Monday, July 6, 2015

Ebook of the Week: Burnt Edges by Dana Leipold



About the Book: (book-jacket)

          Familiar abuse or an uncertain future? Which would you choose? This is Laurel Lee Page’s dilemma when she is faced with an unplanned pregnancy at nineteen. Born into a broken family, guilt and shame are all she has ever known. No matter what she does or whom she meets, Laurel appears to be living a condemned life. However, she is determined to find independence and freedom in spite of her family’s legacy of hatred and self-contempt. Set in Southern California during the tumultuous 1960’s, Burnt Edges is a contemporary novel based on true events that prove strength can emerge in the most horrific of circumstances.



About the Author:

         Dana Leipold is a freelance writer and author. She has self-published two books: a collection of limericks in Dr. Seuss-style for adults entitled, Stupid Poetry: The Ultimate Collection of Sublime and Ridiculous Poems, and a non-fiction book entitled, The Power of Writing Well: Write Well. Change the World. She also coaches other writers on story structure, messaging, and writing skills so they can achieve their dreams to become published authors. Leipold lives with her husband and two children in the San Francisco Bay Area.


Excerpt:

Laurel decided that Rusty was Mother’s favorite child. The afternoon in the garage had been proof. But because he often took the brunt of Father’s anger, she felt a bizarre kinship with him. She also loved the stories he would tell when they had nothing to do. He would make up tall tales like the one about spacemen who came to Earth to taste hamburgers because they had none on Mars. He described them as little green men with antennae.

“Whenever they come to visit, people find their hats missing, because the Martians steal them to conceal their antennae,” Rusty said.

“That’s just silly,” Laurel said.

Gerry sat in the dirt, playing with rocks and half-listening. Laurel thought he’d rather be playing football or punching some kid, so he sometimes got bored of the stories.

“No, it’s true, really.”

“What did they do to hide their green skin?” Laurel asked.

“They also steal women’s pancake makeup and put it all over their faces. Helps them blend in.”

“Ew, they wear girl’s makeup?” Gerry said, sticking out his tongue.

Laurel giggled, imagining Martians wearing makeup and hats just to get a taste of a hamburger.

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