My eyes drift further down the aisle landing on the gorgeous, sandy blonde, blue-eyed gift from God. I clear my throat while running my hands down the rhinestones on my full white gown. I’ve opted out of traditional heels, as much as Lucy and Emily both begged me not to. They finally agreed that I’m just not a heels type of girl. Looking down at my choice of footwear, I scrunch up my toes and wiggle them around in my favorite pink Converse, well hidden underneath the flowing fabric my body is wrapped in. Just knowing my groom is sporting black matching Converse at the alter makes me want to run full speed into his waiting arms and skip the ceremony altogether.
Jude rolls in stride next to me as the music continues to play. When we reach the alter, I lean in to kiss him on the cheek. “Thank you,” I whisper as he picks up my hand and plants a soft kiss on my ring finger.
“Welcome to the family,” he says with a smile before Kyler turns and pushes his chair next to him and his other Groomsmen. Some people may not understand an ex-boyfriend walking his ex- girlfriend down the aisle, but they don’t have to. To Kyler and me, this small gesture is a huge statement. It’s a true representation of our unique situation. It was a decision we all made together. But mostly, it’s a perfect blending of my past, present, and future. My fiancé takes my hands in his as the preacher recites our wedding vows.
“I do,” Kyler says, his eyes staring straight into my soul just as they did the first time we met.
“I do,” I repeat.
“By the power vested in me by the State of Alabama, I now pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Kyler King!” The crowd erupts as the preacher introduces us to the congregation. We make our way outside of the chapel as a shower of rice falls from the hands of our family and friends. I hear Saddy’s hooves hit the concrete as we approach the white carriage she is attached to. My husband helps me climb up, positioning my body next to his, before kissing me on my forehead and looping our hands together. I close my eyes and take in the fresh air as I kick off my Converse, sprawling out on the bench beside Kyler.
“Are you headed to the reception sir?” The driver turns around and asks.
“Yes sir, take us home,” Kyler says as SaddyMcGee pulls us into the sunset towards King Stables. Grinning from ear to ear I lean into my husband’s embrace, and in this moment I know Kyler is my upside of letting go.
The End
I decided to write this book after I so strangely met a woman, I now call a friend. It all started on Twitter. Who would have thought a few meaningless tweets would have encouraged such a thing? Well it did. I remember several months ago, sitting and talking about our favorite books for hours on end. Did you read this yet? How did you like the ending to this one? When is the second one in that series coming out? One day my new friend had the brilliant idea to write a book. At first I laughed. What an obscured thought. But day in, and day out, we would discuss our ideas until one day we had entire stories outlined. We decided to make a pact. My good friend said, “If I write this book, you have to promise me you will write yours too.” And there, The Upside of Letting Go was born.
Initially I started typing my manuscript in the notes app on my Android. I would sit in bed at the crack of dawn pounding away on my cell phone keys until I finally saved the document in Microsoft Word and BAM, I had a freaking story. I never envisioned I would be publishing this book, or that there was a whole indie community out there supporting new authors. I was welcomed with open, arms and this new dream of mine seemed more tangible than ever. Throughout my journey I have met the most wonderful people, who not only cheered me on, helped me with my atrocious dialogue and sung my praises, but they also fell in love with Kyler and Haley’s story almost as much as I did. I would love to tell you my visions of these characters are linked to real life people that have inspired in some way, but that would be a lie. During the writing process I simply sat down, shut off the noise from my daily life, and closed my eyes. It was then my imagination took me places I didn’t even know existed in my brain. Allowing me to form these characters I love, and hopefully you have grown to love as well.
My main goal is that they are relatable and have touched one of you with their struggles, and story of triumph. While Kyler and Haley’s pain and sorrows aren’t real, there are readers out there who are dealing with the loss of a loved one, whether it is a parent, spouse, child or friend. I can only pray that my story shows you, you are not alone.
Letting go, has become my own personal motto, because I too have suffered the loss of a child. Three to be exact. And while I never had the opportunity to hold them in my arms much like Haley, the pain of losing them was real. It is a constant battle dealing with infertility, one in which my spouse and I will face every day for the rest of our lives, and because of that The Upside of Letting Go deals with some intense ‘real life’ situations. There are no words to express my sympathy to the mother who has lost a child, only a shoulder to lean on, because after all we are all in this together. I find comfort in knowing.
To find out more about miscarriage support, please visit:
www.stillbirthday.com
(I am not affiliated with this company. I am using their information solely for informational purposes. However permission to list their site was obtained.)
(This list is pretty darn lengthy. Be forewarned!)
First and foremost I want to thank God for blessing me on this amazing voyage we call life. He has made all things possible and paved the way for my dream of publishing this book become a reality.
Secondly, I want to thank my critique partners: Erika Taylor, you encouraged me from the moment I started writing. It was you who first heard of the love between Haley and Kyler, and it was you who helped me find the courage to follow this dream. LDBF, I owe you an eternity of thanks and I will spend a lifetime in debt to you for helping me find my passion!
Nichele Reese, thanks for talking to me for hours on end about writing and life in general. I cannot thank you enough for your feedback, support, friendship and funny pictures, which sometimes even made me blush. You my friend are one talented lady and I cannot wait to cheer you on much like you have done for me.
J.L Brooks, thank you for being an amazing beta reader and friend. Your attention to detail and constructive criticism helped more than you could ever imagine. Also, thank you for sharing the prologue of your debut novel Distractions, in my book. I know readers will love it as much as do!
J.L. Mac, thank you for our epic brainstorming sessions and your expert knowledge that helped me craft my story into the work of fiction it is today. Oh, and your hilarious YouTube videos!
Kim Karr, who spent countless hours teaching me while not laughing at me during the process, and for helping me with not only my blurb and dialogue, but for also asking more for more emotion in my sex scenes, I am sure the readers are grateful for that push! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for becoming my mentor during this process and for the countless phone calls we shared!
Kim Flores, your attention to detail is fabulous! I cannot thank you enough for not only beta reading for me, but also for being a fantastic cheerleader. I am proud to have you in my corner!
Melanie Dawn, you were the last set of eyes that read TULG before it was published. Thank you for catching the numerous senseless errors that were somehow filtered through. I cannot begin to give you the credit you deserve. I am truly humbled by your willingness to help me and grateful for your friendship.
Michelle Shultz Eck and the ladies at Literati Literature Lovers, who so graciously hosted and organized my blog tour. I owe you a gigantic round of applause for not only helping me but every other indie author you support, thank you all. Michelle, I cannot thank you enough for your mentorship throughout my journey and all of your editing expertise. There are some people who enter your life, who you know God sent for a purpose. I am truly blessed to have you in my life and by my side during this process. I appreciate you, momma bear!
Taryn Cellucci, thank you for not killing me with my countless emailin
g about Goodreads and of course thank you for your never ending help!
Heather Halloran at Word blog, thank you for hosting my first cover reveal and being the first blog to ever show interest in my book. Your support means more to me than you know.
Last but not least, thank you to my ladies in ‘The-Tasty-Mac-Yummy-Sammich Crew’ and the ‘Indie Chixx’. I am so grateful that this journey has led us all together. Watch out Vegas, is all I have to say!
Special thanks to all of my family and friends who have listened to me whine, complain and simply bitch about the nonsense Haley and Kyler were scheming in my head.
Mom and Dad if you are reading this, please skip over the raunchy parts and remember I am still your sweet and innocent little girl! And to Taylor, my beautiful fourteen year old sister in law, do not read chapter six, seven or twelve, EVER!
Thank you to my wonderful husband, for telling me to follow my heart and supporting my desire to write. Also, thank you for building me a kick ass desk. You are my upside to letting go, and I will love you until the day I die. If you happen to be reading this, I think I found my ‘thing’ so I’m sorry honey but the chores will be piling up again because there is another story running though my head that I have to get it out!
JT Formatting, thank you from the bottom of my heart for being so understanding when a minor crisis came up and I had to push back my formatting appointment. It is people like you, who are so kind in this business that makes me want to shout your referral information off of my rooftop. Hire her people, she rocks!
A big round of applause to the talented J.B McGee at Indie Pixel Studio for designing my first cover. If it wasn’t for you, people wouldn’t have ever had an image to connect my story to.
Also thank you to the magical, brilliant, and the ever patient Brett Fabrizio for helping me create the cover that I now use and putting up with my last minute changes. After stumbling upon the current stock image, I felt connected to it immediately. Brett, I cannot begin to thank you enough for creating such a vivid image. One in which I created in my mind and am no way talented enough to do what you did. It is amazing, and I am still in awe of your creation.
A gigantic thank you to all of the bloggers who signed up to be a part of my blog tour. Thank you for taking time out of your day to read my story. It is truly humbling the amount of support I have received.
