Saturday's Excerpt from Somewhere Down The Line by Angela Drake #MFRWauthor

SOMEWHERE DOWN THE LINE

Excerpt

His skin was warm from the sun, and he smelled of Old Spice and coconut oil. Alana closed her eyes, letting the familiar scent of him surround her, and she knew the moment he leaned in to kiss her.

His lips brushed hers, just barely touching at first, moving back and forth in a lazy, mesmerizing pattern. Chills skittered along her spine as she moved her hands up to encircle his neck. She opened her mouth, inviting him in. She had waited a long time for this moment. She was finally kissing Trey Morison, kissing him deep and long and—

She felt him groan against her mouth as his tongue found hers, and the intensity of their hunger increased. Heat building within her, she laced her fingers in the hair brushing his collar and fought the urge to press herself into him, to feel the need she knew was swelling in him. She hadn’t planned on sleeping with him tonight, but she also hadn’t counted on the power of what they’d kept bottled up all these years.

He stopped. Suddenly pulling back, he turned from her, raking his fingers through his hair and leaning on the opposite counter. She saw the rise and fall of his chest as he struggled for air, but her breath wasn’t any steadier.

She went to the fridge and retrieved a bottle of water. Closing the door, she twisted the cap and took a long swallow. Then she went to stand next to Trey, rubbing her hand on his back.

He turned, his face etched with a pain she didn’t understand. She held out the bottle and thought for a second he was going to refuse; then he took the bottle and tilted his head, downing half the contents. Handing the container back, he seemed to study her for a moment before reaching out to finger the necklace.

“I can’t believe you still have this.” He rubbed his thumb over the heart pendant before letting it fall back into place. “That was the only thing I could do to show how much you meant to me, Ali.”

*******

“It was a nice gesture.” She smiled sadly. “But I didn’t need a trinket, Trey. I’ve carried the memories with me every breathing moment. Even when I thought things were good between Don and I, you were always here.” She tapped her chest. “Of course, I didn’t have the courage to walk away from my family the way you did.”

“Courage didn’t have anything to do with it, Ali. If I’d had courage, I would not have left you behind that night. I was a coward. I couldn’t face Margie knowing how I felt about you. If she’d ever asked if I ever cheated on her, I’d have ended up quoting song lyrics. I did cheat on her, and on Debbie, if only in my mind. We were married, Ali. Just to the wrong people. I wish I could fix that for everyone involved.”

Friday's How She Does It featuring Angela Drake #MFRWauthor

  

We all know there are six elements of fiction. Who, What, When, Where, Why and How. I believe the first five lead to the sixth which for me is plot. What's your take on this?

I agree. We have to touch on all of the basic elements to draw our readers into the story. But once we have them there, we have to give them a road to travel and that's where the plot comes in.

1.      How do you create your characters? Do you have a specific method?

I think about their heritage. Then unless a name calls to me, I start researching names in The Character Naming Sourcebook. That is my name Bible. Then I refer to the Chinese Zodiac to determine their charcteristics. If the characteristics I have in mind don't fit the profile I'm seeing in my mind, then I change their birthdate or order. I usually know their profession going in and it's quite interesting to see how everything seems to align as I begin writing.

2. Do your characters come before the plot?

I usually have at least one of the characters in mind, such as my upcoming Nano 2014 project. I knew he needed to be a firefighter and that the story would take place in coastal Maine - Boothbay Harbor area. From there the plot has begun to materialize. 

3. Do you know how the story will end before you begin? In a general way or a specific one?

In a way. I always know there is a Happy Ever After. But I look forward to how they actually get there that makes me smile. 

   

4. Do you choose settings you know or do you have books of settings and plans of houses sitting around?

Locations come to me as easily as my characters. From there I start researching houses, local history, etc. For Somewhere Down the Line I knew the area. Although I'd never been until a couple of months ago, I knew the area because some of the singers/ songwriters/ musicians I promote are from the Austin area.

5. Where do you do your research? On line or from books?

Mostly on-line, though I try to do as much on-sight research as I can. I need to absorb the essence of the locale if I can. I think that helps me make the setting more real for my readers. If I love the place, they will too. When I start playing with my historical series, I have a ton of books I've been collecting for the purpose.

6. Are you a draft writer or do you revise as you go along and why? Do you sketch out your plot or do you let the characters develop the route to the end?

I write a rough draft. I want the story down on paper. I wrote the rough of Somewhere Down the Line in 18 days. I love when the story pours out of me. I just wish they all did. Though if I hit a stuck spot I've found going back through what I've previously written to be helpful, and I'll fix little things that catch my eye.

Most of the time I start with an outline and a time-line. There are key points that HAVE to happen to keep the story on track. But I always leave room for the characters to explore the path. Since most of my stories revolved around a holiday or at least a season, the time-line is important for keeping details straigh.