Cut series
Numb (Cut 0.5) A novella and prequel to the Cut series
"I'm tired of being what you want me to be, feeling so faithless, lost under the surface." - Linkin Park.
Playing shows in our local, seedy pubs when I was just Jamie with his guitar, and coming home to my girl who was waiting for me. A girl I couldn't imagine living without. That was my life. A life I loved. A life that may not have been perfect, or filled with money and fame - but it was absolutely perfect to me.
Playing packed out stadiums in beautiful cities, when Jay Ryker is who they scream for. Coming home to an empty hotel and a bottle of bourbon waiting for me. A bottle I wouldn't dare try and live without. This was my life. A life I loathed. A life that may seem perfect on the outside, filled with money and fame - but it wasn't perfect to me.
After losing my world that meant everything to me; I need to find my way back to having it again. I need to try and rise above the hurt, and see clearly once again.
I'm not sure I even want to. I don't think I would survive any more pain.
It may be weak, but it's easier being numb.
Cut (Cut #1)
Penelope Price is a young woman who is utterly scarred and broken. She has been Cut. Residing with her best friend Rosalie since the sudden demise of her long term relationship, she finds herself severed from the world she once lived for. After months of Rosie suffering through failed attempts of trying to drag Penny back into some form of reality, finally, it happens.
A nightclub in Sydney leads to a strange encounter with Jay, a musician who at first meeting seems dangerous, but for unknown reasons there is an unconscious draw. When her inner turmoil dramatically ruins the night, it appears she may be worse off than where she started.
Will her wound ever heal?
Uninvited interest from the mysterious stranger messes further with Penny's emotional state, resulting in more confusion than comfort. He seems to be hiding behind his own secretive walls and she isn't sure she can trust him. The sudden return of her ex, Evan, who is persistent to fill in the reasons for their demise, exposes the shocking truth. Ultimately sending her into the lowest point of her existence.
Does she find her definitive end in the dramatic final scene of her story?
Has she been Cut?
Battlescars (Cut #2)
After some shocking revelations tear a friendship apart, Penelope was dealt a shocking blow. Her battle scars are far from healed both physically and emotionally, but somehow through it all she has found a sense of strength. Deciding to put herself first in order to get her life back on track, she faces a harsh reality. Despite the risks, she is trying to give her rising feelings for Jay a chance - but should she risk everything to try and have a relationship with him?
Still harbouring conflicting emotions for Evan, will see their relationship take some profound turns which in the end, will surprise them both. The looming threat hanging in the balance will see an end to someone in Penny's life, which will ultimately change her forever.
Being at war with love will see her Battlescars never seeming to fade...
Will they ever go away?
Bleeding Love (Cut #3)
Giving her heart to someone else was never going to be easy. It was going to bleed, but it was worth it for the chance at love.
Finally, she was moving forward and able to envision a brand new future, other than the one she had planned. Everything she's gone through has made her stronger - yet will remain a part of her soul forever.
But when Jay and Penny are torn apart by their worlds, it seems like everyone is out to keep them apart.
Hearts are hurt.
Truths aren't told.
And when both of their pasts keep trying to make them present - trusts are tested.
Is Penny able to find her happiness with a love that conquers all? Or is it not only her cut that is bleeding love?
"I'm tired of being what you want me to be, feeling so faithless, lost under the surface." - Linkin Park.
Playing shows in our local, seedy pubs when I was just Jamie with his guitar, and coming home to my girl who was waiting for me. A girl I couldn't imagine living without. That was my life. A life I loved. A life that may not have been perfect, or filled with money and fame - but it was absolutely perfect to me.
Playing packed out stadiums in beautiful cities, when Jay Ryker is who they scream for. Coming home to an empty hotel and a bottle of bourbon waiting for me. A bottle I wouldn't dare try and live without. This was my life. A life I loathed. A life that may seem perfect on the outside, filled with money and fame - but it wasn't perfect to me.
After losing my world that meant everything to me; I need to find my way back to having it again. I need to try and rise above the hurt, and see clearly once again.
I'm not sure I even want to. I don't think I would survive any more pain.
It may be weak, but it's easier being numb.
Cut (Cut #1)
Penelope Price is a young woman who is utterly scarred and broken. She has been Cut. Residing with her best friend Rosalie since the sudden demise of her long term relationship, she finds herself severed from the world she once lived for. After months of Rosie suffering through failed attempts of trying to drag Penny back into some form of reality, finally, it happens.
A nightclub in Sydney leads to a strange encounter with Jay, a musician who at first meeting seems dangerous, but for unknown reasons there is an unconscious draw. When her inner turmoil dramatically ruins the night, it appears she may be worse off than where she started.
Will her wound ever heal?
