At the Climax Portion of the Book

pinical in Garden of the Gods, Colorado

I've worked up to this point in the book--the climax! The pinical! Finally, I'm there. But then as I wrote out the scene, something wasn't working. I had to let it rest. And I sort of mulled around through the weekend, waiting for the answer to come. Why wasn't this exciting me suddenly?

Then, I was reading one of my favorite authors, Kim Harrison, her Black Magic Sanction (and it's as good as I'd expect from her). I had inspriation from something inside the pages (for an earlier scene that takes place), but something about the way in which she creates problems for her Rachel character, made me realize I had not done this in this scene. I needed there to be a real challenge for my characters to find the little girl before the man does. (If I say more, I'll spoil this). They are in Cave of the Winds in Manitou Springs, Co. I have three buses drop off children at the cave. The man is after the little girl, and Sabrina knows what the little girl looks like and why the man wants to find her.

But I have another problem lurking for her: The Albino, who is a true Undead, and he desires to take souls to feed on and that's one of the reasons he is there, but he would like nothing better than to feast on Sabrina's soul because she is a sibyl. (Yummy!)

What I had failed to do was make her search a little more complicated, put up obstacles, problems. I had Sabrina, Chris, and Bill get there just as the children get there. WRONG! I had to have them be delayed by traffic, plus a long drive down a mountain road. Also, I needed to have them realize the man who holds danger for the little girl in Sabrina's vision is already there. He drives a very destictive car--a '59 Caddilac with the big fins, and I thought I'd better have them find it there in the parking lot. At first I didn't.

So, I fixed all this. They find the man's car first. They get inside and there are more than one tour and so Sabrina makes up a little white lie about being late for the school tour, and once they get inside the cave, they are not with the group which has the little girl.

And while they discuss things off to the side, Dante showes up (because he is an Undead too, but is very VERY devoted to Sabrina), tells her that The Albino is there with them. She now has Bill, who is a Nephilm, a werewolf (Chris), and now Dante (Undead). I'm setting the thing up. I'm moving slowly, as though I'm walking through this cave too.

This is where I am:

"The Albino is very near," Dante said. "He is here, in fact. Waiting."

I looked from him to Bill and then to Chris.

Bill stepped in front of me. "Then we must all guard her." The two other men fell in beside me and behind me and we all moved along the cave's uneven floor.

"This is crazy," I complained mildly. "The only one of you who would have any chance against another astral vampire is Dante."

"It is true," Bill said. "But there is one soul that the Albino would crave more than yours."

"Whose?" I asked, incredulous.

"Mine."

Vampire Writer's Retreat: Something In Me Snapped Today . . .

Vampire Writer's Retreat: Something In Me Snapped Today . . .: and I knew what it was I wanted to write next. You ever have those moments where you think about a possible next book. Yeah, I could do th...

I've Got it!

I had posted earlier today about a manuscript I had written many years ago and then rewrote it and it became too large for anyone to want, and so I down-sized it. Still no takers. I gave up. Shelved it for years. Moved on.

I took it out today--its in mini piles all over my other desk, two chairs another table and on the floor. It's basically in a shambles. Pages are reaarranged, missing, and so on. I couldn't put it together even if I had a month of days to string together to just do it. It rambles, has too many story threads, too many characters.

However, as I was reading some of the chapters, here and there, and realized what I had was enough story ideas for not one book, but many. In fact I may have (well, I sure do have) a new series with a male protag. And since it's so brand new I'm not saying too much about it.

So, new life for an old manuscript. Sometimes when you look at something ascew it becomes something new, fresh, original. Rehashing an old manuscript may be like rehasing an old idea that didn't work in the first place. Sure, you loved it when you wrote it and believe it should have been published, dog gone it. But it wasn't good enough. I don't think it ever could be, now. The story ideas are just old hat.

But as I have learned to believe, because the old Indian thought is, if it wasn't meant to be, it wasn't. Possibly something else is in the wings. By waiting it out and trying to look at this thing in some new way, I now know what I can do with it.

The old manuscript spoke to me today. I found chapters that could be turned into short stories, and in fact wrote a few out into new documents, which I may share with you at Lorelei's Muse or elsewhere this coming fall.

Have a good weekend!

The Forgotten Manuscript

Hello, all my pretties. Stay a while and we'll talk.

You know how it is when you write so many novels and you can't snag the interest of an agent--or whoever--to take it on? So, you shelve it.

I've got a lot of those. But one mss., which I had started way back when dirt was practically invented (and authors could approach publishers, even be invited to New York to have a meeting with them--those were the days!), and it wasn't good enough, I put it away. Then, I took it out after many years and rewrote it. Rewrote it some more. I did almost snag an agent, in the 90's, but she really didn't think that vampire novels sold that well (Anne Rice was doing really well at that time, and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" was hot, and a slue of movies on vampires were out *sigh*). So, after being so horribly rejected I put it away. Um, in case you didn't know--I really hate rejection.

The book's title was "Vampire Legacy". It was very racy, and it is a police procedural written in 3rd person with several POV characters. It was too long, though, so that sort of put off the agent. I also had a lot of characters in it and could probably have pulled some and really tightened up the writing. But, I was still in the newby stages. Learning my craft. I'm a slow learner.

I took my beloved, ancient (paper) manuscript out this morning. I began reading the third chapter. By golly it sounded pretty good and so entered it into a doc. I've been reading through portions of it, this week, and I really believe if I worked on it I could do something with it. Re-name it, of course, because it's too close to my first vampire novel. Which is okay. I'm sure I can come up with something.

So, what does one do with an old mss., which is, by the way, all jumbled up because I think I was putting it on a disk, either that, or rewriting the hell out of it. I may post some of it on Lorelei's Archives. Maybe. But my main goal is to figure out what the hell I was doing with it. I always make notes on my projects. I'll just have to dig them out.

Any suggestions? I'd like to do something Indi, but I don't know if I can upload with such a slow modem. Hope you're all having a nice weekend. The weather here in Illinois could not be better, very fall-like!

Monday Musings . . . Vasyl and Sabrina

Hey, there. I've been sharing brief bits from my WIP. just thought I might share a brief one from a scene between Vasyl and Sabrina. Again, this is the 4th book. The second one is to come out eventually--I have to get the edits first and after I get them (and a book cover), I will announce its debut here and at my other blogs.

Set up: after Niki was sent away from Lonny Pennyweather's (vampire) house--this scene can be viewed HERE--Sabrina has been recovering from her night. Let's peek in and see what Vasyl and Sabrina are doing now . . .

His hand clutched mine once more and kissed it. “I am not angry, Sabrina. Not at you, at any rate. You were a victim. And what he got was what he deserved. You need not feel regret over anything that happened.” He moved closer and gently kissed me on the lips. I'd forgotten what his kisses did to me; they made me feel wonderful, and at the same time safe, and absolutely loved. “Are you feeling better?”

I nodded. “Yeah. My ribs don't hurt any more.”

“I am happy to hear this.” He shifted so that he was up against me, and kissed me again, one hand feather-light against my jaw. The kiss helped me forget whatever it was we'd been talking about. “Take off your gloves,” he whispered. “I want that you should be able to resist me, should you want to.”

I blinked at him, not exactly surprised by his request, but at the realization of what he meant to do. I felt my stomach tumble hard. This was it. I was unprepared for his attentions, knowing full well he had waited all this time. I pulled off my gloves and set them aside. I knew no matter what, I wouldn't resist him; I had looked forward to his love-making since he began overtures toward me.

He kissed my wrists, and then dropped my right hand and took my left arm in both hands and kissed eagerly—as though my arm were corn on the cob—up to the bend in my elbow and kissed his old bite. I was stunned as I instantly went into an orgasm so strong I gasped and arched my back. Shit, what's going to happen when we finally do it? Will I instantaneously combust?

His one arm curled around me, catching me from falling back onto the bed; the other hand went to my crotch pressing and massaging me, helping turn the orgasm into an even stronger one. His lips were on my throat, whispering in French, “Magnifique, mon amour . . . magnifique . . .” as though encouraging me through the gratification. Whatever he'd said, it was marvelous and seemed to go with the throes of ecstasy I was experiencing.

The knock at the door interrupted us. It was a good thing I was pretty much done, or I'd have killed them about then.

Vasyl looked toward the door. “What is it?” he asked almost languidly.

“Your food, my lord,” the voice was familiar. It was Chris. I was certain of it. I was glad that he had somehow made it back here, and was—for all that I could tell—alright.

Vasyl launched himself off the bed and answered the door. I heard the low tone of a male voice out in the hall. It sounded like Chris, but now I wasn't sure. I would know once I touched the tray who had brought it. Vasyl spoke quickly to whoever it was, assuring them that I was fine. “Much improved,” he said and edged back through the door.

all writing herein is copyrighted 

Awards Goes To . . .

 Well, to this blog, and these awards are from Lisa Fee of Tall Tales, and I thank her for such a very nice jesture.

I've had no time to post this, and really have no time to do all the things I am supposed to do with them. Thus, if I have time at a later date, I might do the required jumping jacks, back bends, head spins and so forth. But for now I'm simply announcing them and thanking Lisa for being a greath follower of this blog, and any others she has commented on, and is following.

So, the award really goes to those of you who actually follw this blog, and will drink to your good health. Thanks you all of you who have become a follower, this blog has gained 14 FOLLOWERS in a very short time. I never thought it would become that interesting to other writers, so thank you.





You all deserve a toast!




Now, if you'll excuse me I need to go work on something that will be posted on Lorelei's Muse on Monday; interview with Heather McCorkle, newly emerging author of The Secret of Spruce Knoll.

The Short & Sweet

I remember when I had plenty of time to write, oh, so long ago.

Wow. That sounds a little like a poem's beginnings. But I'm not going in that direction. A number of people have been showing up here at Lorelei's Writing Journal. I'm glad to have you, all 9 of you! Some of you have left comments, and know I can't see my follower's list (I can't see anyone's list, actually), and you've been kind enough to leave me at least one comment so that I know who you are.

I've also joined the third Writer's Building Campaign, and so I've been working on getting around to people, but it's rather slow because I've only so much time in the day. Gotta sleep sometime. Gotta work to. And write. Since this is what I love to do.

Today my characters Sabrina Strong and Vasyl will meet the "Underwear Challenge" over on my sister blog,
Something Nebulous Within. I was tagged by Shelly of The Life of a Novice Writer. And I've tagged two men, for a change, so that should be interesting.

I'm on page 146 of my WIP and over 55,000 words! I began this in July. Hey! Got half a book done in 30 days! Not bad, considering I don't get to work on it more than a few hours at night, and maybe 3-5 hours/day on the weekend.

I'm not into a NaNoWri challenge only because I know it would only frustrate me. I've got too many things that frustrate me already.I have to make time to write at the end of the day, but I also have to network, and do my blogs.

But I can make my own challenges, and when the words come, they come. When they don't then I know I have to allow my mind to work on it and not try to put down so many words in a day. Usually it only takes me a night to come up with something to happen next. I consider where the book is going, or needs to go. If it sags too much in the middle, I need to pop something in there that gets things going again.

And that's what I like about fantasy. I just had a demon try to attack Sabrina in a woman's rest room. I thought it would be a little funny placing the whole incident in a lady's room in a restaurant, and when Sabrina's dagger kills it, it goes up in flames. Then she and the guy she's with have to get out of there quickly before someone finds the smoldering remains.

And now to go back to it all. 

Lorelei's Muse: DOUBLE FEATURE THURSDAY: CONGRATULATIONS TO WINNER...

Lorelei's Muse: DOUBLE FEATURE THURSDAY: CONGRATULATIONS TO WINNER...: NOW THAT I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION... scribblingpencil has just won the autographed copy of Vampire Ascending!!!!! scribblingpencil: pl...