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Unconditionally
This is a 26 thousand word novella.Unconditionally is an award winning screenplay adapted into novella form. It was published previously as a screenplay by Donna Caubarreaux. -----“Wow!” – Lew Hunter, author of Screenwriting 434-----“Lew Hunter said it first and Wow. Unconditionally is 93 pages (in screenplay format) of emotion driven by dialogue, the story of a family confronted with the betrayal of trust and how their lives are transformed because of it. An unconscious recognition of the spiritual further propels the actions and more than one family feels its impact. A moving word-picture of hurt and hope, it’s gritty, intuitive and sensitive, and well worth the read.” Rosalyn G. B. Villard’s review on the Shouldn’t love be unconditional? Your parents, your spouse, your children, your closest friends? Can we count on them loving us as we love them? Sometimes not and what happens when you discover unconditional love for the first time?A drama following one woman’s journey to discover if she can accept being loved, with and without conditions.-----“What a wonderful read. I didn’t want it to end.” Liz Lipperman-----"I throughly enjoyed it!! I couldn't put it down! I found myself to be deeply engrossed in the story. Such tenderness between friends touched my heart. In some areas, I could totally relate to Caroline. I recommend this to anyone!" Zannemarie-----
- GenresContemporary
53 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 22, 2012
1 person is currently reading
21 people want to read
About the author
Pepper Phillips
9 books84 followersPepper Phillips wrote her first play in the seventh grade.
Before that she read every book in her age group at the small local library.
An only child, she entertained herself in the worlds she created in her mind.
She's still pretty mindless in some respects, but her writing world is where she is the happiest.
She ventured into self-publishing in 2011.
Before that she read every book in her age group at the small local library.
An only child, she entertained herself in the worlds she created in her mind.
She's still pretty mindless in some respects, but her writing world is where she is the happiest.
She ventured into self-publishing in 2011.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 2, 2013
Caroline Strothers’ life is going to pieces around her; her house is a mess, her teenage daughter hates her and a fiasco at work leaves the Mayor’s wife threatening to sue. So when an angel appears to Caroline in her bedroom, bearing a mysterious message and a feeling of unconditional love, she finds herself moved to pack up her two children and drive out to visit her husband on his business trip. Instead of unconditional love, however, she finds something that will forever change her entire life. With nowhere else to turn, Caroline and the kids head out to visit her volatile mother and loving stepfather, finding a marriage in shambles, an old friend in disarray, a new bond between siblings, and more unconditional love than they ever expected.
Pepper Phillips’ novella is short, bittersweet, and memorable from start to finish. Every character leaps off the page in vivid, life-like detail; you’ll have no trouble cringing at the harsh words of Jo, Caroline’s miserable, cold-hearted mother, or gritting your teeth in frustration at the attitude of Shelly, the sassy, eye-rolling teenage daughter. This is definitely a book to be read in a single sitting (whether you intend to or not). Even if you’re not usually one to get emotionally invested in the lives of book characters, you’ll feel your heart sink when Caroline knocks on that motel door, and you’ll feel tears spring to your eyes during the book’s sudden, dramatic climax (provided, of course, that you have a heart). The story never misses a beat; every conversation, every outing, is sure to take a gut-wrenching turn. With that said, the book doesn’t feel melodramatic – there’s just the right amount of drama to keep you turning the pages without rolling your eyes.
As far as professionalism goes, the book fares excellently. The cover art would look equally at home on a virtual Kindle shelf or a library shelf. It’s simple, clean and well-formatted. I did find a few sentences throughout the book that were in a slightly larger font size than the rest of the novella; whether this was a bizarre stylistic choice by the author or a strange glitch with the Sony tablet I was reading on, I can’t be sure, but I’d have preferred to see everything in a uniform font. In total, I spotted only one omitted word and a half-dozen questionable commas, which isn’t unreasonable for even a published book. The only real pet peeve I have with Phillips’ writing is a longing desire for her to learn how to use semicolons; watching her string together independent clauses with commas grates on me after a while. The pacing is excellent, with plenty of sentence variation to please the inner English teacher inside all of us. Or at least, inside some of us.
