Journey of hope and tears by Dieter Ryckewaert
If you were a refugee, would you be able to move on when your loved ones have all perished?
Jill lives with her parents and brother in Greenwood. She longs for freedom, far away from the Seers Dynasty and their tyrannical regime. She works in her father’s practice as a nurse, and this brings her some joy in her life – a simple but meaningful life.
When Jill’s homeland is attacked by Cerynean soldiers, her dream of finding happiness shatters into a thousand pieces. Jill and her brother are summoned to defend their homeland, but the war is short-lived. Latania falls, and all hell breaks loose.
As soon as the Cerynean soldiers march into the streets of Greenwood, Jill’s father brings her to safety. Aboard an old boat, the Sabrielle, she can flee, but her parents and brother are left behind. Tormented by pain and agony, Jill sees no way out…
Sam, a foreign soldier of the Freedom Pact, lost and miles away from his unit, becomes her salvation. Onboard the Sabrielle, they both realise that they can only survive if they work together. Hunted by the Cerynean army, they begin their journey with only one goal: to escape Latania.
JOURNEY OF HOPE AND TEARS: an unusual story about the true meaning of love, set in a dystopian world, reflecting our own challenges as humankind.
Description
Find more from this author on:
Amazon
Author Site
GoodReads
TwitterAbout the author:
Hi there,
I am Dieter Ryckewaert from Belgium.
I was born on march 2 of 1984.
In my daily life I work in weekends, so I'm free during the week to support my girlfriend that has Lyme disease.
I love books, music and movies.
What inspired you to write your book?
Journey of hope and tears is the English version of 'Jills Talisman', which was published in Dutch.
Jills Talisman was published through a regular publisher, while Journey of hope and tears is published on Amazon (Indie). It's part of a project, together with my girlfriend to raise money for charity (SameYou). All our profits will be used for people who are recovering from a braininjury.
Why did I write the original: The conflicts in today's world and how they always affect ordinary people. I wanted to write a story seen through the eyes of a refugee and make the reader feel what it is like to leave everything behind in the hope for a better future.
But that's the hard side of the story. I am an eternal romantic and that is reflected strongly in Jill and Sam's journey together.
Here is a short sample from the book:
Century-old trees cast their shadows over the deck of Jill’s
paddlewheel and shielded it from the scorching midday sun.
She had already turned the engine off. She was fed up with
the paddlewheel’s clattering and yearned for peace as she
steered into the forest. She leaned her back against the
wooden helm and wiped the tears from her face with her
sleeve. In her right hand she held a razor-sharp knife.
Today stood in stark contrast to a few days ago, and the grief
tormented her body. How on earth had it come to this?
A gun lay in front of her booted feet; loaded and ready to
fire. She hesitated. Just one shot and everything would fade
into eternal silence. Gather courage, pull the trigger, and all troubles
disappear. What’s so difficult about that? Icy chills ran down
her back when she thought of the agonising pain she would
suffer if she missed. She looked at the knife again. Only one
slice across her wrists was enough. Painful? Certainly. But
that wouldn’t outweigh the peace she would find afterwards,
would it?
At that precise moment, the wind caressed her shoulder
and played with her blond locks, as if it knew what was at
stake. She sobbed and then held the knife to her wrist. The
wind blew stronger, increasing the soothing rustling of
leaves. Jill closed her eyes.
‘On three,’ she whispered, pressing the knife down
harder. ‘One.’ Adrenaline tore through her frail body.
‘Two.’ Her heartbeat pounded into her skull.
It felt as if she were standing next to a gigantic clock with its
clapper bashing the bronze gong.
‘Three!’ Her father’s face flashed in front of her. It was
the last image of him she remembered. Salty tears flowed
down his cheeks, like a river of sorrow. But it was his hopeful
16
smile she remembered above all; the fearless gaze of a man
who wanted to save his daughter. Jill dropped the knife.
‘Help me!’ she shouted distraughtly. ‘Please, help me!’
She couldn’t do it. People she loved had sacrificed
themselves for her. But what was the point? It was hopeless.
