BLURB:
Her
whole life, Ava Carson has been sure of one thing: she doesn’t
measure up to her mother’s expectations. So when Mitchell Carson
sweeps into her life with his adorable son, the ready-made family
seems like a dream come true.
In
the blink of an eye, she’s married, has a new baby, and life is
grand.
Or
is it?
When
her picture-perfect marriage begins unraveling at the seams, Ava
convinces herself she can fix it. It's temporary. It’s the stress.
It’s Mitchell’s tragic history of loss.
If
only Ava could believe her own excuses.
Mitchell
is no longer the charming, thoughtful man she married. He grows more
controlling by the day, revealing a violent jealous streak. His
behavior is recklessly erratic, and the unanswered questions about
his past now hint at something far more sinister than Ava can
stomach. Before she can fit the pieces together, Mitchell files for
divorce and demands full custody of their boys.
Fueled
by fierce love for her children and aided by Graham Thomas, a new
attorney in town —Ava takes matters into her own hands, digging
deep into the past. But will finding the truth be enough to beat
Mitchell at his own game?
Center
of Gravity weaves a chilling tale, revealing the unfailing and
dangerous truth that things—and people—are not always what they
seem.
Excerpt
:
Every
day, somebody, somewhere, needs a hero.
Think
about it. The mom lifting a two-ton truck to save her son after a car
crash. The dad who can't swim—who jumps in the water anyway—to
pull out his drowning daughter. The guy who kicks down a door of a
burning house because his friend’s kid is trapped inside.
All of a
sudden, getting hurt doesn’t matter. There’s no thinking twice.
Just a gut pumping, jump-off-the-cliff, no turning back.
For
these regular people thrown into crazy life or death situations,
there's one big hero moment. Then, they go back to work, their jobs,
or school.
And it's
someone else's turn.
I’m
only in the third grade, but I’ve been waiting for my chance to be
a hero my whole life.
An
ear-piercing shriek yanks me back to the school playground.
“Emma
Dunlop’s stuck up in the oak tree.” My best friend Mo runs up,
breathless. He bends over, chest heaving in the humidity, and puts
both hands on his knees. “She’s freaking out.”
Shielding
my eyes, I grit my teeth. The tree’s as big as a monster, with
twisted brown branches that extend like arms, thick emerald leaves at
the fingertips. Spanish moss hangs from the lowest limbs, the ends
curling like a snake’s tail.
Though I
can’t see her through the tangle of limbs, I picture Emma hanging
on tight to the rough bark. Shaking. Really scared. Trying not to
look down at the brick-red clay.
I run a
hand through my hair.
She’s
in trouble. And I know why.
Legend
says a man’s head—a genie—is hidden in the leaves and branches.
Weird, rough pieces of wood make up his face. He has knots for eyes.
A bump for his chin. It’s for real. I’ve seen it.
All the
kids know the story. If you touch the genie’s nose, your wish will
come true. Of course, my dad doesn’t believe in stuff like that and
says I shouldn’t either. He’s a Ph.D. And does an important job
at the college. So I guess he knows what he’s talking about.
But
that’s not going to save Emma now. I start to jog, then full-out
sprint. At the base of the tree, I push through a crowd of my
classmates. Third and fourth graders, gaping, heads tilted, mouths
open like baby birds. When I reach the trunk, I squint up and find
Emma’s brand-new saddle shoes dangling high above me. I see pale,
thin legs, and the crisp edges of her plaid jumper. And despite
everyone talking and whispering, I hear Emma crying. It’s a
whimpering wail, like a hurt animal.
“Y’all
go on back inside now. Go back to class,” my teacher says, pushing
the group back an inch or two. I end up jostled next to the school
librarian, who’s holding her hands like she's praying.
Our eyes
meet. Mine flicker away.
“Don’t
even think about it, Jack,” she warns.
But I
kick off my shoes anyway and grab hold of the trunk. Deep down in my
belly, I make myself act like I'm not scared. I don’t like heights
or even hanging upside down from monkey bars. But Emma needs me.
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AUTHOR
Bio and Links:
After
six years behind the anchor desk at two CBS affiliates, Laura moved
to the Alabama Gulf Coast to raise her family. Her accolades in
broadcasting include awards from the Associated Press, including Best
News Anchor and Best Specialized Reporter.
Laura
works at Spring Hill College as the school’s web content and social
media manager and is active in her community—participating in
fundraisers for the American Cancer Society, Ronald McDonald House,
and Providence Hospital’s Festival of Flowers.
Laura
was recently awarded a 2-book deal with Thomas Nelson Publishing, a
division of HarperCollins. Her novel, Center of Gravity, set in
Mobile, Ala., will be published in July of 2015. Laura is represented
by Elizabeth Winick Rubenstein, president of McIntosh and Otis
literary agency in New York. Her writing awards include those from
William Faulkner-Wisdom Creative Writing Competition, Writer’s
Digest, RWA, and the Eric Hoffer competition.
She
holds a master’s degree in journalism from The Ohio State
University and a bachelor’s degree in English from Clarion
University of Pennsylvania. She is currently pursuing a second
master’s degree in interactive technology from the University of
Alabama. She is a native of Upstate New York and currently resides
near the Alabama Gulf Coast with her two children.
Thank you so much for hosting Center of Gravity today on your blog and for sharing the excerpt from the story! It was wonderful to be here on Release Day for the novel! xx, Laura
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