EXCERPT and GIVEAWAY
Waiting on Justin
by Lucy H. Delaney
Waiting on Justin is currently on tour with Enchanted Book Promotions. The tour stops here today for an excerpt and a giveaway. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.
Description
Can everlasting love grow amidst never-ending despair? Best friends Justin and Haylee learn early on that the answer is yes. Their parents would rather spend time drinking and partying than raising children, so the two rely on each other for the care and emotional support they need. Over time, Justin and Haylee become lovers despite the age difference between them.
Theirs is a forbidden romance that would destroy them both if discovered.
The older of the two, Justin is more than a little rough around the edges. He does everything he can to protect Haylee from as much abuse as possible, but when tragedy strikes there is nothing he can to do keep her from being taken into the foster system.
The system meant to save kids threatens to pull the two of them apart.
Haylee begs Justin to run away with her, but the powers-that-be force him into an inescapable corner.
Blaming Justin for the distance that separates them, Haylee shuts out everything and everyone from her past - including Justin. She tries to forget him. She tries to replace him. But he is always there. So is her own addiction. When it finally gets the best of her, she finds herself utterly alone.
She soon discovers what Justin has always known: Their love was worth waiting for.
Excerpt
I fell in love with Justin when I was seven years old, and I have loved him ever since. I knew him forever, but before that night he was nothing more than a really cool big kid. He was eleven, and when you're seven an eleven-year-old is pretty much an adult. I suppose he was in my life even before I knew how to make a memory because as far back as I can go in my mind, he's always been there, protecting me, loving me silently.
Justin was the most amazing boy I had ever known, even before I decided I loved him. Some people said he was worthless and good for nothing, a loser and a punk. Clayton, Justin's dad, even said he wasn't worth the oxygen he breathed.
His hair was dirty blond and usually a little long. I remember once my mom cut it into a raggedy mohawk and then never kept up with it. Eventually the sides grew out, and the top and back were so long I almost couldn't tell he ever had a mohawk until he turned his head really fast; then the top hair would fly up and the shorter sides were obvious. Honestly, it looked ridiculous, but he liked it and kept it that way for a real long time.
When I look back at his fifth grade picture I can see how young he was. His chubby cheeks, his uncombed hair, and his favorite Power Rangers shirt all showcase his youth. But I swear, when I was a kid I couldn't see anything but a grown-up when I looked in his green eyes. He was a man, and he watched out for me.
We knew each other before we fell in love because our parents ran in the same social circle. By that, I mean that they partied and drank with the same people, and occasionally got high. I know now that it was more than occasionally, but when you're young, hours, days, and weeks are stretched out, and it feels like forever is between them.
Praise for the Book
"This is a heart-warming and sweet story about the power of redemption and everlasting love. Lucy Delaney is a talented author who brings the characters to life on the page. As you read the story, you cannot help but fall in love with Justin and Haylee. You want them to succeed in life and be happy." ~ Jeanel Climer
"Totally impressed with the characters and their experiences. I love that the author was able to embody the raw emotion of these at risk kids and their day to day struggles. I'm definitely not a writer, but I am a voracious reader and I like to read a lot of different genres. A good book for me is one I hate to put down. I just wanted to know what was going to happen next and how their story would end. Definitely worth the read!" ~ Ang
"Waiting on Justin takes the reader into the personal lives of two kids who are struggling with family and relationship issues. I love the way Lucy creates a clear picture of her characters and the homes in which they live. This is a great read and I enjoyed it thoroughly." ~ Arlene Grover
"I went into this book not knowing what to expect. Am so pleased to say it didn't disappoint. A moving tale of two young lives coming from a harsh background but never totally losing hope. The character's were believable & touched your life. You kept rooting for them through all their dilemmas & challenges. A great debut novel, look forward to reading more from Lucy!" ~ Alison
About the Author
Lucy H. Delaney lives with her blended family in the Pacific Northwest town of Leavenworth, Washington, nestled at the feet of the Cascade Mountains. When not tucked away in her writing room making up stories or standing in her cubicle in one of the offices of corporate America, Lucy spends her time with family and friends.
Along with her husband and four children, Lucy loves to be in nature: She can often be found on her homemade backyard swing, curled up with a good book, hiking the surrounding mountains or running country roads and game trails. A fitness enthusiast who regularly practices crossfit, yoga, and distance running, Lucy also volunteers for the Chelan-Douglas CASA organization and her church's AWANA program to help keep kids safe and smiling.
Giveaway
Enter the tour-wide giveaway for a chance to win a paperback or ebook copy of Waiting on Justin by Lucy H. Delaney.
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