Progress: Case Notes

Is love an infection or is it a sick addiction, when there's nowhere left to run?

Amy Queau's new novel, Progress, centers around two very different characters as they battle their own demons while falling in love in the process. Follow the story of Charlie and Jesse as they follow two conflicting paths but yet manage to make their paths cross, changing each others lives.

Buy Progress through Amazon HERE

Don't forget to enter our giveaway for a free copy of Progress HERE

Check out an excerpt of Jesse's case notes below!

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Case File # 121774-3249 

Subject Name: Jesse James Anders (Jesse James Sanborn)

D.O.B.: 17-November, 1987

Address: 1816 Burnsville Parkway, Burnsville, MN  55337

Contact: 953-443-4309 (last known working phone, no longer in service)

Single Caucasian Male

0 children/dependents

No religion specified 

Chief Complaint from patient: “I’m having troubles with time. I can’t remember when I’m scheduled to work. I don’t know what to do anymore. I feel numb. And, I’m drunk.” – Message taken by staff member Shelly Gleason over the phone on September 6, 2012.

Notes: Patient first seen in by Dr. Jackson on August 4, 2003 after complaints of previous doctor not using effective treatment methods. After refusal of psychotherapy, patient has been seen regularly by Dr. Jackson to update his prescriptions.

Initial Diagnosis: ADHD, victim of severe physical abuse by biological parents and two foster fathers before the age of 15. Other Detachment disorders noted, but not specified as patient is reluctant to discuss childhood.

Date of Diagnosis: March 1997 by Dr. Ralph Carlson, MD. before referred to our offices in 2003. (see attached notes from Dr. Carlson)

Current Diagnosis: Bipolar I (initial diagnosis retracted after prescribed medication failures to ease symptoms).

Date of Current Diagnosis: December 2003

History: Born in St. Paul, MN to John and Melinda Sanborn. No known complications with childbirth or mental health history before ten years of age. Father, John worked for a manufacturing plant, and mother, Melinda, a domestic engineer. Mother had a bipolar diagnosis but remained un-medicated throughout patient’s childhood. Have not been able to reach patient’s biological parents for confirmation.

Patient describes his social life before ten as “normal.” Received good grades, had many friends, adjusted well to new situations, etc. Patient refuses to discuss the death of his sister, Mandy, and when asked general questions about his family life through childhood, he chooses not to respond. (see attached interview with father and Dr. Carlson, discussing initial diagnosis and circumstances surrounding “Mandy’s” death.)

Marriage, Education and Occupational History: Patient is single, but dating. One significant relationship to date. Patient is heterosexual with a history of promiscuity with multiple partners.
High school diploma and one year complete of Community College. Social situations through school presented challenges for patient in communication and focus.

Occupational history includes: restaurant industry, warehouse, USA Cycling National Championships cross-country and other competitions, and briefly, The US Marines.

High risk behaviors include: Alcohol abuse, marijuana abuse, aggression, and a history of police confrontation.

Current living/social situation: Lives with friend, Jake, and Jake’s father, Dennis, in a single-family home in suburb of Minneapolis, MN. He rents out a single room in the home. Patient describes social situations as solitary or few friends of note. Patient is highly intelligent (see attached MMPI and Weschler results), but prefers an environment of low risk and low challenge.

Summation and Notes:

Initial visit in 2003: Patient was brought by foster mother, Lily Lamoureaux, to our offices at fourteen years of age. Patient’s overall appearance was clean and appropriate. Eye contact minimal and very few words spoken. Ms. Lamoureaux described patient as “sad, confused and broken.” Patient evasive and bouncing knee with arms folded in front of chest. Posture was slouched and showed ambivalence. Patient was alert, but hostile when asked specific questions of state-of-mind, depression and previous foster care. Ms. Lamoureaux described his past situation as “unfortunate and unloving” and “abusive, neglectful and punishable.” (see enclosed audio recording of initial visit – #A3328)

Anxiety visibly increased in patient as Ms. Lamoureaux described previous foster living arrangements and previous biological parental abuse, along with the death of patient’s sister, “Mandy.”

Initial diagnosis of ADHD by Dr. Carlson in question.

Hospitalizations and Interventions: Patient suffered head trauma as a result of a social altercation in 2012. Previous hospitalizations before in my care are noted in Dr. Carlson’s file (see attached).

