Tag: #HarmonyDuprie

And The Secret Is: #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

May 31, 2021

Plot twists…do you have a favorite you can talk about (yours or someone else’s?)

Can a character be a plot twist? Because Jake, from the Harmony Duprie Mysteries, is not what I planned for him to be.

I first imagined him as a ‘throwaway’ character. He’d get a mention or two, and that was it. His role was to be a bad memory for Harmony, and that’s it. Well, those of you who have read the series know that isn’t the way things turned out. He basically took over Book 2, Her Ladyship’s Ring.

I tried to get rid of him in Book 3, The Baron’s Cufflinks. I sent him out of town to a job in Chicago. Or so I thought. But I was wrong. He showed up at a ratty little bar in West Virginia, the last place Harmony (or I) expected, and became a pivotal part of the book’s ending.

Tired of fighting with him, I gave him a key role in The Contessa’s Brooch, Book 4, and allowed him to play hero. Shoot, I even let him kiss Harmony. He didn’t mind at all.

Maybe that’s why he cooperated when I sent him out of town in The Samurai’s Inro, Book 5, and he stayed gone. Well, mostly. He came back for a quick cameo and that was it. Frankly, I was tired of him taking over the spotlight.

Then came the last book in the series, The Ranger’s Dog Tags. I finally had a story that I could tell without Jake butting in, and I couldn’t do it. Leave him out, that is. It didn’t feel right. Naturally, he took the minor part I’d given him and turned it into something much larger. You know what? It didn’t even bother me. Jake deserved his sliver of glory.

Back to plot twists – yes, I am a fan. I don’t want to know the book’s ending by the time I finish the first chapter. I once received a critique where I was criticized because the reader didn’t know who the villain was right away. Frankly, I took that as a compliment. And if Jake helps provide the plot twist in several of the books, I can go along with it.

To quote Oak Grove’s Police Chief Sorenson: “There’s one more thing that bothers me, Miss Duprie,” he said, as he stood, dismissing me. “How the hell did you manage to turn Jake Hennessey, the town’s villain, into a hero?”

I’m looking forward to hearing about other authors’ favorite plot twists.  You can too, by following the links below.

And, as always, until next time, stay safe!

May 31, 2021

Plot twists…do you have a favorite you can talk about (yours or someone else’s?) 
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

Dear Diary: Life from Harmony’s POV #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

 

May 17, 2021

Dear Diary. Write a diary entry or a letter from your character’s point of view. 

When I kept a diary as a pre-teen, it was boring, filled with details of my daily life. What we studied in school, what we had for lunch, who I sat with on the bus. The most exciting thing I did all week was go to my Girl Scout meeting. Perhaps that’s why I can’t imagine any of my characters keeping a diary.

But I could consider The Harmony Duprie Mystery series as Harmony’s diary. With that in mind, what would her first meeting with Eli look like in diary form?

Dear Diary:

Today was story hour at the library. I’ll never confess it to anyone else, but that’s one of the things I miss most about working at the library. I never worked directly with the little ones, but I love seeing their happy little faces. I keep dropping hints, but I don’t know if they’ll ever rehire me, despite the fact that I was innocent. There are a couple old farts on the Board of Directors (cough<Mr. Randall>cough) who still think I was selling drugs. I don’t know if I can wait for them to retire or die to get my job back.

I found the information I’ve been hunting for today, and got a menu from one of Rockefeller’s parties. Everything from oysters on the half-shell to turkey and ham and a variety of desserts. And booze. Lots of booze. And not the cheap stuff, from what I could tell. Rockefeller had money to burn. At least he spent some of it building this library.

My reward was making a trip to the shelves where the library stores historical books about the Victorian area. As I leafed through a book with lots of pictures, I dreamed of living in that era and wearing dresses that floated around me.. Oh, and a big hat with colorful feathers. I’d cling to the arm of my escort, a handsome gentleman with a mustache that curled up at the ends.

