I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the THE MAGICAL JOURNEY OF JOHN AND ADELE by Ancius M. Murray Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!
About The Book:
Title: THE MAGICAL JOURNEY OF JOHN AND ADELE
Author: Ancius M. Murray
Pub. Date: January 28, 2024
Publisher: Troubador Publishing
Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook
Pages: 280
Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/THE-MAGICAL-JOURNEY-OF-JOHN-AND-ADELE
John and Adele have been together for over two decades and have a son. Their relationship has been on a downhill trajectory for many years.
One evening, en route to their annual holiday destination, they run out of fuel in a remote location. To whom can they go for assistance? Suddenly, in the darkness, their lives take an unexpected turn. They meet three mysterious but benevolent strangers who offer to help them. In observing Adele and John, they pose to the couple an unusual challenge that seeks to address the core problems in their marriage. John and Adele find the proposal odd but intriguing. While it may have advantages, it could be risky and dangerous. But unresolved emotions and unhealed wounds, as well as long-buried memories can also have hazardous and unpredictable consequences. Will they dare to accept this challenge or not?
This unique novel, while aimed at taking a fresh perspective on relationships, is uplifting, relaxing, and is meant to be enjoyed.
The story of Ancius M. Murray
– An Irish-Lithuanian trio using collaborative storytelling to provide a toolkit for improving relationships
HOW THE AUTHORS MET
Marija and Mary Catherine were nominated by the Lithuanian and Irish governments to attend the prestigious French Government School to study public administration in Paris. At the same time Darius was working on his doctoral thesis in the Commission for Atomic Energy there. They came together at an international reception and a strong connection was formed. Each of them had an interest in cultural exchange outside of their work and this cemented their friendship.
DECIDING TO WRITE
When they had finished their studies, they returned home but still stayed in regular contact. They had a strong desire to work on an interesting artistic project as a team, again outside of their professions. Twelve years later, inspiration struck. They hit on the idea of writing a novel together. They would write a story about an ordinary couple deciding to address once and for all the very serious problems in their relationship.
Everyone has observed couples who are no longer happy in each other’s company. Many separate without realizing the potential of their relationship and are quite often left feeling very sad or bitter. The writers were sensitive to this and felt they had something to say on the subject.
But at the same time the three writers wanted the story to be soothing and pleasant, where the characters’ only stress was confronting their own relationship. The dream-like context of the novel supports them in this goal, but the readers have no idea if the couple will stay together.
THE WRITING PROCESS
The next step was embarking on the practical aspects of this writing project. Linguistic considerations were to the forefront. The authors used French as their working language in speaking to each other on Zoom since the friendship between them had been established in that language, and then wrote in English. Editing and developing a recognisable and relaxing literary style was their challenge.
All three wrote simultaneously in diOerent countries with a general theme decided on in advance. The writing was done on weekends and evenings after work. Sometimes they travelled to each other’s countries to bring the chapters together and read to each other. They analysedeverything together line by line to be sure it represented the ideas they wanted to communicate to the reader.
Darius was the designer of the novel’s setting and gave direction on chapter content. He was also responsible for the computer work and all the technical details concerning the manuscript.
Marija’s expertise with legal texts assisted greatly in avoiding repetition and in creating a smooth, believable narrative. Making sure that character motivation was clear and logical as well as in line with toolkit guidance being provided was her domain.
Mary Catherine provided the descriptions of nature and the scents and sounds perceived by the characters. She created the emotional atmosphere for the different scenarios in the story and reviewed the literary style evolving within the text.
This work has lasted four years.
It was definitely not an easy task. They experienced writers’ block, as well as obstacles in the story route. Sometimes they found it difficult to find a way through for the characters to the novel’s conclusion that was meeting everyone’s expectations.
Then, after a break in the work and coming back to it with a fresh perspective, one of the three writers would suggest a new direction that would resonate with the other two. That was when they felt the magic of combining their contributions and moving forward, as any single author would who pens a story and has no doubt of its value, direction, and purpose.
Some chapters of this book were written individually by each author. After reviewing them together, they were incorporated into the main story. Other chapters written as a group were knitting sentences word by word into the tapestry that is now their novel, ‘The Magical Journey of John and Adele’, a mixture of mystery, fable, and relationship guide.
