Plotting your scenes! (Wait! Come back!) It's not so bad. Scene and Structure #12

So..... Interesting thing has happened over the course of the past year. I realized that I'm a closet plotter.  I know!!! That's what I said. *giggle* I used to think it stifled my creativity and kept me from discovering my characters true nature.... Well, not true. I've had more fun and written tons more than I'd ever thought possible. The characters don't seem to mind at all, in fact, they just keeping crawling out of the woodwork and I have to tell them to get in line. They are not pleased about waiting, but I couldn't be happier. 

On a more official note, the chapter I read this past week in Jack Bickham's Scene and Structure was about plotting too! Go figure. If you haven't read it yet, I highly recommend it. I loved this quote -

"A well-organized story with inexorable forward movement -inevitable if the scenes are working right --will sweep the reader along like a raftsman being carried pell-mell down a rushing river; there will simple be no place where the reader can relax and hop off." 

OMG! Isn't that fantastic. I want that in my books, don't you. My favorite books are the ones where I felt like I had to stay up all night to finish.

A plot with scenes arranged in the most dramatic order will work in one of the following ways:

1. The scenes will move the viewpoint character farther and farther away from any quick shortcut to the original goal.
2. The scenes will develop through a series of disasters which heap new and unexpected woes on the character's head, but do not obviously relate to one anther.
3. The scenes will develop in such a way that the hero must take on some entirely unrelated, shorter-term goal-quest to clear the decks for an eventual return to the original story line.
4. The scenes will be arranged in an interleaved pattern with scenes representing other plots -subplots - most of which will relate in some distant way to the central quest, but some which may  not have anymore obvious link than the fact that they are playing out in the same setting at the same time.
5. Scenes can be arranged under a plot assumption that puts a clear-cut time limit on the story action - a deadline which must be met - so that a clock is always ticking.
6. The scenes will be arranged so that options dwindle.
7. Plot complications and potentially terrible developments previously hidden from the reader can be revealed.

I don't know about you, but just reading that list starts my creative juices flowing!

Happy Reading!

Happy Writing!

Krystal Shannan

Variety is the Spice of Life.... Scene and Structure #10

Halfway through the first week of school! It's going really smoothly so far and I'm looking forward to a great year with the kids. In case you didn't know, I moonlight as an elementary music teacher during the day, LOL. Teacher by day, writer by night! I'm trying to focus on patriotic songs this year. It amazed me how many kiddos can't sing the Star Spangled Banner or don't even know what it is...Yikes! So that's what this first month will drill into those precious impressionable minds.

Last week I talked about pacing your scenes and sequels. What's funny is that at my DARA RWA meeting last saturday, the speaker talked about Scene/Sequel/Pacing. LOL, maybe something was trying to give a hint.

This week Jack Bickham goes a little deeper into Scene/Sequel and discusses the variations you can take so that your writing doesn't always plod along the familiar beaten overused path.....

"Classic structure of a scene is goal ... conflict ... disaster in that order, and classic structure of a sequel is emotion ... thought ... decision ... action, also in that order."

 He makes a point of assuring his readers that a perfectly good novel can progress in classic form of scene #1 - sequel #1 - scene #2 - sequel #2 and so on and so forth. Once you have your basic plot points and everything laid out ... here are five variations in scene structure.

1) You can start your presentation somewhere other than at the classic and logical entering point, which is statement of goal
2) You can end somewhere short of a fully pronounced disaster.
3) You can interrupt the scene virtually anywhere by having other action intervene.
4) You can interrupt the conflict component by having the viewpoint character's internalization in response to a stimulus develop into "a sequel in the middle of things".
5) You can present the goal-conflict-disaster segments out of the natural order

Here are his five variations in sequel structure:
1) You can skip one or more parts, or portray a segment in only a word or two.
2) You can amplify any given portion out of all proportion to the others
3)You can mix up the normal presentation order of the component segments - i.e. emotion, thought, decision, action - if there is reason to do so.
4) You can interrupt a sequel with the unexpected onset of a new scene.
5) You can insert one or more remembered scenes within the though component (like a flashback).

Pretty much I'm learning that if I plan out my scenes and sequels I can rotate them around to do anything I want with them. But if I chose to write in the standard scene/sequel tradition that's ok too. It's just a little more predictable. He also mentioned that for newer writers it was often helpful not to change up too much structure and let yourself get really good at your craft. So the lesson this week is - There are fathomless ways to "mix" up your scenes and sequels, BUT! don't do it unless it feel natural to the story and you feel comfortable shaking up the structure.

So there's my two cents in a nutshell. More coming next week. Happy Hump Day!

Happy Reading

Happy Writing

Krystal Shannan

Fabulous Author Friday ~ Elysa Hendricks

Please help me welcome Elysa Hendricks to the blog today! So excited to have her back with us sharing about her new book!


Without further ado......

Tell us a little about yourself.

Well, I've been writing for over twenty years, which means I must have started when I was about five? Yep, that's about right, since once I hit thirty I started deducting a year from my age every other birthday. Then again, I'm not so good at math. Well, anyways, I've been writing for a long time and creating stories in my head for even longer.

Besides being an author I'm a wife of many, many, many years - more than the twenty I've been writing. I'm the mother of two wonderful young men. Actually, according to my math (counting on my fingers and toes) they're older than I am.

Did you always want to be an author?

I've always been a storyteller, spinning tales in my mind, but I didn't actually think about writing an actual book until the Christmas Eve my sister-in-law passed away. My husband and nine-year old son took my mother-in-law and went to Arizona for the funeral, leaving me home alone with our younger son. After putting him to bed I sat down to write what I thought would be a short contemporary romance. Strangely enough it turned out to be about a winged telepathic alien who stows away aboard a passing space craft. At that point I realized I wanted to write stories set in different worlds.

What is your favorite part of being a writer/author?

Being able to play God with my characters and their worlds. Unfortunately, it turns out all my characters are atheists.

Tell us a little about your book.

In THE SWORD AND THE PEN when his fictional creation, warrior woman Serilda  appears in his living room, Brandon Davis, an author of sword and sorcery novels, discovers that his characters are atheists too.

THE SWORD AND THE PEN was inspired by a combination of things - the Keenan Wynn Twilight Zone episode A World Of His Own, the TV show Xena The Warrior Princess and the movie Stranger Than Fiction. If your fantasy became reality, what would you do?

Oooooo... sounds fun!

What was your favorite part of the book?

