Beginning of Book 1st Place Winner

Speculative Category ANWA Conference 2012

Providence

Chapter 1

Blue tape and eleven pushpins held the global map to the hotel suite’s wall. Rogan studied each point individually, assessing the progress of the crimes. He’d gone over it a hundred times, but still missed whatever linked them.

Lining up his notes he reviewed the information: dates, times, names of towns, addresses, names of the victims. Only the dates showed any order. Today was next in line for a hit. Rogan pinched the bridge of his nose. Nothing else stood out. It was impossible for the serial killer to be so random, yet no identifiable pattern existed.

Evan, his assigned partner and best friend, sat at the edge of the couch, flipping through news channels. Both hoped to find a clue to the next location before another plastic bead screamed bloody death from the map.

Rogan paced in frustration. Maybe he had over-thought the whole thing. He turned his attention to the blaring TV in the middle of the room. An advertisement for an upcoming World Heavyweight Boxing Championship flashed across the screen. Two contenders appeared for a split second before Evan switched channels. Tattooed numbers on the shoulder of one of the men caught Rogan’s attention. Instinct tightened his gut.

“Go back to the boxing ad, I think I saw something.”

Police tape and crying neighbors now played across the screen.

“Hold on, I think we might have something here.”

Impatient, Rogan grabbed the laptop and brought up the Championship information. The boxer in question had tattooed the location of every title win on his shoulder. Maybe that was it.

Rogan quickly logged in to the company’s GPS website and punched in the crime addresses. He scribbled them down in order and did some comparisons. The math genius part of his brain kicked in and it all came together. He punched in a new location. A place called Gilbert, Arizona, showed up.

“We’re headed to the heat.”

Evan either didn’t hear or was too focused on the details of the drive-by shooting to respond.

The satellite image on the computer rolled around dropping closer to earth until an abandoned-looking house and a grove of dying citrus appeared in the dim pre-dawn of the desert. Opening another screen he pulled up the town’s website and scanned through it in less than a minute. Nice town. He hoped they weren’t too late.

Ready for Evan’s full attention he pushed the power button on the TV.

“Hey, what’re you doing?”

Placing the open laptop on the coffee table in front of them he sat next to Evan.

“We should find him holed up in this barn,” he said as he pointed to the run-down structure on the satellite image.

“What? How did you—”

“Global positioning.

Rogan bounced his leg anxious to get moving. Although it didn’t show much, enough light peeked over the distant mountains for the pair to discern their meeting place. They studied it together, committing the image to memory.

Queen in Exile by Donna Hatch

I have really been looking forward to this. Donna Hatch is an amazing author. Her fun sense of humor and her love of romance shine through in her stories and I'm sure this one will not disappoint. Read on for more on her latest book:

Queen in Exile  is
the perfect
combination of fantasy and romance. 

Don't miss your the
chance to win this thrilling tale.

Queen in Exile

by Donna Hatch

Rumors of war hang over Princess Jeniah's peaceful country of Arden, a land that shuns both magic and warfare. Following a lifelong dream, Jeniah forms a telpathic bond with a revered creature called a chayim, who is prophesied to save her kingdom. But when a Darborian knight comes upon Jeniah with her chayim, he sees only a vicious monster about to devour a maiden, and he slays the beast.

Devastated by the loss of her chayim, and fearing that her own magic is evil, Jeniah doubts her destiny. When an enemy invades Arden City, they slaughter the people, storm the castle, and execute the entire royal family except the princess. Rescued by the knight who slew her chayim, Jeniah is now heir to the throne of Arden and the only hope for freeing her people from tyranny.

On the run and hunted by enemy soldiers, Jeniah must place her life and the fate of her kingdom in the hands of this trained killer. Torn between embracing her destiny as queen of Arden, and her love for a mere knight, she must ultimately rely on her magic to save herself and her people from death and tyranny.


Want a win one of three copies of Queen in Exile? The answer isYES! And, it's easy.

1. Visit the fabulous reviews and leave a comment letting us know why you're excited to read Queen in Exile. Remember to include your email address.

2. If you tweet about the blog tour, post about it on your blog or facebook, or become a fan of  Romance Author Donna Hatch on Facebook, leave the link in the comments section and you'll receive an additional entry.

All entires need to be left by Midnight, MST, Sunday, March 18, 2012. You won't be sorry.

In the Beginning

So, there's been some debate amongst my writer friends about whether you should start your story with the antagonist's (villain) point of view (POV) or the protagonist's (hero/heroine). Most of the time, stories start from the protagonist's POV.

Two things of note: I'm not much of a rule follower (unless it's practical) and I lean toward formal in things I like, e.g. pictures in frames should generally be the same size and color and symmetrically ordered on the wall. A mirrored balance makes me happy.

My soon-to-be-released novel, The Archer's Hollow, is in chronological order of events. Remember, I like things that way. This puts my villain in the very first chapter. It works for me and I hope it works for you when you read it.

