Character Interviews with Eileen & Christian from Love Lines

Author Diana Nixon was here last September, February, and July to talk about her paranormal romance series, Love Lines. Today, she sent her main characters, Eileen Lillian Clark and Christian Jason Patrick Fairey, to talk to Tess.

Book Trailer

About the characters:

Eileen Lillian Clark is 18 years old. She was born on October 3rd, in a small town named Norfield that is in south-west Britain. Eileen is a first-year student of Dever University and  possesses magic and the powers of natural elements.

Christian Jason Patrick Fairey is 21 years old. He was born on December 4th in Norfield. Christian is a third-year student of Dever University and possesses the power of fire.

Tess Talks to Eileen & Christian

Welcome you all. Tell me, how did you first meet Diana Nixon?

Eileen: It happened at the end of August, when I was about to go to the University of Sheffield, but apparently Diana thought it was a very boring place for someone like me. So she sent me to Dever, a closed university for people with different special gifts. Now I realize that it was the right thing to do. How did she know about my supernatural talents? I have no idea:)

Christian: My first meeting with the author was kind of … unexpected. I couldn’t even imagine that she was able to complicate my life even more than it had been already complicated by my parents and the fate that led me to Dever. Now I can’t stop wondering about the new challenges that Diana’s preparing for us in the next books:)

Want to dish about Diana?

Eileen (giggling): You sure she won’t kill us in the next book for saying that aloud? Okay. So … there are moments when I desperately want to scream, “What the hell? Another problem? Why don’t you give us a break?” But when Diana has an idea in her head, it’s almost impossible to talk her out of it. She’s the last person to argue with:) She never gives up, so no matter how many bruises we get, she always wants us to fight more.

Christian: I can’t but agree with Eileen, the number of obstacles that Diana makes us go through is enormous. And just for the record, I didn’t enjoy freezing in Eric’s dream. Not a bit. So please, next time choose someone else to be locked up in middle of nowhere. Thanks:) By the way, did you know that when Diana was a child she adored horror movies, and now she can watch them only with the lights on?

Interesting! Tell us about your favorite scene in the series.

Eileen: Apart from all those beautiful, romantic moments that you can see in all of the Love Lines books, I liked the battle with the Dragons from Diamond Sky. It was the most spectacular episode of what we’d ever seen in the series, and so many things depended on its outcome. Our lives were at stake, and maybe it was the first time when we actually realized how much we meant to each other; how much love and friendship meant to all of us.

Christian: My favorite scene of the series was the night before the fight with the Dragons (smiling). Even though I realized that it could be the last time to see Eileen, to hold her in my embrace, I didn’t want to think about tomorrow. And the two of us managed to find some time for each other. And this is one of those things that our author never lets us enjoy for too long. It’s like when you give a candy to a kid, and then take it away a few moments later. So unfair:)

Did you have a hard time convincing your author to write any particular scenes for you?

Eileen: I never wanted Christian to be kidnapped. I couldn’t believe he disappeared at the end of Love Lines. I thought it would be impossible to get to the end of Songs of the Wind without him. That’s why I tried my best to convince Diana to write those songs that were sending messages from Christian. It was the only thing that made me wake up every day without him.

Christian: Diamond Sky was supposed to end up with Eileen and me breaking up. But I couldn’t let it happen. That’s why the moment of breaking up still exists in the book, followed by the reunion a few chapters later:)

If you could rewrite anything in your book, what would it be?

Eileen: I’d like to change Evan’s story; his life and his past. We don’t know what will happen to him in the next book, but what has already happened is really harsh.

Christian: I would gladly take away a few of Eileen’s powers (laughing). Not that I’m jealous about her gifts, but I’m really scared of losing her. And we all know how dangerous it is to posses the powers of magic along with the powers of all the natural elements.

Tell the truth. What do you think of your fellow characters?

Eileen: Hmm … it’s a hard question to answer. I like my character’s strong will. I think it’s a good quality for every person. Eileen is too stubborn sometimes, but everything she does, she does for Christian, her family and her friends. So don’t judge her too harshly:)

Christian: I think my character is a good guy:) He’s loving and caring. He knows how to surprise, and he’s ready to do anything possible and impossible to protect those he loves.

What impression do you make on people when they first meet you? How about after they've

known you for a while?

Christian: I’m sure that after reading Love Lines people will say that I’m a perfect picture of a guy to date. But I’m a Sagittarius after all, so I can be impatient and sharp. That’s why I need someone like Eileen – a girl with an attitude who’s able to stand me:)

Eileen: I think when readers get to the end of Songs of the Wind they see my character from a different point of view. Eileen Clark becomes even more determined and responsible. Sometime she does things that irritate others, but hate is the last thing of what she wants people to feel for her. 




Tell us about your best friends.

Christian: Well, Evan … he’s one hell of a friend to have:) He knows how to recognize lies; he has a very good intuition; it’s almost impossible to hide things from him. He’s sarcastic, but funny; he’s a good-natured man as well. And probably the best candidate for a companion when it comes to something really stupid to do:)

Eileen: As Christian has already mentioned Evan, who’s my friend too, I will tell you a few words about Amanda. She’s a person whose thoughts are always pronounced aloud. Sometimes I think that her mind thinks too fast, and it doesn’t have time to rephrase some of her sharp comments:) But still we like her for that. I’ve never regretted being her best friend. With a friend like Amanda, you will find a way out of every complicated situation. 



What are you most afraid of?

Eileen: There are so many things I’m afraid of, that I don’t even know what to start with. I don’t want to lose Christian, my true and only love; I’m afraid of losing control over my powers, and I can’t imagine my life without Evan. Losing him means losing a part of me. And I’m not sure if I can live with that part of me missing.

Christian: I will repeat Eileen’s words, as her fears are the reflection of mine. And if I lose her, I will lose everything.

What aspect of Diana’s writing style do you like best?

Eileen: I like the way Diana builds her stories. The twists of the plot are so unpredictable, that sometimes it’s really hard to keep calm when a new secret is being disclosed, and the truth about certain things is shocking.

Christian: My favorite part is dialogs. They are easy to read and comprehend.

Will you encourage your author to write another book in the series?

Eileen: Oh, yes:) We already know that there will be two more books about our characters. And who knows, maybe when the series is over, there will be something else to tell about our lives:)

Book 1: Love Lines

The traces of supernatural powers have always been crossing the world of human beings. Many people know about the existence of healers, mind readers, oneiromancers and wizards. But for centuries their lives have been kept secret and no one has ever heard about one special place, where those gifted people studied. Neither has Eileen Clark, whose life has never been different from the one other teenagers have. But one day everything changes. Eileen finds out that she belongs to the mysterious world of unnatural and the destiny leads her to Dever – a closed university for the people like her. Nothing will ever be the same again… New life, new friends, new enemies… But the true love will never let her down. It will help to go through everything…. #1 – Love lines The story begins with a strange dream, which has been torturing Eileen for nights. Trying to find out its hidden meaning she leans on her best friend Amanda for help. The two of them go to a fortune-teller, who predicts changes in Eileen’s life. Eileen and Amanda, whose family is one of the seven founders of Dever, go there to start new life and get education. Coming to the university Eileen meets Christian, Amanda’s brother, whom she falls in love with from the very first sight. But, as it turns out later, Christian is in love with her too. They couldn’t even imagine that many years ago their lives were bound by magical spells. But now they have to find out why…

Book 2: Songs of the Wind

Losing Christian hasn’t been easy for Eileen. But she’s not going to give up. Now she has to find a way to bring him back from the magical dream, where he was taken by Eric Lanster. Together with her friend Evan, Eileen goes to France – Meridin’s motherland, where she hopes to find out the mysteries of the dream’s magic. In a small town named Fontainbleau they meet a wizard, who turns out to know a lot of their secrets…
Determined to help Eileen, Evan agrees to complete some special dream piercing training. But he can’t even imagine what he has put himself into. The magic of dreams keeps a lot of secrets. The spells are dangerous and their consequences no one is able to predict.
Friends can become enemies….
The ones they used to call their family can become traitors….
But the ones they love will always be there to help....

