The Making of Nebraska Brown Review and Guest Post

Today I'd like to welcome Louise Caiola to Trip the Eclipse. Her new book The Making of Nebraska Brown has just been released.

Blurb (From Amazon):
The last thing eighteen-year-old Ann Leigh remembers is running from her boyfriend in a thick Nebraska cornfield. This morning she’s staring down a cool Italian sunrise, an entire continent from the life she once knew. The events of the eighteen months in between have inexplicably gone missing from her memory. 

All at once she’s living with Tommy, an attractive, young foreigner asking for her continued love. Though he’s vaguely familiar, she recalls a boy named Shane in America who she reluctantly agreed to marry. Juggling a new world while her old one is still M.I.A is difficult enough without the terrifying movie scenes spinning a dizzy loop in her mind: glimpses of a devastating house fire, a romance gone wrong, an unplanned pregnancy, and a fractured family – each claiming to be part of who she once was – a girl and a past somehow discarded. 

Ann Leigh must collect the pieces of herself to become whole again, but she doesn’t know who to trust especially when Tommy’s lies become too obvious to ignore. And above all, her heart aches to discover what became of the child she may or may not have given birth to. 

The Making of Nebraska Brown tells the story of one girl’s coming apart from the inside and the great lengths she’ll go to reclaim herself and find her way home.

Review:
This isn't my usual genre. As all of you who come to my blog know, I’m more a paranormal type of girl. However I found the story to be highly engrossing. We have a whole mystery to discover who Ann Leigh or Ana Lisa really is.

Ann Leigh has quite a few flaws. She’s spoiled, impulsive, and a bit brash, but I still liked her. She wasn’t going to let herself be sidetracked by the honeyed words of her boyfriend Tommy, especially when she suspected something was wrong. Tommy himself had me on ups and downs. I was torn between thinking her really loved her and that he was playing her in some way.

This book kept me reading into a couple late nights just so I can find out what truly happened. This one had me guessing until the end. If you like a cozy mystery and a story about self-realization, then you should really pick up this book.

The Making of Nebraska Brown is Published by Immortal Ink Publishing.

Guest Post: The Joys of the First Draft

There's something inherently beautiful about the firsts of the world. I can rattle some right off the top of my head that are pretty dang cool. The first date followed swiftly by the first kiss.  First place (in pretty much everything.) First words. First steps. First birthday. First car. Okay, you get the gist.
But what about the writer’s first draft. His/her maiden voyage on the literary sea? How goes it?
Typically – not such a beautiful thing.
Most times the first drafts are fraught with plot holes, unintended character flaws, typos, grammar grunge and repetitive words enough to fill an entire second draft. However, there is something naturally pretty about this initial piece of work. Something joyful. Now, before you assume that I must be inhaling those glue fumes again, I will explain.
Let’s call it abandon. For some writers the first draft is where we get to clomp around in our mommy’s shoes. This is our chance to try the story on for size. To experiment with the phrases until we stumble upon the exact right ones. The first drafts allow us to spew forth from our creative gut those lovely lines that feel so right before we are forced, via editing and revision, to discard those very same lovelies. This is the place for our mistakes to see the light of day – if only long enough for us to learn from them.
Each and every writer strives for that perfect end product. Their masterpiece. These results are nearly never just our own doing. Just as it takes a village to raise a child – it takes a team to raise a book baby. But those first drafts are our proof that we had the what-for to set pen to page. To make our mark. Bravely and alone.  An important first among them all.

About Louise:
As a young girl who spent her allowance on Nancy Drew mysteries, Louise realized that one day, she might have a story of her own to tell. Maybe even more than one story. After years focused on raising her children she eventually reconnected with her passion for creative writing. She soon began to craft a large collection of short stories which were published in the inspirational online magazine, Faithhopeandfiction.com. Shortly thereafter, she authored her first novel, Wishless, a contemporary YA, released in 2011.

Louise devotes a portion of each day to honing her skills. She has several other novels currently in various stages of development. A confirmed bibliophile, Louise enjoys reading outdoors on a warm spring day and watching her pup chase leaves on a breeze. She looks forward to meeting others who share her love of the written word and invites you to visit her blog, her website and follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

Website
Blog
Twitter & Here
Facebook

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hades and Persephone: The Ascension

Third part of the series. I looks like it will be split into 4 parts.
First and Second Parts, if you haven't read them.

