Hello, Ladies ~

Hi, my name is Kimila, and I’m a “dark and twisty” writer. So, what on earth possessed me to think I could write a middle-grade fantasy book? Well, I’m sure you all like me have no control over your imaginations!

My husband and I used to camp with family every year on Memorial Day Weekend, rain or shine, at Sunset Bay Park on the Southern Oregon coast, just south of Charleston. The campground is nestled in a beautiful woody setting, and the bay is just a short walk away. With the tree line as a backdrop, the bay is rimmed with towering bluffs. Rock formations at the bottom of the bluffs are dotted with tide pools filled with all manner of sea creatures.

But my favorite part of this beautiful spot is the island that sits at the mouth of the bay. From the moment I saw it, I thought the landmass looked like a pirate ship frozen in time. I should’ve said above that I have an “overactive” imagination!

Every time I visited the bay and walked the sandy beach, I would talk to the island as if it were a pirate ship. Comments like: “Oh, the stories you could tell.” “What year are you from?” “Were there pirates in the area in the 18^th century?”

My sister, Mona, thought I was crazy when I said, “Someday, I’m going to write a kids’ book about three young friends who go to the island and wake up on a pirate ship.”

And hence the idea for “Midnight Sail” was born. As with any book idea, I dropped into the rabbit hole of research. The first thing I decided was to write this book under the pseudonym D. J. Henson to honor my son Derrick, who passed away. And of course, I knew I would include an autistic character among the three eleven-year-old friends. It took a few days of noodling, but I finally came up with my three characters. Now I have Cyrus, my protagonist, Alex, the brains of the group, and Jaxyn, the girl of logic.

I’ve compiled mounds of printed research about pirates sailing the Pacific Ocean in 1757, buried treasure, and time travel. I know I can’t bring my “dark and twisty” creativity to this book, so I made a list of “no-nos” to keep me from accidentally adding them to my manuscript.

My favorite writing style is three points of view, and it didn’t occur to me that I should research whether three POVs are acceptable for a middle-grade fantasy book. I also didn’t consider that a POV from a law-enforcement character who interacts with the missing kids’ moms might not fit within the parameters of this type of book.

But as luck would have it, I spent last weekend with Paty Jager, who stayed in my RV with me while we worked at the NIWA book booth at the Mt. Angel Oktoberfest. As you can imagine, during our downtime, Paty and I enjoyed talking about writing and our current projects.

If you’ve never had the opportunity to have Paty as your sounding board, you’re missing out. She listens, then asks great questions, weighs the answers, and … when you see a certain look cross her face, you know she’s about to offer valuable insight about your work in progress.

Paty shared her concern about me using the three POVs, and I countered with other children’s books I’ve read that use multiple POVs. When the conversation became about my law-enforcement character POV and the moms being front and center in those chapters, Paty carefully explained why she didn’t think kids would enjoy reading those chapters.

“Your middle-school readers want to go on the adventure by themselves,” Paty said. “And the characters, along with the readers, will assume the moms are worried, so I don’t think you need to show that in your book.”

Paty encouraged me to keep the pirate chapters, but to use the POV of a teenage pirate instead of the ship’s adult captain.

I’m sure the look on my face suggested I wasn’t thrilled with her assessment. I did say I would reconsider the law-enforcement POV and the addition of the moms. I promised I would do some more research into using three POVs in this genre.

As we worked the rest of the weekend, I tried to keep the idea that I would now have to rework and rewrite my almost-finished manuscript. One of the things I absolutely love about my creative brain is that it enjoys working a problem. With the distraction of selling books, I turned over this manuscript’s challenges to my subconscious, and by the time I woke up Monday morning … I knew what I needed to do.

First, I researched whether using three POVs in this book would be a good idea. To my surprise and relief, I found several articles saying this approach to telling the story is acceptable. I printed off some important guidelines and tackled my next hurdle: rewriting the law-enforcement POV chapters and using what I’d learned in my internet search to strengthen Cyrus’ chapters; then I focused on creating a new voice for the pirate chapters.

Drum roll please … I worked non-stop (a nasty coughing cold sidelined me to the couch) all week on rewrites, restructuring, and finished “Midnight Sail” yesterday afternoon. I celebrated for a few minutes, but know the real work begins as I do my first round of edits.

As I continue to navigate the uncharted waters of writing my middle-grade fantasy series and venture into the mystery genre with Sapphire Stone Mysteries, I won’t hesitate to run a concern by Paty. I can’t promise to be thrilled if my story ideas or writing style are questioned … but I do promise to listen and let my creative brain solve the problem.

Happy Writing ~ Kimila

Hello, Ladies ~

When you write your characters, do you give them physical scars? Or, like me, do you tend to craft them as cute, pretty, and handsome?

While I do give my characters emotional scars, baggage, and quirks, I never considered creating fictional people with human flaws like the scar I now have on my face near my left eye.

During the 4^th of July weekend, I tripped over one of Randy’s tennis shoes and was pitched into the corner of a wall. The fall left me with a cut along the edge of my eye that trails into the lower lid. The incident occurred at our cabin at night, and since it didn’t seem very serious at the time, I decided not to go to urgent care.

It took a few days for the swelling to go down, and when it did, I became the owner of a brand-new scar. The first thing I thought was that my son, Derrick, would have said I was a true pirate now and could wear an eye patch to cover my scar. Aye, matey!

I believe we all take things from our lives and weave them into our stories. For instance, I was young and cute once. And I fell in love (more than once) with a handsome boy. And along the way, I unfortunately came across an ugly villain or two.

With my newly acquired scar, I’m seeing my character development through a different lens. In my next Stoneybrook novel, “Chasing Crazy,” my heroine, Harley Harper, goes missing. While she’s held captive by a villainess who’s slowly losing her grip on reality, Harley suffers events that will leave her with emotional scars. But now I’m considering what physical scars might occur before she rescues herself.

Over the years, I’ve learned to unpack baggage and leave behind what no longer serves me well. Still, I’m all too familiar with emotional scars and the damage carrying baggage can cause, so at first, I was reluctant to add them to Harley’s story. One thing I’ve learned, though, is that my characters tend to take my ideas and run with them. I guess I’ll just have to trust Harley and see how she writes her story!

In my new mystery series set in Mesa, Arizona, I’m in the early stages of creating my young heroine, Sapphire Stone. In “Murder on Superstition Mountain,” Sapphire is a private investigator who also works for an autistic pot store owner to make ends meet. My pirate scar is encouraging me to depict Sapphire as a tomboy, reckless in her pursuit of answers and reluctant to be a girly girl. Think of the scars she might encounter while searching for clues on Superstition Mountain or warding off a sky-high thief trying to rob the pot store.

Back when I had time to read, I loved Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series. It was always a treat to see what mess Stephanie might find herself in. What shenanigans her Grandma Mazur was up to! And, of course, what outrageous outfit Lula would be wearing. I also loved the Alphabet series by Sue Grafton featuring Kinsey Millhone. Kinsey’s one-woman approach to solving a mystery was inspiring. And who could forget that she cut her hair with toenail scissors or her all-purpose little black dress. I’m excited to see what quirks and extra fun eccentricities I can create for Sapphire and her supporting cast.

My most exciting project, though, is the current book I’m writing as DJ Henson to honor my son, Derrick. “Midnight Sail” is a middle-grade novel about three kids who start out looking for treasure on a mysterious island located on the southern Oregon Coast and end up sailing the Pacific Ocean on a 1757 pirate ship. I have decided I want the trio, Cyrus, Jaxyn, and Alex, to share some type of scar from their experience.

One idea that would be perfect for “Midnight Sail” is an octopus bite on their hands from holding a baby octopus. My husband, Randy, suffered a bite like this and has a unique scar on his hand between his thumb and forefinger. This is the first book in the Cyrus Cormack Adventure Series that I have planned for these three friends. My thought was to have them incur a mark of some kind to confirm the experience they survived was real. I have a few ideas and can’t wait to see which one works best for each book.

So, I can’t wait to sail away with my new pirate tattoo on a wave of imagination, creating stories with interesting characters … scars, baggage and all … for as long as I can!

Happy Writing ~ Kimila

Hello, Ladies ~

Well … my post is late again. I’d like to blame it on my old age; after all, I turned sixty-nine this month. But my lateness isn’t due to being a doddering old lady. On the contrary, I’ve had a wonderfully blessed birthday month celebrating another trip around the sun.

This weekend found me at Willamette Vineyards camping with a group of friends, listening to music and enjoying some very fine wine. On the downside, we were without power, and there was no internet. Of course it could always be worse … I could’ve been in a tent instead of my lovely RV!

We returned today, and I have to admit I’m pretty tired after catching up on my day job, unloading the RV, doing laundry, then cooking dinner.

I have one more celebration planned this week: attending a Jason Aldean concert in Ridgefield, Washington, with my oldest son, then spending a night at ilani Casino. Winning a big jackpot would certainly be the icing on the proverbial cake.

So, for me, this summer reminds me of these lyrics from Bryan Adams’ song “Summer of ’69” to a T.

                        “Oh, when I look back now,

                        That summer seemed to last forever.

                        And if I had the choice,

                        Yeah, I’d always wanna be there.

                        Those were the best days of my life.”

I have friends who seriously struggle with aging, one of whom asked me why I choose to write stories with younger characters. At first, it took me by surprise. Thinking about the question, I knew the answer was that I see the characters in my head and simply write what I see. After giving it more thought, though, I realized I want to start my stories with younger characters, especially in the Stoneybrook Mysteries Series, so I can grow old with them.

Yes, I said it … grow old.

Now, with each book I create an older character or two. Not because I feel like I need to capture the essence of old age, but because I feel these characters add depth to my stories. My first “older” character was Harley’s mom, Esther. I loved that I could give Esther some of my mom’s characteristics. Her judgmental assumption that her daughter could always do better than her choices. Her need to point out mistakes, no matter how small. Her eventual realization that the mistakes she’d made in her life and the lessons she learned could help Harley mend her relationship with Wyatt.

In my newest Stoneybrook novel, “Fatal Falls,” I have an old rancher, Jack Norman, who’s the last living friend of Wyatt, Blake, and Derrick’s dads. Jack is the target of a drug-fueled killer who’s looking for missing gold. The book also has a demented killer, and I used Jack’s character to create some comic relief to offset the darkness of my villains. It was fun bringing in memories from my childhood. With Jack, I was able to create a brotherhood, similar to the one my dad and uncles shared, between him, the Stone brothers, and another childhood friend. I also enjoyed having a flirtatious moment between Jack and Mercy Edwards, the owner of the Babbling Brook Café.

I’m guessing if younger readers read my books, they’d be quick to point out what I get wrong about thirty-somethings. But I knew when I created the small town of Stoneybrook that I’d want Harley and Busy, along with the rest of the cast, to live simpler lives than influencers and jet setters. I do make an effort to keep my younger characters from being me. After all, thirty-something was a long time ago. But I feel small town core values fit all age groups.

While I have no intention of slowing down at sixty-nine, I know that aging will continue to steal the days I have left. Which means time is wasting, and I can’t wait to publish my next two Stoneybrook books, “Fatal Falls” and “Jamboree Jealousy,” so I can work on my next project, “Midnight Sail.” A middle school book with a cast of characters that includes curious kids, struggling moms, a time-traveling Native American girl, and a wise-cracking parrot named Pirate.

Life is short, so live yours to the fullest, Ladies! Enjoy each trip around the sun that God gives to you!

Happy Writing ~ Kimila

Good morning, Ladies ~

I hope everyone had a wonderful Father’s Day weekend. Ours was filled with yard work and cabin remodeling, which left me so exhausted that I fell asleep on the couch last night before I posted this piece.

Who remembers this question from many years ago: “How many licks?”

I recently finished the sixth book in my Stoneybrook Mystery Series, “Fatal Falls.” When I begin a Stoneybrook novel, I’ve fleshed out the basics, such as what joys or challenges my heroine, Harley Harper, is facing. What crime was committed by my dark and twisty villain that Sheriff Wyatt Stone and his deputies will need to solve? What issues or romantic tidbits might make Wyatt and Harley’s relationship interesting? Of course, I also need to create entertaining situations for my supporting characters and animal actors, too.

Once I’m ten chapters in, I usually have all these plot points introduced, and then I’m off to the races, headed for the “The End” finish line.

When I write a book, I carry the storyline around in my head and love when a fabulous idea for a character pops into my mind. Generally, this plot point will be important to my character’s story arc. I write the scene in my mind, then add it to my list of plans for my characters.

And hence the question: How many licks? Except insert words for licks. The answer is so, so many! I mean, seriously, there are a lot of … the, this, that, is, was, said, he, she, them, they, who, what, when, where, etc. Even though I can’t wait to place the various scenes I’ve conjured up, I know I need to set up each scenario. Keep the reader engaged with other aspects of the story until they reach what I believe is a wonderful plot turn.

So, I plod along, one important word after another. When I reach the middle (or what I estimate to be the middle) of the book, I can tell the storyline is heading in the right direction. Excitement builds since I know I’m getting close to the places I want my previously developed ideas to go. Imagine my frustration when the story takes a slight detour from my intended path, changing where those fabulous ideas will go. Two of the four excellent plot points will now be near and at the end of the book.

I wanted to create a sense of separation in Harley and Wyatt’s romance. We find Harley dealing with a pregnant stray Lab, a blind horse, and her seeing-eye donkey, not to mention her bestie, Busy, is avoiding her. Wyatt is juggling a murdered family friend, a body in Broken River, a missing woman, and the search for hidden gold. And what love story doesn’t need a little strife to keep readers on their toes? In this plot point scene, we find Wyatt and Harley at a country honky tonk bar. When a woman from Wyatt’s past escorts him to the dance floor, Harley watches from the sidelines as he leads the mysterious female in a slow, sensual version of the country swing. How many words did it take to arrive at this scene? 68,044

Fast forward to 119,748 words, where we find Wyatt and Harley fishing as part of a plan to locate a killer Wyatt has been hunting for over a year. When the killer realizes he’s close to being captured, he puts his escape plan in motion, and in another 4,272 words, my villain finally meets the fitting ending I had planned for him from the very beginning of the book. It only took 124,020 words to get there. I breathe a sigh of relief when my villain meets his end, thinking I’m close to typing “The End.” Oh, silly me …

After I placed the first plot point at the halfway mark, I started to feel as if this book had a mind of its own and no intention of stopping at my initially planned word count. This becomes more obvious as I write my way toward the ending I’ve imagined from the very first words of “Fatal Falls.” But “The End” looms in the distance like a floating finish line. I take a deep breath and focus on ensuring all the story threads I’ve woven throughout the book are resolved.

Do Harley and Busy find their way back to their “bestie” status? Does Daisy, the blind mare and her seeing-eye donkey, Mo, find their forever home? And will Maggie, the Lab, survive a difficult puppy delivery?

So … finally, Chapter Ninety-Eight is ready to be written, and it only took 130,935 words to get to Harley and Wyatt’s closing scene, and the ever-elusive “The End” arrives at 132,185 words.

With this book, I’ve learned that my creative brain, along with my characters, plan to insert ideas about how a story will be told. It may have only taken three licks to get to the center of a tootsie pop, but I obviously have no idea how many words it takes to bring my stories to an end.

Happy Writing, Ladies ~

Happy Memorial Day, Ladies ~

I’m writing this blog from our new place in Mesa, Arizona, where it’s already eighty degrees at eight am in the shade. While I love sunshine, I’m seriously not a fan of melting.

I keep reminding myself that being here in May is an anomaly this year since we’re just here to set up our new place. While I traipse through our small one-thousand-square-foot abode, making a list of what goes and what stays (the place came furnished and not in a good way), my husband, Randy, follows behind saying things like, “Oh, come on, all that fur-covered chair needs is to be shampooed.” Insert picture of me gagging.

At this point in my life, I don’t want to live with other people’s castoffs, shampooed or not. I want a new queen-size sofa for future guests, and a matching recliner for my thrifty husband. The list of things I want or need is long, and I remind myself that I don’t have to buy everything at once. Creating a list and making a plan will be enough for this trip. Come up with a plan, make a list, check it twice.

One thing I’m good at is lists! I make a list for everything, including one for the novel I’m working on. I add things like making sure a character’s eye color is the same throughout the book. How many women have gone missing? Two or Three? And, for God’s sake, check the spelling of “wisp,” which my brain seems to think is spelled “whisp.”

Another tool I use to create my books is to calendar the chapters and scenes. Nothing is worse than publishing a book and then finding out a few scenes are out of order. I’ve completed the first draft for “Fatal Falls” and am in the process of listening to the manuscript after reading through the book twice. As I listen via my laptop, I also read along, checking my list as I go … and … I check my chapters against my calendar for an accurate timeline.

As I reached the end, only twenty-four chapters to listen/read/check, I found it. To my dismay, I have scenes out of order. Normally, I’d laugh and start brainstorming on how to realign the scenes or remove/add situations that will bring everything back in sync.

But I had the misfortune of discovering the out-of-order chapters the night before we flew to Phoenix. No problem. I’ll just add “Chapter Jinga” to my ever-growing list of things to do while settling into our new place.

Have you ever heard the saying? “If you want to give God a good laugh, tell him you have a plan.”

When we arrived on Saturday, there was a snafu in getting our car rental. This would normally send Randy into a tizzy, but he remained calm, and we finally were on our way to Mesa. We were starving, so after unloading our luggage, we used the facilities, and Randy discovered one of our toilets was leaking. Oh, boy!

Time to get a larger sheet of paper for our To-Do list.

As I go about the process of unpacking and setting up each room, I find my mind drifting back to Stoneybrook. I clearly need to move my cattle drive scene backward in the book so that the scene where my villain’s location is discovered makes sense to the reader, which may even require a new chapter or two …

So I’m not continuing my blog in the afternoon. I was drawn into helping with the leaking toilet, which required more work than we thought, so off to Home Depot we went. Armed with all the things we need, we set out to fix the leak.

But just like my out-of-order chapters, we forgot plumber’s tape, which needs to come before attaching the new fitting, just like the cattle drive needs to occur before the location of my villain is revealed. We also bought the wrong size flapper for the tank, so it looks like we’ll need a larger size. Just to be sure, we probably need to buy a couple of sizes to ensure we have the right flapper to prevent any more water leaks from the tank.

My apologies for this blog being posted late in the day, but oh what a day it has been!!!

Happy writing, Ladies ~