Imperfections by Ann Chiappetta | Book Review, Author Guest Post, $25 Gift Card | #YoungAdult #ContemporaryFiction #Raffle #BookReview #AuthorPost @GoddessFish #IndiePublished
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A book blog tour from Goddess Fish Promotions.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and Marianne & Judy at Goddess Fish for providing me with the information for this tour.
Book Details
Imperfections by Ann Chiappetta Published by Independent Author on March 3, 2024
Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Young Adult
Format: eBook, Hardcover, Paperback
Pages: 224
Source: Goddess Fish PromotionsFor Lainie, feeling unwelcome is only the beginning of her struggles. Her mom is addicted to painkillers, her stepfather is a felon, and her dad traded her in for a new family.
So what if she’s kicked out of high school? Determined and attractive, Lainie sets out to make her own path.
Shane, the young man she begins dating and believes is trustworthy, transforms into a possessive and cruel boyfriend. When Efren, Shane’s older cousin, enters her life, Lainie grasps onto a sliver of hope, falling in love.
Shane’s obsessive and abusive treatment of her, however, casts a deep shadow over Lainie and Efren’s chance to find safety and a future free of the fear of Shane’s sadistic retribution.
Will their love persevere, or will Shane’s pervasive and negative influence push Lainie and Efren apart, forcing them to love secretly?
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Excerpt from Imperfections
Shane wasn’t who he once was, and I needed to do whatever I could to help her feel safe. Witnessing the abuse and shame she’d endured because of his sick obsession twisted me, and I wanted nothing more than to pummel his snotty little face until he begged for mercy. How could anyone abuse someone like Elaina?
She strode past Shane and into my suite with the final armful , ignoring him.
“I’m done,” she said.
“I hope she doesn’t disappoint you in bed,” said Shane.
The anger boiled, but I kept myself in control. “Enough of that. This isn’t the time to rearrange your face, you snotty wanker,” I said, my voice thick with anger.
I waited until Shane dropped his gaze, then I said, “I hope that day comes soon, cousin. I hope you step over the line so I can make some improvements to your complexion.”
He retreated to his room. I heard the lock engage, and I permitted myself to feel a little regret at not defending Elaina’s character with direct contact of my fist against that arse’s face.
I entered the room. Elaina had stacked her belongings, her life, into a corner of the sitting area. It saddened me to know that a few cases and boxes were all that remained after Shane had stolen and sold the rest to get high.
There was so much about her that I wanted to know. Why her father never helped her. Why she didn’t ask for help from her relatives in New York. I knew her mother was an addict and that she and Elaina did not speak. She was enrolled in East Bay Community College and was close to earning an associate’s degree. She wanted to obtain a bachelor’s degree in kennel and stable management. So focused, and yet she seemed sad.
The fair gowns hung on a hook in the closet. Her fingers caressed the pewter and black one.
The gesture brought me a sense of gloom, as if she were saying goodbye. After I had crept into Rita’s box and listened to her sobbing, the moderate measure of guilt I felt for punching Shane, the wanker, then asking Rick to assist in throwing him over the fair gate, had been assuaged. Shane should have gotten a sounder beating, but he was still blood kin. That was the only thing that had saved him from my rearranging his mug.
Listening to Lainie’s sobs, I realized I wanted to pick her up off Rita’s back and be the one to absorb those tears. I needed her to trust me. She was so vulnerable and isolated that I wondered if she would ever take a chance on sharing the abuse I knew she had endured during her time living with Shane. I hoped when she finally decided to trust me, I would be able to handle it.
Excerpt provided by the author/publisher for use in this post.
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Purchase Links for Imperfections
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Chiappetta, Ann (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 212 Pages - 03/01/2024 (Publication Date)
If the above link does not take you to your country’s Amazon page, please let me know, and I’ll gladly get a link for you.
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My Thoughts on Imperfections
This tale is undoubtedly relevant to young people, as well as those who are not so young. Parts of the book can be challenging to read due to the subject matter, but it is so important that books like Imperfections are published. If just one reader is reached by the messages within these pages, it’s well worth celebrating.
Addiction and abuse are harsh threads from which to weave an uplifting story. Anne Chiappetta manages this feat quite well. I’m sure she drew on her past occupation as a trauma therapist to know the best ways to present this material. Her writing skills made this into an incredibly gripping tale. (And she still found a way to include that HEA)
I received a copy of the book for the tour. This review is my honest, unbiased opinion.
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I love my Amazon Kindle Unlimited Subscription. So many books, so little time!
