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The Lakeshore Lottery: Carly's Ticket
Day to day life was tough for the seventeen-year-old girl named Carly. Growing up with an absentee father and an alcoholic mother, meant, as the oldest child, it was up to her to take care of her four younger siblings. Carly was strong and determined. She was not about to let her three brothers and sister go without food or shelter, even if it meant she had to put in extra hours after school at The Shooting Star Diner. Harry, the owner, knew something wasn’t right at home, but Carly had not confided in him, so he never asked. He simply kept watch and made sure he was there for her if she ever needed him.
Putting all her own needs aside, she selflessly continued to care for her little family. The house wreaked of stale cigarette smoke and spilled alcohol – often the electricity was turned off, and they were threatened with eviction at every turn, but Carly forged ahead with a smile on her face. Her tips were the main reason they were surviving, but every once in a while she would receive a lottery ticket in place of cash. Discouraged and disgusted that it was not real money she could use, she shoved them aside, until one day a boy from her school encouraged her to scratch off a ticket to see if she had won. What happened after that changed the course of her life, but would it be enough? Because sometimes money can’t buy everything.
In this intriguing new series, called The Lakeshore Lottery, Jane O’Brien takes another turn in her writing genre. Carly’s Ticket is just one tale of many standalone novellas which will be grouped together in a common theme about Lottery Winners. People from all walks of life rejoice when they find themselves wealthy. For some the money will be a Godsend, but for others, it could come close to destroying them.
Putting all her own needs aside, she selflessly continued to care for her little family. The house wreaked of stale cigarette smoke and spilled alcohol – often the electricity was turned off, and they were threatened with eviction at every turn, but Carly forged ahead with a smile on her face. Her tips were the main reason they were surviving, but every once in a while she would receive a lottery ticket in place of cash. Discouraged and disgusted that it was not real money she could use, she shoved them aside, until one day a boy from her school encouraged her to scratch off a ticket to see if she had won. What happened after that changed the course of her life, but would it be enough? Because sometimes money can’t buy everything.
In this intriguing new series, called The Lakeshore Lottery, Jane O’Brien takes another turn in her writing genre. Carly’s Ticket is just one tale of many standalone novellas which will be grouped together in a common theme about Lottery Winners. People from all walks of life rejoice when they find themselves wealthy. For some the money will be a Godsend, but for others, it could come close to destroying them.
166 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 1, 2026
About the author
Jane O'Brien
39 books209 followersJane O'Brien discovered her love of writing at the age of ten when she wrote her first ten-chapter book in pencil on notebook paper. She passed it around to all of her friends at school and told them she wanted to be an author. And that planted the seed.
O'Brien's career life has been varied. She was a piano teacher for over 50 years, a librarian, and a professional proofreader. She is also interested in genealogy, having worked on her own family tree, as well as her husband's, for over 40 years, which helps to color most of her novels.
Today, as a grandmother, Jane is finally fulfilling her lifelong dream, after successfully having her thirty-fifth book published, which includes two trilogies, one six-book series, three Christmas novellas, and two Amazon best-selling time slip series. She lives in West Michigan and writes romance with a little history, mystery, and family entanglements, all set in her part of the state.
The stories she weaves are about family and the intricate connections of relatives, past and present.
O'Brien's career life has been varied. She was a piano teacher for over 50 years, a librarian, and a professional proofreader. She is also interested in genealogy, having worked on her own family tree, as well as her husband's, for over 40 years, which helps to color most of her novels.
Today, as a grandmother, Jane is finally fulfilling her lifelong dream, after successfully having her thirty-fifth book published, which includes two trilogies, one six-book series, three Christmas novellas, and two Amazon best-selling time slip series. She lives in West Michigan and writes romance with a little history, mystery, and family entanglements, all set in her part of the state.
The stories she weaves are about family and the intricate connections of relatives, past and present.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 4, 2026
Author Jane O’Brien’s books are “just the ticket” for me! I couldn’t wait to read the second book in The Lakeshore Lottery by Jane O’Brien. The Lakeshore Lottery series has been so heartwarming. An Angel helps nice people with serious financial challenges find new, positive way to live when they unexpectedly win the Michigan Lottery Ticket.
Carly is a teenager, doing her best to raise her younger siblings. Her mother is an alcoholic and it is up to Carly to do everything to keep her siblings together: put food on the table, help them with school and pay the rent. No one seems to be able to help Carly…except her Guardian Angel.
I highly recommend this positive and affirming book! Do you need a Guardian Angel? Looking forward to Book 3 in the series.
Carly is a teenager, doing her best to raise her younger siblings. Her mother is an alcoholic and it is up to Carly to do everything to keep her siblings together: put food on the table, help them with school and pay the rent. No one seems to be able to help Carly…except her Guardian Angel.
I highly recommend this positive and affirming book! Do you need a Guardian Angel? Looking forward to Book 3 in the series.
September 19, 2026
Free will and love
I absolutely loved this story; a heartfelt tale of a resilient, hardworking girl who gets a chance to build a better life for herself and her siblings. It would take a miracle to save this family. I found myself deeply immersed, tissues at the ready, as the author vividly brought their struggles and triumphs to life and made me feel like I was right there with them, experiencing every emotional moment. I highly recommend it.
I absolutely loved this story; a heartfelt tale of a resilient, hardworking girl who gets a chance to build a better life for herself and her siblings. It would take a miracle to save this family. I found myself deeply immersed, tissues at the ready, as the author vividly brought their struggles and triumphs to life and made me feel like I was right there with them, experiencing every emotional moment. I highly recommend it.
September 15, 2026
lovely story
This book was a quick but really good. I wish it was longer honestly. It hit everything it needed to in the amount of pages it has but I would have loved more.
This book was a quick but really good. I wish it was longer honestly. It hit everything it needed to in the amount of pages it has but I would have loved more.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews