I would like to share a writing experience with my readers. I spent a year writing the third book in the HIM series, The Diamond Couple. I would write a few chapters and then leave my characters for a few months. I have spent a lot of time with Damon and Sharla over this past year. So, when you hear an author say you have to like your characters because you will spend a lot of time with them, believe it. I planned my book from beginning to end. I would sit at the computer to write by the script only to find the characters writing a different script. Many scenes I planned were deleted and others were added by those frisky characters. They had minds of their own. No matter how I tried to control them, it didn't pan out the way I saw it.The most outrageous thing to me was how the characters rewrote my ending, shocking me. The story did not end by the script. It ended with the characters choosing their path and taking it.
I admit I am a new writer to Amazon, publishing my first book in April of 2013. Now four books in total, I see why authors say write, write, write. Over time my writing has improved. I can see where my characters have grown along with their story.
What did I learn from this? Basically, no need to write out a whole book plan; just a plot or even just an idea with at least one character. The story will grow. The characters will grow. Before The Diamond Couple was finished my mind latched onto a character for another story. I even have a general idea what the story will be about, but I have no beginning to end plan. I don't even have a title, but the story will come alive on the screen of my computer. As a treat here is a glimpse of the character who wants a life on the pages of a book. There are blanks for her makeup colors because she hasn't picked her shades yet.
Seraphina slumped against the tin partition in the restroom stall, head limp, eyes staring blankly at the floor. Her backpack slid off her shoulder, down her arm, hitting the tiled floor with a thud, awakening her from her trance. She quickly tugged it back to the safety of her grip, hugging it tightly to her chest. She had made it; back to DC.
The space was tight but she would make it work to do what she needed to prepare. The wait had been long. Now here it was; the answer to her prayers.
Removing her baseball cap, she shook out her wavy black hair, combed her fingers through it and fanned it back. She hung her rumpled jacket on the hook followed by her backpack. Metal screeched as the zipper of the backpack was released. Out came a delicately pleated black dress, sheer stockings and black leather one inch slingbacks. In went comfortable jeans, a football jersey, a pair of socks and tennis. The metal screeched to a close.
She stilled herself listening for sounds of commuters. No splashing sounds, no flushing sounds, no chatter, only stillness. She emerged to the mirror opening the front pocket of the backpack producing a compact. In the mirror the narrow, sagging face of a young girl of 18 speckled with freckles, no glimmer in her eyes, no color in her cheeks peered back. She bit on her thin chapped lips, disheartened. She pressed her eyelids shut and took in a deep breath to clear her thoughts.
It was all behind her now and her future was promising, so why the look of despair? Her hands began to work. Black mascara lengthened and thickened her lashes, black eyeliner lined her lower lids, desert gold and peach blossom shadowed her lids. _________ gloss shined her lips while _________ colored her cheeks. Her hands finished with bronzer for a sun kissed appeal.
Now in the mirror a young woman of 18, divine, classy stared back. Commuters piled in forming lines. Seraphina waited in the back of the line for her moment. She lost herself in a group as they made their way out. Sunlight warmed her skin and impeded her vision. A pair of sunglasses went from her backpack to her eyes. Gracefully walking with all the refinement of a young beautiful heiress, she stepped to the curb and entered a cab.
“Where to mam?”
“Georgetown.”
The Diamond Couple can be previewed on Amazon. It is available as a free download June 17th and 18th beginning 12mn Pacific time. Click the link to Amazon to get
The Diamond Couple by Brigitta Moon http://www.amazon.com/Diamond-Couple-Book-HIM-ebook/dp/B00L0UKE14/ref=sr_1_1_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1402967233&sr=1-1
This is a beautifully written story. When I read the first sentence, I knew I had to read this story. The strange thing is, I can't explain why. Each page drew me farther into the story, and I became more invested in the characters as well as their plights. The characters were written so well that I could envision them as real people. Throughout the novel, there are these little mysteries that teeter on the edge of the story. I confess that although I had one of the mysteries figured out quite early because of my profession, it took nothing away from how much the story captivated me. Although my eyes filled with tears during the last few chapters, the author gave me a reason to smile at the end. Life happens. To be able to share a story like this in a way that evokes such a wide range of emotions from a reader is a gift. The funny thing is, I have been seeing this book on Twitter for months, maybe longer. Last night I clicked and read the first sentence of the sample and downloaded the book. I thank the author for sharing Clark, Ernie, Rachel, and even Abigal. I don't know if one can consider the El Camino, Jack Daniels, and two shot glasses as characters, but they helped to make this unforgettable story. Definitely five stars, teardrops, and smiles.