Book 2.5: From Scratch

Our lives are a cascade of events that pass faster than we would like them to. Time changes everything. Our habits, our views, our circle of friends. But there is one thing that remains the same over the years.
Our memories.
Through them we cherish the most unforgettable moments of our history. And they also retain some things that can't be forgotten….
But one day you realize that yesterday should be left in the past. Because tomorrow your new life begins, and you go back to the drawing board.
A love story of Evan Murray and Tara Mackenzie.
A story that should last forever….
But no one knows when forever ends….

Book 3: Diamond Sky

A new page of the Love Lines story that will reveal new secrets and mysteries buried in the walls of Dever. Eileen, Christian and Evan need to find an old spell to protect themselves and those they love from being killed. There is only one problem – no one knows where the spell is hidden…. A mysterious student comes to Dever. A boy whose eyes are always watching. Who is he? What secrets are hidden behind his smiles? Is he a friend or an enemy?... When they thought they knew everything about the super powers they possessed, they could have never imagined that in reality they didn’t know a thing. The wind can turn into the worst hurricane they have ever seen. The water can destroy everything. The earth can swallow them alive. And the fire can burn them to ashes…. The illusions - the only thing they tried to run away from, will come back to ruin the world they live in, taking away everything they ever cherished and loved. When you think you are so close to getting what you want, think twice about your every step. Because what you think is the right thing to do may take away your life….

About the author:

Diana Nixon was born in Minsk, Belarus, where she currently lives. In 2008 she graduated from Belorussian state University. She has a Master of Law degree and speaks several foreign languages, including English, Polish and Spanish. Diana is a fantasy author, best known for her Love Lines series.

Connect with Diana:
Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter

Buy the books:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Featured Author: Dan O'Brien

Welcome to the fifth day of The Journey blog tour. It will run until August 9th and will feature excerpts and new author interviews each day. But first, here is the obligatory blurb about the novel to settle you into this strange world:

The Frozen Man. The Translucent Man. The Burning Man. The Wicker Man. The guide known only as the Crossroads, together these are the signposts and totems of the world that the being called the Lonely inhabits. Seeking out the meaning of his journey, the Lonely is a being consumed by philosophical inquiry and adventure. Filled with exotic places and age-old questions, the Journey is a book that seeks to merge the fantastical and real. Join the Lonely as he seeks out answers to his own existence and perhaps the meaning for us all. 

A few questions for the author:

Would you rather lose all of your old memories, or never be able to make new ones? 

This is a tough question. I would not want to lose old memories because they make me who I am. Though without the ability to form new memories, I would never be able to change and adapt to the world around me.

Is it possible to know the truth without challenging it first? 

In a clinical sense, yes. However, I think we learn the most about the nature of truth when we challenge rigid and unfounded ideas that drive our life. I am a strong proponent of rallying against institutional ideas to learn as much as we can about the vastness of our universe. 

Has your greatest fear ever come true? 

Not yet, and I hope it never does.

Here be an excerpt for your enjoyment:

V

The Frozen Man

The Lonely marched into the darkness that was the tundra. The cold was all around him, though he felt nothing, neither warmth nor freezing cold. A man stood alone in the field, his features obscured.

“Why have you come to the North?” called the figure.

“I seek answers. I wish to know of the Truth.”

“Then you are the Lonely. I am called the Frozen Man.”

“Tell me of the North, Frozen Man.” 

The Frozen Man was a pale silhouette defined by coal black eyes and hair. He spoke without inflection, without emotion, without feeling. “The North is a cold place, a desolate place. There is nothing here but survival. There cannot be failure, for failure is the death of the mind.”

“But how can there be success without failure?”

“There is no emotion here, no feeling. We of the North do not require emotions. Our success comes from science, not from emotions. Our accomplishments are different from all others. Ours are hollow, though we cannot see that.”

“Why are you here in the cold?”

“Cold permeates my being, my core. My body long ago ceased to possess the fire of passions, of emotions. A shell remains. This is the price I have paid to become the man I am. Though it was truly only half a life.”

The cold winds blew over the Lonely and the Frozen Man, their still forms holding strong against the elements. If there was nothing here to begin with, then against what were they truly holding strong?

“Why am I here?” called the Lonely.

“This is not your place. This place is for those who truly feel nothing. Those who have left nothing behind.”

“Then my answers cannot be found here?”

“The questions for which you seek answers can only be provided by the one who holds the keys to your creation: the Keeper of the Fates. Though he is no farther from you than you are to me.”

“I feel strange, as though I had just begun, or just ended. This place is so familiar, yet so distant. Why do I feel as I do?”

“This place is both a beginning and an end. Your presence here is a journey, one which molds you, shaping the person you will become.”

“Who am I?” spoke the Lonely. 

The winds shifted yet again, but neither entity moved. 

The world around them howled in silence, in the vast emptiness that was both nothingness and infinity. The Frozen Man’s features had shifted. His skin had grown paler, so much so that it was now azure. 

It was the color of the icy waters of frozen lands. 

“You are the Lonely,” the Frozen Man spoke. 

“What does it mean to be the Lonely?” iterated the monotone, unflinching figure of the Lonely. 

The Frozen Man’s face sluiced with icicles as if he were growing ever colder. “That is perspective. Your name here in the North would be of high status. To achieve a place where you require no solace or emotion would be a gift. True solitude would allow for incomparable logics and histories.”

The Lonely wrung his hands and looked down at the tattered rags that he wore. “Why do I not have fine clothes?”

“There is no need for such frivolities here. For in the North, it is your mind that is the greatest commodity. Why would any man place a material thing such as riches above intelligence? What can be gained by this?” returned the Frozen Man, his coal eyes watching the Lonely. 

The Lonely looked off into the distance and saw only more tundra. The landscape about him was nothing more than a never-changing white sheet splashed occasionally with peaks and valleys of a useless existence. “To base one’s life? To give meaning?” the Lonely returned quizzically. 

“Is intelligence not a grand enough reward, worthy enough pursuit?”

The Lonely shook his head, running his hands over his face. He felt for the first time that his skin was smooth, and warm. “Perhaps, but at the expense of longing and connection it may be too little of an effort for a life.”

The Frozen Man faded and then reappeared behind the Lonely. This time it stood twice the height of the smaller man. “We must all focus and commit to something. Can you think of something nobler? More important?”

The Lonely looked upon the horrific image of the giant Frozen Man. “I do not know. How can I possibly? I do not remember who I am or how I came to be here.” Then lowering his head, he mumbled. “Am I dead?”

“What is death?” echoed the Frozen Man.

The Lonely shook his head, defeated. 

“To not live? Cessation of functions?”

The wind howled across them, but the Lonely could not feel the frigid touch of the gales, nor hear its mammoth cry. “To die is then to cease brain function? Is that what you believe?”

The Lonely shrugged; the act as difficult for him as it had been for Atlas. “I do not know,” he answered.

The Frozen Man nodded, crossing his mighty arms across his chest. “Then by that definition you are dead. Your body is no longer functioning in the realm from which you have come. Here you are anew.”

“Then am I not alive?” replied the Lonely, lifting his head to meet the empty gaze of the Frozen Man. Touching his skin and pressing his palms together, he gestured. “Am I not form again? Is this not a state of being?”

“What then is life?” mocked the Frozen Man.

The Lonely kicked aimlessly at the snow beneath his feet. As he did so, he realized that he wore no boots, nor shoes. 

His feet were barren and his skin tan. 

“I have no shoes.”

The Frozen Man did not seem surprised. “If you did not have a coat, why then would you possess foot coverings?”

“Is this all a dream?” whispered the Lonely. “How can I know that I am not dreaming?”

The Frozen Man had ceased to resemble a man any longer and appeared more as an ice creature. A gargantuan mound stood where the Frozen Man had previously and only the voice emanated from the mountain of ice. “To dream is a state in which there are concurrently literal and figurative meanings.”

“This must be a dream,” repeated the Lonely. 

“A dream can be had when one is conscious or unconscious. To have a dream is to possess a wish or hope for the future to which all subsequent actions are directed. Are you asleep? Imagining this? Perhaps, but how could you tell? I would not know the answer to that question. Only you could know such a thing,” answered the Frozen Man, its voice like thunder rising from the depths. 

“I have never dreamed such a dream as this. As well, I had never wished to be bound to such a place; so by your definition this cannot be a dream,” began the Lonely slowly. “However, that is by your definition and if this were a dream, then it would be based on my definitions, my wants and beliefs.”

The mound shuddered and the Lonely turned away. 

A white glow struck out that was soon accompanied by a piercing whine that rose and rose yet again, until the mound dissipated in a storm of ice crystals. Removing his hand from his eyes, the Lonely saw that the Frozen Man had returned: where before it had been a pale man, it was now only the metallic exoskeleton of a robot. 

Pivots and rotors of steel framed the creature. 

It was now the very core of what it wished to be. 

The Lonely looked upon what the Frozen Man had become. “You do not see a difference, do you?” queried the Lonely. “In yourself, when you look upon yourself. When you see yourself now it is as it has always been?”

The Frozen Man nodded. 

“Flesh, humanity, emotion. These are devices and totems that hold no merit. We of the North require none of them. We are whole in our intelligence.”

The Lonely was not satisfied. 

“Your intelligence cannot be complete when you see only one piece of the spectrum. To believe yourself whole by adhering only to the tenants of a pure intelligence, you neglect the aspects of other forms of intelligence. There is much more than accumulated knowledge. Can you not see that in all of your perceived wisdom?”

“By shedding all human endeavors, we can understand what makes them weak, incomplete. In our objectivity we need not experience them, only witness and catalogue,” replied the Frozen Man. 

“There is not one form of intelligence greater than that of another. You speak as though the ones inferior are not worthy of your time. They are equal in the balance of things,” offered the Lonely. 

The scream was like that of a thousand voices breaking upon one another. The mountains shook, the ice split at the feet of the Lonely. “Lies.”

The Lonely stepped forward, moving away from an ever-growing crack at his bare feet. “They are not lies, but perspective, true objectivity. What you look upon as truth is little more than the subjective product of your unfair judgments.”

The Frozen Man shook violently, the pistons of its joints spewed wildly. Its face, no longer masculine or feminine, contorted horrifically. “No, what you speak of is evil. Those are lies.”

“Is it evil to speak the truth?”

The Frozen Man had begun to hunch. 

“The Truth is. It is without right and wrong, for morality is created by societal law influenced by perspective. Therefore information is neither evil nor good, but instead detrimental in the hands of those who do not understand.”

The Lonely nodded. 

“Precisely, so what I speak is simply information that is hurtful because of what you believe. That does not make it truth or lies, it simply is.”

The Frozen Man had been reduced to little more than a dwarfish version of itself. “There are no more answers for you here. Leave at once.”

The Lonely opened his mouth to reply, but he felt a force tug upon the very fiber of his being. At first in one direction and then another, until his body was being pulled in so many directions that he felt as if he was going to be torn into nothingness. The world before his eyes was at once light and darkness and he faded.

Author Bio: A psychologist, author, editor, philosopher, martial artist, and skeptic, he has published several novels and currently has many in print, including: The End of the World Playlist, Bitten, The Journey, The Ocean and the Hourglass, The Path of the Fallen, The Portent, and Cerulean Dreams. Follow him on Twitter (@AuthorDanOBrien) or visit his blog http://thedanobrienproject.blogspot.com. He recently started a consultation business. You can find more information about it here: http://www.amalgamconsulting.com/.

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Featured Author: Kathleen Irene Paterka

CLP Blog Tours brings Kathleen Irene Paterka here today. Kathleen is the author of Royal Secrets, a novel of contemporary women's fiction just published in July. She is fascinated by all things royal, and I'm happy to have her here with a guest post and an excerpt from the book. Everyone who leaves a comment on Kathleen’s tour page will be entered to win a $20 Amazon gift card! Anyone who purchases their copy of Royal Secrets before  August 12 and sends their receipt to Samantha (at) ChickLitPlus (dot) com, will get five bonus entries.

Guest Post with Kathleen Irene Paterka

I’ve been fascinated with the British royal family since I was in my teens. I was right there watching the telly (ooh, how British!) with 750 million other people on July 29, 1981 as 20 year old Lady Diana Spencer walked the aisle of St. Paul’s Cathedral on her father’s arm to where 32 yr. old Prince Charles waited at the altar.

But Charles had a secret…he was in love with another woman, his mistress Camilla, and he had no intention of giving her up. Diana discovered proof of their notorious affair two days before the royal wedding. As she later commented to friends, “My wedding day was the worst day of my life… I felt like a lamb being led to the slaughter.” No wonder. Charles and Diana had only been out together on thirteen dates before they married. Her sisters stopped her from calling everything off. “Too late… your face is on the tea towel. You can’t chicken out.” And so Diana married her prince. As the Archbishop of Canterbury said at their wedding, “Here is the stuff of which fairy tales are made.”

Unfortunately, we now know how it was a fractured fairy tale, one which ended in despair, divorce, and ultimately, Diana’s death on August 31, 1997. The world mourned its princess, and grieved along with Diana’s two young sons, Prince William (15) and Prince Harry (12). Royalty watchers the world over rejoiced on April 29, 2011, as William married his Kate at Westminster Abbey. As I write this, there is still a ‘royal baby watch’ on the way… and so the royal saga continues.

