Escape In You by Rachel SchurigPublication date: October 15th 2013
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult
Synopsis:
Jet Taylor is the quintessential bad boy. A womanizer. A fighter. Dangerous. The type of guy most girls do their best to avoid. But Zoe Janes is no saint herself. In fact, she sees in Jet the perfect opportunity to distract herself from her responsibilities at home and the mistakes that keep her trapped there. He’s gorgeous, likes to party, and is clearly only interested in having fun—just like Zoe. But the more time they spend together the harder it is to stick to her “fun only” mantra. Jet is getting under her skin, making her believe things could actually be different. She knows they’re both trapped by the sins of their past but Jet is starting to make her think freedom might actually be possible. And that makes him the most dangerous boy of all.
Purchase:
Direct purchase link not yet available but will be found here come release day:
--Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Rachel-Schurig/e/B005GSUMDQ/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1381359787&sr=8-1
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AUTHOR BIO:
Rachel Schurig lives in the metro Detroit area with her dog, Lucy. She loves to watch reality TV and she reads as many books as she can get her hands on. In her spare time, Rachel decorates cakes. Her THREE GIRLS series is available now from Amazon!
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rems330
Character Flaws
If I think about my favorite characters, whether from books,
television shows, or movies, I find that they usually have something in common:
I have a soft spot for flawed characters.
Now, that doesn’t mean that I have a thing for jerky guys or
bratty girls. But I also find myself pretty much automatically turned off if a
character is too perfect. For me,
there needs to be a balance. Too many flaws and a character comes across as
nasty or hopeless. But no flaws? Chances are I’ll tune right out, assuming the
character is a bland goodie-two-shoes. A good balance, on the other hand, makes
a character relatable. More interesting. The kind of person I want to root for.
The Notebook is
one of my favorite movies of all time. Duh, right? Ryan Gosling is totally
swoon-worthy as Noah Calhoun. Noah’s relationship with Allie (played by Rachel
McAdams) is pretty much perfect—even though neither character is perfect. Allie is spoiled and really hot-headed. Noah
is arrogant and has a temper to match Allie’s. The two fight like crazy (but
isn’t it the best when they make up?). I think those flaws make the characters
more interesting, more relatable. And I absolutely love how they make each
other better. Isn’t that the hallmark of a great love story?
The characters in my new novel, Escape in You, are definitely flawed. Both Jet Taylor and Zoe Janes
are hiding things about their pasts. They both deal with a lot of pain in their
home lives. And, over the years, both have escaped their pain through alcohol,
fighting, partying, and meaningless sex. They’ve hurt people who care about
them and hurt themselves even more. But, as their relationship grows, they make
each other better. Both become calmer. Less volatile. Stronger. Falling in love
makes them realize how much they’ve been missing by hiding from life. My hope
is that readers will enjoy watching them change and grow and fall in love—and
will appreciate their imperfections just as much as I do.
Escape In You Q
& A
What was your
inspiration for writing Escape In You?
I was walking my dog, Lucy, through a wooded area by my house when I saw a
couple sitting on a fallen log off the path. The girl had her head on the boy’s
shoulder and both had their eyes closed. There was something sad about them,
but they also seemed insulated in each other, like the rest of the world
couldn’t bother them when they were together. They stuck in my mind, and even
though I never saw them again, they wouldn’t leave my head. From then on,
anytime I walked Lucy in those woods I would imagine a love story for that
couple. When I finally sat down to write Zoe Janes and Jet Taylor’s story, I
had the entire thing planned out to the last detail.
What can you tell us
about Zoe? Zoe is a girl who has had to go through a lot of changes in her
life. There was a time when Zoe was your typical high school student—she got
good grades, had lots of friends, and gossiped with her mom about cute boys
after school. All of that changed for Zoe when her mom started to have issues.
She had to move, she lost her friends, members of her family, and her dreams
for the future. By the time she meets Jet Taylor, Zoe feels very trapped in her
life. She parties a lot as a way to escape but she doesn’t think long-term
freedom will ever be possible for her. Even with all of these hardships, Zoe is
really loyal to her friends and her mother. She comes across as a bit of a
badass, and she really is very strong, but she shows Taylor a more vulnerable
side.
