Flames
A Novel
By forces seemingly antagonistic and destructive Nature accomplishes her beneficent designs—now a flood of fire, now a flood of ice, now a flood of water; and again in the fullness of time an outburst of…life.
John Muir
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I preserve legacies.
So begins Jessica Weaver's story--wife, mother, and fire archeologist. Preserving Yosemite National Park's natural and cultural resources is Jessica's job. Preserving her family's legacy is her obsession. Upon discovering her husband's infidelities, flames of destruction threaten her family and all she's fought to protect. In the end, can Jessica preserve the legacy that matters most?
Haley Weaver, a sophomore in high school, is only concerned with annoying her mother, or so it seems. Antagonistic toward Jessica and her career, Haley is a daddy's girl. As she enters the throes of first love, timid yet intrigued, unbeknownst to her parents, Haley also discovers her father's affair. Without the emotional resources to deal with her discovery, Haley flees into the wilds of Yosemite National Park. If she can't trust her father, can she trust her boyfriend, or even love itself?
When wildfire breaks out and Haley is missing, Jessica fears the worst and initiates a rescue operation within the park. In a race against time, Jessica searches for her daughter as she deals with the magnitude of what her husband's affair may cost her. Can she find Haley before it's too late?
This family drama explores the reality of adultery's destruction, the complicated relationship between mother and daughter, and the process of regeneration--new life.
About Me:
I'm
Ginny L. Yttrup, award-winning author of
Words,
Lost and Found, and
Invisible.
Flames is my fourth novel and my first independent publication. My novels explore issues of the heart and offer not only a satisfying read that will keep you turning pages long past bedtime (according to my readers), but also offer hope. They've garnered awards such as RT Reviews' Book of the Year, ForeWord Reviews' Gold Medal, and the Christy Award for Best First Novel. I speak on the topics of my novels at women's events and retreats, coach writers, and teach writing workshops.
Why this Story?
Flames deals with the topic of adultery and was inspired by the many brave women who, as I've spoken across the country the last few years, shared their personal stories of loss with me--long-term marriages lost due to infidelity. Wounded women. Broken women. Yet women who despite their pain are not only living, but thriving. Flames is dedicated to these courageous women.
I'm doing a final rewrite of Flames before submitting it to my editor the first week in January. I've chosen to independently publish this novel while my agent shops a proposal for another novel to traditional publishers. I've enjoyed working with traditional publishing houses and hope to continue my partnership with them. By publishing independently, I'll have the opportunity to cross-promote my books and perhaps reach a wider audience. It also gives me inside knowledge on all that goes into publication which, I believe, makes me a better author/publishing partner.
Flames is such an important story and publishing it myself also ensures its timely availability for those who will both enjoy and benefit from this book.
How You Can Help:
The first thing I've learned as an "indie" author is that publishing a quality book, one professionally edited and designed, is an expensive process. Because I intend to offer readers a quality product, I've hired an excellent publishing team and look forward to working with them to make Flames the best book possible.
Below is the breakdown of publication expenses. This is how your donations will be used. In exchange for your donations, you'll receive advance copies of Flames and access to me as a participant in your book club meetings or as a speaker for your events. I hope these perks are as exciting to you as they are to me. Or, if you believe in this project and want to donate simply as a means of supporting me and this book, you're also welcome to do so.
I thank you in advance for your support and belief in this project.
I can't do this without you!
Risks & Challenges:
Humility: A campaign like this always feels risky. It's humbling to ask for others to believe in you and trust you with a project such as this. It's so humbling that I stopped and started the creation of this campaign many times over. But in the end, I realized I believe in this story enough to humble myself and ask for your help.
Reality: In the spring of 2012, the publishing company I was contracted with for three additional novels, closed their fiction division and revoked their author contracts. The closure was a response to the reality of a shifting publishing world. With the advent of the ebook, discounted book pricing via Amazon, and the ease of self-publishing, traditional publishing companies are struggling.
Reliability: While I humble myself and ask for your help, and deal with the realities of a changing publishing structure, I can assure you of this: I am reliable as an author. My first three books have received critical acclaim and numerous awards, none of which matters much in the grand scheme of things. What does matter to me, as an author, are the readers who've contacted me and shared how my books touched and even changed their lives in some way. That's what it's all about.
Other Ways You Can Help:
If you can't contribute a donation now, I understand. But there are other ways to help and I'd so appreciate your support!
- Use the campaign share buttons (found under the opening video above) to share Flames and this campaign with your friends via social media.
- Forward the link to this campaign via email to friends who may be interested in supporting Flames.
- Blog about Flames and this campaign.
- Spread the word. Spread the word. Spread the word.
- Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube (buttons below).
- Sign-up for my author newsletter at ginnyyttrup.com
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