The Shotgun House

Cole, a wealthy Mississippi boy, is drawn to a poor girl from New Orleans. They both have supernatural experiences including a near death experience for Cole and a psychic reading for Rose that leaves clues about their past life together. Obstacles, murder, and tragic events pull them closer. Do they dare believe they could be soulmates?

Twelve-year-old Cole Wright dies while saving his younger brother from drowning during a swimming accident at his Mississippi home. After six minutes of CPR, Cole returns to life after being in a place that seems foreign, enlightened, and beautiful. The message that is embedded in his young mind after this experience is that he has a soul mate that he will lose forever if he does not find her. The only clue that remains is the name that was on his lips as he was being revived—Naomi. As he grows older, Cole wonders if his near-death experience was a dream and tries to forget it, but he still can’t shake his need to search for the unknown Naomi. Rose Broussard, born near the Mississippi river in a poor Shotgun house on the edge of New Orleans’s French Quarter, wonders about her future. Despite her talent and creativity, Rose’s parents’ addictions and abusive behavior deaden her own ability to imagine a future for herself. The mother of her best friend, a renowned psychic, agrees to give Rose a reading in the hope of helping her find her way in life. During the reading, she reveals that Rose has a soul mate who is looking for her. Cole and Rose meet obstacles that seem destined to keep them apart, but tragic events pull them closer. Rose cannot understand why she is drawn to this boy from Mississippi, when her future seems centered in New Orleans. The big question for Cole is where is Naomi and why am I drawn to this girl named Rose? Twists and turns and unexplained incidents make both teens question the validity of their relationship. Do Rose and Cole dare to believe that they are eternal soul mates?

Cindy DeLaughter grew up in Mississippi, lived in Texas, but now is a resident of Utah. Her love for the south is illustrated in her writings. Cindy has three teenage children Margaret, Kirsten, and Cortland, who are the inspiration that guides her in her creative life. Before writing, Cindy worked in the medical field as a registered nurse. Working in the fast paced emergency department she was exposed to patients who had near death experiences. That detail combined with her love for the south was the beginning of her first novel "The Shotgun House". Her past memories of the south continue to nudge her to write and she does so with great joy.