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| David Russell |
I
love that you hail from London. The internet has opened the world to
international discovery of authors like you and like me. Please tell my readers
a little bit about your book.
David- Well...check out this review...
David- Well...check out this review...
Queen of Tarts Review of Self’s Blossom by David Russell
I sometimes felt like I was watching a foreign film or an
art house movie and that I was missing some of the complexities of the
narrative. I finished this book uncertain as to what the heroine had discovered
about herself. But I could still appreciate the beautiful pictures the author
paints with his words and his unique approach to storytelling .
Self’s Blossom is all about Selene and her long awaited,
scrimped and saved for, holiday. I connected with Selene on a few levels. She’s
a workaholic. She’s single and busy moving through life. And I admired her
desire to seek out new experiences and learn new things. I didn’t always like
her. But I appreciated her intelligence and that she was unashamedly confident
in herself and determined to follow through on her decisions.
She uses her vacation to try and break out of the rut she
feels her life has become and fling caution to the wind. To have adventures and
a passionate affair… or two. Her stay is at a resort in Central America. There
are beautiful descriptions of the ocean waves and the lush paradise and how
they relate to life and love, lust and passion. And then there are all the
characters she meets on holiday and how they help or hinder her journey.
Nancy-Describe
the genre of this particular title, and is it the only genre you write in?
David-My work
has been described as literary erotica. I also do speculative fiction, poetry
and literary journalism.
Nancy-I
wrote poetry in college in the 70s. Little did I know it would morph into
novels published since 2010. When did you start writing toward publication?
David-Back in
the 60s.
Nancy-Why
have you become a published author?
David-I feel it
vindicates my worth.
Nancy-I
tell people this is my 4th job, and the first (and last) career. I
write fulltime from home, and love it. What is your writing routine like?
David-I operate
on flexi-time; I have to be constantly with priorities.
Nancy-My
hubby thinks he is a priority (he is) but I get more writing done when he’s at
work. What sort of promo do you do? Do you have help?
David-I do my own via the net – blogs and review
sites.
Nancy-I
hope inviting you here, today, helps. Having achieved your goal to be a
published author, what is the most rewarding thing?
David-Getting
feedback from intelligent readers.
Nancy-Will
you share some encouraging words for authors still struggling for that first
contract?
David-Be
tenacious; believe in yourself. Always be prepared to revise. If you get scathing
criticism, analyze it carefully.
Nancy-I
agree. I received two rejection letters in January. I will not trash that
manuscript, but give it another look, then send it out again. What’s next for
you?
David-A couple
of short stories, to be published by Devine Destinies.
Nancy-That
is great! I hope you will return and tell us about those books when they are
released.
This is about a young woman's
self-discovery. Selene is a 'success story', having become a top journalist,
while retaining her dazzling looks. However, in the past she has had unhappy
relationships, and feels she has missed out on hedonistic fun. This she obtains, firstly with a young
stranger on a beach, and finally with enigmatic Hudson: tryst is preceded by
cultural tourism, and careful sizing up of minds. Afterwards Selene returns to
her 'I stand on my own' attitude.
While she is on holiday, her mind is
free to ramble, often into Selene's chequered past. Flashback blurs into the
present, past-rooted interior monologue into direct observation. The dialogue
is sparse. Selene is a cautious, premeditative type, in whom thought,
reflection and analysis outweigh direct action.
Selene’s subtle, monitoring mind coolly
observes and controls all the events. Maybe she is super-confident, or perhaps
has a deep, underlying insecurity. She is many things to many readers.
Excerpt
Here, she was on a beach, pure and simple. Now the
sea breathed heavily,
whispering and murmuring to her. It was returning her stare, speaking to
her. It was the spirit of love, beckoning her with a pulsing, sinewy body.
In all its lines, shades, and fleeting forms, Selene saw the essence of pure
beauty, all grace of form, flesh, limb and feature. It was in one, all the
lovers of whom she could possibly dream, conflated into one elemental ideal.
He, pure love in soul, bade her to enter his domain and make it hers. His
arms moved her hands to unclasp, unbutton, and unzip . . . the blossom
emerged. The sun became the eye of all that was not earth, and Selene loved
fully, though the pallor of her skin left her momentarily abashed.
At first she lay in the tide's path, the top of her head at its most extreme
mark. The sand bank made a soft bed. The sea lover smoothly caressed her
calves, thighs, hips, breasts, shoulders, and cheeks before retreating to
pause in his mossy pinnacles. Three times this action was repeated, and then
Selene stood up, wading in with arms outstretched. Her arms were linked, as
she stood up to her neck in the saline flow. The balls and heels of her feet
wobbled, slithering on the moss. With the next wave, she lost her balance
–her breath prepared in unison with the hissing around her. She threw her
head back, once again horizontal, and launched into a backstroke, sweeping
and circling. She parted her legs wide with each thrust of motion, each
sweep of self-propulsion pushing out to answer the cavernous currents of his
passion. Seven circles gave her a delicious, warm bliss –then the sea lover,
well pleased, carried her back to a near-dry bed. Aching and contented,
Selene dozed a while.
whispering and murmuring to her. It was returning her stare, speaking to
her. It was the spirit of love, beckoning her with a pulsing, sinewy body.
In all its lines, shades, and fleeting forms, Selene saw the essence of pure
beauty, all grace of form, flesh, limb and feature. It was in one, all the
lovers of whom she could possibly dream, conflated into one elemental ideal.
He, pure love in soul, bade her to enter his domain and make it hers. His
arms moved her hands to unclasp, unbutton, and unzip . . . the blossom
emerged. The sun became the eye of all that was not earth, and Selene loved
fully, though the pallor of her skin left her momentarily abashed.
At first she lay in the tide's path, the top of her head at its most extreme
mark. The sand bank made a soft bed. The sea lover smoothly caressed her
calves, thighs, hips, breasts, shoulders, and cheeks before retreating to
pause in his mossy pinnacles. Three times this action was repeated, and then
Selene stood up, wading in with arms outstretched. Her arms were linked, as
she stood up to her neck in the saline flow. The balls and heels of her feet
wobbled, slithering on the moss. With the next wave, she lost her balance
–her breath prepared in unison with the hissing around her. She threw her
head back, once again horizontal, and launched into a backstroke, sweeping
and circling. She parted her legs wide with each thrust of motion, each
sweep of self-propulsion pushing out to answer the cavernous currents of his
passion. Seven circles gave her a delicious, warm bliss –then the sea lover,
well pleased, carried her back to a near-dry bed. Aching and contented,
Selene dozed a while.
MORE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
B.
1940; live in London UK. Have been writing for many decades. My first
publication was a poetry collection called Exacting
Modality of the World Web. I produced a work of speculative fiction, High Wired On in 1985. I started trying
to write literary erotica in the mid-80s. I have some short stories in this
genre in addition to Self’s Blossom.
I am also a singer-guitarist-songwriter. My main albums are Bacteria Shrapnel
and Kaleidoscope Concentrate. I have many tracks on YouTube.
How can my readers buy your book?
You
can find more information about Self’s
Blossom at
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