MOOD STATUS: "Focused". Got a lot on my plate today but I am determined to get stuff done today. :)
Well, my online writing class ends today. Wah.
I learned SO MUCH--although I have to admit I was not the best or most active student in the class. *blushes* But that's okay, because the notes I gathered and the excerises I did have given me a lot to chew on. Overall, this class has made me grow as a writer and will not only help my story I'm working on now, but also my next story I'm tinkering with. So I'm very excited about that!
And as a result, I'm already looking at other writing courses I can take. :)
Here are a few that are coming up in the near future that look pretty interesting:
GUERILLA TACTICS FOR WRITERS IN A SLUMP INSTRUCTOR: Lori Wilde May 3rd - 30th, 2010 COST: $15 - Members, $25 - Non Members REGISTRATION DEADLINE: May 1st, 2010 FMI: http://www.oirw.net/campus/currentcourselist.htm Have you been writing a long time and while you've received some recognition for your work you're just not getting the attention you deserve? Or, were you published once, then found yourself without a publisher and now you can't get break back in? Or are you currently published but your career seems to be barely bumping along? This workshop is designed provide answers to those questions and catapult you onto the publishing fast track. “Guerilla Tactics for Writers in a Slump” will illustrate exactly what's holding you back and keeping you from being the writer you're truly meant to be. Find out more: http://www.loriwilde.com/
TOP 10 REASONS A MANUSCRIPT IS REJECTED May 3, 2010 – May 22, 2010 Instructor: award-winning author and literary agent Lois Winston This will be a hands-on workshop where students are encouraged to participate so that everyone has the benefit of learning what works and what doesn’t in their writing as well as in various parts of the submission process. Topics covered will include: knowing and understanding various genre conventions, editing and proofing, writing dynamic query letters, how to write a synopsis, the all-important first pages of the manuscript, technical skills, storytelling skills, voice and style. FMI and to register: http://www.beginningwriterworkshops.com/
Understanding Scene: How Goal, Motivation, Conflict, and Disaster Factor into It May 3 - 30, 2010$25 BDRWA members/$30 non-members (4 week class) According to Dwight Swain, author of Techniques of the Selling Writer, a scene is identified by action. The sequel is the reaction. But what does this mean in terms of your writing? What goes into a scene? Heck, what IS a scene? This online course will take you through the process of understanding the elements of a scene and will introduce the concept of sequel. You will use your favorite fiction to identify how authors use Goal, Motivation, Conflict, and Disaster, as well as write your own scene(s) using these crucial 4 elements. You will come away with a PDF file detailing everything discussed in the course.Instructor Bio: Misa Ramirez is the author of the Lola Cruz mystery series: Living the Vida Lola (January '09) and Hasta la Vista, Lola! (February 2010) from St. Martin's Minotaur. Read more about Misa at her website: http://www.misaramirez.com
"Storyboarding" with Shayla Black (aka Shelley Bradley) May 16-22 RRRW Members - $15; Non-members - $20 Hate blinking cursors or rewriting? Have a very time-pressed schedule? To avoid all of those and maintain sanity in the middle of deadlines and challenging books requires a little more pre-plotting than Ready with some characters, Set with an opening scene, Go! Storyboarding for the Story Challenged uses different formats (and thus, different parts of your brain) to help you construct your plot. Part visual, part analytical, this method of storyboarding allows you to plot the skeleton of a story or put all the story flesh on its bones, right down to the last freckle or drop of sweat. Bio: Shayla Black (aka Shelley Bradley) is the national bestselling author of 25+ sizzling contemporary, erotic, paranormal, and historical romances for multiple print and electronic publishers. FMI -- http://redriverromancewriters.com/workshops.php
Character(s) and Conflict—More Is More and More Is Better May 10 - Jun 6 Six lessons, four weeks Presenter: Todd Stone, the Novelist's Boot Camp guy Ever hear an editor say "Sorry, your story has too much conflict?"Didn't think so. And you probably won't, either. In this workshop we'll provide you with how-to techniques excerpted the award-winning "Novelist's Boot Camp" (from Writers Digest Books) and theNovelist's Boot Camp workshops that will help you amp up your story'sinternal and external conflict, build in conflict from the very beginning ofyour story, help simplify plotting, make setting a character, and make yousmarter and more confident about your writing process and product. This workshop works for all genres, for aspiring and published authors, andfor both pantsers and plotters.*COST:* *$15 for Members * $25 for NON-Members *REGISTRATION:* http://www.savvyauthors.com/event.cfmEventID=109
Synopsis writing class Instructor: Camy Tang Starting May 3rd: For four weeks. This from Camy: I’ll be working with you to write a synopsis for your manuscript during the class. By the end of the month, you will have: 1) a one sentence hook for your manuscript proposal 2) a five sentence pitch, which you can also use in a query letter 3) a comprehensive 2-page single spaced synopsis for use in a proposal or submission4) a character synopsis to include with your 2-page synopsis or in place of it 5) if your manuscript is completed, a full chapter by chapter synopsis (usually anywhere from 4-10 pages) for if an editor asks for a more complete story synopsis, OR at the very least, the means to write one if your manuscript is not yet completed. Cost is $30. FMI: http://storysensei.blogspot.com/2010/04/story-sensei-synopsis-class-and-self.html
Sound good, huh?
