Can't wait to read Rachel's Butterflies?
Subscribe below to get instant access to the first chapter!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ABOUT RACHEL'S BUTTERFLIES
JUST THE FACTS, MA'AM:
TITLE: Rachel's Butterflies
GENRE: Women's Fiction
ISBN: Paperback: 978-1-7373077-0-9 Kindle: 978-1-7373077-1-6
NO. OF PAGES: 315
FORMATS AVAILABLE: Paperback and Kindle
PUBLISHER: Self-published
RELEASE DATE: July 1st 2021
SIMILAR VIBE TO: ''Firefly Lane' by Kristin Hannah, or 'The Sunshine Sisters' by Jane Green.
DESCRIPTION:
A heartwarming story of friendship, life's curveballs, and finding the strength to redefine who you are.
Growing up in their elite British private school, three girls became inseparable. Decades later and worlds apart, they’ll soon discover that some bonds last forever.
Liz, an ambitious businesswoman, is beholden to nobody and determined to keep it that way. Emily, a homebody with a countryside cottage, is happy to be surrounded by her family and her crafts. Chrissy, a writer turned realtor, is living the American dream in sunny Los Angeles. But are their lives as perfect as they seem?
A sudden tragedy reunites the childhood friends, but just as they begin to reconnect, their lives are derailed. Each will be forced to re-examine who they are and make some life-altering decisions. Can they embrace their chance for true happiness, or will they continue to be molded by those around them?
In this compelling tale of struggle and redemption, three women learn that when your world turns upside down it's your true friends that lead you back home.
EXCERPT:
'Rachel looked up at the moon, her green eyes, usually so heavy with sorrow, were now composed.
She turned, and her shimmering backless gown flowed and rippled around her. Her long dark hair was swept back into an elegant high bun, and along its crest tiny diamond studs glimmered in the light, like the first stars in a night sky. The hairstyle accentuated her long neck and delicate features, her only other adornment was a fragile diamond bracelet that matched the diamonds in her hair.
An icy breeze blew through the open balcony doors, running its fingers over the papers on her desk. She no longer felt the cold, she felt nothing but a sense of calm. The car would be here soon to collect her.
Tonight was the industry’s most prestigious event, and she was to be honored for her work. Her journey as a photographer would be distilled and narrated, her most iconic photographs projected on a huge screen for all to see. Her life’s work, her legacy.
When her name was read out she would stand, smiling at the others around the table, and make her way to the stage as the room erupted with applause. She would take the award and turn to the sea of adoring eyes. She would thank her family, her mentors, and the industry for all their support. Later there would be press interviews, maybe even television appearances. This moment would elevate her to true stardom, securing her a place in history amongst the giants of the field.
She was ready.
Turning, she walked across the hardwood floor to the staircase that lead up to mezzanine level above the living room. She gathered the folds of her dress in one hand and placed the other on the railing. As she ascended the stairs, she stroked her fingertips along the ornate wood. With each step the years slipped away, like heavy winter coats shed in the first warmth of Spring. The weight she had been carrying for so long lifted from her, leaving her light and fragmentary, ready to soar to the stars above.
At the top of the staircase she paused, looking down on her living room, her quiet sanctuary for so many years. The bookshelves, crammed with well-worn books, doorways to the worlds she had loved. Several comfy chairs facing the large fireplace, mismatched and threadbare, but welcoming. She had spent many a night in their warm embrace, her feet tucked up beneath her, reading and sipping a mug of hot chocolate.
She would miss this room.
The rope, secured to the railing, felt rough as she picked it up. The coarse, twisted fibers accosting her freezing fingers.
As she slipped it over her neck, it became a necklace of sparkling diamonds, the reflection of a thousand chandeliers. She was transformed, as if in a fairytale, with no midnight hour to break the spell. No more forced smiles. No more pretense. No more eyes watching her, expecting her to be something that she could no longer be. Now she would dance and spin and be free forever.
She inhaled, filling her lungs with the cold crisp air as she climbed over the railings to the other side.
Looking down to the room below, she thought of her parents, and a deep sadness enveloped her. There were no more tears to shed though, and she stepped forward.
One sharp snap, and then nothingness.
The next morning there were concerned knocks, and then urgent bangs. The front door was unlocked and the stillness and peace of the living room was shattered by a scream. The screaming faded and was replaced by men and women in white suits.
Then the car arrived to take Rachel away.
Could she have known, in those final moments, the impact she would have on our lives? Could she have known that when our worlds collapsed around us, she would be the thread that would hold us together?
She gave us the strength and courage we needed to get through what was to come, and to come out stronger on the other side, and for that we are eternally grateful.
REVIEWS:
"Captivating and heartfelt. A great read with some unexpected turns. A reminder to not loose sight of what’s important."
ARC reader.
"Truly stunning. Characters that you care about and plenty of laugh or shout out loud moments."
ARC reader.
"Vivid. I absolutely loved this book! I recognized these characters, and recognized myself in them. Any woman who has felt trapped and has had to break out through her own efforts will certainly relate to this!"
ARC reader.
For any further questions or to request an interview please email: