Category: Bookish Discussions

+Book Review+ The Dragon’s Pawn (sequel to “The Pact”) by Mitchell S. Karnes

Posted Tuesday, 17 June, 2014 by jorielov Black Rose Writing, Canaanshade Journeys series, Mitchell S. Karnes, The Dragon's Pawn 9 Comments

The Dragon’s Pawn by Mitchell S. Karnes

Published By: Black Rose Writing, 3 April 2014

Official Author Website: Site

Converse on Twitter: #CanaanshadeJourneys & #MitchellSKarnes

Available Formats: Softcover Page Count: 254

Genres: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, YA Fantasy

Acquired Book By:

I was originally selected to be a tour stop on the “The Dragon’s Pawn” virtual book tour through TLC Book Tours. However, when the tour was cancelled, I personally contacted the author through his website to let him know I would still be interested in reading his book if it were available off-tour. I received a complimentary copy of the book direct from the author, Mitchell S. Karnes, without obligation to post a review. I opted to review this book on my own accord as a way to tie together my observations between the two novels in the series. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

On my connection to the author, Mitchell S. Karnes:

I felt a bit let down when I learnt the blog tour for “The Dragon’s Pawn” was cancelled through TLC Book Tours. I decided to take it upon myself to contact the author Michell S. Karnes to request the book for review off-tour. I was not sure if it would be available for review as when a tour is cancelled odds are in favour of the book not being available at that time. I was thankful to receive a response from the author, in which I had disclosed the following in my note:

I had signed up for this tour specifically due to our exchange of conversation after my review of “The Pact” posted. I never knew if you had seen my reply, but I had included mentioning that perhaps after I had read the sequel I would understand the first book a bit better. Thus, when the tour was offered I opted to participate and give the series a second chance based on your reply.

I wanted to honour the request he had given me after I posted my review of “The Pact” as much as I will admit, I was curious where the sequel would lead the reader as the story evolved forward. We exchanged a conversation through email, to where I learnt a bit more about the back-story of how the Canaashade Journey series was originally conceived and written. When he agreed to send me the novel, “The Dragon’s Pawn” it was sent without obligation to post a review as he was simply thankful I wanted to read his story. He included an extra surprise for me, giving me the official bookmark for the book of which I used as I read the story itself!

I am disclosing this, to assure you that I can formulate an honest opinion, even though I have interacted with Karnes via our conversations ahead of my review. I treat each book as a ‘new experience’, whether I personally know the author OR whether I am reading a book by them for the first time.

Book Synopsis:

Back in high school Scott, Paul, Chris, and Luke made two pacts: to stay friends forever and to play Warriors and Thieves as often as possible. Twenty-four years later neither pact remains. Each man has gone his own way. Only Chris still plays the game, and he is dying of cancer. Will his friends reunite for one last game? The way they always dreamed of playing?

As they come together they realise Chris stumbled upon a way for them to enter their fantasy world of Canaanshade and play the game for real… as their characters of old. There’s a catch: they must return to 1989 and the bodies of their middle and high school selves first. Otherwise, any damage they receive in the the game will be upon them as well. What could it hurt? Little do they know, a dark secret from their past is haunting them, threatening not only their game but their very lives.

As the four boys enter Canaanshade and the bodies of their favourite role-playing characters, a strange thing happens. Each begins to slowly slip into oblivion and fade into his player’s consciousness. Will they realise in time? And if so, can they do anything to stop the process?

One of them has sold his friends out to the red and black dragon. Will the others discover the identity of the dragon’s pawn before it is too late? Getting into the game was the dream of a lifetime; getting out was the nightmare no one expected.

Author Biography:

Mitchell S. Karnes was born in Kansas and spent his childhood in Illinois. He lives in Franklin, TN with his wife, Natalie, and five of their seven children, where he serves as the Pastor of Walker Baptist Church. He holds a Bachelor’s degree and three Master’s degrees. Mitchell’s first novel, Crossing the Line, made the Southern Writer’s Guild’s “Must Read” list. His short stories include: “When Nothing Else Matters,” “A Family Portrait,” and “Grampa Charlie’s Ring.” He hopes to entertain, challenge, move and teach through each and every story. The Pact is just the beginning…the first book in a four-part series.

Sequel gives adequate precursor:

Prior to getting into the heart of the story, of where this installment lies inside the series of Canaanshade, we were graced with a review of the epic climax of events which had put me a bit past my edge of acceptance on behalf of the first novel, “The Pact”. I had a hard time struggling to come to terms with the inclusions of the heightened violence and the intense display of domestic disturbances within the adolescent years of the main characters. However, encouraged by the author himself to read the sequel in order to understand the series as a whole, I entered this story with a renewed optimism of spirit.

Although I knew the intensity of the subject at hand, the sequent deaths in the story came at quite a shock as did the level of rage. This is a cautionary tale of how sometimes the lines between fiction and reality can become blurred and the true lesson is knowing the signs of when someone can no longer separate the difference of the two. – quoted from my review of “The Pact”

The Prologue is a re-telling of the fated events where two teens lost their lives on the railroad tracks, as one boy survived being tossed into a river in the middle of a carpet roll. The boy who was paralyzed and unable to run down the tracks to help until he was needed to swim to save his drowning friend is the lead protagonist again in this installment: Scott Addison. The story originally was a tale of caution and of utmost urgency to realise how devastingly real role-playing games can become when those who are playing the games in earnest are not always aware of how serious the other players can take their roles. For me, the original beginning was both heart-wretching and difficult to read due to the depth of where the story led.

Luke might be a war-monger in Warriors & Thieves, but I was curious to seek out what was motivating him to push Chris and Paul out of their comfort zones of reality into the common bloodshed of warfare. There are many ways to accomplish self-confidence and self-advocacy without pushing the envelopes of violence, especially unrelented violence in a game which is usually grounded in skill, maneuvers, and obstacles. Chris on the other hand has a brilliant way of keeping the rules of the game intact by pushing the action of the game forward within the confines of the realm, but lacks the clarity of knowing how to enliven the story of which the world-building is meant to carve out of its niche. Paul is the innocent of the group, learning as he builds confidence through his friendships. Scott comes from playing the game through his father’s advice. Endeavouring to give a bit more of a back-story to each of the characters which gives you a lifeblood to the game eliminating the one dimensional interface. One of my favourite revelations is when Scott shows Paul his hand-drawn map of Canaanshade which he created with his father. The intricacy of the world arc is exactly what all of us hope for in our fantasy realms of reading adventures! Lit alive with creatures and characters you want to know more about. – quoted from my review of “The Pact”

The sequel on the other hand, gives a great precursor to where we find Addison now, as an established teacher and coach at a school. It allows us to re-enter his life at a point in time where he is struggling to resolve not only his past (where the “The Pact” is set) but to see if he can knit the pieces together from the present where he struggles to find logic, sense, and strength of faith where only fate felt guiding his path previously.

My Review of The Dragon’s Pawn:

Karnes begins the second book in the Canaashade Journeys series with the ability of taking a reader directly into the mindset of Scott Addison as though the person did not previously read “The Pact”. In doing so, he allows the series to stand not only on its own merits of validity, but he allows the reader to skip the first book altogether in order to read the sequel which in my opinion might be a better place to begin the saga. I appreciated the juxtaposition of Addison as a child verse Addison as an adult longing for semblance of normalcy and buoyancy in his life. I appreciated that nothing from the prior book was glossed over and righted by the time you enter the sequel, as there was such a heavy hearted ending to the original story, I was hoping for this to be found in its sequel. To find the characters are still on a journey towards finding themselves as much as they are shifting towards reconciliation of the past.

In this sequence, Addison is dealing with the devastating loss of his wife and childhood sweetheart Susan, compounded by the fact that although he has four beautiful children, his heart is shattered to accept the reality of what he is facing alone. His trial now is to find an anchor in the present to help guide him forward and continue towards the light he always had known with his wife. Meanwhile, Chris has grown up with an affinity of love for Warriors and Thieves, their childhood role-playing game where they all lived unique lives outside of the realm of reality. Chris is facing his most difficult obstacle yet, as he has terminal cancer. Luke on the other hand grew up to be a psychologist who has his own battle of will and mind to sort out before he can hope to help another in his practice. The three are uniquely tethered to their current paths to where they are living separate lives outside of the comfort of friendship.

