“Everybody gets there in their own time. No one person is ever the same. I usually make the analogy of a snowflake. Think of yourself floating aimlessly in the sky like one of those original snowflakes. The mind is fragile and there’s only so much we can take before we break.” She did make sense although she did give me the impression of sitting around in a circle singing Kumbaya.
“I’ve done my best to live a healthy lifestyle by treating my body like a temple. I can’t say the same thing for my mental health.” I was in the best shape of my life and seeing the results in the mirror made the pain worth the gain.
“You sound like the type of guy who sees the glass half empty. When you leave here you will always see the glass as half full. I’m glad we had this time to talk. It has given me a direction in which way my therapy is going to be catered to you.” She walked away with the dress swirling around her from a gust of wind coming from nowhere.
I tried to forget about my financial worries and concentrated on the beauty surrounding me from every angle. I went to the water’s edge and sat down with the book in my hands. I flipped through the pages and stopped when a memorable quote jumped out at me.
I could smell bacon and sausages assaulting my olfactory sense. I was looking forward to a hearty breakfast to stick to my ribs.
I read the first few pages and I started to feel the weight on my shoulders lighten considerably.
This place was a long way from San Diego. I’d been around the world, but I had always come back to the place I called home. The Spruce Street Suspension Bridge was one of my earliest memories growing up; I used to call it “Wiggly Bridge”. It was still there to this day drawing tourists from around the globe.
I got up and brushed off the sand sticking to my clothes. I wiped my hands and carried the book like my own personal bible. I wanted something better, but I was unsure this book had the answers.
The palm trees stretched for as far as the eye could see. They surrounded the beach and gave that necessary shade from the scorching sun. There was one gentleman using a machete to cut into a fresh coconut. He saw me standing there and offered me the one he cracked open.
I looked around, but he was obviously offering it to me and no one else. It was delicious and sweet. It was nothing like what I would find in the states commercially on the shelves at a grocery store. This was fresh. It wasn’t going to be the last time I enjoyed the island flavors.
“I don’t know how to say thank you in your language.” He didn’t understand, but my smile was a universal sign.
I returned to the restaurant connected to the rehab center and headed over to the breakfast buffet. I was starving, loaded my plate with the eggs and bacon. I didn’t know where they got the bacon, but I was going to have to compliment the chef on making it to my specifications. I also found myself drawn to a medley of different fruits. It was the perfect way to cleanse my palate after the meal.
Nobody bothered to come to introduce themselves. It could’ve been I was sending off this vibe to stay away. I wasn’t much for company. I was perfectly content with the plate of food and a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice.
I saw people in various states of undress. Some even dared to wear swimsuits. I was going to have to get with the program or get lost in the shuffle. I saw the clock. I had barely made it for breakfast before they were going to clean up and get ready for lunch.
I didn’t even have a chance to shave, shower, or put on any of my cologne. I slapped my forehead realizing I had left it behind and the last of it had already worn off while I slept. If what I did was called sleeping. Tossing and turning restlessly was not going to give me the eight hours I needed to function.
I needed an immediate caffeine fix. If I thought it was possible, I would have them direct it right into my veins intravenously.
I stood behind this woman who couldn’t seem to make up your mind what she wanted. She finally chose Belgian hot chocolate. It wasn’t the least bit chilled, but everybody’s body chemistry was different.
She walked away and we briefly locked eyes. I smiled.
The clock and my heart was the only thing I heard beating at the same time.
She was backing away and wasn’t watching what she was doing. She bumped into one of the dishwashers carrying a load of dirty dishes back to the kitchen. She apologized profusely with a voice barely high enough to be a whisper.
The young man wasn’t frazzled. I was sure this wasn’t the first time nor was it going to be the last time somebody made a mistake.
She kept glancing back over her shoulder like she couldn’t quite believe I was standing there looking at her. Amazingly, she didn’t spill one single drop of her hot chocolate.
I felt the sparks.
I wasn’t sure if it was just my imagination. I had no idea who she was, but I was happy to know we were in the same place.
Want to know what happens to Erin & Tyler?
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An Interview with Zoey
What inspire you to write this book?
I was thinking of something new and different to write after I finished writing Her Secret back in Nov 2017. I wanted something wild and creative to start off 2018, so I thought to challenge myself with a retelling of fairy tales series. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was my first movie ever in a movie theater. I still have a picture of me standing next to a life size cut out of Snow White at the cinema.
It’s a risky pursuit because readers including myself can be protective of the classic fairy tales and the last thing that I want to do is to ruin a classic.
Why did you choose a reverse harem?
The short answer is because I have never written a reverse harem. I read one reverse harem by a popular author early in the summer, and I quite enjoyed it.
