The Fight Within
Written by Tiana Laveen
Edited by Natalie G. Owens
Cover Layout – Travis Pennington
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Copyright © 2014 by Tiana Laveen
Kindle Edition
All rights reserved.
Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 (five) years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.
Names, characters and incidents depicted in this book are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author or the publisher.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
IN OTHER WORDS: If you steal this author’s work and illegally share it, you are no better than a thief that breaks into someone’s house while you think they are away.
You are a criminal.
You don’t work for free, so why should authors?! IF YOU STEAL, ILLEGALLY SHARE, UPLOAD OR PIRATE MY AND OTHER NOVELISTS LITERARY WORK, YOU SUCK. PERIOD. POINT BLANK.
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Sean Mahoney is unapologetic about the way he sees the world and how he expresses such beliefs with a cutting, rough delivery. In his domain, things are black and white, good or bad, right or wrong, with a healthy dose of good cheer. A hard-working garbage collector from Queens, New York by day, and dedicated college student and acclaimed kick boxer by night, he appears to be an open book, giving himself over fully without the need for one to dig further. But upon closer inspection, it becomes plain he is a ticking time bomb with a secret past, using various coping mechanisms to hide trauma and emotional pain that threaten to take him under. However, one day, the very thing he abhors becomes too irresistible to pass up… A mature, divorced woman by the name of Treasure Chambers is his newfound fascination and he knows deep down the feeling is mutual.
Treasure and Sean’s first meeting is full of spirited venom as the sarcastic garbage collector sizes her up in ways she hadn’t anticipated. She fights the attraction and his advances, for she has two children from a marriage that burnt to the ground, leaving a hole in her heart that seemed unable to be healed.
Over time, the two discover they are more alike than they thought, and socio-economic and racial disparities are the very issues that tie them together, versus pushing them apart. As their love for one another grows, they are met with outside and internal opposition, judgment, and a call to action in order to help heal themselves, and each other.
Knowing without a shadow of a doubt that he has found a jewel in his life, will Sean be able to convince Treasure he is worth taking a chance on as he reveals his true self? Come along for a reading experience about hope, healing after the storm, and the true definition of love and trust built from ground zero. There is a fight within, but who will come out victorious?
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This book is dedicated to the working class citizens around the globe. This is for the unappreciated employees who are overworked and underpaid. For the trash collectors, delivery men and women, construction personnel, factory workers, carpenters, maids and butlers, mechanics, and all of the individuals getting their hands dirty, their sleep stolen, and their bodies tormented so that others don’t have to see or touch their own filth, look it in the eye, in more ways than one. Thank you from the bottom of my heart – for you are the beating core of not only this country, but the entire world.
–Tiana Laveen
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Greetings, bookworms, fans, friends, window shoppers, naughty novel lovers, avid readers and those who are new to my work. For the individuals that are familiar with me and are now well accustomed to these nauseating introductions, repeated cautionary tales and over-killed warnings, patronizing lectures, and the occasional ill-placed introductory joke, please feel free to skip this portion and go along your merry way to greener pastures in this book. However, if you are a glutton for repeated abuse, then stay put as I speak to you and everyone else in regards to this novel, as well as how it came to be. Now, if you’re still here, and it appears that you are, I’d like to say thank you for putting up with me a bit longer before I open the red curtains and expose my work for your reading experience.
First, I wish to say that I believe this book to be the quintessential love story. Well, at least it begins that way. I delve into deep character study and development, which is common for me to do, allowing you, as the reader to get to know each person involved in this tale up close and personal. Now here is where my typical warnings come in before we take one step further…blah blah blah, right? But I must be fair to new readers who are not as familiar with my writing style and delivery. I see this as essential because it protects them from probing into something they may not desire, but also attracts those that
do
in fact care for such a conveyance. So, for the sake of easy reference, I have compiled a warning list below…
This book contains topics that are adult in nature. There is a gratuitous amount of profanity. Though it is not common for me to delve too deeply into racism, with the exception of the Saint series, this book does in fact explore the topic, on many levels. In other words, the characters are involved in situations that may cause discomfort for the reader. In addition, though this book is not covered with a million sex scenes and I wouldn’t necessarily declare it erotica per se, many would classify it as such, I am sure. Nevertheless, the love scenes are plentiful, and no detail is spared. If you do not wish to read scenes of an explicit/intimate nature, this may not be the book for you. Below is a breakdown of all the elements that may be objectionable or a concern for a potential reader of this novel:
1. Abundant Profanity
2. Detailed and plentiful sexual scenes
3. Divorce
4. Emotional Abuse
5. Poverty, Elitism and Classism
6. First intimate scene does not come fast (pardon the pun.)
7. Racism (just reminding you :) )
8. Parenthood/Parental Challenges
9. Ageism and age differentiation between hero and heroine
Okay, are we good here now? Very well, let’s move along.
Now, if you don’t know of my work and my reputation, here it is in a nutshell:
I am verbose. However, it has purpose, merit, and is intentional. They are not just useless ramblings, but bits and pieces being placed together so that you can see the story unfold in layers. Thus, the end result will leave you with fewer questions and more answers; at least, that is my intention. In order for me to accomplish this, the story requires descriptive scenes, dialogue, and internal thoughts to be explored. Notice that I said it requires ME to do this work, because that is simply how I write in order to accomplish several goals and to be true to how I personally tell a story. I understand that not every reader enjoys this sort of thing, so I simply wanted to make everyone aware how character study and development are tied deeply into my style of writing. I’m a visual writer, meaning, what I personally see in a scene I go through great lengths to ensure the reader sees that scene with me. I want you present, in the moment.