Dave Gioia

A Girl with a Bad Reputation Dave Gioia

Publisher Marketing: Fourteen-year-old Colleen Hanrahan knows what boys want and is willing to give it to them - on her own terms. An intelligent and proud young woman, Colleen tries to remain above her bad reputation and tells herself it doesn't matter what other people think about her promiscuous behavior, as long as her father - a successful, bullying criminal defense attorney and controlling, bad-tempered alcoholic - doesn't hear about it. She can count on her mother - a family law attorney with whom she shares a secret - to come to her defense, if needed. Born and raised in Newburgh, NY, Colleen is proud of her birthplace and its historical importance. She's concerned, though, about the changing complexion of the city's residents and the "white flight" and resulting deterioration of downtown the arrival of poor blacks from the South is causing. Most disturbing to her is the racism that has emerged in the white community, from which her parents and her father in particular are not immune. Feeling owned by her father the way blacks in the country were once owned as slaves, she identifies with the Civil Rights Movement and begins thinking that becoming a lawyer and, perhaps, a politician and fighting for all oppressed people's civil rights would be a worthwhile thing to do. Set in the mid to late 1960s, Colleen's story unfolds against the backdrop of one of the most pivotal and turbulent times in American history. The events of the decade have a profound affect on her, as do the significant people she meets on her journey to young adulthood. Contributor Bio:  Gioia, Dave Dave Gioia lives and writes in Southern California, the setting for both his debut novel, VALLEY OF SAINT ANNE, and second novel, HIMBA POND DANCE. The atmosphere, landscape, landmarks, politics and culture of the place inform both of these novels but the subjects they deal with are universal. Dave's novels are character-driven stories about contemporary life that explore relationship between people of all ages, which can be can be warm, tender and loving and also cool, harsh and hateful. When you observe people interacting and reacting to each other in Dave's novels you will see the entire spectrum of human emotions on display. Dave's third novel will be available in the summer of 2014. To keep abreast of work-in-progress and availability visit DaveGioia.com. Enjoy Dave's novels and please recommend them!