#EXCERPT and #INTERVIEW: The Unholy by Paul DeBlassie III

Publisher: Sunstone Press (October, 2013) Category: New Age Fiction/Metaphysical Thriller, Paranormal Thriller Tour Date: April & May 2015 Available in: Print & ebook, 203 Pages Winner of the 2014 International Book Award and the Pinnacle Achievement Award! A young curandera, a medicine woman, intent on uncovering the secrets of her past is forced into a life-and-death battle against an evil Archbishop. Set in the mystic land of Aztlan, "The Unholy" is a novel of destiny as healer and slayer. Native lore of dreams and visions, shape changing, and natural magic work to spin a neo-gothic web in which sadness and mystery lure the unsuspecting into a twilight realm of discovery and decision.

EXCERPT:

Claire took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and quieted her mind so she

could focus on the day’s work ahead. She noticed the unease that came with

anticipating Elizabeth’s grating voice and demanding presence, knowing it was

a signal that the work with Elizabeth would be demanding. Soon, a mild sense

of heat went up her spine to the center of her forehead, the place of the mystic

third eye, and into her hands and fingertips. Claire meditated on this feeling,

which gradually became stronger, softer, and kindled empathy, an ability to

feel what her patients felt, to understand their pain, to help them to heal. She

had learned about the mystic third eye as a young child when her mother had

taught her to respect the world of invisible realities. After her mother’s death,

Claire had continued to learn from the medicine women who had been friends

of her mother, one in particular who had assumed responsibility for her care

and instructed her well in the art of healing and natural magic.

INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR:

Background of the book: The story comes out of over thirty years of treating patients in psychotherapy who are survivors of the dark side of religion…have been used and abused and cast to the side. I’ve seen that when this happens people, those around the victim, to include family and friends, often turn a blind eye and deny what has happened. Rather than writing a self help book I decided to approach this realm of human suffering in fiction.

To tell a story moves the reader into a deep and unconscious dimension that bypasses conscious defenses, leaving us open to truths that otherwise would be blocked. So, dramatizing the dark side of religion, pulling what can be the most vile and evil, and pivoting it against an innocent and sincerely searching soul leaves the reader on edge, hopeful, but unsure as to what will happen and who in the end will survive…a truth conveyed symbolically and dramatically. To have written out a list of what to do or not to do in the midst of religious abuse might have helped some individuals, but would have left many people stone cold because there is no emotion is such guidance.

In The Unholy, the story is pure emotion, fear and rage and hope and challenge, that inspires and frightens and causes us to stay up late at night in order to finish the story. Dream and chronic nightmares plagues people who’ve gone through the horror of being abused within a religious system. It could be emotional, spiritual, physical, or sexual torment---or all of the above---a true encounter with the unholy---that people undergo during childhood or adolescence or adulthood. They become anxious, depressed, or suffer a terrible emotional breakdown. I’ve treated them, helped them, and they helped to inspire the story of The Unholy!

Where do ideas come from? Ideas come from the deep repository of the collective unconscious mind that inspires images and symbols during the fantasies of waking life and during dreams and nightmares. Mainly, it’s the nightmare stuff that bodes best for writing psychological thrillers and dark fantasy such as is in The Unholy.

When I wake up in a cold sweat with the characters of the novels threatening me (I remember when Archbishop William Anarch, sinister prelate in The Unholy tormented me for nights on end, demanding that I not write the story) that’s when I know that real inspiration is flowing and that to listen to it and follow the images and symbols that emerge from my deep, unconscious mind during sleep and during the reverie of writing the story will end up in the development of spine tingling realities that jettison both me as the writer and the reader into phantasmagoric realms that have a way of shaking up conscious mindsets and get our heads blown out in a very, very unsettling but ultimately useful way.

