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“In the Best Interest of the Child”
Mental Health
“She has a choice to make…”
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Find out the back story.
“In the Best Interest of the Child”
“Where is your joy, Lennie?”
In this short excerpt, Lenore Porter is reading a letter from her beloved Aunt Diane who recently passed away.
In every area of your life, you always stood out. You never tried to be the center of attention or sought the limelight, but it found you! It always found you! Your beautiful inner light shone like a beacon drawing people to you. You were never a vain or prideful child, but your dignity and grace were evident long before you reached your adult years. Why are you allowing this man to dim your light?
And you are allowing it, Lennie. I donโt for one minute believe that Ranard controls or dominates you in any way. Heโs more like an unruly child acting out and youโre the tolerant, long-suffering parent.
Thatโs not what marriage is about, Lennie.
Iโve watched you both when you werenโt looking. Iโve never seen him hold your hand, or kiss or caress your cheek. Iโve never heard him compliment you, or say anything positive about you. But I held out hope. You have a reason for everything you do, so I knew there was a reason you married that man. But was it love, Lennie?
As your third anniversary fast approaches, youโve already been married longer than Conrad and me. But we had so much joy and laughter, Lennie. We were disappointed I didnโt get pregnant before he shipped out, but it didnโt dampen our happiness one bit.
Where is your joy, Lennie? What makes you happy? It has to be more than your children because they will grow up and leave for their own life journeys. I speak from experience even though I wasnโt blessed to be a mother. I shared my sisterโs heartache and anxiety when you left.
I also shared my concerns about you with her after our vacation. I was both relieved and saddened to find out she understood and felt the same way. Relieved because I now had someone to talk to about it โ I couldnโt talk to you, Lennie. I knew youโd be angry and I didnโt want to lose you โ and I was also sad because if Linda saw the same problems, they were real and not the overactive imagination of a nosy old woman.
Iโve always known you would be my heir. I almost told you on a couple of occasions, but I knew youโd insist that I sell everything and donate the money to some organization saving whales, or hamsters, or gophersโฆ or whatever is all the rage at the moment. But no, I want you to have what was mine. It gives me peace to know I can do this one last thing for you and the children.
However, I am not done. Iโm sure youโre fit to be tied by now. Clutching this letter with both hands, beads of perspiration forming on your forehead as you think about digging up my body to tell me about my bossy self.
My sweet Lennie Penny.
I hope you are sitting down because if you are angry with me now, by the time you finish this letter, you WILL dig up my body!
ยฉ2017 Felicia Denise, All Rights Reserved
Synopsis
Lenore Porterโs life had not gone as she planned.
The marriage she put her heart and soul into failed.
The man she sacrificed so much for abandoned her.
But Lennie refused to be broken. She pushed on, running a successful business and raising her three sons alone.
Through health scares and severe family dysfunction and trauma which forever changed their lives, the Porter family clung to each other to keep from sinking into the darkness.
With her marriage over long ago and her adult sons living their own lives, Lenore Porter decides to sell the cold fortress she worked so hard to make a warm, loving home.
A short, final inspection of her former home turns into a confrontation with ghosts from the past, and decisions and events Lennie felt sheโd dealt with and moved on from.
Free, a Novella is a short, clean read recounting one womanโs determination to not be broken by life or lose her identity.
99ยข!
Amazon US ย http://bit.ly/LindenLane
Amazon UK ย http://bit.ly/LindenLaneUK
Amazon CA ย http://bit.ly/LindenLaneCA
Amazon AU ย http://bit.ly/LindenLaneAU
Goodreadsย ย http://bit.ly/FreeANovella
KINDLE UNLIMITED ENDING SOON!
Interview with Sarina Chandler from the upcoming “Family Matters (In the Best Interest of the Child, Book 2)”
Good day, WordPress bloggers and authors! Today we welcome a very special guest to the blogโSarina Chandler, from the upcoming Family Matters (In the Best Interest of the Child, Book 2). Sarina is the mother of Books 1 & 2 protagonist, Olivia Chandler.
SC: Excuse me?
FD: Yes, Mrs. Chandler?
SC: Wellโฆ technically, I was in book 1, too.
FD: Yes, maโam you were. But only in a flashback or two, and you werenโtโฆ um, yourself. I thought it best to not approach the subject.
SC: Oh, please! Now you sound like my daughter, not approaching the subject! I was crazy as a loon, out of my mind, off my rocker! Itโs not as if I planned it or wanted to be committed to an institution and leave my daughter.
FD: Of course not, maโam. Iโm sorry.
SC: Please call me Sarinaโฆ and Iโm the one who should be apologizing. I shouldnโt have been short with you. Itโs justโฆ Iโve missed most of Oliviaโs life and a big part of my own. It angers me, I just have no one to be angry with.
FD: May I askโฆ when did your mind begin to clear?
SC: Itโs beenโฆ about a year.
