Differences Between Us

by Karen Gansel

For Jerome Decarie, life is playing in a jazz band. That’s why he relocated to New Orleans. But then he befriends a young black woman, Lara Jackson, who is desperate after the storm of the decade, to find her aunt and uncle who raised her. Intrigued by her good looks and appealing manner, he agrees to accompany her in the search to an old mansion in the Garden district, owned by her uncle’s brother, Phillip. She’s warned him Phillip’s into drugs and gangs. Jerome is accepted by the aunt and uncle, Noreen and Henry when he arrives with Lara for the reunion but agrees with her, there’s something strange about Phillip. Noreen disappears from the old mansion and Henry recruits Jerome to help him search for her. He and Henry rescue Noreen from the Marrero gang who have held her hostage to extort drug money from Phillip. Phillip is later shot by one of the gang members and goes underground. Their long-distance romance is challenged when Lara returns to Atlanta to rejoin her choir for some final concerts. Meanwhile, Jerome becomes enthralled with New Orleans where his music career is thriving. Late one night, Phillip follows Jerome home from a visit to Noreen and Henry’s and threatens him. Henry agrees he must deal with Phillip before he plunges all of them into tragedy.

304 pages, Paperback

Published February 25, 2018

About the author

Karen Gansel – A graduate of the University of Toronto, Karen had a nineteen-year career with the Ontario Ministry of Health as a senior manager. This included leading two Ministry joint teams with the Ontario Medical Association and the Ontario Hospital Association. Prior to that, she was a senior manager of the Assistive Devices Program from 2001–2005, working with a broad range of community stakeholders, health professionals, and a staff of 50.

Following her retirement in 2009, Karen began writing fiction novels. A member of the Canadian Authors Association since 2009, Karen was president of the Niagara branch for six years and on the Board of Directors from 2017 to current.

Karen’s first self-published novel, Differences Between Us, is a psychological suspense that is available on Amazon.com at https://amzn.to/2LSVDnx and Kobo.com at https://bit.ly/2L9Sk4.

Her current novel, Celeste Unraveled was published in December 2020 on Amazon.com at www.amazon.ca/dp/B08QNCQ9HK and lobo.com at www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/celeste-unra...

Reviews

[Pamela Nowina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A love story set in post-Katrina New Orleans. New Orleans came to life - the destruction, the crime, the beauty, the desperation and courage of its people and their love for the city. A lovely story of the perseverance and love of one family and a new beginning for one couple.