A. L. Kaplan

Tag: guilt

  • CAN YOU BE WHO YOU ARE?

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    Eighteen-year-old Tatiana is running from her past and her star-touched powers eight years after a meteor devastates earth’s population. Her power to heal may be overshadowed by more destructive abilities. Fleeing the persecution of those like her, Tatiana seeks refuge in a small town she once visited. But this civil haven, in a world where society has broken down, is beginning to crumble. Will Tatiana flee or stay and fight for the new life she has built? Only by harnessing the very forces that haunt her can Tatiana save her friends…and herself.

    Here is what critics are saying about STAR TOUCHED

    5.0 out of 5 stars Fast-paced and emotionally complex
    Star-Touched is the fast-paced and emotional journey of a teen-age girl and those surrounding her in a post apocalyptic world. Tatiana is a sensitive, likable young woman who is left “star-touched” with various powers after a cosmic event transforms the Earth. The planet becomes a place where simple survival is a full time shore, and Kaplan draws this new version of her characters’ home expertly. Tatiana’s world is a reflection of what might be left, or what might emerge, as people reconstruct civilization. It’s complete with dangers, hunger and power struggle. As a heroine, Tatiana is complex, kind and deeply damaged. You can’t help rooting for her as she and her canine companion Fifi try to start a new life – again – with a variety of fresh and original characters such as Gareth, Brother William and Bobby Sue. As the story unfolds, Tatiana is forced to confront both her own past and her deepest fears, which leave will leave young readers on the edge of their seat. Quick read with a roller coaster of emotions.
    –Rissa

    5.0 out of 5 stars Complex and Captivating
    Tatiana wants more than anything to be normal. Instead, she has to deal with the loss of family, home, and belonging. Worse, her new abilities after the cataclysm frighten her more so than anyone she encounters. It will take a whole community to help Tatiana confront her fears, powers, and anger. It’s a story about accepting who you are and learning the importance of forgiving yourself.
    –Kindle Patron

  • Bluefish

    It’s cold and damp on the sidewalk outside of Pesca’s Restaurant. The neon fish stares at me from the window, twisting its body as if it knows what I did. I rub my sleep deprived eyes and the fish lies still again, once more just a window decoration. Looking through the glass I see a woman bring a fork to her mouth, heedless of the sharp barb I see buried in the meat. My conscience forces me to react, but banging and yelling brings only the maître d’s wrath and he shoos me away.

    Faces glare at me from within as I back into the street, but I pay them no mind. Only the display matters now. The glass fish springs from the window like the real ones I saw leaping out of the water on my fishing trip. It charges me and a scream chokes in my throat. My feet are rooted to the asphalt. Dagger like teeth cut into my flesh, sending waves of pain through my body. Light flashes and my mind drifts away.

    Waves swell around me as I strain against the hook caught in my lips. Despite my efforts, the boat only looms nearer. A sharp hook pierces my side and I am slammed onto the deck. All around me is the nauseating scent of blood in the salt air. The hook is ripped from my mouth with pliers and I writhe in pain.

    I see myself watching as I am tossed into a bucket of dirty water filled with lifeless friends. I twist in a vain effort to escape, praying that I will rescue myself. But I only watch in fascination as I suffocate in the filthy muck.

    Lights flash all around me and the hard street is my only pillow. People watch, enthralled by the spectacle. As they lift me onto the gurney I see the neon fish smiling. It’s had its revenge at last.