Sara Jayne Townsend's Blog, page 38

My Life In Books: The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole

All of the books in Sue Townsend’s series about the hapless Adrian Mole are worth reading, but this is the book that kicked it off. I’ve actually read this book a couple of times, but I was remninded of it by Diane Dooley’s post for Monday’s Friend.

The reason I want to include this book in the My Life in Books series is that I think the impression you get from it varies depending on whether you’re reading it as an adult or a teenager. The first time I read this book, I was 13 – the same age as Adrian. I felt a great deal of sympathy for him. He was a misunderstood young man being oppressed by his family, who didn’t understand him and didn’t treat him fairly – and at that age, I thought I could relate to that. I thought at the time Sue Townsend did a pretty good job of remembering what it was like to be 13.

I read this book again as an adult, and formed an entirely different impression of Adrian. He’s naive and ignorant. He’s not nearly as clever as he thinks he is, and his efforts to be an intellectual come across as painfully embarrassing and very funny.

So as an adolescent I sympathised with Adrian. As an adult I laughed at him. But I daresay I was equally pathetic, and equally melodramatic, as a 13-year-old. This seems to be an obligatory stage of growing up that fortunately most of us grow out of.

The books about Adrian Mole carry him all the way through puberty, through adulthood and into middle age, in the more recent books (though I haven’t read them all yet – ADRIAN MOLE AND THE WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION is still on my TBR pile). Although he does grow up, he retains that comical ignorance that we’ve come to know and love. The middle-aged Adrian Mole still thinks he’s an intellectual. But the reality is, he’s really not very bright. But those of us who have followed him through his life feel like he’s an old friend – that one who you always stick with, because although they can be annoying, you still love them despite their flaws.

Jealousy

(Cross-posted on the WriteClub blog)

I'm going to ask a very personal question. Do you ever get jealous of other writers? Writers who are published and getting rich, and you're not? Writers who suddenly decide it's time to write a book, and then land a three-book publishing contract within a year of finishing their first book, when you've been collecting rejection slips for years?

I'm going to be honest here and say that sometimes I do. Jealousy is a human emotion but it's not a good one to dwell on. It can fester and make us feel bitter and miserable. One of the ways to combat it is to quit comparing ourselves to other people. There will always be people out there we perceive to be doing better than us, in whatever way. There will also always be people out there who are worse off. People try to diminish the success of others by belittling it. It's a hugely destructive thing to do, but it's human, and that's why the celebrity gossip magazines are so popular.

My yoga teacher runs monthly meditation circles, which I try to attend because I find them good for my state of mind. One of the exercises she gets us to do is to go around the circle and everyone has to state aloud something they are grateful for. We keep going on this until people run out of things to say. This exercise makes you focus inwards. Even if you're in a really bad place, at the end of a terrible day, you will find things that you are thankful for.

Being jealous is one of those things we are reluctant to admit to – to admit to jealousy is to admit to being a Bad Person. I actually debated with myself long and hard about publishing this post at all. But in the end I took a chance that I'm not the only writer in the world who gets jealous, and, like the post I did recently about writer highs and lows, maybe it would help others to know they're not the only ones who feel this way.

There are a lot things in my life I should be grateful for, and I need to remind myself of this occasionally. Sometimes I resent the day job because it gets in the way of writing tme. But if I didn't have it, I wouldn't be able to afford all the wonderful holidays I take. So what if there are people out there who are making more money from their writing than me? It doesn't diminish my own achievements. Nor does it make me a bad writer if someone else is perceived to be a better one.

We all have our own path to follow. Sometimes we have to remember to keep watching it, instead of coveting someone else's.

I want to finish this post with a song from the irrepressibly cheerful Dolly Parton, whose "Better Get to Livin'" offers a better lesson in overcoming jealousy than I can offer. I can't embed the video, so you need to click on the link to see it.

Better Get to Livin' – Dolly Parton

My Life In Books: Han Solo’s Revenge

My first viewing of ‘Star Wars’ – a few weeks before my 13th birthday – led to an obsession with all things Star Wars-related for years.

Nowadays, the number of novels set in the Star Wars universe fill an entire book case, but back in the early 80s, all we had was the novelisations of the three films, and a trilogy of novels by Brian Daley about Han Solo. I happened upon HAN SOLO’S REVENGE in the book shop one day. It is actually the second novel in the trilogy, but it was the only one in stock at the time, so I read it first.

Set a few years before Han Solo has that fateful encounter with Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Mos Eisley cantina, all three of these books relay Han and Chewie having adventures in a long-neglected corner of the galaxy called The Corporate Sector.

Han Solo was the only Bad Boy I ever had a thing for – and even at the age I was, I though going out with someone like him would only lead to trouble. At 14, I preferred Luke Skywalker, who I thought was much more suitable boyfriend material. Ultimately, Han was never really very ‘bad’, at least in these books, which were clearly written as Young Adult books, even though the genre wasn’t really defined as such at the time. Han Solo is always described as devil-may-care smuggler and pirate, and he was a single man with a healthy interest in women. And yet there’s no sex and no bad language in these books. Nowadays, I think books for teenagers are far more risque.

Still, as a teenager I adored these books, and I still have the original dog-eared and yellowed 1980s paperbacks. The illustration here is the original cover. I always had a beef with this cover. Han Solo is not left handed.

These books are now are now joined on my book shelves by a great deal more Star Wars books. I keep them stacked in chronological order – the order in which they occur in the Star Wars timeline, not the order in which they were written. That’s an important distinction.

My Star Wars obsession has faded someone over the years, but these three Han Solo books – HAN SOLO AT STARS’ END, HAN SOLO’S REVENGE and HAN SOLO AND THE LOST LEGACY, to put them in their correct order – remain amongst the books I have read the most.

And I can probably still recite the original 1977 Star Wars film, word for word, from beginning to end. Should I ever feel inclined to do so…

My Life In Books: Han Solo's Revenge

My first viewing of 'Star Wars' – a few weeks before my 13th birthday – led to an obsession with all things Star Wars-related for years.

Nowadays, the number of novels set in the Star Wars universe fill an entire book case, but back in the early 80s, all we had was the novelisations of the three films, and a trilogy of novels by Brian Daley about Han Solo. I happened upon HAN SOLO'S REVENGE in the book shop one day. It is actually the second novel in the trilogy, but it was the only one in stock at the time, so I read it first.

Set a few years before Han Solo has that fateful encounter with Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Mos Eisley cantina, all three of these books relay Han and Chewie having adventures in a long-neglected corner of the galaxy called The Corporate Sector.

Han Solo was the only Bad Boy I ever had a thing for – and even at the age I was, I though going out with someone like him would only lead to trouble. At 14, I preferred Luke Skywalker, who I thought was much more suitable boyfriend material. Ultimately, Han was never really very 'bad', at least in these books, which were clearly written as Young Adult books, even though the genre wasn't really defined as such at the time. Han Solo is always described as devil-may-care smuggler and pirate, and he was a single man with a healthy interest in women. And yet there's no sex and no bad language in these books. Nowadays, I think books for teenagers are far more risque.

Still, as a teenager I adored these books, and I still have the original dog-eared and yellowed 1980s paperbacks. The illustration here is the original cover. I always had a beef with this cover. Han Solo is not left handed.

These books are now are now joined on my book shelves by a great deal more Star Wars books. I keep them stacked in chronological order – the order in which they occur in the Star Wars timeline, not the order in which they were written. That's an important distinction.

My Star Wars obsession has faded someone over the years, but these three Han Solo books – HAN SOLO AT STARS' END, HAN SOLO'S REVENGE and HAN SOLO AND THE LOST LEGACY, to put them in their correct order – remain amongst the books I have read the most.

And I can probably still recite the original 1977 Star Wars film, word for word, from beginning to end. Should I ever feel inclined to do so…

Sex & Violence

(Cross-posted on the WriteClub blog)

I've never been a fan of romance novels – even as a teenager I was reading crime and horror. I tend to say I don't like my violence tainted with romance. In spite of this my amateur sleuth is telling me very clearly she wants a sex life, however, which is taking my stories about her down a route I never actually planned.

However, things are a bit more straightforward with my short story collection. The short stories in SOUL SCREAMS were written over a period of 20 years. I've been analysing the ratio of sex to violence in them. There are three stories in which sex occurs, but all the scenes are skated over, which admittedly I tend to do with sex scenes. Hence, there's nothing very explicit, and if these stories were films none of them would be rated anything over a PG-13, at least as far as the sexual content goes.

It's a different story when it comes to the violence, however. There are horrible deaths featured in 12 of the 13 stories. Even the one in which nobody dies doesn't end happily, but I won't say any more for fear of giving away spoilers.

I've done a tally of the manner of deaths in these stories, and this is what we have.

Four car crashes

Three stabbings

Two decapitations

One electrocution

One drowning

One death by fire

I am really not sure what this says about me. I am not, by nature, a violent person. But perhaps this is because I write about my violence, instead of engaging in real-life violence.

I write about the things I fear. The things I have trouble dealing with. Clearly violent death is something that terrifies me. It's no coincidence that car crashes appear at the top of this list. I have a pathological fear of dying in a car crash – it's something I have recurring nightmares about. I have to consciously not think about this every time I set off to drive somewhere, because if I let myself think about it I'd never get in the car. Fire is another fear, to the point that I'm suprised it doesn't feature higher on the list.

Readers of SOUL SCREAMS might quite understandably come to the conclusion that I'm not a fan of the happy ending. But like most of us, I go through life looking for happiness. When I find it, I want to hold onto it. That's why it never ends up in my stories. I write about pain and misery and death because I am trying to exorcise these things, as far as it is possible (death, unfortunately, we can never eradicate from human existence, but knowing that doesn't make it any easier to deal with). I make my characters very miserable. But ultimately, they are characters. I don't want to share that happy ending with fictional people. When I find it, I'd rather keep it for real life.

And that, I think, is why I'd rather write about violence than sex.

Ups & Downs

(Cross-posted on the WriteClub blog)

The statistics say that one in four people has some kind of mental illness. I have a feeling that if you just include writers in the equation, the figure would be a lot higher than that.

It's not too surprising, really, if you think about it. What other profession has your emotions riding high and low more often than a roller coaster? Actors, artists and musicians ride the same roller coaster, but it's unique to the more creative vocations.

When a WIP is going well, I am jubilant. This is the best thing I've ever written. I finish it off, send it out for critique, and it gets soundly ripped to shreds. Then all of a sudden it becomes a piece of crap, and how could I ever have thought what I was writing was any good? If it's had a particularly harsh flaying, I might go crawling into a corner thinking I'm a completely rubbish writer and I should stop pretending I'm a writer and focus on the day job instead.

However, maybe I get through all that, and eventually the book gets accepted somewhere. Celebrations ensue. But then after it gets published, the royalty statements arrive and it's not selling. Or there aren't any reviews. Since a lot of online reviewers will only publish favourable reviews, not getting reviews is amost as bad as getting an unfavourable review – since I then start to assume no reviews means everyone hates the book. And I'm depressed again.

Then suddenly something appears online, out of the blue, from someone saying how much they enjoyed reading my work, and I'm riding high once more.

Sometimes I feel I'm on the brink of something really exciting. Life-changing exciting. Other times I feel as a writer I'm making barely a ripple in an enormous pond, and really no one will notice or care if I remove myself completely.

Even the most well-balanced person can't help but be affected by all these constant ups and downs. No wonder so many writers feel like they're going a bit mad.

But. Here's the thing. We're all on the same roller coaster. Every single writer I know, without exception, from the beginner writer to the one with several best-selling novels under their belt, goes through the same ups and downs.

All you can do when the ride gets rough is hold on tight and wait for the calmer bit to come along. Because it invariably will, and when it does, you are reminded why it's all worth it.

Monday’s Friend: Diane Escalera

Today I am interviewing romance writer Diane Escalera.

Welcome, Diane!

DE: First, thank you so much, Sara, for hosting me. I really appreciate this awesome opportunity!

SJT: Who would you cite as your influences?

DE: Danielle Steel was my first introduction to romance. I also loved Sidney Sheldon and Lawrence Sanders. Today, my go-to authors are Linda Howard, Lori Foster, and Jill Shalvis. I devour their books!

SJT: What advice would you pass on to beginner writers that you wish someone had told you when you were first starting out?

DE: Being a romance author is not as glamorous as people might think. It takes a lot of hard work, grit and steely determination to make it in this business.

SJT: Tell us about your new release, STILL HOT FOR YOU.

DE: STILL HOT FOR YOU is about what happens after the happily ever.

Shay LaCosta screwed up a damn good marriage. Now she’s on a mission to get a little submission, and get her hunky husband back in her bed.

Sexy, fun, and romantic, STILL HOT FOR YOU takes a peek into the marriage of Dylan and Shay. Theirs is a hot and steamy union, with an even hotter couple. Just like in real life, relationships have problems. But when two people are meant to be, they fight with each other, and they fight for each other.

SJT: You have a several books out with Kensington Publishing described as ‘hot Latino romances’. Where does the Latin influence come from, and why do you find it so appealing for your romance novels?



DE: Right after I finished writing my first novel, I came across an article that Kensington Publishing was launching the first-ever Latino Romance line. My hero just happened to be Latino, so I submitted to them. Nothing had prepared me for what happened next — I sold three books! My mom is Puerto Rican, so the Latin culture comes natural to me. It’s fun writing stories with Latino characters because I can easily relate. Unfortunately, the Encanto line went into hiatus. But I still feature Latino characters in my books. After all, Latin lovers are hot. With all that passion, they’re perfect for steamy romances!

SJT: Have you ever been inspired to put people you know in real life in your books?

DE: Most of my characters are a combination of many different people – family, friends, acquaintances, even strangers. Everyone is unique. I’ll watch and observe (not in a creepy way), look for stand-out features whether physical or behavioral. A wild imagination does the rest!

SJT: You went from the Bronx to South Florida, and it’s clear that you are happy living there. Anything about your childhood in the Bronx that you miss?

DE: I’ve lived in South Florida for over thirty years, and it truly is paradise. I never take the postcard scenery or the tropical climate for granted. One thing I had in my childhood that I don’t have now is snow. We had a blast playing with snowballs, sledding, ice skating, and getting days off from school. I couldn’t handle the cold anymore, but back then, we lived for those days!

SJT: When it comes to your writing projects, would you describe yourself as a meticulous planner, or a ‘seat-of-the-pantser’?

DE: While I’m more of a pantser, I do need to have a few things in place before I start a new book such as a working title, my main characters, and the premise of the story. I like to have an idea where I’m going, but I’m never sure how I’m going to get there until I start writing.

SJT: What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

DE: I love to hang out with my family, play with our sweet little dachshund who keeps a permanent smile on my face. I’m also into fitness, scary movies, sexy books, and red wine. Oh, and chocolate!

SJT: Any new projects in the works?

DE: The hero in STILL HOT FOR YOU has a sinfully sexy brother and cousin. I couldn’t let Christian and Nico go without a happy ending. So… I’m working on two more novellas featuring these delicious men. Stay tuned for more Latin Heat!

SJT: Anything else you’d like to tell us about?

DE: Still Hot for You is available at Lyrical Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Digital Bookstores everywhere.