My writing, in other words, comes from an inner place of torment that needs to be let out so it can be set right. When mind stuff is set right inside me I can feel it by sensing a quality of being at peace, that I’ve written to the best of my ability and been true to the deep, archetypal energies swirling through my mind during the narrative. It really is a trip to listen to ideas, let them become images, and suddenly have them take over a page. It’s like the pages catch fire and everyone has come to life and things become disorderly, fraught with conflict, and danger looms.

Character creation; The stronger the character in terms of capacity for both love and rage the more compelling they are and it is in this that the true character is birthed. Love and rage are in essence the nests in which the characters are cared for and nourished and then allowed to fly free. I find that I must dip into my own capacity for primal feelings of love and rage in order to discover that aspect of myself that is like the character, has been like or felt like the character feels in the situation. It’s critical to always allow this to move the story forward and not get stuck by over thinking the character, to just hit and go into the emotional life of the character and let the character then tell me what he or she wants to express.

The rage in particular can be horrifying because of our human capacity to inflict injury on others or society. To then express this on the page leaves me feeling vulnerable yet also true to myself within this dimension of storytelling. It’s mind boggling for me to experience the rage of the character and what the character like Archbishop William Anarch in The Unholy wants to do and does to innocent human beings. Claire Sanchez, the medicine woman, on the other hand needs to find rage, a healthy aggression, that has gone awry in Anarch, and only by doing this, if she can, will she potentially be able to discover the strength to fight the powerful archbishop.   

Balancing life and writing; It’s a matter of listening to the energy coming from self, family, and friends so that nothing tips more one way than the other and the creative juices stay flowing rather than being depleted by excessive writing and are therefore constantly in a state of being replenished. I had a music teacher who once told me to practice or play up to the point that I feel bored, that the energy for it has been spent, and then to stop for the day. That’s what I do with writing. I stay with it, hit the page running each day, and go for as long and with as much intensity as I have for the scene that I’m writing. Then, I stop. And, if I don’t stop I’ll have nightmare that night that I’m being seduced and used by the muse and that such a thing could lead to utter ruination.

There are horror stories about this. Writers in the stories feel the tug to write, the muse senses that someone is taking the bait and then the writer is hooked and reeled in. So, if I let myself be hooked and reeled in then I lose my balance. There is something to being hooked and reeled of course, but the true and balanced thing of it happens when it comes from a hook and a reeling that is my own and not one that causes me to be possessed by something other than my own common sense. After all, what matters is the living of life, and living a good one to the best of one’s ability, writing only a part of that.

Praise for 'The Unholy' by Paul DeBlassie III:

"The imagery throughout is amazing and I love the writing style. The plot kept me engaged throughout and the backstory is intricate and makes you think. This is a relatively quick read but I would suggest starting when you’ve got time to invest. Because you won’t want to put it down once you pick it up!"-Shana, The Bookie Monster
"The mystical novel, ‘The Unholy’ by Paul DeBlassie III is jam packed with native folklore, dreams and magic coming from all directions, which lead to the sadness and mystery that lures Claire, the heroine of the story, into a realm of discovery. The narrative of this book is fast paced and easy to read. Claire is a strong female character, who has to not only fight against others, but also herself. There are so many components that made this novel unique, such as the setting of Aztlan, the Native American beliefs, religion, magic, and the overwhelming dark forces present. Paul DeBlassie III succeeds at telling a riveting story with an inventive narrative that carefully intertwines cultural and romantic elements into the good vs. evil fight, which pulsates throughout all the pages of the book."-Red City Review
"The theme of the novel is pretty basic, good vs. evil. But the author takes that theme, twists it around, comes up with intriguing characters who often walk the balance between right and wrong, and takes things to a whole new level. There’s action, suspense, a hint of romance, and definitely enough darkness to share around in this book. The writing style is very descriptive, almost poetic. Intruiging."- Majanka, I Heart Reading
  "A new take on the classic good versus evil, The Unholy is well written and will leave you wanting more. I was intrigued by the native lore that was used to develop the story, and also on how strong of a hold the Archbishop has on the people of the town – his fear and power is overwhelming. I really enjoyed the story and how the characters prepared for what was to come."-Tracee, Review From Here
"This is really a very good read but I have to warn you it’s really dark. It reminded me of watching a movie where it is overcast, gloomy, a bit foggy and there are crows and ravens around. Well this had all that plus a psychiatric hospital, ancient and mystical powers, a cult, and unknown forces at work. There is a sinister feeling that hangs over you as you read through this captivating story. It is really well written and so vivid, I had such a clear sense of where this all took place. The characters were very well done. The evil person is really dark and warped and creepy. As I said this is quite a dark story but it is well told and a really good read. The very first chapter draws you into this story and will keep you reading to see whether good or evil wins. I definitely recommend it."-Maggie Thom, Author of 'The Caspian Wine Series'

About Paul DeBlassie III: PAUL DeBLASSIE III, PhD, is a psychologist and writer living in his native New Mexico. A member of the Depth Psychology Alliance, the Transpersonal Psychology Association, and the International Association for Relational Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, he has for over thirty years treated survivors of the dark side of religion. Paul DeBlassie III's Website: http://www.pauldeblassieiii.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/pdeblassieiii Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theunholy.deblassie?ref=hl Google+: https://plus.google.com/102563000648646844187/posts

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Follow the Tour:

Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus Apr 1 Giveaway
Cassandra M's Place Apr 2 Review & Giveaway  
BookJunkieMom Apr 7 Excerpt, Guest Post, & Giveaway
Mallory Heart Reviews Apr 8 Review
Second Book to the Right Apr 8 Excerpt & Interview
Elizabeth McKenna Romance Author Apr 9 Interview & Excerpt
Inspire to Read Apr 10 Excerpt
  Confessions Of A Reader Apr 13 Excerpt
  Pinky's Favorite Reads Apr 14 Excerpt & Interview
Lisa's Writopia Apr 15 Guest Post
  What U Talking Bout Willis? Apr 20 Guest Post
  Books, Authors, Blogs Apr 23 Review
  Winter Reads Apr 27 Interview & Giveaway
  Happy Tails and Tales Apr 30 Interview & Giveaway
  Pam Funke's Book Reviews May 1 Review
  Life is Fairytale Will Never End May 4 Review & Interview
  Sapphyria's Book Reviews May 11 Guest Post
  Books, Books, and More Books May 14 Review & Guest Post

#INTERVIEW and #GIVEAWAY: Meritropolis by Joel Ohman

Title:  Meritropolis

Author:   Joel Ohman

Published:  September 9th, 2014

Genre:  YA Sci-Fi Dystopian

Recommended Age:  14+

Synopsis:

The year is AE3, 3 years after the Event. Within the walls of Meritropolis, 50,000 inhabitants live in fear, ruled by the brutal System that assigns each citizen a merit score that dictates whether they live or die. Those with the highest scores thrive, while those with the lowest are subject to the most unforgiving punishment–to be thrust outside the city gates, thrown to the terrifying hybrid creatures that exist beyond.

But for one High Score, conforming to the System just isn’t an option. Seventeen-year-old Charley has a brother to avenge. And nothing–not even a totalitarian military or dangerous science–is going to stop him.

Where humankind has pushed nature and morals to the extreme, Charley is amongst the chosen few tasked with exploring the boundaries, forcing him to look deep into his very being to discern right from wrong. But as he and his friends learn more about the frightening forces that threaten destruction both without and within the gates, Meritropolis reveals complexities they couldn’t possibly have bargained for…

BONUS Original Artwork – 17 original chapter illustrations that precede each of the 17 chapters: Bion (Bull-Lion), Scorpicon (Scorpion-Falcon), Chimpanzelle (Chimp-Gazelle), and more!

