Book Writing Voodoo

While I've been researching ways to promote and sell the book I've already written I've seen a lot of blog posts and articles recommending that you as an author have several books out a once. This sounds like a great idea. It gives your readers a few options and it gives you an opportunity to let your readers sample some of your other works in order to sell more books. I get it, I really do. 
But....
I cannot find anywhere on the internet exactly what kind of voodoo, hoodoo, hinky-jinky, black magic, devil spell authors are using to crank out books in such a hurry! 

I've been working on my second book since right after I put the first one out in January. I'm not even half-way through the book. My characters do not seem to want to cooperate with the story line or I would be farther along than I am. I've been writing (almost) every day and I still have so much left to do before I can actually finish this story. And I've also been trying to write a prequel to The Letters, partly to draw more attention to the book and because I've had several people ask me about the characters in that book. It started out well but has kind of fizzled out so it's on a shelf right now just waiting for me to pick it back up. 
I did all of that whining to say that....

Just kidding. You guys already knew that. 

I do wonder, though, how writers can bust out five complete novels in the blink of an eye. How does that happen? And I know that some people have actually worked on those cluster of stories for a really long time and just decided to release them all at the same time but I'm talking about those writers who are publishing a new book every one to two months. WHAT IS YOUR SECRET? I really need to know what the secret is for slinging out stories like this. It's not even for the marketing aspect of it for me at this point. I'm genuinely curious to know how one does something like this. Is there a formula or something I'm missing? I need someone to enlighten me on this so that I can see if I am capable of it as well because right now I'm pretty much in Limbo while my characters are just screwing with me. 

Do you have a special formula for cranking out book after book? Or are you struggling to get your next project out like I am? Do you know the voodoo spell? 

Character Interview: Brodie Barrett

Brodie Barrett is the main character of my yet-to-be-published manuscript that I wrote during this year's NaNoWriMo. She is a 28 year old widow and single mother to a 10 year old girl who is newly engaged to her current boyfriend, Keaton Maddox. Brodie is a homicide detective for the Birmingham Police Department in Birmingham, AL. She closely resembles Sophia Bush. 

• Is Brodie your real name? Yes. Brodie Evageline Shepard Barrett. Soon to be Brodie Maddox. 
• When is your birthday? December 6, 1986
• What is your fondest childhood memory? Fishing on the river bank with my best friend Walker 
• If you were to gain an obscenely large sum of money, what would you do with it? Put some money away for Braelynn's college fund, take Keaton on a honeymoon to Italy, buy some more land and some animals and start a farm, save the rest 
• How long have you and Keaton been together? On and off, almost four years
• How do you feel about the murders that have been happening in town? Disturbed and frustrated. Whoever has killed these girls did it to get my attention. Who the hell does something like that? 
• Do you think you know who the killer is? I think I have an idea but I can't say for sure yet. I still have some more evidence to process and a few more interviews to do. Whoever it is, I will catch them. 
• Why do you think they are trying to get your attention? Another answer I'm not sure about. The clues point to someone close to me so my captain thinks that it may be someone who feels like I've done them wrong in the past and they want to get revenge
• How does Keaton feel about the case? He's worried, of course. And he's always trying to check up on me and make sure I'm okay but he knows that I can take care of myself. He's been very supportive of me and has been incredibly helpful with Braelynn while I've been putting in extra hours. 
• What are your plans for the future? After I close this case, Keaton and I are getting married. As far as serious plans for the future, I'm thinking that I'm going to resign from the police department. Keaton has mentioned before that he'd like me to stay at home in the traditional man brings home the bacon type of way. And now with Keaton with a possible baby on the way with an ex-girlfriend, I may end up having a sweet baby at home to take care of. 
• Can you give me any details about the wedding? Maybe there will be some details in the book....

I Broke the NaNo Editing Rule: Editing Early

Now that I've officially finished my NaNo novel, I decided to go ahead and start the editing process. I ended up completely re-writing my entire beginning. 

WHAT?? WHY?? 

The old one was crap. Seriously. And not just "Oh, I just wrote this so I'm feeling a little self-conscious about it." No, it was REALLY crappy. It started off with a disgruntled phone call between my main character and another character that ended up completely disappearing from the rest of my story. Her name should have been M.I.A. because that's pretty much what she was; Missing In Action. There was a ridiculously artificial dialogue that made absolutely no sense with the rest of the story so I decided to completely re-do the beginning. I was really scared that it wasn't going to work out and that I was going to end up screwing up my story and my word count but it actually worked really well. So well, in fact, that it ended up changing my story. While it's still a murder mystery, the method of murder and mystery has changed. And I think it's actually improved my story which makes me very excited!!!

I've also had a new character emerge. He really kind of appeared just as a "filler". I needed a quick character at the time and he decided he was the man for the job. But I like him so much that I decided to keep him around and he's blossomed into one of the main characters. This also makes my story a lot stronger because unbeknownst to the author (me) he and my Main and my Villain all have history. (This new character is also kind of sexy and is full of secrets so he's lots of fun!)

Aside from the beginning re-write, editing is going kind of slow. I keep getting distracted by my gigantic "to-read" list that has been neglected for a while. I really want to get this story published but I'm not going to rush the editing process. I think some time away from my story might actually do some good because then I've had a chance to fill my head full of lots of other things besides my characters and all of their issues. I've heard that it's better to take some time away from your story to edit it. In this case, I think it's the best idea because I'm so close to these characters that it's hard to get them out of my head even when I'm thinking about day-to-day stuff. We shall see how it will work out. 

How is NaNo working out for you? Have you made your word count yet? What are your thoughts on the editing process? 

Review: The In Between

**Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions on this book are my own.**

Tara Jenkins and Justin Westcroft used to be childhood BFFs. Now in high school, Justin’s a popular, all-star athlete, and Tara spends her days admiring him from afar. But when Tara saves Justin from nearly drowning in a freak accident, he’s unable to get her out of his mind. In no time at all, Tara and Justin fall deeply in love. And even though it’s only high school, they seem destined for a Happily Ever After. 

Until tragedy strikes—and this time, Justin’s not so lucky. Tara passes through her days as a shell of her former self: Justin’s dead, but she can still feel his presence, and she can’t seem to let him go. 

But there’s a reason for that, and it’s not just grief: Justin is In Between, and he’s still holding on. 

They say that when someone saves you, you’re tied to them for life. But what about in the afterlife?

The In Between is a very poignant story about how deep true love really is and how far someone in love is willing to go to keep their love safe. Even though this is written for young adults, young and old can benefit from this tale of love and sacrifice. Reading about Tara and Justin's love takes you back to that first teenage love when you thought that being in love was enough and that everything in the world was possible. Their passion for each other is heartwarming and inspiring. Their separation is heartbreaking. 

Following Justin through his time In Between and his trip to Heaven and Hell, while seeing Tara coping with his death is like being on an emotional roller coaster ride. Justin has to form allies with people he's not even sure he can trust just so he can attempt to get back to Tara. Tara has to fake her emotions in order to keep people from thinking she is crazy. Olivia Pierce really brings love and loss to life in the pages of The In Between. 

I did think that the book seems to drag on a little too long. This may be because of the changing point of view or just Pierce trying to make sure that you got an accurate depiction of the In Between in your mind. That seems to be where it drags the most. The ending was a pleasant surprise. I thought for sure that I knew where the story was going and how it was going to end but by the time I got there, it was completely different from what I expected. 

Overall, I would recommend this book for anyone interested in a YA romance. And if you're a worry-wart type of parent like myself, it's age appropriate for tweens and teens. It's engaging for adults as well but it leaves out all of the unnecessary adult "stuff" that seems to find it's way into books like this. I loved it and I'm hoping that you will pick up a copy and love it too! 

Review: The Lost Book Shop: Mystery of the Missing Monkey

**Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions on this book are my own.**

Nina's Aunt and Uncle own a book shop that has been in town for as long as anyone can remember. While there is a discussion about whether it is The Lost Book Emporium or The Lost Book Shop, there is no denying that this book shop is full of magic and wonder. Nina and her best friend Ivy are on a mission to investigate what it is behind a secret door in the overflowing shop when a boy named Oswald, who is a frequent guest in the shop, decides he wants in on the adventure. The kids had no idea what was in store for them behind the secret door. With the turn of a key the world that they knew disappeared and they landed right in the middle of a circus crisis. One of the crowd's favorite monkeys was missing and it was up to Nina, Ivy, and Oswald to find out where that monkey was. The three little detectives going to let any banana peels slip them up! 

