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!

Undone and Uncensored

This post has been long overdue. I have been busy with revisions of Blood in the Paint, readying it for my beta reader team, and my good friend and fellow author (and member of said beta reader team, teehee), RH Ramsey, has been busy doing her own thing. But I wanted to invite Ms. Ramsey here to discuss her latest release, Undone, and also to share my review. And now I’ll turn it over to her…

First, I have to thank you, Jordanna East. Thanks for the extra nudges and for calling me out on my recent procrastination…with this guest post. Thank you for this opportunity and thank you for your support. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Muah!

Enough of that 🙂

About Undone.

Undone is a collection of short stories, essays, monologues and excerpts from novels, both released and soon-to-be released.  I think of this book as a way for me to introduce myself. It is a way to sort of shake my hand, look into my eyes, get to know me as a storyteller. I am not one to force myself, my opinions or my thoughts on another individual, and a two hundred page novel is a lot for some people to commit to – especially from a new author.

I thought to myself: Expecting you to download an entire novel, before you have an idea of what you are getting into, is sort of like a road trip – with a blind date. Not everyone wants to waste an entire week, on the awkward silence, finding out they have nothing in common, or complete lack of chemistry.  For this reason, I wondered if there was a way to offer a piece of me, without forcing readers to commit to something that may not be for them.

I think it is only fair that I offer something that represents me, and gives a glimpse into the worlds that I create – see things through my characters’ eyes. Read the short stories – take this short, intense ride. Then, see if you want to go around the world, and read the novels.

Why “Undone?”

There is an eerie glow in coming undone. It is a raw, honest, vulnerable state, and no one is exempt. No matter what falling apart looks like to you – a tear, words you cannot take back, instant gratification through substance or some type of emotional release – we are all connected in that we all come undone. We have seen someone else fall to pieces, whether directly or indirectly.

I write to establish a connection between those who are oblivious, those who are numb, those who are searching desperately for a reason to come away from that lonely ledge.

The stories

Undone is not written with happy endings or lighthearted walks through fields of daisies in mind. It is a collection of stories about topics ranging from grief, to young love doomed from the start, to a son and mother desperate to exist in an unfair world, and much more. The excerpts and monologues are from my novels, Where were you, Just Beneath the Surface and Just Beneath the Surface 2.

As I wrote these stories, it was as if I had watched something horrific unfold, and the only thing I could see, feel and process, was the emotion. Anytime I write, it seems that I see inside of a soul undone, and this is what I try to recreate. I do not see the paintings on the walls or what happened outside the window, but I see instead the way the hearts beat, the colors of a broken spirit.

Again, I thank you for allowing me a place to give some insight into me as a writer and what I wanted to convey with Undone!!

You’re so welcome, Ms. Ramsey! Wow, that was one of the most powerful guest posts I’ve ever seen! RH Ramsey has a way with words, everywhere, I tell ya! If you aren’t convinced, peep my review of Undone:

I received an advanced reader copy of this book months ago and I was vastly impressed by the author’s gift for dialogue. The exchanges are powerful and really pull the reader into the emotions at hand. As in her previous work, I still wish she would add in a little scenery once a while. Scenery adds a realism that dialogue lacks and I think it’s probably the one thing her writing is missing, which is hard to say, since her writing is so powerful.

I enjoyed Kendall’s monologue, although it got a little rushed at the very end where she’s saying where she sees them in ten years. Slowed down, the poignancy of what she’s trying to say would really hit the reader. It was also intriguing to read Spencer’s monologue, to see the abuse from the perspective of the abuser.

My Mother’s Shadow, from Olive’s point of view, was amazing, probably my favorite. I enjoyed Reggie’s half of the story as well. The excerpt of Where Were You, and the short stories Oxytocin and Two Green Chairs, were all exemplary pieces. The collection is a really excellent representation of Ms. Ramsey’s writing and her gift for delving into broken human psyches and portraying their words and actions so masterfully.

The links for RH Ramsey’s current releases, Just Beneath the Surface and Undone, are embedded above, and Just Beneath the Surface 2 will be available soon. If you’d like to learn more about Ms. Ramsey, you can visit her at her blog. 🙂