Beyond the Book: Fortuna

A merry tale of life, love and confusion in a small town.

Welcome to Beyond the Book. Today I'd like to introduce you to Fortuna, a romantic comedy that releases January 28. I'm having a FB release party on Monday Feb. 1, and I hope you can come. I'll be giving away some pretty nice prizes. For today, I thought I'd share one of my favorite scenes from the book. In this excerpt my heroine Aimee and her fiance Rocky go to a church dinner where Aimee encounters an enemy.

 Rocky joined her near the end of the table just as she took the lid off a square plastic container. He peered into the dish. “What’s that?”

Aimee took a look and saw something that reminded her of meatballs: blue, perfectly shaped meatballs. She giggled. “I don’t know. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Both of them stopped snickering when a buxom blonde wearing a tight, flowered blouse approached with a frown on her face. Aimee gasped. This was the woman from the coffee shop at the funeral home.

The woman recognized her at the same time. “You!”

“Yeah, I recognize you too.” Aimee tried to instill the proper amount of disdain in her voice.

A second, older woman who looked somewhat like the blonde wandered over to the table to see what was going on. Fortified by the newcomer’s presence, the buxom blonde gestured wildly toward the table. “What are you doing to my bean balls?”

"Bean balls?"

"Yes. You were staring at my bean balls."

Aimee giggled even though she tried not to. “I was just taking the lid off them. Honest.”

“Well, I don’t like the way you were looking at them. Don’t you know it’s better for you to eat healthy food?”

Aimee gritted her teeth, amusement gone. “I was looking at them because I had no idea what they were.”

She wondered if the blonde was about to have a stroke. Her face was that red. Actually, it matched her skirt pretty well, which, by the way, didn’t match her tight blouse. The woman gave Aimee the evil eye. “You are a hateful, mean woman. I’m sorry I ever met you. First you misrepresented yourself at the coffee shop, and now you mock my bean balls.”

“I did not!”

Without warning the blonde jerked the plastic container away from Aimee. It scooted across the table and crashed into a gelatin salad, taking a corner off its molded perfection. The blue bean balls went everywhere, rolling around the table like marbles on steroids. ”Look what you’ve done,” the blonde wailed. “Nobody will want to eat them now.”

She snatched a bean ball and hurled it at Aimee, who ducked just in time. “You missed me,” she taunted. She had no sooner finished speaking before a second bean ball flew through the air. This one caught the shoulder of her new blouse.

The blonde laughed.

Aimee grabbed a bean ball from the table and threw it at the blonde. She hit the woman right in the chest. “Help me!” the blonde shrieked. “She hit me in the heart. Where’s the sheriff?”

From the corner of her eye, Aimee saw the priest hurrying their way. She fired one final bean ball, which hit the blonde’s forehead with a beany thud.

Rocky grabbed her arm. “They’re circling the wagons. Let’s get out of here.”

Practically running, they made their escape from the church. Rocky took the precaution of locking the truck doors. He sighed. “I guess we can’t come back to this church either. Are we going to become atheists?”

“Of course not!”

Sunk in gloom, they drove back to Fortuna. The jinx was still on as far as churches were concerned.

Obviously, Aimee and Rocky have had some trouble in other churches. I hope you enjoyed the excerpt. Look for Fortuna on 1/28. I think you'll like it. By the way, this excerpt is based on a real event. 

Beyond the Book: Never Trust a Pretty Wolf

One of my favorite places for a quick, inexpensive vacation is Table Rock State Park which is located in Pickens County in upstate South Carolina. The park was built back in the 1930’s by the CCC, the Civilian Conservation Corps. The CCC was one of the programs President Franklin D. Roosevelt put into place to give jobs to unemployed workers back during the Depression. Ever since the park’s completion it has been a favorite place of Pickens County folks.

So what do we do at Table Rock? Sometimes we go camping. They have both primitive camps sites and those that accommodate RVs. The rent? Between $16-$21. If you’d rather have a rustic cabin to live in, you can do that too, but check it out well in advance. The cabins are beautiful and the cost reasonable Between $52-$181.

Like fishing or boating? Got you covered. Swimming, bird watching, hiking, geocaching, playing on the playground? Got you covered. Want a beautiful place to kick back and commune with nature? Got you covered. Need a place for a picnic? Yep, they have that too. If by chance you should check out Table Rock, be sure to go through the nature center and walk up the trail by Carrick’s Creek to see the waterfall.

Did you know that one of my Astraea Press releases Never Trust a Pretty Wolf is partially set at Table Rock? Local people will recognize it right away.

Here's a quick excerpt from Never Trust a Pretty Wolf. This scene takes place at Table Rock.

Both of them spun around when they heard the sound of something heavy crashing through the bushes. Three men incongruously dressed in khakis, pastel colored polo shirts, and nice Italian loafers charged down the hill toward them. They all had grim expressions on their faces, expressions that went well with the guns they carried.

The report of a pistol filled the afternoon as something kicked up dirt near Liesel’s feet.

“Run!” she screamed.

She took off as if all the devils in Hades pursued her, and they probably did. Veering off the path, she plunged into the woods with Andy closely following. They ran for what seemed like forever. Small branches slapped her face and pulled her hair. She turned her ankle more than once when she tripped over fallen tree limbs or stepped into holes hidden in the forest underbrush. Finally, she had to stop. The hot, boring stitch in her side couldn’t be ignored any longer. 

Never Trust a Pretty Wolf is available at http://www.amazon.com/Never-Trust-Pretty-Elaine-Cantrell-ebook/dp/B0088346GK/ref=sr_1_1_twi_kin_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1441676101&sr=8-1&keywords=never+trust+a+pretty+wolf+by+elaine+cantrell

Beyond the Book: Bringing Your Characters To Life

Bringing Your Characters to Life

If you’re an author, you hope to create memorable characters who will help your story come alive and captivate your readers.  Most authors get to know their characters inside and out before they even begin a book, but how do they reveal their characters to the reader so that the reader understands the character too? 

First, we learn about characters through their speech.  What do you learn about Fred Emerson in this excerpt from A New Dream?

“Who brought you home?” demanded her father, Fred Emerson. “Where’s your car?”

“Alternator failure. It’s in the parking lot at work. The new manager, Matt McCallum, brought me home.” Violet hugged her mother Beth and her sister Jessie who both had a big pile of beans in front of them.

“You could have called me,” her father insisted.

Violet hung her purse on the coat rack near the door. “I knew you were busy with the garden stuff, Daddy. He offered, and I didn’t see any reason to turn him down.”

Fred snapped a bean with more vigor than necessary. “McCallum acted like a gentleman, I hope. Some of those pro-ball players don’t behave too well.”

Violet frowned. “He was a perfect gentleman, Daddy.”

“Good.” Fred tossed a handful of beans into a dishpan.  “He’d better continue to be. I won’t tolerate anybody messing with my daughters. I don’t know what the world’s coming to these days.”

Right off the bat we know that Fred is an old-fashioned, maybe overly protective father.

We also learn about characters from their appearance.  What do you learn about my bad girl Stacey?  She’s also from A New Dream.

Her style hadn’t changed much since she ran out on him. She still dressed to attract attention, and judging from the expression on several nearby male faces, she hadn’t lost her touch. She was wearing a short skirt, knee boots, and a sweater that was probably half a size too small. She looked as chic, expensive, and sexy as she ever had, but the sultry, come-hither look he’d always loved didn’t do much for him now.

So, Stacey’s an extrovert, sexy, likes men, and probably uses her looks to get what she wants.  We also learn that when the going got tough, Stacey ran out on my hero.

A character’s private thoughts also tell us what he/she is like.  What do you find out about my New Dream hero Matt McCallum?  Matt was a pro-football player who lost his career when he lost a leg in an accident.

He had worked like a dog on that leg, but he still limped, and it felt like knives stabbed him with every step he took. His career was over, and he had lost almost everything he had loved and valued. Yeah, he felt drained.

Nevertheless, he always kept such dark thought to himself. God forbid he should invite anyone’s pity! He’d rather be dead first.

