"Unexpecting" by Lori Verni-Fogarsi Blog Tour, Interview, and Giveaway (Ends 5/15) WW

Shelley and David are a couple of almost-empty-nesters whose children are just about all off to college. Preparing to embark on the next stage of their life, they’ve just ordered white furniture and are planning the vacation they’ve waited their entire lives to take.
Everything changes when Alexandra, seventeen and pregnant, shows up on their doorstep and announces that she’s the daughter he never knew he had! Their life is catapulted in a completely different direction, abounding with dilemmas: Not only do they have an additional child, but also a baby in a household that had been just about to become serene. How much should they help her? And how could they not?

Shelley feels like she no longer fits in anywhere and to top it off, having two seventeen-year-old girls suddenly plunged into being sisters and school mates is not exactly warm and fuzzy. When Alexandra’s behavior starts to become erratic, the couple is faced with even tougher decisions to make.

Hold on for an emotional yet witty ride as you join this family of characters in a story of love, loyalty, heartbreak, and humor that will stay with you long after you turn the last page!

Read the first chapter here.

As you might expect, I am still behind and do not have the book reviewed yet, but I will.  I am working on it.  The reason today?  Well, we have no water.  Our well pump is not working, so you can imagine the fun we are having as we wait for that to get fixed.  And with everything happening around here, I still have the tendency to get behind.  One of these days, I might get caught up.

Lori Verni-Fogarsi has been an author, speaker, and small business consultant since 1995. Her nonfiction book, “Everything You Need to Know About House Training Puppies and Adult Dogs,” was published in 2005 and continues to be one of the most highly recommended books in its genre. Her novel, “Momnesia,”was published in 2012 and has been awarded as a finalist in both the National Indie Excellence Book Awards and The USA Best Book Awards.

Just a few of her media appearances have included The Lifetime Women’s Network,My Carolina Today Show, Boston Globe Forums Live, and a multitude of others. Her seminars have taken place at public and private venues for many years, just a few of which include North Carolina State University and Nassau Community College.

Lori is a happily married mom of two, step mom of two more, and has two cats, both rotten. Originally a native New Yorker, she now divides her time between Raleigh, NC, and Lake Gaston, VA, where she is hard at work on her next novel.

Like LoriTheAuthor on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LoriTheAuthor
Follow LoriTheAuthor on Twitter: @LoriTheAuthor
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I do have an interview of the author to share.  Check it out!

1.  Describe a typical day in your life.  Be as detailed as you like.

Fix yourself a coffee... you're going to be tired just hearing about it! My typical day begins at 5:50 am, at which point I begin the process of getting three kids off to school. By 7:30 I can already be found at my desk, where I tend to stay for the majority of the day, working on writing my books, marketing, social media, and projects for my small business consulting clients (building websites, designing marketing materials, and building social media presence.) Usually by around 2:30 I start feeling like I'm going blind, so I (hate to admit it takes this long...) shower and do my hair and makeup in preparation for the busy evening ahead. One of my daughters is 15 and very involved in dance, while another is in gymnastics and my stepson contributes to the busy-ness too. My evenings are often spent working on my laptop in the library that's nearby my daughter's dancing school while I wait for her! Generally, in the evenings after nine, I ban myself from the office so my husband and I can have a little time together each night!

2.  What do you see as your greatest strength as a writer?  Your greatest weakness?

My greatest strengths are my "voice," meaning the conversational tone that's found in my writing, as well as my willingness to "put myself out there," and talk about things people sometimes don't talk about. As for weaknesses, I tend to go through phases (much to my editor's chagrin)! There was the too many parentheses phase (see what I mean?), and there was my "multitude" phase (can we use some other words? Maybe plethora?), and most recently, there has been my "lamenting" phase, in which there was a great need for contemplating, reflecting, ruing, and other verbiage to reflect that feeling!

3.  Who have been your top supporters in your author endeavors?  How have they supported you?

Without question, my greatest supporter is my husband, Mark, who completely understands how much work I put into my books and the marketing of them, and is constantly reassuring me that while I may not make millions, it will be very nice to receive royalty checks (even if small) years from now.

My other strongest supporters have been my readers. Their kind words in an e-mail, in a review, or even on Facebook are what keeps me motivated to work as a professional author rather than just writing in a journal for my own pleasure!