Whether you’re like me, a true royal watcher, there’s no denying that the British royal family is the ultimate when it comes to putting on a wedding. I love brides and weddings. My day job as staff writer at a real American castle which hosts numerous weddings (nearly 200 last year) feeds my fix for royalty and romance. When I began daydreaming about a plot for a new book, my love for all things royal and weddings came into play. But it wasn’t until my daughter and her husband settled in Las Vegas a few years ago that I really started thinking. Las Vegas, the wedding capital of the world. Voila! The framework for a new story was born.

About the book:

Royal Secrets was released on July 1, 2013. It’s the story of the Royal Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas, and of Lily Lavender, whose family is distantly descended from the British royal family. Immersed in the regal world of weddings and romance, Lily grew up believing in brides, grooms and happily-ever-afters. It seemed her destiny and royal birthright to someday assume a position as wedding coordinator in their family-owned wedding chapel business. But when her mother Mimi’s third marriage eventually fails, Lily’s dreams of her own happily-ever-after quickly fade. She’s no longer interested in a life of assisting brides walk down the aisle into a life of disillusionment and possible divorce. Lily turns her back on The Royal Wedding Chapel and leaves Las Vegas to fashion a life of her own. Years later, Lily—now a single mom—discovers her teenage daughter has run off to Las Vegas, lured by Mimi to help run the chapel. Determined to save her daughter from the broken dreams of Sin City and the nonsensical world of which family fairy tales are made, Lily returns to Las Vegas. But nothing prepares Lily for the royal drama which awaits her… or the sins and secrets she stumbles across that threaten to close the chapel and ruin her family forever.

Sound interesting? Read on for the Prologue…

Excerpt from Royal Secrets

Prologue

There’s a reason they call this town Sin City, my mother told me long ago when I questioned her about something I’d heard at school that day. But when I asked about the secrets part, Mimi had refused to explain. “You’re much too young to hear about such things, Lily,” she said and left it at that.

I wandered away, a confused eight-year-old, my head filled with even more questions. How could Las Vegas be full of sin and secrets when it was filled with so much sunshine? Growing up in this town, in the ornate, spacious villa behind Mimi’s Royal Wedding Chapel near the center of the Strip, I saw the glitz and glamour. It shimmered and sparkled like the beautiful brides in their wedding gowns gracing the aisles of the chapel. Peeking around the pews, I saw their glowing faces, heard the vows exchanged, witnessed the beginnings of so many happily-ever-afters.

And then I grew up.

It took a while—around the time Mimi’s third marriage, the one to Jack’s father, collapsed—for me to discover the truth. Las Vegas is full of sin and secrets. Most of them stay in Vegas, left behind to be cleaned up by maids and blackjack dealers who sweep away the debris. Others get carried home like guilty luggage, busting up marriages and businesses and causing bankruptcy.

I’m forty years old, and that naïve little girl I used to be disappeared long ago. She learned that happily ever after is merely an illusion and that sins and secrets can weigh just as heavy on your heart as our family’s heirloom tiara can weigh on your head. The dazzling crown, in the special display case behind bulletproof glass in the lobby of the Royal Wedding Chapel, gleams like the fortune it is worth. But the antique combs pinch and the diamond diadem is a burden. How my grandmother managed to keep the jewel-encrusted crown on her head when presented to the Queen is the stuff of which family legends are made. With my grandfather descended from British nobility and in distant line for the throne, the tiara is a priceless treasure, proof of our family’s heritage.

As far as I’m concerned, though, that tiara is exactly where it belongs: safely behind glass, viewed from a distance. It glitters and sparkles, but the pain isn’t worth it. Dare to wear it, as I did once, and—just like the secrets hidden in Sin City—the pain and guilt will tear you down. I’m lucky I managed to yank it off in time.

And I refuse to allow that tiara to ruin my daughter’s life the way it almost ruined mine.

Blog Tour:

July 22 – Chick Lit Plus – Review

July 23 – Chick Lit Chit Chat – Excerpt

July 24 – Amie’s Reviews – Review

July 26 – Everything Books & Authors – Q&A

July 29 – Every Free Chance Book Reviews – Review & Excerpt

July 30-  Samantha March –  Guest Post & Excerpt

July 31 – Amie’s Reviews – Review

August 1 – Forget the Housework, I’m Reading! -  Excerpt

August 5 – Chick Lit Club Connect – Guest Post

August 5 – A Blue Million Books – Guest Post, Q&A & Excerpt

August 6 – Chick Lit Goddess – Review & Q&A

August 8 – Brooke Blogs – Review & Excerpt

August 9 – Jersey Girl Book Reviews – Review, Guest Post & Excerpt

August 12 -  The Hopeless Romantics Book Blog – Review, Guest Post & Excerpt

Don't forget to leave a comment on Kathleen's tour page for a chance to win a copy of the book!

About Kathleen:

Kathleen Irene Paterka is the author of numerous women’s fiction novels which embrace universal themes of home, family life and love, including Royal Secrets and the James Bay series (Fatty Patty, Home Fires, Lotto Lucy and For I Have Sinned). Kathleen is the resident staff writer for Castle Farms, a world renowned castle listed on the National Historic Register, and co-author of the non-fiction book For The Love of a Castle, published in 2012. Having lived and studied abroad, Kathleen's educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts degree from Central Michigan University. She and her husband live in the beautiful north country of Michigan's Lower Peninsula.
 
Connect with Kathleen:
Website | ScribBLING Divas Blog | Facebook         


Buy the book:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords                   

Featured Author: Caitriona Leslie

I'm excited to have Irish author Caitriona Leslie here today to talk about her contemporary romance novel, Alice-Rose.

About the book:

The year is 2011 and the place is Ireland. Libby Finn is still shadowed by grief after the death of her husband Max. The era of the ‘Celtic Tiger’ has come to an end and the young widow has managed to survive the economic downturn better than most. However, despite seeming to possess every obvious advantage, Libby is resigned to a somewhat-less-than-rosy future, and one destined, in her opinion, to be without a great romantic love.

While many, including her best friend Jules Mahon, may think that they know what’s best for the gorgeous and talented Libby, the girl herself has other plans, and they don’t include a love story!  These plans are for a place, a childhood dream, a country estate called Alice-Rose. Nevertheless, love has a way of finding those destined to have it, especially in a place where two evenly-matched hearts find the opportunity to know each other well. Libby’s dream estate becomes more than she has bargained for when it introduces her to a passionate love interest who himself has been ‘burnt by the fire of love,’ and a match played out with earthly concerns follows a difficult path to romantic paradise. 

Interview with Caitriona Leslie

Caitriona, Alice-Rose is your first book. How long have you been writing and when did you start?
I initially thought (absentmindedly) about the possibility of writing women’s fiction about ten years ago – I love a good old-fashioned love story, but there has to be more to the story than a gallop to the end. I want to enjoy the journey along the way, and I want a book where every sentence is worth reading.

I eventually started writing about five years ago with little success, I found the demands of three young children incompatible with the task - I could never get a good run at it! When our youngest child started school in September 2010, I was then able to apply myself. I discovered that the more I wrote, the more I enjoyed it – escapism is a wonderful practise! It became less a case of “I should really sit down and try to write something” and much more a case of having to pry myself away from the laptop to make a meal before the children arrived home from school.

