• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA; 1 edition (August 7, 2012)

For fans of Zoë Heller and Zadie Smith, a vibrant and vital novel about the way family—with its dysfunctional bonds, sibling love, and rivalry—enduringly defines us.

Dorothy Forrest is immersed in the sensory world around her; she lives in the flickering moment. From the age of seven, when her odd, disenfranchised family moves from New York to the wide skies of New Zealand, to the very end of her life, this is her great gift and possible misfortune.

From the wilderness of a commune to falling in love to early marriage and motherhood, from the glorious anguish of parenting to the loss of everything worked for and the unexpected return oflove, Dorothy is swept along by time. Her family looms and recedes, revelations come to light, death changes everything, but somehow life remains as potent as it ever was, and the joy in just being won’t let her go.

In a narrative that shifts and moves, singing with color and memory, growing as wild as its characters, The Forrests speaks to the unexpected ways in which life can change—“if you’re lucky enough to be around for it.”

Praise for Emily Perkins:

“A writer very much in command not only of her language but of the unique and surprising variations she brings to the form.” —T. C. Boyle, author of When The Killing’s Done

“Brimming with talent.” —Esther Freud, author of Hideous Kinky and Lucky Break

“An expansive and ambitious novel, beautifully written, and covering great swathes of emotional territory.”
—Lawrence Norfolk, author of Lempriere’s Dictionary

About Emily

Emily Perkins was born in 1970. She is the author of Not Her Real Name, a collection of short stories that won the Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize and was shortlisted for the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize, and the novels Leave Before You Go, The New Girl, and, most recently, Novel About My Wife, winner of the Believer Book Award. She lives in New Zealand.

Monday, May 21st: Savvy Verse & Wit

Tuesday, May 22nd: Amused By Books

Tuesday, May 22nd: Paperback Princess

Wednesday, May 23rd: All Grown Up?

Friday, May 25th: Kritters Ramblings

The Chaperone by Laura Moriarity

Monday, May 21st: Never Too Fond of Books

Tuesday, May 22nd: The Compulsive Reader

Wednesday, May 23rd: Kritters Ramblings

Thursday, May 24th: Literate Housewife

Friday, May 25th: Paperspines

Dead Beautiful by Melanie Dugan

Monday, May 21st: Into the Hall of Books

Tuesday, May 22nd: A Soul Unsung

Wednesday, May 23rd: Sweet Southern Home

Thursday, May 24th: Book Him Danno!

The Anti-Romantic Child by Priscilla Gilman

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The Year of the Gadfly by Jennifer Miller

Monday, May 21st: Sophisticated Dorkiness

Tuesday, May 22nd: so much shouting, so much laughter

Wednesday, May 23rd: Book Hooked Blog

Thursday, May 24th: Under My Apple Tree

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The Uninvited Guests by Sadie Jones

Monday, May 21st: Life In Review

Tuesday, May 22nd: Wordsmithonia

Wednesday, May 23rd: Colloquium

Thursday, May 24th: Wandering Thoughts of a Scientific Housewife

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The Paper Garden by Molly Peacock

Monday, May 21st:  Redlady’s Reading Room

Tuesday, May 22nd:  Boarding in My Forties

Wednesday, May 23rd:  Book Club Classics!

Thursday, May 24th:  Luxury Reading

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The Testament of Jessie Lamb by Jane Rogers

Monday, May 21st: Book Hooked Blog

Tuesday, May 22nd: Brandi Reads

Wednesday, May 23rd: Man of La Book

Thursday, May 24th: Walking With Nora

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The Exceptionals by Erin Cashman

Monday, May 21st: Life is Short. Read Fast.

Tuesday, May 22nd: Just Joanna

Wednesday, May 23rd: Peeking Between the Pages

Thursday, May 24th: Broken Teepee

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I Am Forbidden by Anouk Markovits

Monday, May 21st:  Raging Bibliomania

Tuesday, May 22nd:  Stiletto Storytime

Wednesday, May 23rd:  The 3 R’s Blog

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In My Father’s Country by Saima Wahab

Monday, May 21st:  Chew & Digest Books

Tuesday, May 22nd:  Twisting the Lens

Wednesday, May 23rd:  2 Kids and Tired Book Reviews

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The Storytelling Animal by Jonathan Gottschall

Monday, May 21st: The Written World

Tuesday, May 22nd: Bibliophiliac

Wednesday, May 23rd: Peppermint PhD

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Clara and Mr. Tiffany by Susan Vreeland

Monday, May 21st:  Dolce Bellezza

Wednesday, May 23rd:  Knowing the Difference

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Make it Stay by Joan Frank

Monday, May 21st: “That’s Swell!”

Wednesday, May 23rd: Reading on a Rainy Day

Thursday, May 24th: Caribousmom

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Slant of Light by Steve Wiegenstein

Monday, May 21st:  Life in Review

Tuesday, May 22nd:  Unabridged Chick - author interview

Wednesday, May 23rd:  So Simply Sara

Thursday, May 24th:  Bookish Habits.

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Perla by Carolina De Robertis

Monday, May 21st: Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

Wednesday, May 23rd: Book Reviews by Molly

Friday, May 25th:  Unabridged Chick

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The Most Dangerous Thing by Laura Lippman

Monday, May 21st: Proud Book Nerd

Friday, May 25th: Book Him Danno!

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FoodTrients by Grace O

Monday, May 21st:  Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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Narcopolis by Jeet Thayil

Monday, May 21st: Stiletto Storytime

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My New American Life by Francine Prose

Monday, May 21st: A Bookish Way of Life

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The Secrets of Mary Bowser by Lois Leveen

Tuesday, May 22nd: A Cozy Reader’s Corner

Wednesday, May 23rd: A Chick Who Reads

Thursday, May 24th: Life In Review

Friday, May 25th: “That’s Swell!”

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Arranged by Catherine McKenzie

Tuesday, May 22nd: Twisting the Lens

Wednesday, May 23rd: Creating Comfort

Thursday, May 24th: Book Journey

Friday, May 25th: Tina’s Book Reviews

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The Unseen by Katherine Webb

Tuesday, May 22nd: Raging Bibliomania

Wednesday, May 23rd: No More Grumpy Bookseller

Thursday, May 24th: Colloquium

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Saving Ruth by Zoe Fishman

Tuesday, May 22nd: The Book Bag

Wednesday, May 23rd: West Metro Mommy

Thursday, May 24th: Travel Spot

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Search Inside Yourself by Chade-Meng Tan

Tuesday, May 22nd: The Psychology of Wellbeing

Wednesday, May 23rd: Happy Simple Living

Thursday, May 24th: Just a Titch

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Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes

Tuesday, May 22nd: Jenn’s Bookshelves

Wednesday, May 23rd: Cerebral Girl in a Redneck World

Thursday, May 24th: StephTheBookworm

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Long Gone and Angel’s Tip by Alafair Burke

Tuesday, May 22nd: Kritter’s Ramblings

Wednesday, May 23rd: Literature and a Lens

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The Voluntourist by Ken Budd

Tuesday, May 22nd: Knowing the Difference

Wednesday, May 23rd: Lisa’s Yarns

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Picture This by Jacqueline Sheehan

Tuesday, May 22nd: Silver & Grace

Thursday, May 24th: Iwriteinbooks’ blog

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Courage by Debbie Ford

Tuesday, May 22nd: Patricia’s Wisdom

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The Cove by Ron Rash

Tuesday, May 22nd: Layers of Thought

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Lost in Shangri-La by Mitchell Zuckoff

Wednesday, May 23rd: Doing Dewey

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Private Empire by Steve Coll

Thursday, May 24th: EmSun

Friday, May 25th: Just Joanna

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In the Bag by Kate Klise

Thursday, May 24th: A Bookworm’s World

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An Uncommon Education by Elizabeth Percer

Thursday, May 24th: A Musing Reviews

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Akhmed and the Atomic Matzo Balls by Gary Buslik

Thursday, May 24th: Lesa’s Book Critiques

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Paperback: 336 pages

Publisher: Scribner; Original edition (June 5, 2012)

Macau: the bulbous nose of China, a peninsula and two islands strung together like a three-bead necklace.  It was time to find a life for myself.  To make something out of nothing.  The end of hope and the beginning of it too.

