, her coming of age novel about a bullied ballerina, is a #1 best seller in the Teen and Young Adult Performing Arts genre. Skipping Stones, a military romance about a young woman strongly influenced by her faith and her family all the while searching for her true love, is a #1 best seller in Women’s Christian Fiction.

When J.B.’s not writing, she enjoys reading as well as watching and live-chatting her favorite television shows with her friends. Her favorite shows are Quantico, Blindspot, Grey’s Anatomy, The Bachelor/Bachelorette, Below Deck, The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, and Scandal (mainly because of her love of Scott Foley).

Born and raised in Aiken, South Carolina, she attended Converse College and eventually earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education from The University of South Carolina-Aiken in 2006.

In college, she was told by her children’s literature professor she would be the one student from her class to be an author. McGee shook her head and laughed. But in 2012, over six years after that statement was made and after a love of reading had been reignited, she gave writing a shot. J.B. gladly ate crow when she emailed her first book to the above mentioned children’s literature professor thanking her and acknowledging the accuracy of her prophecy.

In 2011, it was discovered that not only do both of her children, but also she and her husband, have mitochondrial disease. Affecting 1 in 2500 people, it has no cure or treatments. Being a writer allows J.B. to care for her family’s unique needs while also providing a platform for raising awareness for this disease.

She is a hopeless romantic who loves to escape into fairy tales—some she reads and some she creates.

J.B. McGee and her family now reside in Buford, Georgia.

Find JB McGee:

Website: http://www.jbmcgee.com

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/tfyhf

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorjbmcgee

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/j_b_mcgee

Google+: https://plus.google.com/+JBMcGee/posts

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jbmcgee

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/jbmcgeebooks

Instagram: http://instagram.com/j_b_mcgee

Tumblr: http://jbmcgee.tumblr.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-u-7coNwA9t1fp6bMS5wKw

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/jb-mcgee

 

then-what fb-cover

 

Enter JB’s giveaway:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

LIVE – THE DATE (Magnolia Grove Book 2) by J.B. McGee

Leave a comment

banner

the-date

Synopsis:

Two families. Two hearts. One forbidden love. One Date.

Timing is a funny thing. It can make or break any situation. Any relationship. The only thing worse than timing is miscommunication, especially when one person thinks the other isn’t interested.

When Cammie Spencer is left to sort out the mess that’s becoming her life, she reflects on what she thinks she knows versus what is reality. Has her perception of what’s expected of her high society life kept her from the one person she’s always wanted but resigned herself to never having?

After all, her fiancé is definitely not what she thought he was. And to make matters worse, or maybe better, Holden Masters has always been the most tempting form of forbidden love. She’s discovering he also may very well be the best medicine for her broken heart.

For Holden Masters, his haunted past collides with the present. His plans, which seemed so clear, become muddied. Will he finally drop his façade and back up his words of affection with actions or is he the player Cammie’s long pegged him to be?

Now that the auction is over, could it be that Holden Masters has already won the prize before he’s even had The Date?

instagram-1

Excerpt:

When I right myself, he brushes away the extra tears I didn’t even realize had tumbled down my cheek. “You’re beautiful…”

I can’t breathe. Not with him this close. Not with him looking at me like that.

“Even when you’re devastated.” He licks his lips, and all I can think about is his tongue. How smooth it was against mine, how good he tastes, and how all I want to do is forget about everything that’s happened and get lost in him like I was in the cabana. To pretend I don’t know it’s him, to act like we’re just two strangers without any strings attached letting our senses, our tongues, and our fingers do all the exploration. No words this time to ruin it. My engagement, my life, is upside down. And all I want to do is have Holden send me into a euphoric bliss, a faraway paradise.

As if he can read my mind, he sighs. “C’mon before I do something I’ll regret.”

I don’t move. “What would you regret?” Oh, you know what he’d regret.

“Fuck, Cammie. Seriously?” His eyes shift to the sky.

“Yeah. Seriously.”

“Kissing you. I’d regret kissing you.”

