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And When
Stubborn independence is what her upbringing had taught her. To hide insecurity behind laughter and a smart mouth, that, she’d inherited. Since the divorce in her twenties, Jade Prency lived life never worried about tomorrow. At aged Forty-one, the purchase of a home marks the start of an unexpected twisted journey.With doctors discovering her tumor, she stumbles, but it is nothing compared to the devastation with hearing her father’s terminal diagnosis. As she watches her hero wither, everything she ever believed, changes. Lost in emotional turmoil, battling for her health, Jade withdraws from the world.Feeling separate and alone, she reaches to an online community where she can hide her worn appearance safely behind a keyboard. Building close friendships, avoiding all flirtations, one man won’t let her push him away. Her online family watch fascinated, as Brady Gibbs, the handsome American, holds her hand through it all and captures her heart.Ready to risk with the man who promised a future, life throws one more unexpected twist. Online, where real becomes make-believe and make-believe, becomes all too real.
317 pages, Paperback
First published September 21, 2012
1 person want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 10, 2014
`When the going gets tough, the tough get going'
Canadian author Wendiann Proteau launches her first major novel with the publication of AND WHEN though she is far from a beginner author. Looking at her life, really examining it, gave her insights she proceeded to share with a series of seven volumes of self reflective workbooks whose aim was to provide aid to those who like her have reason to question purpose in life - and how to find it. From her notes associated with that series she writes, `Blessed with three siblings and parents who supported my hopes, I was raised in a small Canadian town, in an average middle-class family. I've married, divorced, dated, loved, lost, struggled, worked, succeeded and failed. I really am an everyday type of person. Single at age forty-something, I'm still figuring life out daily. I would define myself as being analytical, a realist and a dreamer, so you can only imagine the confusion that goes on sometimes. The dreamer starts to write fiction thinking of the happily ever after, but then while editing the realist comes out. My analytical side comes from being a go-to person over the years so I've learned to see things from many angles, knowing that circumstances affect us all individually. To be honest, I'd never written more than a grocery list until 2009. It came out of nowhere as I sat at my computer one night following an idea. The `Sit N Do Nothing Hamster Series' is my attempt to bring us all a little closer in this technological world. Using humor, comparison, and pull-quotes, the workbooks of self-discovery are a way to share tidbits of who we are, in the here and now. We are all an accumulation of every moment from birth until now and it's important to share that. The story continues to place difficult hurdles, forcing the characters to veer from their chosen paths. All in all, my life would be nothing without the people who have touched my soul. Friends, family, co-workers, relatives...have all been there through the good and bad. Everything takes hard work and nothing ever comes easy. Well at least not in my life. I firmly believe that karma plays an important role and that it brings us the people we are meant to meet, challenges we have to overcome, lessons we need to learn, and dreams we are meant to reach for.' That excerpt tells us more about the plot of AND WHEN than any summary.
Displaced form her living situation and taking on a home of her own, Jade Prency is a 40-something big woman, Amazonian and imperfect, and she relies on humor and her ability to help others to find her place in the world, believing tomorrow would always come. Two words invade to twist her world: illness becomes her personal battle and grief is a process her soul must endure. Feeling separate and alone, she searches for a new way to cope. Losing her beloved father to lung cancer, her grandmother dies, and Jade is discovered to have thyroid tumors in her neck that exasperate her because of delayed diagnoses. Her family is supportive and she is the bulwark of keeping her family going. Ultimately she turns to the Internet -the new best friend sources in websites and chatrooms - for a caring friend and in time she `meets' Brady, a charmer from Virginia with secrets of his own. The slow development of their relationship and the subsequent results provides the `journey' of the title. An example of her prose `on-line,' Brady responds to Jade - `You haven't told me too much, never will, Hon. I have seen that it's easier to talk to some complete stranger now-a-days than someone who you know. This world has changed so much that sometimes I don't know if I still exist in it. It seems that people are not much into communicating with each other one-on-one rather than text or email. Hope your day at work goes well, that you go to and from, safely. Thanks for emailing back, wish I could be there to meet you when you get home; would be so very nice to have someone warm, caring and captivating around. Imagine what you want, but I see it clearly in my eyes. *Long deep kiss* Brady Xoxoxo'
For a first novel Wendiann Proteau writes with confidence and a rich sense of realism couple with a style that completely matches her subject. After a chapter we know her character and grow along with her. As she states, I wrote And When to help people. I think we all struggle. Life is never fair or easy, but each journey we take, every path we choose can lead to something unexpected.' She has accomplished her mission. This book may fall into the category of `chick lit' for most, but there is sufficient compassion that pours out of her pages that should attract men also. `I think we all struggle' she says, and that `all' is the defining word.
Canadian author Wendiann Proteau launches her first major novel with the publication of AND WHEN though she is far from a beginner author. Looking at her life, really examining it, gave her insights she proceeded to share with a series of seven volumes of self reflective workbooks whose aim was to provide aid to those who like her have reason to question purpose in life - and how to find it. From her notes associated with that series she writes, `Blessed with three siblings and parents who supported my hopes, I was raised in a small Canadian town, in an average middle-class family. I've married, divorced, dated, loved, lost, struggled, worked, succeeded and failed. I really am an everyday type of person. Single at age forty-something, I'm still figuring life out daily. I would define myself as being analytical, a realist and a dreamer, so you can only imagine the confusion that goes on sometimes. The dreamer starts to write fiction thinking of the happily ever after, but then while editing the realist comes out. My analytical side comes from being a go-to person over the years so I've learned to see things from many angles, knowing that circumstances affect us all individually. To be honest, I'd never written more than a grocery list until 2009. It came out of nowhere as I sat at my computer one night following an idea. The `Sit N Do Nothing Hamster Series' is my attempt to bring us all a little closer in this technological world. Using humor, comparison, and pull-quotes, the workbooks of self-discovery are a way to share tidbits of who we are, in the here and now. We are all an accumulation of every moment from birth until now and it's important to share that. The story continues to place difficult hurdles, forcing the characters to veer from their chosen paths. All in all, my life would be nothing without the people who have touched my soul. Friends, family, co-workers, relatives...have all been there through the good and bad. Everything takes hard work and nothing ever comes easy. Well at least not in my life. I firmly believe that karma plays an important role and that it brings us the people we are meant to meet, challenges we have to overcome, lessons we need to learn, and dreams we are meant to reach for.' That excerpt tells us more about the plot of AND WHEN than any summary.
Displaced form her living situation and taking on a home of her own, Jade Prency is a 40-something big woman, Amazonian and imperfect, and she relies on humor and her ability to help others to find her place in the world, believing tomorrow would always come. Two words invade to twist her world: illness becomes her personal battle and grief is a process her soul must endure. Feeling separate and alone, she searches for a new way to cope. Losing her beloved father to lung cancer, her grandmother dies, and Jade is discovered to have thyroid tumors in her neck that exasperate her because of delayed diagnoses. Her family is supportive and she is the bulwark of keeping her family going. Ultimately she turns to the Internet -the new best friend sources in websites and chatrooms - for a caring friend and in time she `meets' Brady, a charmer from Virginia with secrets of his own. The slow development of their relationship and the subsequent results provides the `journey' of the title. An example of her prose `on-line,' Brady responds to Jade - `You haven't told me too much, never will, Hon. I have seen that it's easier to talk to some complete stranger now-a-days than someone who you know. This world has changed so much that sometimes I don't know if I still exist in it. It seems that people are not much into communicating with each other one-on-one rather than text or email. Hope your day at work goes well, that you go to and from, safely. Thanks for emailing back, wish I could be there to meet you when you get home; would be so very nice to have someone warm, caring and captivating around. Imagine what you want, but I see it clearly in my eyes. *Long deep kiss* Brady Xoxoxo'
For a first novel Wendiann Proteau writes with confidence and a rich sense of realism couple with a style that completely matches her subject. After a chapter we know her character and grow along with her. As she states, I wrote And When to help people. I think we all struggle. Life is never fair or easy, but each journey we take, every path we choose can lead to something unexpected.' She has accomplished her mission. This book may fall into the category of `chick lit' for most, but there is sufficient compassion that pours out of her pages that should attract men also. `I think we all struggle' she says, and that `all' is the defining word.
June 26, 2013
"And When" reads as a true slice of the turmoil a person can endure, yet retain their sense of who they really are. You cover a lot of ground conveying each with a realistic touch. From her illness, her father’s illness and death, then her withdrawal from normal life, before moving to recovery and building a long distance relationship.
