Jason Zandri's Blog: The GUNDERSTONE GOODREADS Review, page 30
March 29, 2015
Another Sunset – Excerpt IV
Maria walked into the store from the parking lot and stepped over to the side, where David was standing and looking out.
“You did it,” she said and smiled. “This is now going to be a reality, all because of you.” She wedged herself in front of him and put her arms around his waist.
“The people did this. I led and influenced where I could,” David said as he looked up at the graying sky. “I just hope the rain holds off.”
“Rain or no rain, this is going to be a weekend that Westville will talk about for a long time,” Maria said as she put her head against David’s chest.
David just nudged her away a little bit to look at her. “As long as Caroline enjoys her birthday tonight, that is all that matters to me. The rest is going to just take care—” David stopped mid-sentence.
Maria looked up at him. “The rest is going to just take care of what?”
David refocused and finished. “—of itself. Excuse me, Maria. I want to head upstairs for a little bit before we start with the birthday.”
David removed Maria’s hands abruptly and hurried off to the apartment, exiting through the back door.
Maria was taken aback and was prepared to follow him when
Caroline came in through the front door and distracted her.
“Look, Mama, Mr. Peter made it back,” Caroline exclaimed as
Peter’s big rig slowly pulled into the parking lot of Charlotte’s Place around the bazaar set up.
David got into the second floor stairwell as his stomach turned.
He leaned hard against the wall and used the banister railing to pull himself along as his vision blurred.
“This is not good,” he said aloud as he turned the corner. He approached the third floor stairwell as he heard someone enter on the first floor.
David made his way up and into his room. He closed the door behind him and fumbled for the lock. He turned it, not knowing whether or not it engaged, as he never used it the whole time he had rented the apartment.
He turned and steadied himself by leaning on the kitchen table as warm blood ran out of his nose. He focused his vision on his large duffle bag that was still neatly folded in the corner of the room on the old wooden chair where it had sat since the day he unpacked it.
Suddenly Maria knocked on the door. “David? Are you in the room?” David heard her, but he couldn’t focus enough to answer. Maria tried the doorknob, but the door was locked. She said something to Charlotte who was in the hall with her and then her voice dissipated.
“David, can you open the door?” Charlotte called out.
David felt like he was going to throw up. He wanted to get over to the sink, but he couldn’t let the table go. His heart was pounding in his chest. “Move,” he said to his own feet, but they wouldn’t budge. Maria raced in through the sliding doors, which were still unlocked.
“Dios mío!” David looked up to see Maria’s horrified look, and he lost all his vision and balance. As he started to black out Maria moved forward and guided as much of his weight as she could bear to keep him from impacting the table or the floor at full, dead drop.
As soon as he was down, she reached over and fumbled for the lock. Charlotte came into the room and then immediately headed back out. Rebecca was half way up the stairs at the time. “Rebecca. Run! Go get Doc right away. Keep Caroline downstairs.”
Rebecca turned immediately and went back down.
Maria propped David’s head into her lap as she sat on the floor trying to clean the blood off his face with her hand as it continued to come out of his nose.
Maria sobbed and began to pray quietly, something she had not done in a long time. “Please help him. He means so much to so many. He means so much to Caroline and I. We have not been the same since he came here. We will not be the same if he cannot get better.”
Maria’s final words resonated loudly in David’s ears and he forced open his eyes. He tried to look up to her, but he really could not focus. The words echoed, “We will not be the same if he cannot get better” as his line of sight spun.
“Don’t … don’t let …”
“Shhhh, amado, Doc is on his way. Just rest. Do not try to talk.”
“Don’t let Caroline see me … like this … on her birthday. Give me a minute and I will be fine.”
Maria cried more. It had been some time since she had seen David like this. So much so, that she had forgotten that he never did follow up to see Doc or go in for the blood work.
“I don’t care if it is my place to say so or not, but on Monday you will go to County for the blood work. Do you understand me?”
“Yes.” David said and he struggled weakly to sit up. Maria pulled him back down easily. Doc came in through the door with Rebecca as Charlotte moved over to make room. “I’m going back down to keep an eye on Caroline. She’s with Peter,” Rebecca said as she headed back down the stairs.
“Stubborn man. He never did come to see me,” Doc said as he huffed. “Did he hit his head at all?”
Maria shook her head. “No. As he began to fall I guided him away from the table and down to the floor.”
“Was he drinking at all today like the episodes over the summer?” Doc asked as he looked to Maria and then Charlotte.
“No,” Charlotte said. “As a matter of fact, when he was helping earlier today with the tents on Packer, the volunteers kept passing him a beer and he would open it and set it down. Now that I am thinking about it, he never drank it. He eventually would toss it into the barrel with the cans without having any.”
David struggled more and more to focus as Doc shined the light into his eyes to watch his dilation. “One side?” Doc whispered out loud.
David aggressively attempted to get up. “Maria, please let me go.”
Startled by David’s uncharacteristic response, Doc backed up at the same time Maria released him.
David rolled off and forced himself onto his hands and knees.
Everyone in the room was paralyzed. They all wanted to help him, but no one wanted to touch him.
The warm blood coming out of David’s nose slowed and finally stopped dripping after a moment. He very slowly raised his right hand onto the seat of one of the kitchen chairs to steady himself and tried to press up off the furniture to stand. Maria reached over finally to help him. When he didn’t respond aggressively, Doc also helped.
David stood all the way up and leaned on the back of the kitchen chair. Maria got up under his right arm and supported him.
Doc looked at him sternly. “County. Monday. No bullshit.”
“Yes, sir. I am out of excuses,” David said weakly.
Doc leaned in and very quietly whispered, “You may be out of options. And time.”
Charlotte looked at Doc, who tipped his head to motion her out of the room. Maria helped David over to sit down. She then walked over to get a clean towel and soaked it with hot water.
“David, please, please go with Doc Monday. Something is seriously wrong.”
David heard her but didn’t answer. I am too close to them and I needed to leave. I wanted to see this through. This was my last chance to make a difference, he thought and he looked at his now blood stained T-shirt.
Maria cleaned off his face with the towel. She still had tears in her eyes.
“I am sorry that I upset you,” David said as he touched her hand softly.
“You upset me because you do not take care of yourself and you do not let me do it either,” she said loudly as her accent crept into her response. David attempted to speak, but she cut him off. “You should eat a little better. I try to have you come to eat with us, but you sometimes excuse yourself. I do not push because it is not my place. But then I want to come up and make sure you are okay and you have fallen asleep on the couch. I do not wake you, but I should and make you sit until the bed is pulled out and properly set.”
Maria began to get more worked up and upset. David caught a pause and was going to say something but was unsure if she was mad or upset so he said nothing at first.
“I know you come up and try to take care of me. I appreciate it. I don’t thank you enough, so thank you for it.”
“I do not want to be thanked with the words,” she responded as she finished cleaning him up and put the towel down on the table with some force. “I want to be thanked with respect. For yourself. You are not alone anymore. As much as you may still wish to be. When you are hurt, Caroline is hurt. I am hurt. We love you. If you want to do the right thing, it is not a thank you that we need. We need you to do for yourself that which you do for others.”
“And that is?”
“Everything and anything. You do, selflessly, for everyone. Do something for yourself. Go to the doctor.”
“I have had a long life of being selfish …” he began until Maria cut him off.
“Which I know very little about. I have accepted that you have put that life behind you. I know only the man you are today. If you say you were once selfish then I ask you to be that way just a little bit for perhaps a week so that you might tend to your own needs,” Maria scolded as she turned around and sobbed loudly.
David stood, took his bloody shirt off and tossed it on the floor. He then stood behind Maria and put his arms around her.
“Please tell me that we are important enough to you that you will take care of yourself.”
David paused for a minute and responded with, “I will do what needs to be done.”
Maria spun around in place and looked into David’s face. “Do you love me?”
David said nothing but continued to look right at her.
“I see it in everything you do, but you never say it. There are women who would be glad to never hear the words but instead receive all that you have given to my daughter and me. I need to hear it, I am sorry. I do not want to mistake the kindness you have for everyone as more than it is for us unless it is in fact more. As I said before, I only know the man you are now.” Maria paused for a moment and just stared into his eyes.
The words sat at the edge of David’s mouth. He knew what he felt. He knew he had shown her. He knew that if he said it, it could never be unsaid.
His mind fought with his heart. His past fought with his present.
He could taste the future in the back of his throat. One stray tear got away from him.
“I do,” he said as his voice trembled just slightly. “I do love you.”
“But?” Maria asked immediately.
“There are no buts. Not today.”
Maria closed her eyes and laid her head on his bare chest for just a moment as David digested what he just admitted to her.
“I need to get a clean shirt and we need to get downstairs. I am not going to let this episode ruin Caroline’s birthday.”
