Hi Reader!
Last time I wrote to you was the day before I left for my whirlwind trip to California and Denver for the Travel and Adventure Shows. It was not the happy experience it should have been; a few days before that, we learned our nephew had suddenly passed away. The upside was that because we were already scheduled to be with my in-laws in California, and our nephew lived in Denver, we were able to be where we needed to be. I will say that it made being upbeat at the shows challenging, but being around so many happy people planning their adventures lifted our spirits. I also got to see several people I've met at previous shows, and that will always put a smile on my face.
We got home last Monday and BAM. Hello, bronchitis. I'm four days into a Z-pack (my first one) and I think I'm nearing the end of this crud. I love new experiences, but this one? I could do without.
Still, things are good. I'm writing away, and jumping into Alex Paige's world each morning is so much fun. Yes, I've been writing while sick. Is it harder? No. I think because it's my routine, my creative self kicks into gear as soon as I open that laptop. (I use a compact one specifically for writing.)
It's also because this is a whole different world. I'm enveloped in it. It wraps me up like a "cozy" blanket (except for the whole murder thing, you know). My alpha readers have been hard at it, and the feedback has been astoundingly good:
It flows.
It's compelling.
Great dialogue.
Can you be funnier?
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
One alpha reader had to put it down to go to bed, even though she wanted to keep reading.
I tell you what, this feedback is such a relief. This book has a large cast of characters and lots of scene changes. It's more complex than Peril was, which makes sense, since it's my second foray. Is it easy to follow? Does it flow?
The answer, they say, is yes!
I'm still shooting for a March 15 release date. Yes, I realize that's in one week. But I'll be writing "The End" tomorrow or Friday and this draft is super clean. If you're interested, in a future email I'll go into my process and why I can release quickly after writing a "first" draft.
In the meantime, if you wanted to pre-order, it would light an even bigger fire under my my writing bum! You can pre-order Revenge in the Rockies in e-book for $4.99, or paperback for $12.99. (Paperback will be shipped at the end of March/beginning of April.)
Happy Reading!
Theresa L. Carter (Goodrich)
Ready for an excerpt?
Here's a continuation from Revenge in the Rockies:
Behind her, William explained to Harriet that you can’t put a limit on friendship. “Friendship is not pie,” he said.
“But the word best means best. It means the top. It means there’s only one. You can’t have more than one best,” Harriet huffed. Huffing was Harriet’s preferred means of communication.
Alex accepted the key from the receptionist and turned around. “Harriet, Emily is my best female friend. William is my best guy friend.”
“Don’t you mean gay friend?”
“But even if they were the same gender, I see no need to limit my affections or my definitions. They are the best for different reasons, and yes, they are both the best.” Alex turned her attention to William. “I’ll wait over there,” she said, pointing to the closest wingback.
“Sounds good, bestie” he said, winking.
Alex settled into the chair and began scrolling through Instagram. She stopped when she came to a picture of Emily with three other people. The picture had been taken at The Broadmoor, the resort where all the chefs and journalists were staying during the filming of the inaugural episode of a new travel and cooking show. Emily stood next to a short woman with bright white hair and steel-rimmed glasses; the older woman looked like a marketing guy’s idea of a grandmother. On Emily’s other side, a man sporting a sleeve tattoo on one arm and a band of leather bracelets on the other scowled at the camera. Next to him, a blond man wearing a polo and khakis stood a few inches away. The four posed on a curved bridge over a lagoon. Emily’s bright fuchsia hair complemented the pale pink of the adobe-textured hotel and contrasted with the blue-black of the water. Emily, of course, wore a goofy expression. That must be LuEllen, Sergio, and Paul, Alex thought.
“Ready, Miss Fancy Pants?” William asked, shifting his backpack.
“What, this old thing?” Alex grinned, standing up to show off her outfit. She wore mint green linen pants and a collarless cream silk blouse with flared sleeves. A bright pink sash at her waist, worn in honor of Emily, added a pop of color, and she’d accented the look with a bold, chunky necklace and earrings that repeated the trio of hues. She slid her hands down her hips, relishing the feel of the fabric and the strength of her body underneath.
This was new for her. Alex had always gravitated towards black, convincing herself she needed to be nondescript in her role as an investigative reporter. Now things were different. Not only hadn’t she been a hard hitting journalist for some time, she also hadn’t been able to board a plane for over a year. She decided she was going to celebrate every return to normalcy she could, and that meant donning an outfit that too often sat in the far back reaches of her closet.
William fingered the cool silk of her blouse. “Gorgeous. But how in the world did you manage to keep from spilling your in-flight cocktail? If I wore anything cream-colored, I’d be wearing everything else, too. Why do you think I wear things like this?” he asked, indicating his highly patterned Hawaiian shirt.
“Right. You’re the epitome of nattiness. I don’t think you know how to spill things.”
“And you are not, so how’d you do it?”
Alex leaned over and whispered dramatically. “I asked for extra bev naps and used them as a bib.”
William cackled. “Oh, that’s so you, my dear. So very you.”
“See you tomorrow, Harriet,” Alex called, then looped her arm through William, noticing he only had a backpack. “Is that all you brought?”
“Bellhop. I drove out from South Dakota and they only do valet here. I tell you; they weren’t quite sure what to make of Bessie.”
Alex laughed. “I imagine they don’t get too many campervans here. It is The Broadmoor, after all.”
“Especially one as dirty as she is right now. The badlands and the Great Plains are mighty dusty, my friend.”
“Alex Paige? William Blake?” A woman holding a clipboard called to them. “I’m Becca, the producer of Dining + Destinations. Glad to see you’ve arrived safely.” She glanced past them and consulted her clipboard again. “That must be Harriet Raven. You three are the last to arrive. Did you get your itinerary?”
Alex nodded. “Yes, thank you. Looks like we’ve got a busy schedule.”
“Not as busy as the chefs. You should have a little down time each afternoon. Ok, then. I’ll see you right here tomorrow morning at 8am. Don’t be late,” she said brusquely, then walked off to meet Harriet.
Pre-order Revenge in the Rockies in e-book for $4.99, or paperback for $12.99. (Paperback will be shipped at the end of March/beginning of April.)