BookSweeps Giveaway – Oprah’s Book Club
This Giveaway Ends August 12th. Hurry and enter!!!
https://booksweeps.com/giveaway/vb-oprahs-book-club/
Breathe for Me – Amazon and Goodreads’ Posted Reviews
“Breathe for Me“
Amazon and Goodreads’ Posted Reviews
Overall Rating 4.26
— Praise for BREATHE FOR ME —
“Good read even for a male who does not regularly read romance. Keeps you engaged until the end!”
– Wayne Pope
*****
“This is the very best book I have read in a long time. I am not the typical reader of romance novels and tend to avoid such. The author dispelled my hesitancy to read romance novels by successfully pulling me into the storyline and hooking me from the first page to the last. Most often, I am typically able to predict story lines and endings, however, not in this case. How refreshing! I was actually sad for the story to end, but excited about the next book, which is a perfect ending for a well-written novel.”
– Robbie J. Steward
*****
“Quite the story. Two people from Seattle are thrown together over a thousand miles away in Colorado. Each of them grieving the loss of a loved one. In Seattle a disgruntled employee and unhappy husband with a split personality has decided THEY need to pay. Grief, trauma, mystery, happiness, love, and self-reflection show up a lot in this story. I enjoyed how each life and person intertwined with the others. A very good story.”
– Sharli Kaltenbach
*****
“The mystery and suspense side was part of the reason I picked this one up, and offered a unique and interesting read, but I was surprised to find the romance and day-to-day scenes actually ended up winning me over! While this starts out as a fun read, as events unfold, I grew to love these characters, and loved seeing their story play out.”
– Stephanie
****
“I won this book through Goodreads. This book was good, it had a lot of twists & turns I did not expect.”
– Shannon
***
“I won this Kindle edition book in a Goodreads Giveaway. Thank you to everyone involved.
Very well written.”
– K. Webb
****
“I really enjoyed reading this book. The characters are complex, and I love how they intertwine. This is the first book I read by this author and will be reading more of her stories.”
– Tamara
****
“The characterization of the main characters is excellent—each person is unique and well-fleshed out. A lot of work has also been given to the supporting characters.
What impresses me the most is the story’s main antagonist. He’s a conflicted person with a lot of depth. He’s not the typical villain and this is refreshing. There are also plenty of unexpected twists in this story.
Overall, this novel is smoothly written, with a nice amount of descriptive ‘gems.’ I enjoyed reading it and I think other fans of suspense and romance will like it too.”
– V. Gordon
*****
“I love a book that makes me smile, cry, and shiver with suspense. Breathe for Me by Donna B. Comeaux has all of that, plus a beautiful romance.”
– P. Spencer
*****
“Held my attention throughout.”
– Mary
*****
“The story is intricate, with numerous characters, the side characters of Carl, the ever-watchful chauffeur, and the housekeeper, Sarah, being my favorites. The descriptions were good, and the plot, although complex, was well thought out. I felt an abundance of synchronicity, which in my mind was guided by Christina, Robert’s dead wife. I would recommend it to readers of murder, crime, or romance novels.”
– J. Schlenke
****
I really like this story. The author is very good at painting pictures with words. The descriptive language sets the mood. I also like the main characters and the buildup of the story. There are no loose ends, except for the surprise at the end of the story. Otherwise, the content is summarized in a good way, letting the reader know what happened and what will happen to the characters.
The descriptive language made me envision the places where the story is happening. I have never been to a house like the one Robert lives in, but I could envision the house and the area, and I could also envision the people from the descriptions.
I would like to thank Donna for letting me read this story before it was published. I really enjoyed it. She manages to build up the excitement and add a lot of surprises on the way. I found no inconsistencies in the story.
The story is good, and I didn’t skip any parts of the book (which I do if I get bored with a book.) And I love the fact that I couldn’t predict the end. The last-minute twist came as a total surprise!
– Anne Mette
*****
Robert is depressed. Having lost his wife and almost his 6 year old daughter, he sets out to end his life by going in the rough waters of a river. Hoping to be dragged under in the storm.
But up ahead he sees something. Something that looks like a girl. In a last ditch effort he attempts to rescue her. But because of the current and temperature, the water is violent and deadly.
Bur no one knows what happened to Lilly in the water or what happened to take her to the river.
Now because of who Robert is- he designs and builds jets and planes intended for military use- the media is involved.
His quick thinking is heroic in the eyes of the press and world.
Little do they know that he was out in that river to end his own life.
Will the two of them form a bond? Will the man who was going to murder Robert succeed?
Or will Lilly die from the wound in her side, sepsis?
Only one way to find out …
Definitely recommend!
– Tiffany Townsend
*****
Go here to look at the original entries on Goodreads.
Donna B. Comeaux
Author
Breathe for Me
July 8, 2024
Breathe for Me – What’s the Theme?
“Breathe for Me”
What’s the Theme?
