If you’re new here, read the previous chapter’s first (if you are interested): Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapters Seven and Eight Chapters Nine and Ten Chapters Eleven and Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Bridget would never admit it, but she was worried Read more…
Today is the last day to make the 50000 word goal for NaNoWriMo. I’m just over 4400 words away from that goal. The book, however, has no ending in site.
I feel like I’ve sort of written myself into a corner. Hmmm …
These are not my favourite two chapters.
Note: Don’t forget all comments left on ANY post between November, 4th and November 30, 2010 will count as one entry into the Wii should be friends giveaway.
If you are interested:
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapters Seven and Eight
Chapters Nine and Ten
Chapter Eleven
“Johnson here,” Lane answered his cell phone.
He’d spent the last hour in the kitchen, drinking coffee and going over the case. He’d written down several questions for Bridget (who was still locked in her office). He’d called into the station about a half-hour ago to give the Chief an update. The Chief hadn’t had any news for him, so he was a bit surprised to be getting a return call so quickly and hoped the Chief was calling to say they’d found another Bridget Riley that seemed to be a more likely associate of Max Giovanni.
Unfortunately, the news wasn’t about ‘another’ Bridget, but was relevant to the case nonetheless. The car the car belonging to Frank’s sister had been found, on an abandoned oil lease road south west of Edmonton. Frank and Robbins had been found in the trunk. Both had been shot execution style between the eyes.
The officers on the scene found a note in Robbins’s pocket. It read:
Bridget Riley
Photographer / Blogger
10425 – 94th Street
Accompanying the note had been a photo of Bridget. His Bridget, well not his Bridget but the Bridget he’d been ordered to keep safe. Damn, the note and the photo made the mistaken identity theory a lot less likely and that was disappointing.
The Chief was sending a copy of the note, the photo and several photos of this morning’s crime scene. He’d sounded surprised when Lane had requested the latter, but hadn’t questioned him.
Lane waited until the evidence folder arrived before knocking on Bridget’s office door. He knew she wasn’t going to be happy to see him, and very likely uncooperative, but he didn’t particularly care. He felt a little twinge of guilt when he thought about the unshed tears he’d seen in her eyes earlier in the morning, but quickly quashed the feeling. Bridget needed to understand that this was serious business and he hoped the contents of the folder he held in his hand would help him to do that.
(more…)
Note: Don’t forget all comments left on ANY post between November, 4th and November 30, 2010 will count as one entry into the Wii should be friends giveaway.
If you are interested:
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapters Seven and Eight
Chapter Nine
Bridget was having an awful time falling asleep. She knew Lane was still up. She could hear him walking around the house checking all the doors and windows. He’d started on the 3rd floor and worked his way down.
Occasionally, she could hear him talking. He must be on his cell she thought; maybe he’s talking with the officers outside, getting an update. She hoped it was good news. The events of the past day and a half had spooked her. She hoped they found the other Bridget Riley soon, because this Bridget Riley didn’t know how to deal with all of this.
Bridget heard Lane talking quietly and then laughing, there was silence for a few moments, and “No you’re not bothering me … I’m glad you called … I love you too … Goodnight.” His walk around the house was bringing him closer to her end of the house making his conversation audible.
Bridget felt like she’d been punched in the stomach. He had a girlfriend! She knew it was silly to be upset. She knew that a man like Detective Johnson didn’t date women like her. She felt stupid, really stupid. She’d let down her guard and for a few minutes earlier in the evening she’d felt like any other woman sharing a meal with a handsome man. A couple of times, she’d even thought he’d been flirting with her.
“Dumb, dumb, dumb,” silently she chided herself. He was just being friendly, trying to make her comfortable with his presence. She hoped she hadn’t made a fool of herself. Of course, he was probably used to women throwing themselves at him, skinny gorgeous girls that had a chance with the Detective Johnsons of the world, NOT big girls like her. Not girls that even Barry Handford two timed. Oh the humiliation!
She vowed then and there to keep Lane Johnson at arm’s length. This was a business association and she reminded herself that she be smart not to forget it.
“Bridget,” Lane spoke softly. “Are you still awake?”
