I’m taking the plunge this month. Starting on May 15, I began writing a romance with the trope–the well-known types of romance–of Forbidden Lover with an online group headed up by good friend and colleague, Rachelle Ayala. Every day for the next month we’re to write something, and by June 14, supposedly we’ll have the first draft of a true romance.
Rachelle supplies us with the elements of a romance such as plotting suggestions, conflict and tension, and climatic scenes. It’s our choice whether we write erotica, steam, or sanitized “G” copy. Mine will probably be somewhere in the middle.
The title of my book is Behind the Altar, and I already had the cover designed by the folks at Author Marketing Club. I’m a premium member over there so I’m entitled to one free cover per year.
Leah and Dean are the forbidden lovers and right from the first chapters, life conspires to keep them apart. Here’s a few lines from yesterday’s session:
โYouโre Dean?โ Leah said when she found her voice. โYouโre supposed to be dead.โ
โIโm no Mark Twain, but it appears the reports of my death were greatly exaggerated,” Dean said.
Leah stood and came toward Jacob who reached for her hand. Leah didnโt want to be that close to him right now, not until she received an explanation of why Jacob and Geraldine had lied to her for the past three years that sheโd lived with them.
โWhy did you tell me he died, Jacob?โ Leah asked. When her fiancรฉ didnโt answer, she turned around to look at Geraldine. โGeraldine?โ
โTo us, he was dead,โ Geraldine said.
โWhy?โ Leah asked. โWould someone please tell me whatโs going on here.โ
โWhatโs it to you, Miss Savior of the World?โ Dean asked. โThis is a family matter; it doesnโt concern the woman who’s been kicked out of the church hall for doing such a despicable thing as feeding the homeless.โ
โYou havenโt changed one bit,โ Jacob said. โYouโre still as nasty and spiteful as you were from the time you could throw your first mud ball. You can talk to me anyway you want, but please show my future wife respect. Sheโs done nothing to you.โ
โYour future wife?โ Dean stood looking at Leah but the sparkle in the eyes from a few moments ago seemed very far removed as these eyes flashed anger at Leah. โYouโre going to marry this creep?โ
Leah hesitated before nodding her head. โThat was the plan, but nothingโs going to happen if I donโt get an explanation about whatโs going on here.โ
โIโll leave you to your little fairy tale, princess,โ Dean said. โJust know that all is not what it seems here in Baptist land. Beware of the serpents.โ
Dean turned and walked out the same door heโd entered a few minutes earlier when heโd captivated Leah so thoroughly. No wonder he looked familiar, Leah thought, as she pulled away from Jacob. She ran to the door ignoring Jacobโs plea to stay there.
Time to go and write my pages for the day. I’ll keep you posted on my efforts. It’s good timing because I just finished the first draft of Native Lands, and now it’s in the hands of two Beta readers. Behind the Altar will help me pass the time while I wait for the trusted comments on a book that took far longer than a month to write.
14 responses to “#RomanceinAMonth – Behind the Altar”
I’m right there with you, Patricia! This is going to be fun. ๐
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Chicki, I so agree! And I’m meeting new friends such as yourself in the process. Win/win.
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Looking forward to reading the whole thing. ๐
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Me, too! If it all goes as it should, it won’t be long!
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What a novel idea! Pun intended. Sounds like you’ll have fun doing this.
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That’s the main thing, Darlene. I intend to enjoy every step with really no goal in mind except to write.
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Really intrigued your book so far. I think this class is going to be a great experience.
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Thanks, Michele. I’m looking forward to yours as well. I love the art gallery concept.
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Welcome to the genre, Pat. Can’t wait to see what the next month is like for you.
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Thanks, Staci. It’s exciting to do something different.
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Love the starting tension. Looks like it’s going to be a page turner.
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With your guidance, I hope so!
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Exciting! Can’t wait for a progress report!
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Thanks.
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