Book Tour: Remember Della by Cynthia Mock Burroughs @cmburroughs @VBTCafe #Giveaway

Book Genre: Paranormal Mystery  

Publisher: Self published
Release Date: Remember Della is available at this time at the buy links below.
Buy Link(s):
Amazon
Createspace


Book Description:

Kat, a “slightly" psychic sixteen-year-old, begins having disturbingly persistent dreams. Dreams of a yellow scarf - with a seeming life of its own - which taunts her and haunts her every dream. Dreams about Della, a fellow classmate, who to this point has remained all but invisible to any and every one at school. Kat eventually comes to the realization that until she unravels the mystery surrounding that “dagblasted” creepy yellow scarf and this girl she hardly knows, she'll not have another night’s rest. What Kat soon discovers is that she is the only person in Della’s life (including the girl’s mother and stepfather) who recognizes - or will admit - Della has simply vanished, gone “splitsville"! And Kat is helpless as her life becomes indelibly intertwined with Della’s – so much so, that she will carry the emotional scars for years to come.

Kat is surrounded by an extremely colorful cast of characters. You will meet: long-time friend and recent love interest, Em; Kat’s precocious eight-year-old brother, Gordy; her feisty octogenarian neighbor, Mrs. Harper and a chain smoking waitress named Clovis. All who, for various reasons, join Kat’s desperate quest to help a girl she hardly knows and to find answers to questions that, with any luck, will bring her the peace she seeks – the biggest question on her mind being, “Why me?”

“Remember Della” - which is predominately set in the South during the mid-fifties - is chock full of facts, trivia and slang from that era. While an entertaining read, I believe this book addresses bullying - both physical and emotional - in a fresh and unique way during a time before such issues were “labeled” as unacceptable or problematic.

Excerpt:

I sat at the kitchen table while Momma contemplated what to do

with the ground beef thawing out on the counter. She settled on

goulash and was checking the pantry to see if she had all the ingredients

when it occurred to her she hadn’t heard a peep out of Gordy.

The quietude must have alerted her to his absence.

She turned to me, “Where’s Gordy—up in his room?”

I shook my head no. “He’s not home yet.”

She checked her watch and asked, “Did you hear his bus come

by?”

“No’m. It’s probably running late.”

“Gordy should be home by now, Katherine.” She gave me a doubtful

look and asked, “You’re sure his bus hasn’t come by?”

The look of concern on her face was fleeting, and we both cringed

as Gordy heralded his arrival by slamming the front door so hard the

house shook. Momma yelled at the top of her lungs, “Gordy!” When

he came barreling through the doorway she asked, “How many times

have I told you not to slam the door like that? You’ve already taken a

minimum of ten years off my life!”

He never even heard a word she said because he was talking louder

and faster than his customary mile-a-minute. His words practically

ran together as he said, “You shoulda seen it! Sammy Spellman

throwed up all over prissy ol’ Becky Taylor on the bus! We had beets

for lunch an’ Sammy ate a whole bowl of ‘em. I bet that’s what made

him throw up. He says he likes ‘em, but I don’t believe it for a minute.

I think he just eats ‘em to show off. But the really good part is

Sammy’s throw-up was all red—like he was throwing up blood! Then

ol’ Becky started crying an’ everything, and Cindy Walker started

gagging ‘cause throw-up splattered all over her shoes an’ then she

throwed up. It was so cool! They were sitting across the aisle from

me, an’ I got to see it all. And Becky, with her weirdo-self, told Mikey

Olson she was gonna wipe throw up on him ‘cause he laughed

at her. And the bus driver had to stop the bus an’ calm everybody

down. It was Coolsville!

I could see Momma was trying to keep a straight face as she said,

“Gordy that’s enough—there’s nothing cool about someone throwing

beets up all over the place.”

“Well I couldn’t be sure, but from the smell of it I think Sammy

must’ve been sick at both ends. I tell–”

“Gordy!!!” Gordy was treading on very thin ice.

“It’s the truth! It was gross I tell ya. Gross enough to gag a maggot!

Everybody sitting around ‘em looked like they were gonna

puke—’cept me. The bus driver made everybody get off, and

the monitor had to go to somebody’s house to call for another

bus and for Sammy an’ Becky an’ Cindy’s parents to come and

get ‘em.”

“Dear Lord, I hope Sammy’s not contagious.” And in spite of the fact

we weren’t Catholic, Momma crossed herself.

An Interview With Cynthia Mock Burroughs:

What inspired you to write “Remember Della”?

I was at the library, browsing through books on writing, and stumbled across Chris Baty’s book, “No Plot? No Problem!”. The cover described the book as “A Low-Stress, High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days”. He had me hooked at “Low-Stress”.

Upon reading Baty’s book I learned that every November thousands of people sign up for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), an international event Baty founded. The object is to write a 50,000 word first draft in thirty days! His delightful book made it seem doable and I wanted in!

Well, they say to write about what you know, so - I am from the South and was a child of the fifties. I was even sixteen - once. And I might have had a prophetic dream or two . . . 

When or at what age did you know you wanted to be a writer?

Other than keeping a dream journal a number of years back, it had never occurred to me to try my hand at writing. Even though I’ve always loved reading and went through phases of reading voraciously, it seemed something that was totally out of my realm of capability.

