Interview with LM Pruitt, Author of Torment
Give a warm welcome to LM Pruitt, author of Torment, book four of The Damned Series, released on August 8, 2017!
Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about LM Pruitt and her paranormal romance, Torment.
LM, what secret do you use to blast through writer’s block?
I usually move to a different project, one I’m working on only in my spare time, and play with that for a little bit. I’ll also think of the most cliché saying and try and build a few scenes around it. One of my earlier books started out that way, as a matter of fact—I was deep in writer’s block for another project and used the writing prompt to clear my mind, which resulted in another series. If either of those fail, I’ll put on my headphones and think it out.
Where do your story ideas come from? If they come to you in the middle of the night, do you get up and write them all down?
Sometimes they’re random thoughts—like the idea about a woman saving the world, which is the basis for the original Winged series. Others are the result of listening to songs and simply being struck with the idea that there’s another story to be told than what the lyricist told, which is the basis for another book I’m working on at the moment.
If writing is your first passion, what is your second?
I’d have to say reading, which is something I believe I share with a lot of writers. I’ve never understand writers who believe they can’t be readers, especially in their own genre. If you’re not reading, you’ve disconnected yourself from what readers want which, while it shouldn’t be the deciding factor in what you write, should always be something you keep in mind.
Do you find it easier to write from a male or female point of view? Why?
I think this depends on the story and the character. I’ve written both, sometimes in the same story, and I’ll no doubt do so again. Having said that, there are certain characters who will never be the first voice in something I write, simply because I think they’d lose some of their allure—for instance, Michael in the Winged series or Lilith in the same universe. I don’t think the ease of writing comes from the gender but from the characters themselves. Some people are simply easier to write than others.
Amen to that.
Shall we take a peek between the pages of Torment?
“You’ll catch cold if you stay out here much longer.”
I didn’t turn around, continuing to study the skyline. “I’m fine.”
“It’s three in the morning. You should be asleep.” He didn’t sound angry about the fact I wasn’t or the fact I was standing outside in late September in sleep pants and a thin cotton tank. If anything, his scolding sounded as if it was for form and nothing else. “It’s been a long day for all of us.”
“Yes.” Now I did turn around, studying Barry with the same intensity I’d shown the various buildings of Prague. “Why are you mad at me?”
“I’m not mad.” He pulled a cigar from the pocket of his sleep pants but didn’t light it, staring at the tip for a moment before sliding it back in his pocket. “I’m tired, Julie. As I said, it’s been a long day. The next few days—weeks, rather—promise to be equally long. We all need to sleep, to keep our strength up for what lies ahead.”
“You haven’t touched me since we got back.” Since he stood in front of my sister and ripped her heart out and then walked away without a backward glance. “You’ve barely said anything all night long.”
“As I said, I’m tired.” He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a long sigh. “There’s been quite a bit of upheaval in the last thirty-six hours or so. Quite a bit. Forgive me if I’m not my usual charming self. You have more than enough people here to pay you attention if you’re feeling uncared for.”
“That’s not what I meant.” I turned back to the city view, widening my eyes and blinking rapidly in an effort to keep the tears at bay. I didn’t have a problem with using tears as a weapon when they were called for but I wouldn’t use them with him, ever. “You’re right. It’s late. Go to sleep. I’m fine.”
“We both know I’m not going to sleep until you do.” I heard the sound of metal scraping over concrete and glanced over my shoulder to find he’d pulled one of the patio chairs free of the table. Sitting down and stretching out his legs, he said, “As long as you’re here, I’m here.”
“Barry—.”
“Arguing will only frustrate us both, Julie Elizabeth, and we’ve had enough frustration for the day.” He slid further down in the seat, almost slouching, and crossed his arms. “As long as you’re here, I’m here.”
“But do you want to be here?” The question tumbled out before I even realized it was in my mind and I bit my tongue, already regretting it. “Never mind. You don’t have to answer that.”
“Come here.” When I didn’t move, he uncrossed his arms and held out one hand. “Please.”
Crossing the balcony, I took his hand, curling up in his lap and resting my head on his shoulder. We sat in silence for a few minutes before he cleared his throat. “I don’t know any other way to say it. I can simply say as long as you’re here, I’m here. When you want to leave, we’ll leave.”
“And where would we go?” Joanne’s face in the instant after Barry verbally sucker punched her, Asmodeus’s face the second after I shot him, flashed through my mind and I hunched my shoulders as if the memory carried a physical blow. “There’s no place left. We burned all those bridges today.”