Medications: (see full history and side effects attached)

Lithium; 2004-2008.

Seroquel 2008-present.

Lorazepam 2008-present.

The Perfect Victim: Interview

The Perfect Victim by Natasha Snow follows the story of Rachel, a high school student so desperate to be a part of a relationship that she starts an unhealthy relationship with Dominic, a boy at her school that she meets online. As she begins to become uncomfortable with the horrible way he is treating her she soon turns to drugs and cutting, unable to step out of the vicious cycle she has been drawn into.

Check out an interview with the author, Natasha Snow, below and be sure to pick up a copy of The Perfect Victim from Amazon!

                                                             Interview:

What made you interested in writing The Perfect Victim?

• This book is actually based on true events that I went through when I was in high school.  The end of the book was actually the beginning of my journey.  Dominic’s real life character contacted me on Facebook, and from then on I couldn't ignore what had happened to me.  I needed to find an outlet to finally let this go.

The main character, Rachel, is obviously going through problems but nobody notices, do you think troubled students are often overlooked in schools?

• I think this is often the problem.  There are a few out of many that are recognized as having behavioral/emotional problems, and those are the lucky ones.  I know occasionally teachers suspect students have deeper issues, but sometimes these students’ issues are hidden so well they do not appear well enough to be as troubling as they really are.

You said that you wanted this book to help somebody someday; do you think other girls will take comfort in the fact that they are not alone?

• Spending as much time as I have on Facebook and Twitter, looking at different profiles, I see so many people looking for other people.  I think a great deal of that is to make connections, and I think oftentimes people take comfort in knowing they are not alone.  It doesn’t make the situation better or hurt any less, but at the very least you know you can learn from or talk to other people about it.  Maybe you can even find a solution.

Rachel feels like she has nobody she can trust to talk to, what you would say to teachers, parents, and other adults trying to gain the trust of troubled teens?

• Well, first everyone wants to feel like they are respected.  So, offer all of our young adults some respect.  Next, don’t lie to them.  Developing a relationship with teens takes time.  You need to get to know them, their interests, stay up with what’s current, but if you make the investment, it is worth the time.

The Perfect Victim deals with a lot of tough topics, were some harder to write about than others?

• The most difficult things to write were the scenes related to sexual abuse.  When someone is going through sexual abuse there are conflicting feelings about whether or not something was your fault or not.  It’s easy to blame yourself in these types of situations, especially when you’re dealing with an individual with a narcissistic personality.  It was a struggle to write because I had to capture many old feelings I once had, I had to do justice to victims everywhere and dig deeper into how I felt about things than I had ever attempted before, and recalling those events brought back many questions I never had answered before.

Rachel wants nothing more than to be loved and that’s why she continues going with Dominic, do you think a lot of high school girls feel this way?

• I think there are many girls out there that feel like there is no one out there for them and want to be in a relationship so they can get rid of that feeling loneliness.  Middle school and high school is all about status; who you’re dating, what you’re wearing, and what makes you look cool.  Teens at this age are trying to figure out who they are, and who they want to be, so sometimes I think it’s not even a matter of wanting to be loved…it’s a matter of maintaining a status.  Having a boyfriend means you’re desirable, and some people will do anything to maintain a certain status.  Even if it’s not a healthy one.  This book has many components about it, but Rachel wanted to stop feeling like she was alone, and once she didn't care about being alone anymore and just wanted Dominic to go away, she wanted to get out of it without ruining her reputation.

What advice would you give to girls going through the same thing as Rachel?

• Trust your instincts.  If your body is telling you that something is wrong, it probably is.  Find an adult you can trust and confide in them.  If you don’t have that level of trust with someone yet, find a way to make a connection with someone so you have someone to talk to.  Lastly, find an outlet.  I used writing as mine, but there are so many things you can use to channel your feelings, and find peace with the difficult situations that you may be feeling.

The Perfect Victim: Excerpt

The Perfect Victim by Natasha Snow follows the story of Rachel, a high school student so desperate to be a part of a relationship that she starts an unhealthy relationship with Dominic, a boy at her school that she meets online. As she begins to become uncomfortable with the horrible way he is treating her she soon turns to drugs and cutting, unable to step out of the vicious cycle she has been drawn into.

Check out an excerpt of The Perfect Victim below!

Excerpt:

December 20

With every encounter I had with Dominic, I knew something was wrong, and as a result I needed to find a release.  Tears were not enough, weed was hard to come by, and difficult to hide, but my razor blade was always tucked away under my alarm clock next to my bed.  I had made it so easily accessible.  I started to cut even on days I wasn’t with Dominic.

Soon my passion for cutting grew and it was harder to discriminate what I was using it for.  If I didn’t do well on a test, I cut.  If I got into a fight with my parents, I cut.  It was always just enough to inflict pain on myself.  Pain that I endured when I was failing at something.  I deserved to be punished, and I deserved to feel pain.  I remembered being spanked as a child or hit for talking back to my parents, but a slap was a sting that lasted for a moment.  I deserved something that lasted longer.

I would only cut at night, when I knew I wouldn’t be interrupted or caught.  I wondered what the consequence of cutting would have been?  Hospitalization?  That would have been one more thing to make me feel like an outcast, to be distanced from the normal people.  I couldn’t risk it.

I knew when I was going to do it, and I made preparations in advance so when it was time for bed I could stay there.  I knew my razor blade was close but I needed other supplies to be prepared, paper towels, medical tape, or sometimes I liked to put the paper towel under medical wrapping tape.  As long as it prevented the blood from reaching my sheets, where my mom would see it, I was okay.

The ritual would always begin with my reflecting on what I felt the problem was and why I needed to be punished.  The tears were always near the surface so it was only a matter of time before I started to cry.  Sometimes, it was only a couple of tears, other times I would be sobbing, but the end result was always the same.  Within minutes my flesh would be torn and blood would be coming from my left arm.

It was punishment, but at the same time I found it enjoyable.  It was fascinating to watch the blood rush to the surface.  The blood and the pain were my punishment, but I can’t say I didn’t get any pleasure from it.  Feeling the pain, and watching the blood made me feel like I was cleansing myself.  It was a symbol of me releasing my “bad blood,” as I called it.  Maybe the bad things would stop if I let all of the bad out of me, maybe I would stop doing bad things if I let the “bad blood” go.

It didn’t matter how much I cut, Dominic would come back and take me from safety almost once a week.  I was no longer curious about what was going to happen.  I no longer hoped he would finally ask me out on a date, or to be his girlfriend.  The excited feeling I once had towards Dominic had completely vanished and turned into sheer anxiety.  If I didn’t feel the stress, I felt the fear.  I was always on eggshells when he was around me.  If I didn’t have to see him I could at least focus on whatever tasks I had in front of me.

I was becoming a master of deception.  To my friends, I was confident and happy.  I was bold and outgoing.  I was smart and dedicated.  My teachers liked me, and I gave them no indication anything was wrong.  The same went for my parents.  I was moody in front of them, but I’m sure it only came across as teenage hormones.  In reality, I was crumbling on the inside.  I should have been given awards for the performances I put on.  They were flawless, and only one person knew I was scared and unhappy.  Phoebe.

I don’t know what Dominic thought about the situation, and I never had the courage to talk about this with him, but what I ultimately decided is that he didn’t care.  If he would have cared, he would have picked up on my lack of interest in the situation, he would have easily seen the way I looked at him now was not the same as it was in the very beginning.  He would have respected my words, and my attempts to avoid him.  He would have realized everything that was once fun about this, had been gone for a long time now.  But what was true for him was that he was still getting exactly what he wanted from me without having to consider my feelings.

If I felt the need to cover up my cuts, I would use an ace bandage to cover it up, and because I was on the computer all the time I would say that my wrist hurt.  They didn’t know the bandage went all the way to the crease in my elbow because it was winter and I was wearing heavier clothes.  Dominic didn’t even know about the cutting because he was only interested in getting what he wanted from me.  He would unbutton my shirt, but he didn’t feel the need to take it off anymore, so, like everyone else he would only see the ace bandage.

As I continued to cut, I became more creative with the things that appeared on my arm.  It started as simple slash marks that looked like I battled a cat, but I started putting words and pictures to my pain, and sometimes the location of the cutting would change.  I carved ugly words into my arms, “Dominic,” “hate,” and “evil,” made appearances on my skin.  The skin art I took most pride in, was the perfectly symmetrical heart I spent hours carving into my ankle with nail scissors.  I loved my bleeding heart so much that when it began to fade I would carve into it again.

Punishment shouldn’t be enjoyable, but what I felt was enjoyable was not only the release I received for it, but that I was also trying to make right all the wrongs I lived.  I took comfort in the pain that I woke to the morning after I cut.  And when I went days without cutting, I provoked my wounds so I would continue to feel the pain.

As much as I enjoyed my extended punishments, there was one thing I craved more.  I loved the sedated feeling I would feel every day after I ripped my flesh.  It was finally an opportunity where I was able to forget the things that usually stressed me out, and live my life in the carefree way a child does.  Every day after I cut was the same.  I was tranquil, I was focused, and I was peaceful.

While I was cutting, and while the endorphins were in my body I wasn’t worried about anyone finding out what I was doing.  After my “calm” had left me I did feel a bit paranoid about it.  Every once in a while I would see the scratches peeking out from my sleeve, and this would make me even more fearful someone would learn my little secret.  The only person that knew about it, was Phoebe.

I learned I wasn’t the only one cutting and found another lost soul in my French class.  He sat directly behind me, and we had gotten to know each other over the year.  He was releasing his pain as well, and overtime we compared the misery of our nights by showing each other what carvings we created the night before.  He would tell me why he cut, rejection, fight with his mother, the list went on.  I would tell him I did it for the same reasons, and sometimes it was true, but I never told him about Dominic.

We both shared another passion.  Writing.  It was an outlet we could participate in at school and contribute to the school through The Dragon.  Mrs. Stewart believed in artistic freedom and probably realized that we as teenagers had many things we were working through.  I tried to incorporate things that were humorous that the readers might enjoy, but I received a lot of poetry that spoke of depression for a multitude of reasons.  The student body had extreme expectations placed on them and knew they were too young for some of them, many were lost souls who felt no one else understood them, they had troubles with their parents, with their teachers, girlfriends, boyfriends, friends.  There was talk of betrayal, rejection, failure.  This is why the publication was beautiful.  All of those lost souls could take comfort in knowing there was someone else out there who felt the same way they did.  I may not have known who they were, but they were feeling the same things I was feeling, and used the paper as an outlet to vent their frustrations.

This was a healthier alternative than the road I was heading down.  Looking back I wish I could have worked harder on my poetry, allowing myself to process the things that were happening in my life, but I never found this to be enough of a release.  I take comfort in knowing that it was probably enough for the other people who contributed.  The publication was one thing I didn’t have to shed blood over.  I was proud of this accomplishment.

I hadn’t heard any rumors floating around about me, but that didn’t mean they weren’t being hidden from me.  Some of Dominic’s friends started to act strangely friendly towards me, and occasionally I would get a slap on the ass.  I handled it by laughing but resented the fact they were taking their liberties with me as well.  I brushed these things off, only later, did I realize Dominic was probably talking about me which is why I was receiving this attention.

Dominic’s disregard for my feelings became increasingly obvious when my menstrual period was no longer a deterrent for engaging in activities.  My hands and mouth still worked, and my breasts and ass were still available for him to grip onto and fondle to his satisfaction.  It did however mean that I was safe from attempted sex.

Every time something happened between us I promised myself it would be the last time, but another week would go by, and he would be back, and I would go.  I didn’t know how to stop him or myself.  I couldn’t understand why he wasn’t getting bored with me.  He was constantly changing his girlfriends, so why was I the place he found consistency?  I hated that he gave me more questions than answers.  I resented him for that.  I resented him for the liberties he took with my body without listening to my objections, and sometimes I didn’t even object.  Sometimes I was sick of trying to fight it and thought if I just let it happen it would be over sooner.

How did I get here?

Dear readers,

It is clear that other people knew something was going on, and I know at the time I would have been really angry with my friends for reporting what was happening to me, but maybe my friends should have reported these things for my safety, even if it meant losing my friendship forever.  The more I wrote about the situation the more I realized that people did know bits and pieces of what was happening to me.  They didn’t know the severity of the situation, but they could have reported us because the things we were doing were wrong.  Friends and acquaintances out there, maybe without knowing it, you could stop a rape.

