Can one weekend change your life ? Just ask best friends Aston, Tisha and Denise. Since graduating from college ten years earlier, the three friends have gone on to have seemingly perfect lives and become accomplished in her own right. However, when the friends reunite for Homecoming at their alma mater, events begin to reveal that the ladies' lives may not be as perfect as they initially seemed. Baby-girl Tisha, waking up from a long, seductive nap in the land of denial, is beginning to see her fairytale marriage for what it is...and isn't. Fiery Denise is tired, stressed and can't figure out how to commit to motherhood, marriage or her career at the same time. And level-headed Aston feels that something is not quite right in her fast-paced life but has no idea how or what to fix. Mix in old beaus, untold secrets, a jealous husband, a batch of mojitoes and a whirlwind weekend of fun and partying changes into something that forces each friend to face her individual dilemma and make decisions which could change her forever. Over a drama-filled four day period, the girls begin to embark on the empowering transformation from young ladies to grown women and learn the true meaning of success, friendship and love. Please enjoy the following excerpts: "Tisha sat in her home staring out the window. Although she appeared calm and meditative as she sipped her tea, her mind was spinning out a list of "to dos","got dones", and "did I forget that's" so long that it made her want to add a little brandy to her cup. Tisha hoped she had everything covered but she could get so distracted at times and being organized wasn't one of her strengths. Oh, she meant well, but someone else always stepped in; her husband, her parents, her housekeeper, Javia and sometimes, even her children. Tisha loved sparkly things like her home and her pretty little daughters, she just hated the upkeep, the mundane daily tasks that made everything shine. Her husband was also sparkly but lately his glow had gotten a little too bright, which was why Tisha sat in her beautiful home alone, making lists in her head of all the things she usually left to him: the bills, the errands, the arrangements, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera." "...Although Tisha was definitely the baby girl, even baby girls grow up. Realizing that her fine and flashy husband was turning the light on for more than just her alone and probably had been for quite some time, she put him out. Always the forgiving optimist, Tisha separated from him only after marriage and ministerial counseling, parental intervention and psychic phone calls failed to turn her man around. Of course he still called; he missed her and really would change. Tisha knew it was a standard line from the Player's Handbook under the chapter entitled "Ain't to Proud to Beg," but still, she hated the responsibility of her life. She liked spending, spoiling and being spoiled. Lonnie had always provided well for her and if she just looked the other way.....plenty of women did ...." "Homecoming" is the first installment of the Homecoming trilogy. The second installment, "Measure of A Man", is currently available and continues the story from the perspective of the male characters in the story.
About the Author: My name is Heidi Ragland. My pen name, H. Dean Ragland, is a tribute to my grandfathers; Seldon Ragland and Riley Dean Johnson. Although I have written all my life, I've only recently published my first two novels, "Homecoming" and "Measure of A Man", which are the first two installments in the "Homecoming " trilogy. The first book, "Homecoming", speaks to my personal experience, in that the transitions of the main characters are similar to a watershed moment in my life. I think that everyone can point to at least one time in their life when they experienced a tremendous personal transition which changed them forever. The second book, "Measure of a Man", continues the "Homecoming" story from the perspective of the men in the novel. This part of the trilogy swings the perspective away from the women and looks at the same story from the point of view and histories of the men in the tale. That shift allowed me to explore how differences in our experiences shape our actions in the same situations. Both books celebrate and examine relationships, familial and community responsibility and new, rekindled or forgiven love. Although i am new to this process, I have found that writing brings me more joy and freedom than I could have ever imagined. A good friend told me that you should do something in your life every once in a while that gets you high and writing does just that. I absolutely love to write and I hope you feel that same passion in my stories. So... buy the books, have a blast and hopefully, go live your passion! Have a great time reading and thank you for your support !