EXCERPT
and INTERVIEW
The Lamb
by E.
B. Purtill
E. B. Purtill joins me today for an interview about her book, The Lamb.
Description
Beth Urtz and her husband, Hamar, work for Worldwide Strategic Outcomes,
Inc., a private military service provider, in an undisclosed location known as
S.P. 4. When their orderly lives are upturned after an encounter between Beth
and the CEO of their company, Beth struggles through a crisis of conscience
while Hamar may have to pay the ultimate price for her sins.
A modern-day retelling of the King David and Bathsheba story from the
Bible, The Lamb explores the themes of power, control, isolation, and the
East-West divide. It’s a penetrating story of truth and lies, of psychological
surprises and unexpected developments, of unlikely and difficult love.
Excerpt
I turn off the faucet
and reach for my towel, drying myself before wrapping the towel around my body.
I dig through my toiletries bag for my hairbrush. The hair dryer is plugged
into the wall just outside my shower stall. I’ll need it to get my hair into
any semblance of order. So with only my towel wrapped around me, I flick back
the lock on the stall door and step into the communal area, my wet hair against
my bare shoulders—and there he is.
Standing at the
sink, brushing his teeth, is David Kingsley.
I take him in with a
small start. He’s already dressed for the workday. A well-cut suit. Brown
leather lace-ups buffed to a shine. I hesitate for a second, unsure of how to
proceed.
The hair dryer lies
on the bench next to where David is standing. Twisting the hairbrush in my
hand, I think better of using it. I can dry my hair later. Instead I grab my
work clothes hanging on a nearby hook. I left them out here so they wouldn’t
get wet in the shower stall. I huddle back in the direction of the stall and, for
a brief moment as I pass behind the CEO, I look over my shoulder at him. He’s
still brushing his teeth. But when I raise my head, he pauses and lifts his
gaze to the mirror in front of him. From there he can see me, and I, him.
For a second, or may
be two, no longer than that, our eyes meet in the mirror. He does not look
away. His dark eyes are unwavering. He doesn’t seem at all embarrassed.
A feeling of
self-consciousness falls over me like a heavy blanket, and I drop my gaze,
breaking our shared glance. I hurry back into the shower stall, close the door
behind me, and flick the lock over.
I stand behind the door,
still clutching my clothes to my chest.
“I hope you don’t
mind me intruding,” the CEO says, his voice reaching me inside the shower
stall.
I hesitate for a
second before answering.
“It’s no intrusion,”
I call out trying to keep my voice steady. “It’s a unisex bathroom, after all.”
Grimacing, I cast my
towel aside. I can’t leave it with only that glance. Or with me in just a
towel. This is too embarrassing. I start to dress in a hurry. The only way I’m
going to salvage this encounter is to get back out there and converse
face-to-face with the CEO.
This morning, before
the squash game, I selected a black suit to wear today that I’d purchased on my
last trip back to the States. Good choice,
I now think, very corporate. I slip
the jacket on over the wool knit top that my mother recently gave me. Bending
over, I rub the towel over my head in an effort to dry my hair. I run the
hairbrush through it and readjust my suit one more time. I silently curse
myself for leaving my heels upstairs in my office. All I have with me are my
dirty old sneakers and I’d rather go barefoot than wear those right now.
Good Lord, I look like a hobo, I think, as I flick back the lock.
I push open the
stall door and see the CEO facing me, leaning with his back against the sink as
if he’s been waiting for me.
“Nice to see you
again, Beth.”
“Likewise, sir.”
He’s paired his gray
suit with a white shirt and pale blue tie. The CEO looks sharp. Handsome, even.
It’s a shame that the men in the S.P. 4 office don’t dress this way more often.
Most of the time it’s jeans and polo shirts for them.
“Been to the gym?”
he asks. “I didn’t see you in there.”
“I was playing
squash.”
“Well, I hope you
won.” He smiles and folds his arms across his chest.
“I did, thanks.” I
stand up straight.
“Tell me, Beth, how
long have you been working for WSO?”
“Four years, sir,” I
clasp my hands behind my back.
“And how long have
you been in this office?”
“I’ve been stationed
in S.P. 4 for almost two and a half years now.”
“Two and a half
years,” he repeats, raising an eyebrow. “You must have some mettle to last out
here for that long. S.P. 4 is no vacation.”
“That’s true, sir.”
I square my shoulders. “But the work here is very interesting.”
I don’t tell him
that I wouldn’t still be here if it wasn’t for Hamar. He’s the real reason I’ve
stayed here for so long. Most members of the corporate team in S.P. 4 request a
transfer after twelve months or so.
“Glad to hear it.”
The CEO glances down at his watch. “Well, I’ve got an early meeting to get to. I
hope to see you again soon, Beth.”
The heavy metal
bathroom door closes behind him before I think to move from my spot. I look at
the hair dryer on the bench next to the space where he was just standing, and I
unclasp my hands. I pause for a moment, gathering myself, and then I step over
to the bench to reach for the hair dryer.
