Tale of an Anxious Heart by Elsa Jacobs

Tale of an Anxious Heart by Elsa Jacobs follows the heart-wrenching journey of Marianne, a young woman plagued by anxiety, as she takes a hitchhiker on her way to her beach house. However, with each encounter, she begins to realize the man isn’t the person she thought he was.

Title: Tale of an Anxious Heart
Author: Elsa Jacobs
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Suspense
Release Date: June 14, 2023

About The Book:

Tale of an Anxious Heart follows the heart-wrenching journey of Marianne, a young woman plagued by anxiety, as she takes a hitchhiker on her way to her beach house. Despite her reservations, she can’t help but feel drawn to his dark and mysterious persona. However, with each encounter, she begins to realize the man isn’t the person she thought he was.

As they continue on their journey, Marianne’s anxiety worsens, and she struggles to control it. James becomes a trigger for her panic attacks, yet she can’t seem to let him go. Her anxious heart is torn between her love for him and the need to protect herself from the danger he brings. Their relationship becomes increasingly complicated, and the line between love and hate blurs.

And when they start to find peace, their world is turned upside down. As they run for their lives, Marianne and James are pushed to their limits. They face betrayals, heartbreaks, and death at every turn. The journey is full of angst, heartache, and passion as Marianne struggles with her anxiety and traumas, and James fights for his redemption. Will they make it to safety and find a new life together, or will their pasts consume them both?

Purchase: Amazon

Excerpt:

My body is tensed like a coiled spring, ready to pounce at any moment. My heart beats faster with each passing second, and adrenaline courses through my veins. My mind is racing with anticipation, my thoughts consumed by the desire for something more—something exciting.

The surrounding air is thick with tension, and I fidget in my seat, my hands drumming on the steering wheel. Every nerve in my body is on high alert, my senses are hyper-aware of every sound and movement around me. It’s as if I’m waiting for a storm to break, a burst of energy to ignite the air and leave me breathless.

A man runs between the stopped cars. I bet he didn’t take his pills. I chugged my perilous chemical with chocolate milk. My mind is abnormally quiet. I follow the running ferret with my eyes. He’s soaking wet because it’s pouring rain.

Surprise sends a shock wave from my pelvis to my neck as I land my eyes on him.

Him.

My mysterious, handsome hitchhiker. He crashes into my precious blue car with a powerful bang. An enraged man is chasing him, the bark of his threats so intense I can hear it.

“I’ll catch you, you dirty asshole!”

I lift my head, and a sharp gasp catches in my throat. Our gazes meet as something terrible shrieks inside me, piercing my body and exploding in my chest.

I abandoned him and now, he’s dying.

The crashing sound of the rain on the metal resonates in the car.

Despair ravages my soul as I lock eyes with him, water running down his face in a silent plea. Agony grips me as his stare penetrates mine, rendering me unable to think clearly.

Should I save him?

But he drops his head, defeated, and slumps onto the hood, one hand pressed against his side. He’s given up, and it shatters my soul.

Save him, damn it!

I reach for the button to unlock the doors, and I’m surprised when I press it. At the click, Stranger Danger picks up his head and jumps into my car, seeking refuge in my sanctuary.

“Lie down in the back,” I tell him.

The other man is roaring. “Show yourself if you’re a man!”

I glance in the rearview mirror. The maniac is still hitting cars at random. But I’ve got my stranger sheltered in the back seat. He’s mine now, the pale, sexy one, breathing hard, nearly dead because he’s losing blood.

The traffic light turns green, and I drive away from the madman who wants my hitchhiker’s skin.

Shit.

Once more, I’ve picked up the mysterious man I swore never to see again, who’s now chased by a psycho in a flood of rain. I dropped him off at the Mall-Mart yesterday, and he’s now slumped in my back seat.

I drive away.

But what the hell have I done?

I must take him to the emergency room. Somehow, he knows this.

“Don’t take me to the hospital, please.”

“Okay.”

Go to the police, Marianne, I tell myself. Call Arietta. She always knows what to do.

Do something rational!

No, I park in a dark alley. I turn off the engine. Completely irrational.

About The Author:

I’m Elsa Jacobs, indie author of contemporary romance from sweet and seductive to dark and gritty. All levels of steam.

A few years ago, I found myself obsessed with a bunch of characters and plots, swirling madness in my mind. The only reasonable cure was to write them all. In less than a year, I had written four draft. I had no intention of publishing because fear held me back, and I put them aside, unsure if they were worth sharing with the world.

Years passed, and I finally mustered the courage to read one of my drafts and spoke to an editor, sending them a chapter. The wait for their response was nerve-wracking.

But, as you can imagine, that one chapter led me on a journey that brought me here. And the story is about to be legendary.

My debut novel, Tale of an Anxious Heart, is a fast-paced and thrilling ride that will keep you on the edge of your seat with its twists and turns. This contemporary medium spice read is not your typical romance, featuring morally gray characters and a steamy, possessive alpha male hero who will leave you breathless.

But don’t be fooled by the conventional tropes – My strong female hero is more than capable of holding her own and conquering inner demons as she embarks on a road trip that will change her life forever. Pick up Tale of an Anxious Heart today and discover why it can be challenging to pick up a hitchhiker…