Guilty Survivor

by Marianne Stephens

Bosnian Croat, Tamerla Kendall, lived through the carnage and chaos in Sarajevo during the Bosnian War (1992-1995). Hers is a story of courage, fear, ingenuity, and survival. Difficult choices she made then still disturb her peace of mind and life today.


She made a few trips out of Sarajevo, only to return to keep the family restaurant business operating. One trip was made to remove her daughter from the dangers of fighting, but this created a heartbreaking rift in their relationship. For her second trip, Tamerla masqueraded as a United Nations Protection Forces soldier. A uniform and travel assistance came from a Ukrainian general.Her hopes for a return to normalcy at war’s end diminished as corruption and religious zealots took control. When her life was threatened at gunpoint, she left her country and moved to the United States with her husband and son. Tamerla is now a US citizen.

134 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

I've always been intrigued by the emotions and power of love. "Happily Ever After" endings of songs and movies inspired the romantic in me. In 1994, I sat down, wrote a book, and sent it out. I faced a rude awakening at my very first book rejection.

Apparently, my story lacked an important element needed in romance books...dialogue! I had much to learn. That same year, I joined Romance Writers of America and a local chapter, Mid America Romance Authors in order to learn about writing romances and the ins and outs of the industry.

I took a few years off from solely writing romance books and entered the realm of nonfiction writing. In 2000, I published a ghostwritten autobiographical e-book based on the life of a speaker from a women's shelter. I'd continued writing romance stories during this time and incorporated new techniques and skills I had learned in my books.

In October 2006, I received my first romance book contract from Cerridwen Press, an imprint of Ellora's Cave, and continue to sell sensual mainstream (paranormal and contemporary) romance books. Humor is fun to incorporate in my stories, although some of them contain a more serious tone.

I ghostwrote another nonfiction book; memoirs of a woman who lived in Sarajevo during the Bosnian War of 1992-1995.

I also write erotic romance books under the pen name, April Ash.

I'm a member of Romance Writers of America, Mid-America Romance Authors, Futuristic, Fantasy and Paranormal, and The Authors Guild.

I live in Kansas, not far from Kansas City. Here I'm surrounded by family and friends, all who've been supportive of my writing and endeavor to publish. I hope you enjoy reading my books under either or both pen names! Please email me with your comments!