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Excerpt:

Meritropolis – Joel Ohman

“Courtyard”

The crowd filling the courtyard massed on either side of the girl and her captors, a slow-motion whirling river of bodies, moving them along like so much flotsam, toward Commander Orson and the gates. Charley watched intently as each person in the crowd strained to get a glimpse of the little girl.

Charley had read books about hangings in the Old Days, where crowds had traveled from miles around to see, and even cheer at, the macabre deed performed, but this was different. There was no excitement, but there was also no undercurrent of disappointment, of sadness, or even of shame; it was business as usual. Someone had been sentenced to the gates and that someone just happened to be a scared little girl.

Each person in the crowd wanted a glimpse of the girl to see how she would react, to see if they recognized her, to see the pitifully low Score on her arm, and perhaps to verify that she deserved the gates, but there was no outrage, no demand for justice. The System had ordered her to the gates, so it must be just. Charley thought about Sven’s statement: “I’m sure it gets easier” and considered that, maybe, if you see something often enough and put up with it for long enough, even the most horrendous deed can become part of your daily life. Maybe you just stop caring.

Was this how the crowd had reacted when Alec was put outside of the gates? Charley wondered. As the younger sibling of Alec, only eight, and presumably unable to take in what was happening, Charley had been confined underground during Alec’s gate ceremony—they had simply replaced Alec by assigning someone new to sleep in his bed that exact night. Had some of the very same people around him now looked at Alec with the same sick feeling in their stomachs that Charley now felt? Had they remained silent, swallowing their shouts, averting their eyes, and now, after many such acts of cowardice, they no longer even cared? Bile rose in Charley’s throat. He wanted—he needed—to care, to hate those who had taken Alec from him. It was all he had.

Charley watched the gloved hands of the guards on either side of the girl squeeze her pale, stick-like upper arms, roughly pressing her forward, just a few short steps in front of Charley. She faltered, stumbling as the toe of her slippered foot caught on the edge of a cobblestone, bending her foot back and causing her to let out a sharp cry of pain. One of the guards on the outer edge, a redheaded Blue Coat with a bristly goatee and arms knotted with thick cords of muscle, gave a muffled curse and dropped back behind her, harshly shoving her onward.

Her cry ignited some primal part of Charley’s brain: pure emotion, cause and effect. Synapses fired, rage blossomed. To act was to live, as natural a part of living as breathing. There was no fight or flight, only fight.

In an instant, Charley launched himself at the guards, eyes glazing over, an answering cry rising unbidden from his lips. His limbs pistoning as if controlled by an unseen puppet master; marionetting in time to the inner drum beat of angry energy. There was no plan, no strategy, no thinking ahead to plot out actions and counteractions. There was only the ever-present NOW. 

About the Author:

Joel Ohman is the author of Meritropolis–“The Hunger Games meets The Village with a young Jack Reacher as a protagonist”. He lives in Tampa, FL with his wife Angela and their three kids. His writing companion is Caesar, a slightly overweight Bull Mastiff who loves to eat the tops off of strawberries.

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Interview with Joel Ohman

What projects are you currently working on—both in your writing and otherwise?

The next writing project is book #2 for Meritropolis. Other than that, I own a number of different businesses, so we always have new and interesting projects in various stages of development. One fun project is our workout website/iOS App/Android App: WeightTraining.com.

What is the most surprising thing you learned while writing?

One of the most important things I learned is maybe not all that surprising, but definitely important—the value of an editor. I worked with 3 different editors while writing Meritropolis. Each of them provided extremely valuable feedback and advice that was instrumental at various stages of the book writing process. The book that is available for purchase now is a much better book than it would have been without the expertise of my editorial team.

Do you have a preference for how you get your writing done (typewriter, longhand, computer, dictation, etc.)?

I wrote most of Meritropolis on my MacBook Air, and then I upgraded to a MacBook Pro with Retina display, and I love it.

Do you plot your books? Or, do you just sit down and write what comes to you?

