Newton's Third Law - Paperback

by Chander Smith (Editor), Summer Rohricht (Editor), Adam Quagliano (Illustrator)

Self-reliant and resilient, Jasper Adams has overcome a childhood tragedy and carved out a life that suits him just fine. At 25, he lives in a modest flat with some interesting perks, has a job that enables him to use his musical talents, volunteers at a local shelter and has a small family of friends-well, two-that he reluctantly relies on and occasionally trusts. Jasper has put up strong walls to maintain this seemingly simple world where he stays protected from life's complications. Carrie Chandler is pretty and smart. And hurting. After the loss of almost everything she has resurrected herself and found purpose in helping others at the Newton Center. But hers is a happy face masking a tortured soul. And her demons are closer than she thinks. When Jasper and Carrie collide, his well-constructed, controlled life starts to crack and he finds himself at a crossroads-desire for something more but reluctance to risk what it takes to get it. As much as they push each other away, an even greater force pulls Jasper and Carrie together. But for them to make a true connection Jasper will have to face some of his own demons - demons that maybe neither he, nor Carrie, can handle. So goes Jasper's journey to discover if life has more to offer. If he has more to give. And how to find true happiness. Will he take a leap of faith to land firmly on the ground? With a combination of well-developed characters and a plot that puzzles until the last page, NTL tells the story of what lies at the intersection of what we do and don't believe in, what we can and can't control, and what happens when we choose to not let fate take the wheel.

Author Biography

Michael Marotta started making up stories before he started school, imagining himself into his grandmother's memories of growing up during The Great Depression and World War II. Fascinated by the people in those tales, he began to make up his own characters (and no small number of imaginary friends). He honed his craft in high school, often swapping wild stories for the answers he didn't know to cover up the fact that he hadn't studied. You'd be surprised at how many good grades he "earned" based on how complete his essays appeared! Today, Michael's the guy making up histories for people he sees at the airport, in restaurants or simply hanging around in his hometown of Franklin, Tennessee. His wife (Jennifer), two children (Jake and Emily) and child wannabe, Mojo, put up with his nonsense-sometimes they even encourage it. Most of the imaginary friends have moved on, but their spirits live in the characters and stories he creates-pieces of real people marbled with fabricated or exaggerated traits and a generous helping of Eighties pop culture. Michael's characters appeal to many people because they are the people we all know. They are our friends, our families and people we encounter every day. He writes for the love of writing and for the crazy old lady who raised him. Learn more at www.mm-wordsandpages.com.