Now I must get back to my copy edits today because I want to send them in way before they're actually due. :)
Are you planning on taking an online writing course? Have you recently taken a good one?
IN THE NEWS: Burglary suspect says he was playing hide and seek. Read moreHERE.
As some of you fellow twits--tweets-- tweeters? know, I have been sick since this past weekend. Sore throat, headache, tired, blah, meh, blah. You know what I'm talking about.
Anyhew, being under the weather kept me glued to my Alphasmart while I was in bed and I was much more productive with my writing than I've been in quite a while.
(See below)
Yes, that's my fish in the grass down there. Probably dead fish in the grass, but let's not think about it too much. At least it's moving to the right ---> for now. :)
I'm not saying what I wrote was necessarily GOOD, but it's all down on paper and there is at least something to edit. So now my goal this week is to get that finished chapter presentable for my crit partners to read--no easy feat, mind you--and to get at least half of my next chapter written, too. Voila.
Not a bad goal, huh?
So far, I'm on a roll, too, despite the fact that I'm feeling better and there is a HUGE laundry pile that desperately needs to be folded.
How's your work in progress coming along?
Do you work a chapter to death (like me) before your critique partners see it?
MOOD STATUS: "Sick". No more feeling "meh". Now feeling REALLY "meh" and a sore throat, too.
Well, from my last post on "why do a book trailer", I can see most of you are interested in them. Hey, what a coincidence. Me, too!
Okay. So NOW you're thinking, "How do I get a book trailer anyway?" I'm glad you asked.
Your first option is You can pay someone to make one for you. I confess, I like this option and am thinking about paying for one for my book due out in October. There are a lot of wonderful online companies who specialize in making videos for your books. Some are pricey and some are extremely reasonable. Here are just a few examples of places that authors I know have used:
Your second option is You can make your own book trailer.What?! Yes, in fact if a techno dummy like myself can do it, ANYONE can. There are plenty of cool techno places you can use like one true media, but I used Windows Movie Maker. It's on most PCs and is very self-explanatory. If you have it on your computer but need a quick tutorial, it's here.
So... if you're going to make your own, how do you start?
a)Watch a lot of book trailers. Go to YouTube to start. You'll get a feel for styles and lengths and be able to figure out what you personally like. I've watched videos in the one minute to three minute range. The average being about a minute in a half. My first one went a little long (over two minutes). But it was my first! I plan on making my next one a little shorter, after all time is precious to people. :)
b) Next, come up with a frame by frame "storyboard" of what you want to say about your book. What do I mean? Look at your blurb or what you used in your query letter to sell your book. That will give you an idea of where to start.
You're probably going to average about 20 frames (give or take depending on how long your video is). Keep in mind that your first and last frame will usually be your cover and title of your book or maybe your name and website.
**Take out a notebook and start with a simple flowchart of what you want to show. Keep in mind, you may want to take up some frames with just words and no picture or just a picture and no words. In my book, THE ROLE OF A LIFETIME, I used a frame to say something serious then in the next frame I showed a funny picture. In some frames I put words on my picture.
