Ace Bosse has always found solace at home, but when she returns for the
summer from college she builds an unexpected relationship with the reckless Max
Miller.
Three years ago, Max left for Alaska to find what he thought he’d lost,
but now he realizes just how much he left behind.
Max teaches Ace that sometimes a little crazy is exactly what life needs
while learning that some chances are worth taking, regardless of the risks.
But how do you know when you’ve met the right person? And will they be
prepared to experience one of life’s biggest obstacles?
Falling in love isn’t easy, but holding on to it is where the real
challenge lies.
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“Why did you go to Alaska?”
Max looks over at me, his eyes wide. “You don’t have to tell me, I just always
wondered why you left.”
“No, no, it’s just that
people only ask me why I came back, like they forgot I had a reason to go.” He
pauses and adjusts the radio as the band that we’d listened to together in his
kitchen after the TP incident streams softly through the speakers.
“I went to find my dad. I
needed to know why he left.” Max sits
quietly as my heart breaks a little for him. I can’t imagine having lost my
father, especially to have him just walk away one day and never look back.
“My grandma had heard that
he and my uncle ended up in Alaska. When I got there I met this guy that told
me this long story about my dad and how he used to be a fisherman with his
brother for this company that went out for Chinook Salmon and King Crabs. So I
went and tried to find the ship that they had worked for. My dad was long gone,
but they offered me a job and the chance to go to more ports where he might
still be working.”
His eyes flicker to me, and
the right side of his lips quirk up before he turns back to the road. “That’s
where I met Jameson. We spent seven months out on the ocean together. Few
people remembered my dad. So when we docked I got off and enrolled at the
University of Alaska and continued looking for people that might know
something. Jameson and I met Landon there. He’d just gotten out of the Army and
was going to school. Every once in a while someone would swear they knew who I
was talking about and would tell me where to go, but they were all a bunch of loose
ends. Who knows, he’s probably dead.”
Max’s fingers clench the
wheel. “He was a heavy alcoholic that liked to gamble and use his fists to make
his hard-headed points. He’s been gone a long time.”
I work to swallow several of
the words I want to say. “I feel sorry for him.”
“What?” He looks at me with
a grin I know is forced.
“I feel sorry for him, for
missing out on seeing who you are.” Max raises an eyebrow as he balks. “I’m
serious. You’re pretty great, Max.”
As we pass a well-lit
stretch, shadows dance across Max’s bare chest. I’ve seen him shirtless several
times now, from both running together and swimming, yet the image still
distracts me. My eyes slowly trace over the planes of his chest and the
contours that accentuate his abs, over to his tattoos.
“What are you thinking about
over there, Ace?” My eyes flash to his and I feel my face flush as I turn to
look away, trying to formulate a comprehensive sentence.
Thankfully his phone rings
saving me. We both glance down to see the name ‘Megan’ light up across the
screen. I glance at the clock and see that it’s nearly two in the morning.
“You can get that if you
want,” I say, folding my hands in my lap and regretting my earlier admission.
“That’s alright,” he says,
clicking ignore as we pull into his driveway.
I wrench the door open as
soon as the engine shuts off and slam it behind me, trying to convince myself
to not care that a girl is calling him at two in the morning, and the reason
for it. He stops me at the back of his Jeep.
I open my mouth to say a
forced thank you when Max’s frustrated tone stops me in my tracks. “Why are you
still dating him?”
This is not where I had
anticipated the conversation going, and it makes me feel defensive since he’s
been ignoring me to hang out with Felicia, and possibly Megan. I take a breath
and close my eyes. I don’t want to fight with Max. I miss his friendship.
“Why does it matter?” My
voice comes out quiet as I work to keep it level and calm from the rush of
conflicting emotions.
“Are you kidding me? Why
does it matter?” Max lifts both of his arms in the air like he wants to grip
something, and then lets his hands fall behind his head tilting up. He stares
at the sky for a long moment. “Why are you doing this?”
“You’re dating Felicia!” The
words come as an accusation. I’m not even positive that he’s referring to us;
I’m hardly ever certain because he dances on this gray line so often it’s
making me go half insane.
“What do you want me to do?”
His voice is raised with frustration. “You confuse the shit out of me, Ace!” He
quietly growls as he runs his hand over his head which is now dipped to the
ground.
“I’m tired of trying to read
through the lines, Max!”
“This isn’t about me. It’s
about you! As your friend, I’m telling you, you should dump the fucker and get
it over with. He’s a complete dick.” And with that he’s done it again, bringing
me back to a lighter shade of gray as we return closer to the friendship line.
“You deserve better than him.”
“I appreciate your friendly
advice, Max,” I say dryly, taking a wide step around him.
“Ace …”
I turn, waiting for him to
say what I need to hear. His lips part, but before he says anything, his phone
rings piercing the moment.
“It sounds like she’s
looking for you,” I say, looking at him, willing him to object or deny it. He
stares back at me for a long moment before I turn around and make my way to my
house.
“Dammit!” I hear Max growl in frustration,
but I don’t turn around. I know if I do right now, I will reveal too much.
What made you decided to write a
novel?
I’ve been writing for as long as I
can remember, but, somewhere in the process of growing up and prioritizing
responsibilities I lost touch with it. After my second son was born, I spent a
lot of sleepless nights walking him and the urge to write returned.
What did you find was the
hardest part of taking this journey?
Confidence. It’s scary to put
yourself out there where anyone can ridicule your thoughts and words. However,
I realized I needed to stop being my own biggest obstacle because the only one
stopping me, was myself.
What is
your process for writing? You like music, quite?
I’ve never written “traditionally.”
I don’t create a timeline or anything like that. I sort of live with my
characters mentally for a while and get a feel for them. Then as I get ideas,
scenes, and dialogue, I write them all down and begin filling in blanks and
piecing scenes together. I had probably over 200 sticky notes from writing,
Becoming His.
Was there something that
inspired your storyline in writing Becoming His?
Regardless of our ages I think
we’re always working to improve ourselves and to find validation that we’re on
the right path. Becoming His, is a reminder that we can’t always plan what
happens or when.
Who are the authors that you
fangirl over?
I fangirl over so many authors! I
adore Colleen Hoover- I think she is an absolutely amazing person and gifted
writer. I love Gayle Forman and Stephanie Perkins. I also adore John Green,
Penelope Ward and Rachel Van Dyken and so many more! This is just a small
sample of the mass of authors I love and fangirl over every day.
Mariah
Dietz lives in Eastern Washington with her husband and two sons that are the
axis of her crazy and wonderful world.
Mariah
grew up in a tiny town outside of Portland, Oregon where she spent the majority
of her time immersed in the pages of books that she both read and
created.
She
has a love for all things that include her sons, good coffee, books, travel,
and dark chocolate. She also has a deep passion for the stories she writes, and
hopes readers enjoy the journeys she takes them on, as much as she loves
creating them.
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