On average how long does it take you to write a book?
It takes me about a month to write the first draft of the book. Then, I usually take at least a month and a half to do what seems like a billion rereads, refine it, add to it, etc.
Have you written a book that required a significant amount of research?
The one I’m currently working on, Laws of Attraction, includes a former combat pararescue jumper. Since I don’t have anyone friends who are or have been in that field nor have I ever met a former PJ, I want to be sure to portray them as accurately as possible. I’ve watched numerous documentaries and read much about them.
Excerpt:
There was no mistaking the glaring ‘Return to Sender' stamps on the letters I held in my hand. Staring down at the letters I'd just retrieved from my mailbox in the commons area on campus, I couldn't ignore the sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.
Miller and I had begun dating during our senior year of high school and it had been nothing short of spectacular. When the popular quarterback of our school's undefeated football team had slid into the vacant seat beside me in AP Biology, asking if I'd be his partner, I had been surprised, as the two of us normally gravitated in completely different circles. No, he wasn't a dumb jock; I had noticed him in some of my other AP classes, but still. I had been the Editor-in-Chief of the yearbook staff. Not exactly scintillating by high school standards.
We had grown closer, become friends, as we dissected animals and I'd discovered that we worked well as lab partners. Far better than I'd ever expected. We began studying for our tests and, little by little, I warmed up to him. When he'd asked me to go to the Homecoming Dance with him, I had been decidedly cautious.
"I don't know …" I had hesitated. "Don't you think you'd be better off taking Kalli? Or Stephanie?" I offered up names of the two extremely popular cheerleaders at our school. These were girls who showed absolutely no hesitation in fawning all over the tall, handsome Miller Vaughn with his sparkling blue eyes and dark hair. He was extremely muscular, even for a high school senior, and with his six foot three frame, he appeared intimidating to many.
Miller had given me a patient smile. "Tate, if I wanted to ask someone else to Homecoming, I would have. But I didn't. I asked you."
Looking up into his eyes, I had thrown caution to the wind. "Okay. But if it turns out to be like a scene from the movie Carrie, I'm going to be really pissed."
His head was thrown back in laughter before gazing down at me with a tender smile. "Tate, I promise I won't let anything happen to you."
And he hadn't. We had gone to the dance and he'd been a perfect gentleman, opening doors for me, holding my hand, his shoulders thrown back with pride as he walked into the gym with me on his arm. I'd had more fun than I had ever expected. And when it came time for him to bring me home, his soft lips pressed against mine in the sweetest kiss.
From that point on, we'd been inseparable. And by the time graduation came around, he had told me he loved me and wanted to be with me, for us to go to the same college. When we had both been accepted to UMU, it had seemed like it was meant to be—like we were meant to be.
Until the end of our freshman year.
Contest
Hosted by:
No comments:
Post a Comment