In my previous post, I opened up by saying “Breathe for Me” is about two grief-stricken individuals who must live with the regret of neglecting loved ones who have died.
Let me acknowledge a known fact before I begin: there isn’t a book produced that has totally reinvented the many tropes and themes and premises of a book. Writers try to put a spin on it in an effort to come up with something different and unique, but books are the same as before–Love, Death, Good, Evil.
My book is no different.
I knew this going in, and yet, I strove to create something I don’t always see in books today–an opening up of a character’s mind. It’s almost as if writers are sometimes afraid to dig that deep, or they are afraid there’s not enough space for their book to use such creativity. I have a nice solution. Split the book in two. Series seem to be everyone’s new thing anyway. Take advantage of readers’ hunger to read. Give them what they ask for–book 2.
I’m a long-winded writer so I’m not as concerned about paper space. And I absolutely love getting inside my characters’ head.
The theme for “Breathe for Me” is another spin on love–lost love, hopelessness, regret, and sorrow. The two main characters don’t think they deserve a second chance because they have been horrible to the people they love, and look where that’s gotten them. I did my best to portray them as stubborn, wounded people who use emotional crutches to push themselves forward, and just as they were about to stand on wobbly knees, they crashed.
In a world filled with strife and lies and discord, it was easy to drown these two characters in a heap of anger and despair, so much so they hardly wanted to look at themselves in the mirror. They tried to correct themselves by focusing on their occupation or striving for one, only to find themselves still wanting.
The cold hard reality about Love, Death, Good, and Evil is that you can’t get away from it. You can’t gather it up and stuff it in a bag like you do your laundry and toss it in a corner. You must fight it out, wrestle with it until your soul finally decides what to do with it.
My characters, like people in real life, must face this head-on in everyday life, with every single decision they make. Their life becomes a battle with each other and with themselves. They get so mired in the past and how selfish they’ve been that they can’t see the sun rise or clearly hear the voices of their loved ones reminding them that they must move on.
It’s a sobering thing to wake up and face the fact that you’re forgiven. You are, you know. We want something to beat us, drive us into the ground, shoot us straight through the heart, bury us deep so we can’t breath. The long and short of it is we don’t want to wake up tomorrow and relive those regrets all over again. The freedom offered us is too easy. We don’t deserve it. We can’t believe in it. We think it’s been given by mistake. That it belongs to someone else.
In the end, forgiveness is just that easy. All we need to do is accept it. Smile about it. Enjoy it. Bathe in it. Walk like we own it. And raise our hands in thanksgiving.
My characters act and behave like you would after waddling in regret. Many days they’ve woken up so emotionally tired they can’t see straight. But if you live long enough, life will see to it that you rest. It will force it upon on you. And once relaxed, you will think to yourself, “It’s time to let go.”
Will my characters come to understand any of this?
Well …
You’ll need to read the book. I can promise you this before you read it … My characters are two complex individuals who are bent on working things out for themselves. They don’t need any help. They want out! They want to die.
But fate has other plans.
My next post will list quotes from people who have reviewed the book both on Amazon and Goodreads.
Until my next post …
Donna B. Comeaux
Author
Breathe for Me
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See book reviews here.
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Breathe for Me – What Inspired Me to Write It?
“BREATHE FOR ME”
WHAT INSPIRED ME TO WRITE IT?
Breathe for Me is a complex story about two grief-stricken individuals who struggle with the neglect they imposed on their dead loved ones.
I started drafting the story in 2015, and because of my fear of publishing, I crawled in a little hole and tried to die, leaving my story dormant for a number of years. I became a closet writer, regretting that I’d told so many people I wanted to be a writer. I was ashamed I hadn’t finished the story. Deeper reflection revealed it was more than that. I was afraid to put my work out there for all to see. I encountered too many reactions from people that sounded like, “Oh, what made you want to be a writer?” Smirk when you read that question because no one ever asks the question without a smirk. See, people don’t think you’ll detect their meaning, but you do. Deep … real deep down you know exactly what they mean when they ask that question.
No one is ever prepared for people who expose themselves this way. These devilish minions can’t help themselves. It’s like a bad itch they can’t scratch.
There is no quick fix for these encounters with people who seek to do you harm … to sow seeds of doubt. And there’s no way to prepare for them.
But here is what I plan to do. I intend to give fear a kick in the pants at every opportunity because I will not depart this life without reaching my goal.
Breathe for Me began as a typical love story. Nothing fancy. Nothing profound. Nothing moving within the pages that might turn it into something memorable. Over the years, my writing improved, then I got caught up in a loop of rewrites … writing and rewriting the same chapter over and over and over again.
This is rather funny now—how the voices of a few stifled my goal. Yet, no voice was ever louder than my own.
Once I decided to change from one group of critics to another, they nudged me toward a different course. And it was through my exchange with this new group that things began to change and transform my villain into someone who nearly dominated the spotlight.
