BLOG TOUR # 37 - BOOK REVIEW/GIVEAWAY/EXCERPT - STARRING IN THE MOVIE OF MY LIFE by LAUREL OSTERKAMP

Today on Novels On The Run's Blog Tour Stop for Starring In The Movie Of My Life, I have a book review , excerpt and giveaway.

By: Laurel Osterkamp
Published By: Preventive Measures
Released : Available Now
Details : Digital, 236 Pages

RATING: 3.75 HUMAN NATURE STARS!

Book Blurb 

I admit it: occasionally I like to pretend that my life is a movie, and that I'm the star…

Samantha acts without thinking. Her heart is huge while her sense of purpose is small; she's willing to fight for those she loves, but she's never learned to fight for herself. Eighteen-year-old Melody is cold and calculating, and she's driven by the desire to better herself. As these compelling yet deeply flawed women battle for the affections of 25-year-old Nathan, he becomes increasingly confused and torn between them.

Nathan is Melody's English teacher, and after he saves her from being raped, she becomes attached. Melody longs for the affection she's never felt, so she involves people in her self-invented drama, making sure she is at once the star and the director. Meanwhile, Samantha is newly married to Nathan. But Samantha has hang-ups about motherhood and lingering feelings for her ex. To make sense of the world, Sam relates her life to the themes of her favorite movies, while she independently makes a documentary to jump-start her non-existent film career.

BOOK REVIEW by Michelle :

Starring In The Movie Of My Life, was not at all what I was expecting. This book is a rollercoaster of emotions for me. I think it is well written, and I don’t want to deter anybody from reading it, as it is very well written, but I had a hard time with Melody’s character.

I do realise and understand that she was written to be this manipulative piece of work. She almost redeemed herself in my eyes at the end...almost. I realise she is only eighteen and her mother is a piece of work and a terrible role model, but, I just thought the girl was just too full on . For a girl of this age to decide to make a bet with her mum that if she could break up a marriage, then her mum would allow her to go to college. Melody manipulates everybody around her, she is on a mission to destroy more than one life.

This book alternates Melody’s chapter and then Samantha’s chapter. I did not enjoy Melody’s chapters. This could be excellent writing on Laurel’s behalf as she made me loathe, beyond, loathe the girl. She just did not sit well with me. Kudos to Laurel for making me feel this deep emotion for her character. I can always find good in the bad, but this girl is a rotten tomato. I have zip sympathy for her and quite frankly Carter should be running as far and as fast as his legs will take him.

Samantha is thirty five and her husband Nathan Linden is twenty five years old, so she has a bag of insecurities over her shoulder, banging away. Would they have been ok in their marriage if Melody hadn’t have zeroed in........ possibly not. But who knows?


Collin is the ex of Samantha and he lives upstairs in the apartment building he manages that his family owns. He isn’t short of a dollar. Does he spend it wisely??? He has a very addictive nature and as this story unfolds, his life prior to Samantha marrying Nathan starts to be revealed to the reader. We find how much Sam and Collin had, and how much of their relationship was very destructive for years.

Sam has a good heart but at the age of thirty five, she has far from got herself sorted and settled. She works at Bravo Video , while hubby Nate is a school teacher. This is where Melody can dangle herself until her “How to get a guy to leave his significant other for you” , plan works.

Melody uses her friend Kelsey, she manipulates and destroys. She was written well for me to feel such loathing for her. I do despise this type of personality, maybe, that is my problem with this book as I know somebody who is the queen of manipulation and has been such a thorn in my side for many, many years.

There is a side story going on within the Melody, Nate and Samantha sandwich. Samantha is being selfless and helping out her friends Jane and Jake. Things aren’t going swimmingly there either.

This story is quite intense and sometimes I had to come up for air as these characters get their fair share of grief and burden. I had a hard time trying to decide who I should feel sorry for and who shouldn’t have let themselves be taken in. But at the end of it all, we are all only human and we are flawed. We make mistakes and we ask for forgiveness. It takes a certain type of person to forgive a sack full of baggage, but sometimes it is worth hanging in there , even if the journey is very , very rocky.

Sometimes it takes some of us in life a lot longer to get to their happy ending. There is a lot of grief , heartache and mistakes we must make along the way to finally find it.

Michelle

BOOK EXCERPT

My right index finger is twisting itself into the metal wire that loops through my notebook and binds it together. The top part had become unwound from its pages, and now my finger’s circulation is cut off. “Well, I was wondering if you could use an aide next trimester.”

He frowns and digs his heels into the floor, pushing himself backwards with the wheels of his office chair. His chest raises and lowers with a careful sigh before he answers me.

“Melody, do you really think that’s a good idea?”

This is the first time he has ever called me by my first name! Mr. L always, ALWAYS calls students by our last names. Finally, the moment I have waited for has arrived! Now I know without a doubt that I mean something to him, that I am more than just a student. In my shock and joy I forget to answer his question though, so he continues on.

“I just think we need to be careful. People in this school love to talk, and if I took you on as my aide things could get worse before they get better.”

My joy increases – he just referred to us as a “we”. We need to be careful – it sounds so scandalous! “But I’m fine,” I say, wiggling my finger free and holding my notebook tightly to my chest. “And I don’t care what people say. Besides, I could do a great job for you.” I walk over to his file cabinet and open the top drawer. With a grin I turn to him. “Really Mr. L! This drawer is a mess! I could organize this; I could organize all of these!” I sweep my arm up and down, gesturing toward his cabinets. Then I walk over to his bookshelf. “And these shelves!” I look back over at him, expecting to see him smile, but I’m met with a scowl instead. “I’m sorry,” I continue. “I don’t mean to insult you. I know you’re creative and smart and all, and you don’t have time to think about details. That’s why you need to let me do it for you.”

“Miss Madsen…” he tries to cut me off, but I step in before he can.

“Mr. L, please! Let me do this. Give me the chance to thank you for… you know.” I look down, and will my cheeks to flush. I can feel the warmth creeping across my face, and I mentally pat myself on the back for spending hours alone in my room, mastering this skill. After all, older guys like girls who embarrass easily, so that they can feel worldly and experienced.

He hangs his head down momentarily, like he’s memorizing the scuffed linoleum floor. “You don’t need to thank me any more than you already have. You never needed to thank me. I just did what anyone would do.”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” I say. And I mean it. Mr. L doesn’t realize how special he is. That’s why he needs me. He needs me so much that I’m willing to do anything in order to be in his life. “What you did, it’s the nicest, most decent thing anyone has ever done. Please, Mr. L, let me be your aide. I’ll work really hard.”

His hand creeps up to massage his neck. “I have no doubt you would, but I still think it’s a bad idea.”

I look down, away, and wipe a phantom tear that, if it were real, would be blocked from his view.

“I see,” I say, and start out the door. His voice stops me, just like I knew it would.

“Miss Madsen…” but he doesn’t finish. So I take my last, best shot. It’s a gamble to play this card so soon, but I’m confident it will work. Besides, it’s the truth.

With my back turned, still half way out the door, I say, “It’s just, your room is the only place in the whole school where I feel…safe.”

He sighs again, this time with resignation. “My prep hour is fifth.”

I turn around. “That’s perfect! All I have fifth hour is study hall!”

His same half-smile threatens to escape again. “I’ll let the office know.”

BLOG STOPS

GIVEAWAY 1 X EBOOK COPY OF

 'STARRING IN THE MOVIE OF MY LIFE'

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Giveaway Starts Now

Ends 8th July 2012 Midnight USA Time