Ways to Build Suspense in Your Writing

Hi, everyone!

Today, I thought I'd share ten techniques sure to help you add intrigue and mystery to your writing. There are several tools writers use to create the suspense that pulls a reader into a story and makes them want to follow our protagonist on his or her journey. 

1. Get your characters in trouble! Be ruthless. Think of the worst thing that could happen to them and let them figure out a solution.

2. Let your character take the easy way out of a situation only to find that he's made matters worse, or that he just survived the calm before the storm.

3. Create a deadline: countdown to D-day!  

4. Allow the reader to know something the main character doesn't.  If the reader knows that there is a lion behind the door our beloved main character so desperately wants to open the reader will be holding his or her breath each time that character gets close to the door.

5. Do a slow reveal or include a familiar item that keeps showing up.

6. Build anxiety by using short clipped sentences. Introduce doubt or have a plan fall through.

7. Let your character get close to what she's been hoping for—maybe the first kiss with the totally hot guy—and then the moment slips away or all hell breaks loose.

8. Add intriguing chapter titles. 

9. End each chapter in a way that keeps the reader from inserting a bookmark.
10. Cut the action early, forcing the reader to worry about what's going to happen next.


The next time you're writing, give one or more of these techniques a try!

Filming a Scene with Words

In movies and television, music and camera angle are two of the tools used to help set the tone of a scene. The brave main character exits a restaurant at night: cue ominous song. The sexy male character is about to surprise the girl he secretly loves with flowers: show close-up of protagonist buying a large bouquet of orchids and strike up the romantic melody. Writer’s can’t zoom in on a character or prop and we can’t add music to notify readers that something is about to happen. We have to rely on our words to set the scene.

When I’m writing, I like to imagine that I am the protagonist. I picture the scene as if I’m living it. By walking in my protagonist’s shoes, I’m able to see and feel what she does. And it all goes into the scene—that nervous tick, the elated butterflies in her stomach, the sweltering heat, the shadow moving in her peripheral vision, and so on. This helps me to bring the scene alive.

Take that scene where the beloved protagonist exits a restaurant with her friends. The words we choose set the scene for what’s to come:

     The night was cool and the sky clear, but the air felt wrong somehow. Thick. It crawled over my skin, leaving goose bumps in its wake.  

. . .

     Kaylee’s fingers tightened around my arm like a vise as she took a step closer to me. Her eyes were wide and focused on the far end of the parking lot.

(Embrace by Cherie Colyer)

In just a few sentences the reader is alerted that trouble is coming. Showing a character’s actions and facial expression, in essence, zoomed in on that character, adding suspense and a sense of mystery.

Another way to set the scene is by using a combination of words that elicit pleasant thoughts as well as the feeling of dread:

     A faint crackle like the crunch of dried leaves under dainty feet seemed to enter the kitchen through the open window. A weak pop-pop-swish slithered by me thereafter, and the sweet aroma of honeydew filled my nostrils. I spun around, expecting to see a bright-eyed faerie with sparkling cheeks and pointy little ears near the stove, but I was alone.

(Hold Tight by Cherie Colyer)

Or maybe you want the scene to be light and playful:

     We were a jumbled mass of arms and legs. His belt buckle rubbed the bare skin of my stomach, and his neck was in perfect kissing distance. My gaze traveled to his lips. His close proximity had me forgetting I was winning the game of keep-away until he snatched the case from me.

(Embrace by Cherie Colyer)

Now it’s your turn. Below are ten tips to help you set the scene:

• Use action instead of telling where your characters are.
• Plant images that convey tone.
• Show us what time of day it is.
• Help the reader see the immediate surroundings.
• Show your characters’ body language.
• Show your characters’ facial expressions.
• Show what your characters are doing physically.
• Incorporate different senses (sight, touch, smell).
• Show your characters’ mood (angry, happy, scared, etc.).
• Let the reader know what your characters want.

