“Such a great read. This urban based story covers grief, trauma, life as a teenager evolving into an adult and so much more. I couldn’t put the book down and can’t wait until it’s published for all to have the opportunity to read such a powerful story of overcoming. @moni_shywriter did amazing telling this story. ”
— @theminstlist, ARC Reader
(Hardcover orders will ship in two weeks)
This is not my typical read and it was an emotional journey. Generational trauma, heartbreak, loss, fear, pain, and finding self love are all beautifully woven into this novel. There are no white picket fences, good luck, or happily ever afters for Lavender and the raw emotions surrounding her life experiences are what make this story impeccable.
— Heather, Amazon Review
(Orders will be shipped beginning the first week of October)
The summer Lavender turned twelve, she was eager to dip her toes into the world of make-out sessions with her school crush and indulge in late-night misdeeds with her best friend in their raucous Newark neighborhood.
Her father — with his guitar — had other plans. He wanted to continue cultivating her gifted musical mind and nudge her to begin preparing to apply to the local Arts Magnet High School.
Instead, Lavender will suddenly find herself cast into an unrecognizable and dispiriting world where she fights to maintain her sense of self, connection to her musical gifts, and place inside her own family dynamics.
Later, as a woman in her thirties who never reckoned with how much of herself she’d relinquished in her tumultuous adolescent years, Lavender meets a younger man who reminds her of what she’s lost and surrendered. Upended in unexpected ways, she has to also confront ghosts from her past with the potential to topple the meager structures she’s managed to build for herself.
Will she reemerge from it all with her full self? Stable, whole, and accepting of love? Or will she fall back into the cycle of poor habits and questionable choices that persisted and framed her reality for decades?
“…immersive, triggering and nostalgic…”
— Jessica Carter, author of “Villainous”
“I truly enjoyed reading this manuscript! A very talented writer. I even teared up a few times.”
— Christie Glascoe, author, screenwriter & developmental editor
Monica is a visual artist and emerging author. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, and a native of Alabama, Monica enjoys steeping much of her fiction writing and artwork in Black southern heritage and its ties to modern culture. As a student of history, she aspires to convey the connecting fibers of the past and the present and how they coexist within the contemporary human condition. Whether in a spirit of rebellion against systems or reflected in the psychological struggles we carry and struggle with daily. “Songs of Lost Things…” is her first novel and will also feature a series of original art pieces to accompany the story and its themes.
