THE STORY OF US by d. Nichole King
Release Date: Feb. 9, 2017
Genre: NA Contemporary Romance
— SYNOPSIS —
Moments.
Every life is made of thousands of them, each one strung together with the next. Some are yellow and happy, some are blue and sad, and some…
Some wipe out color altogether.
“I love you,” is what I should have told Maverick.
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m still fighting.”
Instead I just watched him leave.
Now my husband, my everything is battling for each breath, and all I can do is stare at the machines as the clock ticks off precious minutes.
The doctors said the first twenty-four hours are critical—but every moment is critical.
You never know which will be your last.
This is our story, and I’m not ready for it to end.
— PURCHASE LINKS —
Available on Kindle Unlimited!
— EXCERPT —
I’m cold sitting in one of the waiting rooms in the ICU. Maverick is still in surgery, the nurse tells me. They’ll come get me once he’s in his room. It shouldn’t be too much longer. No one else is close by. It’s just me and my thoughts.
It’s strange the things you think of to distract yourself from the real reason you’re sitting here. Me, I focus on the oil painting on the wall. Wonder how many people have stared at it and wanted to tear it down. How many liked it. Has anyone noticed that it leans a little to the left or that there’s an inconsistency in the corners of the wooden frame? Did anyone deliberate why this painting?
I’m sure it’s meant to calm the people who look at it. Doesn’t everyone find a lake dotted with sailboats calming? But the colors are all wrong. They don’t soothe me. They’re bright and bold and demanding. There’s too much crimson, too dark of navy.
I have to turn away from it. There’re magazines on the tables, but they scream at me too. Loud headlines of celebrities with large divorce settlements, jail time, and plastic surgery. The science ones boast of the newest medical advances and archeological finds. What they don’t realize is that in here, life beyond these walls no longer exists. In here, there’re only three things that matter: life, death, and the battle between them.
I shiver again. I should have brought warmer clothes.
Hugging my knees to my chest, I focus on the fake plant in the corner. There are no windows in this area, which is how I know it’s fake. It might be a fern of some sort, I don’t know. The leaves are long and skinny, but again, the color is wrong for this place.
I shift my attention to the hallway. In here, the lights are dim, but out there they’re on full and reflecting off of the cream floor. There’s a nurse at the nurses’ station, sitting behind a computer. She’s different from the one before. A moment later, another walks up to the desk. They keep hushed voices, and I hear nothing. The one at the computer lifts her eyes to me and when she meets my gaze, she offers a sympathetic smile. I don’t smile back.
I lower my head until my cheek rests on my arms, and I close my eyes. My skin is ice against my face. Cold is what it means to be alone, and right now, I’ve never felt more alone. Alone, but not lonely. No, because being lonely is different than being alone. Lonely is a fleeting state that ends. When Finley gets here, I’ll no longer be lonely, yet without Mav, I’ll still be alone.
I think about the happy moments Mav and I shared. Our time in Cancun. The dance under the stars. His smile. His silly pet name for me.
That was us. The whole, take-on-the-world, in-love us.
The us before we broke.
— ABOUT THE AUTHOR —
d. Nichole King was born with a book in her hand. During her school years, she’d hide books inside textbooks, read during recess, changing classes, and while walking home from school. She wrote her first book at the age of 11, and the re-worked version of that book is her debut novel, LOVE ALWAYS, KATE.
Her YA urban fantasy series, THE SPIRIT TRILOGY, along with her NA contemporary series, LOVE ALWAYS, was acquired by Limitless Publishing and includes a total of six books. BREAKING THROUGH, an NA science-fiction romance, is her first self-published novel.
d. Nichole King currently resides in a small town in Iowa with her supportive husband, four amazing kids, a dog, a cat, a fish, and a turtle.
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INTERVIEW
1) Tell us about your book and why you chose to write it?
