#WWW: Short Story Structure by Linda Carroll-Bradd #Excerpt

Today I have the lovely Linda Carroll-Bradd here to share a bit about short story structure AND her newest release! Be sure to check out the giveaway, too!

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While taking a recent online class on writing short stories, I learned some basics on structure which helped me complete three stories in just a couple days each and get them contracted. One of the important tasks in a short story is to create events that occur within a short time frame, like a couple days or a week. So an author doesn’t have the word count to reveal through long introspection what happened to get the character to this exact moment when the conflict starts. The advantage to the author is the fact only a few key pieces of information need to be created for each character. What’s essential is to make sure the characters you’re creating are opposites in their backgrounds and have opposing thoughts on what they want out of life. Another important consideration is to keep the focus on the hero and heroine, don’t add characters that don’t fulfill a specific function.

What do I mean by a short time frame? For my most recent release, Unlocked Treasure, I knew I needed a Halloween theme or event as part of the story. (that was the publisher’s decision) So I build a story that took place the week before the holiday and worked in a real-life event that occurs in Providence, Rhode Island. I created a week-long grid on Excel (you could do this longhand) and worked out how they would meet, what would make them cross paths a second time, what shared interests did they have, what opposite interests, and which character had the most changing to do. In this case, she hated anything to do with the sea because of past events and he’s a sailor/maritime instructor and yacht builder. He’s an adventurer who is hunting pirate treasure and she has experienced loss because of sea-related careers. Instant conflict that is worked out at the end of the 15K story.

What do I mean by opposing goals? Ever hear of a plot with a homebody and a wanderer? How could you construct a plot where there’s a happy ending for this couple? Obviously, one of the characters will have to realize that the other person is wonderful enough to change his or her goal. I did this in my story, Wanderer, Come Home, that’s included in the Cowboys, Creatures and Calico, Vol 1 anthology published by Prairie Rose Publications. Five years earlier, the heroine came to Texas as a mail-order bride and has been recently widowed, so she owns more land now than her parents ever did. And she aims to hold onto it. Into town rides an ex-Texas ranger who is tracking a stagecoach robber but is also looking for a job on a ranch to get him through the winter. Just until the Texas legislature funds the Rangers again. (true fact about early years of the Rangers) So they have very different goals that are resolved with a HEA by the end of the 15K story.

What do I mean keep the focus on Hero and Heroine? In my short story, Bewitching Gypsy, included in Spooktacular Seductions (releasing 10/31) from Roane Publishing, I include only 2 main characters, an infant, and 2 secondary characters that are in and out of the story within a page (plus 2 horses, 1 dog, and 1 goat). In this story, I threw in 2 standard romance tropes—baby on the doorstep and amnesia. After a one-page introduction of the heroine shown in an activity that reveals the type of person she is, she is faced with immediate intrusions into her solitary life. Her character is revealed further as she deals with the baby and amnesiac hero. This 7900 word story pits the hero and heroine together in tight quarters as she tends his wounds and happens in less than 24 hours.

I find writing short length stories hones my skills to keep the action centered on the couple and love typing “the end” within a few days.

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Unlocked Treasure

Will a prophecy keep a lonely woman from accepting the promise of adventure?

Aleen MacRae blames the lure of the sea for breaking apart first her family then her engagement. When her interest is caught by a man she sees both in person and in a dream, she resists—afraid to believe in her aunt’s prediction that her future is tied to the sea.

Braden Williams is on the hunt for treasure buried centuries earlier by Rhode Island pirates. His search brings him to the property where Aleen lives. Collaboration on genealogy research draws them closer, and Braden steers her toward his true passion--sailing.

Attending a party with Braden’s family lets her glimpse what she’s been missing. An unexpected discovery before her date with Braden at the Halloween Midnight Organ Recital forces a decision. Will Aleen play things safe or accept what this free-spirited man offers?

EXCERPT:

Ah, the story of her life—practically invisible. The reminder his first sighting had been of her bikini-clad backside made her blush. Still didn’t change the facts. Aleen squared her shoulders. “I remember, but the Manor grounds are still closed.” Should she be nervous about being alone with this stranger, especially one who ignored posted rules?

“Sorry for the intrusion. Let me start over.” Smiling, he approached and extended his right hand. “My name’s Braden Williams.”

Aleen bit her lower lip, but accepted his hand. “Pleased to meet you. I’m Aleen MacRae.” At the moment their hands clasped, she felt warmth flooding her fingers. With a jerk, she released her grip, tingling sensations running along her skin. Immediately, the scent of fresh air and summer breezes wafted her way. Definitely a man of the sea. Just where I foretold your future lies. Whispers of her great-aunt Zsofika’s prophecy trickled through Aleen’s thoughts. At the memory, her cheeks flamed with heat.

