It has been more than three years since Ethaniel Shockley first showed up in my zero draft of "Foundation of Trust" (Cost of Repairs #5), and he never did go away. Even I wanted to know why such a handsome fellow was still single, and why he told strangers that his niece was his daughter.
Two years ago, I began the first draft of Fractured Hymns and progress was steady. I loved Ethan and Angel and the extended Shockley family, but after about 30,000 words I got stuck. Really, really stuck. So I put the book aside and worked on other things.
About a year ago, I dusted off Fractured Hymns once again, gave it a reread, and suddenly I knew how to fix it. I knew where the story needed to go. And I finished it. I initially contracted the book to Samhain Publishing, but after this spring's We're closing/We're not closing debacle, I received my rights back and decided to step into the world of self-publishing.
It's been kind of fun, and I'm so happy to finally be able to put Fractured Hymns out into the world with an amazing cover my Lyn Taylor. This book is about so many things, like family and personal faith, but it's also about self-acceptance. And it's about pushing past adversity and pain and living the best life possible.
I hope you all enjoy your time with Ethaniel and Angel. It's available now on Amazon, and will be on other retailers soon.
Edit: Available now on Nook.
Still firmly in the closet at the age of thirty, Ethaniel Shockley is content leading a solitary—if lonely—life working on a construction crew with fellow military vets. After a tragic worksite accident leaves two of his friends dead, Ethaniel returns to his family home to recuperate from a spiral leg fracture and severe Post Concussive Syndrome. He may be lucky to be alive, but he hates the independence he’s lost. Matthew “Angel” Garrett has worked at Shockley Stables for three years, content to muck stalls and polish saddles, and to be as unnoticeable as possible. Except for weekly church outings, he avoids going into town so he doesn’t see The Look. The Look that says “I know you went to prison for killing a man.”
A chance conversation with Ethaniel gives Angel hope that maybe he can have a friendship with the gorgeous Shockley sibling he’s crushed on for years. But the more time they spend indulging in their shared love of music, the clearer it becomes that they both want more. Ethaniel sees a kindred spirit in Angel, whose soul is just as fractured from his time in prison as Ethaniel’s is from war. But Angel has another, deeper secret that haunts him—one he’s positive will destroy this new song with Ethaniel before it’s even written.
