River of Angels

When a prostitute is beaten on a Caribbean Island, no one realizes that this seemingly minor event will light a fuse to blow apart the old, corrupt social order. Pursuing healing for the wounded young woman and for other poor workers, members of the community become targets of ruthless entrepreneurs planning to reap big profits while despoiling the island’s rich environment. MEET: Monica, a prostitute by choice, controls every aspect of her life and her bordello, until her world crumbles. Rosie, an American professor and healer, must forsake her roles of teacher and wife as she faces her husband’s involvement in the schemes. Pide, a homeless beggar, brings unexpected wisdom, humor and friendship to those he touches. Abuelita and Don Tuto, leaders of the island outcasts who live in the darkness of its vast cave system and underground river, guide the way toward a new relationship with the land.

Abbe Rolnick grew up in the suburbs of Baltimore, Maryland. Her first major cultural jolt occurred at age 15 when her family moved to Miami Beach, Florida. To find perspective, she climbed the only non-palm tree at her condo complex and wrote what she observed. History came alive with her exposure to Cuban culture. After attending Boston University, she lived in Puerto Rico,where she owned a bookstore.

River of Angels flows from her experiences in Puerto Rico and is the first novel in her Generations of Secrets series. She continues with Color of Lies, bringing the reader to the Pacific Northwest where she presently resides. Here she blends stories from island life with characters in Skagit Valley. The third in the series, Founding Stones was recently published and continues with characters from her two previous novels. Her readers describe the series as "deep and meaningful," with "complex relationships" that "transport you to a different place" with "a plot worthy of the cedar-scented NW atmosphere."

Her recent experiences with her husband's cancer inspired Cocoon of Cancer: An Invitation to Love Deeply, a love story that shares intimate tips for caregivers and family. Tattle Tales: Essays and Stories Along the Way is a compilation of twenty years of writing. These two books show a "skill for writing that brings a cluster of sunshine through the dim of darkness," where "you can feel the author's presence."

An avid world traveler, Abbe can be found with her husband Jim in Africa, Southeast Asia, South America, Sri Lanka, the Middle East, and other exotic countries when they aren't at their home amid twenty acres in Skagit Valley, Washington, or visiting with her grown children and grandkids.

To learn more about her writings, Abbe's Notes and Abbe's Ruminations, visit her website, www.abberolnick.com. Abbe welcomes questions and requests for speaking engagements, and would love to hear from you.