Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

So it's been a few months since I last posted. I do realized I am absolutely the worst blogger in the world. But I have really good excuse. A few months ago, I signed a contract for all three books in my Devil's Eye series with Harlequin for their new Shivers line--a line specific to Gothic romance.

I seriously can not express how excited I am about this as a writer and a reader. Clearly, I am thrilled to see my series find such a great fit, but I'm also excited to find more Gothic titles to read.

The Devil's Eye will release in January, along with four other titles in the Shivers line. As I get more details, I will be sure to share them. I promise I will be blogging more frequently. In the meantime, here is my gorgeous cover for The Devil's Eye, which I am in love with. It could not be more perfect.

Check out the other Harlequin Shivers writers with book releasing January 2014: Barbara J. Hancock, Jenna Ryan and Jane Godman.

The End is in Sight

I am so close to the end of The Devil’s Shadow, I can practically taste it. Taste is probably the wrong word, but I’m at that point in the story where I can see how the whole thing unfolds in my head, and if I could manage to sit and write without being disturbed by pesky things like food, sleep and using the bathroom, I could probably finish it in one sitting. But since I do require all of the above, I think I’ll probably be done by the end of the week. Fingers crossed. A good thing too. The characters for The Devil’s Due are becoming more and more demanding of my attention.

As well as finishing up The Devil’s Shadow, I’ve been hard at work putting together my website, which I hope to launch in the next couple of weeks. Stay tuned for a launch date because there will free books a plenty for the first week.

As is often the case when I’m deep into writing, I do very little else. I’ve been reading the same to books for about a month—maybe longer—one at the day job, one at home. The day job book is closer to done than the home book. I read for about a half hour at lunch. I think when I finish this book, I might take a break for a few days and catch up on reading, socializing with friends who might be wondering if I dropped off the face of the planet.

I have, however, managed to get out and enjoy the nice weather at least. Yay, for laptops!

Okay, back to burying myself in my story. See you all when I emerge next. Hopefully, I will have just typed ‘The End.’

Back From The Dead

Yeah, I know. I kind of dropped off the face of planet there for a bit. I've been working on a mad rewrite of The Devil’s Eye. This story has been driving me crazy almost from the start. Something about the pacing was off. No matter how many times I looked at it, or tried to fix it, I just made it worse. After few months since I “finished” it, I pulled it out and started to tweak. Then it struck me. The problem with the pacing wasn't not enough happening, the problem was too much happening. With that epiphany, the rest of the rewrite fell into place.

I back burnered The Devil's Shadow while I did that and now I'm getting back to work on it. I'm at 70,000 words so I there's still a real possibility I could finish it by the end of March. I'll keep you posted.

And lastly, I'm building a new website. Hoping to launch it soon. Will keep you posted.

I'm reading The Haunting of Hill House, by Shirley Jackson--or least I was. I've put it down somewhere and can't remember where. It's driving me crazy too.

That new show Bates Motel starts tonight. I loved Psycho, so you know I have to check it out. The actor they have playing young Norman Bates kind of looks like Anthony Perkins, don't you think?

Party's Over. Back to Work

Hope everyone had a lovely, safe New Year. It was a fairly quiet one around her. The kid had been down with a cold, so we elected to stay home and bring in the new year quietly. We had a nice dinner together and managed to stay up until midnight to wish each other a happy new year. Though, if I'm honest, I barely made it. We have a new kitten and he's far more effective of having me awake between six and seven than any alarm clock I've ever owned. :-)

So with the new year well under way, I have set my goals and started working toward them. This year, I'm determined to wrap up My Devil series and--hopefully--see all three books released. I'd like to write three books this year from first to final draft. (I'm almost done The Devil's Shadow so I'm not sure if I'll count that as one of the three. I'll decide closer to the end of the year, I guess.) Keep posting regularly on the blog. And get my website up and running again.

What does everyone else have planned for the new year?

Don't forget, there's still time to take part in the Happy New Year 2013 Blog Hop, and lots of prizes to be won.

Five Dos and Don'ts for Goal Setting

Before I get into today's blog I want to announce the winner for the Free Fiction Friday. Congrats Chrissie Brewer! You've won a signed copy of Blood and Bone. Please leave your email address in the comments and so I can get your information and send out your book ASAP.

