Guest Post/Giveaway: Luck of the Dragon by Susannah Scott

Thank you Sheri, for having me on “For the Love of Bookends” today. I am the oldest of 5 children, and my youngest sibling and I call ourselves “bookends.” We are sometimes over looked for the flashy middle, but we are essential to the sturdiness of the stack!

If you are just joining me, I am celebrating the release of my fun, paranormal romance, LUCK OF THE DRAGON, with a serial blog about how I went off-track trying to buy an eight-foot tall metal dragon sculpture.

This stop: The Education of the Neophytes

Have you ever over-explained your art, or had an artist give too much away about their work and ruin it for you? In this excerpt from my ongoing interaction with a deranged artist, over-explanation becomes painfully clear.

***

“Nobody ever wants to talk about hell.” Bob (the deranged artist) maneuvered between my husband and me with a decisive, separating step. He pointed overhead to the huge demonic sculpture suspended on a cross from the wall. “Everyone wants to tell you all about their religion. Their God. Their heaven…” He carried on like some art history professor reciting a well-worn lecture on Dutch Realism. “They shut up real quick when you ask them about hell.”

Alarm coursed through my chest and I started thinking of ways to politely leave the enclosed shop and remote compound.

In retrospect, I have to wonder, was I still polite because I wanted to buy one of his amazing dragon sculptures… or was it something else: ingrained social nicety that put me at a disadvantage against anyone who wasn’t operating by the same play book?

I scanned the mini sculptures on the shelf, in search of anything innocuous… There were swastikas, crosses, devils, and one upside down plane attached to a thick base with metal arcs. The plane looked carefree, like it was on a loop-di-loop roller coaster. It had nice lines, and no pitchforks.

My husband followed my gaze. “That’s a nice plane,” he said.

“That…” Bob gave a melodramatic pause. [Insert long, protracted story about how he had been a commercial pilot before the Feds unjustly yanked his license after he scared some “overly-sensitive” passengers.]

“How about this one?” I pointed to an abstract, heavy piece, shaped like a figure eight.

“Ahh,” Bob leaned toward the sculpture and I quick-stepped to my husband, stomping once on his steel-toed boot to tell him I was ready to scram. I nudged him with my elbow when he didn’t react, and he gave me a this-is-what-you-wanted look.

He was going to be polite too.

Somehow this fact annoyed me to no end. My stomach looped-di-looped like I was on a real-live roller coaster. I. Was. Ready. To. Leave.

“This piece is about femininity,” Bob stroked the figure “8” with pudgy fingers. Chills started at the base of my spine and spread to my arms. “It’s the shape of a woman’s you know…”

This interaction with Bob—aside from the other obvious lessons—will stand as a testament for me as a writer: let the reader enjoy their own story. Don’t over explain. Whereas I saw a nice infinity sign, Bob, saw a uterus.

A uterus, which in Bob’s world, it turns out, served as the primary portal to hell.

***

Do you remember a good or bad piece of art?

I remember a piece of art done by a classmate of mine. The piece was a 3’ x 3’ drawing of a green Nazi soldier’s uniform. Where the face should have been, there was a mirror. The mouth, eyebrows, and stereotypical mustache were all drawn over the mirror.

I still remember stepping nose to nose with the piece, only to realize I was looking at my own face. My internalized message: all humanity—even me—has the potential for evil. Profound and thought provoking, a wonderful piece of art in my opinion.

How about you all?

All my best,

Susannah Scott

P.S. You can check my website (www.susannahscottbooks.com), for the previous and future stops on my blog tour, wherein I continue my (true) tale. You can also follow me on Goodreads and Facebook as Susannah Scott, or on Twitter @Susannah_Scott.

Title: Luck of the Dragon

Author:  Susannah Scott

Genre:  Paranormal Romance

Release Date:  June 2013

Imprint:  Covet

Buy Links:

Amazon    

Kobo  

Barnes and Noble

Blurb:

Luciana de Luca has a PhD in sass and gemology—and a problem. Her twin brother’s gambling debts have gotten out of hand, and a mob enforcer is blackmailing her to rob the latest, greatest mega-casino on the Strip. Although Lucy has worked her whole life to get away from her family’s grifter past, to save her brother, she dons three-inch heels and a sluts-r-us dress and struts into Alec’s Gerald’s casino, determined to put her long-forgotten thieving ways to the test again.

Alec Gerald, a shape-shifting dragon, has built the Crown Jewel casino to provide sanctuary for his people amongst the flash and awe of Las Vegas. Unfortunately, the sexy little thief trying to rob his gem exhibit turns out to be his mate, and he must woo her before he loses his dragon form forever. With enemies in every corner, and the all-important mating ceremony looming, Alec and Lucy must learn to trust each other, before time runs out for Alec and the rest of the dragons.

About the Author:

SUSANNAH SCOTT lives in the Missouri Ozarks and is the lone female in a very loud household of males ranging in age from 4 to 40. While she jokes that the extreme levels of testosterone inspired her to write romance, it is really the love of creating an excellent story, and the occasional dreams of twenty-foot dragons, that wake her and send her to the laptop before the chaos of daily life ensues. Susannah loves to hear from her readers. Please visit her website at www.susannahscottbooks.com or follow her as Susannah Scott on Facebook and @Susannah_Scott on Twitter.

Giveaway:

Dragon Scale Necklace and $25 Amazon Gift Card. Tour wide giveaway. Ends July 25th

a Rafflecopter giveaway