SUSPENSE SISTERS: OCTOBER GIVEAWAY

Suspense Sisters: October Giveaway

It's about Building Character

I've heard this since I was a "Bluebird," part of the "Campfire Girls" program. But character building is actually one of my favorite things. 

I just released the first book of a new series, and while this character isn't brand new, her development took weeks to complete. Tasha Sanderson was the spunky best friend of Dani Foster in GRIME BEAT and throughout the Grime Fighter series. She is now the "star" of my D-Street Mysteries beginning with my new book, D-VALUED.

When I build a character, I work on three levels, the presentation, the persona, and the pulse. Often I work on these at the same time, but if you really want to put it in order the pulse should go first because it is the central part of the character.

In the Pulse, will be the core values of the character. What are the things that the character will always do? What are the things that the character will never do? And probably more importantly, what happened earlier in their lives that caused these core values to develop? Is it relationships with family members or traumatic experiences that happened to her? Are these situations things that need to be resolved?

That leads me to the wounds. Oftentimes there are more than one wound. What caused the wound and how can it be resolved? Often times a wound cannot be healed, but it can be dealt with. Sometimes it just has to be overcome and lived with or another route needs to be found to bypass the issue that the wound causes. 

These particular situations are important for the development of the character and can make a huge effect on how the character responds to what goes on around her. The wound also tends to develop the a deep horror that the character holds. Oftentimes, this doesn't show up until a time of panic develops

Lies are another important part of the Pulse. Lies can be developed because of practices within the family or background issues, by the influence of others that are respected, or because of habits. The way the character talks to herself or the way others talk to her can develop lies that she believes, both good and bad. What are the lies that she believes about herself? Where did they come from? What could be the resolution? Especially in cases of a lie, the resolution can have a big part in the development of the story. And the same can be true about the lies that she believes about other people. Where did they come from and what could be the resolution for them?

Faith is a big part of the Pulse as well. What is the foundation the background and the growth of the character's faith. How does she interact with God, how often, and in what mindset? The mindset is crucial to discovering and growing the depth of her faith. If the only prayer is in times of need, the relationship is shallow. If prayer is a natural part of the day when anything, good or bad, happens, there is depth to her relationship and a natural acceptance of the constant presence and dwelling with God.

The Persona and the Pulse go hand in hand and sometimes can be developed together. The Goals and Hopes and Fears live in the Persona. Once the Pulse elements are developed, these can be generated. Then, I generally take a Myers-Briggs test for my main character. Keeping her Pulse in mind, I answer the questions to best my ability to develop their personality. The Myers-Briggs test often reveals how my character will react to the situations in which she finds herself.

The beauty of the Myers-Briggs is that the website, 16personalities.com develops the personality of the character for me., telling me the basic behavior of the character and how she will interact with other people. I generally read through it and then summarize it on my character sheet, so that I get it deeply ingrained in me, because I'm the one that needs to know it so that I can stay true to the main character.

So developing the persona is fairly quick and easy. The presentation is a little harder and takes a little longer. Based on my core values and the persona of the character I can give a presentation of my character. Some of the elements of the presentation are not character driven, such as height, body type, eye color, and some day-to-day activities.

Other things can be character driven depending on the personality of the character and what is naturally given. This includes things like hair color, length, and style. Weight falls under this topic along with clothing style, hobbies, strength, and pastimes.

This section is probably the one that I have to refer to the most when I am writing. It will include the type of car the character drives, the type of music the character listens to, the type of snacks she eats, and quirks she has. Favorite colors, likes and dislikes along with dreams and wishes are here. Habits can be defined here as well as attitudes, insecurities, and the fears, values, goals, and lies that are part of the pulse and persona will be reflected in this area. The job or extracurricular activities are often a result of the attitudes, insecurities, fears, values, goals, and lies that she has.

I have to tell you, this list generally starts out as about 6 pages, but by the time I'm done it tends to turn into almost a book itself. It's full of backstories and how my character came to be the way she came to be. My readers won't find that as part of my book or even my series, but the effects of those little pieces will be sprinkled all through the stories. And sometimes some flashbacks will come up to explain where the different wounds developed.

