"A Fathers Betrayal. A Lover's revenge. One woman, determined to save them both"
For Lily Frost, love is a double edged sword. She craves it, she needs it, but the asking price for love may be her life.After her mother's apparent suicide, Lily receives a terrible warning: leave California or run the risk of death. Afraid for her life, she flees. Her only hope for safety lies with her father, a man who abandoned her when she was five. But while she searches for him, she discovers love and safety in the arms of James Prescott.
James is a man tormented by his mother's unsolved murder. More than anything he wants to see her killer lifeless, lying in a shallow grave. When Lily enters his life, he realizes that he hasn't been living. Lily shines for him, a light that finally pierces the darkness. For the first time in years, he feels hope. Their relationship blossoms and Lily discovers that she is worthy of love. However, she soon realizes that the safety she craves and the love she's found may be short lived.
The past James carries and the life Lily left behind collide, throwing the couple into the path of the murderer. Secrets long buried come to surface and threaten to destroy everything. Will they face their demons together or will they let the past tear them apart?
Julianne Kelsch is an author and freelance writer who picked up the pen after the birth of her second child. A mother of four, she believes words have a special kind of magic all their own. With a word you can open the heart or break the soul; you can breathe life into love or distinguish the final flame. For her, reading is a place to experience worlds unseen and lives never lived; writing is the place to create them.
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Jewelz Review~
Where Shadows Dwell is a compelling romantic suspense novel. The story of Lily and James is a complex roller coaster of emotions and events. Each has a past that affects their relationship. While they believe they are able to leave the past behind and move forward, it's never that easy. The past can't seem to stay there. As Lily tries to find her father, she realizes that what she finds may not be what she's looking for. Likewise, as James seeks justice for his mother's murder things don't go as smoothly as he'd hoped either.
The story of two young people, both scarred from their mothers' deaths, trying to find peace, security, understanding, and possibly even love in one another's arms.
Honest Disclosure~ a review copy was provided for participation in the blog tour
FYI~ some mild language, plot topics include murder and drugs
~Excerpt~
I didn't hear anything from James for almost a week. It was pure agony; absolute hell. My mind ached to see him. My arms ached to hold him. My heart longed for him. But as hard as it was, I knew Jim was right. I needed to give him time. I needed to see if he could work through this...I needed to know if there was anything left for us, but I had to do this on his terms.
So I waited.
James finally broke the silence. He showed up on my doorstep, keys in hand, and gestured to his car.
“Can we talk?” He asked quietly. He didn't wait for my answer, just walked to his car. He knew I would follow.
When we were both seated he silently pulled out of the driveway and started down the street.
“Where are we going?”
“I don't know. Away from here.”
Away from here. I was with him. I hoped that was a good sign.
Ten minutes later he pulled into a deserted camping area and parked the car. It was private, secluded, and quiet.
He left his hands on the wheel, his fingers flexing in and out, as if he couldn't quite hold still.
He didn't look at me.
“Lily,” he finally said after what felt like hours of agonizing silence. “I want you to know that I love you. I do.” His hands dropped from the wheel, into his lap, “But... I can't think of you without thinking of your dad. I can't think of your name without seeing his name in my mind. I can't look at you and not see him.” He looked up and his eyes caught mine, “Every time I think of you, all I can see is him. My vision has been tainted and...” He looked away, swallowing hard, “I can't do it. I can't go on that way.”
I can't go on that way. The words bounced inside my body, screaming, echoing, ripping away the last shreds of my heart. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. Jim had given me hope. I'd been stupid to listen.
“So...” I finally choked, “We're over?”
“I don't know what else to do.” He watched me, his eyes imploring, begging me to understand.
“But you said you loved me.”
“I do love you.”
“Then why can't we work through this?”
“Because it hurts too bad! You know how awful it is thinking of you and seeing him? That's hell in itself. But then, I also know I shouldn't see you and see him. I know the kind of person you are. I know you! And yet, I can't separate you from him. Lily, I'm not worth it. I don't deserve you. A better man wouldn't be influenced by it, but I am.”
“Don't say that James,” I cried. “Of course you deserve me. If anything, I don't deserve you!”
He sighed, “That's where you're wrong Lily. I know you feel that way, but I'm not worth it. Not after this. If we go on this way, it's not fair to you. It's not fair to me.” He sucked in a deep breath, steadying his hands in his lap. “I'm sorry. I'm sorry you fell in love with me. I'm sorry I'm hurting you now, more than you know. You don't deserve this. But I can't do it.”
I wanted to cry. I wanted to scream. How much more pain was I expected to take?
“So are you leaving me because of my dad, or because of you?”
I had to ask. I couldn't always wonder.
James slumped into his seat, his hands finally going still.
“I don't know. Both, I guess.”
“Oh.” How could I fight that? I couldn't change what my dad had done. I couldn't change that he was my flesh and blood.
We sat in silence. I was still, trying to hold myself together. He moved, rubbing his hands along the wheel, then stopping, sitting still as stone, then starting up again - nervous motion. It was heart-wrenching to watch.
“James,” I said quietly, breaking the silence. “Remember that day on the beach?”
He nodded.
“You said then that my dad's actions didn't define who I am. Do you still believe that?”
James swallowed hard, “Yes. I do.”
“Then why are you letting them define us?”
He shook his head and I saw a tear drop into his lap. “I don't know. I don't know how not to. I guess I'm just weak.”
“You're not weak.” I placed my hand on his, hoping to give comfort. He jerked away as if I'd burned him.
“Oh,” I gasped, “I see.”
“I'm sorry, Lily.” He dropped his head in his hands, “I'm so sorry!” The cry wrenched out of him.
“Can we go now, James?” I asked, my voice trembling. I was reaching the end. I felt like I had a dam in my soul that was rapidly eroding. I could feel it coming, the loss of control. The sobbing and crying, the gasping for air between sobs. I didn't want him to see that. But it was coming. My hands were shaking and already I felt like I couldn't get enough air. “Please?” I begged.
His face twisted in pain, as if my words hurt. “Yes. I'm sorry.” He started the car and turned back toward home.
Ten minutes. That's all I had to do. Hold myself together for ten minutes.
After he parked he reached over and took my hand.
He held it gingerly, but he did hold it. Then, in a gesture that completely shocked me, he brought my hand up to his lips, kissing my fingers, my palm. His eyes were squeezed tightly shut. Tears dripped onto my skin. Finally, he looked up at me.
My own tears were flowing. It was too late to control them.
“I really am sorry, Lily,” he said, “But I want you to know, I'll always love you.”
“Then why are you leaving me?” I whispered.
“Because it's not fair to either of us if I stay, like this.”
“It's more fair to leave us broken?”
“I don't know. But you deserve better.”
I choked on a sob that bubbled out of my throat. “That's not true and you know it."
He let go of my hand and stepped out of the car, working around to open my door.
"I'm sorry."
"Me too." I turned away from him, away from the knowledge that I could do nothing about this. When I reached my room I yanked a pillow off the bed and curled up in the corner in as small a ball as possible and holding it like a life raft. My chest felt like it was going to implode on itself, about like my life had done. I clutched the pillow harder. The control I had carefully held onto vanished like my dreams and I sobbed, harder and harder, gasping, crying, suffocating. One coherent thought kept coming into my head. He didn't do it. My dad didn't do it. That was all I could think. If my dad didn't do it, than I could have my life back.
I was going to have to prove his innocence.
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Hi there! I wanted to take a minute to thank you for participating in my blog tour. Loving the Book Launch put together a lot of great bloggers and reviewers, and I appreciate that you were one of them!
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