Turning Point [Paperback]

Lara Zielinsky (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 18, 2007

It's Hollywood. Actresses hate getting passed over. Cold shoulders are common. Petty sniping is part of the fabric of the place, but it takes two to fight. Cassidy Hyland's birthday party for her son is about to spark much more than a truce with Brenna Lanigan, her cold costar on the television sci-fi series "Time Trails". It becomes the first step in a journey neither woman ever imagined her heart could take: to love another woman. Both women have pretty "straight" personal stories. Brenna is "just over the hill" by Hollywood standards. She's 41, with two teenage sons, and a second husband back in her Midwest hometown. She has spent from age 18 at theaters and on television, even a few movies, living out roles that other people write. Cassidy is relatively new. At 32, she came to Hollywood after majoring in Literature and Drama in college. She did a little modeling, got small parts, had a child, and escaped her abusive marriage when she landed on "Time Trails". From the warmth of an unexpected hug, to the heat on a sunlit mountain top, getting to know each other brings these two women closer to the truth of themselves, and how open their hearts have never been before. Turning Point explores the journey of these two women surrounded by a mix of supportive and unsupportive cast, from colleagues, to children, parents and spouses, both current and former.

Product Details

• Paperback: 300 pages
• Publisher: P.D. Publishing, Inc. (March 18, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933720190
• ISBN-13: 978-1933720197
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #480,217 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lara Zielinsky's first novel, Turning Point, received the 2007 Lesbian Fiction Readers Choice Award. She was also a finalist for the 2008 Debut Author award from the Golden Crown Literary Society. She has sold short stories to several anthologies, and reviews and articles have appeared in BBWN newsletter as well as a Canadian bisexuals' newsletter. Her second novel, Turn for Home, arrived in bookstores in 2010. She also works as an editor for several publishers. She hosts the bi-weekly internet radio program "Readings in Lesbian & Bisexual Women's Fiction", http://blogtalkradio.com/lara-zielinsky

You can read excerpts and more about her writing at her website: http://www.lzfiction.net

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Read, May 8, 2007

By 

Anonymous "Book Lover" (Tacoma, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Turning Point (Paperback)

This is my first review of any kind on Amazon but I just felt I had to comment on "Turning Point".

I really enjoy how the author takes her time in developing this relationship. A lot of lesbian novels rush the characters and have them in bed before the end of the 1st chapter! There are some story lines that this is necessary but most are not. I should know because at last count I have 963 lesbian novels which I have been collectiog over 20 years.

There is pain, hurt, joy, happiness, etc. as the two characters who are both straight come to realize that what the feel for each other is more than they expected. How they come to that realization and cope with it is where this author shines. She does a fantastic job writing this in a way that a person feels that they can actually see it unfolding in front of their eyes.

Another thing I enjoy in the book is the interaction with the other characters beside the two major ones. Each minor character has their role and makes this book role smoothly along. I could mention more but I'll let the readers buy it so they can enjoy it themselves! I couldn't put it down and I'm betting neither will anyone else.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A well-written novel, July 6, 2007

By 

constantread "constantread" (NM) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Turning Point (Paperback)

This is a story of two "straight" women who fall in love. One has never even thought about being involved with a woman, the other has only had a drunken one night stand with a college friend. The change from Brenna's 'you're trespassing in my professional space, you blonde bimbo' to her willingness to try friendship is very believable. Since Cassidy always wanted to be friends the progression is natural.
The writing is far superior to many of the lesbian novels I have read.
The only fault I find with the story is the final resolution. (I know she couldn't include the things I want to know given space constraints.) It seems that Brenna's sons are too quickly moved from shock and in one case hostility to near acceptance. Teen-agers can buck their parent's attachment to a new significant other long enough and hard enough to throw a major monkey wrench in the works. Other than that this is by far one of the best-constructed and interesting books I've read. She draws excellent supporting characters from co-workers to neighbors to broken-hearted and/or jealous and spiteful discarded significant others.
One reviewer expresses surprise that the author is a straight woman. I on the other hand, make no assumptions about the author's psychosexual orientation. I have a dear friend a lesbian, who is happily married and dedicates her work ot her husband.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Imagine My Surprise, May 23, 2007

By 

Bridget O'Banion (Carlsbad, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Turning Point (Paperback)

Imagine my surprise to find this wonderful, sensitive, exciting lesbian novel was written by a straight woman!!! I read the acknowledgements and the "to John, the love of my life" my lesbian mind had trouble wrapping around John being a man. But according to the publisher, Lara lives in Florida and spends her days as a wife and mother.

This story of two women, Cassidy and Brenna, is so well told that I knew every feeling they were going through, since my first official relationship was with a married woman while I was also married to a man. But I knew deep in my soul that I wanted to be with women. I believe that Cassidy knew deep in herself that being with Brenna was the only way her life could be happy.

The story develops in almost real time. Even though it does cover a few months (September to December), some chapters are a day at a time. This book really spoke to me and of course, I love a happy ending.