By Michael French
Genre: Mystery/Suspense
Once Upon a Lie is about two strangers who become unlikely friends, only to unintentionally put each other's life in jeopardy. Jaleel Robeson, a gifted, eighteen year-old black man, falsely accused of murdering his father in a small Texas town, is on the run. He assumes a new identity in 1980s Los Angeles as a successful student on his way to college. Alexandra Baten, a restless sixteen year old while girl, lives in a privileged Toluca Lake family but feels trapped by her parents' values. One weekend, she rides her bike into a run down neighborhood, meeting a young black man selling lemonade. Thus begins a friendship between opposites, at least on the surface, but they learn they have more in common than they imagine. Told from each character's point of view in alternating chapters, we become involved in a gripping tale of two Americas where discontent and violence always lurk under the surface. When they erupt, no one is safe. Once Upon a Lie is both a family drama and a crime drama, as well as an exploration of interracial love, mother-daughter relationships, and redemption through courage.
My Review:
Once Upon a Lie debunks the theory that you are a product of your environment. In this literary fiction novel, we have two characters who are absolute polar opposites. From their race, family dynamics, to the stability level of their homes. It’s a most intriguing plot because the characters do not react to situations or relationships in the manner in which we have programmed to respond time and time again by the media and our society. If you want a thought-provoking & intellectual read about love and the struggle of real life, pick this book up!
Author Bio
Michael R. French graduated from Stanford University where he was an English major, focusing on creative writing, and studied under Wallace Stegner. He received a Master's degree in journalism from Northwestern University. He later served in the United States Army before marrying Patricia Goodkind, an educator and entrepreneur, and starting a family. In addition to publishing over twenty titles, including award-winning young adult fiction, adult fiction, biographies ad self-help books, he has written or co-written a half-dozen screenplays, including Intersection, which has won awards in over twenty film festivals. He has also had a long business career in real estate, living in Santa Fe, New Mexico. His passions include travel, collecting rare books, and hanging with friends and family. He describes his worst traits as impatience and saying "no" too quickly; his best are curiosity, taking risks, and learning from failure.
Links:
Twitter: twitter.com/mfrenchauthor
Website: http://www.michaelrfrench.com
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Michael-French/e/B001ITYVES
Connect with the novels two main characters online
Alex Baten
Facebook: http://bit.ly/Alexbaten
Twitter: http://bit.ly/AlexBatenTW
Jaleel Robeson
Facebook: http://bit.ly/JaleelRobeson
Twitter: http://bit.ly/JaleelRobesonTW
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