We see that Matt is depressed over the changes in his life.  We also see that he’s a proud man who doesn’t want anyone’s pity.

We also learn about characters from the way others see him and react to him.  In this excerpt, my New Dream hero told my heroine that he won’t leave her porch until she talks to him even though the weather is icy and bitter cold.

Dinnertime came and went, and Matt still sat on the porch.  “I’m going to take him something to eat,” Beth declared. “He has to be starving.”

Violet guessed her mother was right. Matt had once told her that the effort of walking with a prosthesis burned additional calories, but the picture of Stacey etched in her brain hardened her heart. “He isn’t your problem, Mother. Leave him alone.”

Nerves on edge, Violet started to cry, and when she did Beth tackled Fred. “Fred Emerson, you do something right now! I’m not having it on my conscience if that young man freezes to death on my front porch, especially since I believe he’s telling the truth.”

“Mother! I thought you were on my side!”

Fred pounced on her statement like a cat on a catnip mouse.  “I knew it! You’ve always liked him.”

“Well, you do something, and I mean now!”

Don’t you think it says a lot about Matt’s character that my heroine’s mother believes he’s innocent of betraying her with another woman? 

A character’s actions will reveal a lot about them too.  What do you think this excerpt says about Matt?

 Matt patted old Mrs. Watson on the arm. “I’m sorry for the confusion, ma’am.”

Bristling with indignation, the woman nodded her head.  “See to it that it doesn’t happen again.”

As she stalked away, the red-faced cashier blurted out. “I wasn’t wrong.”

“I know it, but she’s old. Make a note of the amount, and I’ll put it in the register.” He winked at the cashier who no longer looked upset.

He smiled when he turned around and saw Sam Dickson watching him. “Coffee in my office?”

“Well, we aren’t going to drink it in the produce section are we?” Sam quipped.

 He’s kind to old ladies?  This is a nice guy!  A keeper!

If you're interested in A New Dream, you can get it at http://www.amazon.com/Rest-Thy-Head-Elaine-Cantrell-ebook/dp/B00NTAXTOC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1439259054&sr=8-1&keywords=rest+thy+head

Bittersweet

BITTERSWEET

by Michele Barrow-Belilse

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BLURB:

To save the Faery world and her mother’s life, seventeen year old Lorelei sacrificed everything, and the dangerous bargains she made in Nevermore had lasting repercussions. Now safely back in her own world, Lorelei seems the same to her high school friends and her supernatural boyfriend, despite the dark magic growing within her. Love across dimensions is complicated, especially when an invisible veil between the two worlds is sealing, threatening to separate Lorelei and Adrius forever.

Determined to find a solution, Lorelei resorts to exploring her new found powers. But when her friends fall ill, and her healing touch only makes things worse, Lorelei can’t help but wonder if she's responsible.

Nightmares from the Nevermore tighten their icy hold when someone arrives determined to destroy Lorelei’s world, starting with those closest to her. Once again she’s forced to choose between her family… her friends… and a love that was ill-fated from the start.

EXCERPT: 

“Stay. Just…. Stay.” The second I said it I felt awful. What was I asking? I knew he couldn’t stay, that he needed to return to his world to stay alive in mind.

Since the night of the dance we’d carefully stayed away from discussing our little predicament. We were still at a standoff. He couldn’t live in my world without magical aids to keep him alive, because of the toxic nature of our polluted air, and I couldn’t go back to his world, because of a bunch of angry beings trying to kill me. That left us here. He would have to return to his world and refuel, to come back to mine. How long the potions lasted depended upon how much stress he was under. Physical exertion, extreme emotions all used up the reserve more quickly. Then there was the issue of his still being tied to Venus, the daughter of the ice witch I killed. A curse had caused his forced fealty to her. Killing the witch was not only supposed to save Mythlandria from her destructive wrath, it was also supposed to free Adrius of the curse that bound him to the ice witch’s commands. Who knew there was a daughter who would take over the bonds, and that she was also his ex-girlfriend.

