Mama didn’t want me. In fact, she would’ve traded my soul back for someone different if God would’ve let her, but he didn’t, so she was stuck with me.

For eighteen-year-old Lacey, life at home is a rollercoaster. She doesn’t think she’ll ever be good enough to truly deserve Mama’s love.

But when Lacey enters college and meets Walker, everything starts to change. Suddenly, Lacey is face to face with the realization that maybe what she’s always seen as normal really isn’t. Her entire life—and everything she’s ever believed about herself and her family—is abruptly hanging in midair.

Lacey is left facing two paths, and she has to make a choice. The first means walking away from everything she’s ever known. The other means never really knowing the truth.

The Truth She Knew offers an honest and powerful glimpse into mental illness, the meaning of true love, and the psychological waltz that a daughter dances as she endures her mother’s unpredictable emotions, manipulation, and abuse.

INTERVIEW WITH J.A. OWENBY

What was the inspiration for your book?

The Truth She Knew is book 1 in a series. The purpose is to raise awareness for mental illness, physical/mental abuse, and the choices a young adult would have to make concerning a mentally ill parent.

What is the message behind The Truth She Knew?

This series is written to draw attention to topics that are typically whispered about behind closed doors. I want to increase awareness and support for young adults struggling to find their place after growing up with a mentally ill parent or anyone that has suffered from physical and mental abuse. As a young adult living at home, they often struggle to find answers, and a lot of time the child thinks it’s their fault. Lacey’s journey takes us through her identifying that her mother is mentally ill and the struggle she goes through. In the second book, I continue to bring awareness toward abusive relationships and the cycle that needs to be broken. There is hope and help available.

Who would you recommend this book to?

This book is for 17+. It contains violence, language, and sex.

What is your next step?

 Book 2 in the series is with my editor for developmental editing this very minute. After her edits, we will discuss if this series will be a 3 or 4 book series. I have started the first chapter of book 3 as well as the outline.

Besides writing, do you have any other passions?

I own and operate a resume and interview coaching business, and I love working with amazing clients across the country to help them find a better job and move to the next level in their career. I’ve worked with people in the FBI, NFL security, technology, teachers, sales, human resources, and so much more. I love meeting new people and learning about them. Since I work from a home office, I work with them virtually. www.onbproresume.com.

But, it’s more than just writing marketing documents. I receive emails about how they were able to buy their first home for their family, how they gained twenty thousand in income a year, how they had given up hope of ever finding a job they were happy in and then landed their dream job. That’s what it’s all about, making an impact and changing lives through my business and my novels.

Where is The Truth She Knew Available?

It’s available in paperback and EBook at these locations:

• Amazon: http://amzn.to/29gHfoh
• Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/29NX8DL
• iTunes: http://apple.co/29LelKx
• Kobo: http://bit.ly/28RjthM
• Reviews are already available at Goodreads: http://bit.ly/28LFell

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

J.A. Owenby lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband and two cats.

She’s a published author of six short stories, and she is currently working on her second full-length novel. She also runs her own business as a professional resume writer and interview coach—she helps people find jobs they love.

J.A. is an avid reader of thrillers, romance, new adult, and young adult novels. She loves music, movies, and good wine. And call her crazy, but she loves the rainy Pacific Northwest; she gets her best story ideas while listening to the rain pattering against the windows in front of the fireplace.

You can follow the progress of her upcoming novel on Facebook at Author J.A. Owenby, on Twitter @jaowenby, and her website at www.jaowenby.com.