I decided to take it back to the table I’d claimed for the day.  That’s when I ran into him. Nice looking guy, but with the palest blue eyes I’ve ever seen.

And when I say I ran into him, I mean literally ran into him. Almost fell down but saved myself my grabbing the closest shelf. Dropped my book in the process. He picked it up, handed it to me, and then walked away without giving me a chance to apologize. Man, how embarrassing.

He isn’t from Oak Grove – I would have recognized him. But the weirdest part?

He smelled like dirt. I don’t mean dirty. I mean how the ground smells when you’re planting seeds and the earth is still damp and it smells fresh? That’s what it reminded me of. I don’t know if it was his aftershave or my imagination.

I need to stop by the package store tomorrow. My order of craft beer from Colorado came in. I’m looking forward to trying the one that’s supposed to taste like summer sunshine.

That’s it for tonight, Dear Diary. I want to go read the book I bought about Queen Elizabeth. I wonder if I could learn to be a mechanic?

******

There you go. An entry from Harmony’s diary. I hope you enjoyed reading it. If so, you might want to read The Marquesa’s Necklace if you haven’t already!  https://www.pjmaclayne.com/?page_id=232

And one personal note before I run off to check out everyone else’s entries for the week – Happy 93rd birthday, Mom!

The rest of you, until next week, please stay safe.

May 17, 2021

Dear Diary. Write a diary entry or a letter from your character’s point of view.

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

Prologues and Epilogues – Yes or No? #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

April 26, 2021

Prologues and Epilogues. Yes or no?

This week’s blog hop question is simple. Are prologues and epilogues good writing? And my answer is a very firm and definite – maybe?

I’ve read prologues that were short and sweet and flowed into the story without a whisper. And I’ve read other ones that rambled on and on, building the entire world before the real story begins. Guess which one I prefer? I even wrote a prologue for Wolves’ Pawn, the first book I published. It’s a page and a half long. That’s it. As you can see, I tried for the first type.

I humbly think it worked. It was a short scene that set up the conflict for the rest of the story. It wasn’t long enough to make a chapter out of, and the way it was written, I couldn’t work it in as backstory. So, I included it even though I understood some people frown at prologues. It’s the only prologue I’ve included in any of my books and I don’t regret it.

Then there are epilogues. I use them frequently to wrap up loose ends and minor plot points. I hate leaving cliffhangers at the end of my books! I started checking, and I have used them in most of my stories. Some are fairly short, a page or two, and some fairly extensive. The one for the Ranger’s Dog Tags was about four pages long, basically a chapter. But the mystery had been wrapped up in the last chapter and I was tidying up the entire series, so I don’t feel bad. It’s what the book and the readers needed.

And that’s what it comes down to. What does the story demand? The writer has to listen to the story and figure it out. Both prologues and epilogues should be used with care, but neither should be avoided entirely. That’s my take, anyway. Let’s find out what the other authors think by following the lings below.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

April 26, 2021

Prologues and Epilogues. Yes or no?

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

The Ranger’s Dog Tags is Live!

  By Uncategorized

 

The Ranger’s Dog Tags is finally here!

It isn’t the first time Eli Hennessey has disappeared. Is it the last?

In this, the sixth book of the Harmony Duprie series, Harmony faces her greatest challenge yet. And she has to do it without the normal support from her friends and the Oak Grove Police Department. Join her on her adventure in the search for Eli.

Book Description:

Eli Hennessey has vanished.

His house in Oak Grove is in flames, his cell phone is out of commission, and friends in Florida can’t find him. It’s up to Harmony Duprie to track down her missing lover before her life shatters and his ends.

Harmony’s first discovery: Eli tricked her into signing paperwork putting her in charge of his company. Had he planned his disappearance?

The answers won’t be found in Oak Grove. Harmony hightails it to Florida in search of Eli and the truth.

Here’s a short excerpt:

I’d reached cruising speed when I spotted them. Vanessa saw them, too. On the opposite side of the road. Two black sedans.
“Shit,” she said.
“Who are they?”
She bit her bottom lip.
“So, who am I going to piss off when I remove their tracker?” I asked.
“You won’t find a bug.” Her mouth quirked. “No matter how hard you look.”
The mile markers showed our progress, but my mind was going nowhere. The GPS wasn’t attached to Dolores, or on me. I’d been extra careful with my purse and checking my clothes each morning. Unless Vanessa sneaked into my room when I wasn’t paying attention?
Or…
“It’s you, isn’t it? You’re wired. You’ve been pretending to protect me when what you’re doing is trying to find evidence against me.” A sudden rage engulfed me. “I’ll move out tonight. Unless you plan to arrest me on some bogus charge first. You can keep the rent.”
I adjusted the rearview mirror to get a better long-range view of the cars behind us. She’d betrayed me when I thought we’d had a chance of being real friends. And she’d done it when I needed a friend the most. “Who are you answering to, Special Agent Salters?”

To join Harmony on her quest to find Eli, you can find the ebook at these retailers:
Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B092YTWBX1

Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1563561154

B&N https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w?ean=2940162511434

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-ranger-s-dog-tags

Books2Read https://books2read.com/u/3R85NL

 

Welcome to The Ranger’s Dog Tags – Readings From My Books

  By Uncategorized

To help stir up interest in The Ranger’s Dog Tags, I’ve been reading snippets from each of the previous books in the Harmony Duprie series. Unfortunately, the files are too large to post here, so I thought I’d share the links. (sorry, they point to Facebook.) I’ll add new links as I have them.

The Marquesa’s Necklace https://www.facebook.com/100007362439366/videos/2720226481566073

Her Ladyship’s Ring   https://www.facebook.com/100007362439366/videos/2720880144834040

The Baron’s Cufflinks  https://www.facebook.com/100007362439366/videos/2721560298099358

 

Immortalized as an Action Figure #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

April 12, 2021

They’re making an action figure of you. Describe the toy and accessories. (Do you have a catch phrase? Favorite items, clothes, hair style?)

Nobody wants an action figure of me. Maybe back in the day, when I was living a minimalist lifestyle, growing my own food, cutting wood to burn in our wood stove, and freezing and canning food, but not now. I’m afraid I’m not very active any more. Too much time spent in front of a computer.

My wolf shifters were the obvious choices to fill in for me, but they refused to be part of this post because they don’t want to be outed. Luckily, Harmony Duprie ‘volunteered’ to come to my rescue. She didn’t think she was worthy of an action figure either, but I talked her into it. Her adventures are more what you’d expect from an action character.

She made it easy because the original covers for her stories were cartoon-like. Remember this? This is the original cover for The Marquesa’s Necklace.  Brown hair, always in a bun, little or no makeup. The only thing missing is her thick glasses. She broke down and wore contacts for date night in this picture. Of course, the red dress would be a one time only adventure. More likely she’d be wearing a nice blue blouse, dress slacks, and a pair of black flats. (But we’ll include the dress and necklace as part of her accessories)

Other accessories are easy, too. A stack of books and her laptop bag. There will be two cars sold separately. One is a pale blue Ford Pinto and the other one is a red Jaguar.

And yes, Harmony has a catchphrase. “I don’t believe in coincidence.” It’s not as catchy as “I’ll be back” or “Hasta la vista, Baby,” but it’s perfect for her. (The closest thing I have to a catchphrase is “Supper’s ready!”)

I can see kids getting Harmony into more trouble than she already does, or maybe as their hero as they take pretend adventures of their own. She’d help them outwit the villain and save the day.

How about you? Would you like to gave an action figure of yourself? I’d like to see if the other authors who write on this hop want one of them! Let’s find out by following the links below.

And, until next time, please stay safe!