If the educators were paying closer attention, I could have been identified as having a problem.  I created a magazine for the entire school that consisted of depressing topics, with blips of humor in the middle.  After school, if someone was watching me, they would have noticed I was frequently gone and unaccounted for.  When I came back from wherever I was, I came back a different person.  There are cameras in schools now, there weren’t back then, but even now, unless there is a reason to look at them, the videos are never watched.

I wrote pieces for my classes that clearly reflected depression, and I will admit I put it out there to see what others would say.  In my personal work I was consistently writing about the darkest topics I could because they fascinated me.  Normal people don’t consistently find their way to the miserable corners of the world.  When someone does, and you notice, you should pay closer attention to what the child is trying to say.

                        Love,

                                    The wiser you

The Perfect Victim: Opening Letter

The Perfect Victim by Natasha Snow follows the story of Rachel, a high school student so desperate to be a part of a relationship that she starts an unhealthy relationship with Dominic, a boy at her school that she meets online. As she begins to become uncomfortable with the horrible way he is treating her she soon turns to drugs and cutting, unable to step out of the vicious cycle she has been drawn into.

Throughout the novel the older Rachel comes back and writes letters giving advice and insight to the younger Rachel. Check out an exclusive letter below!

Dear Younger Me,

            You have been through so many things, and no matter what, in your future you’re going to see others go through bad relationships.  You will meet people that have been raped or abused.  You will know others who cut themselves to try to make the pain go away. Even though you know it will keep happening to those around you, you shouldn’t remain victim to it.  You have the power to pick your own destiny.  To fight your own demons, knowing it may come at a cost, but the reward is so much greater.  You will grow up to combat these issues not only for yourself, but for others who have suffered the same way you did.  You will teach others to value themselves, to surround themselves with good people who will value them for the good people they are, and you will unleash your deepest secrets to the world just to let others know they are not alone, and there is a choice to be made.  You never felt like you had a choice, and now you are one of the many out there that are trying to give people like you the opportunity to speak up for themselves.  Hang in there; there are so many people out there who want to help you, even some who have never met you before.  The future is an amazing place; you just have to hold on long enough to be able to see it.

                        Love always,

                                    The wiser you

The Eye Dancers: Interview with the Author

Our Author Spotlight book of the month is The Eye-Dancers by Michael S. Fedison! Throughout the month of January Lovely Books Blog will be hosting exclusive interviews, character profiles, and other exciting features! Check back on alternating Friday’s and Saturday’s to be the first to see exciting new posts!

For our final post this month we have an exclusive interview with the author of The Eye-Dancers, Michael S. Fedison! Check out the interview below and don't forget to pick up his novel, The Eye-Dancers, from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, or Kobo!

Interview:

What inspired the idea behind The Eye-Dancers?

Way back around 1990, while still in high school, I had a dream—the kind of dream that really leaves a mark and stays with you.  In this dream, I felt drawn to look out the front window.  When I did, I saw a little girl, perhaps seven years old, standing in the road, beneath the streetlight.  Except . . . she wasn’t an ordinary-looking girl.  The light from the streetlamp filtered through her, as if she were only partly there—more spirit and ghost than girl.  And she had the bluest eyes I’d ever seen.

She gestured for me to come outside.  She seemed agitated.  But she scared me, startled me, and a moment later I woke up.  Right away I knew I had something—but what?  What had provoked such a dream?  Who was this strange little wraith-like girl?  And, the writer that I am, I wondered:  How could I place her in a story?

For days afterward, I thought of potential story lines involving the blue-eyed “ghost girl.”  Novels, novellas. short stories, you name it.  But nothing worked,  Reluctantly, I gave it up, jotted down a note about the dream, and mentally stored the whole thing away in an “idea box.”  Maybe some time, some day, I would come up with a plot to revolve around the “ghost girl.”

But nearly two decades went by, and nothing.  Then, out of the blue, in 2008, I had the same dream!  There she was—the “ghost girl”—standing in the street again, beckoning, calling. . . .  This time, upon waking up, the genesis of The Eye-Dancers was in place.  It’s always an amazing feeling when an idea strikes like that, out of the ether, and demands you to write about it.  This was like that.  I didn’t have the whole story yet, but I had enough, and I began chapter one shortly thereafter.  Anyone who has read chapter one of The Eye-Dancers will no doubt recognize the “ghost girl” from the dream I experienced.

