Below Northern Lights
Ashlee Cowles
(Independently published, Nov. 26, 2017)
Nineteen-year-old war veteran Lucas Santiago has always wanted to kiss a girl beneath the rainbow swirls of the Northern Lights, but that dream was blown up with the rest of his life. As if the combat injury that's bound him to a wheelchair isn't bad enough, Lucas learns that his best friend, Seth, still hasn’t returned from a solo trek through Scotland. If Seth doesn’t report back soon, he’s risking an AWOL charge that could end his military career. But what’s Lucas supposed to do about that when his own body has become a prison?Lucas has no desire to leave the house, let alone search the Scottish Highlands for Seth, following the bizarre clues he's left behind. Too bad Lucas’s sister, Gabi—who has feelings for Seth—won’t take no for an answer. The one thing Lucas never expects when he agrees to Gabi’s harebrained scheme is meeting Skye, a young British veteran with a traumatic past of her own. Skye also has unwavering confidence and a thirst for adventure—qualities Lucas sorely lacks as he struggles to adjust to his new life. The trio sets off on a road trip to find Seth in Scotland, but Lucas quickly realizes how lost he is, too. And there's no way he'll ever win the heart of an irresistible force like Skye unless the fighter he once was is somehow reborn. Lucas is falling hard for Skye, but can he again fall in love with life?Fans of Stephanie Perkins, Jessica Park, John Green, and Amy Harmon will enjoy this contemporary story of travel, adventure, love, and hope.