You don’t have to include all of these in every scene, but by using different combinations you will paint a picture with words that is as vivid and detailed as the movies and television.

Thanks for stopping by. Please feel free to share your tips in the comments. 

Ten ways to add mystery and suspense in your writing

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There are several tools writers use to create the suspense that pulls a reader into a story and makes them want to follow our protagonist on his or her journey. Today, I thought I'd share ten techniques sure to help you add intrigue and mystery to your writing.

1. Get your characters in trouble! Be ruthless. Think of the worst thing that could happen to them and let them figure out a solution.

2. Let your character take the easy way out of a situation only to find that he's made matters worse, or that he just survived the calm before the storm.

3. Do a slow reveal or include a familiar item that keeps showing up.

4. Allow the reader to know something the main character doesn't.  If the reader knows that there is a lion behind the door our beloved main character so desperately wants to open the reader will be holding his or her breath each time that character gets close to the door.

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5. Create a deadline: countdown to D-day.

6. Build anxiety by using short clipped sentences. Introduce doubt or have a plan fall through.

7. Let your character get close to what she's been hoping for—maybe the first kiss with the totally hot guy—and then the moment slips away or all hell breaks loose.

8. Add intriguing chapter titles.

9. End each chapter in a way that keeps the reader from inserting a bookmark.

10. Cut the action early, forcing the reader to worry about what's going to happen next.

The next time you're writing, give one or more of these techniques a try!

Share your tips in the comments. :)

10 Tips to Success

While there isn't a surefire formula aspiring writers can follow to ensure success, there are some things you can do to help you reach your goals. Below are ten tips I picked up over the years. Try one or try them all, I promise you can't go wrong.

Let't start with number ten and work our way backwards, shall we?

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10. Read. Read. Have I said read?

• Everything: the genre you love, best sellers, books outside your norm, magazines, newspapers.
• Then read some more.
• By reading you see how other authors put together complex plots, build worlds, and develop characters. You can also see how they use various techniques to hold readers' interest.

9.   Note what you like about your favorite novels and what you dislike about the books you put down. Now remember these things when you're working on your novel.

8.   Know the trends, and then avoid them and come up with a kick-butt idea of your own.

7.   Learn the rules… then dare to break them.

6.   Try everything at least once until you find the perfect fit for you.

• Different genres, short stories, novels, screenplays.
• Try outlining your stories before you start to write them.
• Then try diving right in and being a pantser.

5.   Avoid negativity.

• Instead of saying I can't say I'll find a way.
• Don't let others tell you that something's impossible, because you can do anything you set your mind to.
• Don't let anyone tell you an idea is stupid, write it down and show them they're wrong.

4.   Eat plenty of chocolate. Don't like chocolate, jelly bellies work too.

3.   Put yourself out there. Don't worry about rejection.

• Use rejection as motivation.
• Even Stephen King, J.K. Rowling, and Dr. Suess didn't sell their books to the first person they approached.

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2.   Write with passion! Let's face it, anything worth doing should always be done with heart.

1.   Enjoy what you're doing. That is the biggest key to being successful in everything you do.


Remember, everyone's path to success is different so forge your own!

Writing for a young adults audience

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Teens are passionate readers, many falling in love with their favorite characters and often loving to hate the antagonist. It's these types of emotions that I hope to elicit from my readers, but just how does an adult write realistic stories for teens? We get to know our audience and then create compelling stories with characters they can relate to.

First, let's discuss character. The main character's age of any novel depends on who they are and what conflicts they'll face along the way. Getting to know your protagonist is the first step in developing them as a person. Below are a few writing exercises I've used to bring out my main character's personality and innermost thoughts:

• Have your character write a letter either to you or to a supporting cast member in the story.
• Write about your protagonist. This can be anything: a big event in her life, how she spent summer vacation, a typical day. What you write may not end up in the story, but it will help you get to know who she is as a person.
• Create character sheets that not only includes basic features (age, color of eyes, etc.), but notes fears, allergies, likes and dislikes. Answer questions like “I love my mom, but …” “My dad always…” “I wish…” and “If I could change one thing…” (For more tips on character sheets, click here.