My stomach feels like it’s in my throat, a large lump forming. Even though it should feel like someone’s thrown a bucket of ice on me, my body is ablaze. This is dangerous. I’m flirting with him, provoking him, pushing him, egging him on, yearning for him to do something he’d regret. Wait. Does he regret kissing me in the cabana? “You regret kissing me, or you’d regret it if you did it again? I’m confused.”

“I’d regret kissing you again tonight,” he says as he steps in closer, boxing me in against the exterior of the building.

“Why not the first time?”

He glances away, then back at me. “When I kissed you the first time, I thought you wanted it. I thought you’d seen the woman spill shit all over my pants. I thought you’d know I’d go to the cabana.” He sighs. “That you were waiting on me. I hoped that maybe you’d come to your senses. I thought you were there for me. That you finally wanted me.”

instagram-2

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2eMeYXp

banner-teaser

The Auction information

Synopsis:

“I don’t need to know about your package. I am pretty sure I have you figured out better than you have me defined.”

After an unexpected turn of events, Cammie Spencer starts to wonder if there is more to life than being high society arm candy and whether her fiancé, Oliver, is the man for her. There’s no denying Holden has always made her hot, but over the years, he’s become the most tempting form of forbidden love.

For Holden Masters, there are some things money can’t buy, but that isn’t the case at the annual Magnolia Grove Cancer Charity Auction. The only woman Holden Masters has ever wanted is up for bids in a ‘secret date’ auction. It’s not the first time he’s yearned for Cammie. He’s wanted her for as long as he can remember, but family drama, façades, and social rank have gotten in the way.

The biggest obstacle now is determining whether Holden knows her well enough to prove that he’s more than the cocky bad boy she’s always known.

Does Holden know enough about Cammie to win her date and her heart in The Auction?

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2eMfjJF

Pre-Order The Promise (Releases November 29):

Synopsis:

 “No secrets, Holden. Promise me.”

After nine years of holding her feelings and affection for Holden inside, Cammie can’t seem to keep her hands off him. With new resolve to no longer let high society expectations drive her actions, she says to hell with the ramifications from the gossipers of Magnolia Grove.

Even before she’s had a chance to formally break off her engagement, move out of her shared apartment with her jerk of a fiancé, Oliver, or tell her parents.

When she and Holden are caught in a goofy, yet intimate moment, Cammie questions the decisions they made together in the cabana earlier that morning.

Cammie needs more than gestures from Holden. Talk’s cheap. Promises are easily broken. And the only thing worse than new secrets are old ones.

Can Holden finally open up and give Cammie what she needs in The Promise?

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2e5aw57

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

J.B. McGee is a mother, wife, and the Amazon Top 100 author of the best-selling This Series.  Amazon Crossing acquired the German rights to her debut novel, Broken.  Heartfall, her coming of age novel about a bullied ballerina, is a #1 best seller in the Teen and Young Adult Performing Arts genre.  Skipping Stones, a military romance about a young woman strongly influenced by her faith and her family all the while searching for her true love, is a #1 best seller in Women’s Christian Fiction.

When J.B.’s not writing, she enjoys reading as well as watching and live-chatting her favorite television shows with her friends. Her favorite shows are Quantico, Blindspot, Grey’s Anatomy, The Bachelor/Bachelorette, Below Deck, The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, and Scandal (mainly because of her love of Scott Foley).

Born and raised in Aiken, South Carolina, she attended Converse College and eventually earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education from The University of South Carolina-Aiken in 2006.

In college, she was told by her children’s literature professor she would be the one student from her class to be an author. McGee shook her head and laughed. But in 2012, over six years after that statement was made and after a love of reading had been reignited, she gave writing a shot. J.B. gladly ate crow when she emailed her first book to the above mentioned children’s literature professor thanking her and acknowledging the accuracy of her prophecy.

In 2011, it was discovered that not only do both of her children, but also she and her husband, have mitochondrial disease. Affecting 1 in 2500 people, it has no cure or treatments. Being a writer allows J.B. to care for her family’s unique needs while also providing a platform for raising awareness for this disease.

