About The Author
Mary Metcalfe lives in the foothills of the Laurentians, northeast of Ottawa, Canada with her husband, three cats and a very large dog. Love of writing runs in the family. Their daughter is a published literary non-fiction author. Clarion Review described Mary’s debut novel as a “sparkling debut… readers will love being swept along by Winds of Change.” Road to Tomorrow is her third novel in the Look to the Future series.
Virtual Book Tour Contest Giveaway
Win (1) of (2) $50 Amazon Gift Card
or
An Autographed Copy of Road to Tomorrow
Contest Dates: Jan 28 - Feb 22, 2013
1. Enter the Rafflecopter contest.
2. Leave a comment on my blog.
That's it! One random commenter during this tour will win the first gift card. Visit more blogs for more chances to win--the full list of participating bloggers can be found here. The other two prizes will be given out via Rafflecopter. You can find the contest entry form linked below or on the official Road to Tomorrow tour page via Novel Publicity. Good luck!
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Book Review
Road to Tomorrow by Mary Metcalfe
Book 3: Look to the Future series
Publisher: Laskin Publishing
Publication Date: September 30, 2012
Format: Paperback - 220 pages / Kindle - 523 KB
ISBN: 0987930001
ASIN: B00A1DD4BI
Genre: Women's Fiction
BUY THE BOOK: Road to Tomorrow
AMAZON
BARNES & NOBLE
BUY THE SERIES: Look to the Future
Winds of Change - Book 1
New Beginnings - Book 2
Road to Tomorrow - Book 3
AMAZON
BARNES & NOBLE
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Novel Publicity Blog Tours.
Book Description:
Andrea Garrett is trying to escape her abusive marriage. Fearing for her life, she leaves behind her two small children and flees Newark the day before her husband is due to arrive back from a tour of duty. After falling asleep at the wheel and landing in a ditch, her life takes on a new direction when strangers step in and introduce her to a life she could only have imagined and one that could save her soul and give her children the future they deserve.
This is Book 3 in the Look to the Future series. Winds of Change is book one and New Beginnings is book two.
Book Excerpt:
Andrea put another box in the trunk of her ’96 Toyotaand went back for the suitcases. Emily and Simon were asleep in their car seats. She looked up from the sidewalk and saw Sean standing in the doorway, his tattooed muscular arms folded across his chest. Before she could say anything, he leaned over and picked up her two large suitcases and disappeared inside the brownstone.
Oh God! What’s he doing now?
Running up the aging wooden steps, Andrea looked for him. “Sean? Where are you?”
She heard water running and ran up the dingy carpeted stairs to the second floor. What the hell is he doing?
The bathroom door was closed. She turned the handle and pushed with all her might, but it wouldn’t budge. He’s leaning against it. She could hear the bathwater running and pounded her fist on the door. “Sean, open the door. Please.”
An acrid smell reached her nostrils and made her eyes tear up. She pounded on the door again. God, please. I can’t stay here another day. I have to get away. He’s going to kill me.
She pounded with both hands on the door as steam began to emerge around the frame. After a minute, she stopped and leaned against the wall. She slumped to the floor, her head in her hands.
“Why are you doing this to me? Why can’t you just let me leave?” He’ll make it look like an accident. An accidental overdose. A suicide. He keeps telling people I have postpartum depression.
Minutes later, the bathroom door was quietly opened. Clouds of steam billowed out. Andrea raised her head and watched Sean walk away without a word. As she stood up, she heard him open the fridge door and pop open a can of beer. If I’m lucky, he’ll just fall asleep in his chair.
She already knew what she’d find. She walked into the still-steamy room, and there, in the bathtub, were all her best clothes—stewing in a pool of water the color of an angry bruise. Her cotton shirts, wool sweaters and pants, and silk blouses were ruined, their colors bleeding as the bleach-laden water sucked the life out of them. He’s beaten me again, without even touching me. Andrea’s face showed no emotion as she went back down the stairs. She saw Sean sitting in his chair with his beer, watching baseball. The children were still in the car. She could hear them crying and went to them, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Oh God! What’s he doing now?
Running up the aging wooden steps, Andrea looked for him. “Sean? Where are you?”
She heard water running and ran up the dingy carpeted stairs to the second floor. What the hell is he doing?
The bathroom door was closed. She turned the handle and pushed with all her might, but it wouldn’t budge. He’s leaning against it. She could hear the bathwater running and pounded her fist on the door. “Sean, open the door. Please.”