What’s the deal with
Jet? Why does Zoe call him Taylor? How many names does that kid have, anyhow?
Taylor does seem to have a lot of names, LOL! Different people call him
different things, and you can actually tell a lot about his relationships by
what he’s called. His full name is Jeremy Edward Taylor. The people who have
known him the longest, like his parents, still call him Jeremy. It represents
his past, before things got messed up in his life. Jet, on the other hand, is a
high school nickname given to him based on his initials and his speed on the
baseball diamond. By the time he meets Zoe, Jet
has become a bit of an illusion. He’s not that person anymore. He recommends
Zoe call him by his last name, Taylor, and she’s the only one who does so. This
is important, because Zoe is also the only one who really sees Taylor for who
he is.
Can you give us five
random facts about Escape In You? I
like random facts! Here we go:
1.
This is my ninth book! I also wrote it faster
than any other book I’ve ever written. By the time I started writing I knew exactly how the story would go. That
never happens to me!
2.
This is the first book I’ve written without a
cameo from one of my Three Girl
characters (the Three Girls are from
a chick lit series I wrote). I decided since Escape In You feels so different from my chick-lit books, I would
keep the Three Girls separate. In the
end, I kind of missed having them pop up.
3.
This is the first book where I’ve based a
character on someone I know in real life. Don’t worry, it’s a small part and he
said it was okay!
4.
I may or may not have a huge crush on Taylor’s
friend, Fred. I have an entire backstory for him planned out that didn’t make
the book. I might have to revisit that someday…
5.
Ellie’s reaction to the roller coasters in the
Cedar Point scene is pretty much the same as mine. I’m terrified of heights. I actually like roller coasters, but only
once they start to go downhill. The whole way up I’m a huge mess.
Escape
In You Excerpt
The
guy in black has joined me on the couch and is almost touching me, he’s sitting
so close. The tangle of tattoos on his arms distracts me for a moment before I
get my first good look at his face.
I
draw in a sharp breath—I can’t help it. I’m staring at the most beautiful man I
have ever seen. He has longish brown hair liberally sprinkled with natural gold
highlights, and it’s all in a pleasing, tousled mess. I wonder what it would
feel like to run my fingers through that hair, to mess it up even further. It
looks soft. He has strikingly dark brown eyes framed with the thickest
eyelashes I’ve ever seen on a guy. His eyes seem to flash with some kind of
dark amusement, and my heart beats faster. A muscle pulses in his jaw when he swallows—God,
I love a guy with a strong jawline—and I want to place my lips there, right at
that pulse, and kiss him.
“You
okay, Zoe?” he asks, and there’s that amusement in his eyes again.
“How’d
you know my name?” I ask, and I’m pleased that my voice is steady. There’s no
sense in letting him know just how much I like what I see—though I’m afraid he
somehow knows exactly what I’ve been thinking. Something in the way he’s
looking at me makes me blush. And I never blush.
“I
make it a point to find out information that might be of interest to me.”
His
voice is low and raspy and touches something deep within my core, but I force
out a laugh.
“Does
that kind of line usually work for you?”
He
shrugs, grinning. “To be honest, yeah. It does.”
My
laugh is sincere this time. “Well, at least you are honest.”
He
leans back into the couch, stretching his arm across the back of the cushion so
that it just grazes my shoulder. I shiver a little and hope he doesn’t notice.
A quick glance around tells me we shouldn’t be interrupted. Hunter appears to
have moved off while I was distracted by the sex god—I’m pretty sure I can make
out his voice across the room, urging someone else to come down and feel the
carpet. Ellie has dozed off. I’m not surprised—that’s her usual reaction to pot
and one of the reasons I don’t often join in when she partakes. I don’t come to
parties to sleep.
I
smile at the sex god. Flirting with hot guys, on the other hand, is one of the
best reasons to come to a party.
“I’m
at a bit of a disadvantage here.” I inch my knee closer to his.
“How
so?”
“You
know my name, and I don’t know yours.”
He
holds my gaze for a minute, and my heart thumps. “Maybe I’d rather be a man of
mystery.”
I
wrinkle my nose. “Seriously, dude. You have to stop with the lines. It’s just
not doing it for me.”
He
leans in, and his face is inches from mine. “What would do it for you?”
“An
actual conversation.” I refuse to fall under his spell. But there’s something
dangerous about this guy, something that makes me want to abandon sense and close
the gap that separates us.
He
watches my face for a minute before his eyebrows come together in an expression
I can’t quite read. “I don’t do so good with conversations.”
“Why’s
that?”
He
surprises me by pausing before he answers, as if he’s actually thinking about
it. “I just think it’s easier not to talk, for the most part. People usually
just tell you what you want to hear anyway. What’s the point?”
God,
wasn’t that the truth. “Yeah,” I say. “I get that.”
We’re
both quiet for a minute, but it isn’t necessarily an uncomfortable silence. It
feels natural, easy, to just sit here with him while the party carries on
around us.
“I
know what you’re thinking,” he says.
“I
doubt that.” How could he know that I’m considering dropping the whole talking
thing and just making out with him for a while? No way anything more serious is
going to happen. I don’t date, not anymore—it’s too complicated. And I
have a feeling a guy like this isn’t really the dating type—just like me.
Making
out is simple enough though. And not a bad way to spend a few hazy,
vodka-fueled hours at a party. Particularly when the guy looks as good as this
one does. I lean in a little, allowing the side of my breast to brush up
against his arm. “Maybe you were right,” I murmur and bat my eyes at him.
“Maybe it is easier not to talk.”
He
looks down at me, his lips parting slightly. I’m close enough now that I could
easily reach up and trail my tongue across those lips or along that impressive
jawline. But his next words stop me cold.
“I
don’t know, Zoe. You’ve intrigued me with this conversation idea. I’m thinking
it might do it for me too.”
I
purse my lips, surprised. I was sure he’d jump at the chance to avoid talking.
“So.”
He leans back again and gives me a lazy smile. “What should we talk about?”
“We
could start with your name.” I’m debating whether I should just get up and
leave him here. My friend Everett is across the room, talking to a guy I know a
little through Hunter. Surely they’d be more appropriate company.
“Do
you want my real name, or my fake name?” He winks.
I
narrow my eyes, not really in the mood for cute. “What do you think?”
“Well,
you see, the thing is that most people don’t call me by my real name. In fact,
most people don’t even know my real name. So if I give you that, it’s kind of
saying something, you know? It takes us past the point of general acquaintances
at a party. It makes us something more.” He waggles his eyebrows at me.
I’m
not sure whether I’m annoyed or intrigued by this. I thought I wanted to flirt
with him, but this feels too much like a game. Or your impression of him is
just colored because now you know he probably has money.
“Let’s
start with your fake name,” I say, deciding to play along. “Maybe we can work
up to your real name. I’m not sure I’m ready for that level of commitment just
yet.”
He
nods. “Fair enough. Everyone calls me Jet.”
I
stare at him. “Jet? Are you kidding?”
He
shakes his head. “Nope. Jet is really my nickname.”
“Why?”
He
furrows his brow. “You know, it’s been so long I’m not really sure. Everyone
has called me Jet ever since like, Little League. Something to do with my base
running skills. Oh, and the fact that my initials are J.E.T.” At my skeptical
look he cocks his head. “What? You don’t like it?”
“Not
particularly.”
He
throws his head back and laughs. “Oh, Zoe, this is fun.”
“What
is?” I ask, feeling defensive.
“Talking
to a girl who has no desire to please me. It’s refreshing.”
“You’re
pretty damn full of yourself.”
He
points at me. “See? That’s exactly what I mean. You couldn’t give a shit about
what I think, could you?”
“I
don’t see why I would.”
His
face darkens. “I don’t see why you would either. Why anyone would.” He inhales
sharply, sounding almost pained. “Yet, somehow, they do. Or, at least, the
ladies do.”
I
don’t like that look. It makes me feel sad, which is just ridiculous, since I
barely know him and what I do know I’m not even sure I like. I try to lighten
the mood by shoving his shoulder. “Oh, yeah, I’m so sure you’re complaining
about all the women who are just dying to please you.”
