Book Tour & Review: Fistful of Love by Renee Cronin

Author Name: Renee Cronin

Title: Fistful of Love

Release Date: April 4, 2016

Length: 46,323

Categories: Lesbian Fiction, Domestic Violence

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29505751-fistful-of-love

Publisher: Renee Cronin

Cover Artist: Natasha Snow

At the age of 23, social worker, Jeya Wellington was pretty much on her own. The devastating loss of her parents left her bereft and alone. Her best friend, Roman and his family have been like surrogates, but they could never replace what she lost. She needed a different connection. Shortly after losing her parents, she finds love and comfort in the arms of Rayne Watson, a correctional officer.

Rayne was exactly what she needed at the time, but now, two years later, Jeya wants out. She never expected love to come with bruises. She didn’t anticipate losing friends and living in fear. This was not her idea of true love. With the support of Roman, Jeya finds a way to leave. But Rayne isn’t letting go that easily. They made a commitment to each, and she has the tattoo to prove it – ‘Til Death Do Us Part.

Torn between the love she has for Rayne and the instinct to protect herself, is Jeya’s will stronger than her vow?

This is an intense read, but I’m glad I picked this one up. Because there are already social stigmas against LGBTQ+ people, it can be difficult to talk about how communities are affected by intimate partner violence. This book does not mince words, and I think it’s an important story to tell.

Jeya is a compelling narrator, and its easy to be sympathetic toward her. I actually found it harder to like Roman, her best friend who wants to help her leave her abusive girlfriend. I understand his protective nature, but it sometimes felt like he overstepped, and his own anger was obviously difficult for Jeya to manage. I appreciated that Rayne wasn’t a stock villain—she was as complicated as Jeya, and I had sympathy for her as well even while wanting her to get help and stop hurting Jeya.

The only thing holding me back with this book was that a lot of it felt like telling us more back story than we probably needed. I wanted to spend more time in the moment, but there was a lot of extra detail I didn’t find relevant to the specific storyline. I would have liked instead to have more about Jeya’s work, especially with the young woman who came to her for help. Drawing that out in parallel to Jeya’s personal issues would have been compelling.

Despite that, I came away from this feeling like I’d learned something. This is definitely a worthwhile read, and I highly recommend it.

For deep insights, a strong main character, and a good exploration of a sensitive subject, this gets 8.5/10 fountain pens.

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2512nUS

It’s over.

Two simple words, intended to signify the end, were instead just the beginning. Jeya took a deep breath, and the pain that pierced her side served as the reminder she needed. She hit the send button. Unexpected relief instantly washed over her. “I did it. Step one. Now for step two.” Jeya placed her phone on the bed and stood up to double-check her suitcase. Going over the checklist in her mind, she felt confident that she had the essentials. A week away from home required more than she’d anticipated, but she had no intention of returning until the rainstorm had passed. Jeya took a second to acknowledge the double entendre of the word. Her girlfriend, Rayne, was definitely a hurricane. Her temper was unpredictable and left damage in its wake similar to that which Hurricane Gloria had. She knew she’d be safer at Roman’s house for the next several days.

The lyrics to “Dangerously in Love” cursed the air. The perfect ringtone to describe her relationship. She braced herself as she walked to the bed and picked up the phone. Jeya anticipated nothing less than an explosive response from her short-tempered girlfriend.

Renee Cronin is a self-professed devour of knowledge, and a voracious reader. She began writing in earnest in 2005, when the characters in her head became so loud she was forced to tell their stories, or risk getting swept away into the abyss of her imagination. Renee has since used writing as a personal outlet to express her feelings, ideas, views, thoughts, and opinions about the world and the issues that impact her on a deep personal and societal level. (And of course writing also quiets the voices in her head of the many characters that are yearning to have their stories told.) Renee’s inspiration to publish is in large part due to the overwhelming display of encouragement, and support from family and friends, who believe she has a gift with words that need to be shared with world. Born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, she works in the social work field avidly advocating and supporting the varied needs of the people in her community. Renee is a bibliophile with a transcendent love for words. Her soul yearns for the acoustic stylings from a plethora of musical genres. As she continues on this journey of published author she hopes to keep her readers captivated and pining for more.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/reneecronin78

Twitter: @reneecronin78

Website: www.renee-cronin.com

Today I’m welcoming Renee Cronin to chat about writing, life, and their current project. Welcome! Let’s talk a little about Fistful of Love.

