Meet Lissa Brown, Local Author

Lissa Brown has been writing since she learned how to form letters and commit them to paper. She’s been a columnist, a speechwriter, a ghost writer for public and corporate officials, and a media relations specialist for gubernatorial and state legislative campaigns.  She will be visiting Ashe Library at 1:00 p.m. on March 21 to talk about her books Another F-Word and Family of Choice. 

 

After successful careers in teaching, marketing and public relations she retired to her present home in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains.  Other books by Lissa include Real Country: From the Fast Track to Appalachia (as Leslie Brunetsky) and Family Secrets: Three Generations (under her own name).

 My review of Another F-Word:

Rory has to face many challenges along the way. As a young boy he tries to gain acceptance from his father, but can't live up to the expectations his dad has for him. Rory likes flowers not football. His dad is an abusive bully to both Rory and his mother. Then there are the bullies at school, and the difficulty of fitting in with his classmates. Thank God for Rory's mother and grandparents who are supportive of him and begin to understand more about why their boy is different.

I'm glad Lissa wrote this book to enlighten readers about the problems gay children face growing up. Today's world is more accepting than it used to be, but there is still a lot of hatred out there. This is another book that makes me want to sing Get Together to the world ... like the old coke commercial wanting the world to sing in perfect harmony.

The book is very hard to put down and has some parts that might make you think "seriously?" ... but it is the shocking turn of events that makes it so addictive. I also liked the way Lissa made each character so human .. both good and bad, they were all believable.

My review of Family of Choice:

In Family of Choice Rory works to overcome feelings of hatred for his father and grief over the loss of his grandpa. The range of emotions is like a rollercoaster ride. His "high" is finally finding acceptance and love with Nimo, a wonderful man and father of two very precocious children ... Lexie and Dillon. Rory and Nimo are wonderful parents, although Rory wrestles with the responsibility of formally adopting his lover's children.

Readers will be absorbed in the realistic dialogue that brings these characters to life. Life-changing decisions take consideration and knowing that family and forgiveness (other f-words) are there make things easier with hard times. Same-sex marriage laws, AIDS, bigotry, and discrimination are challenges faced ... political victories and wisdom help Rory and Nimo, but it's love that gives them the strength they need.