Categories
EC: Giovanni's Angel Tea & Conversation

Tea and Conversation 02: This story?

teaNtalk

Today I’m sharing a picture of a green tea set from Pinterest. This is from my personal collection.

Please do not copy this image. Click image to share on Pinterest.

Today in my meditation on the Eternal Curse, I’m writing about: Why this story?

There are a number of reasons why I wrote Eternal Curse: Giovanni’s Angel, but the one that’s the most honest and accurately reflects my mood and motivation at the time I was writing it, would be “stress relief.”  After having a reoccurring dream about a gray man who turned into an angel, I began to write down all that I could remember of the dreams and compile a new story. I found the whole process of taking notes, rearranging ideas and information, and actually typing up the words to be quite relaxing, which also provided me a bit of mental escapism.

So why was I so stressed out at the time I began writing this book? Let’s see, I was living in a very small space, commuting a very long distance to my day job, dealing with chronic health issues, and dealing with family issues. As much as I love my family, and I really meant that, it’s difficult sometimes to be around them too much. Eternal Curse came to me just when I need it. There is so much of myself and even my family in between the lines of this story.

I was never raised to believe that my family was poor or impoverished in anyway, but I also knew that we weren’t wealthy. I think that writing the characters and settings of Eternal Curse the way I did, helped me come to terms with my own issues of balancing social, financial, and family demands. Speaking from the stand point of a U.S. consumer, relationships come with any number of issues to be overcome or dealt with that have nothing to do with fiancés, but when finances are an issue it does add additional unnecessary pressure. In this story, I wanted to show how people who have no financial worries are still normal regular people with issues and problems. Having money doesn’t make them happy; it’s all the “other stuff” that ends up bringing them joy and peace.

Writing this story also helped to come to terms with many other issues that I still sometimes find myself struggling with such as: social interaction; technology misuse or over usage, romantic interactions, family dealings, faith and spiritual beliefs and tolerances, and so much more. If no one other than myself were to ever read this book, all the time and effort I put into it would still be worth it.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

Categories
Character Files EC: B Files EC: Battleground

Character Files from the ToiBox 23: Jack- Bio

ECB-J

nomaleBiography:  Subject EC:B 3-Jack

Jack is another prodigy who makes an impact in the world of the Eternal Curse. In the case of Jack, knowing too much can hurt you. Jack is raised by a human family who not only knows about the others who walk the earth; they also associate with these beings.

Jack’s story is interesting because he, oddly enough as a human, poses a threat to both the others and the humans; not that he wants to be a threat to either in the beginning. Jack’s first battle is with his government and his right to have a powerful mind. He is taken from his home at a young age and forced to work for the government or be forever labeled a terrorist, but that’s another matter.

Jack’s thirst for knowledge doesn’t end with the knowledge of humanity. He begins to study and master the knowledge of supernatural beings and worlds. It is this knowledge that puts him in the path of Giovanni and Mira. They decide to help him and in return he helps them.

While Jack is much younger than Giovanni and Mira when they first meet, his maturity helps them all to develop a lasting friendship. There are good sons and bad sons, but when Giovanni and Jack become like brothers, lines of good and bad begin to blur. No matter what happens between them, two facts remain constant. They will both do any for Mira and they are both not to be trifled with.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

Categories
Guest Posts

The Piñata-Maker’s Daughter Excerpt by Eileen Clemens Granfors

provided by author

Title: The Piñata-Maker’s Daughter

Series: The Marisol Trilogy

Author: Eileen Clemens Granfors

Publisher:  Self-published (CreateSpace)

Reading Level: YA/New Adult

Genre: Women’s Lit

Contemporary Fiction

Hispanic trilogy

Content rating: PG-13

Formats: paperback and ebook

Pages: 270 pages

Buy link: Amazon.com

Blurb provided by author

Scholarly Carmen Principia jumps into college unprepared socially. First, there’s her weird roommate. And then the men! Radical protester, Franco, who shares her Hispanic heritage, or frat rat Joe, who makes her laugh? Follow her adventures, some hilarious, some heartbreaking.

 

Excerpt

“Thank you, Joe,” I say. “See you around campus.”

“Maybe. Twelve thousand people, sometimes it’s hard to find who you’re looking for. What dorm are you in?”
“Ortega.”

“Good one, closer to campus.”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought. Are you in the dorms?”

“Not this year, I pledged Kappa. The house is right across the street. Come on over and ask for me when you get settled. I’ll buy you a sundae at Al’s.”

“Al’s?” It sounds like a dive bar.

“Al’s Place at the student union. Everybody hangs there. Gotta go if you ladies are okay. We have some frat business this afternoon.” As he leaves, he sees the bumper sticker. “Hey, the La Raza people hang out on Crusader Commons. Viva La Raza?” he says as if it’s a question, pronouncingRaza with a long A. He waves, guns the Miata, and disappears into traffic.

I look at Mama, Mama looks at me, we both shrug, and then we laugh. We wrap her arm in strips of tee-shirt. I hug Mama. I’m so relieved it’s going to be okay. Twelve thousand students at WPC, and now I know one.

“Don’t be ashamed of your hometown, Carmenita,” says Mama.

“Why would you say that?”  I ask, as if I am shocked. “Wow, Laguna Beach, this Joe guy must be rich.”

“You’re going to meet a lot of rich people in college. Rich doesn’t make them better.”

“Sure.” I can picture the looks of people the first time I answer, “So what does your mom do?” and I tell them, “Oh, she makes piñatas.” As if piñata-making is perfectly normal in their world. I remind myself to say she’s an artisan. Yeah, artisan sounds totally righteous.

 

Come back Monday, August 26, to see the trailer for this book and its sequel.

provided by author

Author Bio: Eileen Granfors lives in Santa Clarita, California. Though born in New Orleans, Eileen grew up in her mother’s hometown, Imperial Beach, California, the most southwesterly city in the U.S. Her mother’s love of Mexico and beaches influenced Eileen’s strong ties with her Hispanic neighbors. When Eileen was a child, she and her brother could walk to Mexico down the beach, after crossing the Tijuana River mouth. Today, an iron fence extends out into the breakers at the border. Eileen is a proud UCLA alumna. She began writing after retiring from teaching high school literature and composition for thirty-four years. She enrolled in UCLA’s Extension Writers’ Program on the first day of her retirement.

Author links:

Blog: Word Joy New book reviews of others’ books and tabs, trailers for my books

Twitter: @EileenGranfors

Email: eggranfors@gmail.com

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords