Reader's Edyn: Blitz: Elephant by Natalie Rodriguez + GIVEAWAY

**Elephant by Natalie Rodriguez**

Good Morning, Everyone! So thrilled to see you all today! We have another new-to-me author and book! Please allow me to feature on the blog Natalie Rodriguez and her latest release, ELEPHANT … Plus, a GIVEAWAY!

**NATALIE RODRIGUEZ**

**BIO**

Natalie Rodriguez is an award-winning writer, director, and mental health and anti-violence/trauma advocate based in Los Angeles, CA. In 2014, she graduated from California State University, Fullerton with a Bachelor of Arts in Radio-Television-Film. Her first experience in entertainment was an internship at the Conan O'Brien show and Peter Guber's Mandalay Pictures, where she worked at the offices of producers, Matthew Rhodes ("Cherry," "Men in Black: International") and Academy Award-winner, Cathy Schulman ("Sharp Objects," "Crash").

Natalie was also a panelist at events, including Google, Hispanicize, and YouTube, where she has shared her story as a writer, filmmaker, and a female working in the entertainment industry. Some of her previous writing work can be found in publications such as the HuffPost Blog, Thrive Global, Anxiety Resource Center, Opposing Views, NowThis News, Zooey Deschanel's Hello Giggles, The Mighty, and more.

In 2017, she founded her production company, Extraordinary Pictures, focusing on both films, television, digital series, and social issue projects. The company has a list of projects in its roaster, including development on a TV sitcom, "The D," which placed in top-ten for best comedy screenplays at Stage 32. At the moment, Natalie's second directorial feature film, "Howard Original," is in post-production and set for an August 2020 release date on YouTube Premium. The film is based on the award-winning short film about a washed-up screenwriter named Howard, who encounters more than just selling a story, a studio rejection, and writer's block when his pet cat comes to life.

Natalie's directorial feature film, "The Extraordinary Ordinary," which she also wrote, produced, and was the executive producer on, is making its round through the festival circuit. The film deals with young adults, mental health awareness, and the aftermath of trauma. The film won 'Best Film About Women's Empowerment' at the Glendale International Film Festival and scored nominations in Best Director, Best Female Director, and Best Picture. The film also had a sold-out world premiere screening at the Los Angeles Diversity Film Festival (LADFF), winning 'Best Performance' by the leading actress, Maddison Bullock. Further details on the project can be found @theextraordfilm, including recent film festival awards and nominations.

Her other screenplays and films have also been featured and placed in the final rounds at HollyShorts Film Festival, NALIP: Latino Lens Film Festival, ShortsTV, Stage 32: Comedy Screenplay, Beverly Hills Film Festival, Culver City Film Festival, Indie Night Film Festival, Hollywood Screenplay Contest, Table Read My Screenplay - Austin Film Festival, and others.

Natalie was most recently an ambassador for Jen Zeano Designs (JZD), a clothing company in association with USA Networks. While she continues to build her creative background, Natalie is always open to collaborating with other artists and advocates. Currently, she awaits the publication of her first young adult novel this April 2020, "Elephant," a story about four childhood best friends who uncover a family secret. The book was also a finalist at Clare Books' the Binge-Watching Cure II contest for 'Best Novel.'.

To find out more about Ms. Rodriguez, please visit:

**ELEPHANT**

Publication date: May 29^th, 2020
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult

**BLURB**

Summer of 2006. Four childhood best friends. A family secret.

After a strange encounter leaves him hospitalized, a timid teenage boy named Matt “Matty” Smith comes home to a continuous series of events met with anxiety, depression, and PTSD.

Under the guardianship of his grandma, Lucia, Matt lives with unspoken questions about his grandfather and parents. The elephant in the room. As Matt develops over the summer, the secrets only grow more profound and complex. Will the answers ever come? While searching for answers, Matt and his three childhood best friends encounter the meanings of love, forgiveness, and fate.

**EXCERPT**

“FAUCK! SHE’S GOING TO KILL ME when I show up like this. FAUCK.”

Speech: clear...er. Complexion: pinker than red and it was progressing. He was a work in progress.

“Drink up.”

“Jamie…”

She pressed the glass against his shoulder. He squirmed from the coldness. “Now.”