I'll be giving away another copy at the end of January for anyone who leaves a comment on Friday's posts of Bait. The more you comment, the better your odds of winning.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled program. :-)

So it's the last day of the year. The new year is stretched out before us like a fresh blanket of fallen snow--untouched and perfect--and we are full of promises, resolutions and good intentions. Every year I make a list of goals that I want achieve over the next twelve months, some years I'm more successful than others. So here is a list of five Dos and Don'ts that have worked for me

1. Do Set Attainable Goals

This seems obvious. If you set goals that there isn't a hope in hell of attaining, you'll wind up discouraged pretty quick. Know your limitations and compare how you much you produced last year. If you barely managed one manuscript last year, committing to writing six next year probably isn't going to happen. If you have a demanding day job and family obligations, really consider how much time you can commit to writing, or promoting daily. Then set a goal that you think you can achieve.

2. Do Set Specific Goals and the Steps to Attaining Them

I'm going to write more this year--not a great goal. I'm going to complete two books this year by writing 1,000 or 2,000 or 5,000 words a day (see above before deciding)--a better goal. The same goes for promotion or blogging. Come up with a step by step plan, crossing off each step as you complete them.

3. Don't be Afraid to Revise Goals Over the Course of the Year

Twelve months is a long time and a lot can happen over year, priorities change. Books sell or release and your attention may be diverted from one project to another. What was important in January may not be in July. Try setting monthly or quarterly goals instead of trying to plan for the entire year.

4. Review Your Goals Frequently

Your goals are your plan, or a map, getting you from the beginning of the year to the end. Keep them posted somewhere you can see them or access them easily to make sure you're still on track.

5. Don't Get Hung Up on the Goals You Miss

Like I said, what's important at the beginning of the year may not be towards the end. Besides, there's always next year.

Have a Safe and Happy New Year!!  

Destination Inspiration: Puzzle Pieces and Ghostly Hitchhikers

Ideas for books rarely come to me in one fully formed flash of story. Actually, I'm not sure I've ever had a full book pop into my head. Usually, it's a bunch of pieces--an idea for a character, an opening scene, a basic premise--eventually I have enough that I can put the pieces together and I have my book. And sometimes it's a matter of finding that last piece before I can finally sit down and write.

When I wrote Living Lies, I struggled finding that final piece. I had the story I was going to write in mind, my characters, but I just could not come up with the right opening. About the same time friends of ours had moved, and the hubster and I went to help them get settled in their new house. They'd moved outside the city and to get to their house we had to drive a stretch of nearly deserted highway. It was dark, snowy and we felt like we were the only car the road. And that final piece of the story popped into place.

Living Lies

Doing whatever it takes could get them both killed.
Twelve years after her sister’s disappearance, Haley Carling spends her days trying to hold what’s left of her family together, running her late father’s shop and caring for her alcoholic mother. Then her sister’s remains are uncovered in the basement of their old home, and fingers start pointing. At the Carlings.

Dean Lawson, long the prime suspect in the Carling girl’s disappearance, is sure he’s got evidence proving who the killer is. He’s determined to clear his name, and he won’t let anything stand in his way. Not even his lingering attraction to Haley.

Haley is just as determined to protect her family from the former town bad boy’s accusations. But now someone is stalking her, and Haley realizes Dean’s the only one she can trust.

With a killer closing in, Dean wonders if he’s made the biggest mistake of his life…a mistake that could cost Haley her life.

Product Warnings
This title contains a mystery to keep you turning the pages late into the night.

Copyright © 2008 Dawn BrownAll rights reserved — a Samhain Publishing, Ltd. publication

“Hareton sits on the edge of the Snow Belt, that’s why the snow is so much heavier out this way.”

Sandra rolled her eyes, but said nothing. She couldn’t care less about the weather patterns of some middle-of-nowhere town. Her husband, Brian, was much too busy fiddling with the radio to notice.

Sighing, she turned her attention back to the front window. Not that there was much to see. Outside, small flakes of snow danced in the narrow beams of the SUV’s headlights. Occasionally, the yellow light of a house broke through the inky blackness and veil of falling snow. A welcome relief from the monotony.

A tall snowbank to her right suddenly loomed closer as the front of the SUV swerved dangerously toward the edge of the highway.

“Brian, the road!”

He jerked his head up and straightened the wheel.

“Can you please stop playing with the radio and drive?” she snapped.

“Sorry. I was trying to find the game. What’s with you? You’ve been miserable all night.”

“There’s nothing with me. I just have no desire to find myself flattened against a snowbank so you can get a hockey score.”

“Fine. But your attitude started long before now.”

He may have had a point. She’d been on edge since they turned onto this highway. It was probably just a combination of the weather and having gone nearly a half-hour without seeing another car. The isolation made her tense.

“What were Rhonda and Jimmy thinking when they moved out here?”

Brian grinned. “Low mortgage payments.”

“I guess. It just seems so far from civilization.”

“We’re forty-five minutes from home.”

“I know.” She sighed. “This weather is making me twitchy. I wish we had just stayed home.”

“If you don’t want to go to their housewarming, then why are we?”

“Because Jimmy and Rhonda are our friends, and it’s their first house. They want to show it off.”

“They’re your friends.”

“They’re your friends too…” Her words trailed off as she spotted a small, lone figure trudging through the snow along the side of the road.

“Who would be out here in weather like this?” Brian asked.

As they drew closer, Sandra saw it was a girl. Wisps of blonde hair whipped out from under her hood.

“Stop the car,” she said.

“Are you nuts? She could be anyone.”

“There’s no one else out here. If we don’t pick her up, who will? Besides, she’s small. I think between the two of us we could take her if she turns out to be a psycho.”

“Famous last words,” Brian muttered, but he slowed the car and pulled over anyway.

From the side mirror, Sandra watched the girl trot up to the SUV. She slowed as she grew closer and hesitated before opening the back door. When she finally did, the overhead light illuminated the interior. The girl peered into the dim car and eyed Sandra and Brian suspiciously, but she stepped forward, her shoulders sagging a little when her gaze fell on the empty baby seat.

“Thank you for stopping,” the girl said, climbing in. “Are you going to Hareton?”

“Yeah.” Brian pulled back onto the road. “Can we drop you somewhere?”

“Just a ride to town would be great. I’m Michelle, by the way.” She looked young, eighteen maybe nineteen.

“I’m Sandra. This is my husband, Brian.”

She turned to face the backseat. Michelle was pretty, the cheerleader type. Long, blonde hair fell in soft waves from under her hood. Her face was small with a pert nose, flawless skin and a smile toothpaste ads would pay a fortune for. But something about her eyes, dark and empty like bottomless wells, bothered Sandra.

“It’s an awful night to be out walking,” Sandra said. “You must be freezing.”

“I am.”

“Did you break down?” Brian asked. “I didn’t see any cars farther back.”

“No, I didn’t.” A rueful smile touched Michelle’s lips. “I had a fight with my boyfriend.”

“And he just left you out here?” Sandra asked, appalled.

“It’s not that bad. Someone always stops.”

What an odd thing to say. Sandra turned back around in her seat.

They continued the rest of the way in silence. As they neared Hareton, the lights from the town reflected pink off the falling snow, shimmering like a halo in the night sky.

“This isn’t right.” Michelle’s voice broke the quiet.

“What’s wrong?” Sandra turned to look at the girl. What she saw stopped her heart and turned her bowels to water.

Wide, sunken eyes stared out from Michelle’s gaunt face, her skin so pale it appeared almost blue. The heavy winter coat, faded and tattered, hung off her bony frame.

Michelle’s hand reached out, trembling as if lifting it took great strength. She wrapped her skeletal fingers around Sandra’s wrist like an icy vise, sending waves of frigid chills coursing through her body.

Michelle pulled herself forward. Closer. Until her face was mere inches from Sandra’s.

It's All About Me

So this weekend the weather held and the hubster and I were able to go out and take some pictures. Now, after reviewing them, I understand why I have taken so long to come up with an author pic. I do not care for having my picture taken. I usually have some dopey expression or I'm standing awkwardly looking uncomfortable, and then I'm left wondering if this is how I'm going through life--awkward with a dopey expression. Anyway, because I am becoming the most indecisive person ever, I''ve narrowed down to three.

Option A. (Incidentally, this is the hubster's and my mom's favorite. I think my face looks too puffy.)

 

 

Option B. (This is the one I'm leaning toward due to a less puffy face.)

Option C. (Cool angle, but puffy face issues again. Sigh.)

Or maybe I should just go with a picture of a horse.

 

Or some corn.

 

 

Any thoughts?

Zombies, Rain and Random Lines

 

In case you're wondering, the season premier of The Walking Dead was well worth the wait. The ground work for future episodes looks good. Though, I was left wondering why, oh why, the group would allow their only doctor to go exploring the dark, zombie filled prison? That decision just had bad idea all over it.

This weekend went by in the blink of an eye. (They always do, don’t they?) The hubby and I were supposed to take some pictures. I need a new author pic—actually, I need an author pic--and we figured this time of year would provide a lovely, atmospheric background. Unfortunately, it poured rain all day yesterday, and that would have been too much atmosphere.

I did however get some writing done, and since I'm particularly pleased with how this story is flowing--at least for now--here's a random, unedited line. Happy Monday!

The Devil's Shadow

Copyright Dawn Brown 2012

Kyle reached out for his pen and pad. His responses from his conversation with police earlier that morning seemed to glow from the top sheet. The detectives had been in again--third time since he'd been admitted--but his answers were always the same.

I don't know.

I don't remember.

I'm sorry.

 

Confessions of a Bad Blogger

Yeah, I suck. I know. On the upside, based on the above photo I have no more excuses. My computer woes have come to an end with the purchase of a new laptop. Convenience won out over sturdiness.

Things that I love  about my new computer: it's small, light and comfortable to use and no more Vista. Things I don't like: the stupid Norton Anti-virus software that keeps popping up even after I have clicked numerous times that I don't want it.

As a special treat to me, I also purchased new Office. Yes, I have finally upgraded from word97. It's a whole new world, I tell you.

So since it's been so long here's what's new with me. I'm hard at work on The Devil's Shadow. I'd love  to be done the first draft by the end of the month so I can work on The Devil's Due for Nano. Though, I might be about two weeks too ambitious, but we'll see.

I'm reading Nowhere to Hide by Nancy Bush. I read Nowhere to Run and loved it, so immediately purchased the second book.

We just celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving here. Lots to thankful for this year--like not having to cook Thanksgiving dinner. ;-) Just kidding...sort of. We spent most of the week visiting family and at the kid's game.

 I've pulled a muscle in my neck and am presently writing this in bed wishing I could get comfortable.

I guess that's it. We're caught up. What's new with everyone else?

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

That's right, school starts tomorrow. Though, if I'm honest, the kid has reached an age where his being home from school doesn't affect my writing schedule all that much. He'd much rather hang out with friends than his mom, of course. But beyond school starting, there's plenty of things I'm looking forward to this month.

Blood and Bone comes out tomorrow in print. I may have mentioned that once or twice already. ;-) I'll be giving away a signed copy so be sure to check in before the end of the week.

I'm hoping to go computer shopping this week. As present laptop is merely limping along, I'm very excited at the prospect of a new computer. Still debating about whether to buy another laptop or a desktop. Laptop is convenient, but desktop would be sturdier...I think.

The Devil's Shadow is coming along nicely. As indicated by the little potato man from Writertopia above. I'm loving these characters. Though, after so much time on The Devil's Eye, maybe I'm just enjoying working on something different.

Technical Difficulties

You know it's been a long time since you last blogged when it takes you a minute to remember how to log in. Yes, I know I am the worst blogger ever. Hangs head in shame.

To be fair, I was dealing with some technical difficulties. I think when it comes to computers I might be cursed. First my computer crashed, so I started using my son's laptop, which I did something to and screwed up his hard drive. The hubbster managed to get mine limping a long again, and I thought maybe I might be able to put off getting a new computer for another couple of months. But every time I start to think that way something else breaks on it. Most recently the A button popped off the keyboard. So come September, I have decided to buy a new computer. Something sturdy, apparently. Any suggestions?

Enough of my whining. Despite broken computers, I'm hard at work on the The Devil's Shadow--sequel to The Devil's Eye. And I think Kyle might be my favorite hero ever. But it's early days yet, so I'll have to wait and see.

Finally, The Witch's Stone is free today and tomorrow or at Amazon. Happy reading!!

Summer Writing Cave

This past weekend was a holiday weekend here, and summer temperatures came with it. It was sunny and hot, the kind of day you want to be outside. And the kind of day that makes writing in the attic impossible after 9am.

This wasn't as big a problem for me in the past. I usually worked on new projects in the morning, and with my trusty laptop I could work on rewrites and promo anywhere. This year things are different.

I have a day job, which means my writing schedule has changed. I'm writing in the evenings now and there is no way I can do that in the attic. After noon. the temperature hovers between 85 and 90 degrees up there. This leaves me no choice but to find a new writing cave until the fall.

There are two possibilities, the family office or the backyard. (The latter I have just abandoned because it started to rain.)  Clearly there are pros and cons to both.

Family office pros: A door. A proper desk. Reasonable lighting. Cons: Clutter. Chair is broken so I feel like I'm sitting in a hole. Room comes with a mean, hissing bird.

