Jamie Newinski of Plainsboro is appearing at Princeton Public Library on Saturday, March 6, from noon to 4 p.m. in conjunction with the release of her first novel, “Hope.” She will join other authors from the area promoting, selling, and signing their books.
Born and raised in Old Bridge, Newinski is working on her bachelor’s degree in psychology at Thomas Edison State College. Her plans include a focus on becoming a social worker or school psychologist.
“My husband and I moved here to get away from the congestion of the towns closer to New York and Philadelphia and that is how we found Plainsboro,” Newinski says. “It is a beautiful place to live and raise a family, as well as being an extremely artistic and cultured area.”
Her husband, Brian, a foreign currency trader in Princeton, is a graduate of Rutgers. “We had back to back children (daughter, Rylie, and son, Max) who are only eleven months and two weeks apart,” Newinski says. “I spend my days home with both children, who are a real inspiration.”
She began writing after the children were born and credits the writing group at Plainsboro Library with her success. “Jinny Beckler, the library director, has been a lot of help with my publication process and has shared a lot of helpful information,” she says. “The group has really been extremely helpful in making my writing as good as it can be — and it does help that it is my only free time away from the kiddies.”
“The book is a chilling tale of a young girl’s battle with schizophrenia,” Newinski says. “Told in first person it will leave the reader both terrified and cause them to fall in love with this quirky character.” The webpage adds: “Lainey’s story begins as a normal teenage girl with a promising future ahead of her. As her hallucinations become more horrific, and the hair-raising voices heard in her head begin to escalate, her life begins to shatter before her eyes. She spends most of her young-adult life trapped inside the walls of a mental institution. Upon her release she is hopeful that the worst is behind her, but for Lainey it has only just begun.” The novel is available at www.blackrosewriting.com, amazon.com, and on the Amazon Kindle. — Lynn Miller
Independent and Local Author Day, Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street, 609-924-9529. Saturday, March 6, Noon to 4 p.m.