Welcome
to Hickville High by
Mary Karlik
WELCOME
TO HICKVILLE HIGH by Mary Karlik is a sweet, sassy, and deeply
emotional YA romance about starting over, rediscovering what really
matters, and learning how love conquers all – no matter who you are
or where you live. You’ll be drawn in by the plucky heroine and
charming hero in this upside down Cinderella story. When you go from
riches to rags, finding what truly matters becomes all the more
special.
Join
Mary Karlik and the Killion Group as we celebrate the release of
Welcome to Hickville High with this 17 stop Book Blast from October
19th
to 23rd.
Included in this book blast is exclusive content, guest posts from
Mary, an interview, a spotlight of the book, and a giveaway. One
GRAND PRIZE WINNER will receive a $25 Amazon Gift Card!
Title:
Welcome to Hickville High
Author:
Mary Karlik
Series:
Hickville High
Genre:
YA Romance
Release
Date:
October 15th
2015
Publisher:
Indie
Published
Print
Length:
292 pages
Format:
Paperback and Digital
Synopsis:
Senior
Kelsey Quinn loses it all when her dad relocates the family to
Hillside Texas, population Hick. She’ll do whatever it takes to
return to the good life, even if it’s just for one night of dancing
at a gala with the boyfriend she left behind. She trades her designer
dresses for an apron to work as a dishwasher in a redneck diner. But
she doesn’t plan on six feet of pure Texan, Austin McCoy entering
her life. He teaches her to love the farm life she’s been forced
into, but will he convince her that it’s the farm boy that goes
with that life that she really wants?
Excerpt
She
looked at the striped land below and the farmhouses dotting the
landscape. “This is beautiful. But we’re going to lose our view.
It’s almost dark.”
“No.
That’s when the real show begins.” He spread the blanket on the
grass. “The sky is amazing out here.” He sat and stretched out
his legs.
A
blanket in the middle of nowhere? She told herself nothing was going
to happen—she wouldn’t let it. Kelsey sat with her knees tucked
under and pulled her dress over her thighs. “Don’t forget, I have
to be home by eleven.”
“Not
a problem. I’ll set my phone alarm.” He plinked on his phone and
set it on the edge of the blanket.
They
sat a few inches apart, close enough to touch, but they didn’t.
Kelsey’s heart raced anyway. She stretched her legs out, crossed
her ankles, and leaned back on her elbows. She dropped her head back
and took a deep breath. “Smell that?”
He
sniffed. “What?”
“It’s
clean.”
He
sniffed again. “I smell dirt. What are you talking about?”
She
laughed. “Well, I’m not smelling city. It’s grass and
wildflowers.” She looked at him. “And you.”
“Me?”
He bumped her with his shoulder. “What about you?”
“What
about me?”
“You
smell like pretty things.”
“Pretty
things?”
He
looked into her eyes. “Yeah, like flowers and stuff.”
Kelsey
laughed and dropped to her back. “Look. The stars are coming out.”
Austin
lay back too, and looked up. “The sky is so clear out here it’s
like you could reach up and touch them. Keep watching.”
“For
what?”
“That.”
Austin pointed at a bright streak screaming across the sky. It was
gone almost as soon as it appeared.
“Oh
my God. I’ve never seen a shooting star before. How’d you know
we’d see one?”
“It’s
the Perseid meteor shower. It happens every August. We learned about
it in sixth grade. I come up here a lot at this time of year.”
“Aren’t
you supposed to make a wish or something?” Kelsey searched the sky
for another streak.
“Yeah,
I think so. Go ahead, what are you going to wish for?”
“I
can’t tell you. First rule of wishes—it won’t come true if you
don’t keep it a secret.”
He
laughed and said, “Close your eyes and make your wish.”
She
squeezed her eyes shut and wished time would slow just a bit. When
she opened them, Austin was propped on an elbow looking at her.
“What?”
“Nothing.
It’s just—I like seeing my world for the first time.”
“What?”
“Everything
is so new to you, it makes me appreciate what I take for granted.”
She
reached up and glided her fingers through his hair. She hadn’t
intended to pull him toward her and she wasn’t really sure she had,
but he lowered his mouth to hers and stars burst in her head.
They
kissed long and slow. When the kiss broke, she turned on her side to
face him. Their gazes locked and she felt eagerness mixed with
hesitation and fear. Guilt lingered somewhere in the distance. Not
now. She wasn’t going to deal with that now. She tilted her chin
just enough to reach his lips.
As
they kissed, he pulled her against him and ran his hand down her
spine to just below the small of her back.
She
rolled back, bringing him with her. He broke the kiss and supported
his weight on his forearms. “Kelsey…”
She
stared into his eyes, breathing so hard and fast her head was
spinning. She couldn’t think.
He
kissed her softly and said, “I promise I won’t…”
She
nodded.
He
kissed her again and she wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled
him tight. His kisses were harder this time. Then he trailed soft
kisses up her neck until he captured her mouth again. His hand
drifted to the hem of her dress, but instead of plunging beneath it,
he smoothed it over her thigh.
Every
second he was with her, she wanted more. More kisses, more touches,
more everything.
He
pulled away and stroked her hair. “You are so beautiful—we have
to stop—or we’re not going to be able to stop.”
She
nodded and barely squeaked, “Yeah.”
He
rolled on his back and scooted so close their shoulders touched.
She
tried to watch for more meteors, but then he turned his head to look
at her and she couldn’t resist tasting one more kiss. As soon as
her lips touched his, she was gone again—kissing and touching
him—losing her mind.
And
then, his phone alarm sounded.
She
broke the kiss. “I have to go.”
Available NOW: Amazon
| Barnes
& Noble | Kobo
| iBooks
About
Mary Karlik:
Following a career as a
nursing instructor, award-winning author, Mary Karlik earned an MFA
in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University in
Pennsylvania. A native Texan, Mary loves horses, dogs, cats, country
music, and small town diners. Although she has recently relocated in
northern New Mexico, her heart remains in the Lone Star state.
10/19/2015
10/20/2015
10/21/2015
10/22/2015
10/23/2015
No comments:
Post a Comment