I sketch out a very rough outline, and then I just start writing. Things often deviate, sometimes wildly, from the outline, and I think that usually ends up being a good thing. I do however try to follow a little bit of John Truby's method from his book, The Anatomy of Story.

Are there any books that have inspired your own writing?

I read A LOT so there are many different things that have shaped my writing over the years, but I wouldn't say there was any particular book, or books, that I was consciously looking to for inspiration while writing Meritropolis. Looking back though I can definitely see different threads of influence in almost everything I have read over the years that contribute toward making Meritropolis what it is: the strong protagonist of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher series, the philosophical bent of C.S. Lewis’ fiction, the dystopian setting of Hugh Howey’s WOOL series, and many more.

Any advice for aspiring authors?

Take the first step! Just do a little at a time. If you decide writing is important to you then make time for it, be consistent, and read a lot.

Do you have any books that you would recommend to aspiring authors?

Here are some books that I highly recommend for all authors to check out:

Wordsmithy - Douglas Wilson

Bird by Bird - Anne Lamott

On Writing - Stephen King

The Anatomy of Story - John Truby

The Fire in Fiction - Donald Maas

Giveaway Details:

There is a tour wide giveaway. Prizes include the following:

• $50 Amazon gift card (INT)
• 3 x Stuffed Animals (US) 

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#INTERVIEW and #GIVEAWAY: Harbinger by Lee French and Erik Kort #HarbingerTour

Title: Harbinger

Series: The Greatest Sin #2

Author: Lee French and Erik Kort

Publication Date: October 2014

Genre: Fantasy

Synopsis

Adjusting to her new life as a soul-bound agent of the Fallen has Chavali pushing herself harder than ever before. Between learning to fight, dealing with idiots, and climbing stairs - lots of stairs - she has little time to waste on thoughts of the future. Or the past.

When another agent fails to report in, Chavali is sent on the mission to discover her fate. Ready or not, she saddles up for a new adventure with new dangers.

The search takes her to Ket, a coastal city slathered in mystery. There, she faces ghosts from her past and demons of her future as she seeks answers. All she seems to find are more questions.

Plague, murder, lies, espionage...this city harbors much more than meets the eye, and maybe too much to handle.

Buy Links

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Author Bio

Lee French lives in Olympia, WA with two kids, two bicycles, and too much stuff. She is an avid gamer and active member of the Myth-Weavers online RPG community, where she is known for her fondness for Angry Ninja Squirrels of Doom. In addition to spending much time there, she also trains year-round for the one-week of glorious madness that is RAGBRAI, has a nice flower garden with one dragon and absolutely no lawn gnomes, and tries in vain every year to grow vegetables that don't get devoured by neighborhood wildlife.

Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads  |  Pinterest

Erik Kort abides in the glorious Pacific Northwest, otherwise known as Mirkwood-Without-The-Giant-Spiders. Though the spiders often grow too numerous for his comfort. He is defended from all eight-legged threats by his brave and overly tolerant wife, and is mocked by his obligatory writer’s cat. When not writing, Erik comforts the elderly, guides youths through vast wildernesses, and smuggles more books into his library of increasingly alarming size.

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INTERVIEW:

1. Tell us about the thought process behind your book and what caused you to sit down and write it.

The Greatest Sin series was originally birthed as a Dungeons & Dragons game played on an online message board (thus, a written medium). Erik ran the game, and I played a character in it. That character happened to be Chavali. For a variety of reasons, the game folded without ending, and both of us had individually invested a lot of time and effort into it. After I published my first book, thus embarking on the Author adventure, I suggested the idea of turning the game into books in a half-joking manner, and it turned out to be something Erik had been considering, too.

2 What is the strangest habit of yours?

None of my habits are strange. I swear. Really. Does talking to myself count, though?

