From Ashes to Honor

by Loree Lough

Overview

Minutes before two jumbo jets changed U.S. history, New York police officer Austin Finley ignored the call from his brother, who'd been bugging him for days. Trying to live with his one regret causes hatred and bitterness to consume Austin, and when counselor Mercy Samara recommends desk duty, Austin resigns. Haunted by her own memories of 9/11, Mercy takes a job as a school counselor in Baltimore. When Austin, now an EMT, responds to an emergency at Mercy's school, both are stunned and wary. Finally their common—and painful—memories turn suspicion into friendship, then romance. But hard questions linger: Can they truly move beyond their past harsh judgments and harsh words? Will their past finally bring them closer or—as the tenth anniversary of 9/11 draws near—drive them farther apart?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781682998663
Publisher:	Abingdon Fiction
Publication date:	09/01/2011
Series:	First Responders , #1
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	336
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

With nearly 4,500,000 books in circulation, award-winning author Loree Lough has 99 books on the shelves (mostly faith-based fiction & non-fiction for children & adults that earned dozens of 4- & 5-star reviews & 5 movie options), including reader favorites such as the First Responders series & For Love of Eli (Abingdon Press). With the publication of Guarding Alyssa in February of 2014 (#3 in the A Child to Love series for Harlequin Heartwarming), the total will reach 100.

Loree's articles have appeared in dozens of international & national newspapers & magazines. In addition to nearly 2,500 feature stories (writing as L.A. Lough), she "ghosted" hundreds more that appeared in trade & technical publications.

A firm believer in the "what goes around, comes around" theory, Loree developed & taught numerous fiction & nonfiction writing courses for area colleges, writers' organizations, & t

Editorial Reviews

Readers will no doubt respond—as the 10th anniversary of September 11 looms—to the First Responders series, but they may face disappointment as they slog through this novel. Police officer Austin Finley ignores phone calls from his twin, only to face guilt later after his brother dies in the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Bitterness and anger fill him, forcing Dr. Mercy Samara to recommend he be relieved of duty two years later. Austin and Mercy flee their separate September 11 demons, only to meet six years later in Baltimore. Austin, an EMT, and Mercy, a school counselor, feel the sparks between them immediately. Readers may lose patience with the endless banter that smacks of adolescence ("Well what?" "I thought you were going to hang up." "I was." "Then, why didn't you?") and irritating colloquialisms ("If I'd-a had a knife, I reckon I could-a cut through it." "Well, there y'go.") before they can dig more deeply into the story. Booksellers, however, will most likely find a ready market for September 11 fare. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

The events of 9/11 forever changed the lives of Austin Finley and Mercy Samara. Austin was a police officer when the towers were decimated; Mercy was a counselor. The two clashed when Mercy recommended that Austin be moved to desk duty. His chief's decision to take the recommendation prompted Austin to resign and train as an EMT. Almost ten years later, Mercy has taken a job as a school counselor in Baltimore. An emergency at the school finds the two once again face to face. As they become reacquainted, they discover more between them than just friendship. VERDICT As the ten-year anniversary of 9/11 draws near, the market is sure to be inundated with this type of novel. Still, Lough's ("Lone Star Legends") is an entertaining tale of loss and redemption. Recommended it to readers of issue-driven CF (e.g., Melanie B. Dobson).

Library Journal