Today is character guest post day!Emily Murnane of Richard Robbins' new book, PANICLES, with us today. Welcome, Emily!
I just don’t
understand how people view living things. Whether they be plants, animals, or
family and friends. We are not just items to be used up and discarded, we are
miracles, which should be tended to, and allowed to grow to our full potential,
live our lives on our own, and to fulfill our own destinies, whatever they may
be. And I’m going to do something about it.
I’ve got this
degree in Plant Biology, so I want to use that somehow. I’ve come up with a new
idea for a business, which I hope will work. I’m going to open a nursery. It’ll
specialize in rare and unusual flowering plants, some of which I’ll develop
myself. But... besides selling plants like everyone else, I’ll also provide
services for weddings and other catered events.
For example when people plan events, like weddings,
they order flower-based centerpieces. They’re beautiful, for sure, but
expensive, and when the event is over, the flowers are thrown away in the
garbage. That seems so wasteful to
me. Rather than using flowers, which are discarded after one use, I can take
flowering plants, each one in their
own little decorated pot, and make centerpieces out of them. I can take eight or ten small, potted, flowering plants,
however many seats there are at a table, decorate the pots with custom printed
wrappers in whatever manner they’d like, including pictures of the bride and
groom, the wedding invitation—really anything
on them—and stack them together in a way that creates a single centerpiece that
rivals or beats any cut flowers. And for less
money. Then, at the end of the night, the centerpieces are dismantled into
their component pots, and each person at the table gets to take home a plant
with a decorative pot, and they can put it on their window sill, or plant it in
their garden, and enjoy it for years, or even a lifetime of pleasure and
memories.
I just don’t
get it. They keep those flowering plants in commercial nurseries, lined up in
rows like prisoners, and subject them to artificial light and chemicals. Then,
as soon as they flower, those flowers are cut off and sold. Yes, they’re
beautiful, but they get dressed up like tarts, to display their beauty for a
week or so, until they inevitably die and are discarded and forgotten, only to
be replaced by the next new batch, beginning the cycle all over again. Why would
anybody do that, when the flowers could have stayed on the plant and lived
their natural life cycle happily, without bothering anybody? Let their life
cycle be their choice, not some
selfish stranger’s. When their cycle runs its natural course, they can produce
new flowers, their cousins—peaceful, natural, and beautiful.
It reminds me
of Panicles. A Panicle is a type of plant which generally grows on short hills.
All the flower clusters come off the main branch. Some clusters have only one
flower, some have many, but each one is attached to the main branch. And when
the flower dies, the main branch remains, and grows stronger. It keeps growing
for generations, like a family. It
just lives its natural course, on its own, happily. As should we.
Inside the book
Title: PANICLES
Author: Richard Robbins
Publisher: Evolved Publishing
Pages: 281
Genre: Literary Fiction
Author: Richard Robbins
Publisher: Evolved Publishing
Pages: 281
Genre: Literary Fiction
Is it better to take the risk and pursue the glory of fame and fortune, or to live a simpler, more grounded life?
“Richard
Robbins has presented a cast of interesting characters, and each one is
fully explored. The plot engages the reader from the first page to the
last. The writing style is fast-paced and flows smoothly. Author Richard
Robbins has penned a captivating novel in Panicles. A fascinating read!” ~ Readers’ Favorite Book Reviews, Deborah Lloyd (5 STARS)
Follow
the fates of two families, one wealthy and powerful, the other blue
collar, from a chance meeting at a Florida poolside, to the highest
levels of politics and power. This sweeping saga of love, war, money,
and power leaves each family weighing their duty to their family versus
service to their country.
It all leads to a fateful choice—a sacrifice—which could change the course of history.
EVOLVED PUBLISHING PRESENTS a
contemporary literary exploration of two very different families,
with their ties to politics, power and influence, and to each
other. [DRM-Free]
“Panicles will make you think, make you cry, make you laugh and smile and keep you reading until the very end.” ~ Readers’ Favorite Book Reviews, Trudi LoPreto (5 STARS)
“Panicles is a novel that invites reflection with its subtle and significant meaning... Connections, effects, and a great storyline make Panicles a remarkable novel from many points of view.” ~ Readers’ Favorite Book Reviews, Astrid Iustulin (5 STARS)
Books by Richard Robbins:
- Love, Loss, and Lagniappe
- Panicles
- The Tormenting Beauty of Empathy (Coming 2020)
Amazon → https://amzn.to/37wyWjR
Barnes & Noble → https://bit.ly/2qGgPax
meet the author
Richard’s first novel, the award winning Love, Loss, and Lagniappe was
inspired by actual events in his life, and utilizes his Medical and
Business School background to explore the journey of self-
discovery
after heartbreaking loss, while revealing the scientific basis for the
meaning of life (You’ll have to read it to find out!)
Panicles,
explores the price of fame and fortune through the eyes of two
families, one wealthy and powerful, the other blue collar, from a chance
meeting at a Florida poolside, to the highest levels of politics and
power. This sweeping saga of love, war, money, and power leaves each
family weighing their duty to their family versus service to their
country.It all leads to a fateful choice—a sacrifice—which could change
the course of history.
Richard lives in New York City and New
Orleans with his love and inspiration, Lisa, my wife of thirty years
(and counting), near their beloved grown children.