Ruth Ann Nordin's Blog, page 91

Another Kent Post

I wrote some more for Kent’s Backstory.  The plot for his romance is slowly forming in my mind, and I think Rose Larson (one of Dave and Mary’s daughters) will be the heroine.  After examining the Nebraska Timeline, Rose will be old enough to get married at the time the book takes place.  Rose is actually a twin.  Harriett is the other one.  When I decided to give Dave and Mary twins in the timeline, I already knew Rose and Harriett would be opposites.  Rose will be outgoing and have men falling over their feet to be with while Harriett won’t be.  I’ve always loved the twins being opposites dynamic, so I’m going to have fun with it.  :D

And as I was typing the above paragraph, I got the idea that Harriett is going to end up marrying a man who had wanted to be with Rose.  (That is how most of my ideas come to me.  They come while I’m writing either a post or another story.  LOL)  I’m not sure what the details of that story will be, but I know a bit of the plot.  I’d like to have it where he thinks he’s marrying Rose, and Harriett believes he wants to marry her.  So both will be in for a huge shock when they find out the truth, but I have to let that idea sit for a while before I settle on it.

I changed the cover.  The wine he’s holding becomes significant to why things turned out the way they did for him in Falling In Love With Her Husband.  It’s still no excuse for what he did to Ann toward the end of the book, so he’ll still have to redeem himself in that incidence.

 

“I specifically told you to take care of your pants,” Kent’s father grumbled.  “But I come home and I find them soiled.”

Kent glanced up from the settee as his father paced the parlor.  The closed doors gave them privacy from the servants, something he was thankful for.  It was bad enough having his father upset with him, but if anyone else saw it, it would be much worse.  “I didn’t do it on purpose.  Alex Dawson threw a frog on me, and it startled me.  If it weren’t for him, my pants would be fine.”

Pausing, he faced Kent.  “Dawson?  As in Peter Dawson’s son?”

He shrugged.  “I don’t know.  Maybe.  I don’t care who his father is.”

For sure, Kent had no desire to associate with Alex, whether at school or elsewhere.  Alex had no manners at all.  The fact that he was allowed to remain in the school was something he couldn’t understand.  It seemed that a young man who behaved the way he did would be thrown out.

“It might behoove you to care who Alex’s father is,” his father reprimanded, his hands behind his back.  “If he’s Peter Dawson, this could be to our advantage.”

Before Kent could ask him to explain, his father hurried out of the parlor.  Kent sighed and rose from the settee, glad he could go to his bedroom so he didn’t have to wear one of his clean pants that barely reached his ankles.  The servants had to suspect his parents’ financial standing wasn’t secure.  Even as much as his parents tried to hide it, there had to have been things that made them wonder.  He didn’t think the servants were as daft as his parents assumed.

Oh well.  There wasn’t much he could do about any of it, at least for now.  At some point, he’d fixed the situation, but he wasn’t going to do it today.  Once he shut his bedroom door, he sat in the chair by his large window and stared outside, lost in his thoughts of the past he couldn’t change and future his parents would control.

***

“I assure you my son won’t ruin Kent’s trousers ever again,” Mr. Dawson told Mr. Ashton as the tailor recorded Kent’s measurements into his book.

Kent, Alex, their fathers, and the tailor were in Mr. Ashton’s parlor, and Kent remained still as the tailor measured the length from his waist to just past his ankle.  As soon as Kent’s father sent word to Mr. Dawson about the incident during lunch, Mr. Dawson insisted on coming over to their house to make amends.  While Alex’s prank still upset him, Kent thought his father was taking advantage of Mr. Dawson’s generosity in agreeing to let Mr. Dawson purchase three new suits.  One would have sufficed, and Kent’s father knew it.  But Kent’s father saw an opportunity and wasn’t about to waste it.

At the moment, Mr. Ashton was smiling in his most charming fashion at Mr. Dawson.  “I appreciate how quickly you came to take care of the matter.”

“Of course,” Mr. Dawson replied.  “I don’t condone Alex’s behavior one bit.  Alex, you owe Kent and his father an apology.”

Alex, who had his hat in his hands, dutifully voiced the apology, but Kent didn’t believe he was sorry.  He’d made no hint of being remotely repentant earlier that day.

“I expect these pranks to stop at once,” Mr. Dawson told his son.

