Winter's Child
Her whole life has been marked by loss - the loss of her parents, her stillborn daughter, and the chance of Nichole ever having a biological child of her own.
Winter's Child is a gripping psychological thriller that will keep you turning pages late into the night. Fans of Gillian Flynn and Ruth Ware will be drawn into this dark tale exploring the complexities of motherhood, trauma, and the nature of evil.
When Nichole and her husband Jhon adopt a young girl named Elizabeth, they believe their family is finally complete. But Elizabeth has a disturbing past, and soon Nichole realizes that something is very wrong with their seemingly perfect daughter. As Elizabeth's behavior grows more alarming, Nichole descends into a nightmare where she can't even trust her own mind.
With its unrelenting tension and shocking twists, Winter's Child calls to mind bestsellers like The Woman in the Window and The Wife Between Us. Like Flynn's Gone Girl, this book will make you question everything you think you know about the characters. If you enjoyed the domestic suspense of B.A. Paris' Behind Closed Doors, strap in for a disturbing ride.
Winter's Child is a must-read for anyone who loves losing themselves in a heart-pounding psychological suspense novel. Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, Shari Lapena, and Riley Sager, this book will grip you until the very last page.
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The Story Behind The Story
Do you ever wonder what compelled an author to write a particular story? The underlying theme? The reason why a book is written? What was the author thinking? And why?
Well, wonder no more...
I was sitting in the Spaulding adoption class, a mandatory training all adoptive parents in Missouri must attend, when the idea for an adoption gone wrong story struck.
It quickly took shape in my mind there in the class, and in the weeks that followed. And it was based mostly on my own hopes for a family. My eldest has had many choice things to say, most of them deprecating, on my lifelong wish to be a mother. My own parents haven't been much better. Perhaps this is why I'm an only child. In the end, the words that Nichole speaks on the first page of the first chapter are mine. I have always wanted a family. A husband. Children. And the writer in me can never be content with simple answers or solutions. It has to turn life on its ear. It has to ask that question - what would happen if the very thing you wanted the most is the thing that will destroy you?
I also have spent a lifetime watching a family member deal with severe depression that seems unresponsive to any medications. I've held off that same depression in my own life, fought it with action, and anger, and more - just so I can feel I'm functional. As I moved through writing Winter's Child, I wanted to highlight the negative self-talk I've found so present in my life and the lives of my loved ones. I hope I was successful in conveying how pervasive and damaging it can be, and is, to our daily lives.
Fostering has been a rollercoaster of emotions from the first day we embarked upon it. In mid-2022, we finally adopted our daughter, who we had fostered since April 2018. A few months later, we adopted our young son who we had fostered since 2021. These two adoptions means our family is complete. If I were 20 years younger, I would keep fostering. It is worth it, and their smiles (and squabbles) fill our days. I look forward to the unique and wonderful people they will become.