An acrid smell reached her nostrils and made her eyes tear up. She pounded on the door again. God, please. I can’t stay here another day. I have to get away. He’s going to kill me.
She pounded with both hands on the door as steam began to emerge around the frame. After a minute, she stopped and leaned against the wall. She slumped to the floor, her head in her hands.
“Why are you doing this to me? Why can’t you just let me leave?” He’ll make it look like an accident. An accidental overdose. A suicide. He keeps telling people I have postpartum depression.
Minutes later, the bathroom door was quietly opened. Clouds of steam billowed out. Andrea raised her head and watched Sean walk away without a word. As she stood up, she heard him open the fridge door and pop open a can of beer. If I’m lucky, he’ll just fall asleep in his chair.
She already knew what she’d find. She walked into the still-steamy room, and there, in the bathtub, were all her best clothes—stewing in a pool of water the color of an angry bruise. Her cotton shirts, wool sweaters and pants, and silk blouses were ruined, their colors bleeding as the bleach-laden water sucked the life out of them. He’s beaten me again, without even touching me. Andrea’s face showed no emotion as she went back down the stairs. She saw Sean sitting in his chair with his beer, watching baseball. The children were still in the car. She could hear them crying and went to them, tears streaming down her cheeks.
My Book Review:
Road to Tomorrow is about a young mother named Andrea Garrett, who is trying to escape an abusive marriage from her violent military husband Sean. Sean suffers from PTSD and TBI (traumatic brain injury) that he suffered while serving in Afghanistan, which only added to their already very troubled marriage. When Andrea could no longer stand the abuse, she knew that the only way that she and her two children could survive would be to get away from Sean's violence. She left her two children with her twin brother Richard, while she went in search of a safe place for them to live. While on her way to Boston, Andrea fell asleep at the wheel and landed in a ditch and ended up in the hospital. Andrea gets a new direction in life when kind strangers from a small town give her unexpected help in beginning her life anew.
Road to Tomorrow is a heart wrenching and emotionally charged story that will tug at your heartstrings. Author Mary Metcalfe weaves a compelling tale written in the third person narrative, that has many fascinating layers and unpredictable twists and turns that kept me engaged and turning the pages. In a thoughtful way, the author goes beneath the surface and explores the difficult societal issues of domestic violence, PTSD and TBI, while providing the reader with insight into these issues and food for thought.
With a realistic cast of characters, some who are returning characters from the previous books in the series, the author develops them in a way that makes them believable and easy for the reader to relate to. The engaging dialogue and interactions leap off the pages with compelling and intense twists and turns that keeps the reader's attention and draws them into the story. I loved the rich description of the small town setting, I could close my eyes and visualize the town and its townspeople. Road to Tomorrow is a story that has a nice mixture of drama, suspense, emotional societal issues, romance and a realistic happy ending ... it is simply a must read!
While Road to Tomorrow is the third book in the Look to the Future series, each book can be read as a stand alone.
RATING: 4 STARS ****
Fabulous excerpt and review! So glad you loved the book.
ReplyDeleteHi Karielle! Thank you for visiting and leaving your kind comment, I appreciate it. :)
DeleteAwesome review, Kathleen. I always love stopping by your blog and reading your thoughtful analyses of awesome new books! Thanks for joining us on this tour, and please take a moment to cross-post to Amazon and GoodReads.
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Em :-D
Hi Emlyn! Thank you for the opportunity to host the virtual book tour event. When I publish the blog post, I always then post on Amazon, B&N, Goodreads, Shelfari, LibraryThing, FB, Twitter, and some book reviewer community sites. Thank you for the kind comment about my blog and reviews, I really appreciate it. :)
DeleteHi Kathleen - Just got back from a short (not vacation) trip early this morning and read your thoughtful review. I'm so glad you enjoyed the book and its cast of characters. Have a wonderful weekend!
ReplyDeleteHi Mary! Thank you for the opportunity to read, review and host your virtual book tour event. I loved this series, they are wonderful books. :)
DeleteGreat review- love how it looks and is formatted on the page in a nice and easy to read order. I read and reviewed this book as well. I am also a Jersey girl! ;) I will be bookmarking your site and look forward to future reviews! :)
ReplyDeleteHi! Thank you for stopping by and visiting, always glad to meet other Jersey girls. Thank you for the kind comment, I appreciate it. :)
DeleteGreat review, Jersey Girl! It sounds like a heavy book to me, but I'm glad to know, in advance, that there's a happy ending.
ReplyDeleteHi Catherine! Thank you for the kind comment and for stopping by. :)
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