[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” use_background_color_gradient=”on” background_color_gradient_stops=”rgba(255,255,255,0.9) 0%|rgba(255,255,255,0.9) 97%” background_color_gradient_overlays_image=”on” background_image=”https:\/\/lourossi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/prison-bars-back.jpg” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_3,1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
By Lou Rossi<\/p>\n
Maria Grady leads a lonely, unfulfilled life. She lives and works under the shadow of her Italian American family in Hoboken, New Jersey during the 1980\u2019s. Driven by her search for love, respect, and happiness, she makes a series of bad choices that result in her receiving a prison sentence.<\/p>\n
Maria is confronted by blatant racism and bigotry in the criminal justice system that she never knew existed in her comfortable family. Incarceration at the only female State Prison in New Jersey is frightening, especially if you are the obsession of a sadistic Lieutenant.<\/p>\n
Confronted by a criminal justice system that is racist, cruel, and unforgiving, she accepts her new life and strives to help those less fortunate than herself.<\/p>\n
Take the journey with Maria as she transforms from a shy, withdrawn, hopeless woman to a champion of her life and others.<\/strong><\/p>\n An uplifting story of triumph over adversity by a retired law enforcement professional who worked in various government positions both in policing and correctional management.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”15px” background_color=”#ffffff” custom_padding=”20px|20px|20px|20px|true|true” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n 5.0 out of 5 stars – Great story !<\/strong><\/p>\n Engaged with the characters almost immediately. Found I couldn’t wait to get home to see what was happening with Maria … was rooting for her. Heartbreaking And heartwarming story. Great book! Can’t wait for a sequel!<\/em><\/p>\n -Joanne Berger, Amazon Reviewer<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/lourossi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Reaching-for-Tomorrow-512.jpg” alt=”Reaching for Tomorrow, by Lou Rossi” title_text=”Reaching-for-Tomorrow-512″ align=”center” _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”100px||||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ box_shadow_style=”preset1″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″ url=”https:\/\/amzn.to\/3vdkVVA” url_new_window=”on”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_button button_url=”https:\/\/amzn.to\/3vdkVVA” button_text=”Now On Amazon” button_alignment=”center” module_class=”azon-button” _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_button=”on” button_text_color=”#FFFFFF” button_bg_color=”#ff9900″ button_font=”|700|||||||” button_use_icon=”off” hover_enabled=”0″ box_shadow_style=”preset2″ global_colors_info=”{}” url_new_window=”on” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_enable_color=”off” use_background_color_gradient=”on” background_color_gradient_stops=”rgba(19,14,41,0.75) 0%|rgba(19,14,41,0.5) 100%” background_color_gradient_overlays_image=”on” background_image=”https:\/\/lourossi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/prison-bars-back.jpg” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,2_3″ _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” background_enable_color=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_signup provider=”mailerlite” mailerlite_list=”Lou Rossi|111491653″ layout=”top_bottom” first_name_field=”off” last_name_field=”off” title=”SUBSCRIBE” description=”<\/p>\n Join my newsletter now! I will only use it when I have something to say.<\/p>\n ” _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” header_font=”Montserrat|700|||||||” header_text_align=”center” body_text_align=”center” background_enable_color=”off” custom_padding=”40px||50px||false|false” border_radii=”on|5px|5px|5px|5px” saved_tabs=”all” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_signup][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#f6f6f6″ border_radii=”on|5px|5px|5px|5px” box_shadow_style=”preset1″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_blurb title=”About Lou Rossi” image=”https:\/\/lourossi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/lourossi-1.jpg” alt=”Lou Rossi” _builder_version=”4.17.6″ _module_preset=”default” header_font=”||||||||” header_text_align=”center” background_enable_color=”off” custom_padding=”40px|40px||40px|false|true” animation=”off” border_radii=”off|5px|5px||” border_radii_image=”on|5px|5px|5px|5px” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Lou Rossi is a retired law enforcement professional living his retirement at the Jersey Shore. He worked in various government positions both in policing and correctional management.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_button button_url=”\/about” button_text=”More” button_alignment=”center” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||40px||false|false” custom_padding=”|50px||50px|false|true” box_shadow_style=”preset2″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Reaching for Tomorrow By Lou Rossi Maria Grady leads a lonely, unfulfilled life. She lives and works under the shadow of her Italian American family in Hoboken, New Jersey during the 1980\u2019s. Driven by her search for love, respect, and happiness, she makes a series of bad choices that result in her receiving a prison […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":373,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lourossi.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/67"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lourossi.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lourossi.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lourossi.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lourossi.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=67"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/lourossi.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/67\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":416,"href":"https:\/\/lourossi.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/67\/revisions\/416"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lourossi.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/373"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lourossi.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=67"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}