Notes from Boston

Happy Wednesday! We’re back to a much quieter schedule now that the school musical is over. Older Child still has a few things he’s doing in the next few weeks, but they won’t take up nearly so much time.

I’m plugging away at edits on Drumbeat, but I did manage to write a bit in Minuet as well. It’s been a bit of a challenge, since I have to move this novel’s story along as well as wrapping up the two ongoing plot strands from the previous novels.

Technically, Minuet is the last part of the series. But I’ve been toying with writing within this world but using different characters in completely standalone novels. These can be read alone, but they’re best as part of the series. I’m working on ways to incorporate the worlds I’ve previously created into new novels/series.

Anyway, on to the WIPpet. The context is that Jamie is…somewhere else at the moment, for reasons I won’t spoil. Mack and Company are missing him, so they’ve gone out to watch Cian dance. You can picture the bar, Grand Slam, as an oddball mix of sports bar, gay nightclub, and entertainment venue. This bit is edited for length and to eliminate the recap of the previous novel as well as remove spoilers.

WIPmath: 2/28/2018 = 2 x 8 = 16 sentences

Mack sipped his water and let the buzz of conversation in Grand Slam wash over him. Nate and Trevor had talked him into coming, just the three of them, and Mack knew why. They all missed Jamie.

Mack glanced at Trevor, who was trying to look relaxed but obviously wasn’t. He kept tapping his fingers on the table until Nate swatted him. Mack choked back a laugh. They were nearly as bad as Mack and Jamie, although with the added bonus that they really had sort of been into each other at some point. Mack wasn’t entirely clear on their exact history. He thought he should ask one of these days, given whatever happened between Trevor and Jamie. No way was Mack going to let anyone yank Jamie around again.

He huffed. Not his job. Jamie had already accused him once of treating him like a baby, and Mack wasn’t in a hurry to have that conversation a second time. And there he was, full circle, back to dwelling on how much he missed having Jamie around. Mack folded his arms and turned away from the others to cover for himself.

When Nate squeezed his shoulder, Mack knew he was out of luck on hiding anything.

Like what you read? Be sure to check out the other entries and add your own. Just post a bit of your WIP, connect it to the date, and link up with us. Many thanks to Emily Wrayburn for giving us this space. Happy reading and writing!

Happy Wednesday! We’re deep into tech week for BIG FISH. Everything is looking fantastic so far. Just two days until opening night!

Other than that, it’s life as usual. I’m plugging away at the copyedits for Drumbeat. I’ve also been able to get more than expected written in Minuet. It’s been a perfect storm of a regular writing sprints group and now beta reading, which always inspires me to write more for some reason. The story is shaping up nicely, which is a pleasant change from struggling through writing Drumbeat.

On to the WIPpet. This snippet follows more or less from last week’s. I’ve edited it a bit for length and clarity. It’s just a shade racy, but nothing graphic.

WIPmath:2/21/2018 = 2 x (2 + 1) = 6 paragraphs.

Mack collapsed onto his back. His limbs were still quivering. Once he’d recovered, he would take pleasure in bringing Amelia to the same heights. For the moment, he needed to breathe. As she always did on these occasions, she draped herself over him and ran her hands along his sweaty skin, following them with her lips.

Mack loved that she never hesitated to show him what she liked. He’d met women who enjoyed sex as much as he did, but none besides Amelia who took such delight and fascination in the glorious mess of it all.

The thought amused him, and he chuckled. When he opened his eyes, Amelia was smiling down at him. There was something Mack found poetic about celebrating their reconnection.

“I want to write a new song,” he blurted.

Amelia’s laughter was like water for his soul. “About how much you like being fucked by me?”

Mack touched her hair, her cheek, her neck. “Yeah.”

Like what you read? Be sure to check out the other entries and add your own. Just post a bit of your WIP, connect it to the date, and link up with us. Many thanks to Emily Wrayburn for giving us this space. Happy reading and writing!

Happy Wednesday! This week is much better than last, though it’s a good deal busier for the kids. Just a week and two days until opening night for BIG FISH.

In other news, a teeny bit of shameless bragging about my kids. My son was selected for All County mixed chorus, All County jazz band, and our town’s Honors Band. My daughter was recommended for a special academic program at their school. As much as I sometimes feel fed up with all the driving for a million activities, I couldn’t be more proud of all their success.

As for writing, I’ve gotten farther in Minuet than any of my other WIPs. It’s coming along nicely, roughly 1/4 finished. I’d have liked it to be more, but I’m cutting myself some slack. Also, if anyone has any ideas for making a character spill their secrets, let me know.

On to the WIPpet. The photo above is Amelia. I debated between her and another model when looking at stock photos, and I chose her for a few reasons. After reading an article last night about figure skaters and eating disorders, I’m even more glad I chose to create a character who is both athletic and fat. I’m tired of skinny people being the standard in pretty much the same way I’m tired of men being the default. Anyhow, here’s a mildly steamy snippet for Valentine’s Day.

WIPmath: 2/14/18 = 1 + 4 = 5 paragraphs

[Mack] followed [Amelia] up the stairs to her apartment, admiring the view from behind. He was more than ready to reconnect with her after the day he’d had. He wanted her in his arms, under him and on top of him and around him. It was the best way he knew to release all the built-up tension from his worry over Jamie and his anger at Sage. Amelia knew how to soothe him like no one else.

