From the back cover:
When nobody loves you, you have nothing to lose.
Lily Masters is not getting involved with any fake job
scheme covering a sex trafficking operation supposedly cooked up by her
stepbrother, prison guard Art Townsend. Hoping to get help at a friend’s place
deep in the woods of northern Wisconsin before a blizzard, Lily loses her way.
At first, she doesn’t realize how fortunate she is to be found by Cam Taylor, a
poetry-spouting former lit professor. Cam has his own reasons to hide while
writing a biography of his Civil Rights activist grandparents and accidentally
stirs up a cold case murder involving a potential Supreme Court judge. When
trouble follows, either of them is the likely target.
Beneath every story is layer upon layer of trust and lies.
Who can they believe when things go from surreal to devastating?
Prism Book Group
November 11, 2016
- ISBN-10: 1539978591
- ISBN-13: 978-1539978596
Amazon Print: http://amzn.to/2fPE5tt
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2ew7YMM
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/2fPIAEj
Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/2fwuwia
Women’s Fiction
Romantic Suspense
Keywords: racism, prejudice, Wisconsin, suspense, sex
trafficking, prison life, dogs, blizzard, Civil Rights
Theme:
The underlying theme of UnderStory is prejudice—how we look and perceive others and
judge them and ourselves by the way they look, whether we can see the physical
or emotional scars. Lily Masters is born with a genetic condition, Poland’s
syndrome, which colors her world, makes her feel unloved and unwanted, and
although she’s learned to hide her condition and feelings, get a good job and
function in public, she can never again connect with someone who would learn
about her physical problem and reject her. When Lily is rescued by a biracial
Literature professor, Cam Taylor, who is dealing with prejudice on so many
levels, and they are stranded together, she begins to learn not to judge people
and situations by what others say or even by her own standards. Lily and Cam’s
journeys are about learning that shame is a reaction they choose based on
others’ perceptions and standards, not something they have to accept. Learning
to free herself from the bonds of self-loathing, Lily realizes how to be strong
and fight for her family and how to accept love as well as give it. Cam comes
to a peaceful place as he learns to see the world through what is, not through
what he anticipates.
Endorsements:
Lisa
Lickel weaves together a masterful tale of intrigue and romance, and the multilayers of complexity will leave the reader
turning the pages. The characters are well-developed, and overarching themes
involving racism and prejudice will resonate with the reader. The story takes
place in the Midwest—in a small town that harbors a big secret—perhaps more
common than anyone dares to imagine. UnderStory is one of those rare books that’s not only a
great read but makes a statement about what’s most important—in the midst of
depravity, unfairness, and greed.
—Lorilyn
Roberts, award-winning author and founder of the John 3:16 Marketing Network
Drugs,
human trafficking, and corruption all play their part in Lisa Lickel’s
atmospheric thriller, UnderStory, but
it’s the characters and the love story you’ll remember most. In some ways, the
book reminded me of the movie Fargo—quirky
locals, investigators facing not only ruthless criminals but also a frozen
winter landscape of snow and ice in an isolated far north town. The blizzard is
the catalyst that brings together two emotionally damaged strangers when Cam
finds the mysterious Lily unconscious near his isolated cabin. When he brings
her inside, he becomes involved in both love and dangers he never expected when
he hid himself away in the woods.
—Robin
Johns Grant, author of Summer’s Winter.