            I sat beside Hades on his couch, watching Hermes bow before us. He lazily twirled a lock of my hair between his fingers. My hair had grown to a dark brown color during my months in the Underworld. I had noticed my skin had paled as well. I sat up straighter, my body leaning towards Hermes as something fluttered in my chest. In my time here I had not seen one person from above. Was this my freedom?

            “Rise, Hermes.” Hades said casually. “Why have you come?”

            “Lord Hades, I come in behest of my father, your brother, Zeus. He has asked that you release Persephone to her mother. In her grief, Demeter has kept seed from man. Her sorrow has frozen the very earth itself. For the sake of the world, please return life to the earth.”

            The Lord of the Underworld sighed, sitting up and stared down at the Messenger. “What would I benefit from this? I do not reside above the world. In fact, such a thing would bolster my ranks.”

            “You would have the gratitude of the King of Olympus.”

            I watched him contemplate this, and he looked back at me. “What of you, my love? Do you still wish to return home?”

            I nodded slowly. “Don’t misunderstand, my lord. I now understand what you have meant, but my mother needs me.”

            His smile, which was no longer cold, held a hint of sadness. “I suppose I cannot deny you then. You may return to your mother.” He looked to Hermes. “Tell Zeus that I accept his gratitude.”

            He stood and held his hand out to me. When I took it, he pulled me into his arms and pressed his lips to mine. I felt some tiny seeds pass through my mouth as we kissed. I pulled away, wide eyes, with the taste of pomegranate on my tongue.

He smiled arrogantly at me and whispered. “I’ll never truly let you go.”

            Dumbfounded, I allowed him to lead me to Hermes. “Guide her safely to her mother.”

            The Messenger took me into his arms, gently and lifted into the air. The winding caverns of the underworld passed by in a blur. We passed through the gates and I had my first gaze and triple headed Cerberus, who merely opened an eye to watch us pass. Then we were over the river Styx and through more caverns. Finally, we reached the surface. I covered my eyes when the light of the sun hit my face. It had been many months since I had seen Apollo’s rays and they were fierce against my skin.

            I looked around in shock. The ground was covered in several inches of icy snow as far as I could see. The trees were bare of any life, just gray pointed branches. “My mother has done this?”

            Hermes nodded. “She was in morning at your loss.”

            “Daughter!”

            I barely had time to turn before I was in my mother’s arms. I heard her sobs of joy and relief. Her hands ran over me as if to reassure herself I was there. “Are you alright? Did he do anything?”

            I embraced her, relieved to be with her again. “I am alright, mother. I have returned to you.”

            She pulled back and inspected me solemnly. “Persephone, think very hard. Did you eat anything during your stay?”

            I opened my mouth to assure her that I didn’t and stopped, remembering our parting kiss. “Not intentionally, mother, but in the end he tricked me into eating three pomegranate seeds. It is only seeds. Surely, I could not be forced to stay for only three.”

            Her eyes burned and the air around us began to form tiny crystals. She took my hand. “Come. We will speak to Zeus about this at once. Hermes, take us to your father.”

What will you Sacrifice?

I have the honor of kicking of Jessica Fortunato’s blog tour for her long awaited second novel The Sin Collector: Sacrifice. Some of us have been waiting months and months for this. I got the privilege of reading it before it came out. Here’s what I thought:

Blurb: As an immortal Sin Collector, Liliana lead a transient life of solitude for over one-hundred years. 

Now with a growing family, she has found herself liking normalcy and the façade of being human.  However, when old friends begin to turn up dead, it is clear Collectors are not safe.  The battle that Liliana thought she’d won, has only just begun.

She must save herself, her family, and her friends from the Castus, a fanatical group sworn to eradicate her kind. 

As Liliana travels the globe making allies, and discovering secrets, she soon learns that the threat to her safety is closer than she ever thought possible.

Will she be able to fight her fate, or will she succumb to an ancient Castus prophecy?

I have to say I loved it. Liliana has matured quite a bit as she struggles to protect her new family. The focus of the story is less action but I still needed to keep turning the pages. This goes more into the mystery of Liliana’s past and why she has the ability to see auras. However it’s the small tidbits of prophecy that I find really interesting. Julia is a jewel as always and there is a host of new characters that you will come to love. Then there are the tender moments that brought tears to my eyes. I’m not telling. You’ll have to read it and see.