The more interesting bit to The Dragon’s Pawn, is how reality is folding in on fantasy, and how the characters who live in the fantasy realm are breaching into the daylight of reality. Characters from the Canaanshade game are becoming flesh and bone realistic to their counterparts and there are aspects of illusion and delusion that are affecting the minds of Addison and Richards. Rooted in the prequel’s belief that there are times where the gameplay can supersede the realm in which one lives as much as the game itself can become dangerous to the mind of those who play it; if they are not able to separate the game from the life they are living.

Luke, Chris, Scott, and Paul are transformed into their younger halves whilst entering the game from a place they have never started before; a transparency of reality shared amongst their subconscious minds, where what they feel, taste, and experience on a sensory level affects them on an intellectual and emotional one. Canaanshade is vibrantly alive and real, a fully tangible experience for all to see and notice, because the world in which was once imagined now has its own unique lifeblood which allows it to evolve into an existence between the worlds. Karnes painted the realities inside Canaanshade with a deft hand for detail any fantasy reader would absorb into on sight.

In the middle of the action, I found myself wondering when the intensity was going to ease and the realm would be restored to peace. The level of intensity never let up, and each step and turn the characters took inside Canaanshade led to a greater challenge than the previous one they had fought. I think for me, the story is simply a bit too intense, but the continuity aspect of the series remains intact for a reader who likes well conceived worlds stitched together and held firm from one book to another. I would recommend this series to anyone who can handle the harder hitting passages, the visual nature of the action sequences, and the level of depth that the author has written into the chapters. The message from The Pact carries straight through The Dragon’s Pawn, and for that Karnes should be commended.

My favourite part of the The Dragon’s Pawn was the hyposensory experience of the conjoined dreamstate awareness of when the men returned as boys back to their childhood game. For me, the most creative aspect of the novel was how they physically did not leave their ordinary lives but they took a spiritual plane of existence and acted out the game on a new plane of perception completely. It was quite clever and awe inspiring to walk through the chapters where Karnes explored how they were able to transform their reality to one they could only previously imagine and hope to see.

Inspirational Messages underneath the drama:

One of the things that I find such a blessing to the way in which Karnes writes his novels, is that he always includes a measure of inspiration for his readers to find inside the books. His inspirational guidance is not strong or overhanded but rather graceful and practical to shine a light on what is right, wrong, and perhaps the middle of the two. He allows his readers to fully accept the situations he is presenting in the stories, and then, allowing them the freedom of choice to make up their own minds about the paths each character took and how their lives reflect on the choices that can be determined in real life.

I even found it inspiring that he showed an honest reaction to an incident at school, where Addison over reacted to save a teacher’s life by having his mind break from that chosen reality to the reality of how his wife died. Karnes brought the full horror of that incident out of Addison’s life to the forefront, where he transposed it against the intensity of the moment where a student was attacking a fellow teacher. In that slight moment of illogical reaction, we saw the full depth of Addison’s grief and the tipping stone of how far he needs to come back to the life he is nearly about to lose. The realism in that choice to bring one circumstance to a new height out of the depths of one man’s sorrow shows the level of strength Karnes has for his writing and for taking his characters to further depths than perhaps they were even willing to share themselves.

Fly in the Ointment:

There were piercing instances of fight sequences and scenes whilst they were inside the realm and world of Canaanshade, and I must confess, that I am a reader who prefers less excessive violence moreso than any other kind. Chilling scenes of intense drama or even moderate violent instances which are warranted for the sequence or scene in which they arise, as sometimes certain stories have a measure of intensity more than the others I typically read, but in this story, I must be honest as I was pushed a bit past my envelopes of tolerance. I am just not a reader who needs to read about what happens when you take a sword and for better or worse due extreme harm to your opponent without having anything left to the imagination. I believe the visuals on page 126 would have fared better for me if it had merely said Garrett mortally wounded the hill giant! For me, the scene was heightened to a level of ick because honestly, do I need to read in graphic detail what happens after the sword goes through a giant?! No!

My one consolation is the fact that the character inside of Garrett is Addison, and he like me, decided that bloodshed and violence was not the way in which he wanted to travel either. Although, like I said, the reader in me could do with less visuals and still have the effect of the moment which arrived in his section of Canaanshade experience.

Likewise, the blood bath in chapter twenty-four was skipped over, as I already knew what to expect when Bentheos would grow in power and master the sword of which he always sought to wield power over. I honestly had a feeling this might have been included because his master was Luke, the boy with the heart of war in his chest and the sight of bloodshed in his eyes. The boy never knew limits, and likewise, that rubbed off in effect on his character inside the game, except for one slight difference, the boy had remorse, his character was without the feeling for it.

On the writings of Mitchell S. Karnes:

Karnes fuses memory with fiction, as he takes elements of his own life’s experiences and places them into the context of a story which can serve to help teens and children who may not be as aware of the dangers that can lurk within the shadows of a game. He provides a blueprint of a reality in which the root cause of bullying is examined and the after effects of how that bullying can take a toll on those who have to deal with the onslaught of attack from their peers. The blessing is how he chooses to teach the lesson by giving his characters near complete freedom to tell the story in the manner in which applies to each of their personalities. For me, the prequel I felt was a bit too strong in how it was delving into the darker sides of the story’s heart, but perhaps, for this particular story it had to be painted dark because of how dark the mind was of the bully who was responsible for everything that occurred in the climax.

Having read The Dragon’s Pawn, I can now say that the scope of the series is far more apparent and the heart of what the story is attempting to share with its readership is simply one of warning. To be mindful of your actions and to be cautious of the friends you keep as much as the games you play in the realm of fantasy and fun. There are plenty of games that can turn deadly or harmful if they are played the wrong way or for the wrong reasons, but all games at their center can be celebrated for their common goal of companionship, friendship, and the joy of playing the game for what it is rather than turning it into something that it is not.

Previously I had the honour of hosting Mr. Karnes:

This book review is courtesy:

The Dragon's Pawn
by Mitchell S. Karnes
Source: Direct from Author

Genres: Young Adult Fiction, YA Fantasy, YA Urban Fantasy

Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

Also by this author: The Pact

Published by Black Rose Writing

Of the author Mitchell S. Karnes, who gave me the opportunity to read “The Dragon’s Pawn” even after the blog tour was cancelled. I cannot thank him enough for allowing me to see the fuller scope of the story in which he has conceived through the Canaanshade Journeys series. I appreciated the chance to continue the story as much as for giving me a new sense of the reality the characters faced not only in the prequel but the larger scope of depth through this second installment of a quartet series. The two work well together and are bookends of each other.

NOTE: Mr. Karnes is hosting a giveaway on his blog for both “The Pact” and “The Dragon’s Pawn” independent of my review of “The Dragon’s Pawn”. Please direct your attention to his website for the details. This giveaway is not connected to Jorie Loves A Story.

Be sure to scope out my Bookish Upcoming Events to mark your calendars!!

Reader Interactive Question:

After reading this review and clicking over to read my review of “The Pact”, what is your takeaway of the benefit of having young adults and middle school children read the series? What do you think their reaction would be realising how far bullying can lead you down the wrong path and how dangerous lives can hang in the balance when you choose to do harm?

{SOURCES: Mitchell S. Karnes photograph and biography, The Dragon’s Pawn book cover and book synopsis were provided by Mitchell S. Karnes and used with permission. Book Review badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs. Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination.}

Posted Tuesday, 17 June, 2014 by jorielov in Balance of Faith whilst Living, Blog Tour Host, Book Review (non-blog tour), Bookish Discussions, Bullies and the Bullied, Children's Literature, Coming-Of Age, Death, Sorrow, and Loss, Excessive Violence in Literature, Gaming, Good vs. Evil, Heroic Bloodshed, Heroic Fantasy, Indie Author, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Light vs Dark, Literature for Boys, Middle Grade Novel, Questioning Faith as a Teen, Realistic Fiction, Role Playing Games, Sports and Jocks, Teenage Relationships & Friendships, Wrestling, YA Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction

#ChocLitSaturdays Author Guest Post featuring Liz Harris on the catalyst of inspiration behind “The Road Back”.

