Pushing Back the Storm

by Ceil Warren, Mark Mathes (Editor), Asya Blue (Illustrations)

A bride, a groom and an old love is never a good mix.
When 62-year-old Arthur finally proposes to Constance, he wasn’t counting on his first love showing up in Stones End. It takes the ruthless Ana Felicia only 24 hours to come between the loving couple and turn the picture-perfect village upside down. Distraught over the broken engagement of their beloved friends, the feisty villagers fight back. Only Ana Felicia won’t budge, and now Constance is packing to leave. Can they get rid of the powerful Ana Felicia in time? It’s anyone’s guess if there will be a wedding. From the author Turning Toward the Sun. The love story continues.

232 pages, Paperback

Published September 10, 2020

About the author

Native New Yorker Ceil Warren builds on a long family line of storytellers and characters faced with life’s impossible challenges. Born into a close-knit family of eight children, she grew up with amazing tales and people from Newfoundland to Belarus. Stories of survival: from Manhattan tenements in the 1920s to an exploding ship in World War II.
Living 17 miles north of Manhattan in Westchester County, Ceil takes full advantage of Broadway theater, museums, ballet and opera. All nourish her creative passion for storytelling, characters and drama.
Ceil shattered the glass ceiling for business women and corporate leaders in the 1970s, when women were just beginning to advance into higher-level management and corporate positions. She self-taught her way to a successful career in finance, becoming CFO of a sales operation for a Fortune 500 company at the age of 34.
In her second career in writing, Ceil gladly trades building business plans, telling company stories and crunching numbers for weaving remarkable tales about people against all odds and places you want to visit or even make your home.
The reader will begin their journey into this first-in-a-series book, Turning Toward the Sun, in the imaginary village of Stones End, Connecticut. The story reveals the secrets, fears, passions and challenges of many of the quirky residents and provides a witty, poignant and delicious escape from the real world.

Reviews

[Judith Leger]

Having first read Ceil’s book, Turning Toward the Sun, I could not wait to revisit the wonderful cast of characters in her sequel, Pushing Back the Storm. Once again, I found myself immensely engaged in their personal stories and adventures. Stones End is the fictional town where they live and Ceil has a wonderful ability to describe the comings and goings that bring a smile to my heart and a chuckle to my spirit. It is an endearing story and I sincerely hope that book three is in our future. Cheers Ceil! Once again you created a wonderful page-turner that demonstrates small-town values with plenty of humor to accompany it.

[Doug Sahlin]

In her second novel, Pushing Back the Storm, Ceil Warren weaves a complex tapestry of human emotions. A charming, albeit quirky, set of characters deal with an outsider who threatens to turn the small village of Stones End on its ear. Warren’s book is a delightful love story with a fair share of twists and turns that leave the reader wondering how the story will end. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and highly recommend it to anyone who likes to curl up with a good book.

[Anne Scavotto]

In book two of Ceil Warren’s Stones End Series, Pushing Back the Storm, Arthur’s first love, Ana Felicia, takes up residence in Stones End. The move stresses Arthur’s upcoming marriage and poses unforeseen problems for the villagers. Ceil carefully crafts a captivating story of powerful love and fierce friendships with surprising twists and turns that keep you guessing. As for Arthur, was it better to have loved and lost? You'll have to read it to find out!

[alfred cardinale]

Captivating portrayal of love and friendship throughout life's peaks and valleys. At times reads like a mystery novel with touches of international intrigue. Just when you think you know a character, the author unearths a hidden history. Ceil Warren leaves you wanting more. Bravo Ceil!

[Gail Murphy]

Keeps you wanting more!