Tainted Love: The Faith McKenzie Story
written by Erin Cawood
published by moodoo productions

find it here: Amazon (free as of 6/16/13), Goodreads

About the book – from Goodreads: For anyone in a relationship, the words ‘we need to talk’ can only mean one thing. In the last twenty-two years, the McKenzies have been through it, survived it, learned by it, and grown stronger from it, because life didn’t stop for breath when they needed it. Amongst the tears and the tragedies, the hopes and happiness, they’ve built something amazing: a happy family, a luxury lifestyle and a booming empire. Don’t they deserve to have it all?

But for the perfect wife, those four sinister words mean something entirely different. They’re a summons into a private world where what happens behind closed doors stays behind closed doors.

Faith has no doubt in Calvin’s undying love for her. It’s what kept her sane in the darkest hours. If only she could figure out what it is she does wrong… because it’s rapidly becoming apparent their tainted love is running out of time.

Please enjoy the following excerpt from Tainted Love. 

Over dinner, Cal announced he was leaving the hospital to join Dad’s private practice, and I thought I knew what that meant…

Happy ever after… right?

That night, we walked along the beach to his favorite spot. As we sat with the waves lapping against the shore and the gulls picking at the remains of the outgoing tide, we talked. About the hospital, about Dad’s practice, about the future, about the fact Cal hadn’t contemplated even having a future for a long time.

“Faith…” His whisper carried on the early spring breeze.

We weren’t touching, but I felt a chill as he pulled away. He blocked off the tiny window I’d found into his soul. You see, men weren’t as touchy-feely twenty-odd years ago, so this small amount of emotional real estate carried a lot of value, and had an even higher price to lose.

“I’m falling in love with you,” he admitted.

You’d think the first time a girl hears this from the man she loves, she’d be thrilled. Her heart would sing. She’d fly so high she’d reach outer space. But no. Or at least I didn’t feel that way. Head hung low, arms wrapped around his knees, holding a stick and poking holes in the sand, Cal didn’t even look at me when he said it. All I received was the pain and despair of knowing the love of my life was still in love with someone else.

“But sometimes it feels like I’m cheating on my wife.”

I knew what this meant. But how could I be angry with him? He was grieving for the woman he loved. For the child he’d lost. For the life so cruelly stolen from him. He needed time. He’d only grow to resent me if he didn’t fully heal.

“I understand.” I stood up. I left him to his thoughts. I wanted to keep my pride intact and my tears to myself. “Goodbye, Cal.”

Maybe he was wrestling his demons? Maybe he was tangling with his emotions? Scratching an itch? I don’t know. But he let me walk a fair distance before he stopped me.

“Faith!” Big hands wrapped around my tiny wrist, forcing me to turn and tumble on the uneven sand and into a bed of soft golden grains. His heavy body pinned me beneath him, and dry fingers slipped over my wet cheek as he swept the hair from my eyes. “Promise me you’ll never walk away from me again.”

His eyes, they locked onto mine. I couldn’t find the words I needed, or my voice to speak. The moment was intense and I knew whatever was happening between us at that point, it was going to change the rest of my life. But as I lay there under the intense scrutiny of his bird-of-prey gaze, for the life of me, I had no idea what was about to happen.

“Marry me, Faith?”

About the author: Erin Cawood is a commercial women’s fiction author, with a taste for dramatic storylines and a passion for strong lead characters she really gets behind, cheering on right to the very end of their story. Her focus? Taking romance into the darker, edgier side of contemporary fiction.

Erin lives in Leeds, UK, with her partner of thirteen years and their fourteen year old cat. She spends her days somewhere between the fiction world and the student world. Fascinated by web design and digial communication, Erin is studing a BA(hons) in New Media at the University of Leeds. Before returning to full time education two years ago, Erin worked at a theme park, a convenience store, a public house/restaurant both in the kitchen and waitressing, as an insurance agent and currently works part time in a customer contact centre.

Find Ms. Cawood here: web, blog, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads

And now for the GIVEAWAY!! Click the link below for your chance to win a $25 gift card!

Enter Giveaway

Happy reading wherever you are and whenever you get a free chance!!!