About Hannah Tunnicliffe

Hannah Tunnicliffe was born in New Zealand but is a self-confessed nomad.  After finishing a degree in social sciences, she lived in Australia, England, and Macau.  A career in human resources temporarily put her dream of becoming a writer on the back burner.  The Color of Tea is her first novel.

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Hannah Tunnicliffe’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Monday, July 9th:  Book Club Classics!

Tuesday, July 10th:  BookNAround

Wednesday, July 11th:  girlichef

Monday, July 16th:  Book Addiction

Thursday, July 19th:  Twisting the Lens

Monday, July 23rd:  Regular Rumination

Wednesday, July 25th:  Stiletto Storytime

Monday, July 30th:  A Bookish Affair

Thursday, August 2nd:  Suko’s Notebeook

Friday, August 3rd:  Raging Bibliomania

Monday, August 6th:  Savvy Verse and Wit

Thursday, August 9th:  Southern Girl Reads

Tuesday, August 14th:  The Written World

Paperback: 304 pages

Publisher: Ballantine Books (August 7, 2012)

From the author of Me & Emma comes a dazzling novel of two unforgettable families bound together by their deepest secrets and haunted pasts—perfect for fans of The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes and The Book of Bright Ideas.

Nine-year-old Carrie Parker and her mother, Libby, are making a fresh start in the small town of Hartsville, North Carolina, ready to put their turbulent past behind them. Violence has shattered their family and left Libby nearly unable to cope. And while Carrie once took comfort in her beloved sister, Emma, her mother has now forbidden even the mention of her name.

When Carrie meets Ruth, Honor, and Cricket Chaplin, these three generations of warmhearted women seem to have the loving home Carrie has always dreamed of. But as Carrie and Cricket become fast friends, neither can escape the pull of their families’ secrets—and uncovering the truth will transform the Chaplins and the Parkers forever.

“Absolutely unforgettable . . . Haunting, harrowing, and exquisitely told, Flock’s brilliant, bold novel is all about imagination, grief, and one stunning young narrator’s struggle to transcend an unimaginable past in order to carve out a future.”—Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You

“A gripping read that is at once heartbreaking and heartwarming. Flock masterfully combines a deeply affecting family drama with relentless suspense. You’ll find yourself reading late into the night to find out what life has in store for the indomitable Carrie Parker.”—Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times bestselling author of The Weight of Silence

“From the opening sentence of Elizabeth Flock’s exceptional new novel, I was at its tender mercies. These memorable, lovable characters jumped off the page and lodged themselves in my heart.”—Elinor Lipman, author of The Family Man and Then She Found Me

“Elizabeth Flock has created a young heroine who will win your heart. Caroline Parker is fierce, bright, and endlessly lovable. Amid this well-plotted mystery, there’s a story of great hope, survival, and resilience.”—Julianna Baggott, author of Girl Talk and Pure

About Elizabeth Flock

New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Flock is a former journalist who reported for Time and People magazines and worked as an on-air correspondent for CBS. She is the author of several acclaimed novels, including But Inside I’m Screaming and Me & Emma. She lives in New York City.

Elizabeth Flock’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Tuesday, August 7th:  Jenn’s Bookshelves

Wednesday, August 8th:  Book Addiction

Thursday, August 9th:  A Novel Source

Monday, August 13th:  WV Stitcher

Tuesday, August 14th:  Life in the Thumb

Wednesday, August 15th:  Seaside Book Nook

Thursday, August 16th:  Kritter’s Ramblings

Monday, August 20th:  The House of the Seven Tails

Wednesday, August 22nd:  Reviews by Molly

Thursday, August 23rd:  Marybeth Whalen

Monday, August 27th:  Life in Review

Wednesday, August 29th:  The Lost Entwife

Thursday, August 30th:  Chaos is a Friend of Mine

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks (July 10, 2012)

Every first Sunday in June, members of the Moses clan gather for an annual reunion at a sprawling hundred-acre farm in Arkansas. And every year, Samuel Lake, a vibrant and committed young preacher, brings his beloved wife, Willadee Moses, and their three children back for the festivities. In the midst of it all, Samuel and Willadee’s outspoken eleven-year-old daughter, Swan, is a bright light. Her high spirits and fearlessness have alternately seduced and bedeviled three generations of the family. But just as the reunion is getting under way, tragedy strikes, jolting the family to their core and setting the stage for a summer of crisis and profound change.

