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Tuesday, March 5, 2024

PROMO: Talking About Adolescence

 



Anxiety, Depression, and Adolescent Mental Health

 

Nonfiction, Self-Help, Health & Wellness, Parenting

Publication Date: November 8, 2023

Publisher: MindStir Media


 

Want to transition from childhood to adulthood successfully? Discover how to empower yourself for a bright future.

Are you looking for help navigating the ups and downs of being a teenager? Do you have a son or daughter going through growing pains? Hoping to avoid the pitfalls of emotional, psychological, and social challenges unique to young adults? As two experts in the field, multi-award-winning author Eichin Chang-Lim, OD, MS, MA and international psychologist Lora L. Erickson, PhD, LCPC, LMHC-QS, LPC have come together in a crucial collaboration. And now they're here to share how you can take charge and live your best life.

Talking About Adolescence: Anxiety, Depression, and Adolescent Mental Health is an inspirational and easy-to-digest resource that explores top issues affecting young minds. Through a direct conversational style and engaging visuals, Chang-Lim and Erickson carefully walk you through each essential topic while providing healthy coping skills and habits to help you consistently make good choices. Equipped with the tools to succeed, teens, parents, and guardians will confidently look forward to a life of fulfillment and happiness.

 

In Talking About Adolescence, you'll discover:

- Passionate and well-researched information that can transform lives

- A great start to productive dialogue that will allow parents and educators to connect with teens

- How to triumphantly wade through the traps of social media

- Ways to eliminate the stigma of mental illness so any young person can be comfortable seeking support and treatment

- Key strategies to tackle self-harm, panic attacks, bullies, childhood trauma, substance abuse, neurodiversity, and much, much more!

 

Talking About Adolescence: Anxiety, Depression, and Adolescent Mental Health is the must-have guide to thriving during those formative years and is the first book in the Talking About Adolescence series. If you like life-changing knowledge, learning more about yourself, and gaining control, then you'll love Eichin Chang-Lim & Lora L. Erickson's comprehensive handbook.

 

Buy Talking About Adolescence to find self-empowerment today!



 

 

About the Author

Dr. Eichin Chang-Lim earned her Doctorate in Optometry, a Master of Science in Microbiology, and a Master of Arts in Psychology. She is the mother of two grown-up children, a wife, a semi-retired optometrist, and a multi-award-winning author. The genres of her books include romantic fiction, short stories, memoirs, self-help, and educational nonfiction.

Chang-Lim’s books depict the intricacies of human relationships and the striving of the human spirit. Ultimately, they evolve into inspirational tales that readers will find multidimensional and thought-provoking.

When asked about her motivation to be a writer, she replied, “Every human being is valuable; every soul is unique and special. I write with my heart and soul. My mindset is that if my writing can make a difference in even one person’s life, it’s all worth it, and that’s what love is all about.”

Currently, she is collaborating with an international psychologist and educator, Dr. Lora Erickson, to write a three-book series, Talking about Adolescence.

Book 1: Anxiety, Depression, and Adolescent Mental Health is coming soon.

Besides writing, Eichin is also passionate about acting, photography, music, and dance acrobatics. She and her husband live in Orange County, California, with their poodle mix named Gabby.

 

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About the Author

Dr. Lora Erickson is an international psychologist, licensed mental health clinician, and core faculty in the Master of Arts in Psychology program with The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Illinois State University, her Master of Arts in Counseling from Lincoln University, and her Doctorate in International Psychology (trauma specialization) from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. For nearly 15 years, Dr. Erickson has been teaching and providing clinical services to children, teenagers, and young adults. She is also a mother to a teen and preteen and cares deeply for young people, wanting the very best that life has to offer for them. She is also an award-winning researcher within APA (American Psychology Association) Division 52 (International Psychology) and currently holds an elected position within the APA as Early Career Psychologist Past Chair for Division 52.

 

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Monday, March 4, 2024

PROMO: The Berman Murders

 

 

Unraveling the Mojave Desert's Most Mysterious Unsolved Crime

 

True Crime

Date Published: March 5th 2024

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield


 

At daybreak on January 6, 1986, a couple on a camping trip in the Mojave Desert set out for a stroll and never returned. The local sheriff’s office eventually discovered that Barry and Louise Berman had been murdered. As years passed and the double homicide remained unsolved, the Berman case spawned speculation and conjecture. Despite extensive investigation by local and federal authorities, to date there’s never been an arrest made in the case – let alone a conviction. But this doesn’t mean the crime is unsolvable.

