Bent Not Broken By: L.A. Ozz

Bent Not Broken

By: L.A. Ozz

In this story, by a brand-new author, we will be introduced to the two main characters: Peyton Warner and Denton Whitetower. 

Peyton is a twenty-two-year-old woman who has endured a troubling life, more than most women her age should have. She has been victimized and overcame fear, pain and abuse, in hopes of someday, making a new life for herself, and hopefully even successfully trying to forget those terrifying memories that haunt her still. 

Luckily for Peyton, she has found someone that could quite possibly satisfy her life’s needs, and make all her dreams come true. Denton is a remarkably handsome single father, who even owns his own business, and he is even the eldest of his siblings. 

Denton hadn’t been one who had been looking for romance when it came his way, but when it found him, he was happy to comply. And although Denton was in his forties, age made no difference to either of them. Their love felt no bounds right from the start, and together, they knew they wanted to make it work.

Peyton has assumed that her nightmares will no longer be able to find her, but sadly, this is where she is wrong. And one evening, she will once again realize that the nightmares were always ready to return at any given second. However, this time, Peyton doesn’t want to let them in, and risk the nightmare ruining her relationship with Denton. 

Peyton must learn to embrace her fears, and focus on what it is that she truly wants, rather than worry about what is lurking around every corner. The problem is, can she stay strong and successful, and fight for what is right, and become the heroine that she needs to be? 

In order for you to get the answers to this and many more, you will need to read this book for yourself! And trust me, you will be glad that you did, you will see, this book is a very different kind of read. It has love in it, and pain, and at the same time it will make you see that through pain and suffering, there can be a light. You just have to know where to look for it. Or better yet, you have to let it find you. 

This book, is the first book written by L.A. Ozz, and it is intended to be a series, which means great news for us as the readers, there will be more! And this one is a wonderful five-star read! So, please, if you will, put your hands together and welcome into the author family: L.A. Ozz and make her feel at home. Spread your wings Ms. Ozz, we can’t wait to read more from you, and we thank you for writing such an intensely deep book, that opened our hearts up into your soul! 

Here are my questions for Ms. Ozz:

1.What made you decide to write this book and how long did it take you?

That, believe it or not, is a very easy question to answer for me.  Writing Bent Not Broken was a decision that my main characters, Peyton and Denton, made for me, to be honest.  The two of them took up “residency” (full-time) in my thoughts (and heart).  They became an extension, of sorts, of myself.  Both Peyton and Denton became quite “demanding” and “persistent” that I tell their story.  So, with the support of my family (and countless sleepless nights), I decided to take the time to make my dream a reality.  I sat for many hours at my computer putting into words the thoughts, ideas, experiences and inspirations I had running rampant in my mind. Their story consumed me and became a true labor of love, a journey that I am proud and honored to have taken. On a side note, I also believe that it is important to tell the story of survival and the very heroes of those stories, the survivors themselves. 

Bent Not Broken took me approximately a year to finish from the first moment I sat at my computer to finally typing “The End.”

2. Who designed the cover?
Leanne Louise with B2B cover design, was my cover artist.


3. What are you working on now?
 I am currently working on Part two of the Forgiveness Series, Un-Charted Detour. 

This will be Liam’s story and I am so excited to get it ready and into readers hands.

4. What would you say to someone wanting to become a writer?

 I would tell them to NEVER give up.  To NEVER doubt the story, they want or need to tell. If it is in your heart and/or mind…tell it, share it with readers, you never know whose life you may touch.  I would also stress the importance of speaking with and making connections with other authors.  Seek advice from those who have been where you are, it is an amazing learning experience.  Also, please do not ever be afraid to ask questions, it’s the only way to learn.  


5. Was this book hard for you to write?

The answer to that question is yes….and no!

It was hard because a lot of the emotions that went into writing Bent Not Broken came from a personal place, the fear of putting yourself out there can be quite daunting.  Also, the fear of rejection, of not being “good enough” is an extremely worrisome factor that I had to deal with when writing this story.  The fear of where and how to start was a huge anxiety induced period. It was easy because the characters “lived” in my mind.  They, effortlessly, guided me through the entire book never allowing me to falter or quit.  Also, writing about survival and the emotions that entails holds immense value to me so, writing about them was quite natural and easy. 

