My writing time has been nearly non-existent over the past few weeks. And I’m still struggling through this one stupid scene with Will and Suzy, which I am about to cut all together because this is ridiculous. How hard should it be to write a stupid dinner scene? Ugh.

As for being busy, here is what is happening in real life– My birthday was a month ago. I turned 28, and realized that it has been 5 years since I have done anything truly for myself and outside of the house. Even my writing is done while keeping track of the girls, or late at night (when I am trying to keep the girls asleep). So, for my birthday, I decided to find something that is just for me. So, I ordered a violin and found a fiddle teacher. My violin arrives (finally) this Friday, and I start lessons next Thursday. I already play guitar and a little bit of mandolin, and I’ve always wanted to learn how to play a fiddle. I’m excited, but that’s not why I haven’t updated.

A few days after I ordered my violin, my husband got a case of instrument envy. I have various instruments piled around the house, and he doesn’t have any. He doesn’t play anything. He’s tried to pick up guitar a few times, but nothing’s ever come of it. What he really wants to learn is the drums. So, he started picking up overtime. The deal is that we have to have vacation money saved up, and then we can start saving for the drum set and my new guitar (I get an equal amount of money to spend). So, instead of a few days off a week, my husband has had one day off a week, and most of that is spent resting. The girls and all of the housework has fallen entirely onto my shoulders. Which is fine, but between that and work, I haven’t had the energy to write more than a little bit here or there.

I’m trying to find more time. It’s a little easier to get the girls into bed at a decent hour now that it’s nice out. We spend part of the day running around town (literally– my older daughter just got her first real bike), and that tires the girls out for me. So, I haven’t forgotten you, or the story, and I am slowly getting everything done.

In the mean time, I have a couple of book reviews I want to write up. I ordered a couple new writing books a couple months ago, and I think they’re worth a mention here. Expect that mid-week.

(If you’re following me for freelance writing posts, you may not want to read this one. Just giving you a heads up…) What makes a romance novel so hard to write? Is it the work of bringing to people together, or trying to create two characters that have enough sizzle between them to keep readers wanting more? For me, the hardest part has always been writing about the more intimate moments between the characters. You know, the sex scenes.

At it’s core, having sex doesn’t change a lot from one encounter to the next. The techniques and emotions might change, but the basic act has pretty much stayed the same for the past several thousand years. Writing out a sex scene, and doing it well, presents an interesting challenge– How do you keep such a basic activity from sounding like a cheap porno or, to go the other way, like a technical report? You need to balance it, all without going too over the top with the purple prose. I’ll admit it; I really struggle with writing out these intimate moments, but I can’t imagine my stories without them. I’ve purchased books on how to write sex scenes, and I’ve studied successful sex scenes in other books, all in the hopes of improving my writing. And it’s helped, thankfully, but I still have a hard time getting it to sound just right. So, imagine my enthusiasm when I realized that Will and Suzy are only a chapter or two away from ‘getting it on’. It’s part of my half-written 7th chapter. I need to figure out where I’m going with it, and fast. Heh.

Remember that novel I was writing? Yeah.

I had chapter five almost ready to go, but then I changed directions and had to rewrite it. And then I got sidetracked (darn ADHD). And then I bought a new laptop and somehow that last chapter never quite made it over to the new computer. I’m fixing that now; the dino laptop is loading up as I type. All I’ll have to do is find the document and copy it over to the new computer.

After that, I’d like to get back to work on the novel. I’m currently working on a different WIP, but I should be able to find time to dedicate to this one, too. I’ll try to have chapter 5 up in the next week, assuming I can find it.

Also, I want to add that going back to my clunky laptop, that is much heavier and not nearly as sleek as the new one, is just plain weird.  Very, very weird. I’ve also forgotten how horribly slow this thing is. Now I remember why I replaced it.

And…. Found it! On the new computer, of course, after all of that work. I renamed it for NaNoWriMo, and forgot about that when I started searching for it. Good news, I have at least two chapters nearly ready for posting. And they both look like long chapters. Hurrah! I’m going to spend some time reading over everything I have up to this point, and then I’ll try to get the next chapter or two up relatively soon.

Hello, there.

It’s been a while, yeah? Nearly 18 months. I got caught up in 2010′s NaNo, and that was it. Since then–

I finally got to write “The End” in a novel. Yeah! Not the one I was working on, though. A new one, with new characters. It still needs a ton of editing and rewriting, but it’s 75% done.

I had a baby. (She’s now a little over a year old. Two kids means half the writing time.)

I started looking over and fixing up some of my older, incomplete manuscripts.

I purchased and fell in love with Liquid Story Binder. (If you write longer fiction, I highly recommend it.)

I cut back on professional writing, due in part to having two kids to chase around, and because I am starting school in September.

I stockpiled writing technique books of all sorts. There’s this used book sale a couple times a year, and I now have a very complete writer’s bookshelf. I’m now slowly working through all of them.

I made the decision to get back to regular blogging, both here and on all of my other sites.

So, now that we’re all caught up, how have you been?

Happy November first, writers!

November first means NaNoWriMo. I was up writing at 1:00 this morning, adding some in to previously written scenes and starting on some new material. It turns out that my (very) extended break from writing about William and Suzy was just what the story needed. I have a mostly completed outline for the rest of the novel, some areas more detailed than others, and I have already added around 1,500 words. My goal for the day is at least 5,000. A strong start, to cover a few slacker days later on.

For the next 30 days, I will be working on finishing the novel, amidst Thanksgiving, being a mom, and my normal workload. It’s going to be a busy month, and I can’t wait. I’m looking forward to the challenge of getting everything done.

For all of the other NaNo writers– How’s the first day of writing going for you?

NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) is coming up! November is the month that novelists (and would-be novelists) chain themselves to their computers and type. And type. Until they feel like their hands are going to fall off, and until they are so tired they can no longer actually see what they are typing.

