Jo Ellen Capps-Layne Tells a Story about Injustice in a Psychiatric Institution in “Laughter at Dawn”

Author Jo Ellen Capps-Layne shares a story that revolves around injustice, abuse, and maltreatment in her book “Laughter at Dawn.”

“Laughter at Dawn” follows Abigail (Abby) Thornton as she experiences unfairness and power plays at Greenway Development Center. Before going to Greenway, Abby had been residing in several foster homes where she was abused. She was then sent to the center because of a “psychiatric condition.”

At Greenway, Abby suffered from hallucinations and an encounter with the center’s director, Belle Farthing, who would spend every waking hour trying to get rid of Abby. Abigail found trust in her psychologist, Sally McGraw, and social worker, Christine Connelly. The book focuses on the injustices against Abby, the power plays at the center, sexual indiscretions, and the support Abby receives from her allies.

The self-publishing and book marketing company ReadersMagnet is committed to helping established and emerging authors share their stories with the world. The company exhibits the books of authors at various national and global book events. ReadersMagnet helps authors boost their marketing efforts, increase their author brand visibility, and connect them with a wider and more diverse audience, fellow authors, and other stakeholders of the book publishing industry.

Jo Ellen Capps-Layne’s “Laughter at Dawn” will be displayed by ReadersMagnet at the following book events:

• Book Festival at Printers Row
  
  1. South Dearborn Street, (Ida B. Wells to Polk Street), Printing House District, Chicago
  2. September 6-7, 2025
  3. Booth RR
• 76^th Frankfurt Book Fair
  
  1. Messe Frankfurt, Ludwig-Erhard-Anlage 1, Frankfurt, Germany
  2. October 15-19, 2025
  3. Stand 6.0 A12
• 2025 Guadalajara International Book Fair
  
  1. Expo Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
  2. November 29 – December 3, 2025
  3. Stand GG40

Get a copy of “Laughter at Dawn,” available in paperback, hardcover, and eBook on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and the ReadersMagnet Bookstore. Learn more about Jo Ellen Capps-Layne by visiting www.joellencappslayne.com.

Author’s Biography:
Jo Ellen Capps Layne was born in Lynchburg, VA, and graduated from the College of William and Mary in Virginia. She has two adult children and one granddaughter. She continues to reside in Lynchburg, VA, with her husband. Jo Ellen is the author of the novel “Laughter at Dawn,” as well as a short story, Seasons, and the article American Family. She based this novel on her thirty-seven years of experience in the mental health field as a social worker, and she has drawn on her knowledge of psychological disorders as a basis for her creative works. Her short story, Seasons, about a long-distance relationship, placed in an international literary competition in 1988. She also published American Family in Woman’s World about her personal experience of putting her mother in a nursing home.

“Laughter at Dawn”
Author: Jo Ellen Capps-Layne
Genre: General Fiction
Publisher: ReadersMagnet, LLC
Published Date: August 7, 2024

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