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BLACKBIRD SUMMER
A Blackbird Summer Series Novel
Em Shotwell
Releasing April 5th, 2016
City Owl Press
In the cornerstone of the rural south, Brooklyn, Mississippi, no one dares make eye contact with the strange Caibre family. Until the rewards are worth the cost. The townsfolk come, cash in hand, always at night, to pay for services only a Gifted can provide.
No matter the Gifts prevalent in her family, at twenty-one, Tallulah is expected to follow the path laid out for her: marriage, babies, and helping her mama teach the family home school program. She’s resigned to live the quiet life and stay out of trouble…until she meets Logan.
An outsider and all around rebel, Logan doesn’t care about her family’s reputation. Yet after a tragic loss wreaks havoc on the crumbling relationship between the Caibres and the townsfolk, Tallulah must decide if love and freedom are worth risking everything.
Again, I waited for the
laughter. Instead, Logan nodded, encouraging me to continue, and I realized
that while part of me may have wanted him to bolt, but mostly, I really, really
wanted to trust him.
I took a sip of my water
to wet my dry throat. “So there’s my Grandma. Hers is the most important Gift.
It is called Vigour, and it is pretty rare. Death and sickness are slower in
her presence. She even ages slower. It drives my Mama crazy that Grandma has
less wrinkles than she does. She’s also why our fruit trees are able to produce
all year, and why our produce stand never has to close for the season.”
I plunged ahead, afraid
that if I gave Logan one second of a chance, that I’d get that laugh or snide
comment I’d been waiting on earlier. “Speaking of Mama, she can talk to birds.
Crows are the chattiest, always gossiping and getting on her nerves. Daddy can
call down the weather. He’s been known to shield the town from a few close
calls with tornados. My sister Delia, and also my cousin Jack, they are
Charmers. With a little eye contact they can convince anybody of anything.” I
paused, looking down to my hands and smiling. “When we were little, Delia was
always stealing candy. If a store clerk saw her, she’d just smile at them
straight in the eye, and they would smile back, letting her take whatever she
wanted. It’s also the reason Myrtle is so scared of her—but that’s a story for
another time. I have a cousin who can see two minutes into your future just by
touching you, and an Aunt who can—”
I stopped talking,
suddenly aware that Logan was staring at me, open-mouthed. “Look, I know it
sounds crazy. I do. But I swear I am telling you the truth.”
He nodded.
Here it comes, I thought, suddenly
aware of how much his rejection would sting. I’d shared too much. Now it felt
personal.
“I didn’t say that I think you are lying. It’s
just— it’s a lot. What about you? What’s
your Gift, Tallulah?” He asked, straight-faced. The look made me suspicious,
fearful the skepticism was coming.
I sighed.
“Mine isn’t that clear
cut. But it’s another reason—on quite a long list—of why this has to be our one
and only date.”
Logan narrowed his eyes.
“That I don’t understand. If I said that I believe what you are saying, then
why couldn’t we at least have a chance at getting to know each other? Let’s
just say that I bought into all this,” he said. “That I believe you come from
some kind of motley band of rural super heroes—then why would I need to stay
away? I would know what I was signing up for.”
I smiled. Motley band of rural super heroes…
“You believe me?” I
asked. The possibility never occurred to me, not really. I had never, not once
even imagined that he would believe me at face value. I mean, I’d hoped it. Really hoped. And I knew he would hear
the rumors, but to an outsider they would sound like small town legend. It was
actually something that my family had counted on over the years. One of the
ways that we remained hidden in plain sight.
Logan shrugged. “I think
I do,” he paused. “What if I told you I had my own secret? That there was
something that I never really talked about because it made me sound crazy?”
I stared at him, my eyes
narrowing. What could he possibly have to say, after hearing about my family,
that he wouldn’t want to say for fear of sounding crazy? I think I had just
covered enough crazy for the both us.
Let’s
Meet The
Men
of Blackbird Summer
Blackbird Summer is a lot of things. It is a small-town
romance. It is a story of survival. Of sisterhood. Of forbidden love. It gets
dark and gritty.
But it is also a whole lot of fun.
One of the main reason that Blackbird Summer manages to be a
fun book, despite going to some rather
dark places, is because of the men. They are protective, but they are also
super chill. They are the kind of guys that you would want to have a beer with.
To laugh with. The kind of guys you’d be comfortable bumming around with and
being yourself.
I have talked a lot about my leading ladies—Tallulah and
Delia Caibre. And I have even talked about the parents and their (very) strange
family dynamic.
Today—the guys get their turn!
Meet Logan:
The One Off-Limits…
Age: 23
Occupation:
High
school music teacher.
Talents:
While
Logan isn’t Gifted in the way that Tallulah’s family is, he is a very talented
musician with a passion for teaching music. He plays guitar and piano.
Look: Logan
is tall (something that Tallulah notices instantly…she is a tall girl herself).
He has dark tan/ medium brown skin given to him by his Native-American father
and Haitian Grandmother. His eyes are dark green (A gift from his Grandfather).
His hair is shiny and chin length. He is
quick to smile and laugh, showing off perfect teeth.
Tallulah and Logan are instantly drawn to each other—but
there is more to their connection than insta-love. (If you are curious, you can
get your free copy of The Chans by
going here.
This will give you a glimpse into Logan’s head). Unfortunately—there are many
reasons that Tallulah and Logan shouldn’t be together. Good thing they are
willing to break a few rules.
Meet
Thomas: The One She’s Supposed To Be With…
Age: 23
Occupation:
Works
on an off-shore oil rig.
Talents:
Thomas
is from a Gifted family. He has an unsual talent…he can create and control
small balls of fire. He claims it’s mostly useless, but makes for a pretty
impressive party trick. His real passion is the outdoors. An avid fisherman,
he’s happiest in nature.
Look: Thomas
is a country boy. He has shaggy brownish/blondish hair that is usually stuffed
under a baseball cap, and Gifted-Green eyes. He is tall, but where Logan is
lanky, Thomas has a muscular build. He has dimples and a southern drawl.
Thomas is the one that Tallulah is supposed to like…but when
he connects with the wrong Caibre sister, the rest is history. He and Delia
seem to be made for each other…if only they can work it out.
Meet
Jack: Cousin and Partner In Crime…
Age: 18
Occupation:
At
18 years old, Jack works at the family produce stand and on the farm. He has
plans though…plans that are sure to shake things up.
Talents: Jack
is Delia’s boy book-end. More like twins than cousins, it’s no surprise that
they possess the same Gift: the Gift of Charm. If Jack can make eye contact
with an unGifted person- then they will want to make him happy.
Look: With
the same straight, dark hair and big, bright green eyes—Jack and Delia look
like they are cut from the same mold. (Jack’s Dad and Delia’s mom ARE twins...)
He has clear, fair-ish skin and a runner’s build. He’s taller than Delia and
Tallulah, but average height for a dude.
Jack is Tallulah and Delia’s “third”. He grew up letting the
girls boss him around, and even as a young adult, is still the most laid back
one in their group of three. Nothing really ruffles Jack’s feathers. He’s
happiest when the people he loves are happy. But like Tallulah, he hopes for a
future where he can be his true self, and he isn’t scared to shake things up to
make it happen.
Who is your favorite guy from Blackbird Summer? I would love
to hear who you prefer. Are any worthy of the title “Book-Boyfriend?”
Em’s characters will bless your heart between sips of sweet tea- but be warned! There is often more to them than meets the eye. She loves to craft stories around outcasts and weirdos with a spark of magic and a penchant for finding trouble.
She lives in South Louisiana with a husband who spoils her and two mini-superheroes who call her mom. When she isn’t writing about misfits and oddballs, she enjoys spending time outdoors hiking, and debating Doctor Who facts with her obsessed ten year old.
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