“The thing about bridges is they can always be rebuilt and when they are, they’re stronger than before they burned.” He brushed my hair away from my face, stroking one hand down my back and pulling me tighter against him. “But since you don’t want to leave, the discussion is moot.”
“We’re doing the right thing.”
“The right thing done the wrong way is no longer the right thing.”
“If there was a way to do this differently, we would have taken it.” We’d tried to take it. We’d tried to meet the others halfway. Nobody—Lilith, Asmodeus, the Power, Morning Star—wanted to bend.
So we would have to break them.
“After the raids begin today, there is no turning back. You and your supporters will be branded traitors. There will be bounties on your heads.” He pressed his lips to my hair, breathing deep. “On all our heads. You’ve never lived through a war.”
It wasn’t a question but I answered anyway. “No, I haven’t.”
“I’ve been through more than my fair share, even considering my age. When it’s impossible to die from manmade weapons, you tend to fight in wars simply to alleviate the boredom.” He turned, pressing his face in to my hair. “And they’re nothing compared to supernatural wars. So far you’ve only seen the pretty side of Hell. There are things which will be unleashed which should never exist out of nightmares.”
“On us or by us?”
“Both.” His hand shook as he stroked my back and I wasn’t sure if he was trying to comfort me or himself. “Some things can’t be unseen or unfelt. You’ll carry it with you until the day you die.”
“Are you trying to scare me?”
“I’m trying to warn you. Up until now, everything about this war has been theoretical. Until today, no true shots were fired.” He drew back, his face unnaturally somber, even for him. “I know you did what you had to do and I don’t fault you for that decision.”
“But I officially started the war.” I nodded. “I know. I’ll live with it.”
“Things will get worse.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead. “They always do.”
“And then they get better.” I had to believe that. If I didn’t, then there was a good chance I was wrecking and ruining lives for no reason at all. I pressed my lips to his, lightly, for comfort more than anything else. “Things will be better. We’re going to make them better.”
We didn’t have any other choice.
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4320796.L_M_Pruitt
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged LM Pruitt, Paranormal, Romance, The Damned Series, Torment by Tena Stetler with 3 comments.
Interview Deborah Camp Author of Through Her Eyes
Give a warm welcome to Deborah Camp, author of Through Her Eyes, book four in the Mind’s Eye Series. released on July 24, 2017!
Tell me Deborah, who is your favorite character and why?
While it’s true that I have to be in love with every hero I write or it just doesn’t work for me, I admit that I have a special place in my heart for Leviticus Wolfe. Here are four reasons why I’m so “gone” for this guy.
- He’s my ultimate type. I love bad boys – guys who are badass but have bleeding hearts. Levi is bad in a good way. Growing up in a challenging environment, he developed a hard shell, but somehow he has managed to remain kind and compassionate. He doesn’t go looking for a fight, but he doesn’t back down from them either. His heart is scarred, but still big and beautiful.
- He leads and never follows. Levi takes charge. When he sees something or someone he wants, he goes after it. His mission in life is to bring about order from chaos. He doesn’t like lies or turbulence in his life because that’s what was around him all the time when he was young. He doesn’t like to feel that he’s not in charge and in control – which is why being with Trudy is both thrilling and aggravating for him. When he’s with her, he’s not sure-footed or certain of the direction he’s moving toward with her.
- He knows he’s deeply flawed. Although he’s handsome, gifted, and successful, Levi knows he has deep flaws and wounds that haven’t healed. He wants to be a better man, so he’s in therapy and working to exorcise his demons. But his main flaw is that he doesn’t trust others or his own heart. His intellect – knowing he should trust Trudy and allow himself to love her with all his heart – battles his honed instincts – guarding himself from further pain that would wipe out the progress he’s made in shedding his phobias and becoming “normal.”
- He’s learning to love and be loved. Levi has never known deep, abiding love in his life and Trudy offers that to him. It frightens him because he feels unworthy of it and, yet, he wants it, desperately. Accepting such a gift will mean that he must reveal all of himself to Trudy, and when he does, he’s afraid she will decide he’s too messed up and she’ll leave him.
Do you see yourself in your characters?
My characters have pieces of me in them. For my female protagonists, I usually have to tone them down. I tend to be a little bitchy and bossy, which works out fine in my life, but comes off too strong (rude?) on the pages. Joyce, by bestie and editor, often points out places in scenes where my heroine is catty or mouthy. I like my heroines to be spirited and take up for themselves, but I want readers to like them and want to be them, so I end up revising their dialogue. That’s when an editor comes in handy. What I “hear” in my head as I write, isn’t always how others “hear” it. A good editor can point this out and save a writer from inadvertently giving the wrong impression of a character or a character’s motivation.
