All the parts we’re looking at in these articles is basically the first chapter and how I’m setting the stage for the whole book. Now this book is special to me. Maybe because I love Scotland so much. I know the places these characters are going to...I’ve stood on the banks of the lochs...and wished with all my heart I had a place to go to every summer. That’s my dream...to escape the heat of the southwest...and head for the lush cool climate of the Scottish Highlands. There’s nothing like it in the world.
But I’ve also done something very different. Something I have to get my husband to help me with...and that’s the guy’s POV...and is that a hard one. Now this is rated R and not for the faint of heart as it's sexy...reall sexy...LOL! So here is the third article in this series. I hope you enjoy!
My Creative Process: Your Glimpse Into a WIP – Part 3
Here we are in month three of my creative process. When I started this story I wanted to produce something smart and humorous. But alas, all is not well in the kingdom. And that doesn’t mean something bad has happened, no in my opinion it is something that is quite good and different. So good in fact I wrote over three thousand words on this section alone.
Needless to say I have a completed first chapter which puts me one step closer to my goal of submitting three chapters and a synopsis to an agent. Let me just mention one thing here…even though I am developing this book section by section…it is better when you read the complete product to get the full impact of what I have done. That way you can see how it flows and moves, almost as if it’s liquid. A typical question regarding this would be, how do you know you’ve done that successfully and I will try to answer you.
For me, I have to read the story out loud with a red pen in hand. Sometimes I read it to myself while I’m alone in the office. Sometimes, like with this one, I have my DH read it and then I read it out loud to one of my best friends, Brenda. Only when I read something out loud do I get the sense of flow and it doesn’t matter if that read is only to myself or not. Each author has their own special technique but for me, it is the only thing that works because I need to feel the rhythm of the story. I can only do this when I read out loud.
But let’s look at our progress so far. Last month we talked about how I went from what I thought was a pretty good beginning to the next step where I begin to develop the characters and the plot. I’ve given you the basics of Aeryn and Logan’s past relationship but not much of the ‘what really happened’ stuff. Up to this point, you haven’t really seen Logan, you’ve just heard about the stud.
So, in this next section of the story I’ve got to establish a few things. One is that I have to give you a real sense of the hero. I have to make you think he’s as sexy as Aeryn does. And frankly that’s a tall order since I am looking at him through her eyes. The reason I say this is because what’s sexy to me may not be sexy to all of you or even Aeryn. This is where an author shows his or her skill and since I’m trying something new, I’ll be pulling out all the stops. Most authors are a little bit in love with their hero and I am no exception as well as the fact that most heroines have a little bit of the author in them.
Another thing that is important in my mind, is that I’ve got to give you a glimpse into their past relationship. I don’t want to reveal everything at once but do it slowly one layer at a time just like an onion. I always thought that was one of the great things in the movie Shrek when they talked about the layers of an onion because that’s exactly what I try to do. Otherwise, you’ll get something that I call information dump.
That’s when an author dumps all the information on you at once, leaving nothing to really reveal in later sections of the book. For me, that is a definite no-no as I have no need to read the book further if I know everything.
I have uncompleted books that I have stopped writing because of the information dump syndrome. Suddenly, I know everything about the book because I’ve dumped all the information at one time. At that point, for some reason, I don’t have a burning need to complete it because I already know everything there is to know. And this is one of the reasons that I don’t usually complete a synopsis before the third chapter.
Sure, I want to know where my book is going and how it’s going to get there. BUT I don’t want to know all the minute details because that’s the fun part of the journey, creating those details. Now, I don’t write all books this way. When I’m working on an epic fantasy romance or a sci-fi romance for instance, I need to know those little details so they don’t get lost in the telling. With my contemporaries and my paranormals, as long as they aren’t fantasy based or sci-fi based, I want to find out the details as I’m writing and not before.
So let’s see if all my attention to flow, rhythm and detail has worked. Without further ado, here’s the next section of ‘Where’s My Underwear Anyway?’ and I hope you enjoy it as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it.
Monica glared at his back and turned a concerned face toward me. “Don’t worry, not much really happened.”
“Define not much.”
She closed her eyes and grimaced. “You were alone with him for ten minutes at the most. Swear.”
I stared at her.