Posted Saturday, 7 June, 2014 by jorielov Berni Stevens (Illustrator), ChocLitUK, Liz Harris, The Road Back 2 Comments

Proposed Topic: What is the catalyst of inspiration for your story The Road Back? As this topic was first inspired by a suggestion of Ms. Courtenay last week during #ChocLitSaturdays (the chat!), in which I felt she had a great idea to talk about the catalyst which inspires the creation of stories and perhaps even, the catalyst inside the stories themselves.

Although I am working on extra features to include with forthcoming book reviews for ChocLit novels being featured lateron this month (esp on behalf of Christina Courtenay & Sarah Tranter), I was quite happily surprised by how this particular Guest Post was knitted together rather spontaneously and on the spur of inspiration which spun out of a #ChocLitSaturdays chat! The chats which are hosted to compliment my #ChocLitSaturdays blog features, as a way to expand the dialogue past what is posted on my blog, by taking the book discussion online and allowing more readers to participate in the bookish delight therein, I am finding that the chat itself is both uplifting and inspiring to those who attend either weekly or each chance they are available to participate! This is one instance of seeing how the joy of the chat is allowing us to engage directly with each other in a conversation which endears itself to expanding our conversations not only inside the stories themselves but into the heart of what inspires the stories to be written in the first place! For the Hostess of the chat, I could not be happier to see how the chat is transforming our lives by giving us the breadth of what is discussed and shared each week!

Let us take a moment to see how an unexpected photo album with snapshots of India, led to where The Road Back took Ms. Harris as she created its central heart of the story!

Book Synopsis: When Patricia accompanies her father, Major George Carstairs, on a trip to Ladakh, north of the Himalayas, in the early 1960s, she sees it as a chance to finally win his love. What she could never have foreseen is meeting Kalden – a local man destined by circumstances beyond his control to be a monk, but fated to be the love of her life. Despite her father’s fury, the lovers are determined to be together, but can their forbidden love survive? A wonderful story about a passion that crosses cultures, a love that endures for a lifetime, and the hope that can only come from revisiting the past.

}: The catalyst Liz Harris

found as inspiration for creating “The Road Back”! :{

It’s an easy thing to tell you the catalyst for The Road Back – it was the album compiled by my late uncle after his visit to Ladakh in the 1940s. While stationed with the army in North India, he’d managed to get one of the few authorised passes to visit Ladakh, an Indian province north of the Himalayas, and on his return to England, he’d assembled his photos and notes into an album, and given it to his daughter, my cousin.

Photo Credit: Harris Famiy Ablum provided by Liz Harris

But to wind the clock back a little …

I’d been writing for several years, hoping all the time that I would one day be published. Always in the back of my mind was the advice I’d been given by several agents; namely, it’s not enough for an unpublished author to write well – there must be something original about their story.

Have you ever tried to come up with something original? If you haven’t, take it from me – it’s the hardest thing to do. In the end, you just have to give up the mental torture of looking for something that’s not been done before, and get on with writing the best book you can, hoping that it will ultimately grip the agents and editors who read it. I’d written one paragraph of a new novel, and the telephone rang.

At the other end of the line was my cousin, who now lives in Australia. She wanted my help with finding a home for the album compiled by my uncle after his trip to Ladakh. That was the first time I’d ever heard of Ladakh and I had to look it up in an atlas to find out where it was.

Happily, I was able to help her with the album and it’s now in London, in the British Library. I had the album for two weeks before handing it over to the Library, and I read it from cover to cover, and fell in love with Ladakh. I knew that I had to set a novel there, both for the natural attractions of the province and also because just as I hadn’t heard of it, lot of other people wouldn’t either, which meant it would be original.

From the very start, I knew that my heroine, Patricia, was born in the 1950s and brought up in Belsize Park, a part of London I know well. I saw her as a lonely child, living with parents who’d been torn apart by grief over a tragedy that had happened to the family in the past. She’d been sitting in my head for some time, waiting for a moment to come out. This was her moment.

But I didn’t yet know my hero, Kalden. All I knew was that he was born and brought up in a Ladakhi village in the Buddhist part of the province. While I waited to ‘see’ him clearly, I carried on researching Ladakh . And then one day, I read how the lack of rain had influenced the roles played by the different members of the family, and I felt a powerful surge of excitement. I knew I had my story!

Liz Harris

Author Connections:

Personal Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter

First of all, I want to thank Ms. Harris for composing an extra Guest Feature on the fly inspiration of the next #ChocLitSaturdays topic of discussion! I appreciated her willingness to add an anchor for not only the book discussion that was going to take place for this week’s gathering, but as a way to bridge the discussion back inside the book itself! The main reason I wanted to request The Road Back originally stemmed from a conversation we had shared on Twitter through DMs. When she had told me of how her path had crossed with Mr. Dexter and how he had reacted to her first ChocLit novel, I knew I wanted to read the book that granted all the others to come forward afterwards! Sometimes the enthusiasm of another reader can ignite an inspiration for someone else to pick up a novel and find delight inside reading it themselves. The story of how writers support and encourage each other where Ms. Harris lives and works as a writer was part of the curiosity for me, as I have not yet found that same level of acceptance in my own life and wanderings as a writer. I find the most support and sense of community online (especially since I went on Twitter!), but to find a way to knit together with writers in real life is one of my fervent hopes and goals as a writer who loves to read an eclectic variety of literature!

Family albums always delighted me as a child, as they were windows of insight into the past – conversation starters which would not only inspire the ability to keep the living histories alive and well in my family, but they were little portals of insight into a different time of living. I loved gaining the knowledge of how life looked as it was lived in the past, as much as aligning the photographs up against the stories which were happily told and hungrily consumed by a girl who always ‘loved stories’ such as I! I loved finding out that the album page shown in today’s Guest Post by Ms. Harris stems from her Uncle’s trip to India! Talk about a country I always was fascinated with and intrigued to learn more about — I even appreciate their style of story-telling in motion pictures, where it combines the dreamstate sequences with the emotional heightening of dialogue and drama. The fact they combine musicals into nearly all of their Bollywood films is another plus in my book! There is a strong draw as well towards India, as I have held a deep appreciation for Buddhism since my early twenties when I first started researching the collective works of His Holiness the Dalia Lama and of Thich Nhat Hanh.

To have learnt that a photo album about a place not yet known could be the catalyst of discovery towards tapping into characters whose story could only be told if the keystone piece of their ‘place’ of locale could be brought to the surface truly clicked inside for me! I felt the same way as I was discovering where to ‘set’ my multi-generational saga in 2008 (the Nano novel). I, too, agree that the hardest part in writing is the originality of our stories to resonate with an audience. That is singularly the most daunting prospect of a writer, and yet, I agree with Ms. Harris on the level that we each have to follow our instincts and our hearts. We have to go where we are led to go with our stories and with our characters, even if by some serendipitous hope the story we pen may or may not be entirely original against the previous ones already in print; perhaps there is a kernel of uniqueness inside what we pen that merits the publication of its tale. We have to strive to always remain true to ourselves whilst we honour the characters as they alight in our hearts.

This was such a beautiful testament of the path a writer takes to create their story and how the creating of stories is oft-times hinged on the moment a catalytic impulse takes us somewhere wholly new and different!

This Author Guest Post is courtesy of ChocLitUK,

check out my upcoming bookish event and mark your calendars!

Previously I reviewed “The Maid of Milan” by Beverley Eikli

& coming up next is “The Road Back” by Liz Harris.

This Guest Feature has an accompanying chat today | Join us!?

#ChocLitSaturdays Twitter Chat & Blog Feature of Jorie Loves A Story

((update on Friday)) : The chat will be featuring a Guest Co-Host as I fell ill two days ahead of #ChocLitSaturdays which put a stop on my readings and preparations for not only “The Road Back” review but for my review of “Mrs. Poe” which was meant to go live on Friday. Therefore, I have chosen Bairbre (one of the Special Guest Contributors of JLAS) to step into my shoes and take the reins of the chat! I am hoping to make an appearance, but I am going to yield the tweeting bits to Bairbre. This will be her first tweet chat, but she is used to the platform of IMs, so I do not foresee any problems. I was offline on Thursday & most of Friday, to where cancelling was not something I felt I should do. Teas and heaps of rest are helping my recovery, but I did not want to disappoint anyone for #ChocLitSaturdays.