Now that you know your character, you need to focus on voice. Voice is everything in a teen novel, because if your characters don't sound like teenagers, you're going to lose your reader's attention. So what is voice? It's word choice, style, and reflection. It's seeing the world through a teen's eyes. To help bring out your character's voice, bring things back to them. For instance, a character may comment on a poster they have hanging in their bedroom: "I can't believe I still have that unicorn poster on the wall." Or they may notice that a person's eyes are the same green as their grandmothers.

To improve the authenticity of your character's voice, visit places where teens hang out. Observe their actions, body language, and speech. Take a notepad with you and jot down what they do and say. Okay, this may seem a little creepy, but as writers, we watch people all the time anyway. (If you're not, you should be!) Besides, I'm not suggesting you sit across from them with a notepad and pen like you're directing the scene. Blend in. Have a cup of coffee and a book in front of you. Wear headphones with no music. Attend high school sports, plays and other events that are open to the public. Be where teens are and your characters voice will benefit from it.

And when talking about writing for a young adult audience, I can't forget to mention plot. The first thing I'd like to say on this is...

Hook is not plot. Hook is what draws your reader in.

Plot is what carries your reader from page one to the end of the book.

How do I develop plot? I think about what is important to teens the same age as my protagonist. Then, I ask myself if the conflicts make sense to a person this age, and I remind myself of the following:

• Teens are complex.
• Include inner monologue in all my scenes.
• It's okay for things not to be black and white. There can be gray areas in young adult.
• My character should grow during the course of his or her story.
• Don't be vague. The story can't be absent of details.
• Write from the heart, because if I don't my readers will know.

I hope you found some of my tips helpful. If you have any tips you'd like to share, I'd love to hear them.

Who's Who? Keeping track of the cast.

The best books have interesting characters with unique personalities. It's a writer's job to keep everyone straight, or her character will all start to look and sound alike.

To keep track of my characters, I create character profiles for my protagonist and the supporting cast. This starts with a brief biographical sketch of the characters that includes age, occupation or grade level if a student, hair/eye color, any other pertinent description evident in the story, relationship to other characters, etc. Next, I get to know them by developing their back story. And while I may not always know the intricate details of what brought each character to where they are when the book starts, I know the highlights of their lives. After all, a person's past helps to shape who they are today.

Below is the character profiles for Madison Riley, the brave, loyal, and sometimes impulsive protagonist in the Embrace Series. It's my go-to sheet whenever I can't remember the small yet important details that set her apart from her friends:

   Madison Elizabeth Riley 

• 16-years-old / Born in March
• Junior in HS
• Naturally curly chestnut-brown hair / hazel eyes like her mom's
• Has her mom's high cheekbones and fair complexion
• Book 1 drinks hazelnut lattes. Book 2 pumpkin spice lattes. Favorite cold drink, Nantucket Nectars Lemonade
• Madison is a loyal friend, a positive person, and she's always there for her closest friends. She depends on Kaylee and Josh more than she realizes. She avoids conflict and hates change in her life. She has a good relationship with her father and brother.
• Her magic tastes like chocolate covered strawberries when fueled with positive emotions and copper when fueled with negative emotions. Her fear tastes like rotten strawberries.
• As the series progressed, I added even more detail to this list.
• I also add notes based on character interviews Madison participated in.

I repeat this for the supportive cast, listing their quirks and strengths and making it easier for me to keep track of my characters then and now.

Do you create character sheets? If not, how do you keep track of your characters?

Feeding the Imagination through Research

Research isn't just about fact finding. It’s about discovering the perfect little detail to weave into a novel or some obscure tidbit of information that can add a unique twist to characters, places or plot. Research feeds the imagination, and that’s a good thing no matter what you’re writing.

For better or worse, a lot of my web browsing is on the paranormal: witchcraft, demons, angels, faeries, you get the picture. If someone were to look at my browser history, they’d think I’m working on a way to break through the delicate fabric of the veil to be able to open a door to another realm or that I’m trying to raise the dead. I assure you, I’m not. But my characters are and have.

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I often scour the internet or search through books to find little known nuggets of information that I can add to my novels. Like tricks to seeing faeries or that cinnamon helps with concentration. And did you know the hierarchy of demons is as complex as the one for angels?

Once I know the lore, I add my own unique and intriguing twists. The magic in my paranormal romance/thriller, EMBRACE, has a taste and a feel that those who possess the Powers recognize. The taste of chocolate covered strawberries kiss Madison Riley’s tongue when she draws upon positive emotions to fuel her magic. Whereas she feels as if she sucked on a mouthful of dirty pennies when her powers are fueled with negative emotions. The scent of vanilla and spearmint fill the air when Isaac Addington draws upon hope and courage to cast a spell, and the strong stench of metal saturates the air if he draws upon jealousy or anger.  The witches in the Embrace Series also have to worry about their powers colliding, causing a shock much like static electricity. Not a good thing when you’re new to the Powers and very much wish to get close to your witch boyfriend.

Witchcraft isn’t the only lore I’ve shaped to my needs. The demons in my books are often good and bad. Most have once been human and no matter how many centuries they’ve spent in Hell, the remnants of what it means to be human remains with them. My angels are as loving and understanding as they are fierce and a force to be reckoned with. Both creatures from Heaven and Hell have complicated pasts that lead them to make difficult and often surprising decisions.

That’s the thing about the supernatural—there are so many ways to add your own twists to known myths and lore to come up with original stories. Done right you’ll keep readers turning the page, guessing who to trust, and trying to unravel the mystery right along with your protagonist.  

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For those who are curious about how to see faeries, there are spells a witch can cast to grant you faerie sight. If you’re short a witch, then you’ll need a stone that has a natural hole in it. One hollowed by a river or spring works best. Looking through the center will grant you faerie sight. But beware: faeries can be mischievous, vindictive, and evil.

Do you enjoy research? What fun facts or tiny detail have you found that added to your character or plot?

Basic Tips for Social Media and What to Share

Last September I had the pleasure of co-hosting a program on social media with authors Kym Brunner and Katie Sparks. While putting together our workshop, I had shared my list of basic tips and ideas of what to share. Together we streamlined that list. So if you've been reluctant to Tweet, Instagram, Facebook, blog, and so on, or if you just need some fresh ideas on what to share, this post is for you!

If you missed my short video on Do's and Dont's, check it out. (I put it together for Twitter, but the suggestions apply to other social media platforms as well.)

Basic Tips for social media:

• Share more than links.
• Look at authors in your genre and see what they are doing.
• Don’t thank everyone for everything they do. A great way to thank someone for retweeting or sharing something you posted is to retweet/share something from their page that you found interesting.
• Engage in conversation. The idea of social is to connect with others.
• Start small and don’t over share.

Ideas of what to share:

• A picture of your writing workspace.
• Where you get your inspiration.
• A picture of something that catches your eye: a funny sign, stunning sunset, a wandering path.
• What you’re reading.
• A quote that resonates with you or your brand.
• A quote from the book you are reading.
• A quote from the book you are writing.
• A quote from your favorite author.
• Fun facts about the things you’ve learned while researching your current WIP.
• Fun facts about books/movies/TV shows.
• Facts about publishing.
• Tips on writing for aspiring writers.
• New about upcoming events aspiring writers.
• Good news about new releases. (Promote a fellow author and they will promote you when your book comes out.)

