Between the Rage & Grace

Between the Rage and Grace (#1 in the series)

           What started The Rage Trilogy

About the book: Behind the hustle and bustle of a Texas hospital a peculiar camaraderie is evolving.  Clara O'Bromley is looking forward to her future. Being hired fresh out of college and assigned to ICU is no small feat. Clara has Linda Latrull to thank for that and for placing her under the supervision of a foul-mouthed debutante. Maggie Turner is happy to take the young nurse under her wing until she learns that Clara can read more than EKG's. Clara herself is unaware of this ability until she sees into the past, a past that Maggie and Linda both have been hiding from. Three women, three very different backgrounds and the roads that all lead to one place, somewhere Between the Rage and Grace.

Excerpts:

 Clara
 "He looks like that in my dreams too." Clara couldn't believe she'd said that out loud but it was the truth. He did look like that in her dreams....
Each step illuminated wherever his naked feet set down till the blackness broke all around him She tried to stay in the dream realm a few times before, wanting to see what was on the other side of the darkness but always the flash sent her flying back through the void into reality.

 Maggie
Maggie couldn't yet speak as the pink bubbles foamed from her blood tinged lips and she coughed up bits of soap. The stinging in her lungs made it hard to catch her breath, much less speak. He held her there in front of the mirror with one hand full of hair and the other squeezing her jaw line.
"Have you had enough?"
Maggie nodded.
"You owe me an apology. You know that?" He said staring down into her eyes and pressing his thumb harder into her neck. "Now do you want to say something?"
She nodded again and he slowly released her chin. "Go ahead."
Maggie cleared her throat and dabbed at the bubbles with her tongue that were still forming with each gasp, took a deep breath and declared "Fuck you."

 Linda
Linda was finally going to LSU. She had waited forever it seemed but the letter of acceptance had arrived and she was jubilant. But Ms. Latrull always had a way of dampening her miniature moments of joy.
...She didn't want to appear presumptuous, unappreciative or ignorant either but if she was to be his mistress he was certainly taking his time in seducing her.
...Linda poured two ounces of bourbon into a glass with one ice cube and returned to the darkened room. Sitting the liquor on the end table beside him she bent and reached for the chain dangling from the lamp. Ray grabbed her wrist, "Leave it off" he said, "The gentleman prefers it in the dark."
 Linda looked up to find the mayor smiling down at her.