Wednesday, September 12, 2007

A Peek into My Process...

Yikes. That sounds totally scary. Like looking in my head. And trust me on this. You really don't want to be in here. I'm used to it. I even like it sometimes, being in my head. But you know...it's taken me a lifetime of work to be in here with my mind and make sure we both get along...

Oh, and before I start? I simply must share the cover for my December Special Edition, A BRAVO CHRISTMAS REUNION. I don't have back cover copy yet, so suffice to say, there's a family reunion--at Christmas. And the h and H are reunited. And just in time, too.

As you can see, she's just about to have that baby....

I really love this cover as he looks like Viggo Mortensen and she looks so sexy and pretty and very, very pregnant. Which she actually is in the book--8 months pregnant, I mean. :)

Anyway, so I'm about to head to Las Vegas to plot books with my fellow-authors. Three days, five authors, ten stories. Oh, yes! Here's what I sent my plotmates about the two stories I'll be brainstorming. Those of you who were fans of the long-ago Jones family, take heart! I'm bringin' back the Joneses for at least one book in January, 2009!

Oh, and if you find the below totally boring, don't worry. I'll let you know when the actual books come out and you can read them. Much more interesting, I promise.

Here we go...

I’M PLOTTING TWO SPECIAL EDITIONS:

Family background. Nine siblings: seven sons and two daughters. This is a new branch of my ongoing Bravo family. Grandchildren of James Bravo, they are the children of Davis and Aleta Bravo. Texas setting. I think the San Antonio area.

Family is in real estate, land and property development and all connected businesses: builders, architects, property law, decorating, designing. There’s a family ranch, 20-40 miles away from San Antonio, where the nine kids were raised.

Bravos in these six books will be:
Asher
Gabriel
Matthew
Luke
Caleb
Jericho
Joshua
And their sisters: Abilene and Zoe. I’m also seeing an illegitimate daughter, result of Davis’s affair with a gorgeous, brilliant Mexican-American woman,a woman who is still alive and runs a successful real estate office.

BOOK I: TERESA (TESSY) JONES, 27, AND ASHER (ASH) BRAVO, who could be any age from late twenties to mid-30’s.

Setting this first book in the tiny gold rush town of North Magdalene, Sierra Mountains, California. Idea is to have the first Bravo in this series come to the heroine’s world, then the second book will take place in the main setting for the series, the San Antonio area.

Story thoughts: All I’m really seeing on this one is it’s a “stranger in town” story. Ash is the stranger. Could be amnesia?? Could be she nurses him back to health somehow…Could be he’s there to do damage to/get revenge on someone she loves. Could be he’s here to get his kid, whom she’s somehow adopted??? Not a secret baby.

Story takes place in January—winter; snow, after the holidays…

BACKGROUND:
Book I is for Jan ’09 release to kick off a Special Edition anniversary program called FIRST FAMILIES, one a month through ’09. These will be the popular fictional families of various Special Edition authors. For this special promotion, I’m bringing my two “biggest” families, the Joneses and the Bravos, together for this.

ABOUT TESSY: Teresa was a main secondary in SWEETBRIAR SUMMIT, which came out in 1994. (!) She was then 12. Here’s what I have on her from back then: Teresa (Tessy) Jones: 12. Big for her age. Very prim. Going through a religious phase; considering joining the Catholic Church to be a nun. Hazel eyes. blond hair, fears she is fat. She has a bold tomboy sister, Marnie, who is a few years younger. Tessy’s best friends as a child were Tammy Rice and Alicia Brown—who could both appear in this book. I’m thinking Teresa is now a teacher at North Magdalene Public School. Primary grades? High School? Could be she’s divorced and recently moved back home from Southern California.

Lots of Jones characters can show up in this, but I have to include the meddling, overbearing, philosophizing old matchmaking patriarch, Oggie Jones, Tessy’s grandfather who is determined that all his children and their children find love and happiness. He’s in his early 90’s, but still frisky. (Let’s just say ageless) Former bar owner; rarely shaves; smokes cigars; wears suspenders.

ABOUT ASHER: Not much; a stranger in town. Mostly, must differentiate him from Gabe in Book II. I see Asher as living in Texas; in the family business, not a wanderer or mercenary, while Gabe could be either. He could be some kind of celebrity: in sports or a rock star or something, so maybe he doesn’t live in Texas now but he’s very much a part of the family there.

BOOK II: GABRIEL BRAVO AND MARY SECREST

(Takes place in Texas, at the Bravo ranch there near San Antonio and probably in San Antonio)

Gabe’s six brothers were all in love with Mary. As was Gabe’s best friend, Justin Secrest. Mary was in love with Gabe—and he with her. But he was settling-down shy (issues with his father, maybe? Wanted to make his own way? Wild?) and always gone, always seeking the next rainbow. Finally, Mary split with him. Some time later, she married his best friend, Justin Secrest. (deep down she was still in love with Gabe, but she wanted a family and she really did like Justin; J adored her and always knew he was second choice) Now she’s pregnant with Justin’s baby and Justin is dead. (how?)

Gabe returns. Does he blame Mary for Justin’s death? Does he just want to take care of her, settle down now with her and her dead husband’s kid, which she’s so not buying?

***

That's it. Totally confused? Me, too. But in a fun way. I love to go to plot group and see what shakes out.

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