What's Up the Street For Next Week?

Characters!
The heartbeat of a great story.
You know it's true. It's those characters you thought about long after you closed the book. The ones you wished you could be like, or hoped you'd never meet, or daydreamed about. Yep, those characters.

Well, The Writers Alley wants to give you a glimpse at some of the characters we're working to create, and we don't want you just to read about them, but we want you to see the 'pictures' of what we have in mind when we write them. We're going to call it A WEEK of CHARACTER SKETCHES.

Remember, it takes all types of characters to create books. Some stories are made up of an all-star cast, others have a few who really grip your heart, but the main focus is the people who are 'telling' the story. The Good, The Bad, And the Ugly.

Sometimes a picture comes to your mind with one name:
Scarlett
Rhett
Mr. Darcy
Dirty Harry
Indiana Jones
Hamlet
Juliet
Heathcliffe

So this week, step into our stories and see some of the characters we envision as we write - and get to know us a little better too :-)

Monday - Pepper is trying to choose between three book ideas to introduce to you, but she thinks she's narrowed it down to two. A single mom who is running away from the possibility of heartbreak with a British actor who hides a secret past. OR A rookie professor with a desire to leave Applachia forever must prove herself by reforming a widowed mountain man, but will she be changed in the process?

Tuesday - Castles, disguises, swordplay, and romance fill the air when Sherrinda introduces you to her cast of characters. With a medieval story where the heroine must dress as a squire to be safe, but then ends up falling in love with the man she serves, you're bound to discover some strong-willed characters and a delightful story.

Wednesday - Get ready to have Sherlock Holmes goes to high school in a YA novel with adventure, humor, and a little bit of sleuthing along the way. Mary leads us on a journey inside her brand new wip and the characters who make up this tale.

Thursday - Casey takes us into a contemporary world of intrigue and secrets, with her women's fiction novel characters.  A marriage on the brink, a love-child from another relationship, and a mysterious woman who binds all the secrets together. Oooh, sounds good, so drop by and find out more.

Friday - One word: Sandwiches. What do you do when you're not looking for romance, but end up crammed between two possibilities? With her usual romance and laughter, Krista introduces us to her novel about a young woman who is sandwiched between her boss and his conniving fiancee. How will she survive this feast on her profession with her job and heart intact?

Saturday - Welcome author Lena Nelson Dooley takes us on a journey through her publishing experience, up to her newest release JUST LAST MONTH – Love Finds You in Golden, New Mexico


Sidewalk Talk


HOLD ON TO YOUR STETSON – Mary Connealy starts off July with a visit to The Writers Alley on July 3rd AND she's giving away her BRAND NEW BOOK Doctors in Petticoats. Make sure you stop by for your chance to win.

July 10 - Welcome Author Vickie McDonough as she discusses writing a male point of view.

July 17 - Kathleen Y'Barbo teaches us the imporance of adding the five senses to our writing.

July 24 - Join Shawna Williams as she discusses e-publishing and her writing journey.

July 31 - Big hats and corsets? Donna Winters drops by to chat about women's fashion from 1900-1905.

THE NEWSTAND

For the month of June, Pepper will have a Blog Series called “Sizzling First Encounters” on her personal blog at http://www.pepperbasham.wordpress.com/

Some of your favorite authors will answer the question, “What do you think makes a great cute-meet between hero/heroine?”, then provide a scene from one of their books to prove it. This week featured authors are Mary Connealy, Melanie Dickerson, Colleen Coble, and Julie Lessman.