MELT
(Rough Romance #1)
Publication: November 6, 2014
Based on true events, MELT is both a chilling tale of abuse, and a timeless romance. MELT will hit you like a punch in the face, and also seep through the cracks in your soul.
MELT is a brutal love story set against the metaphorical backdrop of The Wizard of Oz (not a retelling). When sixteen year old Dorothy moves to the small town of Highland Park, she meets, and falls for Joey – a “bad boy” who tells no one about the catastrophic domestic violence he witnesses at home. Can these two lovers survive peer pressure, Joey’s reputation, and his alcoholism?
Told in dual first person, Joey’s words are scattered on the page – reflecting his broken state. Dorothy is the voice of reason – until something so shattering happens that she, too, may lose her grip. Can their love endure, or will it melt away?
MELT: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble
MELT is a brutal love story set against the metaphorical backdrop of The Wizard of Oz (not a retelling). When sixteen year old Dorothy moves to the small town of Highland Park, she meets, and falls for Joey – a “bad boy” who tells no one about the catastrophic domestic violence he witnesses at home. Can these two lovers survive peer pressure, Joey’s reputation, and his alcoholism?
Told in dual first person, Joey’s words are scattered on the page – reflecting his broken state. Dorothy is the voice of reason – until something so shattering happens that she, too, may lose her grip. Can their love endure, or will it melt away?
MELT: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble
SIGNS OF LIFE
(Rough Romance #2)
by Selene Castrovilla
Publisher: Last Syllable Books
Publication Date: June 21, 2016
The tables are turned with a vengeance in this tour de force love story. Nearly a year has gone by and now it’s Dorothy who is fragmented and lost, while Joey keeps the promise he had made her to better himself—even though she’s gone. Joey talks about what is happening in the present while Dorothy describes what happened before— in the moments and hours after the Glock dropped. This time the stakes are even higher, as Joey forces himself to move forward while Dorothy is frozen in place. But when he learns of a devastating decision, Joey races to find her before it is too late. Truth, consequence, repercussion and modern medicine collide as pieces converge in this psychological, thrilling story, which begs the question: Can love really conquer all?
Signs of Life: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Signs of Life: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Selene Castrovilla is the award-winning author of multiple narrative nonfiction picture books and young adult novels. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from The New School and a BA in English from New York University. She lives on Long Island with her two sons and too many cats. Visit her website: www.SeleneCastrovilla.com.
Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Pinterest
Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Pinterest
Greetings!
I’m so excited to be here at the Recipe Fairy for the premier of my blog tour. At first, I panicked. I’m not a chef, or even a cook! I can barely follow a recipe, let alone create one.(I know it was optional, but I do like to please.)
Then I realized, I’ll share a book club adventure I recently had!
Melt is chosen by many bookclubs because it isn’t so long and dense that it takes forever to get through (number one complaint by book club members: “I don’t have time to read long books!”) and also because it’s a fast-paced read (number two complaint by book club members: “The books are boring!”) And yet, it’s a literary book with lots of layers to provide fodder for discussion. It’s a book that invites you to add your own opinion — a book that challenges you to change your outlook on certain things. (And by the way, Signs of Life ups the ante.)
I visit Long Island, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Bronx book clubs for free — or rather, for a free meal ;) (I Skype everywhere else - and you will probably see me in my pajamas.) It’s always festive and fun, but one book club came up with quite the creative theme:
A Smashed Potato Party!
Smashed potatoes are mashed potatoes made with bourbon — thereby combining Jack Daniels and mashed potatoes, two key symbols in Melt. (The Jack Daniels continues in Signs of Life.)
Our hostess served the mashed potatoes in martini glasses, and had a toppings bar with everything from bacon to whipped cream (she served Sweet Smashed Potatoes too!)
We had a blast, as you can imagine. And the drink she served? Champagne “punch” — paying homage to a key factor in the book, both good and bad: punching.
“Good and bad” is actually an accurate way to sum up Joey, our dark hero: he is in a constant struggle with good and bad, and we don’t know until the end of the book which side will win.
Here’s a recipe for Smashed Potatoes! Don’t forget to add butter on top: melted!
