Jamie DeBree's Blog, page 45
March 1, 2012
Writer's Notes: Belated & Miscellaneous "Blah"
It's been a week, folks...what can I say?
So far I've dealt with:
-
A new purse I really wanted that was just too small, and had to be sent
back (this after hours of talking myself into ordering it). And then
talking myself into ordering a larger style later.
- Insane busy-ness at the day job.
- A missing workout that I really shouldn't have skipped.
-
Weather that seriously cannot make up it's mind. Warm, cold, wind,
snow, sun, rain...we've had it all in the last five days or so (and now
it looks like rain or snow is once again imminent). I'm sick of it. Pick
one. Not rain or wind. And yes, I know other people are dealing with
far worse weather, like tornadoes. I feel for them, but I live in my own
reality, and I'm allowed to complain about my own reality.
- Hormonal/female issues (sorry guys, but it happens, and it definitely affects "quality of life" from time to time)
-
Learning my oldest dog has cancer. It's hard enough knowing he's older,
and getting to the end of his life and *might* have serious health
issues at this point, but being faced with the *certainty* on a medical
level is almost worse, methinks. He's still happy and comfortable, and
we have no plans to actively treat it (aside from keeping him
comfortable) for many reasons, but still...sucks actually having to face
his mortality. Moreso given the previous point.
- Being behind on nearly everything due to life's little ups & downs, including my daily writing sessions.
Needless
to say, I'm having kind of a "blah" week...and the only thing any of
this really has to do with writing is that with the exception of today's
scene, most of my writing has felt "blah" as well. It happens. We work
through it, we get over it, and we keep moving forward. And hope it
doesn't take too much revision to get the "blah" out later.
On
a brighter note, all this "blah" adds to my file of "feelings" that I
can call on later when I need to describe how a hero or heroine is
dealing with "blah". So there is that.
Next week will be better. Heck, tomorrow will be better - it's Friday.
So far I've dealt with:
-
A new purse I really wanted that was just too small, and had to be sent
back (this after hours of talking myself into ordering it). And then
talking myself into ordering a larger style later.
- Insane busy-ness at the day job.
- A missing workout that I really shouldn't have skipped.
-
Weather that seriously cannot make up it's mind. Warm, cold, wind,
snow, sun, rain...we've had it all in the last five days or so (and now
it looks like rain or snow is once again imminent). I'm sick of it. Pick
one. Not rain or wind. And yes, I know other people are dealing with
far worse weather, like tornadoes. I feel for them, but I live in my own
reality, and I'm allowed to complain about my own reality.
- Hormonal/female issues (sorry guys, but it happens, and it definitely affects "quality of life" from time to time)
-
Learning my oldest dog has cancer. It's hard enough knowing he's older,
and getting to the end of his life and *might* have serious health
issues at this point, but being faced with the *certainty* on a medical
level is almost worse, methinks. He's still happy and comfortable, and
we have no plans to actively treat it (aside from keeping him
comfortable) for many reasons, but still...sucks actually having to face
his mortality. Moreso given the previous point.
- Being behind on nearly everything due to life's little ups & downs, including my daily writing sessions.
Needless
to say, I'm having kind of a "blah" week...and the only thing any of
this really has to do with writing is that with the exception of today's
scene, most of my writing has felt "blah" as well. It happens. We work
through it, we get over it, and we keep moving forward. And hope it
doesn't take too much revision to get the "blah" out later.
On
a brighter note, all this "blah" adds to my file of "feelings" that I
can call on later when I need to describe how a hero or heroine is
dealing with "blah". So there is that.
Next week will be better. Heck, tomorrow will be better - it's Friday.
Enjoy
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Romantic Suspense
| Erotica | Suspense/Thriller
| Flash Fiction | Non-Fiction
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February 27, 2012
Weekly News & Prompt - February 27, 2012
Week 9 Prompt:
A woman is running down the street, dodging other people as she makes her way through a crowded sidewalk. She looks over her shoulder, then spies a mail slot in the door of a business with a "Closed" sign in the window. Breathing hard, she stops long enough to push something through the slot, and then sprints across the street...
A woman is running down the street, dodging other people as she makes her way through a crowded sidewalk. She looks over her shoulder, then spies a mail slot in the door of a business with a "Closed" sign in the window. Breathing hard, she stops long enough to push something through the slot, and then sprints across the street...
Hmm...looks like Monday again.
Sure you
don't want to just call in sick and go back to bed? Yeah, I can't
do that either. Some days I really wish I was that person, but alas,
I am a horrible liar (in real life, at least), and far too
responsible for my own good (or so people tell me). Which is odd,
considering I have no trouble dreaming up fiction....
In any case, I am an utter failure at
newsletters, it would seem, as I still haven't gotten any out. Do I
try this week? Do I just admit that they aren't going to get done
and move along? Are all those people who say I need to do them right
or wrong?
I don't know either. We'll just see
how this week goes. I do want to do them....
Yes, I love ellipses. Even if it did
take me three times to spell the word correctly.
What was I talking about? Oh right.
Newsletters, because I had a lot of new books releasing in February.
You'll notice I didn't publish anything this weekend – I took a
bit of a break. Next weekend though, if I can get the cover art put
together, I should have another flash collection to release under my
Alex Westhaven pen name (that's suspense/thriller for those who
don't follow my alter-egos). It will be called "No Hazard Pay",
and will feature four flash stories about jobs gone awry. Fun stuff,
I tell ya!
What else is going on? Well, I have
lots of fun things coming in the mail this week, including an
adorable tiny metal smurf to add to my growing collection, a new
purse and wallet (my first "designer" purchase), and a wireless
trackball to use with my laptop (the scroll wheel on my mouse
broke...I cannot live without a scroll wheel, and I love trackballs).
