I'm very excited to be part of this great tour. Today I have a guest post from author Elizabeth Lawrence and a giveaway for you. Enjoy!
Behind the Scenesof My Apple Tree by Elizabeth M.Lawrence
When I was a little girl, my parents had season tickets tothe opera, and I went with them. I
had become fascinated with opera when I wasonly about four years old and I saw Verdi’s LaTraviata on television. Beverly Sills sang the part of Violetta, and I wascompletely captivated. I was even permitted to stay up past my bedtime to watchthe end. My parents were delighted at my interest and encouraged it, which ishow I wound up with my own regular seat for the season.
When I was older, I began to complain about how every operaends in a death (usually the female lead). I never figured out why, other thanthat as human beings our response to death is much more multi-faceted than anyother emotional experience. We weep, we rage, we laugh, we go numb. Everyperson in the world understands the depths of grief and loss, whether it is aperson, a relationship, or a phase of one’s life. Death is always with us; thatis why you can see every tragic play, listen to every opera, watch everyheartbreaking film, and read every gut-wrenching book, and your reaction willnot fade in intensity. I have seen horrible things in my life, but I willalways cry over Violetta.
Autumn is harvest time, which is obviously the inspirationfor the title of Renaissance Romance Publishing’s seasonal collection. It is acomplex time of year because we experience both the bounty of the harvest andalso the death of the world around us as it prepares for winter. Halloween orSamhain is a perfect example of this. We celebrate, we dress up, we cometogether as a community, whether to be scared, entertained, or for religiousobservance. It is a fun night, but behind the decorations and laughter is thespecter of Death. The holiday typifies the autumn season.
My Apple Tree is thestory of David Cleary and Emily “Mel” Wallace. Both are attempting to cope withlives that have been ripped apart by violence. David is struggling with theloss of his childhood sweetheart Katie when he first encounters Mel. He hasbeen haunted by the belief that he failed Katie, and he wants to make up forhis past shortcomings by saving Mel. What first motivates him is guilt, but hecomes to find that in order to protect Mel, he must learn to let Katie go. Ultimately,David’s emotional journey is meant to give the reader the understanding that aslong as we remember, nothing we love is ever really gone.
Here is an excerpt:His first thought, when the haze of desire had lifted and they lay out of breath and exhausted, was to wonder what the hell was going on between them. They both were trying to recover from their past experiences with love, and neither wanted a new relationship. So why the hell were they unable to keep their hands off each other?When David managed to drag himself away from her and they had both gotten dressed, Mel followed him out to his car. He paused before opening the door to brush his fingertips along the curve of her cheek with a smile. She took a deep breath as if she was summoning her courage and spoke. “David, we can’t see each other again.”His brow furrowed, and he began to protest. “But . . .”She shook her head. “It’s no use. I don’t know what it is between us, but we can’t seem to be able to be in the same room together without this happening. I just can’t do this. I’m too afraid that I’ll wind up falling for you.”He winced. “Don’t fall for me, Emily. I’m not worth it.”She just gave a helpless shrug, the wounded expression in her eyes sending a stab of guilt through him. They stood awkwardly facing each other, both uncomfortable and thinking things that they lacked the courage to say. At last, taking a deep breath, Mel spoke.“Good-bye, David.”
When Renaissance Romance Publishing first discussed theinclusion of one of my stories in this collection with me, I decided that My Apple Tree would be the mostappropriate for the season. Like Halloween and harvest and all the rest, thisstory revolves around the theme of growth and change and death. It is not meantto be a sad story. Instead, it shows a young man learning to honor the memoryof the woman he has lost by loving the woman he has found. There is always lossand grief in our lives; David’s story walks us through the heartbreak and intoa new understanding that the blessings we are given are no less wonderful forbeing temporary. I hope readers enjoy going on the journey with him!
Hiç yorum yok:
Yorum Gönder