April 23, 2018: The End …and a contest!

The End. Two words that sounds so final, indicating there is no more to come. Two small words, but what a huge responsibility. When I reach that point in my story, I feel like doing the happy dance. It means I did it, no matter how long and bumpy the journey was, I have a beginning, a middle, and an end. The importance of every ending centers around the emotional attachment the reader has once the book is closed. Did you wind up feeling ‘meh’; sad and weepy; or warm and fuzzy? That goal should be determined before the first keystroke−doesn’t always happen to me, though. The second-most important thing is to tie-up all loose strings. There is nothing worse than closing the book and saying, “hey…what about Marla? What happened between her and Nick?”

I’ve mentioned before I’m not big on outlining. I do have a beginning, a middle, and an end; however, sometimes my characters go off on a journey of their own and leave me panting to catch up. Basically, I do know the ending−but oh the twists and turns my characters often take on their way to it can be mind-boggling.

In my story coming out this year (Blood Money), I always knew with whom Alex would wind up. I always knew the bad guy, the actual crime, and the hero. My characters filled in the blanks as the story evolved. However, it wasn’t until after I wrote the first draft of the sequel (Blood Moon) that I knew who was really behind the whole devious plot. In that book, the final scene identifies the culprit to the reader, but not to Alex. The reader must wait for the third and last in the series, yet to be named, to have the bad guy’s crimes catch up with him. That book is only briefly outlined with the beginning (I know the location), the middle (I know the horrendous crime he will commit−my fingers are scorching to write it…THE CAD!), and the one loose string that will blow his cover and seal his fate.

Contest: Anybody have a good suggestion for the title of the last book in the series? It must be two words, the first one Blood, and the last word must begin with an “M”. A free copy of Blood Money to the winner!