Saturday 14 February 2015

Elizabeth Seckman talks romance

Happy Valentine's Day, folks. I'm not a very romantic person myself, so when Elizabeth suggested a Valentine's post, to celebrate the launch of her latest book Defying Reason, I wondered if she was on the right blog for the 14th. Turns out, she was :-)


Hi Annalisa! Thanks so much for letting me stop by on this lovely, love filled holiday. Now, you may think I am on a chocolate high, but I am here to convince you that some of the world's most famous love stories really do suck.


Romeo and Juliet? Seriously, they were kids! Imagine it. Your fifteen-year-old sneaks into a party, sees a hot girl (I'm assuming there were some glandular issues involved in this love.) and is so totally smitten, people will die. He dies, she dies, Tybalt dies, Paris dies, Mercutio dies...all dead because these two co-dependents needed an intervention.

Rhett Butler and Scarlet O'Hara (Gone With the Wind)? Scarlet  is a bitch. She hardly even likes her own children.  She is a survivor and will do anything and marry anyone to make it. Bring on Rhett. He sees her for the evil that she is and loves her. He's operating on true love. Scarlet could care less. She wants her best friend's husband...all the way up until the friend dies and her husband is up for grabs. Then Scarlet wants Rhett. Hmm. I'm kind of glad he tells her to go to hell...he no longer gives a damn. High fives to Rhett for growing a set!

Heathcliff and Catherine (Wuthering Heights): Mean people, both of them. They are hateful, selfish, and cruel. Too bad Catherine was too uppity and snotty to marry him. Then they could have pooled all their evil in one household and saved a whole lotta people a whole lotta misery.

Meggy Cleary, Father Ralph, and Mary Carson (The Thornbirds): I'm not getting kinky here...this love triangle has to be fully laid out to make sense. Old Mary Carson first loved the hot Catholic priest, Ralph. Then her niece Meggy moves to Drogheda, and the little whipper snapper grows into a hot babe. who catches the eye of  the priest. Mary sees it and she hates him for it...not because he's in love with her niece, but because there will never be any Ralph + Mary carved into a tree, So, when Mary dies. she leaves Ralph her money, thereby forcing him to choose: Meggy or status in the church. Meggy loses. True love didn't conquer all, not even pride. But there is one helluva a hot love scene on an island.

Now, for the record. I love all these books. Each one (with the exception of Romeo and Juliet...I read that because an English teacher made me) is on my top ten list of must read books. Each is epic. Each could be read a hundred times and something new found. The only thing I don't get is how did these couples become icons of the love story? But then, I suppose if these guys are the epitome of love, no wonder the divorce rate is so freaking high. `




The Blurb:

Jo Leigh Harper comes from a long line of trouble-making, white trash stock.
Tanner Coulter comes from a longer line of wealth-creating, blue blood stock.
Jo graduated college top of her class, moving toward a future full of possibilities.
Tanner dropped out of college, trading a law degree for drinking games and one night stands.

A family crisis throws the rich party boy and the poor genius girl together. The attraction is immediate, though neither one is a heart-in-the-sand-drawing believer in true love. But as the summer sun heats up along the shores of the Outer Banks, so does the connection between them. Maybe, just maybe, they can win at love by defying reason.

 
Author Bio:

Elizabeth is a multi-published author of books for people who are believers in happily-ever- after, true love, and stories with a bit of fun and twists with their plots. The mother of four young men, she tackles laundry daily and is the keeper of the kitchen. She lives along the shores of the Ohio River in West Virginia, but dreams daily of the beach. 

Facebook // Blog // Website // Buy Link


32 comments:

  1. Icons of messed up love stories maybe...

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    1. Messed up is right. And they are always held up as the great loves, and they're all a bit twisted.

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    2. Messed up love is more relateable, in my opinion.