Note: Don’t forget all comments left on ANY post between November, 4th and November 30, 2010 will count as one entry into the Wii should be friends giveaway.
If you are interested:
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Bridget stood in center of her entry-way and turned in a slow circle taking in all of the chaos. She’d forgotten how bad it was. She’d tried not to think about it over the past twenty-four hours. Her parents had wanted to hire a cleaning firm to help clean it up, but the police had suggested that it shouldn’t be done until Bridget had time to go through the contents more thoroughly and advise them of any missing items.
At first glance on the night of the break-in Bridget had been unsure if there was anything missing. She’d checked out the obvious like her jewellery, but with all the mess it was very hard to tell. Her jewellery box had been over turned and bits and pieces of jewellery lay on the top of her bureau, on the floor. With it scattered all over, it was just too difficult to know what might not be there.
All though it was fairly obvious to Bridget that her entire house had been gone through, by far the worst damage was in her office. Her beloved books were strewn all over the room. Many lying open and trod upon, torn, ripped and ruined. Her filing cabinets had been emptied. Paper work, receipts and photos joined her books on the floor. By far the most upsetting to Bridget was her camera equipment. Her extra lenses and external flash lay broken and ruined on the floor amongst the paper mess.
Thankfully for Bridget she always carried her camera with her, but the loss of her additional equipment was definitely a low blow. She scrimped and saved for every last item. They’d been important to her, but not nearly as important as the photos she’d take with them.
Most of those photos were saved on external hard-drives that were in her desk. Only the most recent photos were saved on her laptop. Bridget scanned the floor of her office looking for the drives. There weren’t immediately visible. She started pushing around books, paper and office supplies with her feet looking for the hard-drives under the mess on the floor. They didn’t seem to be there.
Her desk had been tipped forward and was lying face down on the other side of the room. The position of the desk made it impossible for Bridget to know what was still left inside. She could see that the large flat screen monitor that she used with her desk-top computer was lying partially under the desk. She hoped it was still operational. She didn’t use her desk-top very often anymore, but if she planned to in the future she’d need a functional monitor.
Bridget crossed the room and bent to lift her desk. It was surprisingly light and Bridget had no trouble setting it upright. As she did so all of the doors and drawers swung open. There was very little left inside any of the compartments. Her desk-top was missing and unless her external drives were lying somewhere in the midst the chaos in her office, it looked like they were missing too.
Our winners are: Stacey Hebert-Powell –> I lover her :) Carla Roberts Taylor –> I reallly want this book. I really really love her!! Did I say REALLY??? Please email me with your snail mail addresses and I’ll the books out to you right away. Note: Don’t forget all comments Read more…
Note: Don’t forget all comments left on ANY post between November, 4th and November 30, 2010 will count as one entry into the Wii should be friends giveaway.
I’ve gotten over the angst of sharing. Once it’s done, it’s done! However, the actual writing has become more difficult, mostly because I worried about what you all may think. Nevertheless, I am still on track with FIVE chapters under my belt (so to speak).
If you are interested:
Chapter 3
“What? A bodyguard, that’s absurd! It was just a break-in; they happen all of the time!” Brigitte couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Dad come clean, are you hiring me a baby-sitter? I want the truth.”
Brigitte strode across her father’s dark, masculine office, planted her hands on her father’s desk and leaned forward staring him intently in the eyes. “Spill it!”
“Bridget calm down. I haven’t hired anyone. John Daniels is sending a detective to provided protection and get to the bottom of this”, Joe Riley sighed and pushed in hand through his silver hair, then he took a deep breath, paused to collect his thoughts and continued, “Bridget if I had my way, you wouldn’t leave the property. I’d happily hire as many men as it takes to keep you safe. I don’t like this one bit. However, John Daniels is my closest, dearest friend and if he says Detective Johnson is capable of keeping you safe. I’ll trust him, but don’t push me girl, I’m more than happy to lock you up and throw away the key.”
“Okay Dad, I hear you and I can see you are really worried, so I’ll accept Detective Johnson’s help”, Bridget conceded. Then she folded her arms and stood her ground, “for now”.
“According to John the two thugs that broke into the house are extremely dangerous and not too swift. They’re not playing with a full deck and don’t work alone. He is convinced they are on Max Giovanni’s payroll. If that’s the case you’ve made one very dangerous man angry my girl.” Joe rose slowly from his desk and walked to the window, behind his desk to stare out at the lush gardens below, even in fall they were spectacular, but today he didn’t see beauty. He was lost in thought, consumed with worry. He was silent for what seemed like an eternity to Bridget. Then he spoke quietly and firmly, “Bridget do you have any idea at all, why Max Giovanni would send those thugs to ransack your home? If you do, please tell me now. I can help.”
Bridget walked around her father’s massive desk and stood beside her dad. “Dad I have no idea. I’ve never met Max Giovanni, I don’t want to. I promise you there has to be a reasonable explanation for this.” She reached for his hand, “Please Dad, look at me … believe me … there is NO reason for Max Giovanni to break into my house. Tell me you believe me.”
Joe turned and looked at his daughter, into the blue eyes that were so like his own. “I believe you Bridget, but I am still worried. Please tell me you’ll take this seriously and let this Detective Johnson do his job.”
Bridget wrapped her arms around her dad and squeezed him tight. She knew she could count on him, “I promise Dad”.
Note: Don’t forget all comments left on ANY post between November, 4th and November 30, 2010 will count as one entry into the Wii should be friends giveaway.
Here is Chapter 2 of my NaNoWriMo. If you haven’t read Chapter 1 –> You may click here to do so.
Chapter 2
“Detective Johnson, I don’t think you understand. This isn’t a request, it’s an order.” Chief Daniels let out a big sigh, removed his glasses, and massaged the bridge of his nose. “Listen son, Bridget Riley is the daughter of my oldest friend. She’s insisting on going home, and I promised Joe Riley only the best to keep her safe.”
“I hear you Chief”, Lane Johnson was far from happy, but there was no arguing with the Chief. “I just don’t get it Sir. Why would she insist on going back to that run-down and now ransacked house? Wouldn’t she be more comfortable staying with her parents for a bit longer, and safer?” Lane couldn’t believe that after a dozen years of service, he was being forced into a glorified ‘baby-sitting’ job for a spoiled socialite.
“Detective, I agree that it seems odd. The old lady next door identified the perpetrators as Lionel Frank and Seth Robbins. You know as well as I do that they’re on Max Giovanni’s payroll. Whether or not Bridie is intentionally involved isn’t the issue. If she has something that Giovanni wants, she’s a sitting duck.” The Chief stopped, looked Lane straight in the eye. “I want to bring Max Giovanni in and I want Bridie Riley safe. You are just the man to do it. If Bridget Riley has committed a crime, she’ll have to answer for it just like anyone else. I want her alive to do it.”
“I understand sir. I’ll do my best.”
“I’m counting on it Johnson!” The Chief planted both of his hands on this desk and hoisted himself from his desk, indicating to Lane the meeting was over. “I realise it’s a Saturday, but please take as much time as needed today to clear up any necessary paper work. I’ll let Joe and Edie know you’ll pick Bridie up about 5 p.m. She spent last night with them.”
“Thank you sir”, Lane excused himself from the Chief’s office and headed straight for his desk, two floors below. Lucky for him, he didn’t let himself get behind with paperwork, so just a couple of hours later his desk was clear. He was ready for his new assignment. He figured he’d better head to his apartment and pack a few necessities. He really wasn’t looking forward to spending God-only-knows how long with a spoiled heiress in that dump! He supposed maybe dump was a bit harsh. If you looked past the mess that Frank and Robbins had made, he figured the first floor of the old place definitely had appeal.. He wondered what was keeping her from finishing up the upper floors. She couldn’t possibly be short of money. He wondered if maybe she had a drug or gambling problem and was into Giovanni for money. Why would Joe Riley’s daughter be living off of 97th street? It couldn’t be what she was used to.
Lane made a quick stop at his apartment to pick up enough clothing and toiletries for a few days. He hoped he wouldn’t need much more time than that. If Bridget Riley was playing games, he was pretty sure he’d be able to get to the bottom of the situation before long. He hadn’t mentioned it to the Chief, but a week from this Monday he’d booked off three weeks of vacation and had planned to drive out to Vancouver Island, to Tofino for some rest and relaxation. He sincerely hoped his babysitting duty would be over by then. He was willing to stick around if it meant nailing Giovanni, but he worked hard and he didn’t want to miss out on a well-deserved break for some spoiled, strung-out brat.
After packing, Lane decided to stop by and visit his Mom. He wasn’t sure how busy he’d be or for how long. He also knew she’d feed him, and if he was moving in with a drug addict, it might be smart to get a decent meal in him.
He knew his mom would be pleased to see him, and he was just as happy to see his mom. If he were honest, he was really happy to see her lasagne as well.
Over a huge plate of pasta he explained his new assignment to her. “Keep an open mind Lane. You can’t be sure she was involved. She may ‘just’ be a victim and in that case she’ll need some support and understanding. She’s probably terrified.”
Note: Don’t forget all comments left on ANY post between November, 4th and November 30, 2010 will count as one entry into the Wii should be friends giveaway.
If you follow me on facebook or twitter you’ll know that I am writing a book. Actually, I am participating in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). Basically, the goal is to write a 50,000 word novel (more of a novella really) in thirty days (or 1667 words per day).
I took on the challenge last year and won (finished the challenge). I was thrilled … I wrote a book. A book that exactly ZERO humans were permitted to read (not even Mr. MK). I didn’t even read it over in it’s entirety when it was finished. I saved the folder on my laptop and forgot about, until Monday morning when I wanted to give it a quick read so I could write a sequel. You see I’d created two characters who could star in my next book (HA). It was then I realized that my final copy wasn’t on my desktop, but on my old laptop, whose hard-drive is frazzled. I still have the first 35000+ words, but lost the the last 22000+.
It really it shouldn’t matter. I obviously hadn’t intended to show it to anyone, however, I realized that my proof was gone. That’s when I realized that I should have let some one read it. I was a BIG CHICKEN!
So tonight I share with you all –> Chapter One of my second book. Please, please remember that I am not a professional novelist. This is intended to be an easy read romance. Due to time constraints (50000+ words in 30 days) I am not proof reading (until it’s done). There will be errors in grammar and punctuation. I spell in Canadian/British English, not American (most of the time). I am creating the plot as I go along (I decided not to revive the characters from Book 1). I’d love feedback, but please don’t be too hard on me.
***
Chapter 1
Bridget strode briskly, even boldly down the street, humming not all that quietly to herself as she made her way home. It was a Friday afternoon after all, and even the self-employed deserved an evening off. She marvelled at the fall colours. She loved her older neighbourhood, with its narrow tree –lined streets. Its unconventional mix of old and new, it was a neighbourhood in transition. It definitely felt like home. It irked her mother to no end that she’d chosen to use the inheritance from her Grandmother to buy, “that dilapidated old rattle-trap!”
However, if it were up to her mother she’d still be living at home, or in the horrible black and white, uber-modern penthouse apartment her mother had tried to bribe her with after she’d graduated from university. She just couldn’t understand that Bridget wanted to make her own way. She was nearly thirty after all.
She’d fallen in love with the old house the moment the real-estate agent had pulled the car up front. It was a three-storey turn of the century brick Victorian. It was definitely in need of some TLC, but her inheritance hadn’t been quite that large. Bridget had spent the last two years working painstakingly on the first floor. She managed to keep the early 20th century charm and detail, and at the same time had modernized the kitchens and bathrooms ***HOUSE DESCRIPTION HERE. She had just enough living space on the main floor, but was looking forward to getting to work on the second floor and the master bedroom.
She sighed, as anxious as she was to get started, she didn’t want to go into debt for renovations and the quality craftsmanship required to do these sorts of renovations didn’t come cheaply. Of course she did as much of the work as she could on her own, but she was no carpenter and most of the jobs required a professional.
Would you like to read my romance? You would? Fat chance… I’ve reached the 50,000 word goal of NaNoWriMo.org. Actually, I reached it on the 17th. I’m not done yet though. I still have to write the last few pages of my romance. You know, the part where they declare Read more…