My heart quite literally ached for each character as the story progressed. Stone and Shannon both have their problems, but together what they are faced with is far from easy. Cherry Shephard will bring you to your knees in tears and beaming from ear to ear. This book is amazing!
Saints & Sinners Books
Imperfectly PERFECT, you’ll laugh cry and scream till your voice is hoarse. This book hits every emotion on the radar. It gives you a real life look into the trials and tribulations of just how messy and beautiful love can be!
Krystal Fahl
You made me laugh, cry and my heart acheso so bad for them. (Its still thudding now and I have finished the book 5 minutes ago) But most of all, you sucked me into their story that made me Feel. Feel the bad, the good, the great and the down right sinfully naughty. Loved Loved LOVED IT!
Kasey Crees
We all want a man that is imperfectly perfect and that man is Stone.
Jaye Cox
Truly you have excelled yourself in writing. Thank you so much for perfection.
Bec Paterson
This book is licensed for your enjoyment only. It may not be sold, copied or reproduced by any means, including print, scan, copying, fax or email, without express written permission by the author.
This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to businesses, people or activities is purely coincidental.
Imperfect (Blaze of Glory #1)
Copyright © 2015 Cherry Shephard
This book contains scenes that may be considered a trigger for some readers. Please exercise caution when reading, and ensure that your files are stored safely, away from persons under eighteen (18) years of age. The author accepts no responsibility for any minor that may pick up this book, or any damage caused by trigger scenes in reading this book.
Cover design: Sara Eirew Photography
Edited by Kristin Scearce of Hot Tree Editing
Formatted by Sassie Lewis sassie.lewis@gmail.com
http://www.cherryshephard.net
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Dedication
For my children, may you find your perfectly imperfect love.
Zzyxz Rd - Stone Sour
Can’t Feel My Face - The Weeknd
Hurricane - Thirty Seconds To Mars
Start Again - Conrad Sewell
Absolute Zero - Stone Sour
Keep Holding On - Avril Lavigne
Good For You - Selena Gomez
Higher - Creed
Blaze of Glory - Bon Jovi
Lullaby - Shawn Mullins
Again a verse for sake of you,
You soldiers in the rank s— you Volunteers,
Who bravely fighting, silent fell,
To fill unmention'd graves.
Ashes of soldiers!
As I muse, retrospective, murmuring a chant in thought,
Lo! thewar resume s— again to my sense your shapes,
And again the advance of armies.
Noiseless as mists and vapors,
From their graves in the trenches ascending,
From the cemeteries all through Virginia and Tennessee,
From every point of the compass, out of the countless unnamed graves,
In wafted clouds, in myraids large, or squads of twos or threes, or single ones, they come,
And silently gather round me.
Now sound no note, O trumpeters!
Not at the head of my cavalry, parading on spirited horses,
With sabres drawn and glist'ning, and carbines by their thigh s— (ah, my brave horsemen!
My handsome, tan-faced horsemen! what life, what joy and pride,
With all the perils, were yours!)
Nor you drummer s— neither at reveille, at dawn,
Nor the long roll alarming the cam p— nor even the muffled beat for a burial;
Nothing from you, this time, O drummers, bearing my warlike drums.
But aside from these, and the marts of wealth, and the crowded promenade,
Admitting around me comrades close, unseen by the rest, and voiceless,
The slain elate and alive agai n— the dust and debris alive,
I chant this chant of my silent soul, in the name of all dead soldiers.
Faces so pale, with wondrous eyes, very dear, gather closer yet;
Draw close, but speak not.
Phantoms of countless lost!
Invisible to the rest, henceforth become my companions!
Follow me ever! desert me not, while I live.
Sweet are the blooming cheeks of the living! sweet are the musical voices sounding!
But sweet, ah sweet, are the dead, with their silent eyes.
Dearest comrades! all is over and long gone;
But love is not ove r— and what love, O comrades!
Perfume from battle-fieldsrisin g— up from foetor arising.
Perfume therefore my chant, O love! immortal Love!
Give me to bathe the memories of all dead soldiers,
Shroud them, embalm them, cover them all over with tender pride!
Perfume all! make all wholesome!
Make these ashes to nourish and blossom,
O love! O chant! solve all, fructify all with the last chemistry.
Give me exhaustles s— make me a fountain,
That I exhale love from me wherever I go, like a moist perennial dew ,
For the ashes of all dead soldiers.
One year ago…
Hurrmmm.
My blood runs cold at the familiar sound of the motorbike turning onto the street.
He’s home early.
I drop the letter I’m reading back on the coffee table and jump to my feet. Hurrying into the kitchen, I pull out two plates and set them on the table, along with knives and forks. Offering up a silent prayer, I stick a fork into the potatoes, my heart sinking as the fork doesn’t go all the way through. No time to fix it now.
Quickly dishing up the roast beef I’d cut earlier, I put the potatoes and peas on the plates and set them on the table. Adding an open beer, I throw the dirty pots into the dishwasher and hurry into the bathroom.
I hear the engine of the motorbike stop, and the smashing glass on the driveway as he drops a bottle of beer. Tidying my hair, I wince at the stain of tears on my cheeks. I touch up my makeup in less than twenty seconds, and then I am standing at the front door waiting for him, a carefully practiced smile on my face.