Survivor
Author: Kayla Marie
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: November 7, 2017
Cover Designer: Anna Crosswell at Cover Couture
Hosted by: Buoni Amici Press, LLC.
Can love heal all wounds,
or do some scars never fade?
After a tragic accident took everything from her, Avery is left broken, struggling to find her place in the world again. Now back home in Mason, Alabama, she goes through the motions, carrying on for the people who love her yet longing for the life she lost.
Her future seems bleak until Reid, a handsome mechanic and ladies’ man, charms his way into her life. Though he screams trouble, he sparks something inside her too tempting to ignore: the desire to live.
Reid is tired of meaningless flings and one-night stands, but after betrayal left him with major trust issues, anything more is beyond his reach.
When Avery, the enticing and mysterious new bartender in town, awakens emotions he never thought possible, Reid has to decide if she’s a chance worth taking or if some risks are better left avoided.
Will love be their second chance,
or will the past consume their future?
Survivor is the second stand-alone novel in the Sweet Home Dixie contemporary romance series.
“Are you sure you don’t have anything better to do?”
He seemed to think about it for half a second. “Nope.” An amused smiled played on his lips. “Eager to get rid of me?”
“No… it’s just…” She looked down at her shoes, suddenly at a loss for words.
He tilted his head. “It’s just, what?”
She shifted her weight uncomfortably as she wrung her hands. Reid watched her, his amusement growing with every second of her silence. She drew in a breath and let the words fly. “All of a sudden it’s like you…” Another deep breath. “You kind of make me nervous.”
“Is that why you’re doing the potty dance?”
Her cheeks warmed and she crossed her arms over her chest, regretting her honesty.
His expression turned darker and he took a step toward her. “Why do I make you nervous, Avery?”
Heat spread down her neck to her chest and all the way to her fingertips. Still, she didn’t step back or look away as he pinned her with his gaze. She swallowed. “You make me… feel things.”
His eyes smoldered with intensity and—hope? “What kinds of things?”
“Real things. Even… dirty things.” Her cheeks warmed further as the words spilled out.
His eyes widened slightly as his breath hitched. He took another step toward her. “So, what’s stopping you?”
“Right now, I’m not entirely sure.” She licked her lips and dropped her gaze to his mouth. Ever since that night in his truck, she’d wondered what it would be like to kiss him, and right now the urge was stronger than ever.
He leaned closer to her, inch by agonizing inch. Though he reached out to touch her cheek, he seemed to think better of it and dropped his hand to his side. He closed his eyes as if searching for strength, his brow creasing.
“You deserve more than I can give you, Avery.” He took two steps back, his expression pained. “You deserve better than someone like me.”
Her heart raced and her senses were on high alert. For some inexplicable reason, Reid made her feel alive, maybe even happy, something she hadn’t experienced in far too long. “But what if you’re exactly what I’m looking for?”
He seemed to think about it for half a second. “Nope.” An amused smiled played on his lips. “Eager to get rid of me?”
“No… it’s just…” She looked down at her shoes, suddenly at a loss for words.
He tilted his head. “It’s just, what?”
She shifted her weight uncomfortably as she wrung her hands. Reid watched her, his amusement growing with every second of her silence. She drew in a breath and let the words fly. “All of a sudden it’s like you…” Another deep breath. “You kind of make me nervous.”
“Is that why you’re doing the potty dance?”
Her cheeks warmed and she crossed her arms over her chest, regretting her honesty.
His expression turned darker and he took a step toward her. “Why do I make you nervous, Avery?”
Heat spread down her neck to her chest and all the way to her fingertips. Still, she didn’t step back or look away as he pinned her with his gaze. She swallowed. “You make me… feel things.”
His eyes smoldered with intensity and—hope? “What kinds of things?”
“Real things. Even… dirty things.” Her cheeks warmed further as the words spilled out.
His eyes widened slightly as his breath hitched. He took another step toward her. “So, what’s stopping you?”
“Right now, I’m not entirely sure.” She licked her lips and dropped her gaze to his mouth. Ever since that night in his truck, she’d wondered what it would be like to kiss him, and right now the urge was stronger than ever.