SMASHED POTATOES
Ingredients
5 pounds potatoes; peeled and cut into chunks
(you might also want to try sweet potatoes)
(you might also want to try cauliflower, for a healthy version - but of course that wouldn’t fly in Joey’s house)
2 sticks butter; softened
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cup boursin cheese
1 cup bourbon
1/2 cream
Yields” 8 servings
Preparation:
Put potato chunks into a huge pot and fill with water just until potatoes are covered. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until tender (approx 30 minutes.) Drain well, place in a large bowl (or you can use the pot.) Add butter, milk, salt and pepper — beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. In a small saucepan add bourbon and reduce by half over medium heat. Add cream and reduce entire mixture by half. Stir mixture into prepared mashed potatoes and fold in boursin cheese.
Suggestions for toppings bar:
crumbled cooked bacon
shredded or grated cheese(s)
chopped scallions/chives
herbed butter
sour cream
basil pesto
creamed corn
BBQ pulled pork or chicken
black caviar
olive tapenade
sautéed wild mushrooms
gravy
mini marshmallows
maple syrup
brown sugar
crystallized ginger
whipped cream
Whip ‘em up and enjoy your discussion of Melt. And if you live on Long Island or in NYC: invite me!
I’m so excited to be here at the Recipe Fairy for the premier of my blog tour. At first, I panicked. I’m not a chef, or even a cook! I can barely follow a recipe, let alone create one.(I know it was optional, but I do like to please.)
Then I realized, I’ll share a book club adventure I recently had!
Melt is chosen by many bookclubs because it isn’t so long and dense that it takes forever to get through (number one complaint by book club members: “I don’t have time to read long books!”) and also because it’s a fast-paced read (number two complaint by book club members: “The books are boring!”) And yet, it’s a literary book with lots of layers to provide fodder for discussion. It’s a book that invites you to add your own opinion — a book that challenges you to change your outlook on certain things. (And by the way, Signs of Life ups the ante.)
I visit Long Island, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Bronx book clubs for free — or rather, for a free meal ;) (I Skype everywhere else - and you will probably see me in my pajamas.) It’s always festive and fun, but one book club came up with quite the creative theme:
A Smashed Potato Party!
Smashed potatoes are mashed potatoes made with bourbon — thereby combining Jack Daniels and mashed potatoes, two key symbols in Melt. (The Jack Daniels continues in Signs of Life.)
Our hostess served the mashed potatoes in martini glasses, and had a toppings bar with everything from bacon to whipped cream (she served Sweet Smashed Potatoes too!)
We had a blast, as you can imagine. And the drink she served? Champagne “punch” — paying homage to a key factor in the book, both good and bad: punching.
“Good and bad” is actually an accurate way to sum up Joey, our dark hero: he is in a constant struggle with good and bad, and we don’t know until the end of the book which side will win.
Here’s a recipe for Smashed Potatoes! Don’t forget to add butter on top: melted!
SMASHED POTATOES
Ingredients
5 pounds potatoes; peeled and cut into chunks
(you might also want to try sweet potatoes)
(you might also want to try cauliflower, for a healthy version - but of course that wouldn’t fly in Joey’s house)
2 sticks butter; softened
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cup boursin cheese
1 cup bourbon
1/2 cream
Yields” 8 servings
Preparation:
Put potato chunks into a huge pot and fill with water just until potatoes are covered. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until tender (approx 30 minutes.) Drain well, place in a large bowl (or you can use the pot.) Add butter, milk, salt and pepper — beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. In a small saucepan add bourbon and reduce by half over medium heat. Add cream and reduce entire mixture by half. Stir mixture into prepared mashed potatoes and fold in boursin cheese.
Suggestions for toppings bar:
crumbled cooked bacon
shredded or grated cheese(s)
chopped scallions/chives
herbed butter
sour cream
basil pesto
creamed corn
BBQ pulled pork or chicken
black caviar
olive tapenade
sautéed wild mushrooms
gravy
mini marshmallows
maple syrup
brown sugar
crystallized ginger
whipped cream
Whip ‘em up and enjoy your discussion of Melt. And if you live on Long Island or in NYC: invite me!
