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Faultlines #1
When Faults Collide
After a dark childhood in a brothel in India where her mother was a prostitute, Asha was brought to the United States to live with her father at the age of thirteen. Ten years later, she is a successful graphic designer and blogger living in Richmond, Virginia. While she has survived her past, she lives a fairly sheltered existence, living under a strict set of self-imposed rules in an attempt to protect herself. Her most important rule: never get involved with anyone romantically.
Then she meets Blake, the owner of a local music venue, who she discovers has an equally dark past. From their first encounter she finds it difficult to follow her own rules and cannot deny-or resist-the connection that is forming between them.
Can Asha overcome her demons and move beyond surviving, to thriving? Will Blake be the perfect piece of the puzzle for her broken heart?
Then she meets Blake, the owner of a local music venue, who she discovers has an equally dark past. From their first encounter she finds it difficult to follow her own rules and cannot deny-or resist-the connection that is forming between them.
Can Asha overcome her demons and move beyond surviving, to thriving? Will Blake be the perfect piece of the puzzle for her broken heart?
246 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2015
257 people want to read
About the author
Claire Phoenix
12 books35 followersClaire, locally known as Princess Pea, is something of a phoenix. She originally wrote, and published, her first set of novels while a married, foster mom with a seemingly normal life.
That all changed after a major life trauma, when Claire lost everything in her life- including her health.
She now lives in Washington DC with her two dogs and is an advocate for other adults with chronic illness. She is a cannabis educator and spends a good portion of her days giving other people with chronic illness advice on getting services, self care techniques, and using natural medicine. You can check out her work with that on her website here.
While she has decided to shelve all of her former titles, she is actively working on creating new work, as a new person.
Stay tuned for the next chapter of this very long book of life.
That all changed after a major life trauma, when Claire lost everything in her life- including her health.
She now lives in Washington DC with her two dogs and is an advocate for other adults with chronic illness. She is a cannabis educator and spends a good portion of her days giving other people with chronic illness advice on getting services, self care techniques, and using natural medicine. You can check out her work with that on her website here.
While she has decided to shelve all of her former titles, she is actively working on creating new work, as a new person.
Stay tuned for the next chapter of this very long book of life.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 8, 2015
4 "I won’t leave you in your darkness." stars
Asha is a 23 year old graphic designer and blogger, living her life on a tight set of rules. Others may not understand her need of her rules, but they help her survive her past and keep her from harm.
Then one day her stars collide with a kindred spirit whose eyes seem to see right through the depths of her, Blake. Blake can't help but find his new neighbor intriguing, there is something in her that calls out to him and now that he is hooked there is no turning back. Only she proves to be much harder to convince because the connection he feels so strongly is the one she is fighting against, denying them ...
Although their horrible pasts are are a world apart, the similarities behind it has them left wondering just how strong their connection is. Is it fate or destiny, was it always supposed to be, all they know is that it just is; they can take this opportunity to heal each other or ruin one another... because there is no going back from here.
When Faults Collide is a story that gives us so much hope and gets us to believe again. There was an insta-ness to Asha and Blake's story but I could not have seen it in a different way. Fate has destined them to meet and heal each other. All the events however bad, sad or good all happened for a reason. You have to come into this book with an open mind and a non-judgmental heart; their stories are not pretty. I could not help but hope and wish for a HEA for them, they deserved it all and then some. A great read of fate, hope and a soul deep connection.
ARC kindly provided by the author, in exchange for an honest review.
***Quotes above are taken from the ARC version of the book and may differ upon publication.
Out of the doubt that fills my mind, I somehow find that you and I collide.
Asha is a 23 year old graphic designer and blogger, living her life on a tight set of rules. Others may not understand her need of her rules, but they help her survive her past and keep her from harm.
Rule #1 -No romantic relationships.
Rule #2 -Never knowingly put myself in danger.
Rule #3 -Go for a run every morning
Rule #4-Never drink too much or use drugs.
Rule #5 -Never trust anyone with the whole truth.
Rule #6 -Never let anyone try to change or dictate your life.
Rule #7 -Speak only in English.
Rule #8 -Never become a burden on another person.