Her withdrawal from her old life resonates strongly with me. Illness affects people in different ways but you've keep her strong willed, independent and not reliant on others. The guilt when she has to lean on them is heartfelt and leads her to question, what she wants and can expect from life now. This moves nicely into the world of online chat and the connections she makes. These initial chapters are a compelling journey, fresh, well-written, packed full of genuine emotion and pull you along to the next paragraph, the next chapter, wanting to know what happens with a real hunger. "Will she be ok? Will her emails turn into romance?" Just questions I’m asking myself.
We see tiny slithers of old Jade as she flirts with Brady. He engages her in a way no man has since the beginning of her illness and pushes her boundaries as they make the journey to friendship. Wrestling with the decision of a major operation Brady steps up, offering her a shoulder and becomes a constant in her life. You capture the indecision and apprehension well.
I won’t say anything else about the plot or you will need to yell “Spoilers!”
To watch Jade as she goes on a journey of discovery is at times truly heartbreaking. I watch from above, looking through the individual scenes, as she falls for the man of her dreams and suffers as he uses her. This story has engaged my mind to look at my own circumstances and draw the similarities in the two lives. At times, personally it’s hard not to feel a kinship with Jade, as she struggles with treatments, decisions and events that unfold. This only happens because the writing is packed full of emotion, experience and heartfelt expression of self. The story is conveyed in an effortless style, allowing me to join her on the journey of discovery.
Well done, excellent book
Her withdrawal from her old life resonates strongly with me. Illness affects people in different ways but you've keep her strong willed, independent and not reliant on others. The guilt when she has to lean on them is heartfelt and leads her to question, what she wants and can expect from life now. This moves nicely into the world of online chat and the connections she makes. These initial chapters are a compelling journey, fresh, well-written, packed full of genuine emotion and pull you along to the next paragraph, the next chapter, wanting to know what happens with a real hunger. "Will she be ok? Will her emails turn into romance?" Just questions I’m asking myself.
We see tiny slithers of old Jade as she flirts with Brady. He engages her in a way no man has since the beginning of her illness and pushes her boundaries as they make the journey to friendship. Wrestling with the decision of a major operation Brady steps up, offering her a shoulder and becomes a constant in her life. You capture the indecision and apprehension well.
I won’t say anything else about the plot or you will need to yell “Spoilers!”
To watch Jade as she goes on a journey of discovery is at times truly heartbreaking. I watch from above, looking through the individual scenes, as she falls for the man of her dreams and suffers as he uses her. This story has engaged my mind to look at my own circumstances and draw the similarities in the two lives. At times, personally it’s hard not to feel a kinship with Jade, as she struggles with treatments, decisions and events that unfold. This only happens because the writing is packed full of emotion, experience and heartfelt expression of self. The story is conveyed in an effortless style, allowing me to join her on the journey of discovery.
Well done, excellent book
July 4, 2013
Wow! I am truly at a loss for words! This book left me raw and an emotional mess! (I was crying, laughing, almost yelling .. wow yes, she brought a bit of violence out in me. lol)
As Wendy’s first novel, I have to say it is exceptional! She creates characters who you love/hate, side characters that you also enjoy, a story line on what happens in our society today and more. She sets up this story to tug at you the reader and wow does she ever!
Jade is a 40 year old divorcee living in Canada. She lives a normal life until she finds out she has tumors in her neck and then that her father has cancer. Her perspective on things in life change and she enters the Cyber world to find friends. She meets a man named Brady in the cyber chat room and they get along great. He becomes her friend and inspires her, encourages her, gives her -her confidence back and more… She starts writing to help and inspire others and is enjoying her life again! :)
Brady is a 40 year old handsome man who lives in U.S. He is divorced and works for the Government. He talks to Jade constantly in the chat room and starts texting her and calling her. He is her friend and supporter for her while she is going to have surgery and other things in her life. He brings out the happiness in her that she deserves and even talks about “and when” we are able to this and that.
But what happens when you become someone’s friend over years via chat room, love has been shared, dreams made, “and whens” talked about to find out something is not like it was perceived? What do you do? Do you still talk to this person? Can you trust them again? Do you help them? Is it even real or is it all a miscommunication via the Cyber net???
I will not say! You will have to find out what I’m talking about. ;)
Oh and the major Cliffhanger! Man that had me going… and can’t wait to see what happens next!!!
There were a few issues I had with the characters themselves though despite loving this book!
Jade.. I liked her and her ability to want to help others.. but herself- I just wanted to ask her why? Why do you allow this? Why are you this obtuse and more….
And Brady..I loved how he opened up Jade and brought her personality and loving life! However, I wanted to ask why on several things.. why? why? why?!!!
However, despite my few dislikes of the characters this is a wonderful book with lots of emotion, love, laughter, friendships and reality of what happens in the real world and not an actual book!
Well done, Wendy! :)
***I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
You can find “And When” here:
Paperback http://www.amazon.com/When-1-Wendiann...
Kindle http://www.amazon.com/And-When-ebook/...
Kobo, Sony, I-pad, I-phones https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
Here is the 2nd book in the series "Now What" and you can find it here:
Paperback http://www.amazon.com/Now-What-2-Wend...
Kindle http://www.amazon.com/Now-What-ebook/...
Kobo, Sony, I-pads, I-phones https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
As Wendy’s first novel, I have to say it is exceptional! She creates characters who you love/hate, side characters that you also enjoy, a story line on what happens in our society today and more. She sets up this story to tug at you the reader and wow does she ever!
Jade is a 40 year old divorcee living in Canada. She lives a normal life until she finds out she has tumors in her neck and then that her father has cancer. Her perspective on things in life change and she enters the Cyber world to find friends. She meets a man named Brady in the cyber chat room and they get along great. He becomes her friend and inspires her, encourages her, gives her -her confidence back and more… She starts writing to help and inspire others and is enjoying her life again! :)
Brady is a 40 year old handsome man who lives in U.S. He is divorced and works for the Government. He talks to Jade constantly in the chat room and starts texting her and calling her. He is her friend and supporter for her while she is going to have surgery and other things in her life. He brings out the happiness in her that she deserves and even talks about “and when” we are able to this and that.
But what happens when you become someone’s friend over years via chat room, love has been shared, dreams made, “and whens” talked about to find out something is not like it was perceived? What do you do? Do you still talk to this person? Can you trust them again? Do you help them? Is it even real or is it all a miscommunication via the Cyber net???
I will not say! You will have to find out what I’m talking about. ;)
Oh and the major Cliffhanger! Man that had me going… and can’t wait to see what happens next!!!
There were a few issues I had with the characters themselves though despite loving this book!
Jade.. I liked her and her ability to want to help others.. but herself- I just wanted to ask her why? Why do you allow this? Why are you this obtuse and more….
And Brady..I loved how he opened up Jade and brought her personality and loving life! However, I wanted to ask why on several things.. why? why? why?!!!
However, despite my few dislikes of the characters this is a wonderful book with lots of emotion, love, laughter, friendships and reality of what happens in the real world and not an actual book!
Well done, Wendy! :)
***I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
You can find “And When” here:
Paperback http://www.amazon.com/When-1-Wendiann...
Kindle http://www.amazon.com/And-When-ebook/...
Kobo, Sony, I-pad, I-phones https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
Here is the 2nd book in the series "Now What" and you can find it here:
Paperback http://www.amazon.com/Now-What-2-Wend...
Kindle http://www.amazon.com/Now-What-ebook/...
Kobo, Sony, I-pads, I-phones https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
August 31, 2016
With ‘And When’, Wendiann has written a gem. Rich in detail and characterization this book will give you an good emotional ride for your money.
The main character Jade is a 40- something, beautiful, full-figured woman with long hair and gorgeous eyes (though she doesn’t really see it that way) with a pretty dry sense of humour , a ready wit and a smart-ass mouth.
