Entertaining
Angels & Before We Say I Do by Emerald Barnes
Entertaining
Angels SYNOPSIS
Madison Andrews can’t face her reflection in the
mirror. All she sees is a big, fat nobody. Yet, deep inside she longs for
something more, something that’s not skin deep.
Along comes Zach, the new guy in school. He’s
smoking hot and totally out of her league. She somehow catches his eye, and he
makes her feel beautiful for once. But just as she gets close to Zach, her
nerdy best friend, Chase, won’t let Madison doubt her true beauty, no matter
how many meals she skips.
Even as Madison begins to realize that she is
more than what she thinks, darker forces are at work, darker than the lies and
mocking from her peers, stopping her from amounting to her full potential. Can
Madison find true happiness in her own skin?
Before
We Say I Do (sequel novella) SYNOPSIS
Following the best-selling first book of the
series, Entertaining Angels, comes Before We Say I Do, An Entertaining Angels
Short Story.
Chase Sanders and Madison Andrews are about to
declare their love for one another in the most sacred of ways. Everything has
been going perfectly, especially when an old friend returns to town to stand by
Chase’s side on their big day. But is Zach there to see their union, or is he
concealing the truth of why he’s actually back in town?
Chase has lived perfectly fine without his
father around, but now that his father is divorcing again, he is seeking
forgiveness. Chase can’t look at his father, let alone forgive him.
Before Chase and Mads can say “I Do,” Chase must
first learn to let go of the past before the dark forces that haunt his
nightmares come to life.
*This is a short story and isn't a prequel to
Entertaining Angels. In order to understand it, you'll need to read Entertaining
Angels first.*
PURCHASE
Read an Excerpt of Chapter One from Entertaining
Angels:
I’m
the girl that my friends would
throw into a pack of zombies if it meant they could stay alive longer. Well,
they really wouldn’t have to throw me to the zombies; I’d probably lag so far
behind I’d become zombie food. See, I’m not too thin, and I’m not too pretty. I’m
just me, Madison Andrews, a fat sixteen-year-old girl from Nowheresville,
Mississippi.
I sifted through my clothes,
looking for something to wear for the first day of my junior year of high
school. Standing in front of the mirror, looking at myself, I pinched the fat
on my belly, disgusted that I had let myself gain so much weight over the
summer.
I hated that mirror. I hated that
it showed me for what I really was. A fat nobody. I could see the lumps, rolls,
and fat. It did nothing but damage my soul. My blue eyes stared back at me, but
they were empty, void of happiness. I should feel beautiful, but I didn’t. The
mirror won’t let me be beautiful.
I had really wanted to lose weight,
but Chase Sanders, my best friend, and I decided to veg out on the couch and
watch countless hours of science fiction shows instead of going to the gym.
Yeah, that’s my best friend for you. A big ole nerd.
I, on the other hand, wanted to fit
in this year. I was tired of being a nobody, but since I was still fat and
ugly, fitting in wasn’t gonna happen. I’d have to settle for my old life. I
continued looking through my clothes, sure that I had something my mom insisted
on buying me that would cover this hideous belly. I was wrong.
Frustrated, I pulled on a baggy
t-shirt with my school’s name on it and a pair of dark denim jeans. I slipped
on my flip flops, pulled my frizzy brunette curls into a ponytail, and put on
makeup. I studied my reflection in the mirror, curling my nose at the sight.
It’d have to do.
“Mads!” my mom yelled, “Hurry
up! Breakfast is getting cold.”
Just
what I need, more food, I thought as I opened my door and walked down the
hallway. My mom stood at the counter, pouring her travel mug full of coffee,
while my thirteen-year-old brother, Connor, sat at the table, shoving food into
his mouth. He sneered at me when I took a seat beside him. I stuck my tongue
out at him when Mom looked away.
Mom had made her traditional first
day of school breakfast—frozen waffles, overheated in the toaster.
“Looks good, Mom,” I said, sarcasm
dripping off my tongue.
She shot me “the look.” Connor and I had learned to fear that look as
kids; that “Just wait. You’ll get it when
we get home,” look. Now things were different.
“Mads, if you don’t like it, don’t
eat,” she said, pinching the bridge of her nose.
“It’s fine.”
She exhaled slowly, and I felt
horrible that I’d bashed her breakfast. I knew she meant well, but my idea of a
good breakfast wasn’t this. That was my problem. I longed for more than just
waffles. Throw some bacon in there, and all was good. I poked my waffles with a
fork. They crunched. I smothered them in butter and syrup, hoping that it would
help the taste.
Connor said, “Whoa. Don’t wanna get
even fatter, Mads. Better watch it.”
“Shut it, Connor,” I said,
resisting the urge to slap him.
“Connor David Andrews! You watch your mouth. Don’t make me tell your
father.”
That was Mom’s usual tactic. She’d
threaten us with Dad, and if that didn’t work, she’d take our cell phones away.
That usually got our attention. Yeah. I couldn’t imagine spending the day
without my phone. Connor totally wasn’t worth it.
Taking the phone away from Connor
wouldn’t stop him. Honestly, Connor teased me all the time. I’d come to expect
it. Still didn’t make it any easier to bear, though.
I pushed my waffles aside and drank
the orange juice. I probably should’ve had water instead, but I needed some
kind of sugar to keep me going throughout the day, especially since Mom forbade
me to drink coffee at such a young age. Like she didn’t when she was sixteen.
Connor finished his breakfast, his
brown hair covered his face while he ate. When he finished, he gave his plate
to Mom and ran off. I stared at my waffles, wondering if I should eat something
or not.
Mom took a seat beside me and
straightened out her blazer. “Mads,” she said gently, and I knew what was
coming. The talk. I rolled my eyes
and leaned back in my seat.
“Don’t let Connor get to you. You
aren’t fat, baby. You’re beautiful.”
“Thanks.”
I tried to keep the derision out of
my voice. Mom was tall, leggy, and skinny. How
did I get the fat genes in the family? I know moms are supposed to think
their kids are beautiful no matter what, but did she really think I was? Or was she just saying that because it was what
I wanted to hear?
The Author
Emerald’s Website / Twitter / Facebook / Google+
Emerald Barnes graduated with a B.A. in English with an emphasis on Creative Writing at Mississippi University for Women. She resides in a small town in Mississippi and has the accent to prove it.
She's constantly working on new novels and has more ideas than she knows what to do with. She blogs at emeraldbarnes.blogspot.com and ebarnes23.wordpress.com which takes up more of her time than she anticipates but loves it so very much!
She's an auntie to three beautiful nieces and two handsome nephews who take up the other half of her time, but she couldn't imagine spending her time in any other way!
She's a Whovian, a little bit of a nerd, a reader, a writer, and a family-oriented person. God is number one in her life, and she thanks Him continuously for His love and favor.
She loves to stay in touch with her readers and to hear their stories about her work! Feel free to connect with her.
Emerald Barnes graduated with a B.A. in English with an emphasis on Creative Writing at Mississippi University for Women. She resides in a small town in Mississippi and has the accent to prove it.
She's constantly working on new novels and has more ideas than she knows what to do with. She blogs at emeraldbarnes.blogspot.com and ebarnes23.wordpress.com which takes up more of her time than she anticipates but loves it so very much!
She's an auntie to three beautiful nieces and two handsome nephews who take up the other half of her time, but she couldn't imagine spending her time in any other way!
She's a Whovian, a little bit of a nerd, a reader, a writer, and a family-oriented person. God is number one in her life, and she thanks Him continuously for His love and favor.
She loves to stay in touch with her readers and to hear their stories about her work! Feel free to connect with her.
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