Archive for the 'Uncategorized' Category
Is it Friday Already?
Wow, this week zoomed past. Maybe it has something to do with how productive I’ve been, which is kind of surprising since it’s March Break here. I managed to finish my Blood and Bone synopsis, tweak a good part of the MS and even get a fair amount of work done on The Devil’s Eye. Yay, me.
Today, I’m chatting over at LoveRomancesCafe with my fellow Wild Rose Press writers. Join in if you can. I’m also giving away a pdf version of The Curse of Culcraig. Leave a comment and I’ll draw a name and post the winner tonight at 8pm eastern. Good luck!!
Mood: Great
Music: I Would Die For You, Jann Arden
And the winner is… Jennifer Mathis. Congratulations!! Email me at dawn@dawnbrown.org and I’ll get your copy of The Curse of Culcraig to you.
Thanks for Playing everyone!!
Posted by Dawn Brown @
3:45 pm |
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
And in honour of St. Patrick’s Day … The Celtic Horoscope. Have Fun!
You Are A Lime Tree
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You are intelligent, hard working, and innately successful.You try to change what you can in life – and you accept what you can’t change.
Tough on the outside, you are actually soft and relenting.
Jealous at times, you are extremely loyal and giving to those you love.
You have many talents, but you don’t have enough time to use them.
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Posted by Dawn Brown @
1:39 pm |
Emerging From My Cave
Sort of disappeared there, didn’t I? Sorry about that. But in my absence I managed to rework the ending of Blood and Bone and finish all the major revisions. All I have to do now is some minor tweaking. Yay!
And because I’m particularily pleased with the results, here’s an a short excerpt:
The sucking slop of footsteps in wet mud rose from the black. The hair on the back of her neck bristled, and a chill tickled along her spine.
Was it Hudson coming back to finish with her? Tic?
What was she doing standing around out here anyway? A woman alone, late at night on a deserted country road during a thunderstorm? The scene had slasher flick written all over it.
She started for the driver side door, but a low moan rose up from the darkness.
Had to be the wind. Still, she picked up her pace.
The moan came again, louder this time. Shayne stopped and turned. A dark, hunched figure staggered toward her.
“Christ.” She gripped the door handle and yanked open the door.
The stooped outline lurched in front of her single headlight, and the glare illuminated the ugliest Hawaiian shirt she’d ever seen.
Des Anderson.
Relief swamped her like a tidal wave, turning her muscles soft for the second time in one night. The feeling, however, was short lived. He may not have been the homicidal maniac she’d imagined, but the jerk had scared the life out of her. And all because he was staggering drunk. Even from this distance, the smell of beer was nearly over powering.
As he pitched forward, the light cast a ghostly pallor over his face. Dark smudges beneath his left eye, along his lip and circling the edges of each nostril stood out from the stark whiteness of his skin.
Blood.
He wasn’t just drunk, he was hurt.
“What happened to you?” she asked.
Her question stopped him short. He tilted his head the way Maura’s terrier did when asked if he wanted a cookie.
Des opened his mouth, but no sound came. Instead, he sank to his knees and fell forward, sprawling face first on the gravel at her feet.
“You have got to be kidding.”
Posted by Dawn Brown @
1:33 pm |
The Synopsis (Insert Dramatic Scary Music Here)
I don’t think I know anyone who enjoys writing a synopsis. Let’s face it, condensing a four hundred page manuscript into a five page summary can be a touch daunting. It can be done, however. What works for me is breaking the story down into the major plot points and building from there.
I use the first paragraph for the hook or inciting moment. The second and third introduce the hero and heroine, and their goal, motivation conflict. From there, I include the first turning point, mid-point, second turning point, dark moment and resolution. Pinpointing the major plot points helps to stay focused on the main plot and avoid adding unnecessary details. Since I write romantic suspense I must show suspense plot evolving as well as the romance element. So to be sure that there is room for both, I avoid including smaller plot points and subplots. It’s important to stay focused on the main story line.
There are some great resources on the web to help you write your synopsis. My favorite is Lisa Gardner’s. She has a detailed lecture series specifically geared to romantic suspense with examples. Also, Margaret Moore has an article about the evolution of the synopsis which shows the synopsis in very stages. And Charlotte Dillon has a number of great resources for synopsis writing.
Anyway, that’s what works for me. 
Posted by Dawn Brown @
12:59 pm |
It’s Starting to Look a Lot Like Spring
I just finished watching the weather forecast for the week, and the predicted sunshine and temperatures above zero have put my in a very good mood. Sure, I like winter, but it’s March now, and I’m ready for spring.
Another reason I’m in such a good mood is the five heart review The Curse of Culcraig received from The Romance Studio. ”I loved this excellent romantic suspense novel. It reminded me of an old-time Gothic horror story with the addition of some contemporary sex scenes. The plot was well developed and the mystery just the right mixture of of intrigue and apprehension. The murderer, when revealed, was so skillfully portrayed as a true psychopath that I got goosebumps…The blending of history and the here and now works as superbly in the mystery as it does in both the hero’s and the heroine’s lives. The setting of the small Scottish town of Culcraig comes to life, full of superstition and rural charm. I highly recommend this to anyone seeking some spine-chilling suspense.”
This week I plan to wrap the last of the changes for Blood and Bone, and *gasp* create a synopsis for the The Devil’s Eye and The Devil’s Shadow. I know what I said about plotting, but because of trying my hand at a series. I need to organize some of the details to be sure the story arch works for both books.
So I’m off to get started, I’ll be back tomorrow with a few tips for synopsis writing. Until then…
Mood: Excellent
Music: Sister Christian, Night Ranger
Posted by Dawn Brown @
1:43 pm |
Reviews and Shameless Begging For Votes
Sorry I’ve been scarce lately. I’ve been working like crazy getting Blood and Bone ready to submit. I keep flipping back and forth on my opening chapter. I think the scene works well to draw the reader in, but doesn’t necessarily move the story forward. To cut or not to cut, that is the question. But enough about that. Let’s focus on the good news.
The Curse of Culcraig recieved a fantastic review from Long and Short Reviews this week. “The Curse of Culcraig is a real page turner. It is full of spine-tingling suspense, interesting characters, and tons of romantic tension. Any fan of mystery and romance should pick up a copy today.”
As well as recieving 4.5 books, The Curse of Culcraig had also been nominated for book of the week. So dear readers if you get a chance this weekend, please vote for me. I would very much appreciate it!
Mood: Excellent
Music: The Sunshine of Your Love, Cream
Posted by Dawn Brown @
5:01 pm |
You Like Me! You Really Like Me!
I received the Superior Scribbler Award from good friend and talented writer, Bella Mcfarland. This award originated from The Scholastic Scribe, whose father suggested she sign up for the High School Journalism Program because she wasn’t strong in math.
Bella writes wonderful YA novels and woman’s romance. She’s had three of her romance novels published, and recently signed with her dream agent for her YA.
I will pass this award onto other worthy writers, and hopefully they will do the same. Then I will list ten things no one knows about me.
Romantic Suspense writer, Jerri Drennan
Gina Ardito at Flights of Fancy
Paranormal Writer, Gwen Mitchell
Lynnette Labelle at Chatterbox Chit Chat
Roni Griffin at Fiction Groupie
A now, ten Things About Me…
1. In real life, I’m extremely shy and introverted when outside my circle of friends.
2. I’d love to live in Europe for a while…just for a change.
3. I love Will Ferrell movies.
4. I have kind of a warped sense of humor. (Which ties into number 3)
5. I don’t like seafood, but I wish I did because everyone else seems to enjoy it so much.
6. My biggest pet peeve is poor manners, especially people who speak over others. Grr!
7. My all time favorite musical artist is, Annie Lennox. She’s just cool.
8. I’m a terrible gardener, and I’ve killed more house plants than I’d care to admit.
9. I can’t sleep if my feet are hot.
10. I’m a big believer in karma.
Mood: Good
Music: Fix You, Cold Play
Posted by Dawn Brown @
4:01 pm |
Love at First Sight Blogfest
Happy Valentines Day! To celebrate, I’m participating in the Love at First Sight Blogfest. I’m posting an excerpt from The Curse of Culcraig. I’m not sure it counts as a love at first. Maybe more intrigued at first sight. 
Set up:Hillary is in Scotland to research a book. Caid is staying at the same inn while he attends his aunt’s funeral. Here we go…
“No dinner for me,” Caid said. “I’m exhausted and just need my bed.”
“Can I no’ bring you some tea, at least?”
“No thank you, Joan. Just my room and a good night’s sleep.”
“Aye. Well, it’s likely been a long day, and tomorrow longer still.”
True enough. Simply thinking of the impending reunion made his heart race.
“The machine will probably be working again come morning.” Joan handed him his card. “We’ll try it again then.”
“Ta.” He slid the card back into his wallet.
“Take the green room. First door on the left. Right then, off you go.”
Caid nodded, hoisted his computer bag over his shoulder and lifted his suitcase. After climbing the stairs, he found the first door on the right. He gripped the brass knob and tried to turn, but it resisted. Frowning, he jiggled the handle a bit, and the door swung inward. Inside, a small lamp glowed softly next to the bed. He dropped his bag and case, and flopped onto the mattress. The room was very pretty and feminine. Though the flowers on the wallpaper and bedspread looked more blue than green to him.
What did he care? The bed was soft and that was all he needed. He toed off his shoes, flipping them from his feet onto the floor, and wriggled up so his head lay nestled in the pile of pillows.
At the sound of a door opening, he sat up. His eyes rounded and the air in his lungs shriveled. Hillary stood in the open doorway to the bathroom, practically naked.
His gaze swept the soft curve her hips, the low dip of her white silk panties then upward to the gentle swell of her breasts peeking out over the edge of her bra. Her hair, still damp from her excursion outside, fell sexy and tousled past her shoulders.
He sat up further, his jeans tight in the crotch and sleep now the furthest thing from his mind. Then he lifted his gaze to hers. Those dark green eyes shone wild and terrified.
Without a word, she slammed the door shut, closing herself in the bathroom. The lock clicked into place.
Bloody hell!
Posted by Dawn Brown @
2:22 pm |
Happy Valentines Day
Okay, I’m a couple of days early, but a quiz is fun on a Friday.
Your Valentine’s Day Personality is Practical
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As far as you’re concerned, Valentine’s Day is simply a commercial holiday.
You don’t place any real meaning on it. You don’t think it deserves too much celebration.
For you, Valentine’s Day is just the day you avoid restaurants and candy stores.
If you love someone, you already show it. You don’t need to go all out for a silly holiday to prove your love.
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Posted by Dawn Brown @
12:53 pm |
Snow Day!
So, this morning I’m sitting with laptop, trying to decide what to blog about. I had a couple of ideas, but they weren’t really working for me. The hubby comes into the room, and I say “I can’t think of anything to blog about.”
To which he grumbles, “Why don’t you write about this crap weather.” (It snowed overnight and, according to weather reports, it’s supposed to continue snowing for the rest of the day)
“I love days like this,” I foolishly reply.
This earns me a baleful glare and a muttered, “That’s because you’re not going out in it.”
The man does have a valid point. I do realize that I’m probably one of the few people out there who looks forward to snowfalls, but I just can’t help it. I love writing on days like this. When the wind is whipping around the house, the snow pelting against my window. With fake flicker of flames (say that thee times fast) from the electric fireplace, incense burning and a hot cup of tea, the whole thing is very cozy, and I’m able to lose myself in the writing easier. Incidentally, I enjoy writing on dark, rainy days as well.
Anyone else inspired when the weather outside is frightful?
Mood: Great
Posted by Dawn Brown @
12:44 pm |
