New Book

Beauty Found publishes on February 12, but I'm already working on my next book. This one is inspired by Cinderella and is called Glass Throne. 

Cover Reveal

Cover Reveal for Beauty Found. Don't forget to preorder your copy on Amazon. It will also be in Kindle Unlimited for the first 90 days. 

Beauty Found Blurb

Beauty Found is up for pre-order. And here is the blurb for it. I can't wait for everyone to read Vincent and Hazel's journey. 

When someone rises from the darkness, that’s where beauty is found. 

Vincent Cooper was the star of his high school football team. Instead of pursuing scholarships, he chooses to follow in his family’s footsteps and join the Army. He became a man of war until one roadside bomb changed his life. Now back in his hometown, he begins to spiral into the darkness. When his house burns down, he’s left homeless until his friends step in. 

Being the daughter of the town drunk, Hazel Lee Green never let it dull her light. Instead, she chose to rise above her past and shine. When her battle-worn best friend needs a safe space, she offers her house to keep him from spiraling. She becomes his shield from the town, just as he was hers all throughout their childhood. 

Together, they work through the darkness. But he’s always one drink away from spiraling out of control. She wonders if she can help pull him back, or will she push him too far out of reach? Because she knows, once you succumb to the darkness, it’s hard to see the light.  

Small Scene

As I read through Beauty Found for my first round of edits, here's a scene between Vincent and Bradley. 

"You're not the quarterback ruling the school anymore," Bradley said as he dropped his arm. "You need to remember, I run this town." 

"So?" Vincent asked as he moved back a step. "I don't think I'm running for office." 

"This is about Hazel Lee," Bradley said as he shoved his hands in his pockets. "I plan to marry her." 

"What's it got to do with me?" Vincent asked, tilting his head to the side. 

He didn't remark about what Hazel wanted. 

"You're standing in the way. She can't see me because she's trying to save you. Just like she tried to save her daddy," Bradley said. "Pretend she saved you so she can forget about the demons inside your head." 

Beauty Found Preorder Link

The preorder link for Beauty Found is active. It'll be published on February 12! 

https://www.amazon.com/Beauty-Found-Fairy-Laura-McKellips-ebook/dp/B08SY8W5B3/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=laura+lee+mckellips&qid=1610992079&sr=8-3

Book Cover Chosen

I found the perfect picture for Beauty Found! In celebration, here is a snippet of one of my favorite scenes so far. 

“You bought four bottles of whiskey? Tonight?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Were you trying to kill yourself?” she asked. 

He shrugged. 

She looked at him and snapped. Walking around the couch, she made her way into the kitchen as she opened the bottle. She never dreamed she’d be performing this act again. Especially with Vincent. It’d been years since she’d made this walk with a bottle of alcohol. 

“What’re you doing?” he asked from behind her. 

She shook her head as she walked over to the sink and tipped the bottle. The whiskey swirled in the sink before sliding down the drain. It wouldn’t burn the pipes like it did someone’s throat. No need to worry about pouring too fast. 

“Hazel, stop!” 

She looked at him as she kept the bottle over the sink. She wanted every drop gone. 

“Where are the others?” she asked as she shook the bottle over the sink. 

“Why? You’re not pouring them out,” he said with his hands braced on his hips. 

“I’m not?” she asked as she set the empty bottle on the counter. “We’ll see about that.” 

She stomped past him as he leaned against the doorframe. She didn’t stop to check on him. He shouldn’t have drunk as much as he did. It was the only reason she could make it to his room before he did. Throwing open the door, she saw the three bottles on the nightstand. 

Sneak Peek of Vincent

I'm typing away on the last chapters of Beauty Found, and I thought I'd share one of the scenes. I do have a tentative publishing date in mind, but I'll release it when I've typed two little words. For now, enjoy this scene with Vincent.  

He rubbed the back of his neck as he thought about Tom’s offer. Fixing classic cars was something he did in high school to stay out of trouble. Tom took a chance on a sixteen-year-old kid detailing cars. Once Tom realized how focused Vincent was on even the smallest detail, Tom gave him free rein. Many, many hours not spent on the football field were spent in Tom’s garage. In the garage, he decided to follow in his father’s, grandfather’s, and every other man in his family’s footsteps and join the Army. 

It was his calling. 

And his curse. 

He didn’t want to be the only man to not sign on the dotted line. But it was more. He might’ve been great a football, but he never felt comfortable in his own skin. When he tried on his father’s uniform, it fit. It was comfortable. Hazel said he was a man of war. His family was full of men of war. Men of war didn’t play football. They served their country. 

Tom tried to talk Vincent out of signing, but it didn’t work. Vincent needed to honor his family’s legacy. So, he went to the recruiter’s office and took the oath. Little did he know war would be declared. 

Four tours later, he was uncomfortable. Again. He struggled to find his place. 

Could he go back to the garage? Or were the ghosts of a sixteen-year-old boy waiting to haunt him? As the ghosts of his family seemed to hang around the edges of his mind. 

Clenching his hands, he took several deep breaths. Now was not the time to revisit the past. 

Happy New Year

 Happy New Year! Here is a scene from my next book Beauty Found, which is Book 2 of my Fairy Tale Series.

“Vincent?” she called out as she closed her door.

“Hazel?” he asked as he unzipped the tent. “What’re you doing here?”

Each word seemed dragged out. He was drunk. Great.

“I brought you food,” she said as she held up the bag. “Come out. I’d prefer not to eat alone.”

“Go away,” he said as he started to zip the tent up.

“Wait,” she said as she walked toward the tent.

“What?” he asked as he popped his head out of the tent.

“The insurance agent called me. They need you to call them back,” she said as she stopped a few feet away from him.

“Why’d they call you?” he asked as he unzipped the tent completely.

“Because you don’t have a phone,” she said. “Now come on, our food’s getting cold.”

“Leave me alone,” he said as he fell back. “I don’t need anything.”

She narrowed her eyes as she thought about what she wanted to do next. His stubborn mood was no match for hers. She’d played this game long before he tasted his first drink.

“Get out of the tent!” she said as she moved further away. “Or I’ll grab my tent and sleep out here with you until you’re ready to rejoin the world.”

“Maybe I don’t want to rejoin the world,” he said without moving.

“Oh, you’re rejoining the world,” she said.

“Hazel, leave,” he said as he waved her away. “It’s not a good day.”

“When is it ever a good day?” she asked as she knelt down to see into the tent. “One day, you’ll have to rejoin the living. This in-between living and death don’t work anymore. I’m tired of babying you. Yes, you were injured in a roadside bomb, and yes, you lost men who were your family. But it doesn’t give your license to roam around as if you’re a zombie.”

“Go away,” he said as he rolled over to look at her.

“I didn’t take you for a coward,” she said as she stood up.

Ten seconds later, he tore out of the tent and rushed after her.

“Coward?!” he yelled as she spun around and stepped to the side.

He slipped and fell.

“Yeah, you’re a coward,” she said as she watched him struggle. “You wallow in your pain and misery because you’re scared to live.”

“It’s not that I’m scared to live,” he said as he stood. “I have nothing to live for.”

“Then live for me,” she said as she took a step forward. “Live for me.”

“I can’t,” he said.

“Why? I’m not changing or moving. I’m here,” she said, tapping her chest.

“Everyone I’ve ever loved is dead,” he said as he looked at her.

The hollow look in his normally warm chocolate eyes pierced her. She should’ve come out here days ago.

“I’m not dead,” she said as she set the bag of food on the ground between them. “I’m here when you’re ready.”

#beautyfound #fairytaleseries #2021