Oh my god, it had included a table and ten minutes alone with Logan? I closed my eyes and wondered what the hell I had done that put me on a table and at the same time made me lose my underwear. I swallowed hard. I hadn’t been that drunk since I was that graduate student exploring the world. True, my life had been boring as hell recently as no man had been able to really hold my attention. I had actually received the nickname of ‘the love ‘em and leave ‘em lawyer’ of the firm.
Hell…I was more worried about the alone time with Logan…I knew what I would have done drunk or sober with that man. But while my body might had been touched in ways it craved, it certainly hadn’t been fucked.
I sighed. Monica had been bugging me for months as to why I couldn’t form a relationship with any local yokel. I realized now it probably was because I didn’t want to form any kind of relationship with anyone but the stud. But he had to be out of my reach as I was sure he was married and had that wonderful life he had always wanted. Without me.
****
Rubbing my chin, I looked at the underwear which now took center stage on my desk. I hadn’t shaved since yesterday nor had I been to my apartment. I still couldn’t believe my luck. Or maybe I should call it my bad luck. Walking through the old digs, I just happened to look in a window to see her dancing on a table in her usual spendor. I had to shake my head to clear it as I wasn’t sure at first it was her. But it was her. Tall, leggy and the all American blonde. Who could forget that body or that woman?
Aeryn Delancie. The woman who had filled my nights as a young man. The one who had filled my thoughts ever since. No one had been able to eradicate her out of my mind or my heart to this very day. Sure, I had had plenty of relationships and those relationships had all fizzled out because nothing compared to Aeryn. Or rather nothing compared to what Aeryn did to me and with me.
I had always figured that she had left me because she didn’t really like me. But since Monica and I had kept in touch through Christmas and birthday cards, I some how knew that wasn’t the case. Something had been done or said to make her change her mind and I never knew what it was for sure even though I had an idea. It was one mistake I would always regret.
I was surprised to find them both in Edinburgh since I had thought Monica would have called. Once the incident was over, she then explained that they had just finished their conference and she planned to track me down this very week. So it was just a fluke that I hadn’t known they were there. Still, last night’s scenario ran through my mind as I sat there fingering her underwear.
I had stood next to the table, watching her twirl her underwear on her finger as she did a suggestive little dance on the table at the corner pub. The men were flocked there as they could see the promise of her body under the short dress. Looking up at her, my blood started to boil.
“What do you think you are doing?” I questioned more harshly than I intended.
Turning droopy blue eyes my way, she smiled brightly as if she had just seen a new toy. “Entertaining everyone. Don’t you want to be entertained, Logan?”
I let out an angry sigh. Entertaining wasn’t quite what I had in mind for this evening originally. I supposed I could say I was on the prowl. Now that plan lay in shabbles around me as I knew nothing but Aeryn would give my body satisfaction. “Not like this, Aeryn.” I growled at all the cheering men and reached up for her.
She pulled back. “Not so fast big boy. What do I get in return?” she slurred, still looking incredibly sexy but I realized she was incredibly drunk. And I also knew that this was totally unlike her. I had followed her career in secret and was amazed at just how much control the woman exerted over herself and her courtroom battles. I wondered if the woman who had given her all to me, both physically and mentally, still existed within that hard exterior shell she worked to keep in place. Monica said…well…Monica had said a lot of things over the years.
Ignoring her, I pulled her down to the boos and hisses of the crowd. I just hoped I wasn’t going to have to fight all these men for her. Glaring most of them down, I reached for her arm praying that the big bloke next to me would give way once I had her on the ground.
“Hey,” she said and smacked me lightly. “Gentle, I’m sure I can be broke.”
At that moment all I could think of was one of the wild fillies on my farm in the highlands. I highly doubted any one would break this woman but I was sure she could break me. “This is totally inappropriate behaviour even for you,” I sneered.
Smiling, she leaned into me. “Do you know how much that accent turns me on? I mean it really turns me on, Logan. It’s more refined now but I still love it.” Licking her lips, she pulled me closer, licked my ear and continued to whisper. “Tell me what you want big boy, I already know how to give it to you.”
I glanced around again, pulled her underwear out of her hands, put it in my pocket and shoved her toward the back hall not caring what anyone thought. Thank god, I had known Clancey for years and he wouldn’t mind if I used the office. Slamming open the door, I pushed her inside and shut it against the outside world.