6. Do you have any photos or descriptions of your characters that you can share with us?

Peyton

Denton

7. What is your favorite place to write?
     To be honest, I love to write anywhere that I can find inspiration.  Can be my front porch swing or my back patio.  Sometimes at the dining room table or alone at my desk.

8. What is your favorite book of all time?
     Desiderata by Max Ehrmann.  It was a graduation gift from a very special person.  The words have deep meaning and resonate with me to this day.  “Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.” Max Ehrmann

9. What are your hobbies?
     Spending time with my family/friends, reading, writing, crafting, party planning and baking/decorating cakes (mostly customized birthday cakes). 

10. Please share with us your book and social media links:

myBook.to/BentNotBroken
facebook.com/LAOzzauthor/

facebook.com/authorlaozz

amazon.com/L.A.-Ozz/e/B073TTQ9LB

goodreads.com/book/show/35566511-bent-not-broken

twitter.com/authorlaozz

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/l-a-ozz

11. Anything to add:

I want to say, “Thank You” Deneale for this wonderful and truly amazing opportunity to read and review my debut book.  I am so looking forward to you doing the same with my next book in the series as well as any others that I publish.  This interview has been fun and thought provoking as well! I encourage others to visit your blog and find a new author or two.  Continued success, Deneale! 

Bent Not Broken by L.A. Ozz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In this story, by a brand-new author, we will be introduced to the two main characters: Peyton Warner and Denton Whitetower.

Peyton is a twenty-two-year-old woman who has endured a troubling life, more than most women her age should have. She has been victimized and overcame fear, pain and abuse, in hopes of someday, making a new life for herself, and hopefully even successfully trying to forget those terrifying memories that haunt her still.

Luckily for Peyton, she has found someone that could quite possibly satisfy her life’s needs, and make all her dreams come true. Denton is a remarkably handsome single father, who even owns his own business, and he is even the eldest of his siblings.

Denton hadn’t been one who had been looking for romance when it came his way, but when it found him, he was happy to comply. And although Denton was in his forties, age made no difference to either of them. Their love felt no bounds right from the start, and together, they knew they wanted to make it work.

Peyton has assumed that her nightmares will no longer be able to find her, but sadly, this is where she is wrong. And one evening, she will once again realize that the nightmares were always ready to return at any given second. However, this time, Peyton doesn’t want to let them in, and risk the nightmare ruining her relationship with Denton.

Peyton must learn to embrace her fears, and focus on what it is that she truly wants, rather than worry about what is lurking around every corner. The problem is, can she stay strong and successful, and fight for what is right, and become the heroine that she needs to be?

In order for you to get the answers to this and many more, you will need to read this book for yourself! And trust me, you will be glad that you did, you will see, this book is a very different kind of read. It has love in it, and pain, and at the same time it will make you see that through pain and suffering, there can be a light. You just have to know where to look for it. Or better yet, you have to let it find you.

This book, is the first book written by L.A. Ozz, and it is intended to be a series, which means great news for us as the readers, there will be more! And this one is a wonderful five-star read! So, please, if you will, put your hands together and welcome into the author family: L.A. Ozz and make her feel at home. Spread your wings Ms. Ozz, we can’t wait to read more from you, and we thank you for writing such an intensely deep book, that opened our hearts up into your soul!



View all my reviews

 

Tales from a Jail Cell By: Darvanni Autonomy

Tales from a Jail Cell

By: Darvanni Autonomy

If you know me, you already know I love to read. Next, you know I believe in supporting writers. And last but not least, I am a proud Criminal Justice Student (currently, as I type this.) in my Bachelor year of Schooling. Therefore, this title alone grabbed me for all three reasons. And let me just start by saying this: once I started, I couldn’t put it down, because it is a book of separate stories, which makes it even more enticing!

When you open the book, you are literally in a cell with an inmate feeling his remorse for being within the walls. The main character is a Devon Anderson, who wants to share his experience with the outside word, to help them see that prison is not just three hots and cot, like some try to make you think. 

Visitors come through to tour the prison, and Devon decides to embark on them, and see if they are willing to listen. Yes, at first, they back away. But honestly, several of them were curious. And Devon decided to open up and share his insight with them about the system, the life, and just how depressing it can be.