She finds herself in a tough spot – despite good and supportive friends and family, she seems to struggle through life – her job just earns her enough to buy a house, but it needs a lot of work; her health declines with the discovery of thyroid tumours, but the health services takes forever to help her and her spirits sags; her recently retired, much loved Dad is diagnosed with lung cancer and given only a short time to live. Nonetheless the way she does get through this, albeit it slowly and sometimes painfully, draws you to her and you will her on side, thanks to Wendiann’s excellent writing. Jade meets new people online through a chat room and this helps build her confidence in herself and in her future and eventually she meet these friends in person, including the handsome Brady with whom she’s been chatting, mailing and phoning for over a year. Their meeting is a turning point in the novel as from then on the focus is largely on their on-off relationship and their friends from the online chat group. I did miss the rest of Jade’s family and friends from the beginning in the second half and it almost made it seem like a separate book, but as I only realized this at the end I guess it didn’t detract from the enjoyment I had from reading the novel. There is a lot of detail in this ‘second’ half in the conversations between Brady and Jade – they are what it’s about and it’s how you as the reader make up your mind about Brady’s character. It is extremely believable and well written and this for me made me want to keep going and of course find out where this is all leading. The path of true love never runs smooth they say, and this is certainly the case for Jade and Brady, but as a reader I believed in them, right until the last page!. Fantastic.
The main character Jade is a 40- something, beautiful, full-figured woman with long hair and gorgeous eyes (though she doesn’t really see it that way) with a pretty dry sense of humour , a ready wit and a smart-ass mouth.
She finds herself in a tough spot – despite good and supportive friends and family, she seems to struggle through life – her job just earns her enough to buy a house, but it needs a lot of work; her health declines with the discovery of thyroid tumours, but the health services takes forever to help her and her spirits sags; her recently retired, much loved Dad is diagnosed with lung cancer and given only a short time to live. Nonetheless the way she does get through this, albeit it slowly and sometimes painfully, draws you to her and you will her on side, thanks to Wendiann’s excellent writing. Jade meets new people online through a chat room and this helps build her confidence in herself and in her future and eventually she meet these friends in person, including the handsome Brady with whom she’s been chatting, mailing and phoning for over a year. Their meeting is a turning point in the novel as from then on the focus is largely on their on-off relationship and their friends from the online chat group. I did miss the rest of Jade’s family and friends from the beginning in the second half and it almost made it seem like a separate book, but as I only realized this at the end I guess it didn’t detract from the enjoyment I had from reading the novel. There is a lot of detail in this ‘second’ half in the conversations between Brady and Jade – they are what it’s about and it’s how you as the reader make up your mind about Brady’s character. It is extremely believable and well written and this for me made me want to keep going and of course find out where this is all leading. The path of true love never runs smooth they say, and this is certainly the case for Jade and Brady, but as a reader I believed in them, right until the last page!. Fantastic.
March 15, 2014
I wasn't sure what to expect when I began reading And When, but was pleasantly surprised by Jade, the red haired, plus-sized heroine and the set up of dealing with real life issues such as health, aging parents, and home owning. The heroine is left vulnerable by a series of events and finds herself pulled into an emotional web of online dating. The set up is so strong and real, that what unfolds afterwards is disappointing in comparison. I’m sure a lot of readers will identify with Jade’s search for love and being drawn in by a seemingly dreamy but slightly mysterious guy, but it’s where the book started to confuse me. It had started so real and compelling but began to feel more like a standard romance novel. The author, Wendiann, seems well versed in the seedier, more deceptive practices of internet wooing, and she does twist what happens with it; the book ends up serving as a cautionary tale, but I wanted so much more for Jade. She’s a compelling heroine, and would be a terrific focus for all kinds of novels. This is Wendiann’s first novel, and I’m hoping she’s got future plans for Jade.
February 22, 2014
I love a book that opens with something that will pull my heart immediately into the book and not let go of it until the end. It's not all that often a book can keep a heart satisfied through her pages, but this one does!
I loved Jade, she is a red-haired fighter who has some very poignant and dead on revelations. She is trying to rebuild her life (and her house!) and along the way I rooted for her and cried for her.
There are few stories that really can hit home when dealing with recovering yourself from hard times. Anyone who has been through a difficult period or season in their life can relate to this book. I really did, it actually helped me put a few things in perspective and I will certainly be looking for more from Ms. Proteau. Well done!
I loved Jade, she is a red-haired fighter who has some very poignant and dead on revelations. She is trying to rebuild her life (and her house!) and along the way I rooted for her and cried for her.
There are few stories that really can hit home when dealing with recovering yourself from hard times. Anyone who has been through a difficult period or season in their life can relate to this book. I really did, it actually helped me put a few things in perspective and I will certainly be looking for more from Ms. Proteau. Well done!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews