Void

by Kris Heywood

VOID is about a legendary pop star, the rebellious boy who betrays him, the woman who saves him, the man who loves her, two German shepherds, a wild Oregon mountain, and a ruthless developer bent on destroying it. Viennese SILVI and her adopted thirteen-year-old bi-racial son JIMMI live in a clearing, surrounded by forest. When she wants to communicate with nature, all she has to do is open her door, follow her dogs outside, and she's right in the middle of what she appreciates most about her world. The nearest neighbors she has are as interested in safeguarding their privacy as she is in maintaining hers. As far as she is concerned, the only things she needs for her ongoing happiness is four mild seasons, an increase in her bank balance, the proximity of her son, and a paintbrush.But then the infamous, scandal-plagued and very shy pop star ARIEL JORDAN buys the three hundred acres down by the creek, and for some reason takes a liking to her and to Jimmi. Days later, a stranger named PAUL starts crossing her path, occupies the abandoned cabin at the end of the trail, and annoys her by criticizing the way she's handling her dogs. Worse, Jimmi's long-lost, bad-news biological father finds her phone number and demands access to his son. Meanwhile, in Vienna, her father is dying and urgently requests one final visit. That's when things start to slip out of her control. Jimmi refuses to come with her. He wants to go on tour with Ariel, instead. She won't permit it, so he demands to spend the time she'll be away with their friend Dots, in Key West. Because Silvi has no options, she lets him go. Then she asks Paul, who is busily renovating the abandoned cabin, to house-sit and watch her animals while she is away. Returning four weeks later, she finds that everyone and everything she cares about has gone to hell, plunging her into an ever-worsening nightmare she can't seem to find her way out of.

396 pages, Paperback

First published June 30, 2011

About the author

Kris Heywood was born near Lake Constance and grew up around Munich. After spending many years in Southern California, she craved moody skies and four seasons and moved to the Pacific Northwest, where she has occupied various mountain cabins, along with uncountable cats, dogs, rabbits, and guinea pigs. For a long time she took in strays, but recently she has allowed the pet population to shrink by attrition. These days she lives in town along with two very smart German shepherds. She is a confirmed novel writer and believes that good fiction must, first and foremost, be distilled truth. Kris has produced four books, which are all available as e-books and print books. She is currently working on her fifth and is having lots of fun in the process. Kris is passionate about long, brisk walks, especially through the woods. She also loves yoga, animals of all kinds, literary fiction, good theater, foreign and Indie films, and spending time at her laptop.

Reviews

[Kris Heywood · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you believe the tabloid caricature of Michael Jackson that was constructed and is eternally perpetuated by the copy-and-paste media, you might consider VOID "absolute garbage." But if you are open-minded enough to want to understand that unique human being as a man, this controversial book is for you. Besides being a fast read, the novel has a riveting story-line, great characters, and an illuminating ending. It is set in and around Ashland, Oregon, and will appeal to people who love the outdoors, the Pacific Northwest, nature, mountains, and dogs. Ariel Jordan, the Emperor of Song, buys a secret hide-out to get away from his fame. The land is surrounded by forest. Soon he befriends Silvi and her son Jimmi, who are his neighbors. But then, despite their best intentions, things start to go wrong for all three of them and Silvi tries desperately to make them turn out right. In the process, she learns what it feels like to be despised by everyone for something you didn't even do.

[Cynthia Rogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Void pulls you into the rapidly fraying fabric of an Oregon mountain community where personal and business conflicts abound. Add a greedy developer intent on re-shaping the mountain, with no respect or understanding of nature. Weave in a male celebrity who moves there after settling a child abuse court case. Artist/Pet sitter, Sylvie, is the common thread as she navigates her way between skirmishes while trying to do right by her adopted son who is determined to win his father’s love no matter what.
Heywood’s characters are filled with human truth and surprises. Trying to figure out who would do what next, kept me reading.
Great story!