Aftermath Synopsis:
After losing her father, Emma Bennett moves to her aunt's small town of Westport to finish out her senior year of high school. Emma wants to forget the pain and loss of the past few weeks, and finds relief in the company of Ben Parker—a local boy who she has an instant attraction and uncanny connection with. When Ben seems a little too preoccupied with other responsibilities and has no time for her, Emma turns to the town's hottest flirt—Lucas Crandon, for affection. Unfortunately, she realizes a little too late that sometimes bad boys, really can be bad for you.
Life as an undercover agent for the Afterworld's Bureau of Investigation isn't an easy job. When Ben Parker finds his soul mate, Emma Bennett in a small town, he finds himself forced to choose between doing his job and rekindling a relationship with the love of his existence. After Ben is notified that a notorious criminal immortal is loose somewhere near Westport, he realizes that his love life will just have to wait. There is a criminal to apprehend before he can have his girl.
When lives are at stake and immortals are on the loose, can two soul mates find their happy ever after?
Life as an undercover agent for the Afterworld's Bureau of Investigation isn't an easy job. When Ben Parker finds his soul mate, Emma Bennett in a small town, he finds himself forced to choose between doing his job and rekindling a relationship with the love of his existence. After Ben is notified that a notorious criminal immortal is loose somewhere near Westport, he realizes that his love life will just have to wait. There is a criminal to apprehend before he can have his girl.
When lives are at stake and immortals are on the loose, can two soul mates find their happy ever after?
Aftermath Excerpt:
The First Time Emma Sees Ben:
I barely noticed the guy in front of us before, but took a look at him while the bronze girl continued flirting. From the side view, I agreed he was attractive. He stood several inches taller than Matt did, but seemed to carry himself with more confidence. When he smiled, his eyes squinted and his jaw tightened. It was a masculine look I never saw on Matt or any other boys at my school. It was a more mature look, like a grin on a man, not a boy, and I guessed he was probably much older than I was.
He couldn’t be from here, I thought.
I didn’t realize I was staring at him until he turned and looked at me. Heat crept up my neck, and I focused on the sand around my feet. My heart began to race. He was much more attractive than I originally thought. He wasn’t cute like the boys at school. He was handsome like the Prince Charming I dreamed of when I was little. Like the fantasy characters in all of those sappy Disney stories Mom used to read to me.
When I felt normal again, I glanced back at Prince Charming. He wore a white T-shirt with the sleeves cutoff and the seams torn at the side. As he filled out the form on the clipboard and his left arm moved, I caught a glimpse of his tanned chest. I felt like a middle-schooler staring.
The bronze girl perched herself in front of him. Her elbows rested on the counter with her chin sitting in her hands. I could tell she was talking to him, but her voice was low, so I couldn’t hear what she said. I wondered what Prince Charming thought of the brunette, as he pushed the clipboard back to her. Then, an instant later, he glanced in my direction.
Busted again.
The same tingling I felt earlier, returned. I caught my breath and stared at my feet, pushing sand around, hoping my face wouldn’t redden. How ridiculous. He was clearly older than I was and staying at the hotel. He obviously wasn’t from around here, so the odds of me ever seeing him again were slim. The idea lessened my embarrassment. I focused on my surroundings, on anything to avoid looking at him. I stared at the sign hanging on the building listing the ten rules of the lake, and I wondered if anyone ever read them.
“Hey man… sorry for the delay,” a deep voice spoke, jolting me from my daydream. I looked up. Prince Charming was talking to Matt. “Paperwork.” He tilted his head toward the open window as if in further explanation. The brunette was no longer in view.
“No problem.” Matt shrugged.
Don’t look at Prince Charming, I told myself. But I wanted to. My eyes were drawn to him like a magnet to metal. I wanted to look, but when Matt leaned toward me and his upper arm gently touched my shoulder, I snapped back to reality.
I felt like a kid again.
Author Bio:
Sandy Goldsworthy was born and raised in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
Her passion for putting pen to paper began when her high school English teacher inspired her to be more descriptive in her work. Ever since, Sandy has dabbled in creative writing, searching for that perfect shade of red.
Sandy’s first novel, Aftermath, was signed by Clean Teen Publishing, in 2014.
When not writing, Sandy enjoys traveling, cooking, reading, and hanging out with friends and family. She resides in southeastern Wisconsin with her husband, Mike, two children, Brittany and Kyle, and their English Mastiff, Miles.