To my beautiful friends Axelle, Sarah, and Amy whose encouragement and belief in me from the beginning were instrumental in making all of this happen. I would not have written a single word without you.
To the lovely and extraordinarily talented Melissa Keir at Inkspell Publishing who fields my endless questions with the patience of a saint, thank you for believing in me, you’ve made my dreams come true.
To Najla Qamber, who continues to stun me with her beautiful cover designs. And my editor, Yezanira Venecia, whose kindness and keen eye for detail both large and small, has made my manuscripts shine. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
To my wonderful supporters and friends I have met in the writing world, some of whom I’ve never met in person, but continue to hype me up in ways that amaze me. You are the best of people Bernadette Jones, Sadie Mayfield, and A. Lee Hughes and I am happy to know you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Sneak Peek: At All
(Releasing Jan 5th, 2021)
CHAPTER ONE
Maelie
Maelie pulled her barely working car into a parking stall at work and winced as it stuttered to a noisy stop. The last noise always made her cringe, like glass jars rattling together.
Still, every day it got her to work was a blessing, so she whispered a quiet, “Thank you, Charlie,” and patted the dashboard as if it to convey it was indeed a good boy.
Just as she had pulled herself, her giant bag of music, and her violin into the freezing February air, her phone buzzed. Keys in her mouth, swearing lightly, she pulled the phone from her pocket and groaned when she saw it was from her father.
DAD: NY Phil auditions April 3
No ‘hi how are you’, no small talk, just down to business. Typical. She didn’t answer and just before she slid the phone back into her pocket, it buzzed again.
DAD: Spend extra time on the Prokofiev, you’ve always played that one flat
“Jesus, Dad,” she said, and sunk against her poor car. The deep breath she took was the only thing keeping her from chucking her phone clear across the parking lot.
He would never get it. He would never understand why she wanted to be a teacher when he wanted her to be a performer. In his eyes, she was a failure. It was difficult being the daughter of a world-famous violinist who lapped up fame like champagne and handed out disdain like party favors.
With a sigh, she pushed herself off the side of Charlie, hitched her violin higher on her shoulder, and walked toward the music store with straightened shoulders.
The thing that bothered her the most about her father was her reaction. Why was she still hurt by his distaste? When would that end? Would it ever? She would have thought she’d be resigned to be his biggest disappointment by now.
But the moment she opened the door to Hanson Music, the dark feeling shrunk to a tiny knot in her stomach. She was always happiest here. It was Chicago’s largest music store and had a renowned studio for private lessons, of which she was a proud teacher.
She smiled at a set of nervous parents looking over a new trumpet with their excited daughter, held in a giggle at the teenage boy trying to impress his bored girlfriend with “Stairway to Heaven” on a guitar he could never afford, and waved at Mrs. Hanson behind the counter.
The lesson studios were at the back of the store, a warren of rooms that held teachers and musicians playing everything from drums to banjo. It was magical. The jumble of muted musical sounds that swirled around her as she made her way to her room made her smile. This was her home. It didn’t matter what her father said, she would always...
WHAM.
With what felt like a baseball to the forehead, Maelie found herself reeling backwards from a door that had definitely not been open just a millisecond ago.
“Oh dear,” she heard Mr. Hanson’s voice through the sharp pain and shooting stars, “Oh my goodness, Miss Barre, are you all right?”
She shook her head a little, reeling backwards a couple steps, trying to make sense of what happened. “I think so,” she managed to get out, leaning against the wall. Everything was spinning a bit.
“This is all my fault,” a different voice offered, and she could just make out someone else in front of her peering concernedly into her face. She felt like a zoo exhibit. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
Focus, Mae, she told herself and after a few seconds, she was able to fix her eyes on the man in front of her. She blinked. Holy shit. How hard had she hit her head? Because no man, no real man had eyes that green and a face that perfectly formed.
Check Out the First Book in the Adams Brothers’ Series
Her whole life, Lula Stanley has wanted one thing—to find her father. When her grandmother’s failing health threatens to leave her with no family at all, the quiet literature teacher will stop at nothing to locate the man her mother tried so hard to hide. With her life in a tailspin, she doesn't have time for anything else, especially romance. But after she catches the eye of the hottest teacher at East High, Lula finds it nearly impossible to focus on her family’s past with such an appealing man in her present.
High School history teacher Dominic Adams can get any woman he wants, and has. But a chance encounter with Lula at a jazz club changes everything. Now, he only wants her, and will do whatever it takes to make her his.
As Dominic and Lula grow closer to each other and to solving her family's mystery, it becomes clear that some things are best left in the past. Will the promise of true love give Dominic and Lula a future, or will the truth of her history tear them apart?
NOW AVAILABLE AT ALL MAJOR BOOK RETAILERS
About the Author
Mindy McKinley is a Contemporary Romance author, avid reader, and cellist.
She lives in the Midwest with her drummer husband and two adorable cats. In her life outside of writing, she is a music teacher, a small business owner, and a professional musician.
No matter where she is in her busy life, her mind is always on her writing. She finds inspiration in everyday moments and joy in putting words in just the right order.
If you’re interested in learning more about Mindy’s writing, visit her website at www.mindymckinley.com for information on current books, upcoming projects, and a blog.
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