Monday, February 22, 2016

Blog Tour: One Day Soon by A Meredith Walters






One Day Soon
RELEASE DAY:
Synopsis:
He found me in blood and tears.
I stayed with him through darkness and fire.
We loved each other in the moment between innocence and bitter truth.
We were the kids easily ignored, who grew into adults we hardly knew.
We weren’t meant to last forever. And we didn’t.
He ran away.
I tried to move on.
Yet I never stopped thinking about the boy who had fought to keep me alive in a world that would have swallowed me whole. He was the past that I buried, but never forgot.
Until the day I found him again, years after believing I had lost him forever.
And in cold, resentful eyes, I saw the heart of the man who had been everything when I had nothing at all. So I vowed to hold onto the second chance that was stolen from the children we had been.
Sometimes fate is ugly. Life can be twisted.
And who we are can be ruined by who we once were.
For two people who had survived so much, we would have to learn how to hold on before we were forced to let go.

Amazon US - http://amzn.to/1SCCGnP
Amazon CA - 
http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01A73R0L6
Amazon UK - 
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A73R0L6
Amazon AU - 
http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01A73R0L6



4 stars
Review by Lisa Kane

Imogen Conner is a runaway. She's 16 and fed up with her mother's neglect and whoring ways. She ends up around the Ninth Street Bridge. This is where the homeless go, when they aren't sleeping at an abandoned warehouse called The Pit. She meets Yossarian "Yoss" Frazier, who seems to be one of the leaders of a band of misfits that live there. He's been on the streets since he was 12. His dad had money, but Yoss couldn't take another minute of his drunken abuse. Needless to say, his dad made no effort to find him. Its 6 years later and he is still living hand to mouth, struggling to survive. He has no education and no skills. Well he has one skill. He finds himself indebted to Manny. Manny is probably one of the more sinister characters I've ever read about. He takes advantage of the younger kids who are homeless. He preys on their weakness and the scum of the earth that seek them out. 

Yoss and Imogen (he calls her Imi) become friends. Slowly, Imi comes to realize what things Yoss does to survive. She's 16, has no skills herself and is dependant on him. She wants something better for both of them. They daydream of the day they can walk along a beach, bellies full and a future ahead of them. Imi is determined they get out of this life and start somewhere new. She makes Yoss promise to come with her. But Yoss has his own views of what Imi's future should be. He makes a decision that will affect the rest of their lives. 

We were homeless. Living in a dirty warehouse falling asleep to the sounds of crying every single night hoping that the next day would be better than the one before it.
It was ugly.
It was real.
 

Fifteen years later, Imogen is a social worker at Lupton Memorial Hospital where she's worked for the last seven years. Her marriage is broken and she's getting divorced. She can't even be bothered to pretend she cares about her ex. 

The horrible truth was that I hadn't loved him enough to explain. 

She's assigned a new case; a homeless man is brought into the ICU, he was severely beaten and is barely alive. As swollen and messed up as he is, Imogen recognizes him. When he eventually wakes up, Yoss tries to push Imi away. But she gets the story out of him on what happened. She has never really been able to move on from her abandonment issues that she was left with from Yoss. 

I used to be a wife. Not anymore.
I thought I would be a mother. 


Both Yoss and Imi are scarred-his are on the outside and on the inside from the pain and despair of his life. Imi lives for her job, her hopes for a family will never work out and she's never filled the void left by Yoss. If the fifteen years in between them wasn't enough Yoss is about to begin a battle he didn't even know he was going to face. 

How can a man who has done the things he's done ever live a normal life? Would Imi have to be the one to support them both and how can a man with so much pride allow that? One Day Soon is not an easy read. It's themes of abuse, homelessness and survival are hard to handle. There are a few light moments, but for the most part this is a serious read about two souls that complete each other. Two that were divided and long for that one who will complete them once again. 

"We'll walk on the beach. Imi, and we'll dance on the sand. Because one day soon, I promise you that all this ugly will become something beautiful."





“Maybe I should tell you a story. It’s been a long time since I’ve done that. You always liked when I made up dumb stuff to get you to smile.” I chuckled. “The more improbable the better, right? So let me think of something completely unrealistic.”

I sniffled, wiping my wet cheeks. I hadn’t realized I was crying.

“Once upon a time there was a sad, lonely boy who was actually a forgotten prince. No one knew that he was rich and powerful and had a family that was searching for him.” I smiled sadly, wishing, more than anything, that this particular story had been true.

“One day he met a girl who swore that she would help him get back home to the castle. They fell in love. The prince wanted her to come back to the castle with him so they could live there together. They fought dragons and defeated ogres. They ran from witches and swam through oceans. And finally they found the castle. The prince’s family welcomed him home and he married his princess. And they lived happily ever after.”

I rested my forehead on the back of his hand, hating how cold his skin was. “You always loved your fairytales,” I mused, wishing he had been able to find his.

The hand in mine stirred and I bolted upright. Yoss’s face was contorted in pain, his eyes fluttering.

I got to my feet and reached for the call button so I could alert the nurse that something was wrong.

Then he let out a breath and his eyes opened. They were clouded and confused as they darted around the room, taking everything in.

I was rooted to the spot, not moving. He frowned and then winced when he tried to sit up.

“Uh, you shouldn’t do that. Take it easy,” I instructed, my voice shaking.

Then the wild, green eyes found me. There was no immediate recognition and I felt the crushing weight of disappointment.

He doesn’t know who I am.