“Wow.” Frowning, Braden flexed his hand and narrowed his gaze then dropped it to his flexing fingers. “That was bizarre.”

“Static electricity, from all that wind yesterday.” A reasonable explanation. In the back of her mind, Aleen could hear Zsofika scoff, “Static schmatic. A connection like that is destiny.”

“Well…” His gaze searched her face. “Aleen—hey, that’s pretty, like the direction alee.” A wide smile exposed even teeth.

Her own smile dimmed. Like I’ve never heard that before. “Thanks.” This guy was not charming his way around the rules. “Sorry, but you’ll need to come back when the gardens are open for visitors. That’s Wednesdays through—”

“Yeah, I read the sign.” He gave a dismissive wave then turned to gaze back at the main house. “But I just needed five minutes to check out some dimensions and the lot layout.”

“So, you woke up this morning and just decided to start out your week by trespassing?”

PURCHASE LINKS:

Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00O0EQ754

The Wild Rose Press: http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=242_175_143&products_id=5855

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/unlocked-treasure-linda-carroll-

bradd/1120577500?ean=2940150749191

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As a young girl, Linda was often found lying on her bed reading about fascinating characters having exciting adventures in places far away and in other time periods. In later years, she read and then started writing romances and achieved her first publication--a confession story. Married with 4 adult children and 2 granddaughters, Linda writes heartwarming contemporary and historical stories with a touch of humor from her home in the southern California mountains.

Website www.lindacarroll-bradd.com

Blog http://blog.lindacarroll-bradd.com

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Linda-Carroll-Bradd-author/440814942635289

Twitter https://www.twitter.com/lcarrollbradd

Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1806413.Linda_Carroll_Bradd

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/author/lindacarroll-bradd

#WriterlyWisdomWednesday: Enriching Stories with Ethnic Customs by Linda Caroll-Bradd

Linda Carroll-Bradd, romance author, is here today sharing about how she strives to keep her stories rich with ethnic customs.

Be sure to check out her latest release, Sweetwater Springs Christmas.

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Enriching Stories with Ethnic Customs

As an author, I want to create a story with three-dimensional characters living in a realistic world—no matter in what era the story is set. Granted the world is fictional but I want to include enough specific details to enable readers to form visual images as they read. Because I only know the holiday traditions from my own experience, I needed to research customs from other ethnic groups for a recent holiday story. My goal is to always have enough detail that someone who is from that country will recognize familiar foods or items. As with lots of research, the quest for a tidbit of information led me deeper into the subject and I amassed more facts than the scene can hold.

In Wishes On A Star (a short story in Sweetwater Springs Christmas), the heroine Richelle Quaid is spending the Christmas holiday with her aunt and uncle and is helping to decorate the tree. A family story emerges about a special hand-blown glass ornament made by an adored uncle that survived the journey from Germany to America. Aunt Iola speaks of this uncle and how her mother lamented that so many ornaments were broken on the trip over the Atlantic. Although her aunt is the sister of Richelle’s mother, Richelle has never heard this story and doesn’t remember seeing a similar ornament on her family’s tree.  Instead, many of the ornaments are made of crystal, which reflects her father’s Irish heritage. [Here I’ve created a potential plot question for a future story]

My idea of old-fashioned trees is that candy canes (without the cellophane wrappers) hung at the ends of the fir branches. So I researched candy canes (zuckerstange in German) and learned (to my great joy) that one source states candy canes were invented in Germany in 1672. A choirmaster asked a local candy maker to create sweet sticks that he could pass out in the middle of the lengthy Christmas Eve service to keep the children quiet. (obviously before the real facts about kids and sugar were discovered) He specified that one end should have a hook to remind children of the shepherds who visited Jesus. The original sticks were pure white but by 1844, a recipe for red and white sticks flavored with peppermint was in print. So I gave Aunt Iola the memory of eating sweet sticks during worship service as a child. And I knew that having candy canes available to buy from a sweets shop in 1895 was feasible.

The details are minor and some readers may not take notice, but I believe taking the time to research customs that are part of the character’s heritage and weave them into the plot makes the story richer and more satisfying.

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Sweetwater Springs Christmas is an anthology by 11 western historical authors set in 1895 in the world created by Debra Holland in her Montana Sky series of sweet historical romances.

Free-spirit Richelle Quaid is outspoken, confident and a little bit spoiled. She sets tongues wagging with her bloomers and bicycle but also catches the eye of visiting rancher Landon Howard. An incident with her bicycle causes his prize colt to bolt into the cold Montana night. As Richelle and Landon track the animal together, they can’t fight their growing attraction. Will a wish made on a star foretell their future?

Purchase Link:

Amazon

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About Linda Caroll-Bradd

As a young girl, Linda was often found lying on her bed reading about fascinating characters having exciting adventures in places far away and in other time periods. In later years, she read and then started writing romances and achieved her first publication--a confession story. Married with 4 adult children and 2 granddaughters, Linda now writes heartwarming contemporary and historical stories with a touch of humor from her home in the southern California mountains.

Links:

Facebook  Website   Amazon Author   GoodReads  Blog

#WeeklyWriterlyWisdom : Linda Caroll-Bradd, Romance Author

Welcome to this week's WWW where fellow Wild Rose Press romance author, Linda Caroll-Bradd, will share a bit about today's marketing on freebie sites. 

Stick around after her guest post for an excerpt from her latest release, Dipping In A Toe.

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Book Promotion on Free Sites

In today’s book market, even more than a year or two ago, authors must put in a significant amount of time to promote their titles. Used to be an author only needed a website. Then reader interest went to blogs where the author was expected to be entertaining and share more personal information. In some instances, authors banded together and created group blogs to capitalize on cross-promotion opportunities.

 Next stage was creating an identity on social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, reddIt, Tumblr—and undoubtedly more that I haven’t heard of). Articles presented by various experts on social media warn about trying to be everywhere and that authors should concentrate on two social media platforms and focus their energy and time there.

Every author should create an author page on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. This allows readers who find one of your titles to go to one location where all your titles are listed. Another place to be established is on Goodreads. Both of these places have a maximum 24-hour delay from application to approval.

Since Thanksgiving 2012, I have had 5 titles release and learned of various places to create a specific author page. Once you’ve invested the time to create an author account on the following sites for free, you connect your individual titles with your author page and only need to return when your next title releases. Viola, another place where you have an online presence.

Specifically for sweet to sensual titles:

Classic Romance Revival      http://www.classicromancerevival.com

Story Finds                              http://storyfinds.com

For all heat level of titles:

Book Daily                              http://www.bookdaily.com

Coffeetime Romance             http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/

Manic Readers                       http://www.manicreaders.com

Romance Novel Center          http://www.romancenovelcenter.com

Story Findsx                            http://storyfindsx.com

The Romance Reviews          http://theromancereviews.com

Also, here’s a monthly newsletters where you can submit a free listing of your upcoming title

The Book Breeze                    http://www.thebookbreeze.com

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Dipping In A Toe 

Contemporary Romance

by Linda Carroll-Bradd

Jessa Landers has a secret crush on her teens’ years-younger swim coach. A widow for three years, she’s managing her life and enjoys her freedom—except for long, lonely evenings when she craves an attentive man.

Coach Rick Grant loves being a high school teacher and swim coach. Surrounded by families has him yearning for his own romantic connection—and his eye is on Jessa.

Will Jessa protect the balance of her family life, or take a second chance on love?

Purchase Links:

Amazon   /  Barnes and Noble  /  The Wild RosePress 

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Excerpt:

As if pulled by an invisible thread, my gaze went to the tall, fit man with the ever-present clipboard in one hand and a stopwatch in the other. Normally an adult wearing tropical-print board shorts and a faded surfboard tee-shirt looked like he clung with desperation onto his youth. Instead Rick Grant wore the attire like a medal of honor—like he’d earned the right to promote a Hawaiian surfing competition from a decade earlier.

Maybe he had. The image of his tan, lean body balancing on top of a surfboard flittered through my mind. I pictured him, thinner but still muscular, body sparkling with water droplets, wavy hair streaked with blonde highlights, outlined against a cerulean blue sky. A heartfelt sigh escaped.

Christy stopped to turn in her ascent up the metal bleachers, and cocked her head. “You okay, Jessa?”

Caught. I whirled toward the bleachers and set a foot on the lowest step. “I’m fine. Where do you want to sit?” Heat burned my cheeks and I ducked my head, pretending the need to focus on placing my wedge sandals on each step. I didn’t want the other mothers to learn about my pathetic infatuation with the swim coach.

An infatuation I kept telling myself was wrong. Didn’t I have enough to do between my paralegal job, keeping up the house, managing the kids’ activities, and arranging visits with their grandparents? How could I possibly add dating to this hectic lifestyle?

Even if by some wild chance the man in question were to show interest…

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About Linda Caroll-Bradd

As a child, Linda was often found lying on her bed reading about characters having exciting adventures in places far away. Upon reaching a landmark birthday, she decided to write one of those romances she loved so much. Easier said than done. Perseverance paid out and twelve years later, she received her first call from a publisher and a confession story was published. Now Linda writes heartwarming contemporary and historical stories with a touch of humor, and many have a tie to her previous home of Texas.