It's irritating how they always want to be fed, isn't it? Just kidding, of course. How did you come up with the title Alice-Rose?
I called the house and farm estate in the book ‘Alice-Rose’ – inspired by a quaint village in Ireland called Rosenallis.  The house is so central to the plot of the book that I felt I had no choice but to call it by the same name. I also liked the idea that people would presume that Alice-Rose was the name of the main character. In hindsight, I might have been trying to be too clever.

Do you have another job outside writing?
I do. I’m a medical scientist (laboratory technician), and I work two days a week in Dublin in the field of solid-organ transplantation. My colleagues and I work towards getting patients who are on the waiting list for any type of solid organ (i.e. kidney, pancreas, heart, lung or liver), transplanted.

Wow. From that, I hate to go to this inane question, but here goes: How would you describe your book in an elevator pitch?
It’s a heart-warming Irish tale that celebrates family, friendship and ultimately romantic love. The characters draw the reader into their world. ‘Alice-Rose’ delivers ‘feel-good’, includes a twist in the tale, has wide appeal, and ties up every loose end!

How did you create the plot for this book?
I followed the advice that you should write about what you know. I love old houses, cooking, gardening and DIY. I admire strong women, fair-minded men and people who make things happen. I value family, friendship and think that true love should be an attainable prize for all who seek it. Lastly, I’m Irish and I think this book has an essential ‘Irish-ness’ to it!

Do you outline, write by the seat of your pants or let your characters tell you what to write?
All of the above. Firstly, I play around with the plot in my head. It doesn’t have to be set in stone, but it must give me options in terms of developing the central story and drawing in some parallel story lines in order to add some interest to the tale. Secondly, I develop a very clear image of the central characters in my head. I have to know them intimately, know exactly how they think, before I begin. Then I write by the seat of my pants, even allowing the characters to dictate the story’s development on occasion.

Did you have any say in your cover art? 
Yes, I had total control of my cover art. I am happy enough with the result. However, in hindsight, I think it is a little too dark and quite difficult to pick out of a row of novels. Also, I now think that it suggests an old-world story instead of the contemporary romance that ‘Alice-Rose’ actually is. I’m learning as I go.

What books have you read more than once and want to read again?
Silas Marner by George Eliot.

What would your main character say about you?
I hope that Libby Finn would say that she really liked the way I ‘drew’ her and that she was proud of every aspect of her character.

Are any of your characters inspired by real people? 
Yes. Emily O’Rourke was directly inspired by my husband’s aunt, Aunt Olive. Olive is a wonderful person–warm and engaging. There are many scenes that were inspired by true life events also. For example, Libby’s run-in with her late grandaunt, a woman who ultimately does right by Libby, was inspired by an event in my own childhood…

Are you like any of your characters?
There are elements of my personality in all my characters...even the less likeable ones!

I like writing characters who do and say things I never would, as well as characters who do and say things I wish I could.  Do you have characters who fit into one of those categories?  Who, and in what category do they fall?
I’m afraid I have a terrible tendency to say exactly what I think, so I don’t really need to express myself through my characters. However, it’s wonderful to live out certain fantasies through them. For example, Libby Finn is independently wealthy and her wealth affords her wonderful options in terms of her choice of career and how she lives.

If you could be one of your characters, which one would you choose?
Libby Finn, definitely! Her mother, Sarah, comes in a close second. However, I’m probably most like Nora, Felicity Mahon’s housekeeper – frugal!  I spend money on the children, house and garden before I think of spending any on myself.

With which one of your characters would you most like to be stuck in a bookstore?
Felicity Mahon, as long as there was an endless supply of bourbon! I would supply the bourbon to Felicity, and she would supply the anecdotes!

With what five real people would you most like to be stuck in a bookstore?
My husband, our three children and the family cat … a person in her own right!

Tell us about your favourite scene in the book.
My favourite scene in the book is in Chapter 40, entitled ‘A Long Night at the Opera’.  Libby Finn (the main character) has gone on a date to the opera with a suitor when she bumps into another character and his mother. I actually can’t say too much as it would ruin the story for those who haven’t read it, but suffice it to say that Libby has a moment of realisation. I think her inner turmoil is vividly relayed with a “dry wit” that peppers the narrative throughout.

What song would you pick to go with your book?
I don’t even have to think about this question, I already know the answer!
"Beneath you’re Beautiful" - a song by British singers Labrinth and Emeli Sandé.

Who are your favourite authors?
Stephen King probably tops the list - I couldn’t get enough of his earlier writing!
Cormac McCarthy, Barbara Kingsolver, Alice Sebold, to name but a few.

You get to decide who would read your audiobook.  Who would you choose?
The book is told from two prospectives - that of Libby Finn and that of her would-be suitor, Dan Bryant. The story is set in Ireland so it would have to be Reese Witherspoon (with an Irish accent, of course!) and Pierce Brosnan as Dan, the older man…

Which author would you most like to invite to dinner and what would you fix me? I mean, him. Or her. In the event that you couldn’t make it Amy, I would invite David Walliams (children’s author). I know we (the entire family) would have a wonderful time - he always strikes me as being genuinely warm and very witty! I would cook Irish stew with mashed potatoes for the main course, followed by rhubarb crumble, custard and whipped cream - comfort food at its best!

Oh man, I'm sorry I can't make it! Where’s home for you?
I live, love, and write in rural County Longford, Ireland.

Name one thing you couldn’t live without.
My family - boring and predictable, but true! I am not attached to material things. I am somewhat of a technophobe and am a very low-maintenance woman.

If you could only keep one book, what would it be?
The Royal Horticultural Society’s Encyclopaedia of Gardening.

Would you rather work in a library or a bookstore?
Bookstore with teashop attached!

You’re given the day off, and you can do anything but write. What would you do?
Take a daytrip to Rockland, Maine.

Where would your dream office be?
Rockland, Maine!

Mine too! What’s one of your favorite quotes?
“A little help is worth a lot of pity.” (Heard from my late father-in-law, as well as many, many others! Some of which feature in Alice-Rose.)

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Hang out with my family.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Longford, Ireland (home)…but with better weather!

If you could take a trip anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Sutton, Massachusetts, to visit my eighty-six-year-old aunt.

What are you working on now?
My second novel - the story runs a few years behind, but in parallel to that of ‘Alice-Rose’. The main character is called Hildegarde Mahon (German mother, Irish father), and she is a young vet who joins the veterinary practice featured in my first novel.

Hildegarde is a wonderful character!  She is logical, musical, calm, capable and kind, and not necessarily in that order. She meets Oliver Herdsman, a young widower and father to two young boys, and she is motivated to help them…

It sounds great! Come back when it's finished and tell us about it!

About the author:

Caitriona Leslie grew up in County Westmeath, Ireland. She has a Master’s Degree in Biomedical Sciences and works part-time in the field of Solid Organ Transplantation. She lives on a farm in County Longford with her husband and their three children. Alice-Rose is her first novel.



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Featured Author: London Casey

London Casey is here today to talk about her new adult romance trilogy, The Boys of DownCrash, with book 1: The Stronger, Safer Kind, book 2: Torn to Pieces, and book 3:  Some Kind of Hell. Read on to find out about London and her trilogy.

About the book:

The Stronger, Safer Kind

(The Boys of DownCrash #1)



All Scarlett wanted to do was thank the sexy stranger who helped her push away a drunk, grabby college boy at a bar. When that stranger identifies himself as Tripp and then takes the stage as the lead singer and guitarist for rock band, DownCrash, everything in Scarlett's life begins to change.