3. What is your favorite book to read?

I have a remarkable memory, in that it's highly selective for what it deems worthy of retaining and providing for access. For the vast majority of books, I read them, and whether I enjoy it or not, I remember very little about it in as little as six months. It's magic! The one single book that I have read the most times, so far as I know, is Charlotte's Web by E.B. White. I adored the book as a child and would read it over and over and over. The second book after that would be a compiled edition of the Last Herald-Mage trilogy by Mercedes Lackey, which I'd say is my favorite 'adult' book.

4. Describe your favorite place to read.

Anywhere comfortable and of appropriate temperature.

5. Describe your favorite place to write.

I prefer to write in a beanbag chair next to a coffee table (for mousing and beverage holding), with a blanket handy for when it's cold, and bins of assorted stuff nearby. I'm also learning to love a treadmill desk.

6. Do you have any pets?

We have a mouse. Her name is Mouse. She's not terribly sociable, much like me. In my lifetime, I have kept (deep breath): hamsters, snakes, lizards, guinea pigs, tropical fish, goldfish, bettas (also fish), cats, dogs, parakeets, and mice. Much as I like cats, I'm happiest with pets that require minimal care, can be left alone for a week if needed, and are easy to clean up after. That's why I have a mouse now.

7. What is the best thing you have done in your life?

Crushed my enemies, seen them driven before me, and heard the lamentations of their women. Forty-two times.

8. List five adjectives to describe yourself.

Sarcastic, geeky, anxious (in terms of stagefright only), distractible, squirrel!

9. Who is your favorite superhero and why?

I'm conflicted between Nightcrawler and his BAMF!, and Deadpool. Both are awesome. Teleportation is my most favorite superpower, and Deadpool is hilarious.

Giveaway: There is a giveaway for this tour. $15 Amazon or B&N giftcard or credit toward the Book Depository. Ends 12/26. 

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#INTERVIEW and #GIVEAWAY: How to be Manly by Maureen O'Leary Wanket

When Fatty Matty Sullivan finds a self-help book by former football great Tad Manly at a yard sale, he secretly starts following the old pro’s advice to get in shape and get the girl. Summer goals: lose the milkshake weight, join the football team, and turn himself into the kind of guy super hot Cassie Bale will love. But between taking care of his grandfather, trying to pass remedial Algebra, and getting caught up in his friend Jester’s half-baked weed-dealing schemes, Matty’s summer isn’t quite the game-changer he’d planned. When on top of it all his dad moves back in with his own plans to get rich quick, Matty suddenly has much bigger things to worry about than football and whether or not Cassie’s going to call him back. And it turns out that there might be more to being manly than he thought. Maureen O’Leary Wanket’s debut is a sharp, comic novel about trying to do the right thing… even when you’re not sure what that is.

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Put How To Be Manly on your TBR list  

Meet the Author:

Maureen O’Leary Wanket is a writer and teacher living in Sacramento, California with her husband and two daughters. How To Be Manly is inspired by the humor and courage of the students she’s met in her classrooms over the past twenty years. She loves high school football, but only when she happens to teach at least half of the players on the field. Her short stories have appeared in Esopus, Xenith, Fiction at Work, Blood and Thunder, Musings on the Art of Medicine and Prick of the Spindle. Maureen writes articles about issues in education for local and national publications. She also muses about inspirations for a writer’s life in Friday Free Topic at http://maureenoleary.wordpress.com. How To Be Manly is her first novel. Find Maureen on: Twitter | Blog | Goodreads

INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR:

Tell us about the thought process behind your book and what caused you to sit down and write it

The year I wrote How to Be Manly, I was teaching full time in a high school where most of my students were struggling to survive some pretty serious life issues.  I became a fan of the football team because so many of my students were players. They opened my eyes to how brave young people can be, especially in adversity.  

How to Be Manly is in many ways a Recession-era novel.  As a school teacher over two decades, I’ve seen the way young people’s lives and perspectives have changed in hard economic times. I’ve seen many of my students think first of their families before themselves, which is what Matty in How to Be Manly does.  The character of Matty Sullivan isn’t based on one boy, but is a reflection of the courage and capacity for positive change I see in so many boys and girls.  

