Going Under
New Adult
Date to be Published: March 19, 2013
Synopsis:
Brooke Wright has only two goals her senior year at Charity Run High School: stay out of
trouble and learn to forgive herself for the past. Forgiveness proves elusive, and trouble finds her
anyway when she discovers a secret club at school connected to the death of her best friend. She
learns that swim team members participate in a “Fantasy Slut League,” scoring points for their
sexual acts with unsuspecting girls.
Brooke, wracked with guilt over her friend’s death, decides to infiltrate the league by
becoming one of the “unsuspecting girls,” and exact revenge on the boys who stole away her
best friend. An unexpected romance complicates her plans, and her dogged pursuit of justice
turns her reckless as she underestimates just how far the boys will go to keep their sex club a secret.
(This is a New Adult fiction book with mature themes. It contains explicit language and
descriptions of sexual violence.)
Book Excerpt (from Chapter One):
I left the bathroom in a hurry, turning the corner for the foyer and slamming into him. The
force of the hit was so great that I stumbled backwards, nearly falling on my bottom if not for his
outstretched hand. I grabbed it before going down and wobbled on my too-high heels, clutching
him as I worked to regain my balance.
“God, I’m sorry!” he exclaimed.
I looked at his face then, unprepared to see something so beautiful. I think I gasped. And
then I averted my eyes out of sheer embarrassment.
“I really should watch where I’m going,” he said.
He still held my hand, and I let him. I couldn’t remember who I was or where I was going. I
couldn’t remember where I had just been. I only knew that a very cute boy . . . no, he was more
than cute. He was gorgeous. This very gorgeous boy was holding my hand, and I had only one
thought. I wanted to make our handholding more intimate. I wanted to lace my fingers with his.
“I think I should,” I mumbled.
I chanced another look at him. I made a conscientious effort not to gasp as I took in his light
blue eyes. I’d never seen eyes that color. Bing Crosby had nothing on this guy’s eyes, and Bing’s
eyes were the color of the Mediterranean. No, the eyes I looked into now were so light blue they
looked translucent. I thought if I stared a little longer I could see right inside his head, to his
brain, and I don’t know why that turned me on so much. I wanted to witness the workings of his
mind, the firing synapses, information traveling safely inside neurons to different parts of his
body. A few made it to his hand, and they must have told him to keep holding mine because he
didn’t let go.
I stared shamelessly, licking my lips at one point. He stared back just as boldly. I wanted
him to like what he saw. I wanted him to think I was sexy. I wanted him to feel the same instant
attraction I did. I’d never felt it before. Not really. Not even with Finn. It was unsettling, and I
wondered how people functioned after being smacked upside the head with it. Instant. Physical.
Chemical.
Primal.
Just rip my clothes off, I thought. Just rip my clothes off and do me right here in the hallway!
He smiled and released my hand. I thought he did it reluctantly, like his brain ordered him
to and he finally acquiesced. I smiled back, a flirty grin. I pulled my ponytail forward over my
shoulder and played with the strands. I bit my lower lip. And then reality came crashing down
like a hailstorm, large lumps of ice banging my head and screaming at me in unison.
“YOU’RE AT A FUNERAL!”
I looked at the gorgeous guy, and my face went white.
“Oh my God,” I whispered.
He stared at me for a moment before saying, “Are you okay?”
I shook my head and started towards the sanctuary doors. He followed behind.
“I’m awful, I’m awful, I’m awful,” I whispered over and over. I didn’t care if he could hear.
What the hell was I doing? Trying to flirt with a guy at my best friend’s funeral? How could
I even forget for a second that I was at a funeral? I was supposed to be carrying around heavy,
black sorrow to match my black dress and black heart, not batting lashes and fantasizing about
sex with a stranger. Was I so ridiculous that a hot guy could make me forget to have any kind of
decency? Or shame?
I rounded the corner and saw my mother waiting for me. And then I ran to her, threw myself
into her arms, and burst into a fit of tears.
“Brooklyn,” she whispered, holding me in a tight hug. “It’s okay,” she cooed as she stroked
my hair.
“I’m a terrible friend!” I wailed. I saw the fuzzy outline of a boy walking past us tentatively
through the doors.
“No, you aren’t,” my mother replied.
“Yes, I am! I don’t even know why I’m here! Beth hated my guts! She wouldn’t talk to me
all summer!”
“Brooke,” Mom said. “I want you to calm down. Now, we talked about this. You knew it
would be hard, but she was your best friend for all those years. Do you think she wouldn’t have
wanted you here?”
“No, I don’t!” I cried.
