Edward “Easy” Cantrell knows better than most the pain of not being able to save those he loves—which is why he is not going to let Jenna Dean out of his sight. He may have just met her, but Jenna’s the first person to make him feel alive since that devastating day in the desert more than a year ago.
Jenna has never met anyone like Easy. She can’t describe how he makes her feel–and not just because he saved her life. No, the stirrings inside her reach far beyond gratitude.
As the pair are thrust together while chaos reigns around them, they both know one thing: the things in life most worth having are the hardest to hold on to.
Other Books in the Hard Ink Series:
Hard to Come By (11/25/14)
Hard to Be Good (3/10/15)
Untitled (7/28/15)
Musical Inspiration Behind Hard to Hold On ToBy Laura Kaye
I’m super excited to be celebrating the release of my sixteenth book, Hard to Hold On To, the third story in my sexy and suspenseful Hard Ink series. The series is about the surviving members of an Army Special Forces unit trying to reclaim their stolen honor after being unjustly discharged from the military. Hard to Hold On Tois the love story between a very troubled Army veteran and the young woman he recently saved. It is one of my favorite things I’ve ever written.
Music formed an important inspiration behind the feelings and issues this book addresses, so today I wanted to share some of the musical inspiration behind Hard to Hold On To.
I wrote the book with one song on replay hundreds of times, as is my typical process. For Hard to Hold On To, that song was Lenny Kravitz’s “Again.” And these lyrics in particular really set the tone for me:
I’ve been searching for you
I heard a cry within my soul
I’ve never had a yearning quite like this before
Know that you are walking right through my door
All of my life
Where have you been…
The yearning in these words, the need for something and someone they never expected to find, so embodies how these characters felt to me—the hero, especially. The whole sexy but melancholy tone of the song was the perfect backdrop against which to write it.
But other songs inspired me, too. Like Amos Lee’s “Arms of a Woman”—such a good representation of how Easy feels both when he’s with Jenna and in general:
What Jenna means to Easy:
I am at ease in the arms of a woman.
Although now,
Most of my days I spend alone.
A thousand miles,
From the place I was born.
But when she wakes me,
she takes me back home.
How Easy is feeling in general, particularly that third line, which kills me every time:
Now, most days,
I spend like a child.
Who’s afraid of ghosts in my mind.
I know, there’ ain’t nothing out there.
I’m still afraid to turn on the lights.
Another song that really defined Easy’s mind set in Hard to Hold On To was The Fray’s “Be Still.” Every single lyric in this song fits him, and if you’re not familiar with it, go listen to it in its entirety. But these lines in particular stood out to me:
When darkness comes upon you
And covers you with fear and shame
Be still and know that I’m with you
And I will say your name
If terror falls upon your bed
And sleep no longer comes
Remember all the words I said
Be still, be still, and know
What I like about this song in particular is that it so well fits both of the main characters, because they’re both dealing with recent traumas that have left them scared and hurt. And it’s such a beautiful, beautiful message that we’re not alone.
The last song that helped inspired Hard to Hold On To was Evanescence’s “Bring Me to Life,” which is exactly what both of the characters do for each other, but particularly Jenna, for Easy. The whole idea of being saved from the dark is so sadly appropriate for this character, not to mention this being a kick-ass song in general. These lyrics were particularly inspirational:
How can you see into my eyes like open doors?
Leading you down into my core where I’ve become so numb
Without a soul my spirit’s sleeping somewhere cold
Until you find it there and lead it back home
(Wake me up) Wake me up inside
(I can’t wake up) Wake me up inside
(Save me) Call my name and save me from the dark
(Wake me up) Bid my blood to run
(I can’t wake up) Before I come undone
(Save me) Save me from the nothing I’ve become
Now that I know what I’m without
You can’t just leave me
Breathe into me and make me real
Bring me to life
Praise for the Hard Ink Series:
For Hard As You Can:
“TOP PICK! There is a sinister and desperate edge to this tale that will keep readers glued to their seats. Kaye has dark romantic suspense nailed!” ~ RT Book Reviews Magazine
“Hard As You Can is another five star read. The characters Ms. Kaye has created are wonderfully broken and the drama is gritty, but the burgeoning romance and the tight-knitted relationship of the team leaves you with a sense of redemption. A must read series!” ~San Francisco Book Review
For Hard As It Gets:
“Edgy, sexy and full of suspense! A great read from a great new author!” ~ #1 NYT Bestselling Author J.R. Ward
“Sizzling romance… The intriguing tattoo parlor and military background will appeal to fans of Suzanne Brockmann and Lindsay McKenna.” ~Publishers Weekly Review
“Kaye’s depiction of sexual tension and her sex scenes are masterful and this will appeal to fans of Maya Banks’ KGI and Julia Ann Walker’s Black Knight’s series.” ~Booklist
Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over a dozen books in contemporary and paranormal romance. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.
I love music that inspired Laura to write this book!
Barrie