A Story Within A Story

I have been outlining my new romance novel and as often happens I got stuck. I have a deadline for the rough draft and it was driving me crazy that I couldn't get the characters to open up for me but now that I have I am thinking it will be a long relationship.

Jessica is the main character and I tried to get her to talk to me but she held back. I worked to coax her out of her shell but all I knew about her was that she had recently relocated to a small town to open a candy shop.

I was also aware that there is a guy in the town that falls for her named Charlie. He is very romantic and cares about her deeply but he can't figure out what is hiding inside her. It frustrates him and it hurts him to want so badly because he wants to rescue her.

I eventually was able to get Jessica to open and I can honestly say I was surprised by how much she revealed. She had been so quiet but once she started talking it was like opening the flood gates. Her back story that she had guarded from me ended up being almost enough to be its own book entirely. I felt for her, I understood her and I loved being her confidant.

She may not have had a dramatic life but she is very real and the heartache she suffered hit home for me. I am hoping that through not only this book but additional books in the series my readers as well as I will be able to get to know her even better. My deepest wish is that she finds the happiness she so richly deserves and that with her talent she finds a way to share whatever joy she finds.

Coming Up Next

With the motivation replenished and accomplishment overflowing I am extremely anxious to get home and get my office in order for the rest of the year. I am determined to get my files created and organized, any playlists I will be using set up and my checklist or deadlines posted so that I can finish out the year the best way possible.

I have three current anthologies I am working on with deadlines looming. I have my romance rough draft due by the end of October and I will of course be working hard on a project for Nanowrimo. For that book I have several opportunities but I have narrowed down the choices that I intend to choose from. November will either be dedicated to the first book in my Seven Deadly Syns series, Sabrina's Story or Annora's Story both of which are just working titles.

On top of my romance book, nano and the anthologies I am positive I can finish the rewrites on Breathe and can complete the first draft of the manuscript of Sharing Strength. Both are very important to me and I want to make sure I do justice to every story I tell. I am excited to see how far I can get and what success these projects may hopefully bring.

I will seeking a traditional publishing route for a few of my upcoming books while I will also be publishing through the charity series Rock and Roll Saved My Soul for Rescue Me which is my charity book that will be released by the end of the year. Should be a wonderful couple of months, intense and busy but very satisfying to complete.

Refreshed

I have had a lot on my plate the last couple of months and so have neglected so many of my interests in one way or another and that includes pushing my writing to the back burner in some senses. I have been preparing for my current mini book tour and feel it has gone well so far with still one more two day event left to go. I have had fun catching up with family and friend and I have worked hard at my day jobs in order to afford to enjoy some relaxation.

Now with deadlines looming and Nanowrimo coming back into sight I know I have to buckle down and focus for a few upcoming months. Luckily I do not have any trips planned until December and I only and expecting a few visitors to vegas that I know so I shouldn't have much to distract me. I have struggled to push myself to complete projects but after coming home and seeing people turn out to support me and getting the exciting chance to introduce myself as an author I know it is what I have dreamt about for so long and I am reinvigorated to make it a reality!

I will return to vegas on monday and though I will continue to work my two day jobs and pay off bills, build up some savings and do everything in my power to make my day to day living as pleasant as possible I now know what my true focus is and what my end goal will be. I can't wait to start checking off the projects and get to work making myself the successful author I know I can be.

Future of Love

She knew she hadn't been the best person in the past. She had her selfish moments and there were things she would look back about and think wow I can't believe I did that. She would never think she had been deliberately cruel though there were many times that she had the option to change and she hadn't.

What she hadn't realized was that she had been so wrapped up in her own concerns that she drove away anyone that thought they may want to help her. She was broken, damaged but so far gone that she wasn't even aware of it. Then after her most recent relationship had fallen apart as they all did she relocated to get a true fresh start.

It was terrifying for her to be away from friends and family but she knew she had to find a way to stand on her own and get to know herself and learn to rely on herself in order to eventually find someone that could be a true partner in life and that would love the real her without her sabotaging it.