4.  What has been your greatest obstacle in becoming an author?  What has been your greatest victory?

My greatest obstacle has been the publishing industry as a whole. Being an author during a time when the tides are shifting from "traditional" publishing to "independent" publishing has been a challenge because the major houses don't take on many new authors, and there are so many indie authors throwing their books out there without proper editing, it has been difficult to find a place that is the right fit. Publishing through my small press, Brickstone Publishing, has been a successful endeavor for me, though, and overall I'm happy with the way my author career is going.

As for my greatest victories, thus far I'd have to say that it's a tie between my in-person book launch party that was attended by well over one hundred guests, and the fact that my nonfiction, "Everything You Need to Know About House Training Puppies and Adult Dogs," continues to be one of the top sellers in its genre since 2005!

5.  How do you handle rejection as an author (or even the occasional negative review)?

Fortunately, I've received very few negative reviews, but of course there are some. I feel differently about them, depending on their content: If a reviewer has a genuine point they've made (for example, I've had one or two who found the language in "Momnesia" a bit offensive), I'm okay with that... everyone's entitled to their own opinion, and not every book is going to be a perfect fit for every reader. However, a review that (for example) complains that my housebreaking book doesn't teach how to litter box train a dog is simply irritating, as the description clearly states that it's about teaching dogs to make outside and in that case the person's negative review feels unfair.

6.  If you could go to dinner with three people living or dead, who would you choose and why?

What an interesting question! I would have to say that I'd love to go with my husband Mark because he's my favorite person, the recently deceased author/playwright Nora Ephron because she was so smart and hilarious, and my friend Carol Mondello who is also very wise and hilarious, and lives in New York while I live in North Carolina, so I don't get to see her nearly often enough.

7.  Tell us on of your "pet peeves" and why it bothers you so much.

This is going to make me sound so very "Type A," but it's the truth: Blatant ineptitude. There are times when I feel like I spend my whole day running in circles, repairing the errors of people around me who don't do their jobs correctly: bringing the dry cleaning back because they gave me someone else's shirt in my stuff; fighting with the bank because they deposited the wrong amount in my account, despite me having a receipt showing the correct amount... that sort of thing.

8.  Besides writing, what are some of your other hobbies/interests?

Besides being an avid reader, my favorite hobby of all time is boating. We have a second home on Lake Gaston and it is my very favorite thing to do, to just ride around and look for birds, eat peaches, and float in the water. I also enjoy attending all of my children's dance competitions, drill team, and gymnastics meets, as well as traveling with just my husband at least once or twice a year.

Thank you very much for hosting me on your blog! I hope your readers have enjoyed getting to know me through the interview, and I hope to get to know them too, either through their comments, or in other ways!

Buy the book:

• Unexpecting  http://goo.gl/JiIWB
• Momnesia  http://goo.gl/911KP
• Everything You Need to Know About House Training Puppies & Adult Dogs http://goo.gl/gdteo

Follow the entire blog tour.  You will want to check out that link to enter all the big giveaways associated with the tour!

So how would you like to win your very own copy of Unexpecting?  Lori is gracious enough to offer a paperback copy (U.S. only) or an e-book  (everyone else) to one of my readers.  Just enter the rafflecopter below by 9 P.M. Pacific time on May 15.




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Showers of Books Giveaway Hop (Ends 4/30) U.S.

Co-hosted by Books à la Mode.

I am pleased to bring you a fantastic interview/excerpt giveaway from a fantastic author/book that I reviewed here.

Excerpt

David. His name meant ‘beloved.’ Dah-veed. I clicked my tongue and pinched my lower lip with a wet bite. David and Michal. I rolled the words and imagined long walks in the woods and lingering evenings in the moonlight.

I changed into a delicate, rose-colored dress and twisted my hair with a golden comb. A necklace of fiery rubies and matching earrings completed my outfit. Satisfied with my appearance, I opened my door and peered down the corridor.

It was the quiet time right before the evening meal when Mother napped and Father held court. Merab sang love songs in her room, mooning over Adriel, a married friend of our family. What my parents didn’t know could fill a book.

I meandered through the garden and slipped past the kitchen to the servants’ quarters. What luck! David sat alone on a bench, reading. I stepped to his side, cast my shadow over his scroll and startled him.

