December 9, 2014

Coming Soon: The Art of Falling Forever, by Ivy Bateman

A chaste kiss on the cheek leads to the discovery of a lifetime.




Even though Eilam has always been part of her world, Amy never thought of him as more than a mother's friend. One night, after rehearsal for the town's Christmas Pageant, Eilam reveals that not only is there more to him than Amy had ever imagined, but that together they could be the next chapter in a story that has played out in her family for over 2000 years.



While struggling to cope with the death of her mother and the responsibility of being in charge of the biggest even of the year, Amy must decide whether her future lies with her estranged boyfriend Troy or the enigmatic Eilam. 

 

Guest Post by Ivy:

 


I've been writing for Breathless Press now for three years which also means that I've been "Ivy" for three years.

 

Moments ago I was discussing a topic for this post with our AMAZING marketing guru Jo (let's give a hand to Jo please! She's incredible and I think many of us would be lost without her) and she asked me if I'd ever cosplayed any of my characters or used any costumes while writing. My answer is no, no I have not. However, a few months back, I was looking to revamp my profile picture and decided that a live action version of Ivy would be fun to create. My husband, who is an amazing artist, agreed to draw Ivy to my specifications, but what did I want her to look like? When I imaged her appearance I immediately pictured a dark haired, sultry woman who is comfortable in very little, and a bit mysterious. This is pretty much the opposite of me. I'm blondish red, have glasses, wear many, many cloths, and I'm not so much mysterious as you pretty much know what's going on with me because I'm not that great at hiding how I feel.

 

Anyway, when it came to creating the live action Ivy, I embraced the fun. I kept clothes on, but I found a short black wig, learned how to do cat eye makeup, and lost the glasses. Those who know me had trouble recognizing the picture as me which was perfect. I'm still keeping Ivy on the down low for many and was hoping the picture wasn't a give - a -way.

 

What surprised me about the Ivy photo shoot was how much I enjoyed being her. I love acting and creating characters, but this time it was different because as I put on the wig and struck a pose I realized that I've been Ivy for a lot longer than three years. Ivy is not just my pen name, but the woman I'd like to release from time to time. Dark haired, sexy, mysterious! I've often wished I could hide my emotions, look good with black hair and sexy…well, that's subjective, but sexiness is often confidence and to me Ivy has that in spades. 

 

At the same time, I like who I am. I'm kind, I make people laugh (sometimes on purpose!), I'm helpful, and most days, I'm fairly confident in who I am. So while Ivy is part of me, she's not the side I'll show a lot of people in real life. I'm happy to keep her existing in my mind and on the page. She gives me some extra dimensions to play in and it's good to know she's there.

 

Even if she really doesn't like pants.

 

Thanks very much Brantwijn for having me on today! And thanks to those of you who have stopped by. Be sure to stop by my blog Ivy B Misbehavin' on December 12/14 for a chance to win a copy of my latest holiday story, The Art of Falling Forever.

 

You can also find me at these places.

 

Ivy Bateman on Breathless Press

 

My Blog: http://ivybmisbehavin.blogspot.com

 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/IvyBateman

 

Email: ivybmisbehavin@gmail.com

 

Happy Holidays and Happy Reading,

Ivy Bateman

 

 

Excerpt


The doorbell chimed, causing Amy to nearly jump out of her skin. She glanced at the clock. It was almost five, which meant that it could only be Eilam and he was now the last person she wanted to see. Tracy demanding she explain her new attitude, Troy begging her to take him back—either scenario would have been preferable to what waited for her on the other side of her front door.

The bell chimed again, followed by insistent knocking. "Amara, I know you're in there. If you don't open the door I will be forced to break it down which, as I'm sure you've figured out, would blow my cover."


Amy smiled a little. He somehow knew that she'd discovered the truth. She remembered his voice on the phone, his suspicious tone. He must have guessed or known she would soon be on a path of discovery. But how? She touched her cheek. Of course, the kiss.


"Please let me in. There's so much you need to know."


Amy pushed herself to standing, taking the box of secrets with her. She placed it on the table in the living room and then went to the front door. She opened it, slowly and cautiously, blocking Eilam's immediate entry with her body.


"Amara, please don't be afraid."


"Why not? You give me so much to be afraid of, being a shapeshifter, or whatever it is you are, who haunts the women in my family. I think you should go."


"No, I'm not going to go. Not until you've given me a chance to explain myself. I don't mean to be firm with you, but please let me in."


Amy looked at his beaten fedora, his crinkled coat, his bright blue eyes, and his wispy white eyebrows. There was nothing malicious in his demeanor and yet he was changed. He seemed older in a 'seen a lot of time' kind of way, and stronger too. She couldn't help feeling he was now a stranger, but Amy had to trust her mother would not let her be in the presence of a madman.

 


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