A LOVER’S LAMENT by K.L.Grayson and B.T. Urruela-Review, Book Tour and Giveaway
A Lover’s Lament
by K.L. Grayson & B.T. Urruela
Genre: adult, contemporary, romance
Release Date October 6, 2015
Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk
ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 6, 2014
In a matter of seconds my entire world changed, and it was in that moment that I stopped living and simply began to exist.
In my grief, I sent a letter to the first boy I ever loved. I hoped in writing it I’d find some peace from the nightmare I was living, some solace in my anger.
I didn’t expect him to write back. I wasn’t prepared for his words, and I certainly wasn’t ready for the impact this soldier would have on my life. A deep-rooted hate transformed into friendship, and then molded into a love like I’d never known before.
Sergeant Devin Ulysses Clay did what I couldn’t: he put the shattered pieces of my heart back together, restoring my faith in humanity and teaching me how to live again.
But now that I’m whole, I have a decision to make. Do I return to my life as I knew it and the fiancé I left behind, or do I walk away from it all for the only man to ever break my heart?
***
I’ve been living in hell, but you won’t hear me complain.
These men depend on me, as I do them, and this brotherhood is the only family I’ve ever known.
The Army saved me from a callous mother and a life on the wrong side of the tracks that was quickly spiraling out of control. So unlike most of the men in my platoon, going home wasn’t something I longed for.
I was content overseas, spending my days defending this country that gave me my life back. Fighting became my new normal … until her.
A letter from Katie Devora—a letter that I almost didn’t open. Her words put a fire back inside of me that I didn’t know I’d lost. She gave me hope during a time when I was fighting every day just to stay alive, and now it’s time I fight for her.
••••••••••••••
REVIEW: A LOVER’S LAMENT is a contemporary, adult, romance storyline co-authored by K.L. Grayson, and first time author/ and veteran amputee B.T. Urruela. This is nurse Katie Devora, and US Army Sargeant Devin Clay’s storyline.
Told from dual first person points of view (Katie and Devin) A LOVER’S LAMENT is a second chance storyline that covers ten years and a lifetime of friendship between Katie and Devin using flash backs, memories, letter, emails and phone calls. Katie and Devin have been best friends since childhood but at eighteen years of age Devin and Katie’s lives were thrown into turmoil when Devin moved out of town without saying goodbye. Fast forward ten years and our hero, a Sargeant in the USA army, currently stationed in Afghanistan discovers that his new ‘pen pal’ is the woman he left behind but has never forgotten.
A LOVER’S LAMENT follows the rekindling of the relationship between Devin and Katie revealing the heartbreak, the pain, the betrayal and the never ending love between two people whose lives were destroyed when Devin’s mother moved away taking our hero along for the ride. Devin’s earlier years were mired in abuse and neglect, and without any means of communication or support Devin was unable to stay in contact with the woman that he loved. Life moved forward pulling Devin and Katie in opposite directions until the fateful day Devin opened a letter from Katie wherein she revealed her anger, her heartbreak and the hatred she’s held for many years.
The storyline is co-authored by Grayson and Urruela, and in this, the dual first person points of view, are expressed in uniquely different tones and emotions. Katie’s character and view point meanders through the daily grind back home; seemingly lost in life’s boredom and the what ifs and whys. Katie’s stressors find our heroine reliving the accident that killed her father, and the anger, of which she is unable to let go. Sargeant Devin Clay is caught up in the horrors of war and the potential for death to come knocking at any moment. With Devin’s POV comes the graphic and foul language, and military jargon appropriate to war and the stresses of life. First time author BT Urruela’s experiences and sacrifice in the Middle East are stark reminders of the building blocks for our hero’s point of view.
The world building is told through flashbacks, memories, letter and emails wherein we relive the earlier years between Katie and Devin: their growing love; the support they give to one another; and their undying declaration of together, forever. But we also see the ugly side of war; the death, the destruction and the toll on the lives of the men and women who have served, and the people they have left behind.
The $ex scenes are intimate and seductive; there is no graphic imagery or over the top erotic component. The visual imagery of war is tempered; there are no analytical or descriptive details of death and mutilating injuries. A LOVER’S LAMENT is an emotional tale; a story of romance, regret, and second chances that doesn’t get lost in the explicit or visible horrors of war but the loss of life and devastating injuries are present-none the less. Each chapter is highlighted with a song title that serves to set the tone.
