Editing, Writing, and Reediting

Tags

#amediting, #amwriting, #wip, Burn, DANCE WITH ME, Nate & Belle, SPEEDING

Today was a rare grown-up snow day, and tomorrow will be as well.  Kentucky was slammed with a big winter storm and Lexington ended up with over ten inches of snow and a high in the teens, so everything shut down.  Given the chance to write instead of earning a real living today I tried to embrace it (well, around the barometric migraine) but all I managed to do was edit what was already there and decide that as much as I like the bones of this book, I’m not loving it the way it is.  This happened with Live For Me as well, so I’m not surprised, but I really don’t enjoy removing words when I feel like I should be adding them.

At the same time, I know Dance With Me is in need of some editing it didn’t get three years ago when I started this whole writing thing, and Speeding needs not only editing, but an actual ending, and I’ve come to the conclusion that Speeding might need to be wrapped before Burn can really move forward.  It’s a frustrating thought, but the Aylesford series really begins with Reid and Kendall.  So… yeah, I have a lot of work to do.

So… I suppose I should stop complaining and get back to work!

Well, hello there, 2015!

Tags

#amwriting, Aylesford Series, Burn, Happy New Year, resolutions, SPEEDING

Fourth quarter was a tough one for me, and I have not been blogging nor have I spent much time on social media. So, hi and Happy New Year!

One of my resolutions for this year is to write more– I’d really like to release more than one book this year!– and one of those books needs to be the as yet unfinished SPEEDING that started me on this journey. Looking at it now, I see it needs A LOT of editing and revision to go along with the final chapters, but that is something I would love to do this year. I will also be taking it down from the site in the next few weeks so when it is finished and released it won’t bring up any plagiarism alarms, and it will of course be free (charging for something I’ve offered for free for years seems a bit, um, wrong.)

BURN is first up, and it in full swing, with characters you know along with new ones that will anchor the Aylesford stories. That said, how about a snippet with some old and new characters?

“You’re living with Nate? Oh my god!” Kendall shrieked as she sat down to lunch, meeting Belle, Claire, and Taylor.
Belle felt her cheeks heat with color. “It’s not like that.” At the disbelieving looks of her friends, she gave in. “Okay, it’s kinda like that, but not.”
“Sure, that makes sense,” Taylor commented, a smile on her lips.
Belle took a deep breath, held it a moment, blew it out and tried to explain. “He wants to keep me safe. After my building was burned down, they’re worried.”
“So, naturally, you move in with a yummy firefighter you’ve had the hots for forever,” Taylor finished.
“And the other part? Where you said it’s kinda like that?” Claire asked.
“We kissed last night, and let’s just say…” Was there really a word to describe it? She settled on, “Wow.”
“That’s all you’re giving us? Really, Belle?” Claire complained.
“How’s Owen these days?”
“Touché, sister mine.”
“That’s what I thought.” She stared her little sister down. “You’d better not forget.”
“Tell!” Kendall ordered.
Claire looked away, took a breath. “Belle made me promise to go after Owen if she took a step with Nate.”
Kendall and Taylor both gasped at that. “What? You’re dating Daniel,” Kendall sputtered.
“He’s boring!” Belle drew the word out.
“Boring, huh?” Taylor asked, eyes on Claire.
“Total vanilla, home to watch TV by nine, meatloaf every Wednesday, boring,” Belle continued with a smirk.
“Maybe not that boring,” Claire defended halfheartedly. “He’s just so… So…,” she trailed off to search for a word.
“Just so-so?” Taylor asked.
“We broke up this morning. It was,” she paused, “really easy.”
“He wasn’t feeling it either?” Kendall asked.
“Guess not,” Claire agreed with a shrug. “We were much better friends than lovers.” She blew her hair out of her eyes. “We really weren’t great lovers.”
“So, what’s your plan, baby sister?”
Claire shook her head, her cloud of dark hair flying. “I called him.” Three sets of eyes focused on her as she swallowed and continued, “I left him a message and asked him to call.”
“A message?” Belle repeated.
“I called his office.” When Belle rolled her eyes, Claire added, “After hours. Tonight.”
“Please tell me you left him your cell.”
“I’m doing this, Belle. I’m making the first move. I’m sorry if it’s not as big as you moving in with your lickable firefighter, but I’m doing it.”
“Good for you,” Kendall encouraged.

