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Saturday, August 31, 2013

Giveaway Saturday: Jessica Wood's 'A Night to Forget'

I've decided Saturdays are now Giveaway Saturdays on Book Cracker Caroline. I will be posting a giveaway every Saturday. This week's giveaway ties into my flash giveaway earlier in the week. In celebration of the release of Jessica Wood's The Day to Remember I had a giveaway for a copy. The Saturday Giveaway is for a kindle copy of the first book in her Emma's Story series, A Night to Forget.

 
A Night to Forget is the first book in the two-book series, Emma's Story. The second book in this series, The Day to Remember is scheduled to be released in August 2013.
 
What happens in Cancun doesn’t always stay in Cancun.
 
When Emma Anderson and her friends decided to spend their senior year Spring Break in Cancun, she expected some crazy memories to end their final college days. What Emma didn’t expect was to meet Brandon Fisher. Tall and sexy, with dimples that would make any girl swoon, Brandon Fisher was literally the man of Emma’s dreams. She couldn't quite believe that this stranger, who seduced her every night in her dreams, actually existed.
 
After serendipitously bumping into each other, Emma could not resist Brandon’s pull and spent an unforgettable night with him. Passing it off as a spring break fling, Emma never expected to see Brandon again. But when she started her first day at her new job a few months later, there he was. The only problem was, Brandon didn’t even remember her.


Friday, August 30, 2013

Emma L. Adams's 'Darkness Watching' Cover Reveal

 
Darkness Watching by Emma L. Adams
(Darkworld #1)
Publication Date: 
September 30th 2013
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy


Synopsis:

 
Seventeen-year-old Ashlyn is one interview away from her future when she first sees the demons. She thinks she’s losing her mind, but the truth is far more frightening: she can see into the Darkworld, the home of spirits– and the darkness is staring back.

Desperate to escape the demons, Ash accepts a place at a university in the small town of Blackstone, in the middle of nowhere – little knowing that it isn’t coincidence that led her there but the pull of the Venantium, the sorcerers who maintain the barrier keeping demons from crossing from the Darkworld into our own world.

All-night parties, new friendships and a life without rules or limits are all part of the package of student life – but demons still stalk Ash, and their interest in her has attracted the attention of every sorcerer in the area. Ash is soon caught between her new life and a group of other students with a connection to the Darkworld, who could offer the answers she’s looking for. The demons want something from her,  and someone is determined to kill her before she can find out what it is.

In a world where darkness lurks beneath the surface, not everyone is what they appear to be..


Click here to add on Goodreads.

 
AUTHOR BIO:
 
 
Emma spent her childhood creating imaginary worlds to compensate for a disappointingly average reality, so it was probably inevitable that she ended up writing fantasy and paranormal for young adults. She was born in Birmingham, UK, which she fled at the first opportunity to study English Literature at Lancaster University. In her three years at Lancaster, she hiked up mountains, skydived in Australia, and endured a traumatic episode involving a swarm of bees in the Costa Rican jungle. She also wrote various novels and short stories. These included her first publication, a rather bleak dystopian piece, and a disturbing story about a homicidal duck (which she hopes will never see the light of day).

Now a reluctant graduate, she can usually be found in front of her writing desk, creating weird and wonderful alternative worlds. Her debut novel The Puppet Spell, published in 2013 by Rowanvale Books, is a fantasy tale for young adults and the young at heart, inspired by her lifelong love of the fantastical, mythology, and video games. Emma also writes supernatural fantasy novels for older teens and adults. Her next book,Darkness Watching, is the first in the upper-YA/New Adult Darkworld series, and will be published in September 2013 by Curiosity Quills Press.


 

Missy Johnson's 'Seduce' Book Blitz: Excerpts and Giveaway

 
 
Seduce by Missy Johnson

Genres:
 Contemporary, New Adult, Romance


Synopsis:
 
Twenty-five year old Jack Falcon doesn’t do relationships, and why would he when he has woman after woman literally throwing themselves at him? For Jack, life is perfect just the way it is. He works hard and he plays harder.

Jack’s life changes when he meets Belle. Unlike any woman he’s ever met, there is something about this girl that makes him unable to keep away, something beyond the youthful beauty and her innocent spirit. Belle is strong and independent, a big leap from the usual brainless chicks he tends to attract.

Jack begins a dangerous game. He is determined to seduce Belle, and without realizing it, his feelings for her develop beyond anything he has ever felt before. Things become complicated when he learns there are good reasons as to why he should stay the hell away from her.