My main characters are how I’d like to be. Brave, witty, sexy, gracious, clever, and compassionate. I am all of these things, but not always when I want or should be! My characters usually do the right thing at the right time and say the right thing when it needs to be said. I don’t do that . . . but, oh how I wish I could! And wouldn’t it be nice if the guys in our lives said the perfect thing every time we needed to hear it?
Why do you write what you write?
I enjoy books with a touch (or more) of suspense, so I’ve added that to my novels for many years. This series goes beyond a touch. The books have edge-of-your-seat scenes in them. Then there is the paranormal aspect in the Mind’s Eye series.
When I was in high school, I met a boy who has ESP. He couldn’t play card games with us because he could “read” our minds and know what cards we had in our hands and which ones we needed. He’s a remarkable human being and the reason I became interested in the paranormal. I’ve met a lot of fakes in my time as I’ve researched psychics, but I’ve also run across a handful who are the real deals.
The psychic world is vast and a few psychics take it beyond “entertainment” and use their gifts to help detectives with cold cases or assist people in finding their lost relatives. It’s fascinating stuff and I knew that it would provide plenty of material for a series – or two or three. Readers like how Trudy and Levi have different abilities. Trudy can connect psychically with murderers while Levi can commune with deceased victims. Together, they can glean clues from the living and the dead.
I also enjoy exploring the other side of being psychic. Growing up “different” is difficult and most psychics had challenging childhoods. From being called liars by their parents to being taunted by their school mates. Levi had a horrendous childhood and Trudy is only now coming to grips with her abilities and how to control them. It all makes for complex characters in fascinating situations.
Thank you for that insight into your and your writing.
“So, tell me about your experience,” Trudy said, sitting next to Levi.“It was strange. Very strange. I was contacted – during a business meeting, mind you – by the dead son of the new contractor I was speaking with in my office. This kid – a salvage yard murder victim – popped into my head and started yelling at me. I tried to shut him out, but I couldn’t. I had to actually stop the damned meeting and tell the man that his deceased son was demanding an audience. Gonzo thought I’d lost my noodle.”
“Good Lord!” She covered her parted lips with her hand. “I’d say that was a heck of a coincidence, but . . .it seems to be so much more than that.”
“Yeah, right.” He sat back and drummed his fingers on the table for a few seconds. “Anyway, the kid – Clayton Nelson – was hitchhiking in New Orleans when a guy in a pickup stopped for him. He couldn’t see much of the man’s face because he wore a ball cap and sunglasses. He had a mustache that looked fake to me. He used the ploy of something being wrong with his truck to get the kid to look under the hood and then he knocked him out with a blow to the head. Clay came to in a basement, his wrists and ankles bound with plastic ties and chains.” He shuttered his gaze from her. “That’s where he was murdered.” A few seconds ticked by before his lashes lifted to reveal his dark blue eyes that never missed much. “You’ve been in contact with the murderer already, haven’t you?”
Her heart jolted. He was uncanny. “I was in contact with someone who’s warped. I don’t know if it was the salvage yard killer.”
“Was he murdering someone?”
“Something. A cat.”
Levi’s upper lip lifted in disgust. “Jesus.”
“Yeah. He was practicing, I think.” She shuddered and blocked out the memory.
“The kid in my head showed me a compass and pointed to the N on it.”
She gasped at the reference. “Your true north?”
“Bingo. His way of telling me that you were already part of this.”
She reached for her glass of juice. They must be destined to examine this case. How else could she explain what happened to Levi and what she’d already experienced?
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Deborah Camp, Paranormal, Romance, Suspense, The mind's Eye Series, Through Her Eyes by Tena Stetler with 4 comments.
Pink Lock Picks & Sequined Witch Hats by Carla Rehse
Give a warm welcome to Carla Rehse, author of Pink Lock Picks & Sequined Witch Hats ! With a title like that I simple had to read it.Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, or Pink Lemonade in the crystal pitcher on the counter. It’s next to the plate of Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookies, and let’s find out a little about Carla Rehse and Pink Lock Picks & Sequined Witch Hats. I love that title!
My take on Pink Lock Picks & Sequined Witch Hats.
A magical tale with loveable characters.
