Arts

Author:  Amy Stilgenbauer

Title: Sideshow

Release Date: August 25, 2016

Length: 61,000 words

Categories: Fiction, Historical, Lesbian Romance, Romance

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29557163-sideshow

Publisher: Interlude Press

Cover Artist: C.B. Messer

Abby Amaro wants to sing at La Scala Opera House, but she’s a good girl, and in 1957 good girls get married. Still, when she receives her first marriage proposal, she freezes, knowing the way her suitor makes her feel bodes trouble. When he won’t take no for an answer, she flees, joining up with a traveling carnival.

Thanks to a burlesque trapeze artist and the world’s saddest clown, Abby bides her time and fits in until she can rejoin the world she knows. She doesn’t expect a sideshow strongwoman named Suprema, who captures her imagination. As the carnival makes its way across the Midwest, Abby learns much more than she had ever imagined—about herself, about her identity, and, most importantly, about love.

This book had me at 1950s, Italian family, opera, and the Midwest. I had high hopes when I began reading, and not only did the story meet my expectations, it exceeded them. What a well-written, sweet, poignant story.

Everything about this is pitch-perfect, from the small details of the setting to the depth of the characters. Abby had me in her corner right from the start. Although the picture of her life is hardly idyllic, she’s not one to be pitied, either. There’s always the sense that she has more than one path to the happiness her Nonna desires for her. But her circumstances propel her toward the traveling carnival, and that’s where the real fun begins.

This is not really a romance as much as it is a story about family, friendship, and self-discovery.  Yes, there’s a love connection between Abby and one of the performers. However, it isn’t the sole focus of the novel. There is just as much time devoted to the other relationships Abby develops with the people in the carnival.

With regard to the romance, all of the intimacy is off-page/fade-to-black. While I wouldn’t have necessarily objected to more detail, I think it works better without. We do, however, begin to see the subtle changes in Abby as the relationship progresses, which in this case I think is preferable.

There are too many wonderful characters to name them all and say what I liked about them. Each one enriches the story, and without them it wouldn’t be complete. They are part of the world Abby is swept up in. Because it isn’t a physical place, we need to see it by way of the human element. Abby’s observations and interactions with the other performers give us a window into their world. By the end of the story, I had grown to love them all the way Abby obviously does.

I did find the resolution to Abby’s arc with her ex, Frank, to be a bit abrupt. However, I think that the final confrontation between them and how it plays out are not accidental. Virtually nothing in the story is simply thrown in, and I think it’s written that way for a reason. I don’t want to give spoilers, but I do think it’s important for readers to see it as almost a metaphor for Abby’s internal changes. It’s not a cop-out or a lack of sufficient action.

This is a wonderful piece of literature, providing an intimate glimpse into a bygone era and multiple cultural experiences. I thoroughly enjoyed taking Abby’s journey with her.

For perfect attention to detail, characters who are easy to love, and sweet nostalgia, this gets 10/10 fountain pens.

Interlude Press http://store.interludepress.com/collections/sideshow

Amazon  http://amzn.to/2b43njS

Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sideshow-amy-stilgenbauer/1124079234?ean=9781945053016

Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/648885

All Romance eBooks https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-sideshow-2058755-367.html?referrer=55feb862851f8

Indiebound http://www.indiebound.org/book/978-1-945053-01-6&aff=interludepress

Abby couldn’t remember falling asleep. She only remembered the dark night and how, outside the window of Della’s trailer, the rolling slopes of Eastern Ohio slowly flattened into the farmland of the western side of the state and faded into darkness. She didn’t say much during the trip, but her mind was spinning, unable to process what she had done.

Once, when she had been a little girl, barely older than Annette was now, her mother had taken her and Natale to visit their aunt in Chicago for a week. It had been a nice visit. They had embarked on the train with a great deal of ceremony, and Za Teresa had spoiled the pair rotten, loading them up with peach-shaped marzipan and pizzelle until they were both sick. She hadn’t left Cleveland for any extended period of time since. Oh, sure, she’d talked and dreamt about it. Nonna often wistfully mentioned taking a trip back to her girlhood home one more time now that the war was over and taking Abby along to look after her, and then, if her opera career took off as she had once hoped, she would be visiting all the great cities. In her scrapbook, clippings of Palais Garnier, La Scala, and The Met were decorated with carefully drawn hearts and hopeful stars and the scrawled word: someday. Still, she had never imagined that when she departed the Coventry neighborhood again, it would be in a burlesque dancer’s trailer.