Grammatical nit-picking aside, it’s an easy and fluid read. The dialogue is wonderfully realistic and natural-sounding, which is something many self-published books seem to woefully lack. Phillips offers up just the right amount of detail to make the story flow while still allowing readers their own interpretation of events. Although there is something of a religious connotation to the appearance of an angel, the book does not come across as preachy or pious in any way, shape or form, and certainly seems suitable for readers of all faiths (and one non-religious reviewer). Despite some of the heartbreaking turns the story takes, readers will ultimately find a satisfying and tear-free ending that perfectly ties together the entire plot. If stories about love and families in crisis are your thing, this eBook is definitely a must-have for your collection.
Recommended for: Anyone with a spare afternoon or evening and a love of contemporary, family-oriented stories. It’s a quick but powerful read, and one that will stay with you long after the 98 pages have been turned.
If this book was candy, it would be: Toffee. It’s rich and warm, and you’ll find bits of it sticking to you long after it’s done.
From pagecandyreviews.com
Pepper Phillips’ novella is short, bittersweet, and memorable from start to finish. Every character leaps off the page in vivid, life-like detail; you’ll have no trouble cringing at the harsh words of Jo, Caroline’s miserable, cold-hearted mother, or gritting your teeth in frustration at the attitude of Shelly, the sassy, eye-rolling teenage daughter. This is definitely a book to be read in a single sitting (whether you intend to or not). Even if you’re not usually one to get emotionally invested in the lives of book characters, you’ll feel your heart sink when Caroline knocks on that motel door, and you’ll feel tears spring to your eyes during the book’s sudden, dramatic climax (provided, of course, that you have a heart). The story never misses a beat; every conversation, every outing, is sure to take a gut-wrenching turn. With that said, the book doesn’t feel melodramatic – there’s just the right amount of drama to keep you turning the pages without rolling your eyes.
As far as professionalism goes, the book fares excellently. The cover art would look equally at home on a virtual Kindle shelf or a library shelf. It’s simple, clean and well-formatted. I did find a few sentences throughout the book that were in a slightly larger font size than the rest of the novella; whether this was a bizarre stylistic choice by the author or a strange glitch with the Sony tablet I was reading on, I can’t be sure, but I’d have preferred to see everything in a uniform font. In total, I spotted only one omitted word and a half-dozen questionable commas, which isn’t unreasonable for even a published book. The only real pet peeve I have with Phillips’ writing is a longing desire for her to learn how to use semicolons; watching her string together independent clauses with commas grates on me after a while. The pacing is excellent, with plenty of sentence variation to please the inner English teacher inside all of us. Or at least, inside some of us.
Grammatical nit-picking aside, it’s an easy and fluid read. The dialogue is wonderfully realistic and natural-sounding, which is something many self-published books seem to woefully lack. Phillips offers up just the right amount of detail to make the story flow while still allowing readers their own interpretation of events. Although there is something of a religious connotation to the appearance of an angel, the book does not come across as preachy or pious in any way, shape or form, and certainly seems suitable for readers of all faiths (and one non-religious reviewer). Despite some of the heartbreaking turns the story takes, readers will ultimately find a satisfying and tear-free ending that perfectly ties together the entire plot. If stories about love and families in crisis are your thing, this eBook is definitely a must-have for your collection.
Recommended for: Anyone with a spare afternoon or evening and a love of contemporary, family-oriented stories. It’s a quick but powerful read, and one that will stay with you long after the 98 pages have been turned.
If this book was candy, it would be: Toffee. It’s rich and warm, and you’ll find bits of it sticking to you long after it’s done.
From pagecandyreviews.com
January 16, 2018
This is a good story, well written, but with one dimensional characters. Either they were very good or mean and nasty. Evidently the book was originally written in present tense. Occasional lapses from past to present tense are startling and pulled me out of the story.
January 25, 2016
Read Christmas on main 2
Wanted to check out this author was a good read. Really loved her story in the northern book. She has very memorable characters.
Wanted to check out this author was a good read. Really loved her story in the northern book. She has very memorable characters.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews