Seasons of Love and War: Big Easy Blog Tour

1.) What am I working on?  I’m working on two books. One is the prequel to Seasons of Love and War and the other is book three, the continuing story after December Road. Book three will have a bit of mystery and have come guessing games for you.

The prequel is called. The Journey of Elizabeth Ann Rose. The prequel will take you all the back to Kaylob and Beth Ann's childhood.This story takes you on an adventure with Beth Ann as she lives out of her car while her dad tries to become famous. They end up on a Indian Reservation in Southern California for almost one full year. From there her dad hits the road again and her life is filled with dirty hotel rooms and living in an old station wagon which she is fed  up with and voices her opinion to her parents.

Beth Ann's entire family has to endure this life style but there is no doubt that Beth Ann is the most verbose about it.

 Stay tuned for snippets and teasers. 

2.) How does my work differ from others in it’s genre? Well, you get to see the couples together for a longer period of time. There is still conflict but it’s not really the romance style. I would say it’s more of a family Saga with a beautiful love story that is part of that story.I have never wanted to be put in a box, so I tend to tear the box apart. I think it's hard to place my book in a certain genre because there are so many aspects of my storytelling. Love, family, war, suspense. 

3.) Why do I write what I do? I write what I do because I love it. I don’t just have one type of writing that I do. I’m open with my first book being a memoir of an eating disorder that I went through. Two other books that are coming up are YA books. So for me personally, I have many different styles.

4.) How does my writing process work? I do an outline of the story, I write down each character and describe everything I can about them. What they like to eat, drink, wear. I usually dream about them and get to know them in dreamland.

I have been known to write different outcomes down and get Beta readers to tell me which outcome they like most. For me that helps a lot. For instance in book three I killed someone in a plane crash but when all was said and done, there was just too much more to his character and I couldn't do it. I'm not good at killing people. I might grow there but I'm not there yet.

December Road coming in Sept Oct. 2014

 Next up on the tour will be these talented ladies who'll tell you next Monday, June 23rd , all about their own writing processes and their upcoming books.  They are both talented writers and stay tuned for some information on the stories they write. 

Lynn Saint James

 Nancy Pennick

                                        Read Chapter One of Seasons of Love and War

                                                           

  

                                                                 Chapter One

A hush fell over the sweltering jungles as Kaylob Shawn O’Brien and Walt Shaffer anchored their bodies to the putrid ground alive with fire ants and spiders. Although the humid air grew thick with giant mosquitoes, Kaylob focused on worse threats like snakes, tarantulas, and the Viet Cong.

The moon cast a mellow glow over the landscape in contrast to the chaos below. The stench of sulfur brought Kaylob back to the moment. He looked over at Walt, his inseparable buddy since boot camp. He liked the guy. He was the brother Kaylob had never had.

“Stick close, kid,” Kaylob whispered. “Don’t wanna get my ass shot trying to rescue you.”

“No way, man.” Shaffer placed his hand on Kaylob’s shoulder. “Gotta get you home to the redhead.”

Kaylob nodded and swatted away a bug. “Groovy, and we gotta get you home to your mama too. When’s she sending some more of those chocolate chip cookies?”

“Kiss my… ass.”

They shared a quiet laugh but stopped abruptly as an eerie silence blanketed the air. Kaylob raised his finger to his lips and stared at Shaffer. In the next instant the silence was shattered. Something exploded close to them. Dirt particles stung Kaylob’s face. They needed to move.

“Shaffer, follow me.”

Kaylob moved through the bush, flinching as more grenades blasted around them. The deafening sounds sent mud and rock flying into the air. He glanced back. No Shaffer. Son of a bitch. Where was he?

Silhouettes of enemy soldiers appeared against the moon. They closed in as the smell of smoke, earth, and death enveloped him. Shit.. He’d lost sight of Shaffer. A figure emerged out of the darkness, not more than a foot away.

“Shaffer, is that you?”

No one answered. Then, a shot rang out and something warm hit his arm. A dark splotch of blood spread over his uniform. Kaylob watched Walt pause and saw his eyes widen. As if in slow motion, Walt crumpled and hit the ground.

Damn it, no.. Oh God, no..

Kaylob dropped his M16 in the mud, pulled his buddy into his arms and saw his eyes roll back. Shaffer took a last rattling gasp. Tears slid down Kaylob’s face as he rocked his best friend.

Shaffer body was there, but he was gone. It was over.

“Walt, I’m so sorry.” Kaylob sobbed. “I swear I’m gonna kill those bastards who did this to you.” He kissed his friend’s head. “I love you, buddy. Your death won’t be in vain, I promise.”

