#RiteOfRejection Reader Survival Pack
Chapter 17 tissues (because that's when you'll need them), a jumbo sized chocolate bar (a hot commodity inside the PIT), an orange scented candle (courtesy of Rebecca's fondest memory from home, a dandelion pen (as featured on the cover), hand-crafted Molly bag (these are used extensively by the main characters), and a $10 Amazon gift card.
Straight-laced, sixteen-year-old Rebecca can’t wait for her Acceptance.
A fancy ball, eligible bachelors, and her debut as an official member of
society. Instead, the Machine rejects Rebecca. Labeled as a future criminal,
she’s shipped off to a life sentence in a lawless penal colony.
A life behind barbed wire fences
with the world’s most dangerous people terrifies Rebecca. She reluctantly joins
a band of misfit teens in a risky escape plan, complete with an accidental
fiancé she’s almost certain she can learn to love.
But freedom comes with a price. To
escape a doomed future and prove her innocence Rebecca must embrace the
criminal within.
I turn to Eric, but he
isn’t staring at the rolling ocean any more. Reaching up, he tucks a strand of
short hair the wind has blown loose back behind my ear. All of Eric’s features
are highlighted in the white light of the moon. His strong chin and broad mouth.
Even his nose, which looks a little crooked this close. There’s no denying that
he’s handsome.
Eric steps closer,
taking both of my hands in his own. I have no experience in situations like
this, but I’m almost certain he’s going to kiss me. Pretty soon we’ll be
married, even if it is only a document. I want him to kiss me.
I slide forward the
tiniest bit, unable to resist the draw of his warmth. His eyes close and his
head dips down towards mine, so I lift up my face to meet him.
His lips are warm and
salty against mine. His mouth pushes down into mine, sending a flood of warmth
through my body. Familiar hands move to the small of my back, finding a perfect
spot to rest, pulling me closer. I’m not sure what to do with my hands, but
they find a natural place on Eric’s shoulders.
Cheryl and I spent
countless hours imagining the fateful moments of our first kisses. I always
pictured it happening while sitting on my parent’s front porch, rocking on the
hanging swing. Crickets would serenade me and my future husband while lightning
bugs created the perfect atmosphere. We’d be sipping tall glasses of lemonade
and holding hands because the thought of a firm hand holding mine always
sounded perfect.
My dream man would lean
in and whisper ‘I love you’ in my ear and I would smile back and say ‘I love
you, too.’ And then, because we both know that kind of declaration is always
followed shortly by an engagement, he would kiss me. Our lips touching for the
first time would be a brief, but sweet promise of years of kisses to come.
Eric’s kiss doesn’t hold
any of that promise. He’s never said he loves me and I wouldn’t be able to say
it back. But maybe that doesn’t matter anymore. I wrap my hands around his neck
and deepen the kiss, pushing myself to feel…more. This is my future. Eric is my
future.
Sarah
Negovetich knows you don't know how to pronounce her name and she's okay with
that.
Her
first love is Young Adult novels, because at seventeen the world is your
oyster. Only oysters are slimy and more than a little salty; it's accurate if
not exactly motivational. We should come up with a better cliché.
Sarah
divides her time between writing YA books that her husband won’t read and
working with amazing authors as an agent at Corvisiero Literary Agency. Her
life’s goal is to be only a mildly embarrassing mom when her kids hit their
teens.
You
can learn more about Sarah and her books at www.SarahNegovetich.com
or follow her antics on Twitter @SarahNego.
Yay, Sarah's book release tour is finally here! I tweeted your post. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you!
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