Beginnings that Grab the Reader and Carry Her Along to the Last Page.

I gave a talk in Mexia, Texas about my writing journey. It seems everywhere I go there are people who want to write a book. In this group of 12-15, three were writing. I told them how I got started, the classes I took, the organizations I belong to, and the importance of joining a critique group.

I also talked about ways to organize a novel to keep the reader interested from start to finish. This lead to a discussion of the importance of the first scene. Writers tend to start the book a few pages, sometimes chapters, before the action begins. In my first book, Where Love Once Lived, I stripped off page after page of the beginning while at the Yosemite Writers' Conference preparing to read from my work in process the next day.

I did more stripping and editing when I got home. Here's what I ended up with:

Karen felt loved on Tuesdays. She was fifty-three and divorced with a college-aged daughter at home who’d probably flee the nest soon, leaving Karen to live alone. She’d missed her chance for happiness. Still, she wasn’t sad. Teaching and her volunteer work as a lay minister, hospital chaplain, and member of her church choir fulfilled her. To be honest, she wanted more. She wanted the special kind of love she felt on Tuesdays.

This is not great, but it's not bad for a first novel. Readers should want to know why Karen felt loved on Tuesdays and, perhaps, wonder how she'd missed her chance for happiness. She seems to have a good life, but something is missing. They learn a little about her, age, family, job, church, etc., without getting bogged down in too much backstory.

My second novel, The Vengeance Squad, is written in first person with a young male protagonist. There is a prologue, too short to warrant chapter formatting, which I placed above the Chapter One beginning. See how this grabs you. Would you want to read more?

I’ll never forget the look on her face. It sustained me for months afterward. Without the memories, I wouldn’t have survived. Chapter One Sometimes it worried me because I thought I must be wrong, but there were times I could read her mind. I’d heard stories about couples who had been married for years who experienced a level of silent communication, but Sarah and I had known each other for only two years. Perhaps it was the intensity of love for one another rather than the length of time together that made the difference. Quite honestly, the love we shared was stronger than I believed possible. It was as if God brought us together and blessed the joining of two faithful servants of the Lord. I thanked Him daily for that.

The prologue gives us a glimpse into the future and, hopefully, a desire to know what happens. The first paragraph of Chapter One gives the reader an understanding of how in love the narrator is.

Love Lives On, my third novel, is a sequel to Where Love Once Lived. It also ties in some of the characters from The Vengeance Squad. I don't call them sequels because each will stand alone. However, I think readers would enjoy them more if the books are read in chronological order.

Here's how Love Lives On begins:

Karen Williams was fifty-four and divorced for so long she'd given up hope for that special marriage everyone talked about, but few probably had experienced. Then, a year ago, her life changed. Her college sweetheart charged back into her life, acting as if he'd never stopped loving her. He was waiting for her at the altar now as she touched up her makeup in the bride's room of her church. She hurried to apply mascara, but her right hand wouldn't be still. The pencil hit the table with a soft clunk. Tears followed. Tears from nowhere. A glance into the mirror showed mascara running down both cheeks. What was happening? Was it that feeling of unworthiness that crept in when she least expected it? Couldn't be. God had forgiven her long ago, but she would never forget what had happened. Second thoughts? Definitely not. She loved Brian and he loved her. He would never do anything to hurt her. Not again.

This excerpt is a little longer because the backstory was necessary to remind readers of the last book or to introduce Karen to new readers. It was her wedding day. Why was she crying? What did she do that caused her to need God's forgiveness? What had Brian done before to hurt her? Will the wedding go on as scheduled?

Presenting questions at the beginning will cause the reader to seek answers by continuing to read.

My fourth novel, The Vengeance Squad Goes to England begins this way:

Tex removed his ten-gallon cowboy hat, swiped his brow and leaned back in his wheelchair to get his hug. I stood behind him knowing I'd be next. But nothing happened. Liz sat at the end of the conference table with her head in her hands. My friend and former computer science student, Tex Thompson, locked his eyes on mine and I stared back at him in disbelief. Something was wrong. Liz Siedo, the happiest librarian in the world, the person who accepted God's will in every situation and hugged everyone who came within five feet of her, was either sick or depressed.

When I give talks, I tell people not to try to write the perfect beginning before finishing the rest of chapter one. If you do, you'll never finish the book. Write the whole thing and then come back and rewrite the first chapter. Often, my characters have something to say about the endings and the results lead to the need to make changes to the beginning. For example, when I wrote Murder in Sun City I didn't know who the killer was until I was halfway through the book. This caused a need to change the beginning. Here's the original opening:

"Liz! Are you okay?" I looked up at Margie and wondered if I was. I wiggled around before I answered. "Nothing seems to be broken. I guess I'm lucky I landed on my God-made cushion." I could tell Margie was amused by my comment because she was clearly trying not to make light of my mishap. So I laughed to let her know it was okay. I'd never been embarrassed by my ample bottom and was rather pleased with the way it broke my fall today. I wished I hadn't left my coat in the bookmobile, but it was such a short walk to Sharon's house. Margie laughed. "Well that's good to hear. When I saw you slipping and sliding on that iced driveway, I knew you'd end up falling. "Watching you throw books into the air like that was the funniest thing I've seen in some time. Then she sobered. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be laughing at your fall." "That's okay. Glad to brighten your day. Besides, I'm not hurt. Just not sure how to get up."

Besides the unexpected turn of events as I got into the book, there were other reasons to change this beginning. It just didn't grab me.

I should explain that this is the first in the so-called bookmobile series where the reader sees things through Liz's eyes. If you've read the other books, you know she is large, but happy and confident. So this beginning is to let you know she sees herself the same way other people see her. It's okay, but it is irrelevant to the story. It doesn't ask questions. It doesn't cause the reader to want to keep reading. Hopefully, the revision below does:

Margie was waiting on the icy driveway as I parked the bookmobile in front of Sharon's house. Had she been crying? I climbed out and gave her a hug. "Are you okay?" She held on a little longer than usual. "I'm okay." I pushed away and looked into her eyes. "Something's wrong. You've been crying." "No." She brushed at her eyes with a gloved hand. "Must be from the cold." I knew she needed to talk. "Why don't you wait in the bookmobile and get warm? I brought those books you asked for." "Okay." Margie didn't look at me as she spoke. "I guess you should see Sharon first." I stepped into the library and picked up the five books I'd brought for Sharon and a white paper bag. Margie moved back to give me space. "What's in the bag?" "Some scones for Sharon. I got them at the library coffee shop while I was loading books this morning." "Scones?" "Hey. Come with me." I held up the bag. "Carry this for me. I've got enough for all of us."

I will probably change this more before it is published, but I think this works better. What do you think?

If you are a reader only or a writer and reader, check some of your favorite books and see if the magic began on page one.

I talked about this in a previous post where I included the openings of some Pulitzer Prize winners. See Pulitzer Prize First Sentences. Some are better than others. What do you think? Would you read the books based on beginnings, or only because it won the Pulitzer Prize?

Writing a Novel: When it all falls into place

By Sidney W. Frost

Read any good books lately?

Once again I am amazed by how a novel can grow and expand without my help. I started Sun City Murders, a work in process, with a detailed outline. I must admit I hadn't decided on the ending, but with a murder mystery, there are often a number of possible culprits to keep the reader wondering. In this case I was wondering, too. This week I had a breakthrough that will give the story more depth than I could have hoped for.

Even though I now know, I can't tell you how the story ends. But, I want to give you enough information to appreciate the breakthrough.

Liz, the bookmobile librarian, finds a patron dead and sets off to find the killer. Liz has been in all my bookmobile books, but this time she is the main character and the story is told from her viewpoint. If you've read the other books, you know she was the director of library services in Austin, nearing retirement age. In this book, Liz has married and is living on a farm in nearby Georgetown. Brian and Karen, whose bookmobile had been in all the books, have moved to California and left the bookmobile with Liz. She makes a deal with the city library to provide library service in Sun City, an age-restricted neighborhood for active people 55 or older. Michael, the bookmobile driver, is the only youngster in the book. He's Liz's grandson and she invited him on this adventure to help her with the computer which she refuses to learn.

There is a secondary story line involving a PTSD-driven veteran who is living in Sun City without a home. He served in Vietnam, and for four years after that, he worked behind the lines in Cambodia. He gets psychiatric care from the VA, but with little success.

