Tangled Minds [Large Print] [Paperback]

Yvonne Mason (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 11, 2009

Tangled Minds is a masterpiece. In the fine tradition of John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, Yvonne Mason leads the reader through the twisted and tangled lives of Brianna Van Pelt and her son, Josh, thrusting us into a Pygmalion dilemma that has consumed scholars for decades. Is there such a thing as a "bad seed", an individual whose feet are placed upon a path of crime and evil almost from the beginning? Thwarted by her parents' tough love, seventeen-year-old, single mother, Brianna, allows herself to be drawn into a new world glittering with easy money and false promises, accepting that proposition that no good girl ever should. With her young son, Josh, in tow, she dazzles with new prosperity, fulfilling the fantasies of not only her glorified pimp, Ken Morgan, but those of a judge and a host of depraved, desperate men in their wake.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Spanning the course of close to two decades, Yvonne Mason takes you on a literary ride you won't soon forget in Tangled Minds, chronicling the lives of Brianna Van Pelt and her son Josh and all those they meet along the way.

The crash course begins soon after Brianna has Josh while he is still a baby and she practically is herself at 17. While she is only a year from being considered an adult, she still seems to have the mind of a child. One night after her parents refuse to watch Josh, so Brianna can go out is what sets Brianna up for her future.

Her stubborn determination leads her right into the hands of evil and lust. Ironically it also leads her to the one person who in years to come, will be there when she needs it most.

When people refuse to accept responsibility for their actions, it is compelling and enormously sad to see the results. Tangled Minds will keep you reeling long after you've read the last page. --Jennifer Brown, Author Reviews Tangled Minds

Review

Brianna Van Pelt was a seventeen year old spoiled little brat. She did not want to accept the consequences of sleeping with her boyfriend, Benny. When her son Joshua was born into the world, she hated him, hated the sight of him, hated that he messed up her teenage perfect popular life. She vowed to care for him, but never would she love him. Brianna blamed him, blamed her parents, but never blamed herself for the road she was about to choose; the road that will quickly take away her youth.

Punishing her parents for the wrong reason, Brianna ended up hatching a plan. Planning to move out, get a job, and take Josh away from his grandparents forever. Leaving him in the hot vehicle while filling out an application for a BBQ restaurant was the beginning of things worse to come.

There she met Bill, who introduced her to Ken. Bill Bredlove was a sleaze in every sense of the word; Ken Morgan on the other hand had a plan for Brianna, at least she would be well taken care of. She only had to do a few "favors" for Ken's male clients. She would be paid quite well, have her own luxurious apartment, clothes, jewelry, and even a nanny for Josh. The selfish girl could not turn down the offer, no matter who it was Ken would have lined up for her to sleep with.

Ken and Bill were partners, but Bill began abusing the girls and Ken had to remedy the situation before something bad happened to the girls or Brianna. Only the threat didn't keep Bill away, it only caused him to roll on Ken and get him sent to prison. Knowing the girls would need him eventually; Bill just sat back and waited.

Always lugging Josh around in the middle of the night, it was written in the stars that he would follow in his mothers footsteps, never taking the blame on himself, it was always someone else's fault. Little did he know he would end up following his fathers footsteps as well when he is sent to prison for 10 years. Only knowing love from two people that were not actually related to him, Josh was delt a bad hand from the start of his life. Would life in prison change him? Would Brianna ever come to realize she caused her own fate? Only time will tell.

Tangled Minds by Yvonne Mason is a fast paced novel, that will keep you on your toes. So many events happening and well detailed scenes make the story fly by, you are finished before you know it. Ms. Mason pens a tale of very real events, that really makes you think. A wonderful read, I would highly recommend it. 4.5 Hearts

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 492 pages
• Publisher: lulu.com; 3rd edition (April 11, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0557062977
• ISBN-13: 978-0557062973
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,329,956 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Background:
The eldest of five children, Yvonne was born May 17, 1951 in Atlanta, Georgia. Raised in East Point, Georgia, she moved to Jackson County, Ga. until 2006 then moved to Port St. Lucie, Florida where she currently makes her home.
Licensed bounty hunter for the state of Georgia.

Education:
After a 34 year absence, returned to college in 2004. Graduated with honors in Criminal Justice with an Associate's degree from Lanier Technical College in 2006.

Awards:
Nominated for the prestigious GOAL award in 2005 which encompasses all of the technical colleges. This award is based not only on excellence in academics but also leadership, positive attitude and the willingness to excel in one's major.

Affiliations:
Beta Sigma Phi Sorority
Member of The Florida Writer's Association - Group Leader for St Lucie County

The Dream:
Since learning to write at the age of five, Yvonne has wanted to be an author. She wrote her first novel Stan's Story beginning in 1974 and completed it in 2006. Publication seemed impossible as rejections grew to 10 years. Determined, she continued adding to the story until her dream came true in 2006.

The Inspiration:
Yvonne's brother Stan has been her inspiration and hero in every facet of her life. He was stricken with Encephalitis at the tender age of nine months. He has defied every roadblock placed in his way and has been the driving force in every one of her accomplishments. He is the one who taught her never to give up

The Author:
Yvonne is currently the author of several novels, including:

Stan's Story- the true story of her brother's accomplishments, it has been compared to the style of Capote, and is currently being rewritten with new information for re-release.
??? Tangled Minds - a riveting story about a young girl's bad decision and how it taints everyone's life around her yet still manages to show that hope is always possible. This novel has been compared to the writing of Steinbeck and is currently being written as a screenplay. This novel will be re-released by Kerlak Publishing in 2009
Brilliant Insanity - released by Kerlak Publishing October 2008
Silent Scream - Released by Lulu.com October 2008- Slated to be made into a movie -Listed at #5 in Mainstream Novels for 2008 In Predators and Editors Poll






Yvonne's Philosophy in Life - "Pay it Forward":

"In this life we all have been helped by others to attain our dreams and goals. We cannot pay it back but what we can do is 'pay it forward'. It is a simple concept. By helping three people, those three people help three more people and soon that becomes nine. Those nine people each help three more people and the giving continues. As you see, it is the power of three. Our giving comes back to us ten-fold. So one could say it is three to the power of ten. We all started out with nothing. By using this philosophy we can help one another and share the goodness of life's wealth."

Speaking Engagements:
Yvonne is an accomplished motivational speaker and is available for speaking engagements. Previous engagements include:

April 27,2009 Martin County Member of Panel on Being a Victim
April 6,2009 Book Signing in Vero Beach at Business Block Party
March 7,2009 Brevard Authors Book Fair - Speech on Gerard Schaefer, Florida's First Serial Killer
December 2008- "Commemorative Speech on Gerard Schaefer's Victims - IRSC Vero Beach, Fl
November 2008 - "How to write different genres" Lewis Carroll Sixth Grade Merritt Island, Fl.
April 2008 at IRCC - "How to Sell One's Self in the Business World" presentation to the student body.
April 2008 at The Palm Glades Girl Scouts Council Sixth Annual Luncheon as the featured keynote speaker - "Dreams, Goals and Aspirations" presentation.
May 2007 at Lanier Tech - "Succeeding in Life" Power Point presentation to the student body using the concepts of Stan's Story.
May 2007 at Blackshear Baptist Church - Power Point presentation entitled "Acceptance of Self and Others".
May 2007 at IRCC - "How to Reach Your Goals - It's Never Too Late" presentation to adult women returning to school to become professionals in different fields.


Personal Appearances':
Yvonne has appeared on Blog Talk radio shows:
Now that's what I 'm talking about with Louise Aveni
The Odd Mind with Angel Lesa
She will be appearing on the Cliff Roles show out of Sarasota on Oct 10,2008
And several other shows in the upcoming months
Personal Appearance Circle Books Sarasota, Florida Nov 8,2008
Appeared in The Fort Pierce Tribune, Vero Beach Press, Stuart News and Port St Lucie News
Lewis Carroll Middle School - the Sixth grade class

Book Signings:
Yvonne is available to autograph books and welcomes the opportunity to attend local events, bookstores, conventions, schools, writer's clubs or any other function interested in her books.

Contacting Yvonne:
All inquiries should be directed to Yvonne @ysam51@[e-mail]
Yvonne's Online Bookstores - http://thebookattic.ecrater.com
http://stores.lulu.com/theskeletoncloset
http://yvonnemason.wordpress.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Masterpiece!, March 5, 2008

By 

Ann B. Keller "Ann B. Keller" (Cleveland, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tangled Minds (Paperback)

Tangled Minds is a masterpiece. In the fine tradition of John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, Yvonne Mason leads the reader through the twisted and tangled lives of Brianna Van Pelt and her son, Josh, thrusting us into a Pygmalion dilemma that has consumed scholars for decades. Is there such a thing as a "bad seed", an individual whose feet are placed upon a path of crime and evil almost from the beginning? If the circumstances of one's birth or the choices one makes cannot be overcome with love, patience and the rarely grasped opportunity for redemption, what chance is there for any of us?

