Weekend Writing Warriors #8Sunday – Chocolate and a Break-Up

On December 6, 2015December 4, 2015 By Stephanie IngramIn Weekend Writing Warriors6 Comments

Happy Sunday! It’s the best day of the week because today my fellow writing warriors and I get to share eight to ten sentences from what we’ve been writing. Check out the official site at http://www.wewriwa.com and enjoy reading the various posts.

In November I shared weekly snippets from my NaNoWriMo novel, Blood Moon. Now that December is here and Blood Moon is undergoing extensive rewrites (ugh), I’m going to switch gears and share some bits of the story I was working on in October. The first draft isn’t quite finished but so far, it’s been a fun story to tell.

What could be worse than a break-up? Zombies…

Amy snatched the chocolate bars from my grip as if not even chocolate could put everything right in the world again.

“I don’t know why you’re so surprised,” I said with a sulk, “It’s not like this hasn’t been a long time coming. Edgar and I were never right for each other.”

“Edgar pushed you to face a side of yourself that you didn’t want to see.”

She stopped when she saw the look of horror in my eyes. It wasn’t in Amy’s nature to be so desperate and cruel. Why did she care so much if I broke up with Edgar or any other guy for that matter?

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that,” she said. Then, much to my relief, she dropped the candy bars into my cart and shoved her hands deep into her pockets.

As always, I look forward to your feedback as I continue writing my story. Now, be sure to hop over to http://www.wewriwa.com and check out my fellow authors and I will see you again next week!

What’s Up, December 2015

On December 1, 2015November 30, 2015 By Stephanie IngramIn Uncategorized, WritingLeave a comment

First of all, congratulations to all my fellow writers who took the plunge into NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) and came out winning on the other side. Whether you wrote 50,000 words or not, tackling the challenge is still something to be proud of and I hope you had fun along the way.

Obviously, NaNoWriMo is one of those challenges I can’t resist because 2015 marks my eight year signing on and my seventh year winning. I now have a 50,000 word “paranormal romance” currently titled Blood Moon. This mess, err, I mean book, will undergo extensive rewrites during the month of December and with a bit of luck, will be ready to submit to publishers sometime early in the new year.

My zombie story is on hold. It stands at just under 10,000 words. Hoping to jump back into that story as soon as the dust settles from my previous writing frenzy.

Rise of the Angerroots is also still waiting in the wings. I have high hopes to submit this one to the Amazon Scout Program in early 2016 and/or simply self-publish. More on that soon.

As the year ends, I look ahead to my goals for a new year of writing. I am happy to have settled into a regular routine and I am excited about having stories to share in the near future, both long and short.

For starters, I have entered the 2016 Short Story Writing Competition. Round one begins on January 22nd. This is my first time participating in this type of challenge and my stomach is in knots. Stay tuned for details on how you can cheer me on.

I also have a short story in the works for hopeful submission to a horror anthology. I will be carving out some time to get that finished and polished in the coming weeks. There are few other potential anthology submissions I have pegged with deadlines coming up throughout 2016. It’s my goal to submit to at least three of them by the end of 2016.

Be sure to follow me on Twitter for fun in #1lineWed and the #DecWritingChallenge and keep your eyes on the blog for weekly snippets of my works-in-progress via Weekend Writing Warriors.

And… most of all, have a happy December! 🙂

Weekend Writing Warriors #8Sunday – The Beast Attacks

On November 22, 2015November 20, 2015 By Stephanie IngramIn Weekend Writing Warriors6 Comments

Happy Sunday! Once again, it is time for the gathering of the Writing Warriors as we emerge from our writing caves to share a snippet of what’s been unraveling on the page during our long week of writing. I’m looking forward to reading what my fellow authors share. You can find the official list at http://www.wewriwa.com along with the rules if you would like to join in next week. The more, the merrier!

I love National Novel Writing Month – not because I find it particularly challenging to write 50,000 words in one month (okay, sometimes I do), but because I love the camaraderie that goes with it. You don’t find that any other time of the year and let’s face it, the writer’s life can get a little lonely. We should seek out more ways to encourage creativity and the drive to finish what we start.

