***********Adult Book***********
Title: When We Collide by A.L. Jackson
Published:
November 2nd, 2012 by Sapphire Star Publishing
Source:
Provided by author for review
Format: eBook
Grade rate: B+
William has spent six years running from his past and the last eight months trying to rid his mind of the dreams that increasingly haunt his nights. Trapped in a world of false ambitions and feigned affections, William knows he’s reached a breaking point and something’s going to give. Maggie had lived her entire life without hope until one man showed her what it meant to be loved. He’d been her light in a lifetime of darkness. Six years ago, that darkness stole him away. Without him, she’s surrendered herself to an existence she doesn’t know how to escape. When the family William left behind is struck by tragedy, he is called back to the one place he’s sworn to never return to again.
In a moment that will change his life forever, William comes face to face with the girl who, with one look, captured his heart. He is unable to ignore the buried desires and the hope for the future they’d once believed they’d have.
Now William is ready to fight to take back what had been stolen from him six years before.But he never imagined what that fight might cost him.
My Review
I previously participated in the Blog Tour for Take This Regret (you can see my review
here) and I really enjoyed it, thus
I was very happy to be invited to the
tour for When We Collide.
The story is told in alternating POVs (thank you for
pointing out who was talking and past vs. present!), which I always enjoy since
I feel it gives the reader a better insight about the characters. However, I felt a stronger connection with
William. He is the main narrator and I
can identify with his point of view and his feelings better than Maggie’s.
William and Maggie are better when they are
together. Is the type of bond that is so
strong that makes the whole better than the individual parts. They both made mistakes and they both regret
them. In William’s case (this is not a
spoiler as it’s part of the synopsis), he didn’t fight for what he wanted and
ended up becoming as stranger to himself and to his family. In Maggie’s case, it was perpetuating her
abusive upbringing.
Troy is plain crazy, he also came from an abusive home
and it seems like the only thing he knows is to scare and control people. Other characters are well crafted. I really liked Blake, William’s brother and
how supportive he was of his brother.
His relationship with his wife Grace was the complete opposite of Maggie’s. Jonathan was such a sweet boy and since he is
so young he is sure to recuperate from his first years of life.
I just don’t understand abusive relationships. Maybe it is because I have never lived one,
but it is incomprehensible to me to be with someone that hurts me. More
incomprehensible to me would be to put my own child in danger. I know that these types of relationships are
very complicated and I probably should stop talking about it before I say
something I shouldn’t. There are some
statistics included at the end of the book that are quite staggering:
As many as one in
three girls and one in seven boys will be sexually abused at some point in
their childhood.
One in every four
women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime
An estimated 1.3
million women are victims of physical abuse by an intimate partner each year.
The plot is not complicated, and to me the story becomes
part romance, part thriller. I mean,
it’s easy to guess that Troy will try to do something to stop Maggie from
escaping his evil clutches (I know, I know, couldn’t help myself :) What I like most is the writing. Ms. Jackson is an amazing storyteller. She can convey feelings so easily and with a
few words. A beautiful and poignant
story.
Here are some quotes from the book:
"I’d never understand how I’d gotten from my father’s
house to Troy’s, when I’d promised myself so many times as a girl that I’d
never end up like my mother. Like
second-nature, I’d made an almost seamless transition from one vicious hand to another
without even realizing it." – Maggie
"I stared up at her, pleading without words, hating the
monster inside her that caused her to believe she was worth anything less than
what she was, wishing she would see what I say." – William
"I feel to my knees on the hardwood floor. The walls
closed in, suffocating… and I felt it, felt them. I cried out, begged her name. I lay my cheek on the cool floor, nails
scraping the slick wood, grasping at something, grasping at nothing." – William
"We collided, body and soul, mouths and hands and
whispered pleas." – William
About the cover: It’s
beautiful, isn't it? I love the cover and the sense of release, even when the world is a storm.
A.L. Jackson first found a love for writing during her days as a young mother and college student. She filled the journals she carried with short stories and poems used as an emotional outlet for the difficulties and joys she found in day-to-day life.
Years later, she shared a short story she’d been working on with her two closest friends and, with their encouragement, this story became her first full length novel. A.L. now spends her days writing in Southern Arizona where she lives with her husband and three beautiful children. Her favorite pastime is spending time with the ones she loves.
Guest Post
Hey all! I’m A. L. Jackson, author
of Pulled and Take This Regret. I want
to thank Taking it One Page at a Time for asking me to share with you today on
my 10 Tips On Becoming a Better Writer.
I spent some time contemplating
whether I wanted to focus on the overall picture and lifestyle of being a
writer, or if I wanted to focus on craft. In the end I thought I’d give you a
little of both.
So here it goes ~ A. L. Jackson’s
10 Tips to Becoming a Better Writer
1. Never give up. Yes, this is a
general philosophy that can be applied to almost any passion, but one that is
essential to being a writer. If you’ve chosen writing or becoming an author as
your passion and aspiration, then expect that there will be a lot of
discouragement that will come with it. There will be times when it feels as if
it is just not worth it. But there will also be times, like when you hold your
published book in your hands, when it feels like the most amazing thing in the
world.
2. Outline. If you’re writing your
first book, I strongly recommend that you begin with an outline. It’s essential
to know where you’re beginning, the direction you’re heading, and your ultimate destination. Be
sure that the plot makes sense and you can clearly see how you can take your
reader on this journey. You’ll have plenty of space to allow your characters
and plot to grow and develop as you write, but an outline will help you to stay
on the right track. After that first
book, you should be able to tell if you’re a stronger writer with or without an
outline.
3. Continue to read. Read the classics, read the bestsellers, and
read in your genre. Allow yourself to be inspired!
4. Find a critique partner you trust.
I can’t emphasize this enough. A
critique partner can help you see the holes in your plot and characterization
issues that we, as writers, can’t see.
Often these things are clear in our heads, but it may not come across
that way to the reader. Plus it’s so
encouraging to have another writer friend who we can toss ideas around with and
support each other in our writing. On a
side note: Be sure this critique partner’s interest is in helping you become a
better writer and not in tearing you down.
5. Look for common themes, words, and
phrases in your manuscript. Most authors
have favorite words and phrases.
Identify them and be sure you don’t overuse them.
6. Get rid of those adverbs! I
recommend doing a search through all the adverbs in your manuscript. If you can
replace an adverb with strong verbs and descriptions instead (which you almost
always can), do it.
7. Show, don’t tell. Bet you haven’t heard that before :) Don’t tell us your character feels sad, but
describe the scene unfolding that made brought on the sadness, the actions of the
character in response to it, and give clear descriptions of what the character
is experiencing and feeling.
8. Approach editing with an open
mind. Our first instinct as writers can
be to be defensive of our work, but open your mind to suggestions given to you
by your editor and/or critique partner.
Editors are there to help make our books better, not tear them apart. If
you disagree with a suggestion, take the time to discuss it with your editor
and see if the two of you can work together to create a good solution.
9. Don’t let formatting or
punctuation marks tell your story for you.
Don’t overuse italics for emphasis or exclamation marks to show
excitement. Let your story speak for
itself.
10. Continue to write. The more you write, the better writer you’ll
become. Plus, you love it, right? So sit
back and enjoy what you do.
Thank you again to Taking it One
Page at a Time. Wishing you all much luck in your writing endeavors!
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I love comments! Please leave me one and I will try to reply as soon as I can. Liza