Linda enjoys writing from her cabin in the mountains among the cedar and pines with her husband of 34 years and their two much-loved dogs. 

Links:

Website  /  Blog  /  Goodreads  /  Facebook 

Western Roundup #Giveaway Hop : Stepping out of Line #Romance

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Click on image to add on Goodreads

Stepping out of Line

Romance

by Linda Caroll-Bradd

Two years ago Roxie Starr left behind her life as a Vegas showgirl and came home to Wayback, Texas to open a styling salon. She claims she’s there to help with her younger sister, but the truth is age was catching up to her body and the time had come to step out of the chorus line.

Fighting against a nagging injury, Dev Laredo is determined to finish one last rodeo. He won’t return to his Oklahoma ranch until he’s won enough to cover his brother’s college tuition. The sight of a sassy redhead sparks his interest, but her tender ministrations to his injury touch his lonely heart. Can two bruised souls put aside their differences and give love a fighting chance?

Purchase Links:

TWRP   /  AMAZON  /  BARNES& NOBLE

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

#AuthorInterview : Linda Caroll-Bradd, Romance Writer

Today my fellow Christmas Magic author, the lovely Linda Caroll-Bradd, has agreed to let me pick her brain! Thanks so much for visiting, Linda.

Thanks for hosting me, Terri.

Let's get started. What inspired Wishes Come True? 

Because I didn’t grow up in a small town, I always wished I lived in one and think I’ve probably idealized that experience and. So I reversed that set-up—imagined a woman who’d grown up in a small town and wanted to get out, to explore.

What comes first for you – the story or the character?

Character. I need to imagine the person first (archetype, a couple personality quirks, sometimes the name) and then I put that character in a setting that usually is part of why the goal isn’t met.

If you could choose to stay a certain age forever, what age would it be?

Thirty-six—the age I was after my youngest daughter was born. My nuclear family was complete.

If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would do?

Offer college tuition to my adult children.  A career life without a degree is tough and a college education is such a future-shaping experience.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you choose?

Elizabeth Bennett, heroine of my favorite book. She’s smart, witty, stands up for herself, and is willing to reassess her opinions.

What would you name the autobiography of your life?

Changes That Made Me Stronger

Can you keep secrets? Describe a time you didn't.

When I was about ten, I peeked at a Christmas present that was to be shared by my two sisters and me. Of course, our parents had forbidden us to look at the blanket-covered block behind the sofa. For a week before the big day, I knew what our present was. Although I didn’t admit it aloud, I had totally spoiled my parents’ secret and wrecked my own surprise.

Can you tell us what you’re working on now?

I’m working on a historical story with a working title of Mirror Images featuring a heroine (a twin) who left behind a career on the New York burlesque stage to become a teacher in a frontier Wyoming territory town. The hero is a lawyer by day and dime novelist by night who writes about his experiences coming to the frontier and his adventures in gold mining. Halfway through the story, the twin sister arrives and causes havoc with the “good” sister’s reputation. So far, I’m having great fun with the research.

On December 20^th, I’m holding a drawing for a copy of Christmas Magic for those who either subscribe to my blog at http://blog.lindacarroll-bradd.com or follow me at my author Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Linda-Carroll-Bradd-author/440814942635289

BLURB FOR WISHES COME TRUE:

Tora can’t wait to sell the family bakery run by generations of Hammond women and seek excitement outside of Dorado, Texas. Widower Ryan Dawson, the town’s star quarterback from a decade ago, returns to his hometown with plans to develop a sporting goods store. He also hopes a small town Christmas will cheer up his five-year-old daughter, Jenna, still recovering from the loss of her mother. Will the spark of interest Tora sees in Ryan’s eyes be the excitement she’s looking for?

PURCHASE LINKS:

StillMoments Publishing  /  Amazon  /  Smashwords 

As a child, Linda was often found lying on her bed reading about characters having exciting adventures in places far away. Upon reaching a landmark birthday, she decided to write one of those romances she loved so much. Easier said than done. Perseverance paid out and twelve years later, she received her first call from a publisher and a confession story was published. Now Linda writes heartwarming contemporary and historical stories with a touch of humor, and many have a tie to her previous home of Texas.

Linda currently lives in the southern California mountains with her husband of 34 years and their two spoiled dogs, Shiba Inu Keiko and terrier mix Phoenix. 

STALK LINKS:

Facebook  Website   Amazon Author   GoodReads