I think the scene where poor Brandon finds himself surrounded by the things he fears most - women and small furry animals.

Rate your story in terms steaminess?

Probably comes in at about 7 out of 10 on the steaminess scale. There are several explicit love scenes. I'd rate it PG-13. 

THE SWORD AND THE PEN

Amazon Link:

http://tinyurl.com/sword-pen

If your fantasy became reality, what would you do?

It was time. After penning ten popular sword-and-sorcery novels, Brandon Alexander Davis was ready to move on. Ready to stop hiding in his fictional world. Ready to start living a real life. There was just one problem: as he plotted the noble death of Serilda D'Lar, his fictional creation, complete with mile-long sword, skimpy leather outfit and badass attitude, appeared in his study.

Was she nothing more than a crazy fan, or had Brandon finally cracked?

This warrior woman whom he knew so well, so strong yet vulnerable, was both fantasy and reality. She was an invitation to rediscover all he once knew--that life is an incredible, magical journey and, for love, any man can be a hero.

Excerpt:

"Yeeek!"

At first Brandon thought the shriek was an electronic whine that came from his computer. Panic threatened. When was the last time he'd backed up his files? It had been during that bad electrical storm three months ago when he'd almost lost everything, the same time his writing troubles began. Fortunately the freak power surge from a lightning strike only fried his monitor; his CPU hadn't been harmed. He should have learned from the experience, but writer's block had driven him past rational thought. The idea of losing what little work he'd managed to accomplish these last few weeks made him choke in fear. He scrambled to hit Save.

"Hell, no! Roark doesn't deserve a chance to defend himself. And even if he did, I'm not stupid enough to give him the opportunity to skewer me. That's something Donoval the Honorable would do."

At the sound of the familiar yet condemning voice behind him, Brandon whirled. He slipped off his chair and landed hard on his tailbone. Pain shot up his spine and blurred his vision.

"What?  How did you get in here? And who the hell are you?" He stared up at the woman and gulped. The sword in her hand pointed straight at his heart.

"You know damned well who I am."

The woman didn't sound happy-- and didn't look sane. She loomed over him. Her attire, a short, tight leather skirt, a leather bra, and knee-high boots left a lot of skin exposed to his view. The smell of leather, fresh air and warm woman teased his nostrils.

"What are you?" She poked him in the arm with the tip of her sword.

"Ow!" He scooted back, nearly under his desk.

"Warrior? Priest? Sorcerer?" She crouched down to rest on her heels, and stared at him. The position put her full breasts nearly in his face. "Definitely not a warrior." She pinched his arm. "You have muscle, but not enough to wield a sword in battle. No courage, either. Priest? Unlikely. They don't fear the sword. Only their god makes them cower.  Wizard? Perhaps, but not one of any power, or else I'd be at your feet. So…you're the wizard's assistant most likely." As if satisfied with her conclusion, she rose to her feet.

"Get up. I'll not harm you. I wish to speak to your master. He and I have business to discuss."

Brandon eyed the woman warily. Though her speech and clothing were odd, she sounded and looked extremely familiar. Why? Was she a crazy fan he'd somehow communicated with before?

To be honest, she bore a striking resemblance to Serilda, if shorter. She was five feet seven or eight inches, rather than six feet, and she was less buxom and had softer features than the character he'd ultimately developed. Actually, this woman was more like how he'd envisioned Serilda originally, when he'd introduced her in Donoval's second book: an extremely feminine woman forced to survive in a harsh world by denying her nature. Hillary had convinced him that in her own books Serilda needed to be stronger and have more sex appeal, hence the height and the bigger chest. The change hadn't sat well with him, but the public-- men and women-- loved her, and the books had hit all the bestseller lists. As a result, he had a thriving series, a pending movie deal and cash in his once empty bank account. Success was hard to argue with.

Despite the trampy clothing and hard scowl, she was attractive. Short reddish blonde curls framed an elfin face. Dark lashes fringed large, cat-like green eyes. Sun-kissed skin covered high cheekbones, and her lips, though currently set in a hard line, were full and red.

"I said get up!" She grabbed his arm and hauled him to his feet.

He was surprised that, when he stood, he topped her by a good six inches and probably outweighed her by sixty pounds. That size difference gave him a bit of confidence, but the nasty-looking sword she held with such self-assurance negated it. One could never trust the actions of a crazy person.

"Who are you?" She looked him up and down then seemed to dismiss him.

He pulled himself to his full height and stared down at her. "Brandon Alexander Davis. This is my home."

Unimpressed, she laughed. "Brandon? What kind of name is that? Bran is what I eat to ease my bowels."

Heat crept up Brandon's neck. Being compared to a laxative made him angry, which helped push fear away. "Who the hell are you? And what are you doing here in that ridiculous costume?"

"Who I am and" -- she paused, and two spots of color stained her cheeks-- "what I wear is a matter I will discuss with your master. Where is he? Has he run to hide from me? It will do him no good. I'm determined to find him and solve this."

"I don't have a master. I live here alone." Damn! Why had he told her that? He eased back from the lunatic toward the phone. Could he hit speed dial for 911 before she skewered him? Then what? Even if he succeeded, it would take the police a good fifteen to twenty minutes to reach his isolated home. Could he wrest the sword away from her before then?

His size would be an advantage, but even standing at ease, the woman radiated strength and skill. The odds seemed against him. To win he'd have to hit her-- hard-- and he doubted he could bring himself to do so. The lessons of chivalry his grandmother had taught were too deeply ingrained. In that way, he and Donoval were of one mind. No matter how greatly provoked, men didn't hit women.

Although, the thought of wrestling with this woman was appealing.

"No master? Do not lie to me." The lunatic's fingers flexed around the hilt of her sword.

"Why would I lie?" he snapped. "It's obvious your beef is with someone else. If I knew who and where he was, why would I protect him?"

"Because you're a coward. A powerful sorcerer inspires fear if not loyalty in his minions. But you should fear me more than him," she warned.

"There is no him! I'm the only one here. And I'm not a coward." Being called one triggered something inside him. Having phobias about crowds, insects and small furry animals didn't make him a coward. Not really.

She gave him a thoughtful look. "Is it possible? Are you the one?"

"The one what?"

She ignored his question and studied him. Her intense perusal made him squirm.

"Why didn't I see the resemblance?" she murmured.

"What resemblance?" He didn't like the turn of this conversation. Come to think of it, he hadn't liked the original direction, either.