Her best friend, Andy, confesses his love for her and leaves her with what should be an easy decision to make... yet each time she looks in Andy's eyes, she can't help but face her secret, nightmarish past.



The only thing that makes Scarlett feel better is Tripp... but Tripp isn't just a bad boy rockstar, he's hurt. He's in pain. He tries to hide his pain in a bottle, but Scarlett believes that, perhaps, their secrets can help each other.



Friendship and love is suddenly put to the test, and Scarlett is torn... Will she choose an easy, comfortable, happy life or a life clouded with mixed signals, raw emotion, and intense romance?

Interview with London Casey

How did you come up with the title The Stronger, Safer Kind?

I asked myself what the answer would be for both Tripp and Scarlett asking each other what they wanted…it just came to me.

Do you have another job outside of writing?

I am lucky enough to be a writing full-time.

How did you create the plot for this book?

I want two very emotional people to have two very dark secret pasts and make them collide. Scarlett is hidden but open, and Tripp is just plain hidden…his only sign of being worse off is when he’s drinking. I wanted them two to collide over and over until they start to understand each other and slowly find a way to help and heal each other through truth.

How do you get to know your characters?

I put myself in their shoes…which wasn’t hard. A lot of the subject matter in the book – and The Boys of DownCrash series – is stuff I’ve personally been through.

Which character did you most enjoy writing?

I love Scarlett. A lot of readers weren’t fans towards the middle and end…but she’s honest and she’s deep. I get her. lol

Are you like any of your characters?

Well, I guess I’m like them all. I’ve been there and experienced it all before. A little piece of myself is in each character in each book. Even Andy.

Tell us about your favorite scene in the book.

I love when Tripp and Scarlett get out of town and go to the edge of the lake and sleep in Tripp’s car. There’s such a sense of freedom and innocence but then it turns really *hot*…

How long is your to-be-read pile?

About 10 books. Until I go shopping this weekend!


Do you have a routine for writing?

I get up and write. That’s about it. I write until I need a break, then I stop. I usually write in heavy hour sessions… at least two four-hour sessions a day.

Where and when do you prefer to do your writing?

I write when I can, and I love to write in my office. It’s all me and the world doesn’t matter in there. Just the world I’m creating.

If you could only keep one book, what would it be?

The Giving Tree. Greatest story ever.

Your last meal would be…

Pizza. I’m simple. Yum.

Would you rather work in a library or a bookstore?

I’d work part-time in both! I’d love to read the old stuff, and I’d love to open the boxes to the new books and smell the pages… then read them.

You’re given the day off, and you can do anything but write. What would you do?

I would walk until I couldn’t anymore. Then I’d sneak and write - lol

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I love to read. Watch movies – new and old. I love trying new foods and new adventures in life.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Somewhere in the woods in a cabin…Maine? Sure. All the way across to Seattle in a wet little town? Yup. A mix of both? PERFECT.

What are you working on now?

I have a new trilogy coming out late summer. The first book is titled The Upside of Being Let Down. It’s really, REALLY good stuff.

Can't wait to hear about it! Please come back when it's ready to launch.

London's other books in the trilogy:

Torn to Pieces
(The Boys of DownCrash #2)

Trying to forget about the promises she was forced to make as a young, naive eighteen year old, Maggie creates a false persona that paints her as the girl who never says no...

However, once she lays eyes on the drummer of DownCrash, everything clicks. From his sexy lip ring to the way he stares at her from the stage, Tatum becomes everything Maggie has ever fantasized about.

When trouble catches up to her in a parking garage after a DownCrash show, and Tatum shows up out of nowhere to protect her. For the first time in years, she is intimidated by a man's kindness and sexiness, and not by his temper and jealousy. As real feelings begin to grow Maggie is faced with her past and wonders if she'll ever be able to escape the promises she once made to keep the promises she wants to make right now.

***The final book in The Boys of DownCrash trilogy!***

Some Kind of Hell (The Boys of DownCrash #3)

In the trilogy finale, shy DownCrash bassist, Logan, has his sexy eyes on Maggie's best friend, Annie. But Annie is still reeling from the way her relationship ended. She's hurt, angry, jealous, and the last thing she wants is some wannabe rockstar looking for his next hookup... although it may just be what she needs.

Logan wants more for his life. The past is living in his apartment, which forces him to spend nights in his car to avoid reliving the nightmare over and over again.

When Annie's guard comes down, tragedy strikes and their lives will be changed forever. Determined to win Annie over and help DownCrash get signed to a record deal, Logan has his work cut out for him. His gorgeous body and no-bullshit personality may just be the key to both...


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Featured Author: Ellen Mansoor Collier

Ellen Mansoor Collier was here in June to talk about her novel, Bathing Beauties, Booze and Bullets, the second book in her Jazz Age mystery series. She's back today to give us a peak at the first book, Flappers, Flasks and Foul Play, which is now available in print on Amazon or Ellen can provide signed copies if you e-mail her at: decodame@flash.net.

About the book

"Boardwalk Empire" meets "The Great Gatsby" in this soft-boiled "Jazz Age" mystery, inspired by actual events. Prohibition is in full swing in 1920s Galveston, Texas: the "Sin City of the Southwest." Jasmine Cross, a young society reporter, feels caught between two clashing cultures: the seedy speakeasy underworld and the snooty social circles she covers in the Galveston Gazette. 

During a night out with her best friend, Jazz witnesses a bar fight at the Oasis--a speakeasy secretly owned by her black-sheep half-brother, Sammy Cook. But when a big-shot banker with a hidden past collapses there and later dies, she suspects foul play. Was it an accident or murder?

Soon new Prohibition Agent James Burton raids the Oasis, threatening to shut it down if Sammy doesn't talk. Suspicious, he pursues Jazz, but she refuses to rat on Sammy. As turf wars escalate between two real-life rival gangs, Sammy is accused of murder. To find the killer, Jazz must risk her life and career, exposing the dark side of Galveston's glittering society.

Excerpt from Flappers, Flasks and Foul Play

Why in the world was Agent Burton here? Everyone stopped working to watch him make his grand entrance. People don’t usually parade around in a newsroom: They sort of shuffle or stumble or stomp—unless a story’s really hot, then they’ll run. I felt like running away too, but I stayed glued to my chair, pretending to work, my heart racing.

Burton seemed to enjoy the attention as he headed my way. He was hard to ignore: Standing before me, all six feet-plus of golden skin and hair, he towered over my desk. Looking up, I noticed the curious eyes watching us in the too-quiet newsroom. The reporters stopped typing, fingers poised over keys, hoping for a scoop. Mrs. Harper stared with unabashed interest.

“To what do I owe this disturbance?” I adjusted my cloche, acting nonchalant.

He grinned at me, then looked around the suddenly still office. “I need to ask you a few questions. Can we go somewhere private?”

“What do you want?” I put on a brave face so the newsboys wouldn’t see me sweat.

Burton scanned the hushed room. “You really want to discuss it here, out in public?”

He had a point. Did I want the whole staff listening in on my private conversation? He probably wanted to talk about Sammy, who was no one else’s business.

“Let’s go outside,” I agreed. Head down, I followed him past a leering Hank, feeling like a naughty kid going to the principal’s office.

