Finding Cadence

Cadence Reed's world is shaken to dissonance after her husband, Carter, dies on an icy Michigan highway - along with his pregnant young girlfriend. His death reveals devastating secrets of a hidden life, leaving Cadie and her college-aged son with shaky finances. With her son, she begins a cross-country journey, one that not only ticks off miles, but self-examination. It's not just Carter's parallel life and indiscretions Cadie must wade through - in beating herself up over his choices, she discovers the compass guiding her own life is severely skewed due to secrets of her own. Thanks to old friends and new, Cadie finds a new rhythm for the rest of her life.

A solid-gold pedigree and the illusion of wealth can't guarantee a life of serendipity -- not even if you're Carter Reed. Cadence Reed learns this hard lesson after her husband of twenty-five years dies on a blizzard-swept Michigan highway - along with his pregnant young mistress. Now alone, Cadie discovers Carter has squandered the family trust on his secret life, and has sold half of his business to longtime friend and attorney, John Sloane. The lubricious Sloane delights in taunting Cadie, his interest transcending the mere business relationship. Untangling Carter's mess consumes more than time. Sick and heartbroken, worried for her son’s education and her future, Cadie questions her life choices. A cross country journey with her son, Jackson, retraces her history – and peels away the veneer of learned aristocracy to reveal her own secrets. Only when she reconciles her past can she execute a plan to start a new life.

Joanne Huspek has written for Associated Content (Yahoo! Contributor Network), Blog Critics, and Medium. She is a retired Army brat who currently resides in Royal Oak, Michigan with her husband, a rescued Boston terrier, and a very bad kitty. FINDING CADENCE, her first novel, placed in the 2011 San Francisco Writers Conference contest.