We’re going to do things a little differently for this review. Tialla Rising is releasing her new book this week, Where Shadows Lie, and she’s doing a blog tour. First off, we’re going to start off with an interview I had the opportunity of conducting, with her main character, Shawn Parrino. Then I’ll write my review.
 
-Okay. I’m here, but give me just a second to finish making my coffee, before I can be fully focused. J

Hi Rebekah, nice to meet you. My author said you wanted to interview me, so I figured it might be nice if I showed up. I definitely understand about the coffee, though…I just don’t know how some people can focus without it in the morning. I’m Shawn, by the way.

-Nice to meet you Shawn! I’ve heard a lot about you! I can function without coffee – usually. If I try hard enough. ;)

 I just don’t prefer to.

Okay… I’ve got a few questions for you. Do you mind?

Don’t mind at all.

-Good! Okay, first question. How long have you known Virginia?

Gosh it’s been so long. I think since I was about fifteen. That would make fourteen years! I hadn’t realized that until now, actually.

-That’s a long time! How did you meet her?

Well, she was still just a little kid when I met her, so I didn’t really pay much attention at all. Arrowhead was a really small community back then, but her parents were pretty involved in volunteer work and all that. Since I lived on the streets, it would’ve been hard for me not to run into her.

-Got it. So, when did you start getting to know her better?

I’d say when I was around 23. She was 14 then and even though at that point I wouldn’t have dreamed we’d end up together, she was feisty and not afraid to confront me. I wasn’t used to that…most other people just left me alone, or they tended to regret it. But Virginia had this way about her that just kind of shocked me. Haha. It interested me.

-It’s interesting that you liked that she didn’t act afraid of you. You said you lived on the streets, right? What was that like?

Well, it surprised me, let’s just say that. And I eventually had to credit her for her boldness. It was a slow process, if I’m completely honest.

Anyway, yes, the streets were my home. My parents abandoned me when I was eight, so I had to fight my way to survive. It didn’t take me long to find the gangs, and they treated me like family. Well, the only kind of family I knew, that is. It was a hard transition from living in a home to living in shacks and hideouts, not gonna lie. I worked for my keep by stealing odds and ends, completing small jobs like smashing mailboxes of our rivals, marking their buildings with our spray paint, things like that. I got caught in my first knife fight when I was rather new to the whole gang life, and still bear the scar across my cheek.

-Sounds like you had a rough time in your growing up years. But you’ve left gang life behind you now, right? What made you decide to change?

My last trip to prison was on a false first-degree murder charge. It wasn’t the first time I’d been to prison, but I’m determined to make sure it is the last. That time, I hit rock-bottom.

Due to the charges, I didn’t think I’d ever get out. That’s when the realization of everything I’d been doing truly hit me.

As I sat in the grungy, slimy cell with no prospect of release, a new feeling crept its way into me: guilt. Not just because I’d been caught, but because of all I’d done. Because of the people I’d hurt. The people I’d lost. I realized the whole gang life was just a facade.

They aren’t family–they’re the farthest thing from family. When the rubber meets the road, they couldn’t care anymore about their “family” than a complete stranger. It was all just for the profit, the thrill, and attitude.

And then I remembered Virginia, who was in her late teen years by then. I knew at that moment that if I had the chance, I would change. In that cell is when it dawned on me that above everyone else, she’s the one I didn’t want to lose. And I felt like I already had lost her, but I wasn’t going to let that discourage me from changing if I had the chance to.

-Did you find the transition difficult?

Very. It’s incredibly difficult to change lifelong habits.

-But you persevered. Which is incredible. Why did you stay in Arrowhead? I would think that moving to another town would make things a bit easier.

My main reason for staying in Arrowhead was because Virginia and her family still lived there. They were skeptical when I was released from prison, yes, but they also took a huge risk and decided to give me a chance, which I’ll never forget. They became the first real family I ever had, and I didn’t want to leave that. Also, I don’t believe in running away from problems. Arrowhead is my home, it was the only place I’d ever really known. I wreaked havoc there when I was younger, so now was my chance to make things right.

-To try to make things right is certainly a noble reason to stay and I certainly understand wanting to remain close to anyone who would be willing to give you a second chance like that. How did your previous gangster buddies feel about you turning over a new leaf?

Ha, well let’s just say they believed I was a traitor and worthy of death. So yeah… not so great.

-Do you think they’ll ever decide to leave you alone?

Well, the most dangerous of them are now in prison. Their leader, Max, is also imprisoned, and without him, I doubt any remaining members would have the incentive to keep at me. So I have a feeling I’m safe now–unless somehow Max gets out of prison. Which would be a huge problem for me. Here’s to hoping that never happens.

-No, getting out would not be good. It’s probably in the favor of a lot of people that they stay off the streets! Did they manage to take you for a wild ride before the imprisonment? It sounds like you survived it, but I’m afraid to ask what they were willing to do to punish you for leaving gang life…

A wild ride is a nice way of putting it! I’m able to laugh about it now (or… at least somewhat laugh about it), but there were times I didn’t feel like they would ever leave us alone. I say “us” because they oftentimes went after Virginia and her family as well–as an angle to punish me. They attacked us numerous times, ransacked our homes, and put us in the hospital with dangerously severe injuries.

Somewhere in the middle of it all, I also discovered that Max not only wanted to punish me for leaving the gang life, but also had a personal vendetta against my father. Since my father is dead, he decided to exact his revenge on me. This explains why he wasn’t satisfied with leaving me alone even when I finally buckled under the pressure and did some of the things the gang wanted. We grew rather desperate to make it all stop, but Max wouldn’t stop for anything…not with blood lust powering him.

-Wow. That sounds terrifying, to say the least. I think I would have wanted to give up at times, in the midst of all that!

Oh there were many times when I was very close to giving up. Sometimes, looking back on it all, I’m not sure how I *didn’t* give in.

-What would you say was your greatest motivation to keep going? Was there anything beside Virginia and her family?

I think, deep down, I wanted to prove that I was better than the gang life. And that maybe, they would see it, and realize there was more to life than what they were living as well. Maybe they would see how empty the lifestyle truly is. There were numerous reasons motivating me. I wanted to stand up to them to prove my worth, prove my substance. I was (okay, I AM…) very stubborn. I also wanted to show them that they can’t just trample everyone. As Virginia pointed out to me once, if we didn’t stand up to them, what would stop them from doing the same to other people? And, as mentioned earlier, I wanted to be a better person–which meant not giving in or going back to the gang lifestyle. I wanted it for myself, for my reputation, and for Virginia. My motivation for not giving in was really a myriad of reasons.

-That makes sense.

Well, they helped me in the moment. I’m just thankful it’s all over now and I can truly move on with my life.

-I’m sure.

Thank you so much for being willing to answer my questions, Shawn! And thank you for your patience. I haven’t done very many interviews in the past and I’m certain that shows. It has been great meeting you!

You’re welcome! Thank you for taking the time to chat with me. Most people don’t want to talk with me about my life, so it’s been nice. Have a great day!

-I enjoyed it. You’ve been a pleasure to talk to. You have a great day as well!
-Where Shadows Lie – A Review

The Story:
Shawn Parrino left the gangster lifestyle four years ago. Following an imprisonment, he returned to his hometown of Arrowhead, and tries to start a new life. He didn’t have many friends; his best friend and girlfriend Virginia, her brother Bryan, and another ex-gangster, Jackson, are about it. Besides his next door neighbor, Mrs. Jenson, and Virgina’s cousin Joy, no one really cared anything about Shawn.

Except, the gang he left behind.

He had hoped they would just forget him, but their motto, “Blood in, blood out,” was more than just a saying. It was reality. A reality that got slammed into his face just when he least wanted it.

Thirsting for revenge, as well as to appease their boss’s personal vendetta, the gang known as The Shadows, chase after Shawn, trying to break him to their will. When he won’t yield, the boss decides to go after the few people that Shawn loves.

The Writing Style:
Miss Rising is very good at building her ‘world’ for the reader. Arrowhead and the surrounding area is very easy to picture. She also manages to describe it without long and detailed descriptions, instead allowing it to flow naturally into the narrative.

She also describes emotions and pain very well. The reader’s heart wrenches when one character finally breaks down sobbing or holds their breath as another slowly loses consciousness. Pain or sorrow feels very real.

On the other hand, certain aspects of the book felt like they could use some more research or realism. Things like recovery time after injury or how the police operate. Some areas of the book felt very unrealistic.

The Characters:
I liked Miss Rising’s characters. I liked their connection to each other. Even so, I didn’t like some of their behavior. Another area that felt very unrealistic is the danger these characters would put themselves into. Danger that could have been easily avoided, if, for instance, Virginia has listened to Shawn a little more often. Yes, they usually managed to survive the danger – sometimes just barely – but it felt so needless, all too often. More on that in a minute.

The dialog felt stilted at times, but I liked the way they communicated. Miss Rising did letting the character’s relationships shine through the dialog. Not something that everyone is good at. I did like the strength of Bryan and Virginia’s sibling relationship, as well.

A Few More Thoughts:
There are a couple of things that bothered me, but don’t read if you don’t want some spoilers. Nothing from the conclusion, just a few aspects of the book.

I know the author’s intent with showing the escape of the main characters from so much danger was likely to show how miraculous the protection of the LORD can be. I get that. However, the LORD is not an insurance policy to allow us to run our heads stupidly into danger. He doesn’t usually work like that. I appreciate what Miss Rising was trying to communicate, but I can’t help but think it needed to be shown in a different way. God does often show mercy and gives us protection, but it doesn’t usually look like a young woman going into Gang City Central, on foot, alone, and unprotected by human standards, with a pending death threat on her head from the main gang living there, justifying her actions by saying that the LORD will take care of her.

The way Virginia broke off her relationship with Shawn also bothered me. She knew better than to enter into a romantic relationship with an unbeliever. She knew better beforehand and those close to her made sure to warn her about it, but she justified and defended herself. While this was shown to be wrong – and I applaud the author for that – Virginia kicked Shawn out of her house the first time he openly questioned and showed his disapproval of the LORD’s doings. Do I think Shawn was in the right? No. But I don’t think Virginia was in the right either. Besides, she hurt Shawn deeply by agreeing to date him in the first place – and this was never really acknowledged.

Cautions:
There was some violence and several deaths in this book, besides some rather intense situations, but being as it is a Thriller, that is probably to be expected. I wouldn’t give it to young children, but the book never goes into anything truly gory or overly descriptive. Even the deaths are handled with care.

Conclusion:
I did enjoy seeing Miss Rising’s characters again, Where Shadows Lie, after having read her first book, Holding the Future Hostage, a few years back. I would probably recommend this book for ages fourteen and up.

To the KING be all the glory!