Please visit DianeEscalera.com to learn more about my tales. I love to interact with readers! Like my fan page on Facebook.com/DianeEscaleraOfficial. Follow me on Twitter.com/DianeEscalera.

Born and raised in the Bronx, NY, Diane Escalera makes her home in sunny South Florida. The sultry paradise is a steady source of inspiration for her hot love stories. Diane is married, has two children and a super cute dachshund she can’t get enough of. She writes contemporary romance, and is published with Kensington Publishing and Lyrical Press.

About STILL HOT FOR YOU:

Want to get your man talking?  Give him booty!



Desperate times call for desperate measures. And Shay LaCosta is pretty desperate. She’s wrecked her blissful marriage of five years by demanding she and her husband Dylan have a baby. What the hell was she thinking? She knows she was wrong and she’s ready to set things right, if only Dylan will let her. Bet he can’t shun her Booty Camp offer: delicious, white-hot sex in exchange for what’s going on inside his brain.

Dylan may be macho and stubborn, but he really does miss his wife. A little of Shay’s pushing gets him past their estrangement and into her web of seduction. She seems to have an erotic week mapped out to perfection, and who is he to complain? Their marriage is meant to be, so they’ll fight with each other, and they’ll fight for each other.

WARNING: Racy Language, Hot Sex, Seduction

Monday's Friend: Diane Escalera

Today I am interviewing romance writer Diane Escalera.

Welcome, Diane!

DE: First, thank you so much, Sara, for hosting me. I really appreciate this awesome opportunity!

SJT: Who would you cite as your influences?

DE: Danielle Steel was my first introduction to romance. I also loved Sidney Sheldon and Lawrence Sanders. Today, my go-to authors are Linda Howard, Lori Foster, and Jill Shalvis. I devour their books!

SJT: What advice would you pass on to beginner writers that you wish someone had told you when you were first starting out?

DE: Being a romance author is not as glamorous as people might think. It takes a lot of hard work, grit and steely determination to make it in this business.

SJT: Tell us about your new release, STILL HOT FOR YOU.

DE: STILL HOT FOR YOU is about what happens after the happily ever.

Shay LaCosta screwed up a damn good marriage. Now she's on a mission to get a little submission, and get her hunky husband back in her bed.

Sexy, fun, and romantic, STILL HOT FOR YOU takes a peek into the marriage of Dylan and Shay. Theirs is a hot and steamy union, with an even hotter couple. Just like in real life, relationships have problems. But when two people are meant to be, they fight with each other, and they fight for each other.

SJT: You have a several books out with Kensington Publishing described as 'hot Latino romances'. Where does the Latin influence come from, and why do you find it so appealing for your romance novels?



DE: Right after I finished writing my first novel, I came across an article that Kensington Publishing was launching the first-ever Latino Romance line. My hero just happened to be Latino, so I submitted to them. Nothing had prepared me for what happened next — I sold three books! My mom is Puerto Rican, so the Latin culture comes natural to me. It's fun writing stories with Latino characters because I can easily relate. Unfortunately, the Encanto line went into hiatus. But I still feature Latino characters in my books. After all, Latin lovers are hot. With all that passion, they're perfect for steamy romances!

SJT: Have you ever been inspired to put people you know in real life in your books?

DE: Most of my characters are a combination of many different people – family, friends, acquaintances, even strangers. Everyone is unique. I'll watch and observe (not in a creepy way), look for stand-out features whether physical or behavioral. A wild imagination does the rest!

SJT: You went from the Bronx to South Florida, and it's clear that you are happy living there. Anything about your childhood in the Bronx that you miss?

DE: I've lived in South Florida for over thirty years, and it truly is paradise. I never take the postcard scenery or the tropical climate for granted. One thing I had in my childhood that I don't have now is snow. We had a blast playing with snowballs, sledding, ice skating, and getting days off from school. I couldn't handle the cold anymore, but back then, we lived for those days!

SJT: When it comes to your writing projects, would you describe yourself as a meticulous planner, or a 'seat-of-the-pantser'?

DE: While I'm more of a pantser, I do need to have a few things in place before I start a new book such as a working title, my main characters, and the premise of the story. I like to have an idea where I'm going, but I'm never sure how I'm going to get there until I start writing.

SJT: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

DE: I love to hang out with my family, play with our sweet little dachshund who keeps a permanent smile on my face. I'm also into fitness, scary movies, sexy books, and red wine. Oh, and chocolate!

SJT: Any new projects in the works?

DE: The hero in STILL HOT FOR YOU has a sinfully sexy brother and cousin. I couldn't let Christian and Nico go without a happy ending. So… I'm working on two more novellas featuring these delicious men. Stay tuned for more Latin Heat!

SJT: Anything else you'd like to tell us about?

DE: Still Hot for You is available at Lyrical Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Digital Bookstores everywhere.

Please visit DianeEscalera.com to learn more about my tales. I love to interact with readers! Like my fan page on Facebook.com/DianeEscaleraOfficial. Follow me on Twitter.com/DianeEscalera.

Born and raised in the Bronx, NY, Diane Escalera makes her home in sunny South Florida. The sultry paradise is a steady source of inspiration for her hot love stories. Diane is married, has two children and a super cute dachshund she can't get enough of. She writes contemporary romance, and is published with Kensington Publishing and Lyrical Press.

About STILL HOT FOR YOU:

Want to get your man talking?  Give him booty!



Desperate times call for desperate measures. And Shay LaCosta is pretty desperate. She's wrecked her blissful marriage of five years by demanding she and her husband Dylan have a baby. What the hell was she thinking? She knows she was wrong and she's ready to set things right, if only Dylan will let her. Bet he can't shun her Booty Camp offer: delicious, white-hot sex in exchange for what's going on inside his brain.

Dylan may be macho and stubborn, but he really does miss his wife. A little of Shay's pushing gets him past their estrangement and into her web of seduction. She seems to have an erotic week mapped out to perfection, and who is he to complain? Their marriage is meant to be, so they'll fight with each other, and they'll fight for each other.

WARNING: Racy Language, Hot Sex, Seduction

My Life In Books – Blubber

Another Judy Blume book, this one deals with the timeless issue of schoolyard bullying.

Fifth-grader Jill joins in with her classmates tormenting Linda, the fat, unpopular kid who makes herself an easy target for the bullies by not standing up for herself. But Jill learns what it's like to be the victim, not the bully, when the tables get turned and she finds herself the target for the ridicule.

I was surprised to learn, in looking up this book, that it's on the list of 'most frequently banned' books in the US. The main issue seems to be because the bullies don't get punished. Jill learns that by standing up for herself, the bullies leave her alone, but they never see the error of their ways.

For me, the strength in Judy Blume's writing is the realistic way she portrays sensitive issues. This book resonated with me because I was a bullied kid – I was the geeky smart kid with the bad dress sense and the funny accent (being British and living in Canada). I was different and ridiculed for it.

Bullying is a terrible thing and I know first-hand how hard it is to deal with when you're young. But as I've moved through life there are a few things I've learned about bullies.

The first thing is you can't escape them, even in adulthood. Bullies always exist. I've worked for bullying bosses, and bullying office mates. In an ideal world, bullies would be dealt with and removed from the workplace. In real life, it's not that easy. You either learn how to deal with them, or you end up leaving your job and working somewhere else.  But chances are, you'll be dealing with similar issues there too, because human beings are flawed. Most people find it easier to criticise someone else's failings than to face up to their own – that's ultimately why reality shows and soaps are so popular.

The other thing I've learned is that most of the time bullies won't admit to being so. My bullying boss never considered himself a bully. He just thought everyone else was being spineless. My way of dealing with him was to give back as good as I got. We'd have screaming matches in the office, and then I would storm back to my desk and ignore him for the rest of the day. There were only the two of us in the office on a full time basis. It really wasn't the most professional way to run a business, and undoubtedly not the best way for me to handle the situation. I was busy looking for another job in the meantime, but not being the sort of person who feels comfortable walking out of a job without another one lined up, I put up with this situation for rather longer than I should have done.

As an additional point, it became clear to me that my boss didn't bully women he fancied. Then, he was charm personified. So there were a lot of women – mostly friends but occasionally customers of the company – who thought he was wonderful, and they never saw the side that I saw, every day in the office. Even after I left the job the memories of this person haunted me. Then I based the character of Jonathan in DEATH SCENE on him and killed him off. That allowed me to move on.

Social networking has made it easier for us all to catch up with people from our past – sometimes people we'd really rather not have contact with. Something I've learned about bullies of childhood is that though your childhood trauma at their hands is imprinted indelibly on your memory, the bullies have no memory of it whatsoever. One or two people who tormented me as a teenager have got in touch with me in adulthood. They only have good things to say. "How wonderful to catch up with you. So pleased to hear you're doing so well with the writing. I always remember you for the wonderful stories you wrote." So you don't remember tormenting me in the school corridors, then? Strange. That's what I remember about you. But they only remember who was making them miserable.

Bullying is one of those subjects that gets people very upset. Yes, it's a terrible thing. Yes, the world would be a better place if we could abolish it. Unfortunately, we never will. Homer Simpson summed it up rather well: "sometimes the only time you can feel good about yourself is by making someone else feel bad." That's what bullying is all about, at the end of the day.  All those people who feel bad about themselves turn their energies into making someone else feel even worse.

A great deal of us have a rough time in adolescence because of bullies.  That's why I think this book still deserves to be in all school libraries. Eradicating bullying is a noble idea but I fear unachievable. It's more important to teach kids how to rise above it.  How to survive in spite of it.  Because in real life, which is rarely fair, the best thing we can learn is that if we can deal with these traumas and obstacles place in our path, we emerge a better person. I don't think anyone has an easy time in adolescence, but the lessons we learn there serve us well later in life. The bullying boss who made my life hell for over three years inspired a character in a novel – so a good thing even came out of that situation, too!

All those people pegged as losers and geeks in high school are the ones who grow up to be the most successful. The ones who get the qualifications to get a well-paying job. The ones who find a life partner who values them for who they are. The ones who learn, in spite of the traumas of childhood, self-respect and how important it is to be true to themselves. And these are lessons worth learning.

Lucky Seven Excerpt: DEAD COOL

I was tagged by Sonya Clark for a Lucky Seven Excerpt, and I have decided to play.

Here are the rules:

1. Go to page 77 in your current manuscript

2. Go to line 7

3. Copy down the next seven lines as they are – no cheating

4. Tag 7 other authors (done on Facebook).

First, an explanation, because I have two WIPs. The horror WIP is still at first draft stage. In first draft, I create a new document for each chapter. I don't put the novel together into one document until I'm ready to send it to beta readers. So for the horror WIP, I don't know which is page 77.

Hence, this extract is from my other WIP – the second Shara Summers novel, DEAD COOL. It got critted by the writing group in December, and there are so many things to fix I don't know where to start, so it's been shelved ever since.

If nothing else, this exercise is a stark reminder of where I'm going wrong. And I think maybe I'm ready to get going on the next draft…

* * * * * * * *

I shook my head. "Looks like an overdose. But I'm not sure." I could hear sirens in the distance, getting louder. "I asked Reception to call the police."

Kelly groaned. "I guess the cops are going to grill us again."

Madison dug him in the ribs. "A girl's dead, you jerk. Is all you can think about the inconvenience to you?"

"I didn't really know her," Kelly said defensively.

"That doesn't matter. She's dead. Isn't that enough?"

* * * * * * * *