Ask your readers:

• What they are reading.
• To help you name a character in your next book.
• For suggestions of places to set a scene or your book.
• For character trait suggestions (flaws, quirks, hobbies, etc.)
• What their favorite movie, book, hobby or TV show is.
• Random questions like “Do you like thunderstorms?”

Remember!  Don’t forget to share updates about your everyday life. (These updates show readers you’re a person just like them!)

I hope you'll keep in touch! Check out my sidebar for links to my social media sites.

Writing in an Active Voice

Michael Abayomi's IWSG post reminded me of a guest post I did for Uncommon YA earlier this year that I thought was worth repeating here since it's a subject that comes up often in my critique groups and in workshops. If you haven't visited Michael's blog, you should check it out. He always shares insightful posts.

So, here I go again, talking about voice. But voice in a novel is so important and it's not always about dialogue and inner monologue. Today I'm talking about writing with an active voice and using strong verbs.

An active voice will help your prose come alive and have readers devouring the words in front of them, But what exactly is an active voice? Simply put: in a sentence written in an active voice the subject of the sentence performs an action.

It's the difference between saying:

She was walking.

versus

She walked.

And:

I have been sleeping

versus

I slept. 

An active voice conveys a clear, concise image of what the characters are doing, and this helps readers form a picture of the scene in their mind. It tightens the writing and makes the story stronger. 

TIP: Search your work-in-progress for auxiliary verbs and replace them with active verbs.

Examples of auxiliary verbs: am, are, is, was, were, will be, has been, had been.

Now let's take our writing one step further and add strong, more expressive verbs and a little more detail to the use of an active voice to help readers paint a vivid picture of the scene in their mind and have them feeling as if they are in the middle of the action.

You could say, “He pressed the button.”

But “He jabbed the button with new purpose” paints a better picture of the character's emotion and actions.

Strong verbs do a better job of captivating readers.

There's nothing wrong with “He looked my way.”

But “His sapphire gaze burned through me” not only shows us what the character is doing, it conveys a sense of intensity and intimacy.

It's the difference in saying, “She sat, tired.” and ”She flopped down on the threadbare sofa, exhausted.”

Strong verbs pull readers into the story and keeps them turning the pages.

TIP:  Use verbs that convey the clearest message. Examples: ate or devoured; hit or pummel.

Take the challenge: watch for places in your work-in-progress where you can turn a passive passage into an active one and where you can chop weak verbs and replace them with strong verbs. I promise you'll be happy with the results.

I'm always on the lookout for tips and advice on writing, so please feel free to share your tips in the comment section!

Thanks for stopping by!

It's All About the Dialogue - 10 Tips for Writing Realistic Dialogue

I love writing dialogue. Done well, dialogue brings a scene alive, builds characters, and advances the plot. But just as great dialogue can pull a reader into a story, bad dialogue can snap a reader out of the scene and have them putting the book down. Below are ten tips to help you create realistic dialogue no matter what genre you write.

1. Writing realistic dialogue starts with knowing your characters and their world. Sex, age, social status, location and genre have to be considered. Once you know who your characters are, you’re ready to begin.
2. I like to start by eavesdropping on conversations around me, but I don’t just listen to what’s being said and neither should you. Pay attention to the cadence of the speaker’s voice, word choice, facial expressions, and gestures. Study these same things when you watch your favorite TV series and movies. Stop to think about what you like and dislike about the dialogue in the books you read.
3. Keep sentences short and succinct. People talk in clipped sentences. Reflect this in your writing.
4. Break up dialogue with action that helps to convey emotion, mood, or grounds the reader in the scene.  This is where paying attention to people’s actions comes in handy.
5. Avoid info dumps. Dialogue that’s used as a tool to provide long blocks of back story or exposition doesn’t ring true. It comes across as forced or as the writer stepping in to provide important detail that should have been woven into the story in other ways.
6. Only include what is important to the story. Take out boring and unnecessary dialogue.
7. Keep tags simple. Said is overlooked, whereas words such as demanded and interjected can pull a reader out of the action. Good dialogue will convey these things.
8. Avoid slang and too much swearing. These can date your book or alienate readers.
9. Keep your dialogue clean. Avoid words like um, uh and oh. While realistic, it reads over the top and doesn’t look well on the page.
10. And last but definitely not least, read your dialogue out loud. The places you stumble are the places you need to revise.

