The Connections & Continuation

Working on the 4th book & news.

I've got a lot of friends, and when you are connected--on facebook esp.--you can put a question out there and you will probably get an answer within 24 hours. I asked one person I know from work what old car had big tail fins. He told me the '59 Cadilac. He is to send me some link, later, I guess so I have a visual.

I need the visuals--who doesn't--when working on a book. I've got a lot happening, pretty much all at once. I've discussed here how I keep notes, but also write note cards so as to keep scenes in order when I go to write them.

This book is slightly different in that I'm going with two different POV's. I'm using the 1st person for Sabrina, but everyone else I'm going with 3rd person. This is the first of this series where I'm showing the thoughts of other characters. I think while a 1st person book is good, you are very limited in telling a story. You really have to think about what your story is about, before you begin writing it in any POV. So many people are involved with Sabrina I felt I needed to bring their voices into this story, and let them tell their own background and reasons why they are persuing her.

Meanwhile, my publisher, who is located in Maine, has said that everyone is fine after Irene hit. I'm sure there is a lot of cleaning up going on. But we are discussing the book cover for the second book. That's sort of fun. I didn't complain about the first book's cover at all, since it was so awesome. But this one I want it to capture a little more of what the book is all about, rather than keep it with any theme or whatever. He agreed with me. So, I'm waiting to see what he comes up with next.

Other than that, I've won a contest. Since I chose to have something critiqued, I'm going to send the first 1,000 words of my 3rd novel to Sylvia Ney of Writing In Wonderland. I know that it isn't perfect, and I'm not expecting her to gush with "Oh, this is wonderful! blah-blah". All I want is to have someone look at it, find the dumb mistakes, let me know what I might be able to do better, and go from there.

I once went to some site that said they would "critique" so many words of whatever, about 2 years ago and got insulted six ways to side ways--and on line no less! I thought the person running the thing was rather brutish about it and allowing other people to sling crap at it was not instructive at all. It was almost like being thrown to the lions. I really didn't think that was fair. It took me a long time to get over that.

So, not wanting to go through that again, I know Sylvia is kind hearted and will review my opening of the third book with an editor's eye, so that I can at least find anything I might miss otherwise.

Anyone out there send out for critiques? Have a critique group? It's nice to have good people who will give you honest helpful critiques of your work, I think.

The Idea Train Keeps on Rolling

I've already begun thinking about the next book. Yeah. #4!

At the moment the title has been chosen ahead of time and so for right now it will be called Vampire Crescendo. I've another title I might consider. I have come up with possible titles when I began this series. All are based on classical music, either the title of certain works, or simply musical dynamic directions. The only one so far that deviates from this title idea is Beyond the Black Veil, merely because it is a little different, has different characters in it than the others, and she is on another world almost throughout the entire book, and the time period is Victorian. A sort of steampunk but not quite.

Friday morning I had a scene in my head with Tremayne and Sabrina and Rick. I had to write it down best I could and also brought my little recorder to work with me and did make a number of short memos and ideas on certain scenes when I took my breaks off the bus.

A hot scene between Tremayne and Sabrina was in my head while I drove (not the best place to be thinking about such things, but I was able to drive and think about it while sitting at lights). They are in a motel room, and the two of them have an argument over Tremayne going out and biting someone for a blood meal. Words are exchanged and Tremayne says something that Sabrina takes exception to and goes to slap him. He catches her wrist. She tries to slap him with the other one. He catches that one and they both stare at one another. Suddenly, they begin kissing. The passion builds, Sabrina wants the big vampire, reaches down for his fly zipper, and then Rick walks in and interrupts them.

I snicker about this one. I think it's fun and funny at the same time.

I'm working on the tease angel in this one. Tremayne and Sabrina have only been together once and it wasn't quite the consummation that these two need. So, I thought I might address it in this book. However, the romance between them has to heat up and there is also many other things of import that need to be addressed.

I'm not ready to actually write this. I'm writing scenes as they come to me, writing notes down about what I think should happen in this. This one will be a challenge because of the content. I don't mind the challenge, but I may have to mull this over a little bit. Child abduction is a terrible, and serious crime. I had wanted Sabrina to be able to be involved in saving a little girl from the very beginning when I had ideas for this series. I feel that this might work in with everything else that is happening around her.

Basically, the story's underlying problem is: Sabrina is wanted--dead or alive--on Dark World. Demons as well as vampires are out to get her for the reward money, and Tremayne is trying to protect her and because the demons and vampires know where she lives, they wind up traveling across the Midwest--I have not decided where they might wind up as yet--and there will be some interesting encounters along the way.

Well, I think I'll go and work on my #3.