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I’m Lucky I Came Up For Air When I Did!
So there I was, keeping my head under the social media radar for the last few weeks, focusing solely on my manuscript, Souled, when what do I find waiting for me when I come up for air? My WANA sista, Angela Orlowski-Peart, awarded me the Lucky 7 Meme! Just the thing I needed to lighten up the mood around here.
I’ve always loved Angela’s blog because her topics are diverse, light-hearted, and always fascinating. I’m positive you’ll love the way her personality shines through each word she puts to page.
So here are the rules to the Lucky 7 Meme:
1. Go to page 77 of your current MS/WIP
2. Go to line 7.
3. Copy down the next 7 lines, sentences, or paragraphs, and post them
as they’re written.
4. Tag 7 authors.
5. Let them know.
Simple enough. I decided to go with the seven-ish paragraphs. So, here is a look at part of my soon-to-be-released manuscript, Souled:
~ ~ ~
Silence yourself. Feel, rather than think.
I tried for a couple minutes. I really did. In fact, my focus was so intense that I think I’d developed a permanent crease between my brows. The battering kept up, pelting me with shots of emotion, but finally walls began building up around my mind, blocking out one emotion after another, until there was only one feeling left – elation. I dropped my hands to my sides and my eyes slowly opened, expectant. Then my gaze tore through the crowd like a predator sensing its prey. The source was close. Very close.
Ah, there it was behind me. At a cash register stood a boy, 12 years old maybe, his face dominated by a toothy smile. On the other side of the counter, a clerk slapped a receipt onto a brand new Xbox.
The boy’s scrawny arms wrapped around the box and pulled it off the counter. He sprinted, the box crowding his arms, and headed straight towards me, his mother trailing behind. I ignored the woman and instead focused on the boy.
My energy tapped into his and sucked it in like a vacuum. To me, it felt wondrous and exciting; he didn’t feel the same way. He looked as though he’d smacked into a wall. He froze, his eyes latched onto mine, his mouth dropped open, and for a moment his head cocked to one side as if he were reading something he didn’t quite understand.
I smiled.
The boy forced his eyes shut, for a minute covering them with his arm as if the darkness alone wasn’t enough. Then grabbing his mother’s sleeve, still struggling with the box, he ran in the opposite direction.
Ha! That was freakin’ awesome.
~ ~ ~
There you have it. Look for the release of Souled this spring!
Who’s next on the list to give us a sneak peak at their upcoming work of art? I hope you take a moment to check out their blogs as well!
1. Krystal Wade
6. Naomi Bulger
Stepping Out For Some Fresh Air
Photo: mandylifeafter30.com
You may or may not have noticed, but I’ve been less active here on my blog and in the Twitterverse. I know that I feel the difference. Not posting my blogs and connecting with you feels like something is missing, but it has been for a very good reason.
You see, my next novel is almost ready to be released.
In the beginning of the novel writing process, at least for me anyway, the first couple weeks are dedicated to feverishly writing down ideas and scenes that play out in my head. The fever then dissipates and the intensity lets up. As words on the pages get cut and rearranged, as holes get filled in, and copy editors and beta readers help tighten up the loose ends, the fever kicks in again. So over the last month or so, I’ve been focused solely on the last phase of my second novel. The more detailed oriented I need to be, the more I need to go into hiding.
Photo by Thinkstock
So who brings me out of this self-imposed social lockdown? My wonderful friend and WANA sister, Bridgette Booth! Bridgette is diligently working on her own manuscript, is an avid reader, AND a homeschool mom. Whew! In between her writing, reading, and teaching, in addition to all of the stuff life throws at her, she is very generously sharing her blog space with me to talk about my soon-to-be released novel.
I’m thrilled that she has read my manuscript and will be talking about it today! Then on Wednesday I’ll be answering her questions!
So jump over to her blog today and see what has been consuming my spare time! I’m really excited about this novel and I’m certain you’ll see why!
The End Is Only The Beginning
photo: twistsandtales.wordpress.com
The End was penned a couple of months ago, but those two words only signaled the beginning. After 14 months of writing, the words that had been pouring out of my imagination had finally solidified into the 70,000+ manuscript that is now going through the fluff and fold and nip and tuck process.
For me, editing this YA Paranormal has been all-consuming, taking up enough space in my brain to push a few things out. As input from my betas keep coming in, my mind is continuously working out the possibilities and changes my novel could take. I’ve forgotten to pay bills on time, left the market with only half of what I’ve gone in for, and lost a lot of time from work because I’m running through scenes in my head instead of typing medical reports. I get through my days only half there and it’s a struggle to bring myself to the moment and focus on the task at hand.
I’ve got the attention span of blade of grass and if a point is not made within five seconds from the beginning of a conversation or whatever it is that I’m reading, you can be pretty sure I’ve checked out and moved on to something else. Oftentimes I wake up that way, breathing in the adrenaline of the home stretch.
With my tattoo artist now sketching out the cover of the novel – which, by the way, will be one of the next images of art to be inked on my body – the actual completion of my second novel is quickly becoming a reality…and I can’t wait!
So forgive me as I deviate from my usual blog path, because quite honestly, I can’t think of much else. You may not see me much in the blogosphere or in Twitterverse in the next few weeks, but I’ll be around – sort of.
photo: mostphotos.com
