Posts Tagged ‘debut novel’
WHAT MAKES A FAMILY?
A family need not be a mother, father, sister, brother. Thankfully, we live in a diverse world. Today, in any random-neighborhood, suburban street, or city block, a single mother with three children, might live next to a couple who, married for the second time, blended their families like The Brady Bunch. Across the street might live two, happily-married, gay men with their four-year-old, adopted daughter. Three houses down, a dual-income husband and wife have been married for years but struggle with infertility.
As the infertile couple works with a doctor, they are likely to investigate the myriad of options available for them to start a family. They might look into domestic and international adoption, they could try artificial insemination, or more invasive procedures, like in vitro fertilization. If the husband learns he has problems with sperm morphology or mobility, they might look into obtaining donor sperm. If the wife’s eggs are not viable, they might consider donor eggs. They might even begin to investigate opportunities to obtain donor embryos.
If successful, either in adopting or giving birth using assisted reproductive technologies, the infertile couple may raise a child not biologically-related to one or both of them. Back to my initial question: What makes a family? Certainly, biological relation does bind some to their families. However, it need not be a factor. To me, it doesn’t matter how the family came to be, unconditional love, support, a sense of belonging are the hallmarks of family.
What’s striking about my novel, Double Out and Back is that it explores from a literary perspective, some of the social issues faced by a generation that has more options than ever when it comes to starting a family. What fascinates me is that when it comes right down to it, even with the technological advancements in reproduction and healthcare, families still must rely on one another to thrive.
Special note: I love the new show Modern Family! I think the photo of the fantastic cast perfectly illustrated this article!
Best to you!
Lisa Lipkind Leibow
Author of Smart Women’s Fiction
www.LLLeibow.com
THE SMELL OF LOVE AND OTHER EMOTIONS
Smells can bring back a flood of memories, or elicit a visceral reaction based on a traumatic experience. It’s funny, I grew up among a generation of grandparents who smoked like chimneys. I live my adult life as a member of a “non-smoking” community. Those friends that do light up, tend to do it on their own time, since restaurants, office buildings, and other public buildings no longer allow smoking. So, while I’m not that fond of the smell of cigarette smoke, I savor the memories of my grandparents and great aunts and uncles that it conjures on the rare occasions I smell it. I built on this emotion to help show Amelia’s longing for her parents in Double Out and Back. Here’s an excerpt.
Her daddy and Mr. Knudson would sit on the stoop together. Mr. Knudson would smoke Marlboros and her daddy would smoke his pipe. He’d switched from cigarettes to pipes when the Surgeon General confirmed that cigarette smoking was harmful to your health. But while Amelia found the aroma of cherry pipe tobacco intoxicating, it did nothing to prevent lung cancer from riddling her daddy’s body and killing him. That notwithstanding, Amelia‘s memories of him with Mr. Knudson survived as times when her daddy acted the most relaxed and happy.
He used to sit on the porch wearing pants from his electrician’s uniform and a sleeveless undershirt with a small tuft of chest hair peeking above the neckline. His bangs were swept back with a little “tonic,” as he called it. His broad mouth held teeth clenched around the mouthpiece of his favorite pipe. Carved out of ivory, the pipe’s bowl, shaped like an eagle’s head, looked as if it were singing an aria, with the hooked beak slightly opened and eyes wide.
As he visited with Mr. Knudson, he would effortlessly use his thumb to pack tobacco into the pipe. Then he‘d strike a match against the brick steps and hold the lit match to the ivory eagle’s hollow skull, now packed with cherry tobacco. As he’d puffed on the mouthpiece a few times, the flame had danced, growing larger, then smaller again with each inhale and exhale. The tobacco began to glow as it caught the flame. Then that delicious fragrance of cherry tobacco would drift through the air – her daddy’s scent, warm and inviting.
