The Lyon Garden
Book One: Family Ties
GOLD WINNER December 2021
In her first ever published novel D.M. Foley explores the possible unintended consequences of an adoptee finding her biological family. While some consequences may be positive, others may be seen as fatalistic. This page turning, suspenseful, thriller, the first in a series, explores the possibilities of unknown truths in a creative work of fiction.
Set in Southeastern, CT, and Long Island, NY, The Lyons Garden Book One Family Ties, introduces readers to Jessica Greenhall. A 25 year old successful nature photographer who is searching for her biological parents after tragically losing her adoptive parents. Her longing for family connection leaves a void that is hard to fill by any other means. Not knowing her biological family makes it hard for her to have romantic relationships. There is always the question in her mind that she might be related somehow to any love interest.
When her job collides with her search for family and romance, mystery and danger ensues. Jessica doesn’t understand the immediate dislike of her by several people she encounters on her next assignment. The undercurrent of suspicion and distrust of her is increasingly unsettling as she has two serious near death experiences while on assignment. The only consolation is her budding friendship and potential romance with the writer assigned to the job. They have so much in common including both being adopted that she finds it easy to relate to him and trust him.
A devastating accident that seriously injures the owner of the island they are working on leads to truths being revealed that will forever alter the course of Jessica’s life. The story is told in a split time format weaving Jessica’s present life with that of her mother’s past in an intriguing tale that in the end winds up meshing their presents together. Several twists and turns leave the reader guessing what will happen next throughout the story.
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D.M. Foley is the New York Best Sellers Gold Award winner for 2021. This is her first literary award for her first published novel. The inspiration for her first novel came from her family genealogy research. She started writing it in 2017. After the death of her father in January 2020 and five other family members, coupled with a global pandemic, she decided that life was too short to wait to accomplish her lifelong dream of writing and publishing a novel. Deciding to Independently Publish, she knew she was taking a big risk. With receiving this award, it seems the risk paid off.
For over 20 years D.M. Foley has worked in the education field including the last seven as a Paraeducator, until resigning in 2020. Fostering a love of reading and writing was a priority with her students. Her own love of reading grew into a love of writing also. When she was younger she had wanted to become a journalist. Life took her in a completely different direction giving her vast experiences to pull from for her writing. Currently she resides in Southeastern, Ct with her husband and her three sons. She is working on her second novel which she hopes to publish soon. It is the second book in The Lyons Garden series.