Accidental Paradise
by Eric Grandy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Coming of Age
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BOOK BLURB:
Natural talent, hard work, and a childhood friend help LaVern Whitaker find her calling as an actress. When her life becomes overwhelming, they discover a small town where her true identity can remain unknown and she can stay out of the spotlight. The more she visits her secret getaway, the more deeply she feels connected to the history, the lifestyle, and the people. Could this place be her home away from home, or become the home she has dreamed of? Or will sinister forces rip it all away?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT ONE:
“Make me a promise, Shaundra. Promise me we will always be best friends.”
“I promise, Peaches.”
LaVern stood up and said she had better head back. “Are you coming over tomorrow?”
“Hell yeah.”
Both girls had a hardy laugh at that one.
As Freeman and Jackie watched their daughter recross the street, they noticed a more delighted and relieved child than the one who left a few minutes earlier.
The girls resumed their old routine of talking and gossiping in LaVern’s bedroom. Shaundra asked more questions about her new school; how did she like going to school with White kids? Did she hang out with the other Black students? How was she treated? LaVern did her best to answer; No, she wasn’t completely accepted by everyone, she wasn’t friends with all the Black kids, she still felt very self-conscious being one of a few Black students in an all-White school, sometimes she felt very alone but she had made a few friends.
“My daddy said it would take a little while, that I would get used to it. He said I would get a better education.”
“Well, you’re already smart Peaches. You’ll be smart no matter what school you go to.”
“Well, it is harder than 139, but I’m doing OK.
“I know you, Peaches. If you say you doing OK, I know you killin’ it.”
LaVern looked down at her feet. “Well, I’m doing alright.”
But the Big Dog was right. She was killing it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GUEST POST:
Everyone loves a hero. Tell us about this genuine character and the inspiration behind their development.
My protagonist is LaVern Whitaker. She is ten years old at the beginning of my story and thirty by the end. I wanted to unveil a female who is the antithesis of the stereotypical Black female so often portrayed in media today. She is not loud and profane. Nor has she been swallowed up by the streets. These women actually are out there. I know because I have them in my family. LaVern is a compilation of those women.
Ten-year-old LaVern is quiet and timid. She comes from a strong, intact, two-parent household (another aspect I wanted to emphasize). There is structure in her life. She has chores and there are expectations and rules that must be followed. And, she has her “pack”, consisting of her parents and her best friend, people she rely on throughout her coming life knowing she can trust them implicitly.
Despite her reclusive nature, she surprisingly finds joy in being on stage, in a high school play. This comes as a shock to her pack. As she explains to them, “It’s not me up there, it’s someone else. Nobody knows it’s me.” The introverted LaVern finds her superpower in the most public of venues.
After graduating from performing arts school, her resolve and determination are tested repeatedly by the constant struggles and rejections in a business with a 90% unemployment rate. But she perseveres. The seemingly vulnerable LaVern develops an internal formidability, a quiet strength. A rose with thorns. But she remains vulnerable in ways only her “pack” knows. You root for her because she succeeds by doing the right thing, even if it’s the hard thing. Her father advised her years ago to “always do the right thing LaVern. You never know who’s watching that can make your bumpy road smooth.”
I developed LaVern in an effort to emphasize the good in people, that a good and caring person can succeed and find happiness in this world without succumbing to the harmful distractions that afflict so many.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR BIO:
Eric Grandy was born and raised in Baltimore City and graduated from City College. After he graduated from Essex Community College, he was drafted by the Chicago Cubs and played six years for that team. He went on to a variety of jobs: photographer, lab manager, driver for DHL and warehouse manager. After retirement, he decided to devote himself to writing, producing several short stories and Accidental Paradise, his debut novel.
Grandy still lives in Baltimore with his wife Rhonda and his daughter Marti.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AMAZON BUY LINKS:
Amazon US Kindle eBook:
Amazon US Paperback:
Amazon CA Kindle eBook:
Amazon CA Paperback:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you for hosting ACCIDENTAL PARADISE today.
ReplyDelete