With the clear-eyed wisdom that illuminates the most tragic—and triumphant—aspects of human nature, Jenny Wingfield has created an enduring work of fiction.

“Raw, dark, and powerful. Southern Gothic at its best. Puts one in mind of Erskine Caldwell and Flannery O’Connor.”
—Fannie Flagg, bestselling author of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe

“Jenny Wingfield’s richly detailed account of good and evil in 1950s Arkansas will captivate anyone who treasures the values of faith and honesty that are a part of America’s rural past. Wingfield’s sense of people and place is uncanny. After reading The Homecoming of Samuel Lake, you too will believe in miracles.”—Sandra Dallas, New York Times bestselling author of Prayers for Sale and Whiter Than Snow

“Jenny Wingfield has given us a spectacular novel with The Homecoming of Samuel Lake. This ensemble of unforgettable characters will make you laugh out loud one minute, hold your breath the next, and weep when you least expect it. I didn’t just love this book, I adored it.”—Dorothea Benton Frank, New York Times bestselling author of Lowcountry Summer

“Readers will lift up their hands in praise of this layered tale of sin, grace, and redemption. The Homecoming of Samuel Lake has a supreme cast of characters including a flawed but righteous daddy, a makes-your-skin-crawl villain, and the sassiest, truest girl heroine this side of Scout Finch. Can I get an ‘Amen’?”—Susan Rebecca White, New York Times bestselling author of A Soft Place to Land and Bound South

“Wingfield writes complex, believable heroes . . . with redemption trumping tragedies in scenes ripe with tension and dread.”—Publishers Weekly

About Jenny Wingfield

Jenny Wingfield lives in Texas with her rescued dogs, cats, and horses. Her screenplay credits include The Man in the Moon and The Outsider. The Homecoming of Samuel Lake is her first novel.

Jenny Wingfield’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Tuesday, July 10th:  The House of the Seven Tails

Wednesday, July 11th:  Twisting the Lens

Thursday, July 12th:  It’s a Crazy, Beautiful Life

Monday, July 16th:  Southern Girl Reads

Wednesday, July 18th:  Bloggin’ ‘Bout Books

Thursday, July 19th:  The Lost Entwife

Monday, July 23rd:  Book Snob

Wednesday, July 25th:  Kritter’s Ramblings

Monday, July 30th:  A Novel Source

Wednesday, August 1st:  WV Stitcher

Monday, August 6th:  A Patchwork of Books

Wednesday, August 8th:  Reviews by Lola

Monday, August 13th:  A Musing Reviews

Monday, August 20th:  Colloquium

Tuesday, August 28th:  Sweet Southern Home

• Hardcover: 464 pages
• Publisher: Crown (July 24, 2012)

From the internationally bestselling author of Think of a Number and Shut Your Eyes Tight, this latest puzzle masterpiece from John Verdon pits superstar detective Dave Gurney against the nation’s law enforcement experts as he offers an alternative explanation for why a once dormant serial killer–enshrined in the textbooks–appears to be reanimated and out for blood.

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Dave Gurney, the most decorated homicide detective in the history of the NYPD, is still trying to adjust to life in upstate New York when a young woman who is producing a documentary on serial killers asks for his input.  Soon after this conversation, odd events begin occurring in Dave’s life: There is a strange problem with his tractor, a razor-sharp hunting arrow lands in his yard, and he narrowly escapes serious injury in a booby-trapped basement.  As things grow more bizarre, Dave finds himself reexamining the case of “The Good Shepherd”–which, 10 years before, involved a series of roadway shootings and a “Unabomber-like” manifesto expressing rage at society.  The killings ceased, and a cult of analysis grew up around the case with a consensus opinion that no one would dream of challenging–no one, that is, except Dave Gurney.  Mocked even by some who’d  been his allies in previous investigative outings, Dave is only heeded when the reawakened Good Shepherd proves by his actions that his agenda is more complex than previously thought.