I need to order tea rather badly (my husband disagrees, but that's
only because he doesn't understand the intricacies of single estate
vs. flavored blends, and the proper time/usage for each), but that
will have to wait until payday (Wednesday – yay!). I also need a
new digital camera and my dress shoes are horribly worn out, so I'll
be shopping next weekend, sadly. The camera will be more fun to find
than the shoes, I'm sure. I hate shoe/clothes shopping.
As far as writing goes, business as
usual with the serial stories:
In this week's chapter of The Minister's Maid, we find out Betsy's totally in the wrong
place, and hopefully Ian can save himself. Or she gets to him in
time, one of the two. I think we left him passed out on the bed –
not exactly in good fighting shape.
Last week in Alex's chapter of
Animal, Jake found some rather disturbing things, and then
something even more worrisome. I'm not sure yet, but he and Edward
may well clash this week. That should be interesting...
Trinity's chapter of Irish Cream
is going to be a bit nerve-wracking for our heroine, more so than
last week even as she finds herself in need of the one thing she
doesn't want – a man's protection.
Falling in Public has flown way
out of control (pun intended, permission to groan granted), and
Friday we'll see how the heck Eddie plans to get himself and Holly
out of the air safely, and hopefully to a hospital.
I have a couple other projects in the
works as well...but I'm working on them a little at a time, when I
have a spare minute, so no big announcements yet.
And that's it for this week, I think.
I hope your Monday isn't too rebellious, and that it goes by
quickly!
Enjoy
this post? Support your author:
Romantic Suspense
| Erotica | Suspense/Thriller
| Flash Fiction | Non-Fiction
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note - If this is your first time posting, your comment
will be moderated. Once you have been approved, future comments will post automatically.
February 26, 2012
Flash 52: The Boss's Breakfast (moved)
This week's flash story was hijacked by my
"Alex" alter-ego again...and runs more to the horror side of
things. So if you're interested, click through to Alex's blog using the
link below. I promise next week's story will be back here. Or at Trinity's blog...or both.
Week 8 Prompt: A man gets to the office early, cheerful and anxious to finish a big project he's been working on for months. He boots up his computer, and finds an email from the boss requesting a status update. Happy to oblige, he takes his coffee cup and walks to the boss's office, the smile on his face fading as he glances in the window...
The Boss's Breakfast
February 24, 2012
Serial Novel: Falling in Public, Ch. 39
This serial novel is posted in draft form every Friday.
Ch.1|Ch. 2|Ch. 3|Ch. 4|Ch. 5|Ch. 6|Ch. 7|Ch. 8|Ch. 9|Ch. 10|Ch. 11|Ch. 12|Ch.13|Ch. 14|Ch. 15| Ch. 16| Ch. 17|Ch. 18| Ch. 19 | Ch. 20 | Ch. 21 | Ch. 22 | Ch. 23 | Ch. 24 | Ch. 25 | Ch. 26 | Ch. 27 | Ch. 28 | Ch. 29 | Ch. 30 | Ch. 31 | Ch. 32 | Ch. 33 | Ch. 34 | Ch. 35 | Ch. 36 | Ch. 37 | Ch. 38
Falling in Public
Chapter 39
Ignoring Winston, Eddie turned kept his eyes on Holly.
"Are you going to be okay? How's the leg?" He glanced down as she moved the towel away to look. Her jeans seemed to be drying, thankfully, though they couldn't be comfortable caked with all that blood.
She shrugged, tossing the towel aside. "I think it's fine - or as well as it's going to get for now. I think it started when Sean's goon knocked me over. Ripped a few stitches out, is all." She smiled, though she couldn't hide the worry lining her face. "I don't suppose you know how to fly a plane?"
He shook his head, knowing they were running out of time. "I actually went to a few flight classes in college, but never finished the course. We'll think of something though." He stroked the side of her face, his hand falling away as the plane dipped again. "I'll be right back."
Sprinting for the curtain, he made sure to pull it closed behind him. Holly was obviously very strong, but the carnage in what normally would have been first class was a bit much even for his stomach to handle. He bent over to pick up a gun - it didn't matter whose, and he wasn't sure anyway - and continued forward until he reached the cabin door. Pointing the weapon at the door with one hand, he grasped the knob with the other, surprised when it opened easily.
Not nearly as surprised as the man who stepped over the threshold. He tried to move backward, but Eddie grabbed the front of his shirt and hauled him forward, clocking him on the back of the head with the butt of the gun. The man slumped to the floor, and Eddie lunged back for the door, stopping it from swinging shut just in time.
Peering around the frame, he saw one man in the co-pilot seat, his hands on the yoke. Moving as quietly as possible, Eddie stepped inside and closed the door, engaging the lock.
"One wrong move, and I'll blow your head off," he said, pressing the barrel of the gun into the man's temple.
The pilot laughed. "You blow my head off, we all die," he replied, reaching to his right to flip a few switches. "We're on approach to Mr. Winston's private airfield, so why don't you just sit back and get comfortable. I'm sure Winston can straighten everything out when we're on the ground."
"What, you mean when we're surrounded by more of his men? I don't think so." Eddie looked for a fuel gauge, trying to remember where it should be located on the massive instrument panel. "How much fuel do we have left?"
The pilot shrugged, but he glanced to the left, and Eddie followed his gaze to the display. The needle was about midpoint on the dial, but he knew that didn't mean anything unless he knew their location. "Where's the nearest commercial airport?"
"A hundred miles away, at least. We don't have enough fuel."
In the center of the dash, a red light blinked on and off. The tag underneath indicated that it was the autopilot indicator, and there was a small switch just below the light. He thought about it for half a second, then brought the gun down hard on the pilot's head. Dragging the man off the controls, Eddie flipped the autopilot on and half-fell into one of the seats as the plane rocked, the computer taking over.
Ch.1|Ch. 2|Ch. 3|Ch. 4|Ch. 5|Ch. 6|Ch. 7|Ch. 8|Ch. 9|Ch. 10|Ch. 11|Ch. 12|Ch.13|Ch. 14|Ch. 15| Ch. 16| Ch. 17|Ch. 18| Ch. 19 | Ch. 20 | Ch. 21 | Ch. 22 | Ch. 23 | Ch. 24 | Ch. 25 | Ch. 26 | Ch. 27 | Ch. 28 | Ch. 29 | Ch. 30 | Ch. 31 | Ch. 32 | Ch. 33 | Ch. 34 | Ch. 35 | Ch. 36 | Ch. 37 | Ch. 38
Falling in Public
Chapter 39
Ignoring Winston, Eddie turned kept his eyes on Holly.
"Are you going to be okay? How's the leg?" He glanced down as she moved the towel away to look. Her jeans seemed to be drying, thankfully, though they couldn't be comfortable caked with all that blood.
She shrugged, tossing the towel aside. "I think it's fine - or as well as it's going to get for now. I think it started when Sean's goon knocked me over. Ripped a few stitches out, is all." She smiled, though she couldn't hide the worry lining her face. "I don't suppose you know how to fly a plane?"
He shook his head, knowing they were running out of time. "I actually went to a few flight classes in college, but never finished the course. We'll think of something though." He stroked the side of her face, his hand falling away as the plane dipped again. "I'll be right back."
Sprinting for the curtain, he made sure to pull it closed behind him. Holly was obviously very strong, but the carnage in what normally would have been first class was a bit much even for his stomach to handle. He bent over to pick up a gun - it didn't matter whose, and he wasn't sure anyway - and continued forward until he reached the cabin door. Pointing the weapon at the door with one hand, he grasped the knob with the other, surprised when it opened easily.
Not nearly as surprised as the man who stepped over the threshold. He tried to move backward, but Eddie grabbed the front of his shirt and hauled him forward, clocking him on the back of the head with the butt of the gun. The man slumped to the floor, and Eddie lunged back for the door, stopping it from swinging shut just in time.
Peering around the frame, he saw one man in the co-pilot seat, his hands on the yoke. Moving as quietly as possible, Eddie stepped inside and closed the door, engaging the lock.
"One wrong move, and I'll blow your head off," he said, pressing the barrel of the gun into the man's temple.
The pilot laughed. "You blow my head off, we all die," he replied, reaching to his right to flip a few switches. "We're on approach to Mr. Winston's private airfield, so why don't you just sit back and get comfortable. I'm sure Winston can straighten everything out when we're on the ground."
"What, you mean when we're surrounded by more of his men? I don't think so." Eddie looked for a fuel gauge, trying to remember where it should be located on the massive instrument panel. "How much fuel do we have left?"
The pilot shrugged, but he glanced to the left, and Eddie followed his gaze to the display. The needle was about midpoint on the dial, but he knew that didn't mean anything unless he knew their location. "Where's the nearest commercial airport?"
"A hundred miles away, at least. We don't have enough fuel."
In the center of the dash, a red light blinked on and off. The tag underneath indicated that it was the autopilot indicator, and there was a small switch just below the light. He thought about it for half a second, then brought the gun down hard on the pilot's head. Dragging the man off the controls, Eddie flipped the autopilot on and half-fell into one of the seats as the plane rocked, the computer taking over.
Enjoy
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Heat | The
Biker's Wench
| Flash Fiction
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February 22, 2012
Writer's Notes: Introvert vs. Extrovert
I'm a bit discombobulated this week, what with taking last Friday
off, and then having Monday as a holiday from the day job. Yesterday was
a bit like plunging into glacial waters - a serious reality check after
having four days to do my own thing, but I survived.
In
any case, bear with me...I'm still sort of brain dead from the whole
work thing. Being around people wears me out, even more so when that
includes a lot of noise, activity, and sometimes requires input from me.
It's the whole introverted thing - while I may not seem like your
average introvert (I'm not shy and I do a decent job blending in for the
most part), it's harder to deal with when I have a few blissful days to
myself and then suddenly have to deal with people again.
Naturally, this gets me thinking about the characters in my books - are they introverts? Extroverts? Does it matter?
I
think it does - and I also think that to this point, most of my
characters have been introverted to various degrees. It wasn't a
conscious decision on my part - I just write the characters as they are
in my head. But I think that because I'm drawn to other introverts, my
subconscious gives me that kind of a mental baseline to write from.
Probably because that's what I *know* from a very personal standpoint,
and because it's hard for me to empathize with people who draw strength
from being around other people.
Honestly, a
lot of extroverts annoy me if I have to be around them for too long.
Which I know isn't the "nice" thing to say, and it's probably
politically incorrect as well, but I'm not saying they're bad people, or
that they need to stop being the way they are (because they can't,
anymore than I can) - I'm just saying that they wear me down far more
quickly than another introvert would, so the time I can comfortably spend
with them is far, far shorter. Even online, I tend to limit contact with
extroverts when I don't have the energy to be around their general
enthusiasm for socializing.
So *that* made me wonder, do extroverted
characters have the same effect? And then it hit me. I am currently
writing a character who has an extroverted personality...and frankly,
she's been very difficult for me to pin down. Granted, I keep her busy
running with the plot, but at her core, she's someone who draws strength
from being around other people, which is why she's (mentally) having a
hard time with the tasks she needs to accomplish alone. When I'm writing
her, I can feel her discomfort, her weariness, and her need for human
companionship...and it does wear me out more than working with a heroine
who is happy being on her own.
