Chasing Dreams

Party Girl

2012-01-31T06:00:00.001-06:00

You know those parties you're always being invited to? Or worse, asked to host? It can range from Pampered Chef to Scentsy to 31 to Mary Kay...the list goes on an on. You roll you eyes and wonder how you can get out of it without offending. Well... I'm one of those crazy people who absolutely loves these parties. I love hearing about them and I love being invited to them. And if I'm excited

Boy meets Girl

2012-01-27T14:22:00.008-06:00

Ah, Ricky. By far one of my favorite characters in Perilous, Ricky is the boy with a troubled past, a troubled home, and a troubled record. On the outside, he seems like the typical, no-good bad boy. But he's so much more than that, and so very complex. Ricky started out having his own story line, complete with his own point of view. Though his point of view got cut, Ricky remained. Here are some

A Serious Lack of Winter

2012-01-25T07:28:00.000-06:00

Not that I'm complaining. Yesterday was sunny and almost 70 degrees outside. When we went out, I started with a jacket and a sweater over a long-sleeved shirt. I worked my way down from there until I'd shed the jacket and sweater. picture from http://fvtcdan.wordpress.com/ Nobody really knows what to think. It's been mild all December and January. After having three harsh winters in a row, we

My Growth as an Author

2012-01-23T13:24:00.000-06:00

As I pull up deleted scenes from Perilous and prepare them for publication on my blog, something becomes blatantly apparent: I've grown as a writer. It's not that these scenes are horrible, but as I read them, I wince at some of the--well--the choppiness of it all. Some of the words don't quite fit, the dialogue isn't so smooth, the sentences feel fake. It doesn't take too much effort to fix it

Voices in the Woods

2012-01-20T15:58:00.001-06:00

This scene from my book shows the paranoia that haunts each girl, as they spend every second worrying that their kidnapper will catch them again. However, while it shows some of the relationship issues among the girls, as well as their fear, it doesn't actually further the plot. Therefore, it was cut from the final project. A voice. Whispering in frustration.Jaci’s eyes moved rapidly under her

Facebook ads: Are they worth it?

2012-01-18T06:05:00.001-06:00

I'm going to share with you my experience with Facebook ads. There are a lot of variables here, of course, and I'd be interested to hear if anyone has had a different experience. I set aside $10 a few weeks ago to run several ads on Facebook and see what happened with book sales. I let Facebook do the bidding for me, so it only took about four days and my money was all used up. However, it was

Sibling Awe

2012-01-16T06:00:00.000-06:00

Sometimes I think with longing of the days when I only had one child. I had so much time. I taught five classes every day, had nearly four hours set aside for writing, kept my house clean (okay, so that's debatable), and still doted on my son like crazy. I felt like my life was hectic. Ha! I was young and naive. Even as I struggle with my three, I am in awe of my friends with four or five who do

Healing Sara

2012-01-13T05:48:00.000-06:00

When I first submitted Perilous, I intended for it to be an inspirational Christian novel about four girls who had to learn to rely on Christ so they could heal for their tragedy. We ended up taking out the religious aspect and turning it into a thriller. No one could be more shocked than I that I had written a thriller. :)While I am pleased with the fast-paced end result, some of these

Kindle Forums

2012-01-11T06:07:00.000-06:00

You know how you need money to make money? Sometimes it seems that way with books. You need to hit the top 20 to stay in the top 20. And we're all looking for the answer to get into the top 20. While promoting ebooks, I've heard a lot of people mention the Kindle forums. They say it is a good place to interact and promote and share information about your book. I'm not much of a forum gal. I

School Nightmares

2012-01-09T06:28:00.006-06:00

I get to the end of the semester and realize there was a class I never went to. Or it's the middle of the semester and I remember that I dropped a class and signed up for another, but I haven't gone to the new one. Or I get to my final exam and see that I studied the wrong material. Or the year ends and I failed half of my classes because I didn't turn in my homework. One time, I left my baby

VHS vs. Netflix

2012-01-04T06:00:00.001-06:00

Remember those? When I was a teenager, I was absolutely crazy about Star Trek. Like, obsessively crazy. Every week when the show came on, I set up the VCR to record each episode. I carefully edited out commercials. I recorded these so that during the week I could rewatch the episode as often as I wanted. I could get six episodes on a VHS, if I used the worst-quality recording (which I did. I was

The Best of 2011

2012-01-02T06:00:00.001-06:00

My blog has had a bit of a regression in popularity. I do not mind it, really, since it's my fault for not spending more QT with my blog. But still, you readers continue to visit me and see what's going on, and I appreciate that. So here are the most popular posts of 2011, based on visitation stats. If you haven't read these, here's your chance! 10. Book Signing Gone Wrong 9. Signed Contract 8.

And We're Back

2011-12-30T12:09:00.000-06:00

We've had Christmas and family and sickness and more family. And it's been so much fun, I almost forgot I have a blog. But I didn't. I'm here, and I can hardly wait for the new year, with all the goals and expectations it brings with it! This weekend is also your last chance to purchase my book for only $10! Hope you had a merry Christmas! See you soon!

Placement is Everything

2011-12-19T06:20:00.000-06:00

I had a book signing over the weekend that I was particularly excited about. The last time I signed at this store (a grocery store), I sold over 20 books. This being the week before Christmas, I hoped to sell twice that number. When I got to the store, however, I knew things would be difficult. A newspaper lady guarded the entrance, stopping customers and soliciting them to take a free newspaper

Ripped off by Goodwill

2011-12-16T05:22:00.000-06:00

Well, not really. It's my own fault. I went to Goodwill yesterday because Mark and I have a Christmas party to go to tonight. And it's supposed to be fun and goofy, so we're all supposed to wear ugly sweaters. Well, really, who keeps ugly clothing? I don't. I figured the Goodwill would be a good place to buy something for us. Goodwill is right next to my gym. So in between classes yesterday, I

Christmas Cookies

2011-12-14T07:00:00.000-06:00

Tis the season for cookies. Like last year, we're doing the twelve days of Christmas cookies. Unlike last year, I don't have time to type up all the recipes and share them with you. Let me just say that I made Spice, Raisin and Walnut cookies on Monday and Almond and Toffee cookies yesterday. Yum. If you need something more to read, I really like the post I made yesterday. Just saying... :)

Advent to Christmas

2011-12-12T04:39:00.000-06:00

I love the Christmas season. It starts right around Thanksgiving as the temperature gets cooler, and we put up the tree, then the lights start appearing on houses, the radios start with the Christmas music, and everything takes on a happy, surreal luster for me. I love everything about it. From the shopping to the wrapping to the baking to the parties, but especially the reminders of Christ and

ebay addiction

2011-12-07T21:44:00.000-06:00

$50.00 $14.00 Need I say more? I'm having fun.

Funeral Scene

2011-12-05T04:08:00.001-06:00

I can't remember for sure, but I think this scene got cut from Perilous, if not the entire scene, at least parts of it. The biggest reason was that we decided to remove most of the religious elements from the book and take it mainstream. This scene shows Detective Hamilton's indecision about God and religion. I did take out names so there's no spoilers. :) September 24Shelley, Idaho Quite

Why I'm not Upset about Not Finishing Nano

2011-11-30T06:01:00.001-06:00

I started out strong. I gave it a good go. And I've gotten 42,000 words written. It's not over yet. I'll get some more writing in today and see if I can't top that off around 44,000 words. But I won't get 50,000 written. Even more, over the weekend I realized I wasn't too concerned with it. I couldn't figure out why until I discovered that with this book, I've finished the important stuff.

Plump it Up

2011-11-28T04:15:00.002-06:00

'Tis the season for getting fat, and resistance is futile. After Thanksgiving and the day of stuffing myself crazy, I told myself that I'd be really good and not eat junk on Friday. But then I woke up to pies and potatoes and gravy and cheese. So then I told myself that I needed to eat it and get it out of the house. I guess the same applies to the candy bowls full of Hershey kisses and mint M

Exiled

2011-11-26T06:00:00.000-06:00

Today I get to participate in my friend RaShelle Workman's blog tour for her book Exiled! I have not read the book, but RaShelle's in my critique group, and she's an awesome writer. And if this cover doesn't make you drool, I don't know what will: Want a peak? Check out this 2 1/2 minute trailer! I don't really even need to explain what the book's about now, because you watched the trailer

Crushed

2011-11-25T07:03:00.000-06:00

The awesome awesome agent that I thought would be mine rejected me. It's one thing to be rejected from a query. Yet another from a partial. But from a full? In my head, I know writing is a subjective business and what one person likes another won't. But in my heart, I feel like they should've loved this book. I really wanted that agent. He also reps non-fiction, and it would be so nice to not

Getting More Commenters (and Killing CAPTHA)

2011-11-23T12:52:00.000-06:00

A few months ago I lamented the fact that I had many followers, but few commenters. Quite appropriately, several days later I read a blog that gave a list of several things to do to increase your commenters. I decided to give it a whirl. And it worked! I wish I had the link to the blog, but I don't. So, let me just summarize what I learned from it. 1) Comment on other's blogs. Especially if they

The Cat Came Back

2011-11-21T04:29:00.000-06:00

A few months ago we adopted a cat from the animal shelter. While the kids and I loved this cat, who is very sweet, fat, and well-mannered, he and my husband didn't get along. So after several months, I tearfully and guiltily took the cat back. I felt like such a bad mom. But my husband was happier, and that's all that really mattered. Saturday morning at 5 a.m., the cat came back. Either he

Jerk

2011-11-16T04:12:00.000-06:00

I have found my favorite word. I didn't realize how often I use this word in my writing until my friend pointed it while she read my WIP Shadows Keep. I was, at the time, doing final edits on Altercation. Once she pointed out how often I used "jerk," I paid more attention. And I was shocked at the sight of that four-letter word popping up all over my MS. Sometimes it grew. I saw people who "

Jesus Took the Wheel

2011-11-14T06:33:00.001-06:00

Not of our car, but of the car that almost hit us. We were not where we were supposed to be. It would've been our fault. We were on our way home from Branson, Missouri, and due to more fun from Google Maps, we kept having to change our route. It was late at night on a curvy country road. Fearing that once again we'd taken a wrong turn, my husband pulled a quick U-turn. Only as we got to the top

Going Purple

2011-11-11T06:00:00.001-06:00

My 3-year-old calls me Purple Mama. That could be because I love the color purple. Or it could be because I dressed up all in purple for Halloween, including a purple mask. Or maybe it's because I dyed my hair purple yesterday. Oh, yes, the hair's fun. It's kind of a black purple. Note to self: make sure you'll be able to get into the shower after the expected amount of time and not 30

How to Hang up on an Agent

2011-11-09T06:58:00.001-06:00

You won't have many opportunities to practice this, so try and get it right the first time. 1) Look at the number. Identify the "New York, New York" area code and assume it's a telemarketer. Ignore the call. 2) Get curious. What telemarketer is in New York? Return the call. 3) Wait. You're expecting an automated recording, after all. 4) Hang up. A real voice answers, and you don't recognize

The Second Draft: Expanding

2011-11-07T13:33:00.000-06:00

I always enjoy my second drafts. I'm nano-ing right now, which means first drafting. And I can't wait to revise. While my beginnings are usually rough, by the time I hit page 70, it's flowing. Okay, yes, that means I have a lot of work ahead of me. But what it really means is that I have a skeleton beginning. That is how I write. My first draft is the bare bones, a slight expansion of the

Perilous Christmas Sale

2011-11-04T07:01:00.001-05:00

I love how the title of my book makes everything seem dangerous. But, it's true! I've put Perilous on sale, just for Christmas, for $10.95. That INCLUDES shipping and handling! You can only get this price through my website, http://tamarahartheiner.com. This is the best deal, and I'm really excited to offer it to you. So if you loved Perilous, now's your chance to buy it for your mom, your

Making Halloween Ours

2011-11-02T14:19:00.000-05:00

I remember Halloween quite fondly as a child. My mom had two or three boxes of Halloween decorations, and what fun it was to put them out. We had a book of short scary stories, and read one each night of the month of October. Then, of course, Halloween: Digging through the box of costumes, getting them on, running from door to door with out flashlights and mom and dad trailing behind us. What

Nano-Nano-Nano

2011-10-31T07:09:00.000-05:00

This year, I'm participating in NanoWrimo. It's my first time, and I'm quite intimidated by it. For those who don't know what it is, Nano is National Novel Writing Month, and it's November. The goal is to write a 50,000 word novel in one month. It'll be a little different for me, since I won't be writing a novel (the definition of novel being fiction). But I will be trying to get out a 50,000

The Value of an In-Person Critique group

2011-10-28T07:41:00.001-05:00

I'm a member of three online critique groups. While they work great for me, I always envied people who have live critique groups. I couldn't even imagine how it world work in person. But I never knew how to go about finding people willing to commit to critique meetings, people interested in writing and reviewing and being reviewed. And then it happened. While we were at the writer's conference

Tips from a housewife

2011-10-25T06:33:00.003-05:00

A broken dishwasher makes a great drying rack. Brownies aren't bad for you in the morning. The internet is the enemy. Laundry folds better during an exciting movie. House cleaning is best left for another day. The car will not run on fumes. Groceries need to be purchased before dinner. Check your husband's pockets before you wash the pens and bullets with the laundry. If the neighbor's

Dealing with Guilt

2011-10-24T07:07:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I had a situation that left me feeling incredibly guilty. I couldn't eat and went to bed with a pounding headache, the kind that hurts so bad you can't sleep. And I knew, I knew it was something I should just let go of. But knowing something is easy. Doing it is something else entirely. The interesting thing about guilt is, it's a safety mechanism. It's the equivalent of putting the

Getting Credible Sources

2011-10-19T05:12:00.000-05:00

I've had a breakthrough with my Joplin book, and I'm so terribly excited about it. For those of you who don't know, I recently started tackling a nonfiction project about the Joplin tornado. I've spent a lot of time this month interviewing survivors. But I also wanted some factual, scientific information to include in the book. I wasn't sure how to do this. I've done research for fiction, but

Uniqueness

2011-10-18T06:00:00.002-05:00

I had a poster hanging on my bedroom wall through my childhood years. This is what it looked like: Somewhere along the way of my childhood, I realized that I didn't like doing what everyone else was doing. I wanted to be different. When I was in first grade, I received an award as the "most original" girl in my class. At the time, I took that to mean "most creative." However, as I've grown and

Those Three Little Words

2011-10-14T07:07:00.000-05:00

BFF. Or in other words, best friends forever. There's something very intimidating about the phrase. It seems to indicate some sort of commitment, some sort of mutual affection. Saying the words too soon can bring an early death to a relationship. Last year I met a really fun girl who seemed to just love hanging out with me. After several weeks of hanging out all the time, she pronounced me her

The Stake-out

2011-10-12T10:00:00.000-05:00

This is another scene from Perilous that got cut because the villain's POV was cut. In this scene from The Hand (or Truman)'s POV, we see his strategies to find the girls after they narrowly evaded him in Canada. We also get to know a little more about his henchmen, names and characters that don't really appear in Perilous. (I think The Hand deserves his own book, don't you?) Grey and Sanders

Agents and Hillbillies

2011-10-10T07:09:00.000-05:00

This past weekend was the Ozark Creative Writer's Conference in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Talk about a town in the hills! It's an amazing little artsy town, with its own shopping strip, eclectic tastes, and expensive high-calorie bistros. I convinced my friend Hillary, a budding author, to come along to this conference with me. That 3-day girl weekend rocked, but I'll leave out the details of

All About Deep Blue Secret

2011-10-07T06:00:00.001-05:00

So Deep Blue Secret by Christie Anderson released earlier this month. Never heard of it? Deep Blue Secret is a young adult romance with elements of science fiction and the paranormal. California teen, Sadie James, thinks her life can't get any better. She has great friends, an energetic mother she adores, and the beach practically in her own backyard. But her carefree life is turned upside down

Finalist

2011-10-05T06:00:00.001-05:00

So remember that time in July when I had a video interview? Yeah, you might not. It only ran for three days. I tried to get the word out, but this is the internet. Not everyone is on here 24/7. Okay, most of us are, but not all of us. The point being that apparently, this company, The Author Show, prints a book every year including 50 authors they interviewed, either on the radio or the camera.

Character Quirks

2011-10-03T06:30:00.001-05:00

We all know that for our characters to be life-like, they have to have funny quirks, little ticks that set them apart from other people. The hard part is that most people have dozens of these, while if we give our characters more than 3 or 4, the little quirky things become more noticeable than the plot. Thinking about this makes me think of my dozens of character quirks. Some I might not be

Book Signing Gone Wrong

2011-09-30T06:00:00.004-05:00

Wait, I know what you're thinking: "I already read this post." Nope, sorry. That was a different book signing gone wrong. I just have all the greatest stories. So, let me tell you about this one. Saturday I had a big day planned at two book signings in Missouri. I plotted them on Google maps the night before and got ready. Since it showed a five hour drive from my house to the first signing, I

Clockwise!

2011-09-28T06:00:00.001-05:00

Elle Strauss's debut book is here! “A teen time traveler accidentally takes her secret crush back in time. Awkward.” Awkward. That perfectly sums up this fun, easy teen read. I enjoyed this a lot! I giggled at the hilarious situations, and the romance was so fun! I cheered for our heroine. She's likable and believable...as far as time-traveling goes, anyway. CLOCKWISE is launching

Project Joplin

2011-09-26T14:51:00.001-05:00

Saturday I drove up to Missouri for a few book signings (more on that in a later post). On the way up there, I drove through Joplin. Joplin is about forty-five minutes from my house, so it doesn't feel very far at all. As I drove, I remembered the tornado devastation in May. I remembered all the help and aid that people gave. But mostly, I remembered the pleas from newscasters and residents to

Taking back naptime

2011-09-23T07:10:00.000-05:00

Lately I've felt like time got away from me. My day starts around 5:30am with online teaching, followed by school prep, then it's care for teeny kiddos all day long until school ends, at which point my day is over and dinner and evening prep begin. By the time kids are in bed and house is cleaned, we're looking at 9pm. Which means I get about between 1-2 hours of private time, which I can use to

Be Creme Brulee

2011-09-21T07:00:00.004-05:00

There's a scene from a Julia Roberts movie, My Best Friend's Wedding, in which Julia Roberts and Cameron Diaz have an interesting conversation. In the movie, Julia is trying to still Cameron's fiance for herself. In her self-assured way, Julia tells a tear-filled Cameron that she's "creme brulee." And all the fiance wants is Jell-O. Cameron's heartsick character sobs out, "But I can be Jell-O."

Unexpected Benefits of a Book Signing

2011-09-19T00:45:00.000-05:00

So we all know the most obvious benefit of a book signing: Selling books. Yay! (Let me also point out that I easily sell three times as many books at the grocery store as I do at a bookstore. Go figure.) But having just finished an 8-week tour of grocery store book signings, I've discovered some other less likely benefits. Some are extremely helpful; others are merely hilarious. 1) Photographs.

Big Missouri Signing

2011-09-14T07:07:00.000-05:00

I don't know if I have any followers from Missouri or Kansas, but if I do, I'm doing a multi-author event on Saturday, Sept. 24. Here are the details: Saturday, Sept, 24th 10-12 noon Far West Country Store 2650 NW State Route D Cameron, MO Website: http://farwesthistorical.org Saturday Sept 24th 2-4 pm Eden Bookshop 118A North Main St. Liberty, MO Website: http://edenbookshop.com/EBS/

Honey I Think I've Fallen

2011-09-12T07:05:00.000-05:00

So today I'm participating in a blog tour. The book is Fall by Jennifer Hurst. I thought this paranormal thriller, loaded with angels and demons and cute cowboys, was a fun and engaging read. JD, a 20-something young woman, is assigned to manage the renovation of an old school. Since this is her first project, she's quite excited. But turns out the old school houses has a portal to the demon

Best Part of the Day

2011-09-09T07:05:00.000-05:00

Well, I can't really say it's the best part of the day, because there are lots of parts of the day that I enjoy. But I'm really loving my morning time with my five-year-old. I get him up at 6am, and it's just us. I'm usually exhausted, even if I've been awake for awhile teaching a class, and all I can think about is going back to bed. We stumble upstairs and I help him get dressed. Then I comb

Phony Resolution

2011-09-07T12:20:00.001-05:00

A friend of mine told me I need to cultivate the art of talking on the phone. I told her it's a dying art and that texting has taken over. She told me that totally depends on the person. I don't have much use for chatting on the phone. If I have something to say, I can usually say it in six characters or less. Time saved. But perhaps the point isn't to save time. Perhaps it's to cultivate

In Good Company

2011-09-05T12:20:00.004-05:00

Today I took my boys out to run the annual Fun Run. Being 5 and 3 years old, I expected them to give up a minute into the 1K, so I stayed in the back pushing the baby in the stroller. They never gave up. I should've stayed at the finish line. They got there way before me. Then we stood in line with friends and neighbors to have an awesome pancake breakfast. And I just thought, I love it

Underhanded Compliments

2011-09-02T04:00:00.000-05:00

So last week I was doing a book signing at a local grocery store, and a kid comes in that I've known since elementary school. (Kid being relative, since we're :::ahem::: in our thirties now.) I recognized him immediately. I'd know that head anywhere. With his last name being Green and mine being Hart, he was always in front of me in the alphabetical line-up. We tormented each other endlessly.

The First Time's the Best Time

2011-08-31T06:10:00.004-05:00

What goes into creating a scene for you? Do you outline it? Play it out in your head? Just sit down and type? Whenever my mind wanders, I find myself imagining new scenes for my characters. I get so excited about the scene, I'll start it over and over again, relishing in that delicious feeling of something new, something emotional. But here's the thing: I never let myself finish the scene

Validated by Fan Mail

2011-08-29T06:00:00.001-05:00

It doesn't happen very often. But every once in awhile, I get fan mail. Let me tell ya, it makes me so happy I think I could cry. I think fan mail is what every author dreams of: those letters from adoring readers who were touched by your book. It's like you accomplished your goal. I got a great email a few days ago from a mom reader that left me feeling totally validated as a mom and a writer.

Oh my Craziness

2011-08-26T06:00:00.002-05:00

Or in other words, the book signing where everything went wrong. It started with me thinking I had plenty of time. That's always a mistake. So there I sat, in my house, checking my email. It was 2pm and my book signing wasn't until 4:30pm. I was thinking about how I'd shower at 3pm and we'd leave when my 5-year-old got off the bus at 2:45pm... Freeze. Something was wrong with that time table.

My new Genre

2011-08-24T06:03:00.000-05:00

I've written a young adult Sci-Fi novel. Shocked? Yeah, me too. I never thought I would write something with science fiction. Actually, I thought I'd written a dystopian, or a post-apocalyptic trilogy. And then I decided I wanted my novel to be something new. Something that's not happening all over the place already. And guess what? It fits the definition of sci-fi. It has (and this is straight

Chasing the Bookstore

2011-08-22T05:55:00.001-05:00

This is a post that most authors will be unhappy to read, but really ought to know about it. If you published with a small press, chances are you are selling your book on consignment to bookstores. What this means is that you give them your book, and they pay you after it sells. What this really means is that it sucks to be you. It's hard enough doing a book signing and trying to get people

In My Other Lives

2011-08-19T06:12:00.000-05:00

I'm living my dream life right now. I'm married, live in a small but cozy house, and have three beautiful, wonderful children. I'm also published. I'm an author, and in my free time, I write. I absolutely love this. But there are other things I enjoy too. And sometimes, in the midst of doing another hobby, I'll sigh and fantasize about what I'd do if I had another life--or two--to live. 1) I'd

Seriously Rude

2011-08-17T06:44:00.001-05:00

I'm incensed. I took my kindergartner to the bus stop this morning. It was an emotional experience, putting my little boy on the big yellow bus for the first time. There was a group already waiting, and one dad was talking to another mom (we all have little, little kids, btw. This bus only services the K-4 grades). She mentions how they didn't wake up until 6:40am, and he said, "Holy S---."

Book Signing Etiquette

2011-08-15T06:00:00.032-05:00

It's embarrassing to have half a dozen book signings behind you before you're told, by a reader, no less, that you're signing the wrong page of the book. Wrong page? You mean there's a right page? Apparently, there is. I wish I'd known before hand. So, here it is, folks. You sign the TITLE PAGE. Although, according to Wikipedia, you can sign either the title page or the blank flyleaf at the

Selective Meme

2011-08-12T12:56:00.000-05:00

Caitlin Vincent tagged me in her most recent meme. These are cool, but normally I'm lacking the time and energy to do them. However, I have no blogpost written for today (though I've got some cool ideas), so I'm going to use her meme. But not all the questions. Just the ones that I think are interesting. Oh, don't leave! I know you want to know more about me. Right? :) Using exactly 27 words

Friendly Fire

2011-08-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

Let's talk a little bit about gossip. I'm both a woman and a human, and I'll admit to being curious about people. We all like news. That's why we have it, right? But sometimes gossip is more than just current events. It's catty. It's mean. It's pointless. I've participated in gossip before. It might be fun for a moment, discussing people, feeling superior to them. But after that moment, I feel

Camera shot

2011-08-08T07:30:00.000-05:00

One of the cons that came from cutting my villain's POV from Perilous was that the reader could no longer see the strings he was pulling on his end to capture the girls. Now the reader is as oblivious as the girls. But The Hand (Truman) is really quite clever...and I had a lot of fun imagining what he was doing while the girls were running. Here's another scene from his POV.