“Walk with me.” I presented my hand, and he took it. But before he could press it to his lips, I withdrew. “You’ll have to catch me first. There’s an abandoned guard shack right above the granary on the old section of the palace wall.”

Not waiting for a reply, I walked across the storage yard and skipped up the wooden steps. A new set of walls extended a hundred yards beyond, leaving this part of the battlements isolated. Here, I often spied on my brothers while they exercised in the training yard below. I also had a view of my parents’ separate bedchambers.

A veiled woman entered my father’s chamber. A few years older than I, she was given to my father to promote her father’s position. I would have pitied her if she weren’t so haughty, although being bed toy to the king was hardly a laudable accomplishment.

“I found you.” David appeared at the top of the steps.

“I knew you’d come.” I pursed my lips to hide a smile of delight. This was easier than I thought.

“Are you alone?”

“Why no. You’re here, aren’t you?” I held out my hand. “We haven’t been properly introduced. Michal, daughter of Saul, of Gibeah.”

He clasped my hand. “David, son of Jesse, of Bethlehem.”

His voice as unyielding as his grasp, he swept my palm to his lips. Warm tingles radiated from his kiss. His honey-colored eyes brightened before lowering under gold-tipped lashes.

I leaned toward him. “Have you ever courted a maiden?”

He straightened to release my hand, but I squeezed his fingers and trapped him with my other hand. A fierce blush colored his face. “I’ve never courted a princess.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“Would it matter?” He cocked his head and turned up a corner of his mouth.

“How dare you! Of course, it matters.”

“Would it matter that I’m a poor man? A servant of your father?”

I dropped his hand and leaned over the windowsill. The scent of night jasmine wafted from the garden below. “It depends on what you wish for in your heart.”

“My wishes or yours?”

“Yours first. Tell me.”

He gazed at the horizon. He seemed an intelligent man with a masculine face. Not broad, but angular—strong brows over deep set eyes, a distinctive nose, and a crown of copper-brown hair unruly like my goat-hair pillow. When he settled his eyes on me, I hardly dared to breathe.

“Peace for Israel,” he said.

“Is that possible?” I drew closer.

“Yes, if we have peace with God first.”

His profound statement stirred my pulse and kindled a flame, an aching, twisting pang. Unable to sustain his probing gaze, I turned toward the setting sun. Its burnished rays bathed the jagged walls of our palace, dappling the rugged hills with shadows of gold, crimson, and brown.

“So you’re a man of peace. Very good. What about love? Do you wish for love?”

He took my hand and traced my palm with his thumb.

Oh, my soul. A thrill shot straight to my heart. A lone hawk screeched, banked and crested toward the tip of the disappearing light.

“Princess, how old are you?” His voice deepened.

I hovered into the warmth of his chest. “Ancient. As old as these hills.”

“Have you ever been courted?”

I shook my head.

“As old as you say you are and a princess too. Tell me, Michal, have you ever been in love?” He raised my hand to his lips but dropped it without kissing it.

Crickets serenaded the darkening sky with scratchy chirps, accompanied by the throaty croak of a persistent toad. I trembled, and David wrapped his arms around me. His scent pulsed hot with sandalwood, raking me with a newborn sense of longing. And his hands, oh, so firm, tightened around my waist, and his prayer shawl entangled my fingers, and his body, oh, the press of his body… made me want…

Voices sounded from the courtyard below, and I pulled back from the window ledge.

David turned me into the shadow of the wall. He brushed my lips so lightly I couldn’t tell if he had touched me with his breath or his mouth. The wind gusted, and he was gone.

I clung to my shawl, holding in his warmth, the strength of his shoulders, the excitement of his chest. I had never allowed a man to hold me before. But David was different. He awoke strange and uncontrollable sensations. A tiny star shivered, wavered, and plummeted straight into my heart, mingling with my unspoken wish. And I knew at once why songs are sung and ballads told.