Thwarted by her parents' tough love, seventeen-year-old, single mother, Brianna, allows herself to be drawn into a new world glittering with easy money and false promises, accepting that proposition that no good girl ever should. With her young son, Josh, in tow, she dazzles with new prosperity, fulfilling the fantasies of not only her glorified pimp, Ken Morgan, but those of a judge and a host of depraved, desperate men in their wake. Ms. Mason's familiarity with the legal system and law enforcement showed through clearly in several well orchestrated scenes, as the long arm of the law repeatedly tried to halt the ring of drugs and prostitution and Brianna and her son fled for the safety of the mountains.

Ms. Mason's understanding of mountain people was stellar. These simple folk protect their own with fierce loyalty and Brianna and Josh find shelter beneath their net of poverty, love, moonshine and madness. Here, transgressors simply disappear, never to be heard from again and the mountains hold their secrets close to their chests as nature smoothes the pothole's dark waters and envelops the hills in song and greenery. Even murder seems somehow justified in a place such as this, but the twisted and convoluted logic of its inhabitants finds no sympathetic ear in the outside world and Josh must ultimately face the consequences of his actions.

And yet, within this story, there lies hope. In Hannah and Miss Amy, we see the opposing force of love, the light of goodness that can blaze through even the meanest dark, if only one has the courage to reach for it. Fragile yet steadfast, this gentler emotion finally reaches even Brianna, a woman some would have classified beyond redemption. In love's golden glow, we find hope, hope for Brianna and Josh and perhaps even for ourselves, as well.

Tangled Minds should be required reading for every high school senior or college freshman, although its audience is clearly much wider. Life is, indeed, full of choices and consequences. An individual may be able to run fast and far, but in the end, he cannot outrun the ultimate judge - himself. True redemption begins from within. May love's tiny flame light the way as we reconcile our past, lift our face into the winds of change and set our feet once more upon the good road. An excellent read!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful read!, February 6, 2008

By 

Crystal Adkins "Crystal's book reviews" (Ashland, KY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tangled Minds (Paperback)

Brianna Van Pelt was a seventeen year old spoiled little brat. She did not want to accept the consequences of sleeping with her boyfriend, Benny. When her son Joshua was born into the world, she hated him, hated the sight of him, hated that he messed up her teenage perfect popular life. She vowed to care for him, but never would she love him. Brianna blamed him, blamed her parents, but never blamed herself for the road she was about to choose; the road that will quickly take away her youth.

Punishing her parents for the wrong reason, Brianna ended up hatching a plan. Planning to move out, get a job, and take Josh away from his grandparents forever. Leaving him in the hot vehicle while filling out an application for a BBQ restaurant was the beginning of things worse to come.

There she met Bill, who introduced her to Ken. Bill Bredlove was a sleaze in every sense of the word; Ken Morgan on the other hand had a plan for Brianna, at least she would be well taken care of. She only had to do a few "favors" for Ken's male clients. She would be paid quite well, have her own luxurious apartment, clothes, jewelry, and even a nanny for Josh. The selfish girl could not turn down the offer, no matter who it was Ken would have lined up for her to sleep with.

Ken and Bill were partners, but Bill began abusing the girls and Ken had to remedy the situation before something bad happened to the girls or Brianna. Only the threat didn't keep Bill away, it only caused him to roll on Ken and get him sent to prison. Knowing the girls would need him eventually; Bill just sat back and waited.

Always lugging Josh around in the middle of the night, it was written in the stars that he would follow in his mothers footsteps, never taking the blame on himself, it was always someone else's fault. Little did he know he would end up following his fathers footsteps as well when he is sent to prison for 10 years. Only knowing love from two people that were not actually related to him, Josh was delt a bad hand from the start of his life. Would life in prison change him? Would Brianna ever come to realize she caused her own fate? Only time will tell.

Tangled Minds by Yvonne Mason is a fast paced novel, that will keep you on your toes. So many events happening and well detailed scenes make the story fly by, you are finished before you know it. Ms. Mason pens a tale of very real events, that really makes you think. A wonderful read, I would highly recommend it. 4.5 Hearts

Yvonne is on myspace at: www.myspace.com/yvonnemason

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful, June 6, 2008

By 

Yvonne Mason "Author" (Port St Lucie, Fl.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tangled Minds (Paperback)

Review by:
Dee- avid reader



I just finished Tangled Minds, all I can say is wow. I really thought I was reading a true story, it was just incredible writing. From the first time I started reading it I found myself being completely drawn in to the lives of these characters. You truly brought their emotions to life. The ending left me wanting to find out more about these characters. it was just awesome..