In my new series, Tasha actually gets her beginning in my very first series. Tasha is one of the secondary characters in Grime Beat and the rest of the books that follow that one. She has a desperate wound that develops in Grime Beat, and we learn that she has two other wounds that developed prior to Grime Beat. Then she has a couple of wounds that develop after that series is complete. And one of them is set up in a prequel that will release on November 21st as part of our Suspense Sisters anthology, HOLLY AND HOMICIDE. I can't wait for that release!

If a character is developed well, she feels authentic, true to life, and almost like a friend, albeit temporary. So what type of character do you most like to see in a Christian suspense story? Somebody who's quiet and unassuming? Someone who's gregarious and popular? Or maybe something in between?

Let me know your thoughts and don't forget to include your email address. One of you responding will get a free Kindle copy of Grime Beat.

Thoughts on Winter

Photo by Ian Schneider on Unsplash

I am finding that I set a lot of my suspense books in winter. One reason for that is that a cold, blizzard prone setting adds to the danger the characters face. The other reason is that I know winter well because I live in a part of the world where winters are long and sometimes harsh. Feedback from readers indicates that they find my descriptions of this season believable. One reader told me she could feel the cold as she read my books. My book that comes out at the end of December, Taken in Wyoming, takes place mostly in the icy frozen month of January. 

Though I have lived in a place where long cold winters were a reality, I have a love hate relationship with the season. I love being where it snows at Christmas time and I love cozy winter days when I have nowhere to go and can stay inside and watch the snow fall. I love the feeling of having been out in the cold and then coming inside for a hot cup of tea. I don't even mind shoveling snow as long as it isn't cold enough to freeze my nose hairs. It's good exercise. 

There is plenty I don't like about winter. I've never been a winter sports person. So even though I see bumper stickers that say "think snow" for the people who love to ski, that has not been my thing. As I get older, driving on the snow and ice wears on me. Having to plan an extra twenty minutes to let your car warm up before you can go anywhere is a pain. Slipping on the ice is not fun. 

I love to live in a place where the is a distinct change in the seasons, but sometimes I wish winter was just a little shorter and a little warmer. What are your thoughts on the coldest season? Maybe you live in a place where winter isn't a factor. What do you love about that? Leave a comment with your email address. I will pick three people for two copies of Taken in Wyoming so you can experience winter while in your cozy warm house. 

Sharon Dunn

 

WHAT'S HOT in Christian Romantic Mystery and Suspense

SUSPENSE SISTER RELEASE! New release for a brand new series. 

Today, D-VALUED by Marji Laine is only 99¢. I hope you'll take advantage of the special pricing! 

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D-Valued: Mystery & Suspense in a Small Town 

by Marji Laine

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Someone is lying. Possibly everyone.

Tasha Sanderson came to her aunt's Texas farmhouse to disappear for a while — from the law firm that burned her, from the man she can't stop thinking about, from the version of herself she's not sure she likes anymore.

She didn't come to investigate a missing fiancé. Or a murder. Or the peculiar connection between a global tech scheme and a grieving man with nothing left to lose. But when a frightened woman at a roadside accident presses Tasha's hand and whispers find him — something clicks into place that Tasha can't ignore.

D-Street Investigations calls her a trainee. The police call her a nuisance. The killer hasn't called her anything yet.

But they've noticed her.

D-Valued is a Christian romantic mystery set in the small city of High Grove, Texas — where secrets run deep, connections run deeper, and one woman's instincts might be the only thing standing between the truth and another body.

“D-Valued gave me everything I love in a book. Characters I want to root for and a mystery that kept me turning the pages. Just when I thought I had everything figured out, there was a twist I didn't see coming. If you enjoy compelling characters, intrigue, and a story that keeps you guessing, you need to get a copy of this book!”
A.D. Lawrence author of THE PURPLE NIGHTGOWN

Get your copy of book 1 of the D-Street Mysteries, a Christian mystery and suspense series set in a small town in East Texas, HERE!

THIS WEEK ON THE SUSPENSE SISTERS!

We have exciting things planned for you this week on the Suspense Sisters!

On Tuesday, Suspense Sister Marji Laine will tell us what’s hot in inspirational suspense and mystery.