One of these
days, I think it would be an interesting study to write an opposites
attract story (I don't generally like them because it's hard to find a
reasonable compromise for which they'll stay together long-term),
wherein the push-pull between introvert and extrovert are exaggerated.
Perhaps just a short story though, since it will undoubtedly be quite
draining to write...
Are your characters introverted, extroverted, or a nice mix? Did you plan it that way, or did it sort of just happen?
off, and then having Monday as a holiday from the day job. Yesterday was
a bit like plunging into glacial waters - a serious reality check after
having four days to do my own thing, but I survived.
In
any case, bear with me...I'm still sort of brain dead from the whole
work thing. Being around people wears me out, even more so when that
includes a lot of noise, activity, and sometimes requires input from me.
It's the whole introverted thing - while I may not seem like your
average introvert (I'm not shy and I do a decent job blending in for the
most part), it's harder to deal with when I have a few blissful days to
myself and then suddenly have to deal with people again.
Naturally, this gets me thinking about the characters in my books - are they introverts? Extroverts? Does it matter?
I
think it does - and I also think that to this point, most of my
characters have been introverted to various degrees. It wasn't a
conscious decision on my part - I just write the characters as they are
in my head. But I think that because I'm drawn to other introverts, my
subconscious gives me that kind of a mental baseline to write from.
Probably because that's what I *know* from a very personal standpoint,
and because it's hard for me to empathize with people who draw strength
from being around other people.
Honestly, a
lot of extroverts annoy me if I have to be around them for too long.
Which I know isn't the "nice" thing to say, and it's probably
politically incorrect as well, but I'm not saying they're bad people, or
that they need to stop being the way they are (because they can't,
anymore than I can) - I'm just saying that they wear me down far more
quickly than another introvert would, so the time I can comfortably spend
with them is far, far shorter. Even online, I tend to limit contact with
extroverts when I don't have the energy to be around their general
enthusiasm for socializing.
So *that* made me wonder, do extroverted
characters have the same effect? And then it hit me. I am currently
writing a character who has an extroverted personality...and frankly,
she's been very difficult for me to pin down. Granted, I keep her busy
running with the plot, but at her core, she's someone who draws strength
from being around other people, which is why she's (mentally) having a
hard time with the tasks she needs to accomplish alone. When I'm writing
her, I can feel her discomfort, her weariness, and her need for human
companionship...and it does wear me out more than working with a heroine
who is happy being on her own.
One of these
days, I think it would be an interesting study to write an opposites
attract story (I don't generally like them because it's hard to find a
reasonable compromise for which they'll stay together long-term),
wherein the push-pull between introvert and extrovert are exaggerated.
Perhaps just a short story though, since it will undoubtedly be quite
draining to write...
Are your characters introverted, extroverted, or a nice mix? Did you plan it that way, or did it sort of just happen?
Enjoy
this post? Support your author:
Romantic Suspense
| Erotica | Suspense/Thriller
| Flash Fiction | Non-Fiction
**Please
note - If this is your first time posting, your comment
will be moderated. Once you have been approved, future comments will post automatically.
February 20, 2012
Weekly News & Prompt - February 20, 2012
Week 8 Prompt: A man gets to the office early, cheerful and anxious to finish a big project he's been working on for months. He boots up his computer, and finds an email from the boss requesting a status update. Happy to oblige, he takes his coffee cup and walks to the boss's office, the smile on his face fading as he glances in the window...
Good morning!
Yes, it is a good Monday morning...because here in the states, it's President's Day, which means I'm off from the day job. It's always handy when the "night job" can move to daytime - I definitely get more done that way.
Last week was a super-busy week. I didn't get any newsletters out, and I may have annoyed some people with my Valentine's Day post at #Amwriting.org, but as of Saturday, I finally finished all of the current outstanding formatting projects on my list. Which is awesome, as they were taking up a lot of my "free" time, especially for the past three weekends. I have a couple more publications coming up, but I have a few weeks for those, so no rush. Good news, since I still need to finish catching up my bookkeeping from last year so I can do our taxes. Blech.
My first non-fiction title, Flash 52: 52 Writing Prompts for a Year of Flash Fiction is finally available in digital form, and includes all of my weekly prompts (like the one above) for the year, plus notes on how to get started writing flash fiction, and how to polish up a flash draft. The Adobe version is formatted specifically to print out and put in a binder for use as a workbook if you choose, and the print version will be the same way, though I'm waiting on the cover art for that. Honestly, the formatting took me the longest on this book, because I wanted it to be *useful* as an exercise book for writers, not merely readable.
It's available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, but if you want the Adobe version, you'll need to shop either at my Brazen Snake Books store or Smashwords. If you buy it directly from me in the BSB store, and use the code "FLASHME", you'll get it for 50% off (ie, $1.99 instead of $2.99) all this week.
Will I be doing more non-fiction? Depends on how this one sells, I suppose. I've been toying with the idea of a step-by-step "how to" for serial stories....
This week I really do plan to get newsletters sent out - so if you want the latest scoop along with codes for free book downloads, I have several you can sign up for, depending on your personal tastes:
Variety News - My personal newsletter for romantic suspense, general flash fiction and the non-fiction books.
Brazen Snake Monthly - My business newsletter for BSB, including news for all three pen names, authors who publish with me, and the Rattles Flash Fiction imprint.
Naughty Encounters - Newsletter for my Trinity pen name (erotica)
Westhaven Chills - Newsletter for my Alex pen name (suspense - sign up in sidebar)
The author newsletters will also have links to all the serial chapters posted so far, so if you need to catch up, that's a good way to do it. Note that all three author newsletters will only go out when I have new releases to report. The BSB newsletter will be the only monthly newsletter from here on out.