What inspired you to write this story?

I was inspired to write this story for a number of reasons. The initial inspiration came from thinking about a past relationship and how manipulative it had been. My first book had some conflict but nothing to this degree. I wanted to write something that had more conflict for the characters and decided I wanted to write a story about an abusive relationship.

I also wanted to bring awareness to the issue if intimate partner violence in same sex relationships, particularly women. There’s a misconception that it doesn’t happen or it isn’t viewed with the same gravity as intimate partner violence in heterosexual relationships.

Is there a character you feel especially connected to? Why?

I love all of my characters and have a place in my heart for them all. But I am especially connected to Trevor, a secondary character in the book. When Trevor was introduced into the story, I immediately fell for him and wanted to tell his story. His childhood is an interesting one. I am considering a novella for him.

My MC, Jeya is a characted that I am connected to as well. I had a tough time at one point finishing her story. It was through her that I came to some hard truths about my own past, and so there is a connection we share because of that process.

What was the hardest part of writing this?

The hardest part of writing Fistful of Love was acknowledging my own truth. The manipulative relationship that I mentioned before was more than that. It was abusive, something that I speak to on my acknowledgements page. That was a hard realization, but writing this was cathartic for me.

Choose a favorite line or short passage. What do you like about it?

Roman reached in his back pocket for his wallet, and took out enough cash to cover both meals. He placed the money on the table and stood up. He looked down at Jeya, his heart constricted at seeing the tears brimming in her eyes. He leaned down and placed a soft kiss to her cheek and whispered in her ear. “I love you, always will, but I can’t love you more than you love yourself. I guess I am not strong enough for that.” And then he left.

I chose this passage because it was actually heart breaking in the moment as I wrote it. Roman and Jeya are best friends. Their friendship means the world to each other. Roman is the only person Jeya calls family and to have him walk away from her, was heartbreaking. It’s actually one of my favorite scenes in the book.

Tell us a little about any upcoming projects.

My first novel “Tastes Like Cherry” has a sequel coming. I need to give it a lot more time and attention, but my plan/hope is to have it released by the end of the year. The working title is “Tastes Bittersweet.”

I plan to write a sequel to Fistful of Love and maybe a novella, with Trevor and his boyfriend Marco. They are secondary characters in the book, but I love them dearly.

I have a few WIP’s that are vying for my attention as well. I’ve thought about doing an anthology of some of those stories, but only time will tell what happens with that.

Are there any types of scene you find hard to write (action, love, death, etc.)?

Action scenes are hard for me to write. I feel like I wouldn’t do a good job of capturing what is actually happening. There is an action scene in Fistful of Love and I can admit that it was a struggle.

What do you do when you feel stuck (writer’s block)?

I walk away from the story (sometimes for too long) and then come back to it. I read a lot while I am not writing to get inspired to go back. It’s hard to bounce back, because when I have writer’s block, I begin to doubt myself. I question my ability as an author and feel unqualified.

How do you handle a story that doesn’t go as you planned?

I embrace it. It’s part of the process, as frustrating as it may be. Sometimes the change is much better than what I had planned. It reminds me that I am not always in control and that my characters are driving the story.

Word Sprints!

What’s your favorite food? Macaroni & Cheese
What’s your favorite movie? Dirty Dancing
What’s a charity/cause you support? AIDS Action Committee Boston
Do you have any body art? 5 tattoos
If you could have any career (other than writer), what would it be? Choreographer