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About John Verdon

JOHN VERDON, a former Manhattan advertising executive, lives with his wife on a small hilltop in upstate New York.  His first two Dave Gurney novels are Think of a Number and Shut Your Eyes Tight.  Let the Devil Sleep is his third.

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John Verdon’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Tuesday, July 24th:  Wordsmithonia

Wednesday, July 25th:  Jenny Loves to Read

Thursday, July 26th:  Jen’s Book Thoughts

Monday, July 30th:  A Bookworm’s World

Tuesday, July 31st:  Sara’s Organized Chaos

Wednesday, August 1st:  Life in Review

Thursday, August 2nd:  Colloquium

Monday, August 6th:  Booklover Book Reviews

Tuesday, August 7th:  Stacy’s Books

Wednesday, August 8th:  Book Addict Katie

Thursday, August 9th:  House of Crime and Mystery

Monday, August 13th:  Crime Fiction Lover

Tuesday, August 14th:  A Novel Source

Wednesday, August 15th:  Book Reviews by Elizabeth A. White

Thursday, August 16th:  Bewitched Bookworms

Monday, August 20th:  Girls Just Reading

Wednesday, August 22nd:  Thoughts of Joy

Monday, August 27th:  Musings of a Bookish Kitty

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Adult (July 10, 2012)

About Linda Fairstein

Linda Fairstein was chief of the Sex Crimes Unit of the district attorney’s office in Manhattan for more than two decades and is America’s foremost legal expert on sexual assault and domestic violence. Her Alexandra Cooper novels are international bestsellers and have been translated into more than a dozen languages. She lives in Manhattan and on Martha’s Vineyard.

Connect with Linda on her website, LindaFairstein.com.

 Linda Fairstein’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Monday, July 2nd:  nomad reader

Tuesday, July 3rd:  Jen’s Book Thoughts

Thursday, July 5th:  Book Addict Katie

Monday, July 9th:  Lesa’s Book Critiques

Tuesday, July 10th:  A Bookworm’s World

Wednesday, July 11th:  Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Thursday, July 12th:  Murder by Type

Monday, July 16th:  Reviews by Molly

Tuesday, July 17th:  Life in Review

Wednesday, July 18th:  Chaotic Compendiums

Monday, July 23rd:  Bewitched Bookworms

Tuesday, July 24th:  Sara’s Organized Chaos

Wednesday, July 25th:  Colloquium

Thursday, July 26th:  Thoughts of Joy

Monday, July 30th:  Musings of a Bookish Kitty

Monday, May 7th: Frenzy of Noise

Tuesday, May 8th: Indie Reader Houston

Wednesday, May 9th: Verb Vixen

Thursday, May 10th: Bewitched Bookworms

Friday, May 11th: The Well-Read Wife

I Am Forbidden by Anouk Markovitz

Monday, May 7th:  Unabridged Chick

Tuesday, May 8th:  Dolce Bellezza

Wednesday, May 9th:  nomadreader

Thursday, May 10th:  Life in Review

Friday, May 11th:  Peeking Between the Pages

Narcopolis by Jeet Thayil

Monday, May 7th: Chaos is a Friend of Mine

Tuesday, May 8th: Beastmomma

Wednesday, May 9th: Reading on a Rainy Day

Thursday, May 10th: What She Read…

In My Father’s Country by Saima Wahab

Monday, May 7th:  Book Dilettante

Tuesday, May 8th:  Musings of a Bookish Kitty

Wednesday, May 9th:  Book Club Classics!

