A
Better Place To Be
Based
on the Harry Chapin Song
by
David Wind
Genre:
Contemporary Fiction
166
pages
A
story about life, though perhaps not the one you would choose to
live.
inspired
by the characters from the Harry Chapin song of the same name, 'A
Better Place To Be’ is a story of love, loss, and the ability to
overcome the worst that life can throw at someone and come out the
other side.
Reviews-
Wow.
That word just comes to mind over and over, in regards to this book, along with the phrase, heart-wrenching. It's good though - incredibly, in a makes-you-feel-things-and-think-things brilliantly good.
Upon first meeting John, he's likable enough. He soon turns out to be sweet and the reader would have to be dead to not feel his love for Claire - and it is mutual. So the two of them have this great, comfortable thing...until tragedy strikes. Then the reader is treated to a gut-wrenching, realistic, accurate view of what happens all too often to too many people. I doubt there's a person alive who cannot relate to this... Still, Wind puts it all so simply and so realistically, it's like nothing I've ever read or am likely to read again.
Not only does he repeatedly rip out my heart and stomp all over it - and I like it somehow, so apparently I'm some kind of sadist - but he perfectly portrays a good - better than average actually- man turning into completely something different, as a result of the bulls--- that life has thrown at him....
....Point is, if you want a book that's real and will make you think, this is the one.
If you don't want to think but like a book that'll give you all the feels, this is also the one. It's well detailed with perfect continuity.
And did I mention it's based on a song? 'A Better Place to Be' by Harry Chapin, a song that'll never be the same for me. It seems completely natural as if the book IS the song and the song IS the book. Brilliantly perfect. -------- J.L. Redding, Reviewer
David Wind has written a 5 Star story about a wonderful couple – so happy and in love - and then surprises us with one of life’s heaviest blows. The reader indeed becomes “John Edghes” as John endures one of the cruelest fates that life can impose - tremendous loss, resulting in utter despair, loneliness, and addiction. He descends into an addiction as a means to cover up the horror of it all. John goes down that black hole (amazing how deep that hole can get) and he must make a decision to climb out in order to survive or go further down into that bottomless pit. After all, life goes on, with or without you.
John faces seemingly endless challenges as he makes his way back into life.
John eventually learns he is not the only lonely person in the world. People need people and life does indeed go on.
This is a story about life. A message for us all. The cold reality that life does end and the living must go on living.
Amazon Reviewer
Smiling at her from across the table, John pushed aside the niggling worry
lurking at the edge of his mind, a whisper of something ‘off ’. Instead, he waited
for the waiter to finish pouring the coffee. When the waiter finally walked away,
he reached across the table to take her hand in his.
“You know how much I love you, yes?”
Claire held his gaze for a moment before nodding.
“And you know I always keep my promises?”
Her eyes, still locked with his, turned questioning.
“I made you a promise eleven years ago, when you said you would marry
me. Do you remember it?”
Thecorners of her lips quirked up. “We bothmade a lot of promises to each
other.”
He turned her hand palm up and placed the small wrapped box in her
hand.
She stared at it, then back at him. “What?”
“Open it.”
She looked back down at her palm. The tip of her tongue flicked across her
lips. She stared at the fancy paper covered box for a full minute before carefully
unwrapping it to reveal a black velvet case. Again, her eyes flicked to him. He
nodded once, she opened the top, and gasped.
He watched her, a smile on his face while she took in what lay on her palm.
“I...”
He took the box from her, and lifted the ring from it. The diamond spit
shards of multi-colored light, reflected from the small candle on the table.
“Take off the band for tonight, tonight you are engaged again.”
She stared at the ring even as she slid the white gold wedding band from
her finger and continued to stare when he slipped the engagement ring gently
along her finger and settled it in place.
He watched a single tear slip from her eye and roll down her cheek. “I—”
She placed a finger across his lips. “—It’s more beautiful than I could ever
have imagined.”
10 David Wind
He wiped the tear away. Before he could speak, she said, “Take me home,
now.”
“The coffee?”
“Now!”
David
Wind has published thirty-nine novels, including science fiction &
Fantasy, mystery, thriller, noir, and suspense novels. He lives and
writes in Boynton Beach, Florida, and shares his home with his wife,
Bonnie, and dog Alfie, a sub-standard poodle (email David for an
explanation).
His
newest novel is A Better Place To Be based on the Harry Chapin song
of the same name. Not his usual genre, this is a story of love, loss
and facing to the worst life can throw at you and still be
standing.
Born
To Magic, the first book of his sci-fi fantasy series, Tales Of
Nevaeh, was released in 2015. All three books have reached into the
Amazon Top 100 best seller rankings in several categories including
Young Adult. Both the second book of the series, The Dark Masters ,
and the third Book, TRINITY: The Battle For Nevaeh, have all received
high praise.
David's
fantasy, Queen Of Knights, was a #2 best seller on the Amazon
bestseller lists for historical fantasy and medieval fantasy, and his
sci-fi paranormal, Infinity’s Doorway, has received wide
acclaim.
When
David formally left traditional publishing to become an independently
published writer, he published Angels In Mourning, his ‘homage’
to the old time private detective books of the 50’s and the 60’s.
Angels is a modern day take on the old style hard-boiled detective.
In April of that year, Angels In Mourning, won the Amazon.com Book of
the Month Reader’s Choice Award.
His
previous suspense thrillers are The Hyte Maneuverv, (a Literary guild
alternate selection); The Sokova Convention ,, and The Morrissey
Manifest ,. David's Mystery suspense novels include: And Down Will
Come Baby, Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep, and Out of The Shadows.
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A quick thank you for hosting my Tour and Giveaway today. :-)
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