There you have it, ten tips for writing realistic dialogue. If you have any you'd like to add, please leave them in the comments.

Work In Progess #WIP Blog Tour

I've been tagged by Carol Oates for the #WIP Blog Tour. The way it works:

Provide the link back to the post by the person who nominated you. Write a little about and give the first sentences of the first three chapters of your current WIP, then nominate four other writers to do the same.

Carol Oates is the author of several wonderfully entertaining novels. She does a great job of putting new twists on well known myths. In her Shades Series she blends the lore of Avalon with King Author. Shades of Avalon, book two in the Shades Series, is now available.  Click here to visit her stop on this tour.

I have a couple novels in the works. I’m working my way through the first draft of a YA contemporary realistic fiction about a girl who struggles with guilt and her feelings of no longer belonging at home after the loss of her mother and about a boy who struggles to hang onto his dream of going to college after an unexpected illness leaves his step-father unable to work and his mom working overtime just to keep a roof over their heads. That’s a mouthful, I know. I’m still working on the blurb for this one.

Then there’s book three in the Embrace Series. The working title is ENTANGLED, although that’s subject to change.  Caden’s back. He’s the charismatic crossroad demon who Madison signed a contract with in Hold Tight. I've decided to share the first sentences of the first three chapters of this book with you today.

A little about book three:

Sixteen-year-old Madison Riley is back and doing the bidding of a crossroad demon. She has no choice, if she wants her six-year-old brother to remain healthy and alive.

Caden, the demon she serves, wants to become master of Death Himself, and he has the means to do it. It’s up to Madison and her coven to stop him, but Caden's intentions aren't all evil and their interference might just cost Madison her life and unleash hell on earth.

Here are the first sentences of the first three chapters:

The third grave on the left belonged to Vladimir Godspeed.

Caden wouldn’t tell me why his boss had any emotion whatsoever when it came to my contract.

I refused to talk about talismans, demons, or anything supernatural after that.

I nominate:

Susan Kaye Quinn

Shawna Romkey

Kat Ross

Juliette Cross

If you'd like to join the hop, copy the rules above, post them on your blog, and then leave the link back to your blog in the comments so that I can hop over and find out what you're working on. 

Thanks for stopping by.

SCBWI Summer Conference in Review

It seems like the conference was just last week, but in reality I’ve been back from Los Angeles for two weeks. The time flew by. My day job helped with that. It’s been crazy busy, but I’ve also been inspired to finish my YA realistic fiction. I’m happy to say I’m well on my way, but I’ve put off sharing some of the highlights from the conference long enough. So, without further procrastination…

I flew down with my good friends and writing buddies, Kym Brunner and Katie Sparks. 

Our first stop -- the Pink Taco for lunch. 

Katie Sparks, Kym Brunner, and me

Katie and me

The conference officially started Friday. 1,235 people gathered this year. 630 were published authors or illustrators from nineteen countries, plus the USA. The energy in the ballroom was incredible.

If you want our children to be intelligent, read your children fairy tales. If you want them to be even more smart, read them more fairy tales. –Einstein

Award winning author, Meg Rosoff, shared that Einstein quote at the beginning of her inspiring keynote. She reminded us that faults are important and that we should treasure them. Enjoy your good qualities, but when the going gets tough, fall back on your faults. As should your characters.

I like that little tidbit of advice.

Speaking of advice, seven editors shared their do’s and don’ts during the editor panel.

It was no surprise that the editors look for stories with a strong voice that is fresh and age appropriate. They also want to be hooked on the first page. This is something writers hear over and over. So what are some of the turn-offs? Here’s what they had to say, in no particular order:

• Don’t overwhelm the reader with all the details on the first page.
• Don’t try to mimic another writer’s voice. (Suggestion on this one: write in your own voice.)
• Don’t try to teach.
• Pay attention to the end. You want it to go right into the heart.
• Don’t tell with long descriptions. (Show.)
• When submitting, don’t be weird by accompanying your submission with odd items.

Are any of these don'ts in your writing? If you answered yes, no worries. That’s why we revise.

And good news for all picture book writers, they’re continuing their come back. Middle grade is also growing.

Stephen Chbosky, author of Perks of Being a Wallflower, broke down the secrets of writing your timeless classic, or die trying. He makes it sound so simple. Find a great idea. Find the right genre and age level. Find the right POV. Come up with a great title. Easy right?

Okay, that won’t guarantee an instant classic, but I imagine that’s where the die trying comes in. And, really, every great classic started with an idea. Speaking of the classics, study them. Stephen’s advice: pick your genre and look at every truly outstanding novel in that genre, and then look at what they have in common.

Me with Maggie Stiefvater

A big time highlight of the conference for me was meeting Maggie Stiefvater. I discovered her first novel, Lament, at the library and really enjoyed her twist on fairy lore. This was long before Shiver was published.  If you haven’t read Lament, I highly recommend it.

In Maggie’s breakout session she talked about building characters. Her rules for characters started with the narrator, who should be the character who shifts the plot the most—the character who changes the most. I happily agree with her. 

There were so many inspiring keynotes and breakout session—like the interview with Tommie Depaola and Judy Blume’s keynote. Unfortunately, it’s impossible for me to talk about all of the great sessions without making this post too long, but you can read about them on SCBWI’s conference blog. Team Blog did an amazing job of keeping the blog posts coming throughout the conference. Hop on over to peruse the site at your leisure.

A few of last quotes before I end this post…

Writing is the art of choosing detail.  – Bruce Coville

Write what you know the essence of.  – Maggie Stiefvater

When diversity is done well, readers emphasize with the characters.  – Adriana Dominguez

A big thanks to Lin Oliver, Stephen Mooser and the rest of the SCBWI staff for putting together yet another amazing conference. I hope to see you next year!

So much to do, so little time! Miscellaneous Musings of a YA Author

With spring always comes a list of to-do's a mile long. There's spring cleaning, the beginning of yard work, projects in the house I want done before summer, family gatherings, and that's on top of my day job and writing. Not that I'm complaining. I like to be busy. Although, I wouldn't mind the weather warmed up a bit. It's a chilly, rainy 45 in Illinois as I type this. 

So far we've made a nice dent in the list. Most the spring cleaning is done. The yard is starting to look nice after a long, hard winter. Flowers are next, but we're going to wait another week before purchasing those, because Mother Nature keeps letting the temps dip below freezing up here. There are a couple important birthdays this month. My amazing mom turns another year younger and my grandmother will be celebrating her 100th birthday. I hope to live as long as her. =)

On the writing front, the submission for Entangled, book three in my Embrace Series, has been sent to my publisher. What's coming in book three? I'm glad you asked! Madison Riley is back and doing the bidding of a crossroad demon. She has no choice, if she wants her six-year-old brother to remain healthy and alive. There's more of Isaac, Kaylee and Josh. Plus, Caden is back and he has big plans for Madison. Fingers crossed Omnific Publishing enjoys this novel as much as they enjoyed the first two in the series. 

Reviews for Challenging Destiny are starting to come in. Thanks so much for those who took the time to post one. You can click here to find out what readers are saying.

With my finished novels either in my agent's hands or with a publisher, I finally have time to focus on something new. I'm playing around with an idea I had a long time ago for an edgy contemporary YA novel. I'll keep you posted on how it goes. 


Do you have a long to-do list this spring? How's the weather in your area?