Nathan entered the newsroom, a camera slung over his shoulder, stopping to stare at Burton. “Jazz, is everything jake?”

“Everything’s berries.” I smiled to pacify him, but I admit, I had the jitters.

“I remember him. Your boyfriend?” Burton seemed amused.

“He’s the staff photographer.” I ignored his wisecrack. “And a good friend.”

Outside, I felt safe among the throng of people and automobiles passing by in a rush. The hustle and bustle of the streets and sidewalks seemed almost comforting. I looked around for Golliwog, but she must have been making her daily rounds for scraps.

“How was lunch?” In broad daylight, Burton didn’t seem quite as menacing or intimidating. Plus a group of hard-boiled reporters peered out the newsroom, spying on us.

“Fine.” I crossed my arms, partly to cover my growling stomach. “So what brings you here?”

“Sorry to barge in that way.” He smiled, tugging on his hat. “But I had to get your attention. You wouldn’t give me the time of day the other night.”

“Can you blame me? A raid isn’t exactly the best way to meet new people.”

“I think we got off on the wrong foot.” Burton stuck his hands in his pockets, jingling some change. “Perhaps we can talk over dinner, instead of standing out here on the sidewalk?”

“Dinner?” Was he serious? “Just like that?” I snapped my fingers. “You waltz in as if you owned the place—like you did at the Oasis—and expect me to dine out with you, a total stranger, because of your badge? You’ve got a lot of nerve, mister.”

“I wouldn’t be a Prohibition agent if I didn’t.” He looked smug. “How about tonight?”

Don't miss the second book in the series:
Bathing Beauties, Booze and Bullets

It’s 1927 in Galveston, Texas—the “Sin City of the Southwest.” Jasmine (“Jazz”) Cross is an ambitious 21-year-old society reporter for the Galveston Gazette who tries to be taken seriously by the good-old-boy staff, but the editors only assign her fluffy puff pieces, like writing profiles of bathing beauties. The last thing Jazz wants to do is compare make-up tips with ditzy dames competing in the Miss Universe contest, known as the “International Pageant of Pulchritude and Bathing Girl Revue.”

She’d rather help solve the murders of young prostitutes who turn up all over town, but city officials insist on burying the stories during Splash Day festivities. After Jazz gets to know the bathing beauties, she realizes there’s a lot more to them than just pretty faces and figures. Jazz becomes suspicious when she finds out the contest is also sponsored by the Maceos, aspiring Beach Gang leaders and co-owners of the Hollywood Dinner Club, where the girls will perform before the parade and pageant.

Worse, her half-brother Sammy Cook, owner of the Oasis, a speakeasy on a rival gang’s turf, asks her to call in a favor from handsome Prohibition Agent James Burton—an impossible request that could compromise both of their jobs and budding romance. While Agent Burton gives her the cold shoulder, she fends off advances from Colin Ferris, an attractive but dangerous gangster who threatens Sammy as well as Burton. In the end, she must risk it all to save her friends from a violent killer hell-bent on revenge. Inspired by actual events.

About the author

Ellen Mansoor Collier is a Houston-based freelance magazine writer whose articles and essays have been published in several national magazines, including: Family Circle, Modern Bride, Glamour, Biography, Cosmo, Playgirl, etc. Several of her short stories have appeared in Woman's World. A flapper at heart, she’s the owner of DECODAME, specializing in Deco to retro vintage items.


Formerly she’s worked as a magazine editor, and in advertising and public relations (plus endured a hectic semester as a substitute teacher). She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Magazine Journalism. During college, she once worked as a cocktail waitress, a short-lived experience since she was clueless about cocktails. Flappers, Flasks and Foul Play is her first novel. She lives in Houston and visits Galveston whenever possible.

Connect with Ellen:
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Buy the books:
Flappers, Flasks and Foul Play: Amazon |Barnes & Noble
Bathing Beauties, Booze and Bullets: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Featured Author: Dan O'Brien

Welcome to the third day of the The End of the World Playlist blog tour. It will run until August 1st and will feature excerpts and new author interviews each day. But first, here is the obligatory blurb about the novel to settle you into this dystopian world:

The world as we knew it had ended. Deep in the mountains of the west coast, six men survived. In the town of River’s Bend, these six friends continued on with their lives as zombies inherited the Earth. As they navigated the world that had been left behind, the soundtrack of life played on.

A few questions for the author:

Do you have any favorite authors or favorite books? 

Too many to count really, but I will say that I love Hemmingway and Hugo, Heinlein and Amisov, and Neil Gaiman (who is a personal writing hero because he forewent college to pursue his dream). My favorite book all-time is tie between Lonesome Dove and Les Miserables.

What question have you always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question? 

Why should people want to read my books? The simple answer: Because I love what I do, and I do it for readers. I hope that the readers of this post will take the time to follow my blog (where you can win a Kindle Fire) and take part in my lifelong journey as a writer.

If you were writing a book about your life, what would the title be? 

It would lack a title, as I have moved in so many different directions in my life that any title would be disingenuous.

Here be an excerpt for your enjoyment:

Track 3

Behind Blue Eyes

The sun had begun to set. Darkness seeped across the grass and tree-filled horizon. Trees passed by in a flash. The engine was loud, aggressive. The stereo was cranked. 

Dan looked out the window. 

Kenny watched Dan looking out the window.

“What’s with the puss?”

“Huh?”

“The sour face, whatever,” replied Kenny, pursing his lips.

“Doesn’t matter.”

“The fuck it doesn’t.”

Dan looked away from the passing forest. His eyes were serious; his cheek muscles flexed angrily. 

“It has been five years.”

“Since what?”

“Are you daft? Since the moon landing, what the fuck do you think I’m talking about? That day. It has been five years since that day.”

Kenny’s smile disappeared.

“We all lost something that day,” continued Dan.

“Yeah.”

Dan pulled down his shirt and torso guard. 

There was a gold ring on a chain. 

He touched the outside of it gently. 

“Don’t miss the turn.”

“This is my business, man, I know this shit. You don’t even have to stress.”

Dan grunted and looked back out at the world. The road rose and then fell, changing into an S-turn. There was a dirt road to the right, and Kenny navigated the Bronco onto it with a surreal ease even at breakneck speed. A heavy sign painted in white, scrawling letters read: beware. 

The road was uneven and treacherous. 

Were it not for Kenny’s skillful driving, they would have crashed and burned. “Home sweet home, motherfucker,” he announced mirthfully. 

Bundles of barbed, rusted wire extended beyond the tree line. Littering the trees, heavy sheets of metal and car hoods were held up by thin wire, ready for decapitation. The dense forest gave way to an open field whose trees were cut down with precision. 

The building in the distance was a dark earthen color and without any windows or doors except a large retractable gate that thundered open as the Bronco approached. Floodlights were situated every five to six feet. They dare not turn them on at night as it might draw unwanted attention even though the compound would be very defensible if the situation called for it.

The Bronco rolled to a stop, the powerful engine switching off. Dan and Kenny stepped out. Dan grasped the bag and threw it over his shoulder. 

The sun began to slink just below the horizon.

“So tomorrow,” began the loveable behemoth.

“Whatever you want, man.”

“Right. Right.”

