Merritt's Story: The Beginning

I've just started writing Merrit's story, the third book in the LIFETHREAD Trilogy. I typically chat with my characters to see where and how they want their story to unfold, and I wanted to share our first conversation with you. 

Me: "I think it's time to get started on your story."

Mer: Opens one eye and peeks at me from under a blanket. "You left me for last. Why should I wake up now?"

Me: Exaggerated sigh. Merritt is my problem child. "Because it's time for your Destiny to unfold."

Mer: Sitting up. "What makes you think you know anything about my Destiny? Lachesis is responsible for Destiny, and has been since long before you started writing us into life."

Me: Taking a fortifying swallow of Diet Coke. "It's my job to know these things. Now get out of that bed and participate. You'll regret it if you leave your Destiny up to me. You know you will."

Mer: Tossing the covers back with a snap. "All right. I'm up." She squints at me. "You've already started writing and you've put me in...oh, well, then. I've always wanted to go to Scotland."

Me: "Um-hmm. But I'll probably move you to Ireland soon."

Mer: Bouncing up and grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge. "Ireland is okay. Now, what about a guy? I'm the only one of us priestesses left without a guy, so you better make him good. I'm thinking really hot and with some magick. McK and Shealie both got guys with magick. I definitely want a hot magick guy."

Me: Another sigh. "We'll see. The first thing you need to do is enter the land of Faerie and - "

Mer: Tapping her foot, interrupting me. "No. I don't like that at all. I'm a priestess. We work for the Fates and they have nothing to do with the Fae, so that's a really bad idea."

Me: Chuckling. "Too late. You overslept, and things happen when you ignore the alarm clock. Now, I'm going to show you the entrance to Faerie, but the rest is up to you to figure out."

Mer: Blinking furiously. "You can't be serious. There isn't even a path."

Me: Smiling enigmatically. "That's right. You need to find your own way or you won't learn your Destiny."

Mer: Huffing. "Do I have to swim? I don't have an aversion to water like McKenna, but that looks like seriously cold water. No. I won't do it." She crosses her arms.

Me: Grinning. "Your choice. There's land there too, you know. And if you don't do it, there definitely won't be a guy in your life. And you'll be stuck at seventeen forever."

Mer: Glaring. "You're threatening me."

Me: Raising eyebrows.

Mer: "Okay. But I'm not gonna make this easy for you." She peeks around the edge of the photograph and disappears. 

Typical Merritt. Now I'll have to chase her and see what she's gotten into. Please join us as we explore Norway (I didn't tell her about that. Heheheh.), Ireland, Scotland, and England. It should be interesting to see what unfolds. So, tell me, what do you think should happen to Merritt when she enters the land of Faerie? 

a TOUCH OF THE PAST

AN INSIDE VIEW OF EVERLY'S VISIT TO SAND ISLAND

I'm blessed with several very good friends who live in Hawai'i and who are willing to tolerate me as a house guest for extended periods of time. Many of the scenes in my books are inspired by these visits. So, in celebration of the release of A TOUCH OF THE PAST, I thought I'd share a few of the pictures from behind the scenes.


About mid-way in PAST, Everly chases after the villain, and finds herself in one of the less-populated recreational areas of Honolulu, Sand Island. On the day I was there, it was almost deserted, rain threatened, and it had the quietly creepy feeling, like something bad was about to happen. 

  

From a Touch of the Past:

The air was heavy and smelled industrial, slightly chemical, and moist. Cloying. "I found pictures of the watchtowers on the Internet. I thought I’d hide in one and see who showed up. Maybe get a license plate number for you to trace."

Pierce’s eyebrows twitched.

We hiked for a good ten minutes, Pierce doing his thing—watching every direction at once, keeping me in his sight, and his hands loose. My sneakers smacked against the damp grass with a swishy, sucking noise that defined every step. He moved silently and faded into the wind—a wisp of energy that dissolved into the dark, practically nonexistent.

I spotted a structure that offered a good view of the surrounding area and headed toward it. "There, maybe."

The wind, scented with the promise of rain, tugged at my hair. I shivered.

Pierce edged close to me, the front of his body barely touching my back. Warmth seeped across the space between us, and he tapped my shoulder—a signal to stop. "Bad choice. I’ll boost you into that tree."

Tree? So stupid to have worn shorts. My already scratched legs wouldn’t fare well with tree climbing. I planted my feet. "Why not the watchtower. It would be easy to climb up the support structure, and it has those nifty open slats overlooking—"

"Crumbling concrete. Unstable and too obvious." Tension radiated through his fingers as they hit the small of my back with a thump. "Move. Now."

I ran toward the tree, and Pierce had me wedged onto a shoulder-high branch before I caught my breath. "Climb." He pointed to a sturdy niche several feet above me.

By the time I’d angled into a comfortable position, he’d disappeared into the night. 

Hawai'i will continue to be the setting for several more books in this series. I hope you enjoy Everly's adventures in the islands as much as I enjoyed writing about them. 


What are some of the prickly neck places you've visited?

Happy Reading!

L. j.

Available in digital format at AMAZON 

and BARNES & NOBLE