Flowers on the Wall by Mary J Williams

WHAT IS MUSIC WITHOUT SOME HART?

Ryder Hart
Rock God
Brother
Protector
Wounded Soul

Quinn Abernathy 
Photographer
Daughter
Healer of Souls

Ryder Hart came up the hard way. From his childhood, to scratching his way to the top of the charts. Every moment was a struggle. Now that he's made it, nothing is taking him down. Not even a secret so dark it invades his dreams and haunts his waking hours.

Quinn Abernathy's hunger for success is no less than Ryder's. If she wants to succeed in the highly competitive world of photography, she can't let anything, or anyone, get in her way. Until Ryder. He makes her long for more than she ever thought possible.

Music is Ryder's life. There isn't room for a woman like Quinn Abernathy. A woman who asks for nothing but wants it all.

Grab this stand-alone novel now.

 

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At the end of September, look for Dalton's story. FLOWERS AND CAGES (Hart of Rock and Roll Book Two)

Here a quick look.

TRIED, CONVICTED, SENTENCED, and on his way to the state penitentiary, Dalton Shaw had learned two things. He wasn't as tough as he thought. And behind bars, there was no such thing as a guilty man.
The black eye and split lip Dalton sported proved that a cocky attitude didn't impress anyone behind bars. Especially a bruiser who had used up his last strike and was going away for life.
It could have been worse. The guard could have broken up the fight after Wiley Malone had done permanent damage.
"I wanted to smash that pretty face into a pulp," Wiley growled as he was dragged away. "Next time, Shaw. There will be one. Count on it."
The odds that Dalton would wind up in the same prison as Wiley was better than even money. The judge who sentenced him made it a sure bet. Three years—less than one if he kept his nose clean. But it was a long time to watch his back.
"There are rules," Ryder Hart, told him during their last visit before Dalton was relocated.
"What do you know beyond what you've seen on television?"
"I've done some research. So has Ashe. Zoe was the one who found you a tutor."
Ryder, Ashe, and Zoe. Dalton's bandmates. Friends. Family—a bond stronger than any blood relation. They were his lifeline and the only thing that had kept him sane. None of them had believed Dalton would do any significant amount of time. He didn't have a record as an adult and only minor scuffles as a minor. Beating the shit out of someone—no matter how well-deserved—was serious. But hard time? It didn't make sense. Unless you added in the fact that Dalton's victim lived in a small town where his daddy's influence ruled. Dalton's lawyer had tried to get the trial moved out of the county, but the judge refused.
"I need a tutor to go to prison?"
Ryder nodded. Dalton knew his friend was trying to keep a positive outlook, but his dark eyes were shadowed with worry. "Jock Lowe. It isn't exactly Miss Manners, but there is a definite way to do things."
"Fuck that, Ryder. It's prison."
"And like you said, all we know is what we've seen on TV or in the movies. Forearmed is forewarned, Dalton. Listen to what the man has to say."
Dalton knew Ryder was right. But it seemed so final. Like a movie, he hoped for a last minute reprieve. The sentence had been passed. Tomorrow the bus would take him to his new home.
How the hell had this happened? Dalton was twenty-two years old. The future had seemed so bright. The Ryder Hart Band had its first album coming out next month. The buzz was good—better than good. After years of barely scraping by, they were about to hit it big, and Dalton wasn't going to be there to share the moment.
"You need to hire a permanent replacement."
"Why? Are you planning on becoming a career criminal?"
"No, but—"
"Nobody can play the drums like you. It won't be the same, but we'll get by until you're out. Eight months—tops."
"What if it's longer?" The thought made Dalton sick, but it had to be said. "Things happen. The gray jumpsuit I'm wearing is proof of that."
"That's why we hired the tutor. He'll tell you how to avoid trouble." Ryder gripped his arm. "I'll never forgive you if you don't come back to us, Dalton."
"Time's up," the guard called out.
"I'm scared, Ryder." It was the first time Dalton had admitted it to anyone—even himself.
"We'll visit every week. Ashe, Zoe and me." Ryder hugged him. "Stay strong, brother. More important, stay smart."
The next morning, the bus to the prison was filled to capacity. Wiley Malone sat near the front, glaring at Dalton as he walked past. The tutor Ryder hired had given Dalton a plan—a course of action—beyond watching his back and cowering in his cell. It wasn't foolproof, but it was something.
Ankles manacled, Dalton shuffled to his seat. The man he was chained to tripped, sending Dalton crashing into the side of the bus. His shoulder took most of the impact.
"Sorry."
Dalton shrugged it off. Thanks to Wiley, his body was already covered in bruises. What was one more?
"Don Fitzgerald." The man held out his cuffed hand.
"Dalton Shaw."
"I shouldn't be here."
Closing his eyes, Dalton sighed. Here it comes, he thought. Since his arrest, he hadn't met a single person who took responsibility for their incarceration. If he believed every story, he heard the criminal justice system got it wrong one hundred percent of the time. Railroaded. Screwed over. Framed. Pick your term. When those doors locked them in their cages each night, the prisoners slept the sleep of the unjustly incarcerated. Some were tormented by the knowledge. Others accepted their fate. But go ahead and ask. Not one of them was there because they had done the crime.
"I'm telling you, man, I blame that bitch I married. Sure, the drugs were mine, but the police never would have found them if I hadn't been provoked into knocking the shit out of her. A man can only take so much lip, right? She made such a racket the neighbors called the police."
Dalton closed his eyes, picturing himself smashing Don's face into the bus window. He wondered if a broken nose would shut the asshole up. Probably not. There was one good thought. At least Don's wife was rid of her abusive husband for the next three to five years.
"What did they jack you up for?"
"They didn't."
Don frowned. "I mean what shit did they trump up on you, man?"
"I put a man in the hospital because he liked to use his wife as a punching bag."
"Huh?" Don looked more confused than before.
"You ain't saying you did it?"
Don's exclamation of disbelief got the attention of half the bus. Dalton felt like an exotic animal on display. A rare species that the prisoners had heard whispered about but never observed in person.
"That's exactly what I'm saying. I did it." Dalton looked around. "And given the chance, I wouldn't hesitate to do it again."

As you can see, the book begins with Dalton on his way to prison. He is a young man with his whole life ahead of him. The mistake he made will change him forever.

Look for FLOWERS AND CAGES at the end of September. And if you would like a look at the covers for books three and four, click on over to my website.

Until next time. Stay safe, hug the ones you love, and happy reading.

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