I’ll be participating for the second time this year. The goal is to write a novel of at least 50,000 words during the month of November. My goal is going to be a little bit different.

My goal is to finish the novel I started writing here. I am on Chapter Four, with a lot more to do. Unfortunately, my editor is going to be busy with school, so I don’t know how quickly things will be edited. I’ll most likely be editing myself every few chapters or so, and then setting up a posting schedule.

During the next few weeks, leading up to the start date of NaNoWriMo, I’ll be reviewing what I’ve already written, working out a few sticky plot points, and getting ready to start writing again. I’ll also be doing some baking for Thanksgiving (breads can be made and frozen), and trying to get ahead on other responsibilities, giving me as much of November off as possible. I’ll be stocking up on snack foods (Do they really have to do this just as the Christmas goodies become available??), and cleaning off my desk.

And then, in the very early morning of November 1st, I’ll sit down, and start typing. I’ll have 30 days to finish the novel I started almost six months ago. It may not be pretty, it may need a lot of editing, but it will (hopefully) be completed.

I’ll be posting chapters and writing updates as I can. Chances are, though, you’ll be seeing most of the finished chapters during December and January, as I finish editing.

Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three|

***********************************

Chapter Four

***********************************

Suzy heard the front door slam shut, and tried again to pull the front of her shirt down. Her skin was still wet from the shower, and the new shirt was clingy. Getting a bra on was a challenge, but she expected that. The drama over this shirt though was ridiculous. It had better look fantastic on her for all of the trouble it was causing. She had been planning on making a nice dinner. Now, though, it looked like take-out. But at least she would look nice.

“Suzy! Suzy!!” The frantic sound in William’s voice startled her.

“Will? I’m in here.”

The door was thrown open, and Will rushed in. Suzy shrieked, and leapt back, then cried out as pain from her foot radiated through her leg.

“Are you okay? What happened?” Will questioned frantically. He searched her eyes, reaching up to push her hair back from her face. His hands dropped to her shoulders, then ran down her arms to her hands, looking for injury. He lifted her bandaged hand gently and turned it over.

“What happened?” he repeated, softer this time. He gently caressed the back of her hand.

“I’m fine. Will, what are you doing?”

“The blood- I thought—” He took a step back, still holding her hand, and looked her over.  A slow blush spread across his cheeks when he noticed that she was half undressed. She stood there in panties and a bra, her shirt stuck right below her breasts. His gaze lingered there, traveling down the soft, lightly tanned expanse of skin between the edge of her shirt and the lace top of her panties. She saw the path his gaze was taking, all but feeling the smoldering heat against her skin, and snatched her towel back off the rack to cover herself.

“I dropped a glass, and cut myself trying to pick the pieces up. It looks a lot worse than it really is.”

“There was so much blood. It was all from your hand?”

Suzy shrugged. “I stepped on a piece. I guess it bled more than I realized. I think it’s okay now, though.”

“And here I am making you stand on it. Turn around, Suzy.”

Suzy slowly turned, favoring her right foot, and he pulled down the back of her shirt, and then pulled the front down by the sides. The gentle touch of his rough hands sent shivers down her back.

Will had graciously turned his back, and she grabbed her pants from the shelf. She slipped them on, balancing awkwardly against the sink to take most of the pressure off her injured foot. Fortunately, they weren’t jeans; she had picked up a couple pairs of yoga pants at the store that morning.

Will turned back around, and reached for her. “Let me take a look at your foot.”

“Will, really, it’s fine.”

“Just let me take a look, please. For my piece of mind.”

He looked so concerned that she finally gave in. “Okay. A quick look.”

She hung the towel back up and took a few limping steps towards the bathroom door. Will saw the small wince she tried to hide, grabbed his medical kit from under the sink and stepped towards her, sweeping her up into his arms.

“What are you doing? William! Put me down!” she cried, struggling against him.

“This is faster.” He couldn’t stand seeing her in pain. Her arms reluctantly wrapped around his neck, and she set her head against his chest. It felt right; he pulled her a little closer and slowed his step a bit. When he set her down on the couch, it was with great reluctance. He sat down beside her on the footstool, and pulled her leg into his lap.

It was worse than he would have guessed, giving the casual way she had been acting about it. The cut was quite deep, and still bleeding.

“You’ll have to stay off of this for a while. Did you get all of the glass out?”

“Yeah. It was just one piece.”

“Must have been a big piece. Which cup did you break?”

She glanced down uncomfortably, a faint blush spreading across her cheeks, and he understood. “Ah. That one.” World’s Best Lover. It had been a gift from Izzie, celebrating their first year together. “I was meaning to get rid of it, anyhow.” He thought a moment, his brows drawn together. “What were you doing with it?”

“I was just surprised you still had it. I went to look at it, and it slipped.” Not entirely true. She might have knocked it aside with a bit more force than necessary while looking for a cup. She hadn’t meant for it to break, though.

Will nodded, accepting her answer, and then took some gauze, a container of ointment and a long bandage from the medical kit at his feet. The ointment was cool, and made her skin tingle. His hands applying it, however, were warm and gentle. She watched in silence as he held the gauze against the cut and wrapped her foot, taking every care to not cause her more pain.

He needed more moments like this, Suzy decided. Tender and caring. She would have loved writing this part; it had been well over a year since she had the opportunity to show this side of him. His fingers moved quickly across her foot, wrapping and then tying a knot. She winced and pulled her foot away.

“Ouch! That hurt.”

“My apologies, Suzy, but it needed to be tight enough to bind your foot together.”

Her startled gaze flew to his face. “Exactly how bad is it? I thought it was just a cut.”

