Family Ties: Thicker than Blood (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780578607214)

Post 911 life in rural Georgia proves anything but easy for Willie LeBeaux when childhood obstacles of physical and mental abuse served as the catalyst for his change. The yet unresolved issues continue to present emotional and psychological barriers that he; even as a young adult, simply can't escape.

His effort to distance himself from demons of the past drives him to the city that never sleeps. There, he hopes to find a hiding place amidst the faceless inhabitants of New York City.The ebb and flow of living life in the gray areas between his chosen career as an aspiring actor and one of organized crime that inadvertently chose him is further complicated by Willie's untimely encounter with NYPD Officer Ernestina Lady. The feelings he develops for her could take him to a place he shouldn't go as his secret lifestyle contradicts everything she represents.

Willie struggles to find a balance among relationships with his surrogate parents, the commitment to a crime family patriarch, and a desire to bridge the growing divide between him and his biological father. A path of deceit, secrecy, and scandal spins an intricate web of lies that ultimately put Willie in opposition of everything in his life that holds value ... including himself.