He leaned closer to her, inch by agonizing inch. Though he reached out to touch her cheek, he seemed to think better of it and dropped his hand to his side. He closed his eyes as if searching for strength, his brow creasing.
“You deserve more than I can give you, Avery.” He took two steps back, his expression pained. “You deserve better than someone like me.”
Her heart raced and her senses were on high alert. For some inexplicable reason, Reid made her feel alive, maybe even happy, something she hadn’t experienced in far too long. “But what if you’re exactly what I’m looking for?”
I’m first and foremost a loving (and sometimes nagging) wife and a mom of a beautiful little boy, but when I'm not wrangling my little one, cleaning up messes, or banging my head against the wall, I try to find the time to write and manage my career as an indie author.
Quitting my job and leaving the world of adults was a life-changing decision for our family, and although it came with its own difficulties, I would make the decision again in a heartbeat. Being home with my son was precious, but being the person that I am, I still felt like I needed something more. Writing became the "more" I was looking for and I was pleased to discover that I had at least one book in me. About six months after I set out to write my first book, Mended was completed and I'd discovered a whole new part of myself I didn't know was there.
For me, writing is a way to escape the everyday stresses of life and it creates a welcome challenge on a daily basis. I hope to make a career out of it, but even if I don’t succeed, I can be grateful that I’ve pushed myself to achieve my dream.
The second book in my Sweet Home Dixie series is called Survivor. It’s about a woman named Avery and her struggle to find her way in the world again after experiencing a tragic loss. Authentic characters, real emotions, heartwarming love, and the enticing spark of romance is all a part of this moving story. Survivor is now available on Amazon!
I'm currently working on the third book in my Sweet Home Dixie Series, and I hope to release it sometime next year, though that all depends on how crazy motherhood gets! My Sweet Home Dixie series is made up of standalone contemporary romance novels set in a small, charming town in southern Alabama.
While all of my books have everything a romance novel should—swoon-worthy men, heart pattering attraction, and just the right amount of sizzle—they go beyond the borders of a typical romance. Deep-rooted emotions, realistic and relatable characters full of flaws and personal struggles, and real issues that work against the characters as they try to find their happy endings all play vitals parts in my stories.
I want to show readers that it’s okay not to be perfect and that everyone falls down at some point in their lives. But with love and personal reflection, we can become far better people than we ever thought possible and can often achieve the unimaginable. I hope you enjoy reading!
Quitting my job and leaving the world of adults was a life-changing decision for our family, and although it came with its own difficulties, I would make the decision again in a heartbeat. Being home with my son was precious, but being the person that I am, I still felt like I needed something more. Writing became the "more" I was looking for and I was pleased to discover that I had at least one book in me. About six months after I set out to write my first book, Mended was completed and I'd discovered a whole new part of myself I didn't know was there.
For me, writing is a way to escape the everyday stresses of life and it creates a welcome challenge on a daily basis. I hope to make a career out of it, but even if I don’t succeed, I can be grateful that I’ve pushed myself to achieve my dream.
The second book in my Sweet Home Dixie series is called Survivor. It’s about a woman named Avery and her struggle to find her way in the world again after experiencing a tragic loss. Authentic characters, real emotions, heartwarming love, and the enticing spark of romance is all a part of this moving story. Survivor is now available on Amazon!
I'm currently working on the third book in my Sweet Home Dixie Series, and I hope to release it sometime next year, though that all depends on how crazy motherhood gets! My Sweet Home Dixie series is made up of standalone contemporary romance novels set in a small, charming town in southern Alabama.
While all of my books have everything a romance novel should—swoon-worthy men, heart pattering attraction, and just the right amount of sizzle—they go beyond the borders of a typical romance. Deep-rooted emotions, realistic and relatable characters full of flaws and personal struggles, and real issues that work against the characters as they try to find their happy endings all play vitals parts in my stories.
I want to show readers that it’s okay not to be perfect and that everyone falls down at some point in their lives. But with love and personal reflection, we can become far better people than we ever thought possible and can often achieve the unimaginable. I hope you enjoy reading!
Finalist in National Indie Excellence Awards
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