Excerpt: Chapter One

Well my friends, we've made it to the end of the week.

Here is a partial excerpt, as promised.

I would love to hear your thoughts about it :)

Here you go...

My fingers grazed the books. Every ridge, tattered cover and broken spine spoke to me like a dear old friend. The smell of worn pages sparked the familiar feelings of unfading wonder. Time stood still in these quiet aisles; only my soft footsteps alerting outsiders to the stirring of life. As I moved through the sections, my mind wandered.

Becker’s Books was an escape from reality. The dark, wood shelves that lined the walls transported me to a forest, breathing life. The sleepy scent of pine trees and fresh rain relaxed my nerves. As I stood amongst the pages, I closed my eyes and imagined sitting on the moss and dirt covered floor with my back against an ever-growing tree. I watched the birds soar above me and the hares hop from one hiding place to the next. Here, life had a purpose. There was a plan without it ever being spoken. As my eyes slowly opened, I breathed in the remaining thoughts of freedom.

I had so much fun writing this piece. I love filling my projects with detailed imagery and explanations to things that would otherwise have gone unnoticed.

Have a blessed weekend everyone!

A.

Prologue Excerpt!

Happy Thursday everyone!

As promised, today I will be giving you a look into part of the prologue for All I've Wanted. I'm really excited about it, and have gotten great feedback, so feel free to do the same and let me know your thoughts.

Enjoy :)

When she heard the voice on the other end of the line, she knew she shouldn't have answered the phone.

A simple please.

The morning sunlight burned through the window, igniting the memories of him. The distant sound of his laughter as she spun around in his arms. The beautiful, deep, green eyes that pierced her soul with every glance. The gentle touch that wouldn’t dare arouse even a butterfly. Memories echoed and beckoned.

It had been almost 2 years.

His voice would break her. It would destroy every brick that built a wall around her heart. He would be the end of her, yet the questions that coursed through her veins urged her to reply.

"Andrew." It was all that she could manage.

As I worked on this piece, I was trying to decide if something like this would be better for the back cover of the novel, or if it should stay as part of the prologue. I've also thought about it being the introduction to the second novel in the series. I'm wrestling with that decision now. Any thoughts or ideas?

Hope you enjoyed that sneak peek!

In the next few days, as I continue to work on All I've Wanted, I will be releasing passages from the first chapter, so keep checking back!

Blessings!

A. 

Character Development

Hey everyone!

While working on All I've Wanted, I have been diving into the development of the characters.

Tip: It's important to plan out the characters (personality, habits, mannerisms) before writing the story, but it is also important to develop them while writing.

My main character, Finley Madigan, is very much like me, in many ways. She's quiet and reserved, but she has a heart for the written word. As this is my first Christian fiction novel, I feel that as I write, my own personal story is being shown through it (in parts).

Okay, so here is the part that you are probably waiting for :)

This is an excerpt of my character plot chart:

Physical Description: Finley is 22 years old; graduate of high school. 5’6” with a petite frame. She has long, wavy, medium-brown hair that she often wears in a low ponytail or gathered at the base of her neck. Finley has soft, blue-green eyes. Soft face features with a small, pointed nose.

Personality: Daydreamer. Finley easily adapts to social situations, but she prefers to be alone with her thoughts. In the public eye, she comes off as meek and gentle, whereas in her family life, Finley is forced to defend herself from her mother. Anger, fits of rage and  yelling are commonplace in the Madigan household, but Finley’s nature is anything but hostile. 

Habits/Mannerisms: Soft-spoken. Carries a journal with her everywhere she goes.

Background: Finley Madigan was raised in a single family home with her younger sister Avery Madigan, by their mother Priscilla. Her father Arthur left the home when Finley was 8 years old. Her mother was forced to work a full time job as well as 2 part time jobs to provide for the family. Because of this, many times, Finley is left to care for Avery

As I continue to work on this project, I learn more and more about myself; my inner thoughts, my personality, how I understand people, etc. It is something that is very insightful, if nothing else.

I now leave you guys to think about your own story...who you are and how you present yourselves to the world. Who knows? Maybe a story can be developed from those thoughts  :) And as always, if any of you have questions or comments, I'd love to hear from you.

In the next post, I will be releasing an excerpt from the prologue of All I've Wanted.

Stay tuned :)

A.