Being an artist, I had toyed with the idea of illustrating a children’s book, but writing that book wasn’t part of the plan.

And then my mother, whom I had taken care of during the last eight months of her illness, passed away. I felt like a ship at sea, with no anchor - I didn’t know what to do with myself. I finally had time to paint again, but I was grieving and painting left me too much time to think. So I decided I needed to try my hand at a new art form - something I’d never done before, which would thus be a little more challenging. What I wanted (and needed) was something that would completely and totally occupy my mind for a while. So, I decided to write a children’s chapter book and made my granddaughters two of the protagonists. So my first (as yet unpublished) book was a children’s fantasy chapter book.

In the process, I learned that I absolutely love writing and, sadly, have to admit that my first love, which was painting, has taken a back seat.

Oh! And to answer your question - I was fifty-eight years old before I knew I wanted to be a writer. 

What is the earliest age you remember reading your first book?

Before I could read, I was drawn to the pictures in books; and I loved making up my own stories to go with those pictures. I remember what excited me the most about starting school was knowing I would finally learn to read on my own - and I took to reading like a duck to water. So, realistically I’d have to say my first book was “Fun with Dick and Jane”. I loved those Dick and Jane books - and still do.

As time went on, my favorite part of the day was joining my reading group at the little circle of chairs in the back of our classroom, where we would sit and take turns reading aloud. I greatly anticipated my turn.

I recall that “Uncle Wiggly and His Friends” was the first book I checked out of the school library to read on my own. 

What genre of books do you enjoy reading?

I do like a good mystery, but in the same vein I love historical and realistic fiction. Oh, and magical realism . . . you know - I’d have to say, I “just about” love it all! 

What is your favorite book?

I’d have to say that my all-time favorite book is “Gone with the Wind”. I was twelve-years-old when I read it the first time. 

You know I think we all have a favorite author. Who is your favorite author and why?

It would have to be Margaret Mitchell. I find it simply amazing that someone could write a novel the magnitude of “Gone with the Wind”, and I am intrigued by the story of her life and her sad death at the age of forty-nine. Mitchell began “Gone with the Wind” in 1926 (at the age of twenty-six) while recovering from complications from a broken ankle, but her novel wasn’t published until 1936.

It is said that Mitchell was so overwhelmed by the acclaim and fame “Gone with the Wind” brought her, that “in a fit of exasperation” she once vowed to never write another word. 

If you could travel back in time here on earth to any place or time. Where would you go and why?

No question! I would go back to the years between 1976 and 1987 - before my youngest son flew away at the terribly young age of eleven due to a tragic accident.

This question brings to mind, “The Light of Other Days”, a short story I read years ago by Bob Shaw. In the story these tourists, travelling through a remote area, find a place that sells panes of “slow glass”. It takes a long time (even years) for light to pass through slow glass, so a pane of this glass shows scenes from the past. I won’t divulge anymore, in case you decide you’d like to read this touching short story, which was shortlisted for several awards in the late sixties.

What I will say is, I’ve often wished for a pane of slow glass. 

When writing a book do you find that writing comes easy for you or is it a difficult task?

Believe it or not, writing comes easy for me. The difficult task is finding the time. 

Do you have any little fuzzy friends? Like a dog or a cat? Or any pets?

I have a moody, self-absorbed cat named Katarina who is very much loved in spite of herself and we are ever so grateful that she allows us to live here with her. Our dear Jack Russell passed away this past summer at the ripe old age of fourteen. 

What is your "to die for", favorite food/foods to eat?

Chocolate - anything chocolate!


Do you have any advice for anyone that would like to be an author?

The most difficult thing about writing, for me, has been promoting my work - when I’d much rather be writing. You will find it a necessary, but time consuming, aspect of publishing - whether you go with a traditional publisher or are an indie author. So learn to manage your time wisely.

The up-side of the “promotion business” is getting to meet a multitude of fabulous people, such as Nancy Allen here at The Avid Reader. Thank you for this opportunity, Nancy!

It has been a pleasure talking with you today, Cynthia! I am glad you could take the time out of your busy schedule to visit with me and all of my fabulous followers! You are welcome at The Avid Reader anytime.

 

---

Author Bio:

I was born and raised in the South and to this day reside in South Carolina with my dashing husband, crotchety cat and nimble Jack Russell. My first novel,Remember Della, definitely reflects that Southern upbringing; and like Katherine, my main protagonist, I am also a child of the fifties.

I have enjoyed reading my entire life and relish childhood memories of long, languid summers spent in lawn chairs beneath shady old trees—my best friend and I devouring one library book after another. I hope to be proof of the old adage that everyone has at least one good book in them—but suppose that remains to be seen. You, the reader, will be the judge of that.

Drawing and painting have always been passions of mine, but I had never tried my hand at writing until my mother passed away several years ago. During my grieving process I found that painting was not keeping my mind as busy as I would have liked. Painting allowed me too much time to think. So in an attempt to ease my sadness, I decided to try a new creative outlet. The result was a 24,000 word children's chapter book (as yet unpublished) and a newfound love—writing! In fact, I am in love with the entire writing process, especially the part where I get to tell really tall tales—and get away with it . . .

Author Links - 

Website ~ Facebook  ~ Twitter ~  

Pinterest ~ Linkedin  ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon 

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway