Home Is Where the Heat Is (41 page)

“This book is so well written and Hannah is so compelling, her voice lingers in my mind long after I have finished reading. If
Hannah’s Voice
doesn’t end up on the bestseller’s list, on every notable list… I will be shocked.” –
Michelle L. Johnson

“There are books that are interesting, and then there are books that you just can’t put down. This is one of those books. Something in Mr. Grindstaff’s writing style is reminiscent of Flannery O’Connor. He captures the quirks of Southern characters while maintaining their humanity. It would have been easy to write so many of these as stereotypical comical buffoons, but he avoided the easy way out.” -
The Self-Taught Cook

“
Hannah’s Voice
is a beautiful story, and I’m going to tell you about it, but before I do: seriously, you guys, read it. I’m not kidding. You’ll be changed forever, inside… it’s not a book with such strong thematic material that it will make anyone cringe, but it will be burned into your brain for eternity in such a delightful way. Touching, moving, funny, awesome. I can’t say it enough: this book is revolutionary, and the best thing I’ve read in years. Awesome. AWESOME.” –
Naomi Sarah

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Description of
Carry Me Away
:

Carrie Destin, a biracial military brat, learns the injuries she sustained in a car accident will prove fatal before she reaches adulthood. She accelerates her life and sets aggressive goals: college, connecting with her Japanese roots, and the all-consuming desire to find her soul mate. A kid from nowhere, she travels the world with her Marine father and Japanese mother.

Facing an abbreviated life with a brash attitude and a biting, sometimes morbid sense of humor, Carrie races to graduate high school at age fifteen. College is her marker of adulthood, when she can smoke in public and order dessert before dinner. She tosses out her adolescent wedding scrapbook for a funeral plan. A teenage crush on Paul, a family friend and a widower seventeen years her senior, develops into a fantasy that takes on a life of its own.

As she outlives the original prognosis into her early twenties, her life goals evolve—always short-term. The longing for love stays constant, yet she walls herself off from others. Relationships end in betrayal, abandonment and violence. When love reveals itself, she pulls away, fearing that an early meeting with Death is on the horizon.

Carrie’s frantic desire to experience life before it ends spirals out of control, leading to a physical and emotional collapse. Her grandmother’s wisdom points her toward acceptance, but first she must break through her walls before she can give the gift of ‘til-death-do-us-part.

~~~~~

Praise for
Carry Me Away
:

“After the wonderful
Hannah’s Voice
, my expectations were pretty high. I was not disappointed. Robb Grindstaff’s second book, much like his first, is a grand achievement of literary talent and it should easily cement him on many people’s ‘can’t wait to see what he releases next’ lists.” –
Allison M. Dickson

“Grindstaff has produced another masterpiece on par with
Hannah’s Voice
! Carrie’s life is all about racing forward, while she herself stands internally still, convinced she’ll die before she has a chance to live. She tries to experience every aspect of life, but refuses to let the experiences in on a deeper level, and it’s heart-wrenching, vivid, and realistic. I feared with Carrie, I cried for her, and I begged her to quit TRYING so hard to live, and just LIVE. Like
Hannah’s Voice
, Grindstaff’s characters are beyond real. Carrie has a special place in my heart. You’ll never meet another character like Carrie, who packs the most life possible into every page of every chapter.” –
Nola Sarina

“I used this book to escape from the business of my everyday life, to allow me to reconsider all the things going on around me, and help me focus and see things in a new light. Most books don’t do that. This one did.” –
Naomi Leadbetter

THE LONE WOLF

By E.D. Martin

This Literary Fiction piece, exploring the tumultuous times and relationships of one woman and one man, is now available. For more information on this book, please visit the
Evolved Publishing
website.

~~~~~

When her husband David’s infidelities are revealed, shattering the perfect life Kasey Sanford thought they’d created together, it’s a wake-up call that she’s lost herself along the way. She demands that David move with her to a new town, to a fresh start for their life together.

Kasey loves the freedom of reinventing herself, including her new friendship with police officer and soldier Andrew Adams. Andrew is handsome and charming, and his interest in Kasey awakens feelings she’d rather have for her husband, who pushes her further away with each of his alcohol-fueled outbursts. Intent on preserving her marriage for the sake of her young daughter, and with no one else to confide in, Kasey turns to Andrew for support.

But Andrew’s own life is falling apart as he’s put on standby for another deployment, triggering painful memories he’d rather ignore. He’ll do anything to forget the soldiers who didn’t return home with him, his stillborn son, and all those he’s disappointed, including God.

As their relationship grows, Kasey must decide if she will repair her marriage and remain with the man she’s always loved, or if she will give up everything she holds dear to save the soul of a man she barely knows, a man who fights her at every step, a man desperate to regain his faith in God, in humanity, and in himself.

~~~~~

Praise for
The Lone Wolf
:

“This novel is a fascinating exploration of relationships and character. As it begins, Kasey discovers that her lawyer husband, David, has been unfaithful. Despite the pain this causes her, she is determined to fix the marriage for the sake of her young daughter. Then she meets Andrew, a police officer and soldier. Kasey finds herself strongly attracted to him. Now she’s confused. What does she really want? What will be best for her and her daughter? The novel also delves into Andrew’s life story and shows us what he is going through and what makes him behave the way he does toward Kasey. This well-written novel kept me turning the pages wondering what would happen next, all the while rooting for Kassey to find her way to the happiness she deserves.”–
Karen White

“At the beginning of
The Lone Wolf
, you’ll be introduced to Kasey Sanford. Within a few words, you’ll immediately relate to a woman leading what is on the surface a fairy-tale life that is shattered by the infidelity of her husband, David. The day-to-day business of living for Kasey is turned upside down as she is confronted with forks in a road she never dreamed of traveling. Understanding her role as a partner through life is the journey a reader will travel with page-turning pleasure and sadness. E.D. Martin expertly brings forth the empathy of the reader with an unusual and wonderful approach, alternating character views with Andrew Adams, the man Kasey will ultimately turn to for healing the ache and confusion of a collapsing life. Carrying a load of his own demons, chemistry draws them together in mutual need.
The Lone Wolf
is a character driven story. As with most people, personal history dominates behavior, and the methodology used to reveal the motivations and behavior of Andrew is artfully done. No spoilers here, but you will find the process of this presentation a pleasant read. I recommend this book, and I’m looking forward to a continuation of this story.” –
Samyann

WHITE CHALK

by Pavarti K. Tyler

This Coming-of-Age Literary Fiction piece explores the darkly emotional path chosen by one teenage girl. For more information on this book, please visit the
Evolved Publishing
website.

~~~~~

Chelle isn’t a typical thirteen-year-old girl—she doesn’t laugh with friends, play sports, or hang out at the mall after school. Instead, she navigates a world well beyond her years.

Life in Dawson, ND spins on as she pleads for someone to save her, to return her to the simple childhood of unicorns on her bedroom wall and stories on her father’s knee.

When Troy Christiansen walks into her life, Chelle is desperate to believe his arrival will be her salvation—so much so, she forgets to save herself.

After experiencing a tragedy at school, her world begins to crack, causing a deeper scar in her already fragile psyche. Follow Chelle’s twisted tale of modern adolescence, as she travels down the rabbit hole into a reality none of us wants to admit actually exists.

~~~~~

Praise for
White Chalk
:

“Chelle, smarter, prettier, quicker witted, and more engaging than she has a clue, is alone in a world stacked against her. Her solution is to change herself to find love, or at least diminish her loneliness, as she says, ‘I reflected back the light shining on me, empty but for the image of another.’ We root for Chelle in spite of her bad choices, and bad luck rapidly turning pages so eager for her to solve her problems. This gripping novel breaks every rule and escapes customary boundaries. Tyler’s eye for what happens to many of our teenagers, and the psychological burdens of growing up too fast, too ignored, too alone, too poor are spot on and insightful.” –
Ann Pearlman, Pulitzer Prize Nominee and Author of “The Christmas Cookie Club”

“Tyler combines shades of
Lolita
and
Catcher in the Rye
in a completely new way, drawing you in with poignant characterizations.
White Chalk
goes deep into teenage angst with understanding and clarity. Savor, share, and use this poignant book as a primer on the brutal effects of abuse, neglect, and self-esteem.” –
Rachel Thompson, Award-Winning Author of “Broken Pieces”

“Shocking, driving, compelling, riveting: these words describe my raw reaction to Tyler’s latest novel. The characters are real and believable. The first-person narrative is bare, unadorned; it provides an unobscured and clearly focused view of the heroine’s journey through her personal hell. As I read, snippets of my own children’s comments about school came back to me with greater impact. Could that student they mentioned have been going through this? Could my own children have had similar feelings in their own circumstances? My children are fine, but I’m still discomfited by the thought of “what if.” A writer’s intent is obviously being realized when it forces you to consider the uncomfortable possibilities of these scenarios happening to your own children. Tyler’s ability to describe in words the feelings of an adolescent is tremendous and very insightful. Some many moments just spot on. Kudos to Tyler for the tremendous effort, the research, and the ability to evoke in me such feelings of anguish at the novel’s end!” –
Robert DiGiacomo