ENCOUNTER

When a group of lawyers go on a retreat to a remote ranch in northern New Mexico, they have no idea their lives are about to intersect with those of a truckload of illegal immigrants stranded in a freak March snowstorm. The intersection of these people, the collision of their cultures, the revelation of their secrets — all these things lead to violence, death, and even redemption in their New Mexico ENCOUNTER.

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PAPERBACK [EAN 978-1-941278-96-3 | ISBN 1-941278-96-5] 6x9 trim (172 pages) | Average Price: $11.99

HARDBACK [EAN 978-1-941278-97-0 | ISBN 1-941278-97-3] 6x9 casebound (172 pages) | Average Price: $19.99

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READ AN EXCERPT

INEZ Suela huddled in the small box truck, in the corner nearest the door, stealing every breath of fresh air she could before the driver closed them in. Too many of them in here, too many. Once the door closed, she didn’t know how she’d breathe.
Thirty-nine Mexicans had paid the driver, the coyote, thousands of pesos to transport them across the border to New Mexico. She had starved herself and dressed in rags to save through three lean years of meager wages. But she’d had enough to take a chance, to ‘roll the dice’, as they said in the American Las Vegas. Tonight was the night.
Even the money guaranteed nothing.
Others, who’d tried to make it and failed, said perfect timing might avoid being caught or turned back. Many had lost friends or relatives who’d attempted to cross the Arizona desert border on foot. The summer heat reached to 120 degrees, and you could die from lack of water and heat exhaustion. The winters weren’t much better, as harsh weather in the mountains stole lives away.
March, though. March seemed a time with the best chance of success. Or so Uncle Ramon had promised. He’d sent several brothers north over the years, and the money those norteños returned to their families was three times what they’d earn if they had worked at home.
Most of those who chanced the border were men. It was hard, and they had responsibilities. But more and more women tried, sometimes with their children. Several of Inez’s friends had been caught and deported, returning with their dreams deflated.
Some made it.
In big cities with large immigrant communities, one more Mexican was hard to track. It could be done.
Inez was single, and strong, and very determined. She believed.
She just had to not think about it too hard, leaving behind everything she knew. Including the man she could never have.
The trip would be a day or more, due to the roundabout route off the main roads, avoiding the main roads and the Border Patrol. This coyote had a reputation, though, one that said he placed his people. She trusted him—as much as she trusted anybody.
The coyote said a man named Davi Pilar would be waiting at the halfway mark to take them to St. Louis. She knew him, Davi.
He had wanted to marry her once. She’d denied him because he never bathed and he smelled of nasty unfiltered cigarettes. He’d left town, become a norteño, too. What would he say when he saw her?
Inez’s aunt and a cousin had lived in the northern end of St. Louis more than five years. They sent money home for the rest of her aunt’s children. Her cousin Juan drove a two-year old pickup truck with a new stereo deck. Perhaps she, too, could find a good life...

[Copyright ©2023 Alana Lorens | No unauthorized reproduction or distribution]

READ REVIEWS

"Alana Lorens mixes high powered lawyers, desperate undocumented immigrants, greedy coyotes, and sensible retreat staffers with a New Mexican desert snow storm for a suspenseful novel. Her masterful character development makes each character easy to distinguish. Characters follow their own arcs. This diversity allows all sides of the immigration issue affecting the storyline to arise naturally. Fiction readers who care about people and like page turning adventures will enjoy ENCOUNTER. Those with un poco de espanol will enjoy the story even more." ~ reviewed by Janet Wells at Amazon Reviews [5-STARS]

"An overwhelming sense of dread sets into the story from the very beginning in this tale of unavoidable clashes of culture and class. Add to that the existential threats to lives and livelihoods and the mix makes for a nail biting story of survival. The reader is in the very capable hands of an experienced author who leads him on the journey with the characters so that all the fear and chaos is fully experienced. Great story." ~ reviewed by Willow at Amazon Reviews [FIVE STARS]

"A group of priveleged lawyers plans their yearly retreat at a New Mexican ranch. Several Mexican refugees pay a coyote to bring them to America for a better life. A blizzard looms. As the narrative switches between perspectives of the various groups, it becomes apparent what the titular "encounter" will entail, but how it plays out is not as clear. The buildup to the main event provides plenty of time to build both suspense and character development. The author, who clearly understands both lawyers and refugees, carefully deliniates the characters and offers multiple perspectives on the situation. The explosive climax is well worth waiting for, and I found it hard to put down by about halfway through. ENCOUNTER unexpectedly touched on multiple themes, including prejudice of various kinds, the plight of refugees, substance abuse, corporate team-building, misogyny, and what constitutes true strength and leadership. A very good read." ~ reviewed by Sunfleckat Amazon Reviews [FIVE STARS]

"In this very different novel for Alana Lorens, ENCOUNTER tells a chilling tale involving illegal immigrants who escape from their 'mules' smuggling them into the U.S. during a violent snowstorm, after their truck crashes. The Mexicans manage to stumble into a remote ranch retreat occupied by spoiled members of a corporation who are there trying to forge themselves into a cooperative team, some greatly against their wills, but ordered there by their boss. This very mismatched, suddenly larger blend of the two groups turns into a suddenly violent confrontation, as they become snowbound, with limited resources. Suspense and danger combine to offer a chilling mystery and an exciting read." ~ reviewed by Jane Nixon White [FIVE STARS]

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