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She Cries In The Dark - Debi DeSantis
She Cries In The Dark
Debi DeSantis
ISBN: 9781430319986
LuLu Publishing
Reviewed By Karyn Hughes
Apex Reviews Rating:
Maci Sullivan is living the life of - well, a romance novelist heroine: she falls in love at first sight with the ruggedly handsome Steve, marries him after a two-year idyllic courtship, and begins a life of bliss she knows countless others only dream of. Having come from an upscale background with parents catering to her every whim, she couldn't imagine her life getting any better - but, through his undying devotion to her, Steve soon sees to it that things only get better and better for them both.
Of course, like sunny days, every marriage has its dark clouds, and Maci and Steve's is no different. During an increasingly difficult pregnancy with twins, Maci nearly loses Steve one night when he accidentally falls and strikes his head on the bathroom sink. Following a brief - and scary - bout with amnesia, Steve makes a full recovery, but then Maci goes into sudden labor during an ice storm, forcing her to deliver the babies at home - and almost losing one of them in the process. Shortly after recovering from that scare, Maci then slips into postpartum depression, threatening her bond with both the children and Steve himself. To top it all off, Steve eventually becomes increasingly attracted to a co-worker, almost committing the unthinkable right under Maci's suspecting nose…
The loving couple perseveres, though, and just when it seems that marital bliss has returned to stay - they suffer the worst tragedy any parent could imagine: their son, Josh, is critically wounded after being run over by none other than Steve himself. The fact that it was a complete accident is of no consolation; in fact, only one day after Josh ultimately dies from his wounds, Steve, unable to forgive himself for the death of his own child, takes his own life as well. Understandably, Maci is crushed, and eventually can't stop herself from slipping into an alcohol-induced depression from which she sees no escape.
Her troubles don't end there, though; after her daughter, Regan, also suffers a life-threatening accident, Maci must decide whether to continue her downward spiral into a dark world of self-pity or finally come to her senses and start to put the pieces of her life together again.
She Cries In The Dark reads like the biblical book of Job: no matter how bad things in Maci's life keep getting, you find yourself cringing anew every time something worse happens - and you can't help wondering why. Maci is not an evil, selfish person, and she goes out of her way to be as accommodating to others as she can, so to witness her suffer heartbreak after heartbreak sometimes makes you wonder what the point of being good is after all.
The strength of DeSantis's tale, though, lies in reassuring the reader that, no matter how bad things get, blessings still eventually come - and often when we least expect them. As Maci begins to turn her life around, the right people and events always seem to come into it at just the right time, giving her just enough strength to make it time after time, and warming your heart along the way.
In She Cries In The Dark, DeSantis does a great job of presenting a touching testament to the resiliency of the human spirit, and, in so doing, she gives inspiration to any and everyone who may find themselves in situations just like Maci's: tears may fall in the temporary darkness that surrounds us, but the light of dawn brings joy and new hope for permanently brighter days.
Official Apex Reviews Interview: Debi DeSantis (She Cries In The Dark)
Apex Reviews: Debi, thanks for joining us for this interview. We truly appreciate having this opportunity to learn more about She Cries In The Dark.
What inspired you to compose such a moving narrative about the ultimate triumph of the human spirit?
Debi DeSantis: I really don't know. I love a good drama, like something you would see on Lifetime. But I also love romance, but only in print. So I thought it best to combine them both and throw in some twists and turns along the way....just to keep the reader on their toes.
AR: Do any of the events in the book stem from your own life/background?
DD: Thank God nothing as tragic. However, I married my first husband when I was just out of high school and needless to say it ended in divorce after I caught him cheating on me. Which is a great thing now, (the divorce, not the cheating). My life is really good, I have a wonderful husband who supports my full-time writing habit and 2 great kids.
So a lot of what you read when you get to that part of the book is true. And I have been dealing with depression for years. And since Maci's character is so real, I wanted her to experience real things that real women go through.
AR: Our reviewer commented that Maci's experiences rival those of Job in the Bible. Where does she get the strength to endure the prolonged, unimaginable suffering?
DD: She is a woman!!!!! Her family plays a huge part in her healing process, as well as the kind and compassionate stranger that finds himself thrown into her chaotic life. And I gave her no other choice but to be a survivor, like most of us nowadays.
AR: Steve and Maci's marriage seems so perfect, so why is it so easy for him to nearly cheat on her with his co-worker?
DD: In the story, it was never my intention to actually have him cheat on Maci. I wanted to add to the drama of the story and to put Maci in a situation that would require her to stand up for herself. It also allowed for their relationship to become stronger and more appreciated.
AR: When Maci finds out about Steve's other child, why does she react so violently?
DD: I don't think it was as violent as it was just overwhelming and she was at her breaking point, both emotionally and physically. I can't think of any other way Maci could have reacted, it was another burden for her to bare.
AR: Even though it doesn't happen much, children often do die accidentally at the hands of their parents. As is the case with Maci, what possible comfort can these parents take from these tragic events?
DD: Personally, I don't see where there can be any comfort from such an incredible loss. The feelings of lothing toward the parent responsible for the child's death must be unimaginable. Even though it is negligence, and not done intentionally, how does a family member ever find forgiveness?
AR: Maci is able to bond so well with Tad due to the fact that they have a history of family trauma in common. How did Tad himself find the strength to persevere?
DD: Tad is a supporting character that never really talks too much about his past. But after his loss he decided to become a psychologist and a grief counselor so he could help others that found themselves in a similar situation.
AR: Have you been pleased in your publishing experience with LuLu?
DD: LuLu has been great. I am very happy with their services thus far. The only negative thing about publishing with them is that they are a Print On Demand publisher, which means that their books are non-returnable and some book stores frown upon this.
AR: You're currently working on your next novel, The Other Side Of You. Care to share a little about it with our readers?
DD: Interior designer, Morgan Whitley is confident, classy, and happy with the life she has made for herself. Satisfied with a busy schedule; not leaving much time for socializing or romance, an unexpected encounter ends up changing her life forever.
Airline pilot Jason Moore fit into Morgan's hectic world perfectly. He is not demanding of her time, nor is he around very often. But something was unique about their relationship; it progressed quickly and without warning. Jason was the most incredibly loving, passionate man she ever had ever met. But one small favor would end up costing them everything. And a well kept secret is revealed at a most unwelcome time. The route that Morgan's life would now follow brings about a revelation that seems impossible. Her faith and physical well-being are tested and a special bond is formed between strangers that may have never existed.
A new chapter of her life would be opened and the old one closed, leaving behind a woman that at one time didn't know how to love….until the day she met Jason Moore.
AR: Any final thoughts you'd like to share with our readers?
DD: I wish to thank my readers for their support in helping me achieve my dream of being a writer. I look forward to many more years of writing and hopefully several more books for them to enjoy. As long as my mind stays sharp and full of imagination and as long as I have a story to tell...who knows....maybe in the not to distant future, there will be a screenplay with my name on it.
Be sure to visit my website at www.debidesantis.com and buy a signed copy of my book. And remember....Without dreams.....there would be no hope.
AR: Thanks again, Debi, and best of continued success to you in all your endeavors!
Debi DeSantis
ISBN: 9781430319986
LuLu Publishing
Reviewed By Karyn Hughes
Apex Reviews Rating:
Maci Sullivan is living the life of - well, a romance novelist heroine: she falls in love at first sight with the ruggedly handsome Steve, marries him after a two-year idyllic courtship, and begins a life of bliss she knows countless others only dream of. Having come from an upscale background with parents catering to her every whim, she couldn't imagine her life getting any better - but, through his undying devotion to her, Steve soon sees to it that things only get better and better for them both.
Of course, like sunny days, every marriage has its dark clouds, and Maci and Steve's is no different. During an increasingly difficult pregnancy with twins, Maci nearly loses Steve one night when he accidentally falls and strikes his head on the bathroom sink. Following a brief - and scary - bout with amnesia, Steve makes a full recovery, but then Maci goes into sudden labor during an ice storm, forcing her to deliver the babies at home - and almost losing one of them in the process. Shortly after recovering from that scare, Maci then slips into postpartum depression, threatening her bond with both the children and Steve himself. To top it all off, Steve eventually becomes increasingly attracted to a co-worker, almost committing the unthinkable right under Maci's suspecting nose…
The loving couple perseveres, though, and just when it seems that marital bliss has returned to stay - they suffer the worst tragedy any parent could imagine: their son, Josh, is critically wounded after being run over by none other than Steve himself. The fact that it was a complete accident is of no consolation; in fact, only one day after Josh ultimately dies from his wounds, Steve, unable to forgive himself for the death of his own child, takes his own life as well. Understandably, Maci is crushed, and eventually can't stop herself from slipping into an alcohol-induced depression from which she sees no escape.
Her troubles don't end there, though; after her daughter, Regan, also suffers a life-threatening accident, Maci must decide whether to continue her downward spiral into a dark world of self-pity or finally come to her senses and start to put the pieces of her life together again.
She Cries In The Dark reads like the biblical book of Job: no matter how bad things in Maci's life keep getting, you find yourself cringing anew every time something worse happens - and you can't help wondering why. Maci is not an evil, selfish person, and she goes out of her way to be as accommodating to others as she can, so to witness her suffer heartbreak after heartbreak sometimes makes you wonder what the point of being good is after all.
The strength of DeSantis's tale, though, lies in reassuring the reader that, no matter how bad things get, blessings still eventually come - and often when we least expect them. As Maci begins to turn her life around, the right people and events always seem to come into it at just the right time, giving her just enough strength to make it time after time, and warming your heart along the way.
In She Cries In The Dark, DeSantis does a great job of presenting a touching testament to the resiliency of the human spirit, and, in so doing, she gives inspiration to any and everyone who may find themselves in situations just like Maci's: tears may fall in the temporary darkness that surrounds us, but the light of dawn brings joy and new hope for permanently brighter days.
Official Apex Reviews Interview: Debi DeSantis (She Cries In The Dark)
Apex Reviews: Debi, thanks for joining us for this interview. We truly appreciate having this opportunity to learn more about She Cries In The Dark.
What inspired you to compose such a moving narrative about the ultimate triumph of the human spirit?
Debi DeSantis: I really don't know. I love a good drama, like something you would see on Lifetime. But I also love romance, but only in print. So I thought it best to combine them both and throw in some twists and turns along the way....just to keep the reader on their toes.
AR: Do any of the events in the book stem from your own life/background?
DD: Thank God nothing as tragic. However, I married my first husband when I was just out of high school and needless to say it ended in divorce after I caught him cheating on me. Which is a great thing now, (the divorce, not the cheating). My life is really good, I have a wonderful husband who supports my full-time writing habit and 2 great kids.
So a lot of what you read when you get to that part of the book is true. And I have been dealing with depression for years. And since Maci's character is so real, I wanted her to experience real things that real women go through.
AR: Our reviewer commented that Maci's experiences rival those of Job in the Bible. Where does she get the strength to endure the prolonged, unimaginable suffering?
DD: She is a woman!!!!! Her family plays a huge part in her healing process, as well as the kind and compassionate stranger that finds himself thrown into her chaotic life. And I gave her no other choice but to be a survivor, like most of us nowadays.
AR: Steve and Maci's marriage seems so perfect, so why is it so easy for him to nearly cheat on her with his co-worker?
DD: In the story, it was never my intention to actually have him cheat on Maci. I wanted to add to the drama of the story and to put Maci in a situation that would require her to stand up for herself. It also allowed for their relationship to become stronger and more appreciated.
AR: When Maci finds out about Steve's other child, why does she react so violently?
DD: I don't think it was as violent as it was just overwhelming and she was at her breaking point, both emotionally and physically. I can't think of any other way Maci could have reacted, it was another burden for her to bare.
AR: Even though it doesn't happen much, children often do die accidentally at the hands of their parents. As is the case with Maci, what possible comfort can these parents take from these tragic events?
DD: Personally, I don't see where there can be any comfort from such an incredible loss. The feelings of lothing toward the parent responsible for the child's death must be unimaginable. Even though it is negligence, and not done intentionally, how does a family member ever find forgiveness?
AR: Maci is able to bond so well with Tad due to the fact that they have a history of family trauma in common. How did Tad himself find the strength to persevere?
DD: Tad is a supporting character that never really talks too much about his past. But after his loss he decided to become a psychologist and a grief counselor so he could help others that found themselves in a similar situation.
AR: Have you been pleased in your publishing experience with LuLu?
DD: LuLu has been great. I am very happy with their services thus far. The only negative thing about publishing with them is that they are a Print On Demand publisher, which means that their books are non-returnable and some book stores frown upon this.
AR: You're currently working on your next novel, The Other Side Of You. Care to share a little about it with our readers?
DD: Interior designer, Morgan Whitley is confident, classy, and happy with the life she has made for herself. Satisfied with a busy schedule; not leaving much time for socializing or romance, an unexpected encounter ends up changing her life forever.
Airline pilot Jason Moore fit into Morgan's hectic world perfectly. He is not demanding of her time, nor is he around very often. But something was unique about their relationship; it progressed quickly and without warning. Jason was the most incredibly loving, passionate man she ever had ever met. But one small favor would end up costing them everything. And a well kept secret is revealed at a most unwelcome time. The route that Morgan's life would now follow brings about a revelation that seems impossible. Her faith and physical well-being are tested and a special bond is formed between strangers that may have never existed.
A new chapter of her life would be opened and the old one closed, leaving behind a woman that at one time didn't know how to love….until the day she met Jason Moore.
AR: Any final thoughts you'd like to share with our readers?
DD: I wish to thank my readers for their support in helping me achieve my dream of being a writer. I look forward to many more years of writing and hopefully several more books for them to enjoy. As long as my mind stays sharp and full of imagination and as long as I have a story to tell...who knows....maybe in the not to distant future, there will be a screenplay with my name on it.
Be sure to visit my website at www.debidesantis.com and buy a signed copy of my book. And remember....Without dreams.....there would be no hope.
AR: Thanks again, Debi, and best of continued success to you in all your endeavors!