No more NANO But....

 It's still a great month to write a novel!

I signed up for ProWritingAid which is a site to track kind of like Nanowrimo but not quite as good. But hey! They're new and just tuning up their gears. People are asking for a way to connect with their friends and ProWritingAid says it's working on a safe way to do it. 

Now is the time to figure out what to write. (Isn't this always the hard part?) Get an idea and flesh it out enough to create a full novel. 

Ideas I have. I put them in the notes on my phone, there's little pieces of paper all over my desk with story ideas scribbled on them and I have a few novels finished but not edited. So all I have to do is pick one. 

One way to start an idea is to think about the Hero's Journey. Character/Normal world/Challenge or problem. Insert some "what if's" and just write. 

I was listening to the Bookfox on YouTube. He did an episode of how great writers write and talked about Ray Bradbury. Bradbury challenged himself to put down 5 words and through the week create a short story out of them. Start on Monday, send that story out on Saturday. Considering he wrote Fahrenheit 451 in 9 days this might be a great exercise for writers. 

Happy November Novel Month! Let's write! 

BOOK REVIEW - This one was good! The Sun Down Motel

 The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James, Canadian author of mystery, historical fiction, and romance novels. 

This was the first of her books that I've read. 

This one keeps you turning pages. I got the audio version and the narrators ( Brittany Pressley & Kirsten Potter)were spot on. They gave a realistic feel to the characters. If you're a fan of audiobooks, you know how important the voice can be.

The story is about two women, an aunt, Viv, and her niece, Carly, who both have supernatural experiences at a rundown, motel, but years apart. The niece arrives at the hotel to solve the disappearance of an aunt she never met, who went missing years before. 

First, we meet the aunt, Viv, who is hitchhiking to NYC and lands at the motel by accident (or fate?) 

We jump the timeline years later when her niece comes to find out what happened to the aunt she never met. 

Moving back and forth on the two timelines worked really well and was easy to follow. 

Carly, the niece, investigates murders while searching for clues about her aunt. The motel has ghosts from murders and an accident years before, and the creepy vibe comes on slowly but soon weaves its way into the story. 

 I'd definitely give this book 5 stars since it held my attention, gave me shivers, and had me emotionally involved with Carly and Viv. 

All loose ends were tied up with a big twist at the end. Loved it! 

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