She is a hopeless romantic who loves to escape into fairy tales—some she reads and some she creates.

J.B. McGee and her family now reside in Buford, Georgia.

Stalk J.B.

Reader Group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/JBsJewels/

Author Page:  http://www.facebook.com/authorjbmcgee

Friend Page:  http://www.facebook.com/jbmcgeebooks

Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/j_b_mcgee

Pinterest:  http://pinterest.com/jbmcgeebooks

Instagram:  http://instagram.com/j_b_mcgee

Google +:  https://plus.google.com/+JBMcGee/posts

LinkedIn:  http://www.linkedin.com/in/jbmcgee

Tumblr:  http://jbmcgee.tumblr.com/

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-u-7coNwA9t1fp6bMS5wKw

SoundCloud:  https://soundcloud.com/jb-mcgee

LIVE – THE AUCTION (Magnolia Grove Book 1) by J.B. McGee

Leave a comment

banner-teaser

theauctioncover

The Auction

“I don’t need to know about your package. I am pretty sure I have you figured out better than you have me defined.”

After an unexpected turn of events, Cammie Spencer starts to wonder if there is more to life than being high society arm candy and whether her fiancé, Oliver, is the man for her. There’s no denying Holden has always made her hot, but over the years, he’s become the most tempting form of forbidden love.

For Holden Masters, there are some things money can’t buy, but that isn’t the case at the annual Magnolia Grove Cancer Charity Auction. The only woman Holden Masters has ever wanted is up for bids in a ‘secret date’ auction. It’s not the first time he’s yearned for Cammie. He’s wanted her for as long as he can remember, but family drama, façades, and social rank have gotten in the way.

The biggest obstacle now is determining whether Holden knows her well enough to prove that he’s more than the cocky bad boy she’s always known.

Does Holden know enough about Cammie to win her date and her heart in The Auction?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32022984-the-auction

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2cUVDEI

*Also available in KU

theauctionteaser2

thedatecover

The Date – Coming October 29, 2016

Two families. Two hearts. One forbidden love. One Date.

Timing is a funny thing. It can make or break any situation. Any relationship. The only thing worse than timing is miscommunication, especially when one person thinks the other isn’t interested.

When Cammie Spencer is left to sort out the mess that’s becoming her life, she reflects on what she thinks she knows versus what is reality. Has her perception of what’s expected of her high society life kept her from the one person she’s always wanted but resigned herself to never having?

After all, her fiancé is definitely not what she thought he was. And to make matters worse, or maybe better, Holden Masters has always been the most tempting form of forbidden love. She’s discovering he also may very well be the best medicine for her broken heart.

For Holden Masters, his haunted past collides with the present. His plans, which seemed so clear, become muddied. Will he finally drop his façade and back up his words of affection with actions or is he the player Cammie’s long pegged him to be?

Now that the auction is over, could it be that Holden Masters has already won the prize before he’s even had The Date?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32183281-the-date

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2dld1Ao

*Will be available in KU

About J.B. McGee

jb-mcgee

J.B. McGee is a mother, wife, and the Amazon Top 100 author of the best selling This Series. Amazon Crossing acquired the German rights to her debut novel, Broken. Heartfall, her coming of age novel about a bullied ballerina, is a #1 best seller in the Teen and Young Adult Performing Arts genre. Skipping Stones, a military romance about a young woman strongly influenced by her faith and her family all the while searching for her true love, is a #1 best seller in Women’s Christian Fiction.

When J.B.’s not writing, she enjoys reading as well as watching and live-chatting her favorite television shows with her friends.

Born and raised in Aiken, South Carolina, she attended Converse College and eventually earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education from The University of South Carolina-Aiken in 2006. In college, she was told by her children’s literature professor she would be the one student from her class to be an author. McGee shook her head and laughed.

In 2011, it was discovered that not only do both of her children, but also she and her husband, have mitochondrial disease. Affecting 1 in 2500 people, it has no cure or treatments. Being a writer allows J.B. to care for her family’s unique needs while also providing a platform for raising awareness for this disease.