“Yes, she would,” Mom said. “Now we have to go in.”
“I can’t!”
“Brooke, Beth was your best friend,” Mom said, trying for patience.
“No she wasn’t! Not after what I did! I ruined everything! I’m a freaking slut!” I sobbed,
shaking my head from side to side.
“Sweetheart, don’t say words like ‘freaking’ and ‘slut’ in a church,” Mom replied.
I only sobbed louder.
“You can do this,” Mom encouraged.
I stood my ground, shaking my head violently, refusing to go in.
“Brooklyn Wright!” Mom hissed pushing me away and grabbing my upper arm. She
squeezed too tightly, and I squeaked in discomfort. There was no more tenderness in her voice.
“Get yourself together. This isn’t about you. So stop making it about you. You’re going into that
sanctuary and you’re going to pay your respects to your friend, and you’re going to make it about
Beth. Do you understand me?”
I swallowed hard and wiped my face.
“Do you understand me?” Mom repeated.
I nodded grudgingly, and she took my hand, leading me through the doors.
© S. Walden, 2013
S. Walden
Author Bio:
S. Walden used to teach English before making the easy decision to become a full-time writer.Easy because once she completed a full-time graduate program, there weren't any teaching jobs anyway! She lives in Georgia with her very supportive husband who does not read fiction and has a difficult time understanding why her characters must have personality flaws. She is wary of small children, so she has two Westies instead. Her dreams include getting through her next big writing project (a three-part series) and owning and operating a beachside inn on the Gulf Coast.Her husband's dreams for her include getting her Ph.D. so that he can tell people he's married to a doctor.
She loves her fans and loves to hear from them. Email her at swaldenauthor@hotmail.com and follow her blog at http://swaldenauthor.blogspot.com where you can get up-to-date information on her current projects.
Brooke Wright has only two goals her senior year at Charity Run High School: stay out of
trouble and learn to forgive herself for the past. Forgiveness proves elusive, and trouble finds her
anyway when she discovers a secret club at school connected to the death of her best friend. She
learns that swim team members participate in a “Fantasy Slut League,” scoring points for their
sexual acts with unsuspecting girls.
Brooke, wracked with guilt over her friend’s death, decides to infiltrate the league by
becoming one of the “unsuspecting girls,” and exact revenge on the boys who stole away her
best friend. An unexpected romance complicates her plans, and her dogged pursuit of justice
turns her reckless as she underestimates just how far the boys will go to keep their sex club a secret.
(This is a New Adult fiction book with mature themes. It contains explicit language and
descriptions of sexual violence.)
Book Excerpt (from Chapter One):
I left the bathroom in a hurry, turning the corner for the foyer and slamming into him. The
force of the hit was so great that I stumbled backwards, nearly falling on my bottom if not for his
outstretched hand. I grabbed it before going down and wobbled on my too-high heels, clutching
him as I worked to regain my balance.
“God, I’m sorry!” he exclaimed.
I looked at his face then, unprepared to see something so beautiful. I think I gasped. And
then I averted my eyes out of sheer embarrassment.
“I really should watch where I’m going,” he said.
He still held my hand, and I let him. I couldn’t remember who I was or where I was going. I
couldn’t remember where I had just been. I only knew that a very cute boy . . . no, he was more
than cute. He was gorgeous. This very gorgeous boy was holding my hand, and I had only one
thought. I wanted to make our handholding more intimate. I wanted to lace my fingers with his.
“I think I should,” I mumbled.
I chanced another look at him. I made a conscientious effort not to gasp as I took in his light
blue eyes. I’d never seen eyes that color. Bing Crosby had nothing on this guy’s eyes, and Bing’s
eyes were the color of the Mediterranean. No, the eyes I looked into now were so light blue they
looked translucent. I thought if I stared a little longer I could see right inside his head, to his
brain, and I don’t know why that turned me on so much. I wanted to witness the workings of his
mind, the firing synapses, information traveling safely inside neurons to different parts of his
body. A few made it to his hand, and they must have told him to keep holding mine because he
didn’t let go.
I stared shamelessly, licking my lips at one point. He stared back just as boldly. I wanted
him to like what he saw. I wanted him to think I was sexy. I wanted him to feel the same instant
attraction I did. I’d never felt it before. Not really. Not even with Finn. It was unsettling, and I
wondered how people functioned after being smacked upside the head with it. Instant. Physical.
Chemical.
Primal.
Just rip my clothes off, I thought. Just rip my clothes off and do me right here in the hallway!