Especially as I will be taking a hiatus next Saturday, the 14th where there will not be a chat at all, as I will be celebrating my birthday! :) The next #ChocLitSaturdays chat will be on the 21st of June!! I am planning to post my review for “The Road Back” by early next week, as I finish reading the story alongside Mrs. Poe; in case anyone was wondering about either book review. I am going to wrap myself inside “Flight to Coorah Creek” & “The Silent Touch of Shadows” as well, as I wanted to read Romances ahead of my birthday. As I physically gain my strength back, I cannot think of a better way to pass the hours than curled into story full of strong characters, a dash of intrigue, and a bit of romance! Can you!?

Similar to blog tours where I feature book reviews, as I choose to highlight an author via a Guest Post, Q&A, Interview, etc., I do not receive compensation for featuring supplemental content on my blog. I provide the questions for interviews and topics for the guest posts; wherein I receive the responses back from publicists and authors directly. I am naturally curious about the ‘behind-the-scenes’ of stories and the writers who pen them; I have a heap of joy bringing this content to my readers.

{SOURCES: Author photograph, Book Covers for “The Road Back”, as well as the cowboy picture were provided by Liz Harris and were used by permission. The Book Synopsis for “The Road Back” and the ChocLit Reviewer badge provided by ChocLitUK and used with permission. Guest Post badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs. #ChocLitSaturdays Twitter Chat Badge created by Jorie in PicMonkey. Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination.}

Posted Saturday, 7 June, 2014 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Bookish Discussions, ChocLitSaturdays, ChocLitUK, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, India, Indie Author, Reader Submitted Guest Post (Topic) for Author, Romance Fiction

+Author Interview+ Conversing with Lynn Cullen about her historical novel (#histnov) “Mrs. Poe”; and the ‘real’ Edgar Allan!

Posted Thursday, 5 June, 2014 by jorielov Gallery Books, Lynn Cullen, Mrs. Poe 8 Comments

When I first saw the blog tour for “Mrs. Poe” arrive on the dockets for Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, I was quite hopeful that I might secure a spot on the blog tour! And, I knew if I had, I would be more than compelled to enquiry a bit into the back-story of the novel itself as well as ask questions that would go a bit into the disparaging differences between the Edgar Allan Poe I grew up knowing as the true ‘Poe’, and the Poe, of whom is only recently (after apparently 150+ years of ill-begotten truths tainted our minds) has emerged as quite the dapper Dan (in appearance) and a wholly new Poe by personality! His measurement as a writer and of a man, have completely changed in my eyes and that was *before!* I ever breathed one word of the novel by Ms. Cullen!

I am not only a blog tour Hostess, I am a reader who appreciates digging into the back-stories, Interviews, Q&As, and Guest Posts by other authors, hosted by book bloggers around the book blogosphere who help stitch together a portrait of a particular book I want to read. In this particular case, (as I always conduct background research on the author and/or editor I am interviewing) I was properly gobsmacked and abhorred that the truth took as long as it had to be drawn into the proper Light from the shadows and annals of history! How sad for each of us growing up thinking a bit ill of Poe, and not truly understanding him at all? I thought for sure he was one particular writer, who appreciated writing one particular slant of genre, which was logical given the stories and poems he was most esteemed and known for penning. Yet. Hidden beneath the surface of what was readily known lay an unknown truth about him completely!

And, it was as though a part of me felt instinctively I ought to give Poe a second chance, because I remember a tugging of my curiosity, a compelling itch to read “Mrs. Poe” lead me to hosting Ms. Cullen for today’s interview and for having my eyes open to the truth! Join me know as the conversation unfolds and how Ms. Cullen shares keen insights into the myth, the man, & the story!

Book Synopsis:

A vivid and compelling novel about a woman who becomes entangled in an affair with Edgar Allan Poe—at the same time she becomes the unwilling confidante of his much-younger wife.

It is 1845, and Frances Osgood is desperately trying to make a living as a writer in New York; not an easy task for a woman—especially one with two children and a philandering portrait painter as her husband. As Frances tries to sell her work, she finds that editors are only interested in writing similar to that of the new renegade literary sensation Edgar Allan Poe, whose poem, “The Raven” has struck a public nerve.

She meets the handsome and mysterious Poe at a literary party, and the two have an immediate connection. Poe wants Frances to meet with his wife since she claims to be an admirer of her poems, and Frances is curious to see the woman whom Edgar married.

As Frances spends more and more time with the intriguing couple, her intense attraction for Edgar brings her into dangerous territory. And Mrs. Poe, who acts like an innocent child, is actually more manipulative and threatening than she appears. As Frances and Edgar’s passionate affair escalates, Frances must decide whether she can walk away before it’s too late…

Set amidst the fascinating world of New York’s literati, this smart and sexy novel offers a unique view into the life of one of history’s most unforgettable literary figures.

Author Biography:

Lynn Cullen grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the fifth girl in a family of seven children. She learned to love history combined with traveling while visiting historic sites across the U.S. on annual family camping trips. She attended Indiana University in Bloomington and Fort Wayne, and took writing classes with Tom McHaney at Georgia State. She wrote children’s books as her three daughters were growing up, while working in a pediatric office and later, at Emory University on the editorial staff of a psychoanalytic journal. While her camping expeditions across the States have become fact-finding missions across Europe, she still loves digging into the past. She does not miss, however, sleeping in musty sleeping bags. Or eating canned fruit cocktail. She now lives in Atlanta with her husband, their dog, and two unscrupulous cats.

Lynn Cullen is the author of The Creation of Eve, named among the best fiction books of 2010 by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and as an April 2010 Indie Next selection. She is also the author of numerous award-winning books for children, including the young adult novel I Am Rembrandt’s Daughter, which was a 2007 Barnes & Noble “Discover Great New Writers” selection, and an ALA Best Book of 2008. Her novel, Reign of Madness, about Juana the Mad, daughter of the Spanish Monarchs Isabella and Ferdinand, was chosen as a 2011 Best of the South selection by the Atlanta Journal Constitution and was a 2012 Townsend Prize finalist. Her newest novel, MRS. POE, examines the fall of Edgar Allan Poe through the eyes of poet Francis Osgood.

Did you have a theory as to why you stumbled across the story in the ether of panic whilst you were going through your own personal circumstance? That perhaps the story that was about to be writ down to the page was somehow a cleansing arc for both writer and muse?

Cullen responds: You are certainly right—at the time Frances Osgood’s story came to me, I very much needed the emotional relief that writing it gave me. It was therapeutic for me to write about the fears and joys of being a writer, and about the yearnings we experience as humans. How nice to think that I was also bringing Frances Osgood to light…and life. Wasn’t it the ancient Egyptians who believed that as long as a person is remembered, they continue to live? I like to think that MRS. POE might have done that for Frances Osgood for a while.

Have you noticed any strong differences in the strength of women writers since the late 1800s to where Frances Osgood would celebrate the freedom of being free to pursue a career that was not looked down upon as it once had?

Cullen responds: Women writers have always been strong but our chances to shine have improved with more women being in positions of power in publishing and in education. Once women were in professional positions in which they could dictate which books to publish and which books to discuss and evaluate in college literature courses, women’s writing was taken more seriously. Also, more women can pursue their writing these days because men are more often sharing child-rearing and household duties. It takes time to write—when you’re consumed with raising kids, it naturally cuts down on literary output. Yes, Frances would love being a writer in our era.

Prior to your extensive research (sorry about your knee injury! incured the same kind whilst playing basketball!) did you ever have a fathering of an interest in Poe or his poems, or did your appreciation for Edgar Allan Poe start the moment you set down to write this slice of his life?

Cullen responds: I came to Poe fresh when I started this book. Prior to that, I had the usual preconceived notions that he was crazy, dark, and scary and had only read “The Tell-Tale Heart” and suchlike in high school. Researching his life and his work took me on an eye-popping journey—every day I made thrilling discoveries and surprising connections, like, for example, how Poe’s poem “Ulalume” might contain clues to his affair with Frances and his grief for the loss of their child. Likewise, Frances Osgood’s poem “Fanny’s First Smile” could possibly have charted her feelings about their relationship and their child. It was fascinating—and such an education—to study their work through the lens of their daily lives. I hoped to give the readers of MRS. POE the same experience.

