AUTHOR INTERVIEW - DAVID J. CORD (DEAD ROMANS)

Niina : Welcome to For The Love of Reading, babe, I’m glad you came by!

David : Thanks for having me. This is one interview I can do naked, so that is a plus.

Niina : LOL! Isn't it always. ;) Let’s break the ice! Can you tell my readers here 4 funny unknown facts about you?

David : 1) I have a phobia of looking inside women’s purses. Even if they ask me to get something for them I won’t do it. This dates back to when I was a teenager and saw one of my buddies get caught going through his girlfriend’s purse. The look in her eyes convinced me to never, ever go inside a purse for any reason whatsoever. 2) When I eat, I have to eat one thing at a time. First the hamburger, for instance, and then the fries. 3) Cleavage hypnotises me. 4) Whenever I go through a door – and this is any door, mind you – I have to compulsively check to see that I have my keys, wallet and phone with me. It might be related to some subconscious fear of being locked out. Or it might just be weirdness.

Niina : Yeah, your eating habits confuse me as I'm a 'mix them together on a fork' eater. ;) But hey it’s been a while since you've been here. I believe it was when your first book Mohamed 2.0 : Distruption Manifesto was released – so what’s new?

David : Dead Romans is new. I’m quite happy with it. Also, it is new that Mohamed 2.0 is now available in America. My American publisher Stairway Press picked up both books.

Niina : Yay, now americans can enjoy 2.0! What is your new novel Dead Romans about? ( I typed Romans as Romance at least three times… it’s all due to me writing Romance about twenty times a day! ;) Muscle memory at its finest. :/ )

David : Dead Romans is about three people in second-century Ephesus. Daphnis the shepherd slave boy has to satisfy a new and cruel master or his family will be broken up and sold off. Panthea, the emperor’s mistress, is abused by her father, hated by the nobility and loses her grip on reality. The aspiring writer Aristides has to decide to either write a high-profile panegyric for someone he hates or else remain a humble baker.

Each story is independent, but they are intertwined. Overshadowing the whole novel is the outbreak of the Antonine Plague. The plague causes havoc, society starts to break down, and there is a rush to flee the city. Panthea has the last ship which will leave Ephesus, and everyone wants on board.

Niina : Tell us something about your book that we wouldn't know just by reading the blurb?

David : I use sex as conflict. Literature has to have conflict between characters, but normally sex isn't used this way. It is instead a by-product or indicator of other conflicts. I would say only one relationship in Dead Romans could remotely be described as healthy.

Niina : Definitely interesting! Which character in your book became your favorite?

David : I can’t choose between the three main characters, but out of the others Chloe is my favourite. She is feisty, intelligent, and is somewhat mysterious. You know there are interesting things going on in her mind and her life, but they are in the background and you can’t quite make them out.

Niina : How did you come to pick your genre … actually how would you define your genre? It’s not just plain historical fiction right?

David : I didn't pick a genre. I picked the story, which happened to fit into a genre. It is character-driven historical fiction, similar to Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, or Madeline Miller’s The Song of Achilles. This seems to be quite a thriving genre currently.

David J. Cord

Niina : Were any of the characters based on real life characters?

David : No. I created all of the characters. However, there is a lot in the book which is inspired by things I've went through. My Finnish literary director demanded I do this, so I did a lot of research about it. For instance, Daphnis’ love of his ‘sacred place’ in the countryside is basically my love for a place in the country where I grew up. As the population becomes more urban and more of us move to cities, I think this sort of pastoralism will make a comeback in our culture.

Niina : How did your cover come about? ;)

David : I traded sexual favours for it. She did a pretty good job, I think, both in the sexual favours department and on the cover. Luckily the publisher liked her cover and chose it. If they hadn't, I probably would have been in trouble.

Niina : LOL! Okay by now I have to mention we are married and I made the cover! LOL! :D Now to more personal questions! Flirting with the idea of bringing a new mythological/paranormal creature to page, what would be exciting to write about?

David : Cupid, specifically in his relationship with Psyche. This was done most famously by Apuleius in the Golden Ass, but I would love to do a modern interpretation someday. Cupid was supposed to be a hitman of sorts and hurt Psyche, but instead fell in love with her. He was going against his mother Venus’ wishes and had to be careful. He was quirky, like trying to keep his form secret. He had a temper, too. I think he is a fascinating character, and is much more interesting than the modern symbolic ideas of him. This is one of those very basic stories that has captured our imagination for thousands of years.

