Once Wild — Carol Gambill

Reckless in his youth, Shaun MacGregor was never one to care about what people thought of him. But then he returned to the small coalmining town of Ashland, Pennsylvania after serving eight years in prison, and had a literal run-in with town socialite, Maria Bellicia. One night with Maria leads Shaun on a turbulent path to confront all the layers of his destructive past, and face all of the pain, guilt and regret that comes along with it. Each layer that Maria helps peel away reveals yet another adversary and complication that Shaun must either run away from, or fight against. As Shaun struggles to make the right decisions that will finally allow him peace of mind and approval as a citizen of Ashland, Shaun is catapulted to an ultimate crossroad where he must face the biggest obstacle of his life: flee Ashland once and for all, or stay and fight for the only woman who has shown him true love and acceptance.