Title: Into the Light (Chosen Paths Book One)
Author: L.B. Simmons
Release Date: April 25, 2017
Publisher: Spencer Hill Contemporary
Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/
Barnes & Noble link: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/
When Aubrey Miller begins her education at Titan University, she is no longer the beautiful, blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl of her youth. In fact, she’s no longer even Aubrey Miller. Now with jet-black hair, multiple sets of eccentric contact lenses, and several facial piercings, she’s veiled herself in complete darkness as a form of protection for herself, as well as others.
Over the years, as their connections intertwine and strengthen, a seemingly indestructible bond is formed between the three. And eventually, the ties of friendship and discovery of first love begin to coax her from her darkened path as they slowly bring Aubrey back to life.
Spanning the course of four years, this is the story of a young woman’s plight to finally reemerge,finding strength within unbreakable bonds as she delivers herself from her own manufactured darkness and safely back . . . Into the Light
EXCERPT
The seconds pass between us as I try to figure out the exact meaning
of that statement, when there’s a sudden knock at the door. A wide grin spreads
across her face, and her eyes light up with unadulterated glee. “YAY! Our first
official visitor.”
Quinn bounces herself off the bed to answer the door, and I take the
opportunity to regain control of my private realm as I step onto the bare
mattress, dispensing a piece of tape while grabbing my favorite poster. A deep,
masculine voice comes from the doorway. I keep my attention solely on the task
at hand, not wanting to intrude in case it’s her boyfriend. Using the adhesive,
I tack a piece to each of the top corners and adhere the left side of the
poster to the wall at the head of my bed, making sure my back is turned to
Quinn and her male visitor.
Just as I extend my arm to attach the other side, Quinn calls,
“Raven! You have
to meet my boarding buddy!”
Great.
Boarding
buddy.
The whole reason I skipped freshman orientation. Who needs to be
paired up with some random person just to find your way around campus?
I can do that shit alone, as I intend to.
I abort my avoidance mission, turning my head barely over my
shoulder, but as soon as I see the person to whom she’s referring, I lose the
hold on my poster. The scraping sound it makes swinging back and forth along
the wall hardly registers due to my dumbfounded state of shock. Blood quickly
drains from my face, and my legs feel as though they’ve been dragged through
cement before reattaching to my body.
I pray these reactions comprise the typical response when you see
the one
person in your life that you never, ever, expected to see again. Otherwise, I’m
sure I’m having a heart attack and will be struck dead where I stand within
approximately two and a half seconds.
But with one more look into those familiar hazel-brown eyes, with a
tinge of green so undeniably familiar, my possibly failing heart is revitalized
as a jarring shock spurs throughout my entire body, immediately transporting me
to my past.
You see, when I was a little girl, I spent a lot of time alone—Linda
worked nights as a nurse, so I became a victim of a lot of television, and most
wasn’t child friendly. One night, I was fully immersed in a crime show marathon
where they were explaining how some trauma victims store their memories by way
of compartmentalization. I then created and defined my compartments, sealing
away certain memories where no one, not even me, could access some of them.
It’s a very intricate system. For example:
Level 1 memory bin: Very easily accessible. Like an open door, memories
flow in and out, allowing my day-to-day function. Items that would fall into
this category would be things such as exam schedules, dental appointments, and
the name of my new roommate, Quinn.
Level 2
memory bin: A little more difficult to gain entry than Level 1. More
like a closed door, where it takes some actual effort to recall these memories.
Examples include the time Linda fell down the stairs and broke her collarbone,
when I accidentally washed her favorite cashmere sweater in hot water and dried
it on high heat, the unfortunate time she attempted to make chicken pot pie,
and the death of all the animals Linda brought home. Not necessarily the most
terrifying of my memories, but definitely not the best.
Level 3
memory bin: These remain safely behind a locked door, for which only
I have the key, and are mostly a lump sum of some pretty painful memories from
my past. Some happy, some sad, but all memories that are guaranteed to bring
heartbreak over and over again. So they remain locked safely in Level 3.
Level 4
memory bin: Steel door, passcode, and retinal scan required for
entry. Some of the most painful of my recollections. The death of my mother,
the death of my sister, and the pain associated with both will forever stay
hidden in this place.
Level 5
memory bin: Top secret military clearance required. Titanium encases
a steel vault buried approximately thirty feet underground. It’s booby-trapped
with C4 and other deadly explosives that will be detonated if anyone comes
within ten feet. Only one memory resides here, never to be freed again.
Like I said, I had a lot of time on my hands.
But now, as I eye the person in front of me cautiously, it becomes
painfully obvious that my Level 3 memory bin has been compromised.
Either that or somehow I unknowingly relinquished a key to the one
and only . . . Kaeleb Kristopher McMadden.
About the Author
After graduating from Texas A&M University, L.B. Simmons did what any biomedical science major could do. She entered the workforce as a full-time chemist. Years later, never in her wildest dreams would she have imagined herself a USA Today Bestselling contemporary romance author as well.
L.B. Simmons doesn’t just write books. With each new work, she attempts to compose journeys of love and self-discovery so she may impart life lessons to readers. Several novels later, she’s tackled suicide, depression, bullying, eating disorders, as well as physical and sexual abuse, all the while weaving elements of humor into the storylines in effort to balance the difficult topics. Often described as roller coaster rides, her novels are known for eliciting a wide range of emotions in each story she tells.Author Social Media Links:
Website: www.lbsimmons.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/
Twitter: www.twitter.com/lbsimmons33
Instagram: www.instagram.com/lbsimmons33
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