How can you stay away from someone you want to spend every waking minute with? And what do you do when you know eventually you will destroy that person?

As their feelings for each other deepen, Jack struggles with his own internal demons which threaten to rip them apart. Jack is torn between following his heart and listening to his head, which keeps telling him he is not good enough for her. She deserves better than what he can give her.

How far will he push before they both fall over the edge?
 
Click here to add on Goodreads.
 
Click here to purchase on Amazon.

 
AUTHOR BIO:
 
Missy lives in a small town in Central Victoria with her husband, and her confused pets (a dog who think she’s a cat, a cat who thinks he’s a dog…you get the picture).

When she’s not writing, she can usually be found looking for something to read.
 


Excerpts:
 
Girls were checking me out like they always did. At least I didn’t have to go through the hassle of wooing one of them, pretending to be someone I wasn’t. I already knew I was taking one home with me, I just wasn’t sure which one it would be. That was the beauty of being an attractive, rich bachelor who was regularly in the news: all I had to do was smile and the panties started dropping.
 
 
Love fucks you up, which is why I didn’t do relationships. Relationships lead to love and being in love opens you up to the possibility of getting hurt. Love rips your chest open and puts your heart out there to be broken. It makes you vulnerable and puts you out on display until eventually it rips through you like an emotional hurricane and destroys you. I’ve seen what love can do to people.
 
 
 
 

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Gina Robinson's 'Reckless Longing' Cover Reveal


Reckless Longing by Gina Robinson 

(Reckless #1) 

Publication Date: September 23rd 2013 

Genres: Contemporary, New Adult


Synopsis:

Ellie Martin hates her beautiful, man-crazy mother. Her mother’s wild and wanton behavior has left Ellie with a deep longing. To escape. To belong. To know who her real dad is. To really be loved. Her mother finally crosses a line thatsends Ellie running, escaping to college with one, focused goal–to find and confront her bio dad, who doesn’t even know she exists. Then she meets Logan. Hot, charming, and troubled. He turns her world upside down and puts all her plans in jeopardy.

Logan Walker is hiding a shameful and painful secret. One that nearly cost him everything. When he meets the beautiful and mysterious Ellie at a Week of Welcome event, something inside him awakens and he finds himself drawn to her.

But the attraction they both feel for each other is as delicate as the web of secrets they each hide behind. And as the truths are revealed,  their reckless longing may not survive the fallout.


Click here to add on Goodreads.

 
AUTHOR BIO:


Gina Robinson loves humor, romance, suspense, and spies. Not necessarily in that order. Her latest toy is a video spy pen. She plans on putting her engineering degree to good use by building a tasar out of a disposable camera using the instructions and schematics from The Evil Genius series. Fair warning--she hasn't held a soldering iron in quite a few years.

She writes contemporary romance featuring sexy spies and plenty of adventure and humor. The Spy Who Left Me, the first book in her new Agent Ex series, published by St. Martin's Press, is available now. Diamonds Are Truly Forever, the next book in the series, will be released on May 22, 2012.
Her first two novels are published by Zebra Books, Kensington Publishing.

She's also published a humorous women's fiction novel, Pink Slipper. If you like Sophie Kinsella, you'll enjoy Pink Slipper.
Xpresso Book Tours will be running a book blitz for Reckless Longing at the end of September. If you are interested in taking part on your blog please sign up here.
 
 



Dakota Madison's 'After Alex Died' Book Blast Giveaway

 
 
Title: After Alex Died
 
Author: Dakota Madison
 
Publication Date: July 19, 2013
 
 
Synopsis:

“Don’t be someone who defines her life by someone else’s death.”
Dee Dee DeMarco’s brother, Alex, was funny, free-spirited and creative. He was also gay. Tormented by bullies, Alex killed himself on his 15th birthday.
Two years later, and now in college, Dee Dee believes getting a summer job working with a college-prep program for disadvantaged high school students is a stroke of luck, until she discovers that the guy assigned to co-lead her group is Cameron Connelly, a star basketball player and one of the bullies who tormented her brother to death. How can Dee Dee possibly spend the entire summer working so closely with one of the boys she blames for her brother’s death?
Click here to add on Goodreads.
Click here to purchase on Amazon.
 
Author Bio:
 
 
Dakota Madison has been writing since she learned to read and fell in love with books. When she’s not at her computer creating spicy new romances, Dakota is traveling to exotic locales or spending time with her husband and their bloodhounds.