Rachelle Ayala, Author Interview

1.   Since this is a work of fiction based on events from the Bible, what kind of research did you do?

I used the Bible as my primary reference. There’s so much about David in there, even the less savory parts, such as when he allies himself with the Philistine King Achish. I also read a few biographies about David, but they were very critical of him. I think one of them called him a mass murderer and a psychopath. These were not as useful to me, so I went back and studied the Psalms, paying attention to the ones David wrote. In college, I had a few courses in Bronze Age Greece culture, including the Minoans of Crete. It was a nice surprise to discover that the Philistines originated in the Greek isles. In fact, Achish sounds very much like Achilles. I also read about the excavation of Gath, and how the Philistines were actually culturally richer than the Israelites of that time. This allowed me to create the Philistine culture that the fictionalized Michal would encounter.

2.   Being a Bible college graduate, many would criticize your depiction of Michal.  What inspired you to develop her character and story in the way you did?

Michal is truly a fascinating character. She’s the only woman in the Bible who loved a man, the only one who defied two kings, her father and husband, and she lived a very tragic life. I’ve always felt sorry for Michal because she was depicted negatively by so many commentators and preachers. In a time and culture were women were invisible, she was a woman who didn’t hesitate to take matters into her own hands or voice her opinion. She singlehandedly preserved the line to Jesus Christ when she saved David from her father, and because she fell out of favor with David, she was never given credit for her great love and faith.

My first version of Michal’s story stuck pretty closely to the Bible, but once I got beyond 2^nd Samuel Chapter 6, she is not mentioned again except peripherally when her five adopted sons are executed. It felt like a big letdown to leave her at her worst, when she and David have had a very public marital spat. I began imagining her having more fun and meeting people who truly cared about her during the times David was absent. Since the Bible documents that Phalti, her second husband, loved her greatly, I wove in a love story for them. But that was not enough since it also ends tragically when she is taken back by David.

I then realized that Michal’s life story parallels that of the nation Israel. She is called by the king when she marries David (Genesis, call of Abraham). She is abandoned when David flees (Exodus). I embellished this part by having her go to Philistia and meeting Ittai. She comes back and is married to Phalti (Joshua, Judges, Ruth) and then is brought back to the Kingdom (1^st Samuel-2^nd Chronicles), only to be exiled again after she disobeys David (Isaiah-Malachi). Bathsheba is the type of the Gentile church and after she gives birth to Solomon, Michal is set aside. In my book, I do have her being friends with David and teaching Solomon his lessons. Abigail dies [rapture] right before Absalom’s rebellion [type of Anti-Christ] and Israel flees into the wilderness. She falls for false religion [marrying Ittai in a hand-fasting ceremony] before returning to her king [actually the king fetches her], but not until many are killed [the hanging of the 5 sons] and she herself suffers much tribulation [locked in dungeon]. By the way, Ittai is the type of a tribulation saint.

So, with this explanation, Michal’s Window has got to be craziest book you’ve ever read, because underlying everything is an epic love story that people who no zip about the Bible can enjoy.

3.   Some people are rather hesitant when it comes to reading Biblical fiction.  They may tend to think you are adding or subtracting from the Word of God or adding an interpretation that God did not intend.  What might you say to encourage these people to read your book?

Strictly speaking, all fiction is lying, isn’t it? But we humans have a need for stories because we have such healthy imaginations. I love my Bible stories and would never add to or change the Word of God. But at the same time, my imagination fills in the areas that are not mentioned. This is especially true for women who are not given much thought except when their lives intersect that of a famous man. For example, do we really suppose David only had a single daughter? I mean, it is possible, but improbable. The Bible mentions and names all of his sons, but only Tamar is mentioned because she is raped by one of David’s sons. The wives David gathers in Jerusalem are not named, except for Bathsheba, because she was at the center of David’s big sin and the mother of Solomon.

I’d remind everyone that my book is fiction and to relax and enjoy the love story that is a shadow of God’s great redeeming love for us.

4.   Who is your favorite character in the book?  Least favorite and why?

Michal, of course! She’s spunky, full of life, and victorious through her faith in God. Besides Michal, I just about love all of them: Ittai, Jada, Abigail, Ahinoam, Michal’s sister, Aunt Kyra, Joshua and Beraiah, even David.

Hmm… Least favorite? Besides, the obvious villains like Doeg and Abner? It’s probably my depiction of Haggith, Adonijah’s mother, and Joab. I was always suspicious of Joab’s supporting Adonijah and the fact that he acted like David’s hired knife. Anytime David wanted to get rid of a rival, all he had to do was promote him above Joab, and Joab would take care of it. At this point, I suspect David is not as innocent in the death of Abner or Amasa as he claims, since he must have known how murderous Joab would be.

