That Ah Ha! Moment When Writing and Utterances Excerpt

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Yes, I missed two days this week, but it was for good reason. I'm not only getting ready to leave for London and the awesome Chapter.Con, but I've also been writing Utterances! Today, I'm going to share the details of the book once again and a little snippet from further on. Grab your coffee (or tea), and let's get going!

PSA: This blog will be mostly silent until August 28th. I have a big surprise for you all on 8/24. Keep your eyes open for that post.

Yesterday, I had an ah ha! moment with my WIP. Here I was, struggling with the next big step in the book, and I hit upon the idea to just let the characters go with the flow of the story. I discovered they're smart and resourceful.

My characters are also pretty funny.  

Favorite quote:  "If crazies come a knockin’, guns come out a cockin’."

I started the day at 37k words, and I ended with 42.5k. Win!

Do you ever have that moment in your novel writing where you're just like I'VE GOT IT! and things flow?

Title: Utterances
Author: Jo Michaels
Genre: New Adult Paranormal
Length: TBD
Release Date: 2017

Blurb:
Simone spent the last two years by her cancer-ridden mother’s bedside. Taking care of her was the number one priority. When Mom suddenly goes into full remission, Simone is left bobbing in an unfamiliar ocean with a young man named Tristan. What happens next is the stuff of fairy tales—and nightmares.

Shocking, heart-wrenching, and insightful, Utterances will make you question everything you thought you knew about self-sacrifice. Award-winning author Jo Michaels pulls reality and the paranormal together in a way never before seen, intensely examining what we call the human condition by diving into the innermost workings of one young lady’s mind.

~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt (unedited) Chapter 14:

