GUEST POST and GIVEAWAY
Good Intentions
(The Road to Salvation Book 3)
(The Road to Salvation Book 3)
by Pembroke Sinclair
Good Intentions is the third book in Pembroke Sinclair's Road to Salvation series. Also available: The Appeal of Evil (read my blog post) and Dealing with Devils (read my blog post).
This book blitz and giveaway is brought to you by Xpresso Book Tours.
Description
Katie has been through Hell - literally - and discovered that it wasn’t as bad as she thought it would be. In fact, she kind of enjoyed it. She got to be with Josh, found out about her past, and discovered who she wanted to be as a person. Katie didn’t care that her actions went against social norms. She was happy.
But things are changing - again. Wes has come back into her life, and that can only mean trouble. His presence threatens to unravel her new-found happiness. She can’t allow that. She won’t let him back in. Yet, Katie can’t push him away.
Thrown back into a state of confusion and uncertainty, Katie is once again forced to pick sides, and in the process, she may lose herself.
Excerpt
The halls were quickly clearing of students, but Katie wasn’t worried. There were still enough people around to keep her safe from demon spies and Wes. Well, Wes was for sure. In reality, the shadow could be anywhere. Same with other demons, especially if they looked human. But Katie felt secure in knowing that they probably wouldn’t venture out in their true form as long as students were around. Not that demons bothered her. It was just because of who the demon was tied to. And as long as she didn’t venture into a bathroom alone - which she didn’t plan to do - she was fine. Wes would leave her alone. Besides, in just a few minutes she’d be outside and in Josh’s car. Then, they could figure out what they were going to do about the situation.
As she stepped out of the building, a cool breeze blew by her, causing her to shudder. Fall was definitely in the air. She wrapped her arms around her chest and scanned the parking lot. It didn’t take long to find him. He was parked in the third row from the building, and his was one of the last vehicles in the lot. The rest were lined up haphazardly at the exits attempting to get out. Most of the other students, unless they were involved with sports, didn’t stay at school for longer than was necessary. Katie couldn’t blame them. It wasn’t her favorite place either.
He stood next to the passenger door with his arms folded across his chest. He smiled as his gaze fell on her, and even from a distance she could tell it was forced. Crap. That probably meant things didn’t go well. Taking a deep breath, she closed the distance between them with determined steps.
He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her into a tight hug. She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her cheek on his chest. His heart beat steadily in his ribs. His embrace was warm and pushed away the chill from the air. All her fears and worries disappeared. She was safe. It would have been so perfect if that was how the rest of her life could go. If she could just stay in his arms, life would be grand. But it couldn’t. That wasn’t the way things worked. Sooner or later, the world would come crashing in on them. Despite the desire to pretend like events hadn’t happened earlier in the day, she knew she couldn’t delay the inevitable. Still snuggled close to him, she asked the question she didn’t really want the answer to.
“What did you find out?”
Praise for the Book
"The story has gotten better and better in each book and now we have made it to another crescendo as we go into Good Intentions. [...] I really loved this series, after I got past Katie being so childish, but must say the last book, Good Intentions, was my favorite of the three. I enjoy how everything came together at the end. Was on pins and needles a few times as it seemed things were not going to go as I had hoped but everything worked out for the best." ~ Gimme The Scoop
"Awesome, Awesome, Awesome! I loved the way it ended. It was all neatly tied up yet was set up so there can be more books if the author decides to go that way. This is a series you really need to read." ~ Sandra K. Stiles
"I loved this book. It’s a great end to the other two books. I was screaming at Katie to wake up so many times. But I know she has to go through everything to find the truth. I loved how things progressed and Wes, I have to say that I really started liking him. I don’t know if there are going to be more books in this series. If not I liked how Good Intentions ended, but it ended like there could be more. Anyway, The Road to Salvation is a great series with a twist on the good vs. evil theme. I recommend reading them in order since they read back to back." ~ Amazon Customer
"Ms. Sinclair finished The Road to Salvation series very well with the third book, Good Intentions. It was rather short, but at the same time, everything happened that needed to happen. I was pleased by this. I would rather read a shorter book and have everything closed, than a long book with more words than is necessary. I believe this was the perfect way to end this series. Once again it was like a tennis match, and at times, drove me crazy. I would have to walk away and then come back to it later. Then, of course, the ending was fantastic! I just have to say, YAY!! [...] Thank you, Ms. Sinclair, for sharing your wonderful series with me. I enjoyed it very much." ~ Bethanie
Guest Post by the Author
Unlikable Characters
Characters, like real people, have their quirks. There are parts of them readers may like, and others readers may find loathsome. Katie, my main character from The Road to Salvation series, isn’t always liked. In fact, some readers have even gone so far as to say they hate her.
My first reaction to that was that I needed to come to Katie’s defense. I felt like I needed to protect her like I would protect my own children. I would explain that she acts the way she acts because she’s a 17-year-old girl or give some other excuse, like she’s naive. I was upset that they would attack her like that.
Then, I stopped. I was talking to an author friend of mine about how not all main characters have to be likable. The point of stories is to put characters in challenging situations and see how they react to them. Not all of them come out fighting. Some are more passive and maybe a lot more self-centered. Some are unreliable. You can’t trust anything they have to say, and they often twist the truth to their own benefit. Some are sneaky. Like the real world, characters in fiction display a wide range of personality traits - not all of which are desirable.
Katie is young, naive, self-centered, needy, and whiny. She has moments of being strong, but they are fleeting and quickly devolve into self-doubt and insecurity. Katie is who she is, and she shouldn’t have to apologize for that or explain it to anyone. And neither do I. If she was any other way, it wouldn’t be the same story.
I understand that readers don’t like her, but some do. And both of those feelings are correct. Katie isn’t always my favorite either, and I know her really well. I don’t cringe anymore when reviewers write about how much they despise her. In fact, I laugh. To me, that’s an awesome compliment. I love to see that my character evokes such a strong emotional response. It means I’m doing something right.
From the Author
Pembroke Sinclair is a literary jack of all trades, playing her hand at multiple genres. She has written an eclectic mix of fiction ranging from horror to sci-fi and even some westerns.
Born in Rock Springs, Wyoming - the home of 56 nationalities - it is no wonder Pembroke ended up so creatively diverse. Her fascination with the notions of good and evil, demons and angels, and how the lines blur have inspired her writing.
Pembroke lives in Laramie, Wyoming, with her husband, two spirited boys, a black lab named Ryder, and a rescue kitty named Alia, who happens to be the sweetest, most adorable kitty in the world! She cannot say no to dessert, orange soda, or cinnamon. She loves rats and tatts and rock and roll and wants to be an alien queen when she grows up.
Giveaway
Enter the blitz-wide giveaway for a chance to a set of paperbacks of The Road to Salvation series (including The Appeal of Evil, Dealing with Devils, and Good Intentions) by Pembroke Sinclair (US only).
