Book Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Self-Published through
CreateSpace on Amazon
Release Date: July 16, 2014
Buy Link(s):
Book Description:
Brent Harper is the perfect guy. He's Max's hero--the boy she's had a crush on since the school year began.
But when Brent goes missing, Max must face the truth that she really doesn't know him at all. In order to find him, she will first need to learn everything she can about him.
After Brent wakes up without any memories, his only choice is to trust the first person he sees.
Alison, the girl who finds him, promises to help him remember. But what if he doesn't want to remember? When his memories start to return, Brent is confronted with the hardest decision of his life.
How do you choose between who you thought you were and who you want to be?
Excerpt:
Prologue
Brent
There is no easy way
from the earth to the stars.
-Seneca
Images of the fight flooded my mind. I’d considered Lucas and Mark my friends, but I wasn’t so sure anymore. I stopped them from picking on my best friend, Max, and the next thing I knew I was shoved against a locker. The cold metal rattled loudly when my body slammed into it. My head throbbed in pain at the contact.
“Stay out of it for once,” Lucas growled.
“Maybe it’s time you learned your place,” Mark spat at me as his fist knocked the wind out of my lungs.
Lucas’s knee connected with my ribs, and I winced in pain. They alternated between knees to stomach, and punches to my face. I fell to a clump on the ground. I knew I should‘ve defended myself, but I made a promise to someone--a promise that I swore I’d keep. I took the beating without complaint, because I knew I deserved it. I always deserved it. Between kicks, I heard Mark say, “Dude, fight back.”
It sounded like a plea. But I lost consciousness before I figured out the significance of it. It’d been hours since that fight, but even now my ribs hurt and my face ached. Even with all the blood washed away, I bore evidence of the fight, and had feared going home. I wandered the streets and watched the sky darken around me as I prayed for answers that never came. If they had come, I wouldn’t have done something that I already regretted.
I made my choice. And even if I didn’t remember this in the morning, the truth of it weighed heavily on my mind tonight. My demons always found a way to haunt me. Somehow, I knew they’d follow me this time as well. I just wished I hadn’t chosen to start this journey alone.
I reached my destination, and had I taken one last look at the sky. I found my favorite constellations, and recalled all the times I’d admired this same sky. I always felt at home among the stars--they were the only good thing about the darkness. Their presence harkened the depths of imagination. They were ageless as they gazed back at us. We were mere fragments in the lifetime of a star. I longed for that kind of immortality. Even now,
I yearned to exist.
I collapsed onto the grass, and fought off sleep for as long as I could. I was terrified of tomorrow.
Exhausted, I dispelled one last breath of hot air, and I resigned myself to my fate. Things were finally going to change, I’d seen to that. I couldn’t run forever. And with that thought in mind, I had closed my eyes, and allowed the spell to take me.
I'm
a 2nd Dan Black Belt in Tang Soo Do. I have been on mission trips, one
to Haiti and the other to a Native American Reservation/Camp in
Oklahoma. I loved both experiences.
I am in the Army Reserves. And I volunteer at Camp Sunshine each August.
I also work in Security for Farmer's Insurance. And I was a victim's
advocate for the YWCA.
My passion is writing and I love to read. I wrote a books, A Place for Me, and most recently, Soul Searching.
When I was 19, I made an independent film (wrote, directed and starred in it) called, Weight of the World.
I wrote A Place for Me when I was 20. Published it at 21. When I was 22, my cousins and I made a indie movie out of it.
Now at 32, I wrote another book. Soul Searching.
Author Links -
I also have a facebook page for me, Jamie-Jo Brenner as well as Soul Searching novel page.
10 Things Reader’s Would Be Surprised To Know About Me
1. I
made two indie movies with friends/family when I was younger. I was
nineteen when I hired a film crew and filmed a movie I wrote (Weight of
the World). I even did a premiere showing of the film. I was
twenty-three when my friends, cousins and I decided to spend the summer
together and film a movie based off a novel I wrote (A Place For Me).
2. I lived in Brooklyn, NY for while I attended Pratt Institute for one year.
3. I
lived in Santa Barbara, CA for a little while. I had visited some
friends and stayed for nine months. I had a job working with people with
developmental disabilities.
4. I
was part of a mission trip that built an orphanage in Haiti. My best
friend and I went together and it’s a memory we both greatly cherish.
5. I
have volunteered at Camp Sunshine since I was seventeen. It’s a summer
camp for people with developmental disabilities and happens to be my
favorite place on Earth.
6. I have a 2nd
Degree Black Belt in Tang Soo Do. I also trained in Jeet Kune Do which
was created by Bruce Lee (whom I admire). I love everything about
Martial Arts. Just this weekend, I went to a comic con in Chicago and
learned Karate from Jason David Frank (The Green and White Power
Rangers)! I loved it.
7. I’m
a HUGE comic book fan! X-23 is my favorite character. She’s Wolverine’s
clone. Most people would be surprised to hear that since I have a
Superman tattoo on my wrist.
8. I’m
in the United States Army Reserves. I’m a Water Treatment Specialist by
trade. I didn’t join until I was thirty-one. It was a lifelong dream of
mine to serve, and I finally decided to do it. My grandfather (one of
the most important people in my life) served and I wanted to follow in
his footsteps.
9. One
of my favorite experiences was as a camp counselor for Quivering Arrow.
I went to Oklahoma as part of another mission trip and loved those kids
so much! It was one of the most rewarding things I’ve done.
10. My favorite movie is, A League of Their Own.
For years after I watched it, I wanted to be a professional baseball
player. Then I learned that the women’s team disbanded in the fifties. I
was heartbroken until I watched Superman, and then I wanted to be Lois
Lane.
Schedule August 24 - October 13
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