A New Dawn

pink sunrise KarenForte

Photo: Karen Forte

 

“…There’s a special beauty to the world resuming definition. I always loved pre-dawn and the gradual emergence of the world from under wraps of darkness. A hesitant light followed by a glorious brush of sunrise obliterating the black with oranges and yellows so bright you must look away and blink, only to find morning had arrived.

I walked faster now that I could see more of the ground in front of me. Brambles and tangled roots were easier to avoid and step over when I didn’t need to test every step.

Sunrise in the forest felt gentler than the ones I’d sat through on my porch. Not so much a blinding line of light across the sky as it was a filtering of color working its way from the canopies above and down the foliage, branches, trunks and finally the ground. Tired and worried, I still found myself mesmerized by the wonder of it all. Goosebumps covered my arms not only from the morning chill but also from something that felt almost like a memory: pink sky chasing blue across the ceiling of the world, the dazzled dance of dust along the shafts of molten, golden light. It felt familiar. Maybe I had seen a forest-sunrise during my own life’s dawn. …”

(Excerpt from “Outlawed Hope”)

 

For the Tuesday Photo Challenge: Sunrise

 

Story Buds

budding NaamaYehuda

Photo: Na’ama Yehuda

 

Fledgling stories

Flap immature wings

In my mind,

Inchoate plots

I don’t yet

Understand.

They unfurl

Like the leaves

From a still tight closed bud –

A surprise

For the growth

That awaited

Inside.

 

 

For The Daily Post

Outlawed Hope

Outlawed Hope cover

Outlawed Hope cover

It’s been three months since “Outlawed Hope” was published, and I’ve been deeply gratified and moved by people’s responses:

“An amazing book!”

“One of the best!”

“Thrilling!”

“A sublime read!”

“Outstanding!”

“Brilliant, enchanting story telling …”

“A captivating and addicting page turner!”

“A winner!”

“Marvelously written, fascinating book!”

“Na’ama Yehuda has written a gem of a read!”

“Provocative, introspective, and hopeful … read it, enjoy it, and most importantly, discuss it with your reading circle.”

THANK YOU, ALL!

Want to take a peek? See below …

“Outlawed Hope” by Na’ama Yehuda (Published December 4, 2013)

Synopsis: Abandoned as an infant, adopted, and then forgotten until seventeen, Aimee was raised for an unknown future. Outlawed Hope is her story, the story of the Outlaws who birthed her, the Society that raised her, and the infant she finds. Aimee needs to save the infant from a future she knows too well. Through dangerous close calls, Aimee discovers that she isn’t who she thought she was, and nor are those around her. Why was she abandoned? Who found her? For the truth, Aimee must face stunning revelations. She is trained to comply, but cannot—it would doom her and the baby she struggles to protect. Can she find another way, and at what cost? Outlawed Hope is a story of loss, unexpected empathy, brutality, and heartfelt resilience.

Advance reviews:

A story of escape and capture, the power of hope, and the heroics necessary to ensure a child’s future.”  Meredith Blevins, The Hummingbird Wizard (The Mystic Café)

Reminiscent of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, Outlawed Hope is a compelling, fast-paced novel set in a less-than-utopian society. We feel the race of Aimee’s pulse as we follow the twists and turns of her journey, meeting various characters who help, hinder, sabotage, and heal both her past and future. In this first novel by Na’ama Yehuda, change is given the ride of its life and hope is anything but outlawed.” Adele Ryan McDowell, Author of Amazon Bestseller Balancing Act: Reflections, meditations and Coping Strategies for Today’s Fact Paced Whirl.

Available on:

Amazon: KindlePaperback

Nookhttp://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/outlawed-hope-naama-yehuda/1117555597

iBookstorehttps://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id773444300

Kobohttp://store.kobobooks.com/Search/Query?fcmedia=Book&query=1230000200869