My fifth GoodReads Giveaway is my best ever; 236 most requested of 2970 titles offered
Thank you again everyone at Goodreads for your interest and support of my first work of fiction “Another Sunset.”
This was my fifth giveaway on the site and it was my best ever with 833 people requesting the title (from the 10 copies that were available) which pushed the book up to the 236th most requested book out of the 2,970 titles being offered.
In 236th place, the book was in the top 8% of the titles offered. Some of the titles offered are running for thirty to sixty days; mine was an eligible giveaway for two weeks.
These giveaway have drawn a lot of attention to the book and it shows from the reviews I am getting so I am hoping to continue with this effort.
With that, I am likely to post another giveaway for a two week cycle (or perhaps three) into April.
Additionally, I will also be offering TEN KINDLE copies of the book to TEN random people that send me a Goodreads message, email, ping me on Facebook, or via Twitter or even over on Google+. I am looking to expose more people to my story as well as get those honest reviews and the feedback that comes with it.
If you’re interested drop me a note of follow the blog for the next Goodreads Giveaway.
Thank you again everyone for you interest in my book – Another Sunset
March 27, 2015
Kathryn Biel in “WHO’S ON THE SHELF WITH NONNIE JULES?”
Originally posted on Rave Reviews by Nonnie Jules:
Hello, and welcome to “WHO’S ON THE SHELF?” with yours truly, Nonnie Jules! Since we are a book club, you know we had to offer something that included a book shelf. A lot of interviews merely cover an author’s work or an individual’s career stories. Here on this “SHELF,” we get down and dirty and ask the questions no other interviewer dare ask. We ask the questions that you want to open up a book and find the answers to on your favorite authors and fellow book club members, but no one has dared to cover them. WE get personal! Because when you sit on the RRBC “SHELF,” YOU are an open book!
Today I have with me on the “SHELF” our Current “SPOTLIGHT”Author, Kathryn Biel!!! Kathryn is showing off her favorite shoes to us as she sits back and enjoys all the attention from her first…
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March 26, 2015
Goodreads Book Giveaway For Another Sunset – ends on Mar 28, 2015
TEN SIGNED COPIES UP FOR GRABS
All the details can be found over on the Goodreads giveaway page (links to details are below).
I am hoping that perhaps we can do even better for this giveaway. I am getting more and more reviews from them and as that happens more and more people are introduced to my work.
Thank you again for your interest and good luck on your entry of the giveaway.
Goodreads Book Giveaway
Another Sunset
by Jason Zandri
Giveaway ends March 28, 2015.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
March 25, 2015
COVER PREVIEW – I, Hero – The Beginning
So this is the mock up of the cover that I was thinking to use.
Please comment here or message me directly with your thoughts.
March 24, 2015
BOOK REVIEW – “Best Foot Forward: A Romantic Comedy (The Best Girls Book 4)” by Tamie Dearen
Best Foot Forward: A Romantic Comedy by Tamie Dearen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I haven’t read the other books in this series (with the exception of the intro to the series “The Best Is Yet to Come: A Romantic Comedy (The Best Girls Book 0)”) – I was initially concerned that it might be an issue jumping into book four over book one first but the read came to me by recommendation and I had the time so I wanted to get into it.
While there were some references to the other books (and likely some inside commentary that I missed from not reading them first) this is a very good story that stands on its own despite the character history that is likely there from prior books.
Grace, the lead “Best Girl” in this book is a quirky character; she lives life fully but works very hard to avoid complications (like serious relationships) and her efforts to avoid them become particularly complicated when she falls hard for Brad. Her efforts to end the relationship (because she feels too much for him) become lightly comical and the involvement of the ensemble characters (mostly family) to try to help out adds to the fun of the entire story.
Reading romantic comedies isn’t my norm but I found this story engaging, the characters down to Earth, and the life situations very real so it was easy to get involved with the story and enjoy it.
I recommend “Best Foot Forward: A Romantic Comedy (The Best Girls Book 4)” by Tamie Dearen – four stars out of five.
Review on Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/review/RCLACP8APFSGF
Review on Goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1235757605
March 22, 2015
“I, Hero – The Beginning” – Excerpt III
Officer O’Malley stepped into the quick care area that Nathan had been staged in.
“You gave us a bit of a scare dropping like that Devron. I only want one flash of excitement per morning.”
