What If?

Writing Tip #5:  One of the best tools a writer has is the question “What if?”

Sometimes characters in a story fight you as you try to form them, as you try to manipulate their world. When that happens, play What If?  What if she liked him? What if she wasn’t allowed to like him? Or…What if she didn’t like him, but he liked her? What if she liked him but he was in trouble with the law? What if they were fated to meet, fell in loved and were sucked up into a UFO for alien experimentation?

Go crazy! Consider any scenario. What If allows me to break down walls that might be inhibiting my imagination. Somewhere along the way, I’ll often find the situation that will work, and my characters and I will be on our way again.

I am Pleased to Announce...

The publication of Relic, a middle grade supernatural mystery!

It is available on Amazon as a paperback for $8.99.

   For 12-year-old Samantha Whitaker, her parents’ dream of running a country
inn – which she calls “The Ick,” is pure torture.

  After purchasing a strange item in an antique shop just to annoy her mother, Samantha makes a desperate attempt to flee the small village by stealing her parents’ car – only to crash it when an odd village girl darts in front of her…then disappears.

  Despite Samantha’s resistance, a local girl named Twyla befriends her and aids her in looking for the missing girl. Her search leads Samantha to learn about a famous former
occupant – village benefactor, patron of the arts, and suffragette Olivia Ainsley Wagner Roth – who, according to the previous owner, still haunts the inn.

   An unusual relic, a hidden diary, an unfinished letter. Will Samantha’s supernatural sleuthing bring answers to a village mystery that has strange parallels to her own life?

Enjoy!

Vita Sudatio Interrumpitur

Life gets interrupted. Or should I say writing does. At least mine does at this time of year.

The start of the school year is always a hectic time. As a teacher, there are always high expectations, learning 120+ new names and faces, new demands of the profession, plus the stress of transition wear – but that’s an entirely different topic. Then there’s my family. In my house, we balance three different school districts and four different schools, dance, piano and family time.

So where does writing fit in? Fortunately, the start of the school year also means the monthly meetings of my writing group, so I have the welcomed pressure of writing for them.

Relic is also in its final stages, although I am surprised at how long those last few teeny tweaks take. My students are excited for me, and that warms my heart. While I wait for the (hopefully) final proof, I’m scoping out locations for book signings and possibly a book launch party! Stay tuned!

           

Taking My Own Advice!

Eye of the Peacock continues to evolve.

Currently, I am trying to mold several characters. Frankly, they are giving me trouble. Sometimes it takes me a while to realize I need to follow my own advice!

I turned to research.

Many of my writing group collegues are very good a choosing names that give insight into the character. So I visited some name websites. The characters will be imigrants to this country at the turn of the century, so I looked for European names and specifically looked for meanings that fit their role in the story. This won’t mean much to my readers – unless they are looking for hidden meanings, but it will help keep me on track with their personalities.

I also started looking for photographs for inspiration. These characters are working-class men and boys, so that’s what I looked for. I came up with a few that will help me pinpoint facial features and clothing. I even hit pay dirt and found a video of turn-of-the-century workers walking down the street. I can see their movements and their clothing. This will be very helpful!

 

Ready for Proofing!

The final cover of Relic has arrived!

I think it is absolutely fantastic! So many thanks to talented graphic designer Aaron La Porta for capturing the setting and mood of my first middle grade novel.

You can’t see the back of the cover, but here is the text:

      For twelve-year-old Samantha Whitaker, her parents’ dream of running an inn in the country, which she calls “the Ick,” is pure torture.

     After purchasing a strange item in an antique shop just to annoy her mother, Samantha makes a desperate attempt to flee the small village by stealing her parents’ car—only to crash it when an odd village girl darts in front of her…then disappears.

     Despite Samantha’s resistance, a local girl named Twyla befriends her and aids her in looking for the missing girl. Her search leads Samantha to learn about a famous former occupant—village benefactor, patron of the arts, and suffragette Olivia Ainsley Wagner Roth—who, according to the previous owner, still haunts the inn.

     An unusual relic, a hidden diary, an unfinished letter. Will Samantha’s supernatural sleuthing bring answers to a village mystery that has strange parallels to her own life?

I’m hoping it all piques your interest in Samantha Whitaker and her experiences.

I’m learning it takes time and patience for all the pieces of a book to pull together. The next step is ordering proofs to be red-penned in a final read before publication.

Soon after, Relic will be available on Amazon. Several book signings are already in the planning stage, so stay tuned!

Out and About

While I wait for my final proof of the cover for Relic, and as summer wanes, my family decided to take a day-cation to Letchworth State Park in New York. Located along the Genesee River, there are beautiful vistas of the gorge and three waterfalls.

The hikes in the woods and along the gorge reminded me that there is a calmness of the soul that I experience when I am able to enjoy nature. Maybe it was that clear mind that just made my imagination leap. Everywhere I looked I saw settings for my writing. I was clicking away on my camera recording unusual trees, rocks, buildings and landscapes for future reference.

Nature is important for a writer to experience. Note the lighting at different times of day, the smells, the sounds. The better a writer can describe a setting, the more completely readers will be transported.

Sneak Peek

So much in life is worth waiting for.

I had an awesome surprise Monday morning when I opened my email and found the first draft of my cover for Relic! I am only giving you a sneak peek because it is just a draft, but I am so excited! What you see is only a teeny piece of the whole cover.

It really is more than I could have hoped for. The artwork of the mansion perfectly depicts the setting of the novel. I love the color scheme and the dramatic lighting – and, according to my cover designer, Aaron La Porta, there are possibly more dramatic effects to come if I approve them.

On my end, the map to supplement the text is done, and the floor plans of the mansion are about half done.

This baby may be out by the end of August, yet!