Liz finds a baby blue Cadillac in the dead woman's garage. Last week I searched the Internet for a photo of a baby blue Cadillac and found a 1975 Cadillac Sedan DeVille to be perfect. Photos of setting locations, cars, and objects help me write more realistic descriptions. See: https://www.pinterest.com/sidneywfrost/images-for-bookmobile-book-5/ for photos.

In my writings last week, the homeless veteran steals the car and it reminds him of where he was in 1975. Without planning this ahead of time, I picked the perfect car. The Cambodian revolution was 1975-1979.

Here's another coincidence. My book club was reading a novel about the Cambodian revolution (In the Shadow of the Banyan: A Novel by Vaddey Ratner. In reading this book I found information that will help me in writing the book.

The final coincidence is reading "A Floating City of Refuge" in the April 2015, issue of Georgetown View, describing the evacuation of Saigon in 1975. My fictional veteran was there for the evacuation and he felt so close to the people he didn't want to leave.

I've heard other writers talk about how a novel takes on a life of its own at time. I think it's true. I've also had several strong secondary characters who had to be held back from upstaging the main character.

Isn't it fun to create a story? I can't wait to share this one with you.

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Photo: © Vladimir Nikulin  | Dreamstime Stock Photos

Thanks to Google, I spent the day in London—without leaving my office.

That's me having coffee atop St. Paul's Cathedral in London

In The Vengeance Squad Goes to England the gang is looking for the man who stole Liz's bookmobile fund. Chris goes over to England to visit Angela, but he's joined soon by the rest of the group.

The first day in London, I wanted Angela to show Chris around some and keep him awake so he could adjust his inner clock to London time. I decided on a bus ride from her flat near Victoria Station to St. Paul's Cathedral because I had done that once or twice myself, for the same reason.

To make the trip more interesting, I wanted to point out the sights along the way. That's where Google comes in. I plotted a trip from Angela's flat to the church using Google Maps. Then, as I viewed the route, I switched to the photo view and looked for interesting landmarks along the way. Big Ben, London Eye, etc. But, I also saw other bits of information that I felt might be interesting to readers. I saw lots of black cabs, for example. Cars and busses driving down the wrong side of the road. Red double-decker buses everywhere. This gave me scenery, but also an idea for Liz to buy a double-decker bus that had been converted into a bookmobile.

Google Maps Takes the Fun Out of Research

In The Vengeance Squad, the protagonists travel a lot. To make it easier for me, I only let him go to places I've been. That way I can create better descriptions of the locations. As I was writing,however, I wished I was in Albuquerque again to get a bit a detail I needed for a scene. I wanted there to be a house close to the Petroglyph National Monument, but I didn't know if there was or not. In the old days, such research might require a tax-deductible trip to look around first hand. But, no longer.

I opened Google Maps in my browser and typed in Petroglyph National Monument. Then I clicked on the little orange Google man and moved him to the streets around the park. I found just what I needed. There was a whole neighborhood near the park's parking lot. Close enough to serve my needs.

From Albuquerque, my characters went to Rowe, a small town in Massachusetts I know quite well, but had not been there in the winter. Also, I had not been to a private airport in nearby North Adams that I wanted to use in my story. With Google Maps I was able to start at the airport and follow the road to Rowe. I learned there are many turns along the way. I looked for photos as I made my virtual trip in hopes of finding a winter scene but there were none. Luckily, a friend there sent me some photos taken while there was snow on the ground.

So, no longer must we go to a villa in France or spend time on a barge in the Netherlands to absorb details enough for a realistic description. All we have to do is turn on the computer.

I Have a Wonderful Life

When I'm busy getting a new book ready for readers, I get so bogged down in details I forget how wonderful my life is right now. Oh, I've had my share of problems over the years, but God brought me through with only a few bruises.

I came to that realization when someone asked if I traveled much. My thought at the time, and my hesitant response, was something like I don't know. I travel. Is it a lot? Compared to other so-called retired people, I guess not. I mentioned a few places Celeste and I have been without sounding like a braggart and soon the conversation moved elsewhere.

But, I didn't forget the question. My brain tends to mull questions over for hours afterwards, even when it's too late to say anything different. I often tell myself, I should have said, "this and that." Whatever comes to me several hours later.