Groaning, he raised his head up from his hands. He grabbed a hold of the glass during his rant, rather mumble. Jamie’s hand swooped back in with two Advil. “Really?” he said.

“Trust me. You’ll be thanking me for it tomorrow.”

He obeyed and tossed the pills into his mouth and drank until the glass was empty. It was refreshing water, ice-cold. The hairs on his arms started to rise—like a line of assembled, women and men. He puckered his lips and let out an, “Ah!”

It got a chuckle from her. She playfully rolled her eyes and joined him on the opposite end of the couch. There was a big ol’ gap between them. It was at that moment her cell phone buzzed and filled the void. “It’s Lisa. Just got—”

Beep. Beep.

“‘Home,’” Matt read Derek’s text message from his cell phone. By the look and gesture, he could care less. He tossed his phone aside; There were three missed calls and voicemails listed. All from Lucia.

His fingers turned white as he gripped onto the glass, making his fingerprints visible through the emptiness. He glanced around the living room. It was well furnished. Everything had a gold and emerald green design, including the curtains. Some areas were a bit over-the-top than others because the shelves and tabletops were crammed with framed pictures. Photographs of Jamie, the only child, were presented in the trip down memory lane with just her and her mother. The marble fireplace-mantle also had a school photograph of Jamie, at least six or seven years old then. The telltale was her two missing front teeth, as though they were knocked out in a boxing match, which did not keep her from smiling. It got him smiling a bit, too.

The Castellanos residence was prettier and bigger than his home (he hated that). After all, Jamie and her mother lived in a gated community neighborhood. There was even a code box outside the tall black iron gates, but nobody ever really used it. Cell phones were used, granting their access to the home. The perk of the Castellano’s residence was a short walking distance from the fun side of town. There was an outdoor shopping plaza with restaurants, an indoor mall, and an arcade. All that surrounded Matt, Derek and Lisa’s homes were banks and office buildings. Some places were even abandoned. Anything was better than his home. Just about anything was better than his home.

“You can stay here if you want,” Jamie said, twiddling her fingers. He noticed that she did that a lot lately. Like a lot. At that moment, she flushed. “You know, just so you can get a break from home.” Now, she was all fidgety, crossing one leg over the other and vice versa, and some more vice versa.

Matt remained silent and set his cup down on the glass coffee table. There was a shimmery gold outline forming the table’s edges.

“You swapped some from her cabinet earlier. Does she know?”

“Nope,” he replied like it was no big deal, but it was. “It’s from last time when the four of us were supposed to experiment with drinking.” By now, he slouched to his side on the couch, compressed against the black rim framing of the couch. A gold and green striped couch. God, he even chuckled at that. Basic bitches.

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing.” And at that moment, their eyes met. The adrenaline rush started at the bottom of his feet and traveled upward, moving very snakelike from his calves to his thighs and further. Whoa.

He removed his hands from his pockets like that would end the tingling sensation. He felt odd again. There was pressure in the middle of his forehead, and it worked its way inward, closer and closer to his brain like it was about to snap in half or something. Or something else. Ah!

One thing for sure, it was really really—

“Hot,” he said and jumped to his feet. He flapped a piece of his pull-over hoodie up and down to let in the cool air. It helped. His body was consumed by the chill, putting a stop to the goosebumps.

“Someone needs to relax.” Jamie ascended to her feet and picked up his empty glass. “I’ll get you a blanket and a pill—”

“No! I mean, it’s cool. I’m just going to…” And before he ran out—

“Wait!” The sound of her voice paralyzed him in places. He stood underneath a solid white archway, bordered with black lining. Thank goodness. Jamie sighed, something heavy on her shoulders. “This is…I mean…Look, it’s just been…”

“Different?”

“Yeah.” She sounded relieved. “Ever since…”

“Sandra.”

That name. They were already tense, their spinal cords curled up like a snake ready for an attack. They stood there, ten to fifteen feet apart from each other. Strong eye contact. Only the sound of a speeding car passing by disturbed the dead silence and also a teenage girl screaming, “Woohoo!”

Jamie gave a small smile, but that did not prevent the tears from welling up in her eyes.

Matt hurried over. “Hey…”

She turned away; He got closer. “I’m sorry—”

“Don’t.”

