Proud to host Lisa Mauro!

I’d like to thank today’s host and 4Wills Publishing for organizing this amazing opportunity. I hope you all enjoy the tour!

The foundation of The Place We Went to Yesterday began with a chance meeting. It was my first semester of college and I was sitting in an early Sunday morning Creative Writing class. Writing had always been a solitary and private thing for me. I rarely, if ever, shared my work with others. But this class forced me to do just that. And in that class, I met a person that forever changed my life.

I could tell she was uneasy about sharing her work and so I was immediately drawn to her. We traded our assignments, glanced over the pages and quickly determined that we would be friends for life. We shared pieces of our soul in that class and that is where this story began to take shape.

Ella – Spanish for “she” – is a timid teenager. Born into poverty, she is abused, manipulated and neglected by her family. Her parents become aware of a rumor that she is gay and after barely escaping from them, she is moved into foster care. When she realizes that foster care isn’t much better than her home life was, she opts to move into a group home.

It is there that she meets Lara – a spunky, fellow Latina – who teaches her the ropes of navigating the home. Lara introduces Ella to New York City’s High Line Park. It becomes a place of refuge for Ella and provides her with an entirely new perspective of not just the city, but her life. After a fight breaks out in the home, Lara is removed and Ella is left to fend for herself.

Realizing that education is the key to breaking the poverty cycle, she dives headfirst into pursuing her dreams. The Place We Went to Yesterday is a story of second chances and the transformative power we each hold within us.

Everything about that first Creative Writing class changed my life. It taught me how to take constructive criticism but more importantly, it showed me that I didn’t have to just be an observer in life. I could take those observations and use them to implement positive changes.

Our friendship is over a decade old at this point and I talk to “Ella” more days than not. She still continues to inspire me. And hopefully, you.

Author Bio:

Lisa Mauro is a novelist, blogger, and pharmaceutical consultant.  She is the Secretary of the Board of The Women Fiction Writers Association.  The Place We Went to Yesterday is her first novel, published by Heartless Press.  She lives in Boston, MA with her better half, Brian, and an obnoxiously cute kitten, Harper.
Author Links:
Blog/Website: www.lisa-mauro.com

Twitter Handle: @sw33tvoodoo

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/abnormalapathy

Amazon Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P55K7U8/
4WillsPublishing Links:
Goodreads Event Page: https://www.goodreads.com/event/show/956833-the-place-we-went-to-yesterday-blog-tour

Rafflecopter Giveaway: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4af5be7f13/

This tour sponsored by 4WillsPublishing.wordpress.com.