Sweet
Tea
by
Wendy Lynn Decker
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE:
Coming of Age/Christian fiction
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
The
fourth anniversary of Olivia’s daddy and John Lennon’s death is
approaching. Like the shot heard ’round the world, TV and radio
stations keep the frenzy alive and recognize Lennon’s life, while
Olivia’s mama remembers Daddy’s death. Instead of healing, Mama’s
strange behavior keeps getting worse.
After
viewing an afternoon talk show, Olivia discovers her mother might
have more than a case of eccentricity – she may be mentally ill.
When those fears are confirmed, Olivia is faced with more decisions
than any sixteen-year-old should have to make. With no adult family
members to turn to, she is forced to trust the only people who’ve
offered help: one strange man and a friend her mother makes at the
mental institution.
Facing
the intricacies of her mother’s illness one minute and the decision
to have sex with her new boyfriend the next, Olivia finds that
through faith and determination, she can conquer it all in this
poignant story of love, intuition, compassion, and hope.
Excerpt
p. 40
I
sprinted around the corner toward the car, slid behind the wheel,
stuck the key in the ignition, and turned the radio to blasting
levels. I stepped down on the gas. The Rolling Stones song Paint it
Black played and the music fueled my anger. I sang along. . . . Black
as night, black as coal, I wanna see the sun blotted out from the
sky, I wanna see it painted, painted, painted black . . .
My mind
kept replaying the last moments: Matt with no shirt, the girl’s
hands wrapped around his waist. Her voice calling him from upstairs.
Long legs. Dark eyes. Fuchsia lips.
Red
lights.
In my
rearview mirror, I saw them and snapped out of my pity party. I
peered down at the speedometer, and it read eighty miles an hour. I
slowed down and pulled to the side of the road. By the time the
police officer appeared, my emotional levee broke, and tears rushed
down my face. I cried. I cried until the salt from my tears gagged
me.
The
officer tapped my window with his stick. I rolled it down and glared
up at him with my tearstained face. He reminded me of the police
officer who came to our door the night Daddy died, the one who stared
at his shoes while the older one told us the news. And this one was
going to take me to jail because I was speeding, and I didn’t even
have a license. It couldn’t get any worse than this. Did God hate
me?
AUTHOR
Bio and Links:
Wendy
Lynn Decker has lived in thirteen different towns in the state of New
Jersey. Now, she lives a bike ride away from the ocean and her
favorite restaurant. She is the author of the middle-grade chapter
book, THE BEDAZZLING BOWL, which is the first book intended for a
series.
Find her
here:
WendyDecker19
- http://www.twitter.com/wendydecker19
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ReplyDeleteThis is a stunning cover and the book sounds interesting.
ReplyDeleteSweet Tea sounds like a great book and the cover is awesome! I'd love to be able to ride a bike to the ocean!
ReplyDeleteI have enjoyed learning about the book. Thanks for sharing it.
ReplyDelete