You Can Tell Doubt to Go Soak Herself

I have some fun news. Of Grace and Chocolate has received official nomination for the 2012 Whitney Awards! There is still a voting process for narrowing down the initial nominees, but this is a bucket list item for me and I didn't think it would happen so soon. I'm just very happy about it.

*happy dance*


Also, I've received news that my next book, THE ORCHARD, will be released sometime around April, 2013! It's so nice to have a general timeline! Even if it seems so FAR WAY!

Also, I am nearly done with SILK, the YA fantasy I've been working on for over a year. I'm really trying to hit it hard and make this story amazing. Then I'll be prepping it to send out. I have knots in my stomach just thinking about it! Good knots. Kinda.

While writing SILK, I've been thinking a lot about character arc. I attended Dan Well's workshop on writing a series at Storymakers and what I loved about it was his breakdown could be applied not only to series, but each book, and each chapter within that book, each scene, and also, the characters.

In SILK, there are 2 main characters, a villain, and 3 more key characters. And they all have POV scenes. At first this worried me, but the more I remember, study, and read fantasy, the less I worry about this. Now my concern is making sure that there is a clear point to giving each of these characters a POV. That they each have definitive character arcs. When I get excited about each one's story, I think I'm on the right track. I find when I'm floundering, it's because I'm not attacking their arc, their growth. When I think about weaving their stories together . . . I get goose bumps.

And then doubt lifts her head and says, "Uh, this is not exceptional."

Yes, Doubt says that. Doubt is a dummy-head.

So I'm still working on it. Don't tell me I can't pull this off. I have to make the attempt.

Thursday Authorial: A Shot in the Arm

I've just given myself a shot in the arm. Not only did I find motivation to pull out the revision I'm working on and start cutting away all the floof and sputter, but I also was able to see some needed changes in my WIP. I'd sort of written myself into a wall (a low wall, but a wall nonetheless) that just didn't feel great. But now I can push through it and get to where I and my characters want to be.

Where, you may ask, did I get this magical shot in the arm? This clarity of mind and motivation to believe I can do hard things?

I read. And read and read and read.

Traci Hunter Abramson's Smokescreen.

Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series (the first three of six).

I think I started on Friday and finished on Tuesday. Still sleepy . . .

BUT THAT'S NOT THE POINT. Yes, I know none of these books are in my genre. IT DOESN'T MATTER.

What matters is these stories were great. The strengths of all of these reads were exactly what I needed.

Character. These characters were believable, real, acted and made choices as only they would. I missed them for a couple of days after finishing. As a writer, that would be a wish of mine. For my characters to linger, to be remembered, because they became real, individual, strong. I need to keep that in mind as I write this new story. I love it when you know a character so well as a reader, you can start to predict what action they're going to take, and it opens up a whole new opportunity for tension when a block is thrown in, preventing that character from making that choice. Eeee!

Pace. The timing in these stories was right on for me. There was no lull, the action balanced the introspection, the pages kept turning, there was no floof and sputter. Everything moved the story forward. The final few pages of City of Glass felt like that last moment on the roller coaster ride, when the cars slow to a stop and pitch forward before halting, and there I found that it could have ended just a little sooner and been completely satisfying, but all of these books exemplified pacing to me, and I really needed a refresher course on that.

Voice. Both of these authors are very different, very unique from one another, as you can imagine just by their chosen genres. I find if I go too long without reading other authors, just hunkering down and working on my edits, my revisions, my writing, me, me, ME . . . I begin to worry that I sound monotonous, that I'm writing what I've already written, that I'm beginning to drone.

To read someone else is to take a break from that; clear your palette. After reading such strong voices in other books, when I come back to mine I can see what makes my writing uniquely mine, and it's not monotonous. I just got used to it.

So, I am motivated. All juiced up on reading. Back to work.

Monday Mess: Drawing Characters from Real Life

My friend Don inspired this post today, so you might want to go read about his plight over at Donald J.Carey. It's brief and a little funny, but it is something I've wondered about in imagining the upcoming release of my first novel, The Orchard. How many friends or relatives will think I've written them into a book?

I'm sure many writers will agree that characters sort of come to life on their own. Sure, we can give them a career, tell them what school they went to and how many brothers and sisters they have, but while writing them, or sometimes, scribing for them, their unique personalities develop as the hero, the love interest, the villain, the best friend, the counselor.

It usually isn't until after I've written characters interacting a good deal, that I go back and write character journals of each one. Then it's fun to enhance those interactions with some of the things I've discovered about each one. It's like getting to know somebody. You can be acquainted, know a little background, and listen to what they have to say. But then after spending some time with that person, you can attach more meaning to their words, and understand their actions and views better. Or in an author's case, you can write them better, deeper.

However, having said this, of course writers draw from influences around them. I'll share a few easy examples where my characters have been influenced by real people in my life:

In The Orchard, the hero, Derick, has an older sister. A lot of my mom went into her character, her energy, her desire to make sure everyone is comfortable. Even some of her coloring is influenced by my mom. My mom is thrilled. Especially since the character is younger.

In the same book, Ben's character is a combination of my dad (sweet and quiet) and my sister's old boyfriend (mannerisms). I didn't choose it that way, I just recognized the influences of those people in my life as I pictured Ben stepping out onto the front porch the first time and meeting the visitors to his ranch. Often, when I recognize attributes in my characters as those of people I know, it's a relief to be able to picture them as I write. I'm a visual writer and picture the story unfolding as a movie, and I'm just writing down what I see and hear. So it's wonderful to have a clear image of my characters.

In The Inn, the hero's son, Sam, is a combination of my two sons (but not in looks), and his youngest daughter, Lily, is my youngest, all the way. His oldest daughter, Chloe, talks as my oldest daughter would. Probably because my kids are such a presence in my hour-to-hour life that I couldn't escape their influence if I tried. In The Lake, Chloe's best friend was very much influenced by what I thought my 10 year old niece might be like in college.

But, and this is a big BUT (go ahead, giggle), though these characters have been influenced in some way by real people, their stories, their choices, their parts in the plot ARE NOT REAL. They play roles in bringing a story to life. So although Derick's sister resembles my mom, my mom is not married to a farmer-turned college professor, nor was she unable to have children. Ben is quiet and shy like my dad, but runs a ranch. My dad is a computer engineer, and doesn't care for horseback riding.

The protagonist in Grace & Chocolate is called Jill, after my cousin. But Jill my cousin is nothing like Jill in the book. At all. Actually, I've used a lot of my cousins' names in my books. But only because I love the names, and they were great for the characters. Assuming that I must be writing about my cousins would be like assuming I'm naming a baby after someone because I expect the baby to be just like that person.

So while poor Don is fielding questions about his characters, I will continue to write my new novel, which is set on Camano Island in the Puget Sound of Washington state, where the main character goes to stay with her 2 aunts, and I will continue to wonder what people will think, who know that I actually have 2 aunts who live together . . . on Camano Island.

And just for fun, I'll post some pictures I've found of some of my characters. It's so great to happen upon a face that makes you cry out, 'It's _____!" It's also a little insane. Oh well. Such is the life of a novelist.

Young Derick Whitney- THE ORCHARD

Young Alisen Embry-THE ORCHARD

Scott Gentry-GRACE & CHOCOLATE

Jillian Parish-GRACE & CHOCOLATE

Justin Michaels-THE LAKE

Chloe Brennan-THE INN, THE LAKE

*Just a note: I usually find a picture well after a character is established. It's not always spot on to what I see in my head, but it can come surprisingly close!

Next Monday Mess: Drawing Events from Real Life

Monday Mess: Likable Characters

So, if you've been here recently, you know I'm working on revising a very long novel entitled REMNANT. One piece of feedback I received was about a secondary character called Lahonti. Though Lahonti is secondary, he plays a pivotal part and even enjoys a few POV scenes. The problem? He was deemed unlikable. UNLIKABLE. From beginning to end, so much so that my reader skimmed over his parts towards the end of the book. Wow. That's a problem, considering Lahonti undergoes a character arc and helps bring about a significant change in the hero.
I ran this by my writer's group, one who has read the story, and one who hasn't. This is important. Talking through a problem with people who have or have not read your book can be so helpful. Fresh perspective is GOOD. As I expressed my concern about making this character less unlikable without changing who he is, an interesting question came up.
Carla asked, "Are you in Lahonti's head?"
I thought about that before I answered. I thought back to his backstory. I began talking, and this is basically what I said:

Lahonti has the heart of a soldier. War is all he's known since the age of fifteen. He witnessed his mother's and brothers' murders, and lost a sister as well. He is obedient to authority, his father's (a good man) particularly, and is extremely loyal. He has hardened himself against emotion, even the prospect of love, as a protection against loss. He is awkward in expressing generosity, kindness, and hope. He would do anything to protect those closest to him. He doesn't know what to do with who he is after war is behind him. He doesn't know how to proceed or what to hope for. He doesn't know what to do with the feelings he has for the heroine. He comes across as stubborn, hard-hearted, and cocky. As his world changes, he is floundering in all he believes in. But he wants to do what is right. He stumbles when it comes to knowing what right is.

Yeah, my writer friends agreed, I'm in his head.
But only a small portion of these glimpses are in the story. In order to make Lahonti likable, I need to up his reader's sympathy level. I need the reader to understand his turmoil, and wish him well, so they keep reading him. But I can't make him a sentimental softy. It wouldn't work with where he's been. And I can't just info dump (just cut and paste the above and stick it somewhere in the first chapter, right?). The challenge is to bring out Lahonti's hidden psyche a little at a time, but early enough on that the reader develops sympathy for him, so as he goes through his character arc, or growth, he is cheered on. So when Lahonti makes a mistake or says the wrong thing or loses his temper, the reader doesn't roll his eyes and skip the page, but cringes and says, "Aw, c'mon, Lahonti, I hear you, but you're better than this! Keep trying!" I need to make the reader care.

Here is a simple example of how I'm trying to go about this. We all love the before and after shot, right? The first chapter opens at the end of a battle. The toll has been great and Limhi (Lahonti's father) switches from warrior to physician. The enemy has not quite withdrawn, and they have a friend wounded on the battlefield.

Before:

Lahonti surveyed the grizzly scene and Limhi followed his gaze. Three days of fighting in this area alone. The first killed were beginning to rot beneath their brothers who fell after them.

“I would not name it a victory.” Lahonti was somber. Always somber.

Limhi looked around suddenly. “Where is Kir?”

“Safe. In a tree.”

“Of course. A bat.”

“A lethal bat.”

Limhi raised his eyebrows but said nothing.

Another moan. “Lim…”

“It is Aram.” Limhi narrowed his eyes to locate him.

“Aram? He is not laughing, now.”

Limhi shot his son a look. He shook his head in disapproval, but Lahonti was unrepentant.

“He delights in this, Father. You know that.”

After:

Lahonti surveyed the grizzly scene and Limhi followed his gaze. Three days of fighting in this area alone. The first killed were beginning to rot beneath their brothers who fell after them.

“I would not name it a victory.” Lahonti was somber. Always somber.

Limhi looked around suddenly. “Where is Kir?”

“Safe. In a tree.”

“Of course. A bat.”

“A lethal bat.”

Limhi raised his eyebrows but said nothing.

Another moan. “Lim…”

“It is Aram.” Limhi narrowed his eyes to locate him.

“Aram? He is not laughing, now.”

Limhi shot his son a look. He shook his head in disapproval and Lahonti dropped his head.

“I'm sorry. But he delights in this, Father. You know that.”

Did you feel the difference? *Please say yes* I think it's going to take little tweaks like this and barely noticeable peeks into Lahonti's psyche to make the difference between unlikable and likable. Or at least relate-able. It matters, even for secondary characters.

Any advice or thoughts?

Commandments for Writers Series: #8

Moving along with Sol Stein's Ten Commandments for Writers, from Stein on Writing...

8 Thou shalt have no rest on the sabbath, for thy characters shall live in thy mind and memory now and forever.

It's true, figuratively and literally. Giving life to characters is akin to creating family. That sounds insane. I don't think I'm insane. I do know that Alisen, Elizabeth, Amanda, Chloe, Jill, and Kirianah are like sisters to me. Okay, maybe I'm insane. The asylum's in my head. Shhh, don't tell anyone.

I know of writers who choose not to write on the Sabbath day. But I bet they think about it.

I have been jolted with inspiration for a plot line in the middle of Sunday School class. My jaw has dropped as I sing the words of an unfamiliar hymn, appropriately depicting my character's feelings. A comment, a quote, a scripture catches fire in my soul, burning to be written down as soon as I get home. A fix to a scene, a turn of dialogue, an expression of emotion. The rest comes after the words are down.

But yeah, I'm still thinking about them.

Commandments for Writers Series: #4

4 Thou shalt not saw the air with abstractions, for readers, like lovers, are attracted to particularity.

I have mentioned in a few posts how I need to remember that readers are intelligent, and I don't need to include everything but the kitchen sink for my readers to "get it", taking them by the hand and pointing out every symbol, unfolding every hidden meaning, or explaining the purpose of every move.
On the other hand, being too abstract landed me with a recent revision request, and I thought I could use the example here.
In The Inn, the main character, Elizabeth, has a past. I referred to it vaguely, only hints, leaving the reader to fill in the blanks. But this past is a major factor in Elizabeth's character, her reactions. Even I wasn't sure if there was a string of past events, or one single occurence, that affected her in such a way.
The feedback was this:

"The author has clearly shielded Elizabeth's past so that the reader does not know much about [her], but there's not enough back story about Elizabeth to give the reader a strong grasp of who she is."

While it's true I wanted Elizabeth's character to unfold, this critique also pointed out that instead of "unfolding", I just revealed her past at the end. Kind of a let down.
With the invaluable help of my author friend, Abel Keogh, I was able to insert bits and pieces of Elizabeth's past along the way, building tension and momentum, without giving it all up until absolutely necessary. But, more importantly to building a better foundation for Elizabeth's character, I created a singular specific event in her past to overcome, and created situations where it is brought up, and she either has to address it, or brush it away. The result surprised me (a lot of things do as I learn this craft). It was a good surprise.

And yes, I'm being abstract because I don't want to give any more away.

What do you think of abstractions vs. particularities, in writing OR reading?

Commandments for Writers Series: #3

I'm continuing with Sol Stein's Ten Commandments for Writers, from Stein On Writing.

3 Thy characters shall steal, kill, dishonor their parents, bear false witness, and covet their neighbor's house, wife, manservant, maidservant, ox, and ass, for readers crave such actions and yawn when thy characters are meek, innocent, forgiving, and peaceable.

I had to think about this one. I have learned there are a few things your main character should never be (for example, an adulterer), and this commandment challenges that. But what about the other characters?

Conflict, anyone?

In the previous post I mentioned Edmond Dantes, the young man betrayed by his friends through his meekness, his innocence. I have just begun reading The Count of Monte Cristo and have been warned it is not much like the movie I love, so for the purpose of this post, I'll refer to what I know from the movie because it came to mind when I read the above commandment.

Because Dantes' friend, Mondego, stoops to nearly all the mentioned vices: he covets all Dantes has, including his fiance, his living, his future,and so frames his friend, bearing false witness, sentencing him to life imprisonment and stealing all Dantes looked forward to, including his love, Mercedes, lying about his death. The act itself kills Dantes' father.
It was easy. Because Dantes was meek, innocent, forgiving, and peaceable. And we want to scream.

We begin to urge him on, to look for ways to hope, jumping on any chance for Dantes to win his life back, to, even, exact revenge. To change. And he does. He is angry, vengeful, scheming, and distrustful. A liar. We want him to move forward with everything he has, with all the momentum he has gained... but do we want him to become Mondego?

No. I don't. I want him to exact as justice demands. But I want him to trust, to feel, to hope again. Without innocence. I want him to be the hero.

Okay, now I have to go watch the movie.

Thanks for making me think, Sol.

Commandments for Writers Series: #2

Sol Stein's On Writing ends with Ten Commandments for Writers, and I'll be throwing them out to you for discussion over the next few weeks.

2 Thou shalt imbue thy heroes with faults and thy villains with charm, for it is the faults of the hero that bring forth his life, just as the charm of the villain is the honey with which he lures the innocent.

Katniss is wishy-washy, Elizabeth Bennett is hypocritical, Edmond Dantes is gullible, then obsessed with revenge, and Harry Potter is clueless.

Saruman is velvet-voiced, Will Elliot is smooth, Luke Castellan is heroic, and Oberon seductive.

As a writer, I find it more difficult to avoid perfection in my heroes, but when I let them fumble, show their anxieties, their hiccups, they are a joy to write and their triumphs are... triumphant. And the villains, well... the villains are just fun.

One of the more interesting heroes I've recently read is John Wayne Cleaver of Dan Well's I Am Not a Serial Killer. Wells has imbued his hero with cringe-inducing faults galore and yet we want him to succeed. We shudder at his realism. We cover our eyes and peek through our fingers, dreading and hoping and glancing at our darkened windows.

Are your heroes the embodiment of perfection, or are they made real through their shortcomings? Are your villains bad because they are villains, or are they villains because they are deceptively attractive?

Commandments for Writers Series: #1

I'm reading Sol Stein's Stein on Writing and frankly, I love it. I read the beginning, then I've sort of skipped around, skimming here and there, and now I'll go back and read through it with a highlighter. But at the end of the book, Sol (let's call him Sol) gives us the Ten Commandments for Writers. They are genius. I thought it would be fun to go through Sol's Commandments as a series here on this blog.

1 Thou shalt not sprinkle characters into a preconceived plot lest thou produce hackwork. In the beginning was the character, then the word, and from the character's words is brought forth action.

Have your stories stemmed from characters? A character you just couldn't let stand there, but had to give him something to do? Not just something to do, but something to fight, to wrestle, to battle, to conquer? Because this character was someone worth the hours of plotting, hair-pulling, hand-wrenching, no sleep, pacing as your readers read, facing scrutiny and rejection for? Am I being overly dramatic? AM I?

Are your characters worth it? Click here for a Character Development list. Make them worth it.

Tuesday Edit Crunch: Run, Forrest, Run

Welcome to this week's Tuesday Edit Crunch.
Sounds like a breakfast cereal made of old typewriter keys.




Tuesday Edit Crunch is an informative, fresh, and important part of this nutritious... blog...

You can't give people what they need, if you don't know who they are. -Susan Law Corpany

Imagine getting your first manuscript accepted, with a request for certain revisions. 1) Lose two of your characters with their subplot, and 2) bring up two minor characters out of obscurity.

Yikes!

But I was asked to try. The challenge? Making these two "rising" characters real without making them replicas of those I had cut. I had to transfer some plot responsibility onto this couple, make their weight in the story believable, and I realized after I revised the male character that he could be interchangeable with another minor male character, so I had to alter his personality... like Harvey Dent... only not.

Somewhere along this writing road I came across a character development worksheet. I took it and formed it to my own preferences. It has been fundamental in allowing me to write my characters, and though I use it for my main characters, in this case, I used it on my minor characters as well. It made a HUGE difference in the re-write.

Describe the following about your character:
Fears:
Likes:
Dislikes:
Habits:
Appearance:
Education:
Family:
Drives:
Secrets:
Strengths:
Flaws:
Sentimental?:
What will he learn?:
What will her obstacles be?:
Why will the reader like him?:

Because these were minor characters, a lot of this information didn't come to light in the story, but it did come through in my characters' mannerisms, responses, humor, and dialogue, making them real.
Now, before I get too far into a new story, I stop and make a character development sheet for each character. Some things I know when I set out, and some things I learn from the characters as they form on the page. And if I know these people better than their mothers? That's when they climb out of the story and run with it. Like Forrest Gump.

That's when it's my favorite.

I hope you enjoyed this edition of Tuesday Edit Crunch. If you'd like to feel celebrated, enter to win my contest HERE. Right now, your odds of winning are REALLY GOOD. It's a thank you to my followers!
And remember, watch out for the K's. They're especially crunchy.

Tuesday Edit Crunch: Your MC, Your Hero, Your Target in the Crosshairs

Welcome to this week's Tuesday Edit Crunch.
Sounds like a breakfast cereal made of old typewriter keys.

Tuesday Edit Crunch is an informative, fresh, and important part of this nutritious... blog...

Several weeks ago I had the pleasure of being followed by @WritingNoDrama on Twitter and so checked out who she was and what she was about. Her Tweets begged me to follow her back. Carolyn McCray holds nothing back and believes in what she is selling. I can take what I need and leave the rest for another day, though I might not tell her that. What is she selling? A simple, sensible writing formula that fits in easily with other Hero's Journey methods. And she's a crack-up. She's the World Government teacher you had in high school who put you in your place while making the other students laugh behind their hands, and you even had to chuckle, because she was right. The cost for her drill-sergeant with a wink approach? For FREEEEEE!

I've been focusing on my hero, my protagonist, in my revisions of THE INN, and so I reviewed some of Carolyn's Tweets on the subject. Yes, I remembered them. Have a look:

WritingNoDrama Your Hero really wishes you'd go easy on him. Your Audience wishes you'd go harder on him. Which begs the question... #whopaysthebills

WritingNoDrama Your Hero must be hesitant about donning his mantle. You, however can be anything but tentative about forcing him to accept it!

WritingNoDrama Don't be afraid to punch someone in the stomach... Sorry, I meant your Hero. Punch him #hard My blog: http://bit.ly/dBYr6s

WritingNoDrama Your Hero hates his arc, but it is kinda like medicine for a kid. He tries to spit it out, but it's what's going to heal him.  

So you see, what Carolyn has taught me about my hero is that she is reluctant. She doesn't want to be the hero and if she is enjoying being the hero, I am doing it wrong. Now, I have seriously tried to think of a story I could not apply this to and... *crickets* 

As I have this in the back of my mind during revisions, I am finding my hero a much rounder, deeper character, and her direction and drive are much clearer. Cool.

Carolyn also addresses the "Sidekick", "Love Interest", "Magician", "Villain", the "Opportunity", the "Darkest Hour", and the "Climax". When I am in need of direction for those elements of a story, you can bet I will give Carolyn's blog, Writing Without the Drama, a visit. More on that later.

Next week, I'll be sharing what Dan Wells, aka @johncleaver, author of I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER and the newly released sequel, MR. MONSTER, taught me, personally, about Story Structure, and how I am applying it to my revisions. Okay, it was through Youtube, but it seemed like he was right here. Which gives me shivers now that I think about it.

I hope you enjoyed this edition of Tuesday Edit Crunch. Give your Hero a good pounding. He'll thank you for it! And remember, watch out for the K's. They're especially crunchy, and quick with the roundhouse!



UPDATE: I just heard from my editor. MY EDITOR. Hee hee. I have my own editor. Thank you, Covenant! Thank you, Samantha!

Tuesday Testimonial: The Kiss

Maybe it's because I'm sick, or maybe it's because my husband was sick before I got sick and now that he is better he doesn't want to get sick... whatever, but my mind has been meandering on The Kiss. Maybe because I miss it.
As you may know, I have been editing. Editing editing editing. Several different stories. And my heart still always skips around and pounds when I get to The Kiss. And I got to thinking, is this what I love about the Romance genre?
No. It's not the only thing. I love the meet, I love the chemistry, I love the conflict, the symbolism, the banter, the fight, the play, the devastation... I love it all.
But I tell you what... I was pretty ticked off at the end of Clash of the Titans. WHAT? A side hug? OH COME ON.
Sheesh.

So, yeah, maybe The Kiss is pretty high up there on my priority list.

Actually, my first experience with writing a kiss (you thought I was going to share a personal story, didn't you? Ha.) was also my first experience with my characters taking off on their own. I had no intention of a first kiss taking place at that particular point in the story, and then my male lead said, "Uh, yeah, I think so," and I gasped, really, out loud, and said, "Oh my gosh he's going to kiss her," and my fingers kept on flying over the keyboard, detached from my intentions.
After I finished the scene, my husband walked through the room.
"Honey, you will never guess what just happened."
"What?"
"Derick just kissed Alisen and there was NOTHING I could do about it."
"Good for him."
"No, you don't understand. I did NOT mean for it to happen then. They're not supposed to kiss until later."
"Hm. Well, sometimes, we just can't help ourselves." He grinned, sauntered over, and planted one on me. Mmm.

But he totally missed the point. And besides, it took HIM four weeks to kiss me the first time.

I was astounded by what had happened.
I took it to my writing group, and they agreed. Though it was a breath-taking moment, Derick had jumped the gun. It was too soon. I cut The Kiss. Fortunately for him, and me, the perfect time came not too much later, and since I had already written the breath-taking moment, it was easy to slip it in. Er.

So, as a treat, I'm sharing a kiss from THE ORCHARD. It's not the first kiss, because I don't want to give that away. Enjoy.

He’d had enough of two things: One, her father’s mind games, intentional or not, angered him, had his defenses up, and he didn’t want to feel that way right now; and, two, Alisen was so close, playing with his hand, turning her face up to his, opening herself up to him so honestly. His arm around her shoulder constricted, pulling her up to him.

His mouth met hers, the salt on her lips accentuating the sweetness of her skin. She responded and her hand traced his cheek to his jaw, his neck, then reached around and fingered his hair. He stopped kissing her and brushed her eyelashes and cheekbones with the tip of his nose.

“Alisen?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you for telling me.”

“Derick?”

“Yes?”

“I’ll tell you anything.”

Her lips found his again.

They were a little lightheaded when they left the rock.

Whew. Anyway, I've been wondering, do you have a favorite Kiss moment, from movies or literature? Share it!

In the meantime, I'm high-dosing the Vitamin C.



*UPDATE: I just got word on my submission of THE INN! Covenant likes it, the rewrite suggestions are where my concerns were anyway, and I can breathe as my mind works to address the revisions! HOORAY!! *skip around the room*

I Forgot Hobbes

I am writing a new novel about a young woman trying to overcome her mother's alcoholism, have a book published, open her heart to a man she needs to forgive, and face the challenge of caring for her niece when her addict sister appears, then disappears. It's a comedy. Just kidding.
Actually, my protagonist is a little fighter and the antagonist is a little clumsy, so putting them together makes for some entertaining twists in all the drama churning around them.
And there is a little dog. A brown curly-haired mutt named Hobbes. I'm on page 200-something and last night I realized (as I drove by myself to P/T conferences listening to Journey's greatest hits) that I had forgotten Hobbes in the last two chapters. I hit the steering wheel. "Hobbes. Oops."
But I had to ask myself (after the experience of being assigned to cut certain characters because of their unneededness... is that a word?) is Hobbes so unimportant that I should cut him?

My answer is... no. I need Hobbes. He is somewhat of a catalyst in several scenes, so he stays. I am so glad. I will be happy to go back and retrieve him. Though he may not be so. I left him on an Oregon beach. He loves chasing those darn seagulls.