Anna Kyss's 'Wings of Memory' Cover Reveal

 
Wings of Memory by Anna Kyss 

(The Underground Trilogy #2) 
 
Publication Date: September 2013

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Young Adult
 

Synopsis:

Kiernan leaves his homeland, hoping to unlock the secrets that could save his people from extinction. But the path to answers is fraught with danger. He never imagines what lay hidden in the Costa Rican rainforest.

Shortly after arriving, Kiernan encounters the human girl that he spent months yearning for. Kiernan must decide between his love for Meghan and his budding loyalty to his brother, Avery. He tries to place his brother first, until faced with an impossible decision.

Kiernan must tap into magic to save his people. The only problem: unleashing his magic involves breaking his vow to his brother. What if the only way to help Avery is to choose Meghan?

Wings of Memory is a young adult, urban fantasy that weaves together supernatural lore, romance, magic, and an interesting take on Mesoamerican history. It is the second novel in The Underground Trilogy.


Click here to add on Goodreads.
 
Click here for info on the first book in The Underground trilogy.




Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Review of Charlaine Harris's 'Dead Ever After' *Spoilers*

 
Title: Dead Ever After
Author: Charlaine Harris
Series: Sookie Stackhouse #13
Publication Date: May 7, 2013
Publisher: Ace
Genre: Adult Urban Fantasy

 
Synopsis:
 
There are secrets in the town of Bon Temps, ones that threaten those closest to Sookie—and could destroy her heart...
 
Sookie Stackhouse finds it easy to turn down the request of former barmaid Arlene when she wants her job back at Merlotte’s. After all, Arlene tried to have Sookie killed. But her relationship with Eric Northman is not so clearcut. He and his vampires are keeping their distance…and a cold silence. And when Sookie learns the reason why, she is devastated.

Then a shocking murder rocks Bon Temps, and Sookie is arrested for the crime.

But the evidence against Sookie is weak, and she makes bail. Investigating the killing, she’ll learn that what passes for truth in Bon Temps is only a convenient lie. What passes for justice is more spilled blood. And what passes for love is never enough.


About Author:


Charlaine Harris has been a published novelist for over twenty-five years. A native of the Mississippi Delta, she grew up in the middle of a cotton field. Now she lives in southern Arkansas with her husband, her three children, three dogs, and a duck. The duck stays outside.
 
Though her early output consisted largely of ghost stories, by the time she hit college (Rhodes, in Memphis) Charlaine was writing poetry and plays. After holding down some low-level jobs, she had the opportunity to stay home and write, and the resulting two stand-alones were published by Houghton Mifflin. After a child-producing sabbatical, Charlaine latched on to the trend of writing mystery series, and soon had her own traditional books about a Georgia librarian, Aurora Teagarden. Her first Teagarden, Real Murders, garnered an Agatha nomination.

Soon Charlaine was looking for another challenge, and the result was the much darker Lily Bard series. The books, set in Shakespeare, Arkansas, feature a heroine who has survived a terrible attack and is learning to live with its consequences. 

When Charlaine began to realize that neither of those series was ever going to set the literary world on fire, she regrouped and decided to write the book she’d always wanted to write. Not a traditional mystery, nor yet pure science fiction or romance, Dead Until Dark broke genre boundaries to appeal to a wide audience of people who just enjoy a good adventure. Each subsequent book about Sookie Stackhouse, telepathic Louisiana barmaid and friend to vampires, werewolves, and various other odd creatures, has drawn more readers. The Southern Vampire books are published in Japan, Great Britain, Greece, Germany, Thailand, Spain, France, and Russia.

In addition to Sookie, Charlaine has another heroine with a strange ability. Harper Connelly, lightning-struck and strange, can find corpses… and that’s how she makes her living.

In addition to her work as a writer, Charlaine is the past senior warden of St. James Episcopal Church, a board member of Mystery Writers of America, a past board member of Sisters in Crime, a member of the American Crime Writers League, and past president of the Arkansas Mystery Writers Alliance. She spends her "spare" time reading, watching her daughter play sports, traveling, and going to the movies.


My Review (Contains Spoilers):
 
I pre-ordered a signed copy of Dead Ever After in March, but put off reading it until a couple of weeks ago. I was REALLY excited for this book, but then the reviews started rolling in condemning it and I got nervous. I managed to avoid any spoilers, but knew it was only a matter of time before something trickled in about the ending of this series that is incredibly close to my heart. After finally reading it I have one question, what the hell is wrong with everyone? I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It had its weak points, but it brought back a lot of my favorite characters and ended exactly how I thought it should. 