While listening to Devon, one caught view of a lot of papers on the floor of his closet sized cell. They decided to inquire, and this is where Devon divulges that they are stories he has been writing about Prison. He asks them if they want to hear, and surprisingly, they do.

This is where the stories than come into play, one by one. And I must admit, I found each one to meet my needs.

Allow me to share with you a little insight:

One story, a couple are there for visitation. He is the prisoner; the woman is the guest. She brings him a few snacks, two of which she heats up for him, and one if a bag of chips, which he is munching on while she prepares his other snacks in the microwave for him to enjoy during their visitation. 

The bag of chips, much like cracker jacks, had a prize in it. However, this one did not come supplied by the manufacturer. Within the bag is a small baggie of weed for the prisoner to swallow, without anyone noticing.

When the girl friend returns, the prisoner is tearing up, because low and behold the baggies is bigger than his esophagus. He doesn’t want to bring attention to himself, or even to his woman, because if he does, she will get locked up, and he will be punished even further as well, and lose all visitation visits period. 

As I am reading this, I swear my throat was swelling shut. I felt the lodge within my throat as I was reading it, and I too was suffering, it was point on. Not kidding, I had to get a drink before I could read any further.

The girl friend noticed that he was suffering, and didn’t know what to do. She didn’t want him to die, but she didn’t want to end up incarcerated either. 

Finally, the guy gets a drink of his chocolate milk, and it only back flushes because it can’t go down, and he begins to cough. The guards not his problem, and ask if he’s alright, and he motions that he is. But he isn’t.

Eventually, the lump of weed does go down, but within minutes the guy starts to get chills and feel sick. Unknown to him, it is lodged elsewhere, and his body is fighting it.

He cuts the visit short with his woman, and goes to his cell, and lays down and falls asleep. He feels lousy, freezing cold and sweating.

Much later he wakes in a cold and freezing sweat because his body is still fighting off the foreign object, and he puts his finger down his throat, and gags the weed up. Instantly, he starts feeling rejuvenated.

This is only one of the stories, but I think my favorite was the ‘Microwave’ one. But I don’t know, because I also liked ‘Smokin on Katy’. There are just so many great stories, and eye-opening truths about this book, that it will give you a real outlook, as well as an enjoyable read. The one that upset me a little, was ‘the Letter.’ It makes you see the reality of just how lonely prison can be, when there’s no one on the outside to be your support system. 

All in all, I give this book five beautiful stars, because I feel that it deserves them, and honestly a few more. I like that this book kept me guessing, and wanting to read. When a book shows you the other side of the world, and allows you to educate others about it, then it has done something. This book has done just that. 

Here are my questions for Darvanni:

1.What made you decide to write this book and how long did it take you?
A friend encouraged me to write about prison while inside there. It took me about three months.

2. Are any of these stories true?
Yes.

3. Have you put any of your personal self into any of these characters?
Yes, that's the character who smacks the punk.

4. Do you have any photos or specific descriptions of certain characters that you might like to share with us?
No.

5. Have you ever toured or visited a prison or known someone who has?
Yes. I lived in some. Woke up caged and went to sleep caged in.

6. What are you working on now?
Tales From A Jail Cell 2 and She Was Skilled.

7. Where is your favorite place to write?
Alone, anywhere.

8. What is your favorite book of all time?
The Client by John Grisham. It was the first book i actually read and was so into the characters. Now as i write, I look back at that.

9. Who designed the cover of your book?
Dzigner Saravanan

10. What are your hobbies?
Boxing, traveling, making people laugh, and writing.

11. Any suggestion to people who may want to correspond with inmates?
Go right ahead. The people who are incarcerated is no different than anyone in this world. It really brings happiness in each other lives to receive mail.

Deneale’s Input: I personally used to pen-pal back in the 80’s. And yes, I have written to many prisoners. I honestly suggest if you want to pen-pal period, getting some kind of P.O. Box.

12. Please share with us your social media and book links so that we may follow you:
www.AutonomyBooks.com & DarvanniAutonomy on FB, TW, and Instagram.


13. Anything extra that you'd like to add:

Don't forget to checkout Heat and Chemistry. My first baby I created. I will be bringing new reading material for you to enjoy, so follow me. 

This review can also be found on Amazon and Goodreads under the Authors name and book.