A Dream Within A Dream: Different Roads Blog Tour: Excerpt & Giveaway

Different Roads
Author: Lori L. Clark
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Release Date: January 23, 2013

Buy Links: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Smashwords

Description:

It's been said that when we look back over our lives, we are able to recognize the pivotal moments that in some way, shape, or form have led us to where we are today.

When Jacqueline Carter is fifteen, she crosses paths for the first time with Seth Thomas, a young man who unwittingly alters the direction of her life forever.

Jaq plans to break-up with her boyfriend on her sixteenth birthday. Instead, she is date-raped, and left emotionally broken. She builds a wall around her heart and begins spiraling downward on a road filled with drinking, drugs and physical abuse.
When Seth re-enters her life a few years later, the walls around her heart slowly come down and the two of them fall in love.

Unfortunately sometimes, fate has other ideas, and we're forced down a different road from which we initially set out.

After class, I decided to swing by the shop to surprise Seth with food. He'd assured me last night that the truck was nearly road-worthy and I knew he was just itching to feel mud beneath the tires again. I walked inside the dimly lit shop and crossed over to where a pair of boots poked out from beneath the Chevy.
He must've heard me come in and slid out to beam up at me. I laughed at the streak of grease covering one of his dimpled cheeks. He narrowed his eyes at me and sat up on the creeper, "What's so funny?"
I snatched a half-clean rag from the bench and started to wipe off his cheek, "You look kind of hot all covered with oil and grime," I snickered.
"That right?" he asked. Before I could answer, he jumped to his feet lightning fast and backed me against the work bench. He smirked, his eyes darting between his filthy mechanic's hands hovering over the front of my Aces and Eights t-shirt and the look of horror on my face.
"You wouldn't dare!" I squealed, trying to twist away from him.
"Yeah, you're right. I'd hate to ruin such a kick-ass shirt," he said. He leaned in and softly kissed my lips When he pulled away I spotted the devilish glimmer in his blue eyes, I knew he wasn't going to let me off that easy. He grinned and gently swiped his hands across my cheeks. "Now we're twins," he declared triumphantly.
My eyes widened and I shook my head, "Thanks. For not ruining my favorite t-shirt."
He laughed, "Aces and Eights just saved your ass from having to explain two greasy palm prints strategically located on the front of your chest. Which is a very nice chest, by the way."
I swatted at him playfully, "You hungry?" I asked. He glanced sideways at me and quirked an eyebrow. I shook my head and said, "For food. I brought food. You goof."
"Like you can't even imagine," his blue eyes darkened for a split second before I shoved the sandwich and fries under his nose. "Yeah, um, food is good," he whispered.
We both washed up and he turned over a plastic five-gallon bucket for me to sit on and he hopped up beside me onto the workbench. "So, is it running yet?" I asked, nodding toward the truck.
"I was just about to try it when you got here," he said. He blew out a deep breath and I glanced up at him. He smiled but there was a barely perceptible sadness in his eyes. "I should just get rid of the damn thing and get something more reliable, but I made a promise, you know?"
I nodded, "I get that," I said, thinking about my own car. There were hundreds of times I would have much rather had something newer to drive, but the Charger had been my dad's car and the thought of anyone else driving it made my stomach turn. I didn't know what Seth's attachment was, but I sensed there was a story behind it. "Have you had the truck awhile?"
He didn't answer right away and I almost thought he hadn't heard me. When I got up to throw away our fast food wrappers, he started to talk about it. "It belonged to my best friend Ed," he said quietly. I sat back down and tucked my arm around his leg. I rested my cheek against his knee and searched his face, urging him to continue.
Seth drew in a ragged breath and raked his fingers gently through my hair while he talked, "Ed, everyone else called him Edsel because he was built like a goddamn tank. Anyway, Ed decided to join the army and one night right before he shipped out, we were propped up, drunk, in the back of that truck," Seth nodded towards the pickup and gave a little laugh. "We were drunker than ten-hundred Indians when Ed turns to me all serious-like and says, 'if anything happens to me and I don't come home, take good care of my truck, okay?' Well fuck, what could I say to that?"
I squeezed his leg, "Oh wow. I'm so sorry."
He glanced down at me and shook his head, "Yeah. Ed never made it out of Afghanistan alive and now I sort of feel obligated to keep my word, ya know? I never in a million years figured I'd actually have to do it," he snorted. "I mean, Christ, it's about the ugliest, most unreliable damn thing I've ever owned."
"So, the Camaro you drive? Is that yours then?" I asked, trying to ease the topic into something lighter.
"Yeah, that's my baby," he grinned, all proud-like.
"For the record?" I said, meeting his eyes. "Your Camaro reeks like ass."
He threw back his head and laughter rumbled from his belly, the corners of his eyes crinkled with a big smile, "That right? Well come on then." He hopped off the bench and grabbed my hand, pulling me to my feet. "Let's get this piece of shit running so you don't have to ride around in something that smells like ass. I don't want my girl to be uncomfortable."
My girl? Holy shit sticks, had he just called me his girl?

I read, I write, I run 1/2 marathons for fun. Ten things about me:

1. I'm an only child.
2. I love dogs!
3. I was born in Iowa City, Iowa and lived in Iowa my whole life until January 2007.
4. I worked as a professional psychic reader for 2 years.
5. I'm a Pisces Sun, Leo Moon with Aquarius rising.
6. I've written 5 books and am in the process of brainstorming a 6th.
7. I don't look or act my age!
8. I ran my first 1/2 marathon at age 50.
9. I love 80's hair band music.
10. My day job is as a claims payment analyst for one of Fortune 500 Magazine's "Top 100 places in America to work."

Author Links:

Website: http://www.shewritesbooks.com/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6093884

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/clarklori