Writings, Wanderings

I am currently in the editing stage of the third book in the European Tour Trilogy. My process involves printing out a copy and reading through it for major issues and hopefully catching some typos and grammar errors although that is not the main goal yet. As I was playing around with one segment of a scene, I thought it would be fun to show you the original and then compare it to the revised one (which might still not be the final one!) Original                 “Not as gorgeous as you,” Vivian smiled, reached up to take his hand as Marcus stepped into their seat. Lucy felt his lips tighten but managed not to grimace. At least she thought her expression stayed neutral.                 “You missed the train for a guy?” Aubrye called back up, the disapproval staying out of her voice but clear on her face. However, both Vivian and Corinne were facing the front of the bus...

When my editor returned Discord in Provence   to me, she included a note that while she had enjoyed the following scene, it did not seem necessary to the story. It slowed the action down without adding anything significant. Although I was sad to admit it, she was right. It hurt to delete this scene from the final version because I love this French tradition, but I know that the novella is stronger without it. However, I kept a copy of that scene and now, readers, present all 612 words for your reading enjoyment! A short time later the group entered the Maison Fouque for their tour of the santon workshop. Aubrye was mesmerized by this French tradition. She vaguely remembered the term from her days of learning about Christmas decorations in French class, but these figurines representing the villagers coming to pay their respects to the infant Jesus were much more captivating in person than in lecture. Their guide took them through the process of creating a santon, starting with...

The trilogy is moving along--from Paris to southern France! Aubrye thought traveling through France and Italy as part of a guided tour would be a stress-free way to see the important sights and make some new friends. However, as they depart Paris and begin the second part of the tour, Aubrye is anything but calm. Her boyfriend Greg and she are having their biggest disagreements ever, differences in their personalities amplified by the traveling conditions. Her trip roommate and cousin Quinn may be having her own relationship troubles. And back home, Aubrye's family is facing a life-altering decision. As the tour group heads down to a simpler pace of life in southern France, Aubrye fights to find peace among the worries tearing at her but fears this trip will be a breaking point. A sweet romance novella Decision in Paris , the first book in the trilogy, is also available on Amazon and in Kindle Unlimited