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Private Empire by Steve Coll

Monday, May 7th: Alternative Matters

Tuesday, May 8th: This is what I like

Wednesday, May 9th: Man of La Book

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Love for Grown-Ups by Ann Blumenthal Jacobs, Patricia Ryan Lampl, and Tish Rabe

Monday, May 7th: Beyond Black & White

Tuesday, May 8th: A Women’s Page

Wednesday, May 9th: Rebellibous Thoughts of a Women

Thursday, May 10th: Midlife Crisis Queen

Thursday, May 10th: How to Believe in Love Again

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The Uninvited Guests by Sadie Jones

Monday, May 7th: A Chick Who Reads

Tuesday, May 8th: Paperback Princess

Thursday, May 10th: Stiletto Storytime

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Clara and Mr. Tiffany by Susan Vreeland

Monday, May 7th:  Historical Tapestry (guest post “Why I Love”)

Wednesday, May 9th:  The Lost Entwife - reschedule

Thursday, May 10th:  BookNAround

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LuLu in the Sky and other titles by Loung Ung

Monday, May 7th: Veronica MD (First They Killed My Father)

Wednesday, May 9th: The Road to Here (Lucky Child)

Thursday, May 10th: Book Dilettante (Lulu in the Sky)

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FoodTrients by Grace O

Monday, May 7th:  Fit Mama Real Food

Wednesday, May 9th:  Holly the Healthy Everythingterian

Thursday, May 10th:  Amused by Books

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Make it Stay by Joan Frank

Monday, May 7th: Book Addiction

Tuesday, May 8th: Why Girls Are Weird

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The Anti-Romantic Child by Priscilla Gilman

Monday, May 7th: A Musing Reviews

Tuesday, May 8th: Good Girl Gone Redneck

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The Paper Garden by Molly Peacock

Monday, May 7th:  BookNAround

Wednesday, May 9th:  The Whimsical Cottage

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The Cove by Ron Rash

Monday, May 7th: Tina’s Book Reviews

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The Swing by Tracy Reifkind

Monday, May 7th: My Fat Loss Strategies

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Afterwards by Rosamund Lupton

Tuesday, May 8th:  Me, My Book, and the Couch

Wednesday, May 9th:  Girls Just Reading

Thursday, May 10th:  Boarding in my Forties - rescheduled

Friday, May 11th:  Coffee and a Book Chick

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State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

Tuesday, May 8th: Unabridged Chick

Wednesday, May 9th: Take Me Away

Thursday, May 10th: Jo-Jo Loves to Read! RESCHEDULED

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I, Iago by Nicole Galland

Tuesday, May 8th: BookNAround

Wednesday, May 9th: No More Grumpy Bookseller

Thursday, May 10th: Wandering Thoughts of a Scientific Housewife

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More Like Her by Liza Palmer

Tuesday, May 8th: Knitting and Sundries

Wednesday, May 9th: The Book Chick

Thursday, May 10th: Peeking Between the Pages

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The Riot Within by Rodney King

Tuesday, May 8th: Politics from the Eyes of an Ebony Mom

Wednesday, May 9th: My American Melting Pot

Thursday, May 10th: “That’s Swell!”

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The Year of the Gadfly by Jennifer Miller

Tuesday, May 8th: The Scarlet Letter

Wednesday, May 9th: Unabridged Chick

Thursday, May 10th: Just Joanna

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An Uncommon Education by Elizabeth Percer

Tuesday, May 8th: Stiletto Storytime

Wednesday, May 9th: Book Him Danno!

Thursday, May 10th: Unabridged Chick

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In the Bag by Kate Klise

Tuesday, May 8th: Book Hooked Blog

Wednesday, May 9th: Book Journey

Thursday, May 10th: A Musing Reviews

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The Most Dangerous Thing by Laura Lippman

Tuesday, May 8th: Raging Bibliomania

Wednesday, May 9th: Life is Short. Read Fast.