How to Be Manly is inspired by my students and their coaches.  I had to do something with the admiration I was feeling for the students and adults I was working with at that time. The real world can be a terrifying place for our kids. I wanted to tell the truth of that but to also tell the truth of the resilience and good intentions of the young people trying to navigate it all.  

What is the strangest habit of yours?

My strangest writing habit is that I am addicted to notebooks.  I have a different notebook for every function of my life.  It’s a huge pile.  I have one for new ideas, one for each novel, one for my fitness journal, one for my life goals and dreams, another one for my very serious life goals and dreams, one for my feelings, and one for my speeches. I have a notebook for my graduate school work, one for marketing work, one for submissions. I go through a lot of paper.

I showed my huge pile of notebooks to my writing class this past summer. I was proud of all of my notebooks. It was a great show and tell for me. It got real quiet.  Then one of my students just said what everyone was thinking.  “I think there is something wrong with you,” he said.

If having ten notebooks going at once is wrong, then I don’t want to be right.

What is your favorite book to read?

Don’t even get me started. My favorite books of all time are Sula by Toni Morrison and One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I read those for the first time at seventeen and they changed everything about how I saw the world and myself in it. Raymond Carver’s stories were an important early influence for me as well.

I also love White Oleander and Paint it Black by Janet Fitch, Speed of Light by Elizabeth Rosner, The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh, Rule of the Bone by Russell Banks, and The Shipping News by Annie Proulx.  I reread those regularly.

For evoking the male voice and experience devoid of sentimentality, I’m a big fan of Jodi Angel’s stories right now.  Steph Post is another one, with A Tree Born Crooked.  I crave real stories about real people and real voices telling them.

On the YA tip, Francesca Lia Block, Melissa Marr, Carrie Ryan, and a new author named Tricia Stirling are some favorites. I’ve also been enjoying indie press YA authors such as T.C. Mckee and Valentina Cano. There are some seriously cool stories getting told in the indie scene these days.  Unusual stories, with wicked and sharp voices.  It’s a cool moment in publishing.

Describe your favorite place to read.

I like reading with my students.  Communal silent reading is my idea of a good time.

Describe your favorite place to write.

I write at home.  I tried writing in a fancy coffee shop but it made me feel self-conscious. I couldn’t stop thinking, here I am, writing in this fancy coffee shop.  Then I worried about how much the fancy coffee cost me. Then I was distracted by the fancy pastries.  

It’s better just to be home, plugging away where nothing is fancy.

Do you have any pets?

I have a cat named Tiger who was born of a feral mother in our backyard.  He’s kind of a narcissist.  Then there are our three chickens: Sunny, Bandit, and Chicken Jane.

Matty’s neighbor’s dog Dirty Harry was inspired by my dog Zeus.  Zeus was my first dog ever, and he died last May.  Zeus was a great dog.  He was fiercely protective of my daughters and me.  I loved him. I’m still kind of mad that he died.  For some reason I really thought he was one of those magical never-dying dogs. Well, spoiler alert, he wasn’t.

Zeus was loyal and protective and cool, just like Dirty Harry is in How to Be Manly. I even mentioned Zeus in the acknowledgments.  He was that awesome.

What is the best thing you have done in your life?

With my husband, I have helped raise two good daughters.  We always put their needs before our own and that approach has worked beautifully for our family. Co-creating a loving and supporting family is the proudest accomplishment of my whole life.

List five adjectives to describe yourself.

Swanky

Vibrant

Bubbly

Witchy

Bold

I just threw the assignment out to my students, and those were the words they said.

Who is your favorite superhero and why?

Aquaman.  Because damn.  He looks good. Also, I like that telepathy thing he does with the animals.  Cool trick.

It's okay Maureen, if you're crazy for having notebooks, I'm right up there with you....I love a brand new notebook!

