THE CAGING AT DEADWATER MANOR was my debut novel in 2017. It’s set in Holiday/Tarpon Springs, Florida—a place I knew well. My grandparents owned a trailer park in the Anclote area. We visited there every year during my younger years when I lived in New York. We moved down to Florida during my teens and we lived in one of the trailers for a few months while my parents found a house. It was during this time that I got to know the Anclote area well. I had just bought myself a new ten-speed, and I biked that area daily along Calvary Road, to Duke’s Fish Camp, and on Baillies Bluff Drive. I remember the sound of the crickets in the evening, the strong fish smell near the fish camp and the freedom I felt when I rode, just as I described in the book.

South Beach, as mentioned in the book, was really Anclote River Park and I remember visiting the coast way before it became a park. There was a small sliver of a beachfront away from the park location and that was it. But it was secluded and away from the crowds. The tower still stands, though on the opposite side of the park as described in the story. Oh, and of course, the smoke stack to the power plant, Jeannie’s landmark to and from home, still towers over the area today.
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These are memories I cherish and I’m so glad I included them in this book. It always brings me back. You can find more on my website at sandiewill.com.

I couldn't be happier to announce that my latest psychological thriller/suspense, THE REPLACINGS, has made it into the Florida Writers Association's Royal Palm Literary Award Semi-Finals in the Suspense genre! We will see if it advances to the finals next month. In the meantime, I'll be excitedly awaiting the results! I'm very proud of this book as I stretched myself as an author, writing in four points of view from varying ages (16-32). So far, the reviews have been great, so we'll see how far it goes.

Thanks for all of your support! Onward!

​Sandie

Genre: Psychological Thriller
Rating: *****

I picked up a hardcopy of The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides at The Paperback Exchange, a local bookstore near me. It's been sitting untouched on one shelf or another at my house for several months. I even took it on vacation last year, thinking I'd read it in our Blue Ridge Mountain cabin rental, since one of my favorite things to do is sit in a rocking chair on an outside porch with a book in one hand and a coffee in another. But still the book sat. I couldn't figure out what was holding me back. It's a psychological thriller based on the experience of a woman in a psychiatric hospital, which is right up my alley since I write in this genre, too. Hell, that's why I bought the book in the first place. Why wasn't I diving into it? Or any other mental hospital themed books?

After a little soul searching, I think the answer is that I was afraid the storyline would be similar to my book, The Caging at Deadwater Manor--a story that is so special to me since my dad helped me conceptualize the story based on some of his experiences working at a psychiatric hospital. He has since died, and I think I didn't want anything to infringe on that memory with him or even come close, if that makes sense. But after reading compliment after compliment on social media on how well this novel was written and being it was a New York Times Bestseller, I finally took the plunge.

First off, this story is nothing like mine and for that I was so thankful. I read through it with a fresh, open mind, and I wasn't side-tracked or put off by the storyline.

The story starts with the introduction of Alicia Berenson, a talented painter/artist who is struggling with a death from the past and the mental illness that occurred afterward. Her mind seems unstable based on diary entries the author intertwines within the story, and one night, she shoots her husband in the head. Or did she? No one knows because he dies and she refuses to speak. Hence, the trip to a mental institution.

​Once there, she meets her new psychotherapist, Theo Faber, who becomes obsessed with Alicia's life and is determined to convince her to speak. Theo's a clever one, though, and so is this author who took me on twists and turns until the very end where I was confused on timelines and relationships, but in a good way. Michaelides is a trickster, of sorts, and I applaud his ability to keep you guessing until the very end.

I have a couple favorite quotes from the story. Ones I never imagined would capture me, especially because they're not about the thrill of the story. They're more on a personal level. Here's what I mean. Theo talks about missing fireworks in his relationship, and I loved his therapist's response (Ruth):

This hit home for me, big time. I've been married 34 years, and honestly, sometimes I've had those feelings myself. Are we missing fireworks after so many years? Should we be more exciting? Have we become too comfortable? We sit home on most weekend nights. Deep down, I knew the answer was no, but this quote puts it together so eloquently.

The second quote I loved, which was on the next page, was:

This is from his therapist again, trying to get him to see that his feelings of emotional abandonment as a child were making him seek this kind of impossible love (i.e. conditional love) in his relationships. I've seen this happen so it also resonated with me.

While reading these lines, I felt happy that so many people have or would be reading these quotes. They're  so true. So I guess this book truly is psychological - good and bad. And I think I got a counseling lesson while I was at it! Haha!

I am super excited to announce that my first psychological thriller, THE CAGING AT DEADWATER MANOR, is now available on Audible! The book was narrated by Naomi Rose-Mock, and her voice fits Jeannie Kynde's perfectly. She has a tone that really captures the emotion of every scene, and I could listen to her voice all day long. Just love it!

And now I need your help!

Please help me by doing one of the following to increase the exposure for my new audiobook. Audiobooks have their own separate ranking system and the higher the rank, the more it'll be seen.

REVIEWERS:

I need reviews on the audiobook. If you'd like to review the book, I can send you a free promo code whether you're in the US or UK. I only have 25 free copies for each country, so hurry and get in! All you need to do is use the promo code to purchase the book, then leave the review with a statement that you received a free copy in exchange for an honest review. To obtain a promo code for a free copy, either email me at [email protected] or message me on Facebook or Instagram.

LISTENERS:

Please purchase the audiobook on Audible or through Amazon or iTunes and leave a review or just a rating - both help very much! You can listen to a sample of the audio and download the audiobook on Audible at the link below. If you're planning on signing up with Audible, please purchase at this same link, so I can gain rewards!

Thank you so much!! I'm excited to hear your feedback!

Sandie

I'm super excited to announce that The Replacings has been released on Amazon! This is a psychological thriller that continues the story of The Takings. 

He will replace the family he lost...
Whatever it takes.
Multi-award-winning author Sandie Will brings you another heart-wrenching, edge-of-your-seat read that captures the deep and complicated connection between abductor and abductee.

“One of us, one of these days, will kill the other. Either he’ll kill me because he can’t live without me or I’ll kill him because he’ll never let me go.” — Wyatt Corringer

Sixteen-year-old Wyatt Corringer was kidnapped by his father’s best friend in the swamps of central Florida seven years ago. Plagued with Stockholm Syndrome, Wyatt has been unable to escape from the clutches of his abductor and now finds himself locked away with four young girls. 

All of them are trapped in the sick world of Adrian Webster --- a man obsessed with replacing the family he lost in a train accident long ago.

But Adrian is not working alone.
There’s a side to Adrian he can’t control --- a side he can't see.

Adrian calls it his demon. Wyatt calls it Shade, a non-human entity that takes over Adrian’s consciousness and causes him to act in dark and disturbing ways. And every day, Adrian loses more control to Shade and the evilness of his mind.

Wyatt must overcome Adrian’s stronghold and escape from this madman, and help free the other prisoners. 

If he doesn’t, he could end up losing himself to his own demon.

GET YOUR COPY!

Other Books by Sandie Will:
The Caging at Deadwater Manor
The Takings

Follow Sandie Will on Twitter: @SandieWillBooks
sandiewill.com

Just another quick note to let you know that The Caging at Deadwater Manor has a new cover! Gotta keep up with the times! Thank you to Eeva Lancaster and The Book Khaleesi team.

Just a quick note to let you know that The Takings now has a new cover! Let me know what you think!

Kudos to Eeva Lancaster with The Book Khaleesi on this outstanding work!