Here's what I could have said:

In the four years since we've been married, Celeste and I have been to China, Austria, Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Belgium. We've spent a week in Colorado in each of the four years. We've stayed a week in Hilton Head each year. We went to British Virgin Islands one year and stayed two weeks in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands another year. We worked in Panama for a week for the church and we've sung with choral groups in China, Massachusetts, Austria, and California. She's made two mission trips to Panama, one to Louisiana, and one to New Mexico. We've driven across the country several times, and we spend as much time as possible at our lake house. Yes. We travel a lot.

During the same four years, I've published four novels and two non-fiction books.

COTT: Olympia WINNER!

We've all been waiting. It's been six months since submissions opened for the Olympia. A panel of readers narrowed down the top three entries and then a distinguished *industry professionals assessed and scored those excerpts to bring us to this moment.

The time has come and I am so very excited to announce to you that the winner of the 2014 Olympia is...

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JENNIFER RODEWALD

For her story titled Reclaimed

About Reclaimed

Suzanna Wilton has had a hefty share of heartache in her twenty-seven years. Left heartbroken by a marriage cut short, she leaves city life to take up residency in a tiny Nebraska town. Her introduction to her neighbor Paul Rustin is a disaster. Assuming he’s as undermining as the other local cowboys she’s already met, Suzanna greets him with a heavy dose of hostility.

Though Paul is offended by Suzanna’s unfriendliness, she often invades his thoughts. Intrigued by the woman who lives down the road, and propelled by a sense that she carries a painful burden, he frequently drops by to offer help as she adjusts to rural living.

Just as Paul’s kindness begins to melt Suzanna’s frozen heart, a conflict regarding her land escalates in town. Even in the warmth of Paul’s love, resentment continues to strangle her fragile soul. Will Suzanna ever find peace?

Author Bio:

Jennifer Rodewald is passionate about the Word of God and the powerful vehicle of story. Four kids and her own personal superman make her home in southwestern Nebraska delightfully chaotic.

Aiming to live with boundless enthusiasm, her creed is vision, pursuit and excellence. Blessed with a robust curiosity, she loves to research. Whether she’s investigating the history of a given area, the biography of a Christian icon, or how nature declares the glory of God, her daily goal is to learn something new.

Jen lives in a lovely speck of a town where she watches with amazement while her children grow up way too fast, gardens, plays with her horses, and marvels at God’s mighty hand in everyday life.You can find her at thefreeslavesdevotion.com 

Congratulations, Jennifer! We are honored to be a part of your journey and look forward to watching what God has in store for your writing career.

In addition to a tour through COTT's Blog Alliance, Jennifer will be receiving a beautiful plaque to commemorate her win and an internet radio interview with Cynthia Simmons!

*Final round judges:

AMANDA LUEDEKE--Agent, Macgregor Literary Agency

MARCY DYER--Editor, Prism Book Group
ROSSLYN ELLIOTT--Author and 2011 COTT Laurel Award Winner

The Evolution of Plotting Techniques for Bookmobile Novels

The idea for my first novel came to me forty years before I seriously started writing. That's when I realized reading a novel was a lot easier than writing one. I took classes and struggled for six years to finish Where Love Once Lived. Then it took two more years to get it published.

As I began my second novel, The Vengeance Squad, I remember thinking how much easier it would be than writing the first one. About half way through the writing, however, I heard about a plotting technique proposed by Joseph Campbell called the Hero's Journey. I won't attempt to explain it here, but there is a wealth of information available on it and how to apply it to modern novels. However, using this approach is an effective way to keep your readers turning pages.

The method was perfect for the mystery I was writing. I was able to use much of what I had done so far, but I rearranged the scenes and added new ones to increase the suspense. I finished The Vengeance Squad in less than a year. It has been my best seller so far.

When I started Love Lives On, I began using the same Hero Journey technique. But then I learned about Blake Snyder's method of outlining a movie. I bought his book, Save the Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need, and knew it was perfect for my books. About that time, I went to a writing class on using Snyder's method for novels.

I used this method for Love Lives On and The Vengeance Squad Goes to England. I'm using again for what I'm calling Book 5.