Wednesday WIP

Tags

Fight For Me, SPEEDING, Wednesday WIP

Is it Wednesday again already?  I have two snippets for you today, one from SPEEDING and another from FIGHT FOR ME.

From SPEEDING, Chapter 12

“It’s perfect!” Annie exclaimed.

Kendall appraised their handiwork and dusted her hands across her jean clad thighs. “What do you think your Dad will say?”

“He’d say,” she started, deepening her voice to mimic Reid, “at least it’s not pink,” before dissolving into a fit of giggles.

 Kendall couldn’t help but laugh along with with her. Reid’s guest room had been turned into a purple haven for Annie, complete with a desk and laptop. She felt it was the least they could do, and since Reid refused to take money from Kendall for the bills, she had plenty to make Annie’s room truly her own. “He’ll love that you have a room that’s a reflection of you,” she finally said.

“I hope so. We used three coats of paint. This place will be purple forever!”

Kendall couldn’t help but grin. After all Annie had been through, she didn’t expect her to smile and giggle so easily. “He loves us. He wouldn’t care if we painted the whole house pink.”

Annie shook her head, her ponytail flying. “He’d hate pink.”

“Maybe, but if it made us happy, he’d live with it. That’s just the way he is.”

Kendall was right, and it awed Annie. “I’ve never known anyone like that.”

“Me either, sweetie. Me either.”

~*~

From FIGHT FOR ME

“Detective Davis offered personal police protection,” Cassidy told Dylan over pizza. She had opted for hand held fare after last night’s attempt at casserole ended with a very frustrated Dylan and a very dirty table.

“Refuse it,” Dylan growled.

She already had, but was interested in Dylan’s hostility. “Why?”

“I don’t trust that man as far as I can throw him. He is not watching over you.”

Well, then. “Proprietary much?”

“I protect what’s mine,” he stated plainly.

She ran her gaze over his long, tough body. He was gaining mobility in his right arm, but she doubted he could pull the trigger and hit what he meant. “Dylan,” she started, cut off by another low growl.

“I can protect you better with this half-workin’ body that that bastard can fully functional.” He took a sip of water. “How do you know he wasn’t the one who blew up your precious Blue, anyway?”

She scrunched up her face. “He’s a detective.”

She said it as if that meant something. “The other cops on your brother’s case don’t trust him. Chris thinks he’s as crooked as a dog’s hind leg.”

She shook her head. “Crooked as a dog’s hind leg? Where are you from?”

Snippet Saturday

Tags

DANCE WITH ME, Fight For Me, RomCon, Saturday Snippet, SPEEDING

First, DANCE WITH ME is featured on RomCon this week!  It was scheduled for June 28th, but posted early, so if you haven’t already read it, pop by and make a comment to win a copy in the format of your choice.

Next, let’s do a snippet from FIGHT FOR ME, second in The Everetts of Tyler series.

She jerked her hands from her friend’s grasp. “It’s not like that. He’s just here to heal, and then he goes back home.”

“And home is where, exactly?”

“Outside Aylesford.”

“So, forty minutes from you?”

“When you put it like that…” she trailed off, not sure where she was going with the thought.

Rochelle shot her a scathing look. “Cassidy Everett, I have never known you to be a coward.”

“I’m not being a…” She stopped, not allowing herself to think about Rochelle’s point. “Let’s just get that flippin’ plea agreement figured out and put this case to bed.”

With a sigh, Rochelle sat back down at her desk. “Fine, but ignoring the problem never makes it go away.”

“I’m ignoring you anyway.”

“Me, you can ignore. Six and half feet of muscled white man at your house? Honey, you can’t ignore that.”

“I can sure try.”

Just for fun, maybe we’ll do a snippet from SPEEDING, too.  Chapter 12 is coming along, and should be finished and posted by the end of the month.  Thanks for hanging in there with me for the loooooong stretches between chapters!  This snippet is from Chapter 10.

He came around the truck to wrap her in his arms. “God, I love you,” he told her before covering her mouth with his own.

She looped her arms around his neck as she jumped to wrap her legs around his waist. “Show me,” she demanded breathlessly between kisses.

He carried her easily, much as he had that first night, unlocking the door and pressing her against it once they were inside. “Right here, right now,” he told her before taking her mouth again. “I want you all the damn time. I think about you when I should be doing something else. I can’t believe you promised to be mine forever, and you’ll be an amazing mother.”

She anchored her hands in his hair, staring into his deep blue eyes as she said, “We will be amazing parents to Annie and anybody else we’re blessed with.” She kissed him sweetly before pulling away to give him a wicked smile. “Until then, why don’t we practice?”

Lucky Sevens

Tags

Eden Summers, Fight For Me, Lucky 7s, SPEEDING

I was tagged by a friend, Eden Summers, to do Lucky Sevens and it sounded like fun.  

Here’s the challenge. Post seven lines from an unpublished work of fiction.
• Go to page 7 or 77 in your current manuscript
• Go to line 7
• Post on your blog the next 7 lines, or sentences, as they are – no cheating
• Tag 7 other authors to do the same

So, from FIGHT FOR ME, page 7:

He winced. The hard wooden chair was not comfortable in the slightest and Peters was questioning him like he’d done something wrong by protecting Mason.

“How would you characterize Ms. McClaren’s mental state when she obtained your services?” Peters asked.

Dylan tilted his head, catching Cassidy’s narrowed eyes from her seat behind the prosecution. “If you’re asking if I thought she was insane, I am not a medical professional. All I can say is she was hysterical.” He might not have a fancy degree, but he wasn’t an idiot. He was not getting backed into a corner by this pompous attorney.

And, since we haven’t been there is a long time, let’s see what’s on page 7 of SPEEDING, shall we?

I will never give you the right to be the boss of me again.” Nearly spitting on the application she had tossed, she turned and stomped out the door, making sure to slam it as hard as she could. It may be juvenile, but it felt good to slam a door.

Making the dramatic exit was one thing. Following it through was something else entirely. She left the car Kyle had purchased and registered in his name for her in the Jamieson, Trenton, Parker & White lot, and walked into the heart of downtown hoping for a sign. She didn’t know if she was hoping for a “Help Wanted” sign or a sign from God, but right now she’d take either. 

A Six Day Week

Tags

DANCE WITH ME, Fight For Me, SPEEDING, writing

The problem with the whole working thing is that sometimes I don’t get to write like I’d like.  This week I’m working Monday through Saturday, so I will be writing at night, but we’ll see how the work count comes out.  Good news?  I’m definitely writing.  Bad news? Well, I have SPEEDING and FIGHT WITH ME to work on, and Cassidy and Dylan are flowing better in my head than the next installment of Kendall and Reid.  Chapter 12 will be this month, though… I just have to switch gears from Tyler back to Aylesford.  Easy, right?

So… That said, how do you feel about a snippet from FIGHT FOR ME?

She should step away. Run away. Anything. Instead of heeding the warning bells in her head, she skimmed her hands up his washboard abs to his hard chest. How could he look so amazing in a sling and gauze? She scooted closer until her hard nipples were against his bandaged torso, separated by only the thin cotton of her shirt. Aching to be closer to him, she shifted to encircle his neck with her arms. He was so tall, she still had to tilt her head to look into his molten gold eyes, the heat of his body burning her through her clothes. She shouldn’t be here like this, but she didn’t care. She could worry and feel guilty tomorrow.

I’ll Admit, I Got Teary-Eyed

Tags

book review, DANCE WITH ME, Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews, Jimmy Thomas cover, New Release, SPEEDING, tears of joy

So, this morning DANCE WITH ME was reviewed by Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews and got 4 stars!

The review is here:  http://www.guiltypleasuresbookreviews.com/2012/05/review-dance-with-me-by-hayden-braeburn.html

Of course, if you’ve been following/reading me for a while, you followed the tie-in with our Aylesford cops.  If not, click the link to SPEEDING in the sidebar.  (Can’t miss it, it’s a hot Jimmy Thomas cover).

Oh, yeah, the links… Can’t forget the links!

Dance With Me on Amazon

Dance With Me on Smashwords

Dance With Me on B&N

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since it’s Sunday, let’s do Six Sentences, too.

He raised his eyebrows at his brother. “The pleasure is all mine.” Caleb held onto her long enough to watch his brother’s coffee eyes heat. With a grin at Mason, he dropped her hand. “So, Katerina is the woman you’ve been mooning over lately?”

Mooning over? Was he that dopey? 

Friends Rock!

Tags

DANCE WITH ME, Friends are awesome, friends rock, Jimmy Thomas cover, SPEEDING

 I have been busy this week, and Wonderful Hubby has been sick, so I haven’t been posting like I’m supposed to.  That said, as my title and cute little pic says–I have some absolutely fabulous friends!

Why do I say this?  Well… If you haven’t noticed the great new cover for Speeding on the sidebar, check it out.  My amazing and talented friend Jodi made it for us, and she did a fantabulous job!

  

I also have some very wonderful friends beta-reading and proofreading DANCE WITH ME, and the feedback I’m getting is beyond helpful.  So, yep, friends so totally rock, and mine are awesome!

Short, bubbly post over.  I will post some snippets later this week 🙂

((hugs))

Saturday Snippet

Tags

Saturday Snippet, SPEEDING

Since I’m not participating in Six Sentence Sunday this week, I thought I’d give you a snippet of Speeding, Chapter 11.  The chapter is almost finished, but I’m not happy with it yet, so I’m not ready to post.  Dance with Me has been taking most of my writing time, and since I’d like to have that done and ready for purchase in March, I hope that’s understandable.

That said, here’s a little taste of Chapter 11.

After a quick stop at the station to check in with Jason, they made their way to Roger and Helen Caufield’s cottage in Tyler.

 “I’m not ready for this,” Annie whispered.

 “Sure you are,” Kendall promised with a smile. “Your grandparents are wonderful.”

 She made a face. “It’s just weird. I mean, I knew I wanted a Dad. But I didn’t think about more grandparents or,” she faltered, “or, you.”

 “C’mon, ladies, let’s go inside before Mom comes looking for us,” Reid said as he opened Kendall’s door. Chuckling he added, “Will I have to pull you out this time, too?”

 Kendall laughed at his question. “No, I like your parents. It’s Annie who’s worried this time.”

 “They’ll love you, kiddo. Mom cooked a feast, so if we don’t go in soon, she’ll come out and drag us in.”

 “They’ll love you, and then next month we have to go to Atlanta for your uncle’s wedding. Tons of family will be running around there.” Kendall flashed a grin at Reid. “Maybe we’ll be married before then, too, and I’ll be your stepmom.”

I’m boring this week, but I will try and be back at least one more before the week is out.  And… as soon as I am happy with Chapter 11, I will update the site.

((hugs))

Sunday Six!

Tags

DANCE WITH ME, Six Sentence Sunday, SPEEDING

I know I haven’t done Six Sentence Sunday in a while, I hope you forgive me!

She shook her head slightly, the black silk of her hair brushing the tops of her breasts. “You’re the town golden boy, Mason. The oldest son of one of the richest families in town.” She looked down. “I’m a woman about to lose her livelihood, who’s deep in debt.”

 “So?” he asked, his caramel brows furrowed.

SPEEDING, Chapter 11

 “While I think school is important, you’re not going today,” Reid answered without turning away from the coffee pot.

 “But—wait, why am I arguing about going to school?” Annie cut off her own protests. Instead, she sat down at the table, cereal bowl in hand. “What are we doing today?”

 “Keeping you,” Kendall answered as she turned the corner from the hallway into the kitchen.

That’s all for me today.  Go check out the other sixers this week!