“She came to me with suitcases, holding a box, and the end was in the air.”

Just Beneath the Surface

Mystery character thoughts

My wrath is a nightmare. But when she comes back to me, it’s like a dream.

She came to me with suitcases, holding a box, and the end was in the air.

But I knew it wasn’t over. Her eyes were red, weepy, avoiding mine, as if staying with me made her weak. I wanted to know who had been in her ear. I wrestled with my own anger.

This woman had managed to make me feel like a criminal. Me. Me?

I kissed away her tears, fears, the lies – the lies she tells herself about me.

She forgets the role she plays in who I am. My tone, my anger, my reaction – I am a reflection of her.

She behaves like a child, and I, her husband, corral her. Is it a crime to mold a child until he reaches adulthood? Is it punishable to curse and “handle”  the childish husband who tiptoes through the front door at midnight?

One midnight too many. Her broken promises, her disrespect, push me over my limit. She knows it. That’s why she’s here, holding a box, trying to hurt me, trying to convince herself that its over.

I look at her, and I see more than a box, more than a nervous woman, more than tears.

She belongs to me, and she doesn’t have to say a word – not a single word – I feel what she feels: We have a love that they would never understand. Its a force – a power most wouldn’t condone. But who are they?

She’s mine. I’m hers. And together, we will sleep – we will dream.

And like an unruly child, she summons my wrath.

Then comes the nightmare.

Then … she will come to me, again

like a dream …

Just Beneath the Surface

“It’s your blog, write the way you want …”

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lets-Laugh-Together/350498361721607

Funny … this is the way I felt about starting a website/blog.

Up until last year, I knew very little about blogs. I still don’t know a lot about blogging, and I actually wouldn’t call myself a “blogger.” Maybe that is because there is a lot of information I am lacking. I’m sure I’m not the only one … I’m so excited to share this interview with Sonia, who will be sharing some awesome information!

 Hello and welcome, Sonia! Would you like to share a bit about yourself?

My name is Sonia and I am the creator and founder of LogAllot.com. My website can be found at http://www.LogAllot.com where I help new bloggers with Blog Tips with Common Sense. I believe in always being straight-forward and tackling issues some bloggers just won’t address. My goal is tell anyone new trying to build an online presence to use their own head and think for themselves.

What is the number 1 tip – the first thing you would advise business owners, artists and new bloggers to do before publishing that first post?

Ask yourself: Is this post going to actually help someone or is it a post of me just ranting? What I have found after 3 yrs. of blogging is there are different types of blogs out there. They all don’t have to solve a problem, but a reader should walk away knowing he or she learned something or it evoked enough emotion inside to leave feedback.

If you blog about pets, are you blogging about all kinds of pets or just dogs? The more “narrow” your niche, the easier it will be to focus on topics related to problems that matter to others.

What mistakes do you most often notice in the blogs of newbies, business owners, authors (or artists in general)?

Blog design. When you are new, you really don’t have any type of design expertise, but newbies are so quick to want to throw up a website that they forget how it really looks. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but in the blog world, it’s not as forgiving.

Before you take a dive, sign up for either WordPress.com or Blogger (whichever you prefer) and learn how it functions. This gives you the opportunity to play around with it, how to create a post, and add image etc.  Use the Free themes first and teach yourself the ins and outs of how using a theme works.

Once you are serious and have an idea of what you want to blog about, then invest in a WordPress self-hosted (like BlueHost or Hostgator) and buy your WordPress theme or stick with Blogger and design it slowly.  If you buy a theme, shop sites like: Elegant themes, Themeforest or StudioPress for reputable themes. If you use a theme that is free, remember, there is NO SUPPORT when problems happen down the line.

Some Free themes have gotten better, but why would a developer spend a lot of time helping people for free? Maybe some will, but you get what you pay for. And last, keep your banner ads to a minimum: Do you want readers to focus on your banner ads or your content?

Having a poorly designed website is the #1 factor for losing potential readers.

Does size matter? As an author, I know that when writing, I can be wordy and ramble. Should posts be long and informative? Should they be short and sweet? In your opinion, where is the happy medium?

Bloggers debate this all the time and at the end of the day: it’s your blog, write the way you want. This is where I stress to new bloggers to “blaze their own trail” and do what works for them. You can’t make everyone happy, but if your posts are short, make sure your content makes an impact. If you don’t want to write, create a video tutorial to shake things up.

