Blog Tour- Father Figure - 7/6/18

Blog Tour 

Father Figure

 by James J. Cudney

On my blog today I have the pleasure of sharing with you......

Father Figure!

I would like to thank Shanannigans Tours and Father Figure by James J. Cudney for inviting me on the blog tour.

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Book Information 

Publication Date: April 2, 2018

Genre: Contemporary Fiction/ Drama

Between the fast-paced New York City, a rural Mississippi town, and a charming Pennsylvania college campus filled with secrets, two young girls learn the consequences of growing up too quickly. Struggling to survive in a claustrophobic, unforgiving world, they embark on a journey to overcome all the pain, disappointment, and horror of their experiences.

Amalia Graeme, abused by her mother for most of her life, longs to escape her desolate hometown, connect with others, and fall in love. Contemplating an impending loss of innocence and conflicting feelings between her boyfriend and the dangerous attraction she’s developed for an older man, Amalia suffers devastating, life-altering tragedies. No matter where she turns, someone or something always steals her hope of finding happiness, protection, and love.

Brianna Porter, a sassy yet angst-ridden teenager raised in New York City, yearns to determine her life’s true purpose, conquer her fear of abandonment, and interpret an intimidating desire for her best friend, Shanelle. All the confusion stems from desperately needing to find the father whom her mother refuses to reveal, but an unexpected discovery of a journal leads Brianna to a shocking revelation about her missing parent. Unfortunately, by casting the net to find him, she’s unleashed a tragic history that was meant to stay buried and might now completely change everyone’s futures.

Through alternating chapters set two decades apart, each girl’s plight unfolds revealing the parallels between their lives and the subsequent collision that is bound to happen. In an emotional story filled with mystery, romance, and suspense, fate intervenes forcing someone to make a dreadful decision that will leave permanent scars.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39678792-father-figure?ac=1&from_search=true

Purchase Links

Amazon: https://mybook.to/FatherFigure

Publisher: http://www.creativia.org/author-james-cudney.html

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My Review 

4☆ A Gripping Tale

Father Figure is a poignant and gripping read that draws you in.
With the story told between alternative narratives each story is beautifully written, two very different young women, with years between them their paths eventually entwine.

We meet Amelia (The past 1984), my heart broke for her.
Her arrogant abusive mother beats and verbally abuses Amelia at every given opportunity. Branding her a whore!

Her Father a former preacher now runs his own shop, tries his hardest to soften the blow by allowing Amelia to sneak around behind her back.
I was so annoyed with him.
I wanted him to stand up to her instead of sneaking.
He just pretended not to notice the bruises and marks on his daughter.

Amelia is desperate to get away and escape to college to start a new life and be free.

The other narrative is told by Brianna (The present 2004).
She has a very different up bringing.
Loved by her mother, who at times can suffocate her with being overprotective, but she is a single parent so I can kind of see why.
But Brianna's mother is hiding secrets from her and it's only natural that those secrets have a way of getting out!
Brianna is also looking at colleges with her best friend. She is also curious to discover the identity of her father!

How their paths collide, with such a vaste time difference I will let you have the joy of discovering!

I liked both Amelia and Brianna. They are both strong young women dealing with so much, abusive families, hormones, sex, relationships, college, it was really great to see James develop their characters and watch them grow.

I hated Amelia's mother with a passion! She is one of those characters that crawl under your skin. How she abuses her daughter and mentally abuses her is sickening.

James has taken sensitive subjects and made them realistic and approachable.
This book has triggers that some readers may find upsetting.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Father Figure, it's a vivid rich tale that got under my skin.
It's a totally absorbing read that's beautifully written and perfectly paced.
The characters are strong and unique I was routing for them to suceed.

If you enjoy contemporary fiction, with dark undertones, but is a poignant and absorbing page turner. Then Father Figure is the book for you!

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Excerpt 

Excerpt 3 - When Amalia is first alone with Carter

Amalia stops by the lake to drop off lunch for her brother and his friend, Carter. She begins to feel things for him that she's never felt before and struggles to deal with the impacts.

As Amalia leaned in toward Carter expecting him to reach for it with his hand, a devilish gleam in his eyes appeared. “You’re not gonna try to pull me in, are you?” She suppressed a wary giggle deep in her gut. Or maybe it was excitement. She wasn’t sure.

“Did you want to come in the water with me?”

Amalia pulled her bottom lip inside her mouth, running her top teeth over it, contemplating how to respond. “I don’t have a swimsuit.” She lifted her hand in his direction, her fingers still nimbly holding a small piece of the sandwich. “Here, take it.”

Carter raised himself a few inches higher and brought his mouth to her impatiently waiting fingers. His full lips gently sealed the temporarily open gap between them. Amalia’s hand, uncertain what he was doing, twitched. Carter reached up with his right arm while his other held his body against the dock. He enveloped her hand with his, steadying her fingers near his lips as he slipped the morsel in his mouth. Swallowing the length of her index finger and thumb, he pulled back with delicate ease. When he reached the tip of her fingers, he paused and immersed himself in her eyes. “You taste delicious.” Carter blinked in slow motion for what could have been thirty seconds but had barely been two or three.

“You mean the sandwich does.” Amalia traced her finger against the soft patch of skin above his chin. His face was as smooth as her own flesh. A shiver meandered the curves of her dampening back.

“If you say so.” Carter pulled himself fully out of the water landing near the other side of the dock. Barely two feet separated them, but he was careful not to drip any water on her a second time.

As he laid across the wooden planks dropping a handful of chips in his mouth, Amalia’s eyes lingered on his torso noticing not a single spot of hair on his chest or stomach. But Carter didn’t have a stomach. He had a set of eight curved ridges that spanned the distance from his sternum to the top of his black trunks, a solid washboard of muscle. His dark swimsuit highlighted a sharp contrast to his golden skin leaving her increasingly curious about what lurked beneath the trunks. She’d noticed other guys without their shirts, but none resembled Carter. Her hand quivered at the thought of his body nestled against hers. Amalia closed her eyes, then forced herself to look away, certain she shouldn’t extend the reach of her fingers to his flesh.

“How’s the water?” She stared in the opposite direction fumbling with the button on her blouse. The heat had begun to break down her barriers. Amalia considered taking off her shoes and dipping her feet into the lake. There wasn’t any danger in showing...

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GIVEAWAY

The prize is 1 print copy of Father Figure (Available to North America only)

CLICK HERE ➡️ To ENTER THE GIVEAWAY!!

For those of you who cannot enter the giveaway because you're outside of North America, Father Figure will be available later this month on Amazon for only $0.99!!!

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Author Bio 

James is my given name; most call me Jay. I grew up on Long Island and currently live in New York City, but I've traveled all across the US (and various parts of the world). After college, I spent 15 years working in technology and business operations in the sports, entertainment and media industries. Although I enjoyed my job, I left in 2016 to focus on my passion: telling stories and connecting people through words. My debut novel is 'Watching Glass Shatter,' a contemporary fiction family drama with elements of mystery, suspense, humor and romance. To see samples or receive news from my current and upcoming books, please subscribe with your email address at my website: https://jamesjcudney.com

What do I do outside of writing: I'm an avid genealogist (discovered 2K family members going back about 250 years) and cook (I find it so hard to follow a recipe). I love to read; between Goodreads and my blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, I have over 500 book reviews which will give you a full flavor for my voice and style. On my blog, I started the 365 Daily Challenge, where I post a word each day that has some meaning to me, then converse with everyone about life. There is humor, tears, love, friendship, advice and bloopers. Lots of bloopers where I poke fun at myself all the time. Even my dog has a weekly segment called “Ryder’s Rants” where he complains about me. All these things make up who I am; none of them are very fancy or magnanimous, but they are real and show how I live every day.

A bit of humor: Everything doubles as something else when you live in NYC. For me, it’s the dining room, my favorite space in the apartment, where more than just my cooking is on display! As I look out the windows onto a 12th floor terrace, various parts of nature (trees, bushes, flowers, bugs & animals) inspire me to write. Ryder, my 10-year old shiba inu, usually lays on my feet, growling when I shift positions too many times or when I forget to share my food! Although he’s only 20 pounds, he’s quite strong and pushy. But how else can you pen the best story possible without these things by your side?

Author Links

Blog: https://thisismytruthnow.com

Author Website: https://jamesjcudney.com

Social Media Links

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/James-J.-Cudney/e/B076B6PB3M/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jamescudney4

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JamesJCudneyIVAuthor/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jamescudney4/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamescudney4/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/jamescudney4

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamescudney4

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