Amelia lit cherry tobacco as incense in her home to evoke her daddy’s aroma on days when she missed him most, but it was just not the same. The cherry tobacco alone did not do the trick. It must have needed to be mixed with the scent of the honey-roasted peanuts he ate, and the perfume of his prize-winning peonies in the garden, and the Old Spice cologne he slapped on his face after each morning‘s shave, and the Mr. Bubble brand bubble-bath soap he secretly borrowed from her, and him…and him…and him.…That warm, home, Daddy smell only survived as an olfactory memory. She wished she could have bottled it.
Excerpt Double Out and Back by Lisa Lipkind Leibow
What aromas have you encountered that brought back welcomed memories? What stenches might you imagine in a story that could bring back a dreaded memory for a character? Share some ideas, here – fact or fiction.
Best to you,
Lisa Lipkind Leibow
Author of Smart Women’s Fictionhttp://www.LLLeibow.com
IF I SHOW YOU MINE, WILL YOU SHOW ME YOURS?
New Year’s Resolutions
It’s that time of year, again. I’m taking stock of my accomplishments. 2009 was a great year, filled with milestones in my writing life. My short story, Lessons from a Squirrel appeared in the Pisgah Review, and my debut novel is out from Red Rose Publishing. I completed my second novel and I’m currently seeking agent representation. I’m busy revising a middle grade high fantasy that I wrote in between my more serious projects as an escape – it’s pure fun! And I have started to put pen to paper on a new, adult novel that has been percolating in my imagination for a few years.
In 2009, I started this blog, and my group blog: The Roses of Prose, launched a website, found a community of writers and readers on various yahoo and ning groups, Goodreads, Twitter, Facebook, and more. But I feel as if I have only climbed an inch up the learning curve when it comes to book promotion.
It should come as no surprise that along with taking stock in past accomplishments, the New Year prompts me to set new goals. I’m going to share my New Year’s Resolutions with you—both writing-related and personal. As 2010 progresses, I’ll check in on Fodder for Fiction to share my progress.
Resolutions 2010:
1. Revamp Author Website
2. Punch-up Blog Lisa Leibow’s Fodder for Fiction and plan programming for the year
3. Finish my Fictional Slave Narrative by June and have it ready for a critique group.
4. Finish the rewrite of my middle grade high-fantasy by incorporating feedback from my new critique group.
5. Actively seek agent representation and a publishing home for my completed second novel.
6. Write four short stories
7. Donate blood at least 6 times
8. Exercise at least three times per week
9. Read at least 50 books (i.e. read all of the books I have purchased and are in my to-read pile)
I hope that my goals inspire you to set some of your own. Comment and leave your resolutions here, too. We can encourage one another on throughout the year. Wish me luck!
Best to you,
Lisa Lipkind Leibow
Author of Smart Women’s Fiction
http://www.llleibow.com/
SPECIAL GUEST: AUTHOR LAURA BRECK!
I am pleased to welcome to Fodder for Fiction, the very talented Laura Breck, author of Secret Vegas Lives!
BIO:
One of the primary goals of my writing is to give readers a world into which they can escape the stress of life. And a fun read for lounging on the beach or cuddling up with a blanket and a cup of tea. ~Smart Women ~Sexy Men ~Seductive Romance.
Another goal is to make a difference in the world. That is why each of my books will sponsor a community program, and a percentage of my proceeds will be donated to that organization.
I’ve contracted two books with Red Rose Publishing, and the first, Secret Vegas Lives, is currently available. The second book, Scandalous L.A. Desires is scheduled for a 2010 release.
I live in Saint Paul, Minnesota with my family, and although I work a full-time job as a financial analyst for a professional sports team, I write every evening and weekend.
I hope to be a full-time writer one day soon, and I take classes in every aspect of writing, marketing, and publishing. I’m a member of Romance Writers of America, Midwest Fiction Writers, Wisconsin Romance Writers of America, ESPAN, and Elements of RWA.
BLURB:
Mistaken for a blackmailer, socialite Valerie Kane will do anything to keep sexy Italian crime writer Antonio Daniato from publicly exposing her, and Antonio is wickedly intent on seeing how far Valerie will go to protect her reputation.