"To Donoval. You are him-- in form at least." A bit of fear crossed her features, though anger quickly erased it. "I'm loath to believe it, but you are the wizard. Did you construct me so you could play God in my world? Does it give you pleasure to toy with me?"

"What the hell are you talking about? Play God? I'm just a writer trying to make a living. I write stories for people to read and enjoy. It's just entertainment."

LOVE the excerpt!

When did you start writing and when did you finish your first book?

I started writing that Christmas Eve and finished the first draft of that book three months later. Of course, then I spent the next three years learning how to write. That first book now resides under my bed guarded by killer dust bunnies. During those three years I wrote two western historical romances - THIS HEART FOR HIRE and HER WILD TEXAS HEART. Both of them are now available as ebooks.

Where do you get your inspiration?

Oh, I just send my muse to go pick ideas off the idea tree in my backyard. Actually, my inspirations come from everywhere - the news, books, movies, TV, conversation overheard in the grocery store checkout lane - everything I see, hear, taste, touch and smell triggers the What If response in my imagination.

I love the idea tree!

Do you plot and outline or do you just write?  Plotter or Pantser?

I used to say I was only a Pantser, but have realized that while I might not rigidly plot or outline my stories before I start writing them, once I've started I have to sit back and figure out where things are going before I can finish. So while I start off writing into the mist at some point I have to stop and check my GPS.

Can you tell us a little about the process of getting your first book published?

I sold my first book, a western historical romance called RAWHIDE SURRENDER (now available as THIS HEART FOR HIRE) to one of the first ebook publishing houses Hard Shell Word Factory. The process involved submitting my manuscript via email, which back in 1998 was revolutionary. The offer came via email as well. No first call for me.

Do you have another book in the works?

Right now I'm working on a contemporary adventure romance. TANGO IN PARADISE is set during a revolution in a small South American country. The heroine is an idealistic school teacher, the hero a jaded mercenary.

I'm also working on several other projects: another sci-fi adventure romance in my Star Chronicle series and a series of romances featuring a matchmaking cat.

A friend and I have also written a humorous mainstream fiction book together. GRANNIES AND TRANNIES: VEGAS OR BUST is The Golden Girls meets The Bird Cage on a wild, wacky and heartfelt road trip to Las Vegas to rescue a friend from the Mob. We're shopping it around to agents.

What advice would you give new authors?  What have you learned about the business?

 As far as advice - read, a lot! And write even more. Finish a book. Submit to publishers. And while you're waiting to hear write another book and another and another. The best and only way to learn the art and craft of writing is to write.

What I've learned is that I don't know what I don't know. Right now the whole of publishing is changing so fast it feels like a roller coaster ride and no one knows where it'll end up. But I think this is one of the best times to be an author.  The opportunities are there. You just have to reach out and grab them.

Boxers or Briefs?

For me or for my hero?

For me - white cotton, granny panties.

My hero - Commando. (Easier access)

ROFL!

Pizza or hamburger?

Definitely a hamburger or better yet a juicy rare steak.

Beer, Wine, or mixed drink?

Mixed drink - frozen Marguerita

If you could spend a week anywhere in the world, where would it be?  Would you write or read there, or do something else?

On a tropical beach with cute cabana boys bringing me my frozen Margueritas and shrimp cocktails. I'd keep busy with a bit of swimming, napping, some writing and reading, as well as a whole lot of other stuff.

(Character Questions)

What were your first impressions of each other?

Brandon: She nearly scared the life out of me, but at the same time I never felt more alive.

Seri: Well, at first look I found him to be a bit of a coward, but first impressions can be deceiving. When the time came Brandon has more courage and strength than any man I've ever known.

What’s your favorite characteristic of each other?

Seri: I love his sense of humor. He makes me laugh at the most inappropriate times.

Brandon: Seri is the strongest, most courageous person I've ever met. She's taught me how to live life rather than just endure it.

What are your plans for the near future?

Seri: Learn how to be a woman in Brandon's world rather than a warrior.

Brandon: Make sure Seri never regrets she gave up her world for mine.

As a Thank You to anyone who leaves a comment I'm offering a FREE ecopy of my contemporary small town romance COUNTERFEIT LOVE. All they have to do is email me at: elysa@elysahendricks.com and I'll send them the Coupon Code for the FREE download.

Readers please be sure to visit Elysa@

http://www.elysahendricks.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Elysa-Hendricks-Author/137316289643103

http://www.amazon.com/Elysa-Hendricks/e/B0034PZQP2/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

Thank you so much for being my guest today! I know we all enjoyed getting to hear about your new release!

Hugs,

Krystal Shannan

Tricks to Control Pace - Scene and Structure #9

This has been a hectic week for me. Getting ready to go back to work and teacher staff development..... if you've ever taught, I don't need to say more, LOL. If you haven't, well it usually consists of lots of sitting and listening to rules and procedures. Usually stuff you've heard every year for years! Occasionally they will throw in something new or fun, but it's rare.

It has been hard for my daughter to adjust back into a daycare schedule. We were so spoiled sleeping in during the summer. I miss her knocking on my door in the morning and snuggling in bed until we were ready to get up and greet the day.

But I digress.... You really wanted to know the tricks didn't you. Hold on to your britches, LOL. I'm getting there!

Have you ever read or been writing a book and felt like your eyes barely crept across the page? Where the pace of the book nearly had you ready to roll your eyes and toss the kindle on the bed and take a nap?

What do you do when your manuscript is moving the speed of snail slime? I usually have a fight break out *giggle* or my favorite thing to do (my critique partner would tell you) is have the heroine kidnapped! I seriously enjoy a good kidnapping. Maybe I'm just a sucker for watching the hero rescue the heroine....

So last week we talked about SEQUELS (The thoughtful, can be extended, have summary in them, and therefore are slow-reading). SCENES are the exciting, conflictful, densely packed with action and dialogue, and therefore fast-reading.

Techniques to Speed the Story

1. Check your WIP for places where a sequel connects two logically progressing scenes. You might be able to eliminate the sequel completely and just let the two scenes butt up against each other.
2. Check for places where maybe you don't need an introspective sequel, but maybe just a "Three hours later...."  or "In Chicago, at the downtown Hilton...." Short, sweet, to the point and a lightning-fast transition to the next scene. 
3. *WARNING* Don't use the same kind of transition twice in a row.
4. If you find yourself with a really long introspective sequel, ask yourself if everything is necessary. Does your character really have to recount everything we just experienced over the last ten pages.... *yawn* Sometimes it works! But a lot of time it just pulls the parking break on the pace of your WIP.
5. Did you summarize a scene into a sequel that could have been really exciting if you'd written it out? Go back and write it in to help build more momentum.
6. Look at all your scenes and decide if there's anything extra you can add to raise the stakes.
7. Check your timing. Maybe you gave your hero too long to react to the disaster. Perhaps you can move up the timeline and create new action right away.