April 12, 2021

They’re making an action figure of you. Describe the toy and accessories. (Do you have a catch phrase? Favorite items, clothes, hair style?)

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

Introducing The Ranger’s Dog Tags

  By Uncategorized

It’s on its way—the sixth and final book in the Harmony Duprie Mysteries—The Ranger’s Dog Tags. Coming April 22nd.

Eli Hennessey has vanished.

His house in Oak Grove is in flames, his cell phone is out of commission, and friends in Florida can’t find him. It’s up to Harmony Duprie to track down her missing lover before her life shatters and his ends.

Harmony’s first discovery: Eli tricked her into signing paperwork putting her in charge of his company. Had he planned his disappearance?

The answers won’t be found in Oak Grove. Harmony hightails it to Florida in search of Eli and the truth.



Watch this space for the upcoming cover reveal.

While you’re waiting, here’s a short excerpt.

I didn’t anticipate being greeted by a brick wall of a man with deep brown skin when I opened the door. And if I wasn’t mistaken, that was a gun in a holster under his left arm. And a police badge attached to his belt.“Miss Harmony Duprie?” he asked with a voice as mellow as a ray of springtime sunshine.
“Do you sing?” I blurted. It was the first thing that came to mind.
A slow smile spread across his face. “Not in public, ma’am. You are Harmony Duprie, right?”
“Yes. And you are, Detective …?” I let my voice trail off.
The smile got bigger. “Horace. Detective Timothy Horace. Orlando Police Department.”
I stepped aside to give him room to get by. He needed a lot of room. “You’re out of your jurisdiction, aren’t you, Detective?”
“We have a mutual aid agreement with the locals.” I didn’t think his smile could get any bigger, but it did. “Although it’s pretty one-sided.”
I could imagine. “I’d offer you something to drink, but I’m not set up for guests.”
“No worries, Miss Duprie, I won’t be staying long.”
“Are you the official welcoming committee? Or the bearer of bad news? What do you know about Eli? Was he in that car they found this afternoon? Is he all right?” The words poured out of me, along with my fears.

 

Whose Story Is It, Anyway? #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

 

March 22, 2021
Whose perspective do you like to write from best, the hero (protagonist) or the villain (antagonist)? Why?

As she drifted back to sleep, another burst of explosions and light brought her to an upright position. She reached over and raised the blinds so she could peer out the window. The red-orange glow that colored the night sky had nothing to do with a celebration or the rising of the morning sun. The months she served overseas rushed back to her.

It took every ounce of Lori’s self-control to fight back the instinct to shift and join the battle. Fully awake now, she realized the long truce between the Jaegers and the Destins had ended. Whose side was she on? from Wolves’ Gambit

If you’ve read any of my published books, you know that I write from the protagonist’s view. I identify with the good guy. What may not be clear is that I sometimes identify with the antagonist. Not the villain, necessarily, but I enjoy seeing things through the eyes of the bad guy. It helps me understand their motivation.

And then there’s Jake from The Harmony Duprie Mysteries. He was supposed to be a throwaway character, only mentioned in The Marquesa’s Necklace, the first book in the series. Then he took over the second book, Her Ladyship’s Ring. I hadn’t planned on that. He continued to make appearances in the subsequent stories. I saw him as Harmony’s alter-ego, but never understood what was behind his bad-boy facade. He wouldn’t “tell” me.

That changed a few months ago, when he allowed me to peek behind the curtain and gave me a glimpse of who he really is. A villain to be sure, but one with ethics. He’ll take money from a drunk guest at a wedding, but won’t consider stealing the bride’s jewelry. He’ll take jewelry from a wealthy woman’s home, but makes sure he locks the door when he leaves. Here’s an unedited snippet:

At the end of the evening, he ended up with an unneeded invitation to join the second cousin at an after-hours bar, a silver ring in his pocket, and a high-quality pearl necklace in his shoe. Not heritage jewelry, but not bought in the last two years, either. All it took was offering to help the lady in question slip on her sweater when a chilly breeze blew in off the lake and didn’t matter if he broke the thin chains. The gold would get melted down for scrap at one pawn shop and the pearls sold individually at several others. Not a big take, but it scratched the itch. The gold and ruby tie tack he lifted from the cousin’s best friend was a bonus. Not bad for a week’s work. From Jake’s Story (working title)

I’ve had a lot of fun with Jake in this story. Even if I don’t know what I’m going with it, I feel privileged to have been invited in behind the doors he keeps closed to everyone else. I’ve also joked that I’d make an excellent villain if I hadn’t chosen to be on the side of good, and Jake has allowed me to explore that. Perhaps he’s my alter-ego?

Back to the question-which do I prefer to write? I can’t answer. It changes from story to story, depending on what that story needs. At least I’m not confined to one or the other. What I am sure of is that an antagonist is necessary to make the story interesting.

What about the other authors on this hop? I can see a few of them writing from the villain’s point of view. Let’s find out by following the links below.

And, until next time, please stay safe.

March 22, 2021
Whose perspective do you like to write from best, the hero (protagonist) or the villain (antagonist)? Why?

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

Finally! Road Trip! #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Uncategorized

March 15, 2021

You’re going on a road trip: where are you headed? With who? What are your snacks? Music? Plans?

It’s been too long. And we all know why. Weekend road trips were one of the things we enjoyed previously. Just short trips to explore close to home. But it looks like things will loosen up soon and we maybe able to consider a quick trip soon.

Where to go? There are so many places we’d like to visit that this post could get far too long. So, I’ll try to contain myself.

For a warm-up trip, we’ll head up to Walden, Co. We haven’t been there since the shutdown and the last year’s forest fires. I need to see what survived and what didn’t, since so many of my favorite landscapes were in the path of destruction. Plus, I wonder how many of the small business in town have stayed open. (At least one of them has changed hands.) Follow that with a trip to Estes Park. Problem with that is our favorite place to stay was sold and is under new ownership, and we’re looking for a new base camp.

If we’re heading into the mountains, John Denver is going to be on my playlist, along with classic rock. Did you expect anything different? And munchies? I should be good and take dates and raisins. HA! More like peanut butter cups and some form of chocolate.

Now, let’s say we’ve got unlimited time. I’ll need a minimum of three or four weeks for this trip. First stop is to visit my mother in Pennsylvania. It’s been a couple of years since my last in-person visit. Then we’ll travel down to Florida to visit my daughter and her family. A trip that long will allow for a variety of music and unhealthy eating. (The entire trip will be 3000+ miles.)

Now, how about a fantasy trip? Head south, take I-70 west over the Rockies, figure out a route to get to HWY 101 just north of San Francisco, follow 101 north to Washington state, and come back through Montana. Take all the side trips we want, stop wherever we want., stay in one spot as long as we want. I can see the trip taking several months. We’d explore mountains reaching for the sky, redwoods that bridge the gap between the ground and the clouds, rocks tumbling into the ocean, sandy beaches that glisten in the sun. That’ll take several months. I can dream, right?

Let’s find out where everyone is dreaming of traveling to my following the links below. And, until next time, please stay safe.

March 15, 2021

You’re going on a road trip: where are you headed? With who? What are your snacks? Music? Plans?

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Introducing: The Ranger’s Dog Tags

  By Uncategorized

Eli Hennessey has vanished.

His house in Oak Grove is in flames, his cell phone is out of commission, and friends in Florida can’t find him. It’s up to Harmony Duprie to track down her missing lover before her life shatters and his ends.

Harmony’s first discovery: Eli tricked her into signing paperwork putting her in charge of his company. Had he planned his disappearance?

The answers won’t be found in Oak Grove. Harmony hightails it to Florida in search of Eli and the truth.

 

I’m still trying to figure out the actual release date, but I couldn’t wait to share this with you!