The portrait of Poe contained in an interview with Erin of “Oh, the Hook for a Book” portrays such a radically different Poe from the one we all grew up knowing of being ‘Poe’. Which steps are being taken to stop this misrepresentation from continuing through the future generations? And, how to stop the misunderstandings now by those who did not realise they were under the illusion of a false identity of Poe?

Cullen responds: I hope that MRS. POE adds to the current movement to straighten the prevalent misconceptions about Poe. I did my best to portray him as he actually was in 1845, the year he wrote “The Raven.” Modern scholarship supports this. Here’s a recent article from the Richmond Times Dispatch, talking about the lighter side of Poe. Bit by bit, we’ll foil Griswold and his terrible smear job of Poe.

Do you plan to explore another hidden and secreted slice of the historical past in a future novel?

Cullen responds: Yes! I’m in the process of writing about Mark Twain from the point of view of the women in his life: his secretary, his daughters, his wife. He is not the genial humorist that we think he is. There is a surprise visitor who plays a major part in the story, an American woman who was important in 1909 (the time of the story) and now.

What did you find more daunting to represent in “Mrs. Poe”, the historical timescape of its setting or representing a true voice and image of the lead characters who were people who had lived?

Cullen responds: Bringing the setting of Poe’s New York City to life was a sheer joy. As I learned tidbits that fascinated me, I couldn’t wait to work them in, like that sailors could smell the stench of New York six miles out to sea, and that people believed cockroaches crawled into their homes via the newfangled plumbing hooked up to the Croton Aqueduct, and that Poe read “The Raven” at a gathering the night of one of the biggest fires in the history of the city. The lead characters leapt onto the page. My frustration came in not being able to write the book fast enough—it demanded to be written. I wish all my books would come to me as violently, pouring onto my computer like this one did, although it was pretty exhausting.

Are you drawn into biographical fiction as a reader? I noted that your next story involves the women of Mark Twain. Do you have a natural inclination to paint a historical piece of literature in such a way as to be identifiable to our age and time!?

Cullen responds: As a reader and as a writer, I care most about psychological fiction. I am fascinated by what makes people tick. I take on historical figures because I’m interested in their motivations, their greatest desires, their fears, their troubles, how they overcame adversity. Basically, I’m just trying to understand them—my novels are kind of case reports. Having history to research is the icing on the cake. Historical details intrigue me—I love to share them with fellow history nuts.

As you were able to visit each of the real-life locales and settings featured in “Mrs. Poe”, did you ever feel as though you were walking between the portals of time? To where 1845 New York and present day New York were sliding in and out of view of each other? As though you had tapped back into Poe’s New York?

Cullen responds: I did strive for the thrill of experiencing time-slips while researching the book, definitely. The best two places to do this were at The Poe Cottage in the Bronx and The Merchant’s House Museum in Greenwich Village. Both places have been restored to how they would have been in Poe’s time and both places have excellent docents who provided minute details of everyday life in these places. It was easy to imagine myself swishing around in a long dress, my crinolines crunching underneath, as I moved through the mirrored rooms of the Merchant’s House or ducked under the low ceilings of the Poe Cottage. In both places, new scenes came to me while I was strolling around. My book would have been quite different if I hadn’t gone to these real-life settings.

What has staid with you the most from spending time with Edgar Allan Poe & Frances Osgood? Does anything strike you as a surprise as being a lasting remnant of your time with them?

Cullen responds: I can still see them together in the scenes in the Bartlett’s home and in Anne Charlotte Lynch’s home. I based these homes very closely on the interior of the Merchant’s House Museum so my visuals are cemented in my mind from actually having been there. But the scene that sticks with me most is their final scene together, and that of Frances with their baby. Just thinking about that still brings tears to my eyes.

What knits your heart close to the genre of historical fiction? What draws your breath to hitch as you go to read or write a historical bent story?

Cullen responds: When I was a kid, I was always pretending that I was a pioneer. I mean always. When I walked to school or played in my small town backyard, in my head I was out in the woods, heading to my cabin or tending to my horses. Writing historical fiction provides the same sort of fantasy. I get to make-believe that I’m back in time. I love to be taken back in time with reading historical fiction, too.

How young were you when you first started to write? Who was your best cheerleader?

Cullen responds: I wrote stories as soon as I could string together sentences. I illustrated them, too–horses, dogs, and cats figured heavily in both story and art. As the sixth of seven kids, I didn’t have a cheerleader for a long time. I wrote simply to entertain myself (when I wasn’t taking care of the pretend horses on my pretend pioneer farm.) It wasn’t until about 4th grade, when my aunt, the choral composer Ruth Artman, took me to the site of my grandparent’s turn-of-the-century farm on the Indiana/Ohio line and then made me write about it, that anyone made a fuss about my writing. That really stuck with me. It made me realize how I could stand out in a family in which the titles of smartest, prettiest, most athletic, funniest, and cleverest were already taken. I could be the writer.

Jorie, thank you so much for your interest in MRS. POE and for your insightful, thoughtful, and probing questions. It was an absolute pleasure to join you today.

Warmly,
Lynn

Author Connections:

Site | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

*Due note: she is @LynnCullenBooks NOT @LynnCullen!

Converse via Twitter: #MrsPoeBlogTour or #MrsPoe

It was my absolute pleasure hosting you today, Ms. Cullen! I yielded to your knowledge of Mr. Poe and of the research you conducted for creating “Mrs. Poe”, as I did not have anything to contribute forward as like you, I am entering your novel without any foreknowledge of Poe or of his life therein! I am quite certain that after I finish reading “Mrs. Poe” I am going to be inspired to curate a bit of my own research into his life, and thereby finding bits of his own writings that perhaps I could process and enjoy! I do appreciate Gothic Literature and Southern Gothic especially, but there are certain aspects of the genre I do not feel especially keen on at the very same time as I am not a girl with a heart for gore or Horror!

I always had hoped I could find that my misgivings about Edgar Allan Poe were unfounded or at the very least, that there would be more to the man’s story than what I was taught in school! Apparently, my instincts were correct, and I have you to thank for bringing a newly kindled interest in Poe to the forefront of my reading life! The scholars who are helping to forestall the misnotions of his legacy and writers like you who are choosing to write historical fiction to conquer the bad aura which is attached to his name and legacy will further distance us away from the bloke who choose to cause him the headache in the first place!

I applaud your passion and your methodology of immersion in both setting and place to jettison your mind and heart back in time as you wrote “Mrs. Poe”. It truly will make a difference I think on how each of us exists the novel and how happy we will be within its chapters! It was a pure delight to have you and I thank you for being so very giving with your time and with your responses!

This Author Interview is courtesy of HFVBT of which

I am happily honoured to be a blog tour hostess for:

Similar to blog tours, when I feature a showcase for an author via a Guest Post, Q&A, Interview, etc., I do not receive compensation for featuring supplemental content on my blog.

Please visit my Bookish Events page to stay in the know for upcoming events!

My upcoming book review tomorrow is for “Mrs. Poe”! Stay tuned!

I would love to hear from you!? What are your thoughts and impressions on the new information that is coming to light about Edgar Allan Poe!? Did you always know the truth OR does this novel and the scholars who are debunking the past ills against him help change your opinion about Poe if you previously avoided reading his works? If you are an appreciator what was your first opinion on his name being tarnished in history? And, what was the first story or poem that drew you into Poe’s style!? Do you plan on reading “Mrs. Poe”!?

{SOURCES: Book cover for “Mrs. Poe”, Author Biography, Author Photograph and Book Synopsis were provided by HFVBT – Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours and used with permission. Mrs. Poe Interview Badge created by Jorie in Canva. Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination.}

Posted Thursday, 5 June, 2014 by jorielov in 19th Century, Biographical Fiction & Non-Fiction, Blog Tour Host, Bookish Discussions, Edgar Allan Poe, Frances Osgood, Geographically Specific, Gothic Literature, Gothic Poetry, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, New York City, Reader Submitted Author Interview

#ChocLitSaturdays Author Guest Post featuring Liz Harris on how Wyoming stole her romantic heart!