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About Ann Chiappetta
Ann Chiappetta, M.S. Poet and Author
Ann’s award-winning poems, creative nonfiction, and essays have appeared internationally in literary journals, popular online blogs, and print anthologies. Her poems have been featured in The Avocet, the Pangolin Review, Plum Tree Tavern, Magnets and Ladders, Oprelle, Western PA Poetry Review 2024and Breath and Shadow. Ann’s short story, The Misty Torrent appeared in the Artificial Divide anthology published by Renaissance Press (2021).
Ann is the recipient of the 2019 GDUI Excellence in Writing award and the WDOMI 2016 Spirit of Independence award.
Independently published since 2016, the author’s seven-volume collection includes poetry, creative nonfiction essays, short stories, and contemporary fiction.
Diagnosed in 1993 with a rare form of progressive retinal disease, Ann accepts vision loss as part of her life but doesn’t let it define her as a whole person.
The author resides in western Pennsylvania with her husband, retired guide dog pet dog and cats, striving to develop a mutually-beneficial relationship with her assistive technology.
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Guest Post by the Author of Imperfections
I worked as a mental health professional prior to writing full-time. For over twenty-five years my fingers typed process notes, treatment plans and patient summaries. It was a form of writing and it kept me in practice with the mechanics of writing but the clinical nature of it did not fulfill my desire to create.
In the off hours I wrote poetry because a poem could be completed in a shorter period of time compared to a short story or novel. A poem fed the desire to create something opposite of treatment goals and symptomology of a client. It freed me and the catharsis was part of my self-care.
The strategy worked for years and the file folder on my pc numbered over three hundred poems after five years of counseling. The number grew close to one thousand when I retired. I also began writing essays and flash fiction pieces and submitted my work, being modestly successful.
In 2015, while I was still counseling, we lost our Mom. While she was in the hospital following open heart surgery, she asked me to publish some of my poems. I honored her wish and the result was Upwelling: Poems © 2016. My sister, Cheryll, supplied the photo for the cover and the photo of my guide dog, Verona, which is placed at the mid-point in the book. I’ve independently published six books since, averaging two years between releases.
In October 2019, I retired early, at age 58. The federal agency where I was employed announced transitioning to a new database reporting system. Because this new software was purported to be difficult and most likely impossible for employees using assistive technology, I left and filed for disability retirement. Looking back, I was burnt out, struggling with the daily wrestling of unreliable equipment and support. Being the only employee with a sensory disability in my district, the fight to prove myself drained me more than being a trauma-informed therapist.
I’ve discovered, after my departure from counseling, being blind isn’t a barrier and writing full-time is a blessing. I am investing in myself once again, developing the craft of prose and poetry, painting word pictures, treasuring the freedom to express what it means to be human and sharing it with others.
Thinking of myself as a professional writer, poet and author gives me a purpose in my retirement from counseling, feeding the muse, letting me explore a life full of possibilities and creativity. I’ve got so many stories and words to paint with, and now I’ve got the time to do it.
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Giveaway for the Imperfections Tour!
Ann Chiappetta will award a randomly drawn winner a $25 Amazon/BN gift card.
Visit more stops on this Goddess Fish tour for extra chances to win!
Official Tour Page for Imperfections
Full Tour Schedule:
May 8: Westveil Publishing
May 15: Momma Says: To Read or Not to Read
May 22: Hope. Dreams. Life… Love
May 22: Long and Short Reviews
May 29: Literary Gold
June 5: Fabulous and Brunette
June 12: Books+Coffee=Happiness
June 12: The Pen and Muse Book Reviews
June 19: The Avid Reader
June 26: Lisa Haselton’s Reviews and Interviews
July 10: The Faerie Review
July 17: Our Town Book Reviews – review only
July 17: A Wonderful World of Words
July 24: Gina Rae Mitchell
July 31: Sandra’s Book Club
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The excerpt sounds great.
Not sure my post went through. Thanks for hosting me and for the review. the excerpt shows the risks of opening up to being vulnerable with someone in the early stages of a relationship.
Thanks for sharing your book with me Annie. And for visiting the blog today. Come back anytime.
I liked the excerpt.
I loved developing Efren’s character, thanks. Thanks for your review!
This sounds like a book that contains challenging issues that may be part of life.
Nancy
allibrary (at) aol (dot) com
Thank you so much for hosting and reviewing IMPERFECTIONS today.
Thod looks lime a very enjoyable read. Thanks for sharing.