An Unexpected Gift
by Krista Grayce
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction
Publication Date: November 25, 2019
Janie Nolan’s future had never been more uncertain, she was just learning to live with the loss of her
mother from cancer, she suddenly finds herself jobless after an unexpected diagnosis with autism at the
age of fifty-five. The thought of moving back to her childhood home in the idyllic town of Cape May, New
Jersey to assess her future is a daunting proposal. It is in that sleepy shore town that she must
reconnect with her abusive father. Now ailing, he has handed over control of the family business, a
failing small theater, as a possible means for a fresh start. However, Janie is uncertain as to what his
true motives might be.
Alec Ryan, a handsome, former intern of her father’s and now a successful Broadway producer and
director arrives from New York carrying his own tumultuous past with plans to assist Janie in restoring
the theater to its former glory. Along the way, Alec discovers qualities in Janie that prove she is more
than just her diagnosis and resolves to help restore Janie as well, simultaneously putting his own
demons to rest and learning to love again.
But when the small town gossip mill begins to buzz about Alec and a piece of jewelry left by her mother
is revealed, Janie learns of a secret that may take things in another direction could change the course of
her life forever.
HI! Just to tell you a bit about myself. I have lived in Seattle, WA most of my life however I was raised in
New York and spent summers in Cape May, NJ. Most of my work is set on the beaches and beach towns
of the Jersey Shore. I wrote my first novel when I was thirteen years old and continued to write poetry
and short stories for the following years. I have had articles and papers published as well as photographs
that were published in a book entitled "Rock and Roll Memorabilia II".
I hold an AA degree in Business Management. I never obtained a degree in Literary Arts or Writing per
se but I feel I come by my writing talent organically as William Shakespeare is my 1st cousin 12 times
removed.
"An Unexpected Gift" is my debut novel. Like Janie, the main character in the novel, I was diagnosed
with High Functioning Autism at the age of forty-eight however I am proud to share this diagnosis with
Ralph Waldo Emerson and Emily Dickenson as well as many others. I see my autism as a gift from God.
It has given me a high intellect and innate talent that I use as a tool to enlighten the rest of the world to
the plight of adults with autism.
Like many people on the spectrum, I never married or had children which is sadly my greatest regret. I
currently live with my wonderful sister Kendra and my three cats Tyler, Tabitha and Teddy in Spokane,
WA. I am planning to move back to the New Jersey Shore as soon as possible.
GUEST POST
What can we expect from you in the future?
In my future books, of which there will be many, I intend to have a few things represented in each one.
I hope to always have a female protagonist with High functioning autism. It may not be the key point in the story as it is in ‘An Unexpected Gift’ but she will always be on some level of the spectrum.
I also intend each book to be a love story. In today’s society books like mine are often erroneously labeled as ‘Romance’. I don’t agree with this in the slightest. In my opinion ‘Romance books’ contain sex and quite often the storyline is centered around it. The covers show half naked people with men with bulging muscles and women in various stages of undress. That is certainly not what I write. The books I am inspired by are ones such as, ’The Thorn Birds’, ‘The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood’ and “The Notebook’. These, in my opinion are love stories or family dramas. This current generation of readers have, for whatever reason, decided that love and romance are the same thing, and both involve sex. I would much prefer my books to be labeled of Women’s Fiction, Love Stories or Family Drama. That is what my readers will expect from me and that is what they will receive.
There will also be a cat or cats in each novel. Cats due to their high intellect, independence and extra sensory perceptions of human emotion, are very therapeutic for autistics and it makes sense the protagonists in my books would love them.
Last, all of my books will be based in Cape May or at least some of the outlying seashore towns such as Wildwood, Stone Harbor or Avalon. I can’t imagine basing my books in any other setting.
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Thanks for stopping by, Krista! Sounds like you like to portray strong female characters in your books.
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