Staff Picks
Trauma Fiction
- Ariel H.
- Tuesday, November 01, 2022
Collection
Looking for an emotional roller coaster? Check out the list below.
Long Way Home
Published in 2022
"Peggy Serrano couldn't wait for her best friend to come home from the war. But the Jimmy Barnett who returns is much different from the Jimmy who left, changed so drastically by his experience that he can barely function. When he attempts the unthinkable and his parents check him into the VA hospital, Peggy determines to help the Barnetts unravel what might have happened to send their son over the edge, starting by contacting Jimmy's war buddies and trying to identify the mysterious woman in the photo they find in Jimmy's belongings. Seven years earlier, sensing the rising tide against her people, Gisela Wolff and her family flee Germany aboard the passenger ship St. Louis, bound for Havana, Cuba. Gisela meets Sam Shapiro, the love of her life, on board, but the ship is eventually denied safe harbor and sent back to Europe. This begins Gisela's perilous journey of exile and survival, made possible only by the kindness and courage of a series of strangers she meets along the way, including one man who will change the course of her life."--Page 4 of cover.
The Comeback
Published in 2020
"A deep dive into the psyche of a young actress raised in the spotlight under the influence of a charming, manipulative film director and the moment when she decides his time for winning is over. At the height of her career and on the eve of her first Golden Globe nomination, teen star Grace Turner disappeared. Now, tentatively sober and surprisingly numb, Grace is back in Los Angeles after her year of self-imposed exile. She knows the new private life she wants isn't going to be easy as she tries to be a better person and reconnect with the people she left behind. But when Grace is asked to present a lifetime achievement award to director Able Yorke--the man who controlled her every move for eight years--she realizes that she can't run from the secret behind her spectacular crash and burn for much longer. And she's the only one with nothing left to lose. Alternating between past and present, The Comeback tackles power dynamics and the uncertainty of young adulthood, the types of secrets that become part of our sense of self, and the moments when we learn that though there are many ways to get hurt, we can still choose to fight back"-- Provided by publisher.
The Most Precious Substance on Earth
Published in 2022
"Journey Prize winner Shashi Bhat's sharp, darkly comic, and poignant story about a high school student's traumatic experience and how it irrevocably alters her life, for fans of 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl, Girlhood, and Pen15. Bright, hilarious, and sensitive fourteen-year-old Nina spends her spare time reading Beowulf and flirting with an internet predator. She has a vicious crush on her English teacher, and her best friend Amy is slowly drifting away. Meanwhile, Nina's mother tries to match her up with local Indian boys unfamiliar with her Saved by the Bell references, and Nina's worried father has started reciting Hindu prayers outside her bedroom door. Beginning with a disturbing incident at her high school, THE MOST PRECIOUS SUBSTANCE ON EARTH tells stories of Nina's life from the '90s to present day, when she returns to the classroom as a high school teacher with a haunting secret and discovers that the past is never far behind her. Darkly funny, deeply affecting, unsettling, and at times even shocking, Shashi Bhat's irresistible novel-in-stories examines the relationships between those who take and those who have something taken. THE MOST PRECIOUS SUBSTANCE ON EARTH is a sharp-edged and devastating look at how women are conditioned to hide their trauma and suppress their fear, loneliness, and anger, and an unforgettable portrait of how silence can shape a life"--FantasticFiction.com
The Little Girl on the Ice Floe
Published in 2019
When Adélaïde's parents find her crying, almost mute and incapable of fully explaining what happened, they bring her to the police station and file a complaint against an unknown assailant for sexual assault. Years pass, years in which she says nothing and wears a smile stamped on her face. The innumerable days of suffering and solitude pass by as she fights against the jellyfish. Twenty-three years after the day of her assault, she receives a call from the juvenile squad. An investigator has reopened the classified case of "The Electrician." And suddenly, everything is set in motion.
Leviathan Wakes
Published in 2011
After Captain Jim Holden discovers a derelict, abandoned spaceship, he unearths a secret that threatens to throw the entire solar system into war and a vast conspiracy that could mean the end of the human race.