Amy Stilgenbauer is a writer and aspiring archivist currently based in southeast Michigan. She is the author of the novelette series, Season of the Witch, as well as the Young Adult novel, The Legend of League Park. Her short story, The Fire-Eater’s Daughter, was included in Summer Love, an LGBTQ Young Adult collection published by Duet, an imprint of Interlude Press. When she isn’t writing, Amy enjoys all things bergamot and tries to keep her cats away from her knitting.

Webpage: amystilgenbauer.wordpress.com

Tumblr: amystilgenbauer.tumblr.com

Facebook Author Page: www.facebook.com/amystilgenbauerwrites

Twitter: https://twitter.com/amystilgenbauer

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Amy, author of Sideshow. Hi, Amy, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.

Thank you for having me! I’m a hopeless romantic and history buff, which meant I really had to become a writer at some point. My obsession with learning “people’s stories” gave me a purpose in life and led me to some great places. Sideshow is no exception. This novel is the story of a young woman growing up in 1950s Cleveland and the turn her life takes when she runs away with a traveling carnival.

Was there a basis for you story? A previous experience or something else?

Sideshow was inspired by a lot of different things. When I decided that I wanted to continue with the world of “The Fire-Eater’s Daughter,” I wasn’t sure that I wanted to write a full length novel about Ruth or Constance (yet), so I went back to an old flash fiction piece about a young opera singer who falls in love at a carnival. Of course it needed fleshing out and the characters needed more life, so I drew from the historical research I did for “The Fire-Eater’s Daughter”, as well as the experiences that my grandmother, great-aunts, and cousins had growing up in the 1950s and 60s to help weave it all together.

What skills do you think a writer needs?

Just one: perseverance! Anything else is a cherry on top. You can be a creative genius, but if you don’t have the fortitude to force yourself into a chair and write down the glorious gleaming story in your head, no one is ever going to get the chance to read it. You have to do it. Day after day. No matter how many times you are rejected. No matter how many times people (or your own jerk brain)  tell you that it’s a pipe dream. You simply have to keep doing it. Craft is great and important, but craft will come. Just persevere and keep writing no matter what.

What for you is the perfect book hero?

I am a sucker for a shy, awkward girl who doesn’t like conflict and is afraid of things finally breaking out of her shell when it’s needed most. Not going to lie though, that’s because I am a shy, awkward girl who doesn’t like conflict and is afraid of things and I like to think that one day I’ll break out of my shell when it’s needed most.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Planning. I’ve gotten better with practice, but I was once quite the “pantser” as I’ve heard it called. I have a hard time outlining and an even harder time sticking to that outline. My characters sometimes seem to change their plans on me at a moment’s notice. It makes the process take longer than I would like, so I hope to someday get it down to a better system.

Tell us about your favorite childhood book.

One of my favorite books as a kid was Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh. I owe that particular book a lot. I probably wouldn’t have been a writer without Harriet inspiring me to keep a “notebook” of my observations. Mine were never anywhere quite as seering as hers, but my bullies took just as much joy in stealing the notebook from me to read it aloud as Harriet’s did. Also, Harriet and I both loved tomato sandwiches. We had a lot in common. She made me feel a little less alone.

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Author: Lilah Suzanne

Title: Burning Tracks

Series: Spotlight

Book: Two (Can be read as a standalone)

Release Date: August 11, 2016

Length: 224 pages, 62,000 words

Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, Lesbian Romance, Romance Rom-Com

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29557148-burning-tracks

Publisher: Interlude Press

Cover Artist: Victoria S.

In the sequel to Broken Records, Gwen Pasternak has it all: a job she loves as a celebrity stylist and a beautiful wife, Flora. But as her excitement in working with country music superstar Clementine Campbell grows, Gwen second-guesses her quiet domestic bliss. Meanwhile, her business partner, Nico Takahashi and his partner, reformed bad-boy musician Grady Dawson, face uncertainties of their own.