Though Alex nodded, Kent had his doubts Alex would actually obey the command.  But his father was satisfied, and that was all that mattered as far as this conversation was concerned.

The tailor stood up and closed his book.  “Mr. Dawson, I have finished.  I will have Kent’s first suit tomorrow morning before classes start and the other two suits before the week is done.”

Mr. Dawson relaxed.  “Good.” He turned back to Mr. Ashton.  “I hope that will suffice.”

“It more than suffices,” Kent’s father replied.  “Kent and I thank you for handling everything in such a timely manner.”

“It’s the least I can do.” His gaze went to Kent.  “I hope you won’t hold this against Alex.”

Before Kent could respond, his father laughed and shook Mr. Dawson’s hand.  “Of course, he won’t.  I’m sure despite their shaky beginning, our sons will be good friends.”

Not if I can help it, Kent thought.

“We’ll take our leave,” Mr. Dawson said and motioned for Alex to follow him and the tailor out of the parlor.

Mr. Ashton followed them to the front door, once again commending Mr. Dawson and Alex for their kindness and generosity.  Kent resisted the urge to roll his eyes.  His father was only nice to them because of their wealth.

After they left, his father returned to the parlor, his eyes lit up with excitement.  “Do you know who Mr. Dawson is?”

Kent shrugged as he poured himself some water from the pitcher on the table in the corner of the room.  “Alex’s father?”

“Oh, he’s much more than that.” His father approached him and took the glass out of his hand before he could take a drink.  “Mr. Dawson donates significant funds to the school you attend.”

“That’s why Alex is allowed to get away with his pranks,” he muttered.

“Don’t begrudge a young man the need to laugh.”

Kent couldn’t believe what he was hearing.  “Are you defending what Alex did to my pants?”

“There was no actual harm in it.  His father made amends, and you’re gaining three new suits.”

“You weren’t so happy when I came home in soiled clothes.”

His father drank the water and set the empty glass on the table.  “That was before I knew how influential Mr. Dawson is.  Now that I know, we must act accordingly.  You will be friends with Alex.”

He grimaced.

“You must do this for me, Kent.  You are here to build connections and establish yourself in this community.  You will do whatever it takes to do that.  Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes,” he forced out.

“Good.  Now, I will tell your mother the good news.  The strain we’ve been under hasn’t been good for her health.”

With a shake of his head, he picked up another glass and poured water into it.  His mother with her endless headaches…  Headaches that could only be cured with money.  He drank the water and sighed.  He didn’t care what his father wanted in regards to Alex.  He wouldn’t stoop to the level of pretending to like someone as childish as he.  There was no way he was going to be like his father.

Tentative First Draft Done Dates for Mitch’s Win and Runaway Bride

At the moment, I am close to finishing both Mitch’s Win and Runaway Bride.  This is thanks to the great writing weekend I just enjoyed.  :D

I’m currently at chapter 19 in this one.  I expect to have one more chapter before this is finished.  It’s realistic to say that I can finish the first draft for this book by the end of this month, which is awesome since it puts me a half month ahead of schedule.

I’m currently at chapter 19 in this one, too, but I expect it to be longer than Mitch’s Win.  Mark and Lexie are now married, and there’s a couple of loose ends to tie up before I can give them their happily ever after.  :D  At the moment, I don’t know how many chapters I expect this book to be, but I think it’ll be either 22 or 23 chapters long when it’s done.  It’s possible I might finish this one by the end of the this month or early next month if I can keep up the pace I’ve been going at.

***

As for when these will be published, I’m hoping one will be out at the end of March and the other sometime in April.  *fingers crossed*  I don’t know which one will be out when, though.  Part of it depends on when I finish the first draft and how quickly my editing and proofreading team will get through them.

I’ll Be Offline for A While

One of my kids threw up this morning.  There’s a virus going around the area, and it looks like it’s our turn to get it.  I’m going to put all emails, posts, and replying to comments on hold until this thing clears up.  So if you don’t hear from me for a while, you know why.  I hope everyone else is faring better than we are.  :D

More On Kent Ashton (Villain in Falling In Love With Her Husband)

For Monday’s “Inspiration Behind the Book” post, I thought I’d write another post that goes into Kent’s backstory.  It’s amazing how strong his point of view is now that I’ve started writing his story.  The story is pretty much writing itself since his voice is so strong.  It’s also awesome to see what develops as I continue to give him a “voice” in everything that happened from his perspective in Falling In Love With Her Husband.