“You’ll probably be alright without stitches, but you will need to give it time to heal properly. No traipsing around town,” he said, gently pulling her foot back to his lap. He rechecked the bandage, and then slid out from underneath it. Using a pillow for support, he repositioned her foot onto the footstool. After that, he sat down beside her, taking her injured left hand in his. “Speaking of which, where were you earlier?” As he asked, he began unwrapping her bandages.

“What do you mean?” Her thoughts raced. How did he know?

He gave her a patronizing look. “I called. Did you check the messages when you got in?”

“No. I would have felt like I was snooping. And I didn’t plan on staying out as long as I had; it was supposed to be just a quick walk.”

“You must have been out there for hours!”

Suzy ducked her head, and mumbled a reply.

“Say that again?”

“I got lost.”

“You got lost? That settles it. You’re staying here. I’ll turn the den into a bedroom.” There were parts of this city where she’d be mugged, or worse, simply for walking down the wrong street. The thought of her wandering through the city alone worried him.

Suzy bit the inside of her lip to keep from grinning. Although it hadn’t been her goal when she had gotten lost, she was happy to have an excuse to stay. She had a lot of questions about her host and his world; staying with him was the best way to get them answered. A small voice in the back of her mind piped in, asking if there wasn’t another, more personal, reason she wanted to stick around. She ignored it. This was a research opportunity; nothing more.

Will gently pulled the gauze off of Suzy’s hand. The cut stretched from the crease near her thumb to halfway across her palm. It wasn’t nearly as deep as the cut across her foot, but it was still enough to hinder her. He soothed on some of the ointment, replaced the gauze, and began rewrapping.

“I’m sorry,” she said finally, after several moments of silence. He looked up from her hand, surprised by the concerned tone in her voice.

“For what?”

“Worrying you. Breaking your glass.” She gave a short, humorless laugh. “For leaving blood all over your home.”

“It’s okay.” He went back to wrapping her hand.

“It must have given you quite a scare, coming in and seeing the kitchen after all of the blood at the crime scene.”

He jerked his head up. “How do you know about that?”

Suzy looked as surprised as he felt. “I just briefly caught a glimpse of everything, as I said that. It was that bad, then?”

“Yeah. It was.” Will tied off the end of the bandage. “Listen, if I’m not home, don’t open the door. I don’t care who’s standing there. I don’t know how close we are to catching this guy, and I don’t want to come home to something more serious than a few cuts.”

Suzy regarded him in silence. His face was tilted downward, hair falling forward to slightly cover his face. She extended her good hand forward, cupping the side of his face. He slowly lifted his gaze, until she could see his eyes. His expression was carefully guarded, eyes dark and unfathomable.

“Thank you. I know you’d rather I wasn’t here, but I appreciate you looking out for me anyhow.” A flicker of something moved through his eyes, barely noticeable before it was gone again. He reached up, setting his hand on top of hers, holding it in place as if he was afraid she’d take it away from him.

–

Will’s heart thundered in his chest. Not want her here? What worried him was that he did. Knowing that she would be here when he got home was comforting and disconcerting at the same time. Getting attached wasn’t an option. He needed to send her back to her own world as soon as he could.

But when she touched his face, he forgot all of that. He was just another man, with a beautiful woman sitting on the couch beside him. One that he had known for less than a day, but still, she somehow fit him perfectly.

And she wasn’t for him. Suzy would soon be going home, and he would still be here, alone. With that thought in mind, he removed her hand and stood. “I’ll get the kitchen cleaned up, and then start dinner.”

–

He’d pulled away.

She knew he would; It was just the way he was. Private, hiding behind his carefully constructed walls. For just a moment, though, there had been something there. She could see it in his face, and felt a shadow of it in the back of her mind, through the strange connection they shared. There was a silent desperation to him, something that he kept closely guarded. What would it take, she wondered, to give him the peace he so desperately sought? A new love? A new career, one that didn’t ask so much of him? Or something else entirely, perhaps.

How long did she have here? Was it long enough to make a difference? From her place on the couch, she could watch Will as he began making supper. She watched him, her gaze speculative. Standing stiffly over the stove, all but radiating untouchability, he looked so alone. And Will, she decided, shouldn’t have to be alone.

********

Will cleared the dinner dishes from the coffee table, and then grabbed an extra pillow and blankets from the wooden chest in his room. He returned to the living room, and set the bedding down next to the couch. Suzy had turned the TV on while he had been cleaning up. When he walked back into the room, she turned the volume down and turned to look at him.

“I’d let you have the bed, but it might be easier for your foot if you didn’t have to worry about the stairs,” he said, taking the place beside her.

“This is perfect. Thank you.”

Will nodded. “You’re welcome.” He looked down at his hands, then back to her. “The case we’re working on, it’s really big. I don’t know if I’ll have time to work on getting you back until after this guy is found.”

“I understand.” She delicately nibbled on her lower lip for a moment, as if she wanted to say something more. Will waited, but she stayed quiet.

Silenced stretched out between them, not uncomfortable but not quite companionable, either. Will watched her from the corner of his eye while pretending to focus on the evening news showing on the TV. She had pulled a pad of paper and pencil off the light stand on her side of the couch, and was busy taking notes. His lips turned up in the slightest of smiles; she was making the very best of the odd situation they found themselves in. Her willingness to accept things as they were was refreshing.

“In breaking news tonight, it seems the Belhein Community Killer has struck again. Police were called to the scene of another brutal slaying-”

Will picked up the remote and shut the TV off. He didn’t need more reminders. Images of the crime scene had been playing through his mind all day. He’d barely touched his dinner, and he knew sleep that night would be nearly impossible. If he did sleep at all, he would see the young victim in his dreams.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Suzy asked softly, noticing the pain that flashed briefly through Will’s eyes.

“No.” He didn’t want to talk about it. He didn’t want to think about it. He wanted to retreat to his bedroom and try to distract himself. Her gaze flickered for a moment, but she accepted his answer and returned to her notes.

Several minutes passed.

“It’s the third body we’ve found.” Will’s voice was startling in the quiet that had settled. “He’s merciless. These women are tortured; it’s just a game to him. This was the worst one. There was blood everywhere, and the look on her face…” Will broke off as Suzy slid closer to him. She slipped an arm across his chest and resting her head against his shoulder. He tensed for a moment, then relaxed, wrapping his arm around her and pulled her closer before continuing. He described the pictures of the woman’s friends and family along the shelves; the people left behind. Which, to go by the diamond on her left ring finger, included a fiancé.

“I was able to get into the killer’s mind this time. The other two times, I only got glimpses. This man is a monster. The way he plays with them—the pleasure he gets out of it—he doesn’t see them as real people. The things he was thinking while going after her were terrifying.”

Suzy was quiet for a long moment after he finished talking. He rested a cheek against her head, breathing in her soft scent. His shampoo, combined with a purely feminine smell. He didn’t know he was going to say anything until after he had started, but he was glad that he had. Izzie had never been interested in his work. The one time he had tried to talk to her about it, she told him that she didn’t want to know about the ugly world he was involved with. It had hurt a lot more than he’d let on.

Suzy’s calm acceptance, the way she sought to comfort him, was an unexpected gift. And she gave it freely, asking for nothing in return. Knowing that she shared his memory of the crime scene, through the strange bond they shared, made it mean even more.

–

Will shifted slightly and wrapped his other arm around her, pulling her closer still. Suzy could feel it as he began to relax, letting thoughts of that afternoon go if only for a short while. She knew what his work with the local police cost him, knew about the late nights spent tossing and turning, ghastly images dancing through his mind. After his first case, a horrific double homicide, he didn’t sleep for a week. He barely ate. The case occurred shortly after he moved into town, and he was hired on by Captain Raimes the day Will led them to the killer’s home. He saw it as his way to put his talents to good use, making them more of a blessing than a curse.

“I understand why you do it,” she said, after a long period of silence, “but I still worry a little every time your phone rings.” It was true. Each and every time he was called into a case throughout the course of her stories, Suzy’s stomach clenched uncomfortably. Each case seemed worse than the last, and each put Will in danger. All it would take was for him to show up on the scene a little too early, or for a desperate criminal to decide to remove the man leading area law enforcement to his door. She had thought she’d had some control over the outcome, being the author. Learning that it had all been real, and that she had no control over the outcome, terrified her.

He set two fingers along her chin, and lifted her face until he could see into her eyes. “You worry for me?” he asked softly, his voice thick with emotion.

Suzy moved her head in a slight nod. Will leaned in towards her, and her eyes fluttered shut. His lips brushed against hers once, twice. The fingers on her chin traveled towards the back of her head, tangling in her hair as he angled her mouth, and he brought his lips down again.

His kisses sent fire running through her veins. His lips were claiming, meant to burn himself onto her very soul. She pressed closer to him, and he growled low in his throat, a primal sound of satisfaction and desire.

And then his lips were gone.

She reluctantly opened her eyes, meeting his shuttered gaze.

“This isn’t right,” he said, releasing her from his grip and pushing himself to a stand. “I should go. Goodnight.” He handed her the pillow and blankets, then headed quickly towards the back of the house and up the stairs. Suzy listened to his footsteps moving through the house, and then heard his door close with more force than necessary. Sighing, she pulled the blanket over her and grabbed her pen and paper from the light stand. Desire still spiraled through her, unrelenting. It was going to be a long night.

–

Will cursed.

He was ten kinds of a fool. What had he thought he was doing? A simple kiss, and what then? He couldn’t offer promises of a future together, and that’s what a woman like Suzy deserved. She should have more than a few stolen weeks while he figured out how to get her home. A woman like that was the kind that you settled down with, started a family with; he could do neither. His future was questionable, and children were out of the question. He wouldn’t risk spreading his unique genes on to another generation. Better that they died with him.

Right now, she’d be spreading out the blanket, plumping the pillows and settling down for bed. Probably jotting more notes down in her notepad before turning out the light. Then she’d fall asleep, and dream dreams untouched by the ugliness and cruelty in the world. The dreams of the innocent.

And he’d spend the night lying awake. At least, he thought wryly, it wouldn’t be the murder keeping him awake this time.

********

Suzy woke up in the morning to sun shining in through the windows. In the background, she could hear cars passing on the street and the shower running in the back of the house. She stretched, wincing as pain shot through her hand and foot. A cup of coffee was sitting on the coffee table. It was still hot, steam slowly rising from the dark liquid, with just the right amount of sugar and cream. William had been paying attention yesterday morning. The thought made her smile.

A sharp knock came at the door. Suzy waited a moment, hoping that Will would have heard the knock. When the second knock came, with the water still running in the bathroom, Suzy slowly pushed herself to her feet, and limped towards the door. She had been told not to open the door when he wasn’t home. As he was in the shower, close enough to hear her should she yell, she figured it was safe.

“Will, are you there? It’s Thomas. Open up!” The knocking came again as Suzy reached the door. A quick peak out the side window assured her that it was in fact Thomas Raimes, holding a stack of files under one arm and looking impatient. She swung the door open, and stepped aside.

“It’s about time. What-” Thomas stopped, and stared at her. “Hello, there. I was expecting William. Is he home?”

“He’s just getting ready. You must be Captain Raimes. Would you like to come in and wait?”

“Yes, please. And just Thomas is fine. I’m afraid you have me at a bit of a disadvantage. Will didn’t mention that he was seeing anyone.” He walked in through the door, still giving her a befuddled look, and she felt him watching her intently as she closed the door behind him and led the way to the living room.

“I’m Suzy Raymond, and Will and I aren’t seeing each other. I’m just staying until other arrangements can be made.”

Thomas lifted a single dark eyebrow, but said nothing. Thomas had always been one of her favorite characters to write about. He was a charmer; he had been blessed with stunning good looks, and a contingent of female admirers to prove it. His dark, wavy hair, blue eyes and confident smile had led to several broken hearts throughout the last fifteen years of his life. Unfortunately for the women of the town, he was completely devoted to his wife. They had gotten married at the end of the first of Suzy’s novels, shortly after Will helped to solve the first case, and they now had two young children.

“Have you known Will long?”

“A while. I’m not surprised he hasn’t mentioned me. I’m from out of town, but I was recently displaced from my home.” It was technically true. “I showed up here two nights ago, and Will insisted I stay.”

“Huh.” The corners of Thomas’s mouth tilted up slightly, revealing small dimples on either side of his cheeks. “That explains it then. He seemed very distracted yesterday. I was wondering why. It was you.”

Suzy laughed. “Guilty as charged, I’m afraid.” Then she blushed. “That was horrible. I’m sure you hear that a lot.”

“Yes, but very rarely from anyone so charming. Listen, we’re having a picnic this Sunday. My wife and I, I mean. We’re just having some friends over. You and Will should come.”

“I’d like that. Thank you.”

“We’d love to have you. Anyone that can fluster Will so soundly is someone that I want to get to know a little better. That man needs a good flustering once in a while.”

–

Will was surprised to hear laughter coming from the living room once he stepped out of the shower. It was a sweet, melodic sound. She didn’t laugh often enough, he decided. The sound made him smile.

A male’s laughter cut in, and he froze, then scrambled to get his pants on. Who was out there with her? It sounded too real to be coming from the television. He buttoned his pants, grabbed his shirt and hurried out to the other room.

As he drew closer, he recognized Thomas’ voice and slowed his pace. He pulled his shirt on over his head and ran his fingers through his wet hair in a futile attempt to tame the curls. When he walked into the living room, Suzy and Thomas both looked up.

“Good morning.” Suzy smiled at him, and he couldn’t help but smile back. Her hair was mussed from sleep, and had been sloppily tied back, leaving tendrils hanging around her face.

“Good morning. How are you feeling?”

“Sore, but much better than last night.”

“I noticed the bandages,” Thomas commented. “What happened?”

Suzy laughed. “I’m a klutz. I dropped a glass yesterday, and then cut myself trying to clean up. I’m sure you guys have a lot to talk about. I’m going to get dressed and make some breakfast. It was nice to meet you, Thomas.” She stood, careful of her foot.

“The pleasure was mine. I hope to see you this weekend.”

Suzy smiled, and then grabbed a bag of clothes from beside the television. Will watched her go, and then turned back to Thomas.

“What?”

Thomas had an amused expression on his face. At Will’s  question, he shook his head. “Nothing. We have the pictures, and I was able to get a rush job on some of the lab results. Unfortunately, we’re still waiting on the DNA from the cigarette butt. But here’s what we do have.” He handed one of the files over to Will. “We got a fingerprint that matches one found at the scene of the first murder, but we can’t find a match for it in our databases. We’re working through the federal records now. I somehow doubt it’s going to be that easy, though.”

Will flipped through the first file. There wasn’t much to go on that he didn’t already know. The photographs were in the second file; he set that one aside for the time being.

“If you need to go back to the scene, let me know. I’ll walk you through.”

“Thanks. I’ll drop these off once I’m done with them.”

Thomas nodded, and stood. “I’ve got to get into the station.” He walked out to the hallway, opened the door, and then paused and turned around. “Will, Suzy’s a great gal. And if you don’t take your relationship with her beyond ‘just friends’, you’re a fool.”

He stepped out and closed the door behind him. Will stood there, dumbstruck. Thomas had been trying to set him up with friends of his for the past few months. Will had refused. Now, Thomas had turned his matchmaking efforts towards Suzy. This didn’t bode well. He sighed. When had life gotten so complicated?

He had to clear out the den today, and get what they would need for Suzy’s room. The work would give him something else to focus on for a while, and he needed that. It might also give him a chance to get to know Suzy a bit, and give her a chance to get to know him. The day and a half since she had arrived had been crazy; they were due for a slow day. And, he hoped, maybe they would have time to figure out where this strange connection between them had come from. That was the most puzzling part of all this. Why her, and why now, when his abilities were going haywire and he didn’t know from one moment to the other what life would bring next?

I’ve been thinking a lot about William’s character lately. In a romance novel, men have a role to fill, especially if you are writing a paranormal novel. They have to be a little bit larger than life. Joe the plumber, unless he is 6′ tall and has a secret life as a super-hero, need not apply. No offense to Joe, of course. He might be the perfect guy in his own novel. He just doesn’t belong in this one.

One of the biggest obstacles with Will was finding him a job. He needs to have a steady source of income. At the same time, I couldn’t put him in a career that would take up most of his time; he needs to have time for falling in love. I considered a few different ideas. Own his own business? Work part-time for the fire department? He needed something that complimented his talents.  His well paid side-job with the police department fit perfectly.

Which led to another problem I’ve been having with him. I’m still not entirely certain what his “unique talents” include. I wanted someone who could fit into normal society without drawing attention. I need there to be the possibilities of late date nights, without the risk of him turning into a mythical creature. Whatever I came up with, it needed to have an aspect of manliness to it. Oh, and he needed to be able to accidentally bring Suzy from her world into his.

That narrows it down a bit. What I ended up with is a man with much higher brain function than the rest of the residents of his world. I’m still exploring what he can, and cannot, do. I think he’s still trying to figure it out, too, as evidenced by what happened with Suzy. He doesn’t really know what his powers are yet. I think that there’s a lot more than what meets the eye with this character.

One of the big parts of Will’s character is his backstory. I’m not going into details (you’ll just have to keep reading), but there are definitely a few parts that I’m going to have a lot of difficulty writing. But each little event has added up to the man he is now. If I try to rewrite his story, it wouldn’t work out right. More than most any other character I’ve ever worked with, he showed up on my doorstep with almost all of the details in place. There have been a few details he’s been hesitant to share, but I think those are the same things he’d be hesitant to share with anyone. He’s a very private man.

