Welcome to our stop on the "The Art of Keeping Faith" Blog Tour! Enjoy!! :-)
BOOK 1
The Art of Letting Go
(Uni Files, #1)
by Anna Bloom
Publication date: September 25th 2013
Genres: New Adult, Romance
Publication date: September 25th 2013
Genres: New Adult, Romance
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For Lilah McCannon, life has taken a bit of a wrong turn. Engaged to a guy she is not in love with and stuck in a job with her tyrannical father as her boss, life has definitely not turned out the way she expected.
At twenty-five years old, Lilah knows that she has a simple choice: live the life she has created or change it.
Enrolling on a course at the local University, Lilah sets out with some clear rules to ensure her success at being a grown-up. No alcohol, no cigarettes, no boys, and no going home. But the last thing she anticipates is meeting Ben Chambers, the lead singer of a local band. With Ben, it’s instant, it’s hot, and it’s deep, but when Ben is offered the opportunity of a lifetime and it looks like his future lies on a different path to hers, Lilah has some heart-rending decisions to make.
With the academic year slipping by too quickly, Lilah faces a barrage of new challenges. Will she ever make it up the library stairs without having a heart attack? Can she handle a day on campus without drinking vodka? Will she ever manage to read a history book without falling asleep? Most of all, will she be able to make the ultimate sacrifice and learn The Art of Letting Go?
At twenty-five years old, Lilah knows that she has a simple choice: live the life she has created or change it.
Enrolling on a course at the local University, Lilah sets out with some clear rules to ensure her success at being a grown-up. No alcohol, no cigarettes, no boys, and no going home. But the last thing she anticipates is meeting Ben Chambers, the lead singer of a local band. With Ben, it’s instant, it’s hot, and it’s deep, but when Ben is offered the opportunity of a lifetime and it looks like his future lies on a different path to hers, Lilah has some heart-rending decisions to make.
With the academic year slipping by too quickly, Lilah faces a barrage of new challenges. Will she ever make it up the library stairs without having a heart attack? Can she handle a day on campus without drinking vodka? Will she ever manage to read a history book without falling asleep? Most of all, will she be able to make the ultimate sacrifice and learn The Art of Letting Go?
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BOOK 2
The Art of Keeping Faith
(Uni Files, #2)
by Anna Bloom
Publication date: April 9th 2014
Genres: New Adult, Romance
Publication date: April 9th 2014
Genres: New Adult, Romance
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Lilah and Ben. They are meant to be a thing.
Well they were. The best thing ever. That was until Lilah decided to teach herself a lesson, and let go of Ben as she learnt The Art of Letting Go.
Now it’s a new academic year, and Lilah has it all to play for and it all too lose as she battles scary lecturers, evil PR girls and her own inability to make the right decision at the right time.
Life has moved on for Lilah and her friends, and life off campus is more complicated than any of them would have guessed. As the reality of being second year students sets in and the study starts to build up, cracks begin to appear in the very fabric of their friendships. There is a chance that none of them are going to complete Year Two in one piece.
Facing down her worst enemy: herself. Lilah has to try and change her own past mistakes when she realises that the only way she is going to get the future she wants is if she manages to learn The Art of Keeping Faith in herself.
The Art of Keeping Faith is the second year in The Uni File Series and continues Lilah McCannon’s diary as she searches for love, tries to find and earn trust, and ultimately discovers who she is really meant to be.
Sometimes the only way to meet your future is to face your past.
Well they were. The best thing ever. That was until Lilah decided to teach herself a lesson, and let go of Ben as she learnt The Art of Letting Go.
Now it’s a new academic year, and Lilah has it all to play for and it all too lose as she battles scary lecturers, evil PR girls and her own inability to make the right decision at the right time.
Life has moved on for Lilah and her friends, and life off campus is more complicated than any of them would have guessed. As the reality of being second year students sets in and the study starts to build up, cracks begin to appear in the very fabric of their friendships. There is a chance that none of them are going to complete Year Two in one piece.
Facing down her worst enemy: herself. Lilah has to try and change her own past mistakes when she realises that the only way she is going to get the future she wants is if she manages to learn The Art of Keeping Faith in herself.
The Art of Keeping Faith is the second year in The Uni File Series and continues Lilah McCannon’s diary as she searches for love, tries to find and earn trust, and ultimately discovers who she is really meant to be.
Sometimes the only way to meet your future is to face your past.
Excerpt
Friday Night Out
Last night. By the time there was a knock on my door, I was ready and completely geared up. I enhanced my normal minimal make-up routine with smokey eyes and lashings of eyeliner. The crazy fuzz cut was managing to look quite funky – I could not guarantee it would hold.
I am rewarded for my efforts by Meredith dropping her drink all over the floor and Beth announcing very loudly that she may fancy me after all. I cringe at her loud voice, shushing her with my hand, which they both think is hilarious.
“Don’t worry, Lil, he has already walked over with Jayne. You would have heard them leave had you not been so busy singing.”
“Bite me.”
“You look lovely, Lilah,” Meredith says looking very sincere, and I give her a big hug.
I should own up to the fact that I have had a few sneaky drinkies in my room whilst getting ready.
We head out of the door and run across to Digby. Well, I totter, but at a reasonable pace despite the stilettos.
