The choice is hers, sink or swim - Wash Me Away by Wendy Owens

Immersed in a new world at boarding school, Addy Buckley learns she’s not the only one with secrets. While trying to navigate the minefield of painful lies that seem to be rattling around her family’s past, she meets soft on the eyes and heavy on the heart, Napoleon Blake.

Description:

Publication Date: April 27th, 2015

Monsters have a way of following you.

Immersed in a new world at boarding school, Addy Buckley learns she’s not the only one with secrets. While trying to navigate the minefield of painful lies that seem to be rattling around her family’s past, she meets soft on the eyes and heavy on the heart, Napoleon Blake.

When faced with the darkness, Addy must decide to cling to her new life and friends or let the monster carry her away. The choice is hers, sink or swim.

EXCERPT

My heart leaps into my throat, and time has lost meaning. The entire car leans up on two wheels as it travels to the left, rather than straight ahead. My body presses into my father’s, and I wish more than anything I could hold myself away from him. He reaches for the door handle, but his efforts are futile, as the water has already risen to his window. We continue to move with the current, until it completely picks up the car. The metal tomb flips and turns onto the driver’s side door, snapping off the mirror. I don’t think. I struggle to unbuckle my seatbelt with one hand, the weight of my body pulling the strap taut, and crank down the passenger window with the other. Like a seamless and rehearsed dance, everything happens perfectly. The window is down, the buckle releases its grasp, and I grab on to the edge of the open window. Using the edge of the steering wheel, and my headrest, I push myself up and out the opening.

The car slows, but it’s still moving with the flow of the water, rocking from side to side as the muffled sounds of metal scraping against the earth fill the vessel. “Addy Mae,” he cries up after me. It’s a tone I’ve never heard from him, or at least I don’t recall. I look down at him; his eyes are wide with fear. I feel sorry for him, the need to help him overwhelming me.

I drop to my knees, readying myself to extend a hand. The car jerks unexpectedly, and I fall to my stomach, gripping the rim of the window for support. A cracking sound echoes from inside of the car. I look down to see a large rock has wedged itself firmly into the windshield, cracked glass splintering outward. 

“Goddamn it, Addy, you better get me the hell out of here,” he shouts. There he is, I think. The father I know. My hand is halfway extended when I pause and pull it back. “What the—” The windshield gives way, and the shards rush inward with a gush of water. His expression, his words—they all disappear in an instant, beneath the murky, churning waters.

Character Interview

Interview with Napoleon Blake, featured character in Wash Me Away.

Interviewer: I’m sure a lot of our readers would love to know how a day in the life of Napoleon Blake looks. Are you an early riser?

NB: *laughs. You know what they say, early to bed, early to rise makes people suspicious.

Interviewer: Okay, so not an early bird. How do you like to spend your free time?

NB: Well there’s how I like spending my free time and how I actually do.

Interviewer: Meaning?

NB: Like most red blooded american teenage boys I’d like to spend all my time having sex.

Interviewer: With?

NB: Again, like most, any willing participant would be considered. But of course when I am not thinking about the obvious, I’m out riding my skateboard or hiking. Oh, and then of course movies, I’m always consuming quality films.

Interviewer: Speaking of films, I hear you’re a bit of a movie buff.

NB: Some might say that.

Interviewer: What are some of your favorite films?

NB: I really hate that question. It’s like asking someone which kid is their favorite.

Interviewer: Isn’t that usually what people say about something they’ve created.

NB: Well it remains true for this to. How can you compare the comedic genius of Airplane to the emotional toll of E.T.

Interviewer: Do you only watch older movies?

NB: Of course not, it’s just ... something resonates with me in their scripts. A lot of people think they’re cheesy in the way that everyone works together to reach a common goal or happy ending, I find it admirable and something we should embrace.

Interviewer: Is there one incident that shaped your life?

NB: *swallows hard. My brother’s death. It made me realize what happens to the people who are left behind after you’re gone. I made the decision I would live the truest and fullest life I could.

Interviewer: Is there one person who always makes you smile?

NB: Well I’m a pretty funny looking guy so whenever I look in the mirror, I tend to laugh.

Interviewer: I doubt much of our female audience would agree with that statement.

NB: Seriously though? I surround myself with friends who make me smile. I can always count on Miyagi for a laugh. I never know what will come out of Julia’s mouth. But if there is one person I had to pick that I would drop everything to hang out with, it would have to be Addy. My head is always spinning with thoughts and ideas, but somehow, when I’m with her it brings me a calm.

Interviewer: Thanks for spending a few minutes with us to answer some questions.

NB: Thanks for getting me out of class for it.

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About the author:
YA is published under Wendy L Owens

Adult and NA is published under Wendy Owens

Wendy Owens is a writer, born in the small college town, Oxford Ohio. After attending Miami University, Wendy went onto a career in the visual arts. After several years of creating and selling her own artwork she gave her first love, writing, a try. It’s become a passion ever since. Wendy now happily spends her days writing the stories her characters guide her to tell, admitting even she doesn’t always know where that might lead. Her first series, The Guardians, is a YA fantasy series about angel and human hybrids.

Since then she has branched into NA Contemporary Romance and released titles to include Stubborn Love, Only In Dreams, and Do Anything. Her next romance, The Luckiest is scheduled to be released in July 2014.

When she’s not writing, this dog lover can be found spending time with her tech geek husband, their three amazing kids, and two pups. She loves to cook and is a film fanatic.

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