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Code to Joy by Drs. George Pratt and Peter Lambrou

Tuesday, May 8th: Midwife For Your Life

Friday, May 11th: Leap of Action

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The Queen’s Lover by Francine du Plessix Gray

Wednesday, May 9th: Historical Tapestry

Thursday, May 10th: A Bookish Affair

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Lost in Shangri-La by Mitchell Zuckoff

Wednesday, May 8th: libbysbookblog

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Blue Asylum by Kathy Hepinstall

Wednesday, May 8th: Literature and a Lens

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Akhmed and the Atomic Matzo Balls by Gary Buslik

Thursday, May 10th: Drey’s Library

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Search Inside Yourself by Chade-Meng Tan

Thursday, May 10th: Citizen Marketer 2.1

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Perla by Carolina De Robertis

Thursday, May 10th: Savvy Verse & Wit

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S.A.S.S. Yourself Slim by Cynthia Sass

Friday, May 11th: A Journey to Thin

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Paperback: 352 pages

Publisher: Ballantine Books; Original edition (May 29, 2012)

About Julia Heaberlin

Julia Heaberlin was a  journalist for more than twenty years for such newspapers at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and The Detroit News.  Playing Dead is her first novel.  She lives with her family in Texas, where she is at work on her second book, Lie Still, to be published by Bantam Books.

Connect with Julia on her website, juliaheaberlin.com.

Julia Heaberlin’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Monday, June 18th:  Marybeth Whalen

Tuesday, June 19th:  Life in Review

Wednesday, June 20th:  Me, My Book, and the Couch

Friday, June 22nd:  A Novel Source

Monday, June 25th:  Jen’s Book Thoughts

Thursday, June 28th:  Quirky Bookworm

Monday, July 2nd:  Musings of a Bookish Kitty

Thursday, July 5th:  Jenn’s Bookshelves

Monday, July 9th:  Twisting the Lens

Wednesday, July 11th:  Reviews by Elizabeth A. White

Friday, July 13th:  Luxury Reading

Monday, July 16th:  “That’s Swell!”

Wednesday, July 18th:  Broken Teepee

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Hazelden (May 1, 2012)

George E. Leary Jr., M.A. was a youth counselor, surrounded by kids all day, and yet he failed to see that his own child was using and abusing drugs.   Denial, fear, grief—Leary experienced these emotions firsthand and he has since made it his purpose in life to work with addicts and educate parents on how to help their kids.  In his new book WHAT’S WRONG WITH MY KID?: When Drugs or Alcohol Might Be a Problem and What to Do About It (Hazelden Publishing; May 2012; $14.95; Original Trade Paperback) he provides a compassionate, yet straightforward handbook for parents that will answer their most pressing questions including:

• What are the warning signs of alcohol or drug addiction?
• How can you as a parent intervene and find treatment for both your child and the family?
• What is the nature and biology of addiction?  How does it affect developing brains and bodies?
• What co-occurring mental health issues are common to teenagers?
• How does a family “enable” the addict?
• What is the role of drugs and alcohol in the increasing teen suicide rates?

Leary maintains that there are differences in how kids are affected by addiction versus adults:

Home and Family:  The home is set up to shelter kids from harm and parents are there to protect them.  This set up provides the perfect conditions for children with addiction issues to be coddled and “saved” from some of the negative consequences of their behaviors.  Not being exposed to the real punishments present in society for addicts, they do not see a need to change.

Inexperience and Invincibility:  In addition to being exposed to extreme social pressures as they develop into adulthood, kids are blessed (or cursed) with thinking life goes on forever and that they can do anything.  These attitudes work well when put to positive uses, but with drugs and alcohol they can be deadly.

Physical Development and the Brain:  The frontal lobe of the brain which manages planning, organizing, emotions, speech/language, movement and problem solving, is not fully developed until the age of 25.  Drugs and alcohol, in addition to promoting erratic and dysfunctional behavior, can damage the frontal lobe, which will hinder its major functions as well as make it more difficult to fight addiction.  Adults are not immune to the destructive effects, but their brains are not as vulnerable after age of 25.

There is a lot of information available about addiction, but most people are not aware of what to look for.  When dealing with kids and all of the changes that take place as they grow and develop, attributing mood swings, declining grades or depression to drug use could be far from the minds of parents, but as George Leary warns it can happen to anyone.  WHAT’S WRONG WITH MY KID? is the only book that will be an effective partner to guide and inform parents when faced with a child who has developed a substance abuse problem.

About the author:

George E. Leary Jr., M.A., provides mental health services to addicts and those living with HIV/AIDS.  He established and operated two recovery houses in Baltimore, Maryland, and served for nine years on a mobile crisis intervention team.