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  2. Nice summary of those love connections. People are drawn to what is natural, realistic. Imagine a life without conflicts, not that it has to be really bad, but it would be boring. Also, we love to read about other people's mistake.

    Keep going, Elizabeth. Valentine's Day or not, your hubby and children will still love you (lol).

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    1. I agree, life would be boring without a few conflicts :-)

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    2. Totally agree- all of these stories are amazing for their depth and conflicts. I just don't see why we hold them up as the icons of love. I mean, if I'm looking to role models- none of these fit the bill.

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  3. I'm with Alex - the Icon of messed up love stories, maybe. I started becoming a bigger fan (not a complete fan) of Romeo and Juliet after I read the source material (Greek Pyramus and Thisbe) and read the comedic twist that Shakespeare puts on the same story again in Midsummer Night's Dream . . . it made me think the Bard was actually making fun of that swooning, over the top, melodramatic love he wrote in Romeo and Juliet . . . was it supposed to be tragedy or irony, or a little of both? I'm not certain anymore. However, I do love Much Ado About Nothing far, far more from Shakespeare - actual, real live love in that one between Benedict and Beatrice - a love that goes beyond annoyance and becomes something better. :)

    Nice rundown on those love stories!

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    1. I studied Much Ado About Nothing for A Level - I love the Beatrice/Benedict relationship... I could probably still quote a bit, if I needed to!

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    2. I've never read Much Ado About Nothing. I'll have to change that. Shakespeare does have quite the sense of humor. And like I said, none of these stories are anything but epic, I just don't understand why we have held them up as the epitome of love. They're all sad.

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  4. The big names always have such messed up stories, no other way to put it indeed

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    1. There's no story in anything too easy!

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    2. True. Even in real life, the roller coaster couples get all the press.

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  5. excellent visit and thanks for pointing out these "great love story" dynamics. Look at a current one "Gone Girl" - now that's messed up! good post

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    1. I really need to read Gone Girl, although I have Googled the ending. I can't help it - spoilers are my guilty pleasure :-)

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    2. I've never read Gone Girl- must move it up the to-read list!

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  6. It's the messed up stories that catch the reader's interest, that's for sure.

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    1. The most messed up story I can think of is Tess of the D'Urbervilles. Only that one did not capture my imagination - I think I threw the book across the room several times (and then, unfortunately had to pick it up, continue reading and write several essays about it).

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    2. Loved Tess. I'm shocked you didn't love it, Annalisa. You're such a master of the emotional ending!

      And yes, messed up stories are intriguing. Maybe they make us feel better that we're not that messed up!

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  7. Messed up stories are my kind of stories :)

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    1. I love them too. Every one of those books is in my top ten, will read often list. Must add in East of Eden by Steinbeck. You like complicated relationships, it's a must read!

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  8. Fun post. Well, you can't say any of those stories are lacking in drama - maybe that's the attraction!

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    1. They're all excellent stories. I just don't think they are very good love stories.

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  9. LOL!! This is such a fun, perfect pot for Valentine's Day. I love it!! I always thought Romeo and Juliet were way too young!

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    1. I suppose it was a different time, but yeah..wow...that's young.

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  10. Congrats Elizabeth. Been seeing Defying Reason all over the web!!! Sounds wonderful!!!

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  11. Hi Annalisa .. the Thornbirds I loved - but probably at that age ...Wuthering Heights I know I read .. but not much sank in ... and I've never read Gone with the Wind or seen the play or film ... and Shakespeare - well we all see the plays ... I wish I'd had a literary upbringing ... or someone to guide me through the books - certainly we read ...

    Defying Reason - sounds a great read ... good luck with your books both of you - cheers HIlary

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  12. LOL! It's funny 'cause it true! There are so many classics on my list that I love and rip at the same time. Ah the classics...

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  13. Fun post, Elisabeth. Your latest sounds like a keeper.

    Hope you have a good day, Annalisa.

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  14. There's a certain appeal with messed up stories. :)

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