Told in gorgeous, poetic tones, The Brevity of Roses will take you on a journey delving into three unique characters as delicate and beautiful as a rose itself. Lewis’ rich understanding of relationships is phenomenal.” – Michelle Davidson Argyle, author of Monarch
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Jalal Vaziri has looks, money, women—and a habit of running from reality. When he abandons New York and reinvents himself as a poet in a California beach house, he thinks he’s running from a father who hates him, a career mistake, and endless partying. A fresh start is all he needs. After an intriguing woman enters his life, he believes all his dreams are coming true, but too soon that dream dissolves into nightmare. Jalal flees again. Only this time, a woman blocks his retreat and challenges him to finally face the truth about what he’s trying to outrun.
Buy the softcover or Kindlebook at Amazon.
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Grief, discovery, anguish, pleasure, rejection, acceptance, atonement, forgiveness—the rhythmic odes of marriage, friendship, family. A fine debut novel that reaches deep into a poet’s beating heart, lays it open, vulnerable to the bitter betrayals, and the joyful loyalties, of this thing we call Love.” – Kathryn Magendie, author of the Graces Sagas, Sweetie and Petey, publishing editor of Rose & Thorn.
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Click to read:
>>> Chapter One <<<
>>> Chapter Two <<<
What reviewers are saying:
Linda Cassidy Lewis is a virtuoso with the English language and this book is a joy to read. — LLBookReviews
Ms. Lewis has provided a tender and thought-provoking look at life, chance, and love. — The Book Diva’s Reads
This book starts off with a bang and I was gripped from the get go. — Fabulosity Reads
What readers like you are saying:
Excerpts:
Jalal:
Meredith sat reading on the floor beside the window, her hair a silver blonde halo against the streaming sunlight. Jalal lay on the sofa with an open book propped on his chest. He only pretended to read. He was studying her. After a few minutes, she looked up.
“Why are you staring at me?” she asked.
“Why do you insist on sitting on the floor when there are two sofas and four chairs in this room?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “This feels more … natural.”
“More spiritual?” he asked. “More connected to the earth’s energies?”
She closed her book with a snap. “Are you mocking me?”
“Not at all,” he said. “I have concluded you are a goddess. Goddess of the roses. Queen of the hummingbirds.”
Meredith rolled her eyes.
“I am serious,” he said. “I believe you are an eternal spirit born into this world from time to time. And I am the fortunate man to have found you in this incarnation.”
“And I believe,” she said, rising to her feet, “that you are a silver-tongued devil bucking for a roll in the hay.”
“That too,” he said, laughing. He had just enough time to toss his book to the floor before she pounced on him.
Meredith:
She glanced at her watch. It was nearly three o’clock, well past time to leave here. What excuse did she have to linger?
At that moment, the sun broke through and a ray filtered through her wine glass casting a bright pool of pale gold on the tablecloth. She slid her hand over to the light and smiled when her index finger appeared to become a magic wand with glowing tip. As if she could wave her hand through the air and transform her life. As if she could envision that life. As if she dared.
Well, why not?
She surrendered with a sigh. She drank the last of her wine, turned away from the window, and picked up her magazine again. They had not even served the man his lunch yet. How could she leave?
Renee:
Damn him. Why’d he have to cheat now? “Six more weeks, Matt. That’s all I needed—” She’d flipped the light switch and the glare exposed the mess he’d left behind: half-opened drawers, empty hangers on the bed, a leftover packing box. Gone. The breath she held eased out like a prayer. “I wanted to be the first to leave this time.”
During the minute she stood in the doorway surveying the remnants of Matt, she assessed the situation, adjusted her plans, and shot her middle finger into the air. Done, and done. She cleared the bed with a sweep of her arm, peeled off her tip-increasing micro-skirt, cut the lights, and crawled under the covers.
Click to read:
This looks really good!
You’re publishing it I assume?
Thank you, Jinx. And yes, I am Indie publishing. It’s tough times in NY publishing for debut authors unless you’re writing YA or one of the other hot genres.
Yes definitely. I wish you the best of luck getting it to be well known. =)
Beautiful light. Do you have a sense of where the cover details will go? Over or around your figure or in the sea/beach spaces? Because I’m thinking they’re not so much spaces as atmospheres waiting to become whatever it is the book is going to imbue them with. You are astonishingly talented. Well, no, why am I astonished – that’s what you are!
Thank you, Suzanne. I have the front cover and spine design completed, just finalizing the back cover. I still need to work on the book description to make it sound less like a ROMANCE novel. A friend inspired me to consider a less traditional option for title placement and I love it now.
There is good stuff and there is great stuff! This is great stuff!
Why thank you very much, sir.
You are more than welcome. You have struggled so hard to make this happen and its been fascinating to watch. It will do well.
I’ll try to believe that, Duke.
Beautiful, Linda!
Thank you, Kat.
Beautiful painting, Linda! You’re quite talented! Can’t wait to see what it looks like on an actual book cover!!
Thank you, Kayla.
Still working on the cover.
Love it. Beautiful sky background. Kudos!
Thank you, Barbara. I appreciate you taking the time to look.
I’m so excited! Beautiful painting, Linda. I can’t wait to see the final product.
Thank you, Dayner.
The cover will be done today, probably.
FYI: There is a typo in Meredith’s blurb.
Okay, I’ve read and reread, but I don’t see it. ???
Wow! You’re getting closer and closer to realizing that dream. You must be nauseous and giddy at the same time.
I love your choice of color and can’t wait to see the final book cover with all things in place.
Thanks, DS. Believe me, I have breakdowns regularly now. Luckily, I have a pep-talker on retainer.
I agree, that sky is spectacular! Can’t wait to see it as the cover, you’ve intrigued me with the “less traditional option for title placement”!
Thank you, Cathryn. Oh, the title placement is probably not as unusual as I think, it just not one I thought of.
You’ll see the front cover on my Facebook page soon.
OH, it’s getting closer! I love the way you’ve captured the sky here. I can’t wait to see the whole cover!
The little character blurbs serve as good teasers, too.
Thank you, Natasha.
Now that I’ve finally … FINALLY … written a back cover blurb I like AND which doesn’t make the genre confusing, I would be done with the whole cover except for a little problem with the font on the spine. The front cover will show up on my Facebook page soon.
Love it! You are indeed a lady with many talents. I’m SO happy for you and wishing you every success!
Thank you, Laura. I appreciate the wishes.
Very impressive, Linda!
Thank you, Amanda.
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Hmm…this seems interesting, but I don’t have a Kindle. Do you know when you might have a print version available? (Sorry if I missed the answer to that question somewhere.)
And congrats on publishing!
Thank you, Caitlynn. The print version should be available at Amazon in a few days. Watch my blog for the announcement.
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I just finished reading The Brevity of Roses. Thank you for writing this story with these characters.
I admit, I shed a tear or two for Jalal, Meredith, and Renee. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Thank you for reading and letting me know you enjoyed it, Juli.
I hope you’ll add a little review at Amazon.