A LOVER’S LAMENT is an encouraging and inspiring storyline. The characters are passionate; the romance is tender if not a little too sweet; the happily ever after a promise for the future.
Click HERE for our interview with BT Urruela at The Reading Cafe.
Copy supplied by the tour promoter.
Reviewed by Sandy
NOTE: Excerpt contains strong language and is recommended for readers 18 years and over
No, jackin’ the beanstalk in public isn’t for me. Unfortunately, that leaves only one other place to do it—the Drop Zone. Porta-shitters, as we like to call them, sit for weeks without being emptied and capture every bit of the sun’s heat. It’s like a fucking greenhouse in there, and one breath in that motherfucker while beating off and your dick is in full retreat.
So there’s a trick to doing this just right; you have to prep him first. You get him up and going, and then you quickly finish in the shitter. For most of these guys, the bikini-clad chicks above their cots or the porno mags stashed in their bags are a necessity for a proper jerk-off, but I’m an imaginative guy. I close my eyes and my mind becomes like a time machine of fuck. Marilyn Monroe in Some Like it Hot … bam! … cum everywhere. Farrah Fawcett in her iconic red swimsuit bent over the counter … set the time machine and go.
This time my mind goes for none other than Jackie O. She’s spread-eagle, with my tongue lightly flicking her throbbing clit while she’s begging for my dick. And, of course, I’m making her call me Mr. President. I laugh at the last thought but notice it’s at least gotten the job started. Since my dick is half-mast and ticking its way to full form, I slink my way to the tent’s entrance.
Stepping out, I’m met by the sun creeping softly over the tops of the barriers, and I hurry toward the porta-shitters, positioned just past the Humvees in front of the eastern wall. This two-hundred-yard walk is the most important part of the process. You have to walk with speed but not urgency, in hopes that you don’t attract attention from the few others also awake—all while the imagined porn still reels in your head.
I manage to make it into the shitter undetected and quickly go to work on my shaft while my left hand pinches my nose like a vise and my eyes squeeze tightly shut. Only this time it isn’t someone famous that I picture. It’s Katie.
Even as early as it is, the Drop Zone is like a sauna, and beads of sweat collect on my forehead. I try desperately to hold in my breath as the seconds tick down. Just as my lungs begin to demand air and my body stiffens, I toss my head back with a stifled groan. My body recovers from its high much quicker in this setting, but at least the job is done. Two weeks of combat stress gone, just like that.
K.L. Grayson
resides in a small town outside of St. Louis, MO. She is entertained daily by her extraordinary husband, who will forever inspire every good quality she writes in a man. Her entire life rests in the palms of six dirty little hands, and when the day is over and those pint-sized cherubs have been washed and tucked into bed, you can find her typing away furiously on her computer. She has a love for alpha-males, brownies, reading, tattoos, sunglasses, and happy endings…and not particularly in that order.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/KL-Grayson/1403900879892076?ref=hl
Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorklgrayson
IG:@booksbyklgrayson
@booksbyklgrayson
Taylor Urruela was an infantryman in the US Army from August 2004 until February 2011. At the end of a year long tour in Baghdad, IQ, his vehicle was hit by two roadside bombs, which took his right leg below the knee and the life of his commander. He was awarded the Purple Heart for his wounds, an Army Commendation Medal and Combat Infantryman’s Badge. He medically retired from the Army in 2011 and moved to Tampa, FL where he currently works as a Director and Brand Ambassador of VETSports, a veteran community sports nonprofit he co-founded in 2012. He also conducts speaking engagements and he’s a personal trainer for Tampa Sports Academy.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BTUrruela?fref=ts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BTUArmy
IG: @BTUrruela
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Great review, Sandy. Looks like a very good story, and emotional, too.
Sounds like a good book
This sounds like a strong and emotional storyline. Thanks.
Wonderful review Sandy. Congratulations to KL and BT on the new release.
Wonderful review Sandy. I remember reading the interview with BT. Congratulation to KL and BT on the new release. I read where the authors will be continuing the series!
Very nice review. This sounds like a very interesting storyline.
Thanks for another wonderful review. Congrats to KL and BT on the new release.
Terrific review, Sandy. This really looks good.