Thrills & Chills

The second novel, "Moon" has been on the back burner for a few weeks while I'm tweaking "Lunch." I haven't read through the new 'cleaned up' version at all. But I have gotten a couple of really good ideas.

One thing the novel has always lacked is balance. The story has gone back and forth between being 'normal' and 'paranormal' with the 'normal' elements winning hands down.

The last couple of days have been different. There is a feeling of the stakes getting higher. There has also been Divine intervention that I didn't expect. Eric has been given a chance to achieve what he really want's in the deepest recesses of his brooding heart: Redemption.

I found this out as I was working with his alter ego Tag. (Tag has been brewing in the back of my mind as the word count of "Lunch" drops like a rock.) The two men aren't really alike. Tag has survived things that would kill Eric's spirit completely. And yet the two men are parallel – 'same shit, different sandbox' as Eric would say.

What I hadn't seen in "Moon" until this week was a sign that the 'good guys' were watching. Eric was sinking fast and didn't seem to give a damn. June fretted but didn't act on her desire to 'fix' things for Eric. We had a stalemate, but the good guys were slipping fast.

This time I got the message through loud and clear, Eric's been offered his redemption, but he wouldn't accept it.

That's Eric -- proud and stubborn. It took the embrace of an angel to get him bend his neck. Hmmm – don't get me wrong – it wasn't one of those blond girlie angels. This was a chewed up, spit out, Vietnam Vet of an angel. Yep, an old black, male former soldier angel came to Eric to help – and our boy didn't take the hint.

That's the Alpha male ego for you.

I posted that on Forward Motion today. I think it captures Eric very well.