Other than that, lots of writing to do this week, along with the aforementioned bookkeeping and some housecleaning. Heck, maybe I'll even get some of my Smurf collection additions cataloged...
Here's hope your week is off to a great start as well!
Good morning!
Yes, it is a good Monday morning...because here in the states, it's President's Day, which means I'm off from the day job. It's always handy when the "night job" can move to daytime - I definitely get more done that way.
Last week was a super-busy week. I didn't get any newsletters out, and I may have annoyed some people with my Valentine's Day post at #Amwriting.org, but as of Saturday, I finally finished all of the current outstanding formatting projects on my list. Which is awesome, as they were taking up a lot of my "free" time, especially for the past three weekends. I have a couple more publications coming up, but I have a few weeks for those, so no rush. Good news, since I still need to finish catching up my bookkeeping from last year so I can do our taxes. Blech.
My first non-fiction title, Flash 52: 52 Writing Prompts for a Year of Flash Fiction is finally available in digital form, and includes all of my weekly prompts (like the one above) for the year, plus notes on how to get started writing flash fiction, and how to polish up a flash draft. The Adobe version is formatted specifically to print out and put in a binder for use as a workbook if you choose, and the print version will be the same way, though I'm waiting on the cover art for that. Honestly, the formatting took me the longest on this book, because I wanted it to be *useful* as an exercise book for writers, not merely readable.
It's available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, but if you want the Adobe version, you'll need to shop either at my Brazen Snake Books store or Smashwords. If you buy it directly from me in the BSB store, and use the code "FLASHME", you'll get it for 50% off (ie, $1.99 instead of $2.99) all this week.
Will I be doing more non-fiction? Depends on how this one sells, I suppose. I've been toying with the idea of a step-by-step "how to" for serial stories....
This week I really do plan to get newsletters sent out - so if you want the latest scoop along with codes for free book downloads, I have several you can sign up for, depending on your personal tastes:
Variety News - My personal newsletter for romantic suspense, general flash fiction and the non-fiction books.
Brazen Snake Monthly - My business newsletter for BSB, including news for all three pen names, authors who publish with me, and the Rattles Flash Fiction imprint.
Naughty Encounters - Newsletter for my Trinity pen name (erotica)
Westhaven Chills - Newsletter for my Alex pen name (suspense - sign up in sidebar)
The author newsletters will also have links to all the serial chapters posted so far, so if you need to catch up, that's a good way to do it. Note that all three author newsletters will only go out when I have new releases to report. The BSB newsletter will be the only monthly newsletter from here on out.
Other than that, lots of writing to do this week, along with the aforementioned bookkeeping and some housecleaning. Heck, maybe I'll even get some of my Smurf collection additions cataloged...
Here's hope your week is off to a great start as well!
Enjoy
this post? Support your author:
Romantic Suspense
| Erotica | Suspense/Thriller
| Flash Fiction | Non-Fiction
**Please
note - If this is your first time posting, your comment
will be moderated. Once you have been approved, future comments will post automatically.
February 19, 2012
Flash 52: Execute (moved)
This week's flash story was hijacked by my "Alex" alter-ego...and runs more to the suspense/thriller side of things. So if you're interested, click through to Alex's blog using the link below.
Week 7 Prompt: It's two in the morning, and the world is silent save the gentle clicking of fingernails on a keyboard. The computer screen is white and full of colorful programming code that shifts upward every few seconds. The clicking stops, and long seconds pass as her finger hovers over the key that will execute the program...
Execute
February 17, 2012
Serial Novel: Falling in Public, Ch. 38
This serial novel is posted in draft form every Friday.
Ch.1|Ch. 2|Ch. 3|Ch. 4|Ch. 5|Ch. 6|Ch. 7|Ch. 8|Ch. 9|Ch. 10|Ch. 11|Ch. 12|Ch.13|Ch. 14|Ch. 15| Ch. 16| Ch. 17|Ch. 18| Ch. 19 | Ch. 20 | Ch. 21 | Ch. 22 | Ch. 23 | Ch. 24 | Ch. 25 | Ch. 26 | Ch. 27 | Ch. 28 | Ch. 29 | Ch. 30 | Ch. 31 | Ch. 32 | Ch. 33 | Ch. 34 | Ch. 35 | Ch. 36 | Ch. 37 |
Falling in Public
Chapter 38
Winston fell in the aisle, and didn't move. Holly looked from him to the curtain that blocked the guards' view, then up at Eddie.
"Thank you," she said as he knelt beside her, his hand going immediately to the towel on her leg. "But considering we're in a plane and outnumbered by the bad guys, I'm not so sure it was a good idea to knock thier leader out."
He shook his head, gently moving the towel aside and cringing at her leg. "We have to get you to a hospital - this is getting worse, not better." Replacing the towel, he moved close and pressed his lips to hers. "No way was I going to let Sean hassle you for another second. Natalie and I will take care of the guards. You just sit tight."
A shadow fell across them, and Holly looked up to see Natalie watching them from the aisle. "I think you'd better keep this one," she said quietly. "But first, we should get this bird out of the air." She propped her foot up on a nearby seat, and slipped a knife out of a small ankle sheath. "Here," she said, handing it to Holly. "Use this if anyone gets too close. We'll be back soon."
Holly nodded and laid the weapon on her leg. Eddie winked, kissed her one more time and then helped Natalie secure Winston to a seat a few rows up with some rope. Holly tensed as Natalie took Sean's gun and Eddie armed himself with a fire extinquisher. Pulling the safety pin, Eddie rushed through the curtain, spraying white foam ahead. Natalie followed, the curtain fell back and Holly waited, listening to grunts and the occasional pop of a gun as the curtains danced before her eyes.
Just as she'd given up on patience and started to pull herself up, a hand pulled the curtain off it's rod, tossing it to the side. Heart pounding, Holly gripped the knife tightly, knowing that she was probably about to die.
When Eddie stumbled back into her section, she nearly cried with relief. She watched for Natalie, but the cop didn't reappear.
Eddie shook his head as he got closer. "She didn't make it, Holly. It's just you and me again."
"And me," Winston said, his voice scratchy. Holly peered around Eddie to see Sean wiggling against his bonds. "You're going to pay for this, Pierce. The pilot is still mine." He laughed as the plane dipped sharply, then righted itself. The nose dipped again, slightly, but didn't come back up.
"Pity that you're going to die in a plane crash though, Pierce. How cliche. But considering you were never supposed to be on this flight, it's your own fault. Too bad Ms. Saunders has to suffer the same fate. I had such big plans for us, darling."
Holly ignored him. She was too busy trying to get her leg free where her foot had wedged against the seat in front. "Eddie, I can't..." He was beside her in two seconds, and lifted her out of the seat, then put her down sideways across the row.
"I have to go to the cockpit."
Across the aisle, Winston chuckled. "You'll never get in. And if you do, they won't listen to you."
Ch.1|Ch. 2|Ch. 3|Ch. 4|Ch. 5|Ch. 6|Ch. 7|Ch. 8|Ch. 9|Ch. 10|Ch. 11|Ch. 12|Ch.13|Ch. 14|Ch. 15| Ch. 16| Ch. 17|Ch. 18| Ch. 19 | Ch. 20 | Ch. 21 | Ch. 22 | Ch. 23 | Ch. 24 | Ch. 25 | Ch. 26 | Ch. 27 | Ch. 28 | Ch. 29 | Ch. 30 | Ch. 31 | Ch. 32 | Ch. 33 | Ch. 34 | Ch. 35 | Ch. 36 | Ch. 37 |
Falling in Public
Chapter 38
Winston fell in the aisle, and didn't move. Holly looked from him to the curtain that blocked the guards' view, then up at Eddie.
"Thank you," she said as he knelt beside her, his hand going immediately to the towel on her leg. "But considering we're in a plane and outnumbered by the bad guys, I'm not so sure it was a good idea to knock thier leader out."
He shook his head, gently moving the towel aside and cringing at her leg. "We have to get you to a hospital - this is getting worse, not better." Replacing the towel, he moved close and pressed his lips to hers. "No way was I going to let Sean hassle you for another second. Natalie and I will take care of the guards. You just sit tight."
A shadow fell across them, and Holly looked up to see Natalie watching them from the aisle. "I think you'd better keep this one," she said quietly. "But first, we should get this bird out of the air." She propped her foot up on a nearby seat, and slipped a knife out of a small ankle sheath. "Here," she said, handing it to Holly. "Use this if anyone gets too close. We'll be back soon."
Holly nodded and laid the weapon on her leg. Eddie winked, kissed her one more time and then helped Natalie secure Winston to a seat a few rows up with some rope. Holly tensed as Natalie took Sean's gun and Eddie armed himself with a fire extinquisher. Pulling the safety pin, Eddie rushed through the curtain, spraying white foam ahead. Natalie followed, the curtain fell back and Holly waited, listening to grunts and the occasional pop of a gun as the curtains danced before her eyes.
Just as she'd given up on patience and started to pull herself up, a hand pulled the curtain off it's rod, tossing it to the side. Heart pounding, Holly gripped the knife tightly, knowing that she was probably about to die.
When Eddie stumbled back into her section, she nearly cried with relief. She watched for Natalie, but the cop didn't reappear.
Eddie shook his head as he got closer. "She didn't make it, Holly. It's just you and me again."
"And me," Winston said, his voice scratchy. Holly peered around Eddie to see Sean wiggling against his bonds. "You're going to pay for this, Pierce. The pilot is still mine." He laughed as the plane dipped sharply, then righted itself. The nose dipped again, slightly, but didn't come back up.
"Pity that you're going to die in a plane crash though, Pierce. How cliche. But considering you were never supposed to be on this flight, it's your own fault. Too bad Ms. Saunders has to suffer the same fate. I had such big plans for us, darling."
Holly ignored him. She was too busy trying to get her leg free where her foot had wedged against the seat in front. "Eddie, I can't..." He was beside her in two seconds, and lifted her out of the seat, then put her down sideways across the row.
"I have to go to the cockpit."
Across the aisle, Winston chuckled. "You'll never get in. And if you do, they won't listen to you."
Enjoy
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Heat | The
Biker's Wench
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February 15, 2012
Writer's Notes: All Rumpeled Up
First, I'm a bad blogger. I promised to post something special
yesterday, and never got the chance to do it. So here it is. If you'd
like a free copy of my flash collection, Heart Knocks ,
use code FREEHEARTS at checkout in the BSB store. You'll be able to
download one copy for free in your choice of PDF, MOBI or ePUB formats.
My gift to you, good through midnight (Mountain Time).
Actually, it works better this way, since I'm not giving you a gift on a holiday, but after.
Now on to today's post...Do you watch Once Upon a Time ?
For the uninitiated, it's ABC's revisionist version of the classic
fairy tale world, wherein the evil queen has cursed the entire land to
be stuck in a modern-day town that none of them can leave. Conveniently,
most of them also have amnesia, so they don't remember who they really
are - the gradual awakening is part of the plot. All the characters we
grew up reading about are there - Snow White and Prince Charming, Red
Riding Hood, Hansel & Gretal...the list goes on. My favorite though
is the enigmatic Rumpelstiltskin who goes by "Mr. Gold" in the
non-fantasy world.