Pacing is usually a constant worry for most writers. If your problem isn't slow pace, just do the opposite of the above tips -add sequels, lengthen sequels, cut down scenes, or eliminate them and summarize into a sequel, give your character breathing room, lengthen timeline...etc.

"...in my experience of teaching fiction technique in the university classroom for more than two decades, novice novels that fail because they move too slowly outnumber those that move too fast by a margin of about 10 to 1." - SCENE AND STRUCTURE 

Jack goes further and explains what he considers the most obvious reasons.
1) Many beginning writers unconsciously shy away from presenting conflict just as they shy away from conflict in real life. Few of us like the emotional discomfort of a nasty fight in real life, and there is a danger that we might try to dodge conflict in our fiction, too, for the sake of "comfort."
2) Many beginners focus on the interior life of the character's thoughts or feelings, failing to understand the reader's yearning for outside action of some kind, played onstage in the story "now."
3) Most beginners start out with little concept of how many plot events (scenes) it takes to construct a story of 60K or more and then try to up the word count by padding it with sequels.
4) Writing scen conflict is hard, both in terms of handling the terse writing style involved and in terms of the emotional fatigue such writing brings upon its creator.
5) Too many beginners want to be "poetic" or "philosophical," so they write overblown sequels to wax rhapsodic about character emotion, or bombard us with their profound ideas.

Happy Writing

Happy Reading

Krystal Shannan

 

 

 

Scene & Structure #8 - Are your scenes in order?

So today's chapter was really helpful for me. It was all about linking your scenes, which can be a problem. I have sat at my laptop staring, wondering how I was going to get my character to move from point A to point B. I love setting up the scene for my characters and deciding just how much information is going to be revealed or any at all. (Yes, I know....mean, right? What can I say....I told you last week torture was good for them. LOL. Anyway, so today lets hook these scenes together! Transitions and Sequels! If I could really get good at this I would be able to write a book every couple of months.

Ok, so we've started our transition and are trying to create a sequel or segway to the new scene. For the character, he/she is facing a new dilemma. I like how Jack puts it "an unexpected but logical disaster". Isn't that fabulous. Unexpected! But logical. We must always remember to move the story forward. He makes a good point later that in 'real' life some people never recover from a disaster, they mope and cry and moan about for the rest of their life. NOT SO, in fiction. These characters can NEVER be stagnant. Remember fiction is about entertaining. What happens when you start watching a movie or a TV show and it's boring or so slow you start not even caring if you finish it. *raising hand* Yep, I've so been there. I don't know about you, but I have read a few books where after a chapter I was not invested and I put the book down. Usually I never returned to it. I do not want anyone to ever do that with my book. I want them to stay up all night reading it, because they can't wait to find out what happens next.

So most sequels start out with some type of emotion on the part of the hero/heroine. We need to be sure we are delving into the characters thoughts and feelings (POV) so that we can connect the reader to why the scene they just read is so important. Why write it, if it's not important? Every scene must count emotionally for the character and the reader. The transition/sequel give an opportunity for reflection.

There are three ways to do this.
1) Description
When you see this method, it should seem as if time stood still while the reader described the thoughts going on in the character's head.
2) Example
Examples are used when writers show their characters emotion through movement or action. A fist through a wall, throwing something, slapping their forehead, walking aimlessly. A lot of times using this method will help your reader engage and try to make their own conclusions about the disaster and what it means. In other words, it gets the reader's juices flowing. Just be sure you don't do this every single time. You don't want the reader to always be completely in the dark.....or maybe you do? Who am I to say.
3) Discussion
This is exactly what it sounds like. Readers learn through dialogue with multiple characters what your hero/heroine is thinking or feeling. They express it through what is said.

Alright, we discussed what to do with emotion. Moving on... Now, thought is next. Our hero/heroine is moving on the next stage of the transition/sequel. We know how they feel. What are they going to plan? First, they must review(a) what just happened to them. It can be brief or it can be lengthy, remember you are reminding the reader of what is important. Next, they analyze(b) or figure out what just happened and why. Then, the planning(c) begins. How is the hero/heroine going to respond to this new dilemma or disaster? Remember, always move forward.

Once our sturdy hero/heroine is done thinking, they must make a choice - a decision. This is the next progression. When a choice is made by the character on how to move forward, it should align with the story goal. Even if the path taken to get there has been altered, it should always align with the ultimate goal of the story and it should be clear to the reader. Why you say?

(1) First, it's important for the reader to realize that the character has picked a new course of action and is ready to move into it. (2) Second, stipulation of the new goal begins to prepare the reader for the next confrontation or scene; it heightens anticipation and suspense. (3) Third, we have already seen that understanding of the scene goal is vital to the readers's understanding of the scene and the things that are at stake.

Action! Lastly, the character much take his/her thoughts and decisions and take action. They must buy a plane ticket, get in their car, call somebody, etc... something has to happen....and VOILA! You are in your next scene. Congratulations you have transitioned to the next exciting, jaw dropping, scene in your story!!!

Happy Writing

Happy Reading

Krystal Shannan

Scene and Structure #7 - 12 Tips to Writing a Great Scene

I promised I'd share Jack Bickham's 12 tips on planning a scene this week, so here they are.

1. Make sure that the state scene goal is clearly relevant to the story question. Don't assume it's obvious to the reader. Spell it out.
2. Show clearly that the viewpoint character considers the oncoming scene as vitally important. Have him/her say so, or think so, or both! Never allow a lead character to enter a scene with a lackadaisical attitude.
3. Make sure you have provided enough background for the opposition character --or have him state enough motivation at the outset. 
4. Make sure your opposing character clearly states his opposition early in the scene, and never lets up.
5. Mentally devise a moving game plan for both the lead character and the antagonist so that even if you don't tell the reader what either is thinking, you know what both are thinking. 
6. In searching for your scene-ending-disaster, don't always grab the first idea that comes to your mind. Your reader will be guessing along with you, and you don't want him to outguess you. You always want to keep the reader guessing!
7. Don't be afraid to have your antagonist try to get the lead character "off the point" of argument as one of his opposing tactics. Just make sure the lead character always finds his way back.
8. Don't hesitate to use dialogue at cross-purpose once in a while as a scene-building device. Such dialogue can be defined as story conversation in which the conflict is not overt, but where the antagonist either doesn't understand what's really at issue, or is purposely non-responsive. However! Avoid characters lecturing each other.
9. Remember, in building conflict in the scene and in devising your disaster, that people are not always entirely rational, especially in stressful situations. Your story people --even in the toughest scenes --are not wholly logical robots, LOL.
10. Plan and write the scene for all you can get out of it. Revise if its impact suddenly seems to great for what your plot calls for next, and cut it only if you reread it later and sense that it may get dull in spots.
11. Always be alert for ways to raise the stakes in a scene, as long as you don't turn it into Armageddon!
12. Never let your characters relax or feel comfortable when disaster is right around the corner.