Snyder proposed fifteen beats from the beginning to end with the first being the Opening Image and the last the Closing Image. In between, there are beats with such interesting names as Set Up, Catalyst, Debate, Fun and Games, Bad Guys Close In, and All is Lost. This plotting method not only provides an organization to help writers remember to include numerous ups and downs on the way to the story goal, it also provides a formula for how many pages you should allow per beat.

This method is easier to do with 3 by 5 index cards on a bulletin board so you can rearrange scenes for the best balance. I've done this with real index cards, but with fifty or so scenes, it is difficult to find a place to work. I tried the dining room table, but I can only have it for so long before my wife starts looking at me funny.

This time I'm using an iPad app for the index cards. There are several available, but when I saw DenVog's Index Card app and the way it works, I selected it because it matches what I want to do. This is not one of those free apps, but the $4.99 cost seems reasonable.

I use one index card per scene and start with 50 scenes. Ten scenes in Act 1, 27 in Act 2, and 13 in Act 3. I will often add or delete scenes after the writing begins. The app lets me group the index cards and work with a smaller number of cards at a time. I group them by act. When I click on a group, I see all the cards for that group. When I click on a card, I can edit it. The card image is a widow and it scrolls as needed so you are not limited in how much you write.

In the photos shown here, you will see what I've done so far for Book 5. The cards can be easily changed and rearranged. I don't include scene numbers, but maintain order visually. When I'm satisfied with what I have, I will add scene numbers and convert the cards to Microsoft Word.



I've embed a YouTube presentation about Index Cards so you can see how to open groups and rearrange cards.

This is the result of opening Act 1 group

This shows the grouping by act.

Scene 1 scrolled down to show how it works.

Act 3 with its 13 scenes. Not yet out

This is Act 2 with 27 scenes, not all shown. Scrollable.

BOOK REVIEW: Murdermobile by B.B. Cantwell

Let me start by saying I love bookmobiles and therefore libraries and librarians. I especially love mysteries with humor involving bookmobiles, and have not found many. So, when I heard about Murdermobile, I quickly bought a copy.

 

As a writer and student of fiction, I was disappointed in the way the story was presented. I was taught to use only one character point of view in a scene and to let the reader know when the point of view character changes. In Murdermobile, the point of view bounces from one character to another as easily as starting a new paragraph.

If that doesn't bother you, you'll find the story itself, as well as the characters and settings quite enjoyable. The authors definitely know bookmobiles, and their characters come across as real and interesting.

When I encounter a book with the point of view switching like this one, I hardly ever finish it. The only reason I continued to read this one to the end was because of the bookmobile angle. I'm glad I did.

Thanks to Google, I spent the day in London—without leaving my office.

Author having coffee atop St. Paul's Cathedral in London

In my Bookmobile Book 4, the vengeance squad goes to England looking for the man who stole Liz's bookmobile fund. Chris goes over first to visit Angela, but he's joined soon by the rest of the group.

 

The first day in London, I wanted Angela to show Chris around some and keep him awake so he could adjust his inner clock to London time. I decided on a bus ride from her flat near Victoria Station to St. Paul's Cathedral because I had done that once myself, for the same reason.

 

To make the trip more interesting, I wanted to point out the sights along the way. That's the reason I needed help from Google. I plotted a trip using Google Maps from Angela's flat to the church. Then, as I viewed the route, I switched to the photo view and looked for interesting landmarks along the way. Big Ben, London Eye, etc. But, I also saw other bits of information that might be interesting. Lots of black cabs, for example. Cars and busses driving down the wrong side of the road. Red double-decker buses everywhere.

 

Here's the scene that resulted. Keep in mind this is a first draft and it may change before the book is finished, or it may be totally deleted by my editor.

 

Scene 15:Scene 15:Scene 15:I closed Skype. "Is it time to go to bed yet?"

Angela looked at me like I was crazy.

"To sleep. I've been up all night."

"Didn't you sleep on the plane?"

"I may have. I guess I did some, but I feel so tired."

"That's jet lag. The best way to get past it is get on schedule here. You can imagine how much I travel so I know what works."

"Okay, but I need to get up and walk or something. That sofa of yours is looking good."

"How about a quick tour of the city? This is your first time here, right?"

I stood to keep from falling asleep at the desk. "Yes, but I'm in no condition for a tour. How about tomorrow?"

"I'm not talking about a long tour. Just a ride on a double-decker bus to keep you from falling asleep. We'll have a late lunch, grab some coffee to keep you awake, and see a few sights."

"And then I can go to bed?"

She laughed. "Yes. You can go to sleep early if you like. But not before eight."

"Good. Have you made plans for tomorrow?"

"Yes. I'll show you more of London. We're meeting Andrew in the pub downstairs for an authentic English meal."

"Andrew is coming here?" Andrew was Sarah's brother who had initially blamed me for letting her get killed. He apologized later after he learned the whole story. I hadn't talked to him again after that.

"He's not coming here. He lives in London."

"What does he want?" I remembered him talking about his contacts in London. Maybe he could help find Virgil. Or, was he talking about Angela?

"Nothing that I'm aware of. I told him you'd be here and he said he wanted to see you."

"Oh."

"By the way, he's a banker. I doubt if he knows how to break into accounts online as fast as you do, but he may be able to offer a few, how shall we say, more legitimate connections to banks and bankers."

"I'll keep that in mind. It'll be good to see him. Thanks for setting it up." Remembering my last encounter with Andrew caused me to think about Sarah. I never wanted to forget her, but I didn't know what Angela would think if she knew what was on my mind.

We climbed aboard the first red double-decker that came by on Victoria Street across from the building where Angela lived. She took care of my fare and we found seats on the upper deck, I got the window seat. It was cold outside, but not unbearable. I saw a sign that showed the temperature to be three degrees Celsius or thirty-eight Fahrenheit.

I trusted she knew best, but I longed for sleep. The heated bus made it harder to keep my eyes open. I took off my coat and held in my lap.

"I know you're drowsy," she said, "so let me tell you about where we are. Maybe that will help you stay awake."

I leaned my head against the glass, hoping its coolness would spark my attention. "Okay. But, first tell me why everyone is driving on the wrong side of the road."

"What do you mean? The Americans are the ones who drive on the wrong side."

"Hey. There's Scotland Yard." I pointed to a building we were passing with a sign identifying it. "Is that where you work?"

"I don't work for Scotland Yard. You know that. They're like your city police. I'm more like your CIA."

"So where's your office?"

"We'll it's not marked like Scotland Yard."

"Is it near here?"

"We have many different locations."

"You're not going to tell me, are you?"

I stared out the window and counted black cabs for a while and then saw a maroon-colored one. The people of the street all walked with purpose as if going somewhere important even though it was a holiday.

"There's Big Ben!" I said.

"Right. Or, the houses of parliament."

"Oh, and there's that new Ferris wheel I saw on the news. It's huge."

"It's called the London Eye," she said.

The bus turned left before the bridge that would have crossed the River Thames and taken us to the side where the London Eye was. We followed the water line and I saw boats on the river, mostly large ones that looked as if they might be small restaurants. A few people walked along the tree-covered walkway between the street where we were and the water. There was another sidewalk beyond a wall closer to the river. I imagined the area would be full of tourists during warmer times of the year.

We passed a tall, slender monument of some type that came to a point on top. "What's that?" I asked, pointing back to where it stood between us and the river.

"That's called the Cleopatra's Needle. It's an Egyptian obelisk. There's one like it in New York City and a similar one in Paris."

We continued along the river for a ways.

"That's the Waterloo Bridge we're coming to. Someday we'll look at a map and I'll show you all the bridges that cross over the Thames."

As we approached the underpass I looked up and saw three red double-decker buses crossing the bridge.

Just as we turned left off the road that paralleled the river, Angela pointed. "That's Blackfriar Station."

"That's another thing I want to do while I'm here."

"What's that?"

"I want to learn how to use the underground. I hear it is a great way to get around."

"It is. I almost took you on it today, but I thought sitting up here on the bus would show you more and keep you awake better. But, we'll be riding the underground a lot I'm sure."

Angela leaned across me toward the window. "We're going to get off in a couple of blocks. I know this place that makes the best pizza in town. It's like Naples pizza, if you know what I mean."

I didn't, but I assumed it was good.

I followed Angela off the bus and she led the way to the pizza place. It wasn't one of the chains we had in Texas. As soon as we entered I know they used a wood oven, the smell was heavenly.

"Let me order," Angela said. "Get us a table."

I found a place near the window so I could watch the people go by. I hung my coat over the back of my chair. Angela returned with two large glasses of cloudy liquid.

"What's that?" I asked.

"Lemonade. Not exactly a winter drink, but I thought it might help you stay awake. They make this fresh from lemons from Naples."

I took a sip that turned into a gulp. "Excellent choice," I said.

"The owners came from Naples about ten years ago and their pizzas are made the same with the first pizzas were made there. I ordered one with tomato slices instead of a meat. I think you'll like it."

As she talked, I looked. She had a cute smile when she was happy and her whole body took on a sense of happiness when she talked about something she was interested in. Even pizza.

A young woman with long dark hair brought a large pizza and two plates.

The first thing I noticed was how thin the crust was. I was used to a much thicker one. But after taking a bite, I know why Angela liked this place. Delicious.

We at silently for a while and I savored every mouthful.

"Okay," she said. "Next stop is the coffee shop. That pizza woke you up, but I'm not any chances."

The coffee shop was across the street from the pizza place. When we got there, Angela pulled a silver Thermos out of the large handbag she carried.

"Fill this up, please," she said to the barista. "No need to rinse it first. It's clean."

After placing the filled Thermos in her handbag, she headed toward the door.

"I thought we were going to have coffee," I said.

"We are. Just hold on."

I followed her as she walked briskly away from the coffee shop. Up ahead I could see a large building with a dome on top.

"What's that?" I asked.

"That's where we're going next. That's St. Paul's Cathedral."

We continued along the sidewalk until we were in front of the enormous church.

"I recognize this place. Those steps especially. What movie would I have seen of this church?"

"You're probably thinking of Mary Poppins."

"That's it. Dick Van Dyke and Julie Andrews. Right?"

"That's right. There have been other movies made around and in the church. One of the Harry Potter movies and the latest Sherlock Holmes movie."

Angela led me to a wide stair case in a corner of the church. We started up.

"Where does this lead?" I asked.

"You'll see. Not only will this keep you awake, you'll be truly amazed when you get there."

There weren't many others on the stairs. We finally reached an area where we could walk all around the dome.

I looked down. "You're right. This is beautiful."

She laughed. "This is the whispering gallery. We're only about a third of the way to where we're going."

I looked up, but didn't see any way to go further.

"Follow me," she said.

She led me to a smaller stairway. One where we had to stop and twist for people coming down. After what seemed like forever, we reached a point where we went outside.

"Ah, this is it. Beautiful," I said.

"No. This is the stone gallery. We're about two-thirds the way to the top now."

Soon, she was walking up and I was following. When she finally stopped, I knew I was there.

"Here we are," she said. "The golden gallery. Eighty-five meters from the cathedral floor. Five-hundred and twenty-eight steps."

My mind converted meters to feet automatically. Two-hundred-eighty-seven, almost two-hundred-eighty-eight feet. But I didn't care. The view was unbelievable. Cool wind whipped around us, but it wasn't all that uncomfortable. I walked all around the top of the dome looking at the city below from different vantage points. When I got back to where I'd started, I found Angela sitting on a wall drinking a cup of coffee. I pulled out my cell phone and took her photo.

She passed the silver cup, the Thermos lid, to me. Smoke rose from the liquid. The smell of fresh coffee was awakening in itself. I took a sip, still holding my phone in my other hand. I passed the cup to her.

"What time is it back home now?" I asked.

She looked at her watch. "About eleven-thirty in the morning."

"Is that Austin time?"

"Yes."

"Then, nine-thirty in California. I'm going to call my mother."

I tapped in the number and waited. Angela shook her head, but smiled and handed me the coffee cup when my other hand was free. Another couple popped through the opening to our level and stared at me like I was crazy. I don't know if it was because of the coffee or the phone, and I didn't care.

"Hello."

"Mom. Guess where I am?"

"London, I hope. That's where you said you were going."

"Yeah, but where in London?"

"I have no idea."

Angela took the cup from me and refilled it. She took a sip and motioned it toward me. I shook my head.