I have decided that I will write his romance.  This morning when I woke up, I “just knew” that he is meant to marry one of Dave and Mary’s daughters.  The details have to be worked out, but he’ll be on his way to California when he’s attacked outside the train station in Omaha and in such bad shape that Dave brings him home to help him heal.  I’m going to browse through my Nebraska Timeline to see who the heroine will be.  :D

Without further ado, I present two scenes that go together.  These scenes occur before Kent meets Ann.  It is during the time when she’s sick at home and Todd was bringing her the homework.   In Falling In Love With Her Husband, Todd tells Ann about the new student (Kent) and that Alex welcomed Kent to school by playing a prank on him.  This post shows what that prank was and why Kent didn’t like Alex.

I hope to get the next scene up here before Friday.  *fingers crossed*

Please note: this is first draft.  There will be errors.

“Make sure you don’t do anything to ruin that suit,” his father said as he entered Kent’s bedroom the next morning.  “You’re too tall to wear the your other pair of pants, and I can’t afford to buy you a new pair.”

Kent looked away from the mirror on his wall and finished adjusting his tie.  “I won’t let anything happen to these pants.”

His father approached him and lowered his voice.  “I did a lot of thinking last night, and marriage would be prudent.  It would resolve our situation much faster.  You need a good job, of course, but two sources of wealth are better than one.  Keep that in mind when you attend your classes today.”

“I understand.” So while he was pursuing his education, he also needed to pursue a suitable lady.  Hopefully, there would be someone there who would make him and his parents happy.  “It doesn’t have to be Mr. Johnson’s daughter, does it?”

“No.  I don’t care who she is as long as she comes from a good family.”

Kent breathed a sigh of relief.  At least, he’d have a choice.

“Now, this particular school I’m sending you to is one of the best Virginia has to offer,” his father continued.  “I had to use the last of my wealth to secure a position for you there.  All the ladies will bring a good amount of money into this house.  If you could secure a marriage by spring, we won’t have to let any of the servants go and no one will know our shame.”

Kent glanced at the calendar.  It was October.  Seven months.  Ordinarily, that would seem like a sufficient amount of time, but today, it seemed like it wasn’t enough.  How was he going to pick a lady who both appealed to him and had money in that short time?

His father patted him on the shoulder.  “Your mother and I are counting on you, son.  Don’t disappoint us.”

“I won’t.”

“Come along.” He stepped toward the door.  “You’ll ride with me in the carriage.  We’ll stop by your school before I go to work.”

Kent gave one last look at his reflection.  He could do this.  And he would do it because he had to.  Straightening his suit jacket, he followed his father out of his bedroom.  After their servant handed them their coats, they bid Kent’s mother a good day and went to the carriage.

The ride to his new school was an awkward one.  He never knew what to say to his father, and he learned long ago that silence was better than inadvertently saying something wrong.  He stared out the window and noted his surroundings.  This was his new home.  New York was a long ways off, and all the things that happened there were in the past.

The carriage came a stop and he took a moment to examine the brick school on a well-manicured lawn.  All of the pupils entering it appeared to come from rich homes.  And better yet, there seemed to be a good number of young ladies who were of courting age.  The carriage door opened, and he stepped out of it, not bothering to look back at his father.  Only time would tell what the future would bring.

***

The day had gone better than Kent expected.  He wasn’t sure if the other students would welcome him since he was new, but they had greeted him willingly enough.  Perhaps living here wouldn’t be so bad after all.

During lunch, he kept his distance so he could watch the others, especially the young ladies who were of courting age.  He wanted to see how they acted around others, thinking doing so would give him insight into who would make a pleasant wife.  A couple of his peers glanced in his direction.  They were probably wondering why he didn’t join any of them, even though a couple had invited him to sit with them.  But his heart wasn’t in it.  His father would have prompted him to start building relationships with the young men which might lead to successful business prospects later on, but he didn’t feel like it.  Not today.  Maybe tomorrow.  Today, he wanted to be alone and rest.

