Synopsis
Stages of Me is a 238-page novel that revolves around the disintegration of the intricately interwoven lives of members of three starkly different New Jersey families. The story is at times gritty, in-your-face and unflinching, but at its core is one that is predicated on love as it explores the dizzying peaks and depressing lows of family relationships.
The saga unfolds through the eyes of Lena Simpson, Andy Sterling and Lena's fiancé Patrick Stratton, the people whose lives her deceit has affected the most. Unaware of Lena's deep dark secrets, 19-year-old Andy goes to work for her drug dealing brother, Southpaw. After his single-parent father Winston walks out on him, Andy turns to Southpaw for solace and fulfillment. But, paired with his best friend Maurice, the young man finds himself in the middle of the operations of a dangerous New Jersey crime syndicate just as the Feds are closing in. As he deals with the loss of his life as he knows it, Andy goes through the classic stages of grief in a journey that takes him through a gauntlet of raw emotions that ultimately left him wondering whether or not he should take his own life.
As Andy’s life unravels, similar angst is felt by intellectual property attorney Patrick Stratton, whose life has also been affected by Lena’s duplicity. Patrick is taken for the roller-coaster ride of a lifetime as he tries desperately to salvage whatever prospect of a future he could have with the lovely yet flawed Lena. As he repeatedly gets emotionally burned by Lena, Patrick decides to hop off the grief train and take his life into his own hands. But not before his world is turned upside down by Lena’s vindictive secret lover.
The travails of these three main characters take them from the sleepy town of Cedar Grove, NJ to the bustling streets of Midtown Manhattan, NY and even to the tropical paradise of Montego Bay, Jamaica. But ultimately they all found out that no matter the locale the stages of grief still has to run its full course. And each stage could prove to be even more difficult than the last.
Reviews
I started reading this book in the morning, and I didn't put it down until that night when I finished it. A very easy, fast read with a lot of twists and turns. I've already passed it along to another friend. - by K N
I read this book in a matter of two days. It was an excellent book. I loved the story and all the suprises that came along. - by c.rellew
About the Author
A native of the island of Jamaica, Courtney Lloyd White grew up in and still resides on the Jersey Shore in suburban New Jersey. He attended Monmouth University, N.J. where he received a B.A.in English and Rutgers University where he received a Masters in Library and Information Science. His first novel Stages of Me.
Where to Get the Book:
"Stages of Me" is available at the Lulu or Amazon
