Conquest by S.J. Frost

I'm beyond ecstatic to announce that my novel, Conquest, it up for Best Contemporary in the LoveRomance Cafe Best of 2009 Awards! It's in the company of some wonderful books and amazing authors, and to just be included is an incredible honor for me. To celebrate its nomination, I thought I'd post a little excerpt from it :-)

In this scene, superstar singer, Evan Arden, sees main character, Jesse Alexander, singing for the first time in a little dive of a bar.

Blurb:
As the vocally gifted lead singer of his band, Conquest, Jesse Alexander refuses to let anything hold him back from achieving his dream of becoming one of the greatest performers to ever hit a stage. Evan Arden was thought of as a musical genius when at the height of his career, he vanished from the spotlight. Together, their relationship is just as intense as their music careers, but with the pressures of success and fame pushing down on them, Jesse must decide what's more important to him, his life of music, or his life with Evan.

Excerpt:
Evan paid the coverage charge to get into the bar, listening to the last jumble of notes to a fast rock song come to an unsteady halt.

“If that’s the best band in Chicago, this town needs help,” he muttered to himself.

The crowd quieted in anticipation. Evan looked up on stage. The lead singer had his back to the audience, waiting for the keyboardist to move. The keyboardist hopped back, and Jesse took over at the instrument facing the crowd. He announced the next song as titled “Shattered,” then followed with the opening soft notes from the keyboard. He closed his eyes, his fingers drifted across the keys, his honeyed tenor rose with the first verse of the ballad,

“I yelled for you as you walked away,
My voice a whisper…in the crowd…
And I watched our memories fall with the rain,
Breaking…on the ground…
I want to take it all away,
And believe the truths in the dark.
I want to live the fantasy,
The sweet delusion,
And keep you in my arms.

What can I do?
Don’t leave me to drown
In these shattered memories.
I want to scream,
But I can’t breathe,
I’m falling away.

Can’t you see,
That I’m alone,
And I’m slipping away?
I can’t stop myself.
Can’t catch myself.
Take my hand,
Pull me out,
Please save me.
I’m shattering,
Breaking…”

Evan stumbled back a step and bumped into the wall behind him. He stared up at the stage, his breath lost. Jesse had his white shirt fully unbuttoned, showing his smooth chest coated in a light sheen of sweat. The stage lights surrounded him in a halo of golden light, making him shine.

“Sir? Are you okay?”

Evan blinked at the female voice close to him. He turned to see the bartender giving him a concerned look. He pulled his Yankees cap down to hide his face more.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’ve just never heard a voice like that before.”

Nodding in agreement, the bartender leaned on the bar, resting her chin in her hand as she gazed up at the stage. “I hear that. He sings and looks like an angel. He’s got it all.” She glanced at Evan with an apologetic smile. “Sorry. I know guys don’t like hearing a girl gush over other guys. Can I get you something to drink?”

“Guinness, please.”

She ducked away and returned with his beer. Evan took his beer and began working his way through the crowd. He managed to inch to the front of the stage as Jesse wrapped up the piano interlude. The guitar joined in with the drums following, a good two beats behind where they should be. The keyboardist came to take Jesse’s place, and Jesse stepped toward the front of the stage with his mic in hand.

Evan caught the irritation that flashed over Jesse’s face when the keyboardist obviously hit the wrong notes. He smiled to himself. The guy was a perfectionist, he could see it. And with the talent he had already shown, why shouldn’t he be?

Jesse bent down at the front of the stage to a group of swooning young women. They reached out, desperate to touch his hand. He floated his fingertips from one outstretched hand to another.

Evan watched him, his fingers tingling with the desire to feel Jesse’s soft touch on them. From under his black hair, a droplet of sweat rolled down Jesse’s temple, past his indigo eye, and over his elegantly raised cheekbone to linger on his delicate jaw before dripping away. He stood up straight, his white shirt slipped from one shoulder. He tipped his head back as he raised his mic, singing the second verse and chorus,

“Now I’m sitting all alone in the darkness.
Listening for your voice in the silence.
All I have left are illusions and dreams.
Your phantom body lying next to me.
Another memory trickles down my cheek,
And I slip a little bit more.

What can I do?
Don’t leave me to drown,
In these shattered memories.
I want to scream,
But I can’t breathe,
I’m falling away.

Can’t you see,
That I’m alone,
And I’m slipping away?
I can’t stop myself.
Can’t catch myself.
Take my hand
Pull me out,
Please save me.
I’m shattering,
Breaking…”

Jesse stepped back from the front of the stage as the song finished. He bowed to the crowd and flashed a stunning smile.

Evan started breathing again. He staggered back to the bar and dropped down on a stool.

“Need another beer?” the bartender asked.

Evan shook his head, still in a daze. “No, thanks.”

“He’s some singer, isn’t he? I tell ya, with all the crap on the radio these days, if ever there was a band that deserved getting a record deal, it’s them. I really hope they make it someday.”

Evan nodded. He sat motionless for the rest of the night, not drinking, not speaking, his eyes focused on Jesse. When Conquest finished their set and Jesse and his band disappeared into a room at the back of the bar, Evan headed out to the black Cadillac Escalade Marcus had hooked up for him. He climbed in and stared at the steering wheel, Jesse’s beautiful voice resounding in his head.