After he finished eating, he had some time to go for a walk outside so stepped into the sun, ignoring the slight chill in the air.  He’d forgotten his coat, but that was of little consequence.  The walk would be brief.  Putting his hands in his pockets, he strolled the area in front of the school.  A few others were also outside to enjoy the day.  Some offered a smile, which he returned.  But still, he kept his distance.  Tomorrow.  Tomorrow, he would be the person his father expected him to be.  Tomorrow, he would engage them and talk to them.

As he passed under a group of trees, something fell on him.  Startled, he jerked to the side, tripped on a tree branch and fell in the mud beside the walkway.  It took him a moment to realize a frog had fallen from the tree.  Someone laughed above him, and he looked up at the young man—Alex Dawson—who enjoyed his misfortune way too much.

Angry, Kent rose to his feet, and noticing the mud on his hands, he looked down and saw mud was also on his pants.  The same pair of pants his father warned him to keep clean.  He turned his gaze back up, his jaw clenched.  “What do you think you’re doing?” he yelled.

To his irritation, Alex swung from the tree branch overhead and landed in front of him, a broad smile on his face.  “Ahoy, Kent.  I wanted to welcome you to this here fine school.”

“Welcome me?” he snapped, pointing to his pants.  “You think this is a proper welcome?”

“It’s just a pair of pants.  Just put on a new pair when you get home.”

He bit his tongue before he screamed at him that he didn’t have another pair he could “just put on”.  Grunting, he glared at Alex who was still laughing.  “This isn’t funny!”

“You’d think it was if you saw the look on your face when you landed on your behind.”

“Where did you get your manners from?  An asylum?”

“You needn’t be so stiff,” Alex replied with a nonchalant shrug.

“Stiff?  You ruined my pants, and you have the nerve to call me—”

“Alex meant you no harm,” someone called out.

Kent turned his attention as another one of his classmates, Todd Brothers if he recalled the name right, approached them.  “He did mean me harm.  He waited up in that tree,” Kent pointed up to the branch Alex had been on, “and threw a frog on me.”

“A harmless prank,” Alex said, waving his hand in a dismissive manner.  “I merely wanted to welcome him to our school.”

“If you wanted to welcome me properly, you would have shook my hand like any normal person would,” he insisted before turning to Todd.  “Can you believe him?”

Todd offered an apologetic grin.  “Well, he happens to be my friend.  He didn’t intend for you to ruin your pants.  He only dropped a frog on you.”

“Exactly,” Alex agreed with an exaggerated nod of his head.  “I did no harm.  None at all.  You were the one who lost your balance and fell into the mud.”

Unable to believe that Alex was blaming him for ruining his own pants, Kent’s hands clenched.  “Only because you dropped that frog on me!”

Alex opened his mouth to say something, but the bell rang, signaling that classes were about to resume.

“Maybe we can find you a towel to clean up with,” Todd offered.

He glanced from Alex to Todd and threw his hands up in the air.  Neither one of them understood the seriousness of the situation.  To them, pants were disposable.  They never had to worry about their father’s displeasure if they came home with soiled clothes.  “Don’t bother,” he finally muttered and shook the mud off his hands the best he could.  “I’ll do it myself.  Just stay away from me.” He hurried away from them before they could do any more damage to his clothes.

Story Sample Sunday: Setting the Background for Kent Ashton (Villain in Falling In Love With Her Husband)

Today, I decided to write a brand new scene.  This takes place before Kent Ashton met Ann Statesman in Falling In Love With Her Husband.

I am trying to get into Kent’s mind to figure out why he did what he did in Falling In Love With Her Husband.  Below is a scene I just wrote in first draft form for your (and my ) enjoyment.  I plan to write more in the weeks ahead because Kent is turning into a very sympathetic character….now that I’m beginning to see what was going on in his life.  So we’ll see how things progress as I go along.  :)

“Do I have to be go?” Kent Ashton asked his parents as the horse carriage swayed gently from side to side.

His father grumbled in irritation.  ”We’ve already been over this.  The Johnsons are a good family, the kind of family you’d do well to associate with.  After the grief you caused us in New York, the least you can do is show us enough respect to please this family.  Mr. Johnson is a shrewd businessman.  He owns a thriving group of hotels.  If you make a good impression, he might hire you when you’re done with your schooling.  Then you’ll never lack for anything.”

