Fresh Scars – Guest Post

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for Fresh Scars by Donna Mumma, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Fresh Scars
Author: Donna Mumma
Publisher: Firefly Southern Fiction (Iron Stream Media)
Release Date: June 15, 2021
Genre: Southern Fiction

Time heals all wounds . . . or does it?

Asia Butler and her sister, Ivy Butler Morelli, have not spoken in fifteen years. As children, they endured brutal emotional abuse from their mother, Veronica, and want only to forget the past . . . and each other. But the past comes calling when they each receive a letter from Veronica s attorney promising much-needed cash if they will fulfill her dying wish and consent to cleaning out their childhood home. Asia and Ivy reluctantly return to their hometown of Emerson, Florida, only to discover the house is a hoarder’s nightmare filled with strange mementos and clues hinting that they were not the only victims of Veronica’s sadistic nature. Can this new pain be the path to their healing? Will they be able to choose forgiveness over resentment?

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About the Author of Fresh Scars

Connect with Donna: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Guest Post “What Inspires You?”

What inspires you?

I love books from the bottom of my heart. But I’ve spent my entire life cheating on them. Good stories keep me flipping pages and always looking for my next great read, but there is another muse who steals my loyalties when it comes to inspiration.

 Movies.

When I was seven years old, our local television station played old movies weekday mornings. Most of the films were from the forties and fifties, and they showcased a different genre each week. One of the films I remember most was an old monster flick called Tarantula. In the film, a scientist injected a small spider with a growth serum, the serum worked well beyond expectations, and a small, isolated community now dealt with a hungry, marauding arachnid the size of a four-storied building.

I was a country kid in rural Florida and well accustomed to seeing all types and sizes of spiders, but this one scared me so badly my poor parents had to deal with me sneaking into their bed at night for a week. That fear faded, but the movie left an impression as deep as that spider’s footprints. I grew to love monster movies, realizing that with the right amount of determination, situation, and imagination, you can make anything believable. Nothing tickles my writer’s brain more than story ideas challenging me to try something weird or unusual and turn it into a likeable, thought provoking, entertaining tale. Those old monster movies encouraged me to think outside of the box or even make up my own box.

I also love a good quest movie.

I’m swept away as the protagonists search for lost treasure, an ancient artifact with legendary powers, or a missing loved one. The secondary characters who help them attain the goal add humor and spice to the story. The greatest element is that the quest journey is the story of humankind. We are all on some sort of voyage to find love, truth, meaning, peace, forgiveness, or redemption. These movies taught me that the value was not in where the hero went, or what was attained at the end. The true treasures are the relationships and lessons learned along the way.

 Take the Paramount film, Forrest Gump.

He experiences college, meeting three different presidents, building a multi-million-dollar company, and running across America. These became just stories to him. The love he shared with his mother, Lieutenant Dan, Bubba, Jenny, and his son, little Forrest was what he treasured, not the events of his adventures. This simple man parlays a great truth and compels me to do the same.

The Pixar movie, UP, explores the same idea.

Carl Fredricksen is on a quest to fulfill a childhood promise made to his wife, Ellie. Along the way, he is joined by Russell, a little guy trying to earn the last badge for his wilderness explorer’s troop. Both characters are on a journey to attain something physical, but their efforts failed, and the quest seems over. Then the real lesson hits. They realize that badges, and houses, and stuff aren’t what makes life great. It’s the time spent with people we care about. At the movie’s end, I’m wiping tears and hugging my loved ones, including the dog.

So, I guess I’ll apologize to my books.

Maybe make more time to spend time with them, go outside and read in the quiet of a porch, with the wind playing the story’s soundtrack rather than an orchestra filled with strings and brass. But I’ll return to darkened theaters, or my own living room, and watch life play out before me on the screen. It’s my classroom for life, and I’m hopelessly, happily, hooked.

About the Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a signed copy of Fresh Scars plus a $10 Amazon gift card!

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight June 21, 2021 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on June 28, 2021. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

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