Title: A Shit Storm
Series: Six Silver Strings E String Set
Author: Lisa Gillis
Editor: Pedantic Punctuator
Page Count: 328 pages
Genre: New Adult - Rock Romance
Published: March 13, 2015
Tristan Loren is the first to admit he’s lived a privileged life.
However, the top schools, the best games and phones and cars, the finest of whatever his heart desired has come with strangers yelling for his attention and camera flashes in his face.
His classmates have visions of college life in the fall following senior year, while his fantasy is a normal existence. Whatever normalcy is, he’s sure it’s not graduating with honors--and his virginity.
Aside from having a paranoid mom who has made it her mission to see that he’s never alone with a girl, he wants his first time to be with someone who doesn’t know him as Jack Storm-of-the-multi-platinum-Jackal Junior.
Chasing the vision of a woman and a world who doesn’t know of him takes him from the sunshiny suburbs of Dallas to the snowy streets of Detroit.
When he sees Sash in person, the girl he’s texted, phoned, and Skyped for the better part of a year, he’s drawn to her secret smile, and the tattooed half sleeves decorating her arms. Her fiery, fun personality and musical skills make her seem the soul mate he’s been seeking.
But Sash has her own secrets—secrets that make him wish he’d never met her. Falling for Sash and finding his own identity may cost him more than what’s in his wallet.
A Shit Storm can stand alone but for fans of Six Silver Strings Series, this novel includes scenes with characters from G-Strings and D-Strings with several appearances of Jack and Marissa Storm.
Guest Post:
Standing in the Shadows
The inspiration for Tristan Loren in is every kid who has
grown up in the shadow of someone. In A
Shit Storm, this shadow is a celebrity parent. Everyone at one point has
said, “You know, the Smith’s kid.” Tristan is “the rock star’s kid.”
He lives in a protective yet very visible bubble. He’s spent
half his life buffered from the outside world by bodyguards.
When I was younger, my parents warned me against
eating anything they hadn’t given me themselves. I have memories of James
snatching cookies from my hand, right before they touched my lips.
Even when his father, Jack Storm, moves them from L.A.,
Tristan still feels an invisible something between him and everyone else. It’s
intimidating to him to be the descendent of womanizing rock star Jack Storm.
The fact that I’m a young Jack Storm doppelganger
causes as much havoc in my life as heaven.
Hell, thanks to time standing still on Pinterest
boards and Google images, sometimes I’m mistaken for my dad by women who are
too crazed with excitement to remember what decade it is.
Afraid he won’t live up to the expectation of being a rock
star’s kid, he maintains an emotional distance from his peers.
A date, however, didn’t get me laid like almost
every other high school male on prom night…
Why?
When it comes to sex…, the problem is who I am.
I’m Tristan Storm.
Did you catch I said Storm, not Loren?
Because I am. I’m Tristan Storm as much as Tristan
Loren. And the ‘S’ name is a lot to live up to.
It’s not easy growing up in the shadows of a well-known
parent—or even sibling. Look at my friend, Mal, who was two years behind her
sister in school—a sister who made straight A’s and the honor roll every
semester. Teacher’s clucked their tongues and shook their heads when Mal made a
C. There was my boyfriend, Dave, whose father did time in prison for a felony
drug charge. My parents continuously told me I could do better although Dave—unlike
Mal whom they loved—was a straight-A
student, and on the honor roll, and a wonderful guy. And then there’s Cole, the
rock star’s son, who doesn’t play a lick. How tiring it is to see the eyebrows
shoot up.
A Shit storm is dedicated to rock star offspring; you are
your own star.
Excerpt:
“Take a shower with me…”
My heart
pounds when she immediately smiles and brushes against me for a hug as she
swings out of bed and stands.
Stealthily,
we traipse the hall to the bathroom, and once we’re closed inside, I start the water.
I drop my tee shirt, sweatpants, socks, and briefs to the floor, greedily eying
her as her clothing mingles with mine.
