Author Guest Post
First and foremost, Dulcee.
AnnaSophia Robb as Dulcee
The first time I saw AnnaSophia was in The Bridge to Terabithia, and I thought she did a terrific job. I don't describe Dulcee's appearance in depth in the book except that she has hazel eyes and long maple syrup colored hair.
Kristen Johnston as Dulcee's Mom
Dulcee's mom has a small role but Kristen Johnston looks just the way I pictured her.
Sean Bean as Uncle Jack
Scarlett Johansson as Dr. Verell
Alex Pettyfer as Lyle Archer
And last but not least, Vincent ...
Thomas McDonell as Vincent
This picture is worth a thousand words. I don't think I need to say more.
I'd like to thank Kathleen for the opportunity to be with you all today on her awesome blog. Writing about this topic has been super fun for me. I hope you all enjoy reading Blue Aspen as much as I enjoyed writing it! And be sure to look for my new release, Forbidden Forest. Cheers. :)
About The Author
Hello. My name’s Tenaya and I’m an addict. I mean author. When I was growing up, writing was just something I played at from time to time. I knew I wanted to be a writer, but I was one of those people who could never finish anything. When my eldest son was diagnosed with Autism, I began to write seriously. Writing became a necessity for me in the midst of my heartbreak. It was either that or take up drinking. I ‘m thankful I chose writing as my escape because I discovered it truly is my thing. I want to be swept away when I read. That’s what I want my books to do for you. The main goal of my writing is to entertain you. I want to help you escape everyday life for a little while. I hope you enjoy my stories as much as I enjoy sharing them with you!
I have a wonderful husband and two beautiful sons. I’m an advocate for Autism awareness, and women trapped in abusive relationships. I try to always look on the bright side and help others do so too. I’ve lived many places but I currently reside in Missouri. I love reading, indie and foreign films, gardening, and moody music.
Virtual Book Tour Contest Giveaway
Win A Print Copy of Blue Aspen
Blue Aspen Book Trailer
Book Review
Publisher: Cold Fire Publishing
Publication Date: August 23, 2011
Format: Paperback - 390 pages / Kindle - 409 KB
ISBN: 0615534260
ASIN: B005IT99DM
Genre: Paranormal Romance / Fantasy
BUY THE BOOK: Blue Aspen
AMAZON
BARNES & NOBLE
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours.
Book Description:
IMAGINE YOU COULD HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANTED ... WOULD YOU CHOOSE TO WAKE UP?
Seventeen-year-old insomniac, Dulcee Elders' mother dumps her at her uncle's house and leaves without a word. Dulcee is forced to adapt to life with her reclusive uncle and his isolated mountain mansion. Insomnia has plagued Dulcee since her father died. Once at home at Uncle Jack's, inexplicably Dulcee now can sleep; sleep brings not only strange and intricate dreams, but a shadow she's compelled to follow. At first, Vincent Sands is only the silhouette of a man. When Dulcee is asleep, Vincent can give her anything she wants, even the ability to talk to her dead father. When Uncle Jack leaves town for business, Dulcee's dream world and reality collide. Once she is alone, the silhouette is no longer content to remain only in her dreams. Nevertheless, Dulcee and Vincent are torn apart when Uncle Jack returns. Spiraling into withdrawal, Dulcee experiences the high price of loving Vincent - an addiction rivaling that of any hard-core drug. Desperate to bridge the gap between them, Dulcee faces a crucial decision that carries irreversible consequences.
Book Excerpt:
Patricia Verell had not cried in years. She held people at a distance, and trained herself not to care much for them. For a woman, she was decidedly emotionless. However, on this night, she most certainly did cry. It was after hours at the hospital, the halls were quiet, and the mentally disturbed were all tucked safely in bed. She cloistered herself behind the door that bore her name and title, and sat hunched over her desk, trying to heal herself. The tears running from her eyes collected at the tip of her nose before they fell onto the notebook in front of her. Everything she had been so proud of was turning into a throbbing pain inside her head.
Patricia looked around her office, trying to figure out why she suddenly hated it. It was a nice office on all accounts, the best furniture, a large window, a whole wall of bookshelves. But the walls—the walls were oppressing. Covered with large frames of degrees and awards, her name was plastered everywhere. But could theses gilded pieces of paper tell her who she really was? Could anyone? She was known to her friends as Pat, and to everyone else as Dr. Verell. Since she only had two friends, it seemed to her that she had no real first name at all. This was not why she was crying.
Down the hall and through the corridor was a long row of identical doors, heavy steel doors with little reinforced glass windows. Capsulated behind the third door on the right side, was a seventeen-year-old girl, Dulcee Elders. Dulcee was crying, also. The two women were connected in ways that neither one understood. Even the reason why they were both crying was connected. One cried because she had lost the other because she had found. They were both in a prison and were about to battle over the means of escape. It seemed to Dr. Verell that she had the upper hand, the power of a doctor over a patient. But Dulcee’s madness was the vehicle that she longed to climb into, and go for a ride. Dr. Verell was riddled with weakness, weak with wanting, weak with jealousy. She had found the very thing she wanted, but it already belonged to someone else.
The day Dulcee was committed a battered notebook was confiscated from her. Every page was filled with the girl’s writing. When Dr. Verell was assigned to Dulcee’s case, the notebook had been given to her. After reading it, she asked Dulcee what it was.
"My autobiography," Dulcee had answered plainly.
It was not an autobiography, however. It was not a diary or a journal. It was the intricate hallucinations of a schizophrenic with post-traumatic stress.
It was a love story.
Dr. Verell was nonplused with the hurdle before her. How was she to give Dulcee the best therapy when she was a case like no other? At first, Dr. Verell had been diligent, caring, but jealousy crept in, and her concern had vanished. It vanished not only for Dulcee, but for her other patients as well. The quality of her work was disintegrating. All she cared about was the notebook. Dulcee’s fantasies had fueled some of her own, but these fantasies were only giving her frustration.
Dr. Verell wiped her eyes, looking down at the notebook, now spattered with tears. On the cover, Dulcee had drawn a heart with the name Vincent written inside it. She slowly traced each letter with her fingertip…longing, such terrible longing. She sighed heavily before opening the cover, once again to be swept up into Dulcee’s fantasy.
Patricia looked around her office, trying to figure out why she suddenly hated it. It was a nice office on all accounts, the best furniture, a large window, a whole wall of bookshelves. But the walls—the walls were oppressing. Covered with large frames of degrees and awards, her name was plastered everywhere. But could theses gilded pieces of paper tell her who she really was? Could anyone? She was known to her friends as Pat, and to everyone else as Dr. Verell. Since she only had two friends, it seemed to her that she had no real first name at all. This was not why she was crying.
Down the hall and through the corridor was a long row of identical doors, heavy steel doors with little reinforced glass windows. Capsulated behind the third door on the right side, was a seventeen-year-old girl, Dulcee Elders. Dulcee was crying, also. The two women were connected in ways that neither one understood. Even the reason why they were both crying was connected. One cried because she had lost the other because she had found. They were both in a prison and were about to battle over the means of escape. It seemed to Dr. Verell that she had the upper hand, the power of a doctor over a patient. But Dulcee’s madness was the vehicle that she longed to climb into, and go for a ride. Dr. Verell was riddled with weakness, weak with wanting, weak with jealousy. She had found the very thing she wanted, but it already belonged to someone else.
The day Dulcee was committed a battered notebook was confiscated from her. Every page was filled with the girl’s writing. When Dr. Verell was assigned to Dulcee’s case, the notebook had been given to her. After reading it, she asked Dulcee what it was.
"My autobiography," Dulcee had answered plainly.
It was not an autobiography, however. It was not a diary or a journal. It was the intricate hallucinations of a schizophrenic with post-traumatic stress.
It was a love story.
Dr. Verell was nonplused with the hurdle before her. How was she to give Dulcee the best therapy when she was a case like no other? At first, Dr. Verell had been diligent, caring, but jealousy crept in, and her concern had vanished. It vanished not only for Dulcee, but for her other patients as well. The quality of her work was disintegrating. All she cared about was the notebook. Dulcee’s fantasies had fueled some of her own, but these fantasies were only giving her frustration.
Dr. Verell wiped her eyes, looking down at the notebook, now spattered with tears. On the cover, Dulcee had drawn a heart with the name Vincent written inside it. She slowly traced each letter with her fingertip…longing, such terrible longing. She sighed heavily before opening the cover, once again to be swept up into Dulcee’s fantasy.
My Book Review:
Blue Aspen is a paranormal / fantasy romance that delves into the dark recesses of the mind. It is a story of a seventeen year old girl's descent into madness, where the dream realm becomes the reality that she prefers to live in rather than the cruel real world in which she had known. While I found the book description to be intriguing, once I began to read the book I found it a slow read that was so dark and bizarre, I had a hard time really getting into seventeen year old Dulcee Elder's story. I found that the storyline had a lot of holes throughout the whole book that left me shaking my head and questioning why the author didn't delve further into these areas: why was Dulcee's childhood so bad; what was the significance of her father and aunt's murders; what really was the significance of her uncle's story; what was the significance of the psychiatrist's story; etc ... I'm sorry, but this story was just too bizarre for me and the ending just left me shaking my head in annoyance. I wish I could say that I enjoyed the book, and while I will admit that I was intrigued by the characters' complexities, and the author does provide a story rich in detail and vivid descriptions, this story was just not my cup of tea. Every person is entitled to their own opinion, and while this was not a story that I enjoyed, perhaps others will find this dark story enjoyable.
RATING: 2 STARS ** (My Rating) / 3 STARS *** (Amazon Rating)
Awww, sorry to hear you didn't love the book. That's difficult when you really want to like it, but just can't seem to get into it. I've had that happen before, and it's a tough situation. Good honest review. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Lisa! Thank you for stopping by! I know, I really wanted to like it, but it just a bit too dark and bizarre for my taste. Paranormal, sci-fi and fantasy aren't my favorite genres to read, but thought it would be an interesting story after I read the book description. *sigh*
Delete