"Guilty Survivor"

It’s my honor today to welcome back a familiar friend to Seven Sexy Scribes, Marianne Stephens! Marianne has been busy with many new projects but the one we are going to be talking about today is very special. Marianne has ghostwritten a first person account of Tamerla Kendall’s harrowing personal experiences in the Bosnian War 1992-1995.

Blurb: Tamerla Kendall is the woman you see rooting for her son at sporting practice. You might meet her in a grocery story. Perhaps you’ll see her planting a garden behind her home. Or, talk to her at school or work. She’s a student, worker, wife and mother.

Surviving a dark past is hidden by her façade of an everyday, average life. Reading her memoirs will reveal her true struggle to survive in a war zone, and is a testament to her courage.

Bosnian Croat, Tamerla Kendall, lived through the carnage and chaos in Sarajevo during the Bosnian War (1992-1995). Hers is a story of courage, fear, ingenuity, and survival. Difficult choices she made then still disturb her peace of mind and life today.

She made a few trips out of Sarajevo, only to return to keep the family restaurant business operating. One carefully planned, secretive trip was made to remove her daughter from the dangers of fighting, but this created a heartbreaking rift in their relationship. For her second trip, Tamerla masqueraded as a United Nations Protection Forces soldier and rode in a tank. A uniform and travel assistance came from a Ukrainian general.

Her hopes for a return to normalcy at war’s end diminished as corruption and religious zealots took control. She married an American, and this marked her as an outcast by some she’d trusted. When her life was threatened at gunpoint, she faced a critical decision concerning her family’s safety in her beloved country.

Katalina Leon: Marianne how did you meet Tamerla?

Marianne Stephens: Mutual friends introduced us. My friends knew that in 1999, I had a ghostwritten autobiography of a speaker from a women’s shelter published, and Tamerla was looking for someone to write her story.

Katalina: What were your first impressions when Tamerla told you her story?

Marianne: I was amazed at what she’d been through. We hear stories of people living through wars, see accounts on TV and in movies, but I’d never met someone who’d actually lived through a war. Her courage and drive to survive are impressive.

Katalina: What made you feel compelled to help Tamerla tell her story?

Marianne: Biographies are always written about celebrities. Tamerla is someone who could be your next door neighbor, shopping in your grocery store, or worshipping in your church. She’s a “real” person; someone you can relate to. Mothers will understand the angst she went through in deciding how to keep her children safe. Anyone running a business will know how she felt about saving her restaurant for her family’s future. She’s that “average every woman” you know, and not the politician or entertainment persona you read about. 

Katalina: What was the greatest challenge to writing this book?

Marianne: Keeping focused on her challenges, hardships, and ability to adapt while making hard decisions. I found myself trying to turn her story into a romance book, so had to stop all romance writing to concentrate on the serious issues Tamerla faced.

Katalina: I know there are a lot of political difficulties faced in Guilty Survivor, but it’s also a deeply human story. What part of Tamerla’s story gave you hope?

Marianne: Her love for her family and the decisions she made regarding them showed her true selfless intent on saving her children from harm. Regardless of the fact that by getting her daughter out of harm’s way she created a rift in their relationship, she made the hard choice to move her to safety. As her daughter gets older, she’ll hopefully understand her mother’s reasons for leaving her where she would be safe while returning to Sarajevo. With her son being half-America, his life would have been in as much jeopardy as hers after the war and Americans were not well-received or wanted.

Katalina: I realize we have to speak in generalities but what would you say was the greatest divisive force fueling the hatred of the Bosnian War? What happened to erode their former tolerance?

Marianne: Ethnic differences, greed, and jealousy. Those in power wanted to control everything, while other groups wanted more power for themselves. Tolerance disappeared and many senseless murders of those from all warring factions occurred. Tamerla feels that the war made them all targets and victims.

Katalina: What mental image from Guilty Survivor will stay with you?

Marianne: The scene where Tamerla dresses as a United Nations soldier to cross all three checkpoints creates a vivid image I won’t forget. Having to disguise herself and pray she wouldn’t be caught, had to be harrowing and stressful.

Thank you Marianne. I wish you and Tamerla Kendall all the best with this important book.

     Here’s an excerpt:

My second trip to Kiseljak was more difficult and done with me masquerading as a soldier. I’d called Commander Ivicarajic of the Croatian army to ask for help in crossing the border in November of 1992. I made a deal to transport some food supplies for him. I would be allowed to cross over into Croatia this way.

I then spoke to United Nations’ officer, Vladimir Sidorenko, (from the Ukraine) and asked him for help in getting across the border lines. He came to Restaurant Meli often and was known to help the people in Sarajevo.

He told me to go to the UN barrack area at night, sleep there, get up at 4:00am and

dress like a UN soldier in a Ukrainian, UNPROFOR uniform (United Nations Protection Forces) he provided. Part of the deal was that I’d bring supplies back with me for his troops. Desperate to visit my family and encouraged by his plan, I agreed.

I arrived at the UN barrack late that night. A blue and green military uniform and boots were provided for me and I slept in a military bed but was given a room and bathroom just for me. Other soldiers knew I was a woman but keep my secret.

The uniform was big, as were the boots. I used cloth and tightly circled it around my chest to hide my breasts. I stuffed paper into the boots so my feet wouldn’t slide out. I put on the uniform and looked at myself in a mirror. Even without makeup, I was afraid I’d be noticed and discovered to be a woman.

I pushed and pinned up my hair high on my head and pulled the cap down low enough to hide my hair and almost cover my eyes. The less seen of me the better. Even without using perfume, soap, or deodorant, I still thought I smelled like a woman. I practiced lowering my voice when I spoke, although the plan was for me not to speak at all. Would I pass as a man? Sound like one? Go unnoticed among other soldiers?

For one crazy instance, I imagined myself as preparing to go on a secret mission. I thought about spy movies I’d seen or books I’d read where people had to wear disguises. Not only had I found many avenues of keeping my restaurant operating, thanks to the war, but now I found a new talent. I would have my first performance as an actress.

I did not have to walk from checkpoint to checkpoint with other soldiers, but got to ride in a tank. I remained silent, even in the tank, and the other soldiers inside with me ignored my presence. Maybe it was their way of following orders to treat me as another soldier, and keep from staring. If they didn’t look at me, I really wasn’t there.

“Guilty Survivor “ Tamerla Kendall and Marianne Stephens.

Available January 26 from Secret Cravings Publishing.

Buy Link: http://www.secretcravingspublishing.com/MarianneStephens.html

Other Links:

http://www.mariannestephens.net

http://www.romancebooksrus.blogspot.com

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/romancebooksrus

http://alldayallnightromancedivas.blogspot.com

http://www.secretcravingspublishing.com

http://www.breathlesspress.com

http://www.jasminejade.com/m-310-marianne-stephens.aspx

***Secret Cravings Publishing Grand Opening Contest Prizes include:
Registration for Romantic Times Booklovers Convention
Registration for Lorie Foster's Reader and Writer Get Together Weekend
Kindle, Nook, or Sony ebook reader
And more! Visit: http://www.secretcravingspublishing.com for details.

Thanks for having me here today to talk about “Guilty Survivor – Memoirs of Tamerla Kendall”!

Hello 2011!

I’m welcoming 2011 with open arms. Good riddance to 2010! So did any of you make resolutions? If so have you already broken them? ;) We’re only four days in, so I sincerely hope not!
I know myself too well. Had I made any they would’ve been broken by now. Sunday night as I prepped to return to work after a nine day vacation I was excited about the prospect of getting up early and writing. I’d started a new story over vacation. While I didn’t write much I felt refreshed. I’d spent most of my days on the couch reading great books.
I was waking up at 4am over the course of my vacation, which was a change from the month prior when I was crawling out of bed at 6. That didn’t leave much time for anything before the family woke for the day. Monday morning rolled around and guess what? It was 6am when I dragged my sorry butt out of bed.
I wasn’t discouraged though. I woke happy and a bit giddy. I wasn’t sure of the reason, but hey, who can fight a good mood.
After I caught up with my work stuff I set out to accomplish something on my to-do list. You see on Monday’s I normally make a list and try to keep my promise to complete it before the end of the week. I’m not foolish enough to say the end of the day! That’s just asking for me to rebel.
So when the end of the day arrived and I’d finished all but one item on my list I was pleasantly surprised.
Today I woke earlier and managed to get over 2k on my wip in before work. There’s no more sitting back and procrastinating, at least for now. I’m taking the bull by the horns and making things happen. No one else is going to write these books for me.
It’s only a few days into the New Year and I’ve added over 4k to my wip and finished an article I’d contracted for a non-fiction magazine. I’ve met that deadline.
I’m knee-deep in edits for my contracted book All or Nothing too. For once I’m happy I didn’t make any resolutions because there’s no pressure and no stress.
Hope everyone else is enjoying the start of the New Year!

Have a Happy New Year...

May your New Year be warm and fuzzy...

May the Big Dawg be there to always protect you...

May the Good Faery always be at your beck and call...

May the wind be unable to get up under the tails of your long coat...

May Mr. December have left you panting and aching in all the right places...

May the Peace of the morning after New New Year's Eve find you...

And may your mother-in-law be as sweet to you as I am to my son's wives.

Happy New Year!

If wishes were snowflakes

we would have an endless supply.

What do I wish for 2011? As always, world peace. I suppose most of us wish for that. This year, I have a few more personal wishes, but I think I'll keep them personal. It's like blowing out the candles on a birthday cake...if you tell, they won't come true!
I'll be honest, I'm not sorry to see the end of 2010. That's unusual for me. I'm normally quite resentful of the passage of time. Even when it goes by slow, it goes by way too fast. Not 2010. It couldn't go by fast enough.

It's been a sad year, a year of loss. Tomorrow night, it's done. Thank God. No regrets, no backward glance. I plan to eat yummy food, drink to excess and hang out with complete strangers - we've been invited to crash this really cool party and even if hubby can't go, I am so there!
Happy 2011 - be good. Do your best. Love, Julia

Happy New Year

I wish everyone a very happy and prosperous New Year!

Thank you so much to you all, my SSS buddies, for your support, encouragement and comaraderie!

Lots of love,

Tessie

New Excerpt from "Nice Package"

Today I want to share an excerpt from “Nice Package”. In this scene Jim and Cora Emerson are alone in a luxurious suite. Jim is seated in a large leather chair. Cora is lying on the edge of the bed. Jim asks Cora to stop asking nervous questions about what’s coming next and relax. The game they are playing is meant to be a tease, to turn each other on and see how long they can stay apart. Cora performs a flirty striptease and then tells Jim a story:

“Hush.” Jim smiled and held a silencing finger to his lips. “I’m enjoying watching you undress.” His knees splayed wider, exposing a profound bulge in his trousers. “And so is my cock.”

A broad smile lit her face as she looked directly into his eyes. “What would your cock like to see?”

“Surprise me. Put on a show. I want to see how long I can stay in this chair.”

She carefully slid a tapering fingertip beneath the black bra strap and delicately tugged the strap down her soft shoulder. She gazed sideways at him. “How about a story instead?”

He faintly nodded. “A story would be fine.” His throat tensed.

A flush of heat raced through her. She loved this game. She would tell a sexy story and turn her and Jim on in the process, but what story would she tell? She knew so many. It better be a good one. This was a special occasion. Her pussy was counting on her to get Jim out of that chair and between her thighs as soon as possible. She unzipped her wool skirt, wiggled it down her legs and casually tossed it on top of her boots. Her hands brushed the length of her bare legs, stopping at her black lace panties. Her fingers loitered longingly between her thighs and came to rest on the lace hem. She started to reach underneath the stretchy lace so she could stroke herself with her fingertip.

Jim slowly shook his head no. “Keep your hands where I can see them.”

“You’re a cruel man.” She huffed impatiently and rolled onto her belly. Her ankles crossed high above her. She dug her fingers into the raw silk duvet and stroked its slightly nubby texture. A glossy lock of hair fell across one eye and she deliberately left it there and peeked out from behind it. “Once upon a time, there were two beautiful harem slaves who shared a bed.”

Jim leaned back in the chair and drew a deep breath. “What were the slaves’ names?”

Her eyes caught the warm sparkle of amber crystals dangling from a wall sconce above the nightstand. “Amberlina.” She paused and looked toward the bookshelf and the windows, desperately hoping inspiration would strike for a second name. Her eyes wandered across the distant ski slope beyond the glass door. “And Snowy.” Her story was off to a silly start and she was terribly disappointed in herself.

“Snowy?” Jim’s palm slowly stroked the length of his thigh. “That’s an unusual name for a harem slave.”

“Snowy was an unusual girl. She was from the extreme north. Her hair was a palest shade of silvery white and her eyes were an icy blue-violet. She was tall, slender and aloof. From the day she arrived at the harem she never spoke a word.”