Together they moved through the door of the building into the interior. The first room was wide open with beat-up couches littered about and a few televisions that looked like remnants from the Cold War. The room’s five occupants were scattered about the room doing their own thing, except for two of them. Those two were sharing a couch in front of a television, and one of them was sitting very still, seemingly engrossed by the images on the screen. 

The one closest to the door was a thin man and shorter than Dan––certainly smaller than Kenny. With wiry brown hair and cold gray eyes, he looked with dissatisfaction at the world; Brandon was a ghost from the past. 

“Any trouble?” he asked.

“A bit, nothing unusual,” Dan replied.

Brandon grunted and moved away, sitting down in a plastic-covered chair in front of a dirty table where an assault rifle lay; its parts were carefully placed in rows. Dan’s brother Jesse sat farthest from the entrance. His long dirty blond hair was pulled into a topknot, and his glasses were composed of two separate frames melted together. His brown eyes scanned the pages of a novel carefully: Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevsky.

He was thin like Brandon, but tall like Kenny. Dan made his way toward his brother while Kenny lumbered toward the far couch where Will sat. His brown hair was mussed, though it almost looked purposeful. There was one long strand of hair that he combed over his ear.

“What up, fuck-cheese?” spoke Will as Kenny approached.

Kenny looked at him and shook his head. “You have to be the biggest waste of fucking space in the world, man. Sitting here with Starfish, smoking, and watching old shitty movies.”

“Starfish happens to understand the intricacies of attempting to find peak experiences in a post-apocalyptic world, my man. Just because you are too big and dumb to get that…”

“What the fuck ever, man.”

“Does the giant wish to argue?”

“I can’t wait to fucking punch you in the throat in your sleep.”

The previously stationary figure that sat next to Will on the couch turned. It was a zombie; more importantly, it was Starfish. 

The zombie’s mouth was wired shut like the others, but on top of that he wore a hockey mask with black sunglasses attached to the cross-stitching. His arms had been removed and dirty, slightly viscous, black garbage bags wrapped its torso. It was really a dead, armless torso that ran amok on occasion.

“Starfish contributes more than you do,” said Kenny.

“The fuck if that is true. I grow herb, my friend. We all need to find some peace in a dark world.”

“Why the fuck do you waste your time doing that when there is literally a millennia’s worth of booze sitting in that dead town we once called home?”

Will turned around, placing an arm around Starfish’s shoulder. The zombie groaned and moved its shielded head, bumping into Will’s shoulder. “See, even Starfish here finds your lack of understanding disturbing.”

Kenny smirked. “I am not sure Starfish is an accurate representation of all counties accounted for.”

“In a world that has little left, art is even more important. My skills are necessary to bring joy to those left behind.” Will then gestured toward Kenny with a dismissing hand. “Even those Neanderthals with no vision, such as yourself, can appreciate the idea of enjoying the world, even a desolate one.”

Kenny moved quickly, grabbing Will by the neck and lifting him over the couch. Will screeched and flung his legs about, scrambling up the side of Kenny’s torso. The joint he had been smoking fell to the ground and was crushed under Kenny’s boot. 

“That’s fucked, man. That’s substance abuse. All that work and your big Frankenstein foot crushes a perfectly good joint.”

Kenny threw Will back on the couch with ease and an eventful grin. “That's what you get, ya stick figure. Watch your mouth or I will throw you another beating.”

Will mumbled something unintelligible. 

“What is that, Gumby?”

“Revenge is a bitch there, Quasimodo. Just you wait and see.”

Kenny scoffed and moved deeper into the compound, beyond the first room and into the shadows of the dormitories. Dan approached a statuesque black man. He wore his hair short––nearly a buzz cut. A cut-off shirt revealed a body tempered for war. He was working over a Wing Chun dummy with fierce precision as Dan approached. 

“How are things here, Allen? Anything unusual? Any deadheads?”

Allen headed security operations, but in an unofficial manner of course. He spent most of his days and nights walking the surrounding property, checking traps and the like. “Nothing. It has been very quiet. The guys are restless though. Will especially is getting mouthy and antsy.”

Dan nodded. “Tomorrow we will all go in. We’ll take the van and the Bronco, grab supplies, and hit the chains.”

Allen smiled grimly.

“It wouldn’t hurt. What happened in town?”

“Bob got loose. Had to put some rounds in him.”

“Pharmacy Bob or Auto Store Bob?”

“Neither. Liquor Store Bob.”

“He seemed more squirrelly than the others lately. It makes sense.”

“I want to secure them all again, weigh them down and re-bolt.”

“You got it, boss,” replied Allen with a nod.

Dan stood for a moment, as if he were going to say something else. Allen looked at him expectantly. Moving past Allen, he patted him on the shoulder and raised a hand to get his brother’s attention.

“Hey bro,” began Dan somberly.

Jesse looked over the faded pages of the novel. 

“Dan.”

“Almost done?”

Jesse raised an eyebrow.

“With Dostoyevsky? I was thinking of hitting the library tomorrow to pick up something new,” continued Dan.

“Sounds like a reasonable plan.”

“You want to come along?”

“Could be productive. There are a few gems I have been thinking about tackling. Perhaps I’ll finally finish War and Peace.”

Dan smiled, though it was barely noticeable. 

“Very good.”

Jesse lowered the book and surveyed the complicated look on his brother’s face. “Is there something the matter?”

“Hmm…”

“Do you not want to talk about it?”

Dan sat down across from his brother. 

“You know how long it has been?”

“I am aware of the amount of time that has transpired.”

“Seems like we have wasted a lot of time.”

“Wasted? Wasted how?”

“I dunno. There seems like there should be more than this. Doesn’t there seem like there should be some meaning to all this?”

“Looking for answers in an impossible situation will only bring more frustration, bro.”

There was sadness in his eyes. 

“I just wonder why we bother.”

“Bother doing what exactly?”

“Simply being. Surviving. What is the point?”

Jesse placed down the book and sat forward. “I see. This is not about the time passed, but the fact that she is gone.”

Dan nodded sadly. 

“If I were a spiritual man, I would spin an endearing yarn about her looking down on you, but as we both know that is not my style. On the contrary, you carry her with you, every day in your memory,” continued Jesse.

“I am not sure the memory is enough anymore.”

“For that, I am very sorry.”

“Yeah.” Dan looked around, sniffing. His eyes were glossy. Patting his brother’s knee, he stood and looked toward the dormitories, toward his bed. “I will see you in the morning, brother. Good night.”

Jesse sat back with his book, a contemplative look on his face. “Good night, brother.”

As Dan walked away, the sounds of Will watching The Godfather rose up as he laughed and snickered about something to which only he was privy.

About the author:
A psychologist, author, editor, philosopher, martial artist, and skeptic, he has published several novels and currently has many in print, including: The End of the World Playlist, Bitten, The Journey, The Ocean and the Hourglass, The Path of the Fallen, The Portent, and Cerulean Dreams. Follow him on Twitter (@AuthorDanOBrien) or visit his blog. He recently started a consultation business. You can find more information about it here: http://www.amalgamconsulting.com/.

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End of the World Playlist (US)  

Cerulean Dreams (US) 

The Journey (US)  

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The Twins of Devonshire (US)

The End of the World Playlist (UK) 

Bitten (UK) 

Cerulean Dreams (UK)

The Journey (UK) 

The Path of the Fallen (UK) 

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