Wednesday posts have taken on a bit of a writer’s theme lately. Don’t you be getting used to it now. I can be a fickle girl. But today, I’ll be sharing more writerly stuff. Only this time, I won’t be sharing anyone’s work but my own. Try not to mash your teeth and run away.
Back in March, my fellow writers, Jennifer L. Oliver, CC MacKenzie, Lisa Hall-Wilson and Alica McKenna Johnson all tagged me in the Lucky 7 Meme within the span of a week. I put on my big girl panties and obliged with a small tease from the first book in my work-in-progress, The Bringer Trilogy (Working Title).
Since that day, when I first faced my fear and shared a portion of Ana’s story, I have been tagged two more times. Thank you, Prudence MacLeod and Colin Falconer, for lighting a fire under my butt.
These are the rules:
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, and let them know.
Last time I was a good little girl. I played by the book and followed the rules – to the letter. I turned to page 77, counted down seven lines and gave you whatever was there. Well, I’m mixing it up a little this time. Since I gave you a taste of book one from The Bringer Trilogy (working title) last time around, in honor of being tagged two more times I thought I’d give you a taste of books two and three. Only, I will supply you with a taste of book two today (Prudence, since you tagged me first you can consider this my response to you) and, since I have a touch of demon in me, I am going to make you all wait a week, maybe two for a peek at book three. Not because I need the time to work on the post – I have it all ready to go – but because I have something else planned for the week in between. So sorry to keep you waiting Colin.
I have over 77 pages in both books. REMEMBER – this book is in rough form. I haven’t done any clean up yet. Just because I have 77 pages doesn’t mean I am going to give you the lines from page 77. Maybe I will and maybe I won’t. It’s possible I decided (probably) that page 77 in one of the books (I’m not telling you which one) wasn’t exciting enough this time around. In fact, I may have decided page 7 wasn’t fitting either, for other reasons. Running out to page 177, I could have come across characters I’m not ready to disclose and page 277 may have come across as a little too sexy when taken out of context… as it would be here. Sigh. So I checked every page that ended in a 7. I’d already given you situational the last time around. I wanted to amp it up this time. SO… What page do you think you’re getting? Is it page 77? I’ll never tell. J
Without further ado. Book Two from The Bringer Trilogy (working title)
* * *
“Obviously you hit your head when we were knocked off Timbers. You missed one heck of a fight,” he extends his hand, offering to help me up. “Thankfully we managed to get by without you. I’m just glad you’re alright.” Jade pulls me from the hard dirt floor.
What? That’s not how I remember it. Didn’t he see me with Dohlan? I glance past him to the forest and all the dead xxxxx-xxxxx. Could they have really done all this on their own? Is it possible I dreamt the entire incident? I find it hard to believe that no one saw me with him. Yet, I swear I can still feel his touch when I lift my fingers to my lips.
“How do you feel?” Ry steps over a body to get to us. He looks exhilarated from the skirmish, hardly worn at all. There’s barely a speck of dirt on him to be found. How does he do it?
“Okay, I guess. I don’t remember getting knocked unconscious from the fall,” I begin to brush the dirt from my outfit. Then shake out my physical knots, finishing with a head roll.
“Well, I guess that’s understandable. It’s hard for me to relate. I haven’t had much experience in that area.” Figures Ry wouldn’t have a point of reference. “Think you can ride? I’d rather not hang around.” He hands me a small canteen and I didn’t realize how thirsty I was. Still, I’m conservative in my sip, since I don’t know how long it will be till our next water source.
As I savor the refreshing flavor I look to Jalfin. His eyes are wide, like giant dark marbles, as he surveys everything scattered around us. So many dead litter the ground.
* * *
What do you think just happened there? Hmm? What or who is Timbers? And what am I hiding from you with all my XXX’s? Those questions could be burning in your minds for some time. Need to land myself an agent first.
So there you have it, another sneak peak into the life of my protagonist, Ana. If this interests you, follow her storyboard on Pinterest. I’ll be adding to it when time allows. She thanks you for stopping in and taking the time to hang with her and her friends. Oh, and we, Ana and I, want you to know that any tagging will happen after the second installment.
Quick note: My blog touring and response time will be slower this week until I get my new eye glasses and can see things again without a blur or pain. Yes, sometimes age sucks. 🙁
~oOo~
I really like this-and my curiosity is getting the better of me so… You need to get an agent SOON…or look to self-publishing (or sneaking them to me in emails). 🙂
Shoot! I checked out your storyboard. Where do you get the photos of people-without getting in trouble for using them?
When it comes to actors, I think many of them like the exposure. If I were you I’d find some out there on the net that you think represent your characters and simply pin them to your board. Unless you find them on a site where there are copyrights marked everywhere. Then I might back away.
I will give that some thought. Or maybe just send an email and request permission to use them. LOL…that might spark some interest to see what the storyboard is about. 🙂
Thank you, Kristy. I really need to get active in seeking an agent. I am not ready to cave on the whole self-publishing front – yet.
Eh-hem! I hope when you sub these babies, you’ll consider me! 🙂 Love it!
Thank you for the huge compliment Miss Krystal! 🙂
One thing I noticed in the spate of excerpts when this went around was how much conflict there was in everyone’s samples! It makes you wonder – is there really that much on a random page (hopefully!), or did others break the rule and pick out a good part? 😉
And yes, the first thing I wondered what what – and where – is Timber? 🙂 Good luck with the agent search!
Yes, that does make you wonder, doesn’t it? Several of my pages ending in 7 actually include characters I wasn’t sure I wanted to unveil yet. I have to get book one published first, after all! This book actually does move fairly fast with plenty of “stuff” going on, or so my first (very rough draft) beta reader told me.
Thanks, Jennette. I need to get crackin’.
Ok I’m curious about many things including the x’s, but also the fact that you have a pg 277 on the second book! Wow. That’s a lot of words, but I guess that’s common with fantasy, right? Anyway I love the tension/conflict. I am already envisioning seeing the covers of your books on Amazon or at the bookstore 🙂
Actually, I am holding the printout of book one right now and it comes to 375. But that’s in submission form. It’s 108,000 words. I’m currently trying to cut it down to 100,000. Not fun. Book two has slightly few more words. I’m afraid what will happen when I edit it. I have a bad habit of added where I should be cutting. 😐 Envision away! I like that. I wouldn’t mind seeing that some day. Do you envision seeing your book on Amazon and in the bookstore someday? What do you see?
Good question Debra. I’m torn about the bookstore one, b/c I’m so unsure about the self-pub vs. traditional. When I was thirteen I envisioned holding my book, but never saw the e-book coming! LOL. I have to admit I’m still partial to traditional, but I guess we’ll see when it comes to the querying. I put all the pub part on hold while I tried out this blogging/social media thing. 🙂 Are you going for lit agent first?
Like you, I never saw e-book taking off the way it has. I still harbor the desire to hold a hard copy in my hand. Not to say we can’t should we go the other route. I would like to see at least one book picked up the traditional way. What I do from there is still unknown. I’m still flipping back and forth. Ana’s story is a BIG one. But I have many more stories locked away in my cramped brain. I even wrote an easy reader (picture book) the other day and have the idea for a second one all there. I just haven’t had the time to write it all out. I have it partially written. I never saw that one coming. I’m going to look for a lit agent. We’ll see how that pans out. I’ve heard both good and bad. I’ve decided that the book is more important than the blogging/social media. I don’t want to be a blogger if I’m not writing my book and sometimes (a lot) the one gets in the way of what matters the most. We are story tellers first and foremost. We need to create. So create. Find a blogging schedule that works with that, or don’t. That’s the way I have to look at it. I didn’t come all this way to blog my heart out and put my book off to the side. I don’t think you should do that either. I started setting limits for myself. I will hit as many blogs within an hour as I can. After that, I’m off to work on my book. I chat on fb and twitter a little bit. Not nearly as much as some. It’s easy for those sites to become a time suck. My husband knows someone who has a VERY successful (NY best seller) book with Little Brown and she said she spent more time on her query letter than on the actual book. Sigh. Can’t they just hook me up? 🙁
You are so evil! Putting in X’s, dangling all those delicious morsels for us. Can’t wait for the whole thing!!
I know, I’m so evil. I couldn’t give those things away. Just couldn’t do it. You’ll have to wait for the book… some day. Sigh. Need to find an awesome agent that will get me signed with Little Brown and Co. 😀
Are the xxxxs Zombies? Or am I just way too fixated on the paranormal? 🙂
Haha! You don’t really think I’d give that up, do you??? Good try, Emma. 😉
Nice. can’t wait to read the whole thing. when will you be submitting, Debra?
Hopefully soon. I need to perfect my query, target my victims. LOL. Thank you, Louise.
Well you are one popular lady Debra! Great story-line! What a tease! Get busy writing the rest of it missy! LOL! And don’t feel bad about the glasses girl. It happens to the best of us. Would you be over forty? LOL! That seems to be the first sign of that decade. Actually, it sucks. Excuse my expression, but I think the word is appropriate when it comes to aging. Been there, doing that. 🙂
Hehehe. Thank you, Karen. I will get busy writing as soon as the muse lets me. Right now she wants me to finish editing so that I can put the first one to bed.
Unfortunately I AM over forty. That’s why I am squinting right now, with my readers (Dimestore) on, and my face practically in the screen. LOL! My new glasses can’t get here fast enough.
Great excerpt. It definately whet my appetite and left me wanting more. I’m checking out your Pinterest story board now.
Aw, thanks, Reetta! The storyboard is a WIP. I am only putting pictures for book one in there at present. I’m unsure if I want to give away what to expect down the road.
I’m hooked.
I thought of zombies too! Or perhaps Martians, lions, or vampires? Keep the excerpts coming. Is it worth it sign up for Pinterest?
I love hearing what you guys come up with. 😀 As for Pinterest, I see that for those that have published books with active boards, it appears to be working well for them. I haven’t seen a cross over yet. I just started the storyboard a short time ago and I’ll admit there isn’t much to it at this point. I started a board for my Immortal Monday posts tonight as an experiment. We’ll see where that one goes. I did have a pin gain a lot of interest and a got a bunch of followers on one board from that. It’s interesting to see how over all the boards I have less followers than I have on each individual board. LOL. I need to start using it more than I do.
That was such an intense last line! Wow! Great snippet! I will probably go into spam…….
Susie! Why were all your comments in my spam? 🙁 I’m sorry. This blog should know you by now. I just fished them all out. You have been saved!
Glad you enjoyed the snippet! I have been editing (again) and researching the query end of things all day.
You are so mean! Please stop teasing us. We want to see al lthe pages ending in 7 and all the other digits. We need to talk about the self-pub vs. traditional pub sometime…
Can’t wait for the next excerpt!
Oh, I’m not trying to be mean. This is really the first time I’ve given you a taste of my protags voice. Only my critique group has heard her prattle on. LOL. It would be so much fun if we could actually all sit around a coffee table and have that indie vs. traditional discussion. 🙂
Would love to see the entire thing. Keep us posted!
In the meantime, I’m gonna look you up on Pinterest!
Thank you, Laura. I’ll keep you posted. And thank you for following the story board on pinterest. 🙂
You have some great pics there. Really makes us want to know more about your story!
Thank you, Laura.