To celebrate Halloween AND the completion of the Jamie Baker trilogy,
I’m having a book blitz, among other things.
If you have a book blog and would like to participate, fill in this Google form:
https://goo.gl/forms/Eq2UugKtDgnBlKzW2
It will be … electrifying!
Cinder458: I miss you already.
I snorted. He was such a goofball. Shaking my head, I couldn’t help typing a response back.
EllaTheRealHero: Ha! You’re such a dork.
Cinder458: I’m serious.
EllaTheRealHero: That makes you even more of a dork.
Cinder458: No, it makes me romantic. You’re such a brat.
EllaTheRealHero: And you’re annoying. Leave me alone. I’m busy.
Cinder458: But I miss you. I need you. Right now.
Ryan POV from Remember Jamie Baker — Scene from the airplane when Ryan takes Jamie to meet up with the ACEs and they go to the Colorado base…
While Jamie went to take a long hot shower, I wandered through her house. Considering the damage to the living room, there must have been quite a standoff here. I had mixed feelings about that. Part of me was glad Visticorp found Teddy. Part of me hoped he was being tortured for all he was worth. But I knew, deep down, that was just the anger talking. If it came down to it, I wouldn’t really want that. I might hate him and hope we find him so that I could punch the daylights out of him, but I would never really wish true harm on a person. Jail sure, but a lifetime of torture and human lab testing? I didn’t know about that.
Not wanting to dwell on Teddy, I pulled out my phone. Major Wilks picked up on the first ring. “Status report?”
“We’re safe, she’s calmed down, and she’s agreed to come check out the base.”
Major Wilks let out an audible breath. “Good work, Romeo.”
“Thank you, sir.” I grinned, feeling ridiculously proud. The ACEs had let me join their team, but that was only because I knew Jamie so well, and Tyson and Abiodun had refused to join without me. I’m young and inexperienced, and don’t have much to bring to the table on such an elite military team. That was hard to swallow, but now that Jamie was back, I felt like I was genuinely needed. No one knew Jamie the way I did, and Jamie isn’t exactly a low maintenance girl. Major Wilks wouldn’t stand a chance of winning her over without my help. I grinned to myself, grateful for Jamie’s volatile, stubborn nature.
“We’re pulling into the Las Vegas base now. We’ll be ready to take off in ten minutes.”
“All right. Hold the plane for us, Major. Jamie’s soaking in a hot shower. We’ll meet you at the base as soon as she’s ready.”
“Try to hurry. I don’t like you two out there with no back-up.”
“Yes sir. We’ll be there soon.”
Slipping my phone in my pocket, I glanced down the hall. I could hear the water running in the shower. Normally that would drive me crazy, but it was hard to have those kinds of thoughts about her right now when she was so black and blue. She’d given worse than she got in that fight with the supersoldiers, but she still had to be really sore. The hot water and alone time was probably exactly what she needed. I wasn’t going to interrupt that or try to rush her.
With time to kill, I wandered into the front yard where her sofa was turned upside down on the desert floor. I flipped the couch back over and flopped down on my back. It had been a long day, and I could use some downtime myself.
The sky above my head had an orange, purple, and pink hue to it. The sun was setting. I gulped. The last time I’d watched the sun set in the desert had been the single best moment of my life. I’d stood there, with Jamie in my arms after she’d just whisked me away from my life. Two minutes later I proposed to her. We were so happy. It had been so perfect.
And then I lost her.
Memories of those dark times, especially those first couple of weeks when I wasn’t sure I had anything left to live for, flooded my mind. I quickly pushed them away in the same manner I always did when my dark and depressing thoughts tried to take over—by humming “You Are My Sunshine” to myself. Jamie would think it was so cheesy, but the song had become my anchor.
After a minute, I relaxed and even smiled at the scenery. Jamie was right about the desert sky. The sunsets here are beautiful. It’d been so long since I was able to watch a sunset at all. But now Jamie was back, and all was right in my world again.
I glanced toward the house and smiled again. I still couldn’t believe I’d found her. I couldn’t believe she was safe, and she was right here with me. She didn’t remember me, but that didn’t matter. She was still herself. She was still my Jamie. She’d realize that soon enough. Memory or not, she couldn’t resist me. As long as she got to know me, she’d fall for me again. I’d convinced her not to run for now, and that’s all I needed.
I’d just started to drift off when Jamie quietly cleared her throat behind me. As I climbed to my feet and smiled at her, I was hit with shock all over again. She was really here. I’d really found her. It all still felt like a dream. Part of me kept waiting to wake up, and the rest of me hoped I never did.
She was so beautiful, even just in jeans and a T-shirt with her wet hair pulled back in a ponytail. Though, the fact that it was a Punisher T-shirt was very, very sexy. She always did like the badass, darker, tortured superheroes best.
I resisted the urge to tell her exactly how hot she was. It was hard to do, but I didn’t think she’d appreciate it. The way she was standing there, I could tell she still felt very vulnerable. So far, she’d seemed to hold it together best when keeping things almost professional, so I swallowed the compliments and kept it simple.
“You ready?”
She nodded.
“I called the major a few minutes ago. They just got to the base in Las Vegas and are holding the plane for us.”
She’d been assessing the damage to her house, but her eyes came back to me. “Plane?”
“Yeah. ACE headquarters is in Colorado, and Major Wilks wants you checked out by our doctor and no one else.”
I suddenly wished I had a medical degree.
When Jamie wrinkled her nose, I wondered if she guessed my thoughts. It wouldn’t take a genius to figure it out considering I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. Luckily, her mind was focused elsewhere. “We have to fly? That’s so slow. Couldn’t we just meet them in Colorado?”
I laughed. Only Jamie would think flying was slow.
It probably would have been fine to meet the guys at HQ. In fact, Major Wilks would probably be happy to have Jamie to the doctor sooner. But I knew once we got there, Jamie would be snatched up by Dr. Haggerty and then she’d hole up in a room somewhere to sleep. And after that, I’d be hard pressed to steal any of her attention because Major Wilks would be dying to pounce on her. Knowing Jamie, she would use him, and the pressing matter of Donovan, to avoid me. I needed the time on the plane with her.
“It’s a short flight. Come on; you can sleep on the plane.”
She didn’t fight me, though she looked as though she considered it. “All right. To Las Vegas, then. You ready?”
She held out her hand to me. It took everything I had in me not to look surprised. She seemed awfully calm about having to kiss me. I must have looked confused, though, as I waited for her to scowl and say something snarky about frying me if I got too frisky, because she said, “You’ve done this with me before, I assume?”
It was also weird that she was just fine with sharing her powers. Even if I’d gotten past her reluctance to kiss me, she’d never been comfortable passing me her energy. “Only a couple of times. You used to worry pumping me full of mutant energy would hurt me. It took a long time to convince you it was okay.”
She frowned as if the thought had never occurred to her. “Huh. Weird. I never noticed any side effects with Tony.”
My stomach twisted. “You shared your energy with Teddy?”
“Of course. All the time. It was too convenient not to.”
Rage swept through me. I couldn’t stand the thought of that nerdy little punk touching Jamie, much less superkissing her. I take back what I said about not actually wanting real harm to come to him. I was going to find that traitor just so I could kill him myself.
After seeing the way Jamie frowned at me, I took a deep, cleansing breath. I had to get a grip on this. It wasn’t her fault. She didn’t remember me. I couldn’t fly off the handle every time she reminded me of her relationship with Teddy. It would scare her or turn her off to me. No way was I going to let Teddy ruin my chances with my fiancée. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
She waited a second, kindly letting me regain my control, and then held out her hand to me again. “Okay, then. You ready?”
My anger melted away as I realized I was about to kiss Jamie. It wasn’t even the fact that I was dying to feel her again that had me so confident all of a sudden. It was the memory of what happened any time we kissed. Jamie and I had a connection. From the very first kiss, we’d both felt it. She wasn’t sure of me right now, but this was my chance to show her exactly what she’d been missing. I had no doubt, superkissing and all, that she’d never kissed geek boy the way she kissed me. This was my chance to show her how much I loved her, and I was not going to waste the opportunity.
I took her offered hand and used it to pull her close. The second she was in my arms, my head swam and my control snapped. She was mine, and I needed her now. I slipped my arms around her waist and crushed her against me so firmly that she gasped. She shivered, and I laughed. That was my girl. The one I could melt with a single touch. But she did the same thing to me, so I figured it was fair.
My gaze dropped to her mouth and I could hardly breathe. I’d missed those lips more than I can tell you. “I’ve been ready for this since the second I got you back.”
In my head we were already there, locked in the most intense, incredible superkiss we’d ever shared. But when I leaned in to claim what I needed so badly, Jamie startled and wrenched her head back. “What are you doing?”
Why did she always insist on playing so hard to get? I tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and whispered, “Kissing my fiancée.”
Apparently mentioning our relationship status was the wrong thing to do. I said the word fiancée and promptly got zapped. Her glare was so much like old times that it made me laugh. “I guess some things never change.”
“What are you doing? Why did you try to kiss me?”
What? Why was she so mad? This was what we were supposed to be doing right now. She was the one who asked me if I was ready. “Um…because that’s how you pass your energy.”
Understanding sparked in her eyes and then a series of emotions washed over her—mostly embarrassment and annoyance. Without word, she took my hand and pushed her power into me. I recognized the feeling, the tingly warm energy that made all of my senses come alive. When Jamie juiced me up, I always felt as if I normally experience the world like an old silent movie in black and white, and Jamie’s powers bright me into Wonderland.
It’d been so long since I’d experienced this that it nearly brought me to my knees. Having her pump it into me this way was also more intense than when we kissed. Well, intense in a different way. The kisses were still unlike anything I’d ever felt. The kisses, along with the power they gave me, were magnetic. Hypnotic. This was just an extreme rush of power. Very cool, but not nearly as fun or pleasant. Or hot.
