Liz Faraim has a new contemporary lesbian thriller, Vivian Chastain book 2: Stitches and Sepsis. And there’s a giveaway!
Adrenaline addicted veteran, Vivian Chastain, confronts the man who has been following her for days, only to find he has a message of dire consequence for her. Spurred into action by his news, she barrels head on into a tumultuous and violent series of events. Stoic and stubborn, Vivian lands in the hospital, fighting for her life.
During Vivian’s lengthy recovery, her partner is released from jail and the two reconnect, stoking up the flames of their toxic union all while Vivian dives into a blossoming relationship with a new love interest who offers fulfillment and love, if only Vivian can figure out how to allow it all in.
Still on the mend, she learns that the coast is not clear as former threats return and continue to endanger her. While she cannot rest easy; friends, her work crew, and customers at the night club where she tends bar provide her with much needed fun, comradery, and support.
Vivian wrestles with her temper, her penchant for physical violence, and her overwhelming emotional baggage. Struggles from within and without threaten her existence, and in the moment when death is just a breath away, Vivian’s brother shows up and changes everything.
Warnings: This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers, graphic violence, self-harm, references to PTSD, domestic abuse, animal abuse, homophobic slurs, sexual assault (reference to past), death of a secondary character
Giveaway
Liz is giving away a $20 Amazon gift card with this tour:
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Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b60e8d47181/?
Exclusive Excerpt
People sometimes ask me where I get my inspiration for the stories I write. As a true “pantser,” meaning I do not plot my stories out in advance, it isn’t so much what inspires the entire story as what inspires individual scenes.
Here is a short excerpt from Stitches and Sepsis, which is book two of the Vivian Chastain series. This scene takes place in the nightclub where Vivian is a bartender. Read on after the excerpt to see what inspired it.
Tick had no idea what was going on up front and continued playing music. The woman’s seizure went on mercilessly, so I sat on the grimy floor and placed her head on my lap to stop her from banging it any more than she already had. Buck ran to the office, pushing roughly through the crowd, to call for an ambulance.
The woman stopped seizing and went limp. I shut out the noise and the crowd and gazed down at her face. Her skin was clear. Her makeup was subtle, classy, and had been applied with a skilled hand. Her lips were full and in perfect proportion to her delicate nose and dimpled chin. A sudden urge washed over me, compelling me to comfort and protect her. I placed my hand gently on her forehead, leaned my mouth down next to her ear, and began speaking to her quietly despite the music and the fact she was unconscious. I told her she was going to be okay. I told her she was safe. And I told her not to worry.
I took my hand off her forehead and held her hand. We stayed like that, surrounded by a circle of onlookers, until the ambulance pulled up out front. The paramedics approached and cradled her head so that I could slip out from under her and stand up. Buck, Jen, and I stood off to the side, watching as the paramedics loaded her onto a gurney.
Buck rushed ahead of them to hold open the door to the service exit that had a ramp to the sidewalk on Twenty-First Street. Two women, her friends I assumed, followed after the gurney. One of the women shouted after the paramedics, “Hey, I’ve got her purse. Can you take it? She’s going to need it.” They rolled out to the sidewalk, and I lost sight of them.
Tick seemed to get the message that all was not well in the bar, and he shifted from upbeat dance music to something quieter, calmer. All the customers who had been frozen by the scene started moving again. Buck came back and picked up the mess left on the floor by the paramedics.
***
This scene was inspired by my own time working as a bartender at a busy nightclub. The noise, the crush of bodies, and the group reaction to changes in mood all played a part in how this scene continues to unfold after this excerpt. In addition, bearing witness to someone having a grand mal seizure is something I have experienced and took inspiration from. Pick up a copy of Stitches and Sepsis to see what happens next.
Author Bio
Liz has a full plate between balancing a day job, parenting, writing, and finding some semblance of a social life. In past lives she has been a soldier, a bartender, a shoe salesperson, an assistant museum curator, and even a driving instructor. She focuses her writing on strong, queer, female leads who don’t back down.
Liz transplanted to California from New York over thirty years ago, and now lives in the East Bay. She enjoys exploring nature with her wife and son.
Pronouns: She/Her
Author Website: https://www.lizfaraim.com
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