She is a hopeless romantic who loves to escape into fairy tales—some she reads and some she creates.

Website: http://www.jbmcgee.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjbmcgee/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/j_b_mcgee

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/j_b_mcgee/

Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/2dldZg3

WattPad: https://www.wattpad.com/user/jbmcgee

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/j-b-mcgee

BLOG TOUR – HEARTFALL by J.B. McGee

Leave a comment
Claire Ross has never been good enough. Not for the girls in the elite group of dancers in her class and certainly not for the approval of her ballet teacher, Mr. Robins. She definitely doesn’t like what she sees in the mirror. Simply put, she doesn’t love herself, so how could she possibly love someone else?
After twelve years of friendship, Sebastian Reyes’ adoring gaze holds more. They soon find themselves unable to control their feelings for one another.
When tragedy strikes, Claire finds herself in a very unlikely and unfavorable position. Regardless of the weight of the emotion, she must make difficult decisions that impact the rest of her life.
Will Claire see that her true love has been right in front of her? Happily ever after isn’t just for fairy tales. To get hers, all she has to do is trust, open her heart and fall.

“I gotta go. I’m sure my mom is waiting on me.”

“I need you to put your shoes back on and come with me for a minute.”

I shake my head. “I can’t, Sebastian.”

His eyes are pleading with me. I’ve known him almost my entire life, and I’m not sure why it’s so important, but he’s serious. “She’ll be mad if she sees people leaving and I’m not out there.”

“Tell her you got held up…in trouble with Robins.”

I laugh. “Sad thing is she would probably believe that.”

“Hurry up.”

“Why didn’t you tell me this before I changed?” I roll my eyes and plop down on a bench.

He paces in front of me, rubbing his hands together. “Stupid Audrina wanted to practice something.”

“Of course she did.”

“C’mon, Claire.” He rolls his hands together like he’s doing some disco dance or something.

“Your jig isn’t helping. Chill.” I take a couple of deep breaths. The truth of the matter is that he’s had me breaking all kinds of rules, living on the edge today. My nerves started out as these perfectly polished and sparkly little crystals. And then in a matter of hours, he’s managed to add some air and heat then spin them into cotton candy. Sticky, messy, bundles of the same crystals waiting for him to slowly devour at his leisure. “You’re making me nervous.”

“You think I’m making you nervous?”

I glance up through my lashes. “Yeah.”

“Funny.”

I tuck my bows under the ribbons and stand up. “Okay. All finished. Now what did you want with me?”

We walk back into the studio through one of the back doors. Robins is at the front desk chatting with some of the company moms about tomorrow. Nutcracker tryouts. I can’t believe I forgot.

Sebastian turns and faces me. We’re in the same spot as we were earlier before Audrina so rudely interrupted us the second time.

I cover my mouth. “I forgot about tomorrow being Nutcracker tryouts. Robins didn’t even mention it in class.”

“I didn’t.”

“Well, of course you didn’t.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing.” It means you’re making me a total mess, Sebastian. But of course, you’re completely level-headed. Mom said this would happen. And I’m about to get in trouble. Busted. Probably grounded. Boy trouble. Let the fun begin. “What did you want?”

“I want you to pirouette then fall backward and let me catch you.”

“Absurd. And I don’t have time for this.” I shake my head. “Sebastian, I don’t know what you’re trying to prove. It’s sweet, but I’m never going to be your partner.”

He balls his fists and clenches his eyes closed. I’ve seen him pissed at Robins. They get into it all the time. “Just do it, Claire.”

“Fine.” I huff. I do a passé relevé, push my feet into the floor, and pull my ribs in as my body starts to turn. Finally, when the momentum starts going, unaware of where Sebastian is, I have to totally trust him, and I let my body fall backward. “Ahh.” My scream is muffled as my body is flipped and my face lands against his mouth. The kiss is quick.

“Shh. I’ve got you. Thank you for sparing my balls.”

I sigh in his arms and start to giggle.