It was nearly a year before she met someone that struck her interest and true to form, she fell hard. He on the other hand was extremely distant. He would show interest but then pull back constantly. This simply fed her insecurities that she had worked so hard to overcome. Even with the struggle though she continued to fall and in time he became more open with her revealing that he had suffered relationship struggles in his past as well.

But later, years into the relationship, she still would tell him she loved him and try to show affection like cuddling up or holding hands but he was once again pulling away. She was lost, heartbroken and had no idea how to proceed. What was pulling him away and would he ever come back to her? She had worked so hard to create a life and a future and now she couldn't help but wonder what the future held and if she was even a part of his.

Many sides of me

There are so many sides to my personality and I have often felt that that is why I became a writer. I have a happy fun loving side and I honestly believe that is what drives my charity book series Rescue Me. Animals make me and so many others happy and I want to find a way to give back to them and organizations that support them.

My love of performance, especially dance, was the birthplace for my novel Never Give Up. I, like Kaylie, suffered an injury that was dramatic and was given news that many things I had planned for my life would be off the table going forward. It became in a large sense a psychological autobiography.

There is most definitely a dark side to me that comes from several years of relationships that emotionally wore me down and in a few instances nearly killed me in every sense. Sharing Strength is a direct result of those experiences but they also push me to provide insight into the evil side of human nature. I believe that many of my characters either have a dark side or unhappy past and so much of that is based on the things I have survived in my own life.

The most important part of me though is my love and passion for life. I am a true romantic and emotional to a fault. I try to make my books have an ending that helps the main character find closure. They are not always happy go lucky but they serve a sense of justice. Annora's Story is an extreme example of justice while my new romance series is a far lighter look at love and romance and is based on those that have inspired my heart to skip a beat in my life. I am fortunate enough to have a man I love very much that loves me back and every time I see him smile I swear a new love story comes to mind.

I have branched out recently as well tapping into my love of family to continue work on a children's series that is greatly driven by my father and I plan to dedicate the majority of the books in the series to him. We never had the greatest of things in common but in my heart I was daddy's little girl and I miss him each and every day.

Another branch that has grown recently is the more whimsical one that is pushing me to try my hand at a more fantasy inspired series. I have never gone beyond reality as I find the real world fascinating all on its own but I have found magic intriguing and will be attempting to put elements of magic and witchcraft into the new books.

I cannot wait for my readers to get a sneak peek into the many sides of me.

Excerpt from new romance novel - first in a series

He had seen her around for the past several months. He couldn't figure out what it was but there was just something about her. She would smile but there was a sorrow still hiding in her eyes. She would talk to those around her yet she always seemed to have preplanned her words.

She was guarded and that made him want to protect her but he wasn't even sure what he would be protecting her from. All he knew was that her smile lit up his world and melted his heart. He had kept his own heart locked away behind a metaphorical barrier for years. He believed if he never let anyone in then he would never suffer rejection or loss.

He steeled himself from the world putting on a friendly face but never letting anyone get within arm's length. No one that is until Jessica. She would ask questions and he would search the far reaches of his brain to be the one with the answer. She would wave and he would wave back even if it wasn't meant for him. And, he knew he kept coming back to it, there was that smile.

Her teeth weren't perfect but in a strange way that is what made them perfect. She was a healthy weight but she definitely ate dessert. She wasn't a supermodel figure but still undeniably athletic. She had long brown hair that she almost seemed to hide in sometimes but the twinkle of her green eyes could catch the light from any angle and on the rare occasions she genuinely laughed, those eyes would dance like a kid on prom night.

She had moved to Ridgedale less than a year ago. While she had been noticed immediately in the sleepy town, very little was known about her past. She had just settled in and set up shop. In that sense it was actually quite literal, she was the owner and sole operator of the cake and candy shop in town and while she had been selling her sweets from her house recently she was in the process of opening the storefront and the entire town was eager to come and check it out.