Niina : Agreed! Which Disney Princess would you pick if you had to choose?

David : Jasmine. She’s hot.

Niina : Is there a natural wonder of the world you would like to visit?

David : Victoria Falls on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Niina : How many jobs did you have before you became a writer? What was your first job?

David : My first job was in the meat department of a grocery store. That was a lot of fun, and I still remember those days fondly. I was in the investment industry for many years before I started writing professionally.

Niina : Body Hair: Wax, Shave or Leave?

David : Shave. It is less painful than waxing, less gross than leaving and carries a hint of danger with that razor.

Niina : LOL! Before we finish, here are some Quick Fire Questions: 

Trees or Shops? Trees.

Football or Nascar? Football. I love Formula One, so trying to enjoy Nascar is like trying to enjoy a trip in a 1950s airplane after you have flown first class in an Airbus A380. There might be some nostalgia in it, but it all kind of seems outdated.

Boots or Sexy heels? Heels. Oh God yes. Heels.

Shots or Wine? Depends upon the context. Both have their uses.

Movie: Popcorn or Hard candy? Popcorn. I grew up in Indiana, one of the biggest popcorn-producing areas of the world. I have to stay loyal to my roots.

Date: Going on a picnic or Going to a winery? This depends upon the context, but I would probably pick the winery. I like the agricultural aspect, and the food is normally better.

Scarier: Ghosts or Demons? Definitely demons. Ghosts may be here unwillingly and are being acted upon, but demons have an agenda, a thing to do, and it is normally not a warm and cuddly agenda.

Women: Power Suits or Sexy Nerds? Sexy nerds. I love glasses.

Women: Bad girl or Girl Next Door? Both. I know you don’t like me to say ‘both,’ but how can you choose? This is like trying to pick between Thomas Pynchon and Don DeLillo.

Dresses or pant suits? Dresses. I love legs.

Women in the bedroom: Dominating or Gentle? You have to alternate. Perhaps start with dominating, because that is a good way to set the stage.

Sexier: Woman who can sing or woman who can cook? Sing. It means her mouth and tongue are well-trained.

Knights or Kings? Knights. Kings just sit back and made decisions, but knights make those decisions happen.

Fallen Angels or Sexy Demons? Fallen angels. Sexy demons have an agenda and a job to do, so they are characterized by a plot. But fallen angels have a past. They have made mistakes of some sort to become ‘fallen’ so there is more character development there. It makes them more interesting.

Shifters or Vampires? Vampires. I’m very dismissive of shifters. Shifters are the teletubbies of literature. You stare at them, but can’t seem to figure out the point of it all.

Sexier: Kisses or Licks? Licks. Hell to the yes.

Sexier : Flimsy lingerie or Trench-coat only? Lingerie.

Romance or Erotic Romance? It depends upon what you are looking for because they serve different purposes. Romance is for the characters and plot, and erotic romance is for titillation. They can be combined, though.

Historical Fiction or Literary Fiction? Why can’t they be both? But typically I would go for literary fiction. If you speak strictly of genres, historical fiction is normally just telling a story but literary fiction is deeper. It is like the ocean: you can enjoy the surface, but there is a lot going on beneath the waves.

Niina : Thanks for visiting the For The Love of Reading, David ! Any news would you like to share with your readers, or websites they can check out?

David : Dead Romans is out now, you can purchase it from Stairway Press & Amazon.

You can also visit me at : 

DavidCord.com 

Facebook

Twitter @David_J_Cord 

( #DeadRomans )

and YouTube

IN LEAH'S WAKE - GUEST BLOG BY TERRI GUILIANO LONG

As you may know, In Leah’s Wake has become the Indie book that could: it’s sold over 75,000 copies worldwide and hit an amazing rank of #50 bestseller in the Kindle store and #6 on Nook.

Now Terri is set to launch a fully revised UK edition. Terri has drawn heavily on the feedback provided by book bloggers across the world: as a result the new edition is sleeker, tighter and has seen 60 pages stripped away.

And I'm happy to have Terri here today with her Guest Blog titled:
Welcome, Terri!

An Ode to Bloggers

Last May, a month or so after I began marketing my novel, In Leah’s Wake, a former agent told me that I would never sell 500 books. A rookie, I had no idea what to expect. When I published the novel, I’d dreamed of selling a 3,000 – 5,000 books, hoping healthy sales numbers would attract the attention of an agent or traditional publishing house for my next novel.