He grins and puts his finger over my lips. “I don’t want Robins to kick us out. Before Audrina interrupted us, I was trying to show you something.” He puts his hands back on my hips. “Hand in mine.” I put my hand in his, and he rests his other one on my hip. “Promenade into an arabesque en pointe and watch yourself in the mirror.”

Doing as I’m told, I try to forget that my mother is probably ready to scold me or rip me a new one in the car. Never mind the disturbing thought she may have to even come in to get me. What would she say if she saw me in Sebastian’s arms after our conversation last night? She knows I’m not his partner. She knows I’m not even doing partners work. Would she be happy for me? Or would she know I was just doing this because I liked him? Focus, Claire. Now’s not the time to be distracted. Focus.

“Do you see yourself, Claire? Do you see what I see in the mirror?” he asks.

I shake my head. “I don’t know.”

“I see grace. I see beauty. I see so much potential. Lift your head up.”

When he tells me to do something, I don’t even think twice. My head automatically lifts. Is that how this partner thing works? It just comes naturally like that? And do bodies move so easily with each other? Don’t people step on each other’s toes or fall over each other’s feet? “Is that all you see?”

“I see an incredible dancer. And I wanted you to see her before you audition tomorrow. I wanted you to hear me in your ear, and I wanted you to see us in your head. More than anything, Claire, I want you to believe in yourself.” And when I least expect it, his hand shifts to below my thigh right under my knee and tilts me downward into a fish dive. I improvise as to how I think I’m supposed to be positioned because I’ve watched enough of them, studied enough. It’s a pretty horrible form, but we don’t fall, so I guess that counts for something.

Even though I know I’m not going to get a partner role or any big part, the fact he would do this for me, that he’d go through this to try to show me what he sees in me, means so much. “Thank you, Sebastian. This is so special to me.” But I’m going to be in so much trouble with my mom I may not even get to try out for Nutcracker.

“You still don’t see what I see in the mirror, do you?”

I glance away. “It took years to lose myself.” I shrug. “It’s going to take more than a day and a dance to find me.”

 

“You just let me jab my tongue down your fuckin’ throat. Now answer the question.”
“I can’t.”
“You can’t answer it or you can’t trust me?”
Maybe both. I wish he’d let me fix my shirt. “It’s complicated.”
“No, it’s not.”
He’s stubborn too. A match made in heaven. Great.  “I trust you or I wouldn’t be here.”
“Progress. Good. I trust you or you wouldn’t be here, either. I want to do more than just play your music, Claire. I’ve wanted to do more than that from the moment I saw you, and I’ve never wanted that with any girl at that school before. So, do I wanna play with the ice? Fuck yeah. You have no idea the things I wanna do to you and your pretty little dancer body.” He smirks. “Am I allowed to say that? Use pretty in other contexts where you’re concerned? Or is the word pretty a hard limit in its entirety?” My arms cross over my chest because never have I felt so exposed, so vulnerable, yet so sexy and wanted. “Quit tryin’ to cover yourself up, dammit. You’re beautiful. Don’t you believe that?”
I shake my head. “Pretty in other contexts is fine, just not pretty girl.”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
It was my hope to avoid it. “What question?” He’s already figured out I’m a terrible liar, so I’m sure this won’t go over very well.
He cocks his head and takes a step closer, which I didn’t know was possible. “I don’t really get off on whips and chains, riding crops, that kind of stuff. I’m not into hardcore BDSM. I just dabble from time to time when the mood or the need hits me.” I’m pretty sure my eyes are about to detach from my head. What. The. Hell. Have. I. Gotten. Myself. Into? “But I do love to spank. Don’t play games.”
When I was five years old I wanted to be a ballerina, so my mom signed me up for dance. Over the next ten years, I explored all three styles: tap, jazz, and ballet. Tap ended up being my favorite, and I studied it for ten years, ballet for four, and jazz for one.
The years I took ballet, I was told to grow my bangs out, to wear my hair in a bun because that’s what ballerinas do. When I ate my snacks from the convenience store because that’s what my single mom bought me after school on her way to drop me off at the studio, I was ridiculed and told if I lost just a few pounds, I’d be the perfect size for a ballerina. I was in elementary school. Looking back at those pictures, I wasn’t fat. Not even close. After my entire class was promoted to pointe and I wasn’t, I quit ballet.
While this story is fiction, there is a lot of me in Claire, but it only takes a few minutes to read the trending headlines to see that this happens to a widespread audience every day. I think there is a lot of every girl in Claire.
Do you like every part of yourself when you look in the mirror? Or did someone, society, make you feel if you lost just a little bit more weight or changed a small part of who you were, you’d be better in their eyes? And then after so long you found you didn’t like the person you saw through your own eyes, didn’t even recognize her?
Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t think so.
When I started this book, that’s not the message I’d hoped to spread or share, but that’s what it ended up being. Like all of my other books, Claire’s story was cathartic for me because it helped me release a part of my past I didn’t realize I’d been hanging onto so tightly. As much as I loved dance, those years in the studio damaged me. But on the contrary, each day in the studio, each mean girl, each hurtful comment, they took an oyster and produced a pearl. A one-of-a-kind, oddly shaped, uniquely colored, and beautiful pearl.
Every day since writing Heartfall I’ve tried so hard to look in the mirror and find something I like about myself or to ignore something I’d ordinarily criticize, and I challenge you to do the same.