Uninvited interest from the mysterious stranger messes further with Penny's emotional state, resulting in more confusion than comfort. He seems to be hiding behind his own secretive walls and she isn't sure she can trust him. The sudden return of her ex, Evan, who is persistent to fill in the reasons for their demise, exposes the shocking truth. Ultimately sending her into the lowest point of her existence.
Does she find her definitive end in the dramatic final scene of her story?
Has she been Cut?
Battlescars (Cut #2)
After some shocking revelations tear a friendship apart, Penelope was dealt a shocking blow. Her battle scars are far from healed both physically and emotionally, but somehow through it all she has found a sense of strength. Deciding to put herself first in order to get her life back on track, she faces a harsh reality. Despite the risks, she is trying to give her rising feelings for Jay a chance - but should she risk everything to try and have a relationship with him?
Still harbouring conflicting emotions for Evan, will see their relationship take some profound turns which in the end, will surprise them both. The looming threat hanging in the balance will see an end to someone in Penny's life, which will ultimately change her forever.
Being at war with love will see her Battlescars never seeming to fade...
Will they ever go away?
Bleeding Love (Cut #3)
Giving her heart to someone else was never going to be easy. It was going to bleed, but it was worth it for the chance at love.
Finally, she was moving forward and able to envision a brand new future, other than the one she had planned. Everything she's gone through has made her stronger - yet will remain a part of her soul forever.
But when Jay and Penny are torn apart by their worlds, it seems like everyone is out to keep them apart.
Hearts are hurt.
Truths aren't told.
And when both of their pasts keep trying to make them present - trusts are tested.
Is Penny able to find her happiness with a love that conquers all? Or is it not only her cut that is bleeding love?
Available online at all major ebook retailers, iTunes, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords and Kobo.
Camouflage - a standalone
Camouflage (A standalone novel)
On the surface, Giselle Duzido could be called many things.
Sassy, determined and breathtakingly beautiful.
But one thing that would never come to tongue, is broken and fragile; because she’s learned to keep that part of herself locked up tight. The veneer she chooses you to see - has it all. Her designer brand is on the rise from her original base in Sydney, to two more stores in Los Angeles and New York; a part of a world she has always fit into seamlessly.
Career-wise? She’s flourishing. Social status? Almost famous!
But scratch just beneath her surface and there it is, eating away at her insides. But at some point, doesn't Sel deserve to have the happily ever after?
She may look just like another twenty-something woman, searching for that earth-shattering love…
But it's all just a camouflage.
On the surface, Giselle Duzido could be called many things.
Sassy, determined and breathtakingly beautiful.
But one thing that would never come to tongue, is broken and fragile; because she’s learned to keep that part of herself locked up tight. The veneer she chooses you to see - has it all. Her designer brand is on the rise from her original base in Sydney, to two more stores in Los Angeles and New York; a part of a world she has always fit into seamlessly.
Career-wise? She’s flourishing. Social status? Almost famous!
But scratch just beneath her surface and there it is, eating away at her insides. But at some point, doesn't Sel deserve to have the happily ever after?
She may look just like another twenty-something woman, searching for that earth-shattering love…
But it's all just a camouflage.
Available online at all major ebook retailers, iTunes, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords and Kobo.
The Lake Shore University series
In this Breeze (Lake Shore University #1)
A nerd. A quiet art student. A nobody.
Or perhaps, just some girl.
These were the non-spoken titles I've been known as since I started at Lake Shore Uni almost two years ago now. When given the chance to leave my horrific childhood behind - I didn’t hesitate. In fact, I was ecstatic to have the door hit me on the ass on my way out of town; because the only two things I actually loved in my traumatic life…
Were coming with me.
And whilst the three of us shared the same beat-up truck when we moved here – that’s where the similarities unfortunately end.
Ethan ‘The Mule’ Jones, is kind of a super star on campus. Everywhere he goes he seems to draw attention. I guess that’s what happens when you’re headlining papers as the star basketballer for the LS Eagles. But to me, he’s just Eth. A boy who still spends his Friday nights snuggled up watching movies with me, and who walks me to classes just to make sure I get there okay. He is my best friend in every way, and I can’t imagine my life without him in it.
And then there’s Jase.
The truth is I knew from the moment I met Jase at the local skate park, when he was smoking a cigarette and teasing Eth for his poor skating ability, of how fiercely protective he was of those he cared for. From the time he blew his warm breath over my injured knee, to when he thankfully intervened on the most horrific day of my life. A day, that still haunts me when I am alone in the dark.
He saved me.
But Jase has his own demons too. Even if he doesn’t go looking for it, trouble always seems to find him. Which is why he has been absent from our lives for the past two years.
Sometimes I wonder what he’s doing.
Quite often I worry if he’s okay.
And I always, always, think about him.
Even though I shouldn’t.
Midnight Rain (Lake Shore University #2)
"It's as easy as following your heart," they say. "Just listen to it. Let it guide you."
It's so simple isn't it?
Even if one half belongs to one best friend and the other, literally beats for the other.
But it doesn't matter how much time passes or how angry I am at the world, because I know I needed both of them.
More than I needed to breathe.
A nerd. A quiet art student. A nobody.
Or perhaps, just some girl.
These were the non-spoken titles I've been known as since I started at Lake Shore Uni almost two years ago now. When given the chance to leave my horrific childhood behind - I didn’t hesitate. In fact, I was ecstatic to have the door hit me on the ass on my way out of town; because the only two things I actually loved in my traumatic life…
Were coming with me.
And whilst the three of us shared the same beat-up truck when we moved here – that’s where the similarities unfortunately end.
Ethan ‘The Mule’ Jones, is kind of a super star on campus. Everywhere he goes he seems to draw attention. I guess that’s what happens when you’re headlining papers as the star basketballer for the LS Eagles. But to me, he’s just Eth. A boy who still spends his Friday nights snuggled up watching movies with me, and who walks me to classes just to make sure I get there okay. He is my best friend in every way, and I can’t imagine my life without him in it.
And then there’s Jase.
The truth is I knew from the moment I met Jase at the local skate park, when he was smoking a cigarette and teasing Eth for his poor skating ability, of how fiercely protective he was of those he cared for. From the time he blew his warm breath over my injured knee, to when he thankfully intervened on the most horrific day of my life. A day, that still haunts me when I am alone in the dark.
He saved me.
But Jase has his own demons too. Even if he doesn’t go looking for it, trouble always seems to find him. Which is why he has been absent from our lives for the past two years.
Sometimes I wonder what he’s doing.
Quite often I worry if he’s okay.
And I always, always, think about him.
Even though I shouldn’t.
Midnight Rain (Lake Shore University #2)
"It's as easy as following your heart," they say. "Just listen to it. Let it guide you."
It's so simple isn't it?
Even if one half belongs to one best friend and the other, literally beats for the other.
But it doesn't matter how much time passes or how angry I am at the world, because I know I needed both of them.
More than I needed to breathe.
Available online at all major ebook retailers, Amazon
Arthur Academy series
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Broken Wing (Arthur Academy #1)
"In the world of the elite, nothing is as it seems..."
Hendrix:
It’s funny the things you notice as a child.
Like the way people uneasily glance away from me whenever I catch their eye. Or the way a stranger seems to smile happily at other children, but when I say hello, their smile looks more uneasy than warm...
But as I approach the steel gates to the elite Arthur Academy, I can’t help but take a long-awaited breath towards my freedom. Finally, I have the chance to build the life I want. A future. Something that gives me more to live for than the daily beatings my childhood only ever knew. The girl I used to be doesn’t exist here. But even as the confidence grows about a life I now have control over, I can’t help but feel there could be something else waiting for me here. Something I’ve never faced before.
And it isn’t something I could prepare for.
And preparation is what got me out. It got me here.
I can’t afford to lose this opportunity, because if I lose this hand, it’s more than just a loss.
It's like not being able to breathe. Not being able to fly.
Paxton:
I grip the leather ball in my hand, feeling the weight of the year pressing down on me. If it was just football, I could deal, but with my last name – it's everything else that suffocates me. The Arthur Elite is what they call us, and we each have our roles to play. But my fathers given me the next two years to do what the hell I want without his interference, before he’ll own me and I'll become nothing but his pawn.
After that, when college is done, I dread the life I’ll have to lead. The role I’ll be forced to play.
It should be simple. Just stroll through the steel gates and be the crown they all see; but I can’t help but feel there is something lurking beneath the surface. There is something different about this year that I sense inside my dark soul.
And it isn’t something I am prepared for; even when staying ahead is the one thing that ensures my next breath.
Because when I lose a hand, it’s more than just a loss.
It's like losing a limb. A bird breaking its' wing.
And without that - I can’t fly toward freedom.
And my freedom right now, is all I have to hold onto.
Golden Crown (Arthur Academy #2)
**Hendrix and Paxtons conclusion**
"If the world is full of monsters, how do we know who wears the crown…?”
Hendrix:
In the dark of the night he bared his soul, delivering a shocking event that should’ve changed everything.
So why in the light of day, does everything appear the same…?
The further I’m immersed in this world they call the ‘elite,’ the more I don’t understand. And it’s not only his world I’m afraid I’m falling for, but the Golden Crown himself as well.
But Pax still has secrets.
And I want him to trust me, like a flame wanting fire.
Because despite his world being nothing as it seems, I’m not sure I could walk away even if I wanted to.
Because the truth is, I don’t want to.
