After a nasty breakup, twenty-two-year-old Devin Ashford is on a mission to travel the world one random excursion at a time. He wants to forget his ex, discover new experiences and end up with some awesome stories to tell. If it takes spending all of his savings to do it, he is ready.
Release Date: November 10th, 2015
After a nasty breakup, twenty-two-year-old Devin Ashford is on a mission to travel the world one random excursion at a time. He wants to forget his ex, discover new experiences and end up with some awesome stories to tell. If it takes spending all of his savings to do it, he is ready.
His first stop is a communal homestead in the Appalachians of North Carolina, which turns out to be a bohemian paradise. The weed is plentiful, the owners adore him, and the very sight of Cora, their nineteen-year-old goddaughter, makes him want to set up a permanent camp.
Cora warns that she isn’t ready for a serious relationship, but Devin is falling hard. Playful kisses turn into passionate sex, and each day is spent connecting and enjoying the mind-numbing awesomeness—until he makes the mistake of saying “I love you.” Discussing the future kills the good vibes, and Cora pushes him away.
Pissed off and rejected, Devin begins preparing for his next excursion: backpacking India. But just when it’s time to go, the death of one of the homestead’s beloved animals leaves Cora upset and in need of a friend. Devin’s kindness wins him another shot at romance.
With a plane ticket in hand and his pride on the line, Devin and Cora find themselves teetering on the edge of something more.
EXCERPT
“Morning,” he said, putting on an aloof face. “What are we doing today?”
The aloof face made his voice come out unnaturally deep. He cleared his throat.
“Sheet mulching.”
“What is that?” he said, clearing his throat again before deciding to give it up. “Sounds like some sort of ancient tribal dance.”
Lucius picked up a weed-whacker and lifted it over his head like it was a weapon. He let out a warrior call and went into an intense dance, kicking his feet.
Devin watched him with a deadpan expression. It made Cora laugh.
“Not quite,” she said. “C’mon. I’ll show you.”
She led them through the orchard to the clearing on the far side, trudging out to the middle, and leaving a trail of smashed weeds behind her.
“We want to start some more crops out here next season,” she said, spreading her arms to demonstrate the area around her. “So we’re going to lay sheet mulch to help get the ground ready. Lucius, you’re going to start weed whacking this area. And Devin—you’re with me.”
“What are we doing?”
“Hauling compost,” she said. “Since you’re so good at carrying things.”
Together they gathered supplies from the shed and rolled over to the compost bins that were outside the worker kitchen. They looked similar to the ones down at the house.
She held the wheelbarrow steady as he shoveled it in.
“Composting is my favorite,” she said. “Is that weird?”
“Not at all. Lucius was just telling me about it. I think it’s a good idea.”
“Did you know that not even biodegradable things break down in a landfill? There’s no life down that deep. It all just stays there.”
“That’s disturbing.”
“I know. Sometimes I stay awake at night just thinking about it.”
The brrruuuummmm of the weed-whacker grew louder as they made their way back with the first load. He pushed the wheelbarrow, and she walked alongside him with the shovel. Just as they rounded the last corner, she turned.
“So, are you single?”
The wheelbarrow jammed on a rock, sending him stumbling forward. He dropped to one knee and caught it before it fell over.
“Whoa, smooth.”
“See? I told you. Practice makes perfect.”
“You didn’t answer the question.”
“Um … Yeah, I’m single. You?”
She trotted ahead, looking back at him over her shoulder. “Why?”
“I don’t know. Why’d you ask me?”
“What sort of person answers a question with another question?”
“What sort of person talks about answering a question with a question when they just did the same thing?”
“I don’t know.” She gave him a toothy grin. “What sort are you?”
He narrowed his eyes at her and set the wheelbarrow by the area Lucius was cutting down. They waited a few minutes for him to complete the task, watching as the plants within the square met their bitter end. When he finished and it was quiet, she turned.
“I’m single,” she said.
About the author:
Andi Loveall grew up in the blistering heat of California’s Central Valley and has since traveled far and wide in search of adventure and romance. From the steamy streets of Bangkok to the dancing fireflies of the Appalachians, the places, people and things she has seen have convinced her of two things: Life hurts no matter where you go, and the world is a crazy-beautiful place.
A freelance writer by day and storyteller by night, Andi is on a mission to create characters that come alive in worlds she can’t quite reach. When she’s not writing, she’s usually hula hooping, dying her hair bright colors or making delicious home-cooked meals for herself and the people that she loves.
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4 comments:
I really enjoyed the post, this sounds like a great read!
I really enjoyed reading the excerpt. This book sounds like quite a fun, interesting, and intriguing read! Looking forward to checking this book out!
thanks for the chance!
I'd love to read a book that encompasses something I'd like to do one day, set up a farm and find a true love :)
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