Good morning! We are at the top 10 of The Book Catalog, and I’m incredibly excited about these ten books. While all of my books hold special significance, these ten are particularly meaningful to me because they convey messages that have impacted my life and that I want to share with readers. Whether they have personal significance or present concepts I wanted to explore, these books have shaped me into the author I am today.
The tenth book in the countdown is Reclaiming What Is Mine.
The story follows Asia, who, after facing several setbacks in her life, encounters Bryon, who eventually becomes a friend. When Asia receives a heartbreaking blow in her marriage, Bryon becomes her confidant, and the two begin to develop feelings for each other. However, there’s a twist to this story that leads Asia into a whirlwind adventure she didn't anticipate.
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While writing this book in 2014, I experienced a range of emotions as I related to Asia's struggles. She felt as though she couldn't catch a break in life and lacked the confidence to truly shine. However, once she began interacting with Bryon, she not only regained her confidence but also discovered her inner strength. Ultimately, she was able to reclaim her life, which conveys the most important message of this story.
Although this book wasn’t originally intended to become a series, I found myself captivated by the relationship between Asia and Bryon. While their path to falling in love wasn't ideal, they crafted a love story that made both of them realize they were meant to be together.
If you have never read Reclaiming What Is Mine, it is available on all major platforms, but below is the Amazon link to download.
There is another book to the series, Reclaiming What Is Ours, which was released in 2020. The third book in the series, A Love Like Ours, will be released in January 2025.
Here is the prologue from Asia’s perspective. Enjoy!
Growing up, my mom always told me that life could be unpredictable. Boy, was she right. Never in my 27 years did I expect my life to become so complicated. I wished my mom was still here so I could talk to her, because I really needed her advice right now. She was the voice of reason and gave such great advice.
I picked up my suitcase and looked around the room that my husband and I had been sharing for the past six months. Although I should have felt sad about leaving, a part of me was actually excited. I hadn't been on my own place in years, so I was looking forward to a space that was mine without having to hear anyone's nagging. If I did, I was sure I'd be stabbing someone soon. I'm not a violent person, but for the past few months, I was definitely tempted.
As I put a few things into a bag, the front door opened, and my husband walked in. He looked happy until he saw me with my suitcase; then his smile immediately turned into a frown.
"What are you doing, Asia?"
"I thought you were going to be home late."
"Don't change the subject. What are you doing with your suitcase? What's going on?"
"As if you didn't know. What did you think, Dwight? That I was going to come back and everything would be okay? I can't do this anymore. I tried to make things work between us, but I just can't."
"Can't what? Asia, I know things have been rough lately, and I'm mostly the blame for it, but I promised you before we moved in here that I was going to get us back on track. I'm going to get us back to where we were before everything happened."
"Are you? You have caused more issues trying to fix the ones we had! I've been hearing this same tune for the past 10 years, and nothing has changed. It sounds like a broken record, Dwight, and I'm tired of it. You have lied and cheated your way for the past few months, and I can't deal it with anymore."
"So you're leaving me? Where are you going to go?"
"I have somewhere I can go," I retorted. I pushed past my husband and went to the door. He grabbed my arm then pulled me to face him.
"So you're going to throw our marriage away because of what happened? I know I cheated, and I'm sorry. I regret what I did. As for our financial problems, I wasn't the only one who wasn't contributing, Asia."
"I've been doing more in this relationship than you have. I'm not going to continue living this way. I refuse to. It's best if we just walk away," I said and shrugged myself from his grasp.
I went to the door, praying that my ride was waiting for me somewhere else. I didn't want him at the house in case Dwight showed up. I didn't need an altercation to go down. If one did, that would had been another thing Dwight's aunt would blame on me.
As I walked to the kitchen, Dwight yelled my name. I kept walking, ignoring him. If I listened to what he had to say, I probably wouldn't go through with my plan. Even though Dwight and I were experiencing a rocky marriage, I was still in love with him. We'd been together for half of our lives, and it hurt to know that things had come to this. But I couldn't continue being unhappy. I had given him so many chances to change, but it never happened. To me, the line had been drawn, and it was time to move on.
I looked down the street and saw Bryon's car parked. I really didn't want to go because I knew Dwight would follow me; but if I didn't, Bryon would come to me, so I didn't have a choice. I rushed to the car and saw him sitting in the driver's seat. He smiled then quickly looked at me, concerned when he saw my sad look.
"What's wrong?"
"It's Dwight. He knows."
"Get in," he told me.
I quickly put my suitcase in the backseat and hopped in beside him. Before I could close the door, Dwight was jogging toward the car with a heated expression.
"I should have known! So you're leaving me for him?! Are you kidding me?!"
"Please, Dwight, do not make a scene."
"I knew something was going on between you two after that night. How long has this been going on?!"
"You're one to talk since you were cheating on your wife with your co-worker," Bryon interjected.
Before I could say anything else, Bryon hopped out of the car and stomped to Dwight.
"Listen, we don't want any problems. Just let Asia go so she can figure things out, okay?"
"This is between my wife and me, so I suggest you back the hell up!" Dwight shouted and shoved him.
"Dwight, please!"
Bryon grabbed Dwight by his shirt and threw him against his car, causing it to shake. The two began hitting each other, which made me a little anxious. I didn't want them to fight, because with their tempers, someone could possibly end up dead.
"Stop it, you two!" I yelled, trying to break it up.
They definitely didn't need to fight in this neighborhood because one of the neighbors would be quick to call the police. Byron sucker-punched Dwight, but Dwight shook it off and threw Bryon onto the ground. I tried to push Dwight off of Bryon as he had him pinned on the ground; instead he elbowed me across my chin, knocking the wind out of me. Before I knew it, my body hit the ground, knocking me out cold.
My life had already been a roller coaster before this night, but now, things were even more complicated. I never imagined that I would be leaving my husband for another man, but with the way things had been, it was only a matter of time before I walked away...
Be sure to come back tomorrow to discover which book will be #9.
Until then, happy reading! :-)
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