Don’t worry, I have a little glimpse as a treat for you:

“How long will it take to get to the hotel?” I hollered toward the cabin. 

No one was talking, no one was moving.  My blood froze, and I knew, in my gut, something was wrong.

“Please let it be in here.”  I desperately searched through my bag.  There was one rogue blade, it was bigger, harder to throw, but if there were people out there, I couldn’t miss.  Before I could formulate any type of plan, the tiny voice spoke from the other side of the door.

“Hey, LiLi, it’s time to go.” I smiled at myself in the mirror.  She was smart.  No one would dare call me that, not the nickname Billy used.  She was warning me.  That kid could have a pet lion if she wanted when we were through here.

“Coming,” I shouted.  I slid the knife up my sleeve and emerged to find what I’d expected.  Julia was standing in front of the sofa with her hands up.  A man with dark brown hair had a Castus dagger to Olexanders throat.  The cockpit door was open and I could see the small hole in the windshield of the plane where the bullet had entered and killed the pilot.  Yet, the bloodthirsty way this stranger was glaring at Julia is what strengthened my resolve.   It was the worst possible angle.  I didn’t think I could ever hit the man without risking harm to Julia or Olexander.  My blood boiled and each second dragged on.  The man was young and looked cocky and sure of his ability to kill us all.  Believers, true believers, were always dangerous.  They saw no grey, only black and white, good and evil. 

I had to make the choice for her, and I hated myself for it, but I couldn’t think of any other way.  I let the knife slip into my hand just enough for the man to see it.

“I see the knife in your hand devil, drop it on the floor and kick it away.”

The man spit out the words digging the dagger just a bit more into Olexanders throat. 

“You’ll be coming with me when I’m done with these two. Ariadne is just dying to meet you, Liliana.”

“Can I just say goodbye before you kill them?” I asked.

He looked confused by my request, he was not expecting it, but nodded at Julia who was wide-eyed and staring directly at me.

“Put the knife down first,” he spit out. I let the knife drop by my foot.  I looked into Julia’s eyes, hoping beyond hope she was getting this, and I saw the curiosity reflected in them.  She knew this was not me. I would never give up on her.

“I love you Julia and I believe in your abilities.  Every moment we spent together, especially that day in the woods.” As I said the last word I kicked the knife in her direction, she managed to drop down, pick it up, and throw it directly into the man’s left eye in a matter of seconds.  Olexander kneed him in the throat. The man was writhing on the floor in agony. Olexander rushed to us both. 

I threw my arms around Julia, “You’re amazing, you just saved our lives, but there could be more out there.  I need you safe, just for right now, go hide in the bathroom and lock the door until one of us comes for you.” She looked like she wanted to argue, but conceded and ran to the bathroom.

“What now?” I asked Olexander, who blessedly was unharmed.

He bent down holding the dagger over the man’s good eye. 

“How many are with you?” The man smiled and coughed a little, whatever he had heard about Olexander, he wasn’t scared.  Time was of the essence. 

I was seeing red, seeing it everywhere.  My family, attacked and I was having a very bad day to start with. I stalked over to the smiling man and kicked him until he was on his back. He looked at me and for the briefest moment, his smile wavered.  He knew who I was.

“Hold his neck so he can’t scream,” I said to Olexander. I walked around the side of the man and politely asked Olexander to hand me the dagger.  He looked worried, but did as I asked.  He was bleeding, but not so heavily, that he would pass out just yet.  He wanted to scream, but no sound came out.  I lifted the dagger and drove it through the soft spot above his elbow, it was a technique used in knife combat frequently.  It severed the ligaments and tendons, making the arm useless, and normally left the victim to bleed to death.  The man was going into shock so I needed to move fast. 

“You just tried to kill my family, my child, so I’m only going to ask one more time, how many more are out there?” 

He hesitated, clearly hit by the realization that he was in over his head.  My hand still on the dagger added some pressure. 

“Once I take this out you will bleed to death in a matter of moments, and lose consciousness even faster.  If I don’t remove the knife and you get to a hospital, you could have a chance,” I said calmly and rationally.

Olexander slightly loosened his grasp on the man’s neck.  He was trying to speak, and I leaned my head down to hear him whisper.

“Two more,” was all he could say in short gasps.

“Thank you,” I whispered back, and jerked the knife out of his arm.  Blood was everywhere, and he was most certainly dead.  Olexander released his grip and stood stunned. 