Next week we will begin considering how to CONNECT scenes and how better to motivate them. Hope you enjoyed this week. See you next Wednesday.

Happy Writing

Happy Reading

Krystal Shannan

Scene and Structure #6 - Torture those Characters! It's OK, it's good for them!

So I'm a little late today. Darling daughter and I slept in until 8am. It was fabulous. Then we had some eggs and delicious hearty bacon. Darling daughter also ate a big bowl of yogurt. What can I say, we are big on breakfast. It is Texas! LOL. House cleaning and shopping is on the list today....

Trying to get geared up for school starting back in a few weeks. Eeeeeeek!!! It's sneaking up on me.

But, let's get on with Jack Bickham's SCENE AND STRUCTURE tips for today!

Today we are talking about Planning and Revising Scenes for Maximum Effect.

1) The goal of each scene must clearly relate to the story question in some way.
2) The conflict must be about the goal.
3) The conflict must be with another person or persons, no internally, within oneself.
4) Once a viewpoint has been established and that viewpoint character's problem and goal have been stated, it's wise to remain with that same, single viewpoint through the disaster.
5) Disaster works (moves the story forward) by seeming to move the central figure further back from his goal, leaving him in worse trouble than he was before the scene started.
6) Readers will put up with a lot if your scenes will only keep making things worse!
7) You can seldom, if ever plan, write, or revise a scene in isolation of your other plans for your story, because the end of each scene dictates a lot about what can happen later.

Let's move forward and chat a little about (5) Disaster works (moves the story forward) by seeming to move the central figure further back from his goal, leaving him in worse trouble than he was before the scene started.

"Well-planned scenes end with disaster that tighten the noose around the lead character's neck; they make things worse, not better; they eliminate hoped-for avenues of progress; they increase the lead character's worry, sense of possible failure, and desperation --so that in all these ways the main character in a novel of 400 pages will be in far worse shape by page 200 than he seemed to be at the outset."

Ok, so I'm getting the idea that torturing our heroes and heroines is good! Love it!

Jack goes on to say later that 'Of course you can console yourself (but don't tell the readers) with the secret knowledge that all of this seeming backward movement is only a dramatic illusion'.

Haha! I hope this hit on a few areas of interest for you. I know it did for me and next week (yes, I peeked ahead) we get Jack's 12 tips on writing and revising! Can't wait!

Happy Writing,

Happy Reading,

Krystal Shannan

Fabulous Author Friday ~ Carrie Ann Ryan

So excited to have one of my absolute favorite authors on my blog today! Please help me welcome Carrie Ann Ryan.


Without further ado.....

Tell us a little about yourself.

First off, thank you so much for having me here today. I'm really just a typical romance author, if there was anything technical about it. I used to be a chemist by day, a wife, a kitten mother, and author by night. As of a couple weeks ago, I'm just little old me, someone who loves to dive into new worlds, and see where the romance takes her.

Did you always want to be an author?

I've always been in my own head and screamed up new stories, but the idea of sharing them in becoming an author is relatively new to me. However, I wouldn't change it for anything in the world. To be able to let the characters speak and to let others see what I'm thinking, the most amazing thing.

I totally agree.

What is your favorite part of being a writer/author?

I think there are two parts of this, I love meeting new characters in my head and figuring out what they would do if I put them in different situations. And even then they get their own situations, and I have to figure out how to get them out.

But another thing I love, is hearing from readers. When I first started out I had no idea anyone would actually read these I thought, hey, why not try it out and see if I can get one or two readers. Boy was I wrong. And I'm happy about it. I love hearing from readers saying that they love my Redwood Pack boys, and tell me which man/wolf they want to end up with. And now that I'm starting this new series, I can't wait to hear what they have to say about this new group of characters.

I'm one of those and so far Jasper is my favorite to drool over. *giggle*

Tell us a little about your new book.

Dust of My Wings is the first book in my Dante’s Circle series. Here, I have an angel, Shade, who was sent to earth to recover his angel dust. However, things don't go as easily as he'd hoped, since Lily, a lab tech, has recovered the dust first. So now Shade needs to decide how he's going to do his job and not fall in love with the woman with big green eyes.

But underneath it all is another faction trying to destroy him and his secret about the humans that may just blow up everything. In this book you get to meet Lily, and her six girlfriends, who become their own family and are each different and unique in their own way. I'm so happy I get to write a story about each of them and then they all love with along the way.

So yes, this is not a Redwood Pack book, but it's still me. It's still hot, funny, and just a little dark. I can't wait to hear what you think about it.

I already read it and it is FANTASTIC!

What was your favorite part of the book?

I think meeting new people and breaking out a new world. I didn't stick with just werewolves this time, which scares me. I know people love my walls, and I love them too, but keep an open mind and know that the matter what they shifted to their still my characters.

Rate your story in terms steaminess?

Hmm, let's see on a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is your Nana's knitting project, and 10 is OMG through some ice water on her she's on fire, I think this is around seven or eight. Definitely hot scenes, but it isn't the whole point of the book. But you know me and my hot scenes, so of course I had put a few in there. Wink wink

Dust of My Wings Blurb

            Humans aren’t as alone as they choose to believe. Every human possesses a trait of supernatural that lays dormant within their genetic make-up. Centuries of diluting and breeding have allowed humans to think they are alone and untouched by magic. But what happens when something changes?

Neat freak lab tech, Lily Banner lives her life as any ordinary human. She’s dedicated to her work and loves to hang out with her friends at Dante’s Circle, their local bar. When she discovers a strange blue dust at work she meets a handsome stranger holding secrets – and maybe her heart. But after a close call with a thunderstorm, she may not be as ordinary as she thinks.