When Jamie let go, I caught my breath and blinked at her. “When’d you learn how to do that? You mostly just used to zap people when you tried that before.”
“Practice.” She shrugged and her face fell flat. “I had a lot of motivation.”
At my questioning look, she rolled her eyes. “Tony kept finding reasons he needed to use my powers, and I was tired of kissing him.”
She was forgiven for not letting me kiss her just now. That had to be the best news I’d heard all day. “Well, that’s comforting,” I teased. “You promised me once that the superkisses were only for me.”
She smirked as if she hadn’t ever heard the term before. I was glad Teddy never told her our name for those kisses. It made me feel like they were still ours. Like he hadn’t stolen those from me.
My mood lifted a little more and I couldn’t help teasing her. “You know…just because you have the control now doesn’t mean you can’t still do things the fun way.” I laughed at the dry look she shot me and sent her a wink in return. “Just something to think about.”
Personally, it was all I could think about. I was going to get that girl to kiss me soon. I’d find a way. I had to or I was going to explode. She didn’t seem to have the same trouble as me, though. She rolled her eyes, grabbed my hand, and we took off for Las Vegas.
…
I made her stop and let me wait out the nausea caused by the superrun. Jamie might have had no problem running at warp speed, but it was killer on my equilibrium. I managed not to throw up but I was green and shaky and didn’t need to show the team that I had a hard time handling Jamie’s powers. I’d never hear the end of it.
Surprisingly, Jamie didn’t tease me. She even went as far as to tell me that I handled it better than Teddy did the first time, and told me it would get easier. I found that encouraging because that meant she assumed there would be a next time.
Once I was ready, we came to the gate of the Air Force base and the soldiers drove us out to the tarmac where the plane was waiting for us. She stiffened up again when Major Wilks met us at the door. I couldn’t blame her. He came on way too strong, and looked way too excited to have her here. I’d have to talk to him about that later. Jamie was beyond paranoid and had no love for the government or authority of any kind before evil mad scientists captured her and she lost her memory. Spending the last six months in total seclusion with someone even more paranoid than her couldn’t have helped, either. If Major Wilks wanted her to stick around, he was really going to have to tone it down.
“Glad you decided to join us, Angel.”
She accepted his eager handshake but met his smile with a flinty glare. “I haven’t decided anything yet.”
Major shrugged off her hostility. “Well, hopefully we can change your mind about that after a good night’s rest and a tour of the base in the morning. For now, just buckle in and take it easy. The men will leave you alone until you’re feeling better. Right, men?”
I grinned at all the crestfallen pouts of the guys as they nodded. They were dying to get to know Jamie. I couldn’t blame them. Not only had I talked her up so much, but thanks to her time as Chelsea’s Angel, she really was an honest-to-goodness real-life superhero. For them, this was like finding Wonder Woman.
I was anxious to show her off to them and let them all meet her because they were going to love her as much as I did, but considering the small sigh of relief that came from her at the Major’s order, it would have to wait. Jamie when she’s in a good mood is someone you have to love. Jamie when she’s grumpy or feeling threatened, well, that’s hot, but it’s also dangerous.
On the bright side, I wasn’t included in the major’s order to leave her alone. He’d put me on Jamie duty earlier, and I planned to take my assignment very seriously. I grabbed her hand and laced our fingers together as I dragged her to a couple of empty seats. I wasn’t sure how handholding was a necessary action for Jamie duty at the moment, but I was sure I could come up with some kind of reason if needed. I didn’t have to defend my actions, though, because Jamie didn’t protest when I took her hand. That worried me. Jamie always protested. “How’s your head?” I asked as we buckled our seatbelts. As I took a better look at her, I realized she was paler and more exhausted than I thought. “The superrun didn’t make it worse, did it?”
She closed her eyes and shook her head as she massaged her temples. “It’s better than it was, but it’s still pounding like crazy. I’m sorry if it’s been making me such a grouch today.”
I was as surprised by the apology as I was that she thought she was being grouchy. Compared to back when she was the Ice Queen of Rocklin High, and considering the fact that she was almost killed by supersoldiers and was worried that the military had discovered her, she’d been an angel today. Besides, she wasn’t the only one who’d been grumpy today. “I should be the one apologizing,” I said quickly. “I completely freaked out on you earlier and you didn’t need that. It won’t happen again. I promise.” That was the truth. I still couldn’t believe it happened in the first place. I’d just been so shocked. “I’m pretty sure I got it all out of my system.”
Jamie slid me a glance and the side of her mouth turned up into that cool smirk she’d given me the day I asked her to kiss me so I could win a bet. “It was a rather impressive temper tantrum,” she teased. “I thought I held the title on those, but now I’m not so sure.”
I laughed. Even if I’d completely lost my head and nearly broke my knuckles punching the truck, my loss of temper was nothing like hers. Not even close. “Oh no, babe, you definitely have me beat in the drama department. It’s just, if I have one weak spot in my otherwise unshakable calm, it’s Teddy.” And with good reason.
My comment made Jamie blush, though I wasn’t sure why. She distracted me with a question before I could ask her about it. “Why do you call him Teddy?”
I knew the distraction was intentional, to change the topic from whatever had embarrassed her, but I let it slide and answered her. “His real name is Teodoro Vivenzio.”
If she was going to start talking to me and ask questions about our past, even if it was on the subject of Teddy, I wanted to go there. I wanted her to be so curious about us that she couldn’t stay away from me even if she was desperate to do just that.
Jamie had always fought her feelings and attraction to me. She wouldn’t be any different now. But I’d always managed to keep her coming back. Thanks to her memory loss, it would almost be too easy to make myself irresistible to her. Winning her over this time was going to be a piece of cake.
“Tay-oh-what-o?”
I almost laughed. Without her memory, she was still reacting to everything the same way she had the first time around. It gave me the advantage in a major way. She was still the exact same girl. She might not know me, but I knew everything about her. Yes, this was going to be beyond easy. “Exactly. You never could say it right, so you started calling him Teddy and it stuck.”
She considered this and then nodded slowly. “I guess I could see it. Teddy…”
She thought about it a moment longer and then sighed. “I have to get him back.”
The confession was a slap in the face. Could she really care about Teddy? She sounded like she cared very much. In all of my plotting since I found her, I hadn’t even considered the possibility that she liked Teddy. She hadn’t when she met him before. But back then she’d already been in love with me. This time she hadn’t had an awesome boyfriend to compare him to. She’d had no one to compare him to. She’d been alone with him for six months. And I’m sure the slimy little weasel doted on her. Could it be possible that she loved him? She said they’d broken up, but that didn’t mean she didn’t care about him. “You want him back?”
I wasn’t sure I wanted the answer to that, but I had to know at the same time. Thankfully, she shook her head. “Not like that. I’m so mad at him I could kill him.”
She wasn’t the only one.
“But it’s my fault he was captured. You said they could trace my phone, and that’s how they found me. Well, I’m assuming they could trace whomever I called, too. Tony, I mean Teddy, was always so paranoid. He warned me a million times that I couldn’t break the rules or Visticorp would find us. But I went to the doctor anyway, and now he’s gone.”
She glanced at the back of the seat in front of us and chewed on her bottom lip. She was so worried. “They’ve taken him to do who knows what to him. He lied to me, but no one deserves to be caged up and experimented on.”
I hated that she was stressed over him. He didn’t deserve her worry. But I understood her guilt. Guilt was often irrational. I’d felt guilty for losing Jamie since the day she and Teddy took off together. Guilty that I couldn’t do more for her. That he was more prepared to help her than I was. That I couldn’t stop the men trying to take her. That I wasn’t strong enough, powerful enough… I never measured up when it came to Jamie. And after she disappeared, I’d felt so helpless. I still didn’t measure up. I wasn’t good enough for her in so many ways, but I was just selfish enough to claim her anyway. I always felt guilty about that, too.
But for all the ways she was stronger than me, and all the ways I couldn’t measure up, there were some things I brought to the relationship. She may have been stronger than me, but she still needed me. She needed my emotional strength. She needed my support mentally.
Chelsea’s Angel might not need me that much, but Jamie Baker did. Thanks to my stepdad Gene, and a lot of my own easygoing nature, I was exactly the type of guy Jamie needed to calm her crazy life. She needed a little steadiness. She needed unfailing support. And she definitely needed some optimism. Those were things I could give her. So, as much as I wished I could knock Teddy into a deep abyss never to be seen again, I forced a smile on my face and said, “We’ll find him, and we’ll get him back.” Thinking of Betty and Natalia I added, “We’ll get them all back.”
Supporting her was the right move. At first she seemed shocked, and then she got all choked up. It was as if she’d never felt support from anyone before. But how was that possible? Teddy was so infatuated with her; he had to have given her everything she ever wanted.
Just as I was trying to find a way to ask her about her life the last six months, the plane took off and Jamie freaked. She jumped, sucked in a huge breath and clenched the armrests of her seat with white knuckles. I’d have thought it was adorable if she didn’t lose control of her power too and blitz the electronics in the plane. We did not need her to fry this thing now that we were airborne. “Whoa, Jamie, relax. Babe, I’m not sure frying the plane would be the best thing to do.”
“Sorry.” She sucked in another breath. “I just lose control when I’m freaked out.”
Yeah, no kidding. It was the reason she was freaked out that surprised me. Of all the dangerous situations she’d thrown herself into without blinking an eye, this scared her? “You’re a nervous flyer?”
She shrugged but never released her death grip on the armrests of her seat. “I guess so. I’ve never done it before.”
I hadn’t thought about that.