Back yard pros: Lovely view. Fresh air. Comfortable chairs. Cons. Weather dependent. No door to cut back on interruptions. A glare on the computer screen so I have to squint even in the shade.

I'll likely go back and forth between the two. Which one would you pick?

Weekend Giveaway!

Wow, this week went by fast. And yes, I realize that I missed Wednesday's blog. I know, I suck. But I have good news. Tomorrow and Sunday The Witch's Stone will be free at Amazon. And please a help a girl out by liking it if you like it and tagging it. Hugely appreciated.

So what's everyone's plans for the weekend? Me? You guessed it rewrites. But I'm hoping to carve out a little time to read. I just started 50 Shades of Grey. What are you reading?

Rewriting the Weekend Away

So it another lovely weekend has past--at least it looked lovely through the attic window where I spent most of it working. I can't even complain, really. Three days of straight writing is kind of my ideal weekend. Does that make me a nerd? Yeah, don't answer. I probably don't really want to know.

What was I working on so diligently? The Devil's Eye. The wonderful cop who answers all my pesky research questions got back to me last week, so I made some changes there. Also, I'm making sure that certain details that will tie into books two and three are introduced. For a non-plotter, it's an interesting experience thinking two books ahead of where I am now.

As I wrapped up the first draft of The Devil's Eye, I realized that I just had to trust that what I needed for the other books would come to me. For instance, while I knew who my heroine was for the second book, I only had a sketchy idea for my hero and wasn't at all certain how he would fit. Then, about halfway through The Devil's Eye, he showed up fully formed and ready to be written about. Gotta love that.

The only thing I'm not certain of is the title for book two. I keep flip-flopping between The Devil's Shadow and The Devil's Secret. Both are applicable. There are secrets in the second book, both revealed and discovered. There are shadows in the second book, both real and figurative. So which title do you like better? Maybe I should have poll.

Destination Inspiration: Never Underestimate the Value of an Angry Mob

Ideas for stories come from everywhere--an article I've read, a song I liked, the cistern in my basement. (Anyone who's read Blood and Bone knows what I'm talking about.) The imagination perks up, mulls the idea around a little and I wait. Sometimes nothing happens. I make a few notes and tuck them away in my idea folder until the next time something catches my attention. Other times, a strange sort of tingle starts at the back of my neck and I know I've got something good.

That's the way it happened with The Witch's Stone. I was still finishing up the first draft for Living Lies, when I happened to catch a television show featuring The Donnelly family massacre. This is a true story about a family murdered in their home by an angry mob  in 1880, and the town that covered it up. I've included the link for anyone who wants to read the details, because it's not the details that gave me that initial spark of an idea for The Witch's Stone. It was the idea of an angry mob committing a murder and how the town might be haunted by the act a hundred years later.

The funny thing is, I nearly gave up on this book. I couldn't quite figure out how the hero and heroine would factor into the story. I'd decided to slip my notes into the idea file and think about working on something else, then I went off to my day job--which, at the time, was at a bookstore. That same day an old man came in asking me if I had any books on web design, I showed what we had. We were a small store, so it wasn't much. But he wasn't all that interested anyway. Instead, he wanted to tell me what his site was going to be about. You've probably guessed it, The Donnelly family.

Turns out, he was related to one of the men who had been accused of being part of the mob. The tingle was back, and when I got home, I took my notes out of the file and got to work.

Aside from the angry mob, The Witch's Stone really has nothing in common with TheDonnelly family legend, but it was hearing that story that the first kernel of an idea formed.

Here's a short excerpt. I hope you like it. The Witch's Stone will be available the this Friday, April 27th...


A flash in the gloom caught her eye and she stopped walking. A small light, there for an instant, then it was gone.


What the hell?


Another flash, this one a little left of the first. She narrowed her gaze. A round yellow glow shone through the trees like the beam from a flashlight. 


Was there someone else in the woods? 


The light disappeared.


Her heart rate kicked up and a shivery cold, slick and horribly familiar, settled over her.  She struggled to pull herself together.  So what if she wasn’t alone? Surely, other people walked in this forest. But rational thinking did little to calm the swell of panic expanding inside her chest.


The light returned, closer this time. There had to be someone out there, coming toward her, but she couldn’t see anyone. 


“Hello?” she called out.


No answer, and the light vanished again. 


Hillary turned to start back to the inn, but froze. Another light had appeared directly behind her, so close she had to squint against the brightness. She peered into the forest murk, but couldn’t see anyone past the bright yellow glow.