He
shoots me that same amused grin. “Are you volunteering?”
“Not
even remotely, buddy.”
“It’s
Jet,” he says.
I
shake my head. “I’m sorry, but I refuse to call you that.”
“Well,
now we’re at an impasse. You refuse to call me by my nickname yet you’re not
ready for my real name either. The only other option is for you to make up your
own name for me. Either way, it implies a certain level of intimacy, don’t you
think?”
“I
don’t know you well enough to give you a nickname.” I think for a moment. “Unless
you like the sound of Cocky Ass.”
He
pretends to think about that. “No, I don’t think so.”
“Well,
then. I guess we are at an impasse.” I’m actually starting to enjoy myself. He
may be cocky, but it’s been ages since I’ve actually flirted with a guy like
this. When I hook up at parties the talking phase doesn’t usually last this
long.
“I
think I have a solution,” he says, holding up a finger in triumph. “Taylor!”
“Why
would I call you Taylor?”
“Because
it’s my last name.”
It’s
my turn to laugh. “Okay. Taylor it is.”
He
holds out his hand to shake mine. His skin is warm against my palm, his grip
firm. I have a sudden urge to feel his hand curled around the back of my neck,
and I release his fingers before my palm starts to sweat.
“So,
Zoe,” Taylor says, his gaze flicking down to my legs before meeting my eyes
once more. “What’s your story?”
“My
story?”
He
nods. “Yeah. What do you do? Who do you know? What do you like? Your story.”
If
only my story really were that simple—a collection of answers to meaningless
questions. I look down at my hands. A weight fills my stomach as I
consider how I would answer if I could be honest. If I could actually tell
him—or anyone—my real story.
“You
okay?”
I
look up and realize he’s watching my face closely. I force a smile and
nod. “Maybe too much vodka.” I hold up the bottle, glad for the excuse.
From the look on his face I’m not sure he bought it, so I hurry to answer his
original question. “I’m a student at MCC.” I peek at him from the corner of my
eye for any reaction to the name of the local community college. If he grew up
in this neighborhood I’ll bet he’s one of the kids who goes to an actual
university.
When
he only nods, I go on. “I’m not working right now, so I’m taking classes all
summer.” I leave out the reason for my unemployment. I can imagine how he’d
react to that—talk about putting a damper on our flirting.
“What
are you studying at MCC?”
More
details I don’t want to get into. “This was my first year. I haven’t really
decided on a major yet.”
He
looks concerned. “How old are you?”
“Twenty-one.”
I blush again. I’m too exposed to this guy. I don’t want him asking questions
about why I waited so long to enroll in classes. But his face relaxes.
“Good.
When you said it was your first year I was worried you were a teenager for a
minute there.”
“Why
would it matter if I was a teenager?” I ask, a flirtatious note in my voice. He
only grins at me, a purely wicked grin, and my face grows hotter.
“What
about you?” I ask, embarrassed by my reaction. “What’s your story?”
“I
work at the body shop in town. We mostly do repairs, but sometimes we get some
refurbs to do, which is what I really prefer.”
That
isn’t the answer I expected. “School?”
He
shakes his head. “Never really saw the point.”
“So
you live here all year?” It doesn’t make sense. Why hadn’t I ever come across
him if he wasn’t away at school all year?
“All
four miserable seasons.”
“They’re
not all miserable. Spring is nice.”
“Whatever.
Spring lasts about two minutes. It goes from cold as hell to hot as balls around
here.”
I
have to laugh at that. “I was just thinking that tonight. That spring went way
too fast.” I pause. “I wasn’t ready for summer.”
“Me
either,” he says, his voice soft. I look over at him. He’s staring at the
ground. He looks about a million miles away. I wonder what it is about summer
that he doesn’t like, but I don’t press. I know what it feels like to dread
something as inevitable as the change of season.
“Can
I have a sip of that?” Taylor points at the bottle in my hand. I’d almost
forgotten it was there. I take a swig before passing it to him, wiping my mouth
on the back of my arm as the warmth fills my belly.
“Impressive,”
Taylor says, nodding at me as he takes the bottle and follows suit. “You didn’t
even grimace.”
