L.E.A.P.

Turning fourteen, Linn Gurke suffers from the adolescent ABCs: Acne, Boobs, and Crushes. Her alcoholic mother and codependent father don’t provide help or support. While being labeled a liar, Linn is expected to keep her mother’s addiction quiet. It’s the big secret shaping everyone’s truth. Linn wants to quit lying, in particular to her best friend, Nadine.

Feeling alone, Linn reads self-help articles and creates Linn’s Emerging Adult Plan (L.E.A.P.). This eight-point checklist is designed to prevent Linn from succumbing to her mother’s genetic makeup and predisposition toward alcoholism. But when an unbalanced aunt arrives, Linn and her snarky older brother, Brendan, learn that their thirty-nine-year-old mother is pregnant. The family spirals downward as Linn’s priorities change from growing up to survival for herself and her siblings. Linn must find a way to conquer the family demons.

Toni Bellon retired as Assistant Dean of Education from the University of North Georgia. She left to care for her alcoholic mother who suffered from dementia and Parkinson’ s. During that time, writing became cathartic. Toni uses humor, hoping that her snarky view of life brings a smile to anyone who’s reading. After living in nine states, Toni now resides in Atlanta Georgia. She is a member of the Atlanta Writers Club, A Novel Idea, and multiple critique groups. Grandma is her favorite title. L.E.A.P. is her first novel.