Word Count

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Banter

I read books for the banter. It's why I love Jennifer Cruisie books so much. You can practically roll in the banter.

Basically I write dialogue for women to say all the cheeky, clever things I'd either wouldn't have the guts or think of in time to say; and I write all the stuff I wish men would say. *LOL*

Eve scoffed. “You couldn’t get me.”
“I got you once.”
“You’ll recall the options were limited.”
“Maybe you’re right. Maybe if we’d had all the options in the world, we never would have ended up together. Then again, maybe we would have. Come on, Evie, what’s so bad about me you wouldn’t have picked me again?”
“I assume you’re looking for an answer other than: you’re an asshole.”
“Babydoll, all men are assholes. We just have varying degrees of it.”


Okay, maybe that's not dead romantic...but does feel like it might at least be true. *LOL*

What do you look for in dialogue? Funny and bantery; or the "You are my favorite form of heroin" romantic whatnot?

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Cute Meet, Again

We know the hero and heroine of this book have been married before--so really the cute meet is hard to do. How do you make something old new again?

Nyiah—the dusky brunette from downstairs—was talking to a potential Mrs. Smith. Just the right height—maybe 5’4—and the right build, a pert ass and reach-to-Heaven legs. She wore a pair of heels that made her look vulnerable and kick-ass at the same time. Ass, legs, strategically placed clothing. This girl was intriguing.

She looked like a girl, a real girl, much more so than any of the other half-naked females in this room, and she did it without so much as removing a shoe. Her short blond hair was frayed into something that looked like she’d spent quite a bit of time making it look like she’d just climbed out of bed. And with her little sunflower halter sundress that looked like it was one string tug from falling off altogether, he was very much tempted to invite her to bed.

Of course, he was going to have to find out her name first.

He took another long drink of tequila, wobbling a bit, but not bad. He wasn’t really drunk. He never got too drunk. He’d always been able to hold his liquor.

Although he was curious how he suddenly found himself behind the little blond vixen. He was only just across the room—then again, the room was small. Maybe that’s how he got here so fast. He just didn’t remember such a short expanse.

She smelled like apricots.

Funny, apricots are what he always associated with….

“Eve!”

His perfect woman turned and Adam gaped down into the familiar lines of his ex-wife. But not his ex-wife. His ex-wife was wholesome, round, and had honey-brown hair. This woman was all sophisticated and sleek lines and bald. And blond. He’d loved Eve’s hair, the way it felt in his hands, the way is trailed down her back and tickled his thighs when she rode him.

The room spun upon that thought. Concentrate, old man.

Eve’s aqua-blue eyes widened between their thick lining of black stuff women put on their eyes to make them look bigger, which only made her look more fragile, more seductive. Why was she wearing makeup? She didn’t need makeup. She didn’t need to look anymore seductive. Her nostrils flared, and her gaze narrowed. “Are you drunk?”

He’d be the one asking the questions here.

“What the fuck happened to your hair?”

Then a funny thing happened. The room swirled so fast around him, it went black, and he didn’t remember Eve answering his question. Typical.


So be honest--he knows too much about her hair right? How does a guy-guy describe hair? 'Cause the guy I'm dating would possibly describe it this way, but he also painted his kitchen "terracotta"--so he could be a secret fan of Judy Garland too...

Saturday, September 05, 2009

Meet Lucy

Lucy is clearly a side character, though Lucy being Lucy, he does have a thing about stealing the spotlight (I'm pretty sure he's a Leo, bless him). Therefore, even though this book is about Adam & Eve (don't tell him, he still doesn't know the title isn't called "Lucifer: Finally My Side of Things"), I thought the first excerpt should be about Lucy.

This scene takes place the day after Adam, Eve, and Lucifer arrive to Las Vegas. The hows and whys they got there are detailed in the previous chapters, but let's just say: it's Lucy's idea. Lucifer, as you might imagine, has his own and clear agenda. The devil has made his own deal with well, his own devil...and now he's got 40 days to reunite Adam & Eve to wedded bliss. If he fails, oh, well, at least he had fun in Vegas, right? He can remember that while serving eternity (again) as that snake.

In the mean time, he'll work his plan, which is "Give them what they want" and "Make sure what they think they don't want is forbidden." And he'll start with Eve, because she at least is still speaking to him.

“It doesn’t matter if I did or not,” she replied coolly. “It only matters now that we’re divorced. Of course I loved the father of my children. He was a great father and a good provider.”

Lucifer cupped his hands behind his head. “Really? That’s weird. I always thought he was an unmitigated ass. And considering how he blamed you for that whole garden debacle, I think it’s really great you can think of him so fondly. The fact you’re carrying a torch for him now is a bit much….”

“I am not carrying a torch for Adam!”

“Oh, you clearly are. You’re still in love with him. Which is so tragic since he’s so clearly over you.”

Eve reeled as if slapped. “Excuse me?”

“I know. I wouldn’t have believed it either. I mean of the pair of you, I would have thought the situation would be reversed. Adam much more likely seems to be the torch carrier. I suppose, though, if you really want him back, you can just dally about, pining like some pathetic wallflower, and reunite with him back in the Garden of Eden. I mean, he’s made it clear how forward he’s looking to doing that.”

“I am not pining!”

“Never mind the 1001 ways to fix mangoes, which I’m sure is in your repertoire.”

“I am finding a new husband!”

“Of course, there is the possibility of Adam finding a wife in the next forty days.” Lucifer grimaced. “That would be awkward in the Garden, wouldn’t it? The new wife and the old?”

At Eve’s dirty look, Lucifer sighed theatrically. “Listen, I’m an avid watcher of American TV, and I can’t tell you the number of desperate women there are in the 21st century. I grant you it’s one of my favorite reasons why I’m here, if you get my drift. And where else would they be most desperate but in a city with more wedding chapels than liquor stores? And I hate to admit this, but Adam isn’t that bad looking of a guy. After watching a few seasons of The Bachelor, I have to concede, it’s probably going to be like shooting fish in a barrel for him.”

“As opposed to me?”

“Well, you’re not exactly in the first flush of youth.” Lucifer rocked his hand. “I mean, you’re not bad. No one is going to kick you out of his bed for eating crackers or anything, but it’s like the difference between George Clooney and Jennifer Aniston. Women are dying to marry George Clooney, but the same does not hold true for poor Jennifer.”


Sweet, isn't he?

Friday, September 04, 2009

A New Beginning

Here's the scoop, the premise if you will: Adam & Eve have been going to marriage counseling for about, oh, 6000 years. It hasn't been working. In fact, at the last session--after the Counselor emphasized "empathy" and "tolerance"--Eve blurted out she wanted a divorce and Adam said it was the most sensible thing she's ever suggested.

The Counselor--after some thought--agreed with one caveat: they must find new "soul mates" (you know, the soul mates they so clearly weren't for each other); they must do it in 40 days; and they must do in 21st century Las Vegas.

Good luck to those poor bastards.

Oh, did I mention Lucifer is being sent along with them to be their mentor?

Let the games begin.

Pirate: I'm Going to Steal That

Terri did something brilliant with her personal blog. She's going to blog about her book. I want to do that too! Well, I don't want to blog about her book--I don't know it as well as she does. Though it's a GREAT book, be sure to keep up on her writing adventures.

No, no, I want to write about MY book. The "In the Beginning, Again" book about Adam & Eve. So you'll get semi-regular blogs about the progress of that book here. Now that I'm actually making some progress, you should get some relatively regular blogs.

Yeah, I can tell you're excited. Try to contain the enthusiasm.