When the doc finally left, he was as white as his coat and moving fast.
Simone sat on the floor and watched as the fabric billowed in the breeze.
“Alexandra, honey?”
“Yes ma’am! Coming!”
Mrs. Shandy smiled. “Oh, good. I thought you’d done gone and left me!”
“No way, no how. We have a story to finish.” Simone dropped back in the chair, opened the book to where she’d left off, and continued.
That afternoon, she left a little early, with three chapters done, and decided to go to Tristan’s house to surprise him. On her way to Shady Pines, she’d texted him, but hadn’t said she had the evening off. After checking her makeup in the mirror—a new addition to her wardrobe thanks to Mom saying how tired and old her daughter looked, she started the engine and shifted into reverse.
It was twenty minutes before she got to his house, and she started to second-guess herself on the way up the driveway. He’d been off school that day, and she hadn’t pestered him to hang out. If he found out she’d been off work…
His truck was in the driveway, so she parked behind it and got out, suddenly nervous.
As she moved toward the door, she kicked herself for being impulsive. He was sure to ask questions she didn’t have answers to. She knocked three times and waited, a cold sweat breaking out on her forehead and palms.
He opened the door, his eyes got wide, and he stepped out, keeping hold of the handle. “Hey. What are you doing here? I thought you had to work.”
“Well, I knew you were out of school and had the day off work today, so I thought I’d drop by and surprise you.” She smiled, but her hackles rose. Something about the situation wasn’t quite right, yet she couldn’t put her finger on what.
Rather than pull her into a hug, he closed the door and grabbed her arm, guiding her off the porch toward her car. “How about I come to your house in a little while?”
“Um, why can’t we hang out here?” It was getting weirder, and he was being pretty obvious about wanting her to leave.
“My, uh, mom isn’t feeling well, and I wasn’t expecting company.”
She jerked her arm out of his grasp, turned, and sprinted toward the house, throwing open the front door and rushing in, looking everywhere.
He was half a step behind her, yelling at her to stop.
A gorgeous, long-legged brunette with barely any clothes on was passed out on the couch, whisky bottle still in her hand. There was only one word to describe her: flawless.
Simone stared, her mouth dropping open. Every fiber of her being went into shock then flew into blind rage. Her world tinted blood red. She rounded on Tristan, spit at him, and bolted.
Words were being shouted at her, but all she could hear was the fury screaming at her to leave and not come back. Ever. Once in the car, she jammed the key into the ignition, turned, shoved the car in reverse, and spun around in a perfect one-eighty. Tears gathering in her eyes made the driveway blurry, but she managed, somehow, to make it to the base of the hill before she had to pull over.
There was another driveway about fifty feet up the road on the opposite side, covered with a lush growth of leafy branches that would hide her car, so she gunned the accelerator and pulled up far enough to avoid being seen. Once sure no one had followed or seen her, she shut off the engine and curled into herself, letting the tears loose. She cried, she screamed, and she beat the steering wheel with her palms until they hurt.

~~~~~~~

Uh oh. Looks like our couple is in a bit of a pickle, huh?

Hope you enjoyed that!

My fingers are crossed I find the time to give you all a post tomorrow about something I discovered while browsing Facebook. It's interesting, and it's infuriating. Ha! Way to be vague, Jo!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

A Book that Went Askew

Happy Monday, everyone! I hope you all had a fantastic weekend. It's back to the grind today, but no worries! This post is lighthearted and fun. I'm gonna talk about some characters that pushed me around and took my story in a different direction than I'd planned. Ready? Grab your coffee or tea, and let's get going!

I spent the weekend revising the first half of Utterances (you can read an excerpt here). I'm at 30k words now, and I have about 30k more to write. I like to take a pause at this point in a novel and re-read to make sure everything is flowing as it should, details aren't regurgitated, and my timeline works. Also, I check to make sure my loose outline is moving forward as it should.

Needless to say, I found a few holes.

Once I'd gotten them filled in, I took a minute to build a timeline I'll be able to send to my editor so she can double check me. Everything was flowing smoothly, and then I whipped out my suggested chapter outline that I wrote at the beginning of May.

It was off by nearly six chapters! Several of the things I'd planned never happened, and many more have yet to happen. My characters dictated where the story was going, and they took it over, making it their own.

Why?

Because there are things I can't outline--like how a character will show who they are and what their core values (those things they refuse to bend on) are. Sometimes, a character needs a moment to overreact to something, and I hadn't planned it in advance. That's when my books take on a life of their own.

So, I threw my original plan out and jotted down a new one. Still the same ending, I'm just taking a different path to get there.

Right now, I'm figuring I'll introduce you to my MC and her supporting cast. SURPRISE! Check it out! Images are how I picture them in my head.

Name: Simone Alice Bookhart
Age: 18
Height: 5' 7"
Career: Cashier at grocery store
Great quote: “I know, and I love you for trying. But I had to be my own grownup around here, and I’ve changed in ways I can’t explain.”

Name: Tristan Joseph Cardre

Age: 22

Height: 5' 11"

Career: Runs one of the family restaurants & college student studying business management

Great quote: “I didn’t do anything! I just asked her if she wanted to order, and she went all cavewoman on me.”

These two have a lot of hurdles to leap over, but I think y'all are gonna like Tristan. He's as much of a hot mess as Simone is. Together, I think they're incredible.

What do you think? Looking forward to getting to know them?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Utterances - Special Sneak Peek

Happy Thursday, everyone! I actually can't believe I'm here, but I made a blogging schedule, and I'm sticking to it. Expect new life from this blog and a ton of new topics. While I've been out of the blogging world for a hot minute, things are finally settling down around here, and I have a new daily schedule I'm trying to implement. Sure, there will be some hiccups along the way, but I appreciate you all sticking with me through, what I can only describe as, the most difficult year of my life.

Enough of all that for today, though. I have a super awesome surprise for you all. Even though I've been slacking on the blog, I've been doing a ton of writing (as you know, if you've seen the War and Pieces series--1/4 of 312k words is nothing to scoff at). Recently, I've been working on a novel that hits pretty close to home. If you're ready to read a bit, strap in and let's get going. I'm giving you the cover, blurb, and about 600 words of the story. Kindly remember this is the unedited version. Ha! ;)

Title: Utterances
Author: Jo Michaels
Genre: New Adult Paranormal
Length: TBD
Release Date: 2017

Blurb:
Simone spent the last two years by her cancer-ridden mother’s bedside. Taking care of her was the number one priority. When Mom suddenly goes into full remission, Simone is left bobbing in an unfamiliar ocean with a young man named Tristan. What happens next is the stuff of fairy tales—and nightmares.

Shocking, heart-wrenching, and insightful, Utterances will make you question everything you thought you knew about self-sacrifice. Award-winning author Jo Michaels pulls reality and the paranormal together in a way never before seen, intensely examining what we call the human condition by diving into the innermost workings of one young lady’s mind.

Sneak Peek:

Prologue

“…and they lived happily ever after.” Simone closed the book and lifted her eyes to her mother’s still form.

Frail.

Deathly white and blue.

Breathing shallow and erratic.

Tubes sprouted from her arms and neck, and the machines in the room kept up a steady beeping as though trying to create a beautiful melody amid the morbidity of the place.

Yvette was going to die. After fighting so long, the cancer eating her once vibrant body would complete its deadly feast and release her from the pain.

Simone’s eyes watered, and she stood to leave for the evening, eager to wash off the antiseptic scent clinging to her clothes and hair. Carefully, she placed the book of fairy tales in her bag, whispered a promise of something better to read next time as she kissed her mother on the forehead, and shut the door softly.

Chapter 1

Banging ensued as bags were carried through the door and dropped in the foyer on the threadbare mat. Yvette spun around with her arms extended, nearly knocking photos off the walls. “It’s so good to be home.”

Simone laughed. “It’s good to have you home.”

They embraced, and the woman kissed the top of her daughter’s head. “I never thought I’d see this musty old apartment again, that’s for sure.”

“Me either.”

Sniffling, Yvette let go, took a step back, and put her hands on her hips. “I forgot how dismal it is. At least you managed to keep it clean.”

“Of course I did. I’m not a slob. You raised me better than that.” Simone winked and pulled two slim, red, plastic containers out of her purse. “How about you get the movies ready while I order the pizza.”

While her mother danced and whistled her way across the living room, Simone carried the bags down the hall, put them in the master bedroom, and slipped into her own room, shutting the door behind her. Carefully, she pulled the old book out of her bag and ran her fingers over the infinity symbol’s embossed edges. She then slipped the thick tome under her pillow before picking up the phone and dialing the pizza parlor’s number.

When she made it back to the couch, twenty minutes later, dressed in yoga pants and a tank top, she was much more relaxed.

Yvette patted the cushion. “Sit by me. Did you get the pizza ordered?”

Simone nodded as she plopped down and stuck her bare feet on the coffee table.

Her mother frowned.

“What?”

“Have you been putting your nasty toes on my table the whole time I’ve been gone?”

“Mom. Come on. Don’t start on me the first day you’re home.”

One side of her mouth wrinkled back into her cheek a moment before she softened and patted her daughter’s knee. “Okay. You’re right. I shou—”

A knock at the door interrupted the moment.

“I’ll get it. You pour the drinks!” Yvette was off the couch in a fluid movement, ponytail swinging as she bounced toward the entryway.

Simone sighed before pushing off the cushions and heading for the kitchen. As she filled two glasses with ice, tendrils of panic weaved their way up her spine. She checked to make sure her mother was occupied before running down the hall and shoving a hand beneath the pillow, feeling for the book’s leather-bound edges. Satisfied it was there, Simone snuck back up the hall to continue her task—her mind still attached to the feeling of the book on her fingers.

~~~~~~~~~~ End excerpt ~~~~~~~~~

What do you think?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Four Books - 99 Cents - Get the Whole Donovan Circus Set for ONE Dollar!

For the first time ever, the entire Donovan Circus boxed set from Liz Long is on sale! This set contains books 1-4 (Gifted, Burned, Hunted, Ignited) and the fifth and final book will be released later this year. Grab your copy before it goes back to full price on Monday!

The boxed set is normally $6.99. The $0.99 sale is available from March 2-6.

Available formats:

Amazon - Nook - iBooks - Kobo

New Release - Unbreakable Heroes of Arcania #3

Unbreakable (HoA #3)

Heroes of Arcania Trilogy

RELEASE DAY BLITZ

August 18th, 2016

True heroes refuse to be broken.

Nova started the fight against Fortune for simple revenge, but now it’s turned into something much bigger. Arcania’s criminals are at each other’s throats, putting the city right in the middle of a warzone. She’ll have to work with a few unlikely allies to end Fortune’s games once and for all. Nova thought she understood what it meant to be a superhero, but will she have to lose herself to truly defeat Fortune?

Fortune has given Cole a choice, one with unbearable consequences. When Cole takes matters into his own hands to save his sister Penelope, he realizes too late he’s another pawn in Fortune’s games. Fortune will use Cole’s gift against his enemies…including Nova. Cole will have to become the hero he always wanted to be if he’s going to protect the love of his life.