“And after learning that your grandparents have left us next to nothing in their will, we need you to be wealthy,” his mother added.

His father’s jaw clenched.  ”My father was a fool with money.  I can’t believe he squandered all of it on bad investments.  If he wasn’t dead, I’d…” He glanced at Kent and cleared his throat.  ”Never mind all that.  We’re here for a new start.  We have a little wealth remaining, but it won’t last long.  I mean it, Kent.  Don’t tell anyone we’re one year away from poverty unless you marry a wealthy lady or get an excellent job.”

“Preferably, both,” she whispered, opening her fan and waving it.  ”You can’t have us living as paupers, Kent.  That’s no way to honor your parents.  It’s best Wilma is back in New York.”

“So you’re saying I can’t marry someone I love?” Kent asked, hiding the bitterness in his tone as much as he could.

“Wilma came from a family of few means,” his father barked, his eyebrows furrowed.  ”If you want to marry for love, then choose a lady who happens to come from wealth.  One lady is just like any other, and there’s plenty of wealthy ones to choose from right here in Virginia.”

No, every lady wasn’t the same as any other.  Wilma had been the only one who’d loved him for himself.  She’d seen past the riches his family had enjoyed.  She’d been like a breath of fresh air.  And now she was married to someone else, thanks to the way his parents manipulated things.  Kent looked out the carriage window, not really seeing the houses as the driver directed the horses down the street.  He couldn’t bear to make eye contact with his parents right now.  Not when he might give away his resentment.  Nothing would make a difference at this point.  He couldn’t go back and change the past.  Wilma was still married to someone else and always would be.  All he could do was continue on with his life and make the best of it.

The carriage came to a stop, and the driver opened the door for them.   His parents left the carriage first, his father shooting him a warning look.  When the driver turned his expectant gaze to him, he reluctantly stepped out of the carriage.  Before him stood one of the finest houses he’d ever seen.  Mr. Johnson was definitely a wealthy man.

“Let’s not keep him waiting,” his father said and took his mother by the arm.

Kent straightened his hat and suit jacket and followed them.  They climbed the steps to the porch, and he clasped his hands in front of him as his father knocked on the door.  He closed his eyes, hoping tonight would go well.  As the butler answered the door, he opened his eyes and forced a smile he’d been instructed to wear.

“Good evening,” the butler greeted, his tone solemn.  ”May I ask your name, sir?”

“We are the Ashtons,” his father replied.  ”Mr. Johnson has invited us to dinner.”

“Please enter.” The butler moved aside and waited until they stepped into the entryway before leading them to two french closed doors and opened them.  ”You may wait here while I notify Mr. Johnson that you are here.”

Kent joined his parents and entered the large parlor.

“My goodness,” his mother whispered in excitement.  ”Look at the fine furniture.  This chair alone must have cost a fortune!” She ran her hand along the velvet pink fabric on the arm of the chair.  ”I’ve only dreamed of owning such a luxurious item.”

Kent rolled his eyes and sat in another chair.  He tuned his parents out as they gushed over the other expensive items in the room and made plans on what they would buy once he secured their financial standing.

Fortunately, it wasn’t long before the butler returned, bringing Mr. Johnson, his wife and two daughters with him.  As the butler left, Kent rose to his feet and waited to be introduced the man his father assured him would be the most important person in his life.  Mr. Johnson introduced his wife, and Kent made sure to compliment her on her dress as his parents had instructed.  If he could get into her good graces, his parents were sure that it would be easier to win Mr. Johnson over.

“This is my eldest daughter, Rebecca,” Mr. Johnson continued, “and my youngest, Joan.”

Kent ignored the way his father’s eyebrows rose.  He knew what his father was thinking.  Rebecca was his age, or at least close to it, and if Kent could be Mr. Johnson’s son-in-law, then the plan would be a sure thing.  Kent made eye contact with is father and gave a slight shake of his head.  His father shrugged and turned his attention back to Mr. Johnson.  Kent placed his hands behind his back and clasped them, squeezing as hard as he could so he wouldn’t give away his irritation.  He would never court Rebecca.  It wasn’t that she was homely.  On the contrary, she was very pretty.  But within a few seconds of meeting her, he could tell she had no substance.  When he chose a wife, she’d be someone he could at least maintain a decent conversation with.

“Dinner is ready,” the butler announced, approaching them.

“Good,” Mr. Johnson said with a wide smile.  ”I hope you like lobster.  We had them brought in fresh this morning.”

“We love lobster,” his father replied.  ”But you shouldn’t have gone through all that trouble on our account.  Lobster’s not cheap.”

“Nonsense.  We do nothing but the best for our guests.”

“We’re humbled by your generosity.” He shot Kent a meaningful look.  ”We’re fortunate to be here tonight.”

“That we are,” Kent’s mother added, appearing way too happy about the evening.

“Good,” Mr. Johnson said.  ”Then let’s eat.”

Kent waited until the others were heading to the dining room before he followed, thinking this was going to be a long and tiring evening.

What About Kent Ashton? (Villain in Falling In Love With Her Husband)

For those of you who’ve read Falling In Love With Her Husband (the first romance I ever wrote), you’ll recognize the name Kent Ashton.  He was the man Ann Statesman was in love with.  She wanted to marry him, but when the scandal of his relationship with Rebecca was exposed (Rebecca was pregnant with his child), he had to end things with Ann.  From there, he did some shady things that made him the villain of the book.

Well, the other day, someone asked me if he ever changed his life for the better.  The answer is yes.  After Kent went to Ireland, his uncle showed him tough love, and because of this, Kent did change his life around.  I always saw a happy ending for him, though I hadn’t figured out the specifics on what happened to him.  I’m thinking his time in Ireland led him to a conversion experience, and when he returned to the United States, he decided to become a missionary.  Given his tainted past along the East Coast, he opted to go as far west as possible, California.

So I was thinking, as he’d be going to California, he’d probably pass through Omaha since Omaha was a big central hub for travel back in the early 1900s.  And who happens to be in Omaha but the Larsons?  And considering the time period he’d be making his trip, it’s possible that one of Dave and Mary’s daughters could be old enough to marry him.

I’m thinking of bringing him into the Nebraska Romance Collection.  Nothing is definite yet.  But it’s something to consider.

Anyway, as I was driving on a country road this morning, I was thinking of Kent and why he did what he did in Falling In Love With Her Husband.  In that book, we’re only given Ann and Todd’s point of view.  We really don’t know why Kent did what he did.  We can only guess.  Honestly, I never got in his head, so I didn’t know his point of view.  (Some characters speak to me and some don’t.  Kent was one of those quiet ones.) I only knew he changed his life around after he got to Ireland.

What I’d like to do is explore his point of view in Falling In Love With Her Husband to get a better feel for him.  I’ll be doing this on this blog, but I’ll do it as the inspiration strikes.  I can’t force his point of view.  It has to come to me.  We’ll see how things go in the upcoming weeks.  :D

 

Updates

1.  I’m happy to say that Runaway Bride is ahead of schedule.  I wasn’t supposed to hit 40,000 words in it until the end of this month, and today I got to 40,500 (which is chapter fifteen).  Once I decided to go with Lexie’s lead and let her run off with Mark sooner than I wanted, the story started writing itself.  I don’t know why I still hesitate to let the characters direct me in another direction.  Every time I listen to them, the problems I worry about (like writing myself into a dead end or ending up with a subplot I can’t resolve at the end) end up never happening.  You’d think with 29 romances under my belt, I’d learn to trust my characters more.

© Irisangel | Dreamstime.com

2.  Yep, I have published 29 romances so far!  (I’m not counting “The Cowboy’s Wish” which is a short story.)  Anyway, I’m really excited because soon I’ll reach my goal of having 30 romances published.  :D  It’s always fun to reach the goals I set for myself.  I’d like to offer a really fun giveaway when I publish my 30th romance.  I don’t know if this will be Mitch’s Win or Runaway Bride, but either way, I’d like to do something to celebrate this milestone.  Any ideas on what the special giveaway could be? What prizes do you think would be fun?  I want to do something more elaborate than what I’ve done in the past.

By the way, my next goal is 50.  :D  I almost said 40, but then I love this quote and try to live by it: ”Reach for the moon and even if you miss, you will be among the stars.”  The author of the quote is unknown (from what I saw when searching for it just now on the Internet).  I first saw that quote in my high school class, and it’s stuck with me ever since. To me, it means that I should set my goals high.  Even if I don’t reach those goals, I will still have accomplished some awesome things.  I’m okay if I don’t reach the moon, but unless I am trying to get there, I’ll miss some great adventures along the way.  Okay.  Enough on that tangent…

3.  I’m getting close to the end of Mitch’s Win!  I know this book has been one of the on-again-off-again type of books (something that is unusual for me), but part of the hold up was wondering if I should submit it to a publisher.  The second issue was what to do with Boaz (keep him in the Montana Collection or take him to the Nebraska Collection).  I already explained that I decided not to submit it to a publisher.  But what I recently decided was that Boaz will stay in the Montana Collection.  Anyone remember Eva Connealy from Isaac’s Decision?  I’ve decided to send her over to Montana where she’ll be Boaz’s wife.

Now that all of that has been figured out, the story is flowing again.  I’m at chapter 18 in this book.  It’ll probably be 20 or 21 chapters altogether.  So I think I’m 2-3 chapters away from being done.  This puts me at an estimate of finishing the first draft by the end of the month.  *fingers crossed*

4.  So when will I publish Mitch’s Win and Runaway Bride?

I’m not really sure because I have to send them off to editors and proofreaders.  It depends on their schedules and when they can work on them.  But I’m going to give a conservative estimate of April.  (Not sure if it’ll be April for one and May for the other book.  I really don’t want to publish both books in the same month.)  I know more people are anxious to read Runaway Bride, so I’ll aim for that one to be out first.  As long as the story keeps flowing the way it is at the moment, that won’t be a problem.  But if I stall in it, then Mitch’s Win will be out first.

Inspiration for the Book: Runaway Bride

Today I’ll discuss what inspired Runaway Bride.

As I mentioned last week in my post last week, I get most of my ideas while I am writing a book and I suddenly know that character X is meant to be with character Y.  The plot idea on how the two characters get together usually comes later, but in the case with Runaway Bride, I knew immediately that Mark was going to convince Lexie to run off to Las Vegas to marry him instead of Nick.

The idea for Lexie’s romance sparked while I wrote this passage in Suddenly a Bride:

    “Well, Lexie is having the most wonderful wedding,” her mother said, her smile growing wide.  “We’re going to have it on the beach.  We booked the best photographer and caterer as well.  Chris, have you had fresh lobster?”

            Chris furrowed his eyebrows.  “You mean, fresh as in you don’t cook it before you eat it?”

            “What?  Of course not.” Her mother shot Caitlyn a startled look.  “Exactly where did he come from?”

            “Um, I was just thinking,” Sandy began as she cleared her throat, “I think it’s great Caitlyn found someone.  It’s romantic, Mrs. Rogers.  Chris came into the diner one evening, and it was like love at first sight.  They had an instant connection.”

            Her mother waved her hand as if to dismiss the comment.  “Romantic?  I’ll tell you what’s romantic.  We’re going to have two doves that will fly into the air when Lexie and the doctor share their first kiss as husband and wife.”

            Caitlyn caught Sandy’s eye roll and fought the urge to chuckle.

            “It was Mom’s idea,” Lexie told Caitlyn.

            “Doves are beautiful birds,” her mother said.  “Why, just imagine it, Chris.  While the harp strums out the ‘Wedding March’ and Lexie shares her first marital kiss with the doctor, the doves fly up into the sky together.” She clasped her hands over her heart and sighed.

            “I can’t help but notice you keep calling Nick ‘the doctor’,” Caitlyn noted.

            Her mother laughed and brushed her hair over her shoulder.  “Well, that’s because he is a doctor.”

            Lexie groaned.

This scene took place when Chris first met Caitlyn’s family at the barbecue.  I didn’t intend to come up with the idea, but as soon as I realized how miserable Lexie was, I knew I couldn’t let her marry Nick.  And who better than Mark to fix up with her?  In the span of the passage, I knew Lexie was going to run off and elope with Mark shortly before she married Nick.  I also knew this was going to cause problems between Lexie and her mother.  

Lexie is nothing like Caitlyn.  Caitlyn does what she wants, whether other people are happy about it or not.  Lexie, on the other hand, is the type of person who tries to make everyone happy.  So Lexie was going along with her mom’s plan for her to marry Nick because Lexie had pretty much always done what her mom wanted.  