"I'm on the very top of St. Paul's Cathedral with Angela. We're having coffee here."

"Is that allowed, dear? Doesn't seem like a good place for a picnic."

"We climbed five-hundred and twenty-eight steps, Mom. We're resting up for the walk back down."

"Okay, dear. Just don't spill any coffee and be careful on the way down."

"Okay, Mom. Love you." She didn't understand. She'd have to see the place to know what I meant.

That was the highlight of the day. When we finished our coffee we made the trek down to the street and took the underground back to Angela's flat. She made coffee in an effort to keep me awake a little longer while I waited on the sofa.

Meet Barbara Ann Derksen

Today, we introduce Barbara Ann Derksen. I'm reading her latest novel, Shadow Stalker, now and will post a review later. But, I couldn't wait to tell you about her and the book.

 

Barbara tells me watching the expressions on the faces of her readers, as well as answering questions about her characters, drives her to write yet another book and another. Her favorite genre is murder mystery but each book brings forth characters who rely on God to solve puzzles in their lives.

 

In addition to her novels, Barbara’s devotionals are sought after each year when she publishes a new one that reflects what God has placed on her heart. From Straight Pipes, her first, to More Than Bells, Preparation for Prayer, the latest, Barbara’s devotions take people to the place where God can touch their hearts and leave a lasting impression. When people stop by her table for the latest, they talk to her about using the devotions in their chapter meetings, or their personal devotions. Some men return at their pastor’s request because the books are used as launch pads for men’s bible study. Many copies have been passed on to new believers for discipleship tools.

 

Born in Canada, Barbara lived in the United States for 12 years. While in the United States her writing surfaced as she worked under contract as a journalist for six years with over 2,500 articles published in newspapers and magazines during that time. Meeting and interviewing people, digging for the hidden gems in their lives, made those years informative as well as instructive. She began attending Colorado Christian Writer’s Conferences and each year, under the tutelage of great Christian writers such as James Scott Bell, Angela Hunt, and others, she honed her skills.

 

Barbara developed a speaking platform and has spoken across the United States and in Manitoba, Canada for women’s groups and in church services on topics such as The Writing Experience, working in the ministry of Christian Motorcyclists Association, Love, Parenting, Time Management, and a host of others.

 

With 17 books to her credit, one currently inactive and awaiting revision, each one surpasses the last, according to her readers. They look forward to discovering the new characters in a new series Finders Keepers. Book One – Shadow Stalker – has just been released.

 

Writing, however is simply a tool to be used in the ministry she shares with her husband. With his gift of music (he sings country gospel), they operate CatchFire Ministries, a ministry to bikers through Christian Motorcyclists Association. They travel for four to five months every summer in the United States and the rest of the time in Canada where they seek to inspire, encourage and invite people into a deeper ministry with Jesus Christ. They also minister at Veterans Homes and churches along the way and are about to begin a ministry to Juvenile offenders incarcerated at Manitoba Youth Center. The mysteries include a gospel message that opens her readers to the possibility of reading books written from a Christian World view and supply funds for CatchFire.

 

~~~

 

An ominous shadow hangs over her, as Christine Finder, alias Melissa Rompart, visits the brutal slaying of her parents most nights in a dream.  The threat of discovery propels her to search for the whereabouts of the killer to see the man brought to justice. In the meantime, the killer stalks her mind while she operates Finder Keepers, an agency that searches for the people her clients hire her to find. Nathan Brent is only four years old and missing. Will she find him in time or will the killer find her first?

 

For more information or to contact Barbara Ann Derksen:

 

Amazon.com - http://amzn.to/10hvLa5

Amazon author page - http://amzn.to/KLEDab

Linkedin - http://linkd.in/KFuzlh

Goodreads - http://bit.ly/GJcTCd

Twitter - http://twitter.com/#!/@prolificwriter1

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/barbara.a.derksen

Facebook fan page - https://www.facebook.com/pages/EaglesNest/205663322735

Google+ - http://bit.ly/QmW1Fa

website - http://www.barbaraannderksen.com/

Shadow Stalker page on website (read excerpt and order) - http://www.barbaraannderksen.com/bookstore/shadow-stalker-book-1-finders-keepers-series/