“Hey.” She glared at me. “You don’t have to get pushy.”
I stood before her seething, my body rock hard. There was only one way that this would end. I just had to decide if now was the time and place. I had taken Aeryn drunk before but we had both wanted it then. It was as if we couldn’t get enough of each other. To be honest, we screwed like rabbits. But this time, I didn’t know what she really wanted. “Just what in the bloody hell did you expect to accomplish with that little display?” I took a step forward as she took a step back.
I could tell she was nervous as she chewed on her lip a little. “I was looking for something I hadn’t had in a very, very long time.” She inched ever closer to the desk.
I knew it would take very little to bend her forward or backwards over that massive piece of furniture as she wanted taking as much as I wanted to take her. I took another step forward and she squeeled, turning quickly and landed on that afore mentioned desk, her sexy ass up in the air.
And as much as I wanted to, I knew I couldn’t resist it one little bit. Sliding in close, my large hand caressed that supple piece of flesh. Yes, I had taken her there and still wanted to do so, but for now caressing would have to do. I ran my fingers up her slit from front to back, rubbing the inner folds firmly. She moaned her response and pushed into my hand.
Leaning over her, I continued to fondle her and lay my body over hers. If she hadn’t seen my bludge out there, she certainly felt it now. Nibbling on her ear, I knew that this could end wonderfully or I would be in pain for quite a while. Kissing her neck, I gently humped her ass, the only thing separating my cock from her cunt was my clothes.
“Logan,” she whispered with a passion filled voice. “Where the hell have you been?”
Reaching her hand up behind her, she grabbed my hair and pulled hard. In the past, sometimes it was rough and tumble, others is was slow and sensual. This time I just wanted to stick my dick in her because I needed some satisfaction and I needed it now. Still, I didn’t know if getting what I wanted would give her what she wanted.
“Aeryn,” I whispered back and continued to kiss and caress her body. “What exactly do you want?”
“The missing pieces,” she answered softly and pressed against my fingers. Moving slightly away from her, I let my fingers slide into her folds once again, finding that hard little nub that she tried hard to forget. Pinching gently, I realized what I really wanted to do was lick and kiss that area until her flesh throbbed like mine did.
Moaning, she pushed her body against my hand as I firmly swirled her clit, leaving no spot untouched. I knew it would only take me seconds to get her off if I really tried and decided it would be better if I did her first before allowing my body to completely make me an insane man. Her body dripped for me as I leisurely pulled and plucked her from every available angle.
“Logan,” she stated breathlessly. “No one has ever touched me like you do.” She pushed and ground her body against my hand. “And no one ever will.”
Pushing against me, her hips danced with my fingers until more than not, I caressed her clit. I just had to have a taste. Getting on my knees, I pulled her back until she was totally bare to me. Leaning in, I let my tongue roam her inner recesses, savory the musky yet sweet flavor of her body. It was like a fine whiskey, smokey yet biting. Realizing that I would never be able to manipulate her from her backside like I wanted, I stood and flipped her over not caring where I scattered the contents that had been lying on the desk.
Her eyes had turned an almost midnight blue as I looked at her. She had this sexy little summer number that matched the underwear in my pocket exactly. Running my hand over her clothed breast, first one then the other, I rubbed them gently into frenzied peaks. She grunted and reached for me, pulling me down to her lips and biting my lower one ever so gently. Running her tongue over it, she seared my mouth with hers leaving tingles in her wake.
“I can taste me on you.” Her eyes searched my face and I wish I knew what she looked for because I would do anything in my power to provide it.
“You know it only gets better.” Kneeling in front of her I drug her ass to the edge of the desk, looking up at her lust filled eyes as I pushed her upper body down to the large surface. “There’s nothing I like better than going down on you.”
“You’re just amazing,” she said and arched into my body.
Licking her from stem to stern, I concentrated on her clit, making her wiggle and squirm. However, I couldn’t resist her empty orifaces and plunged my fingers in her vagina making her arch off the desk in pleasure.
“Oh, my god!” she cried. “I never thought I would feel this way again.”