Charlie couldn't wait to see what all she had to sell and he was hoping someday she would give him the chance to show what he had to offer has well. He could see through her eyes and into her soul and deep in that hidden heart of hers was a woman sweeter than the chocolates he was sure would make her famous.

Rough excerpt from Annora's Story

She had no idea how long she had been held captive. After years kept in rooms with no windows she rarely had any idea if it was even day or night. There were times she would take a moment to ponder how old she was now or if anyone she had known in her former life remembered her.

He called her girl. This one had never used her name. The only reason she remembered it was because she told it to herself every day. Each of her "owners" had referred to her as something different. Only the first had called her by her given name but it was brief and never out of love.

She tried to escape as often as possible back in those days but after being beaten repeatedly and then sold for being too difficult she had attempted it significantly less. She had had a few masters that allowed her out of the basement or tiny room she was normally left shackled in. Those had given her brief moments of affection and one had even given her a book though she had never learned to read.

She was reported as missing when she was just barely nine years old and hadn't been seen since, at least by the authorities or anyone that actually cared about her. They searched for weeks without finding any trace of her but her stepfather never gave up hope. Even now, though she didn't know it, he continued to follow any potential lead in hopes of finding her.

She was intelligent though not traditionally book smart. She remembered nearly everything she had ever heard and was extremely talented at eavesdropping. She learned as much as possible from the basic reading she could do and when someone occasionally spoke to her other than to bark orders she would take the opportunity to explore any topic they would willingly discuss.

She still would attempt escape whenever possible but she rarely made it far and would of course receive severe punishment. There was one single time she made it out of her owner's house but only to find herself in the middle of the forest. She started running anyway. Given only the mere moonlight  to guide her, she made her way to a river and waded across as quickly as possible. Once she was through the water however she her the sound of dogs behind her.

Chancing a momentary glance over her shoulder she saw him, her master, standing just a few yards back from the water's edge. He was holding a shotgun and casually smiling. He had known she escaped immediately and was obviously certain she would never make it very far. She ducked behind a small grove of trees and crawled to the opposite side of the trail staying completely in the shadows. Catching her breath for a moment she listened and heard the splashing of man and dog crossing the river.

She looked in ever direction, searching desperately for a safe route. Finding nothing but more trees she decided running was her only option. Just twenty feet into her journey though she heard the blast of the shotgun. It rang out loud and clear although she was positive that it had been fired into the air above her head. She ran faster bursting through bushes and jumping over rocks clearing obstacles like an olympic hurdler.

She pushed her was through a large group of shrubs and fell forward down a hill landing hard on the side of a road. She landed on her back hard, knocking the wind out of her. She struggled to catch her breath when she saw a car stopping up the road. She couldn't speak but there was a woman coming toward her. She was saved. Or at least she though she was.

Before she could say anything HE came through the trees and picked her up, hugging her tight. He held her in a way that pushed her face into his chest so she still couldn't breathe. He told the women, her savior, that she was his daughter and had gotten lost. Said he had been out looking for her for hours. She mentioned she had heard a gunshot, clearly uncomfortable with the situation.

With tears in his eyes he explained that he had heard it too and was terrified that some hunters were out poaching in the woods and would shoot her by mistake. That seemed to satisfy the woman and he thanked her for being so caring then said he had to get his princess home so she could rest. He leaved down and whispered that she was going to wish that she had been hit by the car when he got through with her.

The woman got back in her car and once she was driving away he let her down to watch as salvation drove quietly away. As the car drove around a curve and the brake lights disappeared she sank to her knees and cried. He grabbed her by the hair and dragged her all the way back to the house. She cried the entire time. He threw her into the basement taking pleasure as she bounced off the bottom stair. He told her to sleep tight, she would need her all her strength to make it through what he had planned.

As he closed the door he laughingly told her that she better pray tonight girl. She curled up on the floor and she did pray. She prayed for death. She prayed for forgiveness and she prayed that when she was found someone would remember her. Just before she passed out for the night she reminded herself as she did every day, my name is Annora.