Put all that together with a desire to write a story incorporating some of the memories and experiences I had growing up along with a plot that explores the very concept of what we term “reality,” and The Eye-Dancers was born.

What made you interested in writing science fiction instead of other genres?

I’ve always enjoyed science fiction.  From the time I was a kid, I’ve liked stories that introduce you to new and different worlds, places, time periods.  I also have been a lifelong lover of old comic books—and they certainly would fall under the genre of sci-fi/fantasy as well.

Many of my short stories are mainstream, not sci-fi.  For The Eye-Dancers, I wanted to have some fun and explore some of the questions and themes that only science fiction can navigate.

Which character was most fun to write about?

They were all enjoyable.  But of the four main characters, I would say Marc Kuslanski was the most fun.  I have always had a soft spot for science geeks and know-it-alls.  They can be annoying to talk to in real life sometimes, but they are an awful lot of fun to write about.

Are the characters based off people you know or are they entirely made up?

A little of both.  No question, the four main characters, and even a couple of the supporting characters, are inspired by some of the friends I grew up with.  There are even a few “inside jokes” thrown in for good measure.  (Hopefully I chose those “inside jokes” that will appeal to a broad audience and not just me and my childhood friends!)  But as so often happens when you create fiction, the characters rapidly took on a life of their own.  They fleshed out, became their own unique personalities, and as I wrote the book, I often no longer even thought of my childhood friends who initially inspired them.

What was the most difficult part of the writing process?

I think, just the grind of writing a novel when you can’t devote yourself to it full-time.  I do have a “day job,” and so I always have to be able to fit my creative writing in to an already busy schedule.  And sometimes, when I hit a tough chapter or slogged through a sequence that just wasn’t clicking, and continued needing work, it was hard to stay motivated.  Writing a novel is a humbling experience and takes a lot of want-to on the part of the author.  But ultimately, I cared deeply about the book’s characters, and I had a story I very much wanted to tell.  So I kept on going, and got through the rough patches.

How long have you been interested in writing?

For as long as I can remember!  I was writing short stories way back in the third grade.

What were some of your favorite novels growing up?

Probably my all-time favorite novel is To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee.  I also enjoyed some of the great Victorian novels, from David Copperfield to Wuthering Heights and all the way down to Anne of Green Gables.  A Separate Peace is a favorite, along with some of Stephen King’s earlier novels (The Shining, It, The Dead Zone).  I read My Antonia by Willa Cather in college, and thought it was one of the most beautifully written novels I’d ever come across.

Do you have plans for any future novels?

I am in the planning stage for a sequel to The Eye-Dancers.  I hope to have all the necessary details in place within the next couple of weeks so I can begin the writing process.  I’m looking forward to delving into that world again.

What books would you recommend for readers who enjoyed The Eye-Dancers?

I would recommend any young adult sci-fi novels or stories that tackle questions of parallel worlds, alternate realities, etc.  Perhaps The Maze Runner by James Dashner or The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman.   Or any novels, really, that deal with the confusion, feelings, and struggles of adolescence and the ability of the main characters to confront and hopefully overcome them.

The Eye-Dancers: Character Profiles

Our continuing Author Spotlight book of the month is The Eye-Dancers by Michael S. Fedison! Throughout the month of January Lovely Books Blog will be hosting exclusive interviews, character profiles, and other exciting features! Check back on alternating Friday’s and Saturday’s to be the first to see exciting new posts!

This week the the characters have been kind enough to tell us more about themselves! Check out their hilarious profiles below and don't  forget to pick up a copy of The Eye-Dancers from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, or Kobo!

Character Profiles:

Name: Mitchell Brant

Age: 12

Birthday: January 24

Physical Description:  I’m tall, buff with washboard abs, have brown wavy hair, and a dimple on my chin that everyone thinks is irresistible.  Okay—so I exaggerate.  I have that tendency.  I guess, if I’m being honest (something that doesn’t come naturally to me)—I’m on the tall side for my age, thin, and, well, I do have brown hair, that much is true.  I’m not bad-looking, even though I never really considered myself anything great. But then Heather, a really pretty girl I met, tells me I’m cute.  And she . . . but wait.  If you want to hear more, you’ll just have to read the book!

