Novelista

I live in a house built over 100 years ago.   The house has charm and 100 plus year old cast iron drain pipes.   Although previous occupants improved and changed and modernized, projects cannot be evaded.   And some projects that you thought were finished need to be revamped. Case in point, the powder room under the staircase.   New floor, paint, sink, vanity, medicine cabinet, faucet, hardware, and toilet installed years ago.   However, the toilet leaked into the basement.   We concluded that the wax seal failed.   So, after gathering all the necessary tools and parts, we removed the toilet only to find that the wax seal wasn’t the problem. The original to the house cast iron closet flange had partially disengaged, unsecuring the toilet to the floor and drain pipe.   A new flange was not something we prepared to replace.   For days, the toilet loitered in the hall, the bathroom door was kept closed, while we scoured the internet...

It may be a month behind schedule, but Hope is almost finished.  Only one major scene to go.  I’ve had the final scene for this book in my head for years.  It taunts me.  However, getting to the end has been the challenge. I’ve had a few bumps when I started this book in the World In-between Series.  One, I needed a plot that gave a reason for the characters to be “there.”  Two, I needed a place to start.  Three, I had to change the tone to reflect the change in the point of view. To overcome these, I looked more closely at the story I wove in the previous four books.  The plot came together nicely.  I started at the beginning, of course.  I set up the new point of view and the plot in chapter one. “Miss Chase?  Are you with us today, Miss Chase?” Tearing her eyes from the wooden ring resembling a flower on her pinky, Hope raised her head to look at her teacher who leaned against the metal desk left over from an...

A monologue from a main character in my upcoming space opera, Where Pirates Go to Die . Name:   Dirk Occupation: Bounty Hunter I know what you’re thinking.   How is it possible to be a Bounty Hunter in this day and age? DNA tracing just shows where a person has been, not where that person actually is.   Full or partial facial recognition doesn’t give you much unless you know the person’s pattern.   Thermal imaging can’t tell exactly who is there. All this data that tracks our every move needs interpretation.   Sure, there are algorithms and all this other schmact that I don’t care about to analyze our thoughts and future actions.   However, they can’t do my job. When a Patrolbot enters a less than reputable den, criminals scatter like cockroaches.   I enter like I’m one of them.   And they always give up information for the right price. Not everyone is cut out to be a Bounty Hunter.   My connections keep my...

Characterization exercise for my work-in-progress space opera , Where Pirates Go to Die . Mom, I don't know if you'll ever read this.  Had to write anyway.  Seems like something a good son should do. I'm sure you're wondering how good of a son I actually am.  I know I disappointed you and Dad, and for that I am terribly sorry. You never got to hear my side of the story.  The one where I claim my innocence.  Flyers ripped me from the interplanetary transport.  Without warning was the way they wanted it. They wouldn't let me correspond while I was incarcerated.  Not that being on this ship is any less of a prison.  But, at least I have some sort of future.  It's not the future you and dad wanted for me.  I'll never be able to go back to that life. There are a lot of things I will never be able to do again.  I have accepted that fact.  That doesn't mean that I don't miss you or my work, however trivial i...

Character Building Exercise: A monologue of one of the main characters in my upcoming space opera, Where Pirates Go to Die . Naria : Captain of the Tigerlily The rumors are true. I have no man to complete me, nor a child to fulfill me. That is probably why I turned to pirating. If you believe that, I also have a moonshare to sell you. No one is going to tell me what kind of life a woman is supposed to lead. I bought the Tigerlily. I restored her and enhanced her. I also handpicked her crew—the best of the best at what they do. You think I care what anyone thinks about how I live my life? I am the Captain of this ship. My ship, my rules. Don’t like them? There’s the airlock. My ship is my pride and joy. Yes, it’s old, but she’s modified. What is so special about the Tigerlily? First, it has a hematite alloy bonded to the titanium hull. Gives her that pretty black sheen. Second, it can maneuver out of the Flyers’ laser snare. How? Like I’m going to tell you....

When I do research for my books, sure, I turn to internet sources and books for information. I also interview people who have experience with certain things and do or learn things for myself. One of my works in progress is the first book of a mystery series where an injured homicide detective turned PI has to relearn how to shoot. Recently, I went to a local pistol range to take a private lesson on shooting a handgun. It was my first time shooting any kind of gun. The instructor was surprised that I had never even shot a bb gun. I learned on a .22 caliber semi-automatic pistol. The former Vietnam Marine started with basic gun safety. Although I wore a turtleneck, he warned me about wearing open necked shirts for future shooting. The empty shell casings are hot when they fly out of the gun and if you are wearing a shirt with an open neck, there is a possibility that the casing can hit your skin and burn you. (Always good to know.) At the shooting bay, he went over grip, stanc...

Many cultures celebrate the rite of passage when a person transitions into adulthood. Sometimes, it is as elaborate as a Bar Mitzvah or Quinceanera. Sometimes, it is as simple as graduation. While those ceremonies or celebrations mark milestones in a person’s life, does the person actually transition into adulthood? We walk through life going through milestones. At any milestone in my life, I did not say afterwards, “ Now , I am an adult.” A series of choices and life experiences as I age rounds maturity. But fiction is different. Or is it? Regardless of genre, fiction mirrors life. A character, like a person, needs a reason to develop. The passing of time does not automatically denote maturation. When developing maturity in a character, especially a younger character, an internal switch must flip. The internal switch is integral to how the character reacts to his or her surroundings. This must go beyond normal development when maturing a character. While any characte...