Seventeen-year-old Gracie Mason has everything going for her, homecoming queen, co-captain of the cheerleading squad, and a member of the student council. Due to family problems and an unrequited crush she turns to burglary as a way to win Ben’s affections.
Her first attempted break-in goes badly. She steps into a male witch’s “circle of power” and finds herself in quite a mess. On top of that she’s bonded to him for life unless she can break the bond. Gracie quickly learns that dissolving the bond with Asher, admittedly a hunk, is more complicated than she imagined. Right when it seems things can’t get any worse, witches start turning up dead. Her quest to sever the bond magically turns into a murder investigation.
This was a fun read, filled with magic, adventure, with a bit of humor mixed in. Pink Lock Picks and Sequined Witch Hats is an urban fantasy set in central Texas. Author Carla Rehse’s characters are entertaining in a magical world where the unexpected takes place.
If you like YA and urban fantasy, you’ll enjoy Pink Lock Picks and Sequined Witch Hats. Four stars in my book.
You can find Pink Lock Pick and Sequined Witch Hats at Amazon
Daddy told me years ago that to succeed in life I need a strong plan, the right tools, and the gumption to follow through. His words of wisdom helped me get elected homecoming queen, become co-captain of the cheerleading squad, and voted on the student council. Now I plan to use them to help me pull off my first burglary.
My plan is solid. I’ve also never backed down from a challenge, not even last year when Brittany Thomas became overly friendly with the entire football team in a sad attempt to deprive me of my crown. People say I started the rumor about the rash of STD cases spreading through the boys’ locker room faster than a brush fire. I didn’t, of course. Why start gossip when the squad of doctors from the local Health Department did it for me?
I take a deep breath as I enter the Trinity Building. At almost four o’clock on a Friday before a three-day weekend, the place is deader than a PTA meeting. It helps that today is the hottest July first on record for Central Texas and the air conditioning in this building is dismally subpar. The Trinity Corporation may claim to have the most upscale rental space in town, but one look at the gold leopard granite floor paired with peach-painted walls shows that’s a downright fib.
The only guard on duty leans back in his chair and sucks down a Sonic Route 44 Coke like his life depends on it. I wave as I pass the security desk, wearing a megawatt smile and fully confident in the strength of my lavender-scented Lavanila deodorant—vegan, of course. Deputy Dawg gives me his usual perv stare before returning to the comic book balanced on his knee.
Centex Therapy, LPC occupies most of the first floor office space. A small bell tinkles when I open the frosted glass door. What decorum the overall building lacks, the waiting room has in spades. Brown leather chairs sit on a bamboo rug and pastel paintings from local artists brighten the walls. A tall grandfather clock in the corner softly chimes four times. This late on a Friday means the room is empty of other patients. Perfect.
Jane, the receptionist, fans herself with a copy of Country Living. “Cutting it awfully close, Gracie. Go on in.”
Dr. McDozzle gives me a pained smile as I enter the room.
“Good afternoon, Miss Mason. Have a seat.” For a head shrinker, he’s incredibly formal. And a non-Texan, who hates football and sweet tea. I haven’t learned much more about him in the last month, but that’s enough to get him tarred and feathered if word got out.
The leather recliner squeaks when I sit down. “Thanks for seeing me on a Friday, Doc.” I twirl a strand of newly highlighted platinum hair around my finger. It goes wonderful with my bubblegum pink manicure. “Mr. Anderson, Daddy’s new lawyer, is now insisting I have two sessions a month with you. Of course, Mama’s lawyer says once a month is just fine, seeing how I’m such a well-adjusted high school senior and all. Almost a senior, I guess, since school’s not started.”
Dr. McDozzle straightens his glasses. “Yes, well, your parents do seem to have quite the barrage of attorneys involved in their divorce. Have you worked on the homework I gave you during our last session?”
This is such a waste of time. My parents have spent the last five years embroiled in a divorce dirtier than a greased pig-wrestling contest. Both sides of the family have more money than sense, much to the delight of every lawyer in the tri-county area. Not that I want my parents to get back together. Anytime they’re within spitting distance of each other, the tension between them gives me a migraine. Besides, if they hadn’t split up, I never would’ve met Ben.
Ben’s the son of Daddy’s ex-girlfriend. Until four months ago, they all lived together in Daddy’s condo. Ben is a sophomore at the local college and is truly hot, in a geeky, stud muffin, save-the-world, kinda way. Crushing on my almost stepbrother might seem a bit sketchy, but it’s legal—I Googled it twice.
Which means it’s time to start step one in my Get Ben Plan.
I toss my hair over my shoulder before pulling out a pink glitter notebook from my Eiffel Tower-shaped mini-purse.
“You wanted me to write down my feelings about my parents’ shared custody thing. Honestly, I don’t understand why the lawyers are so panty-twisted about me spending a week with Mama and the next with Daddy. It means I get double the wardrobe. Hello? What girl would say no to that? It’s way better than Heather’s situation. I told you about her last time, I think. The girl with the hideous frizzed-out curls but drives a cute BMW Z4 roadster? Anyway, her parents are insane.” I continue a steady stream of babble until Dr. McDozzle’s eyes glaze over.
There’s no clocks in the room, but Dr. McDozzle keeps checking his watch. I’m sure the poor man created a nice therapy plan for me, but I’ve completely derailed it. Mama always says a girl has many tools to choose from in her arsenal—perfectly curled hair, well-placed boobs, and endless chatter are my faves. Besides, Daddy’s been paying therapists a fortune for years to show the divorce court how concerned he is about me. Dr. McDozzle’s earning his car payment today.
Goodreads Book Giveaway
Pink Lock Picks and Sequined Witch Hats
by Carla Rehse
Giveaway ends August 16, 2017.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with Pink Lock Picks and Sequined Witch Hats!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog, Book Reviews and tagged Carla Rehse, dead bodies, fantasy, fashion, magic, Murder, Murder Mystery, Paranormal, Pink Lock Picks and Sequined Witch Hats, Romance, YA Urban Fantasy by Tena Stetler with 3 comments.
Interview – K.K. Weil Author of Some Whisper, Some Shout
Give a warm welcome to K.K. Weil, author of Some Whisper, Some Shout to be released on August 16, 2017!
Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about K.K. and Reed from Some Whisper, Some Shout.
KK, I see you’ve brought friends with you.
Yes indeed, this is Reed, a talented musician, the hero and Jolie, the hard-working heroine of Some Whisper, Some Shout.
Wonderful. Reed, do you mind answering a few questions?
Ask away!
What event in your past has left the most indelible impression on you? I would say losing my father had a lasting impression on me. I made a lot of mistakes after he died; mistakes I’ve tried hard to fix. But I’m learning that sometimes doing better isn’t as easy as it sounds.
What do you most value? I used to think my music was the thing I valued most. Since I started spending time, with Jolie, though, I’ve learned that my music alone isn’t worth a whole lot. She’s more of an inspiration to me than my beloved saxophone ever was by itself. So if I have to think of the thing I most value, I’d have to say it’s having someone who’s perfect for you to share the things you love with.
What is the type of woman you want to spend the rest of your life with? I want a woman who looks outside of herself and her needs to help others. Someone who might not realize that the things she sees as weaknesses are actually strengths. Someone who makes my existence better just by being present. In short, Jolie.
What do you consider most important in life? Now? After everything I’ve learned? I’d have to say honesty and accountability.
What is your biggest secret? Ha, well, I’ve been keeping so many for such a long time, now that everything with Jolie is out in the open, I hope never to have any secrets again.
Your turn on the hot seat Jolie. LOL
Who are you really? I think I’m someone with only a few desires. For my family to be safe, for the less fortunate to have more and to spend my life with someone who will take care of me while I take care of him in return.
Who were the biggest role models in your life? My grandmother, Mamie, is definitely my biggest role model. She taught me to be strong and confident and to see the best in people. I used to think I had nothing in common with her, but Reed has helped me to see that I’m more like her than I thought.
What kind of man do you want to spend the rest of your life with? If you would have asked me that question a year ago, I would have said, without pause, that dependability and predictability were the most important qualities in a man for me. But there is so much more to life than what I thought before. While those things are still important, I now realize that dependability takes on many shapes, and what you think you need isn’t necessarily what’s best for you. I want a man who will be there for me, unconditionally, to grow with and change with. And I think I’ve found him.
What kind of man would you never choose? A man who was dishonest down to the core.
What is most important to you in life? First, my family. Second, helping those less fortunate.
What is your biggest fear? That my brother will struggle with mental illness for the rest of his life.
KK, Tell us a little about writing this story. Was it fun or difficult? Do your characters always act as you expect? Are you a plotter, or fly (write) by the seat of your pants?