It’s disconcerting to be writing about a man I don’t know everything about. But it’s also fun. It’s like getting a gift that I just get to keep opening.

Chapter One| Chapter Two

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Chapter Three

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William awoke to the smell of bacon and fresh coffee. He sat up slowly, grasping for some hint of what had happened the night before. Had he invited a woman to stay? Possible, but that wouldn’t explain why he was sleeping on the couch.

It came back to him in a heartbeat. The strange woman showing up in his room. And now she was in his kitchen, making breakfast. He stood, and made his way towards the other room, stopping just outside the door. Caught up in her preparations, she didn’t notice him watching. She was still in his shirt, he noted with a small measure of contentment. It clung to each and every curve, and hung down halfway to her knees. A pair of pajama bottoms covered her lower half, blue teddy bears dotting the pink fabric–the pants she had been wearing the night before. Will couldn’t help but think that the odd combination made her look touchingly vulnerable.

She turned to grab the salt, (third shelf up in the cupboard above the stove, where it had been throughout her stories) but paused when she noticed him. “Good morning,” she said, turning to face him. “I made breakfast. I hope that’s okay.”

He nodded, the movement bouncing his bed-mussed curls. “Sleep well?”

She shrugged, quickly turning back to the stove. Will took a seat at the table, watching her work. She seemed tense. The silence between them stretched out for several minutes, until it became almost painful to endure. She carried two plates to the table, and sat down across from him.

Suzy poised her fork over her food, paused, and then set the fork back down on the table. A shaky breath escaped her lips. Will watched her in silence.

“You can’t fall asleep in a dream,” she said finally. “This is really happening.”

“I know.”

It wasn’t the reassurance she had been hoping for. No problem, I’ll send you home after breakfast. That’s what she was hoping for. Or, rather, to be sent home after dinner. She wanted time to do some research before she went home. She did have to get home, though, and by that night, at the very latest. She called to check in with her mother every Sunday; if she missed the call, her mom would freak. She was already unhappy with her for living so far from where she had grown up.

“It’s time to get you home. You said Indiana, right? Is that one of the new Moira colonies?”

Suzy thought quickly. The Moira colonies were settlements on a strip of islands off the western shore of the country. How could she have forgotten? Her made-up characters existed in a made-up world. “No, it’s a part of the United States. This is a different world.”

William stilled. Exactly how far had the girl traveled? What had he done? “You’re from a different planet?”

“Uh, no. I don’t think so. It’s still Earth, just a different one than I live on.”

“A different one?”

She nodded. “Yeah. Given the scope of the story, it was just easier to invent my own world than it was to research all of the different real locations, and worry about getting it all right.”

“You need to get past the idea that you created this world, and me.”

“Then how have I been writing about you for the past five years?” She knew that she wasn’t dreaming, or crazy, or any other normally rational reason why she would find herself in this position. Accepting the fact that this was real, however, was proving to be a challenge.

“I don’t know. I suspect it might have something to do with-” he broke off with a pensive look.

“With your unique talents?” She finished for him. “I know about them, Will.” She understood his hesitancy. Not many people knew, and not all of the ones who did accepted it.

“How did you do it?”

He rubbed the back of his neck and grimaced. “I don’t know that either. One minute I was sleeping, the next, there you were. I didn’t do anything.”

“You can send me home, though? Later this evening, I mean. I’d like to explore some first.”

William fell silent.

“Will? You can send me back, right?” Suzy asked, with some trepidation in her voice.

“Normally, I suspect that I could, yes.” Will replied slowly, avoiding eye contact.

“Normally?” This was not what she wanted to here. A day or two was one thing, but she had to get back. She had responsibilities, a life. Family that would worry, wondering where she was. Getting stranded here wasn’t an option.

“Something has been a little off lately. Something hasn’t been right, and my abilities have been a bit… disagreeable.”

“Disagreeable, how?”

“Things have been happening. I wake up with stuff floating around the bedroom, or I try to do one thing, and something totally different happens.” Like a few days ago, when his attempt to turn on a light resulted in the radio and television both turning on, moments before his circuit breaker blew. “I’ve never teleported anyone before, intentionally or otherwise. And I’m afraid something might go wrong if I try to send you back before finding out what’s wrong with me.”

Suzy took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. She could feel panic curling its icy fingers around her insides. “I’m stuck here.”

“Temporarily. I’ll get you home as soon as I can. It just might take a while.”

“How long?” There was a positive side to this. There was. She could spend the time researching, getting to know William. She was long past due for a vacation, anyhow. And her family would forgive her for her unexplained absence eventually.

“I don’t know. Not long, I hope. Until then, I’ll help get you set up somewhere. We’ll find you a room to rent, and—”

Suzy’s head snapped up. Find her a room to rent? Maybe it had been foolish, but she had assumed, as she was stuck here anyhow, that she would be able to stay with him.

“Is something wrong?” he asked, noticing her abrupt movement.

Suzy shook her head. What could she say? It was his call. When she said nothing, he continued. “It might take a few days to find a place, but I’ll see that you have anything you need.”

If she was still disappointed, Suzy didn’t let it show. An hour later, he led her into a small boutique. They had walked there, giving her a chance to explore a bit. The sights and sounds of the world she had imagined were overwhelming. She had traveled these streets in her mind; actually being here was surreal.

The tiny store smelled like lavender, and was full of clothing she wouldn’t have been able to afford at home. She looked back to William, hesitation written plainly on her face.

“These are nice, but I don’t need anything this fancy.” It would take her forever to pay him back, assuming she could find a job for while she was here.

“You don’t see anything you like?”