Hobbies:  I love collecting old comic books.  My favorite title is The Fantastic Four.  I like to tell people my collection’s worth thousands of dollars, but that isn’t really true.  I like to daydream, pretend, and okay, I do lie a lot.  One of my favorites is telling classmates I once climbed the summit of Mt. Rainier.  It’s hard for me to tell the plain old boring truth.  I like sports, and am not too bad at most of them.  I once bragged that I ran the mile in four-and-a-half minutes.  It was more like eight or nine, but who’s timing me?

~~

Name: Joe Marma

Age: 12

Birthday: July 27

Physical Description:  What can I say?  I’m short, bud.  You got a problem with that?  I’m the shortest kid in my class, and I keep hoping I’ll grow a few inches.  I guess I still have time to catch up.  I better.  I don’t like to think I’m full-grown here!  I have short black hair and am stocky and strong.  My dad says I’m built like a fireplug.  But I hate being so freakin’ short.  My brother, who’s in high school, is six feet tall.  The lucky creep.

Hobbies:  Can I put fighting?  Busting heads?  Throwing uppercuts?  Nothing gives me the high of a good scrum.  I might be short, but you don’t wanna mess with me, bud.  Most people don’t anymore.  I got a reputation now.  Hmm, what else?  I like comic books, too, but not like Mitchell does.  He’s way into them.  Sports are good, movies—especially action flicks short on plot and big on chase scenes.  And girls.  Too bad most of ‘em are way taller than me.

~~

Name:  Ryan Swinton

Age: 12

Birthday:  September 5

Physical Description:  You know, I like to tell a lot of dumb-blonde jokes.  They’re kinda my calling card.  But that’s mostly ‘cause I’m blond myself.  I learned a long time ago that people think you’re funnier if they think you’re pokin’ fun at yourself.  I’m real tall, too, one of the tallest guys in my class.  Funny thing is, when I’m with Joe, who’s like, a foot shorter than me, I end up feeling shorter than he does.

Hobbies:  I’m pretty obsessed with being funny.  It all started by accident one time in school.  People just flooded around and I started tellin’ jokes.  I had a lot of ‘em, and everyone kept laughing.  It was great, but it made them want more.  And more.  And more.  And I never want to let ‘em down.  I’m always on the lookout for new punch lines. I check online constantly.  And I watch people, just looking for funny things.  I have to make sure I always got fresh, new material I can use.  Everyone expects me to always have a joke at the ready.  It’s fun in a way, and real stressful in another way.  It’s not easy always trying to be funny.

~~

Name:  Marc Kuslanski

Age:  12

Birthday:  March 19

Physical Description:  I’m pretty thin, I guess, just ordinary-looking.  It’s my glasses that kind of set me apart.  Tortoise-shell frames that are always sliding down my nose.  I continually have to push them back up.  That happens so often, I hardly even notice doing it.  If you picture a junior-high geek in your mind, well, unfortunately, that probably describes spot-on what I look like.

Hobbies:  Well, I don’t really think of my interests as hobbies—they’re more like vocations, stepping-stones, pursuits.  I’ve loved science since I was a little kid.  Astronomy, physics, quantum mechanics, you name it.  I believe that all mysteries can, and ultimately will, one day be solved.  Science, the pursuit of knowledge is the key to our further understanding of our universe.  I don’t believe in miracles or supernatural explanations.  There is a sound, logical underpinning to everything that exists.  Once I get on a roll talking about my theories and hypotheses, I can drive people a little crazy.  I get told to shut up often.

The Eye-Dancers: Author Bio

Our continuing Author Spotlight book of the month is The Eye-Dancers by Michael S. Fedison! Throughout the month of January Lovely Books Blog will be hosting exclusive interviews, character profiles, and other exciting features! Check back on alternating Friday’s and Saturday’s to be the first to see exciting new posts!

Today we have the opportunity to learn more about the author behind the novel! Check below to find out more about Michael S. Fedison and where to purchase his novel, The Eye-Dancers.