Kaylob felt like his heart was shattered, but he knew he had to pull it together. You had to stay focused in war or it could mean your life or the lives of others. No way would he let those bastards kill any more of his buddies. He’d hated it when he’d been drafted, but now he felt dedicated to help his brothers-in-arms.

The fighting continued all around him, but Kaylob barely heard anything as he laid Shaffer in the thick underbrush of the jungle, vowing to return. The Army didn’t leave its dead behind, and he sure as shit wasn’t going to leave his best friend.

More bombs blasted fire, shrapnel, and dirt. Fury roared through him. He picked up his M16, his face dripping with sweat and tears as he fired his weapon into the night. Damn them, and damn this war..

All he wanted in that moment was to settle the score, and he would find a way or die trying. As much as he loved Beth Ann, he couldn’t let his friend die in vain. He’d seen too much goddamn death.

Once again he fired his gun into the night. “Walt, this is for you.”

KAYLOB'S GOT IT BAD!

                ❤  Happy Sunday everyone and thank you for stopping by for a visit. ❤

              I'm giving you snippets from the prequel from Seasons of Love and War. Thought it was time for some cheer.

Left off last week with Kaylob telling Beth Ann that it wasn't every day you meet the girl you're gonna marry.

Since Beth Ann has never even liked a boy, it may take her a while to warm up to him.

Even if he is handsome, with the most beautiful eyes she's ever seen.

And for some odd reason she has feelings of butterflies swarming in flights of fancy in her stomach.

“Beth Ann wait! please don’t leave.”                         

His deep voice did something to her she didn't fully understand.

She whipped around trying to act madder than she felt, “I'm never going to be anybody’s wife, 

ever!” she locked her gaze on him.

“Why would you say that? he asked, practically laughing.

“Because, I don’t ever want to cook and I'll never have kids and, and, I just don’t like boys.”

His grin reached the corners of his eyes, “oh, I think you like me just fine, why else would your face be so red?"  he chuckled.

 “Besides, I have plenty of time to help you change your mind," 

                                                   
                                                       I would say Kaylob is smitten and smitten bad.

Please also check out the other Weekend Writing Warriors and the Six Sentence Sunday refugees. You will love all these talented writers!

Hope you'll visit my website and join our Author page
http://www.brendaashworthbarry.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Seasons-of-Love-and-War-Author-Page/411210412247684

THE FIRST MEETING

Happy Sunday and Happy Saint Patrick's Day.

 I signed my contract and my release date is 

Feb/March 2014 and we are hoping book two, 'December Road'  will be released shortly after. 

Seasons is a four part Saga with a prequel. Today I've taken a scene from that prequel. Since I've been sharing almost all emotionally charged scenes, I thought some light hearted fun might be good.

 I introduce-- Beth Ann and Kaylob as children.

Set up

It's August of 1961 and Beth Ann had just arrived in Novato after spending the summer with her Gram. While she and her Mom are sitting in the convertible at the train stop she sees a  boy with blond hair washing windows at the old abandoned train station. 

Watching his every move she can't help but noticed he looks very cute from behind. His legs are tanned and so muscular. 

Much to her surprise as she lets her eyes drift up his body to what she assumes will be the back of his head, he is staring straight at her with the most beautiful blue eyes she's ever seen.  

Yes, she's busted. 

He winks not once but twice.

 Beth Ann cheeks glow as red as a fire truck. Which in return makes her Mom think she has a fever. 

The boy see's Beth Ann's Mom touch her forehead and can't help but laugh. Beth Ann wants to kick this strange guy, but her Mom is going on about the new town, their new home, and doesn't notice him flirting with her daughter.

 Later that day she goes into town and runs right into Kaylob. He continues to flirt with her and follows her down the train tracks wanting to know her age, name and where she came from.

                     

July 1961 In Novato California- At the old train station-- Now for the snippet

Beth Ann watched the boy who’d spent the last fifteen minutes flirting stumble backward just from touching her arm. Holy cow, he must be nervous, she’d never made a boy nervous before.


“Sorry if I scared you, Kaylob.” Beth Ann giggled, then she turned to head home but stopped when he appeared in front of her.

His blue eyes lit up as his grin spread slowly across his face. “You didn’t scare me, Beth Ann.” He moved closer, using his finger to lift her chin. “It’s just not every day you meet the girl you’re gonna marry.”

                                    

     From that first moment a bond grew between them and the journey of their love began.

Please also check out the other Weekend Writing Warriors and the Six Sentence Sunday refugees. You will love all these talented writers!

