Hiatus Ends

So ... I'm back after my lengthy hiatus. 
I've missed you all so very much. (Yes, that's wordy, but I've really missed you.) 

I'd like to thank each of you - especially our newer Alleywalkers - for sticking with me during my summer break. It's ALWAYS tough for me to veer away from anything I do, me being the over-achieving control freak that I am, but with writing it seems to be worse. Taking a vacation from the whole creative process of writing is like pinching a knot in my oxygen tank. Part of the sustenance for my existence is zapped. 
Saying that, shifting gears for a bit can be productive. Over the past two years, I've found it necessary. It leads me to write clearer and more efficiently. My creative head-space heats up dormant/lazy neurons and ignites a fire deep inside that's only squelched by mapping out stories and meeting new characters. 
I love my characters, have I ever told you that? 
Weaving them from the first stitch is my favorite element of the writing process. That's part of what I've been doing ~ creating characters for two new novels I'm going to write. One will most likely be YA. But the other cast of characters has decided to lead me to the New Adult realm. Initially, I was scared to death to enter that arena of literature: the age where one is actively living in the world, being part of the world, yet still trying to form his or her mark in it all. 
So, how exactly have I been creating those new characters? Well, that, as well as my decision to dive into writing for older readers will have to be for another post - actually a few posts that will cover:
~ anxiety upon return ~ fifty shades of this writer ~ reading stimulation ~ letting go ~ writing age ranges & what they mean ~ emotions that draw ~ creative character traits ~ writing exercises ~ head space treadmill
Previous commitments have already been made to a few authors over the next few weeks. I will, however, sporadically squeeze in each above post as I can.
Now, enough about moi. How did summer treat you?    

MELT ~ The Full Circle of Domestic Abuse

This is my last official post before my summer break. Technically, I'm on a family vacation, right now, but wanted to share this amazing book with you. I'll be popping in and out, but will return to my regular schedule in mid to late August. 

TOUR SCHEDULE

My heart pounded as I read every word of Dorothy and Joey's story. Though long-fought and denied, love and genuine care for another can make all the difference in the world. 

That is what I typed directly after I'd finished reading this story. My heartache over the domestic abuse Joey went through dug deep within me. I've shared just how deep below. 

GOODREADS

MELT by Selene Castrovilla

Genre: Contemporary
Release Date: November 2014
Pages: 328

I'd like to thank the publisher for supplying me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Description: Melt is a brutal love story, set against the backdrop of The Wizard of Oz. Sixteen year old “good girl” Dorothy just blew into the small town of Highland Park – where the social headquarters is Munchkinland (Dunkin’ Donuts.) There, she meets Joey – a “bad boy” who tells no one about the catastrophic domestic violence he witnesses at home. Can these two lovers survive peer pressure, Joey’s reputation, and his alcoholism? And then there’s his family's secret – about to be unleashed.

Told in dual first person, Joey's words are scattered on the page - reflecting his broken state. Dorothy is the voice of reason - until something so shattering happens that she, too, may lose her grip. Can their love endure, or will it melt away?

Melt is based on true events. It is both a chilling tale of abuse, and a timeless romance. It will hit you like a punch in the face, and also seep through the cracks in your soul.

Favorite Lines/Passage: Joey's POV:

Late late late
It's late. 
I wake in the black
to the racket
in the air reaching up up
up from 
under
me.
Pop's cursing like a madman
downstairs
high on whiskey no doubt
pacing
like a caged panther I'm
sure
he's screeching he's howling I'll bet he's
barking through the window at the
moon. 
He crashes
glass
he smashes
ceramic
he bashes
Mom too I know.
      My clock glares red from my night stand it's 1:56
a.
m.
      My mouth tastes sour.
       I lean over the edge of my bed grope for the
neck
of my Bacardi 151. I keep it tucked under the bed for nights like this and they're pretty
much 
all 
nights like this.

NIGHTSTAND WORTHY +2

My Splats: Follow the journey of a boy emotionally dulled by domestic abuse and the girl who sees life, love, and hope in him. 

This is a young adult story for the ages. Sounds clique, but true. It explores the world of domestic violence - a world all too often hidden from most. Just as adult victims, children/teens existing in such an environment are molded by what they see and feel. And it takes its tole. 

From the outside, opinions can be told about Joey. He's rough, tough, and known for trouble. No one in their small town wants to know why. Most would rather gossip about him being no good and a loser. But, as with most things in life, what is visible on the outside is far, far from reality. 

Physically, Joey is a big guy, built, and quite attractive. Dorothy is new in town and notices him, because of those traits. But for her, there's something more. Her parents work in the psychiatric field and she's developed a feel for people. She feels something off about Joey, that he's not what the other kids are telling her he is. 

Joey is soft and deep, on a primitive level. He'd already chalked up the dream everyone wants--a good home, caring family, and love--to fantasy. In Joey's world, all those things that are supposed to equate to love are lies, a mere facade painted on your skin so people don't know. He does love ... his booze and fighting. It helps him forget what he has to go home to. For Joey, his home symbolizes a prison stained in tainted memories of beatings, guilt for not helping his mother, and places his dad kept him to keep him out of the way when he was younger. 

And Dorothy sees that. Not the abuse at first, but his desire to be more than he is right now, his want for happiness and hope that he's not ready to admit yet. She senses his loneliness and a tension stirring inside him. She decides to wait on him, let him emerge on his own. 

For Joey, Dorothy slowly becomes his hope and courage--a belief there might be more to life than this. But he's so afraid she'll get hurt like his mom.  

The writing brilliantly captures the essence of domestic abuse and its lingering affects. It's told from duel point-of-views, which adds such depth to the tale I don't think it could have been written any other way. Joey's POV is visual, too. As I've shown above, the author structured the words in a linear fashion down the left side of the page. Sometimes using a single word, while other times a few words. This gave a tangible view of his brokenness, his vulnerability. 

My only issue with the story was how Dorothy met a few friends at the beginning and then it's as if those kids just disappeared once she began talking to Joey.  

NOTE: there is vulgarity in the opening, but the piece is so powerful that it's easily overlooked. Honestly, holy wow! Let me rephrase. The opening to this story so overwhelmed me, the blanket of helplessness was so heavy, I got a stomachache. All I could think was 'God help them'. And I couldn't stop reading.

Have you ever read a book about domestic violence?