I want him.
Paxton:
In the dark of night I revealed a truth, and delivered the brutal reality of what the elite really means.
So why in the light of day, does everything appear the same…?
It’s the same cat and mouse games, and the same political power tricks where the Golden Crown is all they see. It’s all they want to see.
Except to her.
But there are things I can’t tell her. Things I don’t think she’ll understand.
And I need her to trust me, like a fire needing flame.
Because despite me knowing what this world does to those who fall victim to it, I’m not sure I could walk away from Hendrix, even if I wanted to.
Because the truth is, I don’t want to.
I want her.
"In the world of the elite, nothing is as it seems..."
Hendrix:
It’s funny the things you notice as a child.
Like the way people uneasily glance away from me whenever I catch their eye. Or the way a stranger seems to smile happily at other children, but when I say hello, their smile looks more uneasy than warm...
But as I approach the steel gates to the elite Arthur Academy, I can’t help but take a long-awaited breath towards my freedom. Finally, I have the chance to build the life I want. A future. Something that gives me more to live for than the daily beatings my childhood only ever knew. The girl I used to be doesn’t exist here. But even as the confidence grows about a life I now have control over, I can’t help but feel there could be something else waiting for me here. Something I’ve never faced before.
And it isn’t something I could prepare for.
And preparation is what got me out. It got me here.
I can’t afford to lose this opportunity, because if I lose this hand, it’s more than just a loss.
It's like not being able to breathe. Not being able to fly.
Paxton:
I grip the leather ball in my hand, feeling the weight of the year pressing down on me. If it was just football, I could deal, but with my last name – it's everything else that suffocates me. The Arthur Elite is what they call us, and we each have our roles to play. But my fathers given me the next two years to do what the hell I want without his interference, before he’ll own me and I'll become nothing but his pawn.
After that, when college is done, I dread the life I’ll have to lead. The role I’ll be forced to play.
It should be simple. Just stroll through the steel gates and be the crown they all see; but I can’t help but feel there is something lurking beneath the surface. There is something different about this year that I sense inside my dark soul.
And it isn’t something I am prepared for; even when staying ahead is the one thing that ensures my next breath.
Because when I lose a hand, it’s more than just a loss.
It's like losing a limb. A bird breaking its' wing.
And without that - I can’t fly toward freedom.
And my freedom right now, is all I have to hold onto.
Golden Crown (Arthur Academy #2)
**Hendrix and Paxtons conclusion**
"If the world is full of monsters, how do we know who wears the crown…?”
Hendrix:
In the dark of the night he bared his soul, delivering a shocking event that should’ve changed everything.
So why in the light of day, does everything appear the same…?
The further I’m immersed in this world they call the ‘elite,’ the more I don’t understand. And it’s not only his world I’m afraid I’m falling for, but the Golden Crown himself as well.
But Pax still has secrets.
And I want him to trust me, like a flame wanting fire.
Because despite his world being nothing as it seems, I’m not sure I could walk away even if I wanted to.
Because the truth is, I don’t want to.
I want him.
Paxton:
In the dark of night I revealed a truth, and delivered the brutal reality of what the elite really means.
So why in the light of day, does everything appear the same…?
It’s the same cat and mouse games, and the same political power tricks where the Golden Crown is all they see. It’s all they want to see.
Except to her.
But there are things I can’t tell her. Things I don’t think she’ll understand.
And I need her to trust me, like a fire needing flame.
Because despite me knowing what this world does to those who fall victim to it, I’m not sure I could walk away from Hendrix, even if I wanted to.
Because the truth is, I don’t want to.
I want her.
Available online at all major ebook retailers, Amazon, iTunes, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords and Kobo.
Dear Holden - a standalone
Dear Holden
It all started with a letter.
This letter I'm holding in shaky hands that I must have read at least a dozen times already. A letter I felt compelled to retrieve from the public trashcan after that woman all but tossed it away. I know it was none of my business. It was wrong, and I know that. But after suffering through the kinds of loss that I had, my gut insisted that whoever took the time to write down their words didn't deserve them to be left in the trash like they didn't matter.
Because they should matter.
What's the big deal right? It's just a letter...
But the problem was, my name wasn't Daphne.
And I wrote a letter back.
It all started with a letter.
This letter I'm holding in shaky hands that I must have read at least a dozen times already. A letter I felt compelled to retrieve from the public trashcan after that woman all but tossed it away. I know it was none of my business. It was wrong, and I know that. But after suffering through the kinds of loss that I had, my gut insisted that whoever took the time to write down their words didn't deserve them to be left in the trash like they didn't matter.
Because they should matter.
What's the big deal right? It's just a letter...
But the problem was, my name wasn't Daphne.
And I wrote a letter back.
Exclusively available at Amazon.
