Sunday, September 4, 2011

Blog Tour: The Keepers by Monique O'Connor James (Giveaway too!)

This blog tour is presented by The Bookish Snob Tours.
You can get to the entire tour schedule by clicking HERE.
Welcome to The Wormhole and my day on the tour!
Please welcome Monique O'Connor James!

Monique is the mother of two beautiful children and lives in a small community outside of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  She currently works full time as an insurance agent, but her favorite jobs are mother, wife, and author.
On her eighth birthday, her mother bought her a journal and said "write whatever you want, just write". And so, a love affair with words was born.  She wrote poetry and short stories in high school and college, until 1993 when her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer.
After her mother's death in 1998, deep in depression, she found herself unable to write.  Nine years passed, and only on rare occasion did she attempt to write.
Finally, in 2007, under the urging of friends, she sat down and pecked out her first novel.  It was raw and unpolished, but the process had been unquestionably cathartic. The next three years were spent filling her hard drive with seven complete manuscripts.
At the beginning of 2011, Monique decided it was time to edit the work and share it  with the world.  She hopes you enjoy the ramblings of a truly southern girl raised in a state rich with heritage and love.

And now - a guest post for your reading pleasure!
Spinning an Angelic Tale

One of my favorite aspects about the angels in The Keepers is the notion that they were created in pairs.  The relationship between these duos is a yin and yang of sorts.  Not that one is good and the other evil, but they do balance each other perfectly.  The pairs refer to themselves as “others” and claim their relationship is a hundred times more binding than any marriage. 
The notion of this connection came to me as Justin and his brother Rory’s bond evolved throughout the story.  Despite Justin’s sins which have gotten him and his five brothers tossed from Heaven, Rory his “other” is without question loyal.  The opposition of their personalities leant itself to the idea that together they would be the perfect being.  And what better way for their Maker to keep them in check than have them tied so tightly together that one cannot survive without the other?
The concept isn’t any different than what we feel for our loved ones, but our lives are not dependent on the happiness and well-being of anyone but ourselves.  This creates an entire different dynamic to living for the angels. 
With all of Justin’s faults, his relationship with his brother allows us to see a side of him he may not otherwise reveal.  What are some of your favorite angel characteristics in other books you’ve read? It’s always fun to see the different concepts and characteristics that each author comes up with to make their angels unique.  I hope you enjoy Justin and his brothers as much as I have.  J
Cheers,
Monique O’Connor James
www.moniqueoconnorjames.com
Giveaway:  Ecopy of The Keepers

The next stop on the tour: Sept 5 – Journey With Books 
Thanks for stopping by The Wormhole!
Happy Reading!