ALWAYS ME Book 2 in the Shattered Series by Jo-Anna Walker

Always Me

Book 2 – Shattered Series

Jo-Anna Walker

Synopsis

Forgetting is hard to do.

Tori McLeod survived the sadistic wrath of a madman at the
cost of the love of her life. Always a survivor, she’s determined to move on
with her life, for her sake, and the sake of her son, even if she has to leave
everything and everyone behind.

Two years have passed since she lost Sebastian Chelios. He
was gone, but Tori can still feel the raw magnetism pulling her toward a ghost.

Relationships change and new bonds form. Budding feelings
tempt Tori, but she continues to ache for Sebastian.

Whispers of danger lurk around the corner and questions
regarding Jose remain unanswered.

Can Tori move on with her life when a dark shadow from her
past revisits her? With Jose still being out there, will Tori and her son ever
be truly safe?

Excerpt:

Two years had passed since
Sebastian Chelios had died. Two years since being told that Jose
Alvarez was still out there. And two years since I was told I was pregnant.

Pregnant with Sebastian’s baby.

God, who knew that would happen?

A result of my forgetfulness of taking
the pill. But it was well worth it when I looked into the eyes of my baby.
Sebastian’s baby. Our child.

I tried to forget. But the calendar on
the wall beckoned like a tease, and my eyes darted to the dreaded numbers. My
mind went back to those horrible couple of days.

It was like a bad horror movie in my
mind. Jose kidnapping me. Sebastian showing up. Us both shot. The blur of the
hospital. My lover. Dead. Doctors and nurses in my face. Then news of the
pregnancy. My head whirled when I got sucked into my thoughts. Real, as if it
was yesterday. Realizing I would have to raise a child on my own.

But now…every day I looked at Antonio
and ached. His eyes had slipped from blue to brown, and he reminded me so much
of Sebastian.

His father would never see him. Never
know him.

Fresh tears filled my eyes but I shook
them off. I headed to the front door and made sure it was locked. I looked out
the window and noticed a big black car a couple of houses away. Relief
fluttered through me. The Feds were watching. Protecting me and my son from
Jose.

A scream came through the baby monitor
on my counter.

I ran up the stairs in my small two
bedroom house and headed right to my baby’s room. After throwing the door open,
I stood there, panting, gripping my chest as my heart raced against my rib
cage.

My son lay there, looking up at me
from his crib, a big smile on his beautiful chubby face.

I sucked in a breath and tried to ease
the thumping in my ears. “Hi, baby. You sure like giving your mama a heart
attack, don’t you?”

He giggled. Yup, definitely
Sebastian’s kid.

Kbird’s Review

Talk about a very STEAMY book…….I loved this book. Although this is the second book in a series, it can also stand on its own. I haven’t read the first one yet but it is on my TBR now! Jo-Anna Walker is an exceptional writer. I didn’t feel as though I missed the first book because she gave just enough back story so that the reader understands everything. I loved how the story had me on the edge of my seat from fear to gasping for air from the mind-blowing sex. When I was reading the suspenseful moments it was as if I was there and could feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. The author was able to move seamlessly from moments of fear to pure joy with ease. I was immediately drawn into the relationships between all of the characters. I especially loved how Jo-Anna was able to delve into the main two characters for this book, Tori and Sebastian, without making the other characters seem discarded. She is also careful to give the reader just enough information about the characters, so that the reader is anxiously awaiting the next book. This is a definite 5 star read!!!

Tori McLeod is a strong woman. Losing the love of her life to the sadistic man who tortured her made strong. The one shining thing from that time is her son, Antonio. Although Antonio won’t ever know his father, Tori is determined to be the best parent he could ever want. She is also unwavering in trying to get over her fear and move forward with her life. Her friends are there to try to help navigate being a single parent, as well as keeping her safe from her tormentor, Jose. The one thing Tori can’t forget is her love for Sebastian. She can’t move forward with anyone else because he is always on her mind and in her heart.

Just when Tori begins to feel a little more comfortable, she finds a note in her son’s room from Jose. For the last two years, he has been stalking and photographing her but now he wants her back. When Jose can’t get his hands on Tori, he decides to kidnap her son. With the help of her friends and the FBI, baby Antonio is back home safe and Jose is dead, but is this truly over for all of them? Although Tori is happy, her friends are now going through their own trauma. I absolutely cannot wait for the next book in this series to come out so I can find out.

About The Author:

I’m a new self-published author who just got introduced to
the writing world early 2013. My aunt suggested that I write a story because
I’m an avid reader but I waved it off and left it alone. Well this year, a
story came to me and I went with it. It took me a little bit but I finally got
a story idea that worked and now I can’t stop or control the characters/stories
that keep popping up in my head.

I’m born and raised in Canada and I live with my very wonderful
and supportive husband, Michael. We don’t have any children (yet) unless you
count our two cats. He’s been my rock through this whole new experience for me.
I couldn’t have done it without him and my friends and family.

One of the many things I love about this new chapter in my
life is that I’m learning constantly. It’s never a dull moment and as long as
one person likes my story, I am happy.