Feels. Emotional. Heart-stopping good!
Looking for a feel good read? Look no further.
Win Some, Lose Some is Shay Savage's newest release and it may be just what you are looking for!
Read an excerpt of Win Some, Lose Some and enter to win a Signed Paperback and $10 gift card from Shay! What are you waiting for? Download your copy today!
Looking for a feel good read? Look no further.
Win Some, Lose Some is Shay Savage's newest release and it may be just what you are looking for!
Read an excerpt of Win Some, Lose Some and enter to win a Signed Paperback and $10 gift card from Shay! What are you waiting for? Download your copy today!
For Matthew Rohan, every day is a struggle. Each task others complete without thinking is a challenge for him. Recently orphaned, he has to finish the last few months of high school and take care of his disabled sister on his own.
When Mayra comes into his life, his comfortable routines implode. Matthew can’t handle change, but Mayra is unrelenting in her quest to understand him, to show him acceptance and maybe even love. When she breaks through his shell, Matthew’s world will never be the same again.
An awkward boy with Asperger’s Syndrome, a persistent girl who pulls him out of his isolated existence, and a lottery ticket that will change their lives forever.
When Mayra comes into his life, his comfortable routines implode. Matthew can’t handle change, but Mayra is unrelenting in her quest to understand him, to show him acceptance and maybe even love. When she breaks through his shell, Matthew’s world will never be the same again.
An awkward boy with Asperger’s Syndrome, a persistent girl who pulls him out of his isolated existence, and a lottery ticket that will change their lives forever.
Excerpt: Win Some, Lose Some
“Just look at me,” she said quietly. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
I forced my eyes in her direction as she put pressure against my jaw, turning me toward her. Her eyes were so flawlessly brown, and her lashes were only slightly darker and completely devoid of any chemical compounds to make them look longer. They didn’t need it.
So beautiful.
Unable to hold her gaze any longer, I lowered my eyes and looked to the right, focusing on the light green stripe that ran down the sleeve of her shirt. Every muscle was still tensed, and I knew I would have to hit the heavy bag tonight.
“Why is it so hard?” she asked.
I had no idea what to say. No one had ever asked me before. No one had ever just come right out and asked like that. How could I explain that sometimes it actually hurt to look people in the eye, like maybe they could see into me and see something awful? Even worse, maybe I would see something inside of their souls, and I would find out something horrible about them. What if reincarnation was real, and if I looked long enough, I would be able to see the past lives of the souls inside of people?
Maybe she’d figure out what a total freak I was for even thinking these things.
Her fingers stroked over the edge of my jaw, tickling it a little. I tried to glance at her again, but I still couldn’t hold my gaze. I looked down, and my eyes focused on her mouth as she wet her lips with her tongue.
“It just is,” I finally said. It was probably the lamest answer in the world, but it was all I had.
“Close them, then,” she said.
“What?” I asked. I looked at her lips again as she moved a little closer to me, so close, our faces were almost touching.
“Just close your eyes,” she said softly.
Not ready, I thought to myself, but the internal battle had already gone into overdrive. I knew what she was thinking—I didn’t have to be a mind reader to understand as she moved our mouths closer together. Part of me wanted to run screaming from the car, but there was another part, one deep inside the pit of my stomach, that wanted to know what it was like.
My eyelids drifted closed.
I felt the touch of her lips—warm and soft—against mine.
I couldn’t believe what was happening, but there was no way I was going to stop it.
I didn’t move.
I didn’t even breathe.
When I felt the touch of Mayra’s lips against mine, I just froze. I sat there on the seat of the car with my eyes closed and just felt the pressure of her mouth on mine. She pushed gently, then just a little harder. My first and second kisses combined. The pressure stopped briefly as I heard Mayra take a short breath and then resumed.
I still didn’t move.
My heart was pounding in my chest, harder than it had been when I was trying to ask her out. My hands clenched a little against my legs as Mayra’s hand pushed against the side of my face. Her touch was soft, and where I would have normally leaned against her palm, I still did not move at all.
The cool air around us brushed over my mouth as Mayra moved away and sat back on her heels. Parting my eyelids, I focused on her knees beside me, my body still turned away from hers. With my gaze locked on her knees, I ran my tongue over my lips. They tasted different than I was used to, but it was okay. It was better than okay.
It was good.
Really good.
I forced my eyes in her direction as she put pressure against my jaw, turning me toward her. Her eyes were so flawlessly brown, and her lashes were only slightly darker and completely devoid of any chemical compounds to make them look longer. They didn’t need it.
So beautiful.
Unable to hold her gaze any longer, I lowered my eyes and looked to the right, focusing on the light green stripe that ran down the sleeve of her shirt. Every muscle was still tensed, and I knew I would have to hit the heavy bag tonight.
“Why is it so hard?” she asked.
I had no idea what to say. No one had ever asked me before. No one had ever just come right out and asked like that. How could I explain that sometimes it actually hurt to look people in the eye, like maybe they could see into me and see something awful? Even worse, maybe I would see something inside of their souls, and I would find out something horrible about them. What if reincarnation was real, and if I looked long enough, I would be able to see the past lives of the souls inside of people?
Maybe she’d figure out what a total freak I was for even thinking these things.
Her fingers stroked over the edge of my jaw, tickling it a little. I tried to glance at her again, but I still couldn’t hold my gaze. I looked down, and my eyes focused on her mouth as she wet her lips with her tongue.
“It just is,” I finally said. It was probably the lamest answer in the world, but it was all I had.
“Close them, then,” she said.
“What?” I asked. I looked at her lips again as she moved a little closer to me, so close, our faces were almost touching.
“Just close your eyes,” she said softly.
Not ready, I thought to myself, but the internal battle had already gone into overdrive. I knew what she was thinking—I didn’t have to be a mind reader to understand as she moved our mouths closer together. Part of me wanted to run screaming from the car, but there was another part, one deep inside the pit of my stomach, that wanted to know what it was like.
My eyelids drifted closed.
I felt the touch of her lips—warm and soft—against mine.
I couldn’t believe what was happening, but there was no way I was going to stop it.
I didn’t move.
I didn’t even breathe.
When I felt the touch of Mayra’s lips against mine, I just froze. I sat there on the seat of the car with my eyes closed and just felt the pressure of her mouth on mine. She pushed gently, then just a little harder. My first and second kisses combined. The pressure stopped briefly as I heard Mayra take a short breath and then resumed.
I still didn’t move.
My heart was pounding in my chest, harder than it had been when I was trying to ask her out. My hands clenched a little against my legs as Mayra’s hand pushed against the side of my face. Her touch was soft, and where I would have normally leaned against her palm, I still did not move at all.
The cool air around us brushed over my mouth as Mayra moved away and sat back on her heels. Parting my eyelids, I focused on her knees beside me, my body still turned away from hers. With my gaze locked on her knees, I ran my tongue over my lips. They tasted different than I was used to, but it was okay. It was better than okay.
It was good.
Really good.
Teasers
(click on image for full view)
Meet Shay Savage
Shay Savage lives in Cincinnati, Ohio with her family and a variety of household pets. She is an accomplished public speaker, and holds the rank of Distinguished Toastmaster from Toastmasters International. When not writing, she enjoys science fiction movies, masquerading as a zombie, is a HUGE Star Wars fan, and member of the 501st Legion of Stormtroopers. When the geek fun runs out, she also loves soccer in any and all forms - especially the Columbus Crew, Arsenal and Bayern Munich. Savage holds a degree in psychology, and she brings a lot of that knowledge into the characters within her stories.
