Broken Glass — A step away from Ghost Story

In March 2012, I released Broken Glass, a young adult fiction novel that deals with some pretty intense subject matter. 

With Ghost Story, released in December 2011, being such an overwhelming hit, my readers anticipate the sequel to this fantasy tale and were surprised when Broken Glass debuted—not a fantasy genre, not even glancing in the same direction of content as Ghost Story.  I wanted to take a moment and walk my readers through the heart behind Broken Glass.

Authors typically have the unfair dilemma of being lumped into a singular genre category when it comes to the novels and stories they write. Some authors are not really affected by this dilemma, as they prefer to stick to one genre anyway. However, for those of us who need to write stories about characters and situations ranging from ghosts to insane teenagers to superheroes to accountants, it can be a challenge. Fortunately, many authors do break free of this mold, taking big chances and risks as they release several novels completely opposite in genre and sometimes even writing style. I am an author who does not stick to one genre, one series, or one anything. Being inside a box doesn’t suit my creativity. ;-)  If you’ve read Ghost Story, I’m sure you have realized by now that I am not an author who you know what to expect from.  This may drive some people nuts, causing them to throw my books against a wall and never read anything from me again. But I’m hoping the constant surprises will keep most readers coming back for more.  I have attempted to give readers a heads up on different genres though; my fantasy reads will always be written under T.R. Freeman, and anything else will be written under Tabitha Freeman.

Broken Glass is a step in an entirely opposite direction from Ghost Story, as I said before. This novel is especially dear to my heart, as I began writing it when I was very young. (Which, on a side note, made the editing process most hellacious   ) It follows a teenage girl, Ava, whose life seems to be falling into place quite nicely. At first, she’s a likeable and relatable character, crazy about her quirky fiance, trucking it through college to earn a degree that could really take her anywhere, and coming from a home life that’s not picture perfect, but still works. It’s lighthearted and an easy read. But then, when her fiancé dies in a car crash, the normalcy from the first few chapters bottoms out. The content becomes less easy, and as Ava tries to figure out where she fits in this new life, emotions are all over the place. It’s realized that when in her most raw human form, Ava isn’t so likeable anymore, yet somehow, she becomes even more relatable.

No matter what the storyline, every novel I write will have the same common theme:  hope. Whether the protagonist is running from vampyres or trapped in an insane asylum, hope is a universal tool to survive happily in this life we live. It’s not easy, and it never will be, but if you’re looking for a read in which hope doesn’t play a vital role in what the characters are trying to accomplish in the end, then don’t read my books.

I hope you will give Broken Glass, along with other non-fantasy genres I release, a chance, as, if anything, it will be an interesting read in the least. Otherwise, I look forward to continuing the Benedict siblings’ adventures with you in The Unordinary, due for release in 2012.

Happy Easter, everyone!

Get your copy of Broken Glass here:       http://www.amazon.com/Broken-Glass-ebook/dp/B007IE0FKQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1331216980&sr=1-1