“I know we agreed to not talk about it. I feel so stupid.”

“I was there, too,” he finally said.

The reminder made her turn around. She stared into his eyes and saw the integrity. His eyes were a neon hazel in the light. Her baby doll amber eyes were bluer by the instant, because the tears did not stop. She was the first to break focus, and dabbed at her eyes. Before he took his cue to leave, “Can I show you something?”

He felt the slightest jolt pulse through his legs.

“Jamie, this is….” He gazed down at the giant white poster board on the floor, locked in his own bright tunnel of memories.

The poster was covered with photographs of all shapes and sizes from his thirteen—whoa, now after today––fourteen years here on Mother Earth. Although, they had yet to fully celebrate his and her (not until September) fourteenth birthdays. Whatever year it would be. The photos were cut out in designs of squares, triangles, rectangle or ovals and positioned in opposite directions from the memory next to it. Some pictures were tilted to the right. Others to the left. A few of them were even upside down like seats on a roller coaster loop. His younger days began at the top left. His later days, all thirteen of them, stopped at the bottom right of the poster. The first photo was taken at the Convention Center that the four of them had attended on an elementary school field trip. Jamie and Lisa’s teeth sparkled at the camera from their million-dollar smile—there were a few missing baby teeth. Matt and Derek had their tongues curved out like Gene Simmons.

“Kiss Army!” they chanted nonstop and even threw up the devil’s horns.

“Supposed to finish it yesterday,” Jamie said, unaware of that she brought Matt back to the present. She pushed aside a few glue sticks and colored sharpies. It was his cue to join her on the beige carpet floor...only, it took him a moment to realize that he was already seated. He leaned on his hand, inching closer to her; like he was not already. Puh-lease! Jamie’s bedroom was also nowhere close to making guests claustrophobic, because none of the items matched the light painted pink walls. Every item was a different neon color. Jamie was living in a highlighter bedroom. “But, we’d all promised your…We’d promised Lucia that we would help her out with dinner tonight, cutting back on my time to finish this.”

“And Scooby Doo on channel two,” Matt sang, but it was on the cheerless side.

They scanned the photographs for a few minutes and laughed as their fingers scrolled across the mall photo strip. The four of them were crammed inside of a Hello Kitty theme booth. Everything was bright, pink, and flowery. The sad moments were far gone. Matt and Jamie engaged in chit chats of what their younger selves were possibly talking about prior, during and after each photograph that was captured for eternity, especially in their ritual Hello Kitty photo booth collage photographs. The clothes that they once wore made them crack up. A hideous fashion sense, in their eyes—

“A skort?!” Jamie screeched. “How did I ever leave the house in that?!”

“I dig the light-up Sketchers though...”

“Shut up!”

But their smiles vanished, as his fingers scrolled to the last row. The second to the last photo of thick moss that Jamie positioned, hovered over—what was supposed to be—two empty flowerpots in front of the gravestones of…

FRANK SMITH JAMES “JIMMY” SMITH

And that was it, the remainder of the gravestones were blank.

Jamie peered away, her fingers clenched together, as her body slouched forward. “It’s just that I’ve always wondered what kind of people they once were. I know you think the same, because they mean a lot—”

“No memory,” Matt nearly whispered; his attention still on the photo. “Started in a picture of rocks. Ended in a picture of rocks. That’s all I know them for—a big pile of dirt.”

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t…” Her eyes got red again.

“Hey,” he said, making a complete three-sixty, changing the subject. “We look pretty sharp.”

She followed his finger; it pointed to the last photograph in the snake-like trip down memory lane, and beside it was nothing but blank poster paper of the unfinished collage. The Castellanos backyard garden was what a life at home magazine would use for its cover. In front of shrubs with red, yellow, and pink roses, the photo was snapshot less than two months ago, hours before their eighth-grade promotion dance began. A few of the prickly stems peaked outward like feathers of a peacock. In the center of the picture was a miniature waterfall, where two baby angels, carrying their own vases, smiled. The vases were tilted to their sides, so the water could stream out and trickle down into the pond. Matt and Jamie stood side by side in front of the pond. It was a horizontal camera angle of them. Matt had his arm ringed around Jamie’s lower back.

* * *

Just inches below the small opening of her black cocktail dress. Her long brown hair dangled down in spiral curls. She was already flashing her teeth at the camera. He gazed at her. She could sense it and looked at him. He felt his heart skyrocket to the moon and back. And by the look in her eyes, the feeling was mutual. Off camera, someone called for their attention. They looked back at the camera and smiled together, his arm tightening around her.

* * *

“I need to lose weight…”

Jamie held that same black cocktail dress against her pear-shaped body. Her displeased expression was visible to herself through the closet mirrors. It was as though her double-mirror reflection took over and knocked down her self-esteem. She huffed and puffed, pouty as she swayed her hips a bit, side to side. Matt watched her, tempted to say something but the words got stuck. He thought girls were batshit crazy for stressing about their bodies. I’m fat! I’m ugly! Oh, my god, a FUCKIN’ ZIT!

He was in no position to judge anyone. He glanced at his reflection in the mirror for a moment. To him, she was perfect. Jamie had a perfect body—a tiny waist, a slight curve in her hips, and an ass—

Guess that makes me pretty sexist.

“Just stop it!” It caught them both off guard, more so for her, as she turned his way. “I think you’re perfect. I wish you’d see that.” His eyes dropped to their flushed faces in that last photograph. Heat rushed over him, and he patted his forehead with his cotton-made hoodie sleeve. Without a doubt, he knew that his cheeks were a bloody red color. It matched his anxious, awkward eight grader self in the photo, where his smile came off too forced. His fingers curled into miniature boxing gloves, and his heart only pounded faster.

“Of course, you’d say that,” Jamie finally said to break the ice. “You’re my best friend.” The seriousness dispersed as soon as she gave a small smile that created two perfect little circles in her cheeks, an inch or so from her mouth.

God…I love that.

But all he could say to calm the nerves and the prickly sensation that tingled from his fingertips was, “Music wasn’t as bad as I’d expected—”

What are you doing? “I, uh—” UH?! REALLY?! “—liked the decorations. The colors of the theme.” Please stop rambling.

“‘It’s Time to Say Goodbye…For Now.’” Jamie chuckled and sat beside him; the dress splayed over her crossed legs. The bottom of the dress was puffy like a cupcake AKA the Powerpuff girl. “I hate clichés.”

“Yeah…”

They gazed off into opposite directions, stuck in a trance-like state. Matt re-crossed his legs. Jamie wrapped her arms around her legs and the itchy tutu undergarment fabric of the dress smacked her in the face. It got a laugh out of them. She turned beet red. Matt scanned the room and a sense of discomfort overcame him like it was the first time he had been there. He chewed off his hanging thumbnail, because he been at it from the moment he stepped into the bedroom. Behind the twin-size bed, which had a black and dark purple stripe comforter, resided an eight-by-eleven poster of the High School Musical cast. To the right of it were Noah and Allie from The Notebook, who were “getting it on” in the downpour of rain.

Matt’s eyes bulged out of their sockets, and he immediately looked away. He met Jamie’s sight, but it was by accident since there was nowhere else to look. His forehead, chin, and entire face broke out in a red-hot sizzle, as though on fire. He went to a scratch all four corners of his face. That only reddened his features like he had been crying on and off for a few hours. Only, she held his gaze, her eyes locked with manic depressant statehood. But he never broke focus either. It was impossible. His heart clouted a million miles against his chest and his hands, feet, and the four corners of his face broke out into a cold sweat. Jamie pursed her lips. Her breathing grew heavier. He touched her rosy cheek—it was warm. She balked at the touch of his cold hand.

“Sorry.” Before he drew his hand away, she held it, tightly against her cheek. Their beady eyes…Pre-anxiety attack breathing.

He gulped. They both leaned in, but the sound of a garage door opening forced them to stop midway. “I’ll, um,” she said, only inches apart from him, “finish your gift this week.”

“Sounds good,” his tone dropped to a whisper. “I should probably—”

“Good thinking!” She bounced to her feet, and his fingers slowly fell from her cheek.

Downstairs, the front door opened. A woman in her forties stepped inside, her long, big curly hair a shout out to her days as an eighties tween, most likely with a perm. Slowly, she shut the door and removed her knee-length blue trench coat. She wore a little black dress that stopped an inch above her knees to show off the nude-colored stockings. Not to mention, her giant silver hoop earrings glammed her up like fine dine Hollywood royalty. As she kicked off her black, suede five-inch-high heels, and there was a creak.

The woman pounced up, aiming one of her heels in midair. She sighed with relief as Jamie and Matt descended the marble staircase. “Jesus, Jamie!” The woman clasped ahold of her chest.

“Mom,” Jamie responded wryly. “Are you sneaking in?”

“No! Besides, aren’t you supposed to be at a sleepover?” Something dawned on her, as she pecked her daughter’s cheek. “Where’s the other—”

“Home,” Matt said. “With basketball practice every day—”

“Oh, that’s right! You certainly need your rest.” Then she said to Jamie, “A simple text would’ve helped, sweetheart.” Before she went in for the hug, included, “And happy birthday, sweetie.”

“Thank you, Ms. Castellanos.” He could hardly breathe with his face smashed against her…bosoms. But, it was not his fault. Her DD cups were just so…“up there.”

Jamie cringed; Her shoulders were up to her ears. “Mom.”

“And how’s Lucia?” Now, Ms. Castellanos pulled back, but she held onto Matt’s muscular arms, a work in progress. It was his damn mind that was stuck in pervert-horny-teenage-boy-land.

“Good,” he said, although he sounded unsure. “She’s doing…just fine.” That nearly killed him.

There was a cricket gap—or maybe he had imagined it. The crickets stopped as soon as Jamie clutched a hold of his hand. Sweat raged throughout his body, ending at his feet. Damn hormones!

“We’ll be out front, Mom.”

“Okie dokie!” She watched as Jamie nearly hauled Matt outdoors.

“Bye, Ms. Castellanos!” Matt called out before the front door opened and shut in a blink of an eye.

“Friends, my fat ass.” Ms. Castellanos chuckled, shaking her head.

As they meandered down the gravel pathway, “So, uh,” Jamie started anxiously, “guess I’ll see you tomorrow then.” They came to a halt at the start of the sidewalk, already facing each other. “After your practice, of course.”

Matt was the first to break eye contact. For whatever reason, he just stared at her house: a massive two-story, three if the small attic counted as a level. There were too many windows. The second story had flowerpots on each windowsill. Everything was so…white, but it was thrown off balance due to the red American Beauty front door. ‘Of course…’

His eyes diverted to the second story window at the top left, where a light flickered on through the curtain.

“She can’t see us,” Jamie said, more as a reminder than a stated fact. “Trust me. She’ll be calling Mr. Lover Boy Number Four—or five if you count one-night stands.” His pupils dilated to the size of a grasshopper’s gleamy eyes, “Yeah…I heard her once.”

Matt balked like a callous bug crawled all over him. It was over-the-top with the squeamish, ‘Ewes’ and worm-like movement. But it got a smile out of her. “At least yo’ momma is getting some. Maybe if Lucia—”

Really? You really want to talk about a penis.

Now it really gave him the heebie-jeebies. He rammed his fingers into his ears. “La, la, la—”

“…Right into her—”

“Okay!” He gradually uncovered his ears. “I get it.” It was back to another three-sixty. As they looked at each other, his heart raced at lightning speed again. “So, uh, thank you for the gift…” She took a step towards him. “…the cards…” She paused momentarily. “…just everything…” She leaned in and nearly missed his lips as he muttered, “Thank you.”

He was utterly speechless, his lips even did that stupid but silent, “Wha—Wha.”

Jamie smiled and swung their hands around a bit. “Later, Matty.” She tugged his hands towards her as she walked away. They dropped until she was no longer able to hold onto them. As soon as she reached the front door, “I don’t regret her seeing us that day.”

“Neither do I,” he responded sooner than he would have liked to. “I was waiting for Crazy Sandra to dump me anyway.”

“Night, Matty.” She smiled, turned on her heel and slipped back into the house.

His cheeks were on fire and scorched from a Scorsese-red to a violent Tarantino-kind. No matter how hard he tried, his body refused to move. He convinced himself that his feet were cemented to the sidewalk, but he remained too petrified to check; He just focused on that red front door. What da fuck just happened?

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