Grind

by J.A. Carter-Winward

Six different people from different walks of life all come together in unimaginable ways when they each have a surprising connection to one woman. She is Kopper Kandy, a nude dancer in a Portland strip club, Exxxotica, and she will change each of their lives forever. Meanwhile Kopper Kandy is Allison, the single mother, the woman, who must find a way to integrate herself before she loses who she is forever. As each person is drawn to the club, the reverberations through their relationships are felt in very different ways. Sex, love, power, money and the ultimate mystery of men and women are explored in this provocative novel that will keep the reader craving the next twist of fate before it all coalesces in one defining moment-a moment that will determine the rest of their lives.

Genres: Fiction

400 pages, Paperback

First published June 15, 2014

About the author

J.A. Carter-Winward is an award-winning writer, poet, and visual artist living in the mountains of northern Utah and the author of five poetry books, six novels, two short-story collections, and a stage play.

Her most recent publications include Work in Progress: Dialogues & Poems, and If it Stings...that means it's working - a poetry story, available Limited Edition print hardback and Kindle.

Her latest novel, Wade, won Best Literary Fiction novel of 2021 in that category by IndieReader's Discovery Awards.

She's also co-founded a non-profit organization to help raise awareness for the often-overlooked dangers of over 800+ FDA-approved medications on the market today.

blackboxwarn.org

J.A.'s work can be found in various print and online journals, anthologies, and publications.
Check her official Author Page for upcoming releases coming in 2022.

www.jacarterwinward.com

https://www.facebook.com/jacarterwinw...

Reviews

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a bloody good story!  Just like Carter-Winward's other novels I'm left speechless at the conclusion of this book and with an emptiness inside now that it is all over.  This book is an exploration of the relationships between a group of people, all are very different but with one link, the mesmerising stripper Kopper Kandy.  Kopper comes across as a Goddess, moving across the stage drawing in the crowd with her eyes and somehow reaching into their soul, it is during the private dances that she is able to help them by just being there.  And you can't help but become invested in the characters, especially Shay and Jeremy, I was on the edge of my seat with each twist and turn in their relationship, hoping that it would work out.

I love Carter-Winward's writing style, it feels so poetic and is so easy to read, there is passion, wit and a real grittiness to her words.  Great care has been taken with the scenes of Kopper on stage, the perfect balance of sex and inner angst, a lot of time must have been spent with real life dancers to get that spot on.  Don't shy away from the subject matter, this may feature a stripper but it covers so much more, you're bound to see a bit of yourself in at least one character.

A very classy novel which deserves much more attention.

Blog review: https://felcherman.wordpress.com/2020...

[Cyral Neeley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The writing is poetic, flowing and intellectual, very unusual for the subject matter of this book. It gives a clear and realistic picture of a strip club with the people who go there for various reasons and those who perform for those people. J.A. took me into their lives and soon I was engrossed and interested in how these normal people would deal with common, complicated, situations.

The book is sexy but not sleazy.
It talks about why people will strip for a living.
A little girl wants a Daddy and Mommy is a stripper.
A Mother is faced with losing her daughter because of the occupation that helps them survive.
A woman deals with a boyfriend who is engrossed in sex, porn, prostitutes and strip clubs, and can't accept him.
Freaks, there are freaks that go to the strip club.
A man desperately loves his wife, who is having an affair and ignores him, so he turns to a strip club and an old lady as a guide through his misery.

I hope I haven't given too much away. It was very enjoyable.

[Kent Winward · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm the husband, so I'm biased. Therefore, I shall defer to the review at IndieReader.com -- http://indiereader.com/2015/10/raw-hu...

[Trinitee Mitchell-Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book threw Goodreads to read in exchange for an honest review. This book was fantastic. Very well written. Loved it!

[Kme_17 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this a first read. This one was an interesting read. The characters were all complex and troubled. Definitely written well. I really interested in reading more from this author.

[Jesse Jentzen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Engaging solely for it's subject rather than the content. I would not recommend this book unless one enjoys being inundated with repeated elaborations of an exotic dancer's life.