“What was Amberlina like?”

She idly circled her fingertip on the bed top. “Amberlina was joyful in temperament and always wore a warm smile. Her graceful body, with its sweeping curves, loved dancing. Her full hips made her a great favorite with the sultan, who loved to drape long strands of pearls around her waist and watch them shimmy as she moved. She was no caged bird. She was a sensualist and a performer at heart. It was her delight and good fortune to escape the poverty of her village for the comforts of the harem. Being a palace pleasure slave to a handsome sultan was no hardship to her.”

Jim interrupted. “What did she look like?”

“Amberlina had long wavy hair the color of jet that tumbled past her waist. Her figure was so curvaceous, when women saw her they thought of Allat, the desert goddess of love. When men looked on her, they thought purely of sex. When Amberlina was presented at court, the sultan felt instantly possessive of her beauty and kept her away from the edges of the harem compound for fear another man would casually look at her and lust. In fact, it was impossible to come close to Amberlina and not stare. She was so lovely. Her sweet smile and sparkling brown eyes that tipped up at the corners silently invited others to engage her.”

“It sounds as if Amberlina has eyes like yours.”

“Perhaps.” She smiled. She could tell Jim was ready to hear more. “There is one distinct difference between Amberlina and me.” Her fingertips lightly brushed the swell of her cleavage. “I crave your touch. I love the touch of a man. Amberlina enjoyed the touch of her sultan as well and even hoped to present him someday with a royal child, but deep at heart she craved the touch of a woman. That fact was well-known within the harem. Behind the ornate wrought iron screens that securely barred the windows, it was no secret to any of those who lived inside that Amberlina loved women.” She whispered so softly Jim was forced to lean forward in the chair to hear her.

“She loved their touch, their lush softness and their taste on her tongue. She loved the sweet sounds they made in their pleasure and she loved to fall asleep in a woman’s graceful arms with her face pressed against a soft bosom. Many of the harem women fought for the right to dance at Amberlina’s side and openly coaxed her to their beds, but not everyone in the harem behaved so lovingly or got along so well with others.”

Jim shifted uneasily in the chair. “What about Snowy?”

“Poor Snowy.” She rolled onto her side and gently stroked her hand along the curve of her hip. “She spoke a foreign dialect the others could not understand, so she refused to speak at all. The sultan accepted Snowy as a valued gift from a warlord in a distant land, and even though she was very beautiful, he installed her in his harem and forgot her. Her days were spent in lonely silence with only a pet rabbit for a companion. She would hide in a far corner of the courtyard, set the fluffy white rabbit in her lap and adoringly stroke the quiet creature for hours while she watched Amberlina dance.” She paused.

“There was a bully in the harem. A jealous woman named Cailinda…”

I hope you enjoyed the excerpt. The story continues, Amberlina and Snowy become lovers and get into a lot of trouble. Jim and Cora’s real-time tease continues as well. During a twenty-four hour period, Jim gets to come all he likes but poor Cora is continually brought to the edge and teased until the bitter end, which isn’t bitter at all. It’s explosive. lol

Next week I’ll be posting an interview and excerpt from Marianne Stephens’ latest non-fiction book “Guilty Survivor” the real life story of Tamerla Kendall’s experiences during the Bosnian-Croat war. It’s fascinating.

I wish everyone a Happy, Healthy, Creative New Year!

XXOO Kat

Goals

Normally I set goals for the New Year, not this year. Last year I wanted to belong to the book-a-month club. I did. Not so much writing a book a month, but I had a new release at least once a month. Some months saw two and one month saw three.
I felt like I was pressuring myself to reach unattainable goals. Obviously they weren’t unreachable because I did it. I just didn’t like the stress that came along with it. I was also writing through grief. For almost six months I buried myself in my writing, but guess what? As my heart started to heal I lost the writing frenzy, almost to the point I couldn’t write anything.
This year I’ve decided not to set any goals, but things I’d like to happen. I’d like to see a novel length book published in 2011. I’d like to land an agent or into a larger publishing house, but they’re not the end all be all. I’d like to see more of my non-fiction articles get published. Last year I put that on hold because I was writing so much fiction.
I’ve scheduled two agent/editor appointments for 2011, so I’m headed in the right direction. This year will be about writing growth, personal growth. If none of these things happen I won’t stress myself, because I’ll know I gave it my all at the time.
Happy New Year!
See ya next year.