The agent had left New York, but she’d been in the business for a long time, and her words stung. I hung up the phone, heartbroken, depressed. Had I not been in the midst of my first blog tour, I might have pulled my novel off the market that day.

Determined to see the tour through, I soldiered on.  On the tour, I met wonderful, caring people, book bloggers, whose kindness buoyed and sustained me. 

Over the next few months, In Leah’s Wake appeared on hundreds of blogs. Bloggers opened their hearts and spread the word about this quiet literary novel. In August, In Leah’s Wake hit the Barnes & Noble and Amazon charts. Now, seven months after my talk with that agent, the book has been in the Amazon top 200 for over five months, and we’ve sold just shy of 80,000 copies.

Book bloggers rock! I don’t know how to say it any better. Book bloggers are the fairy godmothers and godfathers of the literary world. They invest their talent, their energy, and their time into reviewing and promoting books – and keeping dreams alive.

Even today, traditional media refuse to recognize or review indie books. In this very real sense, book bloggers are the heart and soul of the indie revolution.  Their vision, their energy, and their determination have enabled this amazing populist movement to take hold.

Today, we have the great good fortune of hearing the funny, poignant, intelligent voices of new authors from around the world - voices that, just a few years ago, might have been silenced by the gatekeepers of the old guard. These voices reach into hearts and minds, forging connections, uniting us in a community of readers and writers, searching for and finding, through words, the better part of ourselves. Because, truly, at heart, this is what reading and writing is all about.

Here’s to you, book bloggers! You are and always will be my heroes!

Terri Giuliano Long grew up in the company of stories both of her own making and as written by others. Books offer her a zest for life’s highs and comfort in its lows. She’s all-too-happy to share this love with others as a novelist and as a lecturer at Boston College.

While her passion lies in the written word, Terri’s primary inspiration comes from her interest in existential philosophy and her observations of people and human nature. Her stories expand upon the subtle truths and what-ifs of everyday life. No matter where her stories journey, they always tie back to the family—the ways we love yet, in loving, too often hurt one another, the grief, the sorrow, the revelation, and the joy. Terri’s goal is to offer lasting hope and deep emotional connection in a compact and entertaining package.

Her life outside of books is devoted to her family. In her spare time, she enjoys walking, traveling to far-flung places, and meeting interesting people. True to her Italian-American heritage, she’s an enthusiastic cook and she loves fine wine and good food. In an alternate reality, she could have been very happy as an international food writer.

Terri loves meeting and connecting with people who share her passions. 

Visit on her Website: http://tglong.com/site/,

Twitter: www.twitter.com/tglong or 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tglongwrites

Your hostess, that's me!, is currently most likely getting a tan by Atlantic Ocean or getting a drink in the pool bar in Cape Verde - but you can be sure I'll reply to you all as soons as I get back next week!

INTERVIEW WITH TERRI GUILIANO LONG

Niina : Welcome to For The Love of Reading! I’m glad you could make it. I finished In Leah’s Wake earlier this week and really enjoyed it, can you tell my readers here little about yourself and give a little info on what In Leah’s Wake is about?

Terri Guiliano Long : Thank you so very much for inviting to visit, Niina! It’s an honor to be here today!

In Leah’s Wake tells the story of a family in collapse. Sixteen-year-old Leah, a high school soccer star, has led a perfect life. When she meets a sexy older guy, attracted to his independence, she begins to spread her wings. Drinking, ignoring curfew, dabbling in drugs—all this feels like freedom to her. Her terrified parents, afraid they’re losing their daughter, pull the reins tighter.

Unfortunately, her parents get it all wrong, pushing when they ought to be pulling, and communication breaks down. Soon there’s no turning back. Twelve-year-old Justine, caught between the parents she loves and the big sister she adores, finds herself in the fight of her life, trying desperately to pull her family together.

Jodi Picoult fans often tell me the book reminds them of hers. I’m not sure she – or I – would agree, but we both write topical family stories. And it’s a lovely compliment.


Niina : What did you most enjoy about writing In Leah’s Wake? What chapter or scene?

Terri : In a chapter called “Sisters Redux,” Justine, the geeky, goody-two-shoes little sister, asks Leah for a cigarette. It’s almost painful to see her trying so hard to win her big sister’s acceptance and affection. At first, Leah scoffs; then it dawns on her that Justine is actually serious and her conscience takes over. Leah has made difficult choices and been ostracized for them; for Justine, that path would be wrong. In certain arenas, dorks have the advantage, she thinks.