What Lexie needed was someone to come into her life and show her that it was okay for her to think about what she wanted instead of having people tell her what she wanted.  Mark was the perfect fit for this.

While I wrote the scene in Suddenly a Bride, I also knew that Nick was self-centered.  That was all I knew about him, but based on Lexie’s lack of enthusiasm for her wedding, I knew that Nick didn’t love her the way she deserved to be loved.  The fun of writing Runaway Bride, of course, is learning exactly what things were like between Lexie and Nick.  That was something I didn’t know until I introduced Nick in Runaway Bride.  It’s impossible for me to truly know a character until I bring them on “stage”.  :D

Quick side note: the mom (surprisingly) is turning out to have a redeeming quality to her, but only Mark is going to be able to bring that part of her out to make her likable.

Sunday Story Sample: A Sneak Peek at Nick (Anti-Hero in Runaway Bride)

Thankfully, I can keep the title as is for Runaway Bride.  Even if I can’t use it in the sense that she bolts on her wedding day to Nick, I can use it because she runs away to marry Mark.  What a relief.  I really liked that title.

Thanks for the great ideas for titles.  I’m bookmarking them for future books.  :D

Okay.  Today I thought for the story sample, I’d give a look at Nick who starts out as Lexie’s fiancé.   This scene takes place while Lexie and Nick are at a restaurant.   (Keep in mind, it’s a first draft.)

Biting her lower lip, Lexie glanced at the menu and then returned her gaze to him.  “Nick, why do you want to marry me?”

He chuckled and placed his glass back on the table.  “Because I love you, silly.”

“But why?”

“Why?  Because you’re you.”

“But what is it about me that you love?”

Shooting her a teasing grin, he said, “Everything.  I like the whole package.”

“Do you?”

“Of course, I do.”

“Then can you tell me something you like about me?”

“Lexie, what’s this about?” he asked.

Trying to determine the best way to answer, she set the menu down and folded her hands over her lap.  “It’s about us.  You and me.  What is it about us that makes sense?”

“There’s plenty that makes sense.  You’re gorgeous.  You’re graceful.  You’re elegant.  You’re everything I want in a wife.”

The server came over to them and asked for their order.

“I’ll have a Bahama Mama to drink.  To eat, I’ll have the crab cakes, lobster tail, and shrimp cocktail combo.  For dessert, I’ll have a slice of chocolate cake,” he replied.

“That sounds good.  I’ll have the same,” she added.

He cleared his throat.  “I think you meant everything except the chocolate cake, sweetheart.”

She lowered her voice and said, “It’s just one slice.”

“But is it wise to do that when you’re so close to the art exhibit and wedding?”

The server shifted from one foot to the other.  “I can come back.”

“No need,” Nick replied.  “One slice of cake will be enough.”

Lexie opened her mouth to protest but decided a piece of cake wasn’t worth a public argument, so she indicated her agreement with a nod and waited for the server to leave before speaking.  “There has to be something about me—about my personality—that you like.”

“Okay.  That’s fair.” He unfolded the cloth napkin and settled it on his lap.  “You’re compliant.  That’s a very important trait for a wife of a doctor.  With my job comes a lot of demands, and I need a wife who’s understanding of those demands.  You’re perfect.  I couldn’t have asked for a better woman to spend the rest of my life with.”

Need to Change the Title of Runaway Bride

I need to change the title of this book because as I was writing it this past week, it turned out Lexie didn’t want to wait until her wedding day to run off with Mark.  She decided to do it sooner.  I looked up the definition of “runaway bride”, and it means a bride-to-be who runs off right before the wedding ceremony.  So technically, the title doesn’t fit this book.  Bummer.  I loved the title, too.

I could try to force Lexie to wait, but honestly, she’s not that stupid.  She knows Nick isn’t good for her, and she sees no reason to drag things out.  :P  So that angle wouldn’t work.  Plus, it’d only frustrate the characters.  Frustrated characters aren’t fun to work with.

Anyone got any ideas on a good title for this book?  Basically, Lexie is engaged to Nick but Mark comes along and turns her world upside down.  So she has to choose between the two guys.  We all know she chooses Mark.  The plot is mainly how he wins her over and dealing with the controlling mother (we all remember how the mom was in Suddenly a Bride) afterwards.

So far, the only title I can think of is Claiming His Bride.  Does that work?