Welcome to the release event for Tripp by Kristen Kehoe, a companion novel to Life Interrupted. We have some teasers as well as a giveaway of a necklace from Stella & Dot. Tripp is a Mature Young Adult Contemporary Novel and is now available for sale!
About the Book:
Because there are two sides to every story
Ive never been the guy who shied away from taking the ball. Im an athlete; I thrive on the court, and I thrive in life because I dont shy away from taking chances.
Except that one time.
Except with Rachel.
I fell in love with my best friend when we were ten, and she almost put her fist in my face when I tried to defend her against a fifth grade bully. I didnt tell her that day that I loved her, or any of the ones following, because she had proved she didnt need me, and even at a young age, I knew the opposite was true for me.
I needed Rachel with every breath I took, and it scared the ever-loving crap out of me.
Being the mature young man I am (cough), I tried to ignore it. I dated someone else; I stayed Rachels friend and watched her from afar because when you love someone who has the potential to break you into a million unrecoverable pieces, thats what you do. You watch from afar and you never reveal your true feelings because its safer to hide them than to admit them.
Until its not. Until the day you take a step forward and alter both of your worlds completely, only to discover that youll never, ever be over her.
This is my story my story of Rachel and everything I did and didnt do, everything I said and forgot to say, and everything I felt before and after we made our biggest mistake and walked away from each other.
She told her side now its my turn. Im including our past, holding nothing back from her ever again, so she better be ready for me.
Mature Young Adult
***This is the companion novel to LIFE INTERRUPTED (The Life series Book 1) released January 2014. It can be read as a standalone, as it is different from Rachels story.
Tripp, Stacy says. I snap to the present. Are you ready?
I wipe my palms on my jeans and nod. What do you need?
Following Stacys instructions, I walk down the hall into Rachels room. The light is on; I can see the small form under the blankets before I peel them away and scoop my arms under her even though she protests. I want her to fight, even prepare myself for it, but right away I see what Stacys talking about. Theres nothing inside of Racheleven as she attempts to thrash in my arms, I barely have to tighten my hold on her while I carry her to the bathroom. The girl who has so often put me on my ass from one punch has no muscle, and worse, she has no spirit.
Nothing about the girl in my arms right now is the Rachel Ive always known. The lack of fight worries me more than the lack of weight.
Stacys already pushed the shower curtain back. I put Rachel inside, ignoring her half-hearted protests as I turn the water on cold and high. When she screamsthe real-deal scream full of terror and angerthe vise on my chest loosens a little and Im so grateful I could break down and weep. My hands are full because shes putting much more effort into fighting me than she was a second ago. I forget about how cold the water is on my skin, or the fact that she looks like a ghost with dark circles under her eyes and a pasty pallor to her normally warm skin, and I talk to her while I hold her there.
Thats right, Rachel, fight me. You fight me and you come back. Do you hear me? We need you, Rachel. We need you to fight. She screams more, shoving at me with her hands, but I dont budge. I encourage her as I see the color start to slowly seep into her cheeks. Come on, baby, come back to us. Come back to me.
I whisper the last part. I dont know if it was the words or the fact that shes finally opened up enough to feel the weight of it all, but she breaksthe dam cracking and flooding. Instead of being angry, shes devastated.
My heart cracks and my lungs seize; she falls into a sobbing heap. I turn the water off and start to lift her into my lap. Whatever I promised her sister, I cant do it; I cant watch her break like this.
About the Author:
I am a writer of YA/NA contemporary novels. I write about those crazy ages of 18-23 because there is nothing scarier than being told to grow up and decide what to do with your life and who to be so suddenly. I write about love because its my belief that love, in one form or another, saves us all at some point in our lives. I am married to a man who understands and believes in me, and mother to a beautiful baby girl and a neurotic Great Dane Puppy.