Inside, she only waited until he’d set his bag down and she’d put her purse on the table by the door. Years of practice and trust and mutual understanding meant she knew exactly what he needed. She put her arms around his neck and drew him into a long, heated kiss. Mack’s chest loosened.

He slid his hand to cup her soft, round ass. Amelia had a great physique. Unlike Mack, she was shapely and athletic, muscular under her full curves from her work as a personal trainer. She used every bit of her body to her advantage when she and Mack were together. After a few heated minutes of grinding against each other, Amelia led Mack into her bedroom.

Watching her strip down, Mack knew what he needed tonight. He had to have her inside him, taking care of him. They didn’t do it often, but he trusted her entirely to give him the release he craved. She drew Mack into another long, sensual kiss.

Mack put himself in Amelia’s capable hands, guiding her while submitting fully to her. This was exactly what he wanted, their lovemaking born from years of understanding and respect.

Like what you read? Be sure to check out the other entries and add your own. Just post a bit of your WIP, connect it to the date, and link up with us. Many thanks to Emily Wrayburn for giving us this space. Happy reading and writing!

 

Happy Wednesday! My 14-year-old is home with a bad cold today, so I’m plying him with soup, tea, and extra protein. His job is to rest. He says he feels okay, but he’s definitely not himself. Too quiet and mellow.

I haven’t done much writing for a while. On and off, but nothing consistent. It’s a combination of things, and it’s left me a bit out of love with writing. I have managed to get some words out in both Minuet and Tree of Life, but everything feels a bit stale and bland lately. I’m sure it doesn’t help that I’ve been having more health issues, and I’m still searching for a new primary care doctor. If you want to know why, you can read my last Rainbow Snippets post from Saturday.

On to the WIPpet. We’re still in the apartment Mack shares with Jamie, who is still sleeping off the effects of…[spoilers]. The picture above is what Marlie looks like in my head. (Also, it was one of the few stock photos of blond women that wasn’t of someone nearly falling out of her underwear.)

WIPmath: 2/7/2018 = 2 x 7 = 14 sentences

Marlie fixed him with her fierce gaze, and it said everything.

Mack nodded at her and ducked into his bedroom. He left the door open, and he could hear Amelia talking quietly with Marlie. He didn’t catch enough of it to know if she was filling Marlie in on the details of their visit with Sage, but he suspected not. He zipped his bag and brought it out to the living room.

Izzy looked up. “Thank you,” he said. “For what you did. He won’t say it, so I will.”

Eight months ago, Izzy had been there when Jamie left the asshole for good. He’d been the one on call, working at the time as an EMT. Izzy had thought Sage hit Jamie. He couldn’t have known that would be entirely unlike him. Sage mostly liked to leave the kind of marks no one could see.

Like what you read? Be sure to check out the other entries and add your own. Just post a bit of your WIP, connect it to the date, and link up with us. Many thanks to Emily Wrayburn for giving us this space. Happy reading and writing!

Happy Wednesday! We’re heading into one of our busiest months, with two concerts (mine) and three shows (the kids). After that, it’s business as usual until well into spring.

I worked some on Minuet this week, but I also worked on Tree of Life. Both projects are going a little slower than I’d like, but progress is steady. I hope to have one finished by spring.

Here’s a question for you: In Tree of Life, Luke is one of a dozen children, 10 of them named for books of the New Testament in the Bible (all but the 2 girls). There are 8 names that are common, 1 name that’s not common but isn’t strange, and 1 that’s…out there. My question isn’t so much whether I should use it (I’d love to—the name has a great meaning). It’s whether or not a “quiverful” family* would use it. So the question is do I use the name (Philemon, in case you wondered) or fudge it and use Roman instead?

*Quiverful = a religious movement based on the Bible verse “Children are like arrows; blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.” It’s not merely refusing birth control; it’s intentionally having a large family because God said so. They’re typically ultra conservative in other ways too.

Okay, now that’s out of the way, here’s the WIPpet. Still in Minuet, and now Mack and Amelia are back at the apartment to check on Jamie.

WIPmath: 1/31/2018 = 1 + 3 + 1 = 5 paragraphs.

The first thing Marlie said when the door opened was, “He’s sleeping. Don’t wake him.”

Mack nodded. “We came to check, but we’re going back to Amelia’s.” He didn’t add that he thought Jamie would want some space. Marlie probably already knew that.

Izzy acknowledged Mack with a nod. He merely looked tired, but Cian was an absolute wreck. Mack had only met him briefly a handful of times, but he had the impression Cian was generally the sort to take things in stride. Now he looked awful. His eyes were red-rimmed, and he was curled in on himself. Mack wished he’d done something sooner, the minute he saw Jamie was heading for trouble.

“He needs more help than we can give him,” Marlie said.

For a minute, Mack thought she meant Cian, but then he realized she was still on the subject of Jamie. “I know,” he said.

Like what you read? Be sure to check out the other entries and add your own. Just post a bit of your WIP, connect it to the date, and link up with us. Many thanks to Emily Wrayburn for giving us this space. Happy reading and writing!