STAGES OF GRACE By Carey Heywood Excerpt and Giveaway

Blurb:
 Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance...
 When facing death a mourning period is to be expected. But what if it's not a person but a relationship that dies? Grace and her boyfriend Jon have been together for three years. They live together and have shared many beautiful memories. Those memories are what keep Grace from admitting Jon has changed and is no longer the man she fell in love with.
 Afraid of being alone and holding on to something that no longer exists Grace is a shadow of her former self. Her daily objective is to hide her pain from the world. Then, an unexpected letter sets off a whirlwind of potential life changes. In life sometimes the hardest thing to do is let go.

Excerpt:
Over indulgence of wine can result in sleeping in. Days when you must get on an airplane are stressful enough without feeling as though you are already behind. I wake up an hour later than I had planned. I rush to the dryer to retrieve my clothes and dump them on my bed before taking a shower. Once I’m dressed, I pack my clean clothes and go off in search of Kate. She’s in the kitchen looking as though she is also suffering from the effects of too much wine. I’m relieved to see a fresh pot of coffee. Ryan had brought some croissants the day before and Kate has baking chocolate in the fridge, so I whip up a few chocolate croissants for us in the microwave. They’re hot so while they cool I go off in search of some Advil to assist with the dull thud in my head. Kate is quiet over breakfast. I feel like it’s my fault for not agreeing to stay. It's weird not knowing what to say to make her feel better. I get up to clear the plates, and Kate stops me, putting her hand on my forearm. "Just know you still have family, Grace. I may be old, but we're all each other has left at this point. I want you to know that I love you and always will." I sink down to my knees next to her and allow Kate to pull me into a hug. We’re both crying, I suddenly feel overwhelmed by the idea that I’m not alone in the world. I had clung to Jon after my parents’ deaths because of this. I’m not certain why Kate is crying, maybe it has something to do with my mother, maybe it is just because she will miss me. When we separate, Kate grabs a napkin to wipe my tears. "Please know I've thought about staying."

Author Bio:
 Carey Heywood lives in Richmond Va with her husband, three children and nine pound attack Yorkie. Unabashedly silly, she spends her free time bonding with candy loving strangers on Twitter. Right now she is probably eating Swedish fish.

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