First Dig Two Graves – the editor’s second draft – Day 11

This book has finally come back from the Editor, so this month it is going to get a second revision, a second draft for the editor, and beta readers.

We are now up to the part where we introduce Isobel properly and find out why such a talented person is drifting in the doldrums of Rupert’s private detective agency.

Aside from being a once high-flying legal eagle, she is also a computer hacker, or perhaps that’s what she evolved into in a devil finds work for idle hands type person.

This hacking is going to be useful, but it’s also going to bring problems, especially when she starts tracking down Zoe.

And, it seemed she had struck up a dark online relationship with another hacker with the handle Tzar.  What are the odds he is Russian?

She’s digging for information, and Tzar helps, and, suddenly it appears, briefly, then is gone, with a warning.  Stop digging.

And if she doesn’t.

People were coming for her.

Meanwhile, in the basement, Zoe has had enough time to devise a mask that might stave of the effects of the gas long enough to affect an escape.

And, it almost works, the mask that is.

She manages to get past all of the guards, but Romanov is waiting.

He doesn’t kill her, but he does give her some information, then leaves.  He knows how dangerous she can be, especially when wounded.

First Dig Two Graves – the editor’s second draft – Day 11

This book has finally come back from the Editor, so this month it is going to get a second revision, a second draft for the editor, and beta readers.

We are now up to the part where we introduce Isobel properly and find out why such a talented person is drifting in the doldrums of Rupert’s private detective agency.

Aside from being a once high-flying legal eagle, she is also a computer hacker, or perhaps that’s what she evolved into in a devil finds work for idle hands type person.

This hacking is going to be useful, but it’s also going to bring problems, especially when she starts tracking down Zoe.

And, it seemed she had struck up a dark online relationship with another hacker with the handle Tzar.  What are the odds he is Russian?

She’s digging for information, and Tzar helps, and, suddenly it appears, briefly, then is gone, with a warning.  Stop digging.

And if she doesn’t.

People were coming for her.

Meanwhile, in the basement, Zoe has had enough time to devise a mask that might stave of the effects of the gas long enough to affect an escape.

And, it almost works, the mask that is.

She manages to get past all of the guards, but Romanov is waiting.

He doesn’t kill her, but he does give her some information, then leaves.  He knows how dangerous she can be, especially when wounded.

First Dig Two Graves – the editor’s second draft – Day 4

This book has finally come back from the Editor, so this month it is going to get a second revision, a second draft for the editor, and beta readers.

John’s search for Zoe was at an impasse, simply because it was her job to disappear and reappear at will, and he knows he was no match for her in that regard.

So, having gone to her residence in Paris, not finding her there which was predictable, the place looked like it had not been visited in months, he concluded a short stay might help to clear his head.

Until he gets a phone call.

Kidnappers, other than the Russians, have captured Zoe, and they’re ringing him for a ransom.

Odd, because he was not the one who placed the kidnap order on her, so why would they be ringing him?

This was initiated by Zoe, no doubt playing the kidnapper by sending him to a bigger payday.

If that’s the case then John has to deduce she has faith in him to come and get her.

Which he’s going to do, but not on his own.

It’s time to call Sebastian, someone John knew would know what to do.

Or at least hope he does!

First Dig Two Graves – the editor’s second draft – Day 4

This book has finally come back from the Editor, so this month it is going to get a second revision, a second draft for the editor, and beta readers.

John’s search for Zoe was at an impasse, simply because it was her job to disappear and reappear at will, and he knows he was no match for her in that regard.

So, having gone to her residence in Paris, not finding her there which was predictable, the place looked like it had not been visited in months, he concluded a short stay might help to clear his head.

Until he gets a phone call.

Kidnappers, other than the Russians, have captured Zoe, and they’re ringing him for a ransom.

Odd, because he was not the one who placed the kidnap order on her, so why would they be ringing him?

This was initiated by Zoe, no doubt playing the kidnapper by sending him to a bigger payday.

If that’s the case then John has to deduce she has faith in him to come and get her.

Which he’s going to do, but not on his own.

It’s time to call Sebastian, someone John knew would know what to do.

Or at least hope he does!

First Dig Two Graves – the editor’s second draft – Day 1

The second Zoe thriller.

At the end of the first book in the series, Alistair, Zoe the assassin’s handler, was killed.

As far as he was concerned, Zoe had reneged on the contract to kill a target, and for that, she had to be punished, just to let the rest of the team know they could not decide arbitrarily who or who they would not kill.

For her sins, Zoe had been captured and was about to be executed when John, the man who wanted to become her boyfriend, turned up on a luckless and unplanned rescue mission.

But as ad-hoc operations go, that one was very successful.  Zoe, though badly injured aided John in a do-or-die escape.

Alistair learned to his chagrin, that a badly injured Zoe and untrained well-meaning friend trumped overconfidence.

Of course, Alistair’s death does not go unnoticed, and his mother, a renowned and very capable ex-KGB agent with connections, wanted to avenge his death.  Her influence reaches as far as the upper echelons of the State’s intelligence services, and requests from her would never be ignored.

Such a request for information is made, and so starts the next book in the series.

Revenge.

Of course, nothing to do with Zoe or John, or their relationship, runs smoothly, and once again in pursuit of the impossible, makes it his mission in life to win over the assassin-on-sabbatical.

But first, he has to find her., and sort through the lies and treachery of his best friend who is also looking for Zoe, but for entirely different reasons.

First Dig Two Graves – the editor’s second draft – Day 1

The second Zoe thriller.

At the end of the first book in the series, Alistair, Zoe the assassin’s handler, was killed.

As far as he was concerned, Zoe had reneged on the contract to kill a target, and for that, she had to be punished, just to let the rest of the team know they could not decide arbitrarily who or who they would not kill.

For her sins, Zoe had been captured and was about to be executed when John, the man who wanted to become her boyfriend, turned up on a luckless and unplanned rescue mission.

But as ad-hoc operations go, that one was very successful.  Zoe, though badly injured aided John in a do-or-die escape.

Alistair learned to his chagrin, that a badly injured Zoe and untrained well-meaning friend trumped overconfidence.

Of course, Alistair’s death does not go unnoticed, and his mother, a renowned and very capable ex-KGB agent with connections, wanted to avenge his death.  Her influence reaches as far as the upper echelons of the State’s intelligence services, and requests from her would never be ignored.

Such a request for information is made, and so starts the next book in the series.

Revenge.

Of course, nothing to do with Zoe or John, or their relationship, runs smoothly, and once again in pursuit of the impossible, makes it his mission in life to win over the assassin-on-sabbatical.

But first, he has to find her., and sort through the lies and treachery of his best friend who is also looking for Zoe, but for entirely different reasons.

Mistaken Identity – The Third Editor’s Draft – Day 26

I have been working on the story, the editor is asking for a second draft after making suggested changes – and I’m now working on it

This month has been exhausting, because not only have I been trying to get the NaNoWriMo project completed, which involves writing about 1,800 words a day, every day, I have been keeping up the A to Z blogging challenge with a new story every day bar Sunday.

You have no idea how much I looked forward to each of the Sundays.

Of course, a plan is needed if anyone is contemplating to do something similar.

It also requires you to be able to come up with a new idea every day for the story and try not to get caught up in a crossover.

And, try not to hit the wall.

This is exactly what happened yesterday, when I got halfway through the story, and the equivalent of deleting the file rather than saving it happened.

So few yards from the finishing line and kaput, I’m sitting there in front of a blank screen wondering where the next 2,5000 words for the story are coming from.

And questioning my sanity.

I missed the deadline, wrote zero words for the A to Z and went to bed.

Tomorrow, hopefully, will be a new day!

More tomorrow.

The Things We Do For Love – The final editor’s draft – Day 30

Well, it’s done.

516 pages in total, in a more refined form, a story from start to finish.

Now the hard part begins; waiting for the editor’s approval, or more changes. I’m sure there are a few continuity issues and at least one name change for one of the characters.

Other issues will need addressing, like Inspector Banner who seems to turn up out of thin air and needs a little more introduction.

Likewise, Henry’s brother Harry needs to have his timeline and actions given his disabilities looked at in terms of whether it’s possible he could do what he did.  I know it’s fiction, but characters lose credibility when they seem to have powers they simply could not possess.

Above all, Michelle needs to be more thoroughly introduced, though my intention originally was to have her this girl who is too good to be true, all of a sudden have this bad streak, whether by design or by accident.

I also think her relationship with the Turk needs more explanation because it seems in places quite wishy-washy for want of a better description. 

There may yet get to be a prologue that gives each a chance to see who they are before they get to the hotel by the sea.

Perhaps I’m, simply miffed that Diana aka Millie did not get a chance to shine before she appears much later in the book.

But, it is what it is for now, and the next edit, in a few weeks might or might not address all of these issues.

The Things We Do For Love – The final editor’s draft – Day 30

Well, it’s done.

516 pages in total, in a more refined form, a story from start to finish.

Now the hard part begins; waiting for the editor’s approval, or more changes. I’m sure there are a few continuity issues and at least one name change for one of the characters.

Other issues will need addressing, like Inspector Banner who seems to turn up out of thin air and needs a little more introduction.

Likewise, Henry’s brother Harry needs to have his timeline and actions given his disabilities looked at in terms of whether it’s possible he could do what he did.  I know it’s fiction, but characters lose credibility when they seem to have powers they simply could not possess.

Above all, Michelle needs to be more thoroughly introduced, though my intention originally was to have her this girl who is too good to be true, all of a sudden have this bad streak, whether by design or by accident.

I also think her relationship with the Turk needs more explanation because it seems in places quite wishy-washy for want of a better description. 

There may yet get to be a prologue that gives each a chance to see who they are before they get to the hotel by the sea.

Perhaps I’m, simply miffed that Diana aka Millie did not get a chance to shine before she appears much later in the book.

But, it is what it is for now, and the next edit, in a few weeks might or might not address all of these issues.

The Things We Do For Love – The final editor’s draft – Day 29

What is a love story without a happy ending?

It’s just all the trials and tribulations in between that make it seem like it’s all too much effort with nothing but pain and misery punctuated by a few moments of utter delight.

I’m sure a story where everything works like clockwork might have been easier, but the thought of having some meaty characters standing between them and ultimate happiness was more interesting.

The idea of Emile, or the Turk, being an affable person, was modelled on Sidney Greenstreet, a rather interesting actor in Hollywood in the 1940s and 1950s, and I’d just seen his performance in The Maltese Falcon.

When I first started the story, I wanted Michelle to have a secret, but at the time, it wasn’t for her to be a prostitute, simply a fashion model who fell in with the wrong crowd and got into trouble with drugs and the high life.

But that wasn’t interesting enough.  By that time, I was dabbling in the thriller genre, and realised I couldn’t write a Mills and Boon-type book, so it veered into thriller territory.

Who doesn’t like a guy who wants to rescue a fallen angel?

Why not make the fallen angel an avenging angel?  Her friends help her escape, and then she decided to help her friends escape to the freedom she fleetingly had, and now, determined, would have again.

But, the idea of freedom and the actual getting of it are two entirely different concepts.  400 pages worth of angst, setbacks, love found, and love lost, the love found again.  Henry might be a little too naïve, but he had to be to provide the extreme contrast in backgrounds and notions of what life is like.