Tough Love Book Excerpt by Marcie A. Bridges

 

We recently had the opportunity to participate in the book tour for Tough Love, a romantic drama written by author Marcie A. Bridges.  We wanted to take a few minutes to share an excerpt from Tough Love--and give our readers the opportunity to check out the blog tour for the book.  Don't forget to enter to win a paperback swag pack from the author in the book tour giveaway!

A Quick Summary of Tough Love.  Janessa knows she should run in the other direction when Brendan enters her life. Her squeaky-clean upbringing is in direct opposition to his piercings, a myriad of tattoos and the rumors that surround him. But she doesn’t run. Love, betrayal and lies become the foundation of their lives, but one heartbreaking confession makes Janessa question everything. After a devastating diagnosis, Janessa’s world crumbles around her. When she can no longer ignore the reality of who Brendan really is, she must choose between those who love her and the only one she has ever loved.

Excerpt from Tough Love by Marcie A. Bridges
LIFE ENDED WHEN I was thirteen.
Well, life as I knew it anyway.

My parents decided we needed a bigger house in our East Toledo neighborhood. My two older brothers didn’t seem
to mind – they needed more space – but I felt like there was too much changing at the same time.

Steve was graduating from high school, Donny was getting his first job, I was finishing eighth grade. Sure, high school was going to be fun and all, but Macomber wasn’t my district school, so most of my friends would go elsewhere. Nonetheless, I was very excited to become a member of Macomber-Whitney’s class of 1993. What I didn’t know was that one of my least favorite people in the world was ready to be in the class of ’93 as well. And I had just moved across the street from her.

Aimee Davis and I could not have been more opposite. She was the toughest girl in my old junior high, two years running. I was the epitome of the teacher’s pet: never in trouble, a model student and member of the choir. Her mom had been divorced twice, while my parents were celebrating their 19th wedding anniversary. She was tall, with a large frame and dark hair, while I was blonde and overweight for my otherwise petite size. We had nothing in common.

Except eighth grade English.

"I have assigned your seats alphabetically by last name,” Mr. Ulrich called out when the bell rang. So I took a deep breath and moved to my new seat when he said, “Daily, Janessa.”

“Davis, Aimee,” I heard next.

Excited to meet someone new, I turned to watch her take the seat next to me. “Hi, I’m Janessa,” I said with a smile.

“Yeah,” she replied.

Well, so much for that.

“You’re in eighth grade now,”  Mr. Ulrich said. “There’s no point in wasting time. Get out paper and a
pencil.” He passed out our books.

Bending down to get my supplies, I had a direct line of sight into my new neighbor’s purse. “You smoke?” I asked, aghast.

“Yeah, you got a problem with that?”

“N-No,” I stammered, turning my eyes back to my own business. That was the last conversation I
had with Aimee Davis in eighth grade English class.
 
I remembered all of this as I sat backward on the couch in our new house and watched her play 4-square with another girl from school. I couldn’t help but pray it would be Olivia who lived there and not Aimee. But when twilight came and the streetlights flickered on, it was Olivia who walked away while Aimee went up the steps and into the house.

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About the Author

 

Marcie Bridges has always wanted to be a writer, from the time she started keeping a diary in seventh grade. Since then, she has earned a master’s degree in education from Cumberland University while teaching some wonderful children with special needs in Indiana, Tennessee and Kentucky.

While she will always bleed scarlet and gray (GO BUCKS!), she now lives south of Cincinnati with her husband and daughter. When Marcie isn’t writing, she can be found reading, watching her favorite TV shows, listening to music, or browsing her favorite websites.

Connect with the Author
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Twitter: @marcie_ann
Blog
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