Release Day Blitz ~ The Counting Downers by A.J. Compton
The stunningly poignant and life-affirming debut novel
Title: The Counting Downers
Author: A.J. Compton
Genre: New Adult Romance
Release Date: July 24, 2015
Editor: Hot Tree Editing
Cover Designer: CT Cover Creations
Imagine if we could see how long everyone around us had left to live. But we weren’t allowed to know our own numbers…
Trying to make sense of life after the death of her beloved father, free spirit Matilda Evans meets Tristan Isaacs and discovers a marrow-deep connection with him.
No stranger to grief himself, lonely artist Tristan is in awe of Matilda’s fun and philosophical approach to life. With every second spent in her presence, he finds his views on life and loss changing, and begins to embrace the beauty of being alive.
As their friendship turns into something deeper, lessons are learned, memories are made, and legacies are created.
But with both of them knowing how long their soulmate has left in this lifetime, important questions have to be asked and tough decisions have to be made before time runs out.
The Counting-Downers is an inspiring story about life, loss, love, and making the most of every moment.
Get yours now for the special launch price of $1.99
And suddenly, I realize that all those books and movies had gotten it wrong.
When you find your souls reflection in another, you shouldn’t be aware of anything other than their body, yours, and the space between.
You shouldn’t be looking for someone whose kiss causes you to escape reality by transporting you to another time and place. Look for the person whose kiss grounds you firmly in the moment, whose arms hold you safely in the now.
When your lips lock with your destiny, you should be aware of every prickle on your skin that rises to greet them, every strand of their hair that caresses your fingers, every gasp of air that reaches your ears.
Most of us kiss with our eyes closed. But that’s not always a good thing. It depends why they’re shut.
If you asked most people to imagine themselves in a situation, the first thing they would do is close their eyes.
You should kiss with your eyes closed to heighten your other senses and block out everything but the now, not to escape to somewhere else.
Reality should be better than your imagination.
Because when it’s right, like this is right, you won’t have to use your imagination at all.
“We’re all dying; so if you know the inevitable is coming, why rush it and chose to die before you die? Or to die before you have the chance to live?” We all live day to day not knowing what tomorrow brings. At any moment our time could be up, but what if you knew the exact time everyone you know and love was going to die, but never knowing your own countdown? How would that affect you day to day? How much would the countdown haunt you? I know I would never have been able to handle it and likely never be able to look anyone in the eye without blurting out their numbers…I would be staring at their clock floating above their head. Time would rule my thoughts; much like it did to Matilda. “It always comes back to T.I.M.E. Make it yours. Make it count.” When time is hanging over your head, making connections can be difficult knowing when you have to say goodbye, but never knowing how much time is on your own clock. There is something about Tristan that makes Matilda want to throw her “clock watching” ways out the window. She has an instant connection with him that not just touches her heart, but her soul. She finds herself not just wanting to ignore time, but use the time she knows Tristan has left to fulfill their own bucket list, it will be their legacy that they leave behind to honor Matilda’s father and how he loved to live freely, throwing caution (in this case..Time) to the wind. What these two create is a love that is forever. You cannot put a time limit on the kind of love they share. Their blossoming love touched me to my core. “Love is when you don’t have to be around someone to be happy. Just knowing that they live and breathe in this world is enough to brighten your day.” This was such a unique storyline. I read more excerpts from this book to my husband then I have any other book to date. I could pretty much highlight the entire book. I have a small family, but it is always “family first” with me and I adore my tight knit circle of friends who I also consider family and there were moments in this book that made me think of each and every one of them in some way. The words jumped off the page and touched me down to my core. It made me think, it made me feel, it made me laugh, it made me cry, and it made feel blessed for those I have in my life. I loved the poetic flow of the words. I loved the beautiful slow burn of the friends to lovers’ connection that Matilda and Tristan shared. I loved the message of family. It made me want to hug my parents and call every one of my friends immediately, never wasting a moment with any of them. Then there is an epilogue that made me "pause" and sent me head over heels. Simply beautiful. “For all the heartache, pain, and suffering. The grief and the torture. The hatred and the depravity. The abuse and the isolation. For all of the negativity and darkness this cruel world has to offer. Sometimes, just sometimes, the clouds part, the sun shines, and life reminds you why it’s good to be alive.”
A.J. Compton is a 23 year-old Londoner, professional dreamer, and full time over-thinker. A big believer in going after your dreams, she decided to practice what she preaches and finally finish one of the many incomplete manuscripts she’s started over the years.
A University of Cambridge graduate, A.J. is currently in a polygamous relationship with an embarrassing number of book boyfriends.
Those two facts are not related. Honestly.
She loves people-watching and exploring her observations in her writing.
She really hates writing about herself in the third person. Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter Sign-up
