In my first DDIW Chronicles podcast [link], I talked about how DDIW came to be. At the very beginning, I knew a few things about the story: there would be twin mystery novelists and there would be a death–and I had an idea of who would be the one to die.

So, the title, Death at the Double Inkwell isn’t a metaphor or some deep thought of the book; it literally arose because of the death and because the two main characters were twins (double) and writers (inkwell).

Sorry to disappoint those who thought I might be deeper than this. LOL Sometimes, I’m so not.

When LLP accepted my book for publication, there was a chance that the book wouldn’t be called DDIW. I can’t even remember the other suggestions, but I stuck with championing for Death at the Double Inkwell as the title even when my pubber said, “But there is more than one death in the book.”

And there was. LOL In a revision, I had added a few more corpses, this is true. But as I argued, there was one big death that moved the main characters through their storylines (though I have to shake my head now because what death is “little” – such the thoughts of a writer).

But of course, the title only tells part of the tale; there are still 80,000+ words that do a great job in visually showing how these twin mystery novelists must ban together and deal with the death (and the aftermath) that occ

Each of these men has an agenda when it comes to Jovan, and she has to figure out which ones mean to do her harm and which ones mean to help her out of the darkness she’s cast into.

Learn more about these man by picking up Death at the Double Inkwell.

It’s available NOW at Amazon.

Tweet This Post Plurk This Post Buzz This Post Digg This Post Stumble This Post

The first two weeks of writing, I wrote 10,347 words.

The last two weeks of writing, I wrote 5,280, nearly HALF. But that’s OK. I’m not beating myself over that.

For the 28-29 days I’ve been writing, I needed to cross through Friday having written 14,560-15,080 words. With my current 15,627, I beat that by 547, so I’m good.

SO, what has caused the slowing down of writing? Two things:

1) Real life – I’ve written a lot in the last week, nearly 20,000 words—but they were words for class/academic work projects. When you write that much, it’s hard to keep writing, and with my tendinitis, the ol’ hands and wrists were like, No mas.

2) Writing without an outline – I’m sorry. I LIVE for outlines, and I know now, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that I will never write another long project without an outline. Outlines gives me structure, order. They also give me freedom. I never follow them to the letter because you never know what will transpire during the writing process; however, with the outline, I feel free to move and question and explore. Without the outline, I flounder, and as a writer, I don’t like floundering. Soooooooooooooooooo, therefore, OUTLINE for me. LOL

It’s interesting. This book will be the second in the Double Inkwell mystery series, but I’m not sure it’s a mystery, yet. LOL Prologue? Screams mystery. Everything after that so far, not so much, and I think I’m beginning to see why. The first book was about a mystery within the main characters’ lives, so it was immediate. In this book, the mystery is not tangible to the characters’ lives, so we’re able to see more development of the characters’ lives and what’s going on within them and once the case goes “live”, then the main characters become more invested in solving the case–if ANY of that makes sense.

But I’m going to keep writing and then see what others say so that I can go back and rewrite. Working very hard in not letting the “What the hell is this I’m writing” thoughts crowd my mind and keep me from writing.

We’ll see how that goes.

Tweet This Post Plurk This Post Buzz This Post Digg This Post Stumble This Post

Cordell Anderson is the love of Jovan’s life. The two met in college, and Cordell was quick to pursue her and make her his wife. He’s the founder and CEO of Anderson Technologies, a thriving technology company…or is it? So many secrets surround Cordell it’s hard to figure out just who he truly is. And as the story moves on, so many of those secrets are revealed that it takes Jovan’s memories of the good times for us to see that he wasn’t always an ass.

Timothy Anderson is Cordell’s younger brother. He and Cordell get compared to one another all the time–in looks alone. Their lives are as different as sun and moon. Whereas Cordell is a take charge, get what he wants when he wants it kind of man, Timothy is quiet, reserved, timid. He has collected some demons over the years, and in the past, he has used harmful means to eradicate those demons. He’s now trying to be on the up and up and make his life right, but a tragedy soon unravels his progress and his life.

Jimmy Devane is an associate of Cordell’s, which would be fine if he wasn’t A) an “associate” of a lot of Cordell’s competitors and B) an absolute slime ball. His allegiance is to the thing or the person that can get him the most money, damn the consequences.