As we push through the doors, I have the immense satisfaction of seeing Ben — who is sitting in the corner — choke on his beer. I give a little half interested wave of my hand, acknowledging that I have seen him, and saunter over to the bar. Trev gives a low whistle when he sees me, and proceeds to give me a drink on the house. Blimey! Who would have thought that getting dressed up would have had this much effect? I should have done it ages ago. There is a DJ playing, but as yet there is no one on the dance floor, so we stand at the bar and make girly chit chat. Jayne comes over from her table and high fives me.
“Well done. Lilah! The whole football team wants to give you a shot.”
I blush furiously and swat her away with my hand. Shame for them, there is only one member of the team from which I would be open to offers.
After a while, Tristan arrives. He actually spends so much time on campus I do not know why he does not enrol and just study here as well. He gives me a wink as he leans in to say hi.
“Going all out, Lil?”
“Better believe it,” I respond with a wink of my own.
I feel completely amazing. For the first time in my entire life my confidence is at an all-time high. I grab a drink and start mingling around greeting people I recognise. It takes them all a moment to register who I am, and then I get a lot of hugs. It's great, but then again it's a bit worrying: do I walk around looking like scruffy moose the rest of the time? The only person who does not come and speak to me is Ben. I maturely decide to ignore this. Out of the corner of my eye I can see the blues flash as he watches me talk to a couple of the guys from History class. Ha! Stick that sucker.
Five vodkas later and the Lilah dancing machine is out in full force. There are not that many people on the dance floor but I do not care. I dance away quite merrily until I realise that the room is spinning rather a lot. I try to slow my pace but the room is still spinning which makes me realise that it must be my head and not the crazy dance I am performing.
“I am going out for a smoke,” I tell Meredith, who is doing something I would rather not witness with Tristan on the dance floor. Outside I lean against my tree (yes, it is mine) and merrily smoke away. As I smoke I start to sober up a little bit - what on earth am I doing? My whole reasoning for the day begins to make no sense to me at all.
I do not want to get back together with Ben because I want him to go to the States and have his great career.
It was me who suggested being friends.
It is me who has enjoyed the last week of being friends and the casual flirting that has been simmering under the surface.
It is me who knows that eventually I am just going to have to let go of him being a part of my life.
So why the fuck am I dressed up to the nines attempting to get his attention?
By the time I am on my second cigarette, leaning against the tree with my eyes shut, I am feeling like a complete idiot and just want to go back home and get changed into my comfy jeans and a hoodie.
I feel a hand slide down my arm. I do not have to open my eyes to know who it is. I would know that touch anywhere.
“What are you doing out here, Lilah? It is freezing.” I do not bother opening my eyes, but wave my cigarette in the general direction of his voice, hoping I don’t set his hair alight.
“Look at me,” he says, voice soft and very close to my ear.
I open my eyes and meet his.
“Hey,” I say.
“Hey,” he whispers back. “You look amazing. I mean you always do, but there is something different about you tonight.”
He stops to think of the words.
Yep. I am a deranged lunatic attempting to make you fancy me even though I know I should not want you to.
“You look confident,” he finally says through lips that are distractingly close to my neck.
I want him so badly that my entire body could set alight, burning like dry tinder in a fire of need for this man with his dark hair, flashing eyes, and his long fingers made to entwine with mine. Even though we are not touching, I can feel every contour of his body against mine. The space between us zings with electricity.
I think about his words for a few seconds. He is right. I am confident. I am buzzing with it.
“I wish I could be this confident every day. Then, I think, I could be with you.”
The words are out before I can stop them. I hear him take a sharp intake of breath as he absorbs what I am saying. I need to correct this, fast.
“It’s not real though, Ben. It is just an illusion, someone that I could be if I was brave enough.”
My words are a whisper, my lips getting closer and closer to his jaw.
“Be brave with me, Lilah.”
As he says my name in the way only he does — half whisper, half wish — I can’t stop the single tear that betrays me by falling down my cheek. He stops its tracks with his lips and my willpower crumbles. I give a shudder as I lean against him, his arms slide around me pulling me in tight.
“Ben, you know this is not the real me. I am obsessive and negative and worry about everything,” I explain as I try to ignore his lips that are still against my cheek.
“You deserve so much more than that.”
He leans down so he can look right at me, the pressure of his body pushes me back against the tree, long hard lines moulding against mine.
“I only see the best in you,” he says “and you need to see that too.”
I just stare at him. His face is so close I can see his freckles illuminated in the moonlight.
We shouldn’t do it again. I know that. What is it, two or three times we have attempted a relationship now? Every time, for one reason or another, we end up pushing each other away saying words that hurt. I know this, but still I say, “I can’t stay away from you.”
He gives a low groan as he crushes us together, his lips on mine. The moment he touches me and I feel the familiar sensation of his mouth against mine, I know it is right. I can’t keep fighting this chemistry between us.
AUTHOR BIO
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Anna Bloom is a contemporary romance writer who writes about life as it happens. Combining a busy schedule of looking after two small children whilst working in a local school and completing The Uni Files series. Anna’s main aim in life is to create the perfect book which makes a reader laugh and cry at the same time, hopefully causing a convulsive (impossible to ignore) donkey noise. It’s a work in progress! Anna also spends a lot of time imagining kissing hot guys – all in the name of her art.
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