Title: Eyes Unveiled
Author: Crystal Walton
Series: Unveiled #1
Release Date: February 1st 2015
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
Summary:Twenty-one-year-old Emma Matthews lost the song in her heart the same night she lost her dad. With an unfulfilled promise and an ultimatum shadowing her junior year of college, maybe it’s better that way. You can’t hurt if you can’t feel.
But when the reflection she sees in musician Riley Preston’s eyes borders dangerously close to the one she’s spent the last five years searching for, Emma discovers her walls can’t guard her heart from its fiercest desire. Terrified of what she’s experiencing, and even more afraid of what she might lose, Emma grapples for the courage to hold on to one dream without abandoning the promise of another.
Contemporary New Adult Romance novel Eyes Unveiled lets you relive those heartfelt moments when you don’t know how you’d survive a day without your best friend, when you’re trying to figure out who you are and what you’re supposed to do with your life, and when falling in love changes everything.
Music. Friendship. Self-discovery. Hope. Purpose. Identity. Within this inspirational love story, you’ll find you have a song of your own to share.
If I kept moving, maybe the uneasiness spiraling in my stomach would dissipate.
Wouldn’t be that lucky. An awkward silence lingered the moment Trevor’s Outlander gunned away from the curb.
“Do you go to Nuts and Jolts often?” A. J. asked.
The tread on my sneakers skidded against the sidewalk about as smoothly as my thoughts skidded into each other. “Not really. I’m not a big coffee drinker, but the shop’s atmosphere is cool, especially on Friday nights.”
“Nothing beats live music.” He kept his face forward, but the shadow of a furtive grin fell on me. “My car is that Acura ZDX over there.”
Was I supposed to be impressed?
In the car, he angled toward me right as he turned the key in the ignition, about to say something. Bass pulsated through the speakers. He reached for the controls, accidentally turned up the volume before turning it off altogether, and laughed. “How’s that for smooth? Sorry. I don’t usually have other people in the car with me.”
His brief flicker of embarrassment disappeared in seconds, along with the college entrance behind us. “So, you like live music. Do you play any instruments?”
I ran my fingers over my seatbelt. “I play the guitar a little, but I’m not very good.”
“I bet you’re better than you’re admitting.”
“What makes you so sure?” The question ended more in a snort than a question mark.
“I’ve seen you around campus. Off by yourself, playing where no one can hear you.”
My jaw dropped halfway open. Had people on campus actually been watching me?
“The way you glow when you play, you have to be enjoying it. So, it can’t be that bad.”
Heat swept up my neck. “Wait a sec. You just asked me if I played, but you already knew.” Start talking, buddy.
“Trevor warned me you were a little shy about it. I wanted to see how open you’d be with me.” He stole another glimpse across the car. “You blush easily. I’ll have to remember that.”
The charm trailing his words fueled my growing debate over which type of guy he was. Ladies’ Man, up one point.
“With all your time spent trying to make girls blush, do you ever actually study for classes, or is the whole academic scene kind of overrated for you?”
He laughed. “Just because I’ve noticed one girl on campus doesn’t mean I’ve noticed any others.”
Right. And Ladies’ Man takes the lead.
What inspired you to write Eyes Unveiled?
When I first contemplated writing fiction, three musts came to mind. (1) It had to include romance because that’s my favorite part of any story. (2) I wanted whatever I wrote to be relatable. (3) I didn’t want to write simply for the sake of entertainment.
As soon as I opened myself up to daydream, a scene fluttered into focus. A guy and girl, college age, sitting in the middle of a secluded field. The guy was playing an acoustic guitar, as much in love with music as he obviously was with the girl across from him. Every chord stoked her love for him the same way it fanned the craving in her heart to find where she belonged. Both fighting what they felt. Both wanting to make the other see what they saw. Physical and emotional tension flared in a palpable tug-of-war between hope and doubt, caution and desire, passion and responsibilities. And right then, I knew these characters had a story to tell—one I wanted to read as much as write. From there, I couldn’t stop the scenes from coming.
What made you choose New Adult?
I didn’t intentionally set out to write NA fiction. But the truth is, college was the best season of my life. I’d relive it in a second. There's something special about it. Sharing an extended sleepover with your best friends, stepping out on your own for the first time, discovering things like who you are & what friendship really looks like. It's when we fell in love like never before, and when we fell apart like never before. It shaped our lives. One of my favorite parts about Eyes Unveiled is that you get to relive those moments all over again. The laugh-until-you-snort moments. The heart-flutters-taking-flight moments. The on-the-floor-crying-your-heart-out moments. All of it. Doubt. Faith. Friendship. Love. NA is a dynamic genre to read and write.
What made you decide to go indie?
I started off on the traditional route, but the more I studied publishing, the more passionate I became about going indie. Along with the benefit of keeping the rights to my book, it’s a joy to partner with some amazingly talented contractors. I love getting to offer my books at a low price and still receive a fair royalty, so readers and I both win. And since traditional and self-published authors have to do the same amount of marketing on their own anyway, you might as well be compensated fairly for the investment. Overall, it simply made the most sense.
Why do you write what you do?
In a word? Passion. As an artist, I leave my heart on the page. Exposed. Vulnerable. Nothing withheld. It’s risky to bear your soul to the world, but that’s the cost of art. There might always be a part of me tempted to guard my heart. But there’s a much more compelling part that’ll never allow me to. Regardless of the outcome, I write what I do because my heart is spoken for.
What do you want readers to take away from your books?
My goal as an author has always been to craft novels that are relevant and encouraging. I love compelling fiction that draws you into characters’ lives to the point of feeling what they feel. The kind that you walk away from knowing the story just impacted your life. Beyond mere entertainment, they awaken dormant dreams, stir creative visions, and remind you that you have a story of your own to live. If you walk away with an emotional connection that touches and inspires you, then I know I’ve written the kind of story I’ve always wanted to.
Author Bio:
Amidst multiple moves up and down the east coast, Crystal received her bachelor of arts from Messiah College in PA, married her exact opposite in upstate NY, and earned her master of arts from Regent University in VA, where she currently resides with her husband. Crystal writes contemporary new adult fiction fueled by venti green teas from Starbucks.
When not working her accounting day job, she's delving into the wonder of words, supporting her Starbucks habit, or laughing over movie quotes & singing eighties songs with her husband.
Thanks so much for sharing. Love the background of your blog. :)
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