CHANDLER (AZ)—

In her second book with Brighton, Theresa Franklin unleashes her wild talents on a family in turmoil. Everything we see on the surface of their public personas belies the truth of their relationships with one another. In literature, as in life, all lies—no matter how strong their foundations—must eventually crumble.

The stress of playing the perfect American family in public, while in private their life is in shambles, threatens to throw the family into desperation. All they seem to be is teetering on the edge of collapse, and the destruction of the family would take each member down in its wake.

Cynthia is beautiful, educated, secretary of the church, and married with beautiful children. She is an accomplished hostess and the picture of Christian love. But her seemingly perfect life is but a mirage, a mask she wears to cover the truth of her unhappiness.

Michael is successful, well-educated, deacon of the church, and married with wonderful children. Michael and his children have a close relationship. They count on him for advice, guidance, and unconditional love. Serving God is one of Michael’s greatest joys, but some days it doesn’t seem like enough to fill the emptiness he feels at home. And the children, Karen and Kevin, are the victims of this war of neglect and attrition, bearing the emotional scars of a love soured by silence.

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"It is easy to make the comparison from Theresa Franklin to greats in her genre, like Nicholas Sparks or even Anne Tyler, who have mastered the delicate challenges of writing about the high-wire acts of love, marriage, relationships, parenting, dreams, and the ultimate challenges of the passage of time; and most especially when silences build seemingly impenetrable walls between people," said Kathie McGuire, director of Brighton Publishing. "Franklin is a natural storyteller with a passion for her craft, and that is no more evident than to her readers as they turn each page."

Theresa Franklin is a Christian, wife, mother, administrator, and teacher. She became a teacher twenty-four years ago with the goal of showing children unconditional love. Now retired from education, Franklin is the author of