The Museum of Fractured Lives…What a Great Title

I’m going to take a break from blessing you all with my complaints and various insights on life to allow my friend and fellow author, Sally Jenkins, to chat about her collection, The Museum of Fractured Lives, which is just about as awesome of a title as you could come up with. Sally Jenkins is a British writer (so I didn’t “correct” anything she wrote up)  specialising in shorter length fiction. She blogs about all things writing related at http://sallyjenkins.wordpress.com so give her a visit after you read this. And after you buy her book.

Have you ever loved and lost?

Do you still have an object that reminds you of that special but ill-fated relationship?

It might be a piece of jewellery, a cuddly toy or even an unworn wedding dress.

Letting go of these significant, emotional souvenirs is difficult but sometimes it helps. Once these objects are gone, moving forward with life and starting afresh is much easier.

In Zagreb, the Museum of Broken Relationships will accept these special objects for display.

As a writer (and even though I have never been to Zagreb, Croatia) I have been intrigued by the concept behind this museum. Its exhibits must form a wonderful treasure trove of emotional stories.

This intrigue has resulted in the fictional Museum of Fractured Lives, based in London and, so far, three stories behind the objects donated to this establishment.

Maxine’s Story – Several years ago, Maxine and Kaspar experienced the turbo-charged emotions of teenage romance. But the consequences of their relationship cast a long shadow into Maxine’s adulthood and now she is about to reveal something that she has never told a soul …

Karen’s Story – Karen appears to be a confident business woman in her late forties but her story is pure selfishness. It is the tale of a single woman’s quest to find a man to father her baby. She tempts a work colleague to commit adultery. But he has a secret and their affair has devastating consequences …

Pete’s Story – Pete fell in love with Sarah almost thirty years ago when he was twenty-one. He was singing in a band and living in a bedsit. Sarah was eighteen and had just left school. They planned their life together. Sarah would manage the band and it would become a worldwide success. But the couple’s future goes awry…

Now these three stories are available together in The Museum of Fractured Lives Omnibus along with a prologue which tells how this fictional museum came into being.

The good news is that The Museum of Fractured Lives Omnibus is only 99c until Saturday 4th October.

So why not take this opportunity to indulge yourself with an emotional read which will touch your heart?

Why not indeed. I have had the pleasure of reading Maxine’s Story quite some time ago and will be picking up the Omnibus for myself this week, as I hope you will as well.

Welcome Back, RH Ramsey!

RH Ramsey might as well have her own room around here. Or at least a drawer in the dresser and a toothbrush in the bathroom. She’s graced the blog before and, today, she’s at it again. Everyone, please welcome back Ms. Ramsey as she chats about her newest release, Just Beneath the Surface II: Landon’s Story.

I enjoy blurring the lines between antagonist and protagonist. For, sometimes in life, there’s no one chasing us, making things difficult for us, sucking the life out, or trying to kill us; sometimes, it’s all in our heads.

I mean, have you noticed that we chase, drain, and complicate things for ourselves, causing us to perish by the day? Yes? Well, I agree. And for these reasons, in Just Beneath the Surface II: Landon’s Story (which is not a continuation of Just Beneath the Surface I) the main characters are their own demons.

Landon Adams has come from a place of darkness, pure evil, and Hell. He feels that he has escaped this darkness, and that everyone around him should focus less on the way he’s escaped, and more on the fact that they are stuck in in past. Seven Dickinson is hotheaded beauty. She allows other people, her past issues with poverty, her anger, and her insecurities, to drive her.

In Landon’s opinion, Seven is live entertainment for her friends, family, and anyone who stops to watch her in action, all in the name of being right. Still, Landon sees so much more in her. He finds her warm, loving, selfless, and self-sufficient; she doesn’t need him, at least, she doesn’t realize she doesn’t. And, aside from fighting, swearing, and behaving like someone who should spend a few nights in jail, Landon feels all she needs is a bit of direction to bring out the beauty he sees in her.

Soon, the magnetism that blossoms between them is undeniable. Before long, the magnetism becomes obsession. As time goes on, obsession brings out the monsters Landon believed he had successfully tucked away neatly under his bed, in a pretty little box with a bow.

In Just Beneath the Surface II: Landon’s Story, I remember being very inspired by writing something that, for me, was a bit outside the box. I say this because, when I first started writing and completing books in 2004 or 2005, I felt I had to have a madman chasing a good guy in order for the story to be, well, a conventional story. This changed with Landon’s Story, as I wanted to write something that spoke to the internal struggles, the good guy vs. bad guy conversations, and, most of all, facing trauma in a way that helps us, not sets us several years backward where the pain rears its ugly head. Internalizing, numbing ourselves, pretending, stuffing things under our beds in pretty little boxes with bows, never pays off.

A psychological thriller/suspense (maybe, I think), this story brings you into the mind of a seemingly normal man, into the psyche of a guy who wants the same thing most of us seek: unconditional love. Into the moments of romance, possession, hurt, help, and love, all wrapped up in one. Then, slowly, as the story unfolds, down deep into the valley of sickness, control, and obsession you go.

The superpower of control he once possessed turns to kryptonite. Wires are frayed and shocking that carefully constructed mind – the mind of Landon Adams of Just Beneath the Surface II.

Thanks, East, for the opportunity to share.

You’re very welcome, Ms. Ramsey! Thank you for taking the time to ‘stop by’ and lead us through your motivations and inspirations.

And, without further delay, here’s my review of Just Beneath the Surface II: Landon’s Story:

I received an ARC of JBTS2 and though the polarizing characters, that I didn’t personally identify with, aren’t likable, they stuck with me for days. The novel starts off slow, as the relationship drama builds and sets up, but you can see that–you guessed it–there’s something ‘just beneath the surface’ once again. Landon is one of the creepiest characters I’ve ever read on a page, but I wanted to feel sorry for him. And that’s a sign of talented writing. Well done, RH Ramsey. You’ve done it again.

Just Beneath the Surface II: Landon’s Story is available in e-book and paperback on Amazon. Get your copy soon and check out RH Ramsey’s other releases, too!

Writing is Waiting…

I don’t usually post on Fridays. Especially during the summer, when people are more likely to be sun-bathing and fly-fishing than blog-perusing and link-clicking. BUT, I just had to share my guest post, on author Y. Correa’s blog, about just how much waiting is involved with the writing process–and how good things come to those who wait. 😉

And I would be remiss to mention that Ms Correa added a pretty glowing review of my Psychological Thriller Novella, Blood in the Past, following my guest post. 😉

Here’s the link: http://ycorreafb.blogspot.com/2013/06/guest-blog-piece-of-jordanna-east-author.html

And one more winky-face for the road. 😉

Why Authors Should Watch TV

I’m often asked where I get my inspiration from. When I thought about my answer seriously, I realized that television plays a large part in my ideas, my characters, and my scene settings.

I follow a lot of authors on Facebook and Twitter and I try to keep up with various forums on Goodreads, Shelfari, and LibraryThing. What I’ve recently learned is that an overwhelming number of authors shun television. I don’t know if they consider their literary prowess to be above the act of watching TV or if they view the activity in itself to be severely lowbrow. Or maybe they just spend all their time writing. Regardless, I think shunning television is a grave mistake.

Learn more about why authors should watch TV at my Guest Post on Suzanne Van Rooyen’s blog! And be sure to leave a comment either there or here!

(Please note that at the time of this writing, there are two due dates for Blood in the Past listed in the article. ONLY the first one, June 19th, is CORRECT. Winter 2013 is the expected release for my next book. Again, June 19th is the correct release date for Blood in the Past. Thank you.)