Nova and Cole could finally save Arcania from Fortune’s deadly games, but are they willing to sacrifice each other?

BUY IT ON AMAZON

Haven’t Started the Series Yet?

~*~ABOUT LIZ~*~

Liz Long is a proud graduate of Longwood University. Her inspiration comes from action and thriller genres and she spends entirely too much time watching superhero movies. Her day job includes writing for a magazine publisher in Roanoke, VA. The Donovan Circus series has best been described as "X-Men meets the circus." Adult horror story Witch Hearts tells the tale of a serial killer hunting witches for their powers. New Adult PNR A Reaper Made is about a teen Reaper who gets caught between falling in love or saving her sister's soul. All titles are available for paperback or ebook on Amazon. To learn more about Liz (including more information on her books, plus writing, marketing, and social media tips), visit her website: http://lizclong.com.

Want to Meet Liz?

New Release - Rescue

“Life, liberty, and the pursuit of justice. Would you risk it all for love?”

It all comes down to choice. Choose to live. Choose to die. Choose to love.

Zared’s choice is to rescue the love of his life, Tru Shepard, despite the warrant for his own death. She’s a prisoner at a remote military compound.

Tru’s choices are limited. Marry a man she despises or face death.

Sometimes life dictates what’s important.

Is love enough to risk it all?

Will Zared’s ultimate mission prevail?

CHAPTER 1

ZARED

“Citizens help the New Order find and eliminate terrorist agitators!

The keys to spotting traitors of the American Republic:

Traitors don’t support Inoculation Day,

…doubt the Government,

…don’t watch AR news streams,

…talk of Alliance,

…avoid mandated educational questionnaires,

Traitors don’t support Riza.

Don’t be caught supporting a traitor! Be a loyal citizen. Report any and all suspected traitors.”

(A communiqué from the Bureau of Homeland Protection)

I saved a life and took a life in a matter of seconds.

Watching the Canadian medics wheel Ko away, I know she’ll be fine, thanks to me. Another set of medics claims my father’s body. Also my fault. I did the right thing. He would have killed Ko and anyone else who got in his way.

But, my father’s blood staining my hands is a stark reality I have to face. Children don’t kill their parents. We’re supposed to love and cherish them. Yet, parents shouldn’t incite their children to commit murder. Perhaps I could have overlooked his faults. I search my memory trying to latch on to the good times we shared, but the vault’s dry. 

My father abandoned me years ago.

Still, I wanted to forgive him. All I needed was one reason, any excuse would have worked. I wasn’t picky. I needed to know why he discarded me when I needed him the most. Now, I’ll never know. 

“Aoki, we need to talk.” The loud, acidic voice cuts through the silence. Malcolm slithers his way across the floor. I have no desire to go up against the former rapper turned activist. I need time to myself to accept what I’ve done.

“Can it wait?” I croak.

“I need a status report,” he blasts back. The man once known as the Ice Pimp crosses his arms, staring me down with intense, eerie blue eyes.

“I need to deal with what happened,” I say absently, pushing the hair off my forehead. A slight tremor quakes through my body followed by a trail of sweat etching its way down my spine. The tremor morphs into a fully charged piston. Its incessant revving urges my feet toward the door. Either time needs to speed up, or Malcolm needs to shut up.  

“We ‘preciate what you did for the cause.”

I bristle at Malcolm’s callousness. Jabbing a finger, I snap. “It wasn’t about the damn cause. It was self-preservation. Don’t you get it?”

Malcolm’s face tightens, insubordination on my part. For once, I didn’t care about the repercussions. What I’d done mattered more than a status report or this militant’s battle.

“I killed my FATHER! It was him or me.”

Malcolm sneers. “What would you like me to do? Throw you a goddamned party? Get over yo’self. You had a job to do. You did it. End of story.”

The arrogant-ass prick doesn’t get it. Killing my father, killing anyone, wasn’t the job. Damn it, I loved my father. At one point in my life, I’m sure, the man loved me. I know he did. I believe he did. I hope he did.

I need time to handle my loss and the person I’ve become… a murderer. Reality sucker punches me. I’ve been a lot of things in my life—son, boyfriend, liar, cheat. But never a murderer.

One person understands me. Tru. I need my girl.

“I’ve got to get out of here.” I rush for the exit.

Malcolm blocks my path. “I need the report.”

