Erin Albert and Sary in the Real World

By: Meradeth Houston on 4:00 AM

And we're back with another great post today! A million thanks to Erin for contributing one. Don't know Erin yet? You definitely should check her out on twitter or her blog. And her book, THE PROPHESY, is going to be amazing!! And should anyone have a Sary story they want to highlight, I'm always looking for new ones :)

Thank you for hosting me today, Meradeth!  I am totally stoked to be talking about Sary-like people in real life.  First, I want to say how much I love your Sary books.  I think everyone should read them because there is profound depth in your words and in your stories.  I’m a HUGE Meradeth Houston fan!!  Woot!!

So, my story starts on one of the darkest days in recent memory.  Now, I almost died in 2007, and I think this particular situation may have been even worse than that.  Eep!  Anyway, I’m in the midst of a mega personal crisis, and I find myself crying in my food in the middle of the mall.  Embarrassing.  Who does that?  I wrestle my phone out of my purse and pull up my text messages.  I scroll through the list, trying to decide the best possible person to assist me in my current state.  My eyes land on my best friend’s name.  Shoulda been a no-brainer, right?  Every girl in a crisis needs a best friend to whom she can turn.  I type out this long, miserable tale, just the highlights of my day since she knows the nitty gritty portions of the full story already, and end with the description of myself—head dangling over a bowl of grilled chicken, tears streaming down my face while surrounded by a mob of people at the mall.  

I wait…

Okay, this is my addition, but don't all food courts look the same?

Then I receive this reply:  Which mall?

I flop against the back of the chair a bit stunned.  Which mall?  Which MALL?  I poured out the inner most workings of my soul, and she wanted to know which mall?  My bestie possesses an inordinate amount of empathy.   She’ll see someone eating alone and feel the immediate urge to offer them a spot at her table.  Given that, I expected a big, long rambling message about how much she loved me and how bad she felt for me.  But I got back, “Which mall?” With a bit of an everyone-forgot-my-birthday complex, I text her back the name of the mall.  

I wait again…

Then I receive this reply:  I’m here, at that same mall.  I just left the food court, but I’m turning around and coming back.  

If the waterworks hadn’t already been flowing, her reply would have certainly opened them up.  This mall we both just happened to be at is a good thirty minutes from the town in which we live.  How had we both ended up in the same place at the same time in my hour of greatest need?  The word “providential” seemed to fit the moment best.

In less than five minutes, I see her.  She hurries toward me, her arms spread wide open like an angel’s (or Sary’s??) wings.  I fall into them.  Like the uber empathetic best friend she is, she shields me from the world as I cry.  She guides me back to the table, where my tears salted the plain grilled chicken, and helps me hash out a plan.  

All the way home that day, I kept trying to calculate the odds of my best friend being exactly where I needed her to be exactly when I needed her to be there.  I may never figure out precisely how all that transpired, but I do know her face—full of love, support, and encouragement—was  just what I needed.

Erin Albert is an author and fitness trainer.  Since she picked up Morris the Moose Goes to School at age four, she has been infatuated with the written word.  She went on to work as a grammar and writing tutor in college and is still teased by her family and friends for being a member of the "Grammar Police."  In her free time, Erin enjoys acting, running, kickboxing, and, of course, reading and writing.  

Find me online:

Preorder Link: https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/our-authors/50-our-authors/authors-a/381-erin-albert

Twitter:  @ErinAlbertBooks

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Erin-Albert-Books/182769448541270

Website:  www.erinalbertbooks.com

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18160774-the-prophecy

THE PROPHESY

Growing up on a small farm in the kingdom of Vanguard, seventeen-year-old Layla Givens lives a deceptively tranquil existence. But her carefully constructed life quickly falls apart when she’s abducted by a religious zealot who proclaims her The Fulfillment of an ancient peace prophecy and whisks her away to marry her greatest enemy.

Wilhelm, Prince of the Ethereals, is reluctant to meet his new bride. He's grown up believing Vanguards are evil, an enemy to fight and fear...not love. Can he set aside his prejudices and work alongside Layla to bring lasting peace after centuries of war?

Nash, a loner who has never fit in, carries a huge secret, one big enough to destroy both kingdoms. When he accidently meets Layla, he’s no longer content to live in the shadows, but he must resist his growing attraction—for her safety and for the longevity of the two kingdoms.

When Nash's secret is revealed, a firestorm sweeps through both realms, with Layla at the center. Now she must choose between duty and desire while the fate of two nations hangs in the balance.