Posted Saturday, 31 May, 2014 by jorielov A Bargain Struck, A Western Heart, Berni Stevens (Illustrator), ChocLitUK, Golden Tiger, Liz Harris, The Road Back 3 Comments

Proposed Topic: You have a certain flair for writing Western Romance set on American shores, specifically within the heart of Wyoming! What is it about our Western state nestled into the Rockies which draws you back time and again to stir our emotions and set a Romance afire in this particular location?

One of my earlier ChocLitUK novels to have consumed and readily enjoyed was A Bargain Struck by Liz Harris! I had selected it to read initially as it has been a bit too long since I’ve dipped back into my Western roots and read a novel set in the Old West about a couple living on the frontier! I have always been drawn into stories about the Old West, especially sagas of those who forged West from the East during the height of the pioneer days, as much as soaking into a novel about a working ranch with a heap of cowboys wrangling cattle or horses alike! I love the freshness of the air and the adventure of the spirit of the West woven into the backdrop of the stories! The West is not like any other place in the United States, as it is one of those unique locales where you can draw in a deep breath and feel as though you have stepped into a new place entirely!

I’ve lived off the recollection and memories of my Mum, and my grandparents for most of my life as they were the ones in the family who were able to spend the most time exploring that part of the country! The lushness of the wild bits of the forest against the untame portions of the rock outcroppings of the Rockies themselves always left a sense of wonder inside me! Of course, being a girl who was a budding horsewoman in her younger years did stoke and stir the appeal as well! Once you’ve gained the pleasure of being in the saddle, astride a horse and appreciate the connection between the rider and the mount, there is no going back! Dreaming about riding on the open ranges is enough to ache for a ride similar to those seen in the film Flicka. I still get a hitching of excitement inside me when I find new writers who write about the West in a way that is tangible, real, honest, and a strong representation of where it is set. When I read A Bargain Struck I knew I had found a Romance writer who was writing after my own heart’s tug and pull to go there one day in person!

}: How Liz Harris

found a passion for Wyoming! :{

Photo Credit: Liz Harris, taken whilst on a research trip to Wyoming — Photo Credit: Liz Harris,
taken whilst on a research trip to Wyoming

YES, IT’S BACK TO WYOMING AGAIN. I JUST CAN’T KEEP AWAY!

“A WESTERN HEART”

A Choc Lit Lite novella, published as an e-book in May 2014

First of all, many thanks for inviting me to be a guest on #ChocLitSaturdays, Jorie. I’m very much looking forward to meeting you and others this Saturday afternoon, 31st May.

There seems to be a common theme in some of my books: A Bargain Struck is set in Wyoming 1887, A Western Heart in Wyoming 1880, and Golden Tiger, the novel I’m writing at present, in Wyoming in the 1870s and early 1880s.

Why am I so fascinated by Wyoming, you might wonder.

Is it because they were streaks ahead of the rest of the US in the rights they gave to women and I appreciate this?

For example, women were given the right to vote in 1869, making Wyoming Territory the first in the US to do so. Women served on juries in Wyoming from 1870, and in the same year, a female court bailiff was appointed, and also the first female justice of the peace in the US. In 1924, Wyoming became the first state to elect a female governor. Owing to its civil-rights history, the nickname of Wyoming is ‘The Equality State’, and the official state motto is ‘Equal Rights’. Is that the reason, you might ask.

No, that isn’t why I’ve set several novels in Wyoming.

I’ve done so because I’ve always loved the history of the American West and because I had such a fabulous time when I visited Wyoming in 2012. Wyoming is the heart of an historical period that’s so romantic, so exciting, so inspiring.

As a child I used to dream that I was a pioneer who’d travelled west in a covered wagon and was living on a homestead, surrounded by horses and a host of other animals. When I grew up, the dream slightly changed: I was still in the American West and I’d arrived on a wagon, but I was riding into a glorious sunset, a tanned, handsome cowboy at my side.

The American West was an inevitable choice of background when I decided to write a historical romantic novel, and A Bargain Struck was born. Connor (yes, tanned and handsome) is looking for a wife to help on his homestead, look after his young daughter Bridget and provide him with an heir, whereas Ellen is just looking for somewhere to call home after a tragedy in her life.

When Ellen arrives, it’s clear she hasn’t been entirely honest with Connor, but for reasons of his own, he goes ahead with what is a business agreement – one that was pretty commonplace at that time – and marries her. I set A Bargain Struck in the Savery area, 100 miles south of the railroad, in the shadow of the beautiful Sierra Madre mountains. For A Western Heart, I wrote about two ranches north of the Overland Trail. My story is about the rivalry of two sisters, and finding one’s heart’s desire.

Rose McKinley, the daughter of a successful ranch owner, and Will Hyde, the heir to a neighbouring ranch, (yes, tanned and handsome again), have grown up like brother and sister. It’s understood by their family and friends that one day they’ll marry and unite their two ranches. Rose is certain that nothing will stop that from happening. But then a handsome stranger rides in.

As for Golden Tiger … No, it’s too soon to talk about that yet.

I look forward to talking some more on Saturday, both generally and about my books and those written by others, and I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to say hello beforehand. Thank you, Jorie.

Author Connections:

Personal Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter

Converse via: #ABargainStruck, #AWesternHeart, & #ChocLit

The pleasure is all mine, Ms. Harris! I have been wanting to host you on my blog ever since I read A Bargain Struck, which pre-dates when I complimented my blog feature of #ChocLitSaturdays with the happy chatterment of the twitterverse chat hosted through Twubs! Saturdays have become a fond day for me, and I appreciate that you not only took the time to explain why Wyoming draws you into its embrace in literary pursuits, but that you will be with us as we converse about the topic as well lateron this morning!

Of all the tidbits of information my Mum and grandparents shared with me about the West and about Wyoming specifically, I do not recollect they knew about it being rich in Civil Rights nor on the forefront of Women’s Rights! Two causes that I advocate for myself, and am happy to have found a state that I find inspiring from the point of view of being in awe of its natural beauty, has such a wonderful legacy to impart in other ways! I loved how your dream as a child shifted perspectives as you grew older, but how you kept a bit of who you were then in the dream you have now! We apparently grew up with similar dreams, as I was always darting off into a Western saga of some sort, including reading a healthy amount of horse dramas which included The Black Stallion series, The Saddle Club, and the Throroughbred series. I did not even realise it was called ‘Cowboy Fiction’ for the romance novels set in and around life on the larger ranches which involved the horsemen I loved to read about so much as I grew older.

As far as living on the frontier itself or near the prairies, I have to thank Little House on the Prairie both the book series and the television series for making me question whether or not I could handle life in the 1800s frontier! There were aspects of it that I still appreciate now such as the self-sufficiency of raising your own fruit and veg to curating the love of old world arts and crafts! I especially would be keen to learn how to can and preserve properly as well!

You have me most curious now about reading A Western Heart, but alas, I will have to await either this novella to be placed inside of a collection in a print copy or tucked into a future release of yours as a ‘bonus’ extra surprise! As I know sometimes e-novellas can be printed into forthcoming releases by authors I enjoy reading! Ooh! Is it me, or was I the only one hoping for a kernel of insight into Golden Tiger? The name alone eludes to so many different avenues of where you could take the story, I am properly intrigued without knowing which direction to ponder! Alas! It will simply be my ‘next Liz Harris read’ to eagerly await and happily celebrate once it’s released! OR at the very least within the nearing of publication and can be spoken about outside of its whispering origins!

How wicked then, that we each have such a deep appreciation for Western Romance!?

This Author Guest Post is courtesy of ChocLitUK,

check out my upcoming bookish event and mark your calendars!

Previously I reviewed “A Bargain Struck”

& coming up next is “The Road Back” by Liz Harris.

This Guest Feature has an accompanying chat today | Join us!?

