Antonia Bernardin

This is a regular feature, where I shine a light on an indie/ small print/ debut author who has submitted their details to me on the Indie spotlight page.

So, let’s get started with today’s spotlight:

Indie spotlight: Georgia Valentine

About Georgia Valentine

Full time working mum of two girls from Glasgow, just to trying to live out a life long dream of becoming a full time author

Where to follow Georgia Valentine

• TikTok

Stripped Back – Georgia Valentine

Brody –

When I travelled out of town on business, the last thing I expected was to stumble across something I couldn’t walk away from. In one of those twist of fate – sliding doors moments, I made a split-second decision that was set to change everything.

Back in New York with no way of contacting the beautiful girl with the sad eyes, I know I should forget about her and move on. The problem is, I can’t seem to get her out of my mind.
I left her with my number and the promise of help to start a new life.
She left me with a lasting impression and desperately hoping she would make that call.

Her –

I swore I’d never rely on anyone but myself again. It was my mess and I was determined to get myself out of it. But when fate came knocking and I saw my chance to run, I took it.
I wasn’t prepared. But there was no way I was going back.

There was only one way out. Make the call, the call that could change my life.
I just hope he really is the man I believe him to be, otherwise I could be jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire.

An extract from Stripped Back

The flight is around five and a half hours long, so I settle in and try to watch a movie, but my mind is still buzzing, and I’m finding it difficult to concentrate on anything. For every feeling of self-regard I have for getting this far, comes many more of self-doubt that I’m going to regret this. It’s frustrating as hell. I want to be able to appreciate how brave I’ve been to run from him. How strong I must be to have made it through the years of hell he put me through, but I just can’t seem to do that. Maybe it’s too soon. Maybe I’m expecting way too much of myself. Thoughts of Aubrey frantically searching for me creep uninvited into my mind, causing that familiar unsettled feeling in my stomach to swirl with anxiety, but I do my best to push the image of him to the back of mind and keep reminding myself that he will have no idea where I’d go.

The dumb oaf would probably go straight to Alabama to look for me, even though that is the last place in the world I would go. After a second glass of champagne, I begin to relax a little, and even manage a couple of hours sleep. When the pilot announces we’re close to landing, butterflies began to flutter furiously around my stomach. I don’t even know if it’s thoughts of the unknown new life I’m about to step into or if it’s the man I’m about to see, that have my belly doing somersaults.

All I know is that for the first time in a very long time, I feel an overwhelming sense that everything is going to be okay. I glance around apprehensively before spotting Brody waiting for me exactly where he said he’d be, just passed customs. I’m sure my heart literally skips a beat or two when I first set eyes on him. He looks even more gorgeous that I remembered him, and I take a second to drink him in. He’s wearing a black and red backward baseball cap, a pair of black sweatpants and a black T-shirt, with some white and red Nike’s. A hand casually slipped inside the pocket of his sweatpants. He has the exact same easy air of confidence about him that I remember so well, but his face tells a different story, giving him away. He looks anxious as he scans the crowd, all rushing toward him, as he tries to spot me. And when his eyes finally land on mine, he lifts an arm to wave, flashing me that boyish dimpled grin of his that’s been scorched into my memory.

This is the moment I’ve spent the whole plane journey both dreading and excited for in equal measure. Wondering how I should greet him when I see him, if I should hug him, if it would feel awkward seeing him again, but also buzzing with nervous energy to see the only person that’s made me feel alive in years. I needn’t have worried though, because before I even reach him, he opens out his arms wide, inviting me to him, and without bothering to give it a second thought, I run at him, closing the distance between before throwing myself at him, like I’m throwing myself out of a burning building and into a safety net.

My arms wrap tightly around his waist, and I bury my face in his broad chest as tears began to pour out if me. He wraps me up in his big strong arms, squeezing me just as tightly as I am him, and he kisses the top of my head over and over again, cradling it to him with one of his big hands as he whispers into my hair, “Shhh, I’ve got you now. Everything’s going to be okay, Alabama. I promise you. You’re going to be okay.” And I damn near loose it at his words. Probably because I believe him.

Where to buy

The book is available to buy on Amazon here

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