FD: What was the first thing you remembered, Sarina?
SC: *Looks down, fidgets with hands* The accident.
FD: Sarina, if this is too much for youโฆ
SC: No, itโs fine. Iโm fine. Iโve been silent for a third of my life. I need to talk, but if you donโt mind, Iโd like to share that story first with my daughter. I owe her thatโฆ she deserves that.
FD: Not a problem, Sarina. Glad to hear Olivia is coming to see you.
SC: Wellโฆ
FD: Sarina?
SC: I donโt know for a fact she is coming.
FD: Pardon?
SC: I talked with Willis a few weeks ago. Willis Benson, the administrator of my husbandโs estate. He and Olivia are close. I asked him to see if my daughter would visit me. Butโฆ itโsโฆ been a few weeks now, and nothing.
FD: Iโm sorry.
SC: Ugh! Stop apologizing already! Olivia and I were separated twenty-eight-years ago! I canโt expect her to make a quick decision for something like this.
FD: Why do you feel itโs such a difficult decision for her?
SC: Felicia, you know the last time I saw my daughter she was a ten-year-old. We had no other family and when I voluntarily came hereโฆ Olivia spent time in foster care. Iโm told she last visited me five years agoโฆ and I didnโt know who she was. Iโm sure she has some resentment issues with meโฆ and I canโt blame her.
FD: Is there a specific reason you want to see your daughter, Olivia, other than simply a mother missing her child?
SC: *Sighs* I need to apologize to herโฆ for leaving her. While it wasnโt intentional or could have been changed, I still left her. Even if she never forgives me or sees me as her mother, I have to say the words.
FD: Why is that so important to you, Sarina?
SC: I hadโฆ issues with my parents. Before Ben and I married, I hated them. Afterward, I reached out to them for a fresh start but was ignored. I gave up, but if my mom had softened just a little and acted like she cared about me, I would have been there for her. It never happened. I donโt want to hide behind the walls of this place and allow Olivia to believe I donโt love her. I must try.
FD: Iโm sure you will, Sarina. Iโm sure you will. I hope Olivia decides to see you.
SC: So do I, Felicia.
FD: Thank you for visiting with us today, Sarina. I know it wasn’t easy.
SC: It’s easier than accepting I’ll never see my child again. She just has to come.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Child-advocate attorney Olivia Chandler has made major progress in overcoming her childhood trauma and issues with abandonment. However, her refusal to see her mother is having a negative impact on her new romance with Bruce Bellamy and everyone Olivia is close to.
Olivia enters specialized counseling for adults who suffer from childhood trauma but hinders her own progress when a major loss sends her spiraling back into the emotional comfort of the shadows in her mind.
With her sanity at risk, Olivia Chandler needs answers to break free from the traumatic stress which holds her captive, but the answers lie with the one person Olivia refuses to see.
Sarina Chandler.
Olivia Chandlerโs journey continues in Family Matters (In the Best Interest of the Child, Book 2), coming soon.
Find out the back story.
“In the Best Interest of the Child”
“Toughen up because life’s tough.”
“Family Matters (In the Best Interest of the Child Book 2)”
Olivia Chandler’s day of reckoning fast approaches.ย Start her journey from the beginning!
โ
โ
โ
“In The Best Interest of the Child Book 1”
Universal Link
getBook.at/BestInterest
Goodreads
http://bit.ly/BestIntGR
“A thirty-minute conversation changed their lives…”
Excerpt
Lennie leaned down, kissed his forehead and placed the napkin across her fatherโs lap. Just as she got it in place, Burt looked up at her.
Lenore was gutted.
More pieces of her already broken heart fell away.
His ashen skin, mottling and in different shades of brown and gray unsettled her. His slack jaw and visible body tremors made Lennie shudder. His eyes were her undoing. The mischievous gleam responsible for so much laughter, which had helped to comfort, console, and encourage herโฆ was gone.
Father and daughter were still eye-to-eye, the reality of the situation holding Lennie in place when she felt his frail hand cover hers.
โThankโฆ you, baby girl.โ
Lennie smiled and kissed his cheek, comforted with the knowledge she made her father happy. โYouโre welcome, Daddyโฆ always.โ
Before Lennie could retrieve his dinner plate, Linda Kelimore was already cutting the meat into tiny portions.
“I’ll help your father with this, Lenore. Take the other plate for yourself.โ
โBut thatโs yours, mom.โ
โIt will be cold before I get to it. Go on, eat. I know youโve been on your feet since the lunch rush.โ
Just like that, Lennie was twelve years old again, doing as she was told.
Picking at her food, she tried not to stare at her parents. But Lennie couldnโt help but be mesmerized. Watching as her mother fussed and cooed in loving tones at Burt to take his time and chew each tiny bite of food. Linda caressed his cheek between bites. Burt rested his hand on her knee, never taking his eyes off Lindaโs face.
Feeling like an intruder on a private moment, Lennie did force herself to look away.
Anyone who knew Burt and Linda Kelimore knew they were totally devoted to each other.ย More than half a century had passed since the day they each ran into a mechanicโs shop in need of quick repairs. Though they were both on their way to meet other people, a thirty-minute conversation changed their plans for the evening and the rest of their lives.
โFree, a Novellaโ by Felicia Denise
#99cents #KindleUnlimited
Amazon US – bit.ly/LindenLane
Amazon UK – bit.ly/LindenLaneUK
Amazon CA – bit.ly/LindenLaneCA
Amazon AU – bit.ly/LindenLaneAU
Goodreads – bit.ly/FreeANovella
ยฉ2017 Felicia Denise
“A thirty-minute conversation changed their lives…”
โFree, a Novellaโ by Felicia Denise
#99cents #KindleUnlimited
Amazon US – bit.ly/LindenLane
Amazon UK – bit.ly/LindenLaneUK
Amazon CA – bit.ly/LindenLaneCA
Amazon AU – bit.ly/LindenLaneAU
Goodreads – bit.ly/FreeANovella
Snippet
Lennie leaned down, kissed his forehead and placed the napkin across her fatherโs lap. Just as she got it in place, Burt looked up at her.
Lenore was gutted.
More pieces of her already broken heart fell away.
His ashen skin, mottling and in different shades of brown and gray unsettled her. His slack jaw and visible body tremors made Lennie shudder. His eyes were her undoing. The mischievous gleam responsible for so much laughter, which had helped to comfort, console, and encourage herโฆ was gone.
Father and daughter were still eye-to-eye, the reality of the situation holding Lennie in place when she felt his frail hand cover hers.
โThankโฆ you, baby girl.โ
Lennie smiled and kissed his cheek, comforted with the knowledge she made her father happy. โYouโre welcome, Daddyโฆ always.โ
Before Lennie could retrieve his dinner plate, Linda Kelimore was already cutting the meat into tiny portions.
“Lenore, take the other plate for yourself.โ
โBut thatโs yours, mom.โ
โIt will be cold before I get to it. Go on, eat. I know youโve been on your feet since the lunch rush.โ
Just like that, Lennie was twelve years old again, doing as she was told.
Picking at her food, she tried not to stare at her parents. But Lennie couldnโt help but be mesmerized. Watching as her mother fussed and cooed in loving tones at Burt to take his time and chew each tiny bite of food. Linda caressed his cheek between bites. Burt rested his hand on her knee, never taking his eyes off Lindaโs face.
Feeling like an intruder on a private moment, Lennie did force herself to look away.
Anyone who knew Burt and Linda Kelimore knew they were totally devoted to each other.ย More than half a century had passed since the day they each ran into a mechanicโs shop in need of quick repairs. Though they were both on their way to meet other people, a thirty-minute conversation changed their plans for the evening and the rest of their lives.
ยฉFelicia Denise 2017
“Toughen up because life’s tough.”
“Family Matters (In the Best Interest of the Child Book 2)”
Olivia Chandler’s day of reckoning fast approaches.ย Start her journey from the beginning!
โ
โ
โ
“In The Best Interest of the Child Book 1”
Universal Link
getBook.at/BestInterest
Goodreads
http://bit.ly/BestIntGR
What is a Healthy Identity?
Such an excellent series – join the conversation! ๐
If youโve been following my recent posts, youโve probably noticed I have been thinking about the concept of โidentityโ quite a bit. Iโve tried to define my concept of identity in relation to self-esteem, trauma, addiction, social media, and issues veterans face in transition to civilian life.
Iโve been trying to use a consistent concept of identity throughout these articles, influenced by Erik Eriksonโs characterization of role identity, but I keep coming back to a fundamental problem:
Which role identities are healthy vs. which are unhealthy?
In my article on how self-worth affects identity, I describe the unhealthy โheroโ role. This is a role taken up by individuals with a low level of intrinsic self-worth who become perfectionists, attempting to gain self-worth through the external praise of others. I then elaborated how this similar process occurs among codependent caretakers who enable a loved-oneโs addiction.
I then applied this modelโฆ
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Lenore Porterโs life had not gone as she planned. The marriage she put her heart and soul into failed. The man she sacrificed so much for abandoned her. But Lennie refused to be broken. She pushed on, running a successful business and raising her three sons alone.
Through health scares, severe family dysfunction, and trauma which forever changed their lives, the Porter family clung to each other to keep from sinking into the darkness. With her marriage over long ago and her adult sons living their own lives, Lenore Porter decides to sell the cold fortress she worked so hard to make a warm, loving home.
A short, final inspection of her former home turns into a confrontation with ghosts from the past, and decisions and events Lennie felt sheโd dealt with and moved on from.
Free, a Novella is a short, clean read recounting one womanโs determination to not be broken by life or lose her identity.
Felicia Denise, Author 