When the plane lifted higher into the air, she let out a tiny squeak of fear and started trembling. The lights in the cabin flickered again. All the guys were now staring our direction. I could see fear on their faces. Actual fear. If we didn’t do something, she was going to crash this plane, and everyone was looking at me to fix the problem. I’d been wishing to feel like I deserved my place on this team since the moment I showed up. Looks like I got my wish. Great. So…since it was up to me to calm her down, what could I do…
I needed to distract her. I wondered if a kiss would… I shook off the thought before I got too tempted. As much as I loved that distraction, kissing her always got her flustered. And she released lots of energy when she kissed me. Way more than she was giving off right now. I might not mind crashing to my fiery death if I was locked in a superkiss at the time, but I didn’t think the rest of the team would appreciate that.
The only other thing I could think of was distracting her with memories. She seemed to want those badly, and I was pretty much an expert in that department, so I quickly said, “Hey, did you know that your favorite place in the whole world is the Grand Canyon?”
The question worked. She flinched at my voice, but once she’d processed my statement she closed her eyes, took a deep breath and managed a small smile. She even relaxed her grip on the chair. Score one for me. Eat your hearts out elite military squad of ACEs. Ryan Miller has the situation under control.
“I actually did know that,” she admitted, letting her body relax even further. “I used to go out there whenever I needed to get away from Teddy or our situation, or just whatever. The sunsets there are the most amazing things I’ve ever seen.”
My mind automatically went back to one particular Grand Canyon sunset—the only one I’ve ever seen. She was right about it being amazing. Though, I could be biased considering that moment was so much more than a simple sunset.
This was exactly the type of conversation I’d been hoping to have with her on this plane ride, so I took a chance and got personal. “Did you know that’s where we were the last time I saw you? It’s where I asked you to marry me.” I remembered the moment and laughed. “Well, I guess, technically, you asked me first. You asked me to spend the rest of my life with you. But I was the first one to actually say ‘marry me.’ And I already had the ring, so I think I still win.”
The story did not have the effect on her that I was hoping for. Pain so deep it seemed to drown her, etched across her face. She closed her eyes and smashed her hand against her chest as if trying to clutch her heart to make it stop hurting. After a hard swallow, she started rummaging through her purse and found her engagement ring. I was relieved to see it. I’d wondered where it was, but hadn’t figured out if it was okay to ask about it yet.
“I think this belongs to you.”
She was trying to give it back? I don’t think so. She was so not getting away with that. Giving her my best smile I said, “Actually, it doesn’t. It’s yours.”
She thrust it at me again, more insistent this time. “Please take it.”
I pushed her hand back to her lap without taking the ring from her. She didn’t have to wear it right now since she couldn’t remember me, but I wasn’t going to encourage breaking up. Not a chance. And besides, it was hers. I picked it especially for her. I had it engraved for her. Even if we never actually got married, I’d still want her to have it. “We don’t have to be engaged, but I still want you to keep it.”
“I don’t want it!” she snapped, suddenly, meeting my gaze with a spark of malice. “I hate it!”
She wasn’t yelling at me. It was more of a desperate outburst, but the force of it stunned me. She absolutely, one hundred percent, without a doubt meant what she said. She didn’t want my ring. She hated it. Hated what it stood for, and wanted nothing to do with it. There was both fear and loathing in the way she looked at it as she waited for me to take it.
The anger wasn’t necessarily directed at me, but the rejection was real, and it was impossible not to take it personally. It speared me through the heart and left a gaping hole in my chest. For a moment I couldn’t breathe. My stomach churned and I worried I might throw up.
Since the moment we suspected Dr. Rajeet’s amnesia patient was Jamie, and I figured out she wouldn’t remember me, I’d imagined a thousand scenarios of how our meeting could go. I’d anticipated all kinds of reactions from her when she learned about me. But I never dreamed I’d be met with contempt, or bitter resentment. Ice Queen or not, she’d never treated me that way. That wasn’t Jamie. It couldn’t be. This wasn’t happening.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered when she realized I was freaking out. “I don’t mean to hurt your feelings, but this ring means something entirely different to you than it does to me.”
She paused, and I hoped she planned on explaining, but I couldn’t ask. I couldn’t even look at her. I was still struggling to regain control of myself. I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep my emotions off my face, and I didn’t want her to know how scared I was that I was going to lose her.
“This ring is a manacle for me,” she said. “A prison. It’s the thing that’s kept me so miserable for the last six months, which, since that’s all I can remember, is basically my entire life. Now, it’s also a reminder of how betrayed I was. When I look at it, all I see is a lie. All I feel is anger and heartbreak. Please take it back. I need to be rid of it. I need to be free.”
So this was about Teddy. Why did that scrawny jerk have to keep ruining my life? Things had been perfect until the day he showed up. He’d come to Sacramento with the intent of stealing Jamie from me, and now, it seemed, that by doing whatever he’d done to her since the explosion, he’d finally succeeded.
My disappointment was replaced with fear. Jamie was the strongest woman in the world in some ways. She’d never let a guy push her around or destroy her self-confidence. And she definitely wouldn’t let him lock her up in a prison—even a metaphorical one, which is what I suspected Jamie meant. I’d seen her distraught before, broken before. But she’d long since been healed. How could Teddy break her again so thoroughly in just six months? What had he done to her?
Setting my disappointment aside, I took a few breaths to calm myself. Jamie needed me. I had to be strong for her. We’d been in similar positions before. When I’d discovered her powers, she’d been so vulnerable and scared. This was no different. I’d been what she needed then, and I could be that now.
When I was sure I could speak calmly, I met her wary gaze and said, “Will you tell me about it?”
I didn’t think she would. She’d always been hesitant to open up, and we weren’t alone on this plane, but I must have looked a little desperate because guilt bled from her expression and she forced herself to talk. “When Teddy found me after the explosion, I didn’t know who he was, but he knew me. He told me that I was his fiancée.”
“And you believed him?” I sucked in a deep breath. I’d known this already, but just the thought of that scrawny little arrogant jerk lying to her like that… Ugh. He was just so… How could she fall for it? Memory or not, she didn’t find him attractive. She’d never been interested. He was just not enough man for her on so many different levels.
My question embarrassed her. She looked away from me, and with pink cheeks muttered, “I was wearing his ring.” I wanted to correct her, but I knew what she meant. “He brought me home to a house filled with clothes that fit me. He had my ID. He knew about all my different abilities—he was the one who explained them all to me and helped me regain my control of them. I had to believe him.”
I could picture it so clearly. I’d seen the crater in Las Vegas. I could picture Jamie waking up after the explosion in the bottom of that hole, not knowing what happened, where she was, or even who she was. I couldn’t imagine the fear she must have felt. She must have been completely panicked. And then along came this guy who had all the right answers. Of course she believed him. How could she not?
“My heart never bought it, but my brain had no choice.”
I pulled myself out of my internal Teddy-is-a-dead-man rant. “What do you mean by that?”
Jamie shrugged. “I never loved him.”
HELL. YES. There was the light at the end of the tunnel I needed.
“I tried to,” she continued, not noticing the way I perked up. “I tried so hard to make myself want him the way he wanted me.”
Well, that was less exciting, but okay. I could deal with that. In fact, it was good news for me. The harder she’d tried and failed to love him, the more she’d see how special our relationship really was. Because soon, she’d be trying so hard to make herself not want me. And she’d fail at that too.
“At first, he was so patient and sweet.” I resisted the urge to scoff. I’m sure he was. He must have known that was his only chance with her. He had to have been thrilled with the situation. “He was kind and sympathetic. He really helped me through the whole terrifying ordeal of knowing nothing.”
Okay, maybe he didn’t have to die. Maybe he just deserved a good beating. Yeah, he’d lied to her, but he’d kept her safe from Visticorp, and he was there for her when she really needed someone. I wish that could have been me, but at least she didn’t have to wake up and deal with all of this alone.
“He was all I had—all I knew—and he wanted me so much.” Her voice quieted again and became haunted. “He loved me, and I just kept disappointing him.”
Jamie’s eyes misted over and I finally understood why she was so upset. She was tough, but in some ways she was so sensitive, too. For all her hard exterior, she’s got a huge heart. It’s why she can be so vulnerable. She’s selfless and giving and altruistic.
She felt indebted and grateful to Teddy for everything he’d done for her, and then she felt guilty for letting him down. She probably drove herself crazy over it. As if to prove my thoughts correct, she said, “I tried to be the girl he told me I was, but I just couldn’t.” Because she wasn’t the girl he told her she was. “He was my best friend, my family, but I could only ever love him like a brother.”
It took everything I had in me not to let out a giant breath of relief, or punch the air with a celebratory fist, or say something really rude about Teddy. But I resisted because Jamie was getting really upset. She didn’t need me making this worse for her.
“I let him down over and over again, until he started to resent me. I couldn’t understand why things had changed so much, but I refused to give up because I was wearing that stupid ring, and I thought that meant I’d loved him once.”
My anger was starting to come back, but I didn’t have time to let it simmer because Jamie collapsed against me in a heartbreaking heap.
My anger vanished. The second she leaned against me, crying and needing comfort and support, Teddy no longer mattered. He was in the past. He was gone, and I was here for her now. I couldn’t change what he’d done, but I could reverse the effects he’d had on her. I could take away her pain. End her suffering. I wrapped her in my arms, donning a mental pair of blinders. No more thoughts of Teddy. He no longer mattered. The only thing that mattered was Jamie.
“I wasted so much time trying to be who he wanted me to be—who I thought I was supposed to be—and now I find out that it was all a lie from the start.” She pulled back, breaking from my embrace, and looked at me with tears streaming down her cheeks. “He let me torture myself over his feelings. He let me force myself to be in a relationship with him. He lied to me about everything, and then he got mad at me when I didn’t love him back. How could he do that to me?”
Because he’s a selfish bastard. I closed my eyes and took a few more breaths. Teddy didn’t matter anymore. He didn’t. There was no use being angry. No reason to let hate grow in me. I didn’t need to focus on him. Only Jamie matters. Only Jamie. Only Jamie. I repeated it like a mantra, but I couldn’t calm down. He just made me so angry… the thought of him…
I grabbed Jamie’s hand, needing her comfort as much as she had needed mine a moment before. Without thinking, I brought her hand to my lips and then placed it against my cheek. Jamie. This is about Jamie. She needs me to be calm. Confident. Her hand in mine, soothed me enough that I could squash my rage again. At least for now. “I’m sorry you had to go through that, Jamie, but you won’t have to anymore. It won’t be like that with us.” I tried to sound as reassuring as possible. She may not know yet, but I knew it. “I promise you it won’t. You never loved him, but you did love me.”
I hadn’t even realized I was holding her hand so intimately until she yanked it away from me as if startled. “There is no us,” she said. She tried to smile as if to soften the blow of her rejection, but she could only manage a grimace. “I’m sorry. You seem like a nice person, but I can’t do that to myself again. I can’t live like that anymore. I can’t be the girl that you want me to be.”
Before I could tell her that she didn’t need to be anything but herself, she shook her head and said, “I can see how much you love me every time you look at me, and it makes me sick to my stomach with anxiety.”
I willed myself not to react. Not that I knew how to react to that statement. But it certainly didn’t feel good.
“My amnesia is permanent,” she continued, determined to get her point across. “I’m never going to remember you. I will just end up hurting you over and over again, like I did Teddy.”
The rejection didn’t hurt like it had the first time. She was only doing it to protect me. She knew I cared about her and she was afraid of hurting me. I could work with that. “I don’t think you’re giving yourself enough credit. You’ve never disappointed me. We were strangers once before and it turned out okay. We’ll be fine again.”
She shook her head, frustration creeping into her expression. “We can’t go back to the way things were. That’s impossible. Please don’t ask me to try. Don’t pressure me to feel the way you do. I know from experience that it will never work. Try to remember that you are a stranger to me. You might love me, but I only just met you today.”
She was right. As impossible as it was to wrap my head around the situation, I was a stranger to her. She’d met me for the first time no more than a few hours ago. I needed to remember that.
It was too easy to think of her as my fiancée because she was still so much the same woman I fell in love with years ago. But at the same time, she wasn’t that woman anymore. Not exactly. Now that she had me thinking about it, there were some subtle differences.
She was right that we would never be able to go back to the relationship we used to have. Not when she couldn’t remember it. But that didn’t mean we couldn’t still have a new one. I’d be perfectly fine with that, if she was up for it. Time to figure out if she was wary of dating in general, or just wary of dating her fiancée. “Okay. Lets say—hypothetically—that some random guy on the street asked you out tomorrow.”
I stumped her. She hadn’t expected the topic change, but it was distracting her from any more tears, so two points for me. “Okay…?” she said, stretching the word out as if she was afraid to ask it.
I tried not to laugh at her skepticism. She was sure she was walking into some kind of trap. I forced innocence into my voice. I wasn’t trying to snare her. Necessarily. “Would you go out with him?”
“What do you mean?”
“Would you go on a date if someone asked you out?” I glanced around the plane and pointed to Eyes. He was the closest to our age and was somewhat of a ladies’ man. “Eyes, for example. Eyes has never met you before. If you’d sat next to him instead of me, and over the course of the flight you got to talking and he asked you to get a cup of coffee together when we reach Colorado, would you go out with him?”
Jamie glanced at my Hawaiian comrade and really considered it. It was promising that she didn’t just shut the idea down.
“Yeah, I think I might,” she finally said. “It would be nice to get to know someone who didn’t know the old me and had no preset expectations. You don’t understand what the pressure is like to have to try and act like myself when I don’t know who that is.”
I’ll admit her answer surprised me. This was one of those differences I mentioned. The old Jamie would have said no. This new Jamie seemed less afraid of living. She seemed more comfortable with her powers, and she had a lightness about her that was different. Maybe because she didn’t have all her bad memories tainting her attitude, she’d be less pessimistic now. Hopefully her guilt over killing her first boyfriend, and feeling like a burden to her parents would be gone now. A Jamie Baker without the wariness and sadness that always plagued her would be amazing.
The idea of a new Jamie was intriguing, and I found myself excited to get to know all of the changes in her. I was just as excited for her to get to know me, too. I wasn’t the same guy I was before she disappeared, either. The last six months had changed me. I’d grown up. I’d always known what I wanted, but now that I knew what it was like to lose it after I had it, there was no way I was going to let it slip through my fingers again.
Game on, Jamie Baker 2.0. I’m ready for round two. You’re still mine. You just don’t know it yet.
Ahh, casting. The absolute hardest part of my job. No joke, I have such a hard time picking actors to go with my characters. They’re like real people in my head, so how do you put someone else’s face on them? But, it never fails that this question comes up with every book I write, so I try to do the best I can. Also, I just don’t watch enough TV. There are probably a lot more actors out there than I’m aware of that would be better for the role. If you have any suggestions, by all means, let’s here them. I love seeing who you guys would pick!
How in the world does one cast Jamie Baker??? She’s got to be the most emotional character on the planet, hitting every feeling on the spectrum at least once in every chapter. So I need someone who not only looks the part, but can pull off her badass/snarky/moody/scary supergirl and still be vulnerable and likeable all at the same time. Plus she has to be super hot. So, that said, I’ve got two choices and both of them aren’t exactly right in my mind, but they’re kind of close. (Also, with all of these picks, we’re totally going to ignore the age thing because I couldn’t choose from actual teenagers. I couldn’t find any.) I’m going with Emma Stone or Victoria Justice. Emma has the right Sass, and Victoria has the right look. I think either of them could do a decent job.
Emma Stone:
Victoria Justice:
Come on, ladies, let’s be honest, there’s really only one, and he’s on the pages. BUT, if I must…again I have two choices. And this is because I think they’re both perfect for the role in different ways.
One of my choices for Ryan is Bradley James. This cutie pie won my heart on the TV show Merlin. I’m really casting Prince Arthur more than I’m casting Bradley James. Seriously, watch the show. He’s got the ego and the charm down. He could totally pull off Ryan Miller.
My other choice (and I say other because it’s not second; they’re tied for first) is Chris Evans. Be still, my beating heart. When did this guy win my heat? I don’t know, the second he was born? Seriously, though it had to be either the movie Push or Fantastic 4 that made me loose my senses and go gaga for him. Chris could TOTALLY do Ryan Miller. (Of course, I think he could do anything…)
See? Perfect! Right? (And you’re welcome!)
He’s the guy you love to hate. He’s Geek Chic. He’s lovable and too smart for his own good, and throws a hell of a temper tantrum. I needed someone who could pull off the look and the innocence and the diabolical psycho act. So… my two options for Teodoro Vivenzio AKA Teddy AKA Tony are Milo Ventimigla or Callan Mcauliffe.
Milo is my first choice. He fits the Italian I’m-cute-enough-that-I-could-fool-you-into-thinking-I’m-not-evil look perfectly.
If I had to have an understudy, though, Sam from I Am Number Four could play the role well. Callan’s a cutie too. And he does a great computer geek genius!
Since the very beginning, I’ve always only had one man in mind for Carter, so I’ve only got one choice for him. I think he’s perfect for this role. He’s exactly what I see in my head and he’s got that dry grumpy sarcastic attitude that Carter always has. I’m going with Nicolas Cage.
This one was hard for me, like Jamie. I think Mr. E. is a hard character to really nail down. He’s that young, fun, cool, charming teacher that all the high school girls crush on. (Like what’s his name in Never Been Kissed). But he’s also an ex-Visticorp scientist who needs to be able to do a little creepy. So, I’ve only got once person I can think of who could fit this role for me. I’m going to go with Captain America’s BFF Bucky. I’ve seen Sebastian Stan do both charming and dark. He could be my charming, intelligent, slightly psycho Mr. E. Plus, he’s just pretty to look at, and I always say, when it comes to the movies, the more eye candy the better!!!
Ah, Mr. Donovan. The Mastermind. The man behind the curtain. The Billionaire philanthropist with too much vision and not enough scruples. I have a couple of guys I really like for this roll. First is Daniel Day-Lewis, and second Hugh Laurie. They both have that sophisticated, come-from-money, air of self importance look. Plus, I could totally see them both having a seriously creepy sociopathic dark side. Haha.
Daniel Day-Lewis:
Hugh Laurie:
Okay, Leslie Mann and Jeffery Dean Morgan fit the idea I have of Jamie’s parents perfectly. Jamie’s bear of a dad who can be stern but is also a big old softie and a sucker for his girls. Jamie is such a Daddy’s girl and I can just picture Jeffery Dean Morgan not being able to say no to her.
Leslie Mann is the perfect Jamie’s mom. She’s such a girly girl and so cute and bubbly. Plus she can do the emotional thing like Jamie. I can definitely see Leslie as an ex small-town girl beauty queen cheerleader.
So Becky are only side characters too, and they aren’t really big players at all in the final book, but they’ve been with us from the beginning so I decided to cast them as well.
For Becky I’m choosing Dove Cameron. Becky is Jamie’s bubbly sweet cheerleader BFF. She’s grown up being besties with Ryan Miller, so you know she’s got to be darn near perfect. She’s beautiful and genuine a lot like Ryan. She’s cute and total sorority material, but she’s also fun and spunky enough that she can also be snarky Jamie’s best friend. Dove, to me, is perfect for the role.
For Mike, I pick Marshall Williams. Mike isn’t as clean cut nice guy as Ryan. He’s a more typical popular high school jock. As the Captain of the high school football team, and a linebacker, I was looking for someone who could be the hot guy but also play the full of himself bully. I needed a guy that I thought could play the meathead type. (I’m not saying you’re a meathead, Marshall, I promise!! I just think you fit the picture in my mind for Mike Driscoll and I think you’ve got the acting skills to pull him off.)
We vaguely meet these guys in Jamie 2, and we get to see them a little bit more in Jamie 3. (Supernames and superpowers are top secret till you read the book!) I’ve had Tyler and Abiodun in my head from the beginning but had to think hard on the other two.
He’s a fun kid with a bright disposition who’s always trying to be older than he is. He wants to be a trouble maker and a kickbutt superhero. He’s got a sense of innocence in him because he’s young but at the same time he needed to be someone who had a serious side to him as well because the time he spend in the Visticorp labs has taken it’s toll on him. For me it’s always been Nick Robinson. He’s such a cutie, and he could totally pull off the different sides of Tyson!
He’s the father figure of the subjects. Very serious, quiet, and reserved. He can be terrifying by outward appearance, and tough as nails, but inside he’s kind hearted and loves fiercely. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje has always from day one been my Abiodun!
Natalia is hard because she’s so young. She’s eight in the book and a pale and sickly little Russian girl. She’s sweet and childlike, but has been stripped of her childhood and knows the big bad monsters of the world exist thanks to James Donovan and his experiments. She longs for a normal, safe life, but is broken in a way. Emily Alyn Lind is suck a cute little actress. I think she fits. I’d love to see her play Natalia. Of course, she’s already too old, but this gives you an idea of what I have in mind for the character.
I like Judi Dench for the role of Betty because she could pull off that grandmother thing and be sweet to Natalia and Tyson. But she can also be stern and fierce. Betty’s one tough old lady, and though she’s been held prisoner as a Visticorp subject. she’s still got some fight in her. Anyone who can handle James Bond is cool enough to be in my superpowered family!
That’s all I’ve got for you today! In the book you’ll meet a group of military soldiers and I’m sure you’ll love them too, but I’m not going to cast them now since you haven’t met them yet, and this post is already as long as the book itself. Maybe someday I’ll cast the ACEs. Then again, wouldn’t it be awesome if Hollywood cast them someday?
As an author I have ZERO control whether my books get made into films. But Until the day Hollywood wises up and comes knocking on my door, for now, you can support the cause by voting for it on the IfList and picking your very own casting choices!
CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT JAMIE BAKER ON IFLIST
Hope you’re all enjoying the Jamie 3 release party!! If you’re catching this post via my blog or one of my other social media channels, there’s still time to join the fun and enter some of the giveaways! The party’s on Facebook so skip on over and check it out. CLICK HERE TO PARTY!
As you know, as I’ve explained many times before, Jamie 3 gave me so many headaches. I have 11 different versions of the first third of the book on my computer. Some are completely different from the others, while some are slight variations. But in all, this is by far the most rewritten book I’ve ever done.
What happened was, I always knew where the story would end, but there were so many different ways I could have my characters reach that ending and I wasn’t sure which way I liked best. In some versions, Jamie teams up with Mr. E. to try and get her memories back. In some versions she teams up with the government. In other versions she’s on her own, and still, in some she finds the other Visticorp subjects and teams up with them.
I’d start out writing the story one way and I’d get about 100 to 150 pages in and then decide I didn’t like it, or it wasn’t working, or that a different way would be better. So I’d scrap the pages I’d written so far and start over. I’ve got more deleted scenes for this book than any book I’ve ever written. In fact, if I were to compile them all into their own book, it would be longer than the book itself. (Now do you see why it took me 4 years to finish this one? lol)
Anyway, I figured it would be fun to sort of show you some of the different deleted scenes, but it was hard to find some that wouldn’t confuse the heck out of you or give away spoilers. I finally decided on a cute scene where Jamie and Ryan meet up. Then I realized I had like eight different versions of this scene. I’m going to post three of them just for fun so that you can see some of the different ways this novel could have gone. You’ll see some similarities through them all and some vast differences. And if you try to figure out all the plot things in each scene you may just give yourself a headache, so don’t try. lol.
As for which version of this scene is closest to the one that actually ended up in the final draft…you’ll just have to read the book to find out!
Enjoy!
My list of superpowers doesn’t end with the ability to manipulate electricity. Along with the superspeed I used to break Blake out of prison, all of my physical senses are amped up—sight, sound, smell, taste, strength, and agility. Basically, I’m somewhere in between Captain America and Superman.
Most of the time its awesome being me, but sometimes my powers can overwhelm me. I’m used to the world coming at me in epic proportions, and I’ve got some control over my powers when I focus, but I can’t ever completely shut them off. Sometimes I get headaches or bouts of nausea when the world around me is too stimulating.
With all of its sights, sounds, and smells, New York City is the most over-stimulating place I’ve ever been, but it’s so worth it. On my list of likes, shopping and clothes are both near the top. I love fashion and appreciate beauty.
Blake was right about me when he said I was a sucker for the clean-cut pretty type. I definitely have a weakness for good-looking, groomed, well-dressed men. Maybe that’s why I’ve never been able to develop any romantic feelings for Tony. He’s cute enough that he could pull off the geek-chic look if he tried, but his idea of “well-dressed” is jeans and Ed Hardy t-shirts.
Blake, I was happy to learn, had a fashion sense worthy of his handsome features. He happily let me drag him into some of the nicest men’s clothing stores in the city and never complained when I piled outfit after outfit into his arms. Maybe he was just enjoying his first day of freedom in over two years, or maybe he liked shopping as much as I did.
We were in our third store and Blake was in a dressing room with enough clothes to keep him busy for half an hour. I was on the hunt for a good blazer to go with these killer jeans we’d found him when the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. I’m not sure if it was some kind of girl-with-a-secret sixth sense, or just Tony’s paranoia rubbing off on me, but I knew I was being watched.
Could Visticorp have found us already? But how?
Pulse pounding, and my electricity on standby, I glanced across the store at the dressing rooms and took a breath. Blake was fine.
I scanned the room while listening for anything out of the ordinary with my superhearing. The only thing I found was a boy, maybe about sixteen or so, watching me as he pretended to peruse a display of pants. I startled him when I caught him looking at me, but he quickly flashed me a guilty smile. The kid was just checking me out.
I laughed at myself. I was going to lose my mind.
The boy picked up the first pair of pants he could get his hands on and held them up against his body. “What do you think?” he called out to me. “Sexy?”
I raised an eyebrow at him and took a moment to look him up and down. He wasn’t a bad looking kid. Average, I’d say. He had brown hair, brown eyes, a light dusting of freckles on his arms. I bet he did just fine with girls his age. The confident smile and the Australian accent worked for him. The pants he was holding however…
“I’ve never been a fan of skinny jeans, personally.”
“Now that is a real shame,” a smooth voice behind me said with a chuckle, “because you would look amazing in a pair of tight jeans and some tall boots.”
I whirled around, startled by the nearness of the voice, and almost bumped into the broad chest of a guy around my own age. All I could do was blink up at him.
Move over Matt Damon. I’d just found my new poster child for gorgeous! The guy was around six feet tall, with golden blond hair and big, beautiful eyes that I instantly found myself lost in. It wasn’t just that they were the color of a clear blue sky; it was the way they drank in the sight of me as if they’d never seen anything more beautiful.
My mystery flirt was looking at me as if I was the goddess Aphrodite and had majestically enslaved his heart for all eternity. The longing in his expression was truly startling.
“Hi,” he breathed. He sounded as if he’d had the air knocked out of his lungs.
I took a step back, unnerved by this guy’s reaction to me. He may have been hot, but he was clearly insane too. “You shouldn’t sneak up on people like that,” I warned him. “I could have killed you.”
The guy snapped out of his trance and surprised me with a cocky smirk. “I’m pretty sure you could never hurt me.”
It was playful banter, not an insult, and it made me smile despite all my efforts to keep the scowl on my face. “Don’t think so?”
“Nope. You’re too attracted to me. You’d rather kiss me than kill me.”
Was this guy for real? His ego was the size of Manhattan, and yet I was drawn to him. Before I realized what I was doing, I leaned in close to him and looked up at him through my lashes. We weren’t touching, but our faces were only inches apart. “And what if I could do both at the same time?” I whispered.
Mr. Ego gulped, and then licked his lips as he stared down at my mouth. “Pretty sure it would be worth it,” he mumbled.
I almost kissed him. The guy was a total stranger and I was seconds away from jumping him right there in the store. What was wrong with me? Never in all my life—or in the year I could remember of it at least—had anyone had such an affect on me.
“Don’t do it!”
I whirled around at the sound of the unfamiliar voice. Blake spun too, confirming that I hadn’t imagined it, but there was no one there.
“Who said that?” I demanded. I didn’t think anyone would answer, but I still felt compelled to ask. “Who’s there?”
“A friend,” the voice said. “Don’t destroy that equipment if it can really help us find others like us.”
Blake and I glanced at each other. The voice had come from somewhere near the back door of the house, but there wasn’t anyone standing there. That’s when I realized that the voice had said others like us.”
There was someone else like me here! Someone who could make himself invisible! He sounded like Hugh Jackman—or rather Hugh Jackman if the Wolverine were going through puberty. He didn’t seem like a threat. I was dying to know who he was, where he came from, and how he found me, but the only way he could know I was here was if he worked with Visticorp.
My body responded to the threat automatically. My energy has always responded to my emotions. When I feel threatened or angry, it kicks into high gear. It rises to the surface of my skin essentially giving me a whole lot in common with a live electrical fence. Anyone who touches me when I’m amped up like that is in for a nasty surprise. The weirdest thing about it though, is that my hair goes crazy and my eyes start to glow. Neon green tornado hair and glowing yellow eyes…it’s really freaky looking.
Going into super mode gave me a burst of energy despite my concussion.
“Show yourself!” I demanded.
I could hear the smirk in the boy’s reply. “Turn off the psycho supergirl stuff and I will.”
Yeah, right. That was so not happening.
I concentrated on the spot where I’d heard the voice. I couldn’t see anyone, but there was definitely someone there. I pushed past the ache in my head and concentrated on my other senses besides sight. I could hear his heartbeat and whoever he was, he was wearing enough cologne to drown a cat.
Trusting my instincts, I moved without warning. I tackled the open air and felt a thick body crash to the ground with me. He still hadn’t shown himself, so I gave him a friendly nice-to-meet-you jolt of electricity.