And, here is a bit of news I found whilst preparing this Guest Feature today, as a wicked round of Congratulations is long since overdue on my behalf:

“@VanWooll: Congratulations to @lizharrisauthor shortlisted for Romantic Novel of the year award #abargainstruck” fabulous! Xxx

— Liz Fenwick (@liz_fenwick) February 13, 2014

{SOURCES: Author photograph, Book Covers for “A Western Heart” & “A Bargain Struck”, as well as the cowboy picture were provided by Liz Harris and were used by permission. Guest Post badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs. #ChocLitSaturdays Twitter Chat Badge created by Jorie in PicMonkey. Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. Tweets embedded from codes provided by Twitter.}

Posted Saturday, 31 May, 2014 by jorielov in 19th Century, American Old West, Blog Tour Host, Book Spotlight of E-Book (ahead of POD/print edition), Bookish Discussions, ChocLitSaturdays, ChocLitUK, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Indie Author, Reader Submitted Guest Post (Topic) for Author, Romance Fiction

+Author Interview+ Monica Parker {author of: “Getting Waisted”} talks with Jorie in her first ‘phone interview’ of Jorie Loves A Story!

Posted Friday, 30 May, 2014 by jorielov Getting Waisted, HCI Books, Monica Parker 2 Comments

Author Biography:

Monica Parker (Los Angeles and Toronto) is an actor, writer and producer in theater, television and film; most notably she co-wrote All Dogs Go to Heaven. She was born and raised in Glasgow, Scotland, until the age of 13 when she immigrated with her parents to Toronto, Canada. Monica is currently starring in her insightful and funny one-woman show, Sex, Pies & a Few White Lies, which premiered in 2010. Monica has just completed two features already under option, and has a recurring role on Syfy’s “Defiance.” Monica lives with her longtime husband and saint, Gilles.

Synopsis of the Memoir:

Monica Parker bridges the divide between serial dieter’s guide and memoir, taking readers on a hilariously funny yet bumpy ride from chubby baby to chunky adult.

In Getting Waisted, Monica begins every chapter with a diet she committed to and reveals how much weight, money, and self-esteem she lost, and then how much weight she gained when she fell off the wagon. She shares her fears and frustrations – when Mr. Right appears out of thin air, will she run back to the catalogue of Mr. Wrongs out of fear? She reveals society’s prejudices against overweight people: “No one tells a short person to get taller, or a tall person to get shorter, but fat people hear about their bodies all the time.” From living large in a sub-zero world to jumping into the dating pool without causing a tidal wave of angst, Monica learns that when you stop buying what the “diet devils” are selling and start liking yourself, life is far more rewarding. Readers will laugh and cry as Monica realizes that while she thought it was her body that was in the way, it was actually what she kept in her head that needed adjusting.

Ultimately, Getting Waisted is an inspirational look at life through society’s warped fun-house mirror perspective, but Monica’s reflections tell the real tale: everyone is always under construction and we are all flawed, chipped and dented, but that doesn’t mean we’re not interested, vital and sexy.

The following interview is quite unique, as instead of submitting Questions through a blog tour organiser or a publicist on behalf of the author I am interviewing, I had the opportunity to speak to Ms. Parker on the telephone for a live interview! My first thus far on Jorie Loves A Story, and I was most delighted with the outcome! It was a blessing to be able to connect to an author whose book I had just read as much as it was a lovely conversation to find a connection with a fellow artist! The result below is a coordinated transcript between Ms. Parker & myself! There are naturally bits of the conversation which are not revealed below, as anytime you enjoy a conversation with someone, you do have the pleasure of going off-topic from what you originally were going to speak to them about!

The blessing for me was hearing her voice, listening to her responses, and feeling as though I knew a bit more about the ‘Monica Parker’ within the pages of Getting Waisted! The honour was mine to not only host her for a two-day showcase on my bookish blog but to be able to speak with her directly by phone! An experience I shall not soon forget and a conversation I do believe you will settle into and enjoy!

Without further adieu,… here is how our conversation unfolded just past noon and into the one o’ clock hour one week ago:

What was the transition moment for you to realize that self-worth & self-acceptance was in your control to have rather than to continue to deny yourself of both!?

Parker responds: Within the memoir “Getting Waisted” there is a scene that involves me going for a beautiful Sunday in the park walk with my new boyfriend, Gilles when three teenagers leaning against a tree call me fat! I was mortified and then believed that Gilles ‘now knew I was fat. His response is what surprised and shook me but the words were ones that I needed to hear (even if was for the first time) “I like you. You have to decide how. Not for me, but for you.” I had a lot of issues with self-loathing and it would take time for me to release them. I am a strong woman but inner peace took awhile to come to me. My family was often judgmental and it was new for me to be with someone who validated who I am, as I was.

He reflected an image you had not yet even brought forward yourself as an acceptance of who you were and his reflection of how you are seen. I thought it was incredible how caring he was in that moment to realize what you needed to hear and how it freed you from your past to walk into your future.

Your childhood was beyond unconventional, yet I wondered as your story moved away from your family and resumed where you were as you started to lead your own life away from them , if your relationship with your brother & sister either improved or became distant due to distance?

Parker responds: I am incredibly close to my family, especially my half-sister who was more like a second mother to me, due to our age difference. As I grew, the judgmental & negative influences stopped and only the strength was left behind. When you give clear boundaries people will respect you, then you can walk forward with self-respect being in the center & heart of where you are. People cannot tear down a confident person and I choose to assert my strength through confidence.

I am so thankful to hear that your still close to your sister and that in time, the negative aftereffects of what you’ve written about in the memoir have broken away to leave you with a family full of support, kindness, and love.

You’ve gone through a lot in your career as both an actress and as a comedian, when did you feel you had finally arrived to the point where your talent and your strengths were seen more so than the judging eyes of society? Where they finally saw Monica Parker as the strong woman she is with the wicked humour?

Parker responds: I was offered a series (The Bobby Vinton Show) that was a mistake – a bad decision on my end of it. The job appeared to be great but they wanted me to be the butt of the worst kind of jokes. (the kind that are intended to embarrass) The job therefore was humiliating and a mistake overall. Money does not equate doing demeaning work. I only regret that I did not stand up for myself when I first arrived and told them I made a terrible mistake. But I learned from it and it was a lesson I only needed to learn once.

I am simply thankful it was only one time in which this happened to you and that the rest of the time people have appreciated you! You have a lot of wicked talent, and the few videos I have watched online always carry with them your keen sense of humour and your ability to connect to everyone in the audience, no matter our background or our age! A true gift indeed! Plus, I think any woman who can draw humour out of a woman’s life within the pains of weight gain & weight loss is a true gem to find!

Now that you’ve written a memoir, do you have any aspirations to continue writing? Either non-fiction or fiction!?

Parker responds: I am going to release an e-book entitled: 101 Humiliations, but there are other books in the works. I am a writer, we always have new ideas! The e-book will deal with what causes the pain behind the humiliations whilst shining a light on the fact we’re all human and should never feel ashamed. I will always write though. Stories and ideas are part of being a writer. Each of them is like a boat that takes a lot of polish to get to where it is ready to sail. Books need a lot of encouragement and hard work to stay afloat.

I can understand this completely, as that is in part what I was inspired to do with my Booking The Rails feature where I read & discuss the books that are being left on the NYC Subway & the London Tube system! I wanted to help encourage people to remember to ‘talk’ about the books they are reading and not just simply hit a ‘like’ button or add the book to a list that is growing too large to handle. I want people to remember that half the joy in reading, is the sharing of the story of finding it and passing forward the joy of wanting to read it next! I think this is one reason the term “book cheerleader” fits me as well as it does. I truly love to rally behind & cheer for the books which alight in my heart & spirit.

I can definitely relate to you on the level as a writer – our sea of inspiration is never without its curious beginnings.

What were the tools you used to write “Getting Waisted” Which hour of the day did you find you could lay thought to the page!?

Parker responds: It wasn’t until I saw that my son was talking about my book in his social media world that I realized he had remembered all the little bits of paper that I was using to work on the book idea! He was most impressed that all the work was coming to a conclusion and was being given a proper place in the memoir. I have a unique file system, as it is more of a shoebox full of little treasure notes than of a regular writer’s filing cabinet. I write where I am at the moment an idea comes to me. Matchboxes. Napkins. Little sequences. One liners. Essays. Anecdotes of life. Everything and anything was written down at the very moment I remembered it might be useful.