I stare up at him. He juts his chin, squints, and a hard smile crosses his face. Damn! I’m a complete idiot. This ass played me. My fingers clench.

“You planned this,” I accuse.

“And you carried it out. Mission complete.” His cold eyes mock me.

Unbelievable. Malcolm wasn’t man enough to do the job himself, so he set me up. Who the hell does that?

I reach for my gun. It’s not in my waistband. The glint of steel catches my eye from the floor.

Malcolm follows my line of sight. “You’re not that stupid, Aoki.”

He’s right, I concede. But it doesn’t stop me from wanting to rip his heart out with my bare hands. His death, however, serves no purpose. My father will still be dead, and I’ll be a punching bag for Riza. Bastards like him cause their own demise. I storm past Malcolm. His joyless laughter is the backdrop to my hurried steps.

A few Alliance mercenaries stand around outside the building. I approach a sturdy soldier in tan camo fatigues. The name on his shirt pocket reads Niang, a Purebred from Senegal.

He salutes. I return the gesture. “Aoki.”

“Private Niang, sir.” His French-accented voice booms from his body. Definitely not native to the American Republic.

“Don’t have to be so formal. No rank here. Did you take someone to an Ubernet café today?”

Niang frowns. “No, but I know where it is. I can take you there.”

“Good. Let’s go.” I hop into the passenger seat, lean back, and close my eyes. The image of my father’s inanimate body surrounded by his own blood invades my thoughts and causes bile to rise up in my throat.

“Pull over, now!”

As soon as Niang stops the vehicle, I jump out, spilling my guts across the cracked asphalt. Reality kicks my ass. The gun blast and the image of my father crumpling to the ground loop in my mind.

My God, I killed him.

With my own hands, I ended my father’s life. Yes, I saved Ko and prevented more bloodshed. But it didn’t change the fact I killed my own flesh and blood.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I attempt to mourn for him. To ask God for forgiveness. Memories of the suffering and heartache I endured because of my father’s abandonment blur the lines of grief. His involvement with the New Order crushes any shred of remorse left in my heart.

With final resolve, I rest my trembling body against the Jeep. Where will my father’s soul find its resting place? With all the havoc he caused on Earth, I hope he owned a pair of asbestos-lined boots.

 “Sir?” Niang’s voice, like the peal of shattered glass, interrupts my thoughts.

 I scrape my hand down my pants leg before wiping my mouth and climb back into the vehicle. “I’m ready.”

 My life hasn’t been easy. The green kid who stared at a pretty girl across the school yard years ago no longer exists. Life on the streets hardened me, corrupted my youth, and left behind a guy who’s discovering not everyone has my best interests at heart.

 Working for the Alliance wasn’t something I could avoid. My options were clear-cut: join the cause and help in any way requested or face punishment for a crime I didn’t commit. I disagreed, but lost the war of words.

 Malcolm’s possession of a video showing a different altercation sealed my fate and guaranteed my cooperation. If anyone had to die today, it should have been the cold-hearted Hybrid.

Trust. It’s not something one does living on the streets of New Detroit. New perils present themselves daily. Deviants, hanging out on corners waiting for guys like me, want to play cat and mouse games. Survival requires being smarter.

Joining the Alliance kept me alive. In doing so, I merely exchanged a familiar predator for a craftier, secretive one.

It’s time to take back control of my life.

Niang stops the vehicle in front of a red-brick storefront. I pull out my phone and call Tru. Straight to voicemail. I exit the vehicle, hoping Tru waits inside the café. 

 SF Benson, a Michigan native, resides in Georgia with her husband, a human daughter,
and a couple of miniature fur kids (two female short-haired guinea pigs). At one time she
wrangled a household which included three Samoyeds, saltwater fish, a hamster, and three
guinea pigs.
SF has always wanted to be a writer, but she’s had a variety of positions ‘feeding’ her
creative brain—blogger/reviewer, customer service representative, veterinary assistant,
marketing assistant, editorial assistant, receptionist, and even cashier for women’s clothing
and shoes.
She’s an avid bookworm who appreciates a well-written book regardless of genre. SF
prefers to write stories which allow her to answer the question “what if”. She leans towards
writing strong, diverse protagonists set in dystopian, science fiction, or paranormal worlds.

Email ~ Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon Author Page ~ Instagram: @authorsfbenson