Title: Path of Destruction (Broken Heartland #2)
Author: E. Lee and C. Quinn
Age Group: Upper YA/NASoS
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: December 24, 2014
Synopsis
They ignored the warning signs and it cost them everything...
At the end of a life-changing summer a devastating tornado hit the small town of Hope’s Grove, Oklahoma.
While the brick suburban mansions of Summit Bluffs saw very little damage, their occupants weren’t so lucky. As the members of both communities struggle to put the pieces of their lives back together, lies will be told, truths will be revealed, and nothing will ever be the same. The road to recovery is long and paved with past hurts and future heartbreaks.
They ignored the warning signs, and one of them didn’t make it out alive. The four that remain know they’d be crazy to think the storms are actually over..
Because it’s just when you think you’re safe that you find yourself right in the path of destruction.
At the end of a life-changing summer a devastating tornado hit the small town of Hope’s Grove, Oklahoma.
While the brick suburban mansions of Summit Bluffs saw very little damage, their occupants weren’t so lucky. As the members of both communities struggle to put the pieces of their lives back together, lies will be told, truths will be revealed, and nothing will ever be the same. The road to recovery is long and paved with past hurts and future heartbreaks.
They ignored the warning signs, and one of them didn’t make it out alive. The four that remain know they’d be crazy to think the storms are actually over..
Because it’s just when you think you’re safe that you find yourself right in the path of destruction.
I have so many emotions swirling around inside of me right now, I don't even know where to start! I guess it's a good thing I can't really say much, as I want to avoid spoilers, because there are simply no words! E. Lee and C. Quinn work so well together and have done a wonderful job with their storyline, characters' voices, and overall development of the novel.
I was left heartbroken after all that transpired at the end of Storm Warning. Hearts are shattered, miscommunications are seen as betrayal, and worst of all- a life is tragically lost during the E-4 tornado that ravaged the town of Hope's Grove. Now, our characters are left to pick up the pieces of their lives, as they all have been deeply affected in one way or another. They are all left grieving and they all do so in different ways. Some will try to plaster a smile on their faces and try to go back to a time where life was normal and carefree, some will sacrifice their own pain and grief to help others, and some will spin so out of control that they will lose themselves even further into the darkest depths of despair.
This book really knocked me on my bottom. New relationships are developed that shocked the heck out of me, others are broken to the point where you wonder if they're beyond repair, and there are secrets that are ready to rise up and potentially ruin lives. We see a lot of changes in our characters' behavior also. Suddenly things that once seemed important are now inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. They are starting to come into their own and I really enjoy seeing them mature and grow.
Being angsty teenagers, there were times when some of the characters could really frustrate me. I wanted to yell at them for being selfish and jealous and to stop acting crazy! Others I wanted to shake and tell them to fight harder for the ones they love and not to give up on them, even when they seem like a lost cause.
I am really unsure of the direction Lee and Quinn will take the final book, but I know without a doubt they will make it work. Now that we've braved the darkness of the storm, it's time to stand in the light of the sun and let our characters heal and move forward with their lives.
Prologue – Cameron
I’d always heard that your entire life flashes before your eyes right before you die. Now, I can honestly say that it’s true. Well, almost true. It’s more like your mind flips through a mental photo album of all the things you’d done and the people you’d met—a birthday party, the first time you drove, someone’s face when you told them they’d never be as pretty as you, your mother’s reprimanding glare when you didn’t win the pageant title you were supposed to, you as a little girl waiting on the front steps for your father to come home—it’s all there. The good, the bad, the ugly. All of it.
You can try to focus on the good—like the face of the person you loved—but it’s no use. Whether you want to or not, you see it all. It must be God’s way of letting you see what he saw so you aren’t surprised when you end up on the other side in Hell. Which is exactly where I’d assumed I’d just booked a first class ticket too.
I was too weak to fight it—to argue that I was in fact a good person—once the storm decided that I was going to be one of its victims, there was nothing I could do but try to hold on to the face of the one person I was sure I’d never see again.
Served me right. I shouldn’t have waited to tell him how I felt. I should have told him the moment I felt it. The moment I realized that despite what I’d done in my past, I was a better person just for loving him.
As the darkness and quiet started to surround me, I knew that it was too late to beg for forgiveness now. Instead, I just closed my eyes and prayed for mercy.
I’d always heard that your entire life flashes before your eyes right before you die. Now, I can honestly say that it’s true. Well, almost true. It’s more like your mind flips through a mental photo album of all the things you’d done and the people you’d met—a birthday party, the first time you drove, someone’s face when you told them they’d never be as pretty as you, your mother’s reprimanding glare when you didn’t win the pageant title you were supposed to, you as a little girl waiting on the front steps for your father to come home—it’s all there. The good, the bad, the ugly. All of it.
You can try to focus on the good—like the face of the person you loved—but it’s no use. Whether you want to or not, you see it all. It must be God’s way of letting you see what he saw so you aren’t surprised when you end up on the other side in Hell. Which is exactly where I’d assumed I’d just booked a first class ticket too.
I was too weak to fight it—to argue that I was in fact a good person—once the storm decided that I was going to be one of its victims, there was nothing I could do but try to hold on to the face of the one person I was sure I’d never see again.
Served me right. I shouldn’t have waited to tell him how I felt. I should have told him the moment I felt it. The moment I realized that despite what I’d done in my past, I was a better person just for loving him.
As the darkness and quiet started to surround me, I knew that it was too late to beg for forgiveness now. Instead, I just closed my eyes and prayed for mercy.
Check out the first book in the series for $.99!
Title: Storm Warning (Broken Heartland #2)
Author: E. Lee and C. Quinn
Age Group: YA
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: December 12, 2013
Synopsis
Sometimes you can’t see the storm coming until it’s too late...
Severe Storm Warning Tip #1:
Be alert to changing weather conditions. Look for approaching storms.
Severe Storm Warning Tip #2:
If you see approaching storms or any of the danger signs, be prepared to take shelter immediately.
Severe Storm Warning Tip #3:
They may strike quickly, with little or no warning.
Situated just outside of Oklahoma City, Calumet County is divided into two drastically different communities: Hope’s Grove and Summit Bluffs. One is the small backward town where dirt roads lead the way to field parties and railroad tracks. And the other, a sprawling suburb where paved drives lead to the landscaped lawns of the wealthy and over privileged.
For five teenagers smack in the middle of Tornado Alley, summer is heating up fast. The winds of change are blurring the invisible line that divides the rich and the rural.
One has a secret.
One has a crush.
One has been lying.
One will get caught.
And one might not make it out alive.
They’re from two different worlds…but one summer is about to change everything.
Severe Storm Warning Tip #1:
Be alert to changing weather conditions. Look for approaching storms.
Severe Storm Warning Tip #2:
If you see approaching storms or any of the danger signs, be prepared to take shelter immediately.
Severe Storm Warning Tip #3:
They may strike quickly, with little or no warning.
Situated just outside of Oklahoma City, Calumet County is divided into two drastically different communities: Hope’s Grove and Summit Bluffs. One is the small backward town where dirt roads lead the way to field parties and railroad tracks. And the other, a sprawling suburb where paved drives lead to the landscaped lawns of the wealthy and over privileged.
For five teenagers smack in the middle of Tornado Alley, summer is heating up fast. The winds of change are blurring the invisible line that divides the rich and the rural.
One has a secret.
One has a crush.
One has been lying.
One will get caught.
And one might not make it out alive.
They’re from two different worlds…but one summer is about to change everything.
Series info:
Whether you believe in destiny, divine intervention, or just plain ol' dumb luck, several things happened in 2013 that caused E. Lee and C. Quinn's paths to cross. It may have been that the stars aligned perfectly, or the fact anytime Luke Bryan was mentioned on a social media site both of them were tagged, or maybe it was just that their small town roots and country girl attitudes were magnetically drawn together—calling out to one another, “Y'all should write a book!” Despite geography keeping them apart—Lee in Illinois and Quinn in Alabama—they did. Thanks to three-hour phone calls, ridiculous amounts of online chats, and umpteen Google Docs—Storm Warning is the first book in their edgy new Young Adult series, Broken Heartland.
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Born and raised in the middle of a Midwestern cornfield (not literally, that would be weird), I’ve spent my entire life imagining stories. Stories where the right guy always gets the right girl, first kisses are as magical as they are on the big screen and anything is completely possible if you believe.
If I’m not reading, writing, enjoying drinks with my amazing group of girlfriends or chasing around a sarcastically funny kid, I’m probably watching television shows that were created for teenagers, while my husband teases that I’m too old to watch them.
Connect with Elizabeth:
Caisey Quinn lives in Birmingham, Alabama with her husband, daughter, and other assorted animals. She is the bestselling author of the Kylie Ryans series as well as several New Adult Romance novels featuring country girls finding love in unexpected places. You can find her online at www.caiseyquinnwrites.com .
Website: http://www.caiseyquinnwrites.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7041163.Caisey_Quinn
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCaiseyQuinn
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CaiseyQuinn
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