Hope you'll visit my website and join our Author page
http://www.brendaashworthbarry.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Seasons-of-Love-and-War-Author-Page/411210412247684

THE SEARCH

Season's of Love and War will be released Feb-March 2014  The contract is signed. :-)

                                         

Thank you for stopping by.  

This will be the last snippet from Seasons for a while.

 Book two of the Seasons Saga -- 'December Road' will be out shortly after Seasons of Love and 

War-- but no snippets until book one is out.. 

Instead, I will do some snippets from some other books that are un-edited but will be released next year. 

The scene has switched to Beth Ann's POV and I played with it a bit, to give you more since it's the final one for a while

We left off last week with Beth Ann  furious. She took off while Kaylob was in the shower.

 However,. Kaylob knew where she might be headed, but when he first got there she wasn't there. So, he drove around for hours and finally went back and found her at their special spot under the tree in the park

She  was wet and digging in the mud with tears streaking down her face.  

He calls her name and reaches out to her. He wants to take her home. 

“No, leave me alone,” she pushed away his hands again and tried to keep digging. “I have to tear it up, It doesn’t mean anything now.”

“Yes it does, baby, I love you and I always will.”

She kept struggling against him for a few seconds longer, then all the fight seemed to drain out of her and all she could do was slump against him.

“Kaylob, ” her voice was so weak that she barely heard it herself. She suddenly felt so tired that she didn’t think she could walk if she tried, she stretched her arms up to him and he bent to pick her up, pausing to kick the mud back in place where she’d been digging.

 “Baby, I was so worried,” he said as he carried her to the car.

She leaned her head on his chest, “I’m sorry, I’m just so afraid because, I don’t want to lose you.

In this moment he promises her she wont. Should he have done that? Thank you again for all the wonderful comments and support with Seasons of Love and War. 

Please also check out the other Weekend Writing Warriors and the Six Sentence Sunday refugees. You will love all these talented writers!

Hope you'll visit my website and join our Author page
http://www.brendaashworthbarry.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Seasons-of-Love-and-War-Author-Page/411210412247684

BROKEN

      Welcome to all you wonderful Authors to Weekend Writing Warriors. I am so enjoying reading all your snippets and can't wait to read more...

Some good news this week, I received notice that I will be getting a contract and I am waiting on pins and needles for it to arrive.

Talk about nervous.... 

Okay, on to the story. Last week we left off with Beth Ann yelling and telling Kaylob not to touch her. I don't think she is one bit happy about him going back. I know it might seem she should be more understanding.

            But she has been having horrible nightmares about him. Plus he just got home.               

“But, baby, please—”

She threw the orange juice at the wall and it splattered all over him. “I don’t want to hear any more of your excuses! Why don’t you just go now if you’re going to leave me anyway!”

Her words hurt him as though he’d been cut by shards from the broken orange juice glass. He stared at her a moment as the juice dripped down his shirt, then he turned slowly and walked to the bathroom, feeling like a complete ass for tilting her world this way. He’d thought he could make her understand, but maybe that was hoping for too much. How could anyone who hadn’t been there to see all the horrors of war understand it?

How will they patch this up? Or will they? Stay tune as the story continues.....

Please also check out the other Weekend Writing Warriors and the Six Sentence Sunday refugees. You will love all these talented writers!

Hope you'll visit my website and join our Author page
http://www.brendaashworthbarry.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Seasons-of-Love-and-War-Author-Page/411210412247684

A STORM IS BREWING!

                             Thank you for stopping by. Another Sunday snipped.

Last week Kaylob told Beth Ann that he was going back to do a second tour. She was in shock at first but anger soon took it's place. Here's a little peek into their conversation.

 He’s just told her that she means everything to him and she can’t believe he decided this without talking it over with her. This is in Kaylob’s POV

He took a step toward her, but she held up her hand to keep him from coming closer.

“Did you not see how bad it hurt me when you left the first time? I’ve been stressed and worried every day. I guess that doesn’t matter so long as you’re with your brothers over in Vietnam!” Tears streamed down her face.

Kaylob felt like his heart was being squeezed by a giant fist. He just wanted to put his arms around her and make her feel better, “baby, I’m sorry, let me hold you.”

“Don’t you dare touch me!” 

Please also check out the other Weekend Writing Warriors and the Six Sentence Sunday refugees. You will love all these talented writers!

Hope you'll visit my website and join our Author page
http://www.brendaashworthbarry.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Seasons-of-Love-and-War-Author-Page/411210412247684