This is why I think it will. Feel free to agree or disagree in the comments!

• The first chapter is titled Nefarious Intent.
• My villian's name is Nafaeri and not by accident (definite connection there).
• Throughout the first chapter, I've tried to expose her for what she is. I definitely want the reader to know what the hero and heroine are up against.

So, do you think I can pull of this latest rebellion? Any tips for making a stronger case?

Write On my friends!

Babies

There's a certain smell, the tiny cries, the miniature fingers wrapping around your own, the feeling that comes when the baby nestles into your shoulder and falls asleep. There really is nothing like it. This past week I got to visit my sister who has one of these said little bundles of joy. What a treat. Baby is so sweet and I got to snuggle him a lot. I didn't have to do any of the work to get him here, but pitched in as much as I could to burp, change, love, and adore the little guy.

In the meantime, my baby, previously titled 'Bound', now has a new title: The Archer's Hollow and I spent about zero time loving on it while I was gone. Now that I'm not snuggling my sister's baby, I'm devoting time to change, love, and polish my own baby. On that note, I've got to get back to editing, so Write On, my friends.

In God is our Trust Guest Post

Guest Blog Post by Laurie L. C. Lewis

The Founding Fathers' vision of "One Nation Under God" was not left to chance. 

But what if yours was the generation tasked with forging that nation?    

And forced to defend her once again. .  

Just before the heavens were about to open. . .

And a new dispensation was about to begin?    

These were the challenges facing a choice generation.

They were. . . FREE MEN & DREAMERS

Peggy: Hi Laurie. Welcome to my Blog.

Laurie: Hi! Thanks for inviting me to guest blog about my FREE MEN and DREAMERS books.

Peggy: Tell us a little about yourself and about your books.

Laurie: I’m from Maryland, but about 14 years ago, I fell in love with historic Williamsburg. There is a sacred spirit there, one felt also in other places that welcomed the great patriots—Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Madison, Franklin, Key, and others—cities like Philadelphia, Washington, and Georgetown; and places like Fort McHenry, Hampton, Craney Island, Fort Monroe, and dozens more.

I believe it’s because God’s hand was over the events that happened in these places, moving people where they needed to be in order to accomplish His purposes for this land.

The past eight years of my research and writing have focused on an incredibly fascinating, and rather forgotten, generation of Americans. Most of us know a bit about the Revolution, and we have some basic understanding of the issues that drove us into the Civil War, but far fewer know anything concrete about the War of 1812, and yet historians will tell you that it was this period and these events that finally forged us into The United States of America.

The idea for a historic novel began back in 1998 after my first visit to Williamsburg, but I set it aside and moved on to another project. After 9/11, my heart, like most Americans', turned more tenderly to America and her history. By 2004 I submitted the first draft.

The original manuscript was set in the late 1840’s, but after much soul searching, many hours buried in American history, and a small mention in Lucy Mack Smith’s “Biography of Joseph Smith,” I knew I needed to back the books up a generation.

It was Lucy’s reference to her brother Stephen Mack’s service during the War of 1812 that was the deal-breaker. I had never before made the connection between the Smiths and the War of 1812, but there it was! Joseph Smith grew up during that war. He and his generation were affected and shaped by the critical historic events of the tragic burning of Washington, the critical Battle of Baltimore, Key’s rallying of a broken nation with his writing of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

The generation that would take on Britain’s war machine in the War of 1812 was already unique in that they were the children of the Founding Fathers’ generation. They were the heirs of the great patriots’ vision, those charged to build a nation founded on the lofty principles of liberty and freedom, and now they would experience the great religious reformation and the Restoration led by Joseph Smith.   

After eight years of research and rewrites, it is this generation’s story that I tell in my FREE MEN and DREAMERS books where we wind six fictional families—three American, two British, one slave—through carefully researched American history to illustrate the courage, sacrifice, and vision of this extraordinary group.


Peggy: Sounds so fascinating! How many books are there?

Laurie: There are five books in the series: DARK SKY AT DAWN, (2007); and TWILIGHT'S LAST GLEAMING, (2008) were each finalists in the 2008 USA Best Books Competition; DAWN'S EARLY LIGHT, (2009); OH, SAY CAN YOU SEE? (2010) was a Whitney Award finalist; IN GOD IS OUR TRUST, (2011) is currently a nominee for a Whitney Award.. Preview chapters from each book are available on my website at http://www.laurielclewis.com/books.htm.


Peggy: Check out my previous blog post for an excerpt from In God is our Trust. 

Thanks for visiting my blog today Laurie! What a great journey it's been for you and a wonderful way to share the true spirit of our beginnings as a nation. If anyone has any questions for Laurie, you may email her at lclewis2007@gmail.com.

