CONNECTED UNDERNEATH by Linda Legters & Giveaway

Much like how the Upstate New York town of Madena, is broken-down and decaying, the residents who run the video rental shop, tattoo parlor and bars are fragile and worn-out. Linda Legters, CONNECTED UNDERNEATH (Lethe Press) contains deeply flawed characters from the wrong side of the tracks, who carry lots of secrets and desperately try to push us away, as we rush to turn to the next page.

Persephone is a fifteen year-old girl who would rather run around naked at the High-School track, than go home and talk to her father. She trades sex for tattoos, because she believes her girlfriend doesn’t love her. Her Dad runs the last video store in the area. He was a loser in high-school, but turned his life around and did a remarkable unselfish act. Now he’s raising Persephone as a single dad but she’s entered those difficult teen years and he doesn’t know where to turn for help. Natalie’s trying her best to regain a little bit of self-respect by marrying a nice man and raising a son who behaves. She only wishes she could forget that baby girl she gave away fifteen years ago. And then there’s Celeste, bound to her wheelchair, spying on everyone with her binoculars through the kitchen fan vent.

CONNECTED UNDERNEATH is a short novel, at one-hundred and eighty-four pages, but each one is rich, full of texture and depth. I will remember this narrative and these characters for a long time, but question the ending. It’s not that I didn’t like it, there were several options. I imagine Linda Legters struggled with her decision, but it’s the author’s novel and she’s always right.

Linda Legters is a teacher, novelist, short story writer, and painter. She lives in Connecticut. You can contact Linda on her website  http://www.lindalegters.com  or at her publisher’s website http://www.lethepressbooks.com  There you can also find links to the places where her novel is available to purchase.

Thanks to TLC Book Tours http://www.tlcbooktours.com and Lethe Press, we have one copy of CONNECTED UNDERNEATH to giveaway. Just leave your name and what you hope to accomplish this week in the comments section! We’ll pick a winner next Monday.

Happy Monday!