“Jamie, no! Stop! He’s a friend!” a new voice shouted.
Startled, I looked toward the sound…and nearly swooned, but not from my head injury.
Move over Matt Damon, I’d just found my new poster child for gorgeous! The guy who’d shouted at me was about my own age, around six feet tall, with big broad shoulders. He had golden blond hair and big, beautiful eyes that I instantly found myself lost in. It wasn’t just that they were the color of a clear blue sky; it was the way they drank in the sight of me as if they’d never seen anything more beautiful.
I let go of the invisible boy, who had already materialized beneath me, and sat back to catch my breath. My gaze immediately went back to the drool-worthy stranger. When we made eye contact, the look on his face changed from concern to one that turned my stomach inside out. He was looking at me as if I was the goddess Aphrodite and I had just magically enslaved his heart for all eternity. The longing in his expression was truly startling.
“Hi,” he breathed. He sounded as if he’d had the air knocked out of his lungs.
He took a step toward me and I quickly scrambled back. Hot or not, I was unnerved by this guy’s reaction to me.
For a brief second Mr. Beautiful’s smile faltered, but he recovered quickly and grinned down at the kid I’d fried who was still lying on the ground. I say kid, because that’s what he was. Sort of. He looked that way standing next to Mr. Beautiful anyway. He couldn’t be more than sixteen. He was a little stocky with brown hair, brown eyes, and a light dusting of freckles.
The boy groaned as McDreamy helped him to his feet. The hottie chuckled. “Stings, doesn’t it?” he asked the kid. “I told you she wouldn’t hesitate.”
I gasped when I realized these people knew me. Or, at least Blondie spoke like he was familiar with me. I’d already decided they couldn’t be with Visticorp because they would have just shot me with tranquilizers by now like they had Tony. But how could anyone else know me?
My defenses came back up. “Who are you people?”
They both flinched in surprise. “Amnesia?” the boy guessed while the hot one gasped.
“Of course! Why didn’t I think of that?”
The news seemed to make as much sense to him as it had to Blake. That meant this guy must have known more than just my identity. He knew me on a personal level. I hated that I had no idea who he was. I glared at him and asked again, “Who. Are. You?”
It was Blake who answered. “They’re friends, Jamie.”
I cut Blake a sharp glance. His voice sounded defeated and his face was grim. “You don’t sound too excited to see them,” I pointed out.
He sighed again and gestured his head toward the hot stranger. “Say hello to Ryan Miller.”
“Ryan Miller…”
I had to think a minute before I placed the name. The guy met my eyes again with that disconcerting intensity he’d first looked at me with and I finally got it. The emotion I saw in his eyes now made sense. This hottie was in love with me.
I gasped. “You mean this Ryan Miller?” I asked, holding up the engagement ring on my right hand.
Ryan flashed me a smile so bright it was nearly blinding. “The one and only.”
As I sat there gaping at him like an idiot, he closed the distance between us and grabbed onto my hand as if to help me up. A surprising surge of pleasure rocked through me when our hands touched. I nearly gasped from the warm tingly sensation. It was shocking! I mean, not, like, actual sparks. I hadn’t literally shocked him, I didn’t think, but I was stunned by my reaction to him. Yeah, he was the hottest guy I’d ever seen, and yeah, I knew he had a major thing for me which both terrified and thrilled me, but even still. I was not the kind of girl to go completely gaga over a guy.
I swear!
I know I didn’t make any kind of face as I climbed to my feet, but Ryan smiled at me like he knew exactly how fast he’d made my heart was flutter. I tried to pull my hand out of Ryan’s and step back but Ryan wouldn’t let me go. He brought my hand up between us and gently pulled off the engagement ring I was wearing. “You’ve got this on the wrong finger, Sunshine,” he said and slipped it on the ring finger on my left hand.
I fled to New York City. The reporter who claimed he’d been kidnapped by Visticorp and rescued Chelsea’s Angel worked for CNN in New York City. The men who’d attacked me at Gran’s had called me Angel. If I was Chelsea’s Angel, and I’d really saved this reporter’s life, then hopefully that meant I could trust him. It was a huge risk, and probably a mistake, but I needed help and was out of options.
I felt on the verge of collapse by the time I got to New York. My head had stopped bleeding, but I was seeing double, my mind was sluggish, and I’d thrown up several times since escaping Coyote Falls.
I crashed onto a bench outside CNN’s New York office and dialed the number I found on the Internet for CNN.
“CNN New York. How may I direct your call?”
“I’m looking for one of your reporters. Dave Carter.”
“One moment please.”
There was a click and a ring and then, “Carter.”
He was in the office. There is a God. “Is this the man that was rescued by Chelsea’s Angel during the Visticorp explosion?”
When he answered, his voice was hard, suspicious. “Who is this?”
“Was that you?” I demanded. I didn’t have time to divulge my life story.
“Yes.”
“In that case, you owe me a favor.”
I heard a gasp. “Who is this?” Carter asked again.
“I’m hoping you can tell me.” Big black spots started clouding my vision. I had to lie down. “Outside in the plaza,” I mumbled as my eyes fluttered shut against my will. “Bench next to the hotdog stand. I’ll be the unconscious one.”
…
Hushed voices pulled me from a dreamless sleep. “Ryan, your dinner’s getting cold, man.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“She’ll be okay.”
“It’s been nine hours. We should take her to a hospital.”
“You know we can’t. Whoever did this to her will be looking for her there.”
“No hospitals,” I croaked.
“Jamie?” Someone squeezed my hand and brushed the hair off my forehead. “You awake, Sunshine?” Whoever it was, there was a hitch in his voice as he whispered, “Come on babe, open your eyes for me.”
Maybe I wasn’t awake. Maybe I was dreaming.
I forced my eyelids up and had to blink several times to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating.
Move over Thor, I’d just found my new poster child for gorgeous! The guy was about my own age, with big broad shoulders, golden blond hair, and big, beautiful blue eyes that I instantly found myself lost in. It wasn’t just that they were the color of a clear sky; it was the way they drank in the sight of me as if they’d never seen anything more beautiful.
When we made eye contact, the look on his face changed from concern to one that turned my stomach inside out. The stranger was staring at me as if I was the goddess Aphrodite and I had just magically enslaved his heart for all eternity. The longing in his expression was truly startling.
“Hi,” he breathed. He sounded as if he’d had the air knocked out of his lungs.
I had no idea how to respond to him—his intensity was unnerving—so I didn’t say anything. I sat up very slowly, taking inventory of my body one limb at a time. I felt stiff, my throat was dry, and I had a massive headache, but I felt stronger than I had before. The nausea was gone too, which was a plus.
Another guy sat in a wheelchair near the foot of the bed. He was kind of cute I supposed, though nowhere near as good-looking as the guy sitting next to me. He had a decent enough face but he was a little too meaty for my taste. His neck was thick and his biceps were huge. I guess since he couldn’t use his legs he felt the need to work out his arms twice as much.
“Hey,” he said, staring at me like he couldn’t quite believe I was really there. “How are you feeling?”
I glanced back and forth between the two strangers then finally took in my surroundings and gasped. The room I was in was Zen paradise. It made me feel like I was back at the really expensive day spa Teddy took me to once when he decided we needed to get couples massages. The furniture was streamline, the bed low to the ground and covered in a tasteful sage bedspread. There were potted plants everywhere, and a modern-looking fountain in one corner that looked like a rock stream and actually had a few goldfish swimming in the pool at the bottom. One entire wall was made of all windows that let in a ton of natural light. The rich, warm green and beige tones of the room made it feel earthy, homey. It was more than beautiful. It was breathtaking.
I looked from the perfect room to the gorgeous guy sitting on the bed beside me, staring at me as if I were the sun and the moon, and finally put the pieces together. “I’m dreaming.”
There was no other way to explain it.
Mr. Beautiful laughed. “I promise you you’re not,” he said then leaned in like he planned to kiss me.
I scrambled out of the bed before he could touch me. “Whoa, okay, asleep or not, there’s this thing called personal space, buddy, and you’re totally abusing it. Touch me again and you’ll learn what a TV dinner feels like.”
Shock flashed across the guy’s face, followed by a look of hurt. “Jamie?” he asked.
This wasn’t fun anymore. I felt my panic start to rise again. “Why are you calling me that? Who are you? Where am I, and where the hell is Dave Carter? I called Dave Carter.”
For today as part of the Remember Jamie Baker release party, let’s take listen to the book shall we? So, soundtracks or book playlists… I generally have a soundtrack or playlist for all of my books that I will listen to over and over again as I work on a project. I need quiet when I’m doing the actual writing part, but I still wear my playlists out all other hours of the day. It’s usually a combination of things that will draw a certain song to a book playlist. Whether it’s a sound, or a line of lyrics, or it reminds me of a certain scene or character.
For some reason, though, I’ve never had more than just a couple of songs that made me think Jamie Baker. Originally I only had three songs on my personal Being Jamie Baker soundtrack. Those songs were Brooklyn is Burning by Head Automatica, Girlfriend by NSync, and Miracle by Paramore. So after the book came out I asked my readers to help me out and then chose some songs from those that I think really fit the book best. They didn’t let me down. I can’t find the entire original playlist so I can only tell you the ones I remember-the ones that really stuck with me. And here they are…
BSB What Makes You Different (Makes You Beautiful) – Backstreet Boys
Brooklyn Is Burning – Head Automatica (totally Jamie’s theme song!)