One Small Sacrifice
A Thriller
Published in 2019
An apparent suicide. A mysterious disappearance. Did one man get away with murder twice? NYPD detective Sheryn Sterling has had her eye on Alex Traynor ever since his friend Cori fell to her death under suspicious circumstances a year ago. Cori's death was ruled a suicide, but Sheryn thinks Alex, a wartime photojournalist suffering from PTSD, got away with murder. When Alex's fiancée Emily, a talented and beloved local doctor, suddenly goes missing, Sheryn suspects that Alex is again at the center of a sticky case. Sheryn dislikes loose ends, and Cori's death had way too many of them. But as Sheryn starts pulling at the threads in this web, her whole theory unravels. Everyone involved remembers the night Cori died differently, and the truth about her death could be the key to solving Emily's disappearance.
Today We Go Home
A Novel
Published in 2019
Larkin Bennett has always known her place, whether it's surrounded by her loving family in the lush greenery of the Pacific Northwest, or riding on a dusty convoy in Afghanistan. But all that changed the day tragedy struck her unit and took away everything she held dear. Soon after, Larkin discovers an unexpected treasure: the diary of Emily Wilson, a young woman who disguised herself as a man to fight for the Union in the Civil War. As Larkin struggles to heal, she finds herself drawn deep into Emily's life and the secrets she kept.Indiana, 1861The only thing more dangerous to Emily Wilson than a rebel soldier is her own comrades in the Union. But in the minds of her fellow soldiers, if it dresses like a man, swears like a man, and shoots like a man, it must be a man. As the war marches on and takes its terrible toll, Emily begins to question everything she has been told about the freedom she is supposed to be fighting for.
Judgment Road
Published in 2018
"As the enforcer of the Torpedo Ink motorcycle club, Reaper lives for riding and fighting. He's a stone-cold killer who turns his wrath on those who deserve it. Feelings are a weakness he can't afford--until a gorgeous bartender gets under his skin ... Near Sea Haven, the small town of Caspar has given Anya Rafferty a new lease on life. And she's desperate to hold on to her job at the biker bar, even if the scariest member of the club seems to have it out for her. But Reaper's imposing presence and smoldering looks just ratchet up the heat. Anya's touch is everything Reaper doesn't want--and it brands him to the bone. But when her secrets catch up to her, Reaper will have to choose between Anya and his club--his heart and his soul."--Amazon.com.
Shadow Flight
Published in 2020
"Nicoletta Gomez was a terrified teenager when Taviano Ferraro and his brother saved her life. Ever since, she's been trying to rise above what was done to her, molding herself into a survivor under the protective eyes of the Ferraro family. All the while, she's been falling hopelessly in love with the man who knows her darkest secrets... With one look, Taviano knew that Nicoletta was his, just as he felt their shadows connect. But no matter how much he wanted to claim her, he knew she needed time to become her own woman. When Nicoletta once again finds herself in the sights of dangerous men, a split-second decision has Taviano breaking all of the Ferraro family's rules to keep her safe. And as far as he's concerned, the reward is more than worth the risk."--Publisher.
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
Published in 2005
A new novel by the author of Everything Is Illuminated introduces Oskar Schell, the nine-year-old son of a man killed in the World Trade Center bombing who searches the city for a lock that fits a black key his father left behind. Jonathan Safran Foer emerged as one of the most original writers of his generation with his best-selling debut novel, Everything Is Illuminated. Now, with humor, tenderness, and awe, he confronts the traumas of our recent history. What he discovers is solace in that most human quality, imagination. Meet Oskar Schell, an inventor, Francophile, tambourine player, Shakespearean actor, jeweler, pacifist, correspondent with Stephen Hawking and Ringo Starr. He is nine years old. And he is on an urgent, secret search through the five boroughs of New York. His mission is to find the lock that fits a mysterious key belonging to his father, who died in the World Trade Center on 9/11. An inspired innocent, Oskar is alternately endearing, exasperating, and hilarious as he careens from Central Park to Coney Island to Harlem on his search. Along the way he is always dreaming up inventions to keep those he loves safe from harm. What about a birdseed shirt to let you fly away? What if you could actually hear everyone's heartbeat? His goal is hopeful, but the past speaks a loud warning in stories of those who've lost loved ones before. As Oskar roams New York, he encounters a motley assortment of humanity who are all survivors in their own way. He befriends a 103-year-old war reporter, a tour guide who never leaves the Empire State Building, and lovers enraptured or scorned. Ultimately, Oskar ends his journey where it began, at his father's grave. But now he is accompanied by the silent stranger who has been renting the spare room of his grandmother's apartment. They are there to dig up his father's empty coffin.
Sail Away with Me
Published in 2018
Bookseller Iris Yakimura grew up on Destiny Island and it's the only place where her painful shyness doesn't cripple her. An avid romance reader, she believes that one day the right man will come along--one who loves her just the way she is. She never imagines that man will arrive in time for the holidays, like a gift. Or that he'll be a celebrity musician with a bad boy vibe--and a warm heart. Julian Blake spent most of his teens on Destiny Island, before fleeing a mentor turned abuser. Music saved him. He has avoided the island, but now his injured father needs him. Plagued by unsettling memories, Julian's solace comes from surprising places--and from smart, stunning Iris. When he feels compelled to expose his abuser, will Iris find the courage to stand by his side in the spotlight that will ensue--much less embrace a love that might take her far from home?
Shadows of Berlin
A Novel
Published in 2022
"1955 in New York City, the city of progress. But in the Perlman residence, the past is as close as the present. Rachel Perlman, a child of Berlin and an artist bearing her mother's legacy, arrives in New York as part of the wave of Jewish Displaced persons who managed to survive the brutalities of the war. But despite her efforts, Rachel is unable to live the "normal" life of an American housewife, not until she can shake the ghosts of her past and the tremendous guilt that weighs down on her: her own "crime" of survival"-- Provided by publisher.
Trouble's Child
An Angela Constantine Novella
Published in 2018
Releasing as a short-length teaser to the forthcoming novel The Girl in the Moon, a new novella from #1 New York Times bestselling author Terry Goodkind. Wandering through the snowy woods in the mountains near her home, Angela Constantine stumbles upon a wolf feeding on the body of a murdered young woman. That discovery is only the start of her problems. Throw a blind evangelist and his mute sister into the mix, and #1 New York Times bestselling author Terry Goodkind has concocted another irresistible cocktail of suspense, a tale where the difference between life and death dances on the edge of a razor-sharp blade. Trouble's Child, a brand new novella set in the world of the highly-anticipated upcoming novel The Girl in the Moon, is the perfect introduction to Angela Constantine, Goodkind's most memorable creation yet: beautiful, mysterious, and deadly.
Such Sharp Teeth
Published in 2022
"A young woman in need of a transformation finds herself in touch with the animal inside in this gripping, incisive novel from the author of Cackle and The Return. Rory Morris isn't thrilled to be moving back to her hometown, even if it is temporary. There are bad memories there. But her twin sister, Scarlett, is pregnant, estranged from the baby's father, and needs support, so Rory returns to the place she thought she'd put in her rearview. After a night out at a bar where she runs into an old almost-flame, she hits a large animal with her car. And when she gets out to investigate, she's attacked. Rory survives, miraculously, but life begins to look and feel different. She's unnaturally strong, with an aversion to silver--and suddenly the moon has her in its thrall. She's changing into someone else--something else, maybe even a monster. But does that mean she's putting those close to her in danger? Or is embracing the wildness inside of her the key to acceptance? This darkly comedic love story is a brilliantly layered portrait of trauma, rage, and vulnerability"-- Provided by publisher.
