rafflecopter GiveAway-THE BOOK OF JAMES by Ellen J Green-- Blog Tour

Book Blurb:

A terrible car crash sets things in motion for 31 year old Mackenzie when her critically injured husband, Nick, whispers warnings that someone from his past may attempt to harm or kill her after his passing. He urges her to travel to Philadelphia to his childhood home. Find James, he insists. It's the only way out.

His last words are pushed to the side in the aftermath of his death, as Mackenzie is consumed with grief. Until the things he had spoken of start to come true. Mackenzie's search brings her to the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia, to the 19th century mansion where her husband was raised, and face to face with a mother-in-law she didn't know existed. The two women each have an agenda. Cora, a recluse, worries that her son revealed devastating childhood secrets to his wife. Mackenzie is concerned that unless she uncovers those secrets and finds the elusive James, she may not survive. The two women circle around one another, hunter and prey. But which is which?

As the plot unfolds Mackenzie becomes more driven and takes increasingly dangerous risks while Cora’s precarious mental state rapidly deteriorates forcing her to relive a past she has worked so hard to keep buried.A gallery of photographs in the bowels of the house holds clues to generations of abuse, treachery and possibly murder. Messages hidden in Nick’s childhood Bible within the Epistle of James have Mackenzie racing against time to put the pieces together, unearth the reasons her husband chose to vanish when he was sixteen years old, and locate the person mentioned in Nick’s dying breath.

When James is finally found, the results are more horrifying than Mackenzie could have ever imagined.

My Review:

 

If you like mystery-thriller, this is a must read for you.    I have to admit, mystery- thriller is right up my alley and I absolutely ate this one up!   Once I started I could not put it down.   And yes, I lost sleep reading it!   Enough gushing….onto the meat and bones!

Mackenzie  Weichmann had lost her husband due to an auto accident.  His final words to her were to find James.   It was the only way to save herself.   Thus begins the mystery.

In the five years she had known her husband, Nick, there had been no knowledge about Nick’s past except that he had no living relatives.   But at death's door he had warned her of impending danger.

When a lawyer in Philadelphia contacted her to meet with him, he assured Mackenzie he would answer all her questions.  Imagine MacKenzie’s surprise to find out Nick’s mother was indeed alive, and Nick was worth millions.   Millions?  When they were living like paupers?   What’s up with that?   In addition, Weichmann was not even Nick’s last name; he was born a Whitfield.

Did she know her husband at all?   Obviously he had a very private life she knew nothing about.   Meeting with the lawyer left more questions than answers and it was soon obvious, he wanted very little to do with her.    Her business was soon turned over to Dylan McBride, the lawyer’s son.

MacKenzie needed to contact Cora Whitfield, Nick’s mother…thus begins the thriller.

This author presented a very original work in my opinion, releasing small amounts information as she wove her tale of abuse and torture, trauma and suffering.   Her characters were well developed, believable and easy to relate to.  I felt their angst and their fears.   MacKenzie and Cora were well matched opponents.   MacKenzie was facing the loss of a five year span of deception; Cora faced losing the secrets of a lifetime.

If you want a great mystery thriller, this is the book for you!   You absolutely have to read it and lose some sleep to finish it.   For a first work, it is beyond Awesome.   Well done Ellen J Green!    Well done!!

Guest Post:   How I Wrote it

The book was done in layers. I first wrote the Mackenzie story all the way through and thought I was done. I was working with an editor who kept telling me something was missing. She suggested that I write part of the Cora story just to open it up for myself so I could figure out what was missing. Once I started writing things from Cora's perspective I knew she needed her own voice.

I don't know where the idea for the book came from. I had this thought that I wanted to have this character uncover her husband's secret past and when I started writing, the characters took over completely. The characters actually drove me. I had to play around with the ending. I rewrote it three times. I hope I chose the right one.

I didn't have writers block so much as "writer's crap". I would write for days and then realize everything I'd written was terrible and I had to start again. My goal was that at the end of the book, the reader would have some understanding and a just a bit of sympathy for Cora. I'm not sure I succeeded at all in that. But I'd love to hear feedback about it. And also, who was the most responsible for what happened at the end? The people who've read it all seem to have a different take on it.

Thank you Ellen for your contribution to this post!  We are most appreciative of your time with us!

About Ellen J Green :

I was born and raised in upstate NY and moved to the Philadelphia area to go to college. I graduated with degrees in psychology. Although writing has always been my first love I somehow took a left turn in life and ended up as a therapist in a maximum security correctional facility.---for the past 7 years. (plenty of fodder for writing there, I can tell you).

I have been published three times in various magazines, (True Confessions, Woman's World) The Book of James is my first novel. I am starting a Masters degree program in creative writing in the fall.

I now live in south Jersey with my two children.

Links:

http://ejgreenbooks.com/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000590652187 

Giveaway:   Our author had graciously offered a free ebook of this title to be given away.   You definitely want to sign up for this book..it is awesome!!!  See the Rafflecopter below.

    If you love a mystery and a romance and a touch of horror,you have got to read this book...why not for free!

 

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Disclaimer:  I read for my pleasure.   I may receive ARC copies for review purposes, but I am not compensated for my reviews .  I like to read and I like to share my reviews.   I post my thoughts without prejudice or bias.  The words are mine and I write reviews based on my humble opinion.  I will admit, I seldom meet a book I don't like.

 

 

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