Center of Gravity
by Laura McNeill
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:
The road rushes under the wheels. I rearrange snippets of
the frantic conversation. Gash. Some blood. Breathing fine. Emergency room.
A few more miles to the hospital.
I flash back to this morning. Packed sack lunch, flop of
dark hair across his bare forehead, navy backpack slung over one shoulder. A
surge of pure love courses through my heart. A stab of worry steals my breath.
I force myself to focus.
The traffic light ahead flashes green to yellow.
Intersection’s clear. I push the accelerator to the floor, glance in the
rearview mirror. Air from the open window catches Sam’s wisps of hair. He
smiles, showing off his first few baby teeth, and reaches a chubby hand at the
rays of sunshine streaking by, trying to catch the light.
Thump. Thump. The Jeep jerks to the left. I guide
the wheel, hold it steady, and take my foot off the gas. When I pull over and
brake, the abrupt stop sends up a dust cloud.
“Uh-oh,” Sam says.
I unbuckle, jump out, and survey the damage. A glance at the
tire confirms it. Flat. Dead.
Hands on my hips, I bite my lip.
Tentatively, I grab the jack from the back of the Jeep, the
weight of it solid and heavy in my hands. I can fix this. After all, in my
former life, as a school counselor at Mobile Prep, I was the problem-solver,
crisis manager, and shoulder to cry on. I always handled situations. And I
didn’t need help.
Then my eyes fall on Sam as he babbles and blows bubbles in
the back seat. I hesitate, gripping the metal between my palms. As the sun beats
down on us, heating my skin, my pulse begins to race. Maybe I was fearless
because I didn’t know any better. I wasn’t a mom then. I didn’t have two
children depending on me. Trusting me to do the right thing, be on time, and
not screw up.
AUTHOR BIO:
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.
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