Writing Some Whisper, Some Shout was both a joy and a struggle. I’m a pantser, so while I had a good idea of the premise and where I wanted the story to go, I didn’t know exactly how I was going to get there. There were so many joys – first, creating the main characters…Jolie was easy for me but Reed took more work. Since much of his story has to do with him hiding a secret, I had to figure out a way to let us get to know him without giving too much away. Once I was able to tell Part 2 of the story from his point of view, the pages just flew off the computer. Writing about Jolie’s creperie was so much fun, too. I love the boardwalks on the Jersey Shore and ever since I went to Paris, crepes have been a favorite of mine. Combining the two and coming up with funny names for the crepes was a blast. Third, one of my characters, Mamie, is based off of my own grandmother (though exaggerated). Coming up with lines for her was really a joy. Sometimes I could see my grandmother speaking when I wrote the dialog.
Now the struggle, if I can call it that. Some Whisper, Some Shout revolves around two major issues – mental illness and homelessness. After a lot of research on both topics, it was important to me to portray things correctly. Jolie’s mission in life is to feed the hungry, but she had to make it clear that, while she was friendly with these people, there was no way she could understand the hardships they’ve experienced. I also wanted to be sure to make her a reliable narrator. As someone whose family suffered with mental illness, her perspective on the subject was very important. While these are challenging topics, writing about them makes me love working even more.
Tell us a little about Some Whisper, Some Shout.
Devices. Jolie’s got tons of them. Coping mechanisms that ensure she’s not falling victim to the mental illness that’s taken hold of both her brother and father. Helping the homeless gives Jolie much needed consistency. But when a stranger struts into her Jersey Shore creperie, writing cryptic songs on napkins and then disappearing, her world becomes anything but routine.
Reed can play the soul out of his saxophone, but he’s hiding something. Why else would he reveal so little about himself, or plan one secluded, albeit eccentric, date after another? And what’s in that backpack he carries everywhere? Then again, with her distressed brother missing, an estranged mother returning home, and a feisty grandmother acting weirder than usual, Jolie can’t decipher whether her suspicions are valid or dangerous delusions.
When inexplicable slashings of the homeless occur in her otherwise safe town, Jolie’s devices begin to fail.
Can we have a sneek peek between the pages of Some Whisper, Some Shout?
“Come here.” Reed took my arm and pulled me toward him. Then he eased my shoulders down so I was sitting in his lap, straddling him. “Tell me.”
“Tell you what?” It was such an obvious stall tactic I would have laughed if I weren’t so sad and embarrassed.
“Jolie.” He watched me and waited for me to speak with that same expression he wore the first time he spoke—as if he already understood me. It made no sense. It was impossible, but it made me want to open up to him in ways I never did with anyone else.
“You must think I’m…”
“Crazy?” He chuckled.
That word. That word that I despised, that struck my last nerve. “No, not crazy.” I stood from his lap, but he was too fast. He held my hips in place until I sat back down on him of my own accord.
“Okay, not crazy,” he said once I was back where he wanted me. “How about stunningly beautiful?” He kissed my lips tenderly.
“I’ll take that one.”
“So do you want to tell me now?”
“I thought you said I didn’t have to,” I said, but, oddly, part of me hoped he’d push.
“You don’t.” He brought his face away from mine and waited for me to lead the conversation. He wouldn’t shy away from the topic. If I didn’t want to talk about it, I’d have to change the subject. For the first time, I wanted to discuss Tristan with someone other than Mamie.
“My brother is sick.” I couldn’t look Reed in the face. Instead, I found a small chocolate stain on his shirt that he must have gotten from one of Mamie’s pastries, and traced over it with my pointer. “He’s got”—I hadn’t spoken the word in so long I didn’t know if it would still fall from my lips—“schizophrenia.”
Reed sighed against my finger. “I’m so sorry, Jolie.”
“He was diagnosed at nineteen as soon as he started exhibiting symptoms. We knew what to watch for because, well, because my father had it too.”
He took my hand and brought my fingers to his lips, holding them there. I fought to keep the tears from my eyes. I’d already broken down once tonight. I didn’t plan on doing it again
Where can we get Some Whisper, Some Shout? Amazon and The Wild Rose Press.
About the Author:
K.K. Weil grew up in Queens, but eventually moved to New York City, the inspiration for many of her stories. Weil, who attended SUNY Albany as an undergrad and NYU as a graduate student, is also a teacher. She enjoys writing her own dramas and lives near the beach in New Jersey, where she is at work on her next novel.
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with Some Whisper, Some Shout. I look forward to reading your novel.
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Crepes, Homelessness, Jersey Shore, K.K. Weil, Metal Illness, Romance, Some Whisper Some Shout, Suspense by Tena Stetler with 20 comments.
