WANTED: Beta Readers for Lori

Hi everyone!  I hope you had a great weekend.  I did some catching up on school work and blog stuff, but I had plenty of time to spend with my family, too.  It was lovely.

I have a WANTED ad today for Lori Johnson who is looking for beta readers for her YA novel.  Check out her details and excerpt below.  If you're interested, please e-mail her at lodjohnson (at) comcast (dot) net.

Hi. I'm looking for beta readers who are writers as well. Three teen girls have read my novel and they love, love, love it (Their words, not mine). What I'm looking for is an objective opinion and someone who doesn't mind telling the truth. I'm willing to return the favor. Following is an excerpt from the first chapter. If anyone is interested, please let me know. Thanks.

BREATHE
By Lori Johnson

The first time I met him, it wasn’t an accident. I didn’t know it was a planned chance meeting. He chose me and it didn’t take much for me to reciprocate. I only had to see him once. Once was enough. I fell for him and fell and fell, but he knew I would. I never had a choice. That’s what happens when he’s omnipotent and you’re not.

Dark rolling clouds passed over. Erik pulled me closer; the biting January winds chilling me through my down jacket. No one thought to go inside. This is what we did every morning – hung out in the senior parking lot until the first bell rang. Our group of friends was compact and closed to new entries. We’d all known each other since we were little kids. Sounds boring, I know. But when you live in a transient town like Greenston, Georgia, locals stick together.

“I’ve got to see Coach,” Erik said as he stroked my long hair. “See you in English?”

“Yeah, sure, I . . .” I began. His lips closed over mine, kissing me breathless.

Easing back; my face hot, I tried to remain casual. “Erik, not here. People are watching. Later.”
He blew out a stream of air, dropped his arms and mumbled words I couldn’t, and probably didn’t want to hear. I reached for him to make things right, but he turned away, probably to teach me a lesson. He sauntered off, waving at the lowly ones he felt were worthy of his attention.

“I’ll miss you,” I called after him. He turned and grinned.

That chiseled body. The tousled blond hair and piercing blue eyes. I couldn’t get enough.

“I’m gonna throw up,” Courtney groaned; making gagging sounds. “How can you be so romantic? You two are boring. Just go ahead and do it.”

I narrowed my eyes, tossed my hair over my shoulder and said under my breath, “Sure, that’s your answer.”

Courtney grinned. “Okay, okay, okay. Taboo subject – but you have no idea what you’re missing.”

“Court,” I warned. “Just because I love you as my best friend and just because you’re Erik’s cousin doesn’t give you the right to butt in . . . If he’s happy, why can’t you be?”

“You do what you want. I’m telling you, as your very best friend who knows a little something about the subject, it isn’t normal for an eighteen year old guy – it’s all they think about. Understand?”

“This is not a subject I’m willing . . .”

“Oh my gosh! Would you look at that?” Courtney cried. Her eyes were peeled toward the lower parking lot.

“At what?” I followed her gaze. A guy, I hadn’t noticed before, was practically slinking as he slid out of a

Porsche and walked toward the school. He appeared pretty cute from where I stood, and Courtney sure was in a heated tizzy.

She grabbed my elbow and dragged me toward the door. “Did you see that guy?” she babbled. “I’ve never seen anyone that hot!” I assumed that was a good thing, and I was sure I’d never hear the end of that.

At the same time Courtney babbled about the hot guy at school, the other two girls in our little group, Olivia and Sarah, AKA Beauty Queen One and Two, ran up to us. “Did you see him?” asked Olivia. “Got-a-mighty-damn! Too bad I’m taken.”

“There are no words; no sonnets – more like male perfection,” sighed Sarah. The tittering conversations continued until a second warning bell pierced our ears.