Maya knows she’s doing the right thing by moving to Alaska
with her parents, but that doesn’t mean she has to be happy about it. Forced to
give up a scholarship to a prestigious art school, she relocates to a Podunk
town with one college the size of her high school cafeteria, all to help hold
her family together after the death of her little sister. But a fresh start can
only do so much.
Jake doesn’t like handouts and he certainly doesn’t need any
distractions. Working on a salmon boat in Kodiak, Alaska is the only way to pay
for his mother’s surgery back in the lower forty-eight. Juggling college
courses and constant worry about his mother’s health, Jake couldn’t imagine
anything else fitting into his life. That is, until he meets Maya, the sexy
Californian artist who tints his world in technicolor.
But when Maya’s family starts to
crumble and Jake’s mom takes a turn for the worse, will they drag each other
down, or can they find what they were missing all along?
In
this new adult romance, Theresa DaLayne paints a swoon-worthy story about life
under the midnight sun, following your heart, and learning to live on the edge.
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Excerpt:
She searched the room to see the same guy who bumped
into her, scarfing on a glazed donut. His dark brown hair curled from under a
grey beanie, the ball bearings of his eyebrow ring glinting in the light as he
chewed. Her throat tightened. He was even better looking from a distance.
He raised his gaze, immediately meeting hers. She
half-smiled. He watched her for a moment, not smiling or frowning.
Maya shifted her weight.
The art professor stood from behind his desk,
grabbing Maya's attention. "Hi everyone." The tall, lanky man stepped
around the side of his desk. "My name is Mr. Stuart, and I'll be your art
professor this semester." He pushed his glasses up to the bridge of his
nose. "Today is day one, so I'm going to see what you all are capable
of."
Maya checked out the blue-eyed guy a second time. He
had finished his donut and was now focused on the teacher.
She didn't mean to stare, but, wow. The sharp angle of his jaw made her forget every California
guy she’d ever called eye candy.
"Grab a piece of paper," the professor
continued, "and choose your preferred method of creation. Make something
that will impress me." The professor sat back down behind his desk.
"You have ninety minutes."
The classroom filled with chatter as Maya rose from
her seat and approached the acrylic paints. She scanned the colors and gathered
them in her arms.
The guy moved to stand beside her, checking out the
paints like they were extraterrestrial. Maya couldn't help but grin. "Not
familiar with acrylics?"
He examined the row of bottles she was holding.
"No, but I have a feeling you know exactly
what you're doing."
She shrugged. "It's kind of my thing."
"I can see that." He plucked a
puke-colored green from the pile. “Maybe I’ll give it a shot.”
Maya crinkled her nose and took the bottle from his
hand. "Not that one. It’s muddled." She picked a few bottles of
primary colors and handed them to him. “Start with the basics. If you need
help, there’s an empty seat next to me." Maya tried not to smile when he took
her up on her offer and followed close behind her.
"You're new here."
"And you're not the first person who's
noticed." She glanced over her shoulder. "Is it that obvious?"
Maya found her seat and spilled the pile of paints onto the table.
"It's a small town." He pulled the seat
out beside her and sat, leaning back in his chair while staring up at her.
Those blue eyes again.
She sat and organized the paints in a row, dark to
light. "So does the whole town know I'm here?"
"Probably." He chuckled and extended his
hand.
She wrapped her hand in his. His hands were
callused, but he had a strong grip. "I’m Maya, by the way."
“Jake.” He pulled his hand back and leaned forward,
propping his forearms on the table. "So what are we painting?"
"We?" She picked up a slanted brush,
loading it with dark brown. "I'm
painting a mountainside."
Jake grabbed an abandoned piece of paper from beside
him and a straight edge paintbrush. "I'm thinking, a snake. Or a
worm."
Maya smiled. "You mean a squiggly line?"
"Exactly."
Maya dragged her brush over the paper, making thin,
vertical lines, then set it down and chose a fan brush. Hunter green would
work, though she noticed most of the trees on Kodiak weren't that dark. A few
strategically placed strokes over the brown trunks would make great spruce
trees.
"There," he said. "Done."
“Already?” Maya picked up her brush and looked at
Jake's painting—a grey streak across the paper with solid red eyes and a forked
tongue, painted in electric blue. She raised her eyebrows. "What is that?"
"It's a snake." He set down the brush.
"Sorry to break it to you, but that is not a
snake."
"What? It's an endangered species."
Maya giggled. "More like radioactive."
Theresa DaLayne a north-south-east-western kind of
girl with a quirky personality to match her nomad life. Born in the garlic
capital of the world, she spent her childhood exploring the US with her family,
including a seven-year stay in Kodiak, Alaska. Now married, she has spent ten amazing
years with her (arguably) better half traveling the world and growing their
family.
Imagine that, Alaska on my Florida beach. Thanks for visiting, Theresa. I wish you much luck and mega-sales on this great book.
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