After a car accident leaves him a widower, Chaun must struggle through overwhelming guilt. As he’s recovering from his injuries, he notices odd activity from those around him. The family is tormented by an unknown entity that possesses those close to him, most of all, his infant daughter Samantha.When an unexpected person starts spending more time with the family, they become the target of the first physical attack from the spirit. Chaun and his family must find out the identity of the presence and how to rid themselves of the threat before someone is seriously injured or killed.
I'm an Author who loves multiple genres. Growing up in a military home I learned to love different cultures and climates. I love to write Fiction. I write Horror, Fantasy, Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction, and Thriller genres.
Katrina and Chaun were not incompatible. Their energies did not match and this is a subject of this light horror story. Chaun is kind of mama's son and she is a harpy. After the accident, the entity will seek an act of revenge, even Chaun is the guy who is a victim. I like this horror because it is not a typical story with blood, vampires or meaningless screaming. This is a deeply psychological story which will not make anyone indifferent. It is up to readers to pick the side, who is the main culprit there, Chaun who was phlegmatic character or Katrina who was an egocentric control freak. The author carefully describes characters and make their role in this story with a good point. The feeling of fear and tense is in the whole book because of this it belongs to the horror genre with a psychological note.
Second Chances is an intriguing read that delves into the paranormal. I rarely read books in this genre but I was pleasantly surprised by the human emotions and the exploration of the dysfunctional relationship between the protagonist and his wife. Chaun is mistreated by his narcissistic wife who is expecting their child. We are introduced to the couple from the onset; we see how Katrina plays the victim in front of her friend, complaining about how her husband is unresponsive and distant with her. The narcissism here is so real; so many times the real victim who is yelled at and ridiculed by the narcissist ends up looking like the aggressor or as the reason the relationship is suffering. The author touches on this theme so well, and shines a light on how miserable a person can feel when subjected to the ill treatment of a narcissist. The victim fades away, and loses the light in their eyes and in their heart; they’re always walking around on egg shells, appeasing the narcissist to the point that he or she loses their identity. This is where we find the protagonist Chaun: at a party, despondently examining his married life.
On a brighter note, the author also shows us real, healthy relationships; Chaun’s parents display reciprocal love and respect for each other. I found that as a reader, I was hoping Chaun too someday finds a love like this; one that nurtures instead of debilitates, one that brings Chaun’s true self out to the surface.
The novel immediately takes the reader into the action when the unthinkable happens and Chaun is left with serious decisions to make. Luckily for him, his parents are right by his side. Will Chaun’s life change for the better or will something worse threaten his life and cause him to keep living on egg shells, and live a loveless life full of trepidation.
Second Chances is a thought-provoking, haunting, paranormal suspense story which also addresses real human emotions. The author is obviously very well-versed with the complexities of relationships. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.
An interesting and captivating read that takes the reader through a grieving man who struggles with his new found life. Being stated, what Brinker adds to the story becomes much more darker and dare say sinister...pick this one up!
This is a book about how a few seconds can change someone’s life. In some respects, this book could be classed as horror but there are no gory or really frightening scenes to put you off reading. An accident leaves the main character’s life completely changed and someone is out for revenge. As you progress through the book, you get to know the characters better and the level of the ‘incidents’ increases.
Chaun Hutchins was like any regular 32-year-old. He had a wife, a full-time job, a comfortable home, and a baby on the way, but yet he was not at all satisfied in their marriage. During a fight on the way from a party, he finally got the courage to speak up to his wife, but the moment after a tragic accident left him a widower. Some would think that this is where his life will go down the road. But no, as the child survived he needs to be strong for the baby. Will he have the power to overcome the pain, the guilt and find the strength to move on? Will he get a second chance at life and love? The questions will be answered only when together with his parents and his new friend, Denise, will manage to solve the mystery of the paranormal events that are threatening their peace and putting some of them in danger. A really interesting read, a story that gives you hope only after the main character manages to find answers over the dark troubles from the past in order to have a bright and peaceful future. Aaron D. Brinker adds a touch of romance to the whole paranormal part, everything with a writing style that it is really pleasant to read.
Type of reader: Fans of mystery, thriller, suspense with a touch of ghosts and paranormal elements. I found this being an intriguing story, definitely, a must read.
My favorite quotes from this book:
“You had no way of knowing what was going to happen, let alone what minor differences would have caused things to change. No matter what we face in life, trials have to be taken as they come. We can never change the past, but only better ourselves for the future.”
“You see, the night you died, you felt what I had been feeling our entire marriage.”