Unbreak Me
Published in 2019
"Andra Lawler has hardly left her family's ranch in years, imprisoned by the trauma of her sexual assault. LJ Delisle hasn't made it out of New Orleans until now, stuck in a cycle of poverty and grief following Hurricane Katrina. When the black Creole cowboy leaves his home to train horses on the whitewashed ranches of Montana, the last thing he expects is to form a personal connection with Andra. Through LJ's gentle attention to her during their cooking lessons and his boisterous love of life, Andra tiptoes out of her isolation. But the entire town--including Andra's father--are suspicious of LJ. And every time Andra and LJ get close to the bedroom, she freezes. Before they can work through Andra's fears and her dad's objections, LJ's mother falls ill, and he has to return to New Orleans to care for her. Desperate to prove she can heal from her traumas, Andra strikes out to pursue him. When Andra reaches Louisiana, she finds herself embraced by Hurricane Katrina survivors who live with an intensely personal understanding of post-traumatic stress. But not even the vibrant charm of New Orleans is enough to smother the ever-present issues of racism that impact LJ on a daily basis. Against the backdrop of empty lots and hastily repaired houses, Andra and LJ long to make their romance into a life together. But LJ's family still needs him, and Andra's ranch is calling her back to Montana" -- Provided by publisher.
Assassin's Apprentice
Published in 1995
Fitz, Prince Chivalry's illegitimate son raised by Burrich the stableman, is ignored by all the royalty except for King Shrewd, who has him tutored as an assassin because he has the magic Skill.
Hopeless
A Novel
Published in 2013
Sky, a senior in high school, meets Dean Holder, a guy with a promiscuous reputation that rivals her own. From their very first encounter, he terrifies and captivates her. Something about him sparks memories of her deeply troubled past, a time she's tried so hard to bury. Though Sky is determined to stay far away from him, his unwavering pursuit and enigmatic smile break down her defenses and the intensity of the bond between them grows. But the mysterious Holder has been keeping secrets of his own, and once they are revealed, Sky is changed forever and her ability to trust may be a casualty of the truth.--From back cover.
November 9
Published in 2022
"Fallon meets Ben, an aspiring novelist, the day before her scheduled cross-country move. Their untimely attraction leads them to spend Fallon's last day in Los Angeles together, and her eventful life becomes the creative inspiration Ben has always sought for his novel. Over time and amidst the various relationships and tribulations of their own separate lives, they continue to meet on the same date every year. Until one day Fallon becomes unsure if Ben has been telling her the truth or fabricating a perfect reality for the sake of the ultimate plot twist. Can Ben's relationship with Fallon--and simultaneously his novel--be considered a love story if it ends in heartbreak?"-- Provided by publisher.
Reminders of Him
A Novel
Published in 2022
After serving five years in prison for a tragic mistake, Kenna Rowan returns to the town where it all went wrong, hoping to reunite with her four-year-old daughter. But the bridges Kenna burned are proving impossible to rebuild. Everyone in her daughter's life is determined to shut Kenna out, no matter how hard she works to prove herself. The only person who hasn't closed the door on her completely is Ledger Ward, a local bar owner and one of the few remaining links to Kenna's daughter. But if anyone were to discover how Ledger is slowly becoming an important part of Kenna's life, both would risk losing the trust of everyone important to them. The two form a connection despite the pressure surrounding them, but as their romance grows, so does the risk. Kenna must find a way to absolve the mistakes of her past in order to build a future out of hope and healing.
The Fifth Season
Published in 2016
Three terrible things happen in a single day. Essun, masquerading as an ordinary schoolteacher in a quiet small town, comes home to find that her husband has brutally murdered their son and kidnapped their daughter. Mighty Sanze, the empire whose innovations have been civilization's bedrock for a thousand years, collapses as its greatest city is destroyed by a madman's vengeance. And worst of all, across the heartland of the world's sole continent, a great red rift has been torn which spews ash enough to darken the sky for years. Or centuries. But this is the Stillness, a land long familiar with struggle, and where orogenes--those who wield the power of the earth as a weapon--are feared far more than the long cold night. Essun has remembered herself, and she will have her daughter back. She does not care if the world falls apart around her. Essun will break it herself, if she must, to save her daughter.