**keep in mind the TONE you want to create. I wanted mine to be amusing since I write lighthearted and wanted people to know that. I also chose to showcase the book from the hero's POV since his "role" was the more comedic part of the story.
c)Now that you have "idea" of what you want to show, the real fun begins: looking for pictures. (I mean this sarcastically because this is the MOST TIME CONSUMING part of the process) When looking for pictures keep in mind you want to look for Royalty free photos. Every online photo store has different rules and procedures. I bought from a sight were I paid $10 to get "credits". I could upload a certain amount of photos depending on how much the credit was for each picture. Here are a few sites I found looking around online: (Always be sure and read the fine print and that even though they are royalty free you can use them commercially.)
**if you want to save money, take your own pictures
**also, keep in mind that looking for pictures might even give you new ideas as to what you show in your video.
d) Once you have the pictures and the order and what you want to say, you're probably going to need some background music. After all, you don't want to watch a silent video. This is where it can get pricey, so you may need to need to get creative if some of these aren't in your price range.
Whew! Now that you have all that, you can then start putting it all together to see how it looks. Plus, Windows Movie Maker has a lot of neat gadgets you can play around with, like having your pictures or words fade in and out of the frame. This is the FUN part.
Still need more advice? Shame on you. (Just kidding) Steeple Hill author Brenda Coulter has a wonderful post on book trailers, too, which helped me a lot when I didn't know where to start.
Have you used any of these sites before? Have you used or know of different sites for a book trailer?
MOOD STATUS: "Bleh". Feeling yucky since Sunday. No real symptoms--headaches and tired a lot. Just...BLEH.
This is what I had for dinner last night--and last Sunday. What can I say? I love salmon and this recipe is so easy and tasty. (PS. the kiddo gobbles it up)
And the best part? It takes like 10 minutes.
Ginger-glazed Salmon
1Tbsp dark brown sugar (although I have used light brown sugar and it's just as good) 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1 tsp soy sauce 1/2 tsp ground ginger 4 salmon fillets ( 1/2 inch thickness and about 1 1/2 lbs total)
Preheat broiler to high. Line broiler pan with tin foil and spray a little cooking spray on top.
Mix sugar, mustard, soy sauce, and ginger in bowl. Make little shallow cuts across salmon (this will speed up cooking and let the glaze settle into the fish) Brush salmon with brown sugar mixture and broil about 5 or 6 minutes or until fish is flaky and done.
**note: sometimes my fish is thick, so I broil a few minutes without the glaze then brush glaze and broil the 5 minutes on top of that so it's done**
IN THE NEWS: Colorado man loses part of finger in iPad theft. Read morehere.
Well, it's that time again. Progress is "meh", but I have some good news to report about my wip anyway.
It's moving slowly but surely. I tinkered with my partial and was able to write about 1/3 of my chapter 4, and it really looks pretty good.
My characters are much more solid. I think a large amount of that is attributed to the characterization class that I'm taking.
I think I can write a synopsis now even though I only have three chapters. Again, thanks to the characterization class I'm taking. :)
Anyhew, here's my progress: (Boy, it's been a while since I posted one if these.)
(Don't ask me why I picked an elephant on a pencil. The absurdity of it clicked with me this week--for whatever reason.)
My goal the rest of this week is to correct half my homework for class and finish my chapter 4. I had a good writing day yesterday, so I hope it continues!
MOOD STATUS: "stressed". I need to cut back on some things I've gotten myself into...
Happy Monday, all!
First some good news: I recently got an e-mail from my editor at Avalon Books and the production of Georgie on His Mind has finally begun. Hooray!!
So you know what that means, right? No? Oh. It means that I've now begun compiling notes and pictures so I can create a book trailer for it. :)
Now you may be asking yourself, "Why, Jenn? Is that really necessary? Why do a book trailer?"
Well, you may or may not know I'm huge American Idol fan, so I'm going to answer with an example from a recent show.
Picture this: a few weeks ago, it was Beatles's week on American Idol. Awesome singer Lee Dewyze is singing his heart out to "Hey, Jude" and doing a fantastic job.Then... out of nowhere a bagpiper starts playing and descending the stairs behind him. (It's not very often you hear the bagpipes in a contemporary song) I admit, I was as shocked as the judges. But it was still very cool.
Anyhew, after the performance, Ryan Seacrest went up to Lee and asked the question we were all kind of wondering, "Why the bagpipes?" Lee's response: "Why not?"
Yes, WHY NOT? I LOVE that answer! Especially if you have an opportunity to set yourself apart.
Okay, so maybe this isn't quite the answer that will sway you all into doing a book trailer. After all, deciding to do one for your book has more to do with marketing than "just because" or "why not?", and you also might be wondering if having a book trailer really will make that much of a difference in your book sales.
The answer? Probably not. I mean, nothing trumps writing a great book with great word of mouth, right?
But here's some reasons why you should consider a book trailer anyway:
1) It's an easy (and often cheap if you do it yourself) form of advertisement for your book. There are probably more places to upload or use your video than just your book cover online. And what's best, you don't need to say anything to sell your book. Your video will speak for itself.
2) It's a great opportunity for author branding. Maybe having a trailer on YouTube won't mean mega book sales, but if you're doing a good job promoting your video, you will get many views. And if your name becomes recognizable it could mean sales for future books.
3) It's an opportunity to reach a market you might not reach by traditional methods. I have an e-book author friend, who not long after putting her video up on YouTube, was contacted by a person in Europe who saw her video and ended up ordering her book.
4) It's fun. Whether you create one yourself or have one made for you, there's nothing more fun than seeing your book put into a different vehicle. (Maybe not as a fun as seeing your book made into a movie, but it's pretty close) Okay, maybe not. But still fun. :)
5) It adds pizazz to existing book promotion. I've hosted a lot of blog book tours on my blog and a good majority of the authors had book videos to add along with their first chapter sneak peak. Much more interesting (in my opinion) than just using a book cover. (Like adding whipped cream to a hot fudge sundae)
I've probably missed more. But all in all, I think those are reasons enough to sway you into considering a book trailer for your book.
I mean, why not? :)
What do you think? Have you or would you do a book trailer? Why or why not?
IN THE NEWS: Cases of beer left at landfill too hard to resist. Read moreHERE.
Well, as I mentioned earlier this week, I'm taking a characterization class. All is going to pretty except for one character.
I knew I had my heroine down pat. No doubt. I had her goal, motivation, conflict, internal flaws--everything. Perfecto!
But unfortunately my hero has become my..."problem child".
I thought I had his goal and motivation pretty well drawn out, but since this class (and the homework assignments) I'm realizing that I have to dig just a little bit deeper into his character.
I have a partial written so far. And it works for the most part. But then I got a recent critique from a critique partner and I had to laugh. Why? The questions she rose to me were all centered on my hero. My "problem child".
So obviously I haven't quite nailed his character yet. He just needs the slightest bit of tweaking. But I'm so close I can almost taste it.
So here's what I plan on working on today: (courtesy of Camy's class)
Today I'm going to try to uncover his internal flaw.
How?
By doing this: I'm going to play devil's advocate with my hero. I'm going to keep asking him the question WHY until he reaches a point where he has no more answers and he has to unveil an ugly truth about himself.
That's all I'm going to do this morning. Should be interesting. But I am determined to figure him out. Or else. :)
MOOD STATUS: "Tired". Haven't quite caught up from from my spring break frenzy.
I think I mentioned that I threw the kiddo a home birthday party last week. My first "home" party. :)
I ordered cute little tea party invitations through Vistaprint (10 free) and added on the invite to "bring a doll to join you". They all did, so it was really sweet!
Speaking of sweet... here's the chocolate-chocolate cake I baked (From scratch of course--including icing) There was a layer of pink frosting and a layer of purple frosting inside.
Okay. Maybe I won't be on Ace of Cakes, but this cake was delicious. (If I say so myself) We--meaning I--made chocolate dipped strawberries and sugar cookies. (see below)
This was the take home party favor: their tea cup with goodies (candy and toys) inside.
I got the tea cups at a goodwill store. I was able to get actual sugar cubes at the supermarket and a little sugar cube tongs. The girls LOVED that!
Hmmm... I didn't know my curtains would match the pink and green decor. LOL
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We played a game called "The Mummy Game". The girls were divided into two teams. Each team picked one "mummy". The team who wrapped their mummy in toilet paper first--using the WHOLE roll--wins.
The birthday girl. (below)
(I'm so proud...)
The girls loved that game so much that some of the parents called me the next day to tell me. One little girl said, "Mommy, we HAVE to play the mummy game at my birthday party!"
Who knew it would be such a hit?
We also did two crafts--a door hanger and we painted little ceramic animals. We actually didn't have time for all the games I had planned, which is fine. Better to over plan, in my opinion.
And of course, what little girl party wouldn't be complete without a few boys in the neighborhood ringing the doorbell and running away and of course water balloons thrown at the front door. One little boy got the shock of his life when the girls ran after him. My daughter tackled him and then all the girls sat on him!
(I think he'll think twice before he does anything like THAT again) LOL!
The whole experience was too funny. I had just as good a time as the girls. :)
Have you ever hosted a home birthday party for your child?
IN THE NEWS: Guinea pig touted as solution to Congo food crisis. Read moreHERE.
Hey, all! I had a fantastic spring break! Very busy, though. I planned and hosted a birthday tea party for an eight year old, did a few day trips with the family, and started an online writing class.
Whoa, let's look at that last one again. Yes, I started an online writing class. In fact, I'm doing A MONTH LONG one hosted by author Camy Tang on Characterization.
So far, it's been really great for me!
I'm a firm believer that every writer--aside from maybe the Nora Roberts and Stephen Kings of the world--should look to grow in their craft.
How?
1) Well, there are manybooks to read on the subject of writing. (My favorites are by James Scott Bell and Noah Lukeman) .When I read a great writing book, I try to absorb as much as possible. The only problem is once the book is put down, I don't always remember to utilize what I just read.
(Unless I read it more than once or I blog about it, which then crams it in my head again) :)
2)Many writers also go to conferences and take workshops. When I take a workshop that I enjoy, I take tons of notes. I'm all excited until I get home and I look at my notes. That's when it all looks foreign to me and I have to try and remember what I was so excited about.
3)Now with the Internet, there are many more options available like webinars and online conferences. In fact, one is the Muse Online Conference. Webinars and online conferences are much the same as actual conferences--minus the face to face networking and schmoozing. :) You can go in with very specific questions at any time during the day and from the comfort of your own home.
4)All those are wonderful resources that I DO take advantage of, but I have to say there is something just a little bit different about doing an actual writing class--online or in person. I'm thinking it's the homework accountability and the actual application of what is being taught that makes it just a little bit better than the other options mentioned. It's perfect for the well-intentioned writer (AKA me) who has writing workbooks on my nightstand that are still untouched.
I am actually being "forced" to apply homework lessons to my work-in-progress and post for the author and others. I can then see what I need to work on and what I totally have a handle on. So far, I'm finding I'm really liking this kind of hands-on approach. (Although right now, I'm behind in the homework!) :)
Do you have another way that you use to grow in your writing craft?
It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!
You never know when I might play a wild card on you!
***Special thanks to Mavis Sanders, Corporate Publicist, Tyndale House Publishers for sending me a review copy.***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Award-winning author DiAnn Mills is a fiction writer who combines an adventuresome spirit with unforgettable characters to create action-packed novels. DiAnn's first book was published in 1998, and she currently has more than 40 books in print, with combined sales of over one million copies. In 2009, Tyndale House introduced Breach of Trust, Book #1 in her Call of Duty series about women with dangerous occupations. Six of her anthologies have appeared on the CBA best-seller list. Eight of her books have been nominated for the American Christian Fiction Writers' book-of-the-year contest, and she is the recipient of the Inspirational Reader's Choice award for 2005 and 2007. Lightning and Lace was a 2008 Christy Award finalist.
DiAnn is a founding board member for American Christian Fiction Writers and a member of Inspirational Writers Alive; Romance Writers of America's Faith, Hope, and Love chapter; and the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country. DiAnn is also a mentor for Jerry B. Jenkins's Christian Writers Guild. DiAnn and her husband live in Houston, Texas.
List Price: $12.99 Paperback: 400 pages Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (March 4, 2010) Language: English ISBN-10: 1414320515 ISBN-13: 978-1414320519
AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:
We are truly a nation of immigrants. But we are also a nation of laws.
Brent Ashabranner
McAllen, Texas
The Rio Grande was not just murky. It was toxic. Danika Morales respected the river’s temperament—lazy and rushing, crystal and muddy, breathtaking and devastating. To many illegal immigrants, its flowing water signified hope and an opportunity for a better tomorrow, while others viewed the river crossing as a means of smuggling drugs or spreading terrorism. But for Danika, the depths meant death, and it didn’t discriminate among its victims. That was why she chose a Border Patrol badge and carried a gun.
Shortly after the 8 a.m. muster, Danika snatched up the keys to the Tahoe assigned to her for the next ten hours and checked out an M4. A hum of voices, most with Hispanic accents and clipped with occasional laughter, swirled around the station. A labyrinth of sights and sounds had succeeded in disorienting her. A daze.
She took a sip of the steaming coffee in hopes no one saw how the day’s date affected her. Her hands shook. The twelfth of July. The second anniversary of Toby’s murder. She thought she could handle it better than this, but the raw ache still seared her heart.
“Tough day for me too,” Jacob whispered beside her. “We can get through this together.” The familiar tone of voice, as in many times before, nearly paralyzed her. Jacob sounded so much like his brother.
She stood shoulder to shoulder with her brother-in-law and glanced at his muscular frame and the silver streaks in his closely cropped hair, everything about him oddly different from Toby. Gone were the gentleness, the patience, and the outstretched arms of love.
“Thanks. But I’m all right.”
He frowned, a typical expression. “Well, I’m not, and you shouldn’t be either.”
She was in no mood to rile him today. “I miss Toby every minute of the day, but we have to move on. He would have wanted it that way.”
“Not till his murderer is found.” Jacob’s jaw tightened. “I’m disappointed in you.”
Danika took another sip of the hot coffee, burning her tongue. Caustic words threatened to surface and add one more brick to the wall dividing them. “I want the killer found too. I’m committed to it. I think about him every day and mourn for our daughter, who will never know her daddy. But I choose not to spend my time harboring hate and vengeance.”
“You must not have really loved my brother.”
The words cut deep, as Jacob must have known they would. No woman could have loved Toby like she did. “I refuse to be browbeaten by you anymore. Your hate is going to explode in your own backyard one day.” She stopped herself before she lit a match to his temper. Actually, she’d rather have been dropped in the bush for the next ten hours with a shotgun and a can of OFF! than argue with him. But the time had come to distance herself from Jacob.
“Hey, Danika,” an agent called, “do these belong to you?”
She turned to see wiry Felipe Chavez carrying a vase with a huge bouquet of roses. They remembered. She swallowed a chunk of life. “Oh, guys, you didn’t have to do this.”
Felipe made his way toward her. The other agents hushed; then one of them started to clap. She smiled through the tears as he handed her the clear glass vase. The sweet fragrance no longer reminded her of death, but of life and her resolve to live each day in a way that commemorated Toby’s devotion to her and their little daughter. Perhaps this was what the two-year marker meant.
She took the roses and studied the small crowd of agents. Good men, all of them—even Jacob.
“We cared about what happened to Toby too,” Felipe said with a grim smile.
Danika brushed her finger around one of the delicate petals and formed her words. Memories had stalked her like a demon since last night. “Don’t know what to say except thank you. Toby was a soldier for his own cause, and he spent his life doing what he believed in. Just like all of us.”
One agent shook his head, frowned, and left the room. Far too many explanations for his disapproval raced through her mind. But Danika needed to put the ugliness behind her.
She set the flowers on the long table in front of her. “Today is the second anniversary of Toby’s death. All of you have looked after me and my daughter, especially during holidays and special occasions. His death is why I’m more dedicated than ever to help protect the border.” She paused, sensing her emotions rushing into chaos. “I appreciate your remembering him and the sacrifice he made, especially since his beliefs were controversial.” Enough said.
She took a deep, cleansing breath. “I brought doughnuts.”
And they were buttermilk, Toby’s favorite.
She glanced at Jacob, hoping to end the tension between them. How Barbara could stay married to him was beyond her comprehension. He treated her and their four kids like yesterday’s trash.
Danika wound through the crowd of agents, greeting those who offered condolences and others who offered a good-morning.
The field operations supervisor, Agent Oden Herrera, stood in front of the flags—the U.S., Homeland Security, and the Border Patrol. Pushing the emotions of regret and grief about Toby aside, Danika captured the supervisor’s attention. “During the muster you said intel had picked up a cocaine drop last night?”
Herrera walked to a wall map and pointed. “Like I said earlier: arrested seven men and two women right along here, your area. A kid had a small bag of cocaine on him. Most likely a deterrent. The drug smuggler either hid it before being apprehended, or he’s still waiting for someone to pick him up. Dogs have been out there most of the night, but Barnett and Fire-Eater are headed that way in a few minutes.”
Danika finished her coffee and made her way into the stifling heat and stopped by Jon Barnett’s truck. As Fire-Eater’s handler, he had everyone’s admiration, and the Belgian sheepdog had a reputation for being the best of the K-9s. Barnett snapped on the dog’s leash and waved.
“I hear we’re working the same area today.” Danika refrained from patting Fire-Eater. Some days he wasn’t people friendly. After seeing the dog in action a few times when he’d found drug runners, she sometimes felt sorry for those he brought down.
Barnett grinned and wiped the sweat already beading on his face. “He’s a good dog, Morales. Just needs a little help with his people skills.” He laughed, his freckles deepening in the intense sun. “And he’s great with the wife and kids. Like another member of the family.” He pulled out his keys. “Do you want to talk? We have a few minutes.”
All she really wanted was for the day to be over. Talking increased the chances of liquid emotion—which was more lethal than the river flowing between the U.S. and Mexico. “No thanks. I’m fine.”
“Do you need to talk?”
“It’s been two years.” Therapeutic or not, she would not open up, even to a sweet guy like Barnett. She’d spent hours building a reputation as a tough agent, and she wasn’t about to take a nosedive now.
“Right, and the sooner you admit that today has crept up on you worse than a case of food poisoning, the better you’ll feel.”
She had to agree. “Have you turned psychologist?”
“Fire-Eater and five kids taught me all I know.”
“I had a dog when I was a kid,” she said, looking for any subject except Toby. “Gentle, sensed my moods, smart. My best friend. Sure missed him when he was gone.” Danika blinked back a tear, despising her reaction. She stared at Fire-Eater rather than look into Barnett’s face.
“I bet he slept at the foot of your bed.”
Fire-Eater climbed into the backseat of the double-cab truck.
“Sometimes in it. We even shared meals. I didn’t like meat, and he’d eat it for me.”
“Who’s your best friend now?”
She swallowed the ever-increasing lump in her throat. “Toby’s gone, and I have a tough time in church.”
“Confession is a beginning. Any family?”
“Toby’s family has been good to me.” Never mind Jacob. “My folks never approved of my marriage.” She sucked in a breath. It hissed like the poisonous snakes she feared. “Well-meaning friends do this to me.”
“Do you feel any better?”
Sneak. “Yeah, thanks, doc. You—”
Fire-Eater barked. No doubt anxious to get moving. The animal and Jacob had similar personalities, but today she’d rather be with the dog.
HHH
Danika turned off Old Military Road and bounced along a narrow dirt and gravel path, bordered by tall, thick grass and brush and laden with prickly pears on the Rio Grande side and more thick brush on the other. Jon had radioed ahead and reported signs from last night, but nothing new. Every agent was on alert. Trouble brewed along the entire two-thousand-mile border between Mexico and the United States. Drug cartels were slaughtering innocent people in the streets, and those on the U.S. side feared it was only a matter of time before the fighting spilled over the line. Not on her watch.
She drove slowly past the few houses perched on the right side of the road, most of which had been stash houses at one time or another, havens for illegal aliens and drug smugglers. She stopped the truck beside a well-worn trail to look for recent signs in the dirt. After a generous spray of mosquito repellent on her uniform and hands, she stepped into the stifling ninety-degree heat and bent to study the hours-old footprints indicating where the illegals had gained access into Texas before being apprehended. Most of them only wanted an opportunity to better themselves, but others had a darker agenda. At least she hoped the footprints had been accounted for.
A breeze from the north fanned her face and offered a brief reprieve from the unrelenting sun. The tall grass with its thick growth waved as though mocking her commitment to the Border Patrol.
Fifteen minutes later, Barnett radioed a call for assistance.
“Spotted a man wearing a backpack near the 112 sensor. He headed into the carrizo.”
Danika ran back to the truck and raced her vehicle toward Barnett’s location. She wanted to tell him to wait for backup and not search through the thick grass alone, but she knew Barnett and Fire-Eater were a team and stayed on the traffic. The smuggler probably hid on a rattler’s nest.
She was the first to respond to Barnett’s request. Pulling in behind his truck, she unclipped her HK from her belt while radioing her arrival. She grabbed her cell phone and dialed his number.