“Are there any other weapons we can get to?” I asked him.

“My gun is in my bag,” he said unsteadily.

I grabbed his face and pulled it close to mine.

“It was him or us.  They came to kill, so I chose us.”

This seemed to snap him back to reality. 

“I’ll go out the front, you go out the back,”  he said.

I picked up the bloody dagger and noticed a small tattoo on the man’s forearm. 

“Olexander, wait,” I said.

There was something familiar about the tattoo but I couldn’t place it.  I yanked my phone out of my boot, snapped a picture, and returned it to the pocket. 

“Lily, what the hell are you doing?”

“Tell you later, time to go.”

Quickly I maneuvered my way through the tiny crawl space under the plane meant for baggage.  I saw the first man waiting, gun drawn, by the SUV Olexander had requested be there for our arrival.   It took me only a few seconds to sneak up behind him and slit his throat.  As he dropped, I heard a single gunshot from the front of the plane.  I edged my way around cautiously, and met up with Olexander who grabbed and held on to me tightly.

“I’ll get the bags into the car, get Julia.”

“Disable the GPS in the truck first,” I hollered back to him.

Want more? Excellent! Get The Sin Collector: Sacrifice exclusively on Amazon. Also, Get The Sin Collector: Thomas for free August 30th to September 3rd.

Or you can enter for a chance to win your very on digital copies of the Sin Collector Series.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

>

About Jessica:

Jessica Fortunato writes a rare combination of Paranormal/ Supernatural/ Religious Literary Fiction.  She lives in Pennsylvania with her family, a clumsy black cat, and year round Halloween decorations.  Rarely seen in direct sunlight, reports of Jessica’s vampirism remain unsubstantiated.

 Jessica says she based the heroine of her book, Liliana, on the many extraordinary women in her life. 

The second book of The Sin Collector Trilogy, Sacrifice, is available now August 30th, 2013. 

She hopes that every person who reads the series finds a bit of themselves in at least one of her characters.

When I asked her what made her want to be a writer, she had this to say:

"Everything I write is a tribute to my Grandma, who taught me from a young age the pure magic that can always be found in a book."

Before I concluded the interview, I simply had to ask her the question she imposes on all her readers. What was your first sin?

"That question literally made me laugh out loud," Jessica says, "I guess my first sin was an act of thievery at the impressionable age of six.  I stole a handful of Swedish fish candies from the small store up the street.  I suppose ever since then you could say the sins just keep piling up."

Valentine's Day Treat: Steam by Jessica Fortunato

Ok, so today is the day for love. We all love the thrills that come with being in love, at least when we are in love. I have just the read for tonight!

Premise (from Goodreads):
Charlotte Amelia Caprice may seem like an ordinary girl. She has a job she hates, a boss she despises, and zero romantic prospects. Her friends call her Charlie, when she can keep one for more than a few weeks. Though Charlie may seem ordinary, she is anything but. Charlie doesn’t have a heart. Instead, she has a steam driven machine in her chest, always making her feel less than human. Gears and pistons have been using her own body heat to pump her blood for over a decade. There is one small problem. Her heart is beginning to break. When Charlie meets a brilliant man, one who could save her life, she must choose between being heartless and being alive. A simple choice for some, but for Charlie living on steam isn’t easy.

My Review:

Steam is different from the Sin Collector series, but this is a very good thing. It shows Fortunato’s gift to write a wide range of genres. First of all, Jessica once again hit the mark with her originality. The concept of a girl in the modern day with a metal heart is brilliant. What I love best, however, is the emotion depth of the characters. This book had me in tears at a few points. I was cheering for Charlie and Viktor the entire time.

As usual, the themes presented in Fortunato’s stories are ones that almost everyone can relate to. And yes, there is a hot shower scene. I really have no complaints for the story. Want a good read to snuggle up with for Valentine’s Day? Get Steam.

Steam is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

About the Author:

Jessica Fortunato is a writer in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania.

She has been a freelance reviewer for the past three years. She has always loved a supernatural aspect to literature, as well as the addition of theology, so it is no surprise that her debut novel "The Sin Collector" combines just that.

She has been a waitress, a cook, a librarian, a book binder, nanny, and even a hairdresser when the occasion calls for it. However writing is her main focus and she is thrilled to share the first installment of what she hopes will be a a beloved book series.

