Author: Stephanie Mann
Genre: Contemporary Romance, New Adult
Release Date: 12th November 2013
Publisher: Swoon Romance
Book Blurb:
Daniel is sick of his wonderfully boring and predictable life. He dutifully gets up every morning, goes to class, goes to work, and it never changes. He does, says and even wears exactly what others expect of him. He's so predictable that he barely notices just how unhappy he truly is.One afternoon, everything changes when David meets a girl on the run from her own demons. She doesn't need Daniel's help, but he offers and she accepts--setting a course for an adventure neither will soon forget.Together, on an impromptu road trip, two strangers become friends and a bit more, all while facing money problems, car problems, and tourist traps and the naked truth: they can't run forever.Will they finally stop running long enough to discover true and lasting love?
[EXCERPT]
First Day
“Who’s ready to go on a science adventure?”
The kids cheered, and as Daniel started leading his tour group through the museum, he relaxed for the first time that day. He’d started the day by oversleeping—not a thing you want to do in medical school, and as he walked through the halls of the Pittsburgh Children’s Discovery Museum, he was already planning on how to tell his professor that a grandmother died or something. At least he’d only missed his first class.
Daniel was enrolled in the medical school at a so-called prestigious Pennsylvania college, where the reputation was more important than the education. Not that the degree was completely useless. He was going to be using that degree as a doctor in just three or four more years. Sometimes those years seemed long, sometimes they seemed short. Today, they seemed short. Classes flew by when he didn’t go.
He had to skip brushing his teeth that morning, and he hoped no one noticed. He’d just shoved a few orange Tic-Tacs into his mouth to hide his morning breath. He’d have some coffee on the way. It would stink up his breath a little bit, but everyone smelled like coffee in the morning. It was the only way they survived. They spent their classes learning about caffeine overdose, how it would fuck up their bodies, and they still needed it. Other students turned to anti-depressants, pills to keep them awake. Wasn’t hard to get them. Most of them worked with doctors on internships, fellowships, who could swipe a prescription pad. Daniel didn’t want to touch the stuff. Too tempting to get addicted.
His tie had been crooked all day, and his perpetually messy black hair had remained uncombed. The kids didn’t notice, and lucky for him, neither had his boss. Daniel didn’t care about looking good for class, but he did care about the museum. He had the job so he wouldn’t have to rely on his parents’ money all the way through school. They paid tuition, he paid everything else, and it worked out for him.
“So, kids, the first thing we’re going to do is visit the moon!” Daniel said as he led his tour group on. “How does that sound?”
“Awesome!” one of the kids, a boy, shouted a bit too loudly.
“Follow me!” Daniel continued, his voice still holding too much fake cheer. He held his flag high so that the group could see him and headed towards the space travel exhibit.
Daniel surveyed the group as they walked, trying to size them up. Who would be the troublemaker this time? There were babies in their parents’ arms, too young to understand a word he was saying. He’d have to make them wait outside for the lightning display. The noise would scare them. There were a couple of cute little girls who looked like they’d eagerly hang on to every word he said. The parents, on the other hand, didn’t look like too much trouble. One of the mothers looked like the type who might disagree with everything that wasn’t in the Bible, based on the way she fingered the cross around her neck, and he’d probably lose her around the dinosaur exhibit. He knew that thought was incredibly judgmental, but he’d actually met parents who were like that. He could tell the type.
His eyes settled on a girl in the back, carrying a suitcase, her eyes shifting around uneasily. Probably the older sister of one of these kids, forced by her parents to take the younger sibling to the museum for “quality time.” He’d had to do it himself when he and his brother were young. She might be a smartass, the older kids usually were, but that wasn’t a problem.
He wondered if he should say something about the suitcase. But he figured that it probably had the kid’s diapers, extra snacks, a toy to entertain him, stuff like that. A few of the mothers had backpacks. A suitcase wasn’t much different, even if it did have the same print on it as his grandmother’s sofa. Besides, he didn’t want to embarrass her. She looked uncomfortable being there.
“Who’s ready to go on a science adventure?”
The kids cheered, and as Daniel started leading his tour group through the museum, he relaxed for the first time that day. He’d started the day by oversleeping—not a thing you want to do in medical school, and as he walked through the halls of the Pittsburgh Children’s Discovery Museum, he was already planning on how to tell his professor that a grandmother died or something. At least he’d only missed his first class.
Daniel was enrolled in the medical school at a so-called prestigious Pennsylvania college, where the reputation was more important than the education. Not that the degree was completely useless. He was going to be using that degree as a doctor in just three or four more years. Sometimes those years seemed long, sometimes they seemed short. Today, they seemed short. Classes flew by when he didn’t go.
