B.B. Shamp, a local author, recently received the first place award from the National Federation of Press Women for her novel Third Haven, A Novel of Deceit. It previously earned the first place award from the Delaware Press Association.
(It is available on Amazon, Kindle, and at local bookstores.)
Third Haven is a riveting suspense tale of divergent souls searching for a sense of belonging. The story opens amidst the concrete avenues of Washington, D.C. and wealthy enclaves on the shores of the Chesapeake in Oxford, Maryland. A mother who survives a terrorist attack and is left with a traumatic brain injury struggles against unseen forces that threaten her and her son’s existence. As the threat increases, they move to an anonymous life on the Delaware shore where they hope to live incognito. Evil follows them and although they want to trust others, they find their new friends keep their own secrets. Themes of survival against all odds, independence, freedom from family ties and a desire to recreate them, despite their deadliness, abound. Readers will love this adult novel for its intensity and characters that live beyond the last page.
The judge who chose it for first place commented on the win saying, “This adult novel with complex plot and interesting characters is well-written and interesting. The characters are finely drawn and represent many facets of American society. Politics abound, both nationally and locally, and the dynamics of several families are examined at close range. The author does a good job at creating and sustaining tension. Racial bigotry and religious zeal both have their place, as do family strife and buried secrets. The descriptions are lush.”
B.B. Shamp began writing after an accident and a near death experience in 2008. Beginning with poetry, she wrote to explore her thoughts and feelings during rehabilitation. Sustaining her in these difficult moments was the euphoric memory of seeing the white light. Despite a traumatic brain injury and being diagnosed with PTSD, she fought hard to return to her former self and in doing so discovered a new person. Never able to return to her old life, she figured that if she could write a suspense novel and lay breadcrumbs for the reader to follow, she had at least regained her voice and ability to communicate.
Her first novel, Third Haven, is the culmination of that work. “I didn’t begin with a desire to publish for a wider audience,” she said. “It was a personal journey.” She is currently working on a sequel. Asked if she has any plans to write a memoir, she responded, “That story should explore the depths of love and persistence. There are so many people I owe so much who helped me along the way. That’s going to take time.”
B.B. Shamp is available to speak to book clubs and groups who are interested in either story. Contact her at bbshamp@gmail.com and read more at www.bbshamp.com.