Shade Griffin is a warrior angel sent to Earth to protect the supernaturals’ secrets. One problem, he can’t stop leaving dust in odd places around town. Now he has to find every ounce of his dust and keep the presence of the supernatural a secret. But after a close encounter with a sexy lab tech and a lightning quick connection, his millennia old loyalties may shift and he could lose more than just his wings in the chaos.

Dust of My Wings Excerpt

The motorcycle vibrated beneath Shade as he pulled off the side of the road and parked. The rain pelted him, the cold seeping into his bones, but he shrugged it off. He was in northern Washington and this seemed to be the norm in terms of weather.

He lifted his leg and got off the bike, ignoring the stares of the women around him. They watched him stroll, his powerful legs leading to long strides. He’d tucked his wings into the slits into his back to hide the fact he was an angel, but he couldn’t hide his face or the fact that women seemed to fawn over it.

It had been a long time since he had a woman. Not since that were jaguar a century or two ago in a night of deep depression and loneliness for him. But the heat, claws and desperation and only served to fill a physical need that left him even lonelier than before. From then on he left his carnal needs up to his hand. Before the jaguar it had been even longer, but he didn’t want to think about her. The one he’d lost. She was long since gone.

When did you start writing and when did you finish your first book?

I wrote my first story when I was six. It was about Free Willy, and what would happen if he met a young girl, and she would help him instead. It was horrible, that I still have it.

But my first book that I wrote for publication, was a book about a group of seven men, brothers, who lived in the South and have a crazy life. I set that aside for now, because it too was horrible.

Then I met Kade, the hero of An Alpha’s Path, and everything clicked. That was a year ago this month. Who would've thought I'd still be doing it. I'm so happy I am.

It just took the right man to bring it out of you :-)

Where do you get your inspiration, Carrie?

Pretty much through anything.  I'm usually a character author, meaning if the character talks to me through something they'll find a story for them. Who knows I may change it the other way around eventually. If I'm watching a TV show, see someone walk past me, or to see a picture of something beautiful or scary, I can usually find inspiration.

Do you plot and outline or do you just write?  Plotter or Pantser?

Oh I plot everything. I have an outline for my series, and outline for my characters, a timeline for my characters, and outline for my book, and the detailed outlines for the chapter. Some people think this stifles them, but this lets me think about where I'm going some characters evolve. Just because I write an outline doesn't mean I have to stick to it, I can change and add things if I need to, but it's nice to know where I'm going so that way my fingers catch up to my brain.

Do you have another book in the works?

Oh my, I have so many. I'm still working on the Redwood Pack, because I have at least three more full-length novels and a few novellas coming out with that. I'm also working on another series called Holiday, Montana, where the five book series and they all come out between now and next summer. Plus, there's going to be more the Dante’s Circle world. So yeah, I'm a little busy.

You just keep it up, girl, cause I have to feed my addiction. LOL

What advice would you give new authors?  What have you learned about the business?

Write, don't think about writing, do it. And ask for help. You don't know everything about writing, I don't know everything about writing, nobody knows everything. You could learn, listen, and ask. Plus, if you don't love your work how do you expect others to?

Boxers or Briefs? Boxer briefs or nothing at all. *wink wink*

Pizza or hamburger? A hamburger. I don't like pizza. I know, I know don't hate me.

Beer, Wine, or mixed drink? Beer for me. Though I don't like anything to hoppy.

If you could spend a week anywhere in the world, where would it be?  Would you write or read there, or do something else?

I grew up all over the world, but I'd love to be able to go back to the Himalayas, immerse myself in the forest, right. That just sounds amazing to me.

(Character Questions)

What were your first impressions of each other?

Shade:  The first time I saw her I knew I wanted her, but a new it would be easy, after all she was the one holding my fate.

Lily: When I first saw Shade, I thought I'd hit my head, or just still had a headache for the night before. She was beautiful, and so caring, but still bad ass, I mean come on he has a motorcycle.

What’s your favorite characteristic of each other?

Lily: His protectiveness, I know he can protect me but he also knows that I can protect myself. Plus he's training me, so watch out world.

Shade: *laughs softly* I love the way she picks herself up the matter what happens. Plus her eyes.

Lily: Shade…

Shade: I'll tell you how much I love you and how beautiful you are later

Lily: I can't take you anywhere.

Shade: I'll show you where I can take you.

Lily: *clears her throat* Okay, enough of that.

What are your plans for the near future? 

Lily: figure out how to live this new life of mine. I mean, I'm within angel, it's so different.

Shade: I'm just living it day by day for now, as long as Lily is by my side, I'm happy.

***Giveaway Info***

Carrie Ann is giving away an autographed swag pack to a person who comments. Be sure to leave your email address to be entered to win.

Carrie Ann Ryan is a bestselling paranormal and contemporary romance author. After spending too much time behind a lab bench, she decided to dive into the romance world and find her werewolf mate - even if its just in her books. Happy endings are always near - even if you have to get over the challenges of falling in love first.

Her first book, An Alpha's Path, is the first in her Redwood Pack series. She's also an avid reader and lover of romance and fiction novels. She loves meeting new authors and new worlds. Any recommendations you have are appreciated. Carrie Ann lives in New England with her husband and two kittens.

Carrie Ann loves hearing from readers. You can find her at:

Website | Blog | Heartthrob Haven | Facebook Author Page | Facebook Friend | Goodreads |

Twitter: @CarrieAnnRyan | Tumblr

An Alpha’s Path Amazon  Barnes & Noble ARe A Taste for a Mate Amazon Barnes & Noble ARe Trinity Bound Amazon Barnes&Noble ARe A Night Away Amazon Barnes&Noble ARe

 Thank you for being my guest today! 

It was such a pleasure.

Scene and Structure #5 - Pitfalls!

I'm on vacation this week with my daughter in sunny Florida, but I made sure to have a little something to share with you from our good friend Jack Bickham and his book SCENE & STRUCTURE.


Let's talk about our friends from last week, Jack and Jill. Now their goal was climbing a hill/mountain and we are trying to come up with conflicts for them. Be sure the conflicts you choose for your characters are not trivial. (Believe me your readers will care!) We don't want to read about how Jack and Jill don't have the proper equipment to scale their mountain. If the story is about them climbing, they sure as hell better have the proper climbing equipment. 


Now.... If the story is about them surviving in the Alaskan Tundra and they were in a plane crash and they have no equipment and they have to climb a mountain to escape a bear.... that's one thing.... but then the story goal is no longer them climbing a mountain it's about them surviving in the wilderness and readers will now expect them not to have the equipment they need.  