Your Love Is My Drug – Ke$ha
My Life Would Suck Without You – Kelly Clarkson
Cooler Than Me – Michael Posner
Kissin U – Miranda Cosgrove
Girlfriend – *NSync
Miracle – Paramore
For More Than Jamie Baker I just listened to the Jamie 1 soundtrack over again, and never really added any new songs. It still felt perfect. But For Jamie 3 I had a few to add to that list. Still, I liked having fan pics on the first list, so I opened it up to my Reader Squad to submit suggestions to add to the list, and again, they totally nailed it. It was hard to narrow the choices down! (I used 4 of my personal picks. When Did Your Heart Go Missing by Rooney, It Girl by Jason Derulo, Can’t Stop the Feeling by Justin Timberlake, and You Are My Sunshine by Elizabeth Mitchell.)
When Did Your Heart Go Missing – Rooney
It Girl – Jason Derulo (Definitely Ryan’s theme song to Jamie!)
Cardiac Arrest – The Bad Suns
Ain’t No Sunshine (when she’s gone) – Lighthouse Family (Or you could go with the original Bill Withers version but I like this version a little better.)
Everybody Talks – The Neon Trees
Shine a Light – McFly
Ultraviolet – The Stiff Dylans
Stand by You – Rachel Platten
Unstoppable – Rascal Flatts.
Brighter Than the Sun – Colbie Caillat
Happy Ever After – He is We
Steal My Girl – One Direction
Can’t Stop the Feeling – Justin Timberlake
You Are My Sunshine – Elizabeth Mitchell
With only 4 days until the release of Remember Jamie Baker, we have mucho exciting things going on in Jamie Baker Land!! If you haven’t checked out this series yet, now is the time to do it!! Because now you can read the entire trilogy from start to finish for just $6!
The Jamie Baker series is an electrifying superhero origin story about a girl with extraordinary powers and the irresistible guy who helps her learn to control them. Reading Order: Being Jamie Baker, More Than Jamie Baker, Remember Jamie Baker
“Most superhero stories start with a meteor shower or a nasty insect bite, but mine actually starts with a kiss.”
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“Hello, my name is Jamie Bake-and I am not a superhero. I repeat: I am not a superhero.”
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“I woke up in the Nevada desert with absolutely no memory-no idea of what happened or who I was. Age, birthday, likes, dislikes…nothing. It was all gone.”
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Jamie Baker returns one last time for the electrifying conclusion to the Jamie Baker trilogy!
Plagued by memory loss, Jamie Baker searches high and low for the answers to who she is, where she comes from, and why she’s able to do things other humans can’t. A not-so-simple task when she’s hiding from the people responsible for her amnesia—an evil scientific research company that wants to capture her at any cost.
When Jamie’s quest for the truth reveals a devastating betrayal from the one person she thought she could trust, she’s forced to team up with a secret military organization in order to ensure her safety and stop Visticorp’s horrific human experimenting once and for all.
What readers are saying about Remember Jamie Baker
Jamie #3 was everything I had been hoping and waiting for. It brought all the feels. Jamie has the right amount of spunk, bravery and intelligence to make her an extremely likeable and relate-able heroine. I kinda want to be her BFF. And Ryan Miller … swoon. He is everything. He made Jamie love him again and again, and he did it with me also. Every single book I have fallen in love with Ryan, and every time I reread I will love him even more. Great job, Kelly! It was a journey worth waiting for. ~ Jaymin Eve, Author of The Walker Saga & Supernatural Prison series.
“Full of great one-liners and intense longing, Remember Jamie Baker is a satisfying conclusion to a fantastic trilogy. Readers will appreciate the new friends Jamie makes, the measures she takes to restore her memory, and the return of Ryan Miller. OH YES. That charming combination of ego and sunshine does show up. I promise. And it’s epic.” ~ The Dragon’s Nook book reviews
“Kelly Oram’s back with a new Jamie Baker adventure that’s as action-packed as it is hilarious, with all new characters to love and some old favorites that you’ll find yourself falling for, all over again! Remember Jamie Baker is an unforgettable end to a truly amazing series!” ~ Jena Leigh author of the Variant series
“This is the best book of the trilogy. Remember Jamie gives us the steamiest Ryan & Jamie yet with beach fantasies (oh, Kelly went there!) and more curl-your-toes “awwww” scenes where once again pretty boy Ryan Miller steals your heart (and Jamie’s) as he tries to help her remember exactly who she was. Oh? And did I mention your favorite sidekicks (and who doesn’t love our favorite reporter and BFF?) are back? Or how about all of the kickass superhero action we’ve been dying for with Visticorp? Yea, it finally happens and it does not disappoint (be ready for some twists!)…. But the real reason you’ll keep reading? Because Jamie needs to remember! This whole series has honestly been a whirlwind and finally getting the epic conclusion we hoped for is the best gift Kelly could possibly give her readers. Fans of Meg Cabot’s quick wit and normal girl-hero complex (a la 1-800-Where-R-U), the tv show Smallville, or superhero tropes in general will dive right into this one. And who can forget fans of Ryan Miller? You will definitely need your fix.” ~ Rachel E. Carter, author of the Black Mage series
“Why do you call me Sunshine?”
Ryan, seeing that I’d become overwhelmed, sat back just enough to let the tension break. I reached for the tiny charm resting just beneath the neckline of my shirt. Ryan’s eyes fell to the necklace, making him smile. “Because that’s what you are to me. You are my sunshine. My only sunshine…”
He paused, his eyebrows raised as if waiting for me to say something. It sounded like he was quoting something, but if he was I didn’t recognize it.
“You make me happy when skies are gray…?”
Still nothing. Since I didn’t understand the reference, I struggled for the right words to respond.
“It’s a children’s lullaby.”
“That’s kind of…”
Ryan grinned. “Endearing? Romantic? Amazing?”
“Corny,” I decided. “Has anyone ever told you you’re a bit cheesy?”
Ryan burst into laughter. “You. Many, many times. But you secretly love that about me.”
I get asked the casting question with every book I write and it’s always the hardest one for me to answer. By the time I’ve written a book, I know the characters so well that they are their own people in my mind. It’s hard for me to put an actor to them. But alas, I shall try to get as close to my idea of them as I can, because hey, who doesn’t like to gossip about celebrities? CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT CINDER & ELLA ON IFLIST
Starting with our stars…
Ella was hard because she’s half Latina, which cuts my options down significantly. Add to that her bright blue eyes and well… impossible. I couldn’t find anyone with the blue eyes, but I did find someone who I think looks like she could play Ella. Ella needs to be someone who can pull off shy and with a guy she likes but also stubborn, outspoken witty and feisty at the same time. She needs to be someone who could play beautiful but doesn’t know it. The only girl that kept coming to mind for me was Ariana Grande.
This almost seems cliché but really, can we go wrong with Zac? He’s sort of the poster child for gorgeous Hollywood playboy. He’s charming charismatic, and can do both pretty and bad boy. Nice and jerky. Sensitive and arrogant. He’s very “Hollywood Actor,” you know?
And now for the stepfamily…
Ella’s dad is actually her real dad in the book, but she hasn’t seen him since she was eight when he left her and her mom for another woman and never looked back. Richard Coleman is a U.S. Attourney. He’s powerful and intimidating, but in a knight-in-shining-armor kind of way. He’s made mistakes, but deep down he’s a good guy and tries hard to be a good father. I can definitely see Patrick fitting into this role of trying to do his best in a difficult situation, sometimes making the wrong choices, and being overwhelmed. (Yet you can’t help but want him to win.)
Jennifer Coleman is “the other woman.” She plays the role of the “evil stepmom,” though I’ve taken my own “Hollywood” spin on her. She’s a professional model and is a little clueless and tactless but not inherently evil. But she’s absolutely gorgeous and the perfect trophy wife for Richard. Charlize is the perfect look in my mind and with her acting capabilities, I know she could accomplish the personality I was trying to create with Jennifer.
The Ugly/Evil Stepsisters. Obviously not ugly. Evil… Well… Anastasia and Juliette (Yes, Anastasia is a nod to the Disney film but I couldn’t bring myself to use Drisella, so Juliette it was…) are your quintessential popular girls. They’re gorgeous, popular, spoiled and self-centered. They are two girls who are used to their perfect looks, and their perfect lives, in their perfect home, with their perfect family. Until Ella shows up and shatters that perfect world. The two have a lot in common, and you could probably use Annaspohia or Brittany for either sister, but I chose Annaspohia for Anastasia because, of the two sisters, Anastasia is definitely the more viscous of them. I would love to see Annasophia play up the Evil Stepsister.
And last but not least the supporting BFFs
Vivian was easy for me. As our resident fairy Godmother, she’s quirky, fun, and very confident in herself. She has her own unique sense of style and flaire. Bella Thorne is perfect!
Rob was harder like Ella. His character is a lot more subtle. I love him, and have big plans for him, so I couldn’t just pick any old face. In this story I suppose Rob would play the role of the mice in the Disney film—Jaque and Gus. Or in the Hillary Duff movie A Cinderella Story—which is totally my favorite, by the way—he’d be Carter, the lovable, sidekick the BFF. He’s there to support Ella and be her friend when no one else is. This star athlete is hot and confident, but he’s also very quiet and modest. He doesn’t mind letting others take the spotlight. He has an element of mysterious and sexy to him. Does Jesse not look like he could fill that role? Mmm. I’m a fan!
Anyway, those are my picks. I’d love to hear yours. And, Hollywood, if you’re listening, take notes! This movie could be EPIC!
How about we add just one more picture of Jesse because… well just because. 😀
As an author I have ZERO control whether my books get made into films. But Until the day Hollywood wises up and comes knocking on my door, for now, you can support the cause by voting for it on the IfList and picking your very own casting choices!
CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT CINDER & ELLA ON IFLIST
In Cinder & Ella, Brian and Ella share a passion for all things reading and fantasy. Ella has a book and movie review blog, and “met” Brian the day he wrote her an email about a post she’d written on his favorite book series. While they agreed that The Cinder Chronicles was the best set of books ever to be penned, and that the author was a genius, that was pretty much where their mutual understanding stopped. Brian’s bold letter about Ella’s post, and Ella’s heated reply, sparked a strong Internet friendship that carried them both through some difficult times.
