SCORN OF SECRETS by Author B. Truly *REVIEW* *GIVEAWAY*

Notes From a Romantic’s Heart is pleased to welcome author B. Truly to the blog. Her new release, Scorn of Secrets, is available now. You can see all of the stops on this tour at Goddess Fish Promotions. Remember to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway. The link is at the end of this feature.

GENRE: YA, Coming of Age, Urban, Romance

About the Book

I must keep it locked away—the memory of my darkest secret….

When the rising tides of my life peak, I’m left struggling with the currents of the storm. The first dilemma is my dad’s gambling debt. Mama bounces back quickly from the ramifications it causes. She proves this by getting a new man. Her Rico Suave is just the tip of the iceberg—she moves us across state to live with him and his two sons.

My outgoing, older sister fits right in—she’s the total opposite of me. I am Madison Guillory, the shy, quiet type. Taught to make the best of even the worst situations, I contemplate giving my new family a chance.

Living with my future stepbrothers is interesting, to say the least. They’re like night and day. I have more in common with the laid-back brother, and we become instant friends. I’m adjusting to Taylor High, and the arrogant brother is even starting to grow on me. Maybe everything will work out after all.

My life finally seems to be falling into place until a dreadful night shatters my dreams. My world is flipped upside down because of the consequences I must now bear.

 The memories of that night lurk in the shadows to torment me. If I think of what happened, I’ll succumb to my fear. His face has scorned me. No one will believe me if I confess, not even my own sister. I hold the key to my darkest secret, desperate to keep it locked away.

 

Enjoy an Excerpt

The following week tension lingers in the air. We manage to get the house mostly in order, which is now pretty bare. The majority of the furniture had to be thrown away. Dad is rarely home. My guess is either working or gambling. My concern heightens when he hasn’t been home since the weekend. I rarely see him on a weeknight, but I don’t remember seeing him at all since Friday night—four days ago.

At the dinner table, I pick at my food, unable to shake the feeling that something is wrong. Mama went out again over the weekend. Now, she’s pushing the food around her plate, too.

Unable to stand it any longer, I blurt, “Has dad been home? I haven’t seen him in a couple of days.”

Mama sighs. “Your father hasn’t been home since Friday night. I don’t know where he is. He hasn’t returned any of my phone calls or texts.”

Tanya gasps and I drop my fork. “Have you filed a missing person’s report with the police?” I ask.

“No, I haven’t, because I know what your father is up to—gambling the rest of our money away. This is not the first time he hasn’t come home.”

“Has he ever been gone for this long? It’s been four days?” I question.

Mama narrows her eyes at me. “Not this long … but from what I’m gathering, he owes a great debt.”

“What if he’s hurt?” I try again. “We know those men threatened him.”

“Your father is probably drunk as we speak. I’m tired of running after him. It’s exhausting.”

Tanya bites on her thumb. “Maybe you should call the cops, Mama. Something could have happened to him. You said he’s never been gone this long.”

“Fine.” Mama gives in. “If he’s not home by the morning, I’ll file a report.”

Dad doesn’t come home that night or the next two. Mama filed a report the following morning and the police are supposed to be on the lookout. I overheard her explaining she hadn’t reported it initially because her husband has a drinking problem. It also isn’t the first time he’s pulled this stunt. With the knowledge of my dad’s faults, I wonder how hard the police will look. What if they think he doesn’t want to be found?

It’s not until days later that we get answers. After hearing the doorbell ring, I’m standing at the top of the staircase. Tanya cracks the door open.

“Mama, the cops are here!” Tanya yells.

My heart skips a beat. It can’t be good news if the cops are on our doorstep. I ease further down the stairs as Mama goes to the door. Two male officers come into the entryway. One man is speaking in a low voice, or maybe I’m involuntarily tuning out his words. When Tanya covers her face with her hands and Mama stumbles backward, I already know the verdict.

“We’ll still need for you to come down to identify the body, Mrs. Guillory. I’m sorry for your loss.”

I don’t realize I’m sobbing until I wonder what those awful wails are. The sounds are emerging from me. My brain slowly replays what the officer said. I heard him—my mind just didn’t want to accept what I was hearing.

“We found his naked body on Sunday in a trash dumpster behind an abandoned building. He was shot in the head. With no identification on him, it took a few days to get an ID.”

I remember today’s date, thinking this must just be a sick joke. It’s April 1st—April Fool’s day, and then the reality sets in as I see Tanya and Mama crying.

The visual images invade my mind. My dad with a bullet in his head—naked and broken, abandoned. What kind of vile people would do this? They’re monsters! The images of how my father was killed become too much. Doubling over, I vomit my dinner on the entryway floor. The rest of the evening becomes a blur as I try to accept that my dad was murdered in cold blood.

Get Scorn of Secrets on Amazon, B&N & Kobo

 

My Review

4 Stars

A well written account of a young girl and the trials and tribulations when coming-of-age under less-than-ideal circumstances. I couldn’t help but feel moved and angered by what Madison was going through. The story certainly brought out the motherly and grandmotherly instincts in me—often making me want to knock a few heads together.

If you’re a reader who can handle the triggers that are presented on this book, you’ll definitely enjoy the story.

Watch the Trailer

 

Meet the Author

B. Truly has wanted to be an author since she was fifteen years old. She is grateful to have accomplished this dream. B. Truly has very vivid dreams and a wild imagination. She likes to read, watch tons of TV shows, and movies. She’s addicted to romance and gets a thrill out of suspense and sci-fi. She writes young adult, new adult, and adult romance, sci-fi, dystopian, and paranormal genres.

B. Truly likes to explore conflicted plots of romance with thrilling twists. She also loves creating impossible situations for her characters to grow from and try to overcome.

B. Truly has three wonderful children, and a husband who defines the person that she is today. She works full-time as an Ultrasound technologist in Houston, Texas.

Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ LinkedIn ~ Goodreads

 

Enter the Giveaway

B. Truly will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway  

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It was my pleasure hosting B. Truly today. Please come back every day for more authors, books and even a few giveaways.

Nancy