I love books about book shops. I believe that all small book shops filled to the brim with books, new and old, are also full of magic. The Lost Book Shop is no different. This book was such a joy to read and was so well written that I could imagine myself darting in and out of the stacks of books right behind Nina and Ivy. I could smell the musty books and the circus sawdust. Nina, Ivy, and Oswald quickly learn that things are not what they seem under the big top and not everyone can be trusted. 

If you follow me on Twitter and you're wondering, I did consult the Tiny Tyrant on whether this was a book worth recommending. TT gave it 4 dinosaurs (equivalent to 4 stars) because what author who is serious about their craft doesn't want a dinosaur rating? She said it would have gotten 5 dinosaurs if Sadie the Bearded Lady had a bigger part. For some reason, TT is very fascinated with the idea of a lady with a full beard. 

Check out Author Adam Maxwell's website HERE

Review: The Interview: Law Firm Erotica Book 1

**Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions on this book are my own.**

**Disclaimer 2: This book is about Dom/Sub sex. If you're a prude and don't like the word 'sex', please stop reading this review now. 

Laura is a legal secretary who has been laid off from work. While searching through the classifieds for a new job, she spots an advertisement for a "Submissive Legal Secretary". Piquing Laura's interest, she researches what being a submissive would entail. After doing her research, she applied for the position even though she had no submissive experience. Laura was sure that her ten plus years as a legal secretary would be enough to get her through. She responds to the call for an interview but almost chickens out while sitting in the waiting area. Laura was almost out the door until she laid eyes on Mr. Dunbar. Even though Laura wasn't the most obedient woman, which did not make her the ideal submissive, Mr. Dunbar couldn't let her walk out the door. 

If you are looking for the cutesy fluff that filled 50 Shades of Grey, then keep looking. The Interview surpasses the entire 50 trilogy in less than 30 pages. Silk Jones truly made me her submissive reading this book because she left me hanging and now I'm begging for more! This book is definitely a great way to start off a series because it is just long enough to get you hot under the collar and running through a cold shower but just short enough to have you on your knees begging for sweet relief. I cannot wait for more installments in this series. Judging by the way Mr. Dunbar punishes disobedient subs, I really hope our sweet Laura the Legal Secretary is a naughty, naughty girl! 

To find out more about Silk Jones, read more of her work, or to sign up for her newsletter you can visit her HERE

Hey! Hey! I made it to 50k!

51,394 words

Last night while sitting outside my Tiny Tyrant's dance class, I crossed the 50,000 word line! I am super proud of myself. My track record of finishing writing projects isn't that great. It's been a long time since I've actually sat down and tried to work on a writing project so for me to even get to this point was a great accomplishment as well. 

I've posted two excerpts from my story and I had planned on posting more but I think I've changed my mind. There are a lot of things in the story that I want to change before I let anyone read it. Some of my characters ended up needing a larger part of the story while some of what I thought were main characters disappeared from the story entirely. This is why I have to change the entire beginning of my story when I get ready to edit. One of the now defunct main characters is a huge part of the beginning of my story so that's definitely going to need a re-write. 

I'm still in shock that I actually finished writing a 50,000 word piece. Even if it sucks, it still has a beginning, middle, and end. And I haven't taken the time yet to read it from beginning to end but just thinking about the turn of events that wrote in the last few pages, none of it makes any freaking sense. But that's okay! I'm considering this manuscript my story's skeleton and not my actual story. It's the bare bones of the story and now I need to go back and add the meat! 

I'm going to spend the rest of Nano cheering on all of my fellow Nanoers (Nanoers?) on Twitter and trying to round up helpful writing tips to share. Or maybe just posting funny pictures. You probably shouldn't take too many tips from me until after I fix this mess of a story. 

Have you made it to 50k? What did you do to celebrate? If you haven't made it to 50k yet, how many words do you have left? What will you do to celebrate reaching 50k? 

Excerpt 2 - The Body Caches

Dr. Woods called the following Monday and said that the cause of Janelle’s death was asphyxiation caused by bilateral pneumothorax, or in laymen’s terms, two punctured lungs. The bastard had beaten her so badly that he’d broken her ribs and punctured both of her lungs, leaving her to die all alone. Dr. Woods also mentioned that she thought that Janelle had still be alive when she was placed on the Wurlitzer because of the blood pooling in her lower extremities. Whoever had killed these two girls had to have access to both of the dump places without being noticed. Or had access to these places when no one else was around. I still wasn’t sure what the Alabama Theater had to do with me either and this killer was clearly interested in me. There had to be some kind of connection between me and The Alabama Theater.

I went into my office and opened the cedar chest by the closet. My grandfather had made this cedar chest for me as a wedding present. He had made one for my mother and all of my aunts for their weddings as well. I did just as they had and stuffed all of the important mementos of my life into the chest. If there was anything that could tie me to The Alabama Theater it had to be in this box. The smell of the cedar wood assaulted my nose when I lifted the lid. I closed my eyes and inhaled as much of the smooth, woodsy scent as I could. That scent would forever remind me of my grandfather and his rough hands covered in cedar shavings, always working on his next project carved and cut and polished from cedar trees in his back yard. The top layer of junk in the chest was mostly newspaper articles about cases I had solved or community projects I had taken part in. Greyson and Braelynn had always insisted on keeping the articles. I kept moving stuff around, Braelynn’s first outfit, her first pair of baby shoes, Greyson’s baby shoes, my baby shoes, my first baseball glove, and my cap and gown from college were all floating around numerous photo boxes and photo albums. I pulled out the photo albums and began to turn back the pages of time, laughing and crying as the memories flipped from page to page.

After two hours of cruising down memory lane I was read to give up when I saw the last box in the very bottom of the chest. It was the size of a children’s shoe box and was covered in decoupaged flower printed tissue paper. I pulled off the lid and set it aside. Inside the box were pictures of me and my friends from junior high, a cassette tape, several folded notes from my best friends and the boys we had crushes on, a pom-pom with my school colors, and a handful of pins. One of the pins caught my eye. It was the largest one in the box. I picked it up and turned it over, revealing the same picture of the Wurlitzer that had been on the card stuck in the flowers on my desk. The words circling the Wurlitzer said “I Took A Ride On the Wurlitzer”. Underneath the button was a picture of me and several of my friends all standing in front of this amazing piano machinery. We were all grinning ear to ear and I laughed out loud. I remembered that trip. In the 8th grade, our music and theater teacher, whom had been suspected of being schizophrenic, had taken us to see Hamlet. She had made sure that we had gotten to the theater early so that we could meet the people who operated the theater and to see the Wurlitzer up close. I remember that she had made us watch The Phantom of the Opera the day before we went and once we were up close and personal with the Wurlitzer we were all mesmerized by the possibility of a “phantom” in this theater. Especially Gunner.

Oh, shit. Gunner had been there that day too. I looked back at the picture of me and my smiling classmates. He was right there in the picture. He was standing behind me and Walker, grinning shyly at the camera. This was right before school would be out for the summer. And somewhere around the time where we had become friends. I remember that because we had gotten together that summer. And it had started that day at the Wurlitzer. I had gotten scared when we rode it down into the stage and he had held my hand. He hid our hands so that no one else could see them because he didn’t want anyone to know and think that he was some guy who was walking around rescuing young girls from their irrational fears. He had a tough guy rep to protect. I didn’t even know how to feel sitting there staring at that picture. Even though we had broken up after the ninth grade, we had still flirted and talked on the phone and snuck out behind the field house at school to make out. Even when he had another girlfriend. Up until I met Greyson I had always thought that Gunner and I would eventually end up together and tell everyone cute stories about being high school sweethearts later in life. It all seemed so silly now. But had he thought the same thing? Had he been upset when I married Greyson? I needed some answers. I left Braelynn in Keaton’s capable hands, jumped in my truck, and headed to the City Federal building. Thirty minutes later I was standing on the other side of Gunner’s apartment door, waiting for him to answer. 

Comments, critiques, and praise are always welcome! 

Review: Dirty Little Secret

Hillary hadn’t meant to sleep with Bert "DJ XTC" Morder. She blamed the lack of public bathrooms, and one too many Jaeger bombs for her even contacting DJ XTC in the first place. Now, thanks to the Internet, and the unfortunate incident of the studio live stream, all of Chicago was wondering exactly who the girl with the red-soled shoe had been. How long can she keep her identity a secret, and what will happen once her secret is out? Suggested for readers 18+ for mild romantic situations.

Excerpt 1 - The Body Caches

The ride out of town was weighed down with awkward silence. I fidgeted with the door handle, my fingernails, anything within reach. Keaton kept clearing his throat like he was going to say something but then he would get quiet.

“You going to talk to me or not?”

“I’m not sure what to say.”
“What do you mean? You said you wanted to talk to me, so talk.”

“I still love you.”

“Does your girlfriend know that?”

“How did you know I had a girlfriend?”

“I’m not stupid. The pissed off girl at the bar? She looks like your type.”
“Whatever. It doesn’t matter. Brodie, I love you.”

“Keaton, --“

“Brodie, just stop. I know what you’re going to say. You’re going to make a whole shitload of excuses why we can’t be together and why I don’t really love you. And you’re more full of shit now than you were on that fucking plane. You’re going to find every excuse in the world to run away.”

I sat there in silence, staring at him. I was so mad I could have screamed. But the only person I was really mad at was myself. He was right. As soon as he said he loved me I started making excuses. I was running. If I kept running I couldn’t get hurt. I was just lonely. While I was trying to think of something to say I looked out the window in time to see the horse pasture on the corner of the street I lived on. After the neighbor’s house there was nothing but woods on both sides of the gravel road for five miles. My house was on the left, set back from the road, and surrounded by huge oak and pine trees.

Keaton pulled into my driveway and parked in front of the garage. He turned off the ignition and threw his keys on the dash. I still hadn’t come up with something to say to him. Everything I could think of seemed wrong.

“Brodie, I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I asked you to marry me. I’m sorry that I wanted to stay in St. Louis one more night. I’m sorry that I moved out. I’m sorry that the only reason I got a chance to be with you was because some sick fuck killed Grayson. I’m sorry for everything. I’m sorry. I can’t change anything. If I could, I would. I would change a lot of things but I wouldn’t change the fact that I love you.”

“Okay, Keaton, you love me. What’s the purpose of telling me that?”

“Kailee wants to get married.”
“Kailee. Are you going to marry her?”

“She’s pregnant.”

“Oh. Wow.”

“Yeah. So, yeah, I’m probably going to marry her.”
“Excited? About the kid, I mean?”

“No. I don’t love her. I’m not even sure the kid is mine. We haven’t been dating that long. “

“Don’t marry her. If you aren’t sure the kid is yours and you don’t love her, then don’t marry her.”

“Why not?”

“Why not? Are you kidding me? You want to marry a girl you don’t love and take care of a child that you’re not even sure is yours?”

“I like her a lot. And so what if the kid isn’t mine? I’m just going to leave her? Pregnant?”

“Well, I hope you’re at least going to make her sign a pre-nup.”

“A pre-nup? Are you crazy?”

“No. I’m not an idiot like you. She’s a pregnant cocktail waitress who saw you with money falling out of your pockets and seized the opportunity. She’ll get you for everything you’ve got when you divorce.”

“What makes you so sure we will get a divorce? How do you know I won’t fall in love with her and have a happy life with her?”

“I don’t.”

I turned away and stared out the passenger window, watching a fox stalking a bird in my front yard. I didn’t want him to see the tears welling up in my eyes. I did love him but I had spent so much time convincing myself I would eventually lose him that I pushed him away. I watched him out of the corner of my eye as he reached a tan hand up to grab his keys off the dash. He fidgeted with the keys, trying to watch me without me noticing.

“You gonna get out? We’re here. Home sweet home.”
“Keaton, I—“

“Just don’t, Brodie. Everything out of your mouth is horse shit and excuses. I don’t even know why I told you or why I acted like your opinion matters. It doesn’t. Tell Braelynn I miss her and I love her.”

“I’m trying to talk to you. You wanted to talk so that’s what I’m trying to do.”

He put the keys in the ignition and cranked the truck. He placed one hand on the steering wheel, leaned across me, and opened my door. I caught a whiff of his Cool Water cologne and tried not to cry. I missed that smell in my sheets.