At its core, The Story of Us is about realizing what you have. It’s about lives interconnecting and becoming one, no matter what life throws at you. I had this idea of writing a story that takes place in 24 hours. But I also wanted the reader to live the moments before that, as if they were reliving it with Alieya. Then everything kind of came together, and Alieya and Maverick’s story was born.
2) If you could be one character inside of your book who would it be and why?
In this book, I’d say Alieya. I relate to her. I understand her. And I think this is the first of my books that I dug deep within myself and pulled out issues from my own experiences. There were many times in my own marriage that I felt the way Alieya did, and I think many people do, which is why the story is so easy to relate to.
3) Who is your favorite author and what is your favorite books?
Oh, geez. There are so many ways to answer this. The one book that solidified my reading obsession was Matlida by Roald Dahl when I was in grade school. Then I grew up reading The Baby-Sitter’s Club, Boxcar Children, Fear Street, and anything and everything by Lurlene McDaniel. Now, if your book makes me cry, it’s my favorite.
4) What made you start writing?
I started writing in 6th grade. I read so much, I just assumed writing would be the next step. So I tried it out. Nothing ever came of it and I moved on with my life until one day I decided I was going to try it again. And here we are.
5) Who is the one person that has inspired you the most in your writing?
I would say Lurlene McDaniel was my first inspiration. She’s the one who first inspired me to write, but also to go into pre-med. Later, my inspiration became Stephanie Meyer. Her story is well known and so encouraging to aspiring writers. I thought, “If she can do it, why can’t I?”
6) Is there some place in the world that you just HAVE to go to and write about?
I’m not sure I’d want to write about the place, but I’d love, love, love to have a small, one-bedroom cabin in the mountains to go and write for weeks at a time. No distractions, beautiful scenery, and high speed internet.
7) Who is your book boyfriend?
I have one, and no one in four years has taken his place. In Sunniva Dee’s debut novel, Shattering Halos, we’re introduced to a fallen angel, Cassiel. He gets his own book in Stargazer, and I have yet swoon for another fictional male character like I did with him.
8) If you could have one person read the book for audio purposes who would be your star celebrity?
Oh, I am soooo bad at stuff like this. I don’t do names and faces well. It’s a running joke in our house, actually. My husband will point to an actor/actress and I have to guess their name and what other movie/TV show they were in. I never win this “game.”
9) What do you have coming down the pipe in the future?
I am part of an anthology, Beer Goggles, releasing in April. It’s a collection of short stories about those moments after you’ve drunk waaaaay too much. The anthology benefits St. Jude’s Hospital. I’m also working on a companion novel to The Story of Us, titled The Evolution of Us, slated to release later this year.
10) What is your favorite movie?
Ah! I don’t know if I can answer this. I’m a huge movie fan. Every winter, I have to watch Little Women. Sweet Home Alabama is a go-to romance movie for me. I also love The Lord of The Rings, Star Stars, Star Trek, and all the Avengers movies. I think I’ll stop here, otherwise this list might go on for a few pages.
11) Do you have any rituals you partake in while writing?
I blast Spotify through my earbuds when I write. Each book has a playlist of about 25 songs. As I go, I’ll add songs and delete songs until I have the playlist that works perfectly for the book. You can follow me on Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/user/12181662287
12) Who inspires you?
My husband. He not only inspires me in writing, he inspires me in life. He’s my best friend, my confidant, my safe place. He encourages me to be the best me I can be. The Story of Us is dedicated to him, because he’s my Maverick.
13) Any last words before the lightening round begins?
First, thank you so much for having me. It’s been a blast.
Secondly, I’d like to thank my readers. Without their support, I wouldn’t get to do what I’m doing. So, from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!
Fast 10 –
Hot or Cold: Cold
Black or White: Black
Mountain or Beach: Mountain
Romance or Mystery: Romance
Book or Movie: Book
New Release or Classic:
Coke or Pepsi: Pepsi
PJ’s or Birthday Suit: Pj’s
Dogs or Cats: Cats
Sunny Day or Rainy Day:
—— GIVEAWAY ——
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