Drawn from Life: a novel of psychological suspense

by Sarah P Blanchard

Overview

Life-changing tragedy. Conflicting memories. Is she a killer or a victim?

Emma Gillen is haunted by guilt. Almost a decade after surviving a deadly car crash on a remote Appalachian mountain, she's held hostage by long-term damage to her body and no recollection of that tragic event. Then her volatile cousin Lucy returns, needing money and bringing chaos. Emma must decide if she should bargain with the beautiful, untrustworthy Lucy-a possible witness to the crash-to uncover their shared past.

All bargains carry risk. As Lucy grows more desperate and greedy, Emma suspects there's more at stake than just money. Struggling with shame, night terrors, and her own unreliable memory, Emma accepts help from a compassionate detective. But the choice remains hers alone: Can she find the strength to free herself from the danger of her cousin's destructive power, or will Lucy bring everything crashing down?

Filled with dark conflict, compelling themes, and memorable characters, this psychological mystery is a thrilling tale of resilience, redemption, and courage.

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Drawn from Life was shortlisted for The Letter Review Award for Unpublished Books (February 2024), received a 2024 Readers' Favorite Book Award (Fourth Place/Honorable Mention for New Adult Fiction), and was named a finalist for the 2024 American Fiction Awards.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798218332280
Publisher:	Eagle Ridge Farm
Publication date:	02/23/2024
Pages:	356
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.79(d)

About the Author

A New England farmer at heart, Sarah P. Blanchard also lived for several years on the Big Island of Hawaii and in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, where Drawn from Life and many of her short stories are set. Rural life and the natural world have strongly influenced her writing, as have the works of writers Barbara Kingsolver, Charles Frazier, Kelly Braffet, and Ron Rash. Sarah holds a B.A. in English and an M.B.A. in marketing and worked for many years in communications and marketing. On side journeys, she has also been a volunteer firefighter, radio news anchor, talk show host, magazine editor, website developer, horse trainer, grantwriter, and facilities supervisor for a large astronomy observatory. For five years, Sarah taught at the University of Hawaii-Hilo and also taught fiction writing in the College for Seniors Program, part of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of North Carolina-Asheville. Before turning her attention to fiction, Sarah wrote three instructional books on horse training (Howell Book House). Many of her poems, essays, short stories, and a novella have been published in literary reviews, online, and in podcasts. Her story "Playing Chess with Bulls" was a finalist for the 2021 North Carolina Writers' Network Doris Betts fiction prize. She is active in several writers' groups and workshops. In her writing, Sarah is drawn toward flawed, compassionate characters who believe they must battle their demons alone; and complex antagonists who think they have nothing left to lose. Sarah and her husband Rich divide their time between rural northeastern Connecticut and the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina.

Editorial Reviews

04/22/2024

Blanchard delivers a twisty thriller and memorable cast in this spirited debut. After Emma Harnett suffers a car accident that kills three people and leaves her with a permanent brain injury, her guilt is overwhelming, despite the fact that the police ruled it all an accident. Fast forward eight years and Emma, now the bookkeeper and occasional artist’s model for Stonefall Art Center, has established a new rhythm in her life—a rhythm that falls apart when her abrasive cousin Lucy returns to town, dredging up the pair’s destructive history and throwing Emma into chaos.

Lucy, who has now reinvented herself as Lyssa Morales, is quick to pledge love for her family as the reason she’s come back, but it soon becomes obvious to Emma that Lyssa is short on money and willing to do anything to get it. The stakes increase even more when vandals attack the art center and Emma receives threatening mail, sparking a worry that the two incidents are somehow connected. As Emma races to connect the dots, Blanchard skillfully layers suspense and red herrings throughout, keeping the story humming with muscular prose and deft characterizations.

Readers will sympathize with Emma—whose brain injury often causes her to utter unintended malapropisms—and love the supportive group of people in her life, including her former physical therapist, Jonah, her father, Frank (who is dealing with the effects of long COVID), and handyman Chaz, whose devotion to Emma and relationship to her accident comes as an explosive surprise. Emma’s essential goodness shines through as she tackles her guilt, misguided as it may be, and readers will love to hate Lyssa, whose questionable moral compass powers the story, resulting in a satisfying—and jolting—dénouement. Blanchard’s prowess in storytelling and expert delivery of suspenseful set ups will delight thriller buffs.

Takeaway: Expertly plotted thriller powered by twisty suspense and memorable characters.

Comparable Titles: Mary Higgins Clark, Ashley Farley.

Production grades Cover: A Design and typography: A Illustrations: N/A Editing: A Marketing copy: A

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