Pre Three-monthiversary

In scrapbooking, there is a term called pre-scrapping.  Or at least my friends and I came up with it when I was really into scrapbooking.  Pre-scrapping was when you purchased stickers, and paper, and other decorations for pages that would adorn a page for an event that hadn’t happened yet.

It was a risky move, buying stuff ahead of time.  Were you really going to have that much fun at the aquarium you planned to visit next month?  Could Disney possibly be so exciting you needed to buy a whole new Mickey-inspired book to put all the pictures in six months ahead of time?

Well, I’ve decided to pre-celebrate the release of my book.  In exactly three months from today my book will be released!  Center Courtship will be in- or be able to be in the hands of strangers.  What an amazing feeling that will be!

I know I’ve pestered a lot of my friends and family about this book coming and I wanted to show how sorry I am by offering you all a little peace offering.  You will find below a snippet from the first chapter of Center Courtship.  

Just a little heads up - this took a lot out of me to share.  I was going to do the whole chapter but I really wasn't sure if you'd read it and say "I need to read more of this!" or would you say "that was awful now I know never to buy that!"  

If it were the latter I'd feel horrible and lose all faith in humanity.  I'd start drinking... I might dabble in recreational drugs, risky behavior, and send my life into a horrible downward spiral of awfulness.  I know you don't want to be responsible for all that so I really hope you like it.  Or at least fake it well.  

Please follow me at the links on the right of the blog page, and go to Amazon to pre-order my book today.

Center Courtship

By: Liza Brown

This work is owned by Liza Brown.  To contact the author, please email her at: liza.brown.author@gmail.com

To purchase the complete book on Amazon, please go to: www.tinyurl.com/centercourtship

Chapter 1 Teaser

My phone rang.  The display told me it was my sister-in-law.  “Mae?” I heard Gina’s voice with a rapid breath before I even had a chance to say hello.

“What is it, Gina?” I could tell immediately something was wrong.

“It’s Brandon,” she sniffled.  “He’s been hit by a car.”

Brandon is my nephew.  Not having children yet myself, he and his brother, Mitchell, had been my favorite kids in the world.  Brandon was 12 and Mitchell was 5, and I loved spoiling them rotten.  “What do you mean hit by a car?!” I said with a gasp.  Aaron covered his mouth in horror.

“He was outside with Mitchell playing basketball.  The ball rolled into the road, Mitchell ran out to get it, but Brandon pushed him out of the way of traffic and he got hit by the car instead, oh Mae!”

“How is Brandon?” I asked nervously.

“He’s conscious.  I think he broke bones, who knows what else Mae.  My baby,” she began to cry full force.

I felt a tear run down my cheek.  Aaron reached across the counter, grabbed a tissue from a nearby box, and handed it to me.  “What do you need me to do, Gina?  I can come right now and do whatever you need.  Do you need a ride to the hospital?”

“No, Max is here, he’s driving. They took Brandon by Air Bear to Akron.”

“What the heck is Air Bear, Gina?”

“It’s Akron Children’s Hospital’s helicopter.  They call it Air Bear.”  She seemed to think this was something I would know.

“Why didn’t you ride in the copter with him?” I asked.

“Your brother and I are both too shaken up right now to be driving alone.”

“Yeah, that makes sense.  Where’s Mitchell?” I asked, trying to figure out what I could do.

“He’s with my mom.”

“Ok, try to calm down, Gina.  I’ll leave here and meet you in Akron."

“No, Mae… I have something I need you to do and I don’t know how to ask you,” she said with a combination of nervousness and tears in her voice.

“Anything Gina, you know that.”

“Do you know what today is?”

I wracked my brain.  “No, what day is it?”

“Mae, this is the day Brandon is supposed to meet Elsu!”

My heart dropped suddenly for Brandon.  Elsu was the big favorite for the new team.  Brandon had been a fan since Elsu played for Ohio State.  He’d played the last few years in Phoenix, but when the new team was announced he made it clear that he wanted to come home.  Brandon’s room was a shrine to the man.  Posters, news articles, tennis shoes, basketballs, and jerseys covered every available space.  He even had a one-of-a-kind Whoopsters afghan that Gina’s mom had made for him just days after the logo and mascot were revealed.  

The schools in the area had run an essay contest for kids who were interested in meeting Elsu Benjamin.  Brandon worked tirelessly on that essay and created a masterpiece.  When it was announced on the last day of school before summer that he had won, a permanent smile had become etched on his face from that day forward.  I had been praying that Elsu was everything Brandon was hoping.  I would have hated to see his dreams crushed because Elsu turned out to be an arrogant ass.

“Can’t you reschedule?” I asked Gina.

“No, the season starts next week, and Elsu won’t have any time.  The only thing Brandon said after he was hit was ‘I won’t see Elsu,’” said Gina sadly.

I hesitated briefly, wondering what in the world Gina had planned for me.  “Where do I come in?” I asked finally.

“Mae, I need you to go to our house and grab the brown paper bag of stuff that’s on the dining room table and take it to Elsu’s house."

“Gina, seriously?  You know that’s not my kind of thing.  I don’t do people.”

 “Mae, you work in a public place,” said Gina.

“Yeah, and I don’t usually have to deal with customers. That’s Bonnie’s job,” I said.

“All you have to do is take the stuff to his house in Independence, have it signed, and bring it back.  Think about Brandon!”  She knew I'd do anything for that kid.

“Ok, fine.  What's the address?”

“I’ll text it to you, you have to be there at five, and Mae,” she sniffed, “thank you!”

“You’re welcome, go take care of Brandon!”