I
shrug. “I like vodka.”
“Okay,
so I know you like vodka and picking fights with girls at parties. What else
makes you tick?”
“I
didn’t pick that fight!” I say, my voice a little too loud. “That bitch got
mouthy with Ellie.”
“And
that’s a mistake, huh?”
“You
have no idea.”
“You’re
not like most of the girls I know,” he says and nods down at Ellie to include
her in his assessment.
“What
does that mean?”
“Well,
most girls don’t chug vodka straight from the bottle. And most girls don’t
actually get in fights at kegs. When a girl says she’s going to kick someone’s
ass, I can pretty much always assume she’s full of shit.”
“Ellie
and I don’t mess around with stuff like that. We’ve had to stand up for
ourselves way too often for it to be a joke. When Ellie threatens someone, she
means it.”
“You
too?”
I
nod. “Though I don’t feel the need to threaten quite as often as she does.” I
meet his eyes. “But when I say something, I mean it.”
“I’ll
keep that in mind.” His voice is a soft rasp that makes the hair on the backs
of my arms stand up. I stare at his lips, wishing I could kiss him. Why had I
been so stupid and told him I prefer conversation to cheesy lines? I could be
making out with this hottie right now if I had kept my mouth shut and laughed
at his little jokes like any other girl.
“How
long have you guys known each other?” he asks.
It
takes me a second to come back to the conversation. “Ellie? We’ve been tight
for a few years now. I guess we started hanging out when we were
seventeen.” I manage to keep my voice casual, as if that year, and the
circumstances surrounding our becoming friends, hadn’t been any big deal. “What
about you? You said you grew up with Preston? Are you guys tight?”
He
lifts one shoulder. “Not particularly. I mean, I guess we were. But we don’t
have a lot in common anymore.”
That’s
a little cryptic. Does that mean he doesn’t live in one of these huge mansions
on this side of town? Or is it simply that he stayed home and got a job while
Preston went off to school?
“He’s
not a bad guy, though,” Taylor says. “His parents travel a lot, so he throws a
ton of parties in the summer.”
“Maybe
I’ll see you at another one of them.”
He’s
quiet for a moment as he holds my gaze. “I hope I see you regardless.”
His
tone makes my stomach flip and all in a rush I’m frightened. Am I getting in
too far here? Flirting at a party is one thing, making plans to see each other
after tonight is another. To my great relief, Ellie chooses that moment to wake
up fully.
She
moans as she sits up. “Ugh, I have a headache. Zoe, you weren’t supposed to let
me mix beer and pot. You know this.”
“I
warned you,” I say. “You told me to fuck off.”
She
laughs weakly, rubbing her head. “That does sound like something I’d say.” She
pulls her phone from her pocket and starts to type. “Let’s find Hunter. I’m in
need of sustenance. I want pancakes.”
“Mmm,
pancakes,” Hunter says, as he walks up behind her. “I’m in.”
Ellie
holds up her phone. “I was just texting you.”
He
taps his forehead. “I could sense that my presence was desired.”
I
look over at Taylor. “I guess we’re leaving.” Somehow I’m both disappointed and
relieved.
“I
guess so.”
I
know it’s better to leave before I start getting any weird ideas about seeing
him again, but I still feel a sense of letdown. I’ll never get to find out what
it’s like to kiss that gorgeous mouth. To trail my tongue across that jaw…
As
I start to stand, Taylor grabs my hand. “I’ll be seeing you, Zoe. That’s a
promise.”
I
look down at him, not knowing what to say. I should discourage him, tell him
I’m not interested. But I just can’t do it. “We’ll see,” I murmur, then turn to
help hoist Ellie into a standing position.
“Let’s
find Everett,” Hunter says. “He’s the DD tonight. Why’s it so dark down here?”
He looks around the room. “Hey, Everett!” he shouts. “I want pancakes!”
Everett’s
laugh sounds from across the room, and we head off in that direction. I refuse
to turn around to take a last look at Taylor. Even though we aren’t heading
home yet, leaving the party takes me one step closer to my real life.
And
there is no place for anything as beautiful as Jet Taylor in my real life.
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