“Oh, no. Everything here is lovely. I just don’t feel comfortable with you spending this amount of money on me.”

“I have to spend it on something. Please, all things considered, it really is the least I can do.”

Suzy nodded uneasily, determined to only get what she needed. She would get everything else herself, as soon as she could. William stood to the side as she gathered up the essentials, and then watched the saleswoman ring up the sale. She gathered up her bags, and headed back into the crowded streets, William close behind her.

“We have one more stop to make,” William said, guiding her around a corner with a gentle hand on her elbow. She was surprised at the touch, but didn’t show it. He directed her down the street and into a small market. On the way through the door, Suzy glanced down at a stack of newspapers and froze. Will stopped beside her and glanced down.

“I thought they left town,” she said softly.

William stared at the picture of Izzie and Jack, the perfect society couple, plastered along the front of that morning’s paper. Unwelcome memories flooded him, and he was lost for a moment in the familiar ache seeing her brought. It wasn’t until he felt a cool hand on his arm that he pulled out of it. Suzy stood at his side, looking up at him with concern in her eyes.

“Will?”

He shrugged, and stepped away. “They came back a few months ago, after his company bought a large corporation here.”

“But, he’s insane. He tried to kill you just to figure out what makes you different. How does no one else see that there’s something not right with him?”

“Because the city leaders don’t see that side. Jack shows them what they want to see,” he stated. If Suzy hadn’t known him, she would have missed the bitterness in his voice. “Shouldn’t you know all of this?”

“I only seem to know what you know, and only then if it becomes pertinent to the plotline. I haven’t gotten to that part of your story yet.”

He opened his mouth to say more, but was interrupted by a blast of music. Muttering an apology, he pulled a phone from his pocket.

“Martin.” He paused, listening. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.” He clicked the phone off, and turned back to Suzy. “That was Captain Raimes. There’s a… situation… downtown. I have to go. Can you find your way back to the house?”

“Yeah. Is everything okay?”

“I’ll have to see when I get there.” He handed her his keys and a couple bills. “There’s not much in the cupboards. Pick out something for lunch and dinner, if you’d like. I’ll catch a cab, and I’ll be back as soon as I can. You’ll be okay?”

“I’m sure I’ll be able to handle myself for a few hours.”

Will nodded, then headed out of the store at a run. She spent the next half hour browsing the store, picking up some meats and fresh produce. After paying for her selections, she wandered out of the store, around the corner, back to Will’s house. She put everything into the fridge, locked the front door behind her, and began exploring the town. Later that night, she would explain that she really had meant to go straight back to his home after a quick walk around the block. But the chance to explore was too tempting. There was time before Will came back. He did part-time work for the local police department, getting called in on the serious cases. Captain Thomas Raimes had convinced Will to put his talents to use on some of the more difficult crimes. It would be hours before he came home. She could go out exploring, and he wouldn’t know the difference.

“What can you tell me?” Thomas asked his old friend, after they had toured the crime scene.

Will looked over the mess left in the apartment. Blood was sprayed along the walls, the furniture was torn apart. The victim, a young woman about Suzy’s age, lay across what had once been a pale blue carpet. Her body had been badly mutilated. She was the third victim they had found like this in the past few months.

“It’s the same guy as the last two. Have you found any connections?”

Thomas rubbed along the stubble across his jaw. “Nothing. It’s like the perp is acting out randomly.”

“No, it’s definitely not random. He’s choosing these girls for a reason. He’s angry. This is personal.”

Will closed his eyes, and took a few steps towards the woman’s body. The flashbacks hit with alarming clarity, as he grasped onto the memories in the killer’s mind. The woman smiling as she let him in through the front door, felt the lust burning through him at her attention. The woman was laughing, responding to his charm. He felt relief, and disgust. This wasn’t going to be the challenge he had been hoping for. The killer could see the look in the woman’s eyes at moment she realized something wasn’t right. They widened, fear clearly visible. She told him to leave, threatened to call the cops. He knocked the phone from her hand. She pushed at him and fought back as he attacked. Finally, some fire from her. A feeling of power coursed through his veins. He would toy with her first. She would beg him for mercy; he would have none. It was all planned out perfectly. Finally, in the end, it took just one quick flick of his wrist to end the game. The last image was a large hand, and a dark green shirtsleeve, splattered with dark liquid as her final scream bubbled to an end.

Will shook himself free. That was the closest he had come to this monster. He stumbled to a chair, breathing deeply to regain control. “She knew him. Or at least, thought she could trust him. No sign of forced entry, right?” Thomas shook his head, and Will continued. “Things were a little clearer this time. He’s a bigger man, wearing what looked like a dark green work uniform.”

Will filled his friend in on what the visions revealed. Thomas wrote down the new information. The forensic experts were working the scene now, bagging up evidence and preparing to transport the body. He looked up from his pad of paper. Will was staring at the young woman on the floor with an apprehensive look.

“Hey, is everything okay?”

Will moved his gaze. The other two deaths had affected him, but not like this. Looking at the body, all he could see was Suzy. Suddenly, the thought of her living on her own while he straightened out his problems seemed less appealing. Especially with a killer on the loose.

“Yeah. I’m just going to step outside and make a quick phone call.” The sudden need to assure himself that she was alright was overwhelming. He walked around the evidence crew, and went out the open door. Three steps led from the porch down to a slightly overgrown lawn; he pulled his phone from his pocket and sat down on the bottom step. He pressed in the number to his home, and then waited while the phone connected. The phone rang six times before his answering machine picked up.

“Suzy, it’s William. Are you there? Pick up the phone.” He waited a long moment. Nothing. “Suzy?” Another few seconds passed. “I just wanted to let you know that I might be a few more hours.” He left his cell phone number, just in case, and then hung up. Surely she was just in the shower, or taking a nap. Just because she didn’t pick up didn’t mean that something was wrong. He stood up, stuck the phone back into his pocket, and returned to the apartment.

