The Book
Book 2 of the Once Upon A Road Trip series
Genre: Young Adult
About Once Upon An Ever After:
Set after the events of Blount's debut memoir, Once Upon A Road Trip, this short story anthology focuses on the unusual courtship of Angeli and Vincent.Source: Info in the About Once Upon An Ever After was from the press kit from the publicity team.
When Angeli left Minnesota on a post-high school road trip, all she wanted was to see the East Coast and finally meet some of her online friends. She didn't expect to end up in a long-distance relationship with a computer-savvy Southern boy. Yet Vincent seems determined to defy the odds. To prove his intentions, he sets off on his own quest to visit Angeli and win her family's approval. But along the way he’ll have to contend with her offbeat friends, trigger-happy father, and a few questionable run-ins with Northern hospitality.
South meets North this time around, and "normal" isn't anywhere on the map.
With a thousand miles and radically different upbringings between them, can Angeli and Vincent forge a forever-worthy bond? Or are the roadblocks they face too much for either of them to overcome?
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Excerpt:
“So, then what did you used to do for fun around here?” Vince asked. He turned his gaze back to me, seeming to pick up on my reminiscence-induced melancholy. “I mean, besides building wigwams in the woods and getting run over by heavy machinery.”
“Smart-aleck,” I accused, cutting him a narrowed glance. He cracked a rascally grin and waited, his lean face smoothing into a look of expectation.
I gestured further down the country highway, pointing out the glint of a roadside stream as I turned into my neighborhood. “I spent most of my time following that creek to the river with an ice-cream bucket and a butterfly net, catching crayfish and tadpoles. They weren’t much for conversation, but they were more pleasant company than the kids around here."
He peered at me as the car bumped and jostled along the gravel, heading through the elevated left side of the valley. “And…what did you do with these buckets full of water creatures?”
“I kept them in a kiddie pool under our deck,” I answered, matter-of-factly.
He nodded, making no attempt to mask his perplexed expression. “Oh, of course you did.”
A small smirk leaked through, tugging at the side of my mouth he couldn’t see. “Some girls took dance or played with dolls… I created an aquatic ecosystem in my backyard.”
“Well,” He cleared his throat, playing up a tone of confused acquiescence. “Everybody needs a hobby.”
I turned left into a small cul-de-sac and eased into park in front of my parent’s house. Painted dark blue and set on a small plateau, it would have blended into the darkened woods behind it if not for the motion-sensing floodlights and glaring-white garage doors. I switched off the engine and turned to look Vince full in the face.
“Last chance to back out,” I offered with forced cheer, taking in a steadying breath as he leaned toward me. “There’s probably a lot more weirdness from here on out—”
Vince bent forward the rest of the way and captured my lips in a sweet, lingering kiss. His hand cupped my jaw, giving gentle guidance as I mirrored his movements without thought. He pulled back first, lips curving into a smile of challenge.
“Bring on the weird.”
“Smart-aleck,” I accused, cutting him a narrowed glance. He cracked a rascally grin and waited, his lean face smoothing into a look of expectation.
I gestured further down the country highway, pointing out the glint of a roadside stream as I turned into my neighborhood. “I spent most of my time following that creek to the river with an ice-cream bucket and a butterfly net, catching crayfish and tadpoles. They weren’t much for conversation, but they were more pleasant company than the kids around here."
He peered at me as the car bumped and jostled along the gravel, heading through the elevated left side of the valley. “And…what did you do with these buckets full of water creatures?”
“I kept them in a kiddie pool under our deck,” I answered, matter-of-factly.
He nodded, making no attempt to mask his perplexed expression. “Oh, of course you did.”
A small smirk leaked through, tugging at the side of my mouth he couldn’t see. “Some girls took dance or played with dolls… I created an aquatic ecosystem in my backyard.”
“Well,” He cleared his throat, playing up a tone of confused acquiescence. “Everybody needs a hobby.”
I turned left into a small cul-de-sac and eased into park in front of my parent’s house. Painted dark blue and set on a small plateau, it would have blended into the darkened woods behind it if not for the motion-sensing floodlights and glaring-white garage doors. I switched off the engine and turned to look Vince full in the face.
“Last chance to back out,” I offered with forced cheer, taking in a steadying breath as he leaned toward me. “There’s probably a lot more weirdness from here on out—”
Vince bent forward the rest of the way and captured my lips in a sweet, lingering kiss. His hand cupped my jaw, giving gentle guidance as I mirrored his movements without thought. He pulled back first, lips curving into a smile of challenge.
“Bring on the weird.”
Books In The Once Upon A Road Trip Series:
Meet The Author
Award-winning author Angela N. Blount is a Minnesota native, transplanted to the deep South--where she currently resides with her understanding husband, their two children, and a set of identity-confused cats. A Registered Nurse by trade, she is also a freelance content editor, former book reviewer for RT Book Reviews, a memoirist (though, not much a fan of referring to herself in first-person *cough*), craft blogger, sporadic poet, and webcomic artist.
Angela is a PRO member of the Romance Writers of America, and was named a finalist in the 2012 Sheila, Laurie, and Orange Rose contests. She also took first place in the 2012 OKRWA Finally A Bride contest. In 2014 her debut memoir, Once Upon a Road Trip, was an NIEA finalist, a Chanticleer Journey Award finalist, and winner of the silver metal in the Literary Classics International Book Awards.
In her spare time, Angela enjoys reading, coffee shop loitering, and all things geeky. Her latest project is a YA sci-fi series.
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Beautiful layout, Cherry! :) Thanks for your support!
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