This week's designergirl Shout Out goes to another creative genius I have the pleasure of knowing, Melissa Bruning.If you've never heard of her, well, you're not only missing out because she is a fabulous person but her creativity is amazing. She comes from a family of creative's all in different genres so being creative is in her blood and comes naturally to her. As you see by clicking on her name above, her talents are endless. Her latest adventure is as "author." She has written her first novel and has submitted it to the 2009 Amazon Breakthrough Novel AwardContest. There were around 8,500 entries and Melissa's book, "American Gothic" is one of the quarter-finalists!
Go check it out by clicking here American Gothic, by Melissa Bruning. It is in the suspense/Thriller category and is based on a true story of the black widow serial murderess in the Midwest. (see below a more detailed description)
You can download the first 2 Chapters for FREE. Then post a comment. I would love to give her all the designergirl support we can, so click on her page and post some comments. This is one of the ways, they decide who makes it into the next round (downloads, clicks and posts). Be sure to read her excerpt before April 15, I think that is when the next round is decided. They will take the 500 quarter-finalists and choose 100 for the next round.
Here is a little bit about the book to peak your interest. Then, go download and read for yourself, it'll keep you on the edge of your seat!
AMERICAN GOTHIC is a period thriller set in the eastern plains of Nebraska where fields of gold and green hold their deadly secrets tightly. Based on the true story of the infamous Black Widow serial murderess, this novel follows an insurance investigator who believes he has stumbled upon the supposed dead woman who is still up to her old tricks of separating men from their money and their lives. Aron Hartley is a man with the weight of the Great Depression on his brow. Toiling through monotonous days of claims forms, something about those dead men and their burned farmhouses has warning bells ringing in his head. A charred photograph of a beautiful woman, recurring insurance claims with the name "Jennie" and the same rural address have given him a gnawing feeling in his gut. When the clues lead to a decaying Victorian house, he can't turn back. Despite the warnings, his curiosity drives him to find Belle, although it may kill him. AMERICAN GOTHIC is a 70,000-word novel rooted in fact and history, a combination loved by readers of this genre. Belle Gunness, commonly called the "Lady Bluebeard" really existed. A ruthless killer, many believe she faked her own death in 1908 with a substitute body, causing controversy to this day. Sightings of her continued into the late 1930's firmly imbedding her in the quilt of Midwestern mythology. Using her legend, the texture of the Depression and Rulo, Nebraska's nefarious past, this novel creates a framework for the fictional characters to grow, breathe and tell their secrets.
I have been SUPER excited about writing this Shout Out. Not only for Melissa and to showcase her talents, but because I think she is a great inspiration. Melissa shows, you don't have to be born in the hills of Hollywood or from NY city to accomplish your dreams. You just need perseverance and confidence and you can be anything you want to be... even from if your from the Midwest.
Lot's of young girls now-a-days need role models they can look up to other than the celebrities we all see in the magazines. They need "real" people who can exhibit the work ethic and determination that makes our country great. I believe Melissa is one of those people. Her talents are amazing, her spirit in infectious, and all the while being down to earth and kind to others. She embraces life's creativity to the fullest and for that... I give her a great big designergirl Shout Out!!!
