Today I have for you an interview with the awesome Elora Ramirez and review of her book Every Shattered Thing.
Stephanie fights reality every day. The voices inside, the ones declaring her worth, deem her broken, used and dirty. She is an object. A toy. Something to be tossed aside when bored. Who will believe her if she whispers the truth about her wrecking ball of a family? Eventually, her secret explodes and the person who means the most to her knows just how shattered she is and why she's so afraid. But rescue is closer than she realizes. Hidden in plain sight, her horror hasn’t been ignored by everyone. Racing against the truth of what she faces, forces are joining together and developing a plan to free her from the hell in her own backyard. And while she’s at her lowest point, she’s hit with the beauty of love at any cost - redemption in the face of ruin. Will it be enough?
*Warning: Contains mature content that may not be suitable for younger audiences*
AUTHOR INTERVIEW:
What do you think makes a great story?
I think as long as the author is
writing from his or her own place of influence and experience the story will
vibrate with an element of truth. Imagination has its place in storytelling,
for sure, but the stories that make my breath catch come from a place of
vulnerability and a willingness to plumb the depths of our own darkness. This
is why I love East of Eden. John Steinbeck’s characterization rings true. Every
one of his characters are nuanced. That’s human—not contrived.
What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your
books?
That each book is a life of its
own. Every Shattered Thing came naturally. Editing was horrendous and took
forever, but the bare bones came quick and fast. Some of the other things I’ve
been working on seem to be a slow birth, and I’m learning that’s okay.
Are your characters based on anyone you know?
Stephanie is based on a girl my
husband and I mentored a few years ago. Pacey is based on my brother. There are
a few other characters based on specific people, but those are secret. ::wink::
What do you do when you aren’t writing?
I read, art journal, paint, or
work with the women in my Story Sessions community. Oh and watch way too
many episodes of Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars, Girls, Dawson’s Creek or
Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Do you have any suggestions to help aspiring writers better themselves
and their craft? If so, what are they?
Sign up for Story Sessions. ::wink::
Write. Write every day. Write
like everything matters. The sunrise on a commute, the sunflower field out
back, the summer road trip, the memories lurking in the shadows—every piece
means something.
And most importantly: don’t take
yourself too seriously.
For an aspiring writer what do you feel are certain do's and don’ts for
getting their material published?
Oh gosh. My story to publishing
is one cautionary tale after another. Here’s a good phrase to remember: if it
sounds too good to be true, there’s probably something shady. Don’t give up.
Every rejection, every bad review, every moment of writer’s block pushes you to
a deeper level of writing. Lean in to the messiness. You’ll find your story.
What are you working on now?
Kevin’s novella, Make Right The
Broken Pieces.
And I’m starting the
brainstorming behind book two.
What is your favorite drink?
My favorite? Impossible. I have two. Can I do that? I’m
gonna....
the Twilight, a coffee drink I created at my husband’s
coffee shop
and the French 74, specifically with my husband’s lavender
liqueur
What is your favorite cartoon character?
Bill the Cat ----> also? A bit
of trivia. When I was in middle school, my “gangsta” name was Pooh Girl. It’s
best not to ask.
MY REVIEW:
Elora Ramirez, thank you for providing me a copy of your book for an honest review!
Where to start? When I went into this book, I knew Stephanie had issues. I hadn't realized until I started reading just how horrible they would be. As the story really started to unfold I couldn't help but feel an attachment to the character because one of my childhood best friends had been a victim of rape at the hands of her stepfather and had tried to take her life as a teen, thankfully unsuccessfully. He had really messed her up mentally and emotionally and just reading what was going on to Stephanie felt like a punch in the gut and had me seeing things as an adult that I hadn't really fully understood as a teen.
The author, Elora Ramirez, creates for the reader a story that unfortunately could be a story ripped from the news. I don't know how the author got through it without crying all over her keyboard as she wrote it. When you think things can't get worse for the main character, Stephanie, BAM they do. Luckily she has people who are there for her, that she knows are on her side but the betrayals run so deep. The betrayals, many and some completely out of the blue that it's hard to catch your breath because the heartache you feel for Stephanie and those around her just don't stop.
I suggest anyone over the age of 15 should read this book. It gives you an insight on things that you hear about, but this puts more of a reality into it. Even though it's fiction, you will learn things about people that you may not want to know about, but you should. You will find yourself reading this and unknowingly learning to recognize some of the signs of sexual abuse and hopefully what you learn you will never have to deal with, but if you do, you hopefully will be able to provide help to the person who needs it.
Links:
Website: http://eloranicole.com/
Author Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/eloranicolewrites
Twitter: http://twitter.com/eloranicole
Author Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5786742.Elora_Nicole_Ramirez
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