Now she wants me dead in payment for killing her mother, and as a bonus, I’d be out of the way so she could get Adrius back in her life. That he could come here at all means the curse is weakening. I want his freedom, but at which price? Was I willing to kill for it? I’d have to end her life as well if I was going to destroy the bonds. And I wasn’t a killer. Even Octăhvia’s death was more of an accident than intended. I had no idea what awakening the magic would do, or how to wield it. This arrangement seemed like our only option, for now. And while I hated to see him leave, there was something comforting in being able to pretend that my life was normal again. As normal as it ever was. I could enjoy being back home with friends and back at school which surprisingly enough, I’d missed. It’s amazing how coming to the edge of your life multiple times will make even the most mundane routines a welcomed change.

“Think about what you’re asking me,” he said. “You know why I have to leave.”

He watched me suck in a breath of regret, as I wished I could take back my self-serving plea.

Pain creased his eyes. “Sleep soundly, Lorelei,” was all he said. He kissed the top of my head and turned to go.

The tense set of his jaw revealed the effort it took to leave. I watched him walk away, biting down on my lower lip until he reached the driveway.

“How am I supposed to sleep?” My voice was almost too quiet to be heard over the howling wind. But his hearing surpassed most mortal’s.

“Warm milk with honey works well,” he answered my whisper, his back still facing me. “It helps with the night terrors too,” he added.

“You know that’s not what I meant.” I moved closer, descending one step at a time until my bare feet hit the cold of the pavement.

Adrius froze. Electric pulses crackled between us.

“I was talking about sleeping without you. Here.”

“You’ve managed to do it before,” he said cautiously, the strain of his resolve vibrating in his voice.

“I know. But—“

This was wrong. It was selfish. How could I ask him to stay, when I know that leaving is what would keep him alive to return to me?

“I’m sorry. I’m being silly. It’s just I can’t—“

With whipcrack intensity, his resolve burned away and he rushed toward me and pulled me into his arms. His touch burned though my shirt as his hands splayed against my back, pressing us closer. He kissed me, hungrily at first, then it quickly deepened to ravenous. Matching his fervor, I tangled my fingers in his hair. Every inch of me was on fire. He gasped, his lips slowing against mine. By the time we separated, we were both breathless. He leaned his forehead against mine for a few rapid heartbeats, then pulled back. Our eyes remained locked in a palpitating stretch of silence that spoke volumes. My head swirled, and all I wanted was more of where we’d left off.

But he read my intentions. The corners of his lips quirked and he shook his head. Warm hands slid down my arms with one last caress, before he disappeared. Gone so quickly I didn’t actually see him leave. Swallowed by the darkness of the night and the forest that held the secret doorway into Mythlandria.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

BIO

A dreamer at heart, Michele Barrow-Belisle has always lived with one foot in this reality and one foot in another, one of her own imagining. So it follows that she would grow up to write about the characters from those enchanting worlds she knows and loves so well. A fan of all things romantic, her young adult novels are populated with scintillating witches, vampires and fey.  Her bestselling debut book series Fire and Ice (Faerie Song Trilogy) was optioned for a major motion picture this year. Michele resides in southern Canada with her hubby and son who indulge her never-ending obsession with reading, writing and most importantly… chocolate. 

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Website:  www.michelebarrowbelisle.com  (join my mailing list)

Blog:  www.michelebelisle.blogspot.ca

Facebook Author Page:  www.facebook.com/authormichele

Facebook Street Team page:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/396189297153826/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3059577.Michele_Barrow_Belisle

Twitter:  www.twitter.com/MicheleBelisle

Pintrest:  www.pinterest.com/micheley26

YouTube:  www.youtube.com/user/micheley26

Google+:  https://plus.google.com/u/0/110546512991850441753/posts/p/pub

Amazon Author Page:  http://www.amazon.com/Michele-Barrow-Belisle/e/B00BVRJADY

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Michelle is giving away a $10 Amazon/B&N gift certificate. Use the rafflecopter link below to enter. You can find her schedule at:  http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2015/03/book-blast-bittersweet-by-michele.html

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