His eyes were cold. So cold. Dead. He groaned as he lifted his hand to his face, touching the bandaged skin.

“Let me call the nurse. Your doctor will want to see you now that you’re awake—”

“Where am I?” he asked, his voice rough and hard.

It was a voice I had heard a million times in my dreams.

A voice I never thought I’d hear again. Not in real life.

“You’re at Lupton Memorial Hospital. You were brought in last night.” I didn’t give him any more details. I wasn’t sure he was ready for all that. He had just gained consciousness after all.

“The hospital,” he repeated. He struggled to sit up and hissed in pain at the effort.

“Seriously, you should wait and let me call the nurse—”

His eyes flashed in my direction and the cloud of confusion lifted as he speared me with a look that I felt in my bones.

Recognition.

His eyes widened and his mouth parted in disbelief.

I wanted to say something—anything—but my tongue felt frozen behind my teeth.

Yoss shook his head and closed his eyes. He let out a noise that sounded a lot like a sob and my heart knew the sound of pain when it heard it.

When he opened his eyes again, they were wet. Long, dark lashes spikey with tears that refused to fall.

A hundred memories arched between us. A thousand words spoken softly in the dark.

A dozen promises never kept.

His lips curved upwards into the shadow of a smile that I remembered and loved so much.

“Imi,” he whispered.

I nodded, still otherwise paralyzed.

“Imi,” he said again, a tear traveled the length of his cheek and dripped off his chin.

“It’s me, Yoss,” I said finally, forcing myself to speak.

Our eyes met. They held.

They clung and they devastated.

Fifteen years had passed but none of that mattered.



In that instant we were kids again. Remembering a time when, to each other, we were everything.



About The Author:
The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Contemporary and Paranormal romance including The Find You in the Dark and Bad Rep series as well as the upcoming stand alone romance, Reclaiming the Sand, and a dark new adult series for Gallery Books.

A. Meredith spent ten years as a counselor for at risk teens and children. First working at a Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault program and then later a program for children with severe emotional and mental health issues. Her former clients and their stories continue to influence every aspect of her writing.

When not writing (or being tortured with all manner of beauty products at the hand of her very imaginative and extremely girly daughter), she is eating chocolate, watching reality television that could rot your brain and reading a smutty novel or two.

A. Meredith is represented by Michelle Johnson with the Inklings Literary Agency.

LINKS:






EXCERPT

“Maybe I should tell you a story. It’s been a long time since I’ve done that. You always liked when I made up dumb stuff to get you to smile.” I chuckled. “The more improbable the better, right? So let me think of something completely unrealistic.”

I sniffled, wiping my wet cheeks. I hadn’t realized I was crying.

“Once upon a time there was a sad, lonely boy who was actually a forgotten prince. No one knew that he was rich and powerful and had a family that was searching for him.” I smiled sadly, wishing, more than anything, that this particular story had been true.

“One day he met a girl who swore that she would help him get back home to the castle. They fell in love. The prince wanted her to come back to the castle with him so they could live there together. They fought dragons and defeated ogres. They ran from witches and swam through oceans. And finally they found the castle. The prince’s family welcomed him home and he married his princess. And they lived happily ever after.”

I rested my forehead on the back of his hand, hating how cold his skin was. “You always loved your fairytales,” I mused, wishing he had been able to find his.

The hand in mine stirred and I bolted upright. Yoss’s face was contorted in pain, his eyes fluttering.

I got to my feet and reached for the call button so I could alert the nurse that something was wrong.

Then he let out a breath and his eyes opened. They were clouded and confused as they darted around the room, taking everything in.

I was rooted to the spot, not moving. He frowned and then winced when he tried to sit up.

“Uh, you shouldn’t do that. Take it easy,” I instructed, my voice shaking.

Then the wild, green eyes found me. There was no immediate recognition and I felt the crushing weight of disappointment.

He doesn’t know who I am.

His eyes were cold. So cold. Dead. He groaned as he lifted his hand to his face, touching the bandaged skin.

“Let me call the nurse. Your doctor will want to see you now that you’re awake—”

“Where am I?” he asked, his voice rough and hard.

It was a voice I had heard a million times in my dreams.

A voice I never thought I’d hear again. Not in real life.

“You’re at Lupton Memorial Hospital. You were brought in last night.” I didn’t give him any more details. I wasn’t sure he was ready for all that. He had just gained consciousness after all.

“The hospital,” he repeated. He struggled to sit up and hissed in pain at the effort.

“Seriously, you should wait and let me call the nurse—”

His eyes flashed in my direction and the cloud of confusion lifted as he speared me with a look that I felt in my bones.

Recognition.

His eyes widened and his mouth parted in disbelief.

I wanted to say something—anything—but my tongue felt frozen behind my teeth.

Yoss shook his head and closed his eyes. He let out a noise that sounded a lot like a sob and my heart knew the sound of pain when it heard it.

When he opened his eyes again, they were wet. Long, dark lashes spikey with tears that refused to fall.

A hundred memories arched between us. A thousand words spoken softly in the dark.

A dozen promises never kept.

His lips curved upwards into the shadow of a smile that I remembered and loved so much.

“Imi,” he whispered.

I nodded, still otherwise paralyzed.

“Imi,” he said again, a tear traveled the length of his cheek and dripped off his chin.

“It’s me, Yoss,” I said finally, forcing myself to speak.

Our eyes met. They held.

They clung and they devastated.

Fifteen years had passed but none of that mattered.



In that instant we were kids again. Remembering a time when, to each other, we were everything.

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