Unlike Any Other
Unexpected Series #1
by: Claudia Burgoa
Publication Date: March 5, 2015
Cover Design: Hang Le
Synopsis
AJ
The name AJ Colthurst may not have any meaning to the public eye, but it should, as I’m the daughter of two famous celebrities. Like any superstar, they crave privacy; so much of it, they built a house in the middle of nowhere for us children. As we grew older, we discovered the lies they built as a fort to protect us from the media, ended up causing emotional damage along the way.
I carry a portion of the guilt on my shoulders; the other part I discovered is the separation of my parents. Their unorthodox ways may have driven me bonkers, but knowing they are no longer together is unacceptable.
That’s why I decided to rattle their cage by reminding at least one of my parents of the past and the reason they belong together. They need to remember why their love is so perfect and why they have to fight to keep it alive. Even if it means I have to dredge up some of my own painful memories along the way.
Gabe
Back in the early eighties, I set myself to succeed in the financial world. The first step had been moving to New York City to become a stockbroker, but things didn’t work out the way I had hoped. Instead, I ended up making movies and by the end of the decade, Gabe Colt had become a famous name. The downside to my career of choice: the paparazzi. In order to protect my family and our privacy, I maintained my family away from the circus. It had been for their own good; a decision we had made before we started our family.
However, those past decisions ended up chasing my entire family away and now I’m trying to put the pieces back together along with my little girl.
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Excerpt
“So that’s it; bye, bye to the old, hello Twinkie wife?”
His gaze drops and I take it as a yes.
“Where is the big love, the one that happens once in a lifetime? What happened to it? If you lost it like that, then there’s no hope for the rest of us, Dad.”
No wonder my relationship fell apart like it did. The dreamer in me thought back to my sixteen-year-old self when I thought I had found the great love that could withstand everything. I claimed to have what my parents had … almost three years later reality slapped me, no, reality crushed me.
Gabriel doesn’t speak. He has no comeback or comment to what I say. He makes a one-eighty degree turn and stares out at the blue sea.
I don’t count how long he’s immobilized in front of the window, nor do I move. However, after what feels like hours, he extends his hand and curls his fingers toward me. The moment I’m next to him, he puts his arm around my shoulder and hugs me tight, kissing the top of my head.
I hug my dad for the first time in years and my back relaxes.
I’m home.
“You can stay together in the name of love just for so long, AJ,” his voice has lost all the strength, the shield is down.
My body and soul identify with his, we’re defeated, sad and with only so much energy left to continue.
This is one of the traits we share, putting on a brave front while withering inside.
“Lately, I wonder if what we had justified being together for so long.” I hate those words as he lets them out. “Was it real or a fantasy we built and once reality hit we couldn’t keep it together. It hurts, being apart is painful—I won’t lie.”
Really, it hurts? Because there’s a woman outside—pregnant. I want to yell at him, my teeth grind, but I don’t let my anger get the best of me.
Not yet.
“It was mutual, we came to the conclusion that we wanted different things, our lives were going in different directions, and now I’m trying to build something—a new life?”
The uncertainty in his voice is a gift, a speckle of light that gives me hope. The words… well, they sound like a speech they—my parents agreed on giving us. That’s the way they were while growing up, one parental front. I don’t want to jump to conclusions, but my money is on him. Gabriel called it off.
This is unfair. My parents drove me insane with their rules. Their crazy ideas and lies to the outside world. However, they are a match made in heaven. They are like milk and cookies, one can’t go without the other.
“This is wrong.” I shake my head. “You can’t finish a once in a lifetime love story like that,” I weakly claim. “Each time you told the story, it didn’t sound as if you made some sacrifices for us. It sounded as if you did it out of love. Am I wrong? Would you like to revise your story?”
He shakes his head.
“You should. Let’s do a play-by-play,” I suggest. “Maybe you can come clean and clear up all the lies you added to it when you told it as we grew up.”
“They weren’t lies,” he defends himself. “Maybe we skipped a few details… not many. We couldn’t disclose everything to our small children.”
Meet the Author
Interview:
1.
When did you first
realize you wanted to be a writer?
2.
How long does it take
you to write a book?
A: A first draft, about three weeks, but is polishing what takes
me a long time. Up to six months.
3.
What is your work
schedule like when you're writing?
A: I write usually at night, between 8 and midnight. When I am
editing, I sneak a few breaks at work too.
4.
What would you say is
your interesting writing quirk?
A: Not sure if it’s interesting, but I can’t write if my hair
isn’t pulled into a pony tail, and I have a cup of tea and a bottle of water
next to me.
5.
How do books get
published?
A: Self-published
6.
Where do you get your
information or ideas for your books?
A: Ideas, from observing my surroundings.
7.
When did you write your
first book and how old were you?
A: Back in middle school, it was a small novella for a contest.
8.
What do you like to do
when you're not writing?
A: Spend time with my family, watch movies, read, and take walks.
9.
What does your family
think of your writing?
A: They are supportive of it, though my oldest daughter is the
only one that has read my books.
10. What was one of the most
surprising things you learned in creating your books?
A: The transformation from the first draft to the final product.
Most times it’s going from day to night.
11. How many books have you
written? Which is your favorite?
A: Six, published five of them so far. My favorite? That’s a
difficult question, each one is different and special, but I think Unlike Any
Other has a pretty special place in my heart.
12. Do you have any
suggestions to help me become a better writer? If so, what are they?
A: Write and read, repeat as needed.
13. Do you hear from your
readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
A: Some contact me, to either ask if there’ll be a second part to
the book or to tell me that my books are different from what they expected and
loved them.
14. What do you think makes
a good story?
A: a story that makes the reader experience something that
resonates with what people desire in life. A story where you want to take a
journey along with your characters because the reader related to them in some
way or another. Yet a whimsical story where everything is possible.
15. As a child, what did you
want to do when you grew up?
A: A doctor and a ballerina
16. What would you like my
readers to know?
A: That I appreciate them for stopping by and taking the time to
read my interview, that I hope they give my book a chance J
Giveaway
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