See how that changed everything.


Another point he makes in this chapter - don't sidetrack your characters (Pitfall #1). If Jack and Jill need money to finance their trip, don't create a thought process that says if the bank doesn't give us financing we have to rob a bank to get the money to climb the mountain.  OMG! Jack and Jill's story is about climbing a mountain, not becoming bank robbers! Be sure you don't back your characters into conflicts that distract from your story goal and possibly alter it in the process.


(Pitfall #2) - The Strongman
Don't let the characters run away with the story. Yikes! I know all my pantser friends out their are gasping. For you guys. Let the story run, but then be willing to go back and look at the scene and realize that you might not want all of it. For example, if Jack and Jill go to the bank to get financing for their climb and start a screaming match with the the bank manager... what's going to happen. What might you introduce into your story at that point that you don't want to explain to your readers? Jack says "what if the characters say they can get the money somewhere else and the bank manager sees it as a threat and calls in the loan on Jack's business... or Jack says he can just go get the money from his grandfather..." Well the reader is going to want to know why Jack didn't just go to the grandfather first. Is the grandfather part of the story, or did Jack just grab you by the ear and drag you along with him for no good reason.


I am such a pantser too and I have seen this happen in my own work from time to time. I take a step back and go 'what the hell?'. As a pantser you have to be willing to take it out and go at it again. Remind your characters to "stay on task" LOL. When this happens I usually highlight the scene, cut it and paste it at the bottom of my doc so that if I need it I can go back and and get it, but if I don't, I don't worry about it.


(Pitfall #3) - The Weakling
Don't duck your conflicts! "After the showdown with Jacob Simms, David drove directly home, feeling....." OMG! The author skipped the best part. He/she left out the showdown. 

Don't skip over conflict because you don't think you can write it well enough. "You will find that boldly going ahead into the 'impossibly difficult' conflict portion will stretch your abilities as a writer - and make you better than you thought you could ever be."

Happy Writing, Happy Reading

Krystal Shannan

Be sure to follow the blog if you haven't already. The July drawing  for an Amazon giftcard is next week! You have to be a follower to be entered :-)

Scene and Structure #4

Well, today I was greeted by my two year old in the hallway at 6am... LOL, It's just going to be one of those days. I fed her and clothed her.  Lucky for me, she wandered off to play with her stuffed animals and I can sneak in a few moments to share what I've learned from my latest reading in Jack Bickham's SCENE & STRUCTURE. Although, I hear an approaching floor popper, so this is probably going to be quick today.

Jack is talking about overall goals today in your scenes. How to avoid the circular arguments that plague many children and non-comunicative adults..... *snicker* 

When we read a book, we don't want the characters to just argue and go back and forth at each other, we want problems, crisis, choices that must be made, action that must be taken. We want to hope and cheer on our heroes and heroines in their epic struggle to reach their goal and we want to be made to believe that they might not make it.

Remember to have your long-term story question in mind when writing each chapter all they way down to each individual scene. If the story is about Jack and Jill climbing a hill. Every scene should be their struggle to do so until they ultimately succeed. Unless something else relates to that goal and question, it is unneeded and distracting to the reader.

Authors do this successfully by placing conflicts in their characters' paths - usually a villain figure.

Now for the 'disaster' as Jack calls it. The final twist in a scene that keeps the hero/heroine from achieving their quest or attaining their goal.

'It seems clear why this should be so. If a character enters a scene, has a big struggle, and comes out with exactly what he went in for, then he is happy as a lark. Again -just as if there had been no fight at all - Jack and and Jill are happy, the reader is happy - and all story tension just went down the drain.

This is why the scene, if it is to work as a building block in your novel, must end not well, but badly. Jack and Jill can not be allowed to attain their scene goal. They must encounter a new setback. They must leave in worse shape than they were in when they went in. Any time you can build a scene which leaves your character(s) in worse shape, you have probably "made progress" in terms of your story's development!

So to recap... 

1) Start with a goal in mind

2) Plan your conflicts

3) Devise a solid disaster 

Now, go torture those characters for our pleasure and enjoyment! 

Remember it's for a good cause. You want to write a bestseller!

Happy Writing, Happy Reading.

Krystal Shannan

Fabulous Author Friday ~ Sheri Fredricks

Please help me welcome Sheri Fredricks to the blog today! I am so excited to have her here.

Without further ado..........

Sheri please tell us a little about yourself.

I’d like to give a huge thank you to Krystal for having me on her blog today!

You are very welcome!

I was born on September 5, which makes me a Virgo, I fit the attributes of that Zodiac sign to a tee. Before I became a writer, I worked in an engineering contractor's office. It was great: 65 men, 3 women, and as close to heaven as a single girl could get. Now I write full-time, work in my husband's home office full-time, and cater to the kids, livestock, and ranch around the clock. 

Sounds very busy.

So beautiful Sheri!

Did I mention I live on the scenic central coast of California, where the weather is always near perfect?

Did you always want to be an author?

No. In second grade, the teacher had us draw a picture of what we wanted to be when we grew up. I seated my hugely grinning self on a golden throne and drew sacks of money all around me.

The caption beneath read: I want to be RICH!

That's fantastic! LOL

What is your favorite part of being a writer/author?

Here’s two answers to your question.

Personally:  I’ve always been a geek— never athletic enough, uncoordinated, and live with freaky ideas in my head. My husband is the complete opposite, achieving top shelf results in whatever he sets his mind to. When I wrote my first story, it blew him away. That was a glorious moment for me!

Professionally:  It’s a tough tie between creating stories that have never been told, and all the GREAT people I’ve met along the way.

I completely agree! The writing community is unlike any other. It really is a lot of fun and filled with awesome people.

Tell us a little about your book.

Remedy Maker is about Rhycious, an ex-military centaur medic whose battle scars are hidden beneath the surface. Moments of high stress trigger hallucinating flashbacks, a condition he continually fights to overcome. When he meets Patience, a beautiful wood nymph and the race of the late enemy of his people, he learns about unconditional love…and the healing power of a single touch.

Together they must battle human hunters who wish to enslave the mythological beings, rebels taking over the centaur kingdom, and the affection they have for each other in a mythic world filled with prejudice.

When did you start writing and when did you finish your first book?

It was November 2008. A fire was burning in our living room while my husband and our boys were watching The Cowboys, starring John Wayne. I was probably whining about something to do FOR ME that I would be GOOD AT and RECOGNIZED FOR.

My husband suggested I write a story instead of reading them. It was my “ah-ha” moment.

I penned two other books before I started Remedy Maker. It took just over a year to complete, from outline to submission.

Where do you get your inspiration?

From a bottle of gin and a liter of tonic. 

ROFL! Personally, I like tequila and margarita mix.

Do you plot and outline, or do you just write?  Plotter or Pantser?

I plot. As a list-maker, I plot out my day. My kids’ day. My husband’s To-Do list.

I’m a Plot-a-holic!

With Remedy Maker, I wrote an outline, which was a narrative form of the book. It ended at 13,400 words and 33 pages long. Yeah, I plot.

Holy smoke!!!

Can you tell us a little about the process of getting your first book published?

When I was ready to query, I hit all my favorite agents first. When all of them rejected me (lol), I submitted to all my favorite ePublishers. A week would pass without a word. I sent more submissions out. A second week went by.

By the third week, I had my first contract offer. Then another. And yet another!! In total, I had 5 contract offers in just over a week. At that point, it was a matter of feeling them out, reading the fine print, and making a decision.

That's so great! It must have been a good feeling, I know when I got my contract on my novella with Ruby Lioness I was ecstatic! 

What book have you most recently released?

Remedy Maker was released by Ruby Lioness Press on July 27 in both print and eBook formats.  Portals of Oz was released the month prior, on June 29, in an anthology named Love Down Under.

What was your favorite part of the book?

My favorite part is also one of the darker scenes. Where the hero, Rhycious, returns home to find the heroine, Patience, missing from his home. He suspects the worst and suffers an all-out PTSD breakdown. It was an extremely hard scene to write, but the most rewarding.

Rate your story in terms steaminess?

Above sensual, but below erotic.

STEAMY:  Mainstream audience. Heavy sexual tension; graphic details; may contain coarse language; sex scenes contain some adult language. Still suitable for the general audience.

Do you have another book in the works?

Absolutely! I working on the next novel in the series, tentatively titled Trolly Yours. The outline is complete and I'm digging in with all ten fingers to finish the book. The story involves a side character with a huge ego named Aleksander, introduced in Remedy Maker. He meets the only mythic female in the Boronda Forest who isn't fazed by his charms and good looks…and the sparks fly!

There is also a time-travel western romance I dusted off to finish writing. Her Future Past is novel length and is sure to be Yee-Haw good! Trey MacPherson, a marshal from the 1880’s, is tracking a murderer and finds himself sucked through a wormhole with his posse. He meets Holly Laurens, owner of the ranch they appear at, and realizes the murderer has come forward in time as well.

Sounds like fun!

What advice would you give new authors? 

Join a critique group and sign up for classes. Savvy Authors has many low cost workshops, as well as FREE classes. If you’re serious about writing, and your goal is to seek publication, then NEVER GIVE UP!

Good advice!

OMG! I LOVE THIS ONE SHERI!

Boxers or Briefs?

Can I choose commando? 

Of course, you wouldn't be the first! LOL 

Pizza or hamburger?

Pizza— It’s the most perfect food in the world. You’ll notice how a pizza holds all five food groups and keeps our meals balanced.

  

Beer, Wine, or mixed drink?

Hi there. Sapphire and tonic girl here. Add a twist of lime and throw it in a bucket. (that’s a large high-ball glass for you newbies)

I have those in my cabinet, LOL, my hubby drink whiskey out of them.

If you could spend a week anywhere in the world, where would it be?  Would you write or read there, or do something else?

If there's one destination to blow my savings on in the name of love, this tiny, pricey South Pacific island is it. Novelist James A. Michener described Bora Bora as, "the most beautiful island in the world" and if I ever reach this romantic getaway's far-flung shores, I doubt I’d disagree.

To answer the second half of your question, I would hope my husband and kids are there with me. I’d soak in the experience and BE THERE in the moment.

If you're looking for a book that will take you away to a mythic world that might exist…

If you love hot guys with insatiable appetites who have a dash of vulnerability…

If you're looking for a sensual read with the power to make you gasp…

This would be the book for you.

Man by day, Centaur by night, Rhycious is a remedy maker who needs his own healing.

He's the royal physician, famous for his cures. War and posttraumatic stress disorder has broken his spirit, preventing him from finding true happiness. Then a direct order from the queen to investigate an uprising forces him out of his secluded cabin at the edge of the forest.

Patience is an optimistic, good-natured Wood Nymph who works as a mediator to ensure harmony within the Nymph sector.

Environmental pollution in the aquifer stream that feeds the taproot tree of her heart is slowly killing her. Resigned to the fact she will not live long, she sets out to discover the mysterious disappearance of her sister. Experience has taught her to deny herself the love of a male, but the gruff Centaur is different. He doesn't push his expectations on her, only his healing nature.

When Rhycious loses his grip on reality, he believes his inability to control his disorder will drive Patience away. Nevertheless, desire flares, and Patience draws him close. Kidnapping and betrayal turn their mythic joint venture into a deadly bout.

Will their love endure when survival hinges on trusting each other?

Excerpt

“You ever see her before?”

“No, I haven’t.” Rhy ran his hands down both bare legs and a slender exposed arm. He checked for broken bones, noting her supple skin and a clean woodsy scent.

Her blouse had an unusual design, made of homespun fibers. It had a diagonal cut neckline with tiny puff sleeves, pink and soft. Created from the same material, a short skirt flared, and was embroidered with spring-green leaves.

A tickle teased his neck again, but not from annoyance this time. He repeated the examination of her other arm. Tension curled tighter in his gut, suspicion spread like spilled wine.

Tilting her head with care, he pushed her dark brown hair from her smooth décolletage, sucked in a short breath, and froze.

“What is it? Snake bite?” Samuel raised the brass lantern higher and leaned over for a better view.

Rhy tapped his thumb against her neck. Designs a few shades darker than her natural color marred the creamy complexion. The millennia old skin formation carved its way into his painful memories. It started behind her ear, an inch wide at the hairline, and extended to the other side.

The words choked out of him. There was no use trying to hide his revulsion. “Wood Nymph.”

That was fabulous Sheri! 

Thank you so much for being my guest today! 

Thanks for having me! You have a beautiful blogsite, and I really enjoyed being here!

Readers, be sure to leave your email address in your comment for the chance at a great swag pack from Sheri.

Be sure to visit Sheri@

Website:           www.sherifredricks.com

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