But … as much as I love NaNoWriMo, I hate it too. Why is it that with every new project I plunge into, I hit a point around the 35,000 word mark when I just can’t take anymore. If you’re wondering why you’ve not read much from me lately, well, this is why. This month I didn’t reach that point until 40,000 words but when I hit it, I hit it hard. Right now, it’s difficult to find a snippet to share when I am convinced that my story kind of sucks, to be blunt about it. As I scroll through this week’s work, I cringe. Oh boy, December is going to be quite a month of rewriting!

Anyway, without further ado, I offer you these 10 sentences…

A loud bang at the front door brought her thoughts back to the present.

“Hunter,” she called out, feeling relief flood her system. He’d returned as promised.

She rushed to the door to greet him but stopped short when she came face to face with the beast crouching in the entryway. Its eyes glowed red as it regarded her. She froze. The beast sniffed the air and snarled.

“Hunter, it’s me, Elise. I’m trying to help you, remember?”

If there was recognition in his eyes, she couldn’t see it.

It seems a little cruel to leave you hanging there, doesn’t it? Well, I can tell you that it doesn’t end well for one of them… 😉 I do look forward to your thoughts, as always.

In the meantime, be sure to head over to http://www.wewriwa.com now and check out the other snippets. See you next week!

Paranormal Love Wednesday Blog Hop – Wolves

On November 18, 2015November 17, 2015 By Stephanie IngramIn Paranormal Love Wednesday2 Comments

I’m always looking for new ways to share snippets of my writing so when I came across a link on Facebook to the Paranormal Love Wednesday Blog Hop, I knew I had to enter my link. I love reading and writing paranormal romance so I already feel right at home and I know I will have fun with it.

Welcome! This week I will be sharing a snippet from my current work-in-progress, which also happens to be my NaNoWriMo project, Blood Moon. If you’ve been following my blog already, you have had a couple glimpses into the werewolf story that I’m creating. If you haven’t, I hope you enjoy today’s introduction. I look forward to your thoughts either way.

She studied him as he drank. Despite the dirt and dried blood that covered him, she imagined he would be a rather attractive man probably in his late twenties or early thirties. He looked up at her as he handed her the glass and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. She shivered a little.

“No doctors,” he said, breaking the silence between them.

“You are hurt.”

“No doctors.”

“What happened to you out there?”

He looked down at his feet and then shifted his weight to lay back on the bed. She began to think he wouldn’t answer.

“Wolves.”

Chills rolled down her spine as Caleb’s words echoed through her mind.

“There are no wolves in these woods,” she insisted.

He cocked one eyebrow as he returned his attention to her and seemed to consider his words carefully.

“I can assure you, there are monsters in these woods that you could never begin to comprehend.”

Be sure to return to the Paranormal Love Wednesday Blog Hop Main Page and check out the links to the author participating author pages. Thanks for reading and I will see you next week!

Weekend Writing Warriors #8Sunday – Answering the Call of the Moon

On November 15, 2015November 13, 2015 By Stephanie IngramIn Weekend Writing Warriors, Writing12 Comments

Happy Sunday! Another week has disappeared through our grasp and I am happy to say that I spent much of that week absorbed in writing. I’m excited to share another little snippet of my NaNoWriMo project in all its unedited glory and I’m very grateful to the Weekend Writing Warriors for giving me the excellent opportunity to do this. Be sure to check out the official page at http://www.wewriwa.com. It’s a friendly blog hop where several authors gather to share 8 to 10 sentences of a current WIP and all are invited to join in the fun.

Last week I introduced my male protagonist, Hunter. This week, it feels only fair that I share a few sentences that feature my female lead, Elise. After a fitful sleep, she is drawn to the woods. What will she find?

And yet, somehow the moon called to her and soothed her racing heart. As if in a trance, she opened the front door and stepped out into it’s soft light. Immediately, she felt at ease. Without even bothering to turn around and grab her shoes, she began walking toward the woods, drawn to some unseen force that she couldn’t reconcile.

“Maybe I am still dreaming”, she thought. She closed her eyes and felt the chilly autumn air caress her hair. The silk of her nightgown was not enough of a barrier but she didn’t notice the cold or the dampness of the earth as mud sank between her toes. Elise walked, knowing she had a purpose without knowing what that purpose might be.

“Elise?”

She heard his voice but the darkness under the umbrella of skeleton trees with their dry leaves bristling overhead kept her from locating him.

I hope that you have enjoyed my snippet and I look forward to your feedback. Be sure to check out the other participating authors at http://www.wewriwa.com Thanks for stopping by! 🙂