Featured Review
By Penny
The best stories are the ones we already know. The biblical tale of David
and Bathsheba is pretty racy stuff for a religious book. In this modern
retelling, it practically sizzles; but not in a sleazy dime store romance sort
of way. Our protagonist, Beth is a bright sophisticated character with depth
and real emotion. She is a successful and powerful woman, but even in the
cutthroat world of corporate lawyers and military for hire; Beth retains a
beautiful feminine essence. This is not something you often see with modern
romance heroines, and I believe that is what puts this book more into the
category of literary fiction rather than modern romance.
Some things you will notice right off the bat are the high quality
editing and formatting. You may catch yourself flipping back to the front
matter to see if this really is the work of an indie author, or if it is a polished
novel printed by a major publishing house. E. B. Purtill is the real deal, and
some of the best indie talent you will have the pleasure of reading. Her dialog
is engaging, and she knows how to be descriptive without crossing the border of
being pedantic.
I read this book in one sitting, thank goodness I freelance for a living
and don’t have regular hours because I would have had to call in sick to
work. I just could not put it down. I loved this book, and will be sharing it
with my book club. It has so many underlying themes and nuances that will make
for great discussion.
Interview With the
Author
Hi Ellisha (E. B.
Purtill), thanks for joining me today to discuss your book, The Lamb.
For what age group
do you recommend your book?
The Lamb is for adults. It deals with adult themes, like infidelity, terrorism,
and the clash of cultures.
What sparked the
idea for this book?
I’ve always been intrigued by the story of King David and Bathsheba and, just as I was
starting a class called "Beginning Your Novel", I became fascinated with
the idea of a modern-day retelling of this story. The original story seemed to
me to be set in such a chaotic time – constant war, uncertainty and death. I
wondered if this same scenario could in fact happen today or in the near
future. After pondering on this for a long time, I came up with the plot of The Lamb.
So, which comes first?
The character's story or the idea for the novel?
For me – at least with The Lamb (and other novels I’ve written but not published) - the idea for
the novel came first. While I was pondering on the idea that sparked The Lamb, the characters Beth, David, and Hamar came into shape. It took me
at least two drafts of the novel to work out the particulars of each of their
stories.
Although that said, for my short story, A Japanese Man in Yangshuo, I saw a man sitting alone, completely
miserable, who’s manner so captivated me on a tourist ferry when I was in China,
that I dreamed up the story around him. So in that instance I think the
character’s story did come to me first.
What was the hardest
part to write in this book?
The ending of The Lamb was the hardest. I won’t say anything more because I don’t want to
spoil it, but I rewrote it at least ten times.
How do you hope this
book affects its readers?
I hope they are able to feel sympathy (or if not sympathy, at least some
emotional response) for each of the three main characters and the struggles
they face.
How long did it take
you to write this book?
It took me two years.
What is your writing
routine?
I try to write every day for at least a couple of hours, but with a small
toddler in charge of my household, I don’t always get what I want.
How did you get your
book published?
The Lamb is indie-published on Amazon.
What advice do you
have for someone who would like to become a published writer?
The best thing you can do is write the best book that you can. And then,
just keep at it. It’s very easy to become discouraged and give up along the way
to becoming published. But don’t give into those urges, just keep truckin’
along and you will get there eventually.
Great advice! What
do you like to do when you're not writing?
I love to eat out, travel, practice yoga, hang out with my friends and
family, drink wine, drink coffee, read, and seek out mild-to-light adventures.
What does your
family think of your writing?
Generally they are very supportive, but at times the toddler, whom I
mentioned above, thinks it is a very boring activity. She then complains
loudly.
Please tell us a bit
about your childhood.
I grew up on a farm in the "outback" of Australia. "Wild
and free" I think sums my childhood up nicely.
Did you like reading
when you were a child?
Yes, very much. On the farm we all read constantly for entertainment. Enid Blyton, The Baby-Sitters Club, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, Narnia,
Charlotte’s Web, Jane Eyre, Judy Blume – I had lots of favorites.
When did you first
realize you wanted to be a writer?
I’ve always wanted to be a writer, but I only seriously acted on this impulse
from 2011 onwards.
Did your childhood
experiences influence your writing?
I’m sure they do, but not consciously.
Which writers have influenced
you the most?
My favorite writers are Margaret Atwood, Jhumpa Lahiri, Alice Munro, and Ann Patchett. I would love to think that they have influenced my writing, but
it might be a little presumptuous of me to say definitively that their mark is
there in my writing. I read Waiting for the Barbarians by J. M. Coetzee several times over while writing The Lamb, hoping it would influence me. Also, I read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins as I was devising the plot for The Lamb. Again I’m not sure if the reader could find these influences
there, but I hope – cross fingers - that they can.
Do you hear from
your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
I do hear from readers regularly and they are overwhelmingly positive,
which I must say absolutely makes my day! There’s nothing like hearing people
say they enjoyed reading what I’ve written.
Fantastic! What can
we look forward to from you in the future?
Well I’m currently working on a novella set in Bali. I’m also throwing
around plans for a sequel to The Lamb. Stay tuned …
About the Author
E. B. Purtill is a writer living in Dogpatch, San Francisco. The Lamb is her first novel. She studied law and arts at the University of
Western Australia and is now married and has an adorable daughter. Besides
writing, she is also passionate about coffee, photography, travelling and
teacups.
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