And for those of you not looking for love but want a thrill: Check out my book A Prescription for Delirium available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

Cover Reveal: STEAM by Jessica Fortunato

Hello lovelies, I have a special treat for you in time for Valentine's Day:

Steam is a new short story from author Jessica Fortunato.  Also from Fortunato is The Sin Collector, The Sin Collector: Thomas and the short story Banished which can be found in the Nocturnal Embers Anthology.  She lives in Pittsburgh PA with her family and ever-growing menagerie of pets.

You can find Jessica:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Find Steam, exclusively for Kindle February 1^st, 2013!

Charlotte Amelia Caprice may seem like an ordinary girl.  She has a job she hates, a boss she despises, and zero romantic prospects.   Her friends call her Charlie, when she can keep one for more than a few weeks.  Though Charlie may seem ordinary, she is anything but.  Charlie doesn’t have a heart.  Instead, she has a steam driven machine in her chest, always making her feel less than human.  Gears and pistons have been using her own body heat to pump her blood for over a decade.  There is one small problem.  Her heart is beginning to break. When Charlie meets a brilliant man, one who could save her life, she must choose between being heartless and being alive.  A simple choice for some, but for Charlie living on steam isn’t easy.

Cover Reveal: From Where I stand

I’m pleased to be a part of the group to be able to do this. Poetry is not my thing, but Rob’s stuff is good. He’s also an awesome book blogger. He’s already reviewed “A Prescription for Delirium.” This month he will be releasing his own book of poetry.

BLURB:

            From Robert Zimmermann comes From Where I Stand, an emotional debut poetry collection.  Zimmermann explores strained parental relationships, loss of life, and the despair associated with grief.  Alongside these darker themes, he delves into the small areas of life that often go unnoticed but become the hope we are searching for.

Expected release November 2012

            Example’s of Robert’s poetry can be found in the poetry section on his blog. He also has poems published by Albany Poets.

_____

QUOTES:

           

            

"Rob writes with an incredible sense of observation and feeling made all the more poignant by his struggles. Every verse is genuine and every poem is a journey toward understanding the soul of a poet."– Ben Ditmars, author of Night Poems

            “Zimmermann has achieved something rarely seen in modern poetry. Each poem is a personal and detailed story that will strike the heart of the reader with a torrent of emotion.  Zimmermann balances the dark and light beautifully and without a hint of hesitation.” – Jessica Fortunato, author of The Sin Collector Trilogy

            "Rob's poetry has a very real tone to it and in some ways creates a tragic yet poetic story." – Paulina Ulrich, author of the Flightless Bird Series

            "Honest, heartfelt and moving" – Amber Jerome~Norrgard, author of In The Gloaming

_____

About Robert 

Robert has been writing poetry since the eleventh grade. His writing started as impulsive rambling, but soon became a passion. A few years later he attended SUNY Potsdam where he received a B.A. in Creative Writing.
His main focus is poetry, but at times you can find him dabbling in short fiction. Robert has also created the blog A Life Among The Pages, where he posts his writing as well as book reviews.
When he’s not reading or writing, Robert enjoys spending time with his dog, Deuc. Deuc ran out of the woods in August 2011 and they have been inseparable ever since.

LINKS:

Blog

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads

Star-crossed Romance

I read once on an interview with an agent that the difference between Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance is that the relationships in UF end unhappily. While I disagree with this point for a lot of reasons, I’m going to focus on one: the unhappy part.

Through a lot of series I see the protagonist struggling to form a relationship with one or two (or three or four) love interests. Sometimes, the romance subplots seem to overshadow the main plots of the story. The MC becomes so wrapped up in their thoughts on their messed up relationships that they make stupid mistakes.

Now, I have no problems with a slow build to a relationship. By all means take as many books as you need, but please make it worth it in the end. I don’t just mean hot sex. If you spent five books with the buildup, please don’t break them up in the next book.

To me, maintaining a relationship is more difficult than forming one. Yet, I see a lot of books that almost irrevocably break up the characters. This is usually because the writer feels the reader will grow bored and cannot come up with an interesting conflict unless they are apart. I guess I am saying that I would like to see a conflict that the characters have to endure and stay together, instead of their own arguments driving them apart.

I have seen a few that has relationships that work and still keep us interested, like the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs. (Well at least where I am. I’m behind on it.) So, I still have hope. 

What are your thoughts on relationships in books? Do you like the on again off again struggle? Or would you like to see other conflicts in relationships