Cynthia Justlin

Once Upon a Crime

Cynthia — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 18:29:00 +0000

Nine suspense writers (moi included!) from Romance Divas have banded together to create a new suspense group. We’re planning on having a lot of fun as we work towards our goal of successful NY published careers. Come on over and visit us at http://onceuponacrime.net or hop on over to our blog to see what we’re discussing.

Hope to see you there!

The Next Story

Cynthia — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:28:27 +0000

As writers, we’re always looking ahead, even when immersed in our current work in progress there is a part of our mind that is actively searching for the next idea. For me, that idea usually comes as a flash of either character or situation.

Her Own Best Enemy: I knew I wanted to write about a mother’s desperate search for her son.

Intrusion: I knew this would be Cam’s story. The premise kind of grew out of his hopes and fears.

Yet untitled next in line: All I know about this one is that it’s going to be a hostage story. I don’t know the hero’s name yet, but one day the prologue popped into my head in his voice and I jotted it into a blank Word document.

Now, I’m trying to stuff that undeveloped character back into a box while I finish revisions on Intrusion. Except he doesn’t seem too willing to go.

PASIC Finalist!

Cynthia — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 00:48:16 +0000

I received a phone call today that my romantic suspense manuscript, INTRUSION, has finaled in the single title contemporary category of the 2008 PASIC “Book of Your Heart” contest!

Earlier today I was telling my husband how I didn’t think I finaled because I hadn’t received a call and I was sure that I would have heard something by now. Frankly, I was bummed, as I’d hoped to get this manuscript in front of the final judge, an editor from Grand Central Publishing. He said, “you might still final.” And I did the, “yeah, I might,” mutter, though I really felt like the opportunity had already passed me by.

I’m so excited that Cam’s story was received so well by the judges. This news will definitely help me focus on the revisions/editing that I’m currently wading through. Keep your fingers crossed that Cam worms his way into the heart of the editor from GCP!

Home Stretch

Cynthia — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 01:00:41 +0000

I’m nearing the end of INTRUSION! It’s always such a great feeling when I’m to the point in a manuscript where everything is going downhill, rushing towards the black moment and the climax. If I stick to my current schedule, I should have it done by the time my boys go back to school on August 6th. After that, I’ll have to spend another couple of weeks polishing and making sure the flow and pacing and conflict are all where they should be.

And though I’m not looking forward to my boys going back to school (I will miss my babies! Who aren’t really babies anymore at 9 & 7 1/2), I am looking forward to getting back into a strict schedule. Who knew I was a schedule kind of girl?

Not me, apparently.

Where did the summer go?

Cynthia — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 00:08:12 +0000

It’s hard to believe it’s already July 11th! In less than a month (August 6th) my boys will be starting school again, and I don’t mind telling you that I have mixed feelings. I like having them home. Sure, having them in the house has played havoc with my writing schedule, but it also allows me to snuggle them any time I want–and when I realize that in less than a week Science-boy will turn 9, well, I remind myself that I need all the snuggles I can get.

I’ve been writing fiendishly trying to finish up INTRUSION by the end of the month. It’s been touch and go with my subplot, but I think I’ve finally figured out where I’d take a wrong turn and feel like I’m back on track. The next few chapters are the ones I’ve been itching to write…you know, the ones where the hero and heroine are finally starting to forge a relationship and fall in love against their better judgment. The intimate ‘get-to-know’ you chapters as I like to call them. My heroine has a lot of baggage that she’s afraid to unload, but my hero is determined to pry it from her using whatever means necessary. Here’s hoping the words will fly from my fingertips!

Font For Thought

Cynthia — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 17:41:52 +0000

I can’t write in Courier New font anymore. It stifles my creativity. I’ll sit and stare at the words….and nothing. Can’t type a single sentence. Switch to Times New Roman and my fingers start tapping the keyboard again.

