Thursday Takeover: Author LRS talks The Witches in Our Lives

Most of us have stories we remember of bullies from our younger years--those choice people from your past that you wouldn't have minded sending off somewhere far, far away just to escape their torment. Some of us might even still the pain from the scars those people left behind. Today, author LRS is here to chat with us about the lasting effects bullies can have on our lives by sharing her own personal stories. She's also giving away some prizes to celebrate the new release of Launching Sisters to Witchcamp:

Launching Sisters to WitchCamp

LRS 

Genre: Middle grade fantasy  

Publisher:  MuseItUp Publishing

Cover Artist: Charlotte Volnek 
MuseItUp Publishing 
Amazon  Kobo  iTunes

Book Description: 

Sixth-grader J.J. learns there are no easy breaks in life.

When J.J. discovers the opportunity to send his maddening sisters off to WitchCamp, he has fantasies of a delightful summer. However, J.J. and his friend are soon off on a ride they didn't anticipate -- one that lands them in a chilling mess of witch hunts and creature feasts.

With his creative ideas, J.J. utilizes their risky escapades to escape. But making deals with superhuman creatures just lands them in hotter water.

Now it’s up to J.J. to save them all from certain death by being more imaginative and daring than ever before.

The video trailer http://youtu.be/rKedRSdpmrQ

About the Author:

LRS has a master’s degree in psychology. For more than ten years she pretended to be working while she was on the floor enjoying playtime with kids. 

She has lived on the eastern and western coasts of the U.S.A, as well as abroad, and currently resides in Canada with her family. Wherever she is, she can’t pass by a toy store without going inside. 

When she's not writing, she can usually be found in her kitchen, where she’s either baking (and sampling) cookies or stirring a pot. (Unfortunately, she has yet to find a magical spoon.)
Website   Facebook  Twitter  

The Witches in Our Lives

Smashed between two sisters, J.J. is only too familiar with witches. And despite my own mercenary handling of my brothers, I can totally commiserate. Though as a sister I was an eligible candidate for WitchCamp, to the outside world I was a sweet kid. Thankfully, I wasn't bullied much, but I had my fair share of witches. The evil females in my history haunt me until today.

Blond tresses, brown eyes, Easter dresses, and a perpetual scowl. She was the first witch I encountered at the innocent age of three. I disliked preschool with a passion, and Isabella played a significant role in my aversion.

She was trouble from the start. I met her at the cubbies, as we put our little bags away. By nature a shy child, it was an effort for me to initiate an interaction. I clearly recollect the thought process going through my head; “Mommy said it’s polite to say good morning. I have to be polite.”

Hence, I summed up my courage, looked Isabella in the eye, and greeted her with a smile.

“Shut up,” she snarled, and then turned her gauzy blue dress with white frills to me.

So that’s what happens when you listen to Mommy.

Maybe that’s why I’ve never initiated a greeting to new people since then without some effort.

In elementary school there was Gail. I wasn’t her only victim; in fact one childhood friend recently confessed to me that she had dreams for years of murdering our witchy classmate.

For some self-punishing reason, I had play dates with Gail. I didn’t want to play with her though. For one thing, I had no hope if we engaged in anything competitive. Gail would win even if it meant eliminating her opponent eternally. A seemingly safe idea occurred to me. Since I loved stories (no surprise there), her advanced reading ability would enable her to read me a book I couldn’t yet read on my own.  

When my mom peeked into the room, Gail looked from the book to her with a cherubic smile and accepted the praise for her reading with a humble incline of the head. I enjoyed the story.

Not the payback.  

The cost of having been read to was public humiliation for me in the hallways of our school.

Maybe that’s why I won’t listen to audio-books.

In middle grade school I learned that witches don’t come only in kiddie form.

Mrs. N. walked into our sixth grade classroom trashing our class before she even met us. She had some choice words to describe our class based on her interrogations of previous teachers.

But I forgive Mrs. N. for her punitive discipline, and her manic depressive mood swings. I forgive her for trying to appease us with candy, and then lambasting students and shaming them in front of our peers.

Funny, but what took me years to get over was the way she put me down to rack up the status of her pet, the genius of the class—who just so happened to be my best friend.      

When Mrs. N. assigned us a creative writing project, it was only natural for Di and me to pair up.

“You’re creative, you brainstorm what we should do, and I’ll build the visual aids,” Di told me.

I hit upon an innovative idea, dictated to my friend the props we needed with full details, and composed the essay.

Friday rolled around, and Di and I stood in front of the class, teacher, and the principal. Toward the end of our presentation, I caught Mrs. N. leaning in to the principal with a smile “That Di is incredible!”

Maybe that’s why I won’t co-author.

Hoping you’re armed with anti-spells for the witches lurking out there,

LRS

Postscript: You do know who I’m referring to, don’t you? Would you care to share with us the witch types haunting your life?

a Rafflecopter giveaway