Then one day her stars collide with a kindred spirit whose eyes seem to see right through the depths of her, Blake. Blake can't help but find his new neighbor intriguing, there is something in her that calls out to him and now that he is hooked there is no turning back. Only she proves to be much harder to convince because the connection he feels so strongly is the one she is fighting against, denying them ...
#Lumineers #GoodnightMrGreenEyes
Although their horrible pasts are are a world apart, the similarities behind it has them left wondering just how strong their connection is. Is it fate or destiny, was it always supposed to be, all they know is that it just is; they can take this opportunity to heal each other or ruin one another... because there is no going back from here.
I was Asha. He was Blake. Together we were perfectly imperfect. Two broken pieces that were made whole together.
When Faults Collide is a story that gives us so much hope and gets us to believe again. There was an insta-ness to Asha and Blake's story but I could not have seen it in a different way. Fate has destined them to meet and heal each other. All the events however bad, sad or good all happened for a reason. You have to come into this book with an open mind and a non-judgmental heart; their stories are not pretty. I could not help but hope and wish for a HEA for them, they deserved it all and then some. A great read of fate, hope and a soul deep connection.
ARC kindly provided by the author, in exchange for an honest review.
***Quotes above are taken from the ARC version of the book and may differ upon publication.
July 1, 2015
The Kindle version releases TODAY July 1st!!! :)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0108NTNIS
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http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0108NTNIS
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November 1, 2015
*Book provided in exchange for an honest review*
This was my first book by Claire and I will start with what I didn't like.
This got too cheesy, too fast. The dialogue seemed more like a text message sometimes and it was... irking. I really, really wished they had acted their age. At times, I felt like I was reading an early high school romance. I didn't like the fact that almost all the characters were portrayed a hair away from IDENTICAL! That prevented the book from having the diversity every book should have. I didn't believe one second that the relationship between the two main characters was real. Too much happened way TOO fast and that's just isn't how it's done. It makes me so sad to see authors, more often than not, go that route. It's a huge cop out and I just wished they knew what they were doing to us.
Oh, and there was the ultimate no-no that prevented me from giving this 3 stars. There. is. no. such. thing. as an 'emo' genre. It's a label and one I do not care for. I am very passionate about how the music I like is portrayed and this book almost made me go into a raging episode.
I get that this book was meant to shine a light into the darker aspects of human life but the characters didn't let me grasp the potential of it. I just found myself wanting to get this over with as soon as possible.
What I loved about this book was the main character's dad. He was definitely a man in every definition of the word. He stepped up and took responsibility, just how everybody should. I was in awe of him. This book is physically flawless, but the inside didn't cut it for me. All in all, I am glad to have given this a try.
This was my first book by Claire and I will start with what I didn't like.
This got too cheesy, too fast. The dialogue seemed more like a text message sometimes and it was... irking. I really, really wished they had acted their age. At times, I felt like I was reading an early high school romance. I didn't like the fact that almost all the characters were portrayed a hair away from IDENTICAL! That prevented the book from having the diversity every book should have. I didn't believe one second that the relationship between the two main characters was real. Too much happened way TOO fast and that's just isn't how it's done. It makes me so sad to see authors, more often than not, go that route. It's a huge cop out and I just wished they knew what they were doing to us.
Oh, and there was the ultimate no-no that prevented me from giving this 3 stars. There. is. no. such. thing. as an 'emo' genre. It's a label and one I do not care for. I am very passionate about how the music I like is portrayed and this book almost made me go into a raging episode.
I get that this book was meant to shine a light into the darker aspects of human life but the characters didn't let me grasp the potential of it. I just found myself wanting to get this over with as soon as possible.
What I loved about this book was the main character's dad. He was definitely a man in every definition of the word. He stepped up and took responsibility, just how everybody should. I was in awe of him. This book is physically flawless, but the inside didn't cut it for me. All in all, I am glad to have given this a try.
July 2, 2015
When I first saw this book, I thought of Collide by Howie Day.
This book is about Asha, written about her life starting out in a brothel in India with her mom. The beginning of the story is sad, but makes an interesting story information that is needed to understand her. I liked how her life was so wrong from the beginning yet changed so positive to the end. As a matter of fact I felt this story had quite of few messages in it while I was reading it. The prostitute, human trafficking, not always a nice thing to read, but it is real and I felt the emotions in this story are true.
I also liked her tweets, text messages, and blog post, made it interesting to read and was a little be different. I also loved the love story with her and Blake and how her life changed.
I felt that the writer did a great job on this story, basically an easy read, even though there is some sad parts because of the life difficulties that Asha and Blake had in their background. There was a few cuss words, but I think the story was one to be told and interesting without making hard to read. I feel young adults could read this story to understand and have empathy and also to be aware of what is going on in this world.
I got this off the authors blog "**This story contains mature subject matter such as prostitution, rape, PTSD, drug use, and more. While the writing style does not use overly graphic depictions of these situations, please use your own discretion.**"
This story is a true survival story.
I did receive this book for an honest review.
This book is about Asha, written about her life starting out in a brothel in India with her mom. The beginning of the story is sad, but makes an interesting story information that is needed to understand her. I liked how her life was so wrong from the beginning yet changed so positive to the end. As a matter of fact I felt this story had quite of few messages in it while I was reading it. The prostitute, human trafficking, not always a nice thing to read, but it is real and I felt the emotions in this story are true.
I also liked her tweets, text messages, and blog post, made it interesting to read and was a little be different. I also loved the love story with her and Blake and how her life changed.
I felt that the writer did a great job on this story, basically an easy read, even though there is some sad parts because of the life difficulties that Asha and Blake had in their background. There was a few cuss words, but I think the story was one to be told and interesting without making hard to read. I feel young adults could read this story to understand and have empathy and also to be aware of what is going on in this world.
I got this off the authors blog "**This story contains mature subject matter such as prostitution, rape, PTSD, drug use, and more. While the writing style does not use overly graphic depictions of these situations, please use your own discretion.**"
This story is a true survival story.
I did receive this book for an honest review.
June 18, 2015
This book takes you on a journey with Asha & Blake. They are two tortured souls but very much alike. I enjoyed reading this book from start to finish. I am happy it's going to continue. I feel like I got a lot of insight on who Asha was and I want more on Blake! I love the modern style of writing and blog posts and twitter posts. I feel like the author is very passionate about this story and it shows.
December 19, 2015
Full disclosure: I am a long-time friend of the author and read this book several times as she wrote, edited, and completed this book. That being said, my review is my honest opinion about the storyline.
When Faults Collide is told through the point of view of its main character, Asha Harris. Asha believes that she has structured her life in a way that will protect her from further heartache and troubles if she will only follow the rules she has laid out for herself. Along with taking care of herself first and foremost, one of her primary rules is that she will never open herself up to romantic relationships. I'll be honest...she can come off as sort of a bitch, but you discover that these behaviors and reactions are a result of the walls she has built up around herself. But then she meets Blake, and Asha discovers she has a whole different set of personal issues to deal with. As she begins to falter on her ultimate rule and feelings for Blake begin to take shape, she discovers that her anxieties and PTSD from her childhood are standing in the way of far more than she first believed. As Asha learns more about Blake, she begins to discover that they share many things in common.
So you can see, When Faults Collide is much more than just a love story; it's the story of two people who have come from very troubled childhoods trying to make peace with their pasts and learning to trust someone else enough to let them in.
Claire has experienced enough in her life that she has a lot of insight to the issues she approaches in her book. She and her husband are currently the foster parents to four children at their home in Richmond, Virginia, and the foster child experience is a subject that the book deeply explores. WFC touches upon the subjects of PTSD, the foster system, prostitution, human trafficking, sexual exploitation, rape, and more, but does so in a manner that is not too graphic.
I fell completely in love with Asha and Blake, and I think others will too. This is book one of a series, after all, so I love that I'll get more.
When Faults Collide is told through the point of view of its main character, Asha Harris. Asha believes that she has structured her life in a way that will protect her from further heartache and troubles if she will only follow the rules she has laid out for herself. Along with taking care of herself first and foremost, one of her primary rules is that she will never open herself up to romantic relationships. I'll be honest...she can come off as sort of a bitch, but you discover that these behaviors and reactions are a result of the walls she has built up around herself. But then she meets Blake, and Asha discovers she has a whole different set of personal issues to deal with. As she begins to falter on her ultimate rule and feelings for Blake begin to take shape, she discovers that her anxieties and PTSD from her childhood are standing in the way of far more than she first believed. As Asha learns more about Blake, she begins to discover that they share many things in common.
