BOOKS:
Dolphin’s Cave: I should be getting it back for a final edit, soon. I am hoping for a spring release this year! Fingers crossed.
Just her Poetry: I'm still adding to it, but will be working on editing, soon!
The Button: First draft is done! It ended up nowhere near what I had imagined in the outline. I think I will stick to doing my outlines after the first draft. Now, on to the editing. I'm hopeful I might get it released end of this year. Below is the third VERY raw and unedited portion of the book.
This Second Chance has been getting some lovely reviews and feedback. Thank you for taking the time read and review!
BLOGS:
January 14th (Here is the blog where my real first name is revealed!!)
EXCERPT:
Here's an extremely RAW AND UNEDITED “first draft” excerpt from The Button. This is from the beginning of Chapter one. We are now in 1983 after visiting 1976 in the prologue to relive an important event in Lynn’s life:
Castro Valley, CA - 1983
Lynn Hill had a black button with white writing during high school that proclaimed:
F*** Off and Die
pinned to her worn flowered-embroidered jean purse. Lynn had relocated her button to the inside of her purse three years ago (so only she could see it) when she graduated from high school. It wasn’t that Lynn had suddenly changed her attitude as she “proudly” accepted her diploma with 151 other people representing the first class of the new decade, either. 1980 felt no different than 1979. What had prompted the removal of her bold public expression was her getting a job, and an apartment or basically being a
responsible
adult. Lynn was mindful that appearing to be an upstanding citizen was necessary, which had been confirmed by her old history teacher.
“Young women who are successful, do not have swear words pinned to the outside of their purse,” Her teacher that reminded Lynn of an apple doll had informed her while handing back her essay in the final month of high school.
Lynn was fully aware that teacher didn’t like her, but she didn’t care. Most teachers didn’t, but she always got A’s on all her tests and work, and didn’t cause problems-- so they had usually left her alone. No one had ever tried to take the button away, but Lynn did get some “looks” which she’d shrugged off thinking--
the button applies to you
.
She was totally convinced a couple of those teachers (no matter how they reacted) had the same sentiment, but they had to pretend to be responsible adults like she was doing now. Lynn only had hidden that button in high school when she was around her
wonderful
parents who would have shown their displeasure in painful ways --both physically and emotionally. Lynn had escaped that house the day she turned eighteen. She’d found an apartment which she shared with her best friend, Stacy.
Lynn’s fingers brushed over the button pinned on the inside of her purse as she searched for her strawberry lip gloss. It wasn’t that she hated
everyone
and really wanted them to die as her button stated, it was more she didn’t trust most people. Why should she? Most people only managed to disappoint or hurt her. For them it was a death from her view and space was all she wanted-- not their actual demise. Although, there were a few people…well, the world would be a better place without them. She couldn’t find a good reason to explain their existence other than to cause others pain…so the button did apply literally to those losers.
HAT DRAWING:
All you must do is respond to this newsletter-- and you are entered. Let me know what you think about the newsletter, the excerpt, or just a quick hello! Then, I enter all the names into the hat and pick two winners. I will take all responses until January 22
nd by 8:00 pm PST! I'll announce who won the two $10 Amazon gift cards on Twitter and Facebook! Good luck everyone!
Embrace your inner child, D.L. Finn!