Detective Ian Davenport is “the” man of the pack. He’s strong, confident, caring, and determined to right wrongs and put wrongdoers where they belong: in prison. When tragedy strikes Jovan’s life, Ian is quickly immersed into both Jovan’s and Cheyenne’s lives, much to Cheyenne’s chagrin. And despite the fact that he needs to be impartial to solve the case, Ian quickly finds himself drawn to the twins…one in particular.

Mark Brockman is a do-gooder, but when it comes to dealing with a serious situation in his life, he decides to “do him” instead of handling the situation, which leads to consequences he’s not prepared to handle. When his world is turned upside down, he finds comfort in the most unlikeliest place.

Each of these men has an agenda when it comes to Jovan, and she has to figure out which ones mean to do her harm and which ones mean to help her out of the darkness she’s cast into.

Learn more about these man by picking up Death at the Double Inkwell.

It’s available NOW at Amazon.

Tweet This Post Plurk This Post Buzz This Post Digg This Post Stumble This Post

Today starts a five-month journey to writing a novel. From June 25 to November 25, each of us will be writing an 80,000-word novel.

So, we have 154 days (520 words a day) to get our books done.

And I’m thinking in these small increments, too. I have so many things to do with class and research and work that I can’t think of having to write a lot every day. 520 words is a little more than two pages a day. I write more words than that just in the tweeting I do. Surely I can do it for my writing career.

And I’ve found for myself that writing these days isn’t just about passion. I’ve become pretty pragmatic since I started doctoral work, and I realized that for me, writing has to be about more than passion, just as a relationship has to have more than love/attraction. There has to be a means to an end, and I’m not just talking about finishing the book. I have several books, good books, on my computer, hoping to see the light of day. I’m not into (anymore) wanting to write for my laptop, so I need a reason to write this book, and I have one.

This book will be book two in the Double Inkwell series I have always wanted to do. Now that Death at the Double Inkwell is out [order HERE], I have a reason to write the second book — and interested publisher.

And so today I started the second book titled Into the Web.

Today, I wrote 602 words. Doesn’t sound like a lot, but it’s a start, and more importantly, I succeeded in accomplishing today’s goal.

It’s all about the baby steps.

Tweet This Post Plurk This Post Buzz This Post Digg This Post Stumble This Post

I really think that saying is beside every great woman is a great sister who always comes with the straight, no chaser advice, warm hugs, and a ready-to-take-on-all-challengers stance when things get a little sticky.

Every woman can recall at least that one sister—from birth or from another mother—who has been there to listen to her frustrations over a relationship, her aggravation over a job, her devastation over a loss, and her infuriation over being done wrong. And she can recall that sister railing with her over her man and then getting real to show her where she went wrong. She can recall the friend telling her to look for another job, to find something that will make her happy and keep her living well. She can recall sistergirl sharing tissues with her as they both cry over the emptiness she feels at having lost someone. She can recall sistergirl saying, “OK, where’s my Vaseline and sneakers?” when it time to crack a skull or two open on her behalf.

There are a plethora of self-help books written about how women can find the man of their dreams and keep him, but we often forget about the importance of having a great sisterfriend, that woman who can see you bare, ugly truths, lies, secrets, and all, and who will still stand beside you, like a trooper, helping you to grow into the strong woman you are destined to be. There are many components to a person, and a romantic relationship can satisfy many of those components; however, nothing can replace the relationship of sisterhood and how it, too, can feed your soul.

Jovan Parham-Anderson from Death at the Double Inkwell [Amazon] has a sister like that: her twin, Cheyenne.

These two may look alike, but their personalities are polar opposites. Whereas Jovan is often quiet, reflective, and quick to find fault with herself, Cheyenne is loud, opinionated, and always ready to put blame on the right person.

Despite their differences, the two connect in powerful ways when the other steps up to be there for her sister.

When Jovan thinks her husband Cordell is having an affair, who does she run to? Cheyenne

When Jovan suffers an unimaginable tragedy, who does she run to? Cheyenne

When Cheyenne’s temper places her in harm’s way, who comes to protect her? Jovan

When Cheyenne catches feelings for someone who seems to be her arch-nemesis, who does she spill the beans to? Jovan

Even when Jovan’s and Cheyenne’s lives are put in danger, they rely on one another to make it through.

As betrayals and lies surface and threaten to drown them and the twins find themselves in peril, will relying on their sisterhood see them through?

You’ll have to read Death at the Double Inkwell to find out.

It’s available NOW at Amazon.

Tweet This Post Plurk This Post Buzz This Post Digg This Post Stumble This Post

This podcast features the first couple pages of chapter two. If you haven’t bought the book yet, this excerpt will surely pique your interest!

You can check out the podcast through my one-stop DDIW shop here on my site [link].

You can also order YOUR copy of DDIW through Amazon [link].

Tweet This Post Plurk This Post Buzz This Post Digg This Post Stumble This Post

You can check out the podcast through my one-stop DDIW shop here on my site [link]. Definitely consider ordering YOUR copy of DDIW through Amazon.com [link].

Tweet This Post Plurk This Post Buzz This Post Digg This Post Stumble This Post

Not only is my mystery, DEATH AT THE DOUBLE INKWELL a featured title for June at Myst Noir [LINK] (mysteries written by African-Americans and/or featuring African-American sleuths), but also I sit down for an interview with Myst Noir founder, author Angela Henry to talk about DDIW and writing. Come check out the interview [HERE].

Tweet This Post Plurk This Post Buzz This Post Digg This Post Stumble This Post

This podcast features the first couple pages of chapter one. Will definitely make you want to see what happens next!

You can check out the podcast through my one-stop DDIW shop here on my site [link]. Definitely consider ordering YOUR copy of DDIW through Amazon.com [link].

Tweet This Post Plurk This Post Buzz This Post Digg This Post Stumble This Post

We know her.

On the outside, she is a woman that most men want and most women envy.

She’s the “everything’s great, but…” woman.

You know.

She’s beautiful. She has a great job. She has great friends. She has a great family. She has a great home. She has a great car.

Her future is so blindingly bright your retinas can sear just trying to imagine what her future looks like.

And when she smiles that toothpaste-commercial smile, it makes her whole universe that much brighter.

But the smile is fake.

A woman like this can’t afford to let everyone know what’s really going on in her world.

Because everything’s great, but…

…she’s not happy.

And she’s usually not happy because of some man.

Sometimes, she has everything BUT the man, and she goes home to all her wonderful things and feels empty and lonely.

And sometimes, she has everything AND the man, and when the two are together, people are that much more jealous of her because she appears to have the perfect life.

Yet she goes home to all her wonderful things, including her husband, and feels empty and lonely.

Why?

In my debut novel, set to drop next month–Death at the Double Inkwell [Amazon], Jovan Parham Anderson is the “everything’s great, but…” woman. She’s a bestselling mystery novelist, has a wonderful twin that she writes great novels with–she has loving parents, and everyone in their hometown in Maryland consider Jovan and her twin Cheyenne to be just DARLING. And then there’s Cordell, Jovan’s husband. She’s loved him since college, and he her, but at some point that love began to dismantle and the facade of Jovan’s idyllic life begins to crumble.

And before she can even think about the situation clearly, her focus moves at one point away from her husband and to herself.

Is SHE the reason he’s being distant? Is SHE not doing something right?

She wonders if her curvy figure is no longer attractive to Cordell–after all, he does call her out a time or two about her weight.

She wonders if she’s not doing enough at home–considering she’s a successful businesswoman just as Cordell is a successful businessman. Is she not being Suzy Homemaker enough for him?

More WHYs cloud Jovan’s thoughts regarding her marriage and herself, especially when an event occurs that rocks the very foundation she’s built her entire world on, causing
Jovan to question everything about her life with Cordell.

How can the “everything’s great, but…” woman have EVERYTHING great in her life…with no buts?

She has to take control of her life, see the TRUTH of her life, determine what she NEEDS in her life, and act accordingly.

Will Jovan do all of those things?

You’ll have to read Death at the Double Inkwell to find out.

It drops next month–but you can by it now at Amazon.

Tweet This Post Plurk This Post Buzz This Post Digg This Post Stumble This Post