I couldn’t help but smile. There was still hope. Working her clit with my mouth, and working the rest of her with my hand, I swelled even more knowing I was about to make her come like never before. They say that a woman’s orgasms get even more intense as they get older…something I had not thought about until this moment…and I was about to find out if what they said was true. By this time, her legs were over my shoulders and her hands gripped my head as every stroke brought her closer and closer to fulfillment. Her breathes were getting short and panty now, I knew it would be any second.
“Logan, harder now,” she cried and shoved her crotch even more into my mouth. Gently, I bit down on her clit and she went tumbling over the edge. As usual, she bit her finger to keep from screaming.
“You didn’t have to be quiet, you know. No one can hear us.” I rested my chin on her lower abdomen as she gently swirled my hair.
“Old habits,” she whispered and yawned. “Thank you…very…”
Her voice trailed off and I knew that my chances had been reduced to zero for the night. I watched the even rise and fall of her chest, one hand poised on her breast, the other in my hair. Rising, I stood and watched her for a moment before picking her up and retreating the the nearest chaise in the room. Sitting down I pulled her close and leaned in to take in the scent of her hair. Closing my eyes, I did something that I swore I would never do for this woman again.
I cried.
I was thankful that Monica took another five more minutes to show up. And show up she did. Knowing that moisture hung on my heavy eyelashes, I warned. “Not one damn word.”
Throwing her hands up in defense. “Have I said anything in the fifteen years since we’ve been back in the States?”
“No.”
“Logan, you’ve got to tell her,” she pleaded.
“No.” I stared at her as I cuddled Aeryn. In retrospect, maybe it should have been Monica I’d fallen in love with but it wasn’t. And I wasn’t about to beg for this one to come back to me.
Monica sighed. “You two are the most pigheaded people I know. You know you belong together.”
“She’s got to want to come back to me and then explain to me why she left in the first place.”
“That’s hardly fair, Logan. You know why we both left. I wish to God I had never allowed that one little deception. It was wrong and you know it. If you wanted her that badly, you knew where to find us.”
I kissed Aeryn’s forehead and pulled her even closer. “She wanted to be free, Monica, free to persue her destiny she said. I had to give her a reason.”
“That’s bull and you know it.” Monica peered at us and her eyes went wide. “Did anything happen? I mean…geez…she’s in your arms practically nude.”
“Aeryn got what she wanted before she passed out…why do you think she still has her dress on?”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“Nothing a cold shower won’t cure. Or maybe a warm one and a hand.”
Her cheeks flashed pink. “Too much information, thank you.”
I laughed. “I want to know how a woman of forty still blushes?”
Frowning at me, she stuck out her tongue and it was as if we were twenty-five again. “Look, we’ve got to figure out what to do.”
“I have some questions first.”
She swallowed hard. “Okay, ask them.”
“What are you doing here?”
“We’re here for a conference in International Law.” She looked away.
“You weren’t going to contact me, were you?” I watched Aeryn’s best friend squirm.
She turned back to me and licked her lips. “Actually, I was. I just hadn’t figured out what I was going to tell her.” She motioned her head to the sleeping woman in my arms.
“What do you mean?”
“Logan, I’ve never got her to talk about you in fifteen years. The only thing she’ll ever even refer to you as is ‘the stud’ and it’s hard pressed to get that much out of her. She is very tightlipped where you’re concerned.”
“Surely, she dates.”
Monica let out a very unladylike snort. “Occassionally, and more often than not it doesn’t go past the first one.”
“Sex?”
“I personally think she loves her vibrator more.” Her eyes practically bore a hole in mine.
I know that surprise was etched upon my face. “So that’s what she meant,” I murmured.
A gentle knock could be heard and Clancey walked in. “I’m lockin’ up for the night. I’ll wait till you’re finished.” He retreated just as silently as he arrived but not before I saw a look exchanged between him and Monica.
“Are you and he…?” I left the question unfinished when I saw her nod her head. “I see.”
“I don’t think you do.”
Caressing Areyn’s back gently, I looked at her. “Explain it to me then.”
“Aeryn really never left Scotland, she really never left you.”
“How can you even say that?”
“Logan, can’t you see? She never allowed anyone closer than you were. When we left, it was as if a part of her was left behind. She cried for weeks.”
I listened to the soft lilt in her voice because I didn’t want to hear what she really said. “You’re starting to sound like one of us again.”
“I could only be so lucky.”
I could see that there was something truly bothering her. “Monica, just what is it?”
