12 June 2014

How to Save a Life Tour Stop!

Mike Jameson’s world came crashing down around him and he has refused to let anyone else in since. Running through the daily motions of life he keeps himself busy, whether it was being the drummer for The Nation’s Capital, working on vehicles, or being a paramedic. His one goal in life has been to save lives, but he has no idea that it's his life that needs saving.

Sheridan Nichols makes an unexpected appearance in Brown County on her way out of the nightmare she was living. One fateful night, she is hit by a drunk driver and left injured and stuck in a strange town now without a car. Mike steps up to the plate and volunteers to let her stay at his house, and in the process, volunteers his heart as well. 

Friendships form and chemistry ignites and after one passionate night Mike thought things between the two of them were about to change. But Sheridan hides a secret, one which is ultimately a game-changer. When her past catches up with her, will she have to rely on herself or will explanations and apologies be enough to salvage things? In the end, will they discover that by being together they save each other's life?
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I have always been a fan of Amber Nation’s Brown County series. All of the characters have been wonderful to get to know and read about.  I will say this one though, captured my attention and heart and had me invested very early in the book.  As with all of her books, you start out with broken people who are struggling to find a place to call home, someone to care about them and follow dreams they might not even know they have. 
When Mike is working at the shop, waiting for the call that will tell him if his mother is seriously ill, his world shatters when the phone rings but it isn’t about his mom, it is about his little Princess.  The news will devastate him and cause him to give up on everything in life.  Anger and regret, guilt over not doing more will suck the last drop of energy from his soul and he will stay in his own vessel of grief till the next loss comes.  From that moment he moves from his home town and relocates to Brown County and dedicates his life to becoming a paramedic.  Later in the story we will understand why he does this, what 12 minutes means to him.  To keep busy he also plays in a band and works as a part time mechanic.  He has a few friends but he prefers to be isolated and never giving his heart to anyone else, but then he goes on a call and rescues Sheridan.  No matter how many times he tells himself he will never love another woman, there is something about Sheridan that has his heart acting before his brain can catch up.
Sheridan is on the run from an abusive boyfriend.  Having her dreams traded in for what she thought was love; she finds her life has become a nightmare instead.  We find out as the story goes on just what she has lost in her life do to Pate the boyfriend and what she is still hiding from everyone, including Mike.  When she struggles to understand why the paramedic that helped her after she was involved in a car accident,  keeps coming to check on her in the hospital, it takes her breathe away when he offers her a place to stay.  Even with a broken foot, bruised ribs and night after night of horrifying nightmares she has decided she will repay Mike for his kindness but not relent to her strong desire to be with him.
With attraction coming from both of them, they fight the urge to give in and we have a different kind of sparks flying, which I loved watching.  Both of them broke my heart and resurrected my belief in mankind and the ability to start again after you have lost the most important things and people to you.  Sheridan is without a doubt my favorite character so far when it comes to not playing the victim and focusing on being a survivor.  She knows what she wants, she has no clue how to get it but she took the first step she knew needed to be done and then started making things happen.
The ending is powerful and intense but it isn’t a cliff hanger.  We were reconnected with the characters from previous books, which if you follow my reviews you know is a huge plus for me as a reader.  I can only add that with this book, I had a sense of being part of the community more than I have had with the other two books.  I have always said I would love to live in this community and this story of Mike and Sheridan just made me envious of it even more.  Brown County has become this mystical place that soothes the broken hearted, friends the lonely and grants acceptance and grace to even the most tortured souls.  Who wouldn’t want to live there? 
“Oh my God!” talk about a delayed reaction, you would think my spidey senses would be on hyper alert after my past situations, but I felt so safe with Mike. How could I be so stupid?

I’m sure I had a horrified expression on my face, because Mike pushed himself off the counter and began advancing on me.

“What’s wrong, Sheridan? Is it your foot?” He genuinely sounded concerned, which was a pleasant change from him being a pompous asshole.

“Well, my foot is aching, but I’ve dealt with much worse. I just realized why you are being such a fucking douche to me!” 

His brows pierced together as if he were challenging me to confront him.

“You are going to murder me in my sleep!” His jaw dropped open and he looked like he had a million and one things to say, but it seemed as if I had stunned him speechless. I continued on, placing a hand on my hip. “No, seriously, that’s why you were so adamant about me coming with you.”

Finally, he seemed to come unglued as he threw his head back and let out a barreling laugh that came from deep within his gut.

Seeing him release such a hearty belly laugh at my concern should have royally pissed me off, but instead it did the complete opposite, it turned me on. A rush of wetness flooded from my core, instantly soaking my panties.

It had been so long since a man had invoked such a positive and sexual reaction from me. 

I had to tamp down my lust and remember that he was a cocky jerk and things would be just dandy.

“You actually think that I brought you here to kill you in your sleep? Chop you up into tiny little pieces and shove you down my garbage disposal? You are delusional, maybe your concussion is affecting you more than you initially thought.”

My hand was still placed on my hip while my other was balled tightly into a fist and I tapped my good foot mercilessly on the floor. He technically hadn’t answered me and I wasn’t going to stand down until I was thoroughly convinced. His explanation seemed a little too well thought out if it was just a spur of the moment.

“That’s not the reason I brought you here, Sheridan. And besides, my house doesn’t even have a garbage disposal, which, therefore, makes my plan void.” He shrugged as if I was the absurd one.

I relaxed just a fraction, but that didn’t answer my question of why. “Then why did you volunteer to bring me here?” I crossed my arms in front of my chest, which showcased a white bandage taped on my forearm, covering the biggest abrasion from the flying shards of glass.

He came a beat closer, quickly closing in the bit of distance between us. I instinctively took a step back, trying to widen that gap. I couldn’t risk him getting closer to me, if I were to get a better whiff of his spicy scent, I would sure be a goner, and I needed to stand my ground.

“Sweetheart, I haven’t a clue, but when you’ve hatched another ridiculous theory, be sure to fill me in.” He said in a low, cocky and condescending tone.

I really thought he liked provoking me. He wanted to see fire, well he was about to get a taste of his own rudeness and go up in flames. 

“The name is Sheridan, not sweetheart. I’m not now, nor will I ever be your sweetheart. Now, please do me a solid and point me in the direction of my room for the night. I’ll be out of your way first thing in the morning.” I may have looked strong on the outside, but on the inside I was shaking like a flimsy leaf getting ready to be blown into the wind. I would never be able to hold my own in a fight, it was too scary and intimidating. No wonder why I always submitted to Pate... Stop thinking about him.

I am a wife, mother of two beautiful girlies, an avid reader, and a new Romance and New Adult author.

I was born and raised in Southern Indiana, but resided in Texas for five years while my husband was in the US Army. It was definitely a journey, but I am so glad to be back in my home state.

Whenever I'm not doing my motherly duties or at the soccer field I absolutely love to read whenever I have a moment to spare. My kindle is never far from my side.

My love of reading increased about a year ago and due to my love of books I decided to try my hand at writing. Already having a set of characters screaming to get out, my story took over and came to life.
 

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