Browse through SHOOTING PICASSO by Vanna Tessier at The Library. Vanna will be awarding a $15 Amazon GC and a softcover, autographed copy of Shooting Picasso (US ONLY) to a randomly drawn winner during the tour, and an Ecopy of the book to three randomly drawn commenters during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
How deep into that underworld, and her own past, is she willing to go? And more importantly, will she have the strength to face a drastic life change?
As Riviera waves him in, she points to the narrow door leading to the back of the art shop. I notice the man’s birthmark when he turns. It resembles a wine-colored skull with teeth. I have to stop him. However, I can’t go past Riviera who allows him to open the door at the rear. He enters and quickly shuts the door behind him. She walks around the counter and halts in front of me.
“Have to see what you have for sale again,” I say.
The barrel body of the stout woman rolls on her short legs as she returns to the counter and wipes the glassy top with a wrinkled towel.
She hisses. “Stubborn, huh!” Her bracelets clink as she blinks at me. “You thought things over and decided to buy the choker. You love it. Right?”
I don’t want to back away. I have to let her know I’d never buy a choker. “I’m thinking about it.”
“You’d like that cameo. It’s lovely. Looks like you.”
“No. It doesn’t.” I can’t stop myself from adding, “I can’t buy that choker.” I stare at the works of art on display. The drawing of the little girl with her puppy is not hanging on the wall now. Only a pale blue stain is left at the place where the drawing used to be.
“Where is the neat sketch showing the little girl and her puppy on the pier over a lake?”
“How dare you ask me a question in that tone of voice?” Riviera shakes her finger at me. “You’re nosy and I don’t have to answer. Why should I? You’re too cheap to buy anything. You belong to the bunch of young people who are jobless and do nothing except cause problems.”
Her fiction is at times broadcast on CBC Radio and her book reviews appear in The Edmonton Journal and The Edmonton Sun.
Gypsy Drums, her collection of short stories, was a finalist for the Howard O'Hagan Award. Another collection of short fiction, Thistle Creek, appeared before her book Sandweaver. She translated from Italian, The Last Waltz of Chopin, a novel by Gilberto Finzi.
In 2002, Peppermint Night won The Poets' Corner Award.
She examines the challenge of survival within a forever mutating environment influenced by the onerous demands of our civilization coping with the threat of terrorism.
The author agrees we could find a refuge within the realm of our imagination leading us to discover a balance between reality as is and as we would like it to be.
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ReplyDeleteFascinating excerpt. Really sounds like a unique story.
ReplyDeleteVanna...You're a new-to-me author. It's nice to meet you.
ReplyDeletecatherinelee100 at gmail dot com
I really enjoyed the excerpt! It sounds really good. I will enter under the name of Virginia
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard from this author yet!
ReplyDeleteVirginia H.
I heard for the author today! Thanks so much Vanna!
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