The eyes turned black and… Do six-month-old babies sit up like that? I do not believe so! Second Chances, by Aaron D. Brinker, was a paranormal, spooky and freaky trip I thought I saw coming. But the ending, or should I say endings, said otherwise! Especially the epilogue; it literally had me laughing out loud—and had the judge dancing naked, and, and, and what!? People actually getting along with… Don’t dive into Aaron’s novel expecting gore, but do expect the unexpected. There’s a freak tragedy, then some pain. Then weird stuff, things moving around or floating in midair, hairs getting pulled out here and there and a few almost lethal claw marks and then, the reeeeally weird stuff. I found this to be a fast, fun read and chose it because the plot sounded cool. I mean, who doesn’t love to get “Second Chances.” Especially after THAT, and what Chaun (a name I couldn’t, in my mind, pronounce as Sean or Shawn, even after reading the entire story) had endured and then had to live with. Yep, the beginning got right to it, starting out pretty terrible. And I’m not talking about the writing, but what happened! Who knew it’s better to crash into a parked car while going 35 mph instead of 30? You’ll get why when you read it. And who knew, whatever in the world was going to happen, and then did because of such a “chance” happening, a should-have, would-have, but ultimately a nothing that could-have been done! And from there goes layer upon layer of paranormal peculiarities. Think of the movie Paranormal Activity, but no sneaking around with the paranormal part. It comes straight at you, and not so much in tension building waves, but in dynamically crescendoing smacks and jolts. And when… (one of my favorite parts) …when Jake turned around to see it, then fainted (feinted) head first into the table, I knew this was gonna be good. And it was. And I skipped some things I should have been doing: chores, cleaning, eating, sleeping, breathing, and finished reading Second Chances in less than two days. It’s not a long read anyhoot, but it is a good one. Enjoy!
SECOND CHANCES is well-written, with a nice flow. The reader is immediately pulled into the tragedy of the story, eager to see what will happen next. You watch Chaun develop throughout the story and you can't help but feel what he feels, with heartache, laughter, family, love. This is truly a beautiful and captivating story. A must read.
Second chances; is about Chaun Hutchins he was in a dysfunctional marriage he was very unhappy, tragedy strikes and changes his life forever. This story was very captivating with loss, love and a daughter to take care of, and something dark haunting the whole family this is intriguing story a must read.
Chaun is an intelligent man with a great job, Wife and baby on the way. Then a horrible accident happens and his life is changed forever. Now he is trying to rebuild his life, but must face his past in order to accept his future. But that may not be an easy thing for him to do, soon things are about to turn bizarre making life uneasy for Chaun.
A fast paced, intense read. Chaun is very likable, his situation (at times) is difficult. I liked the theme, the originality, and well rounded characters. I do not do spoilers, there is so much more I would like to say. I do not want to give away surprises in the story (But) I will finish with this; A must read, you will not be disappointed, I loved Second Chances and highly recommend (it).
I found the premise of this book to be much better than the actual work. A man and his pregnant wife argue in the car on their way home from a party. The husband, who has been abused by the wife, finally stands up for himself. Then there is an accident. The wife dies, the baby is saved , and the husband is badly injured. When he wakes from his coma, guilt about the last words he said to his wife fills him. Then the action begins. In my opinion, it was too predictable. Every possible "haunting" device is encountered...moving objects, possessions, temperature changes...everything. And, of course, he falls in love with the nurse who took care of him.
I truly enjoyed Aaron's book. I loved the way he wrote it and the characters were interesting and likeable. My favorite characters were Chaun and Denise and Samantha which allowed the flow if the book was written in the right pace. The plot had a great twist to it with suspense building up all the way throughout the book. I would reccomend this book to anyone who is looking for a suspenseful read that will keep you guessing.
“Second Chance” is a story of anger, an accident, and the outcome of that. Guilt and having to go on is Chaun’s life now after a car accident but, strange things begin to happen around him. While his family deliberated on this strange situation, I found myself rooting for a good outcome to the circumstances that would have had me running for the hills. This book offers a new chance at life, along with the paranormal that is determined to ruin that. There is also relationships, family and forgiveness. The story had a very journal-like feel to it and I was surprised how long the family took to get to that aha-moment, but it was a unique tale with a refreshing result I didn’t see coming. As a bonus there was a hockey game included and I’m a big fan. This story is a reminder to “think before you speak” because in life you never know how fast things can change.
Chaun Hutchins seemingly lives an ordinary life and we find him opening up to best friend Jake about how sick he is of how his wife, Katrina has been treating him. Brushing her behaviour off as merely ‘crazy hormones’ due to her being eight months pregnant, it’s clear as the story unfolds that Chaun is a victim of domestic abuse. Her demanding behaviour at Jake’s party irks Chaun further and on the long drive home, with Katrina knowing exactly which buttons to push, does unfortunately end in dire consequences – but not before Chaun finally releases the pent up emotions that have troubled him for so long.
What follows is an incredible tale of revenge, hatred, hope, forgiveness and new beginnings. Whatever you believe, author Aaron D Brinker has created a gripping supernatural tale which at times will have you gasping out loud and for this reason rightly deserves a five star rating.
Big five stars for this interesting read. The author takes readers into the life of Chaum Hutchins. A man who has just lost his wife in a traffic accident. Chaum loved Katrina, despite her mental abuse and disparaging treatment. At the time of the accident Katrina was pregnant and miraculously the child, Samantha survived. As Chaum recovers, things are not quite right and readers are taken a long for a journey into supernatural, paranormal and so much more. The story is also about family, friends and believing in something not quite of this world. Aaron Brinker adds a touch of romance and weaves a tale that is spellbinding and one to grab. I love this author's reader friendly style and find the books hard to put down.