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Before it Gets Better
*ALL proceeds will go to Love is Louder (A project of the JED Foundation)*
Anthology includes:
-Forget Me Not by Erica Cope-
Collins Bell is used to things not going her way. Abandoned by her mom as a small child, she's spent most of her life in and out of foster homes.
Starting a new school is never easy, but she’s just hoping to get through the day completely unnoticed--and preferably without a trip to the principal’s office.
The last thing she expects is to bump into the one person from her past that she thought she had a real connection to.
Only it’s not the reunion she dreamed it would be, because he seems to have completely forgotten all about her.
-If You Knew Me (and Other Silent Musings) by Mary Crawford-
Sadie Anderson used to being considered different and a little strange. Having the soul of an artist in her straight-laced, logical family is enough of a challenge, but being deaf isn’t making things easier.
Facing the challenge of a new high school with no friends, Sadie wonders if this will be the one place she’ll be free to be her true self. Maybe she should just focus on her art and ignore everything else.
Elijah Fisher has gone to the same school with the same friends since preschool. He dreads getting up every day because pretty much everyone on the planet hates his guts. It’s not news to him that he’s different, Tourette's syndrome is rather obvious that way. When cuss words fly of your mouth without warning, it’s difficult to make friends.
Why can the new girl in class see him when everyone else looks away? What would she think if she really knew him?
-What If? by Heather Helms-
Even though Liz has moved nine times, she still manages to keep up her grades and never has a problem making friends. As long as she's got her trumpet and a good pep band to play with, she's on track to a normal high school experience. That is, until Allie walks into her life.
-Third & Long by Sara Marion-
When you're young, they say you can be anything you want. That's true for most. When you come from a background like I do, life is hard. I had one path to get me out: football. It would change life for my mother and me and nothing would stand in my way. Then the unexpected happened that change my life. That day I, Rex Woodson, lost myself.
Consumed by darkness, one person showed up. She showed me a new path, but after everything I had gone through, would I be able to persevere?
-Cross My Heart by Cheryl Van Eck-
Mario Vasquez knows how the world views him. He’s a punk, a loser, a Mexican thug headed for trouble. But he can’t, no, he won’t let that discourage him. His world might be precariously balanced, but he is determined to fight his way out.
After all, he has promises—and secrets—to keep.
-Free Fall by EM Van Eck-
Over a year after a failed suicide attempt, Rowan returns to school in the middle of his senior year with a new perspective on life. He’s determined to make the best of his circumstances.
But, when past demons surface, he’s put to the ultimate test.
Will Rowan’s new lease on life stay intact or will he succumb to past bullies?
This is the story of one young man’s determination to see the light even in the darkest of moments.
-Shedding Skins by Lori Worley-
In life there are some traumas that change you from the inside out. Arlo Lane is trying to survive those changes without losing her mind. Will she still be just a girl waiting for life after high school or will the trauma leave her with an entirely new identity as both victim and villain?
Shedding Skins explores how the fallout from one event can reshape the person you are from the ground up, leaving you unrecognizable even to yourself.
Anthology includes:
-Forget Me Not by Erica Cope-
Collins Bell is used to things not going her way. Abandoned by her mom as a small child, she's spent most of her life in and out of foster homes.
Starting a new school is never easy, but she’s just hoping to get through the day completely unnoticed--and preferably without a trip to the principal’s office.
The last thing she expects is to bump into the one person from her past that she thought she had a real connection to.
Only it’s not the reunion she dreamed it would be, because he seems to have completely forgotten all about her.
-If You Knew Me (and Other Silent Musings) by Mary Crawford-
Sadie Anderson used to being considered different and a little strange. Having the soul of an artist in her straight-laced, logical family is enough of a challenge, but being deaf isn’t making things easier.
Facing the challenge of a new high school with no friends, Sadie wonders if this will be the one place she’ll be free to be her true self. Maybe she should just focus on her art and ignore everything else.
Elijah Fisher has gone to the same school with the same friends since preschool. He dreads getting up every day because pretty much everyone on the planet hates his guts. It’s not news to him that he’s different, Tourette's syndrome is rather obvious that way. When cuss words fly of your mouth without warning, it’s difficult to make friends.
Why can the new girl in class see him when everyone else looks away? What would she think if she really knew him?
-What If? by Heather Helms-
Even though Liz has moved nine times, she still manages to keep up her grades and never has a problem making friends. As long as she's got her trumpet and a good pep band to play with, she's on track to a normal high school experience. That is, until Allie walks into her life.
-Third & Long by Sara Marion-
When you're young, they say you can be anything you want. That's true for most. When you come from a background like I do, life is hard. I had one path to get me out: football. It would change life for my mother and me and nothing would stand in my way. Then the unexpected happened that change my life. That day I, Rex Woodson, lost myself.
Consumed by darkness, one person showed up. She showed me a new path, but after everything I had gone through, would I be able to persevere?
-Cross My Heart by Cheryl Van Eck-
Mario Vasquez knows how the world views him. He’s a punk, a loser, a Mexican thug headed for trouble. But he can’t, no, he won’t let that discourage him. His world might be precariously balanced, but he is determined to fight his way out.
After all, he has promises—and secrets—to keep.
-Free Fall by EM Van Eck-
Over a year after a failed suicide attempt, Rowan returns to school in the middle of his senior year with a new perspective on life. He’s determined to make the best of his circumstances.
But, when past demons surface, he’s put to the ultimate test.
Will Rowan’s new lease on life stay intact or will he succumb to past bullies?
This is the story of one young man’s determination to see the light even in the darkest of moments.
-Shedding Skins by Lori Worley-
In life there are some traumas that change you from the inside out. Arlo Lane is trying to survive those changes without losing her mind. Will she still be just a girl waiting for life after high school or will the trauma leave her with an entirely new identity as both victim and villain?
Shedding Skins explores how the fallout from one event can reshape the person you are from the ground up, leaving you unrecognizable even to yourself.
Unknown Binding
Published December 27, 2016
1 person is currently reading
9 people want to read
About the author
Erica Cope
22 books267 followersErica Cope lives in the Midwest with her husband, three children, three dogs and three cats (she has a thing for the number three).
She has an unhealthy addiction to coffee, a bad habit of binge watching shows on Netflix and eating pretzel M&Ms for breakfast.
When Erica isn't writing you can find her pretending to play her guitar, reading or baking something delicious.
www.ericacope.com
She has an unhealthy addiction to coffee, a bad habit of binge watching shows on Netflix and eating pretzel M&Ms for breakfast.
When Erica isn't writing you can find her pretending to play her guitar, reading or baking something delicious.
www.ericacope.com
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 14, 2017
There were specific stories in this book I would rate a 5 and others 2/3. The only fair way for me to review this book is to break it down by each novella.
Forget me not by Erica Cope. Five stars! There is so much potential for a full length novel here. When the story ended I felt so much relief but was also needing more! Collins was vulnerable but also so strong!
If you knew me by Mary Crawford. Five stars!! One of my favorites in this anthology!! Mary was able to capture the deep feelings of the characters while creating a very detailed story in a minimal amount of words. I loved that she brought awareness to Tourette's and deafness. The character development and story are extremely strong and left me feeling very content with how it ended.
What if by Heather Helms. Four stars. I found multiple spelling errors and looked over typos that distracted me. I thought the details of the story and inner monologue were very strong. I hated the ending! It was cut way too short.
Third and Long by Sara Marion. Three stars. The story was great but the execution was lacking. I found errors in past/present tense. The way the story is written in some essay form and some story form takes away and confuses the reader. It could have all been in an essay form and had a beginning chapter and ending chapter of Rex. I didn't like the unfinished look of the # as page breaks either. There was also details that lacked such as why were both their mothers in the car together, the emotions/feeling/build up of Rex and Jessalyn's relationship, the close connection between both of their families (to show why the Kain's had guardianship.) All that said.. the story had a lot of potential.. I just don't think it was executed right.
Cross my heart by Cheryl Van Eck. Two stars. The first page of this story was an instant turn off. Stories written in the third person perspective usually lack emotion and feeling and this story fell right into that category.. I think Cheryl spent too much time coming up with adjectives to describe the surroundings of the story and not enough on how the characters were feeling and who the characters were.. I only saw surface stuff in this story and wasn't impressed. It was incredibly short and needed about double the amount of details to carry the heaviness that Mario and Mara experienced.
Free fall by EM Van Eck. Five stars!! Beautifully written and soulful. I love that Rowan had two dads and that EM showcased their family dynamics. The story was written with great detail considering the length. I liked how the ending was full circle but also left room for it to be a full length novel.
Shedding Skins by Lori Worely. Five stars. Wow.. what a soul shattering story! Reading Arlo's mistreatment that leads her to her choices at the end was difficult. Everything in my being wanted her to speak up. The truths behind this story are devastating and all too common. This short story will stick with me forever! The last page let me breathe out all the angst I was holding in from the beginning.
Great Job ladies! Thank you for bringing awareness and doing something to make a difference.
Forget me not by Erica Cope. Five stars! There is so much potential for a full length novel here. When the story ended I felt so much relief but was also needing more! Collins was vulnerable but also so strong!
If you knew me by Mary Crawford. Five stars!! One of my favorites in this anthology!! Mary was able to capture the deep feelings of the characters while creating a very detailed story in a minimal amount of words. I loved that she brought awareness to Tourette's and deafness. The character development and story are extremely strong and left me feeling very content with how it ended.
What if by Heather Helms. Four stars. I found multiple spelling errors and looked over typos that distracted me. I thought the details of the story and inner monologue were very strong. I hated the ending! It was cut way too short.
Third and Long by Sara Marion. Three stars. The story was great but the execution was lacking. I found errors in past/present tense. The way the story is written in some essay form and some story form takes away and confuses the reader. It could have all been in an essay form and had a beginning chapter and ending chapter of Rex. I didn't like the unfinished look of the # as page breaks either. There was also details that lacked such as why were both their mothers in the car together, the emotions/feeling/build up of Rex and Jessalyn's relationship, the close connection between both of their families (to show why the Kain's had guardianship.) All that said.. the story had a lot of potential.. I just don't think it was executed right.
Cross my heart by Cheryl Van Eck. Two stars. The first page of this story was an instant turn off. Stories written in the third person perspective usually lack emotion and feeling and this story fell right into that category.. I think Cheryl spent too much time coming up with adjectives to describe the surroundings of the story and not enough on how the characters were feeling and who the characters were.. I only saw surface stuff in this story and wasn't impressed. It was incredibly short and needed about double the amount of details to carry the heaviness that Mario and Mara experienced.
Free fall by EM Van Eck. Five stars!! Beautifully written and soulful. I love that Rowan had two dads and that EM showcased their family dynamics. The story was written with great detail considering the length. I liked how the ending was full circle but also left room for it to be a full length novel.
Shedding Skins by Lori Worely. Five stars. Wow.. what a soul shattering story! Reading Arlo's mistreatment that leads her to her choices at the end was difficult. Everything in my being wanted her to speak up. The truths behind this story are devastating and all too common. This short story will stick with me forever! The last page let me breathe out all the angst I was holding in from the beginning.
Great Job ladies! Thank you for bringing awareness and doing something to make a difference.
February 12, 2017
Three stars altogether. Each story is individually rated at Ash Reads Stuff. Huge thanks to Erica Cope for the copy in exchange for a review.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews