Endurance , livre ebook

Lift Him Up Productions, Inc. - Gwen Sutton

Découvre YouScribe en t'inscrivant gratuitement

Je m'inscris

Obtenez un accès à la bibliothèque pour le consulter en ligne
En savoir plus

191 pages

English

Vous pourrez modifier la taille du texte de cet ouvrage

Obtenez un accès à la bibliothèque pour le consulter en ligne
En savoir plus

A propos
Informations
Extrait

Description

Dereka Jones is a beautiful, smart, outgoing young girl leading an ideal life where she's surrounded by the love and nurture of four special women-her mama, Grandma Ruth, Aunt Kenya, and Auntie Jazz. But her blissful world is viciously shattered when a family nemesis from the past abducts Dereka and sells her into child sex slavery. In captivity she is forced to endure the most deplorable and degradable conditions imaginable. Dereka's family is devastated, and tries desperately to find her before it's too late. But it seems their arch enemy, a drug dealer called Memphis, is always one step ahead of them in his quest for revenge. A suspenseful, intriguing, and heart wrenching tale of tragedy and survival, Endurance provides a riveting and realistic look at the atrocity of child sex trafficking. A gripping story that demonstrates one family's capacity to love, hope, pray and endure even in the darkest moments.

Sujets

Thriller

Informations

Publié par	Lift Him Up Productions, Inc.
Date de parution	19 janvier 2016
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781783018710
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0450€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

Endurance
Gwen Sutton

© 2015 Gwen Sutton
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 1518719287
ISBN 13: 9781518719288
Library of Congress Control Number: 2015917526
CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
North Charleston, South Carolina
Published by Lift Him Up Productions, Inc.

Praise for Gwen Sutton’s original novel, All Means All, If You Believe
“An exciting read that is sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats….”

“I found the novel hard to put down, as I was eager to see what would happen next in this unpredictable and deeply emotional story.”

“An incredible and suspenseful fiction novel. Very realistic and compelling….”

“A great read from a very talented author! I highly recommend the well-written novel…to readers everywhere.”
--Lucinda Weeks, Readers’ Favorite Reviews

“I was captivated from the very beginning of the story.”

“This book is an awesome read. Kudos to author Gwen Sutton.”
--Valerie Rouse, Readers’ Favorite Reviews

“A great novel that keeps you entertained until the very end.”

“I really like the way she portrayed the characters.”
--Rabio Tanveer, Readers’ Favorite Reviews

“The ultimate messages of faith and forgiveness ring clear, providing the novel its most uplifting, thoughtful scenes.”

“Readers of faith may revel in these characters, their mistakes and their triumphs….”
-- Kirkus Reviews

Praise for Endurance
“I love this book. Loved. It.”

“A heart-wrenching tale of atrocity and redemption....”

“Anyone who enjoys reading suspense, action, intrigue, stories with a strong message …should definitely read Endurance.”
--Tracy Slowiak, Readers’ Favorite Reviews

“Simply a great read.”

“Characters that readers will connect with, relate to and continue to think about long after the book is finished. If that isn’t the hallmark of a great author, I don’t know what is.”

“I look forward to more from this very promising author in the future!”
--Chris Fischer, Readers’ Favorite Reviews

“An emotionally charged, and at times heart breaking story…. The subject matter of this well-written book … can move you to tears in places.”

“There are plenty of surprises and twists to the story too as the battle for good over evil plays itself out.”

“A brave story about atrocities that shouldn’t happen. But also a story about resourcefulness, hope, courage, and endurance.”
--Hillary Hawkes, Readers’ Favorite Reviews

“This book reaffirms the need for the world to come together in the fight against human trafficking. Gwen Sutton delivers this message in a very compelling way.”

“I was profoundly moved….”
--Faridah Nassozi, Readers’ Favorite Reviews

Dedications
To my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

To my soulmate, husband, and the love of my life, Swindell Sutton. Thanks for your unwavering love and support. I’m so grateful that God blessed me with you.

To my siblings, Deborah, Rozell, and Raymond, with love. We have and will endure.

To the millions of human trafficking victims around the world.

Contents
Preface
Prologue
Birthday Prep
Three Generations of Love
Lady Jazz
Calm before the Storm
On the Prowl
Take Care of My Child
As Cold as They Come
The Call from Hell
Not the Body
The Devil is in the Details
Let Me Hold You
It’s Crying Time
Please Don’t Be Dead
God Is
Nothing Beats a Failure, But a Try
The Lord is my Shepherd
He’s Back
Lord Have Mercy
Hiding in Plain Sight
Get Used to It
The Tip-Off
La Casa de Placer
The Breaker
A Quilted Tapestry of Tragedies
My Soul to Take
He That Endures
In Bed with the Devil
My Mother’s Child
Come Out Swinging
Family by Default
A Greater Purpose
A Brighter Day Ahead
Slow and Steady Wins the Race
Like Father, Like Son
The One Called Scrappy
Coming for You Sunshine
Such Things Ought Not to Be
Got to Laugh to Keep from Crying
An Angel in Hell
A Business Scheme
For Granted
Parole My Ass!
Swing Vote
Hooked the Big Fish
Peace Be Still
Wanna Bet
A Little Birdie Told Me
The Lady in Red
You My Sister Now
Someone Who Cares
Bigger Fish to Fry
Oh No He Didn’t
The Moment of Truth
Enough Is Enough
Never Saw It Coming
I Smell a Rat
How Did You Know?
Will the Real Imposter Please Stand Up?
The Facts Speak for Themselves
Seeing Is Believing
Somebody’s Sunshine
Guilty, Your Honor
An Escape Plan
Live by the Sword
Undercover in Colombia
Scared to Stop
Anybody Out There?
Biggest Lead Yet
Hanging On by a Thread
The House Falls
La Última Parada
Not My Mama
An Unlikely Source
Fought the Good Fight
A Heartfelt Farewell
Two Words
You Came for Me
The Call of a Lifetime
A Legacy of Love
The Takedown
Going Home
Joyous Reunion
No One’s There
Endurance
Author’s Note
Please Help Fight Human Trafficking
Biblical Quotes and References
Songs Reference

Preface
ENDURANCE CONTINUES THE compelling, emotional, and inspirational story of the Jones family which began in my original novel, All Means All, If You Believe . When I wrote the original book, it was not my intentions to continue the Jones family saga. But God, and my readers, had other plans.

Readers wanted to know what became of the complex, endearing, and realistic characters in my original book who were blindsided by an unimaginable tragedy; but who by grace, faith, and prayer pulled through. And God led me to a story that required me to delve into dark, unfamiliar territory, in order to shed light on an abominable crime against children. I pray I’ve done the subject justice.

To be honest, Endurance was a tough story for me to write. And it may be difficult for some to read as well. However, as tough as it was to write, or as difficult as it may be to read—most of us can only imagine how painful it must be to live.

I hope that readers will not only be enlightened, engrossed and entertained by the many twists and turns in the plot of this emotional story, but will also be moved to action. We all can do something, no matter how small, to combat this appalling atrocity against children that is thriving in society among us.

Prologue
DEREKA DRIFTS SOMEWHERE between the conscious and the unconscious. She feels like she is in a dark, narrow tunnel, floating in a place that is neither here nor there. Visions of a birthday cake, candles, and colorful balloons drift like a dream across the breadth of her mind. Dereka tries to reach out and touch them, but everything seems just out of reach. She visualizes the beautiful smiling face of her mother, Serena, and hears her gentle voice and joyful laughter as they walk arm in arm across a huge parking lot. Serena is carrying a birthday cake in her free arm, and Dereka has a huge bundle of balloons.
But something isn’t right. Something has happened; something horrible. In her subconscious state, Dereka feels a deep sense of fear and trepidation. What’s wrong? she questions in her mind. I have to find out what’s wrong. So Dereka fights her way to consciousness as if she were freeing herself from a thick net that was determined to keep its catch. But when Dereka opens her eyes, she is still enveloped in darkness. She is lying on her side somewhere in total darkness. She closes her eyes and opens them again only to be greeted by that same foreboding darkness. Fear grips her heart as she moves her head slowly from side to side, trying to get her bearings.
Dereka tries to remember something, anything that would explain where she is and why. Let’s see , she thinks . I went shopping with Mama to pick up my birthday cake and balloons for my party , Dereka recalls, feeling a twinge of excitement at the thought of finally becoming a teenager. She remembers going to her mother’s favorite bakery in Old Town Alexandria and picking up a chocolate cake with purple and white icing. She also recalls buying a variety of colorful balloons with “Happy 13th Birthday” written on them. She even remembers her mother laughing and teasing her about the fact that some boy who lived down the street from them, and who had a crush on Dereka, had called and asked to be invited to her party. And he wouldn’t take no for an answer. The last thing Dereka remembers is walking arm in arm towards the car with her mother. But that’s when things goes black. Dereka can’t remember anything after that . Why can’t I remember? Where’s Mama? What happened? she thinks frantically.
Dereka tries to stand up, but something is preventing her from standing. She’s in some kind of contraption, in a cramped, stuffy place. She tries to stretch out her arms and legs but can move them only a few inches in any direction. Her body is curled up in a fetal position. She uses her arms and legs to push against whatever is enclosing her, but it won’t bulge. Then Dereka senses a slight moving sensation. It seems whatever she is in is actually moving. She lies perfectly still, trying to hear anything that will give her a clue as to where she is and what is happening. For a moment the moving sensation stops, and she believes she hears a deep humming or rumbling sound, like a motor of some sort was left running. When the moving sensation starts again, Dereka’s body shifts sharply to one side. She listens carefully and thinks she hears the faint sound of horns and cars in