In an effort to steer this blog away from yet another whining diatribe on my part over the struggle with the ending of my manuscript, I’m going to take Julie’s First Page Challenge (I followed the link from Jenna’s blog. My sad, whining little blog thanks you, Jenna! :))

So, Julie’s challenge was to show how you create character and conflict from the opening lines of your book. Here’s mine.

From Her Own Best Enemy:

Keith King couldn’t have looked more unapproachable if he were a timber rattler–and that was with his back to her. (Hopefully this conveys a little something about both the hero and the heroine. He’s closed off, she’s apprehensive about approaching him. Why?)

Grace Stevens squeezed her eyes shut, the smell of antiseptic cleanser stinging her nostrils. (A hint of setting) Behind her, the security door of Monthan Rehabilitation Center’s Recreation Room slammed shut with such finality it sent shivers up her spine. Or maybe those tiny prickles resulted from having to beg for help from the one man she despised. (More unease/nerves on her part. Conflict: Why does she have to beg for his help? And why does she despise him?)

She pressed a hand to the knot in her stomach. Keith might be her worst enemy, the boy who’d made her childhood a living hell, but she’d sell him her soul if that’s what it took to gain his cooperation. (A hint of past history between them. Plus, shows her determination and focus on her objective.)

A clap of thunder shook the windows, heralding the onslaught of another Arizona monsoon. Driving rain followed, hammering the real source of her apprehension deep into her heart. (Setting details. Plus, using the weather to match/describe her mood)

What if he said no?

Oh, God, she couldn’t–wouldn’t–think that way. He was her best hope of bringing her son back safe and sound. (He’s the last person she wants on her side for this…and yet, he’s the only one who can save her son)

What does your first page look like?

Deidre Knight Cranks up the Heat in Her Latest Installment in the Parallel Series: PARALLEL HEAT

“Intelligent characters, hot romance and breathtaking adventure with epic feel—exactly what I want to read!” - Susan Grant, New York Times bestselling author “A fantastic and riveting new voice in paranormal fiction.” -Karen Marie Moning, New York Times bestselling author of Spell of the Highlander “At times humorous, at others heart-wrenching, but always compelling, Deidre Knight offers readers a fresh, wonderfully creative glimpse at the complexity of human decisions. What a page-turner!” - Gena Showalter, Author of Playing with Fire In the unforgettable, alternate world of Parallel Heat, two enemies are bound by betrayal, vengeance—and forbidden passion. Warrior and royal guardian Marco McKinley has been assigned a vital mission on Earth, where a war between human fighters and otherworldly soldiers is rising in the far reaches of Wyoming. But he’s also been warned about twists of fate yet to come-ones that will transform him into the enemy of his own people and appoint him the personal protector of beautiful soldier Thea Haven. Little do Marco and Thea know, but they have met before in an alternate universe, and they are bound by betrayal and vengeance. Now, on a world at the brink of destruction, forbidden passion ignites—but will the destiny Marco has glimpsed unfold a second time? Sign up for Deidre’s newsletter and be eligible to win a $50 Amazon gift certificate, signed copies of her books, and plenty of other goodies! Just click here. Check out the book that launched the series, PARALLEL ATTRACTION or order your copy of PARALLEL HEAT today! And coming in April, PARALLEL SEDUCTION.

This is “D” week for me. I have roughly 6 chapters left to write on my manuscript, and I’m determined to have them done by the 31st. What this means is that I’ll be doing a chapter a day (Lord help me!) for the next week. It’s scary, especially with the way I’ve been struggling lately, but I’m telling myself that it doesn’t have to be perfect, and if I’m having trouble with a section I can just make note of it and move on.

I want to get back to the nitty gritty of editing for the month of November, and I just feel like I can’t do that unless I have the ending written, at least in some form or another.

Watch my progress meter over the next week! Hopefully you’ll see it going up, and up, and up….and if you don’t…drop me a line and kick my butt! :) 

This one will just be a quickie, but I have a couple of photos to share, and a shout out to say that we have second floor walls! Yippee! Hopefully in the next couple of weeks, the roof will go on and then the real fun can begin. I’m looking forward to the stage when we can pick out flooring and bathroom fixtures and kitchen stuff…while I love seeing the construction progress, I’m more of an instant gratification I-just-want-it-done kind of gal, so each stage makes me more and more antsy. :)

Okay, on to the pics. The first one, a shot of the second floor wall section where the master bedroom will be:

And then, a shot of the front of the house, above the garage. See those glass “French” doors? That’s where my office will be. Actually, my husband and I will have ‘matching’ offices each with our own set of doors that will (eventually) lead out to a little balcony. I’m looking forward to setting up my own little creative haven….with lots of sunlight, and my own desk, bookshelves…plot boards and all that fun stuff.

And, while I’m on the subject of offices….a question….what are your office “must haves”? Have a great weekend everyone!

I fired up my laptop and logged onto my email to find a message that HER OWN BEST ENEMY has finalled in the Romantic Suspense category of the WHERE THE MAGIC BEGINS CONTEST!!!

I never let myself think that I actually had a shot at finalling, so I’m doubly excited and thrilled, and grinning from ear to ear! The final round judge is an editor from Randomhouse, and though I’m not expecting her to actually *request* my ms, I’m excited about the prospect of getting feedback from a big NY editor that I wouldn’t be able to get my work in front of without an agent.

As I’m sure you’ve all witnessed by my recent blog posts, I’ve been struggling with the doubt demon and getting myself past the huge suckage point in my ms. I think this little bit of I-don’t-suck-! validation will help motivate and push me to the end! Wahoo!!!!!

And one more just because it’s so fun!

That’s what I’m stuck on. Chapter Thirteen. It feels flat, it just doesn’t feel exciting to me, and because it is kind of a pivotal scene where everything now starts unravelling, it needs to be….there. I worked on it today, and was able to do some of the editing to get it where I need it to be, but it still needs a lot of work. I know it’s time to move on…to just leave it and try to fix it later…but I feel uneasy about doing that…like if I don’t get this “right enough” (not perfect), then I just can’t go to the next scene.

Yes, I am just a tad frustrated….but, I’m not giving up. I will whip this chapter into shape in the next couple of days. I will. I have to.

I don’t know where I’ve gone wrong the last couple of weeks but I feel fat and lazy. You know, where you just don’t want to do a thing…and even books aren’t holding much appeal.

My motivation is non-existent and I just feel blah, blah, blah. So, how do I get out of this funk? Sigh.

I think I’m going to need to make some changes. Eating better, doing more exercise, and most importantly, figuring out some sort of routine so that I can feel more accomplished and stop ending the day drained of energy, harried, and guilty over not accomplishing much of anything.

For today, maybe I’ll tackle some of the house chores I’ve been putting off….