Serious Wednesday: My Own Thoughts on Writing Suspense & Some announcements!

I'm talking today about why I write suspense, but

below that, you'll find the announcements in my life.

Do check them out, and let me know. 

You never know what may happen! 

Have a beautiful day! 

* * *

Why Do I Write Suspense?

Let me share a quote from Alfred Hitchcock, the master of suspense:
“There is great confusion especially in my particular job between the words mystery and suspense. The two things are absolutely miles apart. Mystery is an intellectual process guessing “who’ve done it?” But suspense is essentially an emotional process.”

Now, let me say--which leads to why I write suspense--

that I write shy of horror and no less than mystery. 

From childhood days, I longed to live the life of Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, and other teenaged detectives. I wrote dramatic poems, created awful, but suspenseful fiction, and enjoyed every minute of it. But...there came a day...

I began writing in earnest, and when my debut novel (The Redemption of Caralynne Hayman) saw the light of the day (published!), it was filled with suspenseful moments, suspenseful events. It won awards and became Amazon's #1 best seller more than once. Which leads me to another thought:

• When I write suspense (and mystery) my characters not only are afraid, fearful of outcomes, confused or desperate, and stubborn with determination to win the day, but they're also human. 

* They're whimsical (like Tara in a book not yet published),
* Funny and sarcastic (like Denton in the Denton and Alex Davies series)
* Sometimes they're like a "wild child" such as Josie in the book A Flute in the Willows;
* but then her older sister, Emma Jaine, in With Music in Their Hearts, is more motherly, more determined to guide and guard her motherless sisters, and yet yearns for romance in her own life.
* And Destiny, in Caleb's Destiny is just plain spoiled and determined to have her way.

• Giving them traits like the above, and more, make them human. Yes, they want to solve the crime (mystery) or defeat the enemy (suspense), and this, along with creating mysteries for the characters to solve and creating dangerous events or enemies for characters to defeat, is what draws me in, fascinates me. 

I question my self. What will the tone of the book be? 
In this book, will it be a light mystery? Fun, lighthearted, silly, scary?
In this book, do I write in more suspense, or balance it evenly with romance?
In this book, how much emotion shall I fill it with?
In this book, how gritty (but off-scene) will I make it?
In this book, will I have a touch of romance, or balance it evenly?

All of these are important details I have to figure out. But figuring this stuff out, then writing it within the story, is exactly why I love writing suspense and/or mystery. 

* * *

Announcing! Announcing!

Don't Forget!

Mark Your Calendar!

I'm holding a FUN 

Contest 

in August!

Right here on this blog! 

Prizes are being determined now! 

***

I visited Michelle Levigne's blog on July 23, 24.

Please do check it out and see how events from long ago 

(it has to do with gold!)

helped me write Caleb's Destiny!

http://michellelevigne.blogspot.com/

***

Great summer reading. 

(My book: Knight in Shining Apron is in this collection)

Each book is only $.99

Thru Sept 9, 2020

***

Last, but not least, this: 
Coming up SOON!

*  An interview with Mr. Michael and Destiny (Caleb's Destiny) 
on Cindy Thomson's blog (to be announced).

A special post (about Caleb's Destiny) on Linda W. Clarke's blog
(to be announced)

Moving on...with Caleb's Destiny:
I'll be visiting:

* Sally Shupe's blog (Caleb's Destiny)
on August 13
and again on September 16

* Shannon Vannatter's blog with Caleb's Destiny 
on August 21st

* Catherine Castle's blog on
August 27 (and Sept 23)