---

The author is giving away a $15 Amazon Gift Card and a paperback. Fill out the form below to enter a Rafflecopter giveaway

#Readers For #Retts Awareness: Meet Amanda and her family!

***Thank you so much for letting us take over your blog today for Readers for Rett's Awareness! Before we get started, to all your wonderful readers.
 Our Event, Readers for Rett's Awareness, is being held on Facebook here.

We have three wonderful girls and their families who were able to take the time out of their crazy schedules to let us take a peek into their lives. We also have some wonderful sponsors who have donated awesome prizes for each of the girls to give away AND a grand prize. The contests will be open until Sunday, October 6th at midnight, so please feel free to come join us! Meet the girls, learn about Retts, and have some fun at the same time!***

Hi! My name's Aimee.  My friend, Rae, and I wanted to help spread awareness about Rett's Syndrome and introduce people to girls and their families who live with it every day. (To find out more about Rett's Syndrome click here and check out our event.) Please also understand that because of the debilitating effects of Retts the girls are unable to answer directly for themselves. So their family has been kind enough to answer for them. 

I'd like to introduce Amanda and her family!

Ronna what is a typical day like for your family and Amanda?

A typical day lately has been hospital stays. But, since we have been home, it is waking up, singing with her fav tv shows, tickling game and playing kissy with her Big Time Rush pillow. Also changing her, getting her dressed (not an easy task with her limbs being so tight), getting her up in her chair (again not easy because of her body being so tight), setting up her feeding pump and hooking her up for the day (24/7 but bag that is changed each morning). When I push her out to the living room I end up doing her hair while she watches tv and try styling it all while she moves around like crazy. We sing, play and watch tv, We take some time out several times a day to work with her and her MyTobii communication device. She plays games on it, tells me what she would like to do sometimes and keeps turning it off. Once we are worn out from daily activities, we either do a bed and bath or shower, which is very difficult without a hoyer lift. Then we get her dressed, hair brushed and back in bed, and hooked back up to her feeds. Then we go to bed. 

If there was one thing that you really wish you could tell people about Amanda or about your family and how Retts effects our family, or just about your family in general what would it be?

Amanda was a quiet baby. But as she grew, she started doing thing quite early.  Such as: sitting up on her own, rolling over, and even speaking 2-3 word sentences.  When she was 14 months old she had her first seizure.  She also stopped talking and regressed back to babbling and cooing. At the time she was merely diagnosed with Autism and CP, however almost two years later doctors realized she had been misdiagnosed and returned with a diagnosis of Retts Syndrome.  At this point she began a multitude of tests and got her first wheelchair. All before turning 4.

Over the next ten years she went through multiple surgeries and almost died twice during them. She also had a bought of Pneumonia that almost took her life in 2008. However she also got three siblings and even graduated high school. She was finally able to get a MyTobii and using it is now able to express herself.  Through it all she has remained positive and loving.

What is Amanda's service dog's name? What breed of dog is she? How does she help Amanda?

Amanda's service dog's name is Violette. She is an American Cocker Spaniel and really is still in training. I have been training her since we got her at 3 months old. She helps to let me know when Amanda is in distress. (Her doing this since last year was a big surprise, and I hadn't trained her for that). She helps Amanda by being her bff. She calms her by being around her. Since she finally is home, Violette has actually settled Amanda's anxiety down. The anxiety was something new to us because of her thyroid. When she starts having an anxiety fit, her dog comes close to her and she literally calms down a little. Hard to explain unless you see it. Lol.  Violette will be 4 years old in November.

I know sometimes people are unsure of what it is ok to say or ask when they meet Amanda, or other children with Retts or other disabilities in public. How would you prefer people to react? Is there anything you wish they would ask? Anything you wish they wouldn't?

I am quite open to any question, and prefer people to just ask rather than stand back and stare or just sit and wonder.

Thank you so much Ronna and Amanda  for answering all my questions and letting us get a look into your lives. To get to know more about Amanda and her family come stop by the event and say hi!