Spotlight & Giveaway: The Mixtape by Brittainy Cherry

Today, HJ is pleased to share with you Brittainy Cherry’s new release: The Mixtape

Since the death of his twin brother, Oliver’s caught between pleasing his fans and finding himself. Emery finds him first.

 
Emery has never felt more alone. Raising her daughter is both her pleasure and her pain as she struggles to hold on to her job as a bartender and keep a roof over their heads. With no one to help them—no support system—any unexpected expense or late bill could turn their whole world upside down.

Reeling from the death of his twin brother and bandmate, rock star Oliver Smith is trying to drink his problems away. Apparently he isn’t very good at it; they follow him wherever he goes. Also in hot pursuit are the paparazzi, who catch Oliver at his lowest low.

He could have walked into any bar in California, but he walked into hers. Emery helps Oliver lose the crowd, and they find themselves alone: two people whose paths are marked with loss and pain. However, they hold an unshakable hope for healing. They find solace together, but can their love withstand the world?

Enjoy an exclusive excerpt from The Mixtape 

“So, be honest. Do you like Emery?” Kelly asked. Her lack of true whispering skills was making me nervous that Emery could overhear the conversation. “I won’t tell. It’s our little secret.”

“There’s no secret, because there’s no truth to your question.”

“Okay. Well, I guess you won’t mind if I invited Emery to eat lunch with us,” she said. She was acting just like an annoying little sister. Before I could oppose the idea, Kelly was calling Emery’s name. “Did you eat yet, Emery?” she asked.

Emery peeked her head into the dining room, and a knot formed in my stomach. Then, she smiled and another knot joined the first one.

“No, I didn’t yet.”

“Great! Come join us.” Kelly beamed ear to ear, looking at my way with a guilty grin.

“Are you sure? I don’t want to intrude,” Emery said.

“No. You wouldn’t be. Come sit right here, between Oliver and me.” Kelly patted the seat right beside me, and within a few seconds, Emery was entering the room and sitting down. Right beside me. With her salad. And her smile. Her smile that was smiling toward me.

Oh crap.

Maybe men did blush.

I turned my stare back down to my plate and started stuffing my face.

Kelly glanced down at her watch. “Oh man! I forgot I have to shoot off some emails, I’ll be back in a bit.”

I sat up straighter. “Shouldn’t you finish your lunch first?”

“No, no. I’ll get back to it in a few. You two go ahead and eat and enjoy each other’s company. I’ll be back.” She began to walk away, and Emery’s back was to her as I shot Kelly a death stare. ‘Talk to her!’ she mouthed, before slipping away.

Silence filled the space and I didn’t know what to do with myself. I kept overthinking every top that I could bring up to her, so I went back to stuffing my face as Emery ate like a normal human.

I looked up toward the kitchen and saw Kelly peeking around the door toward us. She once again mouthed, ‘Talk!’ so I swallowed the too big chop of chicken and began choking on it like a damn fool.

“Oh my gosh!” Emery gasped. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, it’s just,” I coughed, feeling the piece of meat sitting tight in my throat. “I’m,” the coughing grew worst and worst. “Fine,” I choked out before the coughing became overpowering. I was choking.

“Oh my gosh, here!” Emery said, standing to her feet. She walked behind me and pulled me up from my chair and began patting me on the back before she wrapped her arms around me and started giving me the Heimlich maneuver. Her small body flung my massive body around the room like she was an Olympic weightlifter.

“Okay, okay, hold on,” she said. Then she began singing, yes, singing, Stayin’ Alive, by the Bee Gees as she pumped her palms into my gut. She did it repeatedly as I searched for a breath of air and on her final pump, the lodged piece of poultry came flying out of me as it landed across the dining room table.

All of my pride went flying, too with the piece of meat.

“Oh my gosh, Oliver, are you okay?” Emery asked, rubbing my back in circular motions, and oddly enough, I didn’t want that movement to come to a halt.

“I’m fine. Yes. Sorry about that.”

“Don’t worry about it. Gosh, you scared me. Here, let me go get you some fresh water.” Emery hurried into the kitchen, and Kelly was now standing in the dining room with her jaw dropped open in shock at the events that had taken place all within five short minutes.

“Well, that escalated quickly,” she said, a small smile on her face.

“You think this is funny?”

“Kind of. Yes. All I wanted you to do was talk to her and well…that didn’t happen at all. You seriously froze up there.” She walked over to me and patted me on the back. “You okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“Okay good.” A wicked smile fell over her. “Remember that time when I tried to get you to talk to Emery and you choked—both literally and figuratively?” she joked.

“Kelly?”

“Yes?”

“Shut up.”

Excerpt. ©Brittainy Cherry. Posted by arrangement with the publisher. All rights reserved.
 
 

Giveaway: Digital copy of The Mixtape by Brittainy Cherry giveaway to one reader.

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Meet the Author:

Brittainy Cherry has been in love with words since she took her first breath. She graduated from Carroll University with a bachelor’s degree in theater arts and a minor in creative writing. She loves to take part in writing screenplays, acting, and dancing—poorly, of course. Coffee, chai tea, and wine are three things that she thinks every person should partake in. Cherry lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with her family. When she’s not running a million errands and crafting stories, she’s probably playing with her adorable pets.