Author Bio:

Michael S. Fedison was born in Rochester, New York, and now lives with his wife, Sarah, and regal cat, Luke, in the green hills of central Vermont (though this time of year the hills are rather white).  Michael has been writing creatively for as long as he can remember, and has had short fiction published in several literary magazines, including Iconoclast and The Written Word.  In addition to writing fiction, he works as a full-time technical writer and also is a freelance proofreader and copy editor.

Michael enjoys any story that takes you by the hand, lifts you up, and transports you to another place, a new and creative way of looking at the world around us.  Favorite authors include Ray Bradbury, Truman Capote, and Stephen King.

Feel free to visit his website: www.eyedancers.wordpress.com or like the Eye-Dancers Facebook page here!

If you would like to buy The Eye-Dancers the novel is available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and Kobo!

The Eye-Dancers: Plot Summary

I am thrilled to introduce our Author Spotlight book of the month, The Eye-Dancers by Michael S. Fedison! Throughout the month of January Lovely Books Blog will be hosting exclusive interviews, character profiles, and other exciting features! Check back on alternating Friday's and Saturday's to be the first to see exciting new posts!

To introduce the book we have a great plot summary that gives a deeper look into the plot of The Eye-Dancers and offers insight on the characters. To get a real feel of the novel check out the summary below!

Plot Summary:

Mitchell Brant is not your typical seventh grader.  He is a compulsive liar, who adamantly defends his lies, no matter how outlandish they are.  When he is tormented by a recurring nightmare of what he has come to call “the ghost girl,” he is certain that no one will believe him. Three nights in a row, he has dreamed of this “ghost girl” and her blue eyes that expand and swirl when he gazes into them.  He is sure she is not of this earth, and that she is trying to draw him in to her world—wherever that may be—through the hypnotic power of her eyes.

Desperate to tell someone about his dreams, he decides to confide in Joe Marma, his best friend. To Mitchell’s surprise, Joe believes him; because he, too, has been having the same dreams—three nights in a row.  They soon discover that their friend, Ryan Swinton, is also haunted by the “ghost girl.”  What does it all mean?  Who, or what, is this girl?  And will she indeed transport them to her world the next time they fall asleep and dream?

Banding together, and convincing their classmate Marc Kuslanski to stand watch as they sleep, the three boys, along with Marc, are unwillingly thrust into an empty blue void.  When they awake, they find themselves in a world that seems much like their own, and yet very different at the same time.  The layout of the streets, the contours of the land, the feel of the place is familiar, almost like a replica of their town on earth.  Yet the differences are puzzling.  Old-fashioned cars that resemble 1950's designs; currency they've never seen before; an absence of PCs and cell phones.  Even the spelling of words is slightly off.  They wonder if this is all an extension of their dreams—or if it is actually real.

To solve the mystery, they need to work together, as a team.  Joe, a natural leader and take-charge person, is short, with a chip on his shoulder, eager to think with his fists instead of his head.  Ryan is the class clown, always wanting to elicit a laugh, but unable to make a decision on his own, preferring to go along with the group.  Marc is a science whiz, and looks at the world through a rigid lens of rationality and logic.  He continually tries to view their situation through scientific reason.  This naturally collides with Mitchell’s storytelling and less logical, more intuitive nature.

Marc suggests they are not dreaming at all, but rather marooned in a parallel world, a variant of their hometown in a different universe, and the mystery deepens when they spot a poster of a kidnapped girl nailed to a telephone poll.  They realize with astonishment that the picture is of their “ghost girl,” who is, evidently, not a ghost at all, but a seven-year-old girl named Monica Tisdale who has been missing for several days.  It all adds up, though the conclusions strain belief.  This kidnapped girl has somehow managed to pull them into her world, in a parallel universe, because she needs their help.

Will Mitchell, Joe, Ryan, and Marc be able to find her in time?  Because, as the truth sinks in, they realize that the “ghost girl” is their only hope to get back home.  And they are her only hope for rescue.

To succeed, the boys need to confront life-threatening dangers, unexpected pitfalls . . . and themselves.  They bicker, argue, disagree on what the correct path should be.  They come face-to-face with their own insecurities, and in order to survive, they must learn to overcome them.

Throughout it all, they ultimately learn that everything is connected.  Events and people that seem so far away, a universe away, are, in actuality, much closer to us than we ever dared to think.

If you would like to buy The Eye-Dancers the novel is available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and Kobo!