“Barnett, I’m here,” she said. “Tell me you’re not in the middle of the carrizo.”
He chuckled. “Fire-Eater’s after him. I’m skirting it. Neither one of us is coming out until we have our man.”
She pocketed her cell phone and followed the agent’s footprints on the dusty road until they disappeared into the thicket. Hot as it was, the Kevlar vest felt good, even if it was worthless against a stab wound or a shotgun blast.
Fire-Eater barked, snapping Danika’s attention toward the riverbank. The dog growled from somewhere in the depths of the overgrowth.
Gunfire cracked in the still morning air. Alert to the danger, she pulled her weapon.
“This is the United States Border Patrol! Come out with your hands up!” Barnett’s voice roared.
Another shot fired. Fire-Eater yelped.
Blood pumping, Danika yanked out her radio. “Shots fired. Shots fired. Agent or K-9 may be down.”
Two more shots pierced the air.
When Barnett didn’t respond, she clicked the radio in place on her belt. “Barnett,” she yelled, “tell me you’re all right.”
Nothing.
A dark-haired man emerged from the right side of the road several yards away, wearing a backpack that no doubt contained drugs. His attention scattered in different directions.
“Alto, o disparo,” she said.
The man turned and fired at her before racing across the road. The bullet angled to her left. Danika returned the fire and sank a bullet into his thigh. He fell, and she raced toward him.
“Drop the gun, or I’ll be forced to shoot again.”
He kept his fingers wrapped around it. She wrestled with the rage that always seemed to lie below the surface of her control. If she killed him, she could claim self-defense. But her job title meant self-control.
“I said drop the gun.” She fired above him and kept running in his direction.
He lifted his hand and aimed. Instinctively she pumped a bullet into his hand. His wound caused a burst of blood to splatter the ground and the quiet air to echo with obscenities. Still he refused to release the hold on his gun.
“Do you want your whole hand blown off?” She stood over him and clamped her booted foot over his injured hand.
He screamed, and she pointed her firearm at his face. Danika trembled. She wasn’t a murderer, but anger did struggle to rule her emotions.
“You’ll pay for this,” the man said. “I know who you are, and there’s a contract out for you.”
“You aren’t the first or the last to threaten me.” She picked up the man’s gun, an older model Beretta. With his leg and hand bleeding, he wasn’t going anywhere. She slipped the handcuffs from her belt and clamped them on his wrists. Rolling him over, she brushed his bleeding leg against the hard ground, and he moaned. Where was backup? Please, let Barnett be okay. Five kids. A respected agent.
“The drug cartels will destroy the Border Patrol.”
“Big talk for a man in handcuffs.”
“You wait and see who wins.” He spit on her boot. “You’ll never find out who killed your husband.”
She smothered the gasp that nearly stole her breath. How did the man know her? know about Toby’s death? He clearly had inside information—information that couldn’t have been obtained easily. Unless Toby’s murder was related to something bigger than she had imagined.
Focus. Now was not the time to weigh the shooter’s words. Later she’d look into it.
Her gaze searched the area. An outstretched arm poked through the overgrowth where the downed man had attempted to cross the road. She hurried, gun raised, eyes taking in every inch of the brush. As she grew closer, she saw the rest of Barnett’s body sprawled on the trodden grass. Blood soaked the ground, creating a small puddle of red against the vibrant green. Danika bent to his side.
Barnett moaned. “He shot Fire-Eater,” he whispered. “Get him.”
“I have him cuffed. Hold on. Help’s coming.” She pulled out the radio. “Need EMS. Agent down.”
She hadn’t been there for Toby, but she could be there for Barnett.
**Review will come. I'm still reading this book, but really enjoying it so far!
LUKE chapter 24:1-9 Now on the first day of the week, at early dawn, the women went to the tomb, taking the aromatic spices they had prepared. They found that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men stood beside them in dazzling attire. The women were terribly frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has been raised! Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.” Then the women remembered his words, and when they returned from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.
The real reason for Easter:
Have a happy Easter! The kiddo is on spring break now, which means I will be, too! Don't eat too many Cadbury Eggs while I'm away. :)
I am a multi-published sweet romance author for Avalon Books and Samhain Publishing. I also love the Red Sox and have been on a serious exercise kick. But don't hold those against me. :)