Latania had been destroyed, and Greenwood erased from
the face of the earth; her familiar surroundings no longer
existed. Even though she had been able to flee thanks to her
father, there was no guarantee that she would be safe in
Bridgeville. For all she knew, the Latanian capital was also
occupied. Would it be so bad then if she ended her life
instead of waiting around to die a horrible death? She had
seen enough horror and suffering in the last few days. If the
soldiers had moved south, she would be done for anyway.
No, choosing a quick death can’t be that bad. Nobody could blame
her for it.
Jill picked up the knife, and held it in her hands, while
trembling violently. No tears this time… She felt the
pressure of the cold blade on her wrist.
She closed her eyes again and took a deep breath. Soon
everything would be over; all the sadness, all the suffering
and all the pain. She slowly exhaled all the air from her lungs.
Jill immediately felt part of her inner self protesting. A part
of her that wanted to move on and struggled to let go. It was
something unnatural, something she had never experienced
before. Her body fought a hard battle against the dark
thoughts.
Jill tightened her grip on the knife. ‘One.’
She had flashbacks of her past; memories from a carefree
life: the mischievousness she and her brother got up to as
children, the period in which she developed into a young
woman and then the conversations with her mother about
the more “spicy” things in life.
But above all, she remembered when she received her
17
medical degree a few weeks earlier. It was a symbol of the
childhood years she left behind, and the first step into the
world as an adult. Never before had she seen her parents so
proud; their daughter following in their footsteps.
Jill discarded the memories. ‘Two.’ She clenched her
teeth, gripped the knife firmly and…
Related products
-
Pleasure by CM Deveraux
He’s trying to kill me.
He’s going to kill me.
And there’s nothing I can do to stop him.
Ten years.
Ten long years enduring her husband’s I’m-staying-late-at-the-office-honey-but-I’m-really-not bootie calls, and Sasha Chase is finished playing a naïve, little housewife. The marriage is over. For her. The only problem? It’s far from over for Damon.
On the day Damon is served with divorce papers by Sasha’s hunky, ginger-haired lawyer Gideon O’Shea, Sasha knows better than to let Damon inside her house, but he sounds so desperate and broken, sobbing outside her door like a neglected child. In a moment of forgiveness, she unbolts the door, letting him in.
What’s the worst that can happen?
I Love My Breakup by Sabrina Lacey
What do you do when your jerk of a boyfriend cheats on you and THEN tells you he wants to see other people??
Do you answer a provocative ad on the internet: “In New York For Only One Night.”
…If his photos look like he could be Ryan Gosling’s brother – Ummmm. Yes.
And Erotic Romance – Part 1 in the “I love my …” series.
Kydona by Thomas Krug
Named for heaven, the kingdom of Elessia once served as a beacon to the world. Now its name has become a byword for decadence. When Lord Prince Marcus hears the beginnings of a vast conspiracy from the lips of his dying mother, he sets out to uncover the motives lurking behind the war his father waged. With the help of Kaelyn—a sharp-tongued courtesan nursing a long-hidden desire—and Vernon de Gauthier—a near-disturbingly prolific womanizer with a weakness for apples—Marcus slowly unearths the truth: his country lies on the brink of collapse. And soon, the vanquished nation of Kydona will rise to settle a generation-old score.
In Elessia’s debauched court, the threat goes unheeded. Marcus’s romances bloom and just as quickly wither. Blood is shed, lives extinguished. It matters little. Quarrel and murder, lust and love, right and wrong—the lines that separate these are hopelessly blurred in the throes of court intrigue. And the difference between each rests on a knife edge so sharp that even a hero cannot tell them apart.
A Love For Romance – Anthology by Stephanie Phillips
A preview of Trading Yesterday by USA Today Bestselling Author Kahlen Aymes
The Break (Breaking Free, Part 1) by USA Today Bestselling Author Debra Presley
Always Too Late by Micalea Smeltzer
Until the Stars Forget to Shine by Amber Garza
The Only Chance by Magan Vernon
Awakened: A Leila Marx World Novella by Amber Garr
Do You Mind? by Freya Barker
Cock-Blocked by W. Ferraro
What Happens on Spring Break by R.C. Stephens
Always There by Elizabeth Hayes
Falling for Lindy by Ashlee Taylor
Burning the Midnight Oil by Eilson Grace
Babysitting for the Biker by Sammi Starlight
Chasing Love by Misha Elliott
Partially Broken Never Destroyed by Nataisha Hill
Kayla feels that a man named, Jeremy is the man of her dreams. He winds and dines her as well as buys her anything she wants. Further into the relationship, Kayla discovers that Jeremy is not the enduring man she thought he was. Jeremy is very controlling and abusive. Kayla decides to try to get Jeremy back in line, but Jeremy ends up having a few tricks up his sleeve. Once Kayla realizes that Jeremy is a liar and deceiver, she confides in Jeremy’s roommate and things get out of control. Kayla then attempts to leave, but Jeremy doesn’t want Kayla out of his life.