5.   Any upcoming books you would like to tell us about?

Sure thing. I’m into contemporaries now. I seriously struggled to find another historical character as interesting as Michal and decided she’s too special for me to write another Biblical romance.

I’m working on a romance between a nurse and a triathlete who lost his lower leg in an accident. All of the plotting and research occurred before the Boston Marathon, but now I feel creeped out that this situation has actually happened. The story involves more than the hero’s disability. The theme deals with lying to yourself and burying emotions. Vera Custodio discovers that her father murdered her boyfriend’s mother twenty-three years ago. She goes on a journey to prove him innocent, but discovers a shocking truth about herself. The title is Knowing Vera, which is a play on “knowing truth,” since Vera means Truth in Latin. I’m still on the first draft but hope to have it released sometime next year.

Author Bio:

Rachelle Ayala is the author of dramatic fiction crossing genres and boundaries featuring strong but flawed characters. She writes emotionally challenging stories and is not afraid of controversial topics. However, she is an optimist and laces her stories with romance and hope.

Rachelle has written three romantic novels. Michal’s Window is a powerful and emotional journey as lived through the eyes of Princess Michal, King David’s first wife. Broken Build is a story of redemption and healing where a man learns to love and trust the woman who destroyed his life. Finally, Hidden Under Her Heart is concerned with forgiveness in the face of judgment over abortion. She has also put together a simple one-verse-a-day Bible Verse devotional, Your Daily Bible Verse.

Visit her at: Website: http://rachelleayala.me Blog: http://www.rachelleayala.com or follow @AyalaRachelle on Twitter.

She is gracious enough to be giving a paperback copy of Michal's Window to a U.S. reader.  So be sure to enter on the rafflecopter below by 9 P.M. on April 30, and then hop on for the chance to win even more books!  Oh, and take a look at the "bonus" DVD giveaways I am going to go ahead and offer along with this giveaway hop.

If you are interested in my reviews of the DVD's, follow the links below:
http://www.mydevotionalthoughts.com/2013/04/break-away-dvd-review.html
http://www.mydevotionalthoughts.com/2013/04/motherindia-life-through-eeys-of-orphan.html


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Black Lion Tours: "Karen Hardin" Author Spotlight/Interview/Giveaway (Ends 4/24) WW

 One author, two stories.

Today we welcome Karen R. Hardin author of "Loyalty" and "Heart Strings and Love Nots"

Check her work and follow her tour.

You'll find interviews, guest posts and reviews.

Don't miss it!

Quick Facts                                        

Loyalty:

Release Date: November 22, 2011                                        

Genre: Fantasy - Mafia                                           

                                                               

Loyalty:

A mob story on the surface, but a metaphysical saga deeper within the pages, "Loyalty" begins when the power struggles between Mobsters and Gangsters of Chicago's underworld are forever changed by an affair between Italian mob boss, Frank Cipriano, and the wife of African American gangster, Jonathan Casey. When Anna gives birth to Frank's daughter, Jasmine, the Cipriano and Casey family ties bind Chicago's underworld for generations to come. Through tragedies and triumphs, loyalties are constantly questioned, but more so when Jasmine grows into a deadly beauty. As a hit woman for the Cipriano family, but with siblings ties to the Casey family, Jasmine is torn until the very end. Readers seeking a deeper challenge in their reading experience can take the metaphysical challenge of reading this money power trilogy as a novel that takes your mind as far as you will allow it to go.

                                                                                                                      Get it HERE.

Quick Facts

Heart Strings and Love Nots:

Release Date: October 25, 2012

Genre: Romantic Comedy.

Heart Strings and Love Nots:

Three diaries in one novel, “Heart Strings and Love Nots” is a comical drama of the heart-breaking yet life affirming love stories of three women. With different personalities the unlikely trio of best-friends are the perfect voices of reason for one another as the bossy bitch, Dominique, judgmental diva, Skylar and freaky church mouse, Reese, take readers on a journey of illicit affairs, strange religion, accidental prostitution all the way to marriage and motherhood.