So I challenge myself to write one, and Snow’s story easily lends itself to a reverse harem, at least in my mind it does.
And I wanted this book to have more than just sex, so I added Megan’s story to add the element of mystery and suspence.
Do you see Snow’s personality in you?
Yes and No.
Similar to Snow, I’m a serial monogamist type of gal when in a romantic relationship. When I was single, I did do a bit of casual dating. But my best friend wasn’t like the Lindsay character at all, she was much more conservative but lived vicariously through my dating adventures.
We made a bet with each other when we were single. We must have been 18 or 19 years old. The bet was that whoever was the first one to have 7 dates with 7 different guys in a roll, the winner would get to tell other person to do whatever she wanted and there was no limit. An enticing bet!
At the end, neither of us won because my best friend ended up dating and marrying her first boyfriend in college. My maximum number of dates in a week was with 4 guys, I found it exhausting and I didn’t even sleep with them! They were all first dates, typical drinks, dinners and walks in the city. I got their stories and details all mixed up by the time I got to the 3rd guy. My guy friend Jason who was almost like my dating coach said that I should take notes after each date if I wanted to continue dating four men this way…HAH…no thanks! It didn’t take long for me to narrow it down to two and then one which is my current beau.
Sorry I digress…back to the original question.
I think I put a bit of me in Snow, and the rest are PURE fantasy.
Fantasy with a doctor, professor, firefighter and etc, etc.
Which one was your favorite hunk?
Wow, that’s a tough question. I want them all for different reasons.
If I really have to choose one to have a fling with, I pick Zane the badass undercover cop, because Zane appears to be a bad ass but he has a noble job. I think someone like Zane who struggles wi
th right and wrong would be very raw and passionate. And sex on a helicopter!?! Hello? Need I say more?
OK, now I have a follow up question about the hunks –you already answered who you would have a fling with, who would you marry and who would you be a friend with?
I would marry Jonathan like Snow did. Who doesn’t want a Prince charming of her own?
I would stay friends with Firefighter Matt because he’s a happy go lucky kind of guy, and I am sure I get to hear all the juicy details of his sexacapes with the firefighter groupies.
Email me ([email protected]) or tell me on FB (https://www.facebook.com/Zoey-A-Black-123495618362072) and tell me who your favorite hunk was!
What was the writing experience like to create this story?
It was fun actually. It was a very different writing experience when I was writing Her Secret. In Snow, I focused a lot more on developing a suspenseful plotline. There were yellow stickies all over the wall in my bedroom when I was putting together the plot twists.
There was less focus on the romantic relationship between Snow and each of the hunks, because I think Snow and the hunks knew that their casual encounters were to remain as casual fun.
And in terms of the romance between Snow and Prince Charming Jonathan, I decided to keep the courtship sweet and uncomplicated, and made them wait to enjoy their physical aspect of the romance. There is something about delayed gratification that adds more to a budding relationship.
What’s the most important take away or lessons from this book?
My books aim to entertain, I’m not here to be a coach or teach life lessons. I think the main point is that life is short and sometimes you just have to let go of what you ought to be and say yes to the opportunities.
Within reason, of course.
That’s one of my mottos in life.
How do you deal with the naysayers to this book?
I had received both positive and negative reviews on this book.
It’s never easy to read negative reviews, I am still developing a thick skin. Generally speaking, I go into my robot mode and try to stay as analytical as I can. I don’t take offense from readers that don’t like the book, in fact, I strive to understand what exactly they didn’t like and to see if there are ways for me to improve and give them a story that they would enjoy more.
But at the same time, it’s impossible to please everyone so I can only do my best with the given time I have.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on the second book in the fairy tale retelling series, Waking Up, this story is inspired by Sleeping Beauty. The title of the book isn’t set in stone, it’s still preliminary.
Here’s a teaser:
A modern day sleeping beauty, Aurora, woke up to her world of chaos. The one who kissed her and roused her from her sleep wasn’t the love of her life – her husband. But a stranger who had been visiting her and revealing his most private thoughts and dark secrets to her while she was asleep. She remembered every bit of it. This was just the tip of the iceberg, the beginning of their tumultuous love story.
This story focuses on the struggles between Aurora and this bad boy, a story of light and dark rescuing each other from awful things happening in their lives. Ultimately will they find their perfect harmony at the end?
Thank You!
Thank you so much for checking out Snow and Her Seven Hunks, I hope you enjoyed it!
If you enjoyed Snow and Her Seven Hunks, please take a minute to write me a review here:
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It would mean the world to me. Reviews are one of the best ways for new readers to discover my books and hopefully it would make my dream come true to become a full time writer.
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Much Love,
Zoey A. Black
Snow and Her Seven Hunks: A Reverse Harem (A Modern Fairy Tale Series Book 1) Page 17