Good morning, world! As my crazy week continues into day eleven of no time off, I’ve decided to take half days. Meaning, I’m home by noon and napping by three and awake again by five. It kills any extra writing time I would get in the afternoons, but three hour naps are often awesome. Then I go back to work in the evenings for some meetings I’m not happy about having (mostly because I want time off, not their content).
Anyway, I am getting some stuff done in the mornings for the most part. Here’s my ROW80 update.
- write 1667 words a day
- Sunday — 0
- Monday — 0
- Tuesday — 2291
- Blog posts each week:ROW80,WIPpet, Open When, and 1 extra post
- I have a post scheduled for every single day this week. All 7 days of them. I’ve started a new blog series that’ll last around ten weeks about the broken taboos I write.
- Audio: Record/Edit a chapter a week
- My speakers blew out in my brand new computer that is just barely a month old. So no…I haven’t done this yet, and I’m not sure when I’ll get to it at this point.
Onto WIPpet Wednesday. I’m still hard at work on Grace through Redemption. I have to say, it’s very weird to be working on book 3 when book 2 isn’t out yet. It comes out in June, and we’re working on final edits for it. But still weird. Luckily, there’s loads of non-spoilery information and chunks for me to choose from. This is from a chapter called “Tricks and Pranks.” I think it’s about time Grace move forward in her own little world.
OH! I wrote a short story earlier this year, and I might turn it into a novel. Or at least use that to build a novel, and if I do that, Grace might back a reappearance in it. That’d be pretty kick ass. I still have to write it and get a main character set up, but thus far I think I’ve got the plot figured out. =P
Here are 19 paragraphs (short because it’s pretty much all one line dialogue) from Tricks and Pranks in Grace through Redemption. 19 because 14 + 5 = 19 x 1 = 19 x 1= 19 + (2 x 0) = 19
“Halling.”
“Captain,” she responded with malice in her tone.
“Statement?”
She ran through the events quickly, adding at the end that everything else would be in her report. He took down the basic facts in his tiny notebook and then nodded to her when she finished. Grace felt relief and was about to jump back into her cruiser to finish out what was left of her shift. Hopefully no more calls came in.
“Halling,” he said again, his gaze piercing her.
“Yes, sir.”
“Have you thought about becoming a detective?”
Grace’s brows furrowed, and she narrowed her eyes at him, giving him a disbelieving look. “No, sir. I haven’t.”
“You’ve been a patrol officer for ten years now.”
“I have.”
“And you’ve never thought about it?”
Grace scoffed and shook her head. “I’ve thought about it. Sure. Who hasn’t? But it’s not something I ever thought about pursuing. At least not yet.”
“Well, think about it some more and apply for the positions when they open up. We’re moving people around in departments and have retirements coming up. Your name has been tossed around as a good fit.”
“It—what?”
“Your name has been brought to our attention.”
“For a detective?”
“Yes.”
Grace let out a breath and looked up at him, her eyes wide and her mind racing. She wasn’t sure what to say. She’d honestly never thought she would make a good detective, but with Amya in her life perhaps it would be a good idea to take a position that wasn’t as much on the front-lines as she was.
“I’ll think about it,” Grace answered, finally.
If you’d like to join in WIPpet Wednesday, feel free! Just share a post with a snippet from your WIP (Work in Progress) that somehow relates to the date. Use simple math or get creative with it. Then go here and link it up with the rest. Make sure you reciprocate comments!
Cool, since new perspective! Although I assume Grace wouldn’t be able to kick as much butt anymore. *g* But solving a mystery or two might also be fun. 🙂
Hope things calm down for you again soon!
Yeah she definitely wouldnt be able to kick as much butt. But hey! Maybe it’ll start a spin off series!
Great excerpt Adrian! I loved the tension in this scene and Grace’s reluctance to commit herself to being a detective.
I thought it was good the way you brought in her relationship with Amya and how it’s changing Grace’s perspective on things.
It really is changing her perspective on things. Im not sure how conscious of it she is yet, but theyre at a turning point in their relationship thats for sure.
She loves being a beat cop. If she does become a detective, itll be a huge adjustment.
Maybe it’s just not for her. I had a friend who started a new job which was similar to her old one but paid better. But she hated it and went back to the old one.
So really you never know. Anyway, you’re keeping us guessing which is no bad thing!
Forgive me, but I kept picturing a female Columbo. *ducks for cover* In my defense, Columbo is the only police-detective thing I ever followed. Well, except for CSI and NCIS. I followed those for a season.
I also had it in my head Grace was in her twenties, not a rookie, but not a third of the way to retirement either. The title of the chapter makes me wonder how serious the Captain is about his suggestion. It would make sense, I think, if Grace were up for promotion, but there’s obviously no great love between them and he could be messing with her. Either way, nice excerpt. 🙂
Haha columbo! The chapter title has more to do with other things in it than this. Shes never been a rookie in my head =P and maybe thats a comtext thing too. Shes 31-32ish. She went in young.
Oh, that is pretty young. Right into the academy after high school practically. Was she an Eagle Scout, too? In Los Angeles, the Eagle Scouts have, or had, at least, a program that helps kids move into the Sheriffs academy. My dad started real young like that.
No she didnt. But she did just finish her associates and was basically accepted that way
Sounds like a fun read! 🙂
Best of luck on an awesome and productive week.
Thanks!!
I really like Grace. Hope she keeps on showing everyone how great she is at what she does
I really like her too.
I’m not sure I totally trust Grace’s superior. And she certainly doesn’t seem to have a good relationship with him. That makes things a bit dicey. Also makes me wonder if he just wants her out of his hair, and that’s why he’s pushing the promotion. Or would she still be reporting to him?
She would still be reporting to him. Captains are just below chiefs are she would have to report to him before she would report to a chief.
She doesnt normally work with this captain. Normally she wirks wuth Brandon but he was out for other reasons so she got stuck with this guy.
Ah…okay.
Interesting excerpt. Dynamics are deceiving I think. Would like more! Here’s to a continued productive week.
Yeah sometimes context is everything.
I do love Grace, and it would be fun to see what she does as a detective, even if it means less butt-kicking action. 🙂
There’s something deeply terrifying about the phrase “your name has been brought to our attention”… Do like this excerpt very much, your dialogue flows so naturally.
Thanks!! I try hard eith the dialogue.
I don’t know – the brass’s idea of a good fit, and a real good fit, in Grace’s life and out in the world,could be very different…
It’ll be interesting to see what she decides to do, and how it turns out….
In the meantime, I hope you get some rest!
Yeah. Definitely something for her to think about