We step
over the side of the tub. After I wet my head, she reaches up, fingering with a
feather touch the skin above my brow. “You sure you’re supposed to get that
wet?”
I’ve
forgotten about the wound on my face and the skin bonding glue, but as I do the
math in my head, I realize it’s been three days, and that’s all that had been
required to keep it dry. I’m about to tease her and fake a freak-out, like the
gash may pop open at any second, when the beauty of her sleek wet body
distracts me.
It isn’t
normal for either Sladen or Mark to be up and about until mid-morning. Sladen
pretty much opens shop when he gets there since few people schedule tattoos
before noon. Mark has no morning classes. Hell, I sometimes wonder if he has
any classes. He rarely studies that I notice.
So when
the bathroom door opening creates a noticeable draft just as Sash and I are
getting started. I instinctively swing my body, hoping through the frosty
shower curtain her silhouette is hidden, sandwiched between the back shower
wall and me.
“Sorry,
dude. I’ll just be a sec.” Mark speaks as a steady flow hits the toilet basin.
“Hey, you think I can borrow your bike tomorrow? I’ve got to…”
His voice
fades to a garble as Sash licks my collarbone and closes her fingers around me.
I drop my surprised gaze, and she tips a devilish smile.
“…so I’d
owe you, man.”
“Yeah,
sure. No problem.” I answer, fighting a guttural groan as I lean into Sash.
“Thanks!”
The toilet flushes, and he apologizes for scorching me. “Oops, sorry, man.
I wait
until I see over the shower curtain the room is empty and the door is closed
before closing both hands on two of Sash’s finest curves.
“You bad,
bad girl… that was so wrong…” I drop my tongue to a slick, wet shoulder. “On so
many levels…” I find more to lick.
A
combination of a laugh and a groan leaves her lips… And it is in that moment we
become public.
“Sash?”
Again,
Mark’s presence causes my body to go automatically into shelter mode, and I
freeze in place, willing him away, but knowing we aren’t going to get off that
easily. Even in that early moment, the inflection in his voice when he says her
name alerts me that something is off about the situation.
“You’re
fucking him?” The door widens, and he moves back into the room.
My Review:
It honestly took me way too long to get into this story with the multiple POVs. I was confused in the beginning as to why I was reading so much of the parents' POV, until about Chapter 20-something. Then it occurred to me that I'd read their book already and it made more sense. I cannot figure out why it took me so long. I LOVED Tristan and Sasha's story--not so much the parents'. I felt like the mom, especially, was more inconvenienced by her lack of control over her son than anything akin to worry or grief at his disappearance. Where I should have been relating to the people my own age, instead I related to the kids.
While this sounds like a harsh review, I want it understood that I really enjoyed this story, it just confused me at first, and I was highly irritated with Mom. Tristan and Sasha have a beautiful story, and watching him figure out who he is and what he wants in life was truly wonderful. I would totally recommend this book, as it was different from other books in this genre.
Rock Star Reads
Check out the tour schedule here
Lisa Gillis lives in Texas among family and loves it all, from the beaches deserts to the sprawling metropolises. Her loyal, loving musician husband inspires her fictional men, and her beautiful-hearted son brings the light to her world.
Writing is her passion, and she strives to blend the perfect mixture of fantasy and reality into her books. While listening to music, the little voices in her head become the fascinating characters in her novels, and each series, including Silver Strings, is infused with her love of music, bands and concerts.
When she’s not writing or making her own music on her guitar or drums, she’s catering to her spoiled, hyper and lovable chocolate lab, Bailey.
Good luck and happy winning!
Tour hosted by...
Happy Geek Media (HGM)
Graphics courtesy of Author Lisa Gillis.
Exquisitely professional thoughts. coolessay review
ReplyDeleteI merely hit upon this web site and desired to enunciate that I've definitely delighted in reckoning your blog articles or blog posts. Rest assured I'll subsist pledging to your RSS and I wish you write-up after much more shortly