Bestselling author Antonio Daniato sets a trap to capture his blackmailers, and is surprised when well-known psychologist Valerie Kane stumbles into his arms. She swears she’s not involved, but he threatens to expose her unless she reveals her accomplice. When she bares her soul to prove her innocence, Antonio is fascinated by her honesty, but shaken by the intensity of his desire for her.
Surrendering to temptation, Valerie defies her family’s wishes and risks her reputation to let hot blooded, enigmatic Antonio into her life. But she uncovers evidence that he’s staging the blackmail scenes as research for his next book – and casting her as the blackmailer. When she confronts him, it’s his turn to convince her of his innocence.
Their outrageous sexual attraction keeps them in each other’s arms, but mutual distrust prevents them from admitting their deeper emotions. When the true blackmailer threatens to reveal Antonio’s double life, Antonio yields to his guilt and chooses to let Valerie go. But Valerie discovers his secret, and will fight for Antonio against an addiction whose hold on him may be stronger than their love
POST:
Hey, That’s A Great Idea!
Real life situations play a crucial role in my fictional writing. The idea for Secret Vegas Lives, my first published novel, came from a friend at a Vegas bachelorette party. “You should write a book about this,” she said. Heading home on the plane, I outlined the plot.
The story revolves around our hero’s life, and especially his secret. I love Antonio Daniato because he’s such a flawed, egocentric character. He’s a wealthy crime novelist who knows he’s a bad boy, and doesn’t care to change. He’s happy with his one-nighters and his decadent thrill addiction. Until he meets Valerie, and sees what he’s been missing.
My heroine, Dr. Valerie Kane, is an eminent psychologist who is at the wrong place at the right time, and is mistaken for a blackmailer by Antonio. Besides working as a psychologist, Valerie also volunteers at a shelter. I added this element to my heroine’s life because I’ve partnered with The Shade Tree Shelter of Las Vegas, and I donate a portion of the proceeds of Secret Vegas Lives to them.
The Shade Tree is a wonderful shelter for women, children, and their pets. So many women in abusive situations will not leave their pets behind, and they remain at home, endangering themselves and their children. Domestic shelters around the world should take note of The Shade Tree’s success. When I envision a child uprooted from their home seeking comfort from their pet, it makes me a little weepy. Read more about the shelter on my website.
Here is a spicy scene from Secret Vegas Lives that I hope you’ll enjoy. Antonio took her hand and rubbed circles on her palm, looking at her with those beautiful brown eyes. “It will be good, Valerie. We will be fabulous together. Say yes, baby, and I’ll have you moaning for hours.”
She was lost in his gaze, could barely draw a breath. Her womb tingled with anticipation, her mind befuddled by the image of her lying under him. Moaning for hours.
She had to snap out of it. She raised an eyebrow. “Does that line really work?”
He released her hand. “None of my lines work on you, do they?”
She sighed. Did he honestly have no idea that his smoky glances and wicked suggestions turned every inch of her body into a tingling time bomb?
“Not really,” she lied and steered the conversation to the blackmailer.
They compared his and Betina’s lists of suspects and came up with possible scenarios. For the next hour, Valerie didn’t notice the waiter frequently refilling their wine glasses, until she started slurring her words. She was tipsy.
He must have realized she drank too much and moved their glasses to the edge of the table. The waiter walked by, and Antonio said, “Two cappuccinos, please.”
“Thank you.” She fanned herself with her napkin. “I didn’t realize how much I drank.”
“You’re a lot of fun when you loosen up.”
“Loosen up? Thanks. Makes me sound like an uptight bitch.”
“Whoa, bella, let’s keep this pleasant, okay?” His smile was teasing.
“I don’t usually drink this much.”
He stared at her.
She asked, “What are you thinking?”
He rubbed his chin. “I’m going to use this scene in my next book. Two people, drawn to each other sexually, but kept apart by their suspicions of each other.”
She shook her head and regretted it when she felt the room spin. “Your books are not romantic at all. You should introduce a love interest for your cop-hero.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “Everyone’s a critic. Okay, Doctor, how should I make my books more female friendly?”
She looked at him; his face seemed to float in and out of focus, just like in her dream. A light bulb went on in her brain, and she leaned forward. “I have an idea.”
