Counting Crows

Tina has everything she once dreamed of-an acclaimed career as a painter in Manhattan and a husband who is not only a lawyer but also gentle and loyal. She's living a dream life, far from her past in 1990s Tehran, where she first longed for escape. Back then, freedom felt like a crime and the American Dream and Rock Music flashed in and out of reach like frames from a broken film reel.

But her current success hasn't silenced the questions that linger in her mind, nor has it filled the quiet spaces of her life.

When memories of a fleeting connection with Gus, a boy she met decades ago in Grand Rapids, begin to surface, she wonders if finding him again might unlock something she lost along the way-her passion, her art, perhaps even herself. As she follows the threads of the past, she's forced to confront what it means to long for something-or someone-who may never have truly belonged to her.

A story about memory, identity, and the quiet ache of missed chances, Counting Crows is a novel for those who believe that love isn't always a grand declaration, but sometimes a whisper that lingers long after the moment has passed.

This is Tina's perspective on the Lover's Rock story by Aaron Paul Schaut, Author of These Americans


"A character-driven drama at its finest." - Readers' Favorite
"Emotionally raw and filled with Guns N' Roses references." - Manny Torres
"Aria's poetic writing leaves a lasting impact, making the reader reflect on their own life." - Bam Barrow
"A one-sitting read that poignantly captures the dream of freedom and the lingering "what-if" of lost love." - Shannon Waite
"A compelling story that takes readers through 1990s Tehran, Michigan, and modern-day New York." - Michael Collins
"It explores themes of Iranian identity, dissatisfaction with career and marriage, and difficult teenage experiences in Tehran." - Paige Johnson