Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Bookish Thoughts, And Nicki Elson's Vibrizzio!

Hey everyone, I had this great idea for a post today, about books. SHOCKING, right? Me, write about books? I know, but I think it's important to stretch ourselves sometimes, and really step outside of our comfort zones. Be brave. And write about books.

Well, I will write about books (I'm not sure why I feel the need to continue emphasizing that) but not til next week, because this week I am FINALLY getting my butt in gear and featuring my blogging buddy Nicki Elson. I say 'finally,' because her new book has been out for weeks and I missed the official blog tour and I am a lame, lame friend. 

SO, without further ado (although I do like an ado), here's Nicki!

Wait, wait, just kidding. First let me say that you really need to read the excerpt she has here, but please do so without sipping or eating anything while you read. Because you will blow it out of your nose when you start laughing. I am not joking - there may have been a coffee/nose incident when Nicki sent this to me. Maybe. I'm just saying, be careful.

NOW, here's Nicki!


If you read this blog, then I know you've had practice at following trains of thought, yes? Liz is great about letting us know where her brain waves have taken her—which is just one reason I love stopping by. So would you like to know how I arrived at the excerpt I’m going to share with you today?

Well, Liz lives in Boston (her tidbits about living in the city are another thing I enjoy here), and though VIBRIZZIO is set in Chicago, there’s travel involved, including a trip to Boston. So I started thinking about that city … which naturally led me to tea—y’know because of that pah-tee in the haa-bah—and instead of landing in Boston, I plopped right back in Chicago at the Drake Hotel for high tea.

I write love stories, and I know many in the world of romance want 100% of the focus on the heroine and hero, but I write what I want to read, and I like to see how the main character interacts with a variety of people—family, friends, coworkers. Then reviewers make comments like the one below and I know I’m not alone:

“The other characters really bring life to the story. They’re not just background. It becomes clear how Lyssa’s friends and family have shaped and continue to shape her.”

Maybe what I really write is women’s fiction. I love my heroes, but the story I’m really telling is the girl’s.  To truly know her, we need to meet the important people in her life. Today, I introduce you to Lyssa Bates’ mum, Penny, in an excerpt from VIBRIZZIO.


* * *

"Keith and I broke up.”

It was good Penny had already set down her teacup; otherwise, stained water would’ve gone flying with the dramatic rush of her hand to her chest as she gasped loudly enough that the diners in the immediate vicinity glanced in her direction.

“It’s just a breakup, Mom. Calm down.”

“Well, do you think you’ll be getting back together?”

“I … I don’t know. I don’t think so. Look, I know you really liked him, but it became clear that he and I didn’t understand each other, so it seemed best to split.” Penny nodded and her hand slowly made its way down to the table, where she absently ran her fingertips along the rim of her saucer.

“When you say you didn’t understand each other, do you mean sexually?”

Pressing her lips together with pressure so fierce it could form diamonds, Lyssa gave a curt shake of her head. “It was a lot of things, Mom.”

“Oh.” It was one those ohs that came packed with layers of meaning—none of which merely meant oh.

Let it go, Lyssa told herself. Talk about the tea or talk about the weather. Maybe encourage her to go on for an hour about Jessica’s homemaking prowess, but do not give in to her bait. It was a battle Lyssa rarely won. “Why did you automatically assume that sex was the problem?”

Penny’s eyes went wide with feigned innocence. “It was only a question. No need to get shrill.”

Was she shrill? Lyssa looked down and saw her fingers bent like talons, holding her balled-up napkin in a death grip. Willing herself to relax, she released the napkin and spread it across her lap. “I’m sorry, but … why did you immediately go there?”

“No reason.” Penny lifted her porcelain cup to her lips. Before taking a long sip, she murmured, “It’s just that you’ve always been a bit of a prude.”

Lyssa's fingers choked the napkin again. Had any other woman in the entire history of everything ever been accused of being a prude by her own mother? She decided to meet blunt with blunter. “So you’re still disappointed I wouldn’t go with Jess and the other seniors to the suck-off-the-football-team parties?” For effect, she lifted her wrinkled napkin and dabbed at the corners of her mouth.

“That is not what was going on, and maybe if you’d been more social, you would’ve been asked to a prom.”

“You wanted me to social myself out for a date to prom?”

Penny tilted her head in the way that said she’d have none of her daughter’s nonsense. “What I want to express is that I understand what it’s like to be uptight in the bedroom. Your father and I … ”

Oh dear God.

“ … but once I loosened up and agreed to some of the things he’d been asking me to try … ”

Oh God, no! These weren’t random words popping into Lyssa’s mind—she was actually praying. Please, make it stop.

It wasn’t stopping, and Lyssa did her best to block her mother’s words and focus on something—anything—else in the vast room. Her eyes darted about, failing to find purchase anywhere, and the distinct syllables that formed the word “testicles” in her mother’s nasally voice cut through her rising panic. Her eyes stopped on the gleaming flatware resting conveniently on the white linen tablecloth. She momentarily considered stabbing forks into her eardrums, but that’d only stop the noise; she’d still be able to read those lips that didn’t stop moving.

