EXCERPT and GUEST POST
The Second Cup
by Sarah Marie Graye
Author Sarah Marie Graye stops by today to share an excerpt from her debut novel, The Second Cup. Keep an eye out for my review coming later this year.
Description
Would your life unravel
if someone you knew committed suicide?
University was years ago, but Faye's heart still belongs to her first
love from student days. She knows Jack might have moved on, but when she
decides to track him down, nothing prepares her for the news that he's taken his
own life.
With the fragility of life staring them in the face, Abbie finds herself
questioning her marriage, and Faye her friendship with Ethan. And poor Olivia
is questioning everything - including why Jack's death has hit Beth the
hardest. Is she about to take her own life too?
Excerpt
Prologue
Today’s the day. I’m going to do this.
That’s what I say to myself over and over in my head as I pull on my leathers, fasten the straps on my boots and pull on my crash helmet and adjust the chin strap. Actually, I’m mumbling to myself, saying it out loud: “Today’s the day. Today’s the day.” I take a quick look round to make sure there’s nobody around to hear me. Not that it would make much difference. I’m so focused on today I have no space in my thoughts for other people.
I walk up to my bike. She’s a beauty. I think bikes are female, like ships are. There’s something enslaving about her curves, the way she calls me. I’m addicted to the buzz I get when I ride her. I don’t even need to be going quickly. I like to think she responds to my every move, but I’m also conscious of the sliver of fear I get whenever I twitch the throttle and her engine growls.
I put the key in the ignition, climb over her, then put my gloves on, taking time to pull my jacket sleeves over the edges. There’s nothing quite like the pain you feel deep in your bones from riding a bike in the cold when you’ve got a draught between your layers. I’ve got a patch of skin on my lower back that I believe has been damaged from my early days of riding when my trousers and jacket didn’t zip together. The nerve endings on a 10in-by-2in stretch of skin have never fully recovered, not even after hour upon hour of hot baths.
Kicking up the stand, turning the key, pulling in the clutch, putting her in first, I’m a conductor in front of an orchestra playing his favourite piece of music, I know every move. I pull down my visor, my final move before I pull of from the kerb and join the living.
“Today’s the day.”
[Want more? Click below to read a longer excerpt.]
Praise for the Book
"Following the twists and turns of four friends’ lives as they deal
with divorce, self-esteem issues, mental health challenges and, the trigger
incident, an ex-boyfriend’s suicide, The
Second Cup is a story that will resonate with anyone who has ever been bullied
(at school or work) or felt like an outsider in their own life. [...] I’m
looking forward to seeing what’s next from this new author!" ~ Amazon Customer
"Emotionally challenging and highly original, The Second Cup proves
a powerful debut for Graye and a hard book to put down." ~ Book Viral
"The writer has a very creative way of writing and will keep you
going if you admire the 'art of writing' when reading a book. This book is for
those who like stories related to human struggles and emotions in day to day
life." ~ La Kayshal
"The author’s writing is brilliant and beautiful and I hope to read
more from her soon. She has a way of turning the simplistic things in life into
elegant pieces of artwork. I know, I will be thinking about this book for some
time to come because of the heart that went into the plot." ~ Chelsey McQuitty
"This story will make you look again at your life and the emotional
struggles and trials that everyone goes through. Great story that keeps you
turning the pages to see what happens to each of the well developed characters.
Great book and I would recommend reading this one." ~ Jimmy ray
Why I Wrote This Book
Suicide is a difficult subject to talk about. And although writing a novel isn't an easy task, writing about suicide - putting my thoughts into the heads of my characters - was far easier than talking about my mental health.
With The Second Cup, I hope to capture what it's like to not feel as if you fit into the world - to feel uncomfortable in your own skin. I've written it for all the people who, like me, wonder if they tick half a second out of time with the rest of the world.
Faye, Beth, Abbie and Olivia come from different family backgrounds, they are successful in their careers and in their love lives to a greater or lesser degree. What they have in common is they are all struggling with mental and emotional issues.
When Faye discovers Jack - her ex and the love of her life - has killed himself, it brings life into sharp focus for all four of them.
A cup of tea does not cure everything.
About the Author
Sarah Marie Graye was born in Manchester, United Kingdom, in 1975, to English Catholic parents. One of five daughters, to the outside world Sarah Marie's childhood followed a relatively typical Manchester upbringing ... until aged 9, when she was diagnosed with depression. It's a diagnosis that has stayed with Sarah Marie over three decades, and something she believes has coloured every life decision. Now in her early 40s, Sarah Marie has published her first novel The Second Cup. The novel explores how unhappy childhoods lead to unhappy adulthoods and affect the friendships and relationships people build.
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