 

We’re all beautiful and strong women. This is Claire’s story on finding her beauty and strength. Along the way, she’s blessed to find incredible love too. I hope you enjoy it.

AMAZON US

NOOK

KOBO

 J.B. McGee was born and raised in Aiken, South Carolina. She is the mother of two beautiful children and a stay at home mom/entrepreneur. She finished her Bachelor of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education at the University of South Carolina-Aiken in 2006. During her time studying children’s literature, a professor had encouraged her to become a writer.
In 2011, it was discovered that both of her children, she, and her husband have Mitochondrial Disease, a disease that has no cure or treatments. Being a writer allows J.B. to remain close to her family, work on raising awareness for this disease, and to lose herself in the stories that she creates for her readers.
J.B. McGee and her family now reside in Buford, Georgia. She is an Amazon Top 100 bestselling author of her debut series, the ‘THIS’ Series.
www.jbmcgee.com
http://www.facebook.com/authorjbmcgee          http://www.twitter.com/j_b_mcgee          http://instagram.com/j_b_mcgee          http://pinterest.com/jbmcgeebooks          http://www.linkedin.com/in/jbmcgee          http://jbmcgee.tumblr.com/          https://soundcloud.com/jb-mcgee
https://open.spotify.com/user/1254674712          https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-u-7coNwA9t1fp6bMS5wKw          https://plus.google.com/+JBMcGee/posts

