Between Heartbeats
Click to buy now.
In her newly released book, Between Heartbeats, Donelle Knudsen asks, “Can life change between heartbeats?”
Diana awakens on her seventeenth birthday in a joyful mood. But at breakfast she is told, during a heated argument with her mother, that the man she has loved as her father is not her father at all. Diana decides to unravel the mystery of her childhood and the reason for their secrets and travels across the country to visit her step-father. And so, Diana begins a journey where she discovers shocking truths hidden just beneath the surface.
To further complicate her summer, she meets Kevin Wright, a college junior. When Kevin vanishes without a trace, Diana learns family is more than shared DNA and discovers who will help her when it appears all hope is gone.
A young woman’s quest to find her roots enables her to discover love and the power of forgiveness.
The cover designer for Between Heartbeats is Michelle Fairbanks.
Mystery Story Structure, by Maureen McQuerry, based on Hallie Ephron
MYSTERY STRUCTURE — HALLIE EPHRON
| ACT I | ACT II | ACT III |
| Introduction of the crime (mystery) and the sleuth | Direct the investigation toward a conclusion which later proves to be erroneous.Change of focus and scope of the investigation. This is the pivotal point in the story where it become evident that the sleuth was on the wrong track. Something unexpected occurs, such as the appearance of a second body, the death of a major suspect, or discovery of evidence which clears the most likely suspect. The story must take a new direction | Final confrontation Resolution of subplot
Resolution of mystery |
STORY STRUCTURE
|
OPPORTUNITY |
NEW SITUATION 25% |
PROGRESS 50% |
COMPLICATIONS 75% |
FINAL PUSH / CLIMAX 90% |
RESOLUTION |
| Disclose the crime and mystery to be solvedIntroduce the sleuthClues should be revealedEstablish setting
Begin w/dramatic event |
Introduce suspectsCrime more complicated than appearsSubplot introduced | Reveal facts about suspectsCluesFlight, or disappearance of one or more suspect.Raise the stakes
Sleuth’s background is revealed in subplot Sleuth has a personal stake in the outcome |
Reveal hidden motives. Formerly secret relationships come to lightThe sleuth reveals the results of the investigationThe solution of the crime appears to be impossible | Resolution of subplotProtag is strengthenedThe Climax – a dramatic confrontation between the sleuth and the perpetrator in which the sleuth prevails. The more “impossible” the odds have been, the more rewarding the climax will be. | Resolution – Revelation of clues and the deductive process which lead to the solution |
|
ACT I |
ACT II |
ACT III |
|||
Also available as pdf here.
Plotting the Mystery Novel, from ticket2write
From: http://ticket2write.tripod.com/id28.html
The classic mystery is popular fiction which follows a specific formula. Clever writers may try to change the formula, but the most clever will cling to it for a very good reason. They work within the bounds of the formula because it works!
The following outline serves the modern mystery novel, as defined by editors and publishers. A typical story will contain 60,000 to 65,000 words (205 manuscript pages) and will be divided into 12 chapters, each approximately 17 pages in length.
Pardon My French
Click to pre-order now.
Allen Johnson‘s latest book, Pardon My French: How a Grumpy American Fell in Love with France, is scheduled for release in October but you can pre-order it now. Here’s the skinny, from Amazon:
To make a friend is a joy. To make a friend in another country is a wonderment—a small miracle. Pardon My French follows the lives of an American couple who have embraced a daunting mission: Not to be spectators in France, but to be absorbed by France.
Amidst the minefields of linguistic faux pas, the perplexities of French gestures, the exquisite and often exotic cuisine, and the splendor of Christmas on the Mediterranean—see what it is like for an occasionally gruff American to be adopted into a new family. Witness the hugging, the teasing, and the laughter that follows, when nothing on earth could be more perfect. Experience what it is like to fall in love with the French. Read More
Pacific Northwest Author Event
Come join several Pacific Northwest authors, August 8, at a book signing at Barnes and Noble from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm, followed by an Author Panel and Reception from 5:00 to 6:30 pm at the Kennewick Branch of the Mid-Columbia Libraries.
5 Questions You Must Immediately Ask Yourself Upon Finishing Your First Draft, by Voyage Media
From: http://voyagemedia.com/so-you-finished-your-scriptnow-what
You’ve finished your script! Now what?
Well, give yourself a pat on the back and take a moment to appreciate your labor of love…
Now roll up your sleeves and make a fresh pot of coffee because it’s time to get back to work!
The first thing you should do immediately upon finishing your first draft is think about your next draft, and that means asking yourself some tough yet necessary questions. Read More
4 Questions Agents Ask Writers at Pitch Sessions, by Chuck Sambuchino
Over the years, as I’ve written both KidLit and adult fiction, I have participated in several agent pitches and critique sessions. I’ve read every article I could get my hands on discussing how to deliver your pitch, or how to gracefully listen to constructive criticism.
But what continues to surprise me are the questions that agents ask of me. I’d like to share the questions I’ve encountered in hopes that others can be better prepared than I have been in the past. Here are a few of the questions I’ve been asked most often or I’ve found the most helpful to consider.
Dramatic Structure and Plot, by Hallie Ephron
…or how to keep your story from circling the drain
From: http://mysterywriters.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Ephron_-_Plotting_-_Website.pdf
As I was planning to teach my first session for MWA University on dramatic structure and plot, I thought a lot about what works in a mystery novel and what doesn’t. After all, I write them. I read gobs of them. Is plotting simply sequencing scenes? Read More
Registration Open for Inland Northwest SCBWI Regional Conference
Registration opens July 15 for the Inland Northwest SCBWI Regional Conference, September 19, 2015 in Spokane. Check it out!
A Guide to Black Hair #2 – Natural Styles, by Justina Ireland
Here is the second article in the series by Justina Ireland, A Guide to Black Hair #2 – Natural Styles — Justina Ireland. Note especially the “Red Flag Words” at the bottom of the article. Thank you, Justina, for helping avoid personal blind spots.