Ashes in the Water, Blood in Our Veins

Wilsonville, Ohio might seem like just another rust-belt town, but there is more to this place than meets the eye. Nestled in the rolling hills along the Ohio River, at the farthest edge of Appalachia before it fades away into flat farmland and sprawling cities, it is a place of haunting beauty as well as unspeakable darkness. For Kacey Kindred, a lonely and sheltered sixteen-year-old, it is a place of happy childhood memories-- Christmas visits and family reunions in the tranquil countryside. In the summer of 1998, Wilsonville becomes a permanent home for Kacey, her mother, and two younger siblings. Still reeling from a tragic loss, they are taken in by kind, hard-working Aunt Peggy and her jovial good-ol'-boy husband, Travis. As soon as Kacey arrives, her rebellious cousin Krystal takes her under her wing and introduces her to her circle of friends-- reckless Dallas, passionate Jaymee and her brutal brother Shane, child-like Joni and the rowdy Starling family. Kacey is instantly and powerfully drawn to the youngest Starling brother-- the gentle but self-destructive Jesse. The new millennium ushers in a time of change and hardship for Kacey, her family and her friends as Wilsonville is hit hard by the epidemic of prescription painkiller abuse. After years scarred by loss, betrayal and heartbreak, one devastating event threatens to tear them all apart forever...

**This novel is a work in progress and I can't make any promises as to when it will be finished! So far I have been finishing a chapter about every two months or so, and I plan to continue to do so. I know that's pretty slow progress, but I'm doing the best I can while working 40+ hours a week and taking care of a family :) If you stick with me, I promise to keep updating and I thank you for your patience!**