Cover Reveal for “If It Kills Me”

Yeah, I’m lying here on the sidewalk spilling my guts all over. I risked my life to defend the woman I love. Funny thing, I never told her I loved her. I never even kissed her…not even once. Now, I’ll never get my chance because I’m bleeding out. Darn it. I hear her voice…so far away now. Everything’s going dark. Jess…I… Gammy?

Jaeson Rhodes works at the local coffee shop where he meets Jessica Stewart. His strong attraction for her beckons him to take the leap, but it’s too soon after his recent heartache. His roommate, Rick, informs him that his new girlfriend requires them to have a chaperone to watch a movie at his apartment. Jaeson breaks out his little black book for a date, no luck. He opens the door on the night of the date to find the woman of his dreams standing right in front of him. She was Rick’s new woman. Jae’s shocked to find Rick keeps coming up with excuses to cancel dates with Jessica and asks him to help out. How hard can it be to just be friends with the woman who has his heart? He has to…even if it kills him.

Jessica Stewart is a woman who knows what she wants out of life. A career sewing her own clothing line and real honest to God love. She doesn’t believe in sleeping around. She wants to wait until she’s married before going all the way. She meets Jaeson Rhodes at the coffee shop she goes to almost every day. Deep down she wishes he would give her a sign to show he’s interested. His hands tremble when she’s close often spilling her drink all over his clothing and she wonders why. Is he that much of a klutz or is there more to it than that? She meets bad boy Rick at a gallery, and they get together instead. Her rules for her first date with Rick: Not being alone with him in his apartment.

Will she stay with roguish Rick or will she see how much Jaeson really loves her before he loses her forever?

A New Adult Romantic Comedy novel by Cassandra Ulrich COMING SOON on Amazon

Also, visit http://cassandraulrich.blogspot.com/

Dealing with Rejection

Any writer who has submitted work to a publisher or contest undoubtedly deals with rejection at some point. It may come via a form letter or an email. The ones where there’s a message of encouragement softens the blow just a bit. Other times, the realization hits you when the announcement date has passed and there’s nothing in the inbox.

I received such an email on July 28, 2020. My response? A sigh. I’d hoped this one would make it.

The key is to not wallow in self-pity for too long. I gave that emotion all of five seconds, huffed out a breath, then kept working. Rejection doesn’t necessarily mean my work wasn’t any good. It could mean it wasn’t a good match or the individual liked something better. In the meantime, I’ll take more writing classes and ask others to critique my stories. That’s how I’ll grow as a writer.

Will I submit to other contests? Absolutely! There’s a certain thrill in trying. It means I finished yet another piece of work that has a chance of being accepted.

Don’t stop writing. Don’t give up.