Don’t get inundated with all the advice given by so many bloggers. Learn to think for yourself and use common sense. You wouldn’t jump off a bridge because some blogger said it’s the right idea for your blog would you? Use your head and make decisions that are right for YOU.

Do you have any favorite author blogs, websites or Facebook author pages that newbies could browse to gather ideas? 

When I first started, TheSitsGirls and Kikolani.com was my muse for a long time. TheSitsGirls really hits home with a lot of “women bloggers”, while Kikolani breaks it down further and gives you the real “meat on the bones” type of posts.

 What about pictures? What is your advice/what are your go-to websites for free images?

This is a touchy subject because some bloggers don’t give credit where it’s due. I use either free images from Flickr Creative Commons (free) and credit back to the photographer. Another site I use is iStockphoto.com. They aren’t free, but once you buy the image, it’s yours to do whatever you wish.  If you see images from sites you frequent a lot, send them an email asking if you can use the image and link back to their website. Its good manners and it’s the right thing to do.
 

Off topic, what are some things artists and entrepreneurs can do on Twitter and Facebook? What would you suggest regarding drawing people in, instead of incessant marketing and plugs?

Twitter – It’s a fast conversation. The second you tweet something, more tweets have surpassed yours in seconds. Keep the conversation lite and use it to share other content (not just your own) and network. Don’t run after bloggers like a lost puppy trying to belong, but a simple hello or sharing their content always works. Give it time to build a following and don’t BUY followers.

There are websites out there for unsuspecting bloggers looking to build a following and you will look like an idiot with fake followers. Follow people in your niche or like-minded bloggers and read their blog. Don’t just follow people to get a follow-back. I see mom bloggers do this all the time and professional bloggers don’t ever do this. Read other blogs, comment and share their content. It’s that simple.

Facebook – Facebook is another animal all its own. I can’t say I have mastered mine, but it depends on where you focus your time on Social Media outlets. On Facebook, share your content, but get in the practice of sharing other posts, your readers might find useful. Talk to them, about life and not just about blogging or social media.

If your blog niche is about Cupcakes, share recipes, pictures of unique cupcakes, run a contest for the best cupcake photo etc. If you sell something, offer it for free to a few lucky winners to get honest feedback. They can give you testimonials about its content and they will be your best salesman without you saying anything.

 What is SEO and what tips or references do you have? 

I was never an expert in this field, but use plugins like Yoast SEO (WordPress) to help optimize my website. Use alt-tags for your images (use keywords: seo-for-newbies). Newbies don’t know that your images also come up with in searches and is another source of driving traffic to your website. Or you can use plugins like ScribeContent.com to help you with keyword selection (not free).

 Heartfelt posts, limited views and nonexistent comments – have you ever found these things discouraging? What do you say to those who find themselves on the brink of giving up?

I feel your pain. Been there done that. Some bloggers will go on and on about how to get blog comments, but they don’t tell you the meat and potatoes on how to actually do it. For myself, I joined a Secret Blog Comment group on Facebook 1 year ago, joined Triberr and I started networking like crazy. The blog comment group was a group of like-minded bloggers that visit each other’s blog in the group daily (time-allotted) and comment on every blog in the group. You leave a comment, share and tweet after. Come back to the group and write done and move on the next. What this does is put your content on other blogs and when they comment on your blog, they SHARE YOUR CONTENT TO THEIR READERS.

With Triberr, I didn’t understand it for a long time and the creator finally broke it down for me. You sign up, join a tribe (type in keywords and join a tribe that interests you). You tweet other posts that your readers will appreciate and the blogger sees that your shared his or her content.

You are free to comment (doesn’t hurt), but the point here is that when they RETWEET your content, your post is shared with their readers. So your “Reach” starts to build and before you know it, your post has been retweeted dozens of times. Hence: if the tribe you join has a lot of members. If there is only 5 members in the tribe you joined, it might not get tons of retweets.

 

Example: Let’s say you join a tribe about Food. There are 50 members in this tribe called: Food Bloggers. Your blog is about food so it’s a perfect fit. See what I mean? You wouldn’t join a Marketing tribe because no one will retweet your cupcake recipe to other readers.

Wow …

You’ve been amazing, so much information to look over!! Thank you so much for your insight. Is there anything else you would like to add?

Networking – I can’t stress this enough, but if you start networking: Be genuine. People can smell “fake” a mile away. Some bloggers I want to slap on the forehead because they come off cheesy or only about their own blog. I saw one blog that stated if you don’t comment on my blog, I won’t comment on yours. Don’t be that guy or girl.

If you see content you like and it compels you to comment, then do so. If you like their blog and want to subscribe to their posts, then do so. Don’t do anything for the sake of getting something back. Some bloggers get butt-hurt when a popular blogger didn’t respond to their comment. Really? Just be yourself and if they don’t like you, keep it movin’.

Thanks, again, Sonia!! For more information, tips, or to connect with Sonia, visit:

http://www.LogAllot.com

Updates + 7 Just Beneath the Surface facts

Just Beneath the Surface I and Into the Atmosphere are now available in print!

(Although Into the Atmosphere is available, it will not be sold online). For details, feel free to

contact me at ari.r.james at gmail.com!                                                                                                    

Into the Atmosphere is a book about letting go: releasing our fears, doubts, pain and scars into the atmosphere.

Moving forward means letting go and handing our burdens over to God. Releasing our hurt is much easier said than done; this book is the first step toward identifying, releasing and moving forward.

Here are 7  facts about a few of the characters for this 7th day of March:

1. When her mother is distracted, Diamond, one of the main characters, will find herself in a dangerous relationship.

2. The ending has been considered quite suspenseful, and death will come to one of the characters

3. Kendall finds herself questioning the strong-willed woman she once was; she doubts herself as a wife and mother.

4. Diamond’s high school experience becomes very complicated, filled with vicious gossip.

5. Diamond’s younger brother grapples with feelings of hatred toward his sister and resentment toward his parents.

6. Kendall finds that everything she once believed about domestic violence is a myth — it could happen to anyone.

7. Diamond asks: “Is any attention better than no attention at all?”

When Kendall Berkely takes a look in the mirror, she not only desperately wants to run away from the stranger staring back at her; but she also knows that her days are numbered. She can feel it in her bones, and has the bruises to prove it. To make matters worse, Kendall will soon discover that her seventeen year old daughter, Diamond is on a path nearly just as dangerous.

After the demise of the family unit she once knew, a distracted mother, and being forced to accept a new stepfather, Diamond finds herself knee deep in a multitude of mistakes. When Diamond finds herself more lonely than ever before she crosses paths with Bobby Lidell; a teacher’s aide with a dark side. Just as Diamond realizes that she is in over her head, her mother and father have already been notified, and will do everything in their power to protect her.

But what is lurking in the shadows will not stop until a vow has been kept; what is lurking just beneath the surface will come seeking revenge.

Print: http://www.amazon.com

 

Just Beneath the Surface II book trailer

Here is my new Just Beneath the Surface II book trailer! I hope you enjoy!

In Just Beneath the Surface II, new characters confront what has been buried and laid to rest – or so they thought.

Landon, a mysterious engineering student has learned to treat his past as though it belongs to someone else. He has learned to control every thought that enters his mind: everything from his memories, to his smile, to the tone of his voice. Anyone who believes that they have begun to understand Landon is sadly mistaken. He is a man impenetrable.

His own brother, Peter, refers to Landon as a robot. Landon’s mother fears that he will soon self-destruct. Landon only wishes that everyone around him would accept and understand one thing; Landon has unlocked what he considers his most prized possession: the gift of control.

Seven is a peculiar beauty whose temper, harsh tongue and violent tendencies often get her into trouble. After meeting Landon, Seven finds her way into unchartered territory: his heart. Soon, Seven’s perception of herself is challenged. She is frequently urged to step away and reevaluate herself, as the handsome young man who is wise beyond his years gently coaches her into finding her best self.

As secrets are revealed, and an unspoken bond is formed, Landon and Seven grow to be inseparable.

Before long, the horrors of the past bring Landon full circle. As his soft stoic surface faces intrusion, his old self is relinquished to paranoia. In time, Landon’s world is threatened by the recurring nightmare he thought he had left behind.

Character thoughts:”People would think I’m the monster…”

Inside the mind of Just Beneath the Surface ‘mystery’ antagonist

 

It stays between Kendall and me

 What happens between Kendall and I is just that — between me and Kendall. Not one person could look me in the eye and tell me I don’t love my wife. That woman knows how I feel about her. Should it matter what anyone else thinks?

 

 

Women are peculiar creatures

 They have peculiar needs, peculiar wants, peculiar attitudes and peculiar ways of expressing gratitude – they simply never do it.

 A woman can call a man fat, lash out after a long day, make jokes about ‘training’ men, even laugh at his package. But the moment a man retaliates or admits to ‘training’ his woman, he’s abusive. Someone explain it to me, because apparently, I’m too ignorant to understand. I work all day. I work with incompetent fools, and I refuse to come home to an insubordinate woman. It’s the principal. It doesn’t change my love.

 

Looking back at all of our fights

 Deep down, I know I haven’t handled myself the way I knew I should have. Neither has she. I apologize to her in every way possible: Roses, my apologies, when we make love — nothing makes up for the moments where I take it too far, but the closest thing to making it up to her is the love we make.

 I give her everything I have, and I think that the problem with women is their inability to get rid of their walls. They’ve got walls around their hearts, and it causes them to do and say the most horrible things, as though men don’t have feelings too. I’m here to tell you — we, men have feelings. Maybe in your opinion it doesn’t excuse my blow-ups, but in my opinion, blowing up is the only way to get results with a woman as stubborn as Kendall. I know it’s wrong, and I want to handle her differently, but just when I think we understand each other, I’m apologizing all over again.

 

As time goes on, I see improvement, but I also feel her drifting away from me

 Nights like these I sit, I wait, I wonder, I hurt and I want her to feel what I feel.

 Nights like these, Kendall leaves me no choice.

 When she finally shows her face, and I’ve been here sitting alone, when I’ve got a business trip in the morning, and she’s out with her kids all weekend, I could crush her with my bare hands.

 Before I know it, I don’t even see her. I only hear her, which makes it worse. The sound of her crying when she’s the reason I’ve broken my promise yet again is like this trigger. I’m the loaded gun.

 She makes the mistake of telling me she doesn’t know if she can do this any longer. Did she think that would make things any better — was this the time to say that to me? No.

 Doesn’t she see me standing over her? Does she think this is the way I want it to be between us? Doesn’t she know I try?

 Yet I’m a monster for having feelings?

 

Watching her sleep, looking at what I’ve done to her

 People would think I’m the monster. They would think she deserves better. Well, they’re wrong, because once this passes over, we’ll grow stronger. And if she doesn’t change, and I can’t change, and if she leaves me like she says she will…

 

I don’t know

 

Honestly? I dream of a place where Kendall and me can just be. That place isn’t here. This isn’t where we belong. If she won’t submit to me here, I know for a fact that she will submit to me there.

 

　

　

　

　

　Just Beneath the Surface I

“Each time his hand raises…”

Just Beneath the Surface I Excerpt:

“His eyes saw so deep into me I could hardly stand it. He knew I would stay. It scared me to think that he had this hold over me. I had never in my life been the type of woman who would endure something like this. But I was so connected to him that I could not see clearly.”

Inside of the character ‘Kendall’ of  Just Beneath the Surface I

I am haunted

I can hardly sleep. I have no peace. I am afraid at every moment of every day. I don’t know me, and I don’t know him – not anymore.
To think of my family and the way things were – Michael, my children

God what have I done, and how did I get here?

I love him so much, but I feel that deep down, he hates me

I sense that I will die convincing him that I can be the woman he craved for so many years. I thought that I could be the woman who could show him the true meaning of love, and to cherish him; the woman who could love him with patience, and be everything that he needed. But every time he loses his self, he makes it go away -

Yet each time he screams at me, my heart stops, because I know what is coming next

Every time he looks at me that way, with such cold eyes, I know what will come next – my heart pounds, I lose my breath, and I want nothing more than to disappear.

Each time his hand raises, my life flashes before my eyes

Worse and worse
Each time he goes further – he finds new ways to hurt me, and when he tells me he will kill me if I leave, I believe him.

I’m embarrassed to think of what people will say if they find out

I think of the way I felt about women in the situation I’m in, now – I can hear myself so clearly. The way I talked about the things I would put up with, the things I would never tolerate – and being hit was one of them – now I hardly recognize myself. I am so ashamed as I think of the way I haven’t been there for my family. I think of the way Diamond needed me, and I was never there – I was so selfish. Maybe I really do deserve this. Maybe he’s right: I am selfish, and I don’t know what it means to put someone else first.

and now

I don’t know if I’m coming or going. I’m starting to believe he will never change. I’m starting to think that I will never be what he wants me to be. Things are starting to become more than I can take – each time, I feel as though eyes – those unfeeling eyes – are searching for more than love.  Each time it happens, I see death – I sense death – I feel it.

I once wondered what was just beneath the surface — and now

As he stands over me – blade glistening, I no longer have to wonder…

smashwords: purchase

amazon: purchase

collage by laura

***

“If it were that bad, she would just leave.

• There are many reasons why women may not leave. Not leaving does not mean that the situation is okay or that the victim want to be abused.
• Leaving can be dangerous. The most dangerous time for a woman who is being abused is when she tries to leave. (United States Department of Justice, National Crime Victim Survey, 1995)

Some people deserve to be hit.

• No one deserves to be abused. Period. The only person responsible for the abuse is the abuser.
• Physical violence, even among family members, is wrong and against the law.”

http://www.domesticviolence.org/common-myths/

“ANYONE CAN BE A VICTIM! Victims can be of any age, sex, race, culture, religion, education, employment or marital status. Although both men and women can be abused, most victims are women. Children in homes where there is domestic violence are more likely to be abused and/or neglected. Most children in these homes know about the violence. Even if a child is not physically harmed, they may have emotional and behavior problems.”

http://www.domesticviolence.org/who-are-the-victims/

• On average more than three women a day are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends in the United States. In 2005, 1,181 women were murdered by an intimate partner.²
• In 2008, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published data collected in 2005 that finds that women experience two million injuries from intimate partner violence each year.³
• Nearly one in four women in the United States reports experiencing violence by a current or former spouse or boyfriend at some point in her life.⁴

http://www.futureswithoutviolence.org/content/action_center/detail/754?gclid=CLyQz_Tp1rACFSKhtgodbROG1A

Bookworm’s Nook: “I like the brainy, self sufficient, independent women who can do it all …”

Bookworm’s Nook

a writer’s perspective

Hello and welcome, Ey Wade!!

Would you like to share a bit about yourself?

I am a caged in frustrated author of thought provoking, mind bending e-Books, an occasional step-in parent, a fountain of knowledge, and I’m ready to share. I write what I would like to say and I mean everything I write.

Knowing me as a writer and author is like cracking an egg’s shell in the air and wondering how far the splatter will spread. Wait, that’s kind of like knowing me as a person. I’m like all over the board and always working on three to five projects at a time. I have no favorite spots to work and my view tends to be pointed at the keyboard. When an idea comes into my head I just flow with it. I haven’t been able to conform my writing to any specific pattern. I am more than often working on one story and the characters from another will just be dying to get my attention and I have to go into their world.

I tend to write in various genres from fiction to picture books. Using pen  (same one for the past eleven years) and paper, laptop and as a newly favorite the word program on my cell phone. I have found I can write anywhere with that little contraption and my focus is intent. Has to be with those tiny keys, right? And then I just email to myself and copy past into my manuscript.

Before becoming a self-published author I followed the rules. Wrote outlines, character back stories, did the word counting, queries and everything. I even had an agent once. Unfortunately he was a horrible choice. Directed me away from Ballantine books (wish I would have known who they were then) who wanted The Perfect Solution and straight into the corrupt hands of Publish America. What a crock. After that fiasco I was so humiliated I couldn’t write. Fought and had my rights returned and now, I am back. I tried the querying again, but became frustrated when it seems the agents’ rules are so varied, too confusing for me. Not to mention the rejection letters can be soul crushing. I received a lot of positive reviews for The Perfect Solution when it was first published and yet when I began querying one agent informed me no one would like the book and yet it deals with negligence in the child care system.  So, off I ran on my own. I have recently put three novels, three picture books and a creative non-fiction book into the Amazon and Smashwords systems. I think e-publishing is one of the greatest inventions God has given to the world. I would advise any author to go that route when they have something they feel strongly about.

Oh, and to let you know I do have a stable life…I am the (always single) mother of three daughters who are all grown now, 27, 25, and nearly 20 years old and I home schooled them on a string and a prayer. Though it may seem as if I am a bit scattered brained I was able to school them into college by the age of seventeen and sixteen. The two eldest have graduated, yeah!  I am the drooling proud ‘Lovey’ of a baby boy named Jett Parker Ellington. Before being destroyed by Hurricane Ike, I lived in a nice home and owned a home-based childcare center and that’s me and my writing life in a nutshell.

Website: http://wade-inpublishing.com

Facebook-: Written by Ey Wade

Twitter @jumpouttheboat & eywade

Author Sites:

http://wade-inpublishing.blogspot.com

In the Chair

http://flavors.me/imtheauthor

Kindle, Smashwords , Sony or Kobo, Scribed
Nook and iPad

When did you fall in love with reading?

I can’t remember exactly. I have always liked to read. I remember when I realized it had become an obsession, it was the time I was about thirteen and my mom entered the room and told me to go outide and get some fresh air. *laughing out loud* she said, “All you’re doing is reading someone else’s imagination” . Little did she know, this was a catalyst to my wanting to be a writer.

Do you remember your first favorite book? (Or picture book?)

No, I don’t. As an adult I remember falling in love with the book ‘No, David’. Now, that I have a grandson. I love the book even more. Totally captures him.

Do you prefer paperback books, e-books or both? Why?

I really don’t have a preference. I enjoy a book in whatever form as long as it is good.

What, in your opinion, makes a writer one of “the greats?”

If a writer’s work touches all of my emotions and I can remember it for months/years, they are a great writer.

When reading, what types of characters do you find yourself relating to more than others?

I like the brainy, self sufficient, independent women who can do it all, have it all, and still make common human mistakes in life.

Has a book ever brought you to tears? If so, what book and why?

There are so many. The most recent I have read was the Immortal Life of Henrietta Lackes.  The concept of it was so disturbing and brought me through so many emotions, I know I will never read it again.

Do you ever find yourself more connected with the darker
characters/antagonists in the books you read?

Oh my gosh, yes. There have been some people I would have loved to have been, especially when it came to getting a little retribution and getting away with it.

What is one book you wish you could see on the big screen?

The Giver by Lois Lowry

 

Think of your favorite book (or one of your favorites):

What songs would you consider the perfect play list for this/these book(s)?

The Giver - Coldplay’s ‘Yellow’

Which of your books would you consider the best fit for the big screen?

Now, don’t say I’m being bias because I think I have written a number of books that will fit. I would love to see D.N.A. on the screen. The book has so much to say to youth and I think the main character did a great job portraying this. The Perfect Solution, exposes a lot about the inner problems of the childcare system and brings the readers through so many experiences it would make a terrific film.

Geez, Rhonda I would have to turn a cold shoulder to many of my of writes. I can’t pick just one.

Hahaha! I know the feeling, Ms Wade. It’s pretty much impossible, right?

As a writer, how do you separate inspiration from your
favorite books, from your own creative process?

Yes, I do. I’ve read a lot of books and honestly feel I don’t write in the style of anyone I have read.

Great chatting with you. Thanks so much for sharing!

Again, connect with Ey Wade here:

Website: http://wade-inpublishing.com

Facebook-: Written by Ey Wade

Twitter @jumpouttheboat & eywade

Author Sites:

http://wade-inpublishing.blogspot.com

In the Chair

http://flavors.me/imtheauthor

Kindle, Smashwords , Sony or Kobo, Scribed
Nook and iPad

Just Beneath the Surface: Spelling Test

So …

How about a spelling test? I have used “Just Be,”  today,  and will continue the test with ” neath the Surface” next week! (Answer key is below – for some of the words, I have included definitions)

J –

 jujitsu or jiujitsu

 

u - the bone on the little-finger side of the human forearm

 ulnar or ulner

s –  one who observes the Sabbath on Saturday in conformity with the letter of the fourth commandment

sabbatarian or sabatarian

t - 

tabacco or tobacco

B -  refusing or likely to refuse to proceed, act, or function as directed or expected

balkiness or balkyness

e -  is a common ceramic material, which is used extensively for pottery tableware and decorative object

earthenwear or earthenware

 

***

 

When Kendall Berkely takes a look in the mirror, she not only desperately wants to run away from the stranger staring back at her; but she also knows that her days are numbered. She can feel it in her bones, and has the bruises to prove it. To make matters worse, Kendall will soon discover that her seventeen year old daughter, Diamond is on a path nearly just as dangerous. After the demise of the family unit she once knew, a distracted mother, and being forced to accept a new stepfather, Diamond finds herself knee deep in a multitude of mistakes. When Diamond finds herself more lonely than ever before she crosses paths with Bobby Lidell; a teacher’s aide with a dark side. Just as Diamond realizes that she is in over her head, her mother and father have already been notified, and will do everything in their power to protect her.But what is lurking in the shadows will not stop until a vow has been kept; what is lurking just beneath the surface will come seeking revenge.

 

One reviewer says:

“This is an excellent book and can be used to help others who may feel trapped in this type of situation. This was an inspirational story and I enjoyed reading this book. I know that many people who find themselves in these type of relationships are stuck in the cycle and hope that their partner will change, just like Kendell.”

jujitsu ulnar sabbatarian tobacco  balkiness earthenware nevus elsewither  anecdotes  thryfallow haply

How’d you do?

Bookworm’s Nook: “I have enjoyed sharing excellent books …”

Bookworm’s Nook

an avid reader’s perspective

Hello and welcome, Christy Garret!

 

Would you like to share a bit about yourself?

My name is Christy Garret, and I am the contributor for Uplifting Families (http://upliftingfamilies.com).

My blog is dedicated to information regarding pregnancy, breastfeeding, parenting, and all things family
related.  The goal of my blog is to help other parents with real life
topics.

When did you fall in love with reading?

I always enjoyed a good book but rarely had the time to read them.  Over the
last few months, I needed another hobby to keep me busy so I finished
reading a few books that I had in my stack.  After finishing those books, I
found some great free books on Amazon to read.

What is your favorite genre?

I love a good book that keeps me interested and has a great story line.  My
favorite type of books are love stories, mystery, or books that are based on
real life situations.

What is your favorite part of reviewing books?

I have enjoyed sharing excellent books with others, why keep them to
yourself if you love them.  Right!

Do you prefer paperback books, e-books or both?

I actually prefer e-books, they take up less room in the house.  Plus they
are much easier to read why on the go.

Do you remember your first favorite paperback book?

My first paperback books that I can remember would have to be the Beverly
Cleary series about Ramona.

Do you remember the first e-book you purchased?

My first e-book that I purchased was “Choosing to See – A Journey of
Struggle and Hope” written by Mary Beth Chapman and Ellen Vaughn.  This is a
must read if you are a parent who has ever lost a child.

What, in your opinion, makes a writer one of “the greats?”

I love authors who can keep my attention during the entire book.  I tend to
choose books by their cover photo, so having a great cover photo that
instantly grabs my attention.

What types of characters do you find yourself relating to more than others
when reading?

I love characters who face real life problems head on and work to resolve
them.

Are there books that you find yourself revisiting? (Either in your mind or
literally picking up the book to reread it again and again).

The Dram Road written by Louise Lawerence is a book that I read while in
college and I have kept the book on my book shelf.  In fact, I re-read it
again a few years ago.  I keep trying to get my daughter to read it because
it is a book that captures your attention and is filled with an action
packed story that leaves you wanting to read more and more.

Has a book ever brought you to tears? If so, what book, and why?

Choosing to See – A Journey of Struggle and Hope” written by Mary Beth
Chapman and Ellen Vaughn is a very touching story.  The Chapman’s choose to
share the story from 2008 when their older son accidently ran over their
daughter.  She didn’t recover from the accident.  It was a sad time but they
choose to see God’s bigger plan.

Has a book ever been so uplifting and inspiring, that it changed the way you
felt or your outlook on life?

I love reading Christian books when I am feeling down and out.  They always
give me a new perspective on life and make me realize that life is worth
living because of the hope found in Jesus Christ.

Do you ever find yourself more connected with the darker
characters/antagonists in the books you read?

I believe that darker characters have a certain role in some books but it
really depends on the story line and what the story is about.  I know that
darker characters have underlying real life issues that need to be resolved.
I don’t really feel connected to the darker characters in a book and often
hope that maybe they can see the difference in a positive character and
change.  But I know this isn’t always possible because people have to change
because they want to.

Think of your favorite book (or one of your favorites):

What songs would you
consider the perfect play list for this/these book(s)?

I love listening to upbeat, positive music.  In fact, my playlist always
consists of Christian music.

 

Thank you so much for sharing, Christy!

Connect with Christy at http://upliftingfamilies.com

The script..

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