The book picks up the morning after Sookie brought Sam back to life with the cluviel dor. At this point Sam is acting detached, Sookie has no idea where things stand with Eric or the local vampires, and she's doing a lot of waiting around. Things pick up when Sookie starts spending time with Tara and eventually goes back into work. Once she gets back to the bar she finds the body of Arlene in the Merlotte's dumpster and soon learns the body has Sookie's scarf tied around the neck. Sookie finally gets in touch with Eric at which point things are finally ended between them for good. Shortly there after Sookie is arrested for Arlene's murder. She gets bailed out and  starts working on finding the real killer to clear her name. A lot of friendly faces from Sookie's past turn up to help find out who the not so friendly faces from her past are who are setting her up. Ultimately it all gets worked out and Sookie sort of ends up with Sam. They sleep together once and she decides to take things slow after that since she just ended things with Eric. It basically ends with Sookie thinking that she could easily imagine spending the rest of her life with Sam, but if things don't work out for them she knows that she'll be alright. 

I'm going to jump into the hotly debated issue of who Sookie ends up with. It seems the whole world thought she should have ended up with Eric or Bill, but to me that just wouldn't have made sense. Vampires live forever! That alone is a pretty good reason as to why it never could have worked unless Sookie decided to become a vampire too, which she would never have chosen. There's also the issue of children. I know that she hadn't really thought about having kids, but she would be a great mother and with the importance she places on family it would only be a matter of time before she would want to have kids. I think Sam was the perfect choice for her. I had always figured she would end up with him in the end. He's the one guy that has not only always been there for her with no expectations, but he can also be everything she needs. She can't really read his mind because he's a shifter, but other than that he's not so different from a regular person and he never has obnoxious ulterior motives. People need to realize no one can force characters to do what they want them to do, not even the writer. For Sookie to have made any other choice would be out of character for her. 

With that being said, I must admit this was not the strongest book in the series. The mystery wasn't very mysterious, and this was the first one to have small sections written in third person about characters other than Sookie. I didn't love the third person sections. They were a little strange and just not what I've come to expect in these books. They basically made it very clear who the bad guys were and took away from the overall story. 

I really enjoyed seeing some of my favorite characters that haven't been around in a while, both good and bad. A big theme in this book was the importance of friends, family, and community and how they show up and support you in your times of need. It was nice for Sookie to witness all the lives that she has touched and to see what a difference she has made to the various people she's met along the way. I think this was also a way to let the readers get to bid a lot of the bigger characters from Sookie's past farewell and I appreciated it. 

Charlaine Harris has stated that she ended the series in a way that was true to Sookie's character and I whole heartedly agree with that. This wasn't my favorite book in the series, but it is still a solid, true to form ending. For Sookie fans out there this is a must read. Don't believe all the bad things written about this book. 


My Rating:

 

 

Waiting on Wednesday #11

 
 
"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating
 
My choice this week is The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black.
 
 
Publication Date: September 3, 2013

Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. The only problem is, once you pass through Coldtown’s gates, you can never leave.
 
One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is a wholly original story of rage and revenge, of guilt and horror, and of love and loathing from bestselling and acclaimed author Holly Black.
 
 
What book are you looking forward to?

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Flash Giveaway: Jessica Wood's 'The Day to Remember'



The Day to Remember is the second book in the two-book series, Emma's Story. The first book in the series, A Night to Forget is currently available.
What happens when the dream is over and reality sets in?

When Emma Anderson meets and falls in love with the man from her dreams--the deep-dimpled and incredibly gorgeous Brandon Fisher--she wasn't expecting her heart to be broken by him and his complicated life. But despite Brandon's baggage, the inextricable pull Emma and Brandon feel for one another seems strong enough to keep them together.

Just when Emma thinks she can have a happily-ever-after with Brandon, a dark secret from her past threatens Emma's chances at true happiness with Brandon--a secret so dark and hidden that even her best friends don't know about it.

Will Emma and Brandon's love be strong enough to withstand the external factors that seem to pull them apart, or will Emma's dream man be nothing but just that--a dream?
 
