New Release - The Accidental Road by Jodi Lea Stewart

1956…

Sixteen-year-old Katherine has two wishes in this world—to have enough money so she and her mother, Ellie, can escape her sadistic stepfather, Roy Cranston, and to eventually have a real home of her own. Katherine hides herself in novels and movies, and tries to be as inconspicuous as possible. But how can she fade into the background when she has a beautiful social butterfly of a mother who just happens to resemble Marilyn Monroe? It’s embarrassing, and the unwanted attention her mother garners could be the downfall of their plan to take Route 66 to the freedom of a new life—without Roy.

Once they put their plan into action and hit the road, they head to Las Vegas where a new life awaits. But real trouble begins when they become stranded in the small town of Holbrook, Arizona, and wind up rubbing shoulders with the mafia families that are moving their criminal operations closer to Las Vegas. It’s up to Katherine to keep them alive as they become targets of a mafia boss, as well as being followed by jealous Roy Cranston, who intends to have them back at all costs.

Could THE ACCIDENTAL ROAD bring them the life they’ve both longed for, or will it become a disaster they can’t escape from?

EXCERPT

     “I’m all angles and flat planes like an L-shaped ruler. My mother is all curves and bumps and bears a scary resemblance to Marilyn Monroe. It’s a curse, since no matter where we go, she’s like a specimen bug pinned ludicrously under a glass for males, no difference what age, to come stare at her. I’m an expert at narrowing my eyes and sending a toxic stare aimed right at their faces so we can have a modicum of peace, but that’s not what this story is about.

     “It’s about escaping a personal war and winding up in a dusty little Arizona town instead of the glittering lights of Las Vegas. Rather than safety, we found a place full of ghosts and tales, treachery and secrets. How long before we find out if we have taken the right road or the Accidental Road of life, and will we always have to hold our hands over our eyes and leap, never quite knowing where we’ll land until our feet hit the ground?”

 ~ Kat, 1956