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As an old woman’s lifeless body lies on a cold stone floor, her soul stands before an angel who offers her a miraculous opportunity: the chance to do it all again. But that is easier said than done. In order to change the path her life has taken, she must put aside years of self-loathing and pain, so she can help the young girl she once was become the woman she should have been.
At 17 years old, Grace Bennett is a bitter young woman. Though blessed with a loving family, looks and brains to spare, she hides her light under a bushel, spending most of her time in the darkness of her mind with little more than sarcasm and self-pity to keep her company.
But things are about to change for Grace. While delivering food for her family’s bed and breakfast, she turns onto a desolate dirt road and drives straight into her destiny.
It’s on this isolated country lane that the damaged girl meets a strangely familiar old couple and two mysterious young men. Together the group fights the demons that surround Grace, and they teach her what it means to let her light shine.
“Illuminating Gracie” is, at once, a metaphorical tale of the fight between good and evil and a spiritual saga of one girl’s journey from darkness into the light. If you liked “Twilight” and “The Hunger Games,” you will love the story of Gracie.
This is one of those books that the longer it sits with me, the more I like it! While I was reading it, there were parts that I absolutely loved and highlighted, especially near the beginning. Then it took a strange turn, yet that part was still essential to the story. It ended strong, though, and I enjoyed getting some questions answered. Finally, there was the Epilogue which was unsettling but has me wanting to read the next book asap.
I enjoyed Gracie's relationships. She met two good-looking guys, Locke and Merchison, who were both vying for her attention. They are also keeping secrets from her and she wants to find out what they are. She's not sure which one she can trust and feels confused. I definitely had my favorite and after some other things are revealed, she ends up with the one I want her with. However, they are both young and still have a lot to go through so I'm hoping they can make it to the end.
I also enjoyed Willem and Mrs. B. They were mysterious and odd and hard for Gracie to figure out. They gave Gracie some good advice but, like the guys, she wasn't exactly sure if she could trust them. We were given enough hints throughout the story to figure out who they were and I enjoyed the reveal to Gracie and her subsequent "illumination." Gracie has a good sense of humor, too, and her internal conversations were fun to read.
This is a great story illustrating good vs. evil and second chances. Gracie learns what her relationship is to everyone else and it will be interesting to see where the story goes from here. Gracie is young so will she stay on the path she's currently on which will change the course of her life or will she fall back into old, familiar patterns? I'm looking forward to finding out!
My Rating=4.5 Stars (I originally gave it 4 stars but after thinking about it more, decided it's worth 4.5)
Excerpt:
Because he was an angel, Lochedus carried the power of life and death in his touch. With the wave of his hand, he could calm an angry sea or rain down terrible destruction on the heads of the guilty. He could grant peace to the troubled and visit devastating disease on the deserving. But no matter how hard he tried he could not, that night, pull himself from the depression that threatened to tear him apart. It had taken the touch of a small boy to do what a mighty angel could not and the far- reaching fallout from the child’s selfless act would echo throughout eternity.
Through the years, Lochedus had checked in on the boy, quietly keeping vigil – never speaking, only watching. Not one time did the boy acknowledge his existence or seem to see him again. Not even in his darkest hours did he call out for help. That is, until tonight. The boy, now an old man, didn’t beg for his own soul, but for the soul of another – the one he loved most in the world. And now, the angel would move Heaven and Earth – and Hell if he had to – to help the one to whom he owed so much.
Praise for Illuminating Gracie:
“A well-paced fantasy story of redemption and self-improvement.” ~Kirkus Review (Sept. 1, 2013 Magazine)
“Just the right amount of love story to the action packed plot line left this book a perfectly balanced read.” ~Maryann (Amazon “Top 1000” Reviewers)
“The story also contains little mysteries that keep you turning the pages, as gems of insight turn up along the way. It is a story of hope and redemption, and a beautiful request of each of us to let our light shine brightly.” ~Kimberly Raadt Higgins (Amazon Review)
“On a personal level, I can relate to Grace in so many ways. As I read, a lot of memories and feelings from my teenage and young adult years have come flooding back, some a little painful, others fun and exciting, even hopeful. Yet it also has me contemplating where I am today as a middle-aged adult; am I who I thought I would be, who I want to be?” ~N.J. Collar (Amazon Review)
“The plot is masterfully drawn and keeps the reader guessing until the end. This book tells the story of the fight between good and evil in a young woman’s life. It is brilliant in its use of humor and emotion to draw the reader into the characters.” J. Pitts (Amazon and Goodreads)
On thirty-nine Senior scrolls, the Headmaster of author, Lisa C. Temple’s, small, private school wrote “Good Luck and best wishes for a prosperous future!” On the fortieth and final scroll, which was Temple’s, the Headmaster penned the words, “Lisa, I can’t wait to see to what use you put your unusual talents!” Temple spent the next 30 years trying to assuage her former leader’s curiosity – and her own.
She sold BMWs in her hometown of Montgomery, Alabama, and hillbillies (as a booking agent) in Nashville, Tennessee. In an effort to escape the enforced servitude of the Junior League, she even attended and was graduated from law school and passed the Alabama State Bar exam in 2002. Through it all, she battled problems and illnesses, many of her own making. But, it wasn’t until her father – her hero – was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS), that Temple found her true calling – the “talent” that she finds joy in putting to use.
“Illuminating Gracie,” is loosely autobiographical and born from a desire to, if only, metaphorically right the wrongs of Temple’s own past. It tells the story of a miserable old woman who is given the opportunity – by an angel – to go back in time and help the young girl she once was become the woman she should have been. “Illuminating Gracie,” is the first book in a four-book series. The second book, “Instigating Gracie,” is due for release in December 2013.
Temple laughs when saying she has a loving and complicated husband she deserves, and a wonderful son and two loving stepchildren that she does not. She also shares her life with her beloved pets: Pomeranian, Phebe; Bordernese, Flash; and Tabby cat, MInx.
Blog Tour Giveaway
$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 12/31/13
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
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