So you can see, When Faults Collide is much more than just a love story; it's the story of two people who have come from very troubled childhoods trying to make peace with their pasts and learning to trust someone else enough to let them in.
Claire has experienced enough in her life that she has a lot of insight to the issues she approaches in her book. She and her husband are currently the foster parents to four children at their home in Richmond, Virginia, and the foster child experience is a subject that the book deeply explores. WFC touches upon the subjects of PTSD, the foster system, prostitution, human trafficking, sexual exploitation, rape, and more, but does so in a manner that is not too graphic.
I fell completely in love with Asha and Blake, and I think others will too. This is book one of a series, after all, so I love that I'll get more.
October 31, 2015
When Faults Collide tells the story of two broken people who find comfort in one another, eventually realizing that real love can heal what even time can’t.
Asha grew up in an Indian brothel and her first thirteen years held little comfort or safety. After her mother dies and she moves to America, she spends the next ten years of her life trying to build up her walls so that she can never get hurt again.
Enter Blake, the charming next-door-neighbor who uses Twitter to start up a flirtation with Asha through their shared wall. Blake’s childhood has so many similarities to Asha’s that she finds herself opening up to him in ways that she could never have expected. With compassionate understanding that they have both craved from another and unable to find until now, they begin a relationship that has the power to heal their hearts.
I loved that the characters were able to bond over music because music often speaks when words seem to fail. I thought it was a very real way for these two beautifully broken people to make a connection. Their relationship moved a little fast, but I loved that Blake was able to help Asha open up and accept her experiences rather than just pushing them aside.
Claire Granger did a wonderful job writing a story of love, redemption, and healing for the 21st century that deals with very real and very ugly things, but showing us that true beauty lies within.
Asha grew up in an Indian brothel and her first thirteen years held little comfort or safety. After her mother dies and she moves to America, she spends the next ten years of her life trying to build up her walls so that she can never get hurt again.
Enter Blake, the charming next-door-neighbor who uses Twitter to start up a flirtation with Asha through their shared wall. Blake’s childhood has so many similarities to Asha’s that she finds herself opening up to him in ways that she could never have expected. With compassionate understanding that they have both craved from another and unable to find until now, they begin a relationship that has the power to heal their hearts.
I loved that the characters were able to bond over music because music often speaks when words seem to fail. I thought it was a very real way for these two beautifully broken people to make a connection. Their relationship moved a little fast, but I loved that Blake was able to help Asha open up and accept her experiences rather than just pushing them aside.
Claire Granger did a wonderful job writing a story of love, redemption, and healing for the 21st century that deals with very real and very ugly things, but showing us that true beauty lies within.
November 18, 2018
This book impressed me with the way it handled very serious subject matter without any pointless drama. The main characters experienced horrible events in their childhood without regressing into the typical behaviors of selfishness, immature behavior or meaningless sex as coping mechanisms. Asha and Blake have their personal demons to deal with but they are well adjusted people. Their love story with all of its complexity is also sweet and heartwarming.Well written with good flow and very few editing errors, I was able to enjoy this book without wanting to throw my reading device against the wall in frustration.
When Faults Collide is perfect for readers who want a love story without explicit sex or an overdose of vulgar language.
When Faults Collide is perfect for readers who want a love story without explicit sex or an overdose of vulgar language.
July 19, 2015
I was intrigued by this book because it has a protagonist with an Indian heritage and I just wanted to see how it was going to be portrayed and what the story held for her.
But.
The book has not been researched well. Not only have most Hindi dialogues been pulled out straight from google translate, the characters are quite one dimensional and there is no depth in the story. In fact, it felt like a bad cheesy bollywood movie.
No. Just no.
But.
The book has not been researched well. Not only have most Hindi dialogues been pulled out straight from google translate, the characters are quite one dimensional and there is no depth in the story. In fact, it felt like a bad cheesy bollywood movie.
No. Just no.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews