20-5-1

I read an extra chapter last night. I couldn’t help it. Kisten. OMGosh, I forgot we meet Kisten so darn early in the books. sigh. Just sigh. Kisten, of the leather jackets and sultry voice. Kisten of the velvet touch and dangerous lure. You were only supposed to be a warning to Rachel to be wary of vampires, to not touch, to stay back. And you fell in love. . .

I need a moment.

And we also meet Trent within those first 15 chapters, Trent, with his mysterious 20-5-1 scrolling screen saver. Can I say that it’s been almost a shock seeing him closed and secretive after working so intensively with him in the last two books. He’s changed. Changed a lot.  It took a long time because of his personality, but he finally opened up as to his fears, fears you can see in these first few pages if you know what’s coming. So I guess taking it slow with him was true to his character. Besides, we had Kisten to distract us.

I need another moment. sigh

The 20-5-1 screen saver is one of those things from me that made it into the books. It’s an old marketing term meaning from 20 cold calls, you will have 5 people interested, and 1 might buy. They were the words I lived by when I was trying to find publication, that if I just kept cleaning my work up and shopping it around, that eventually I’d find the one who would see what I did among the pages. They are still words I pin my goals to.  And yes, it’s my screen saver too, even to this day.

Thank you, Mark Rude, for the sketch of Trent and Rachel. It remains my favorite. (Mark did all the sketches of the characters in the HOLLOWS INSIDER)