He had to skip brushing his teeth that morning, and he hoped no one noticed. He’d just shoved a few orange Tic-Tacs into his mouth to hide his morning breath. He’d have some coffee on the way. It would stink up his breath a little bit, but everyone smelled like coffee in the morning. It was the only way they survived. They spent their classes learning about caffeine overdose, how it would fuck up their bodies, and they still needed it. Other students turned to anti-depressants, pills to keep them awake. Wasn’t hard to get them. Most of them worked with doctors on internships, fellowships, who could swipe a prescription pad. Daniel didn’t want to touch the stuff. Too tempting to get addicted.
His tie had been crooked all day, and his perpetually messy black hair had remained uncombed. The kids didn’t notice, and lucky for him, neither had his boss. Daniel didn’t care about looking good for class, but he did care about the museum. He had the job so he wouldn’t have to rely on his parents’ money all the way through school. They paid tuition, he paid everything else, and it worked out for him.
“So, kids, the first thing we’re going to do is visit the moon!” Daniel said as he led his tour group on. “How does that sound?”
“Awesome!” one of the kids, a boy, shouted a bit too loudly.
“Follow me!” Daniel continued, his voice still holding too much fake cheer. He held his flag high so that the group could see him and headed towards the space travel exhibit.
Daniel surveyed the group as they walked, trying to size them up. Who would be the troublemaker this time? There were babies in their parents’ arms, too young to understand a word he was saying. He’d have to make them wait outside for the lightning display. The noise would scare them. There were a couple of cute little girls who looked like they’d eagerly hang on to every word he said. The parents, on the other hand, didn’t look like too much trouble. One of the mothers looked like the type who might disagree with everything that wasn’t in the Bible, based on the way she fingered the cross around her neck, and he’d probably lose her around the dinosaur exhibit. He knew that thought was incredibly judgmental, but he’d actually met parents who were like that. He could tell the type.
His eyes settled on a girl in the back, carrying a suitcase, her eyes shifting around uneasily. Probably the older sister of one of these kids, forced by her parents to take the younger sibling to the museum for “quality time.” He’d had to do it himself when he and his brother were young. She might be a smartass, the older kids usually were, but that wasn’t a problem.
He wondered if he should say something about the suitcase. But he figured that it probably had the kid’s diapers, extra snacks, a toy to entertain him, stuff like that. A few of the mothers had backpacks. A suitcase wasn’t much different, even if it did have the same print on it as his grandmother’s sofa. Besides, he didn’t want to embarrass her. She looked uncomfortable being there.
She was in fact uncomfortable, but not for a reason Daniel could have guessed. Nicole was in a strange place with strange people, and she was just itching to get back on the road. She’d hitchhiked her way to the museum, and while she was grateful to be out of the sun, she was far from her destination.
Then again, her destination was just “not Philly,” so she was there if she wanted to be. She didn’t feel far enough from home for it to count quite just yet. She’d made up her mind that she was going to go a long ways away—and not leaving the state was simply not good enough. But she was on this tour now, and she was just going to deal with it and listen to the guy talk. He was kind of hot, anyway. While they walked, he was talking to one of the parents. He had the forced smile of a person who didn’t want to deal with this shit. Nicole herself had worn that smile many times, working fast food.
She would never have to go back to her restaurant. That was a huge relief, one that made her relax and listen as the guide talked about the first moon landing. She sat down on a plastic moon rock and rubbed at a wasp sting on the back of her hand. She’d never been stung before that morning.
*GIVEAWAY*
1 - $10 Starbucks gift card & ebook of Ready To Go (INT)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
*GET IT AT*
Then again, her destination was just “not Philly,” so she was there if she wanted to be. She didn’t feel far enough from home for it to count quite just yet. She’d made up her mind that she was going to go a long ways away—and not leaving the state was simply not good enough. But she was on this tour now, and she was just going to deal with it and listen to the guy talk. He was kind of hot, anyway. While they walked, he was talking to one of the parents. He had the forced smile of a person who didn’t want to deal with this shit. Nicole herself had worn that smile many times, working fast food.
She would never have to go back to her restaurant. That was a huge relief, one that made her relax and listen as the guide talked about the first moon landing. She sat down on a plastic moon rock and rubbed at a wasp sting on the back of her hand. She’d never been stung before that morning.
*ABOUT THE AUTHOR*
Stephanie Mann lives in Massachusetts. Besides writing, she spends her free time working with fan conventions. She loves to travel, and has visited many tourist traps along the way.
READY TO GO is Stephanie Mann's first novel.
*GIVEAWAY*
1 - $10 Starbucks gift card & ebook of Ready To Go (INT)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
*GET IT AT*
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