EXCERPT
1
In the Dark
The beams of two headlights crossed the darkening sky which hung over the motorway. An old silver hatchback streamed through the hills rising towards the mountains, and through sparse woods. The traffic emerging from the city had been left behind hours before, and occasional passing cars were the sole sign of human civilization in this remote countryside.
Two passengers in their late forties, a man and a woman,
were travelling in the car. Their boredom and the silence between them seemed to be in tune with the monotonous sound of the raindrops that were beginning to fall from the grey sky and onto the windscreen. A brochure on the back seat, depicting a luxurious spa nestled in a sunny mountain valley, seemed in sharp contrast to the dull and dreary atmosphere inside the car.
“John, there should be a filling station in a mile or so,”
said the woman. “Are you sure we’ve enough fuel to get to our destination?”
“Don’t worry, Adele,” the man replied automatically, obviously lost in thought. Then, looking at her, he said mockingly, “Why don’t you just tell me the truth? You want to stop to buy some useless trinket, like a fridge magnet for your endless collection, or one more coffee mug that says, ‘I love Paris’. You want to do that, don’t you?” He smiled sarcastically.
Adele did not want to venture further into territory that would lead to an unpleasant argument. She turned her head to the window.
Ten miles later, John took an exit heading to the mountain
road. “Look, there we are. Only fifty miles before we reach the paradise promised in your precious brochure,” he announced in a bored tone.
They continued to drive, observing the still, melancholic
landscape. The disappearing light as the sun set made it seem even sadder and more forlorn.
Adele leaned towards John and looked at the dashboard.
“Hold on, doesn’t this small yellow light mean that we’ll run out of fuel soon?” she asked.
“Don’t worry,” John said once again, firmly this time. But he
was unable to hide the anxiety in his voice.
The steep and winding road seemed to be intent on
exhausting the worn-out car and its nearly empty petrol tank. A second light, this one red, lit up on the panel.
“Damned car!” yelled John. “This old engine burns petrol
like a monster!”
“John, I told you we should have filled the tank at the last
station we passed! Why is it always like this? Can’t you deal with a simple problem? You fill the tank; you drive the car!” Adele crossed her arms and fixed her angry gaze on the road.
“This so-called ‘simple problem’ could have been solved
if you hadn’t dragged your feet over buying a new, more fuel efficient car, and despite us getting several very good offers, you didn’t want to sell this thing!” John cut in, unwilling to admit his negligence in not planning ahead for petrol.
He accelerated, determined to continue the journey to its end. But the end came more quickly than he had planned: it came at the next corner. The car spluttered several times before John managed to pull it into a small area off the road. Then it stopped still. They had run out of fuel.
About Ancius M. Murray:
Ancius M. Murray is a collective pen name for an Irish-Lithuanian team (a physicist, a lawyer, a creative writer) who met by chance, and collaborated on this novel over the course of four years.
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Giveaway Details:
1 winner will receive a $10 Amazon Gift Card courtesy of Rockstar Book Tours, International.
Ends October 15th, midnight EST.
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e2389ba21863/?
Tour Schedule:
Week One:
| 9/30/2024 | The Momma Spot | Excerpt |
| 10/1/2024 | Daily Waffle | Excerpt |
| 10/2/2024 | Fire and Ice Reads | Excerpt/IG Post |
| 10/3/2024 | Lady Hawkeye | Excerpt/IG Post |
| 10/3/2024 | @callistoscalling | IG Post |
| 10/4/2024 | Edith’s Little Free Library | IG Post/TikTok Post |
| 10/4/2024 | Book Review Virginia Lee Blog | Excerpt/IG Post |
Week Two:
| 10/7/2024 | TX Girl Reads | Excerpt/IG Post |
| 10/7/2024 | Sudeshna Loves Reading | Excerpt |
| 10/8/2024 | Two Chicks on Books | Excerpt/IG Post |
| 10/8/2024 | Rajiv’s reviews | Review/IG Post |
| 10/9/2024 | Deal sharing aunt | Review/IG Post |
| 10/9/2024 | Kim’s Book Reviews and Writing Aha’s | Review/IG Post |
| 10/10/2024 | @shaunasbookjournal | Review/IG Post |
| 10/10/2024 | Brandi Danielle Davis | IG Review/TikTok Post |
| 10/11/2024 | @thepagelady | IG Review |
| 10/11/2024 | @just_another_mother_with_books | IG Review |