Weird. It’s just a font, right? Well, apparently, Courier New is too ugly for my creative brain, and since I like to keep the muse happy, looks like I’ll be writing in Times New Roman from now on.

Does this happen to anyone else? Or am I the only freak out there?

School’s Out! School’s Out!

Cynthia — Fri, 23 May 2008 23:44:10 +0000

I’ve been sorely absent from the blog lately. Writing, stressing, dealing with ‘life’, stressing, volunteering at the boys’ school, stressing….well, you get the picture.

But, now, it’s officially summer vacation–oh, and snowing, by the way. Snow. Ing. In case you didn’t catch that the first time. We went from almost 90 degrees down to 50.

I’m freezing! And moving to Hawaii…

Domestic Queen

Cynthia — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 19:11:08 +0000

Look at me! I made bread! Trust me when I say that this is a momentous occasion. I once tried to make pizza crust and it turned out cracker thin, and another time I attempted bread and ended up with a rock. But then I moved into my new house and finally have a beautiful kitchen that is sorely underused–and yes, I realize that I’ve lived in said house for about a year now. I had to warm up to the idea first.

So feeling adventurous the other day, I snagged Suzanne’s recipe for Grandmother bread (psst, snag her recipe here.) I mixed, I kneaded, I waited….and then I baked:

And look! It worked! Now, granted it doesn’t look exactly like Suzanne’s. I’m still quite the bread newbie, you know, and I don’t think I shaped the loaves as well as I should have or divided the dough exactly in half (because one loaf seemed to rise more than the other loaf). But, Success! It tasted wonderful and it is SO yummy as sandwich bread. And best of all…

I’m not afraid of yeast anymore! LOL!

Pretty, Shiny

Cynthia — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 01:41:42 +0000

I look up to see Cam lounging in the doorway. In typical Cam fashion he’s dressed in faded jeans, a god-awful Hawaiian print button-down shirt and black boots. His brown hair is mussed from the wind and he studies me from steely gray eyes.

He nods to my laptop. “Now that you’re done shining up your blog, you gonna get back to my story?”

My cheeks heat. A little procrastination never hurt anyone. Much.

I shrug. “I’m working on it.”

He lets out a long suffering sigh, punctuated with a groan. “Do I really have to bail that uppity scientist out of jail?”

I can’t keep the grin off my face. “Afraid so. Audra needs you.”

He scowls. “Couldn’t I just save the day and get the hell out?”

I level him a look over my laptop screen. “That wouldn’t be much of a story, now, would it?”

He grumbles something that sounds suspiciously like a curse.

“What was that?” I ask, brows raised.

He points his finger at me. “Fine. I’ll do it your way. But, remember, you owe me.”

“Sure. What do you want?”

“You’re the writer, you think of something.” He taps the door frame as he prepares to leave. “Be creative. And it better be good.”

Creative. Huh. My mind whirls with possibilities, all of them deliciously torturous for Cam, but I give him my most serious, most contemplative look. “I’ll try to think of something.”

He nods, satisfied, and leaves. A couple seconds later his head pops back in the open doorway. “Oh, and if it involves Audra, all the better.”

He gives me a long slow wink and then walks away. I stifle the urge to let out a villainous cackle. I rub my hands together. Audra and Cam have no idea what’s in store for them.

Mucking Through the Pit

Cynthia — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 22:01:47 +0000

I find it interesting that I seem to fall into the “pit” at the same time with each manuscript. I call it the black hole of Chapter 3. It doesn’t matter what kind of book I’m writing, Chapter 3 seems to give me all sorts of problems with pacing and general believability. It’s like my characters throw up a roadblock and derail me. I guess it’s better than getting to the end of the book and realizing that the entire plot needs to be tossed, huh? But, I still hate it. It makes me doubt myself too much.

I think I see the light at the end of the tunnel on this one, although my pacing still feels a bit off to me, but I’m looking forward to getting past it and torturing my characters some more.

Which chapters are your pitfalls?