Excerpt from In God is Our Trust

In God is Our Trust by Laurie L. C. Lewis

Laurie: I’d like to share an excerpt from my recently released volume 5, IN GOD IS OUR TRUST. Our protagonist in the series is Jed Pearson, a moral but logical man who has aligned his course upon the strength and stability of government. But new, illogical, religious concepts threaten his tidy world, and despite his efforts to dismiss them, he cannot, setting the stage for a spiritual awakening that will test his faith in both God and the Constitution.

From chapter 29:

The Pearsons arrived in Washington City in July, well before Jed

was scheduled to be seated in the Senate, but not too early to receive

his first assignment from his friend, Senator Timothy Shepard, who

had been asked to assist Washington’s Mayor Weightman’s Jubilee

of Independence Committee, marking the fiftieth anniversary of the

signing of the Declaration of Independence. Timothy quickly secured

Jed’s help.

“First things first,” Timothy began. “Congress commissioned four

paintings by John Trumball which will be hung in the Rotunda for the

celebration. The capstone of the celebration is his grand mural titled

The Declaration of Independence, depicting the five writers of the

declaration presenting the draft to their colleagues. Here’s a sketch.”

Jed studied the five images in the center of the sketch. The first

three were easily recognizable—Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, John

Adams of Massachusetts, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania—but

the last two required greater thought. “I’m embarrassed to say I can’t

remember these two members of the drafting committee, nor some

of the other signers.”

“Roger Sherman of Connecticut, and Robert Livingston of New

York, but I can’t name some of the signers anymore. I wonder if

future generations will learn their names and know the risk they

took when they mutually pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their

sacred honor.”

Jed grew wistful at the thought. “So few of them are yet alive.”

“Charles Carroll is well, but Presidents Jefferson and Adams are

in failing health.”

“It’s remarkable to consider what that generation achieved in

fifty years, and yet the cost has been high. Two hundred and fifty

years ago the Indians roamed free in virgin forests and welcomed the

settlers. Now we are at war with them in many corners.”

“We fear them and they don’t trust us, often with good cause,”

Timothy said.

“If only we could share the land and live in peace, but we each

have very different visions for America. It’s rumored Andrew Jackson

will relocate the Indians west if elected president. As much as I love

what we’re building here, I can’t feel good about that.”

“It was a primitive new world when the first settlers arrived, as

if God hid it in His hand for millennia for a special purpose. I think

His hand has ever been and still is over this land.”

“And what do you think His purpose is? Even the Founders

couldn’t agree on religion.”

“They differed on the details, but they all believed in Christ.

Religion was and is still evolving here since the break with Europe.

Perhaps they purposely kept the language vague in order to

accommodate what might yet be.”

“Like a visit from God?”

Timothy scowled at Jed. “What?”

Flushing red, Jed wished he could retract the comment. “Don’t

mind me.”

“No, tell me. Who claims to have been visited by God?”

“A young man named Joseph Smith. Hannah is quite taken with

him.”

“But you doubt him?”

Jed leaned back slightly. “Do you believe God would condescend

to come to earth and visit a young man today in response to a

prayer?”

Timothy pondered the question a moment. Jed watched his face

soften as he thought. “I don’t know, but if God wanted to do such

a thing, I think this is where He would choose to do it. Religion

needs freedom to flourish, Jed, and I believe God helped us establish

and preserve ours. Now He’s blessed us with a decade of relative

prosperity and peace. If He wanted to open the heavens and speak, I

think He would do it here, and this might be the time.”

Peggy: Thank you so much for sharing Laurie. Remember, if anyone has questions for Laurie, you may email her at lclewis2007@gmail.com.

Delight in the Little Things

Sunday evening I went with my husband and two of our children to the church for a Christmas Chorale and a Reflections of Christ exhibit. We walked through the exhibit - one word: amazing. (I encourage you to see the website for a little part of that experience). We then settled in the chapel to wait for the Chorale to begin. Beautiful orchestra music--played by young and old--surrounded us, getting us in the spirit of the season.

Two old couples sat on the pew in front of us. Both ladies and one of the gentlemen of aforementioned bench were members of one of the performing choirs. After the couple participated, they didn't return to their seat, but the one lady came back to sit by her husband. She was tiny and wrinkly and she had this light about her. I had watched her sing. In my opinion, it was enthusiastic and cheerful yet still reverent. I thought to myself that she was having a great time.

Now, come with me, if you will, to the row behind them and about twenty minutes later. My young son has sat through about an hour and as young children go, has had enough of this good time. He laid on the floor and rolled under the pew in front of us. At least he was quiet, right? I did worry a little that he would accidentally hit or kick one of the frail folks seated above him, so I'm monitoring things to make sure he does not.

Of course, it happened. The old man leaned forward. Aaah. I'd failed. Then the most delightful thing occurred. This lovely old lady's face lit up, she leaned forward a little as well and said to her husband, "Is it a child?" as if they were gold panners and he'd just found an enormous nugget. Bless her forever.

It was a wonderful reminder to me to find joy in my little ones and the beautiful little blessings I am showered with every single day. I love you my friends and wish you the most blessed of Christmases.