Attempting to move on from the relationship with Jeremy, Kayla decides to discover the night life by going out with co-workers and her best friend Brandy, who is always there for Kayla. Kayla then meets someone who she finds intriguing name Richard at one of the parties they attend. Richard turns out to be a hassle more than a help. She cannot seem to get him to act right either, so Kayla rebels against him as well. After putting up with his faults, Kayla begins spinning out of control into deception of her own. Kayla eventually leaves him and decides to get out of town with skeletons still in her closet. Before leaving town, she gets involved with a street pharmacist that she falls in love with named Michael. Michael is a charmer who literally sweeps Kayla off of her feet.
A Date with Fate by Tracy Ellen
Welcome to the world of Anabel Axelrod!
Hold on to your seat for the beginning of a fun ride! This is not your traditional romance wrapped up in a nice box and tied with a HEA pretty bow. A Date with Fate is the debut novel by Tracy Ellen, and the first volume in The Adventures of Anabel Axelrod ongoing series. Experience action, sex, wit, romance, mystery, mayhem, friends, family, flashbacks, fantasies, much laughter, and an “OMG!” cliffhanger–all in one roller-coaster ride of a wild weekend!
Smart and sexy bookstore owner Anabel Axelrod is happily satisfied with the routine of her life. She enjoys her work, the occasional company of good friends and family, and casual dates with men that are willing to follow her ironclad rules on dating.
Not too tall, deliciously dark, and definitely not handsome, the mysterious Luke Drake is a new man in town. When they meet, Anabel realizes Luke is the same man that she saw briefly in her bookstore months ago. They had never actually spoken, but sparks flew and worlds collided when their eyes clashed across the room that day.
It soon becomes apparent Luke has set his sights on Anabel, but he is no follower of rules and control is his middle name. Falling crazy in lust and sharing her darkest desires with an experienced man like Luke was definitely not in Anabel’s plans. She loves being single and will allow no man to control her, but Luke has persuasive ideas of his own.
But Anabel’s intense desire for Luke Drake is not her only concern. The slutty wife of a friend has gone missing, an employee at her store is attacked by an abusive ex, and the man who broke her heart years ago returns to town. Anabel’s orderly life dissolves into chaos. In A Date with Fate, the question remains–will the sassy, blonde bookseller follow her own rules to stay single, or will she understand that life is never simple and a certain mesmerizing complication may be worth the risk, even if it kills her?
The next two books in The Adventures of Anabel Axelrod series, Courted by Karma and In Love by Design, are available for purchase at all major booksellers. Adieu to Destiny is available for preorder and will be released in November 2014.
*This series is meant for the entertainment of an adult, mature audience. Please do not buy/read my books if scenes containing strong sexual situations, moderate violence, and explicit language offend you.
My Despicable Ex by Sierra Rose
She thinks he’s despicable. He wants her back…with a vengeance.
BOOK TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZ8m9f7JDzk
Ashly Roberts and Jake Connors are barely twenty when they decide to take the proverbial plunge and walk down the aisle to exchange vows in front of the dearly beloved. Basking in bridal bliss, Ashly feels she is living the perfect fairytale, until she’s faced with a runaway groom, dumped at the altar by bad-boy fiancé, Jake Connors.
Five years later, Jake steps back into her life…
He realizes that being a no-show for their nuptials was the worst mistake of his life. A little older and more mature, he is ready to fight for Ashly’s love once again. When Ashly sees him, she can’t deny the attraction she feels, but her hormones are overruled by the horror of what he did to her in the past. Nevertheless, Jake’s most potent weapon, those dazzling baby blues, ignites a spark in Ashly, no matter how angry she wants to be. She cannot deny the spark, and she only hopes the inferno it ignites will not consume her heart again.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.