Get it  HERE.

The Author

Karen R. Hardin has been hailed as a creative genius. With an imagination that developed from the sheer need to escape childhood abuse, her cultivation of higher consciousness at a young age brought forth unparalleled and unmatched artistry. She's turned out multiple scripts for indie film producers. One such script was written in a 24 hour period and helped to initiate the start of Derrty Entertainment's spinoff company UCME Films. Karen began her writing career with a dream that brought forth her first novel “Loyalty”, an epic mafia story. In 2012 Karen released a second novel “Heart Strings and Love Nots” with an eclectic take on novel writing, she created a southern sex in the city that blends three character diaries with perspectives based on some of the strongest stereotypical perspectives associated with women.

CONNECT WITH KAREN:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

WEBSITE

Author Interview

Which of your books was the easiest/hardest to write?

Writing is a natural flow for me, so it’s always more fun than hard… it’s the editing that feels like work when it comes to writing. Both novels were hard edits for different reasons… “Loyalty” because it was so detailed and the characters’ choices only made sense to them for their own thought and emotional life… “Heart Strings and Love Nots” was a hard edit because of the way it’s written and the level of honesty the characters express, it caused me to worry about how it would be received by readers, but I knew that the points they were each making from their own experience was something people who understood those kinds of single lifestyle struggles would be able to relate to in a “this is too real to not be funny” sort of way.

- Which of your books is your favourite?

“Loyalty” is my favorite because it’s my first experience with this free flow writing coming out and the women were way more tough and free with self-gratification than I personally was and it launched everything that is writing to me.

- Which of your characters is your favorite?

Jasmine is my favorite character. She does tough wise guy better than the guys with a loving touch and she is action oriented even to the point of self-preservation all the way to the end. She’s the reason I want to make “Loyalty” a trilogy so I can see how she will carry two legacies that she was denied the knowledge of from birth.

- Which of your characters is most/least like you, and in what way(s)?

It’s embarrassing to say, but Reese is most like the old me that I’ve struggled with most of my adult life. I didn’t go as far as she did with some of her actions, but I did have those deep Religious mental battles when it came to allowing myself to be free to live my life, but I still lived just not as freely as I may have wanted to in some ways, but I’m exploring change without the limiting debates, so we’ll see what character I really dream up for myself.

- Which of your characters would you most/least to invite to dinner, and why?

Definitely Jonathan from “Loyalty”… I love the way he deals with the power struggle as if it isn’t a power struggle and he plays the relationship game of life in a way that makes me want to dissect his thinking.

- What would your ideal career be, if you couldn't be an author?

I’d be a rock star with a blended mix between Beyonce, Lady Gaga and Lil Wayne…I’d be the wildest craziest singing rapping dancer the world has ever seen.

- If you were to do your career as an author again, what would you do differently, and why?

I wouldn’t hide and I would promote my work more like I’m starting to do now. I’d do that because it had a right to be more visible than I was able to allow it. I think the critics outside and inside of me held me back from being visible. If I hadn’t had that internal struggle I would’ve written more and played more with my audience. I probably would’ve written stories about them for them by taking something they share with me and turning it into art. 

- Do you read reviews of your books? If so, do you pay any attention to them, or let them influence your writing?

I’ve experienced the highs and lows of reviews from readers. The majority of people who have read my novels and screenplays have loved and were entertained by the stories even if they didn’t like something said or done by characters. To look at fiction too critically takes the fun out of reading something that can go as far as your mind can go with it. For example… I later learned that “Loyalty” has meta-physical components that I wasn’t aware of while writing it, but it takes a different type of perspective to see it, so what I’ve learned is people can only see as much as their thinking can allow. It can be hurtful some of the things people say, but ultimately the stories I write tell themselves and when someone can’t wrap their mind around something, that is not really saying as much about the thing as it is about the capacity of the mind, so I’m working on not taking it personally so I can keep writing and sharing.  

- Have you ever been surprised by a controversy among fans or reviewers - for example, you created a character without thinking too much about what people would think of him, and found some readers loved him and some hated him?

All characters exist on some level, because what you’re dealing with in character is lower and higher nature and what you see in a character also has the potential to be in you if something finds the right way to get to that aspect of your nature. The same place that creativity comes from is the same unknown place that develops people’s perceptions about themselves and others. When there’s a character you don’t like, that character is challenging something in you that you don’t want to pay attention to because things outside of you have conditioned you not to see that in yourself.

- Have you ever written anything that you thought would be controversial and found it wasn't?

I guess I’ve had internal struggles over anything I put out because I never realized that writing was dealing with my own lower and higher natures just like it does with everybody else’s and when I would deny the flow of a story I was denying a controversy within myself. People’s perceptions about who is responsible for what can generate fear in ways that no one should have to be afraid of in life.

- Which question are you most sick of answering in interviews?

You’re my first interview, so I’m not sick of anything yet. These were really good questions. Thank you for getting me thinking about my writing in this way.   

Check these Excerpts:

Loyalty:

Chapter 1
It was a quiet Sunday afternoon when Anna Casey made her first visit to the Cipriano mansion. She was less than pleased to see her sister wearing a food stained apron when she greeted her at the door. Thoughts of a mausoleum crossed her mind as she was led through the foyer into the kitchen. Immediately hit by the warmth of boiling pots and multiple hot ovens, Anna removed her sunglasses. She placed her hands on her hips and tapped her foot as if she were demanding an explanation.Abigail Williams pulled a large trash can to the middle of the kitchen floor and placed two stools on opposing sides. She watched her sister, Anna, become increasingly agitated at the sight of her older sibling working as a servant. Anna folded her arms and smacked her lips trying to provoke Abigail into allowing her to speak her mind. She only got silent glances in return. Abigail opened two sacks of potatoes and took two paring knives from the drawer. She laid one on the counter in front of Anna and took a seat, “If you want to talk, you have to work.”Certain this would be the only invitation to speak up, Anna took the knife, “I don’t understand why you want to be some white man's maid,” she paused for a reaction, but Abigail only gave another disapproving glance as she peeled potatoes with the speed of a pro. “Humph, you can be my maid, at least we're family,” Anna took her seat and leaned over the trash can with potato and knife in hand. “Jonathan has plenty of money. We can take care of you. You really don't have to work at all.”Abigail found herself in deep thought as she watched her sister mishandling the potato like only a housewife with a maid would. Anna paused and sighed heavily to make way for another comment, but Abigail cut her off, “I do not want to live off my little sister and her crooked husband.”“Wait a minute now” Anna carelessly flung her knife side to side talking with her hands, “John is no more crooked than your boss, and when I say boss I mean Boss.”“Be careful with that knife!”“Girl, you know you working for the Mob.”“This family has been good to me.”“But they’re not your family and this is not home.”“I have my own quarters, and when I finish my work, it's just like going home. I’m happy here, besides Rosa really needs me.”“Lord, my sister has quarters,” Anna threw her hands up in a fake moment of praise. “You went from head nurse to babysitting a mental case all because you felt sorry for her. And calling her Rosa like she’s your friend?”“She is.”“No. If she was your friend somebody else would be peeling these damn potatoes, and you’d be out shopping with her.”“Anna, she’s been through a lot, and she needs someone to care for her,” Abigail put down her potato and knife to turn off the ovens and lower the heat on the boiling pots. She poured pasta into the strainer, removed two pies, a pot roast and a cake from the ovens without breaking a sweat. Then took her seat and picked up another potato.“That’s what her husband is for,” Anna continued to reason, “but I guess he’s too busy taking care of people for real, if you know what I mean.”“Mr. Cipriano is a good man. You shouldn’t believe all the rumors you hear about him”“Mr. Cipriano, humph, you mean The Don,” Anna chuckled at her own wit, “or The Godfather.”“And what is John but a street punk turned so called gangster?”“Wait a minute now, John is a good man. He provides and cares for his family. He takes good care of us. He would take care of you too if you’d come live with us where you belong.”A devout Christian, Abigail had chosen a life of hard work and taking care of others including Anna, who never had to work a day in her life. As a spoiled housewife with a “take care of your own” attitude, Anna was often at odds with her older sibling.At first glance no one would think they were associates let alone sisters. Abigail’s homely appearance and serious demeanor toned down her beauty leaving her in the shadowed of Anna’s gregarious nature and flamboyant style. They shared the same features and long wavy hair, but Abigail’s dark almond skin made her an exotic beauty that Anna’s fair complexion and cat like eyes could have easily paled in comparison to.With her hair locked away in a tight bun and her hazel green eyes hidden behind black rimmed reading glasses, Abigail was easily overlooked. Anna, on the other hand, tossed her wavy locks and batted her long eyelashes every chance she got. The attention seeking beauty made men stop in their tracks.“Give me that,” Abigail quickly removed the knife from Anna’s wailing hand before it accidentally became a deadly weapon. “I don't need to be taken care of. Besides, if both of us were living with Jonathan, where would you run when he's being a tyrant?”Anna’s composure quickly changed from self assured offender to insecure defendant. She looked Abigail in the eye and confessed, “Abby, tyrant isn’t the word…lately he’s just been absent,” she exhaled with relief now that they were getting to the true topic at hand, her. She paused in deep thought then proceeded to seek counsel, “Don’t get me wrong, I love him, but-”

