Excerpt: I opened my eyes, blinking rapidly from the bright sunlight. My vision was blurry but clear enough that I could make out some strange man leaning over me. Not only leaning over me but had his hands damn near on my boobs. Instinct kicked in as I screamed and threw a punch at his head. I had a moment’s satisfaction at seeing the punch connect and his head snap to the side before my hand exploded in agony.“Shit!

Who … what …?”

I tried to scramble back away from him, but a crushing wave of pain gripped me, causing my teeth to clench and my eyes to tear up. My right leg let me know that it had a say in things when it came to moving and that it didn’t want to move right now.

“Miss, please don’t move,” the man said. His hand was clutching his jaw as he worked it, testing its function.

I could just make out the red imprints on his skin where my punch landed. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“Startle me? Get the fuck away from me!”

Once again, I tried to scramble away from this stranger and again the pain from my leg ripped through me.

“Shit …” The guy put his hands up.

I could see the red mark on his jaw more clearly now. Good. I hoped it hurt.

“Please stop before you hurt yourself even more. You have to calm down or you’re going to hyper-ventilate. Relax. Miss, I’m not going to hurt you.”

“RELAX? What the fuck do you mean relax? You don’t have some strange asshole groping you in the middle of … wait … where the hell am I?” My lungs were heaving as I tried to get a breath, causing yet more pain from my chest. Glancing left and right, I tried to figure out where I was and how to get away from this stranger. I caught sight of the ridge, and the memory rushed back in. Crap. That damn rabbit. My hand throbbed, my leg hurt, my chest was on fire, and I was pretty sure the burning feeling on my ass was a magnificent strawberry in the making. All because of that stupid bundle of demonic brown fur. I tried to get up, but the guy shot forward, putting his hands against my shoulders, stopping me.

“Get your fucking hands off me!” I would have kicked him in the balls, but he was too far away from my knee for it to connect.

“WOULD YOU STOP!” he yelled in a voice loud enough that I’m sure they heard him at the marina.

I froze, suddenly scared at the tone and force of that voice. His face immediately softened, and he smiled lightly. For the first time, I really looked at him, and my heart froze.

Cornflower blue eyes. Not just any blue but cornflower blue. The same color as Greg, my dead husband. Worse or amazing, not sure which. He also had the same sandy blond hair as Greg. The memories came surging up unbidden, the pain almost overpowering my senses. I closed my eyes, battering those agonizing feelings back into the prison that normally held them.

His voice brought me back from that painful recall. “Miss, please don’t try to get up,” he said in a more quiet and calm tone. “I’m not going to hurt you, but you really need to keep still so I can figure out how badly you’re hurt.”

Blurb: Josie Callison was a single mother of one, living with her mom in Azton, WA, where she grew up. The past few years had been hard on Josie. First, she lost her husband suddenly. A year later, her father passed away quietly in his sleep. It seemed only right to move back home to help her mother with the struggling family business and take time to heal and raise her daughter.

Jacob Berman, widower and former soldier, has seen his share of death, the latest being the loss of his wife and child. Living alone and keeping mostly to himself gave him time to work on the plan made by him and his wife for their future in Azton. Swearing off dating ensured that nothing else could cause his heart and soul any more pain.

On that clear and beautiful Saturday, neither expected to be falling down a hill or rescuing a damsel in distress. But, as we all know, Fate rarely asks us for our input when planning our lives. When Fate decides that two broken hearts can heal each other, it will use all the tools at its disposal to put those hearts on the same path. That includes a demonic rabbit intent on hiker mauling.

Available: On pre-order now with an August 6th Release date. You may order at any of the following retailers.
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B098LY894N
BN: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940162459859
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/ebook/fate-takes-a-hike
Google Books: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/B_D_Storey_Fate_Takes_A_Hike?id=RbQ2EAAAQBAJ

B. D. Storey: Bob grew up in a pretty typical Southern household. An Army brat, he was born in Germany and spent his formative years moving around the country from post to post, never going to the same school twice until his father’s retirement. A typical teenager of the 70’s, he spent hours playing baseball, tennis, band, and dumping hard earned quarters into his favorite arcade games. He retired from the Air Force in 2000 and began working in the technology department of a local sheriff’s office, where he will soon retire. A lover of both PC and console games, Bob has spent many hours immersed in the lands of role playing and make-believe with friends and family. This is where his love of writing took off as he and his online friends spent hours writing epic tales of fantasy, love, and adventuring. Oh, and dragon slaying. One can’t forget that. He is married to his best friend and love of his life, Pam. They live on their small ranch/farm in Clarksville where Pam keeps him busy with the multitude of chores that come with having three horses and four cats. He has three great kids who are the lights of their lives.
Some of his favorite romance authors are Nicholas Sparks, Abby Jimenez, Claire Kingsley, and Maria Luis

Find B. D. Storey online:

Website: https://BDStorey.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BDStoreyAuthor/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/BDSwritings