Guest Post
I am excited to be here writing these words to all of you, the readers and bloggers following this tour thanks to Goddessfish and Momma Says.
The most pivotal scene in Imperfections is when Lainie is confronted by Shane at the Renaissance fair after she and Effren return from the night ride. It is the pivot point because Lainie shifts from thinking of herself as a victim. Until this point Lainie has suppressed her anger resulting from Shane’s abuse and now she expresses it with a surprising vehemence. It is her first step to confronting not only Shane but also Effren, who until this point, isn’t aware of her traumatization.
My novels and many of my poems express or include trauma and emotionally driven content because I was a trauma counselor for over fifteen years. One of my goals with this story is to bring the reader along a path of healing beside Lainie. I also wanted the novel to be more than a love story or a story of possession – it is an example of resilience. I hope you enjoy the book and contact me anytime.
So what if she’s kicked out of high school? Determined and attractive, Lainie sets out to make her own path.
Shane, the young man she begins dating and believes is trustworthy, transforms into a possessive and cruel boyfriend. When Efren, Shane’s older cousin, enters her life, Lainie grasps onto a shred of hope, falling in love. Shane’s obsessive and abusive treatment of her, however, casts a deep shadow over Efren and Lainie’s chance to find safety and a future free of the fear of Shane’s sadistic retribution.
Will their love persevere, or will Shane’s pervasive and negative influence push Lainie and Efren apart, forcing them to love secretly?
I located the main office and handed the secretary the messily folded bunch of papers from Mom.
“Where’s your parent or guardian?” she asked, making a point of glancing around the office as if she hadn’t known I came in alone.
“My mom’s at work by now,” I said.
She tut–tutted and rose from behind the reception desk. “Well, we need her to come in and sign some papers. She must have forgotten to do that before giving them to you.”
Embarrassment flushed through me. I knew I’d have to make excuses for her again.
“Can I take them home and bring them back tomorrow?” I asked.
I endured her tiny eyes boring into me. She pulled a pen from the iron–gray frizz near her ear and tut–tutted again.
I thought, how many times a day does she make that sound?
“Is your mother a single parent?” she asked, pulling a file from the cabinet beside the desk.
“Uh–huh.”
She sounded disapproving. “I suppose you can fill out most of it. I’ll see what I can do. Have a seat. I have to print you out a class schedule.”
An hour later, I left with my classes and a campus map.
“Welcome to eleventh grade at Campbell High,” I mumbled, searching for the way to my next class.
By the end of the day, I had realized a few things: I had the wrong clothes, the wrong shoes, the wrong accent, and came from the wrong state.
Ann’s award-winning poems, creative nonfiction, and essays have appeared internationally in literary journals, popular online blogs, and print anthologies. Her poems have been featured in The Avocet, the Pangolin Review, Plum Tree Tavern, Magnets and Ladders, Oprelle, Western PA Poetry Review 2024and Breath and Shadow. Ann’s short story, The Misty Torrent appeared in the Artificial Divide anthology published by Renaissance Press (2021).
Ann is the recipient of the 2019 GDUI Excellence in Writing award and the WDOMI 2016 Spirit of Independence award.
Independently published since 2016, the author’s seven volume collection includes poetry, creative nonfiction essays, short stories and contemporary fiction.
Diagnosed in 1993 with a rare form of progressive retinal disease, Ann accepts vision loss as part of her life but doesn’t let it define her as a whole person.
The author resides in western Pennsylvania with her husband, retired guide dog pet dog and cats, striving to develop a mutually-beneficial relationship with her assistive technology.
Contact Ann by visiting her website: www.annchiappetta.com
Subscribe to Ann’s blog www.thought-wheel.com
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/verona.chiappetta/
Giveaway
Ann Chiappetta will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.
Thank you for hosting today.
ReplyDeleteThis looks absolutely amazing. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThanks, I like your enthusiasm.
DeleteThe excerpt sounds really good. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Marcie, I hoped the characters are engaging.
DeleteThis is so interesting and the cover is very eye catching.
ReplyDeleteHi, my sister took the photo. Most of my books use her photos. The benefits of a sister who is a photographer, lol.
DeleteWhat's your go-to summer snack while you're deep in the writing process?
ReplyDeleteCheezits.
DeleteSounds like a great read.
ReplyDeleteThanks. It went through plenty of revisions but when it was right, I knew.
DeleteLooks amazing
ReplyDeleteIt is a book of love and hard work.
DeleteI appreciate being featured. I apologize for the late responses. My husband became ill on Monday with Influenza and worrying over him and helping him put all else from my mind. He still isn't well. I love being an author in retirement and improving my writing is a creative passion. Peace to all.
ReplyDeleteDo you have any summer writing rituals?
ReplyDeleteWhat summer activities do you do to recharge your creative energy?
ReplyDeleteHow do you keep your writing fresh and engaging during the long summer days?
ReplyDeleteHow do you incorporate themes into your writing?
ReplyDeleteWhat's your favorite summer activity?
ReplyDeleteHow did you come up with the title of this book?
ReplyDeleteHow long did it take you to write this book?
ReplyDelete