This book is a tough one for me to review for a number of reasons. I liked it, and it’s not bad as part of the series, but there were a few things which left me disappointed.

Before I get to that, I really do like the author’s style. This is normally exactly my cup of tea—heavily character-driven fiction but with plenty of action to keep my interest in multiple ways. Plus it features two really cool women who are sexy as anything and have chemistry through the roof, even when they’re at odds. So this is definitely worth reading for that alone. Also, as part of a series, it’s wonderful to see an author willing to write both m/m and f/f. That’s an unusual find because it frequently draws complaints from fans of both genres.

However, there were a few things that took away from my enjoyment. For one thing, I didn’t show up to read pages (and pages and pages and pages) about the relationship drama between Nico and Grady. I wanted to focus on Gwen and Flora, and I was extremely annoyed that yet again, a woman’s purpose seemed to be to fix problems for men before she could sort out her own. That would have been a fine plot strand if it had been very minor and in the background, or occurred after Gwen and Flora took care of their business, but it wasn’t. This is definitely one of the drawbacks of writing a different gender pairing within a series. I thought the balance was really off and this needed to focus much more on the women.

The second big thing I had trouble with was the resolution to Gwen and Flora’s situation. I really, really liked some aspects of how it was handled, but I also felt that their heartbreak was thrown in as plot device and mishandled when they made a decision about how to move forward. I’m not sure how to address the fact that it could be really triggering for some readers other than to warn for spoilers and just say it. Flora miscarries, and then they resolve their complex feelings by adopting a kitten and then a child. It made me extremely uncomfortable all around.

Outside of that, Gwen and Flora are a terrific pair. The sex scenes are some of the best I’ve read. They are off-the-charts smoking hot, but also dovetail with the flow of the women’s relationship. I loved the way the situation with Clementine is handled by everyone involved. These are women I would love to read about again (provided we see a lot less of the men and their nauseating drama next time).

For smart, sassy women, plenty of steam, but a so-so plot, this gets 7/10 fountain pens.

Heat Rating:

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“There’s a reason you two aren’t allowed to hang out alone.” Arms crossed, one impeccable eyebrow raised, lips twisted, hair artfully tousled, and dressed to the nines: Alexander Wang black-on-black tropical-printed board shorts, a slim fit black-and-white chino and matching black lapel jacket, black boots, and a black and white scarf to tie it all together. “Nico,” Gwen says.

“Nico?” Grady is up in a flash. “You came?”

Nico’s face softens into his Grady look. “Of course I came. Did you really think you were getting rid of me that easily?” Grady comes closer, and Nico brushes a spiraled lock of hair from his face. “I’m sorry it took me so long. There were storms over Dallas, and I got stuck on the tarmac with a dead phone. I barely made my connection, and the clusterfuck of morons known as the United gate at JFK could not get its shit together, and I may be banned outright from Charlotte-Douglas International, can you believe they flag you as a security risk and hold you in a room with no phone signal or Wi-Fi just for threatening one person with shoving that goddam intercom up their—”  He opens his arms for Grady; his look of annoyance slips away the moment they touch. “Anyway, I’m here.”

Grady sighs, crowds into Nico’s space, and tucks himself into Nico’s body. Much better, a perfect fit. “God, I love you.”

“I love you, too.” Nico sinks one hand into his hair, strokes the nape of his neck with other, breathes him in, and closes his eyes. “I’m so sorry. About the apartment and taking off and not being here yesterday, I tried to so hard to make it because I know how difficult it is for you. You shouldn’t have been alone.”

Grady sniffs and holds him tighter. “It’s okay. We’re okay. I’m sorry, too.”

Still ensnared in the sheets and duvet and barely awake, Gwen presses her hands to her cheeks and awws. “You guys,” she coos.

Grady lifts his head from Nico’s neck to smile at Gwen. “I wasn’t alone, though.”

“Mmm” Nico says. “And how much trouble did she get you into?”

“None,” Gwen says, defensive. Here she kept Grady safe and sound, searched all over Nashville and Las Vegas while he was off burying himself in work and what thanks does she get? None.

But then Grady smirks and says, “Kind of a lot.”

“Grady.” Gwen throws a pillow at him. “You’re such a tattletale, gosh.”

He bends to whisper something in Nico’s ear, and Gwen doesn’t miss the way his lips drag and linger on the shell of it, or the way Nico’s breath catches and his eyes roll back. When Nico lifts Grady’s shirt and traces around the tattoos with reverent fingers, Gwen takes that as her cue to extricate herself from the bed, put on some pants and a bra, and go fetch her luggage.

“‘Kay you guys have fun and make sure to change the sheets when you’re finished.”

“Wait.” Nico tugs Grady’s shirt down. Then he goes to the case he always has nearby. “You have trouble of your own, Gwen. Thought you might want to know about this.”

Gwen catches the magazine and folded-up papers he tosses her way: screen grabs from a few entertainment websites printed out in black and white.

Is This Clementine Campbell’s Girlfriend? Our source says, “It wouldn’t surprise me.”

Clementine and Gal Pal Definitely More Than Pals Sunning On Vegas Pool Deck.

Our exclusive source and close confidant of both says: Clementine’s married girlfriend “would cheat for sure. She was always touching her. There’s been an energy between them from the very beginning.”

 There are pictures: her rubbing sunscreen on Clementine’s bare back, which looks far steamier in a fuzzy long-range picture than it actually was; a picture of them from the back at the store in the Venetian with their hands clasped and Clementine curled in close and her lips on Gwen’s cheek; and most damning of all, grinding together at the VIP club at the Bellagio just last night.

“I don’t—” Frantic and confused, she flaps the magazine and printouts in the air. “What is this? This isn’t— Nico, I didn’t, I swear.”

Nico holds both hands up. “Hey, I am well aware of the slander of tabloids. I get it.” He gives her a sympathetic look. “I’m just not sure Flora is going to.”

Lilah Suzanne has been writing actively since the sixth grade, when a literary magazine published her essay about an uncle who lost his life to AIDS. A freelance writer, she has also authored a children’s book and has a devoted following in the fan fiction community. She is also the author of the Interlude Press books Spice, Pivot and Slip, and Broken Records, which was named a Top Pick by RT Book Reviews Magazine.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/lilahsuzanne

Twitter: www.twitter.com/lilahsuzanne

Web Site: www.lilahsuzanne.com

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Lilah Suzanne, author of Burning Tracks. Hi Lilah, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.

Give us ten tips for becoming a better writer.

#1. Don’t be afraid to suck at it. This is number one for  a reason. Sucking at something is the only way to get good at it.

#2. Keep going. This is related to number one. So you’re writing and it sucks and you suck and everything sucks forever? Keep going. We’ve all been there, trust me. Success has more to do with perseverance than anything.

#3. Pay attention to the authors you love. Read, of course, read a lot. But notice the way an author you admire writes, how they use language, how they tell a story. Dissect it, then use it. All of that can be learned. For real.

#4. Find what works for you. There is so much writing advice out there, and some of it will apply and some of it won’t. Use what works, adjust what sort of does, ignore what doesn’t. There is no magic checklist of the right way to do things.

#5. Learn the rules, then break them. Writing is an art, and art requires a little rule bending, right?

#6. But try not to be too precious about it. Yeah, it’s an art, but it’s easy to get twisted in your own head about art and process and what does it all mean. Like, sometimes it’s just plopping some words down and moving on. Sometimes you have to get over yourself, is what I’m saying.

#7. Be respectful. To your story, to your characters, to the people and communities you’re writing about, to your fellow authors, to your readers. Listen, learn, respect.

#8. Be real. You don’t need to reach into the deepest, most repressed caverns of your soul, but you should still be writing the stories that speak to your heart. If you stories aren’t honest, it comes across on the page.

#9. Know your characters really well. I like to write short stories for them, or imagine scenes and dialogue that never make it into the book. If you know them— their past, their goals, how they love, what they believe in, how they speak—the story will likely unfold for you easier.

#10. Keep improving. There is no end point for being a good writer. Keep learning, be humble. And don’t compare yourself to other writers, your path is yours, it has nothing to do with them.

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