Nathan smiled slightly at the comment. He knew Officer O’Malley from his beat and while he was a gruff man, Nathan always knew his heart was in the right place.
“I really don’t need a statement or anything from the two of you. We pretty much know what went down there, but from the lack of anything more than the general description Cici gave us, these thugs were like anyone else hanging around and wandering the area.”
“So it’s unlikely you’ll be able to catch who did this?” Lisa asked.
“Not from a lack of trying, Miss Cooper,” he replied sternly but in a friendly tone. “I personally will try. Cici’s been on that block from before I was on the force. Tough old broad. If it were ten years ago those thugs would be the ones on the ground.”
Nathan cracked the smallest hint of a smile. He could picture that scene in his head. He pulled at his right arm so there was a little more play in the IV lines and he looked down at the copper bracelet attached to his right wrist.
“Yeah,” Jack O’Malley replied as he lifted and dropped his police hat. “She slapped that on your wrist while holding your arm. I heard one of the ambulance techs say it was hot to the touch when they were working on you.”
“Well Cici did have a tight grip on it,” Nathan replied in a monotone response.
“What was it she said to you?” Lisa asked.
Nathan focused for a minute. “You know, it’s all a blur now. It was almost like a poem or something.”
“Barry Falxon my partner joked it was a spell,” Jack said as he adjusted his gun belt just slightly.
“So Cici was a follower of the Wiccan religion?” Lisa asked.
“No, more like a real witch,” Jack O’Malley quickly replied. “Shop keepers would complain that she would cast “spells” and “hexes” on customers as they walked by,” he responded, making air quotes. “Really freaked people out.”
Lisa looked at Nathan as he knew the old woman better. He shrugged his shoulders slightly at the comment and then reached over at the bracelet with his left hand. As he touched it the copper metal felt slightly warm. He touched and released it with his fingers and then rubbed his fingers together as his fingers took on a “pins and needles” tingling.
“I’m going to head back to work,” Jack said tipping his hat lightly. “I am sure they’re going to discharge you. I overheard the attendant. Make sure you head home and rest the remainder of the day. I think you’ve had your fill of excitement.”
“Thanks, Officer O’Malley” Nathan replied quietly.
Officer O’Malley turned to leave the area and then turned back and smiled at the man that was young enough to be his son. “Why not call me Jack from now on Nathan? I think you’ve earned it.”
Nathan smiled just a little. He knew Jack O’Malley as big on formalities and offering someone to address him by his first name, especially in uniform, was a big deal.
Jack said nothing further, tugged a little on his gun belt that rested bellow a belly that was just a hair too large, and turned and left the room.
“Take care of him, Miss Cooper, he’s all yours now.”
March 21, 2015
Another Sunset Book Review (the 30th review) “Amazing that a male author could write such a touching story.”
Happy to have another satisfied reader and to read another great review.
All of the current reviews on Amazon can be found here http://amzn.to/19cxdkc
The particular one (below) is available here.
Get your copy of Another Sunset on Amazon.com.
If you are interested in a signed, physical copy, you can order them directly from me via my website by hitting the Paypal button (U.S. residents only – sorry my international friends; the cost of shipping is too high for me to be able to offer this outside the United States).
Author’s Workshop
Originally posted on Beem's Blog:
Hello, dear readers. I am pleased to once again participate in a blog tour. Please give a warm welcome to indie author J.L. McFadden as he discusses publishing!
Take it away, J.L.!!!
Author’s Workshop
First off, I want to say thank you for having me here for a humbling chance of doing a workshop for up and coming authors. Besides the fears and self-doubt that besieges every new author’s mind, there is also the questions of how for so many different things in writing, so let’s start with the largest and most loaded question that we all have been faced with:
To Self-Publish or hunt for a Publisher?
By all means if a large publisher wants you, have a lawyer look over the contract and have at it, but without a Literary Agent none of the large publishers will ever take a look at your work. Literary Agents are…
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March 20, 2015
Another TEN book Goodreads Giveaway for Another Sunset (all copies SIGNED by the author)
I decided to do another ten book in giveaway that runs through March 28th. I have been getting some good follow up from the readers and some reviews to go along with that. The obvious reasons for doing this is exposure to my writing and the feedback.
So with that – here are the details on this giveaway.
US residents only (sorry – shipping gets expensive for me outside the US)
All copies of the book are signed by me.
Goodreads Book Giveaway
Another Sunset
by Jason Zandri
Giveaway ends March 28, 2015.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
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