LIVE – HEARTFALL by J.B. McGee

Leave a comment
Claire Ross has never been good enough. Not for the girls in the elite group of dancers in her class and certainly not for the approval of her ballet teacher, Mr. Robins. She definitely doesn’t like what she sees in the mirror. Simply put, she doesn’t love herself, so how could she possibly love someone else?
After twelve years of friendship, Sebastian Reyes’ adoring gaze holds more. They soon find themselves unable to control their feelings for one another.
When tragedy strikes, Claire finds herself in a very unlikely and unfavorable position. Regardless of the weight of the emotion, she must make difficult decisions that impact the rest of her life.
Will Claire see that her true love has been right in front of her? Happily ever after isn’t just for fairy tales. To get hers, all she has to do is trust, open her heart and fall.
“You just let me jab my tongue down your fuckin’ throat. Now answer the question.”
“I can’t.”
“You can’t answer it or you can’t trust me?”
Maybe both. I wish he’d let me fix my shirt. “It’s complicated.”
“No, it’s not.”
He’s stubborn too. A match made in heaven. Great.  “I trust you or I wouldn’t be here.”
“Progress. Good. I trust you or you wouldn’t be here, either. I want to do more than just play your music, Claire. I’ve wanted to do more than that from the moment I saw you, and I’ve never wanted that with any girl at that school before. So, do I wanna play with the ice? Fuck yeah. You have no idea the things I wanna do to you and your pretty little dancer body.” He smirks. “Am I allowed to say that? Use pretty in other contexts where you’re concerned? Or is the word pretty a hard limit in its entirety?” My arms cross over my chest because never have I felt so exposed, so vulnerable, yet so sexy and wanted. “Quit tryin’ to cover yourself up, dammit. You’re beautiful. Don’t you believe that?”
I shake my head. “Pretty in other contexts is fine, just not pretty girl.”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
It was my hope to avoid it. “What question?” He’s already figured out I’m a terrible liar, so I’m sure this won’t go over very well.
He cocks his head and takes a step closer, which I didn’t know was possible. “I don’t really get off on whips and chains, riding crops, that kind of stuff. I’m not into hardcore BDSM. I just dabble from time to time when the mood or the need hits me.” I’m pretty sure my eyes are about to detach from my head. What. The. Hell. Have. I. Gotten. Myself. Into? “But I do love to spank. Don’t play games.”
When I was five years old I wanted to be a ballerina, so my mom signed me up for dance. Over the next ten years, I explored all three styles: tap, jazz, and ballet. Tap ended up being my favorite, and I studied it for ten years, ballet for four, and jazz for one.
The years I took ballet, I was told to grow my bangs out, to wear my hair in a bun because that’s what ballerinas do. When I ate my snacks from the convenience store because that’s what my single mom bought me after school on her way to drop me off at the studio, I was ridiculed and told if I lost just a few pounds, I’d be the perfect size for a ballerina. I was in elementary school. Looking back at those pictures, I wasn’t fat. Not even close. After my entire class was promoted to pointe and I wasn’t, I quit ballet.
While this story is fiction, there is a lot of me in Claire, but it only takes a few minutes to read the trending headlines to see that this happens to a widespread audience every day. I think there is a lot of every girl in Claire.
Do you like every part of yourself when you look in the mirror? Or did someone, society, make you feel if you lost just a little bit more weight or changed a small part of who you were, you’d be better in their eyes? And then after so long you found you didn’t like the person you saw through your own eyes, didn’t even recognize her?
Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t think so.
When I started this book, that’s not the message I’d hoped to spread or share, but that’s what it ended up being. Like all of my other books, Claire’s story was cathartic for me because it helped me release a part of my past I didn’t realize I’d been hanging onto so tightly. As much as I loved dance, those years in the studio damaged me. But on the contrary, each day in the studio, each mean girl, each hurtful comment, they took an oyster and produced a pearl. A one-of-a-kind, oddly shaped, uniquely colored, and beautiful pearl.
Every day since writing Heartfall I’ve tried so hard to look in the mirror and find something I like about myself or to ignore something I’d ordinarily criticize, and I challenge you to do the same.

 

We’re all beautiful and strong women. This is Claire’s story on finding her beauty and strength. Along the way, she’s blessed to find incredible love too. I hope you enjoy it.
AMAZON US
NOOK
KOBO
 J.B. McGee was born and raised in Aiken, South Carolina. She is the mother of two beautiful children and a stay at home mom/entrepreneur. She finished her Bachelor of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education at the University of South Carolina-Aiken in 2006. During her time studying children’s literature, a professor had encouraged her to become a writer.
In 2011, it was discovered that both of her children, she, and her husband have Mitochondrial Disease, a disease that has no cure or treatments. Being a writer allows J.B. to remain close to her family, work on raising awareness for this disease, and to lose herself in the stories that she creates for her readers.
J.B. McGee and her family now reside in Buford, Georgia. She is an Amazon Top 100 bestselling author of her debut series, the ‘THIS’ Series.
www.jbmcgee.com
http://www.facebook.com/authorjbmcgee          http://www.twitter.com/j_b_mcgee          http://instagram.com/j_b_mcgee          http://pinterest.com/jbmcgeebooks          http://www.linkedin.com/in/jbmcgee          http://jbmcgee.tumblr.com/          https://soundcloud.com/jb-mcgee
https://open.spotify.com/user/1254674712          https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-u-7coNwA9t1fp6bMS5wKw          https://plus.google.com/+JBMcGee/posts