Write to the Point with Michéle Phoenix

I didn’t have an author to interview this week but I do have a review and giveaway for you. Enjoy!

Here is a direct link to Michéle Phoenix’s bio, click here.

In Broken Places

By

Michéle Phoenix

From the back cover:

Shelby’s life isn’t glamorous, but it is predictable—and that’s the way she likes it. A survivor of her father’s violence, she has spent a lifetime creating a safe existence devoid of dependence.  But her carefully managed life begins to crack when she becomes legal guardian to Shayla, a four-year-old carrying a secret that shatters her world.

In a drastic attempt to escape her past, Shelby accepts a teaching position in Germany, hoping for a fresh start. But as she tries to adjust to a new job, a new culture, a new daughter and the ardent pursuit of a persistent basketball coach, Shelby begins to wonder if she made the right choice—or if the past will continue to threaten the future she desires.

My thoughts and giveaway:

First, I love the cover. You just know that little girl has to be adorable.

I so enjoyed Michéle Phoenix’s writing voice. Within the first page I knew I would like this author simply by her writing style. She has a way with her words that is a style I could never write and a way only she could.

This is the type of book I like to read. The main character, Shelby, has some brokenness from her past that she comes face-to-face with and she can’t run away and ignore it, she must deal with it. My heart breaks for her as I read about the abuse she suffered as a child, probably because a lot of the verbal abuse hit way too close to home for me. I remember the tension, the waiting to see if you would say something wrong that would set off a torrent of verbal bashing.

There is also a dash of romance, which I always enjoy as well.

The book is written differently. You start off in the present and then you go back about seven months when Shelby gets the child, Shayla. Then at times you go even further back into Shelby’s childhood. Although this breaks every rule new writers are told never to do, it totally works with this book and Michéle weaves it together beautifully.

If you like a deeper read that deals with the brokenness in the human spirit and the futile ways we try to protect ourselves,  you will want to read this book.

To order from Amazon click here.

To order from Barnes and Noble click here.

To order from Christianbook.com click here.

To visit Michéle’s website click here.

To win the book for yourself, just leave a comment by May 21st at 5:00 pm (U.S residents only).

A copy of this book was given to me by Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.