Last but certainly not least, a big thank you to the readers who gave my book a chance. I write because I love it. I stay up until the dawn creeps its way through my windows, with an aching back and belly full of coffee because my characters beg for their stories to be told. The perk is delivering a meaningful novel to you. With that said I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to read my debut novel and I hope you enjoyed Haley and Kyler’s story as much as I did while writing it.
Nacole Stayton was born and raised Christian ‘Nacole’ Stayton. She is twenty-three years young, and currently resides in the Bluegrass state. She spends her days working at the local hospital and nights writing vigorously on her current novel. Her father and uncle are both race horse jockeys, so she grew up bouncing from race track to race track. Nacole goes to the Kentucky Derby every year without fail and admits she loves making her own hats, and cheering on her favorite horses from the sidelines. She has a passion for helping others and wears her University of Kentucky gear proudly. While her husband loves all things outdoors, Nacole enjoys the finer things in life like getting pedicures while reading on her Kindle Fire. She is passionate about her faith, family and The Bachelor. Her hair color changes with the seasons and she has a weakness for tattoos, iced coffee, and happy endings.
Stay tuned for Nacole Stayton’s second novel, A Graceful Mess. Release date to come.
Author Contact Information
Email: [email protected]
Blog: http://www.authornacolestayton.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/AuthorNacoleStayton
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NacoleStayton
Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/nacolestayton/
As promised here is the prologue of my dear friend J.L Brook’s debut novel, Distractions.
Distractions
by J.L. Brooks
Copyright © 2013
I was fourteen the first time I was fitted for a bodice. The pain of not seeing my breast swell above the crisscrossed ribbons dug deep. How I envied those women with over flowing bosom proudly on display, mocking my lack of visual femininity. My left hand slid beneath the tight fabric in an attempt to maneuver the not yet developed tissue. It was redundant because I was flat as a damn board.
I remembered a television show that used duct tape as a method for creating the appearance of cleavage in super models. That evening I placed the thick adhesive along my ribcage and pulled the skin making a small slice of flesh on my chest. These thoughts of inadequacy should never have crossed my mind at such a young age, yet it couldn't be helped. My innocence was tainted long before my virginity was taken.
Every summer from as far back as I could remember the American gypsies descended upon the small Colorado mountain village, breathing life into an otherwise decrepit shell. Bringing with them a force so strong it would remain long after they left, leaving me to anticipate their return. My mind was sharp enough to grasp the sensuality they possessed, but my body was not yet ready for immersion despite my longings.
The next year, puberty began the samba of hormones and was kind enough to broaden my hips and even out my height of nearly five foot ten. My sister Vivienne took pity on my wild state and asked her friend Melissa to teach me to belly dance in exchange for henna pieces. She knew it would be a while before we could do this again together, play in a world of make believe. She was leaving with the vagabonds to Minnesota, and I would be left to my sophomore year of high school back in suburbia.
Her hazel blue irises peered at me wistfully while painting my feet and hands intricate designs with earth colored paste. The rust hued stain would last for a month if I kept it moist through the night with the lemon sugar concoction. The air smelled thick with sandalwood incense and drums roared outside of the rickety wooden shop. Tomorrow I would start once the cannon went off, booming to those waiting outside of the gates that they could gain entry to the fabricated time warp. I would rim my deep brown eyes with kohl black liner, tie on my coin hip scarf and play the part.
Tonight I would cherish these intimate moments suspended between fantasy and reality, imprinting them on my mind for later. Each weekend I relished the opportunity to hone my skills, not just the painfully slow movements coordinating each stomach roll and arm sway precisely, but the gaze in my eyes, the way I smiled, the art of seduction. I learned how to be someone else, how to weave the illusion. Here I danced safely under the pine trees in the sunshine.
It was outside of these walls that seemed surreal and foreboding. The world offered nothing more than disappointment and regret fit for someone more than twice my age.
After Vivienne left, I became lost to my powerful delusions, finding relief with the worst kinds of distractions. With an open vacancy for influence, two entities appeared. One in the form of a teacher who had an affinity for the gypsies and eclectic literature, the other much a much darker force named Connor Lewis. In between the benders of a wicked methamphetamine addiction, I found solace in the library studying everything from Jack Kerouac to Henrietta Lacks. Somehow, I would have to make peace with these dueling forces raging inside and all around, spirit and flesh, the cosmic joke of my existence. Time would soon teach me, nothing happens by chance, and that fate intended to make good use of my procured abilities.
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
C
hapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Epilogue
Author’s Notes
Acknowledgments
About the Author
A Glimpse at Distractions
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
The Upside of Letting Go Page 21