“Just save it, Brodie. Belittle someone else. I have to go back to work.”

I turned to get out of the truck and suddenly changed my mind. I had some things I needed to get off my chest. I was beginning to wish I had walked my ass home. Keaton was typing away on his phone when I turned the motor off, snatched the keys, and threw them into the front yard.

“Have you lost your damn mind?”
“I lose it anytime I’m around you! You make me nuts! You make me so crazy, Keaton. That’s why I avoid seeing you. I feel like I’m losing my mind anytime I’m around you. See, I just repeated myself! Why in the hell would you marry that girl if you don’t love her?”

“This really bothers you doesn’t it?”

“You’re supposed to marry someone you love.”

“I tried to. You said no.”

“And then you just walked out, so you’re no better. You’ve made me feel like shit about this for two years and have never once thought about the fact that I didn’t give up on our relationship. You did. You walked out on me because I said no. You looked me in my eyes, told me you couldn’t live without me and loved me so much but as soon as I said no you walked out! And what do you know?! You’re still breathing! And doing better than ever! And if you want Braelynn to know that you miss her and love her why don’t you try telling her your damn self! Do you know how hard it was to explain to that little girl why you left after she just lost her father? You didn’t just walk out on me, you asshole. You walked out on her too and you never even looked back. You just kept on trucking, you selfish bastard. WE LOVED YOU! We still love you, you bastard. Yeah, okay, I fucked up because I said no to your proposal but did you ever once stop to think about why I said no? Did you ever stop and put yourself in my place and maybe see where the thought of marrying someone else might scare the hell out of me? I was scared to lose you. It might sound stupid but I was scared. And instead of even having any kind of discussion about it when we got home and had calmed down, you just packed your shit and left. Adios. Goodbye, Brodie! Hello, Kailee with the stripper name and the fake tits. Meanwhile, I’m still trying to pick up the pieces and answer questions Braelynn has every single damn day about when we’re going to stop being mad at each other and get back together. The person you really ought to be talking to is her. ”

Keaton just sat there staring at me. I felt tears rolling down my cheek and I knew I couldn’t sit there anymore. I got out of the truck, shut the door, and walked up the driveway. I opened the screen door of the back porch and Roscoe met me with a dead squirrel hanging out of his mouth. 

There's the first excerpt from my NaNoWriMo work-in-progress. Let me know if you love it, hate it, want to burn it, etc. And as always, Happy NaNoing! 

The NaNo Slump.

By Day 3 of NaNoWriMo I had already accumulated 29,376 words. My fingers were flying across the keys at lightning speed and I was excited. Ideas were pouring out of me, my plot was chugging along like a freight train, and all of my characters were behaving. As a writer, you couldn't ask for much more. And then it just stopped....

The fire in my brain just blew out. POOF!

I woke up on Day 4 and I decided that since I was already so far ahead, I'd take the day off and spend time with my Tiny Tyrant. We spent the entire day watching My Little Pony, scarfing down Halloween candy, and pretending that dinosaurs were knocking on our door for dinner. I didn't even think about my story or writing. Once the TT was in bed, I sat down at my computer ready to start typing and nothing happened. Every idea that crossed my mind sucked and my villain was now deciding that he DIDN'T really want to be the villain. He was trying his hardest to help me set up someone else in the story who has the personality of Mickey Mouse. There was no way I could make THAT character my villain. I already had one! He was just being an asshole! After a few hours of arguing with a fictional character in my head, I called it quits and decided I was start again on Day 5. 

The morning of Day 5 came and I suddenly decided that I was bored with my story. Everything was going SO well that it felt like something was off. It didn't feel right anymore. And I didn't know how to fix it without going back and editing. But I knew that as soon as I started editing, I'd destroy everything I have written now and I'd lose my word count which is ultimately the most important part of the NaNoWriMo process. 

I haven't edited anything. I have resisted. (So far.) But it is now Day 7 and I still haven't written anything. So, until I can get back into the swing of things, I am going to post excerpts of my story here for shits n'giggles. 

If you like it, please let me know. If you hate it, PLEASE let me know. Or if you have any ideas on how to get over this slump I'm in, I'd be glad to hear them. 

Happy NaNoing!