They were challenging. Direct. Asked me: “What’s going on with Zac? I want to know more about him.” I paused to think about it. Became intrigued by the possibilities. Bit the inside of my lip and pounded the keys, writing feverishly.
Then, I scrapped all of it.
Why?
That question forced me to remain in place and contemplate it.
Once I did, I realized I don’t like conflict.
I repeated this thought out loud, numerous times, and chuckled. Then whispered,
“How can you grow without conflict?”
“How can you write a book without conflict?”
You can’t.
The idea of making an imaginary character do bad things scared me half to death. I struggled to find a book in my library with a despicable character like the villain portrayed in Breathe for Me. The books were indeed in my library, but I didn’t want to see them … didn’t want to admit it … couldn’t wrap my arms around the possibilities of me creating bad people doing bad things.
I picked up Deadline by Sandra Brown and skimmed through it, reminded of what impressed me most about the book—the dead mother’s letters. That letter set off a host of ideas that shot up like fireworks . It was quite a fight within my soul, but when I finally allowed myself to entertain the idea of a really bad-bad guy, I knew I was onto something. And once my wheels kept freely turning, I went deeper, extremely deep … and got dirty and methodical.
The best part came …
… when I sat down and meticulously envisioned twitchy fingers on a high-powered rifle, the tight squeeze on a damp trigger, the click of the gun, nostrils filled with the smell of gunpowder. I got excited. I couldn’t tap my keyboard fast enough. I obsessed with ways to write scenes in a manner that would make readers feel like they were behind the scope of the gun, inhaling the same air, nervous, wet with the villain’s sweat, holding their breath as he controlled his, watching his victim climb one step at a time until that final moment when the bullet …
POP!
… and shattered glass.
Though I wasn’t at the end of my novel, I felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment.
This brought clarity. Understanding. A knowing of why I write.
To engage you.
To stir every single emotion within your body.
In real life, I’m terrified of guns. They produce deadly and irreversible results. But in a novel, they’re lethal weapons wielded around to take anyone out. And such wretched, action-packed scenes make for a very satisfying read. Needless to say, my book reviews are a testament to many satisfied consumers.
In Breathe for Me, Zachary Butler is unlike any villain I’ve ever thought to create. I did every single thing in my power to keep the details consistent and leave no plot holes. And because I exhibited such care, Zachary ended up making a lasting impression on everyone who has read the story.
I can’t say that I’ve ever met anyone like Zachary in real life. Good movies have been a huge influence on me. Alfred Hitchcock, Frankenstein, the Betty Davises of the world, and all of her Die Die My Darling movies left a strong impression. Each helped create this notorious villain who turned out to be an Alonzo Harris (Training Day) on steroids. A controlled, yet out-of-control maniac. A chameleon. Most definitely a chameleon.
Another inspiration that drove Breathe for Me was the slow-burning love the main characters fought so hard to avoid. I suppose the current world in which we live inspired me to reach for something that everyone wants—love, integrity, honor, family values. As I’ve said before, this began as an uneventful love story, but as I entertained the evil desires of a Zachary Butler, my main characters grew as a consequence of Zachary’s desperation.
These two characters, Robert Jaeger and Lilly Radford, have defined themselves by their successful careers or the lack thereof, and have often let their pursuit of it uproot them. As is true in real life, it often takes outside forces—evil forces and missed opportunities—to place us in a position to make better choices.
He built the best helicopters in the world.
The real challenge was building a family.
And so it goes for Robert and Lilly.
Love became an afterthought that simmered, then burned, and almost destroyed them both.
When I came to the end of the story, it made me think about what is really important in life—God, family, grandchildren, fellowship with like believers. This is what I’ve benefitted most from the story. I reflect on their grief and have come to understand life doesn’t need to end like this for most of us. We can rewrite our soulful and spiritual fate by forgiving, rather than holding onto regret.
There are so many lessons to glean from Breathe for Me, and I’m sure yours will be different from mine. And that’s okay. Though I’m the writer, the message left an indelible impression on me. It gave me hope. It encouraged me to be a better person. Taught me to cherish the moments, not waste time trying to change what I can’t. Taught me to live with my mistakes, not feed my life a daily dose of moans and groans, or reenactments of the past.
If you liked reading The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger, Redemption Road or The Unwilling by John Hart, Deadline by Sandra Brown, Every Breath You Take by Judith McNaught, you’ll love Breathe for Me.
Once you’ve read Breathe for Me, I hope you will return to my website and share your thoughts. I’d be delighted to hear your take on it.
You can purchase my book at the following retailers:
Amazon
Apple
Barnes & Noble
Bookbub
Kobo
Odilio
Smashword
See book reviews here.
Subscribe to my Newsletter below.
I’m in the process of finishing my next book, White Castle, a family saga. The title will eventually change, but at this point, I don’t know what I’ll name it. I will provide a more in-depth synopsis in a future post. I might even solicit your help in naming the book. We’ll see. Be on the lookout for my next post.
Until then …
Donna B. Comeaux
Author
Breathe for Me