Carol Ward did some
research into the original fairy tale (or folklore, if you prefer) that
you can find here.
The show, of course, has taken liberties with his character that make
him a far more fascinating individual than what he started out as, in my opinion.
I
don't foresee any spoilers in this post - I'll mostly be talking about
the character himself, rather than any specific show details, but if
you're skittish, this would be the spot to stop reading and go watch.
Mr.
Gold is a person who uses "deals" to get what he wants (I'll fix this problem for you, if you agree to do/give this in return.). Manipulation is
his specialty, and there's always a string attached when someone agrees
to an exchange with him. It's a skill that goes along with the magic
he's got...and fittingly, that "power" was passed on to him in a
manipulative transaction as well. He wasn't always like that though, as
the show's plot reveals...and he has very specific reasons for being the
way he is, and also for being afraid of change.
You might think he's a villain, but is he, really? The way he's written leaves the final verdict up
in the air as he uses everyone equally to his own ends, including the queen. It's
obvious that he has more power than nearly every other character (the possible exception being Emma), but
the way he wields it is so deliberate that I find myself often thinking
that he's not bad or good, but rather just "himself".
And
that is exactly why I love him - as a character, he's perfect (and I
have to say, I think they chose the perfect actor as well). Ambiguity
leads to curiosity, and the writers feed us just enough new tidbits each
week about his character to keep the ambiguity from getting boring.
In any case, as I watched the show last week, which Rumpel
was featured extensively in, it finally dawned on me that this is what I
want to focus more on, both for my heroes and my villains. My
characters are either "too good" or "too bad". They're well-defined...so
much so that there's no room for any ambiguity. That's fine and normal
for some genres...say, my romantic suspense (although even there, it
would add something) and erotica readers seem to like the fantasy "too
good to be true" guy, but that fascinating & constant war between
dark and light would serve a very interesting purpose for the
protagonist(s) in my thrillers, and it would add dimension to my
villains as well.
I don't know why this hasn't hit me before,
but I think it's because I've never really been fascinated enough by a
character fashioned that way to pick one apart and figure out *why* he
fascinated me so much (wow, that sounds bad, doesn't it?). Not that it
takes a lot of effort with Mr. Gold...his internal struggles are evident
in nearly everything he does, as much as he tries to hide them.
Now if I can just figure out how to work that delicate interplay to my advantage...
yesterday, and never got the chance to do it. So here it is. If you'd
like a free copy of my flash collection, Heart Knocks ,
use code FREEHEARTS at checkout in the BSB store. You'll be able to
download one copy for free in your choice of PDF, MOBI or ePUB formats.
My gift to you, good through midnight (Mountain Time).
Actually, it works better this way, since I'm not giving you a gift on a holiday, but after.
Now on to today's post...Do you watch Once Upon a Time ?
For the uninitiated, it's ABC's revisionist version of the classic
fairy tale world, wherein the evil queen has cursed the entire land to
be stuck in a modern-day town that none of them can leave. Conveniently,
most of them also have amnesia, so they don't remember who they really
are - the gradual awakening is part of the plot. All the characters we
grew up reading about are there - Snow White and Prince Charming, Red
Riding Hood, Hansel & Gretal...the list goes on. My favorite though
is the enigmatic Rumpelstiltskin who goes by "Mr. Gold" in the
non-fantasy world.
Carol Ward did some
research into the original fairy tale (or folklore, if you prefer) that
you can find here.
The show, of course, has taken liberties with his character that make
him a far more fascinating individual than what he started out as, in my opinion.
I
don't foresee any spoilers in this post - I'll mostly be talking about
the character himself, rather than any specific show details, but if
you're skittish, this would be the spot to stop reading and go watch.
Mr.
Gold is a person who uses "deals" to get what he wants (I'll fix this problem for you, if you agree to do/give this in return.). Manipulation is
his specialty, and there's always a string attached when someone agrees
to an exchange with him. It's a skill that goes along with the magic
he's got...and fittingly, that "power" was passed on to him in a
manipulative transaction as well. He wasn't always like that though, as
the show's plot reveals...and he has very specific reasons for being the
way he is, and also for being afraid of change.
You might think he's a villain, but is he, really? The way he's written leaves the final verdict up
in the air as he uses everyone equally to his own ends, including the queen. It's
obvious that he has more power than nearly every other character (the possible exception being Emma), but
the way he wields it is so deliberate that I find myself often thinking
that he's not bad or good, but rather just "himself".
And
that is exactly why I love him - as a character, he's perfect (and I
have to say, I think they chose the perfect actor as well). Ambiguity
leads to curiosity, and the writers feed us just enough new tidbits each
week about his character to keep the ambiguity from getting boring.
In any case, as I watched the show last week, which Rumpel
was featured extensively in, it finally dawned on me that this is what I
want to focus more on, both for my heroes and my villains. My
characters are either "too good" or "too bad". They're well-defined...so
much so that there's no room for any ambiguity. That's fine and normal
for some genres...say, my romantic suspense (although even there, it
would add something) and erotica readers seem to like the fantasy "too
good to be true" guy, but that fascinating & constant war between
dark and light would serve a very interesting purpose for the
protagonist(s) in my thrillers, and it would add dimension to my
villains as well.
I don't know why this hasn't hit me before,
but I think it's because I've never really been fascinated enough by a
character fashioned that way to pick one apart and figure out *why* he
fascinated me so much (wow, that sounds bad, doesn't it?). Not that it
takes a lot of effort with Mr. Gold...his internal struggles are evident
in nearly everything he does, as much as he tries to hide them.
Now if I can just figure out how to work that delicate interplay to my advantage...
Enjoy
this post? Support your author:
Romantic Suspense
| Erotica | Suspense/Thriller
| Flash Fiction
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note - If this is your first time posting, your comment
will be moderated. Once you have been approved, future comments will post automatically.
February 13, 2012
Weekly News & Prompt, February 13, 2012
Week 7 Prompt: It's two in the morning, and
the world is silent save the gentle clicking of fingernails on a
keyboard. The computer screen is white and full of colorful programming
code that shifts upward every few seconds. The clicking stops, and long
seconds pass as her finger hovers over the key that will execute the
program...Has it really been seven weeks
since I started this whole "flash a week" thing? Wow. Time flies, eh? I
can honestly say I learn something new every time I write one of those,
and that is definitely carrying over to my longer drafts. "Practice
makes perfect" may be one of the most tired cliches out there, but it
holds true. If you want to be a better writer, write more.
Last
week was crazy-busy...you might recall I had four books to format and
publish, three of which I wanted available by Valentine's Day.
I'm
happy to say that after an insanely busy weekend marathon of pretty
much nothing but moving text around and filling out forms, Heart Knocks
is available now, as are two erotic collections under my Trinity pen
name. Here's the thing, though. If you want any of them, you might want
to hold off on buying and come back tomorrow. I think you'll be glad you
did. And that's all I'm saying about that.
Another
thing about tomorrow - I'll be blogging over at the #Amwriting.org site
about romance in fiction vs. real life. So pop over there and say hi if you get a
chance.
Let's see...what else is going on?
I have the basic formatting figured out for Flash 52,
but last week while I was writing up the blurb, I decided to add a few
more sections for people who are just getting started with writing flash
fiction. So then I had to figure those out, and decide where they
belong in the grand scheme of the book. So I completed that this
weekend, and now I just have to finish the final formatting and get the
print cover from the cover artist, and I'll be all set with that. With
any luck, the book will actually be available before the end of *this*
year, but it was worth it to take the time with this particular style of
book. It's strength will be in the ability to either print the Adobe
version and put it in a binder, or use the print copy like a writer's
exercise journal. So the format was nearly as important as the content,
to me, at least.
Oh, and Wednesday I've got a post about villains, with a closer look at
Rumpelstiltskin from the TV series, "Once Upon a Time". I had an
epiphany watching this week's episode that will apply to my writing...
This week I still have a
pretty full schedule - my normal writing, a couple of other formatting
projects, and some cover art I've been working on doing myself (to save a
bit of $$ - I'll need a lot of covers this year!). My older dog is also
having a tumor removed from his eyelid on Friday, which means Thursday
night/Friday will be chaotic and stressful for all of us what with the
fasting required and early drop-off time. I'm not looking forward to
that, but it needs to be done.
I am going to try to get newsletters out this week...hopefully tonight & tomorrow. But we'll see.
Here's to a groovy week!
the world is silent save the gentle clicking of fingernails on a
keyboard. The computer screen is white and full of colorful programming
code that shifts upward every few seconds. The clicking stops, and long
seconds pass as her finger hovers over the key that will execute the
program...Has it really been seven weeks
since I started this whole "flash a week" thing? Wow. Time flies, eh? I
can honestly say I learn something new every time I write one of those,
and that is definitely carrying over to my longer drafts. "Practice
makes perfect" may be one of the most tired cliches out there, but it
holds true. If you want to be a better writer, write more.
Last
week was crazy-busy...you might recall I had four books to format and
publish, three of which I wanted available by Valentine's Day.
I'm
happy to say that after an insanely busy weekend marathon of pretty
much nothing but moving text around and filling out forms, Heart Knocks
is available now, as are two erotic collections under my Trinity pen
name. Here's the thing, though. If you want any of them, you might want
to hold off on buying and come back tomorrow. I think you'll be glad you
did. And that's all I'm saying about that.
Another
thing about tomorrow - I'll be blogging over at the #Amwriting.org site
about romance in fiction vs. real life. So pop over there and say hi if you get a
chance.
Let's see...what else is going on?
I have the basic formatting figured out for Flash 52,
but last week while I was writing up the blurb, I decided to add a few
more sections for people who are just getting started with writing flash
fiction. So then I had to figure those out, and decide where they
belong in the grand scheme of the book. So I completed that this
weekend, and now I just have to finish the final formatting and get the
print cover from the cover artist, and I'll be all set with that. With
any luck, the book will actually be available before the end of *this*
year, but it was worth it to take the time with this particular style of
book. It's strength will be in the ability to either print the Adobe
version and put it in a binder, or use the print copy like a writer's
exercise journal. So the format was nearly as important as the content,
to me, at least.
Oh, and Wednesday I've got a post about villains, with a closer look at
Rumpelstiltskin from the TV series, "Once Upon a Time". I had an
epiphany watching this week's episode that will apply to my writing...
This week I still have a
pretty full schedule - my normal writing, a couple of other formatting
projects, and some cover art I've been working on doing myself (to save a
bit of $$ - I'll need a lot of covers this year!). My older dog is also
having a tumor removed from his eyelid on Friday, which means Thursday
night/Friday will be chaotic and stressful for all of us what with the
fasting required and early drop-off time. I'm not looking forward to
that, but it needs to be done.
I am going to try to get newsletters out this week...hopefully tonight & tomorrow. But we'll see.
Here's to a groovy week!
Enjoy
this post? Support your author:
Romantic Suspense
| Erotica | Suspense/Thriller
| Flash Fiction
**Please
note - If this is your first time posting, your comment
will be moderated. Once you have been approved, future comments will post automatically.