Jessica Wood released The Day to Remember, the follow up to A Night to Forget, on Monday, August 26, 2013. Jessica writes new adult contemporary romance, and I am a huge fan of hers. I just finished reading A Night to Forget (review to come) and I absolutely adored it. I am super excited to read The Day to Remember. In celebration of her new release I am offering a flash giveaway of The Day to Remember.
 
If you want to purchase your own copy of The Day to Remember:
 
 
 
If you want to purchase a copy of The Night to Forget:
 
Amazon (On sale for $.99 for a limited time!!)
 

Top Ten Tuesday #6

 
Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.

This Week's Top Ten is: Most Memorable Secondary Characters

I chose my top ten in no particular order. 

Georgina Kincaid Series by Richelle Mead
I really enjoyed this books, but I wish there had been more about the angel, Carter. He was a grunge angel with a love of alcohol and a demon best friend. He's so cool and unique. I wish he had his very own book series. 

Bloodlines Series by Richelle Mead
I love Adrian and Sydney, but Angeline also stands out to me as an unforgettable character. She's a young guardian who grew up in the woods with little to no contact with any sort of civilization. She is thrust into a private boarding school environment and it's hilarious reading about her crazy hijinks that seem completely normal to her. She's another character that could totally have her own series. 

The Sookie Stackhouse Series by Charlaine Harris
I included just the first book in the picture because I couldn't find one of all of the books, but Pam is in all of them. I cannot get enough of Pam. She's a badass, human-hating (except Sookie of course) vampire who dresses like a suburban housewife! That alone is enough to make me love her, but she's also saucy, unflinchingly honest, and she loves fiercely. 

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
It's been a long time since I've read these books. I really need to re-read them because I have forgotten a lot, but one thing I do remember is how much I loved Finnick. If I remember correctly he's a touch arrogant, really good looking, a little bit of a jerk, but when it comes down to it he's a good guy with a big heart. 
 
The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay
I loved all of the characters in this book, but I have a soft spot for Drew. He talks like and pretends to be a pervert, but he's also funny and a good, caring friend. He had a subplot of his own, but I'd love to read more about him. 
 
Dare You To by Katie McGarry
Isaiah is in both 'Pushing the Limits' and 'Dare You To', but I really started to love and feel for him in 'Dare You To'. He's the ultimate bad boy with a heart of gold. He's tattooed and tough, but he's also kind and loving. I can't wait to read his story in 'Crash Into You' in a couple of months!

The Covenant Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout
I love all of the Covenant books, but Caleb was only in 'Half-Blood' and 'Pure'. He is the perfect sidekick to Alex. He's loyal and honorable to a fault. And no matter what everyone else thought about Alex he always had her back. I also just remembered he had a tiny cameo in 'Deity' too. 
 
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke
I loved all of the characters in this book, but I had an odd fondness for Violet's twin brother, Luke. He's a douchebag, but he's also secretly a good guy. He's fond and protective of Violet even though he doesn't always show it. 
 
The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
I love Ron. He's funny. He's brave. He deserves more credit than he receives. He stood by Harry from the very beginning and did it with grace. He also brought a more realistic point of view to a lot of the crazy situations our favorite wizards found themselves in. 
 
The Infernal Devices Trilogy by Cassandra Clare
I love a lot of the characters in these books, but one that really stands out to me is Charlotte Fairchild. She manages to be both a strong, tough woman, while also having a softer side and playing mother to the various misfits living under her at the London Institute. She's such a good representation of what I strive to be as a woman, and she manages to do so in Victorian London. 

 

Monday, August 26, 2013

Erin Hayes's 'Death is but a Dream' Cover Reveal


Death is but a Dream by Erin Hayes 

Publication Date: Fall, 2013 

Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Mythology

Synopsis:

Caught between life and death, all Callie wants is to live again.

Homicide detective Callie Saunders knows that death isn’t all pearly gates and angels. After being hit by a bus, she finds that it's the ancient gods and goddesses of Greek mythology who are in charge of everything.

So when Hades offers her a deal, she accepts. If she wants to be brought back to life, she’ll have to figure out who is trying to kill his son. But if she fails, both her soul and the world will be destroyed.

With the odds mounting against her, it’ll take everything she has within her to wake up from death. But the rules are constantly changing. And someone wants her to stay dead


Click here to add on Goodreads.

 
AUTHOR BIO:
  
 
Erin Gulyas is an advertising copywriter. Erin Hayes is her alter ego that writes books in her spare time. This is the blog of Erin Hayes.



