by Lara Reznik
“And Chris?”
“When we were at Seaside Beach that night, Chris confessed Angel had called that afternoon. He told him if we didn’t get rid of Joey, he’d get rid of us.”
“Why didn’t Chris tell you that earlier?”
“He knew I wasn’t the type of person who would kill someone, for crissakes.”
I glare at him. “And Chris is?”
“I told you. Chris is a sociopath. He almost lost his therapy license a few years ago for having sex with a patient. A young girl, as a matter of fact. He managed to get away with it because she recanted her testimony. But his wife left him.”
“Chris said his wife was having an affair with you. That he left her because of it. I suppose if I call him, he’d tell me it was you who Angel spoke with and—”
He laughs. “I suppose so.”
“How do you two remain friends?”
He takes my hand. “Is it too late for us? I’d move here to Austin for you.”
“You know, Ben, there never was an ‘us.’ Just a really dumb mistake I made in a dark attic one night.”
“Guess it’s back to your bourgeois husband and the big house on the lake.”
“Guess so.” Hmmm. I’ve never mentioned that I live on a lake.
He retracts his hand. “Some people never evolve.”
I glare at him. Have you looked in the mirror lately?
“Just playing with ya, sweetheart. Gotcha though.”
“Yes, of course you did.” Asshole.
I stand up and amble to my car with a smile plastered on my face. Moments later, I am on the road back to the lake and Eduardo. Back where I belong.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This book is dedicated to Jacob, Matthew, and Marshall who grew up with a mother devoted to the craft of writing that only is second to her love for them.
To Rudy, who has always supported my passion to write starting with buying me my first computer, to enduring hours and hours of having his wife glued to it.
And to the light of my life, Madison Elizabeth.
Special thanks to the cadre of authors who have bonded with me to mutually help each other through the maze of creating and marketing a work of fiction in the new frontier of the 21st century independent publishing world. Especially: Tosh McIntosh, Cindy Stone, Brad Whittington, John J. Asher, Ray Fuentez, and Rick Bolner. Check out some of their wonderful novels online.
Above and beyond the call of duty:
Tosh McIntosh – for the endless time he spent on both the front and back cover as well as the formatting of this novel for print, Kindle, and Nook.
Cindy Stone – my “think tank” and copy editor.
Kim Greyer – for additional front cover graphic design expertise.
Writing is a lonely profession. Hours, days, weeks, months and years spent producing a manuscript without a clue if you’re the only person in the world who will ever read it. There are moments of ecstasy and days of despair in the process. In my case, I’ve been blessed to have someone who can make the unique claim to having read pretty much everything I’ve ever written. Not once or twice, but numerous times through endless revisions. That person is my sister, Rita Singer. Not only has she provided limitless encouragement and critique, but helped make the journey fun for me through the highs and lows of it all. I’m forever grateful.
Discussion Questions
THE GIRL
FROM LONG GUYLAND
By Lara Reznik
Discussion Questions
1. How much of a person’s character is shaped by the time in which she lives?
2. Seventeen-year-old Laila leaves her sheltered Long Island home and becomes involved in a love triangle and a hippie lifestyle in college. Is it feasible that she would take such risks so soon after leaving home?
3. Adult Laila lives with the terrible guilt of being part of a conspiracy to hide what happened to her friend Joey in 1970. When she faces a similar choice of doing the right thing by standing up for her promiscuous boss at the risk of losing her job, does she make the right decision?
4. Chris, Ben and Bob E. are amoral and egotistical men. Why do women fall for “bad boys?”
5. Young Laila never felt that she belonged in Long Island. She has a misguided sense of belonging in “the family.” Adult Laila doesn’t feel like she belongs in Austin. Why does Laila struggle with a sense of belonging?
6. Who is your favorite character in the story and why?
7. Do Doc and Rojo have redeeming qualities? What did you like and dislike about them?
8. Denise is a very complex character. Do you believe she betrayed Laila?
9. Is Laila’s obsession with Ben believable? Have you ever known someone who remains in your fantasies? Did Ben have a chance of wooing Laila away from Eduardo?
10. Laila is a flawed character who made some poor choices in her youth and is not as appreciative of her adult life as she should be. What important lessons has she learned by the end of the novel?
11. In a real-life corporation could Darlene and Laila be promoted on the whim of a CEO and then fired? Do guys like Bob E. still exist today?
12. Who is the real antagonist in the story? Ivy, Juanita, Ben, or Chris? Why?
About the Author
Lara Reznik, a native New Yorker, attended college at the University of New Mexico where she studied under esteemed authors Rudolfo Anaya and Tony Hillerman. Ambidextrous from birth, Lara preferred her right-brained creative side, but discovered she could make a better living with her left-brain skills so entered the I.T. field in 1995. Her debut novel, The Girl From Long Guyland, was launched on Amazon on Nov 8, 2012. The novel consistently ranked the #1 spot in Suspense, #1 in Contemporary Women’s Fiction, and #4 overall during it’s Amazon Kindle Free Promotional Days. In addition to her novels, Lara has written and optioned three screenplays.
Screenplays by Lara Reznik:
The M&M Boys
Bagels & Salsa
Dance of Deception
Connect with Lara online:
www.larareznik.com
Email: [email protected]
Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
CHAPTER FORTY
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Discussion Questions
About the Author
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