Because of Him (Fortunate Book 1)

Because of Him - Released December 15th 2014 


Blair Ackerman is a girl with crazy hair and a bad attitude. She's a girl who doesn't care what anyone thinks of her. She's a girl with only a duffel bag and a car named Nancy to her name, and that's okay by her. She's tough because she has to be. Nobody gets inside her head, nobody gets inside her heart.

Silver is everything she's never wanted. He's a good guy, a smart guy, a guy who's never met a girl like her before. He's the kind of guy who loves history, who laughs at his own jokes, who kisses like a sinful dream. He's the kind of guy who might just break down her walls and get inside her heart and make her feel.

Too bad he's forbidden.

Because when Blair's mom dies and she's sent to live with the father she's never met and a family that doesn't want her, Blair and Silver cross paths in ways they never could have imagined, and they discover that even though they know they should, they can't quite bring themselves to stay apart.

Opposites really do attract.

Book cover by Mayhem Cover Creations
Formatting by JT Formatting
Available now!


Excerpt from Chapter 8

 “Huh.” He sounds smug.
“Huh, what?”
“Nothing.” Except he says it in a way that it obviously means something.
“Spill, before I pinch you.”
“I was just thinking, you're kind of a nerd too.”
Laughing, I reach over to punch his chest in mock outrage, but he grabs a hold of my fist to stop me. I go to pull away but he holds on tighter, resting both our hands on top of his t-shirt. I'm not even sure he realizes he's doing it or if it's just an unconscious action, like the fingers gently stroking mine, causing fizzy sparks to shoot through my fingertips and up my arm.
My hand, cupped underneath his, is resting right over his heart. I can feel how fast it's beating – faster than it should be. Kind of like mine whenever Silver is around.
I can't stop myself from rolling my head over to look at him. He's watching the stars, his nose and lips outlined by the darkness behind him.
We're close, closer than I'd realized, and I can hear him breathing and smell his shampoo. I want to run my fingers through the curls in his hair so bad my fingers actually twitch.
Like he can feel my gaze upon him he turns his face towards mine. Our noses touch accidentally, but neither of us try to move away.
I should probably feel embarrassed to be caught staring so unabashedly but I don't...not at all. All I feel right now is him.
He watches me hungrily, his gaze flickering between my eyes and my lips as if he can't get enough. His heart beats even faster underneath my hand.
His nose brushes mine, purposefully this time, Eskimo style. Our breath mingles as my lips part and he swallows heavily.
Silver wants to kiss me; I know it with everything inside of me. And I think he will. I know I should at least try to do the right thing and stop it, but I want it so, so bad. I want him so, so bad. So bad that I haven't even been able to think of hooking up with other guys since I met him, and I love hooking up with guys.
Whatever this is, I'm too weak to stop it.

Because of Him Playlist


I included the song list for Because of Him at the back of the book, but I thought I'd explain why I chose the songs I did in a little more detail. A lot of them are songs that the characters were actually listening to in the story, but some are just songs that really had the feeling.

Breathe Me by Sia
I love this song – an old favourite of mine – and I think it really fits Blair at the beginning of the story. I have lost myself again, Lost myself and I am nowhere to be found. She puts of a tough exterior, but really she's just an insecure girl who wants to be loved.

Everybody Talks by Neon Trees
The song playing as Blair is driving towards the diner – I think this is one of the few songs that actually gets a mention in the story. I just like this song, it's fun and I like the vibe

Slither by Velvet Revolver
The music playing in Blair's car as she drives away from Silver and the diner

Fix You by The Offspring
This is just another one that I like the sound of. I think the feel of it fits the beginning of the story

Tornado by Little Big Town
The song Blair plays when she and Silver are driving to the store. It has no significant meaning – I just love a li'l country

Gone Going by The Black Eyed Peas
Played in Merry Fairburn's when Blair first walked in.

E.T by Katy Perry
Great song (I'm a big, dorky Katy Perry fan). This one has a really sexy vibe. Totally the song in my head when I was writing the lusty scene in the bar before Nathan walked in – when Silver and Blair were about to dance.

The Anniversary Waltz by Dave Franklin
The tune playing in Granny Yo's music box

New Slang by The Shins
Blair plays this in her bedroom on her birthday – it's one of the songs on the iPod Silver gave her

Poison & Wine by The Civil Wars
This was the song playing in Silver's car on Blair's birthday. I love this song so much I actually included it in the story

Flaws by Bastille
You have always worn your flaws upon your sleeve, And I have always buried them deep beneath the ground. I love this song, it's so Silver and Blair. I feel like Blair kind of teaches Silver that it's okay to be different and flawed. Also I just love Bastille, I'll probably use them in every playlist I ever make like some crazy fangirl

Gone by Lianne La Havas
This is the song I had playing as I wrote the scene where Blair contemplates her mom and loving Silver

She Is by The Fray
She is everything I need that I never knew I wanted, She is everything I want that I never knew I needed – This is Silver's song for sure

Aterciopelados by El Estuche
The music Blair and Ibbie are dancing to in Merry Fairburn's the night Silver walks in with his date

Things I'll Later Lose by Lily & Madeleine
Sad, sad Blair up in her room after she had to watch Silver and his date :(

Make Believe by The Burned
This is another where it's not the words so much as the feel of the music. It's the kind of song that makes you ache, and it's perfect for how Blair and Silver felt when they were apart

This Is Home by Switchfoot
The title says it all, really. I like this song for when things are finally coming together for Blair (after The Jemma Incident)

Ride With The Tide by Emilie Mover
This is the song I had on when writing the scene near the end when Blair is reading Silver's notes. I think it fits nicely  

Inspiration for Because of Him

I've been asked a couple of times about where I came up with the idea for Because of Him. There's not much to this one, really. I love the whole taboo idea in plenty of different stories, but only when they're done in a non-icky way. So that's what I tried to do with Because of Him. I wanted Blair and Silver to have a romance with that element of forbidden love (at first, anyway), but I wanted to do it in a way that doesn't make the reader uncomfortable, so I hope that came across. And. . . Yeah, that's pretty much it.


1 comment:

  1. Jessica Roe3 May 2015 at 10:40

    Hey there. Because of Him will hopefully be released in book form later this year, though I couldn't give you a date just yet. It will most likely be around winter time

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