Magan Vernon's 'Life, Love, & Lemons' Book Blitz: Excerpt and Giveaway

 
 
Life, Love, & Lemons by Magan Vernon 
 
Publication Date: August 20th 2013

Genre: YA Contemporary

 
 Synopsis:

When life hands you lemons, sometimes you have to say screw the lemons and bail.

Seventeen-year-old Bentley Evans had it all. Then her Dad got laid off.

Now she has to move across town to a small apartment and leave her life of luxury for public school and a job at the local burger place. Just when her world seems like it's crumbling she finds solace in the unlikely punk boy next door, Kai Stone. But as their relationship blossoms, a jealous ex-girlfriend and a secret to tell that threatens to bring disaster back into Bentley’s life.

 
Click here to add on Goodreads.
 
Click here to purchase on Amazon.
 
AUTHOR BIO:


Magan Vernon is a Young Adult and New Adult writer who lives with her family in the insurance capital of the world. She is in a very serious, fake relationship with Adam Lambert and constantly asks her husband to wear guyliner. He still refuses. She also believes her husband is secretly an alien, disguised as a southern gentleman.
 
 
 
Excerpt:
 
"You know I'm pretty sure that all that's involved in high school dancing is just dry humping and swaying back and forth," I said as Kai helped me move my parent's couch back.
"Well, I don't want to dry hump or just sway back and forth," he said with a big grin on his face before setting the couch down.
"We don't have to do this right now either. It's a Sunday morning and all." I walked over to the front of the couch, not taking my eyes off of him.
"Homecoming is Saturday, and the only dance I know is the Hokey Pokey." He shrugged. "Besides Mom and my sisters are at small group and your parents can sleep through anything, so why not now?"
"Okay." I let out a deep breath and opened my computer. "But you really didn't take any kind of dance classes? I had ballroom dancing freshman year in gym."
"Bentley, I've gone to public school all of my life. The only dance we ever learned was line dancing when I was in grade school up in Wisconsin, and I'm not doing that at Homecoming." He laughed.
I started up the song and set my laptop down and stepped in front of Kai, putting my right hand up toward him. “I definitely don’t think there will be line dancing at Homecoming,” I said, putting my hand in his.
“And you make fun of my music?” Kai asked as the song crooned through the speakers on my laptop. I put Kai’s right hand on my hip, and then placed my left hand on his upper arm.
“This is Sinatra, I really don’t think there is anything to be making fun of, and besides I don’t think we could really do ballroom dancing to punk rock.”
“I’m sure we could try." He smiled and kissed my forehead.
I rolled my eyes. “Okay,  now that we have the arm position it’s time to move our feet, and if you step on my bare feet I am going to punch you.”
He playfully hovered his foot over mine, so I pinched his arm. “If you don’t behave then I’m switching the music to country.”
He let out a big sarcastic sigh. “Fine.”
“Okay, so left foot then right foot then together,” I said as we moved in unison.
“Then right foot goes back and then the left foot meets it.”
We moved together doing a few box steps. It felt kind of silly to be dancing in my pajamas in the living room.
“You know, I really don’t think that anyone is going to be doing the waltz at Homecoming,” I muttered
I looked up to see him mouthing ‘left, right, together’.
“Well what do people usually do then?" He looked down at me and stopped mouthing the words.
The Sinatra song ended and a slower punk rock song played, one that Kai had actually put on my computer.
“Usually…" I put both my arms around his neck. “It’s kind of more of a close, swaying motion.”
“Oh." He wrapped his long arms around my waist and pulled me as close as I think two people can get when one was over six foot and the other was barely over five foot three.
“Like this?" He swayed slowly back and forth.
“Usually it’s not some sort of a giant dancing with a midget.” I laughed.
“Fine then." He bent at his knees and picked me up off of the ground, so that my legs were dangling in the air while he continued to sway back and forth. “Is that better, shorty?”
I wrapped my bare legs around his waist. “Now it is."
I leaned in and ran my tongue along his bottom lip, tracing the lines of his lip ring.
“I don’t think that’s part of the waltz." He smiled and pressed his forehead to mine.
“It is now." I kissed him, pretty hard, since he fell back into the couch with me still in his arms.
Maybe I should have taken him up on the night alone instead of Homecoming. It felt so good to just be in his arms, and the kissing wasn’t so bad either. I could forget about the world every time that Kai kissed me. It was like his lip piercing had some kind of magical powers that just made all my problems disappear as long as we were kissing.