“I do, too, but we’ll have to go back to my place —”
“Uh uh. About the book. You could make it more romantic by having the cop dream about one of his female co-workers. Then build a romance from there.”
“Might work. What would he dream?”
Her own dream replayed in her mind. “She’s in her office, and he barges in wearing riding leathers, sunglasses, boots…”
“Go on.”
This was dangerous, but she didn’t care. She smiled seductively. “She watches him take off his sunglasses, his leather gloves and jacket. He’s wearing a white shirt, jeans, and leather chaps.”
His eyes held a serious look, and he shifted in his seat.
She leaned closer. “She gets up from her chair and saunters toward him, wearing nothing but a slinky black —”
“Stop.” His brows drew together. “For God’s sake, Valerie.” His hand fisted. “You push me too far.”
She sat back, sobered by his warning. She closed her eyes. What was wrong with her? He was intensely into her, and yet she deliberately enticed him.
With the wine spinning her brain, she‘d allowed desire to launch her out of control.
She couldn’t meet his eyes. “I…I’m going to the ladies room.” She jumped up out of the booth — too quickly. The room shifted. She blinked to focus, walked hesitantly to the back of the restaurant, and found the dark hall leading to the restrooms. As her hand touched the women’s room door, an arm came around her and pulled her back against a solid wall of muscle.
“You are poison.” Antonio wrapped his arm beneath her breasts. He pulled her backward into an empty meeting room and closed the door behind them.
Sometimes ideas for my books come from dreams, some pop into my head while reading other books, and once in a while, as with Secret Vegas Lives, someone blurts out an idea at a completely unexpected moment.
Please leave a comment, and one lucky person will be drawn at random to receive a goodie bag of my promo items.
Thank you so much to Fodder for Fiction for having me here today. Ms. Lisa Leibow is an amazingly talented writer, and I am privileged to be one of her blog sisters at The Roses of Prose, Authors of Women’s Fiction and Romance.
Happy Reading!
Laura
LauraBreck.com
Secret Vegas Lives is available at RedRosePublishing.com
National Novel Writing Month Has Begun!
Today marks the first day of National Novel Writing Month. It’s the event that taught me to write drunk, revise sober. I started another new first draft, an alternate history story that has been percolating for a while, but is not fully developed. This is a month to explore my idea unfettered with expectations of making it perfect, editing and revising as I go. My goal is to write 50,000 words in a month. It’s the fifth year I’m participating in NaNoWriMo, and I’m filled with excitement over creating another first draft to mould into a novel. Wish me luck!
Once I can figure out how to post a widget on here with a graph of my progress, I’ll add it to this blog. That way it will be easy for you to follow my progress.
Best to you,
Lisa Lipkind Leibow
http://www.llleibow.com/
MY FIRST BOOK SIGNING EVENT – ALBANY, SEPT. 2009
Sorry it took me so long to post these photos! Things have been so busy on the Double Out and Back Virtual Tour ’09 that I haven’t had a chance to fill you in on my live appearances. My publisher set up a fantastic event at the Borders Books, Crossgates Mall in Albany, New York. Six, Red Rose authors, including me, had a blast meeting fans, signing books and cd’s of e-books, and taking Albany by storm.
A few lucky purchasers took home their own teddy bear wearing a t-shirt with the Double Out and Back or other Red Rose covers. Not only did this event help to get the word out about my debut novel and other Red Rose titles, it was a great opportunity for me to get to know some of my fellow authors – a spectacular group of ladies. Pictured from left to right: Nika Dixon, Debbie Gould, LaVerne Thompson, Sam Cheever, Pat McDermott, and yours truly, Lisa Lipkind Leibow.
National Book Festival 2009
I had a fantastic time at the National Book Festival on Saturday, September 27, 2009. I volunteered this year and was assigned to the Fiction and Fantasy Tent — the perfect place for me! I got to meet John Grisham, Jodi Picoult, and Jeanette Walls.
