SAFE HOUSE by Shannon Symonds, released by Bonneville an imprint of Cedar Fort
What if home is the most dangerous place of all?
Genre: Romantic Suspense or Thriller | Heat Level: 1 Heart
Publisher: Cedar Fort | Release Date: 7.12.2017
SAFE HOUSE
True, it was her prison, but it was also her sanctuary.
Where can you turn when your house is not safe? In a small coastal town in Oregon, Amber and Kelly know the deadliest people sleep down the hall. As they attempt to escape the violent, domineering men in their lives, despair fights against faith and hope as an introduction to the Book of Mormon promises them a haven they can't find in their homes. But getting out of these abusive situations is not as easy as it appears. With their lives spiraling out of control, can they have faith that God's grace will save them?
“Safe House by Shannon Symonds is not an easy book to read, but it is impossible to forget. It deals with the difficult subject of domestic abuse. If anyone has ever wondered why an abused spouse doesn’t just leave, this story will answer that question. An abused spouse is usually penniless and worries about how and where she’ll live if she leaves or worries about her or her children’s safety if she leaves and becomes homeless. Shattered self-esteem is another factor. This book also points out how to find help. It’s also a great story.”
~ Jennie Hansen, Meridian Magazine
17-year old Amber knows the deadliest person in her world sleeps right down the hall beside her mother. Amber cares for her younger brother and sister while her mother, Emily, struggles to keep the peace with her stepfather, Berk.
When Emily is seriously injured, Amber calls for help for the first time and meets Grace. Grace James, a domestic violence advocate works with handsome officer Joe Hart to try and help Emily find a way out and maybe give Amber back her youth.
Grace and Hart work together in Coho County on the rugged northern coast of Oregon where the water is cold, the sky is steel gray and the sandy beaches bring people together and get under your skin.
Small town life in Coho is filled with secrets. Just below the surface, Kelly struggles to keep her little family together, while her husband’s secrets are beginning to emerge, including his plans to make everyone believe she is crazy.
Will Grace be able to see Kelly as she really is? Will Kelly trust Grace and let Hart help her. Why doesn’t she just fight back?
Grace, curly, smart, single mother and anything but graceful, lives in an old house by the sea with her mother, Mable. Behind the scenes, Mabel, a red headed hero, helps with Grace’s children and keeps her laughing, even while a storm brews on the horizon.
Family, church, and friends remind Grace that happy endings exist. Mabel’s dry wit and her daughter’s free spirit firmly ground her, and give her more than enough reasons to relish life, even though she knows the phone will ring and she will be needed again.
When Coho County’s small jail releases Berk, he decides to teach Amber a lesson for sharing family secrets. When Berk finds Amber parked at the Cove he tries to punish her. A handsome surfer protects Amber and does everything he can to become a part of her new life, but how can a girl who has only seen abuse trust love?
Will Berk ever leave her alone and how far will he go to maintain control of what he believes is his?
As Grace, Amber, and Kelly pray for answers, God answers their prayers with a storm and nothing will ever be the same again.
PRAISE FOR Safe House
"Shannon seems to have the ability to grip the reader and they are brought into the story like you can fully understand each character. I found it refreshing to read and enjoy a story without curse words in every other sentence.. I hope that Shannon continues on her writing career as I cant wait for the next one. Grace was absolutely my favorite character as she was a real angel." ~ Patricia Bonner
Great book, I want to read more! The book was a page turner; keeping my interest; wondering what will happen next. I had a hard time putting it down. The characters life's have stayed with me. I want to read more about her main characters, especially Grace James. Will there be a second book? I loved the setting of a coastal town in Oregon. My eyes were opened up to a world different from my own. I was left with a desire to help and to somehow bring about the change needed to stop domestic violence." ~ Beverly G.
THE AUTHOR
Shannon worked for 15 years as an Advocate. Shannon lives in a small coastal town in Oregon where she works, writes, runs and paints. She believes the word can be changed one heart at a time and every small act makes a difference. A portion of the proceeds from the novel Safe House will be donated to the non-profit Operation Underground Railroad or OURrescue.org working to end sex trafficking and serve survivors.