As she’s about to say no, it occurs to Leah that Justine has a right to make her own choices. With this insight, for the first time since they were young kids, Leah sees Justine as her equal. Despite her reservations, she gives her sister the cigarette. In a sweet moment, later in the chapter, Leah teaches Justine to dance. This love between the sisters was, to me, heartbreaking and special.

Niina : Which character in your book became your favorite?

Terri : The characters are all imperfect. They behave badly and they’re sometimes, perhaps often, enormously irritating, and self-involved - but I love them all, for their strengths as well as their weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Justine is sweet and caring and kind, so it’s hard not to love her, but I also love Leah. Although Leah drives the parent in me crazy and she can be a real brat, her heart is in the right place. The parents, Zoe and Will, often make terrible choices; despite their failures, they want the best for their children and they act out of love.

Jerry Johnson, the police officer, is the only non-family member with a voice. Though flawed like all the characters, he takes his responsibility for others to heart. I see police officers as the connecting force in communities. Every day they put their lives on the line. To me, they’re our real life heroes. As the connecting force in this novel and for this family, Jerry became my favorite.

Niina : What about your lead character makes you go, “oh don’t do that!”?

Terri : At different times, I want to tell every one of my lead characters to stop, think, listen. Hardworking parents, Zoe and Will want the best for their kids. When Leah rebels, rather than listening to their daughter, accepting the fact that she’s growing up and responsible for making her own choices – rather than guide her - Zoe and Will pull the reins tighter. This is a classic problem between parents and teens. The minute we put our foot down, say no, they can’t do this or that, many teens focus all their energy in that direction. Zoe and Will’s escalating attempts to control their daughter result in her pulling away. This is a difficult cycle to break. If only they’d listen, realize how much their daughters love them and how desperately both daughters need them, they could solve their problems before they blow up. That they don’t, perhaps they can’t, is the central irony in the book – the irony in many relationships between parents and teens.

Niina : Were any of the characters/events based on real life characters/events?

Terri : Bob Sullivan, the owner of Sullivan Farms Ice Cream, and Dorothy Klein, the lovely woman who designed the button bracelets Zoe buys for herself and Leah, are real people. 

No other character is based on a real person, although I did borrow habits and physical characteristics from real people – the runaway arm comes from my youngest daughter, KK, and my husband is a physical stand-in for Will. Of course, borrowing identifiable traits can make characters feel a little too real and lead to unfortunate assumptions. I’m lucky – I have a good-natured family; they put up with my thievery and ignore the conclusions some readers draw.

The personality, motivation, behavior of all my characters – those I’m fully responsible for.

Niina : Now my readers are mainly paranormal romance readers, how would you do in writing in that genre? Have you thought of straying from YA?

Terri :  While my stories differ—my novel-in-progress, Nowhere to Run, is a psychological thriller with a historical twist—they always tie back to the family. Families fascinate me - the ways we love, yet often hurt one another, the grief, the revelation, the joy. I think readers connect with family stories. They identify with the characters and care about them. This connection is, for me, the most important reason for writing.

Although I’ve never tried writing paranormal romance, I think I’d enjoy it, especially one with a family story at its center. I’m a firm believer in the paranormal. I’m convinced that the worldly and spiritual realms are closely connected and I’ve felt the presence of ghosts. Although writing in a new genre would be a challenge, I think it’s important for writers to push themselves. Writing a paranormal romance would be a terrific growth experience for me. Wow, Niina – answering your question has made me want to give it a whirl!


Niina : LOL! Thanks. ;) Now little about how you write… What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

Terri : I’ve heard other writers express similar feelings, so I’m not sure if this is different enough to be interesting: when I first sit at my desk, especially if I’m starting a new project, I feel like I’ve forgotten how to write. I don’t know where to start, the editors on my shoulders heckling: A writer? Are you crazy? Nine times out of ten, I dig in. The writing may be choppy; as I continue writing I gain fluidity. If the demons are too loud to ignore, I read. Like meditation or yoga, reading settles my mind, calms me. Soon I find my mind wandering to my story, and I can’t wait to start writing.

Niina : What is the biggest “no-no” when it comes to writing for you?

Terri : I’m easily distracted. If I stop writing to do anything else – take a phone call, pay a bill, find information on the Internet – I fall into a rabbit hole and can lose the entire day I’d hoped to spend writing.