“I don’t want to be alone any more, Logan. But I’ve got to see Aeryn settled too. I just can’t leave her alone. Why do you think I faenagled her to come to this conference?” She leaned against the desk, crossing her arms over her chest. She looked a little said and forlorn as if she were in the midst of a great dilemma.
And it became crystal clear. “You wanted to set us up.”
“No…I wanted you both to go back where you belong…together.”
I looked down at the woman sleeping in my arms again and caressed her beautiful face. It was obvious that the sex would be just as good if not better. But how would I ever get her to love me again?
Monica was biting her lip. She was a good friend. I only hoped that Aeryn understood just how good. Standing, I began to walk to the door. “Open it for me, I might have something that might work.”
Carrying my precious cargo, I put her down in a chair with arms and placed her head and hands on the table. I made her as comfortable as I could and turned to both of them. “She’s going to have a hell of a headache when she wakes up in the morning.”
Monica nodded in agreement. “And she’s gonna be pissed that she can’t find her underwear.”
I smiled slyly. “I know. You can tell her ‘the stud’ has them.”
Monica started to chuckle. “You are devious.”
“Well, it might get us something we both want. You want me to see her again and I want to prove to her that we can make it.”
She smiled broadly. “That sounds wonderful. What are you doing now days? We never got around to really talking about anything in our Christmas cards.”
Now it was my turn to look surprised. “I own Braxton Enterprises.”
Her mouth hung open. “As in multi-million dollar Braxton? The music biz, the airline, the soccer team?”
“That’s me.”
“Oh, bloody hell,” she whispered.
“It’s okay, really.”
“Maybe. But I think that her next lawsuit is going to be against you.”
That gave me an unexpected jolt. “We’ll just have to work it out. Right now, I’m taking her underwear and I’m going to frame them to put over my desk. I think you know what to do.” I turned and looked at Clancey. “Clancey, you remember where my apartment is, don’t you?”
“Aye…I do…the fancy one on Royal Mile?”
“That would be it. Do you have something I can write on? I don’t want her to know I’m the head Braxton yet.” He handed me a napkin and a pen.
“Sorry, chum, it’s all I ‘ave for paper.”
“It’ll do.” I wrote down my address and phone, realizing there would be some adjustments I’d have to make there to hide who I was just a little bit more. “Call me when she’s on her way.”
With that I had walked out and wandered back to my office about five blocks away. Sunrise had seen me still at my desk with her underwear. That warm shower looked better and better.
Okay, now my secret is out. I plan to do a book in first person but from both the heroine and hero’s POV. I hear it’s been done before but I personally haven’t read anything like this as I haven’t gotten much reading time recently. See, I have this compelling need to write and I’m going to ride that wave until I get tired. LOL!
In this section, and probably all the sections which have Logan’s POV, I’ll have my husband read them since I’m not a man and don’t really know what’s going on in their heads at all. I can’t presume to because I’m a woman. But I can write about it as long as I can consult the DH. And thank goodness he’s around. He’s already had me tweak a few things because he’s flat out told me that a man wouldn’t think like I had written Logan at all for the first round. That’s the joy of having the DH and of research.
Next time we’ll talk about how I’m going to get Logan and Aeryn finally together. Will their first real meeting in fifteen years be hot and explosive, or cold and angry? At this point I’m leaning a little toward both. I’ve already clued you into the fact that Logan does not want to reveal all he is and we all know that will lead to problems. Ah, let the angst begin!
And forty year old angst is just as hard on you as when one is younger except in my experience, it can hit you a little harder. I know that Aeryn is up to it. But this is where the saggy middle can start but it’s my job to prevent it before it can happen.
I hope you are enjoying this look into my creative process. This is the first time I’ve ever done anything like this and it’s fun! Have a great month!
Don’t hesitate to ask questions! The reason I’m posting this is to help other writers and in no way am I saying this is perfect at all. But I write first then correct later. It’s easier that way for me. I have to get things down on paper then worry about the details later. I appalaud writers who can edit as they go because it is a gift. My gift is an abundance of ideas and getting them down on paper. Then I make the manuscript as clean as possible and pass it through a critique group. I send the complete project out to a few select beta readers and another crit group for deep edits. Once that process is done, I start sending it out to publishers.
I hope that this helps you all...and see you next week!
Lynn
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