Heart Strings and Love Nots

Reese"I can't feel my legs," Dominique moaned and groaned.She had a nerve!!It was 10:00 p.m., something below zero on New Year’s Eve and there I was freezing my butt off in front of a shady night club surrounded by corn fields. The line wasn’t moving at all. I was pissed!I cut my eyes to my right glaring at my best friend, Dominique. It was her bright idea to bring in the New Year at a night club in the middle of nowhere. On the other side of Dom was our other best friend, Skylar, looking just as frustrated as I was. This was not how I was supposed to bring in the New Year.My mind drifted to the midnight watch service I was missing at Church. I wondered how many people noticed my absence, particularly if Pastor Terry had since his last sermon was all about how Christians should bring in the New Year praising God… not the D.J. He speculated that some of our members would be doing just what I was doing, “standing in line at a night club, checking our watches, and praying that we make it in before midnight as if our Savior was waiting inside”.If Pastor Terry didn’t notice I was M.I.A, certainly my mother and grandmother did. They were probably urging him to put me in his next sermon…they always had suggestions on what he should preach about. I started working through my alibi in my head, trying to figure out how not to lie without telling the truth. But it was a no win situation. My grandmother would just ask random but direct questions that require direct answers and my mother would make wild accusations until their combined forces made me confess."It's too freakin’ cold to be out here," Skylar’s grumblings broke my concentration."We should just go," I suggested as soon as I saw my window of opportunity to get Skylar to talk Dominique into leaving, "There's no way we're getting in, and I don't want to bring in the New Year standing in line," I thought I made perfectly good sense, but from the look on Dominique's face, I was speaking gibberish…I knew I should’ve driven my car.“Check him out,” ignoring me, Dominique turned to Skylar and pointed to a very unattractive man sitting in a really nice car, “Boss,” she smiled.“I doubted it,” Skylar frowned, “more like perpetrator.”That’s when I knew I wasn’t going anywhere. Dominique had just regressed to her early twenties and took Skylar with her. So, I made the most of the situation and began to pray for the lost souls in the parking lot like a mature Christian would. When I felt the Spirit move upon me…I knew I was doing the right thing. With my eyes closed and my thoughts pressed towards God, I blocked out the noise around me. It wasn’t easy with the overlapping secular music and all the random conversations seasoned with unnecessary cuss words. Everyone around me was restless and I had hell’s noise to contend with, but with the Lord’s help I was able to bow my head in a moment of silent prayer.“Da--…you embarrassing!!” Dominique’s outburst instantly broke my connection to Heaven. “You not in Church,” she snapped, “Christians ain’t even supposed to celebrate a New Year, it’s a pagan ritual,” she couldn’t resist adding some of her faithless facts.“Leave her alone,” Skylar defended my right to be openly Christian.I didn’t say a word to Dominique. I didn’t have to. The Bible tells us not to cast our pearls before swine…meaning don’t argue the Word of God with nonbelievers and Dominique had to be the biggest swine of them all. She was always ready to challenge any Christian with the truth as she knew it.  She was really good at twisting things around. If I told her I’m saved by my faith, she’d tell me that the Bible says to worship God in truth, and go on to explain how Christians act more like Pagans…especially at Christmas. I had yet to figure out how to explain my faith as being the truth, but deep down inside, I knew that it was.

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