After years of investigation, research, and interviews, Kari was able to link the Berman murders to a Cambodian sex crimes and trafficking case involving a former Marine. This is the first book to tell the full story of the Berman murders and uncover the likely suspect.


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PROMO: Lemon

 

 

Grim Road MC, Book 2

 

Motorcycle Club Romance, Suspense, Age Gap

Date Published: March 8, 2024

 

 

Lemon: I’m settling in at Grim Road in my role as vice president. The men test me, but it’s all in good fun. I think I enjoy it as much as they do. Then, out of nowhere, things go horribly sideways. I realize how much weaker I am physically than everyone else in the club. That weakness can be a horrible liability. Yeah. Things are going great. Until they aren’t. I may have bitten off more than I can chew…

Rocket: My little sourpuss is a force to be reckoned with. She takes everything dished out to her and gives it back in spades. She’s my VP, but she’s also my old lady. Sometimes, I need to take care of her. More importantly, she has to let me. That fact is never more apparent than when a small team of roughnecks think she’s a woman from another club. They soon find out the error of their ways, but at what cost to Lemon? It’s time for the president of Grim Road MC to take charge. And there’s gonna be hell to pay.


 


Excerpt

 

Lemon

I made it a whole month at Grim Road MC before Falcon threatened to cut off my dick and feed it to me. I think he forgot I was a girl or something because I’m as docile as they come. Yep. Passive even!

OK. I’m lying. I liked busting Falcon’s balls just ‘cause I could. The guys had made me vice president of Grim Road right after Rocket brought me to the compound. Since then, we’ve all been working on our trust issues. And by “we,” I mean the men of Grim. I got that they all had secrets. I got that everyone had things they didn’t want anyone else to know. Even then, you tell your family. Because it was your family who would always have your back. Grim Road was family. Rocket’s family. My family.

Except for Falcon. But he was a work in progress.

“I swear to God, Rocket. If you don’t do something about that little hellion, I may shoot her.”

“Now, Falcon. You know it’s not nice to threaten to shoot your vice president.” I just loved taunting him.

“Next time Rocket calls church, I’m askin’ for your fuckin’ patch.”

I sighed, trying to fight back a smile before I ruined my indifference. “Are you still sore about your bike? ‘Cause it was totally for a good cause. Saved Rocket’s life.”

“You know what the fuck this is about, woman!” Falcon’s hair was wild and sticking out all over the damned place. Looked like he’d been trying to pull his hair out by the roots. Over and over. And over.

“I even had the thing fixed for you. Only took a couple weeks in the body shop, and they assured me it would be good as new. Not a scratch to be seen.”

“You had them paint it pink!” He had his arms out like he was going to lunge and choke me to death the second he got the chance, but I wasn’t worried. First, Falcon was all bark and no bite. At least he was with me. Remember the family part? Second, he knew Rocket would feed him to the sharks in very small pieces if he even looked at me cross-eyed. “Not only did you crash my fuckin’ bike through a door intentionally, you disrespected it even more by painting it pink!” He practically roared the last word. And I was pretty sure there was spit flying from his lips. Which was just gross. Fucker.

“Tell you what. I’ll apologize to your bike. I’ll even volunteer to ride beside you when you take her for a test drive.”

“No way in fuck I’m ridin’ that abomination in public. I’m surprised Knox let the fuckin’ thing in the compound at all.”

Knox chose that moment to enter the common room. “Knox didn’t know what was gonna roll out of that Goddamned trailer or he wouldn’t have let it in,” he commented.

I grinned, looking over my shoulder at Knox and popped my gum like a bimbo. “Hey, Knox. Havin’ a good afternoon?”

“Was until that fuckin’ bike showed up.”

“Awesome! Now. Forget all that. It’s not important.”

“Not important? How the fuck is you having my bike painted pink not fuckin’ important?” Yeah. Falcon was in a bit of a snit. But fuck him. If he wanted to be the best patched member of Grim Road -- after me, of course -- he needed to learn that there was a method to my madness. And there was one very huge wrong in this place that needed to be righted. I figured one month was long enough for everyone involved to start their penance.

“Because it was sacrificed for the greater good. This is one of those times, Falcon.”

“What the everlovin’ Christ are you talking about, Lemon?” Falcon sounded equal parts pissed and resigned.

“I’m talking about Gina.”

That got everyone’s attention. And quit the bitching.

“She good?” Falcon was immediately sober, all his anger at me evaporating in the space of a word.

“She’s learning to be. In case you hadn’t noticed, she’s been leaving her house more and more. Had supper in the common room last night.”

“Yeah. I noticed.” Falcon glanced at Leather, who ducked his head, shaking it slightly as if he wanted to deny what had happened. “A few of us made sure she had what she needed.” Falcon gave a sigh. “I apologized, too. Took several tries before she finally opened her door. Not that I blame her. She say why she ain’t left? Surely she knows she can. Right?”

“She knows,” Rocket leaned back on the couch where we sat. He draped an arm over my shoulder, and I snuggled against him shamelessly. Not only did it feel good to have his arm around me, but it reinforced my claim to any club girls in the building. “This is her home now. I promised to keep her safe, even from men inside my own club.”

“So she trusts you,” Falcon nodded. “I guess that’s something.”

I snorted. “Nah. She don’t trust Rocket.” My man gave me the side eye, but flashed a cocky grin too. Like he was proud of me. But, honestly, what man with me wouldn’t be proud, right? “She trusts me.”

When Falcon looked to Rocket to confirm, Rocket just smirked. “She ain’t lyin’, my friend. Gina believes in Lemon. Believes Lemon can keep her safe. Ain’t gonna lie and say I’m not disappointed a woman under the club’s protection doesn’t fully trust me, but I suppose that’s just one of many reasons I have Lemon in my life.”

“Damned straight, baby.” I leaned in and brushed a kiss over Rocket’s lower lip. “See me, love me, motherfuckers.” That got a laugh from everyone, including Falcon.

“Seems like you’ve got that situation under control.”

“I totally do, Falcon. Which is why I had your Harley painted pink.”

“Not… seeing how the two go together.” Poor Falcon. He was really having a hard time. He seemed to have even forgotten he was supposed to be pissed about the paint job on his bike. This was why I liked keeping him off-balance. It was so much fucking fun to watch. I knew I shouldn’t enjoy myself at Falcon’s expense. This was actually serious stuff. But, honestly, I just couldn’t help myself.

“Because, Gina happens to be fond of the color pink. In fact, she told me that, if she knew how to ride a motorcycle, she’d save everything she could to buy her a pink bike. Now, me personally?” I shook my head. “Don’t see the appeal. However, if Gina likes it, I think we all owe her way the fuck more than one stupid pink motorcycle.” I pointed at Falcon. “You ever want to graduate to officer’s training camp?”

“Officer… what?” Falcon jerked his head back like I’d slapped him. Which, I mean, I won’t lie and say I didn’t want to. Not because he deserved it, but because he thought he deserved it. And I just plain thought beating up on Falcon was fucking fun. But, not in this instance. Much.

“Well, yeah. You don’t think every officer in this club will be around forever, do you? Or even want to stay an officer. There will be a time when your services may be needed in that capacity, though why, I’m not sure. You’re just as big a dumb fuck today as you were the day I met you.” I looked him up and down like I was judging him and finding him lacking. “Gonna take longer than I first thought with this one,” I muttered.

Falcon took a threatening step toward me, but Rocket growled at him. The younger man glanced from me to Rocket before slinking back that fucking threatening step. I smirked.

“One of these days, Lemon,” he growled.

“Yep. One of these days I’ll hand you your balls, and you’ll probably just stand there wondering what the fuck just happened. You know. Like you’re doing right now.”

“Christ.”

“Pretty sure Christ had little to do with it,” Leather muttered. “Satan? Yeah. Possibly.”

I waved them both away. “Satan has a restraining order out on me. He had nothing to do with it either.”

Knox barked out a laugh before moving from the doorway. “Give it up, guys. You’re never gonna get one over on that woman.”

“Whose bright idea was it to make her vice president anyway?” Falcon was back to looking all surly again.

“That’d be me.” Bear, the second biggest man I’d ever seen in my life moved into the room, crossing from the back to the front in his even, confident gate. He didn’t pause but passed by Falcon and smacked him on the back of the head before heading out the front door to the parking lot.

“Ow, Bear! What the fuck?” Falcon looked ready to do murder, but I wanted to laugh. God, I loved it here! There was so much glorious mayhem! And, being vice president, I got to cause as much as I wanted and no one said anything. Occasionally, Rocket would pull me back, but most of the time, he let nature take its course.

“Best get on your bike and go find Gina. Give her a few rides, make her comfortable with everyone here and maybe Lemon will let you paint your bike black again,” advised Bear.

“Finally!” I threw up my hands in exasperation. “Someone who understands.” I looked up at Rocket. “You should make him your vice president. Oh, wait…” I grinned.

Falcon mumbled, but Leather actually nodded his head, his face relaxing a little, and I knew he got it. “We should all take a turn, Falcon. I know it’s your bike and all, but if she likes pink Harleys, then I think we should all take her ridin’. Show her we’ll do anything to earn her trust.”

I tilted my head at Leather. “You just went up several notches in my esteem. Maybe we can put you in charge of sensitivity training.”

“Lemon,” Rocket sighed. “They’re doing what you wanted. Let them work it out.”

“They don’t seem to be able to, though Leather got the right idea. Kudos to you!” I grinned at Leather. “See if you can get the other dumbasses who don’t want to admit they did anything wrong to fall in line. You do, I’ll give you a cookie.”

Surprisingly, Leather grinned. “Yes, madam vice president.” He sketched me a two-finger salute and sauntered outside. Falcon gave a dramatic sigh and followed.

“He’s not a bad guy, you know.” Rocket leaned down to murmur next to my ear.

“Yep. I know. I just like fuckin’ with him. Besides, Gina needs this. And I think the guys do too.”

“They do. I’m glad you recognize that. Of course, I’m pretty sure none of them would have voted you in as VP if they hadn’t known you’d have good instincts with us.”

“How’m I doin’?” I gave him a cheeky grin.

 

About the Author

Marteeka Karland is an international bestselling author who leads a double life as an erotic romance author by evening and a semi-domesticated housewife by day. Known for her down and dirty MC romances, Marteeka takes pleasure in spinning tales of tenacious, protective heroes and spirited, vulnerable heroines. She staunchly advocates that every character deserves a blissful ending, even, sometimes, the villains in her narratives. Her writings are speckled with intense, raw elements resulting in page-turning delight entwined with seductive escapades leading up to gratifying conclusions that elicit a sigh from her readers.

Away from the pen, Marteeka finds joy in baking and supporting her husband with their gardening activities. The late summer season is set aside for preserving the delightful harvest that springs from their combined efforts (which is mostly his efforts, but you can count it). To stay updated with Marteeka's latest adventures and forthcoming books, make sure to visit her website. Don't forget to register for her newsletter which will pepper you with a potpourri of Teeka's beloved recipes, book suggestions, autograph events, and a plethora of interesting tidbits.


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Blog Tour: Silver Helix



Science Fantasy / Aetherpunk

Date Published: 12-19-2023

Publisher: Android Press


 

On the surface, the city of HelsInc appears to have recovered from the war waged between humans and Ethereals, but beneath the scars, the city seethes. The remains of magic festers, causing mutations in human DNA which could give humans Ethereal power-not that the HelsInc government would ever let that happen. The Legion resists, ripping out their neurochips and protesting the mandatory gene therapy for humans with cryptomine in their DNA.

At only 19 years old, Omyn Talvinen isn't ready to play parent to her kid brother, but with her mom in prison on trumped up charges and her deadbeat dad AWOL, she's left with little choice. Forced to risk her freedom to pay the rent, Omyn finds herself at the mercy of a pair of cyborg soldiers when they catch her red-handed stealing nanites from a cyberware Salon. But the synths' powers don't work on Omyn, and they discover they all share a common memory that they must get to the root of.

Wanted dead by the government, Omyn and the renegade soldiers turn to a rebel Legion group with dreams of resuscitating dead magic for help. With the clock-ticking for the synths, Zee-Five and Omyn are forced to confront the secrets of their past and a dark conspiracy that'll shake the blood-soaked foundations of the city.

 

"Van Rooyen spices up a familiar cyberpunk world with appealing, voicey narration and an added layer of mutagenic magic." 

-Publishers Weekly




Excerpt From SILVER HELIX by Xan van Rooyen

Pg. 37

-------------------------------------------------------


            The quickrail hurtled along the streets, past massive, cloud-scraping malls, their flanks advertising everything from exotic cuisine to the latest chip protocols promising near immortality.

People ebbed and flowed through the quickrail doors, a swell of sweat and perfume, fried street food, and the cloying, pervasive stink of the sea. The train’s ventilation system did its best to maintain a decent atmosphere in the confined cars, but the burned treacle scent of decaying magic had long ago infused the upholstery.

The crowds gradually diminished as our route took us farther north. Two songs later and the landscape morphed into pristine bands of orange, red, and gold. It was so beautiful it made me want to puke.

After the war against Ethereals, HelsInc had replanted the forests in designer patterns of birch and oak, maple, and spruce. All the delineated patterns were crafted by machines. A wild forest might have stirred residual magic from the soil, and HelsInc wasn’t going to take that chance. The apartments and homes here were all new too, all shiny replacements for those razed decades earlier.

Eventually, the landscape faded to gray as if we were reaching the limits of an in-game map, only no message flashed the warning ‘Death Imminent.’

Out of the no man’s land rose a giant zit: VankilaNorth, a lopsided pentagon metastasizing in concrete and steel, ribboned in layers of razor wire and electric fencing. The architect who designed it must have had a fetish for Brutalism. A few layers of spray paint might’ve improved it, but I doubted the people in charge would appreciate décor advice from someone like me. Guess I should be grateful for all the gross architecture begging for a face-lift. It’s not like I’d tag an Aalto or Engel creation.

I pocketed my ear pods before we hurried from the quickrail, following behind the mournful band of fellow convict families all headed for visiting hours. The protesters gathered at the prison gates were a bedraggled, motley bunch held back by barricades and bots. Several placards bore the “PEOPLE≫PROFITS!” slogan, while others read:

“BORN HUMAN, ALWAYS HUMAN.”

“HUMANITY IS MORE THAN DNA.”

Others bore the face of our former health minister with JUSTICE FOR TERHI scrawled below it.

And then there was my personal favorite: IF THE FUTURE IS HUMAN, HOW COME A DROID IS PRESIDENT?

I scanned the crowd for friends but didn’t recognize anyone. Their faces were wrapped in scarves and balaclavas. If any of the protesters had scars instead of chips, they were wise enough to keep them hidden.

Bracken tugged my hand. We’d fallen behind the others already being ushered through the first round of security checks.

“Do I look okay?” I whispered to Brack before it was our turn. I’d tried to soften my usual aesthetic by leaving the points of my hair hanging loose and my eyes devoid of shadow and liner.

“A little less like you want to punch someone than usual,” he said.

“That’ll do.” I even attempted a smile as they scanned and x-rayed every bit of us before waving us through. I tried not to panic as the visitors’ gate swung shut.


About the Author

Author Photo Credit: Ekaterina Trayt

 

Climber, tattoo collector, and peanut-butter connoisseur, Xan van Rooyen is an autistic, non-binary storyteller from South Africa, currently living in Finland where the heavy metal is soothing and the cold, dark forests inspiring. Xan has a Master’s degree in music, and–when not teaching–enjoys conjuring strange worlds and creating quirky characters. You can find Xan’s stories in the likes of Three-Lobed Burning Eye, Daily Science Fiction, and Galaxy’s Edge among others. They have also written several novels including YA fantasy My Name is Magic, and adult arcanopunk novel Silver Helix. Xan is also part of the Sauutiverse, an African writer’s collective with their first anthology due out this November from Android Press. Feel free to say hi on socials @xan_writer.

 

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Sunday, March 3, 2024

PROMO: Soft Lies & Hard Truths

 

 


California Heart Series, Book 3

 

Contemporary Romance

Date Published: 04-17-2024

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press


 

Heartbroken and mortified by mean-spirited taunts and social media pictures of her looking like a hot mess at her ex-boyfriend’s wedding, Leah James decides to accept her friend, Miguel Montoya’s, offer to take a road trip to their hometown of Santa Lorena.

Miguel, ex-Marine turned fitness trainer, is done pretending that he doesn’t have strong feelings for Leah. From the moment he laid eyes on her, he knew she was the one, and now this trip provides the perfect opportunity to take their relationship to the next level.

Will shocking lies, deceits, and half-truths dampen the fiery sparks of passion that ignite when Leah and Miguel are forced to share a cozy honeymoon cottage, or will they overcome their fears and build a brighter future based on honesty and love?

 

About the Author

Dalia Dupris has been a book lover as long as she can remember. Dalia’s BA in English Literature from UCLA and Master’s degree in Social Work, from the University of Southern California, in addition to years of experience as a licensed psychotherapist, contribute to her creation of relatable and complex characters.

In her spare time, she enjoys bike riding along the California coast with her husband, and hiking with her daughter. She loves hearing from her readers. Their words of encouragement inspire her to continue creating memorable characters, who will make you laugh and cry and keep rooting for them until the very last page. Subscribe to her website for a chance to learn more about Dalia and her books.

 

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Friday, March 1, 2024

PROMO: Bone (& Body) Lessons

 

 

Culture, Measurement, and Language

 

Nonfiction / Language and Physiology

Date Published: December 6, 2023

Publisher: ‎Mindstir Media


 

One way to understand self is through the skeletal frame. Skeletal bones hold many secrets which can be unlocked to tell stories of humankind; they become lessons for life. This book provides four perspectives on bone: culture, measurement of bones and body postures, grammar, and bone names. Word roots and definitions related to bone vocabulary allow the reader to gain insight. A major theme is to know oneself-to develop self-awareness. What can a person learn about self from bones? This book accompanies each person on their quest to know themselves, whether or not on a conscious or subconscious level. The current popularity of DNA kits that are being sold today-as well as the many websites offering assistance to people delving into their ancestry-validate this. Whether it is to delve into possible hereditary health conditions or to locate relatives and forge a connectedness to others in the world around them, people want to learn more about themselves. Bones provide such framework, for body and self.


About the Author

Lois Liggett is a retired physical therapist and a world traveler. She worked in Japan in 1990 as a geriatric rehabilitation consultant. She has an M.A. in gerontology and a B.S. in physical therapy from Russell Sage College. She has an avid interest in the interface of language with mythology, religion, and spirituality. She developed a method she calls “spiritual linguistics” to find common and essential meanings of a nomenclature using word roots and definitions. Her first book, Decoding Norse Myths with Pet Ravens, published by Mindstir Media, LLC in 2021, reflects this linguistic method, as does this book, Bone (& Body) Lessons.

 

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Blog Tour: Ivy Hill

 



A Novel inspired by True Events

 

Coming of Age / Fiction

Date Published: November 28, 2023

Publisher: Manhattan Book Group


 

What happens when a loving family man dies suddenly and a stranger takes his place?

IVY HILL is a thoroughly American coming-of-age story set in the mid-20th century. Earthy, realistic, and mordantly funny, it is rich with details of that iconic era. It is also a timeless, universal tale of redemption, morality and conquering adversity, with nearly-mythic elements anyone from any century and virtually any culture would recognize: there's a wicked giant, a good grandmother and a bad one, a "ghost" or two, and even, in a manner of speaking, a dark potion.

And at the center of the story, an innocent child.

Love, death, danger and fate intertwine in this novel, which was inspired by author Arthur Ruben's actual life. It takes place in Brooklyn from 1952-1957, then Newark from 1958-1970. Ruben's protagonist, five-year-old "Eddie," is devastated following the death of his beloved 34-year-old father. He waits in vain and with a slowly breaking heart for Daddy to return. His mother's disastrous remarriage, plus the family's wrenching move from Brooklyn, NY, to the Ivy Hill section of Newark, NJ, turns Eddie's life inside out. Over the next thirteen years, he is transformed from helpless brokenhearted child into an entirely different creature. The post-war society he was born into is also transformed: the repercussions of that potent and turbulent time, still in living memory-Viet Nam, Woodstock, the Mansons, and especially now, civil rights-are with us to this day, and will resonate with millions of readers.

 



Excerpt


And now, here they were. Eddie was calling to him. Lou stepped happily into the street.

And the huge hand of God, it seemed, knocked his lights out.

The driver of the car speeding down 21st Ave. did not put on his brakes until the impact. First there was Lou, his face full of joyous anticipation, hurrying toward Eddie, then the dark form of the car materializing out of nowhere, then a dreadful THUD that Eddie would remember for the rest of his life that sent Lou flying in a long arc, limbs loose and floppy like a doll’s, before he landed in a crumpled heap on the pavement forty feet down the street. Marcy’s scream pierced the air, Sam clutched his head in horror, Jenny bawled, and bystanders rushed toward Lou. Eddie could only gape.

 

IVY HILL, co-authored by Arthur Ruben with Eleanor Cooney, is inspired by true events.


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