Shades of Gray [Kindle Edition]

Andy Holloman (Author), Toni Rakestraw (Editor), Laurel Holloman (Illustrator), Matt Taft (Illustrator)

Book Description

• Jan. 2013 - #1 BestSeller, American Drama .........
• September 2012 - Finalist, Reader's Favorite, Fiction-Suspense...........

• July 2012 -- Kindle Book Review, Semi-Finalist, Thriller/Mystery........
• April 2012 -- #1 BestSeller, Amazon, Men's Adventure

"Debut novelist Andy Holloman speeds us on a journey with punch, twist, and emotional dilemmas straight from our worst fears.

Shades of Gray is a colorful, rollicking ride from start to finish."

- Franz Wisner, New York Times bestselling author of "Honeymoon with My Brother" and "How the World Makes Love"

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How far would you go to save your child's life? Could you break the law?

What if your business was suddenly in danger of going under because of 9/11 ?

A single father decides to partner up with woman from the opposite side of the tracks.

Can their partnership deliver the cash they BOTH desperately need?

Could they fall in love?

And will they survive to see the Summer of 2002?

(Combine "Breaking Bad" and "Cops" with a disturbing, dark remake of "The Love

Boat" and you have all the flavors of SHADES OF GRAY)

Editorial Reviews

Review

• Jan. 2013 -   #1  BestSeller,  American Dramas............
• September 2012 --  Finalist, Reader's Favorite,  Fiction-Suspense..........
• July 2012 --  Kindle Book Review,  Semi-Finalist for Best Thriller/Mystery.......... 
• April 2012 --  #1 BestSeller, Amazon, Men's Adventure 

"Wow!  Holloman delivers on a taut thriller that will keep you turning the pages far into the night.  

This book should be at the top of everyone's reading list for 2012"

                                                      

 S. Burnham,  PeakCityPublishing.com                                                                                             

        

" Holloman is the next sensation in great Novel writing. This debut is blockbuster Authorship.  He knows how to create exciting characters that readers can root for and he is brilliant in setting up scenes. His storytelling is fresh and exciting."                                                                                                                                 

 Glen Cantrell, Author of "The Resume"   

                                                       

"Debut novelist Andy Holloman speeds us on a journey with punch, twist, and emotional dilemmas straight from our worst fears.   

Shades of Gray is a colorful, rollicking ride from start to finish."                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

- Franz Wisner, New York Times bestselling author of "Honeymoon with My Brother" and "How the World Makes Love"                                                                               

From the Back Cover

•    Jan.   2013 -   #1  BestSeller,  American Drama ...............
•   Sept.    2012  --  Finalist, Reader's Choice,  Fiction-Suspense..........

•   July  2012 --  Semi-Finalist, Kindle Book Review,  Thriller/Mystery............
•  April  2012 --  #1 BestSeller,  Amazon, Men's Adventure............

   --------------------------------------------

In the Fall of 2001, John Manning's life is in turmoil.  His six-year-old daughter Lucy needs a kidney transplant, and his travel agency is in financial distress because of the 9/11 tragedy.  A lapse in his health insurance means he also has to quickly secure funds for his daughter's operation.

     Wanda, a client of John's travel agency, is facing similar financial difficulties.  Her livelihood as a drug dealer has also been hit hard by increased airport security.  As a single parent, she wants to leave her dangerous profession and break free from her drug-lord boss Jamel, but a lack of funds has curtailed attempts to start a new life with her daughter.

 

     Desperate times lead to desperate measures and John and Wanda form a partnership to smuggle cocaine via cruise ships.                                                                                                                         

     How far should a father go to save his child?  Can a man and woman from completely different worlds help each other?  Could they fall in love?  And who will live to see the summer of 2002?

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 550 KB
• Print Length: 368 pages
• Publisher: Triple J Press; 1st edition (November 28, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B006FZLBF2
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #18,986 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #42 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Drama > United States
  • #62 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Drama > United States

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

83 of 90 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Some potential, but needs a lot of work February 5, 2012

By Lily

Format:Kindle Edition

The book is based on a smart concept, but its execution is amateurish -- resulting in a story that is more cliched and predictable than dark and moving. The style, too, needs polish; the dialogue often sound stilted or fake, and everything is described obviously (rather than following the classic "show, don't tell" maxim). Perhaps most frustrating of all, the book desperately needs a good proofreading -- sentences beginning with lowercase letters, capital letters randomly appearing in the middle of sentences, a total misunderstanding of proper comma usage, and paragraphs splitting in two in the middle of a sentence.

These flaws make it hard to take the book seriously, which is sad because the story at the bottom of it all could be worthwhile. The author definitely shows promise, as particularly demonstrated by the book's excellent opening. This shocking flash-forward was emotionally powerful, well-scripted, and intriguing enough to keep me interested (despite the fairly shoddy writing) until I was invested in the book enough that I needed to reach the ending.

The book's ideas are clever, but they need to be presented with greater subtlety. It was worth one read, but I won't read it again, and I'm glad I read it for free.

86 of 98 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply outstanding! November 30, 2011

By Anca Dumitru

Format:Kindle Edition

Shades of Gray is a strikingly original and deeply moving story with an astonishing twist at the end. Andy Holloman renders brilliantly the tale of John Manning, a loving father and a reputable business man, whose incursion in the drug world fundamentally changes his life. Holloman makes his debut as a novelist by taking both his characters and readers on a journey where they equally experience tenderness, frustration, pain and truth. A raw, honest and captivating book that would make a great script for a movie!

37 of 41 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Andy Holloman is on-target in "Shades Of Gray"! January 20, 2012

By Alle Wells

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Author, Andy Holloman, is on-target with "Shades Of Gray"!

Based on a true story, this is the tale of one family's love for a little girl, illegal police activity, drug smuggling, and murder. This is a story of what can happen when good people are backed into a corner. It is also the story of what can happen when people are born into a world that offers no choices.
Two brothers are born years apart and live in different worlds. John is a devoted father, a solid citizen, and a successful businessman. His younger brother, Travis, is a single, rough and tough cop on the take. The family bond between the brothers remains strong, even though they hold opposing views about life. They enjoy fishing for Blue Marlin on the N.C. coast and a joint love for John's six-year-old daughter, Lucy.
The economic crisis following 9/11 force John into a tight spot. Desperation leads him into activity foreign to his nature. He meets Wanda, a woman born in poverty and struggling to survive. The two of them strike out on a venture to solve their problems. In the end, John realizes the futility of his plan when he discovers that help was right around the corner.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Only a native could capture life in North Carolina so vividly.

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Feels like it needs another draft or two. August 22, 2012

By William P. Cokas

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I've been seeking out well-regarded indie books lately, because I know there's quality writing out there that isn't represented by traditional publishing. That said, I couldn't finish this one. There might be a good story in here, but, like some other reviewers, I can't get past the overly long and stilted dialogue ("My sweet little Lucy. She's the center of my universe. She'll be six in a few months. She is a real treasure. Just wish she'd quit hassling me so much about finding a mother for her."), the dialogue-as-exposition and the lack of editing. Maybe after another round or two of tightening/polishing, this would be a nice, taut thriller, but what I read so far feels like direct-to-VHS material. Also, what appears to be the first chapter is really more of a prologue, as everything that happens afterward is a flashback. Confusing.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Live To Read February 15, 2013

By Chels TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Paperback

John Manning is a desperate man. He owns a good business, one that he is proud of. He happens to own a travel agency, however, at a bad time. 9/11 happens and the nation is in shock, many are afraid to travel, especially to fly. Naturally, John's business suffers and he must look elsewhere to support his family. When he learns that his daughter requires an expensive organ transplant, he knows he must forgo his usual morals. He becomes entangled with a woman who knows the value of money...and was raised with little of it. Their entanglement will feel very natural and realistic to the reader. They decide to help each other through this financial crunch...and they find unexpected ways to ease the financial burden.

The characters feel almost as if they could be the readers' friends or family. The author spends just the right amount of time expanding their characters, making them dynamic. The plot it very fast-paced and makes the book hard to put down. The author has a good way of words, though sometimes it felt like a couple words were used too often. At the end of this book, the reader will find the characters are plot hard to forget. There are more than a few twists and turns that will surprise the reader. Overall, this book is recommended to adult readers.

*Received a copy for review, this in no way affects my review*

More About the Author

Writer Andy Holloman has been scribbling stories since a young age. (According to reliable sources.) "Shades of Gray" is his first published novel and grew out of his experiences as a travel agency owner many moons ago. He was fascinated with the true story of a client of the business that was murdered. Suspecting her line of work was drug smuggling, a story sprouted in his over-active imagination - How far would a desperate person go to save their child and their business.

He is the father of three and happily married for 20 years. A graduate of UNC-CH, he lives in the Raleigh, NC area and is busy carpooling, keeping his wife happy, and attending his kids sporting events. He loves the great outdoors in NC, is an avid reader, and a social media goofball. Most evenings, he can be found tapping on his well-worn keyboard as he "births" his next novel.

"Debut novelist Andy Holloman speeds us on a journey with punch, twist, and emotional dilemmas straight from our worst fears. Shades of Gray is a colorful, rollicking ride from start to finish."

- Franz Wisner, New York Times bestselling author of "Honeymoon with My Brother" and "How the World Makes Love"

www.AndyHolloman.com Twitter @AndyHolloman