When I saw this photo, I knew this had to be the cover. It so perfectly captures not only a specific scene in the book, but the delicate beauty and sometimes heavy heart of Sloane. It spoke to me so loudly, and I hope it speaks to you, too. So, without further ado, here is the cover and blurb (and a teeny tiny teaser) for ALL THE PRETTY LIES, coming November 12th:
All the Pretty Lies
“Live, no regrets”
Her…
Sloane Locke has led
a sheltered life. However, with a
history like hers, she can understand why her brothers and her father want so
much to protect her. She has gone along
with it for twenty long years, but those days are over. For the girl who never makes promises, Sloane
has made a pact with herself that things will change on her twenty-first
birthday. So when the clock strikes midnight,
Sloane strikes out to spread her wings and break a few rules.
Him…
In addition to inking
skin, Hemi Spencer possesses many talents. Controlling himself has never been
one of them. It’s never had to be. He’s lived a life of indulgence for as long
as he can remember. Right up until
tragedy struck. Now, he’s nothing but controlled. He’s a man on a mission,
one who will let nothing and no one stand in his way.
Them…
Nothing in their
lives could’ve prepared Sloane and Hemi for what they’d find in each
other—distraction and obsession, love and possession. But the one thing they can’t find is a
future. Neither one has been totally
honest. And they’ll soon learn that the
devil is in the details. In the details
and in the lies.
Excerpt:
Hemi stands to throw something into the garbage. When he turns back toward me, our eyes
collide. That’s when the impulse hits
me. It slams into me like a gust of wind
going ninety miles an hour. It steals my breath and makes my heart beat so hard
that I can hear it in my ears. And for
once in my life, I put thought aside. I don’t overthink it. In fact, I don’t
think about it at all. Before I can
change my mind, I slide off the table and step toward him. He doesn’t move, doesn’t back up, just stands
tall and perfectly still. Watching
me. I wonder if he knows what I’m
thinking, how I’m feeling. What I’m about to do. And I wonder if he’ll stop me.
But I don’t overthink that either. If I do, I’ll chicken
out. And I can’t afford to chicken out
on life anymore.
I take another step toward him, building up the nerve to
just do it, just kiss him. But Hemi
surprises me when he takes the step
that will bring us near enough to touch.
He’s so close, my chest almost brushes his every time I
inhale. I sway toward him the tiniest bit, craving the contact. With him.
A perfect stranger.
“Sloane,” he whispers, the sound of my name on his lips
bringing chills to my arms again. He
reaches out to push my hair back over my shoulder. His fingertips linger on the skin of my neck
before they fall away.
“Hemi,” I sigh, melting into the heat of his eyes. I knew there was something between us. Well,
I’d hoped. Hoped I wasn’t imagining it. But now I know I wasn’t. It’s there, staring out at me from behind his
hooded midnight eyes. Blatant and unabashed, he wants me. And I want him, too.
“You need to walk out that door and never come back.”
My heart stops. Of
all the things I thought he might say, this came out of nowhere. “What?” I ask in a small, uncertain voice.
“You need to leave.
And don’t look back.”
I scramble to recover.
“But…but what about the rest of my tattoo?”
“I’m not talking about your tattoo and you know it.”
“Then what are you
talking about?” I inquire, playing dumb to save what’s left of my crumbling
pride.
“I’m talking about you.
And me. This. Us.”
“There is no us.”
“There will be in about thirty seconds if you don’t get the
hell out of here.”
“What if I don’t want to leave?” I’m confused. Is he saying
that he wants me? Or that he wants me to
go?
“I’m not asking.”
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why do you want me to go?”
“Because guys like me change girls
like you.”
“Girls like me?”
“Innocent girls.”
“What if I’m not that innocent?”
His lips quirk in a wry grin. “Oh, you’re exactly that innocent. I can
practically smell it on you. Sweet, pure, untouched. And, if I’m being honest, I’d like nothing
better than to taste that on the tip of my tongue.”
“Then what’s stopping you?”
I watch him wrestle
with…something. “I don’t have the time
or the inclination to get involved in ruining someone else’s life.”
“What makes you think you’d ruin my
life?”
“Oh, trust me. I would.”
“But—”
“But nothing. For tonight, I’ll be the good guy you need me
to be. Whether you know you need it or
not. I’m asking you to leave, Sloane. But
I promise you—promise you—that if you
so much as darken my doorway again, I won’t let you walk back out again.”
I’m torn between heady elation and
harsh rejection. “Hemi—”
“Go, little girl,” he says
softly. “Go before I change my mind.”
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