Monday, April 18, 2016

Fiction Writing Tips : Details are Important, Especially the Small Furry Ones



One of the major ways to pull a reader into a book is the details. Yes we all know this, but I am not taking about the turquoise broach she wore on her cashmere sweater. I am talking more about the details of someone’s life, the little things we tend to forget about.

One of those things is our pets. 

Did you know, over 72% of the populace either has, or wants to have, a pet in their family? Also, surprisingly 83% of people are more sensitive to pet violence than people violence. I do not argue with either of these statistics because they are correct. 


Watch any movie where there is a sidekick dog or a favorite cat, and while the world is exploding the audience worries if the dog made it through the zombie invasion or if the cat made it safely out of the burning house.


People, readers can relate to the affection felt for an animal. It is the simplest and one of the purest forms of unconditional love in the world, and something we all crave.

As a writer, the furry friend can open avenues of growth for your character. Whether it reveals a fear, you character has a paralyzing fear of rabbits, or loneliness, the woman’s only confidant is the cat she talks to for hours in the evening because he can’t reveal the horrific secrets she tells. 


Pets are also wonderfully expressive characters in their own right. The bird who attacks anyone with an accent, or the ferret who jumps in your romantic interest's pants before he can jump in yours. 


These supporting characters are powerful driving forces as far as plot. She knew something wasn’t right. Where was Charlie, begging for his daily belly rubbing and cookie?

Many authors have utilized pets as the keys to the kingdom. Animals in any situation are a secondary character, thus in the background. A writer can easily hide clues to the identity of the villain or the hero in the actions of a pet. 


Even the silent goldfish can speak volumes if characterized correctly—



 Alyssa stirred on the couch, the rustling sound of rocks playing against her struggle to sleep. Damn goldfish nesting again…The most plausible reason is that he's setting up the place the best way he likes it. Everyone needs to feel at home. Maybe that is what she needed to do, rearrange the furniture, make the space more hers. If she is staying here for lord knows how long she should at least feel at home. If a goldfish deserves it, so do I, besides, what harm could it do…



 So now I have given you a few off the cuff suggestions for you to mull in your super writer brains! Have fun with it!


 Every person who comments gets a name in a hat, share this post with your friend and you get two! I will choose one person every Sunday to receive a $5 gift card to Amazon! Stay Tuned, keep reading and keep commenting!!
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Sunday, April 17, 2016

Knight of Cups - Backlash (The Dead Air Chronicles)


In the grip of fate there is no escape
They were worlds apart, drawn together by an undeniable passion. Ripped apart by fear, they ran from each other and now struggle to stand alone. Tragedy descends, and they are pulled together in search of a killer.

Kate returns to Dallas in search of Mike’s killer. Within hours of her arrival, events quickly spin out of control. Jack struggles to keep his distance, but when Kate becomes a suspect, his instincts take over and he rushes to her defense. As danger looms, all of the reasons they walked away from each other disappear, leaving the passionate fire that brought them together.

Unknown forces set their sights on Jack and Kate, and the pair is forced to run or become the latest in a long line of victims. In a desperate search for the truth behind Mike’s murder, they fight their way through the lies, discovering that not all is as it seems.

Excerpt 

Kate Weiss pushed her way through the doors. She just wanted to get this over with. After three weeks of being undercover, she’d gotten the collar and closed the case. Now all she wanted was a glass of wine and a nice long, hot, bath.She would have to wait, paperwork first, always.
She made it halfway through the bullpen when she heard her name. She turned and saw Andy waving her down.
The sight of him stabbed at her, the memory of her return from Dallas creeping from the back of her mind. She tried to push the memories of her time in the lone-star state out of her head. It was the whole reason she’d jumped back into work. Taking the first deep cover assignment she could get.  It was ironic really she’d gone to Dallas to regain her memory. Not only did she fail at that attempt, but she also managed to mangle her own heart in the process.
Jack
She pushed it away and made a u-turn toward Andy’s office.
“What’s up?”
“Come in and close the door.”
“Is everything okay, you don’t look like the boss of someone who just broke a two year old case?”
“Kate, there is something I need to tell you.” His face was hard and set in a pained expression. Her stomach immediately dropped when he met her eyes, and she pushed the air from her lungs.
“What is it, what’s wrong?”
“Kate…I…”
“What is it, Andy? Spit it out!”
“Mike’s dead.”
Kate felt all of the blood draining from her face and her body became unbearably heavy. “How?”
“He was shot in the head, it looks like a hit.” She was speechless. She stared at him, feeling the walls closing in and sat in the chair behind her. Clasping her hands together, she tried to collect her thoughts and bring her buzzing mind under control. “There has to be some kind of mistake, Andy. There’s no way…”
“It’s been confirmed. They just finished the autopsy. We should have the ballistics in a few days.”
“What— wait, autopsy? When did this happen?”
“Ah…we got the news last week.”
“Last week, and you are telling me now?”
“Kate, there was no way to get a message to you without compromising your cover.”
“God damn it, why didn’t you…” Her body began to shake but she reeled herself back in, not wanting to show the weakness in front of him. “So I assume Washington is handling the investigation?”
“No, the Dallas office is handling it,” he replied looking at her, somehow knowing she was going to object. “Don’t start, there is no way to transfer it here I have already asked.”
Kate decided to leave it. The less she involved him the better.
“Do we know when the funeral will be?”
“Not yet. I have a call into the AD in Dallas. A lot of it is going to depend on when they release the body.”
“Yeah.” She stood from the chair hiding the shaking of her limbs.
“You okay?”
“Yeah,” she said with a nod. She watched him move around the desk. He touched her arm before pulling her toward him.
Andy wrapped his arms around her, and she reluctantly let him. He was trying to comfort her, so she humored him, laying her head on his shoulder. They stood silent before she pulled back. “Thanks, Andy.”
“Why don’t you take the rest of the day off? Let it settle in,” he suggested and she nodded in agreement. “I’ll stop by later and see how you are doing, okay.”
“Call me if you hear anything else?”
“Definitely.”
Kate opened the door and exited the office. She moved through the bullpen, grabbed her things from her desk, and headed out of the building. Once she reached her car, she pulled out her cell and dialed.
“Jane. Hey, it’s Kate. Are you busy, I need a favor?”
***          
Jack’s cell rang and he answered seeing the number from the mortuary.
“This is Jack Tucker,” he said into the phone as he cleaned out the coffee pot. “Yes. Yes, please that is fine. Thank you.”
The entire situation was frustrating, and he was glad it was almost over. Everything was put on indefinite hold until the FBI released Mike’s remains. Something they were told would take a few days had dragged on for over two weeks.
He'd found his boss and friend dead in his own kitchen two weeks ago. He had dropped by to deliver his laptop as requested and that was when he found him. The memory chilled him to the bone, and everything since had been a dizzy haze.
Mike had no immediate family, so Jack and his on-air radio co-host, Melissa, took it upon them-selves to make all of the funeral arrangements. This, if nothing else kept them both busy, stalling the impending shock of emotion going to rain down soon enough. His mind went to Kate. He'd attempted to call her several times with no response. He wasn't sure why he would have expected her to answer. He'd gone to California to apologize for the way he rejected her when he discovered she was an FBI Agent, but she shut him down and walked away. Telling him that she wasn't who he thought she was. Despite their recent history, he was sincerely worried about her. Jack knew how much she meant to Mike, he could only imagine that the feeling was reciprocated.
Jack shook himself out of his head and immediately got to work. His first order of business was to call Melissa, and let her know that they were a go. He started at the top of the list and worked his way down. He had accomplished half of it when his phone rang.
“This is Jack.”
“Jack, it’s Elisa.”
“Hey, what’s up?”
“The FBI is here, and asking about Mike’s laptop. Do you still have it?” Her voice was strained and he could only imagine how she was handling things. She was, after all, Mike's assistant. All of this must have been horrible.
“Ah, yeah, do they want me to bring it there?”
Jack heard her asking someone something in the background, and then she came back to the phone.
“They want you to bring it to the field office downtown.”
“Yeah okay I can run by there. No problem.”
“Okay, I’ll tell them, thanks.”
He decided it was a good excuse to get out of the house, and he grabbed his keys. Half way to the federal offices, his phone rang again and he saw Melissa’s smiling face.
“Hey Miss, what’s up?”
“Are you busy?”
“Not really, I was just going to drop something off downtown. What do you need?”
“I am at the funeral home and I have no idea what I am doing,” she replied sounding frustrated and breathless. “Do you think you could come by and help me with all of this?”
“Sure, where are you?”
Melissa gave him the address and he veered off course to the funeral home. When he arrived, she was shaking her head in indecision. He didn’t offer any suggestions just acted as a sounding board and support. This enabled her to make the necessary decisions.
Two hours later, he was able to walk out of the funeral home knowing that the arrangements were all made. Now it was his job to send everyone the information.  He wanted to put together a respectful email so he decided to head to the federal office and then back home. Melissa wanted him to meet him for dinner later, so if he hauled ass he should have time to get everything done, and be able to clean up before dinner.
Jack pulled into the parking lot, grabbed the laptop off the back seat, and headed to the main doors of the federal office. As soon as he walked in, he saw a reception desk. He stood behind a man, and a woman, who were both waiting their turn while the receptionist talked on the phone.
A few minutes later, it was his turn and he looked to her with a smile.
“Hi, my name is Jack Tucker. I was asked to bring this down,” he said, motioning to the laptop.
“Mr. Tucker,” she said scanning her computer screen. “There you are. They are expecting you. Just go through security and up to the fifth floor.  Talk to the receptionist, and ask her to direct you to Agent Mitchell.”
“Great, thanks.” He turned and moved to the security station. Once through, he made his way to the fifth floor. “Hi I’m here to see Agent Mitchell, my name is Jack Tucker.”
“Mr. Tucker, if you can fill this out for me I can take the laptop for you.” The receptionist handed him a clipboard and a pen. He looked over the form and began to fill it out. Abruptly Jack heard the faint echo of shouting voices followed by the slamming of a door. Looking up, he watched a suited man cross the room of cubicles. The man, seemingly irate, stopped, yanking open the door of a glass walled office. “Get Andy Whitaker in Los Angeles on the phone now!”
 Jack watched in curiosity while the surrounding agents scurried through the cubicles like frightened mice looking for a place to hide.
“All set, thanks for bringing this down, Mr. Tucker.”
“Sure, no problem,” he replied with a nod before turning toward the elevator.
“Carol, Nighton wants the files on Kate Weiss,” a man said as he leaned over the counter.  A chill went up Jack’s spine, and he turned to get a look at the man. He was a bald middle age man, but he quickly disappeared into the maze of cubicles. Jack turned back to the elevator and stepped on just as an angry male voice bellowed through the office.

***

Shockwave, Backlash and Fallout are the three short novels that comprise the Tarot series by Amy Romine. T This series was a little jewel that I recently stumbled upon. Quick, addictive and sexy are probably the first three words that pop into my head when recalling this series.- Amazon Reviewer

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Monday, October 5, 2015

15 (Okay 16) Movies I Will Watch With my Teenage Daughter

In no particular order, all of these are teen appropriate and a must see for the teen experience!


Sixteen CandlesA young girl's "sweet sixteenth" birthday becomes anything but special as she suffers from every embarrassment.I remember Jake Ryan as the perfect teen guy! The use of bo-hunk is hilarious, and don't forget about the church organist retaining water and the big (or littel) panty reveal! A classic for all teen girls!

Mean Girls - Cady Heron is a hit with The Plastics, the A-list girl clique at her new school, until she makes the mistake of falling for Aaron Samuels, the ex-boyfriend of alpha Plastic Regina George. With Rachel McAdams as the 'mean girl' and Lindsey Lohan as the 'innocent' how can you resist this work of fate? A cult classic by far, Mean Girls is a life lesson.

Grease - Good girl Sandy and greaser Danny fell in love over the summer. But when they unexpectedly discover they're now in the same high school, will they be able to rekindle their romance? How else is your teen daughter gonna learn how to sing in high school. This classic pre-cursor to the Disney version has bad words and everything! Your teen will know all the words to Summer Lovin by the very end!

The Breakfast Club - Five high school students, all different stereotypes, meet in detention, where they pour their hearts out to each other, and discover how they have a lot more in common than they thought. A diary of the high school clique and teen angst, this is a roller-coaster ride that has real value. I great movie to break into that whole 'lets talk about drugs, safe, sex, crappy grades and well how high school sucks for everyone-- a must have date with your teen!

Freaky Friday - An overworked mother and her daughter do not get along. When they switch bodies, each is forced to adapt to the other's life for one freaky Friday.Sometimes I truly wish this could happen, that my daughter could walk a mile in my shoes. The Hollywood version will have to do!

Clueless - A rich high school student tries to boost a new pupil's popularity, but reckons without affairs of the heart getting in the way. So Adorbs! A class act and totally meant for parent-daughter bonding. You may not have known this, but Clueless is a retelling of Jane Austin's classic, Emma.

Saved! - When a girl attending a Christian high school becomes pregnant,
she finds herself ostracized and demonized, as all of her former friends turn on her.Definitely a good one to watch together this down-to-earth film tackles religious bigotry, teens discovering their place in the world and how difficult the real world can be. Sounds like a downer but is a great film along the lines of Juno. 

Easy-A - A clean-cut high school student relies on the school's rumor mill to advance her social and financial standing. Laugh out loud funny, with a great supporting cast the topics are worth watching together and the film does a good job of coming full circle.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off A high school wise guy is determined to have a day off from school, despite what the principal thinks of that. What can I say I am a child of the 80's and this is a must see!! What kid doesn't want the perfect day off and while certain parts may 'date' the film the concept is still solid great entertainment. 

Scream  Attempting to cope with her mother's murder, Sydney and her horror movie-obsessed friends are stalked by a murderer who seems to have a hard time letting the past go. Teens are starting to get into horror films, and they are still great date movies. Scream is a funny break in to the real thing. Still fun to watch with popcorn even if it is corny.

10 Things I Hate About YouA new kid must find a guy to date the meanest girl in school, the older sister of the girl he has a crush on, who cannot date until her older sister does. This is a Hollywood adaptation of Shakespeare's 'Taming of the Shrew' and an instant classic. 

Bend it Like Beckham - The daughter of orthodox Sikh rebels against her parents' traditionalism by
running off to Germany with a football team (soccer in America). This is a great film about family expectations, personal goals, friendship and finding your passion. A wonderful film I highly recommend!

Never Been Kissed - A journalist enrolls in her old high school as part of her research for a story. This is a sweet film about high school regrets and making the most of the years ahead. It is also about having confidence in yourself and that high school does end...really...it does.

Cry BabyIn 1950s Baltimore, a bad-boy with a heart of gold wins the love of a good-girl, whose boyfriend sets out for revenge. Another teen musical, but seriously a riot and loads of fun!

Bring It OnA champion high school cheerleading squad discovers its previous captain stole all their best routines from an inner-city school and must scramble to compete at this year's championships. Full of spunk, fun, dancing and team spirit this a great departure from the normal teen flick with all of the angst and drama included.

Hairspray Pleasantly plump teenager Tracy Turnblad teaches 1962 Baltimore a thing or two about integration after landing a spot on a local TV dance show. The remake of the cult classic is a joy to watch. Great messages about what used to be and how change happened gradually. Watch for awesome fun and John Travolta as Tray's Mom!! 

So obviously this is NOT a definitive list, so tell me what I missed! I LOVE to hear from my readers, chime in and be heard!

Every person who comments gets a name in a hat, share this post with your friends via SocialMedia and you get two! I will choose one person every Sunday to receive a $10 gift card to Amazon! Stay Tuned, keep reading and keep commenting!!