Excerpt from the book:
“I met Ella through her blog over three years ago, after I came across a post she’d written about my favorite book series.” He flashed the audience a devastating smile. “You guys might have heard of it—The Cinder Chronicles by L.P. Morgan.”
Cheers erupted, and after the noise died down Brian continued on. “She had this insane theory that Prince Cinder should have chosen Ellamara instead of Princess Ratana, which of course I absolutely had to argue with. I wrote a very nice and polite Letter To The Editor explaining how completely misguided her theory was.”
Brian chuckled, but I scoffed. “Nice and polite? He called me a pig-headed, naïve feminist romanticist!”
Everyone in the room laughed, and even I had to smile because a secretive smirk crept over Brian’s face. No doubt he was thinking about the exact same thing I was.
“When she wrote me back, it was love at first fight.”
****************
I thought it would be fun to share with you guys, the actual letter that Brian wrote to Ella, which you won’t find in the book. Enjoy!
Brian’s Letter To The Editor
From: [email protected]
Subject: Words of wisdom…?
More like the absurd ramblings of a pig-headed, naïve, feminist romanticist. As much as I respect your love for the greatest book series of all time, I simply cannot let your backwards ideas stand without argument. Ella, the real hero of The Cinder Chronicles? In what reality? Was Obi-Wan the hero of Star Wars? Or Mr. Miyagi the hero of Karate Kid? I don’t think so. If Ellamara were the hero of the story, they’d have to change the title of The Druid Prince to The Boring Book About That Weird Chick No One Cares About.
And you think Cinder should have chosen her over Princess Ratana? ARE YOU CRAZY? Ellamara was a too-good-for-everyone, cryptic-just-to-be-difficult man-hater. All she ever did was give a bunch of vague, unhelpful advice and constantly harp on Cinder and try to change him. So typical of a woman. And she was way too stubborn—always thought she knew best, and always had to be right about everything. (Kind of reminds me of someone…)
Ratana was so much better for Cinder. I mean, come on. She was as fierce a warrior as he was. She was always up for an adventure, supported Cinder when he had risky ideas, and believed in him when no one else did. Plus, she was a princess. She understood the kinds of responsibilities Cinder had as the leader of his people. She was raised to be a queen. She could help Cinder run the kingdom after he took the throne. If Cinder had chosen Ella, it would have ruined the book.
I hate to say it but, as entertaining as your blog post was, it sounded a bit defensive. Are you sure you didn’t just hate the fact that Cinder chose the beautiful, fun, popular, rich chick instead of the quiet, shy outcast? Hit a little too close to home maybe? You know, they say our favorite characters are often the ones we can most relate to. Hence the reason Cinder is my favorite character ever written. He’s awesome. He’s impulsive and passionate. I’m awesome. I’m impulsive and passionate. He’s under a lot of pressure. I’m under a lot of pressure. He’s good looking. I’m good looking… You see what I’m saying?
You’re probably just like Ellamara, aren’t you? Only you’re much more capable of stringing together coherent thoughts. I bet you’re shy and awkward in real life, but you come alive online. You should stop hiding behind your blog. I’ve read a few of your posts. You’re funny, and though your opinions are severely misguided, you show a great amount of intelligence in your writing. Your wit and sarcasm are totally awesome. You’re pretty, too. I mean, the braces are a little unfortunate (been there, done that, hated it), but you still have a beautiful smile and your eyes are stunning. I bet if you borrowed a little of Cinder’s confidence you’d have the guys flocking to you like crazy.
From one die-hard fan to another, I sincerely hope this letter will help you realize how wrong you are, and that the book is absolutely perfect the way it is. But considering how obstinate you seem, it’s more likely we’ll have to agree to disagree. Still, your blog is pretty cool. Keep up the good work.
Sincerely,
Your newest follower,
Cinder458
Today I’d like to share Kyle’s songs with you and tell you a little about the inspiration behind his band Tralse.
First of all, if you haven’t yet heard where the idea for the book V is for Virgin came from, and how Tralse actually came to be, you can get the whole story (and trust me, it’s a good one) in my post about The History of V is For Virgin. There’s even an interview with the REAL Kyle Hamilton. (Yes, there’s a real Kyle Hamilton–go read the post…)
But today I want to talk a little about the music. When I first started writing V is for Virgin, I knew I was going to have to have a song in it. The plot relies heavily on the song that Kyle writes for Val, that makes her famous and him even more famous, and I always knew I would have to have actual lyrics for it. The problem was, I am sooooooo not a songwriter. I completely freaked out at the idea of having to write a song for this book. So what did I do? I went to my amazingly talented, songwriting little sister and made her write it for me, of course.
My baby sister Cara used to be the singer in a local band here in Phoenix called Science of Sydney, and her husband was the lead guitarist. (Yup, the Cara in the book is totally named after my little sis, and Shane is named after her rocker husband.) Just for fun, here’s a picture of the real Cara and Shane, who totally inspired the fictional Cara and Shane. (Though the real Cara is such a sweetheart and totally not self-centered at all like the fictional Cara in the book. LOVE YOU SIS!)
Cara and Shane started their band, wrote all their own music, and even had a producer pick them up and help them record a demo at one point. But, as life will do to people sometimes, they were forced to move away to Seattle and the band had to break up. You can still listen to a few of their songs HERE.
So, Cara wrote the song that started it all, Kyle’s song for Val, Cryin’ Shame. When I spoke to her about writing the song for me, I had to tell her a lot about Kyle, and the kind of guy he is, and the type of sound I was going for. I even made her read the book (what I’d had written so far) so that she’d know what I was trying to accomplish.I fell in love with it instantly, and thought she did a perfect job getting the angry, obnoxious, yet sexy and sweet tone of Kyle Hamilton down. Really, she nailed it! (I understand I could be biased I this, but still…)
Cryin’ Shame
She’s smokin’ hearts with a burnin’ flame
She’s got a wild side without a name
And when she’s riled it’s a cryin’ shame
Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! I’ve got it bad
Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! I’m goin’ mad
Cause in your head you’ve got it right
Won’t go to bed without a fight
You think you’re wise, you think it shows
So show me wise without those clothes
She’s playin’ hardball and it’s nothin’ new
Short skirts so enjoy the view
She’s a coldblooded tease baby through and through
Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! I’ve got it bad
Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! I’m goin’ ma
Cause in your head you’ve got it right
Won’t go to bed without a fight
You think you’re wise, you think it shows
So show me wise without those clothes
Come on Legs don’t go to waste
I could be your only savin’ grace
Put those morals on the back burner
Something tells me you’re a fast fast learner
Cause in your head you’ve got it right
Won’t go to bed without a fight
You think you’re wise, you think it shows
So show me wise without those clothes
Fun, right? I can totally picture him up on stage singing this song. I love it! Well, when Cara gave me these lyrics, she also introduced me to an indie rock band that she said inspired her. It is a testament to how well my baby sister knows me, because as soon as I heard them I knew they were exactly the type of band I’d always imagined Kyle’s band Tralse sounding like. It was as if she read my mind and conjured up Tralse in real life for me.
So, the sound behind Tralse, the inspiration for Kyle, and what I always imagine him/them to sound like is based on the indie rock band Head Automatica. Check them out on their official Facebook page. More than just having the right sound, they also had a song that was just so perfectly Kyle and Val in my mind, that it became their theme song. So… everyone… please enjoy Beating Heart Baby, and imagine Kyle singing it to Val…
Again, I love it. Head Automatica, I’m a fan. And to me that song is just so Kyle and Val. Dream cone true? I would LOVE one day to have these guys put a Melody to Kyle’s songs and perform them for me. Wouldn’t that be the most amazing awesome thing ever? I’ll keep dreaming, but hey, as Kyle always says, Dream Big!
Now, moving on to A is for Abstinence… When I eventually wrote a sequel to the book and knew that Kyle and Val would get their second chance, there was never any doubt that there would be another song. However, my little sis was super busy with life and whatnot, and I didn’t want to bug her to write me another song, so I pulled up my big girl panties and wrote one myself. That’s right, Worth Waiting For was all me. (Hopefully that’s not a bad thing.)
I figured I knew Kyle well enough, and knew exactly what he sounded like, and what kind of song I wanted, so I tried really hard to come up with something that sort of matched the first song, and yet shifted tone just a tiny bit. I wanted the second song to still have a hint of the old sassy obnoxious Kyle, and I still wanted it to be sexy, but I also wanted it to be much sweeter and more romantic at the same time, since Kyle had done a lot of growing up, and had learned a little. So, who knows if I accomplished it, but by the end I was pretty happy with the results, (if not still a little self-conscious, ’cause, again, NOT a songwriter…)
Anyway, here’s the lyrics for Worth Waiting For. Hope you enjoy them, and I hope this post helped you get a better feel for Kyle and Tralse.
Worth Waiting For
Thoughts of you runnin’ through my head.
Heart’s pumpin’ full speed ahead
Body’s screaming to get you in bed.
Need you, want you, Baby gotta be mine.
Come to me girl, I’m done wastin’ time.
You ask me to wait, don’t know if I can
Too scared to lose, I’m only a man
But I can’t let you go, can’t shut the door
Heart’s telling me you’re worth waiting for
The feel of your lips, hot breath on my skin
Touching you, touching me, I’d relish the sin
Lets find a way for us both to win.
Need you, want you, Baby gotta be mine.
Come to me girl, I’m done wastin’ time.
You ask me to wait, don’t know if I can
Too scared to lose, I’m only a man
But I can’t let you go, can’t shut the door
Heart’s telling me you’re worth waiting for
Forever I’ll wait, it’s drivin’ me mad
Driven by memories I’ve not yet had
Hanging on a promise of you and me
Hope springs eternal for things that could be
You ask me to wait, don’t know if I can
Too scared to lose, I’m only a man
Bring on the torture, forever and more
’Cause girl it’s true, you’re worth waiting for