Welcome to my stop on the Saving Toby Blog Tour!
~*~*~*~*~
Title: Saving Toby
Author: Suzanne McKenna Link
Release date: August 26th, 2013
Genre: New Adult
Loving someone through their hard fall from grace takes a lot of grit.
In school, Toby Faye was a moody kid who sat in the back of class and looked like he wanted to be anywhere but there. Claudia Chiametti, the perfect student, always sat in the front row. She might have forgotten him if it weren't for the fact that his family had been involved in two tragic events. In the small town of Sayville, Long Island, many knew of the family’s dark history.
Hired on as a caretaker to Mrs. Faye, Claudia is thrown into the lives of the widow and her son — a world where sadness lingers and old wounds run deep. Now twenty-one, Toby is not so quiet. A mass of muscles and unruly hair, he is a real head turner. He is jaunty with the confidence his masculine good looks afford him. While not immune to his sexual advances, Claudia sees beyond the cocky grin. Up close, his blue-grey eyes expose something else.
Despite her father’s stern warnings about the family’s violent history, Claudia is empathetic to their plight and vows to help both mother and son move past the hurt. This endeavor forces her to face situations she never imagines possible. She must be tougher than she's ever had to be. Does Claudia have the grit to love Toby through his fall?
Saving Toby, the author's debut novel, is the first book of a two-part story that follows the emotional and gritty tale of a young couple's journey to find themselves and the love they never dreamed existed.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18661231-saving-toby?ac=1
~*~*~*~*~
About the Author:Suzanne McKenna Link is the debut author of SAVING TOBY. The literary love story follows the moving journey of a damaged young man and his love for a girl who might just save him. An avid interest in psychology has Suzanne digging deep into the reasons for her characters' behaviors. The native Long Islander is fascinated by the how and why of people's actions. As a result, her characters come to life on the pages.
Suzanne is currently working on "Keeping Claudia," the emotional sequel and finale to Saving Toby. To keep up-to-date on Suzanne’s newest writing endeavours.
Official Website: http://suzannemckennalink.blogspot.pt/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SuzanneMckennaLink
~*~*~*~*~
Excerpt:
I quietly followed Toby to his Jeep, but as soon as I saw what big tires it had, I realized it would be difficult for me to get up into it.
“Oh!” I gasped as, without asking, Toby pinned me to his side and my feet left the ground. He lifted me into the door-less passenger side and gently dropped me into the bucket seat. With my pulse racing, he leaned over me and secured my safety buckle. I was too intimidated to say anything.
He tested the strap with a tug and leaned back. His blue-grey eyes caught me staring at him.
“Your hair looks really nice tonight,” he murmured, reaching up to touch a loose strand.
“Thank you,” I said, hoping he didn’t catch the hitch in my voice.
Toby considered his Jeep for a moment. The top was down, and the vehicle open to the night. “The ride will probably mess it up.”
I wasn’t deterred. “After almost being drugged and watching a fist fight up close, what’s a little wind in my hair?”
He didn’t miss the hard edge to my comment. He put a hand over mine. “You’re safe with me, okay?”
His words were protective, like my father’s, but the vibe coming from him was most definitely not paternal. It took a moment before I could answer, but smiling meekly, I nodded.
“Yes, okay.”
Toby drove fast, shifting gears manually with skill. I wasn’t afraid. In fact, with the cool night air blowing in our faces, the ride was exhilarating. We both laughed as my hair blew up and whirled around my head. It felt silly, but for the moment, I didn’t mind. He took the turns quickly, each time reaching over to hold my arm and keep me in my seat.
He pulled up to the curb in front of my house and cut the engine. And then he looked at me. “Can you hang for a few minutes?”
“I thought you had to get home.” I felt uneasiness flutter inside my chest.
“Nah, I wanted to get out of there, too,” he said.
I tried to settle myself. “Alright, but just for a few minutes.”
As he reached towards the stereo to turn on some rock music, the sleeve of his tee shirt slid up revealing the edge of a tattoo design on his upper arm.
“You have a tattoo,” I said, more as an observation than opinion. He nodded, and, before I knew what he was doing, he whipped off his tee shirt. My mouth hung open loosely at the sight of his bare torso.
“See.” He presented his shoulder to me. “I’m actually a cyborg robot.”
I heard the words, but all I really noticed was that he had great shoulders. While his skin looked smooth, the breadth of him was a multitude of carved dips and peaks—mountain ranges of tight muscle. Heat seemed to radiate from his bare skin, warming my face. I tried to ignore how confined it suddenly felt in the car and concentrate on what looked like a realistic looking metal plate with rivets carved in to his upper arm and extending onto his shoulder. The art made it look as though his skin was peeling away, revealing metal just beneath the surface.
I studied it, secretly wanting to touch it, but I kept my hands in my lap.
“Did it hurt?”
“Cried like a baby.”
“Really?”
He laughed. “Do you really think I would tell you that?”
“No, I don’t.” I laughed at myself.
“It wasn’t too bad. Thinking of getting one?” He put his shirt back on, and I was relieved.
“I could never. My father would disown me if I ever came home with a tattoo.”
“Do you do everything your dad tells you to?”
“My dad has lots of expectations,” I said. “I’m trying to figure out which ones are worth challenging. Tattoos are not so important.”
“Hang out with me. That’ll be a challenge,” he smiled.
I chuckled. “Oh, yes. You and I hanging out, that would not go over well. I could just see his face.” Catching myself, I covered my mouth. “I’m sorry, that sounds terrible. It’s just that in his line of work, he assesses people quickly.”
“You don’t have to explain. I understand.” He sighed and drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. I could tell it bothered him more than he let on.
~*~*~*~*~
Giveaway:
Prize: 5USD Amazon Gift Card
a Rafflecopter giveaway
~*~*~*~*~
 |
| Schedule: http://bit.ly/KtBUdI |
I like the sound of this.
ReplyDeleteIt does seem interesting. :)
Delete