Niina : How do you write, chapter here and there or follow from beginning to an end?

Terri : I write from start to finish. Often I go over and over the beginning before moving on. This helps me work out the story, giving me a foundation and a sense of direction. It also helps me flesh out the characters. Without that, I’d have trouble finishing a novel. I do often think ahead. I’ll jot down ideas or sketch a scene, but I very rarely jump ahead and write an entire chapter.

Niina : What’s the worst advice for writers you’ve received?

Terri : Write what you know. This is not only the worst advice I’ve ever heard; it’s also the silliest. While I agree in principle – we should write honestly and from the heart – we’d never learn or discover anything if we wrote only what we knew. For me, the sense of discovery that comes from writing about the unfamiliar is the most exciting aspect of writing. It gives me a reason to write.

Niina : Now bit more personal! Your current Top 5 dangerous bad boys in literature? (and why?)

Terri : Except for Todd, my bad boys aren’t bad in the traditional sense. They’re single, haunted by their past – the kind of men we women fool ourselves into believing that, with love, we can heal. In that sense, they’re quite dangerous.

Leah’s boyfriend, Todd Corbett, is a former roadie in a rock band, arrested once for drug dealing. A modern day James Dean, Todd is a rebel without a cause. He makes Leah feel comfortable and safe and he encourages her blossoming independence. These positive qualities draw her in and make him dangerous. A tall, blue-eyed blond, he’s also very handsome and sexy.

U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels in Shutter Island, by Dennis Lehane. A veteran, Teddy has seen harrowing things and his past haunts him. He wants to do the right thing, yet he’s driven by demons – the kind of guy you can fool yourself into believing you can help. It doesn’t hurt that Leo DiCaprio plays him in the film.

Detective Rob Ryan, In the Woods, by Tana French – another scarred hero haunted by his past, this one a police detective. This divorced cop comes from a dysfunctional family in a rough and tumble suburb of Dublin. He has a young daughter he adores and wife he doesn’t realize he wants to win back. Extra points for the sexy Irish accent. 

Mikael Blomkvist, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Stieg Larson. He loves the strange, haunting Lisbeth Salander and puts himself at risk to help her. Need I say more?

Private detective Jackson Brodie, Case Histories, by Kate Atkinson. Jackson is a divorced ex-cop. He’s smart and caring and real, tough but only on the outside. Like Rob Ryan he’s devoted to his daughter.

Niina : Good list! Can you share with us 3 closest to you books you have on your bookshelf?

Terri : The Road, by Cormac McCarthy. This powerful novel transports us to a gray, post-apocalyptic world, where humans have been reduced to animal instinct--for inhabitants of this new world order, murder and cannibalism are a means of survival.

Within this harsh environment, McCarthy gives us a tender, elegantly rendered father and son. In their travels, near starvation, they meet terrible challenges and hardships, yet they face every one with dignity and grace. Near death, the man says to his son: "You have my whole heart. You always did.” That line has stayed with me – as have so many other stark, tender moments.

Olive Kitteridge, by Susan Strout, is a quirky book of linked stories. The stories take place in coastal Maine. Although the inhabitants of each New England state are a bit different – I’ve lived most of my life in Massachusetts - I understand and relate to these characters. These deeply human stories, often about family, portray the heartache, the wonder and the joy of ordinary life.

Susan Straight’s elegant novel A Million Nightingales is another favorite. A Million Nightingales tells the moving story of a beautiful young slave girl in nineteenth century Louisiana. Sold upriver, Moinette is repeatedly assaulted and must rely on her intelligence to survive. This powerful story stayed with me long after I’d finished reading.

Niina : What's a typical day like for you?

Terri : Ideally, I blog in the morning and either write or edit my novel-in-progress from early afternoon until dinnertime. Of course, life often gets in the way. During crunch time, when I’m busy editing and grading students’ papers, my own work falls by the wayside. Since the summer, marketing In Leah’s Wake, I’ve neglected my novel-in-progress, Nowhere to Run, and I’m eager to dig in again. When I go back, it will take me few weeks to establish a consistent routine.

In the past, I insisted that students write every day. I now see rules as counterproductive. The right way to do anything is the way that works best for you. Life interferes with the best-laid plans. You can fight it or go with it. I try to go with it. That’s not to say I always succeed.

