“First, forget inspiration. Habit is more dependable. Habit will sustain you whether you’re inspired or not.” ~ Octavia Butler Wait, what? Forget inspiration?? What about muses whispering in a writer’s ear? Daydreaming while staring out the window while at work? Walking through the park? Listening to music, for crying out loud? I don’t think Ms. […]
NaNoWriMo Eve: Are You Scriptophobic?
“The scariest moment is always just before you start.” ~ Stephen King As if we needed reminding … Fear of writing is a real thing. It has a label and everything. One who fears writing in public (which, in a matter of speaking, includes writing for publication, right?) is known as Scriptophobic. Literally translated, Scriptophobia […]
Forgotten Treasure Setting: The Art Center
Most novels include multiple settings, and Forgotten Treasure is no different. One of the locations readers will explore is The Art Center, located in a (fictional) abandoned winery in the Arkansas Ozark Mountains. The Art Center is an exclusive artist community where paintings are created and restored. Did you know Arkansas is home to many […]
Meet the Villain of Lost Treasure
A suspense novel is only as good as its villain. Some suspense stories have more than one villain, but there is usually one driving force behind the suspense. One “big bad guy” (or gal) who is creating chaos in the lives of the hero/heroine. Like heroes and heroines, a villain has a story goal. There […]
Thursday Thoughts: Shelby Lawrence
Shelby Lawrence is a minor character in Forgotten Treasure, but she is important to the story. Here’s a short excerpt of a scene where Shelby encounters the villain (written in the villain’s point of view): Before she responds, the cranking of an engine outside the rear door marked EXIT catches her attention. A duo of […]
Meet Monica Barnes – BFF of Forgotten Treasure’s Heroine
When a romance gets to that “he loves me, he loves me not,” stage, sometimes a girl just needs a best friend to bounce things off of. Speaking of bouncing, Monica’s personality falls into that “T-I-double-guh-er” category. Aside–In case you’re not old enough to remember Winnie the Pooh’s friend Tigger, here’s a little help: Monica […]