The Art of Change
by Kelly
Andria
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Gallery owner Nellie, a giving yet neurotic
New Yorker, brings together a mismatched cast of characters in the opening of
Ryan Whittaker’s debut, a phallic show. Little does she know that she is setting
the scene for odd and unpredictable relationships, much like Shakespeare in
Midsummer Night’s Dream. The frenzied, magical mix-up is an outrageous farce
with a deep moral message: there is a RIGHT place for everyone in this world
and love and friendship cement us in it.
The Art of Change is a funny, smooth reading romance, which deals with
bridging differences in gender,
education, social milieu, in an
insane but pragmatic, modern fairytale, set in New York City. The twists of the
plot are written without an ounce of cynicism but simply acknowledging that
life is neither here nor there, neither black or white and all can be dealt
with in real friendship and love.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt
Two:
Chapter 2
Monroe Burton looked at the art show invitation on his
dresser. Ryan Whittaker: The Manhunt: The Elusive State of Happiness.
He didn’t know whether it was the age of the artist—a brash
twenty-eight years— or the forthright sexual innuendo of the title placed above
the painting of the phallic symbol in chiaroscuro that aroused his curiosity.
An artist with an eye for seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary . . .
isolating and bringing it to another level of meaning. Voyeurism with humor.
Instantly, he decided to attend.
“I’m so tired of installations, photography, video and
performance art, ad nauseam—enough! I need paintings. I am definitely ending my
gallery tour with this show tonight,” he told himself.
In addition to the immediate interest sparked by this
exhibit, Monroe had a soft spot for the gallery owner, Nellie Adams, a
forty-something recent divorcée who had opened her own gallery, 911, despite
all odds. Judging from her previous shows, it was clear she promoted budding
artists, controversial views, and outsiders, irrespective of profit and
possibility.
Nellie reminded him of older times, when art used to be ART
and not another commodity or a way of exhibiting wealth and power. Over the
last thirty years, the majority of art had become tied to social causes and
issues. It had become so complicated. But, hey, he thought, if that’s what
sells . . .
Yet how exhausting and uninspiring it is for an art critic
to review works such as the latest he had seen and simply refused to write up:
a woman between two huge pieces of Styrofoam toast, a human slice of salami,
supposedly symbolizing the pressure and subordination of the female by the
male, the family, and career. He was drained, tired, and weary of reviewing
works he thought were less than junk. He had kept his standards high, his views
fresh, and the art world appreciated his precise dissections and fair
criticism. Even if the readers sometimes didn’t agree with the review, they
would always enjoy it!
Monroe picked up the elegant card and turned it over in his
hand.
Now, global art . . . maybe? Tonight he wanted to unveil an
artist who moved within realms like bioengineering or human issues—like AIDS!
Now there was an idea: sex awareness with a twist. Yes, this young man from
Oregon just might be sending this message. It was something Monroe wanted to
believe.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Kelly Andria
is the pen name of two very close friends who decided to write a story to make
people laugh. The two authors, although different in many ways and viewpoints,
have a lot in common. Both Greek Americans coming from conservative vibrant
families, they learned to speak and act as they believe. Fair but always kind.
Their passion for art, food and romance led them to become authors of a comedy
that redefines the “boy meets girl” norm.
The wacky one of the group knew that they had the stories in them. The
other half quickly became convinced as their quirky characters took shape and
form and gained a voice of their own.
Website: http://www.kellyandria.com/
Buy Links:
Amazon Kindle
Edition: http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-of-Change-ebook/dp/B008PEXGQ8
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Monroe is an interesting name for a character...I've heard it for girls but not guys! Kind of cool :)
ReplyDeleteandralynn7 AT gmail DOT com
Thanks so much for hosting me today :) I'll be dropping by later to answer any questions that may come up.
ReplyDeleteKelly
Congratulations on your new book! Seems like a great read. Enjoyed the excerpt. Thanks for the giveaway.
ReplyDeletebhometchko(at)hotmail(dot)com
Thanks for the chance to win!
ReplyDeletehense1kk AT cmich DOT edu
Love the excerpt!
ReplyDeleteJibriel.O at web dot de
Thank you everyone for your kind words!
ReplyDeleteKelly!