He smiled and released my hand. I thought he did it reluctantly, like his brain ordered him
to and he finally acquiesced. I smiled back, a flirty grin. I pulled my ponytail forward over my
shoulder and played with the strands. I bit my lower lip. And then reality came crashing down
like a hailstorm, large lumps of ice banging my head and screaming at me in unison.
“YOU’RE AT A FUNERAL!”
I looked at the gorgeous guy, and my face went white.
“Oh my God,” I whispered.
He stared at me for a moment before saying, “Are you okay?”
I shook my head and started towards the sanctuary doors. He followed behind.
“I’m awful, I’m awful, I’m awful,” I whispered over and over. I didn’t care if he could hear.
What the hell was I doing? Trying to flirt with a guy at my best friend’s funeral? How could
I even forget for a second that I was at a funeral? I was supposed to be carrying around heavy,
black sorrow to match my black dress and black heart, not batting lashes and fantasizing about
sex with a stranger. Was I so ridiculous that a hot guy could make me forget to have any kind of
decency? Or shame?
I rounded the corner and saw my mother waiting for me. And then I ran to her, threw myself
into her arms, and burst into a fit of tears.
“Brooklyn,” she whispered, holding me in a tight hug. “It’s okay,” she cooed as she stroked
my hair.
“I’m a terrible friend!” I wailed. I saw the fuzzy outline of a boy walking past us tentatively
through the doors.
“No, you aren’t,” my mother replied.
“Yes, I am! I don’t even know why I’m here! Beth hated my guts! She wouldn’t talk to me
all summer!”
“Brooke,” Mom said. “I want you to calm down. Now, we talked about this. You knew it
would be hard, but she was your best friend for all those years. Do you think she wouldn’t have
wanted you here?”
“No, I don’t!” I cried.
“Yes, she would,” Mom said. “Now we have to go in.”
“I can’t!”
“Brooke, Beth was your best friend,” Mom said, trying for patience.
“No she wasn’t! Not after what I did! I ruined everything! I’m a freaking slut!” I sobbed,
shaking my head from side to side.
“Sweetheart, don’t say words like ‘freaking’ and ‘slut’ in a church,” Mom replied.
I only sobbed louder.
“You can do this,” Mom encouraged.
I stood my ground, shaking my head violently, refusing to go in.
“Brooklyn Wright!” Mom hissed pushing me away and grabbing my upper arm. She
squeezed too tightly, and I squeaked in discomfort. There was no more tenderness in her voice.
“Get yourself together. This isn’t about you. So stop making it about you. You’re going into that
sanctuary and you’re going to pay your respects to your friend, and you’re going to make it about
Beth. Do you understand me?”
I swallowed hard and wiped my face.
“Do you understand me?” Mom repeated.
I nodded grudgingly, and she took my hand, leading me through the doors.
© S. Walden, 2013
S. Walden
Author Bio:
S. Walden used to teach English before making the easy decision to become a full-time writer.Easy because once she completed a full-time graduate program, there weren't any teaching jobs anyway! She lives in Georgia with her very supportive husband who does not read fiction and has a difficult time understanding why her characters must have personality flaws. She is wary of small children, so she has two Westies instead. Her dreams include getting through her next big writing project (a three-part series) and owning and operating a beachside inn on the Gulf Coast.Her husband's dreams for her include getting her Ph.D. so that he can tell people he's married to a doctor.
She loves her fans and loves to hear from them. Email her at swaldenauthor@hotmail.com and follow her blog at http://swaldenauthor.blogspot.com where you can get up-to-date information on her current projects.
Bj,
ReplyDeleteWow! I'm completely digging the way you designed my cover reveal with coordinating colors. So beautiful! Thanks so much. I hope your members and followers find GOING UNDER fascinating and drop in their names for a free book! Can't wait to get this to the public March 19 :)
S. Walden
Thanks for the giveaway! :)
ReplyDeleteAwesome excerpt! :D
ReplyDeleteI love all the New Adult that's been coming out lately- the premise/excerpt from this sound promising!
ReplyDeleteOhh, cover love! I really love it, the colours and everything. Seeing such book would def make me pick it to find out more.
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds great--and I love that excerpt! Definitely excited to read this :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a great giveaway! Cool book cover.
ReplyDeletemestith@gmail.com
This sounds like a good read!
ReplyDeleteThis book has me a little intrigued and I love the new adult genre. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteOooh, cool looking cover! Missed the giveaway but adding the book to my TBR.
ReplyDeleteLove the cover! :) The book also sounds nice. I fell in love with the New Adult genre, so I can't wait to read this book.
ReplyDelete