A little about my book.

So, I told you all about how I’m back. Now I want to introduce you to my newest book. The one that I’m shopping around, trying to find an agent for.

Forever Tomorrows is a 72,000 word Contemporary Young Adult Novel. Ha! That doesn’t mean much if you aren’t from the writing world. So, in layman's terms… It’s an average length novel set in present day, based on the life of a teenager. Although I think this book will appeal to young adults I definitely think people of all ages will be able to connect with it in some way. 

The story follows the journey of 16-year-old Jesslyn Ward as she goes through some very dark moments in her life and how she learns to heal and find happiness once more. It’s about pain and sadness. Hope, healing and self-discovery. It gives us a peek into what drives a teenager to try to take their own life. A question I think many of us ask when we hear of such a tragic loss that never should have happened. There are people out there that call it a shellfish act, and in a way it is. But driven by pure desperation, people do irrational things they never would have thought of doing under normal circumstances.

This novel is very close to my heart, being based on true life events that I experienced growing up. That being said, it is still a work of fiction. Many of the supporting characters are completely fictional. The events in this story happened so long ago, that although I remember several people from this story, it would be impossible to remember every nuance and detail of their characters. And I do have to put this out there, in case any of you do get the chance to read this book, the ending is 100% fictional. My happy ending came in a different form and with a completely different prince charming. One that I’m still married too. But with all the stories I write, I like there to be a little bit of a love story. This is Jesslyn and Daniels story.

In the writing world, we create what we call pitches for the books we write. Pitches are meant to be a short summary of your book that you can quickly “pitch” to an agent or someone else to let them know what your book is about. I’m going to share my Pitch with you now. Just know, it is still a work in progress like all things, it may need some work.

After months of abuse, sixteen-year-old Jesslyn Ward decides that she can’t take it anymore. When her suicide attempt fails, she finds herself admitted to a mental health facility. Things are made worse when her self-absorbed mother moves out of state, abandoning Jesslyn in the hospital. The road to recovery isn’t easy and just when she thinks things might be getting better, she is forced to face the secrets she has been hiding. With the help of the staff and the new found friendships she has formed, Jesslyn finally begins to heal. In the end, she discovers that family isn’t always blood and that in the darkness of times you can still find hope and happiness. Based on real life events, this is the story of abuse and pain, healing, and self-discovery. 

Have I interested you in my book yet? I hope so. If not, don’t worry. It won’t hurt my feelings. But if you do want to keep reading, here’s a little excerpt. One that I hope you love as much as I do. Because really, this is what my book is about. Finding hope in the darkest of times.

 He leans back in his chair, folding his arms behind his head and tipping his head back. “You know, when I first got here, I thought this place was for the truly insane. People who hear voices and things.” His eyes flick over to me and then move back to the ceiling. “Then I watched the kids coming through here. Kids like me and you. Kids who have truly screwed up stuff happening to them and they just don’t know how to deal with it.” He leans forward resting his elbow on the table. His gaze locks on mine. “Maybe that means there is hope for us after all.”

“There is always hope,” someone says from behind us. I turn to see Darren leaning against the door frame. He pushes off and walks towards us. “I read this quote once and it’s always stuck with me,” he says pulling a chair out. He turns it backwards and straddles it, resting his forearms on the back. “It said, Staying positive doesn’t mean you have to be happy all of the time. It means that even on hard days you know better ones are coming.” He rests his chin on his arms, watching us. “Essentially, that's what hope is, isn’t it?”

Well, that’s it for tonight. I hope you have all enjoyed my post. Have a good night and I’ll talk to you soon.