Lola Drake's "Pursuit of a Kiss"

Boundless as the Sea is proud to present one of Evernight Publishing's newest authors, Lola Drake! Welcome to the family, Lola.

Let's learn a little more about her...

At first Lola Drake longed to be an actress, until she discovered the writer controlled what came out of the actors’ mouths. While she still prefers the limelight to sequestering herself in a dark room feeling tortured for her art, she now writes full-time and loves it (even the tortured bits). Recently back in Los Angeles after spending several years in Europe, Lola has moved from screenplays to novels. In books she feels she can explore more of her characters' secret fears and inner desires, especially when things in life aren’t quite so black and white as we’d like to think.

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How about this new release, Pursuit of a Kiss, part of Evernight's "Cupid's Conquests" series?

Ousted from Olympus until he can restore true love to the world, Eros stumbles upon a match made in heaven – if they can survive hell first.

Juliet doesn’t have much in common with her namesake. Her career-centric life sorely lacks romance. Then one night everything changes when she witnesses a gang shooting, and she ends up a victim herself.

FBI Agent Jake Parker has known Juliet for years, but only as the baby sister of his best friend. He still imagines her as the awkward teenager she used to be. When Jake must protect Juliet from the gang determined to eliminate the only witness who can testify against them, he discovers that he’s not the only one who’s changed in the last ten years.

As sparks fly and the danger mounts, Juliet and Jake must decide what they're willing to risk in the pursuit of what's possibly true love's kiss.

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Give us a taste of what's inside...

While the area typically swarmed with tourists and locals alike during the day, at night darkness consumed this desolate end of the boardwalk, giving it a quietly sinister air. Strange shadows fell from the outdoor gym equipment, crisscrossed by the lines in the fence surrounding it. Steel shutters covered the entrances to most of the stores, many marked by graffiti. Gentle singing drew her gaze to a homeless man huddled over a garbage can searching for scraps. He had a pretty good voice, but the soft sound amid the surrounding emptiness only served to enhance the disturbing sensation that washed over her. 

As her fight with Brad replayed in her mind, Juliet walked practically alongside a small group of men before she consciously noticed them. With her footsteps muffled by the soft sand, they hadn’t spotted her either. 

The gunshot changed all that. 

Her head whipped towards the sound. What she had assumed were a group of men talking coalesced into four Latinos holding guns on two African-American boys quivering before them. A third lay dead on the sand, blood pooling under his head in a puddle that appeared almost black. The hole in his forehead looked like movie makeup. It couldn’t be real. This couldn’t be real. 

One of the remaining boys, who looked young enough to still be in high school, sobbed openly as he pleaded for his life. His companion remained stoic, staring down the leader of the Latino group and, in a final moment of defiance, spitting at him. The leader fired, shooting him and his friend again and again. The shots echoed across the buildings, but no one emerged to investigate. A faint trail of smoke drifted up from the barrel as he at last lowered his gun to his side. 

That final movement shook Juliet out of her frozen stupor and she let out an involuntary scream. Jerking his head around at the distinct noise, the leader’s gaze fell upon her, his eyes narrowing. Juliet couldn’t understand what they shouted at her in Spanish, but instinct kicked in and her legs started moving faster than they ever had before. Gunshots rang out behind her and she felt a bullet whiz by her ear. Pain exploded through her right arm and fire blazed across her hip. Still, she kept running, stumbling on the sand, her lungs burning, knowing she would die if she stopped. At last her feet touched the cool cement of the boardwalk, allowing her to pick up speed as she sprinted back toward Venice Boulevard and the safety of a crowd. 

The gang continued to gain on her. Her vision started to blur and her legs felt like rubber, her steps beginning to falter as she grew weaker. Blood dripped down her arm, soaking through her blouse. At last, with her pursuers practically on her heels, she turned onto Venice Boulevard and slammed straight into that pudgy bald man she’d seen at the bar. 

“Help me,” she begged, collapsing against him. Nearby someone screamed. A crowd began to gather as darkness enfolded Juliet and she slipped into unconsciousness.