Beautifully READ: My Own Nightmare

My Own Nightmare

Shattered Lives Series; Book 1

Published: November 26, 2016

Published by: Barb Shuler

Genre: Suspense/Thriller

Cover Designed by: MadHat Books

~ Blurb ~

One night a life changed. My life.

I used to write about chaos – about lives turning on a dime. Never once did I think it would ever happen to me. I went from a blossoming career to a prisoner in the span of a single evening. A living nightmare I was determined to escape.

The price of evil was high, but I wasn’t backing down. I knew in my heart the men in my life would be looking. I just had to survive. One day at a time. Minutes turned to hours. Hours turned into days. Then, it was time to make a choice.

Live or Die?

I chose to live.

Hell hath no fury and I had no more time...

Goodreads

~ Purchase Links ~

Amazon US : AU : CA : UK

**On Kindle Unlimited

~ Excerpt ~

Looking around, I finally saw Drew and Jackson as they walked into the gym. The looks on their faces made my heart sink a little. It was if they had bad news to tell or something, and both were still in their uniforms. Were they still on duty? And where was my dad? They both caught my eye and their faces changed as they moved my direction. Big smiles met me as I was engulfed in huge arms and spun around by Jackson. Before I could catch my breath Drew pulled me up into his arms and I could feel the fire burning in my cheeks as he kissed my lips softly.

“You’re gonna squeeze me to death one of these days,” I said as I looked up at them and patted their cheeks at the same time.

It was then that I felt Drew pulling me back to him. We were in public, but I couldn’t hide it anymore, I didn’t want to. It was time to let it be known that he and I were a couple. His arms wrapped around me as our lips met again. I heard Jackson beside us chuckle and say “busted”. A moment later I heard a shrill voice yelling over the crowd behind me. Damn, Katie saw us, now we were busted. I reluctantly pulled back from his lips and grinned as he told Katie to shut it. “Play nice, you two.”

I turned in his arms and as he held me against him. I looked at her, her face contorted as her hands went to her hips. “What is this?” Her eyes were tearing into us like we were sadists walking into a Baptist church on Sunday morning. I held my hand up to her and raised a brow.

“Before I tell you what this...” I gestured between us as I looked back at her smiling, “is, you have to not lose your cool.” I glared at her scowl; my eyes on hers. “Katie Landry, promise me!” She crossed her arms over her chest and I followed her eyes as she glared at her brothers who were both wearing identical smirks.

“If you don’t promise I will make you wait longer…” My words trailed off as I felt Drew’s lips move down the length of my neck, making it hard to focus. Asshole. He knew exactly what he was doing to me and I could see on Katie and Jackson’s faces they did not love our PDA.

“Andrew Landry, you stop that right this minute.” I tried to sound stern but my voice was raspy and I smirked to myself. His arms moved up mine and I smiled back at Katie. “Well, Landry, do we have a deal?”

“You hid this from… me?” She blinked a few times and narrowed her eyes at me. “That is just rude, Dani Lynn Cartwright!” She huffed. “Oh my God, like really? I will hate you forever now. Some friend… And you…” she said, her voice hitting an octave higher now as she pointed her bony little finger towards Drew. “You are supposed to be my brother, and you kept it from me, too?” She crossed her arms back over her chest and acted like she was going to pout.

I snickered and moved out of Drew’s embrace to hug her around the neck and whisper in her ear. “Please don’t be mad, I wanted to surprise you with this.” There was more, but that would be for another time. I had to make sure the test I took yesterday was accurate. And, let’s face it, I needed to check my math. I sucked at math. When Drew was around I seemed to lose track of so many things. My period was the biggest one apparently. If I was pregnant, he had to be the first one to find out. Privately. I wasn’t sure how he would react. Then I’d tell Daddy. Everyone else would have to wait.

~ Meet Barb Shuler ~

I’m a Carolina Girl by right and a Texan by birth. Best of both worlds. I have the brass sass to keep up with my Texas sized temper. Living and working in both states I’ve learned a lot about hard work, adapting to your surroundings and making the best of the path that you have been led down. My grandma Dollie once told me I would know what I was meant to do when it happened. She was right, as always.

As with most book lovers, I am an avid reader. Reading has always been a hobby - a passion, really and a way to get lost in other people’s lives, their drama and other worlds. It’s a private movie in your imagination that you get to cast and navigate through, at your own pace. Reading helps to expand the perimeters of one's mind. That is what got me into writing. Writing has been something that I have done since I was a kid. If I had paper, I was writing. Nine out of ten times it made no sense but what are words if they are not to be used to your advantage? Words are a part of us all. Why not use them, right?

During the day I work as a ‘desk jockey’ and help the residents of my county navigate themselves around our little, but not too little country town. By night I am either blogging, doing PA work for some of my favorite authors or fighting with the voices in my head. They can be stubborn at times. It’s a blessing and I am cherishing every moment. Tomorrow is never guaranteed so I want to make sure I live the day as fully as possible. For what is my creation, can become someone else's treasure.

~ Connect with Barb ~