February 2018 Book of the Month
That was then by Julia Amante
Published by: Pristine Publishing
ISBN-10: 1931627045
ISBN-13: 978-1931627047
SYNOPSIS:
Dr. Grace Montoya won a battle with cancer five years earlier, but now she is sick again, and while Grace thinks it’s time to pass down lessons to her daughters before it’s too late, those who love her plan to save her. Her colleagues have medical cures, her mother has made a deal with God, but it’s her 17-year-old daughter, Jessica who devises the most unexpected medicine of all. Jessica’s life has been idyllic. Yes, her mother is a workaholic pediatrician who divorced her father when Jessica was a toddler. And she’s not close to her difficult older sister who resents both her parents and is away at college. Still, she’s always felt adored by her familia Latina and happy with her community of friends. So, she has never needed to find the mysterious man her mother once loved enough to have a secret affair with . . . when they created her. Until she learns that her mother has cancer and may die. Seeking her mother’s first love, meeting him, and counting on this man from Grace’s past to be there for them becomes Jessica’s most important goal. If love can heal anything, maybe it can heal her mother. Daniel Subia, left his small town and high school sweetheart to follow his career dreams. But getting a call from a daughter he didn’t know he had, brings him home to find everything changed. The small-town charm and acres of orange groves he grew up with have been swallowed by developers and abandoned by younger generations. Yes, everything has changed but the love he once had for Grace—that’s still burning as hot as ever. In a town where nothing is as it used to be, is it possible to go back to a time when life was simple and everything was possible?
BIO:
Women’s Fiction writer Julia Amante, author of Evenings at the Argentine Club and Say You’ll Be Mine, writes emotionally rich stories about family love and the passion of chasing and achieving one’s goals. Julia also writes Latina fiction under the pseudonym, Lara Rios. Her book Becoming Latina in 10 Easy Steps was optioned by ABC Family to become a future TV series. Julia grew up in California, the daughter of Argentine parents, who taught her to value her roots and to be proud of her Latina heritage. She received her B.A. at the University of California, Riverside, and her M.F.A in Fiction from California State University, San Bernardino. A huge supporter of sharing her love of Latino fiction, Julia has presented workshops at the Latino Book and Family Festival, the Mexican-American Organization Foundation, the Latina Business Women Organization, as well as in colleges such as the University of California, Riverside, Cal. State LA, Cal. State San Bernardino, and Santa Barbara City College. But on a perfect day, she can be found in local coffee shops, writing. She loves to hear from readers at: www.juliaamante.com and writerjulia@gmail.com
