Deep Blue Eternity

by Natasha Boyd

  On the subject of Daufuskie, any accidental misrepresentations of the island or its inhabitants are entirely my own, and I thank the wonderful residents of the island for being so welcoming. If you’re ever on the island, rent a golf cart at the General Store, go eat the famous shrimp n’ grits at Marshside Mama’s (no, it’s not owned by Marjoe – that was my imagination! But thank you to the real Marjoe Nelson aka Margie Stockton, who let me use her name), go see the incredible iron work artistry of Chase Allen at the Iron Fish Gallery (if he’s not there, take what you want and leave him some money), walk along Bloody Point beach, visit the old cemeteries, and finish up with a “Scrap Iron” cocktail at The Old Daufuskie Crab Company (but I’d limit yourself there, they are absolutely lethal).

  Al Chaput and Dave MacDonald, my critique partners: Thank you so much for your continued attention to detail, your care and your willingness to tell me the truth, even when it’s brutal. The first day I met you, you asked me to wear a rhino skin if I was to ask for your feedback. I‘m so glad that didn’t scare me off. I hope you’ll continue to demand my best work. Thank you also for trusting me to do the same for you, it has made me a better writer.

  Massive appreciation goes, as always, to my editor Judy Roth (www.judy-roth.com). Judy, you always make my story better, thank you. Thank you to my beta readers and cheerleaders Lisa, Julie, Stephen, Mom, RL Griffin, Tugce, Rachel, Faith and my agent Elaine). And of course, gratitude to Karen Lawson, my eagle-eyed proofreader. Thank you Adrian, for your gorgeous cover! (www.design-geek.com). Angela at Fictional Formats, thank you for making my manuscripts into beautiful works of art! And thanks always for the wisdom and fun chats SNoGgers, and NAAUers – you keep my life sane.

  Thank you, Mia Sheridan for your beautiful endorsement and your messages to me halfway through reading. I admire and respect your work so much. It is amazing to receive your praise.

  Julie Burke, thank you for all you do to keep me organized even if from a distance. You are a beautiful, talented, generous and wonderful person who I’m so lucky to call my friend.

  There are some difficult subjects covered in this book, I hope I dealt with them sensitively. This is a work of fiction, but the medical conditions and abuse topics mentioned, are not. They are very, very real. If you or someone you know is at risk or indeed currently suffering, please seek help. I know it takes courage to speak up. But you have it. Deep inside of you, you have that courage. I promise. Just because you’re scared or hurt, doesn’t mean you aren’t strong.

  With Love,

  Tasha

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  The Butler Cove Novels

  Eversea Series 1 and 2

  Eversea

  Forever, Jack

  Limited release dates

  My Star, My Love (Eversea 2.5)

  No Yet Published

  All That Jazz (2015)

  2013 Winter Rose Finalist for Contemporary Romance

  2014 Digital Book Award Winner for Adult Fiction

  An orphaned, small-town, southern girl, held hostage by responsibility and self-doubt.

  A Hollywood A-list mega-star, on the run from his latest scandal and with everything to lose.

  A chance encounter that leads to an unlikely arrangement and epic love affair that will change them both forever.

  When his co-star and real-life girlfriend is caught cheating on him with her married and much older director, A-list hottie, Jack Eversea, finds himself in sleepy Butler Cove, South Carolina. Jack hopes the sultry southern heat in this tiny coastal Lowcountry town will hide him not only from the tabloids and his cheating girlfriend, but his increasingly vapid life and the people who run it. He doesn’t count on meeting Keri Ann Butler.

  Keri Ann has relied on herself so long, dealing with her family’s death and the responsibilities of keeping up her family’s historic mansion, that boys and certainly the meager offering of eligible boys in Butler Cove, have never figured into her equation. But fate has other plans. Suddenly face to face with the man who played the movie role of her favorite fictional character, Jack has Keri Ann yearning for everything she has previously avoided… and Jack must decide whether this funny, sassy girl is worth changing his life for, before his mistakes catch up to him.

  Praise for Eversea

  ‘There are books and characters out there that take a piece of your heart and THIS is one of them… A beautiful story of heartbreak, revelations, struggles, deceptions and discovery’ ~ A Bookish Escape

  ‘Completely swept me away, heart and soul. I fell hard for this love story and its alluring characters. It encapsulated that intangible magic I hope to find every time I begin a new book’ ~ Vilma’s Book Blog

  ‘You will get lost in the characters and their stories’ ~ Bookish Treasure Blog

  ‘I felt this intense pull… This book just made me feel EVERYTHING’ ~ Star-Crossed Book Blog

  ‘A beautiful story about love against the odds’ ~ A Dream of Books

  ‘An absolutely sexy, heart-touching tale of finding oneself and discovering love along the way’ ~ Tome Tender Book Blog

  ‘When I tell you I couldn’t put this book down—I mean it. I. Could. Not. Put. Eversea. Down.’ ~ Madison Says Reviews

  Experience Eversea Now!

