The Oath: Maddy and Silenus by Susan Badaracco (VBT, guest post, excerpt, and GIVEAWAY) GFT

I have the pleasure of a guest post by author Susan Badaracco who shares...

SB:  Remember the last time you read a gorgeous book that literally plucked you away and planted you somewhere else? A library in a small town in Spain, sprawled on the beach with two lifelong friends, on a raft in the middle of the ocean. That is the yardstick by which we all measure ourselves when it comes to writing.

And that is what frightens me the most.

I don’t want to labor for hours creating a two dimensional world. I want you to be able to smell the musty odor of ancient books, feel the itch of the sand trapped under your bathing suit, taste the sea spray on your tongue. I want to take it even further… I want to push past the physical senses and let you delve inside the thoughts…the subconscious, of the characters I create.

How intimidating it is.

To learn how to give just an inkling, the twitch of a smile or sharpening of a gaze, that takes this person birthed from my imagination into the reader’s universe. Completely fleshed out, ready to explain the tiny scar on his shin… should you notice and inquire.

  

There are two things that make the angst worthwhile.

Dodie Smith, in her book I Capture the Castle wrote, “You lose yourself in something beyond yourself and it’s a lovely rest.” Writing can be a vacation.  A respite from the stressors around us. It is the only time we really have control, isn’t it? I know what you’re thinking…it’s not a vacation, it’s hard, really hard. And I agree with you. Gene Fowler said “Writing is easy: All you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead”. But it all comes down to the attitude, right? Planting a garden can be back-breaking work, but knowing you’ll be harvesting the flowers makes the labor more tolerable.

The second and perhaps the most divine reason to write is to please a reader. Better than slaving over a hot stove all day, you’ve tortured yourself into shaved pieces of raving paranoia mixed with a healthy dose of optimism and created something better than a tray of lasagna. (unless you’re Italian, in which case, I wouldn’t dream of making any comparisons to your cooking) If you’re lucky, its consumption is more filling, more satisfying, and the glow lasts longer. For the reader… and the author. 

 

To wink at the reader in our secret pact.

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The Oath: Maddy and Silenus

by Susan Badaracco

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GENRE:   fantasy adventure

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BLURB:

When her past merges with her present, Maddy is not sure what to think. Was that really an abduction she witnessed? Does she have the courage to find out?

Silenus is a unicorn haunted by his past failure to protect his charge. He trains relentlessly but is he fierce enough to protect this innocent? Will she even trust him?

Can a mortal and immortal pursue the truth together or will Maddy pay the ultimate price?

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EXCERPT

  

Mr. Sheldon turned slowly, releasing Allison from his grip. “Excuse me,” he said softly, ominously, “what did you say?”

Maddy looked up, caught his menacing glare a moment before his face relaxed back into a more benign expression. Slowly, deliberately, he strolled back to the center of the room, placed his hands on his hips and tilted his head in mock confusion. Maddy’s grip tightened on her notebook until her knuckles whitened. Her stomach rolled, churned.

It was as if all noise was sucked out of the room, as if all the surrounding white walls absorbed every acoustic and left the room as bereft of noise as it was of color. She opened her mouth to answer but snapped it shut again under his intense scrutiny. He nodded to himself and pressed his lips together in irritation.

Book Buying Link

NOTE: The book will be FREE during the tour.

Amazon

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Susan Badaracco is the author and independent publisher of “The Oath: Maddy and Silenus”.

In her real life, she is a pediatrician at Kids First Pediatrics where she routinely consoles anxious moms, retrieves interesting objects hidden in ears and laughs at made up knock-knock jokes.

She lives with her husband, a dog (ADHD is not limited to humans) and a cat. Her daughter and son both made the unfortunate decision to grow up which means she travels more than she used to.

Susan Badaracco Author Information

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GIVEAWAY

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The tour dates can be found here