About this item
Innocence can be lost in an instant, a life-shattering moment in time. For high school senior Annie Steinberg, that turning point occurs when she learns that her mother, Marian, has stumbled upon compromising photos and incriminating letters, which reveal an ugly truth about her father, a secret he had hoped would remain undiscovered. As the illusion of their perfect family vanishes, changing everything, Annie is suddenly thrust into adulthood, struggling to support her mother while navigating the complicated dynamics of their now irreversibly broken home. But patterns of blind trust are often repeated, and Annie soon faces her own bitter trials and disappointments. Before she can bravely move forward to embrace the magic of a new beginning, she must acknowledge that consenting to live with obvious deception is much like cosigning a lie.
About the Author
I have always wanted to be a writer. Actually, I have always wanted to be a storyteller, having fallen in love with the idea that a cleverly crafted plot can transport a person to a different time and place, fueled only by the limits of imagination. Words have always fascinated me with their ability to build or destroy, delight or defame. I have been captivated by a perfectly penned phrase ever since my momma read to me from Grimm's Fairy Tales as a child. And so, I became a teacher, specializing in literature and communication. In my heyday, I could autopsy Shakespeare (or Steinbeck) with the best of them, weaving tales about fictional characters, much to the delight (and dismay) of my long -suffering students.
And then I retired. Without the burdens and responsibilities of paper grading and lesson planning, I had the time to decide what I wanted to do with this second chapter of my life. I had spent years postponing putting pen to paper. My days were busy, and I had a multitude of excuses, colorfully wrapped in delays and postponements. Not anymore. Could I do it, I wondered? Could I write a book or were my creative dreams simply illusions, something to bravely attempt in the land of someday? The only way to find out was to try. And so I did. Thankfully, the muse showed up to guild me on my journey. Her name is Gertrude, which is not very Greek. I know. She likes wine and chocolate. I keep her well-supplied.
