Title: Blue Lady's DÉJÀ VU on the SEAS: A Story of Betrayal, Forgiveness & Restoration: An Angelica Mason Short Story
Author: Stephany Tullis
Genre: Women’s Fiction/Women’s Psychological Fiction
Publisher: Diamond T-K Publishing
Book Blurb:
If one could sleep one’s self to death…
Déjà Vu on the Seas is a story of an emotional journey of personal exploration and search for self. It explores a woman’s fear, confusion and healing, asking the question: Which takes more courage—ignoring the fear or staring it in the face?
Angelica Mason is known in political circles for her highly effective ‘do it my way or hit the highway’ MO. Not one to be intimidated, she’s never second-guessed herself. Once she’s made up her mind, she perseveres to the finish. No regrets. Until now.
Traumatized by several near-death experiences, including a kidnapping, Angelica returns to her safe place and finds the security she needs in her king size bed. She succumbs to the dense fog that has smothered her spirit. And sleeps.
Angelica is only awake long enough to ascertain two things. Something is seriously wrong. And more importantly, she needs to do something about it. She accepts her only alternative. Escape.
Join Angelica as she embarks on a journey of a lifetime--one that is full of unknowns but with her commitment to search and prepare to accept whatever she finds.
Excerpt:
Looking for me… From somewhere deep inside, Angelica remembered she’d never been afraid of anything. How could she let something she couldn’t understand, create so much fear that she hid like a frightened little girl under her blankie? After Nicole left, she spent the rest of the day mulling over her situation, finding no answers, and left with the same questions. What and why?
***
Angelica knew it would only be a matter of time before Jarewski arrived. She had no doubt that Nicole would be true to her word. Her bestie was obligated to the two-and-a-half-day business event; Angelica had no worries in that regard. But Nik would definitely be back—key and all—probably ready for a clean-up, get your act together, and I’m not leaving this time until you do, wrap up session. And, she’d have a full weekend to prove her point.
If JaRew showed up first, he might be in trouble though. Her fail proof steel door would challenge his skills. But it would take more than a steel door to stop him.
No worries regarding her parents since she’d chatted with them and promised to visit them upon their return. So much for promises, but she’d deal with that then—when or if—she needed to.
She needed an interim plan. Letting childhood friend Nicole witness her current semi-invalid like state was one thing. Facing tough guy Jarewski while she languished her life away in her bed for no explainable reason was equivalent to friendship suicide. Her only alternative was to escape. She packed and loaded her car with a plan to head out in the morning.
***
She’d had a restless night but had hit the road early, filled up her tank at a neighborhood service station with plans to start her more than nine-hour drive to Fort Lauderdale with a cup of tea. ‘Since when do I drink hot tea? Or, for that matter, any kind of tea?’ she thought. ‘Geez Louise, I have been sick. No coffee. Wow!’
She made a quick U-turn heading back to the Starbucks she’d just passed. The tiny ping in the center of her belly felt good. She sighed in relief as she waited for her coffee and blueberry scone order. ‘Maybe there’s hope for me after all,’she thought.
***
Angelica Mason was floored by the magnitude of the bright red, white, and blue eye-catching floral abstract designed massive cruise ship. She stumbled and almost lost her balance as she craned her neck—left, right, up and back—much like a bewildered swan who found herself in the wrong lake. She leaned on the extended handle of her travel suitcase to avoid falling, semi-hypnotized by the thought that in less than an hour, she’d board this ship. Angelica would be held captive with no possibility of escape. ‘This is insane,’ she thought. ‘How can something so beautiful feel so threatening?’
She struggled to steady herself, now totally overwhelmed. For the first time ever, she questioned her judgment. What was she trying to prove? While her huge cat eye shaped Ray Bans blocked the bright Florida sun from her eyes, they did nothing to prevent her knees from buckling—again. Her heart pummeled.
“Are you okay?”
Angelica’s pounding heart screamed ‘No.’ She opted to acknowledge the soft pat on her arm with a smile.
“Hi, Lady.” Before Angelica could muster a response, the cute little girl asked her mother, “Is she scared, Mommy? I’m not scared 'cause I’m a big girl, right?” The child jiggled in place despite her mother’s, “Be careful, honey, don’t bump the lady.”
Angelica thought, ‘What the heck made me think that this was the perfect way to find myself?’ She decided it best to ignore the child’s question since she had spoken truth. The little girl’s exuberance, combined with an escalating buzz of excitement by the crowd of several thousand travelers, caused Angelica to truly question her sanity. Why?
A semblance of a whisper echoed, Did it occur to you that you didn’t think? You're petrified of water. Even a hotel pool. Can’t swim a lick and never been on a boat of any size. And you choose a ship. A huge ship. An ocean liner. One of the largest in its category. What the heck did you expect?
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What makes your featured book a must-read?
“This is a wonderful addition to The Blue Lady series. An action and adventure story that is both poignant and humorous, filled with the characters that we’ve come to know and love, and an unexpected twist or two along the way.” ~ Amazon Reviewer
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Author Biography:
Stephany Tullis is the USA Today and Amazon bestselling author of character-driven edgy inspirational fiction including The Master’s Plan, A Novel, her What Love Can Do, Angelica Mason and Chandler County Series. Stephany grew up in upstate New York and fell in love with books on her first trip to the library, influenced by her mother who was an avid reader!
Her motto, 'writing with purpose', reflects her intent to have her stories not only entertain readers but to inspire and uplift their spirits. Her readers write: " As is the norm with this author, she has a firm grasp on human nature and what makes them (people) tick.
Stephany is energized by the sun, thrives on music (all genres) and is inspired by the serenity of the ocean. She loves to travel and summer is her season. Beach-based outdoor music festivals allow her to creatively combine these interests.
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