Wednesday, Suspense Sister Sharon Dunn talks about the pros and cons of winter. She’s also giving away pre-release copies of her upcoming book, TAKEN IN WYOMING.

A missing persons case reopened.

A shocking truth revealed.

Bethany Henderson returns to town to solve the twenty-year-old mystery of her childhood friend’s disappearance, but now someone wants her dead. Attacked and left in the snow, she refuses to abandon her search for answers. With police officer Christian McTavish—haunted by his late father’s failure to close the case—by her side, they begin to dig into the past. But the closer they get to the truth about Felisha’s vanishing, the more dangerous their investigation becomes—because someone will do anything to keep their crimes hidden.

From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.

ORDER IT HERE 

Friday, author Marji Laine will discuss her writing process when she crafts a series. She’ll also give away a copy of her novel, GRIME BEAT, where readers can meet the main character that appears in her newest series. Here’s something about the first book in this exciting series, D-VALUED.

Someone is lying. Possibly everyone.

Tasha Sanderson came to her aunt's Texas farmhouse to disappear for a while — from the law firm that burned her, from the man she can't stop thinking about, from the version of herself she's not sure she likes anymore.

She didn't come to investigate a missing fiancé. Or a murder. Or the peculiar connection between a global tech scheme and a grieving man with nothing left to lose. But when a frightened woman at a roadside accident presses Tasha's hand and whispers find him — something clicks into place that Tasha can't ignore.

D-Street Investigations calls her a trainee. The police call her a nuisance. The killer hasn't called her anything yet.

But they've noticed her.

D-Valued is a Christian romantic mystery set in the small city of High Grove, Texas — where secrets run deep, connections run deeper, and one woman's instincts might be the only thing standing between the truth and another body.

ORDER IT HERE 

CONGRATULATIONS TO ROXANNE CRUZ FOR WINNING LAST MONTH'S GIVEAWAY! SHE RECEIVED A $100 GIFT CARD FOR AMAZON! BE SURE YOU ENTER THIS MONTH FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN!

Don’t forget to enter our monthly contest!

THE SUSPENSE SISTERS

WE LOVE BOOKS

The Turn - And a Giveaway!

Marji Laine here.

There’s something so refreshing about a season change. Especially this one that ends a desolate, scorching period of time with a refreshing chill and welcome rain.

Life has seasons like this. I can see the fall in a life or spiritual sense as the season when the work that has been done starts showing fruit. That would lead to winter as a season of rest, preparing for the next opportunity. I see summer as a season of waiting, almost like the earth holds its breath between the planting of the spring and the harvest of autumn.

That leaves the spring.

It’s a season of planting, awakening. For most of nature, it’s the season of new beginnings.

Such is the case for me right now. I know, we’re finally getting to the fall – my favorite season! But I’ve been working for almost eight years to reach this point.

I not only have a new book, I have a new series based on my most popular Grime Fighter Mysteries series. I’m so excited about the D-STREET MYSTERIES. Book 1, D-VALUED comes out Tuesday, October 6.

Here’s a little about the book:

Someone is lying. Possibly everyone.

Tasha Sanderson came to her aunt's Texas farmhouse to disappear for a while — from the law firm that burned her, from the man she can't stop thinking about, from the version of herself she's not sure she likes anymore.

She didn't come to investigate a missing fiancé. Or a murder. Or the peculiar connection between a global tech scheme and a grieving man with nothing left to lose. But when a frightened woman at a roadside accident presses Tasha's hand and whispers find him — something clicks into place that Tasha can't ignore.

D-Street Investigations calls her a trainee. The police call her a nuisance. The killer hasn't called her anything yet.

But they've noticed her.

D-Valued is a Christian romantic mystery set in the small city of High Grove, Texas — where secrets run deep, connections run deeper, and one woman's instincts might be the only thing standing between the truth and another body.

Launch Day price for the e-book is only 99¢ next Monday and Tuesday! Set a reminder to grab it!

And I'm giving away a free e-copy to one of you who will answer this question in the comments: What season are you in? Why do you think you're in that season? 

Don't forget to leave your email address with your comment! I look forward to seeing you're answers!