Today we have an excerpt from Spin the
Plate, by Donna Anastasi, currently on tour with Walker
Author Tours. Here we get a little insight into the mind of our
heroine, Jo. Enjoy, and don't forget to pick up your copy of Spin
the Plate!
The walk from the station was the
roughest stretch in Jo’s day. Normally, she’d stick to the main
thorough-fare for the distraction afforded by the jostling crowds:
clumps of women in suits and lunch-hour sneakers, shoppers,
theater-goers, and the occasional homeless guy. She’d take either
Arlington or Charles Street to Beacon and then follow one of the
“nut” side streets to get to work. But she was late, so instead
she cut through the Public Garden right past the Swan Boats. The park
was empty except for a small cluster of pre-school children, a few
moms hovering nearby, and an older man on a bench nibbling a bologna
sandwich.
Jo knew she must avoid downtime. When
her mind was allowed to wander, it roamed to dangerous places. To
distract herself she focused her thoughts on her physical strength,
her weight, and the rigorous regimen she followed to maintain both.
She cultivated a layer of fat, for protection, around a muscular
build. She ate and trained following the practices of Sumo wrestlers.
Loose-fitting clothing completed the illusion of obesity, though she
was in top health and extremely strong.
She enjoyed using her power to hurt men
who deserved it. The rush was all the better when it came with an
element of surprise. She never tired of seeing that look of
bewilderment mixed with pain when she smashed her fist into a man’s
face. They never saw it coming.
Jo found herself relaxing in the warmth
of the approaching afternoon, surrounded by the smell of turning
leaves in the air and the squeals of laughter from children in an
impromptu game of tag. As her mind strayed, she wondered desperately,
Why can’t I be like everyone else and be blessed with repressed
memories? The images, the pain, every emotion was raw and
fresh—time had done nothing to dull the wounds inflicted more than
a dozen years before.
Length: 234 pages
Genre: 1) Contemporary, women’s fiction, 2) Love-story/Romance, 3) Abuse/inspirational
Warnings: this book contains profanity and descriptions of sexual abuse
Note: this book contains Christian themes, although they are not the primary focus.
Brief Synopsis:
Jo is a survivor of a bleak and abusive childhood who roams the city streets at night as a powerful vigilante. Francis is a mysterious man she meets on the subway train. In this story, the average-guy hero battles to win the battered heart of the wary, edgy, less-than-perfect heroine. "A fast-paced, edgy, darkly comic tale of resilience, romance, and redemption that breaks over you in waves." - Holly Robinson, author
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