The Family Upstairs
Published in 2019
Gifted musician Clemency Thompson is playing for tourists on the streets of Southern France when she receives an urgent text message. Her childhood friend, Lucy, is demanding her immediate return to London. It's happening, says the message. The baby is back. Libby Jones was only six months old when she became an orphan. Now 25, she's astounded to learn of an inheritance that will change her life. A gorgeous, dilapidated townhouse in one of London's poshest neighborhoods has been held in a trust for her all these years. Now, it's hers. As Libby investigates the story of her birth parents and the dark legacy of her new home, Clemency and Lucy are headed her way to uncover, and possibly protect, secrets of their own. What really happened in that rambling Chelsea mansion when they were children? And are they still at risk?
What We Did
Published in 2019
"In a sleepy college town, a woman who was sexually abused as a child must face her traumatic past and protect her family when her abuser appears in town and forces his way back into her life"-- Provided by publisher.
The Leavers
A Novel
Published in 2017
"One morning, Deming Guo's mother, an undocumented Chinese immigrant named Polly, goes to her job at the nail salon and never comes home. With his mother gone, eleven-year-old Deming is left with no one to care for him. He is eventually adopted by two white college professors who move him from the Bronx to a small town upstate. Set in New York and China, the Leavers is the story of how one boy comes into his own when everything he's loved has been taken away--and how a mother learns to live with the mistakes of her past"-- Provided by publisher.
Lone Jack Trail
Published in 2020
"When a body washes up outside Deception Cove, Washington, Jess Winslow - once a US Marine, now a trainee sheriff's deputy - is assigned to investigate. But when she realizes it's "Bad" Brock Boyd, a hometown celebrity lately fallen from grace, things become complicated. The last person seen with Boyd was her own boyfriend, Mason Burke. An ex-convict and newcomer in town, Mason is one of the only people who can understand Jess's haunting memories of her time in Afghanistan - and her love for Lucy, her devoted service dog. Finding one another in Deception Cove has been the best thing to happen to either of them in years. So Jess knows Mason could never be guilty of murder - doesn't she? As the facts of the case point ever more squarely at Mason, Jess must face that everything she thinks she knows about him might be wrong."--Publisher description.
Some Go Home
A Novel
Published in 2020
"Following three generations in a small southern town, Some Go Home is a searing debut novel of class, race, place, and past. Colleen is an Iraq-war-veteran-turned-Pitchlynn, Mississippi-homemaker, and she works hard to keep her deployment behind her -- until her pregnancy churns up trauma so acute it threatens her husband, her family, and herself. Magnifying her anxiety is the media frenzy surrounding the retrial of Colleen's father-in-law, Hare Hobbs, for a Civil Rights-era murder. As the trial draws nearer, the question of Hare's guilt grows to implicate the town of Pitchlynn itself, echoing even to Chicago and beyond: places where the tensions of class and race -- tied always to land and who can call it their own -- seem as alive now as they were when the murder was committed. As Colleen struggles to sustain herself, and to prepare for the impact of her homeplace on her children, Hare waits in his cell and strikes up a tenuous friendship with Doc, the corrections officer whose life has been forever altered by the crime. And looming just off-radar is an unnamed pilot, a man with information that may shift the trial and its fallout. Twisting together individual and collective history on the land that pulls them apart, Some Go Home is a richly textured, explosive depiction of both the American South, and our larger cultural legacy." -- Provided by publisher.
No Less the Devil.
Published in 2022
'We are each our own devil, and we make this world our hell.' It's been seventeen months since the Bloodsmith butchered his first victim and Operation Maypole is still no nearer catching him. The media is whipping up a storm, the top brass are demanding results, but the investigation is sinking fast. Now isn't the time to get distracted with other cases, but Detective Sergeant Lucy McVeigh doesn't have much choice. When Benedict Strachan was just eleven, he hunted down and killed a homeless man. No one's ever figured out why Benedict did it, but now, after sixteen years, he's back on the streets again - battered, frightened, convinced a shadowy 'They' are out to get him, and begging Lucy for help. It sounds like paranoia, but what if he's right? What if he really is caught up in something bigger and darker than Lucy's ever dealt with before? What if the Bloodsmith isn't the only monster out there? And what's going to happen when Lucy goes after them?
Baby Doll
Published in 2016
"For fans of Gone Girl and Girl on the Train, BABY DOLL is the most tense thriller you will read this year. Held captive for eight years, Lily has grown from a teenager to an adult in a small basement prison. Her daughter Sky has been a captive her whole life. But one day their captor leaves the deadbolt unlocked. This is what happens next ... to her twin sister, to her mother, to her daughter ... and to her captor."-- Provided by publisher.
The Night Child
A Novel
Published in 2018
Nora Brown teaches high school English and lives a quiet life in Seattle with her husband and six-year-old daughter. But one November day, moments after dismissing her class, a girl's face appears above the students' desks and terror rushes through Nora's body. Twenty-four hours later, while on Thanksgiving vacation, the face appears again. Shaken and unsteady, Nora meets with neurologists and eventually, a psychiatrist. As the story progresses, a terrible secret is discovered--a secret that pushes Nora toward an even deeper psychological breakdown.
Out of Her Mind
Published in 2020
"Crime reporter Sawyer Brooks still grieves for the family she and her two sisters never had. Raised in a house of horrors, they continue to fight through the trauma--releasing their rage by seeking justice for those who are just as vulnerable as they were. When a little girl's bones are unearthed in Sacramento's Land Park and twelve-year-old Riley Addison disappears, solving these cases becomes an obsession for Sawyer--one that puts her job at risk. Yet she can't turn back, and the deeper Sawyer's investigation goes, the darker it gets. A psychopath is on the loose and has been trolling Sacramento for years--hiding in plain sight behind a motherly facade. The more Sawyer persists, the closer she gets to a disturbing place reminiscent of her own terrorized childhood. With time running out, Sawyer will risk anything to save Riley from the dark. But the killer will do anything to keep her there."--Provided by publisher.
Under Currents
Published in 2019
"From the #1 New York Times bestselling author, a novel about the power of family to harm -- and to heal. Within the walls of a tasteful, perfectly kept house in North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains, young Zane Bigelow feels like a prisoner of war. Strangers -- and even Zane's own aunt across the lake -- see his parents as a successful surgeon and his stylish wife, making appearances at their children's ballet recitals and baseball games. Zane and his sister know the truth: There is something terribly wrong. As his father's violent, controlling rages -- and his mother's complicity -- become more and more oppressive, Zane counts the years, months, days until he can escape. He looks out for little Britt, warning her: Be smart; Be careful. In fear for his very life, he plays along with the insidious lie that everything is fine, while scribbling his real thoughts in a secret journal he must carefully hide away. When one brutal, shattering night finally reveals cracks in the façade, Zane begins to understand that some people are willing to face the truth, even when it hurts. As he grows into manhood and builds a new kind of family, he will find that while the darkness of his past may always shadow him, it will also show him what is necessary for good to triumph -- and give him strength to draw on when he once again must stand up and defend himself and the ones he loves ..." -- Provided by publisher.
Salvaged
Published in 2019
Rosalyn Devar is on the run from her famous family, the bioengineering job she's come to hate, and her messed-up life. She's run all the way to outer space, where she's taken a position as a "space janitor," cleaning up ill-fated research expeditions. But no matter how far she goes, Rosalyn can't escape herself. After too many mistakes on the job, she's given one last chance: take care of salvaging the Brigantine, a research vessel that has gone dark, with all crew aboard thought dead. But the Brigantine's crew are very much alive--if not entirely human. Now Rosalyn is trapped on board, alone with a crew infected by a mysterious parasitic alien. The captain, Edison Aries, seems to still maintain some control over himself and the crew, but he won't be able to keep fighting much longer. Rosalyn and Edison must find a way to stop the parasite's onslaught...or it may take over the entire human race.
Una Gran Chica
Published in 2014
Landing her dream job as a high school teacher, Victoria Dawson loves working with her students and wages war on her weight at the gym. Despite tension with her parents, Victoria remains close to her sister, Gracie, and when Grace announces her engagement to a man who is an exact replica of their narcissistic father, a chance encounter, an act of stunning betrayal, and a family confrontation lead to a turning point in Victoria's life.
Desolation Canyon
Published in 2022
"P.J. Tracy "seems to have found her literary sweet spot" (New York Times Book Review) with her dazzling new series, and in Desolation Canyon, fans get a deeper look into the complex characters who call Los Angeles home. LAPD Detective Margaret Nolan is struggling to move forward after the death of her brother in Afghanistan and taking a life in the line of duty. Her stoic parents offer little support - they refuse to address anything difficult, and she's afraid their relationship is eroding beyond the point of recovery. The days off are the hardest, because they give Margaret time to think. A moment of weakness leads to cocktails with a colleague-an attraction she knows could be dangerous -at the luxurious Hotel Bel-Air bar. A stroll through the grounds leads to a grim discovery beneath the surface of Swan Lake: the body of a successful attorney who made his fortune in international trade. It initially appears to be death by misadventure, but the case is anything but straightforward. As a series of shocking revelations emerge, Nolan finds herself confronting a sinister cabal that just might destroy her and everyone she loves"-- Provided by publisher.
An Everyday Hero
Published in 2020
"At thirty, Greer Hadley never expected to be forced home to Madison, Tennessee with her life and dreams of being a songwriter up in flames. To make matters worse, a series of bad decisions and even crappier luck lands her community service hours at a nonprofit organization that aids veterans and their families. Greer cannot fathom how shes supposed to use music to help anyone deal with their trauma and loss when the one thing that brought her joy has failed her. When Greer meets fifteen-year-old Ally Martinez, her plans to stay detached and do as little as possible get thrown away. New to town and dealing with the death of her father in action, she hides her emotions behind a mask of bitterness and sarcasm, but Greer is able to see past it and recognizes pieces of who she once was in Ally. The raw and obvious talent she possesses could take her to the top and Greer vows to make sure lifes negativities dont derail Allys potential. After Greer is assigned a veteran to help, shes not surprised Emmett Lawson, the towns golden boy, followed his familys legacy. What leaves her shocked is the shell of a man who believes he doesnt deserve anyones help. A breakthrough with Ally reminds Greer that no one is worth giving up on. So she shows up one day with his old guitar, and meets Emmetts rage head on with her stubbornness. When a situation with Ally becomes dire, the two of them must become a team to save herand along the way they might just save themselves too."--Publisher.
Emma in the Night
Published in 2017
"One night three years ago, the Tanner sisters disappeared: fifteen-year-old Cass and seventeen-year-old Emma. Three years later, Cass returns, without her sister Emma. Her story is one of kidnapping and betrayal, of a mysterious island where the two were held. But to forensic psychiatrist Dr. Abby Winter, something doesn't add up. Looking deep within this dysfunctional family Dr. Winter uncovers a life where boundaries were violated and a narcissistic parent held sway. And where one sister's return might just be the beginning of the crime"-- Provided by publisher.
Rescue You
Published in 2020
"Rehabilitating pitbulls into war-veteran companions, Constance and Sunny are targeted by a vindictive neighbor before making unexpected self-discoveries and bonding with a group of ex-military friends at a local gym, where the owner is battling PTSD."--Provided by publisher.
Neglect
A Novel
Published in 2021
"From bestselling author Kim Wozencraft comes the story of a young mother at war on two fronts: first as a soldier in Afghanistan and then upon her return to rural Granite County, New York, where one terrible mistake threatens her family and her sanity. Erin Hill enlists in the Army Reserve in an act of desperation. She and her husband have both lost their jobs and their marriage is disintegrating. Assured that the odds of deployment are extremely low, Erin now finds herself on an Army base in the middle of a combat zone, where it's sometimes hard to tell who the enemy is--especially when a respected sergeant turns predator. When Erin returns stateside and reunites with her family, her battle for survival truly begins. Flooded with traumatic memories, with no prospects for jobs or treatment for PTSD, her husband involved with a new woman, Erin falls into the bottle head-first. After a nearly fatal night of despair, she is swept up into a vast and indifferent bureaucracy that threatens to take her children from her--forever. Neglect is a profound story of motherly love." -- Publisher's description