“ … and there’s something very gratifying about causing a man to lose control like that … ”

Lyssa instantly decided on the ultimate superpower Keith had always wanted her to choose. She’d pick telekinesis, and she’d use it to snap off one of the harp strings and levitate it over. Then she’d wrap it around her mother’s throat and squeeze. Squeeze until Mommy turned blue. Squeeze until that larynx could never again spew its torturous revelations.


* * *


I, uh, might have a bit of a latent violent streak that leaks into my writing every once in a while, ehe.

Thank you so much, Liz, for having me over and letting me share a piece of the Vibster w/ your followers. I hope you enjoyed it. Have a fabulous Humpday, everyone!

30 comments:

  1. Thank you (again) for having me over! How dare you say you're lame? You're wonderful just to think of me. Release & tour time was Krazy so it's very nice to have a more relaxed visit here.

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  2. Writing strong secondary characters is definitely a plus, Nicki!

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  3. Laughed through this entire scene and adore Lyssa's body language during this moment in particular:

    “When you say you didn’t understand each other, do you mean sexually?”

    Pressing her lips together with pressure so fierce it could form diamonds, Lyssa gave a curt shake of her head. “It was a lot of things, Mom.”

    “Oh.” It was one those ohs that came packed with layers of meaning—none of which merely meant oh.


    Your incorporation and development of secondary characters is what always brings me into your stories because they round out your heroines in a more relatable, three-dimensional way than a lot of straight-up romance does in restricting so much interaction to just the central love interests--and at the risk of Lyssa's mother calling me a prude, so much of that interaction is just lust, so I appreciate the believability of your characters' worlds. That they have these outside influences and a range of emotion.

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    1. Yes, believability---you hit on it exactly. Thanks for sharing your favorite bit. I'm always tickled when I can make you laugh.

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  4. I've always believed secondary characters should pull their weight and be just as good as any other character.

    I love how Nicki described your blog, Liz. Your blog is awesome because we get to follow your thoughts and brain waves. :)

    Congrats to Nicki!

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    1. Thanks Chrys. :) Ditto on the awesomeness of Liz's blog!

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  5. Great excerpt, Nicki! The story sounds great!

    I love characters. They make or break a story for me. :)

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    1. Thanks, Loni. I'm with you on characters. It can be the most fascinating plot in the world, but if I don't care about the characters, I'm disconnected.

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  6. What a fun story. I've been eyeing it since seeing the cover reveal and I might just have to get it. Sounds hilarious. And thanks for the warning on not drinking while reading, Liz. Good call!

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    1. If you read the Vibster, I hope you enjoy it! Glad the cover reveal got your attention. ;)

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  7. That was hilarious. I don't know if there's anything in the world more awkward than a sex conversation with a parent. O_o

    And I agree, even when the story's main focus is a romance between two people, there need to be plenty of secondary characters. Nobody lives in a bubble, and I doubt many people don't ever talk about their relationships with friends and family. Stuff like that can only add to the story.

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    1. One of my big inspirations when writing chick lit is Sex and the City---so much of that show happened through conversations with friends. It's a fun & genuine way to help the lead sort through her relationship turmoil.

      I'm happy you enjoyed the excerpt!

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  8. Seriously great excerpt.
    I love secondary characters. For me they make the book.

    Hey, Liz:)

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    1. :) Glad you enjoyed the clip. And I'm very, very happy to see I'm not alone regarding secondary characters.

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    1. Thanks. :) Stopping by to read comments here is turning out to be an excellent way to start my day.

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  10. Oh my! If my mum tried to have a conversation like that with me, I'd sink right through the floor - even a very solid, concrete floor!!!! Great excerpt.

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    1. Haha. As I told Liz, I giggled a LOT while writing this scene. Thanks so much for stopping by, Annalisa.

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  11. Great intro, Liz! And I understand the coffee/nose incident now! That's was hysterical. My favorite line was
    “Oh.” It was one those ohs that came packed with layers of meaning—none of which merely meant oh.
    Loved that! Congrats, Nicki!

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    1. Oh, yay! That's one of my favorite lines too. I never know what will resonate w/ readers, so thanks for sharing this with me.

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  12. I would have run to the bathroom to urp, but wow, what a mom! Such outrageous behavior makes for a great character.

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    1. Glad you think so, Tamara. :) We don't see a lot of her in the book (she's best taken in doses, as Lyssa has learned) but what's there seems to make an impression.

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  13. I would have run to the bathroom to urp, but wow, what a mom! Such outrageous behavior makes for a great character.

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  14. Always great to meet a new author, thanks for that, Liz.

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  15. Oh Gosh-this sounded like my mom when she would "play" with me and I would bite 9 out of 10 times. If she ever started talking about sex with my dad i would put my fingers in my ears and start la-la-lalling. She would shake her head and think i was being silly

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  16. That would sooooo not be my mom saying those things.

    And you're not a lame friend, Liz. You're just a really busy one. :)

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  17. omg HA this is awesome :) I would run screaming and never look back!

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