Niina : And now before we say goodbye some Quick Fire Questions: 

Cats or dogs?  Cats for their independence, dogs their love
Beach or forest?  Beach for the sound and the majesty, forest for the quiet
Night or day?  Day
UF (Urban Fantasy) or PNR (Paranormal Romance)?  Paranormal Romance
Bad boys or good cops? As you can probably tell from my responses above, a little of both.
Brunettes or Blonds?  Brunettes
Vampires or werewolves? Werewolves
Romance or erotica? Romance
Mystery or Thriller? Thriller
Men:  Alpha-male or submissive? Alpha-male
Male POV or female POV (Point Of View)? Either, as long as it’s believable.
Pick-up or Mini-van? Mini-van
Beer or Wine?  Wine
Coffee or tea?  Coffee
Pizza or Restaurant? I’m Italian. I love both.
Dark chocolate or milk chocolate?  Dark chocolate, preferably studded with nuts
Cake or Donuts? Cake
TV or DVD? It depends. I watch only a few shows, so prefer those on DVD to a random TV show
Golden Girls or Family Ties? Family ties
Movies: Romantic comedies or Action/Adventure? Either/both - really depends on my mood.
Halloween or Midsummer? Midsummer
Rocks or flowers? I love flowers but gardens can be too orderly; a rock face is awe-inspiring
Times New Roman or Courier? Courier
Crayons or markers? Crayons – more colors!
Pens or pencils?  Pens, but I’m weirdly particular about my pens. They have to be blue roller ball
Kids or pets? Kids. Pets are nice, but kids make the world go around.

Niina : Thanks for visiting the For The Love of Reading, Terri!

Terri : Thank you so very much for giving me this opportunity to share my thoughts with your readers, Niina! I’m grateful for your generosity and support. Thank you, readers, for the invaluable gift of your time.

Terri Giuliano Long is the bestselling author of the novel In Leah’s Wake. Her life outside of books is devoted to her family. In her free time, she enjoys walking, traveling, and listening to music. True to her Italian-American heritage, she’s an enthusiastic cook. In an alternate reality, she might be an international food writer. She lives with her family on the East Coast and teaches at Boston College. In Leah’s Wake is her debut novel.

Website / Blog / Twitter / Facebook

BOOK INFORMATION

IN LEAH’S WAKE
Terri Giuliano Long
Pages: 368
Format: Paperback, Kindle
ISBN: 1456310542
Publisher: CreateSpace
Website: www.tglong.com

COMING DECEMBER 1 – NEWLY EDITED UK EDITION, PUBLISHED BY INSPIRED QUILL PRESS. NEW DISCUSSION QUESTIONS, AUTHOR INTERVIEW AND A BRAND NEW ALTERNATE ENDING!

ABOUT IN LEAH’S WAKE

2011 BOOK BUNDLZ BOOK CLUB PICK

Recipient of the Coffee Time Reviewers Recommend (CTRR) Award

The Tyler family had the perfect life - until sixteen-year-old Leah decided she didn't want to be perfect anymore.

While her parents fight to save their daughter from destroying her brilliant future, Leah's younger sister, Justine, must cope with the damage her out-of-control sibling leaves in her wake.

What happens when love just isn't enough?

This mesmerizing debut novel tells the tale of a contemporary American family caught in the throes of adolescent rebellion - a heartbreaking, funny, ultimately redemptive quest for love, independence, connection and grace.

PRAISE FOR IN LEAH’S WAKE

Susan Straight, National Book Award Finalist, author Take One Candle Light A Room
 “Terri Long’s accomplished first novel takes the reader on a passionate roller-coaster ride through contemporary parenthood and marriage. It’s sometimes scary, sometimes sad, and always tender.”

Margot Livesey, author of Banishing Verona and Eva Moves the Furniture
“I felt I knew these characters better than my friends and neighbors. In Leah's Wake is a beautifully written and absorbing novel."

Holly Robinson, Contributing writer, Family Circle, Parents, Ladies’ Home Journal, author of The Gerbil Farmer’s Daughter: A Memoir
"By turns howlingly funny and achingly sad, the book details the vivid, harrowing journey of a fragile family that unravels – and finds redemption – thanks to a teenager’s rebellion. In Leah’s Wake is an irresistible read.”

Jennifer Donovan, Managing Editor 5 Minutes for Books, Top 50 Book Blogger
“There are no quick and easy solutions here for Leah or for her parents. They . . . pulled me right along as I continued to make comparisons to my own life.”

Susie Kline, Blogger, Motherhoot
"As a mom, I felt what Zoe felt. It tore my heart out to see the promise of a child being replaced with the nightmare of reality… I’m adding Terri Giuliano Long to my list of authors I want to be stranded with."

Monica Madsen, Blogger, A Mother’s Touch Bookshelf
"I give In Leah’s Wake 5 stars and recommend reading to anyone with tweens. Although it is fiction, this book can be a great reference for parenting teenagers."

Haley Stokes, Blogger, Triumphal Writing
In Leah's Wake is beautifully written, haunting, fascinating, and a book that has a lot to say, a lot to teach you, without getting preachy.

MAJOR SALES LINKS

Amazon / Amazon Paper / Barnes & Nobles / Indie Bound

TRAILER LINK AND VIDEO EMBED CODE

http://youtu.be/Yyfp5tIU_U4

REVIEW - IN LEAH'S WAKE

"The Tyler family had the perfect life - until sixteen-year-old Leah decided she didn't want to be perfect anymore. While Leah's parents fight to save their daughter from destroying her brilliant future, Leah's younger sister, Justine, must cope with the damage her out-of-control sibling leaves in her wake."

Author: Terri Guiliano Long
Pages: 352 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace
Published: October, 2010
Form: E-book ( received from the author for an honest review )
Genre: Fiction / Drama
Amazon: Buy / $10.93
The Book Depository: Buy / €11.91
Barnes and Noble: Buy / $10.82
Excerpt: Proloque and 1st Chapter

"The Tyler family had the perfect life - until sixteen-year-old Leah decided she didn't want to be perfect anymore.

While Leah's parents fight to save their daughter from destroying her brilliant future, Leah's younger sister, Justine, must cope with the damage her out-of-control sibling leaves in her wake.

Will this family survive? What happens when love just isn't enough?" ~ from Goodreads

Beautiful and just a little heartbreaking story of a girl and her whole family a story about what happen when freedom and desire for it goes overboard. It being as Leah meets Todd, 3 years older high school drop out and drug dealer, she finds in him her way to rebel against being the perfect good girl her paren’t have tried to raise her as.

Leah is free to change her life but they way she chooses to go about it is painful to watch, you feel for her, you grow to like her and wish she’d smarten up before she does something she’ll regret.

I loved the honesty of this story, the geuin voices of Leah’s parents (who come across fearful to intervine with their daughters troubles) and her little sister Justine ( who pretty much worships the ground Leah walks on, and seems to try and follow in her footsteps).

This book was so beautifully written even though the topic was hard that it was engaging, yet a couldn’t escape being just a little sad. And it’s impossible to escape feeling frustrated, you want things to trun out good, you want to get inside the pages and fix it!

Guiliano Long writes in a mesmerizing way, she gets her readers frustrated, happy, and expecting and wanting a solution to be offered at the end of the book! And book that does that can’t be bad! In fact it’s good! 

I would have wanted more happiness as I am one of those people who can’t take their tea without a little honey. ;)

Rating :

If you want go vote for me @ http://www.novelpublicity.com/leah/ For The Love of Reading! is there by the F's. ;)

Author Interview coming up tomorrow Wed. 14th! Don't miss it! 

REVIEW - MY SWEET SAGA

Author: Brett Sills
Pages: 455 pages
Publisher: Admiral J Press
Published: September, 2011
Form: E-Book (review copy by publisher)
Genre: Contemporary Literary Fiction
Amazon: Buy / $16.00

"What will it take for one outrageously underwhelmed guy to turn his snooze of an existence into something worth waking up for? For thirty-year-old Brandon, who is precociously and chronically fatigued of his lot in life, it might just take a transatlantic airline ticket—with an unexpected, unrequested, inner journey to boot. Along the way, Brandon’s ferociously funny, always frank take on everything makes for the rollicking, cheeky read My Sweet Saga. This debut novel by Brett Sills is sure to prompt more than a few shakes of the head—and at least one laugh per sentence. Resigned, defeated, and barely thirty, Brandon has been living with the benign tumor called life. His wedding to his fiancée, Clarissa, is only a few weeks away. His job as the only white guy at an African American television network isn’t rocking his world either, and the dirtiest talk around the cubicle pertains the potty training stories from his married colleague. Just as Brandon teeters on the brink of damning himself to a tragically lame career and marriage, his absent father, who four years earlier won a mega lottery jackpot, pops up with an unexpected demand: Brandon must join him on a trip to Stockholm, Sweden. Against his better judgment, Brandon takes off on a trip that may just reroute his destiny. When he meets a mysterious Swedish woman named Saga, the romantic in Brandon reawakens and spawns a quirky love triangle that embarks him on a wild ride which includes arrests in two countries, hospital stays, acts of both extreme heroism and abject foolishness, the discovery of unexpected family secrets, and entirely too much public nudity." ~Amazon

Old Town Stocholm (one of my photos)

Brandon is a perfectly normal guy or so it seems at first, he’s Jewish, dead allergic to cilantro and has a cracking relationship with his Chinese ‘Hollywood publicist’ fiancée. Brandon’s dad is a lottery winner and a total douchebag racist who disowned Brandon and who’s antics with Tiger Woods lead Brandon to pretend to work for NASA and travel to Sweden where he unexpectantly gathers a little fame and even more notoriety until they ( Sweden ) actually have to ship him off the whole country. Which leads to one of the funniest openings scenes I’ve ever read in a book!

Sill's writing is totally witty and funny and I more than ten times laughed out loud. I can't really talk about this book without words like brilliant and amazing coming to mind.

I found the language bit crude, but then again it fit perfectly within the book, Brandon’s father was annoying, his fiancée had him so whipped I was cringing reading it but what I did love when he reached Sweden! With all the Sweden detail like Ace of Base ( I use to be a fan when I was in fourth grade, and sang All That She Wants with my bestie to our hairbrushes on overnight stays… ummm yeah… ) The Old Town and street names to name few make me all giddy inside, considering I’ve visited Stockholm yearly since I’ve been 3 and its fun to see sort of American view of it. Not to mention a seriously fun one!

  

Yes, we scandinavian are notorious for not giving a shit if someone acts oddly, they just do not exist and aren't worth the stare or attention. ;) 

Ummm, it's very difficult and my swedish language teacher's favourite way to torture us student in the 7th grade.

This book had me in stiches! Extremely funny with a nice touch of dry humor evened out.

I’d recommend this book to people with a good sense of humor and loose attitude on what is appropriate to joke about and what is not. And if you live in Scandinavia, you will be wanting to read this!

Rating :

REVIEW - COFFEE AT LITTLE ANGELS

Author: Nadine Rose Larter
Pages: 188 pages
Publisher: Katalina Playroom
Published: May, 2011
Form: E-Book (Review Copy)
Goodreads: Link
Buy Now: @Katalina.co.za
Review copy provided by author.

Coffee at Little Angels by Nadine Rose Larter

"Phillip, Sarah, Kaitlyn, Caleb, Maxine, Grant, Melanie and Josh grew up  in a small town where they spent their high school years together as an inseparable clique. But high school has ended, and they are all living their own “grown up” lives, each under the impression that their group has basically come to an end. When Phillip dies in a hit and run accident, Kaitlyn summons the others to all come back home, forcing a reunion that no one is particularly interested in partaking in.

Coffee at Little Angels follows how each character deals with the death of a childhood friend while at the same time dealing with their own ignored demons after years of separation. Events unfold as the group tries to rekindle the friendship they once shared to honour the memory of a friend they will never see again."

A heart breakingly beautiful story of eight friends who were an inseperable group back in high school, now remember life together and each other, adjusting their current life as one of their now splintered group is killed in a hit and run accident.

Each of the eight friend’s first person narratives run through contemplating their friendships of the past, and how each one was back then and how they are now, while going through the motions of grieving the loss of their childhood friend.

Sarah's is the most heartbreaking to read, and brings tears to your eyes... you cannot help thinking about your own spouse and how their loss would affect you. The story makes you think about death and how we are individuals when processing it.

As sad as the process of the friends contemplations is, there are bright moments, memories that keep the book from being depressive, the little lights arranged in the shape of supporting characters, friends and memories bring the warmth to the story to balance the sadness, and its done so well.

The story grabs you right away and doesn't let go, you get invested in the story and the lives of these 8 high school friend grown up. It opens brilliantly with Phillip's account on the very last morning of his life.

I can't tell more of the story because you just have to experience it.

The story is beautifully written, heartbreaking and lets you take a look at your own life and your own losses, but manages to do it a way that you feel better having read it.

Beautiful story of love and loss, friendship and time. I highly recommend this, I feel privileged to have had a chance to read it.

Rating :

Started Reading : 26th of July 2011
Finished reading 30th of July 2011

Author Interview coming up Soon!