  Please enjoy this exclusive excerpt from R.L. Griffin’s recent release

  “Emma, you are a great dancer.” He passed her the drinks he’d just paid for and they walked to the edge of the dance floor.

  “Thanks. You’re not too bad yourself.”

  She took a drink and grimaced. Emery wasn’t used to having to make small talk with strangers. Emma would be better at this. Emery looked down to see her cleavage glistening with a layer of sweat and turned toward Tim. Snuggling up to him, she put her leg in between his and stood as close as she could.

  She pressed herself into him and he smiled down at her.

  “You’re beautiful.”

  She took a drink. Emma would flirt and touch him. She was Emma. Was Emma beautiful? She didn’t know how to be beautiful.

  “You probably hear that all the time.” Tim cleared his throat, emptied his drink, and set it on a table near them. She followed suit and then pulled him back onto the dance floor.

  I never hear that.

  They danced for hours to all sorts of songs. They danced for so long that her hair, currently back to its natural blond due to her not really leaving her apartment for four months, was wet and stuck to her forehead.

  His sweat marks had all run together and his sweater now looked navy. During a slow song, he moved her toward the back of the dance floor, her hands on his biceps. His biceps were muscular and reminded her of Noah’s.

  She pushed Noah out of her mind; Emma didn’t even know Noah.

  Tim gently pushed her against the wall at the back of the dance floor and leaned into her. “Can I can kiss you, Emma?” His lips were only inches from hers and his periwinkle eyes sparked with trouble.

  “Please,” she answered. She wanted someone to kiss her, anyone to touch her.

  His lips were tentative at first, his arms tense, and she could feel his erection through his pants. Emery was surprised by his tenderness and it allowed her to open to him. Then she lost herself in the licks and sucks, the tugs and the nips. Her chest was heaving and their hands searched each other, for what, she didn’t know. She’d missed being touched.

  Emery’s sweat-drenched hair clung to her neck and he pulled it up gently, holding it away from her neck. His lips found hers again and he pulled her bottom lip in between his teeth, then ran his
thumb over the thin fabric of her dress. His eyes pinned hers again and he smirked as he rubbed circles around her nipples.

  Her legs threatened to give out or wrap around him. The realization that she felt everything halted the euphoria that was traveling freely through her body. She felt everything.

  NO!

  Abruptly, she pulled back and frantically took a step away from him. She looked to the floor, trying to calm her heart and breathing. Shaking her head, she took another step away. She couldn’t do this. Emery was not going to allow herself to feel this. She couldn’t allow herself. Emma couldn’t feel anything.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered and then ran to find Rachel.

  Emery grabbed Rachel by the hand and dragged her out of the dance club as fast as she could.

  “Em, our coats!”

  “Please give me the keys. Get our coats. I can’t…”

  Rachel nodded and allowed Emery to run out to the car.

  Emery hunched in the passenger seat. She was so stupid. What was she doing? She couldn’t let guys kiss her and open that side of her. There was no time where that would be okay again.

  The driver’s side door opened and Rachel got in, throwing her coat at her. “What the fuck, Em? Are you okay?” she asked as she cranked the car and pulled into the traffic.

  “I just… I needed to get out of there. That guy…” She couldn’t finish. Emery looked out the window at the passing downtown area.

  “Em? Did that guy hurt you?” Rachel’s eyes were blazing with anger.

  “Oh, Rachel, no.” Emery exhaled, exasperated. “It’s best if I just stay to myself, I guess. Get me out in public and I might start feeling things, and that just leads to a big problem.”

  “Emery, you can’t shut yourself off completely. You can meet people and have fun. You can even kiss them if you want.” Rachel turned to face Emery at a red light. “That guy asked me what happened to you. He wanted to make sure you were okay.”

  “I can’t. I don’t want to kiss people or meet people, because then I may want to not lie to them, and I can’t ever do that. I’ll never be able to have anything real because I’m not real.” She sighed. “This,” she waved her hands above her body, “isn’t real.”

  “Em…”

  “I’m not real.”

  Available now!