He could feel them approaching, leaving the guestroom and preparing to open the door into the kitchen. Holding his breath, Solomon's mind counted down the final few seconds. Three . . . two . . . one . . . " [Breathe . . . must breathe], he thought. Solomon's heart raced as Shelby glided … Continue reading Novel Excepts [Chapter VI, Dinner Scene] From 2nd Draft
Category: Novel Previews
Daily preview of Novels In Progress.
The summer of 2014 seems like a dream to me now. It was the last summer I would spend with my second wife. The following March/April, I moved out of our home. So many terrible things happened that summer. Sprinkled throughout the madness, a handful of memorable moments come back to me from time to … Continue reading The Journals [Summer 2014 UFO]
This flashback takes place at a dinner party. FLASHBACKSolomon had started the process of prepping both his offense and defensive weapons as soon as he stepped foot upon the bike path. For this mission, spawned from his protective instincts, he had readied his mind with an arsenal of death, destruction, and a defensive surprise. A … Continue reading Novel Excepts [Chapter VI]
"His connection to The Universe is unrivaled. His ability to know . . . and when I say [know], I'm speaking of both knowing the answer to the question . . . and knowing the answer without asking the question," Abbey said, smiling. "Abbey, I'm not sure . . . " Alex said, her words … Continue reading Novel Excepts [Chapter V]
As I prepare to send my novel to the editor for an [editorial assessment], I cannot help but feel some measure of anxiety. I've invested every possible hour for the past 14 months into this project. Creating a small town of 24,000 turned out to be a lot of work. I would not have it … Continue reading Novel Excepts
Following six weeks of working from 7 AM To 7 PM, I have spent the last week resting and editing my novel. Repairing my sleep schedule has been challenging, and more of a struggle than I expected. Sadly, I have not blogged for nearly a week. That's over now, and I plan on posting daily … Continue reading Recovering From Work
One facet at a time, I've been creating my own Crown Jewel. Fueled by 18 months of sobriety, this project has accelerated as if it were shot from a canon. I'm speaking of the amazing life I started building a few years ago. What began as four years of self-discovery, transformed into multiple stages of … Continue reading From Dream 2 Reality
I wrote this today. Both characters are from my book. I probably won't be including this in my novel. The book is already finished. Possibly, somewhere in book #2. Tomato Plant Conversation After a quiet dinner, Soloman and Shelby walked the path to the treeline and back, where they dropped into the loveseat on the … Continue reading Novel Excepts
Originally Posted October 2019 Like most books, my book has many characters, male and female. Of course, that didn't surprise me. It takes a lot to surprise me these days, but it happened, and I did it to myself. I fell in love with the characters in my book. Okay, mostly just the women. Okay, … Continue reading World of Writing of Women [WWW]
After six weeks of doing the edit of my 185k word novel, I'm one chapter away from being finished. After that, on to the professional editor and proofreader. I walked an incredible path of discovery for four years. I've spent the past year writing. Now, I'll spend my life living. Joseph Shanklin June 8, 2020
