Weekend Writing Warriors #8Sunday – Will You Kiss Me?

On January 17, 2016January 15, 2016 By Stephanie IngramIn Weekend Writing Warriors, Writing25 Comments

Welcome to the Weekend Writing Warriors Blog Hop where several authors join together to share 8 to 10 sentences of their current work-in-progress. Check out http://www.wewriwa.com for links to all the participating authors as well as details to sign up for next week, if you’re interested in joining the fun.

It feels like only yesterday we were getting ready to ring in the new year and here we are already halfway through January. I seem to be suffering from a bit of the post-holiday winter blahs but I made a commitment to write 365,000 words in 2016 and so far, I’m sticking to it.

I am happy to report, as a matter of fact, that I have enjoyed some very productive writing days. I added another 16,214 words to my work-in-progress (Rise of the Angerroots) this week and so far, I don’t hate it. (Give me time.) My first draft has reached the 50K mark and I’m heading into the climax. While I’m not entirely sure where it will all end up, I’m reminding myself it’s only a first draft and there is plenty of time for refinement later on. I’m excited to begin the rewrite phase and stick all the pieces together.

So with that being said, let’s jump into my 10-sentence snippet…

Last week things heated up between Sarah and Max but the moment was broken when bits of Sarah’s memory rekindled a forgotten relationship with Nathanial. Sarah wants to know if Nathanial still feels the same but clearly, Nathanial doesn’t want to join her walk down memory lane. The following snippet takes place after she’s helped clean and bandage some mysterious wounds he has come home with.

There was so little space between them that she could almost feel his exhale against her face. She willed her body to close the distance just a fraction until her nose was almost touching his chin as she tipped her head to study his eyes. She heard the gasp in his throat before he regained his composure but whether it was a response to the pain that coursed through his body or her proximity, she couldn’t be sure.

“Nathanial, look at me.”

He broke away to grab a bottle of pills, popped the top, and downed several.

“Should you be taking so many of those at once?” she said in alarm, their moment forgotten.

“Stay away from me, Sarah, for your own good.”

She felt chills course through her body. How dare he make assumptions.

“Don’t worry, I intend to,” she said, trying not to let the hurt bleed through her words, “But for the record, a simple thank you would have sufficed.”

I look forward to your thoughts. See you next week!

What’s Up, January 2016

On January 2, 2016December 30, 2015 By Stephanie IngramIn Writing2 Comments

January is bittersweet. On one hand, it’s sad the fun leading up to Christmas and New Year’s is over and ahead of us we have plenty of cold and snowy days, but on the other hand, a new month in a new year holds so much promise. It’s no accident that January is a time for resolutions and making changes. After all, it’s a fresh start, a second chance to do something better, whatever that something may be.

I have a lot of hopes and plans for the new year when it comes to my writing and I look forward to sharing these adventures as the months pass.

For starters, I intend to make more of an effort to post on my blog regularly.

At the start of each new month, you will see a “What’s Up” post where I tell you about what I accomplished during the month just passed and what I plan to dive into for the new month beginning.

On Mondays I will post either thoughts on a topic of interest or something related to my latest release (a contest, a puzzle, things I learned while writing, etc).

Wednesdays I am especially excited about. I will be sharing a free short story each week roughly 1,000 words at a time.

Fridays I hope to open my blog to help support and promote my fellow authors. I will either have a special guest interview or I will post something related to a book I read and enjoyed. If you are an author and would like to visit me, please contact me at ingramsl (at) gmail (dot) com so we can set a date! I promise to keep it fun.

And last but not least, my favorite – Sundays I will continue participation in the Weekend Writing Warriors, a blog hop where several authors come together to share 8 to 10 sentences of a current work-in-progress. I started this in November and love the sense of camaraderie that comes with it. Even if I can’t keep up with all the other posts, I will stick with this one.

As needed, I will post announcements for new book releases and the details on where you can find them.

Secondly, and most important, I will write more! And I won’t just write, which in all fairness I did a lot of in 2015 – but I will actually finish the stories I start. It is my goal to publish at least three books in 2016. Sure, I wouldn’t mind accomplishing more than this but I figure three is a conservative and reachable goal.

On a personal level, I plan to read more than ever. I want to stretch outside my preferred genres and read all books. I have a library card and I’m not afraid to use it! I will also include several non-fiction books on my list, particularly those I feel will help me develop as an author.

As for my December progress… Well, most of my progress went into cleaning and preparing for the holidays! I made very little progress on my rewrites of my NaNoWriMo novel so this will be my main focus in January. When I finish a round of rewrites, I will put it aside and finish writing Rise of the Angerroots.

Also, the Short Story Competition begins on January 22nd. Look for updates on my progress in next month’s What’s Up post! Wish me luck. 🙂

Be sure to join my Mailing List if you want to be the first to find out about new book releases. You can find the sign up link HERE.

As always, you can find me on several social media sites including Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.

Overall, I’m looking forward to a great start to what promises to be a fun and productive new year.

Happy 2016! 🙂

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!