Reach for Hope

Carolyn was taught to fear God, but the only being she ever feared was her dad. When her father moves the family out to the desolate town of Lake Los Angeles, she's torn from the protection of her uncle and feels isolated.What matters most to her is shielding her two younger brothers, Charlie and Chris, from the harsh desert life-scorching heat, unforgiving terrain, and deadly creatures-and from her military dad, brutal commander of both wife and kids.After a bloody incident at school reveals she has no one to count on for help, Carolyn learns that she must look out for herself, because no one else will. With her combat boots and tough exterior, she pushes everyone away, including the girls who befriend her and the boy who pursues her. Behind the walls she has built from all of her pain, can she learn to trust again?Used to being silenced, Carolyn must find the power to stand up for herself, so that she can stand up to her dad.A brighter future is out there. Can she reach for hope long enough to find it? EDITORIAL REVIEWS"…a standalone story that will attract new audiences as well as prior fans… compelling, realistic, and thought-provoking. Librarians seeking series titles… will find Reach for Hope an exceptional draw…evocative, compelling ... thoroughly absorbing."- D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review * All books in the Desert of Dreams Series are standalone novels with interconnected characters. Each book features a different character's coming-of-age story told during a similar timeline.Content Warning: Books in the Desert of Dreams Series address many sensitive but important topics which may include bullying and peer pressure; troubled sibling relationships; struggling friendships and romantic relationships; religion; racism and classism; historical events of the late 1980s and 1990s; death; neglect and abuse (physical, emotional, and/or sexual); trauma (generational and situational); drugs, alcohol, and sex; teen pregnancy; abortion; and mental illness including depression, suicidal ideation, PTSD, and anxiety. Amanda LaPera is an award-winning author, speaker, teacher, and mental health advocate. She lives in California with her husband, sons, and dogs, and immensely enjoys sunsets. Two facts about Lake Los Angeles: one, there's no lake, and, two, it's nowhere near Los Angeles. During the 1980s and 90s, kids find themselves stuck in this remote town, a land of Joshua trees, dust devils, and tumbleweeds. Their parents call it affordable housing; they call it hell.As teens, this unlikely group band together to survive the harsh conditions of their destructive home lives and the isolation of the desert. They support each other's dreams of a better life, but the world isn't on their side. They learn it's the hard choices they make in life that determine who they will become and what they might have to leave behind.The Desert of Dreams Series-Trauma. Resilience. Hope.