Chandy’s First Love
Exerpt from Double Out and Back
Chandy shouted intermittently as her view changed from straight up at the sky to diving toward earth. The disc rotated enough to keep vistas constantly changing. She experienced a unique hang time as the giant disk reached the pinnacle. Here, she floated in suspended animation and looked out over the park. She viewed the other amusements around her from an exceptional perspective – nearly wrong-side-up. As the ride maintained its spin, she was plucked from the sky. As she plummeted back to the earth, her stomach dropped.
She didn’t reach the same type of meditative, blank slate as she commonly did on a good coaster. But her mind opened in an unusual fashion. Strange images of South Africa appeared. When she aimed toward the sky, likenesses of Bubba and Zayda were superimposed on the clouds above. Each time she plummeted toward the ground below, more illusions – Mama…Papa. With each swing of this enormous pendulum on which she rode, another memory shook from her brain. Her subconscious revealed vivid pictures of her street in Cape Town, before it had been bulldozed – her beautifully diverse neighborhood with the Portuguese butcher on the corner and the dress shop run by the Zulu woman who lived upstairs from her and George’s Pharmacy next to that.
Her sons’ squeals of delight faded to distant reverberations behind the scenes created in her mind. She spun and saw old Mr. Phillips making his way down the cobblestone roads at dusk illuminating the street lamps with a torch. She swung and saw the alleyway that led to the fishmonger where Mama used to purchase Cape Salmon to make lox. And then, during one momentous instant of hang time at the apex, she saw him – Diogo, in all his glory. He appeared nude and glistening, his glossy hair plaited in hundreds of tiny short braids. His amber eyes matched his skin, giving his visage a soothing monochromatic hue. As she descended, the mirage of Diogo disappeared. Chandy wanted to scream, but her dry, swollen tongue prevented it. She heard nothing but a pulsing throb in her ears.
As she swung for two more minutes, she tried to no avail to conjure his likeness again. Lucas and Brian’s cheers returned, loud and clear. Then the ride’s cycle began its deceleration, with the arc of the ride gradually decreasing. After a few placid shifts backward and forward, the arm ceased its motion, and they returned to the starting position. A hiss of air sounded to match the one at the beginning of their ride, and the floor returned to its proper place under her feet. The restraints released and she left the ride, oblivious to the joyous laughter of Lucas and Brian.
Since Chandy had left her old life in South Africa, built a new one in the United States, and married Thomas, she had scarcely given Diogo a conscious thought. She had buried him deep in her psyche. But now, after so many years, for reasons she didn’t understand, the memory of him surfaced. It haunted her like a poltergeist at the oddest of moments.
“Hey, Mom, are you all right? You look a little green,” Brian put his arm around his mother.
“What? I’m fine. I’ll just sit here for a minute. I’ll be fine.”
“Are you sure? Brian’s right. You look a little sick,” Lucas agreed.
“Why don’t you two go on another ride? Meet me back here. I’ll be fine,” Chandy said.
The boys ran off. “We’ll be back in about twenty minutes!” Lucas shouted back to his mother.
She sat on the bench, dredging up long-buried memories. Diogo joined her in so many of her firsts. She expected they had even shared their first steps, first words. He had been with her in her father’s automobile the first time she drove a car. He had been with her the first time she rode a roller coaster. He held the spots of her first kiss, first love, and her first sexual partner. Her love. Her Diogo. But, the most difficult first of all – when she was only twenty years old, he was the first person she truly loved who was lost to her.
Be A Double Out and Back Groupie!
09/01/09 Zensanity http://zensanity.blogspot.com/
09/02/09 The Fantasy Pages http://fantasy-pages.blogspot.com/
09/03/09 Book Madness http://bookmadness.wordpress.com/
09/04/09 Book Tours and More http://booktoursandmore.blogspot.com/
09/07/09 The Plot http://theplotline.wordpress.com/
09/08/09 The Plot http://theplotline.wordpress.com/
09/09 The Writer’s Life http://www.thewriterslife.blogspot.com/
09/10/09 Divine Caroline
09/11/09 Café of Dreams http://cafeofdreams.blogspot.com/