He walked through the scene again, trying to sense anything he missed the first time through. He was able to direct the investigators to a cigarette butt flung off the porch before the man knocked on the front door. Walking around the yard surrounding the apartment, he caught glimpses of the woman inside, washing dishes, eating, watching TV, and doing other daily tasks. The killer had been watching her, learning her routine and plotting her murder.

This was the dark side of his abilities. He could get into the minds of these monsters, seeing the world as they had seen it. It made him invaluable to the local law enforcement, and they paid well for his services. No one else could do what he did.

Will sat and watched as they continued processing the scene. After speaking with some of the investigators, Thomas joined him.

“We’re about done here. The pictures and file will be ready in the morning. I can drop them off before I start my rounds.”

Will nodded. “I’ll be waiting.”

On the way back out of the apartment, Will took out his cell phone and quickly thumbed in the home number. Come on, Suzy. Pick up, he thought as the phone continued to ring. It had been over two hours since his last call, and nearly five hours since he had left her at the store. Even if she had taken a nap, she should be up by now. He flagged down the first cab that passed by, and rattled off his address. He tried the number again. Six more rings, and then the answering machine again.

“Suzy? It’s William again. I’m on my way back. If you’re there, pick up.” No response.

There was a growing feeling of panic in the back of his mind. She should have been back hours ago. She should have picked up the phone.

Pain suddenly radiated through his body. Panic followed moments later, and then the sensations were gone, leaving him reeling. He reached out with his mind, but felt nothing.

“Can you drive a little faster?” He asked of the driver. “I’m in a bit of a hurry.”

The driver glanced at him through the rear view mirror. “Not in this traffic. The roads have been backed up for the past hour.”

For the first time, Will noticed the traffic jam they had driven into. He looked around; they were only a few blocks from his home. It was close enough. He thanked the driver, tipped him well, and then climbed out of the cab. He raced through the streets, panic growing with every step. The cab driver had been correct; even the sidewalks were nearly impossible to navigate. He darted in and out of the crowd, the whole time imagining Suzy lying in a pool of her own blood. Had he thought she would be okay living on her own?

Finally, the crowds parted enough for him to get the rest of the way back to his home. He opened the squeaky front gate, and jogged up the porch steps, taking them two at a time. The front door was unlocked. He rushed inside, stopping just inside the silent home. The only light was coming from the kitchen, but it was enough to see the bags of clothes Suzy had picked from the boutique strewn around the living room floor.  It looked like the bags had been dumped, then rummaged through.            Will walked towards the kitchen, dread a thick knot in his stomach. At first, he saw nothing. The room was empty. He was about to turn and search the rest of the house when he noticed a smudge of bright red along the top of the island. He moved closer. Images of the young victim from the crime scene flashed through his mind. A trail of blood led from behind the island and out towards the back of the house; he hadn’t noticed it before in the dark. He followed the trail around to the other side of the kitchen, where it ended in a bright red pool. The edge along one side was smeared, as if something had been dragged through it. More blood had dripped down from the countertop, where there was another small puddle.

His breath was knocked from his lungs, and every worst case scenario played itself out in his mind. She had been attacked, and was now lying helplessly somewhere. Or, worse, she was being tortured. Would she beg for death, as the other victim had?

He spun, and raced through the home, following the red line on the floor and calling her name.

“Suzy! Suzy!!”

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Thoughts?

Innocent looking (but still evil) Plot Bunny.

If you’re familiar with writing fiction, you probably know about plot bunnies. Plot bunnies are evil little gremlin-type things that sneak around when your back is turned, messing with your story and eating up your secret stash of writing snacks. (Okay, so the last part is probably my husband. But it could be the plot bunnies.)

Sometimes, however, the plot bunnies are your friends. They are agreeable, polite, and don’t leave messes on the carpet. These are usually the same days that our characters are behaving. These are the days that writers live for. It’s when the magic happens.

The plot bunnies have been agreeable all weekend long! This means that Chapter 3 is being worked on by my mighty editor, and chapter four is under way. Exciting stuff is starting to happen, guys. We’re catapulting into the real story, and we’re starting to see some of William’s world, and we’ll be learning more about the people in that world.

My sister (Sam) and I were feeding the plot bunnies earlier, discussing a few of the stickier plot points (and how hard it is to put deodorant on one-handed. Those tops are tricky!), and we started up an interesting conversation. In this story, Suzy ends up in the world of her characters. Sam and I were discussing which books (that we didn’t write) we would enjoy going into, and why. Her choice was Lord of the Rings. If you know my sister, that’s not a surprise. I think she knows more about Middle Earth than Tolkien did.

My choice was the world created by Karen Marie Moning in her Highlander and Fever series. If you enjoy paranormal/time travel romance novels, I really can’t recommend them enough. Technically, there are two parts to the series, the Highlander half and the Fever half. You could, if you had to, skip the Highlander series and go straight into the Fever world. There’s no time traveling in that part. However, to get the full story, you really need to read them all, in order. I have read a lot of books, romance and otherwise, and these are the ones I keep coming back to. The final book in the Fever series, ShadowFever, doesn’t come out until December, so you have time to read all of the books. I know I sound like a commercial, but these books are just that good. Once you meet the MacKeltars, you’ll know what I’m talking about…

After that part of the discussion, Sam and I began discussing William’s past. It’s… complicated. Those plot bunnies aren’t ready to play nice quite yet. I want to note that my plot bunnies seem to like Sam a whole lot more than they like me, sometimes. Some of the best ones have come out of hiding with her help. And there’s a cool twist to Chapter three that was entirely her idea. I’ll tell you about it after I get the chapter posted.

I have a crazy busy week of work ahead of me (I have my own editing project to do for a client ), but chapter four should be finished by Friday, and up next weekend. Chapter three should be up tomorrow.