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| The Wild Rose Press |
My guest this week is Jerrie Alexander, author of the exciting debut
novel The Green-Eyed Doll.
So I poured myself into writing the book. I suffered, banged my
head on the keyboard, went from being unable to sleep to refusing to close my
eyes until the last sentence was written.
Occasionally, I tried to force my
will on my characters, only to realize I had to allow them to tell their own
story. After all, I was just a conduit, a means for the hero and heroine to get
their story told.
I worked through critiques, beta
readers comments, completed the book, and at last, my baby was ready to meet
the world. I wiped the sweat from my brow and hit send.
Then the real work began.
The real shock came when I received
my first edits! It's funny now that the bleeding has stopped, but the first
time I read those comments and questions, I was stunned. Flamethrowers couldn't
have damaged my heart any worse.
In my head, I knew my editor and I
wanted the same thing, so I forged ahead. I went line by line, writing and
rewriting, strengthening each sentence. Cutting out the waste and tightening
the story. All the while, I was gritting my teeth and mumbling.
We emailed back and forth, as the
second edits came and were completed. Then the final galley appeared in my
inbox. My final read through.
Holy cow! She'd been right about
everything. The writing was tighter, the story more compelling, and the
emotions felt real.
Now don't get me wrong, this
doesn't mean I won't react the same way next time. It's probably the most
vulnerable I've felt in years. But I learned my lesson...the right editor is
priceless.
THE
GREEN-EYED DOLL
Catherine McCoy is on the run. For the past year, she’s
been on the move, hiding the secrets and guilt in her heart. When she lands in
small-town Texas
and meets Sheriff Matt Ballard, he ignites a flame she thought lost forever.
Matt has scars of his own. He left the big city after an
undercover operation went bad and his partner was killed. Now, as Matt hunts
for a serial killer who paints his victims’ faces like porcelain dolls,
Catherine becomes a safe haven for him. Two tortured souls finding comfort in
each other's arms—until he uncovers her secret, and their bond of trust is
broken.
When Catherine disappears, Matt races to find her, fearing
the murderer has found his next green-eyed doll. But the killer has a surprise
coming. Catherine will fight to the death before she’ll be a victim again. Will
her determination be enough?
ABOUT JERRIE ALEXANDER
A student of
creative writing in her youth, Jerrie set aside her passion when life
presented her with a John Wayne husband, and two wonderful children. A career in logistics offered her the
opportunity to travel to many beautiful locations in America, and she revisits them in
her romantic suspense novels.
But the characters went with her, talked to her, and
insisted she share their dark, sexy stories with others. She writes alpha males and kick-ass women who
weave their way through death and fear to emerge stronger because of, and on
occasion in spite of, their love for each other. She likes to torture people, make them
suffer, and if they’re strong enough, they live happily ever after.
Jerrie
lives in Texas,
loves sunshine, children’s laughter, sugar (human and granulated), and
researching for her heroes and heroines.
WHERE’S JERRIE?
BUY LINKS FOR THE GREEN-EYED DOLL