Into the box it all went and then, it came time to organize it for “Getting Waisted” which I did on my bed – arranged everything in groupings of colour to reflect conjoined topics. For instance “Red = Love” & “Green = Self-Loathing”. I considered this process my “Brain Treasure Box” because everything I thought to write was on paper and saved for safe keeping. I use anything handy to write with as well: pen, crayon, stick, whatever!

I used to carry a notebook in my purse to grab down a thought or an observation including self-observation about myself rather than someone on the outside. I can write better, faster, and more accurately by pen and paper than by a computer.

I love this idea of the treasure box! In fact, so much so, I am going to see if I can start to implement the idea, because I oft have ideas that appear to float right past me, as I am either short on time or I get distracted by life itself. I love the idea that in the end you have amassed such a large representation of what you want to write that you just need to dig through it all and re-arrange it back into its proper space and order! What a wonderfully wicked idea! Thank you for sharing this as I am hoping it will inspire others as much as it has inspired me!

I agree with you about the computer, except of late, I find myself unable to write by hand for longer periods of time verse the time I am able to write by computer. Sighs. One day I would like to get back to pen & paper directly, sitting for long hours and being musefully enraptured by the paper, the page, and my imagination. Until then, this idea of jotting down short spurts of ideas and little notions of stories is perfect for what I can do in longhand!

How To Look Good Naked with Carson Kressley was a show Mum & I loved as it was in full embrace of every person’s unique body type. There was another series about how best to dress a full-figured woman based on a New York Boutique in Brooklyn I believe!? The thing that did not sit well with Mum and I is that both series barely lasted a month (or so it had appeared) before they were a figment of our imagination! Why do you think even with solid positive portrayals of real women & real issues, shows go off the air as if they were less important than another?

Parker responds: Although I have not seen the shows in question I would have to presume it was due to the nature of each show allowing the audience to have full acceptance of who they are rather than asking them to make a change in their life. They were promoting self-confidence and self-acceptance, and in our world today that is a hard marketing ploy to help a show stay on the air. We need to all realize that we need to accept who we are and celebrate ourselves. This includes acknowledging we have body diversity as we simply are not all going to look like each other. Shows like “The Biggest Loser” on the other hand will always be successful due to the fact they meet the bottom line and can be marketed as a show to ‘change people’s lives’.

I just find all this quite sad and although true, I find it sad that we cannot accept a show that celebrates joy and happiness rather than always being in a position to have to incur the change people think others need to make. It reminds me of a story my Mum told me about when the local newspaper when we lived in the city attempted an experiment to print only the ‘good’ news rather than the regular kind. She said they barely lasted the first month and canned the idea! Apparently happiness and joy is the hardest ‘sell’ no matter what industry attempts to embrace it.

The pace of “Getting Waisted” reminds me of your watching snippets of your comedy routines. How did you bring in your performance to the memoir to where pure honesty & sharp wit converge as the story is revealed?

Parker responds: Go for it – if it’s honest, it’s okay. Organic fusion. How I think went into the words. Given many, many years working as an actress I find it easy to get into the head of the characters, especially into their thoughts. Do not over think?

I still find it interesting how you were able to merge both styles of writing into the voice contained in the narrative’s scope. It was seamless and beautiful at the same time! I felt I was listening to your voice and felt your presence throughout the book.

Was there any part of the process to publish “Getting Waisted” which surprised you?

Parker responds: It made me genuinely happy how many people can relate to the story and I can talk to them about it. Hearing and reading that people see your honesty and are willing to come on the journey I have lived and how warmly received the book is – people get it. Which made me happy.

I think this book is going to be a champion book for women who are seeking to find a memoir written by a woman who is relatable to everywoman. You qualify for this classification hand’s down in how your approach to the subject and the topic of Women’s Health as it relates to dieting, weight loss, exercise, and the foundational shift towards seeking a body of acceptance is a topic that all women of every age can relate too.

What is the one thing readers tell you at a live meet & greet that has resonated with you?

Parker responds: So many people struggle with weight issues and their response has been humbling. I am happy that it has resonated with so many.One never knows ever know how an audience will take to a book. Lots of trust!

It is because you put your heart into the thread of the words that I think most women are able to identify with you in the story but also with you in real-life when you meet them at live events. It is a special balance between reading “Getting Waisted” as a memoir and reading it as a novel of a women’s life.

You talk about PhotoShop and the unrealistic image in magazines and print media. I completely agree. What I find more shocking is that when I was growing up I did not want to be the model. I wanted to find elements of the style I fancied in my own size and wear it in a way that I could call my own. I am not sure where the disconnect started from gaining inspiration to being motivated to self-harm, self-loathing, or starvation?

Parker responds: Artists are individuals who do not follow the crowd. Everyone has a personal level of insecurity. Fame is a by-product of success. Some are famous because they were infamous. People are addicted to celebrity because of celebrity culture. A normal barometer of being different is where artists elect to start the trend. Being at the beginning is much better than being at the end. Artists see the world differently by nature, and therefore the disconnect comes by disconnecting from the ones who do not understand it is okay to be that individual who is unique.

This was one of my favourite bits to our conversation because I could personally relate to the answer as it relates to how artists grow up and how we perceive the world around us. It was a beautiful arc in the phone call, and one that went a few different areas past the original question which I was thankful of happening.

Little Quotes of our Talk: Reflections of Monica Parker

Everyone should stand against bullies and hatred. Kindness is a better path to follow to get what you want in life. To lead the life you want to lead, kindness gets you to where you want to go. Meanness makes you small and bitter.

I have found an interesting fact amongst males and females who read: guys prefer e-books whereas girls prefer books in print!

Writing is a completely altered state of awareness. You are not really aware of where you are as you are working away at your desk on a story but you’re off somewhere far-away at the same time.

I like to pick up treasures as I travel anything that is funny, interesting, beautiful, and eclectic, that ultimately become a happy mosaic.

We’re not all meant to look the same as each other. I like to think that through body diversity we like the best box of chocolates. All shapes, sizes, colors and flavours. We are uniquely ourselves. Unfortunately not everyone is capable of embracing diversity.

Happiness can be simple. Joy does not have to be complicated.

I asked a few additional questions after our conversation had ended:

Walking down a nature trail is a calming balm, not only to exercise without realizing you are but to step outside into the beauty which lives near us all the time. Where do you like to walk most!?

Parker responds: In the woods along side a river.

Did your son find a creative pursuit in life simliar to his parents?

Parker responds: He is insanely creative. He is a renaissance man in many ways. Professionally an engineer, which is all about creative solutions and he’s a terrific writer and very conceptual.

Have you ever had the chance to return back to the Highlands? To visit Glasgow and if so, what are your favourite parts of your Scottish roots?

Parker responds: My favorite thing about Scotland is the rugged beauty that can be found all around. Its redolent with history.

Official Author Websites: Site | Facebook | Twitter

Converse via: #GettingWaisted

Similar to blog tours, when I feature a showcase for an author via a Guest Post, Q&A, Interview, etc., I do not receive compensation for featuring supplemental content on my blog.

Previously I featured my book review for “Getting Waisted” by Monica Parker.

I would like to extend my gratitude to Ms. Chan, Ms. Parker’s publicist for arranging for me not only to receive the ARC of the memoir but for setting up the lovely afternoon conversation which occured between Ms. Parker and myself! I had a wonderful time hosting Ms. Parker on Jorie Loves A Story, and I am most delighted that our paths crossed in the twitterverse in order to bring these events not only to my bookish blog, but to have the ability to cross paths with a woman I shall not soon forget meeting! It was a wonderful moment in my life and I have wonderful memories of the experience to keep close to my heart. I thank each of you for your kindness & time in stitching this together.

{SOURCES: Author photograph, Author Biography, Book Synopsis, and Book Cover were provided by Darlene Chan PR and were used by permission. Author Interview badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs. Post dividers & My Thoughts badge by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. Tweets were embedded due to codes provided by Twitter. Welcome Notice for Monica Parker created by Jorie in Canva.}

Posted Friday, 30 May, 2014 by jorielov in Author Interview by Phone, Bookish Discussions, Debut Author, Debut Novel, Diet Weight & Body Image, Diets & Dieting, Indie Author, Memoir, Non-Fiction, Reader Submitted Author Interview, Vignettes of Real Life, Weight Loss, Women's Health