Release Day! Girl, Uncoded by Brandi Dredge ~ My Thoughts #GirlUncoded @brandi_dredge @shewritespress @GoSparkPress

Happy Release Day!

Girl, Uncoded: A Memoir of Passion, Betrayal, and Eventual Blessings by Brandi Dredge

True Crime, Memoir, 284 pages

Published October 22, 2024 by She Writes Press

For fans of true crime memoir comes a gripping tale of one woman’s harrowing and spiritual journey of resilience after she learns that she was a victim of a sex crime—and her husband was the culprit.

At sixteen, Caroline longed to meet the man who owned the apartment she was hanging out at with her teenage friends. The one they said was a stripper—a fact that intrigued her. From the moment she finally saw Gary Richard, she craved his attention; and once their eyes met, he was all she wanted.

Months later, she was dismayed to discover that she was pregnant. But she had Gary Richard, she reassured herself, and he was all she needed to be okay. A belief that didn’t change even when she held their week-old son in court, watching her boyfriend face charges for stolen property. This was her family, her life—so when Gary Richard’s lawyer suggested a ploy to show the judge he was a changed man, she married him. At seventeen years old, she became a wife.

Over the next nine years, Caroline’s identity and dreams of a fairy-tale life became twisted by adultery, betrayal, poverty, court cases, and lies. And then, one evening, the reality of her marriage finally became clear to her after a sergeant revealed she was the victim of one of her husband’s crimes—statutory rape—and her son’s DNA was the evidence the prosecution needed to convict him.

My thoughts about Girl, Uncoded ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line.)

First line—"When you tell your story, you must start from the beginning. I heard those words—start from the beginning—one cold December morning as I sat across from a sergeant with the sheriff's office and prepared to give my statement."

Girl, Uncoded is a tale of a sixteen year old girl who made a decision and chose a path that affected her for the rest of her life. Her life is unimaginable to me and it was hard to see her struggle with all of the bad things that happened to her. Finally with self-healing, and with the help of a lot of good people who came into her life, she was able to turn her life around. 

This was a very well written story that I am sure was hard to write. The reader takes on all the highs and lows with Caroline and struggles right along with her. Even though it was sometimes hard to read, it ends on a positive note of redemption and healing.

If you like to read memoirs, this would be a great one to read. You will be rooting for Caroline all the way. I enjoyed this story very much!

I received an ARC of Girl, Uncoded and this is my honest opinion of the book. 

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About the author

Brandi Dredge is a mom, encourager, and author. She shares her story with the hopes that what she went through will bring encouragement to victims and/or individuals who could benefit from knowing about God’s favor and blessings in their lives. She enjoys swimming in the deep end of mystical thoughts, wading in emotions to pen poetry, and sipping a strong cup of coffee. She is a member of The National Association of Memoir Writers and resides in St. Joseph, Missouri.

Connect with Brandi

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

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Release Day! Red Thread of Fate by Lyn Liao Butler #RedThreadOfFate

Happy Release Day!

Congratulations Lyn

 on the release today of

Red Thread of Fate!

Red Thread of Fate by Lyn Liao Butler
Contemporary Fiction, 352 pages
Published February 8, 2022 by Berkley Books

In the wake of a tragedy and fueled by guilt from a secret she's kept for years, a woman discovers how delicate the thread that binds family is in this powerful novel by Lyn Liao Butler.

Two days before Tam and Tony Kwan receive their letter of acceptance for the son they are adopting from China, Tony and his estranged cousin Mia are killed unexpectedly in an accident. A shell-shocked Tam learns she is named the guardian to Mia's five-year-old daughter, Angela. With no other family around, Tam has no choice but to agree to take in the girl she hasn't seen since the child was an infant.

Overwhelmed by her life suddenly being upended, Tam must also decide if she will complete the adoption on her own and bring home the son waiting for her in a Chinese orphanage. But when a long-concealed secret comes to light just as she and Angela start to bond, their fragile family is threatened. As Tam begins to unravel the events of Tony and Mia's past in China, she discovers the true meaning of love and the threads that bind her to the family she is fated to have.

Fans of Amy Tan, Celeste Ng, Liane Moriarty, and Lyn’s last book The Tiger Mom’s Tale will love this suspenseful and heartwarming tale of family, culture, and forgiveness.

Praise for Red Thread of Fate

“A masterful story of sorrow, secrets and unexpected romance, Ms. Butler writes with humor, compassion and honesty. Simply wonderful.” —Kristan Higgins, New York Times bestselling author of Pack Up the Moon

"With a poignant tale and beautiful prose, Butler once again whisks us onto a powerful journey of loss, sorrow, but ultimately a journey of quiet strength." —Jesse Q. Sutanto, critically acclaimed author of Dial A for Aunties

"Red Thread of Fate has everything—family secrets, mystery, identity. The rare blend of suspense and humor that make this story hard to put down.” —Saumya Dave, author of What a Happy Family

“Lyn’s story is raw and complex and hits home to many.” —Asian American Girl Club

"Butler keeps the twists coming, plowing through the story at breakneck speed. She perfectly portrays Tam’s growing sense of ambivalence about the loss of her husband, her responsibility to Angela, and her desire to adopt, and skillfully adds depth to complicated characters such as Mia. Readers will devour this engaging family saga." —Publishers Weekly

"A heartfelt contemplation on the course of our lives—what is fate, what is the result of the choices we make—coupled with a central mystery that will keep you reading late into the night. It seems Lyn Liao Butler's fate is to entertain with absorbing stories and compelling characters that linger long after the final page." —Steven Rowley, New York Times bestselling author of The Guncle

"Red Thread of Fate is a novel about what ties people to one another, and the nature of those bonds, the unintended consequences of choices and the possibility of a fresh start. With contemplative characters, surprising humor and a twisting plot, Butler's thought-provoking story of nontraditional family models will appeal to readers interested in fate and identity.” —Julia Kastner for Shelf Awareness

About the author

Lyn Liao Butler was born in Taiwan and moved to the States when she was seven. Before becoming an author, she was a professional ballet and modern dancer, and is still a personal trainer, fitness instructor, and yoga instructor. She is an avid animal lover and fosters dogs as well as volunteers with rescues.

When she is not torturing clients or talking to imaginary characters, Lyn enjoys spending time with her FDNY husband, their son (the happiest little boy in the world), their three stubborn dachshunds, sewing for her Etsy shop, and trying crazy yoga poses on a stand-up paddleboard. So far, she has not fallen into the water yet. ~ Goodreads

Connect with Lyn

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram

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