This romance is going to take place across several years and will be a heroine falling for her brother’s best friend kind of romance. I’m still finalizing my outline and working out the kinks. Hopefully in a few weeks, I’ll be able to provide you with a Tuesday Teaser.

So, what should my next project be after this one? Take the poll and let me know your thoughts.

The post WIP Wednesday: A new romance? appeared first on Martha L. Thurston.

I know what it is that I am going to have to do to get myself out of this mess. I need to go back and look at my outline and make some changes. I need to figure out how to write my way out of the corner I placed myself into. I don’t think that I anticipated this, but then again, I began writing this novel without an outline. It kind of bloomed on its own. That’s why I’m suddenly stuck. I did find my handwritten notes yesterday when I began to clean out my old file cabinet that I will be chunking. Those may help me some, but I don’t know how much. As much as I don’t want to admit it, I think I had an unlikely hero rise up, and I don’t really want him to be a hero. I need him to remain helpful, but not be the rescuer. I need my heroines to rescue themselves. They need to know that they can overcome this. I don’t even want mom and dad to come to their rescue.

That’s my WIP for this Wednesday. What are you currently working on? Let me know down in the comments.

The post WIP Wednesday: Stuck appeared first on Martha L. Thurston.

Chapter 1

The moon glowed eerily outside the large estate and cast long beams of light through the window as it painted the floor in a silvery light. Flashes of darkness intermingled with the light briefly like shadows of a tree dancing in the wind.

A soft, startled cry ushered forth from the lips of a blanketed silhouette. The huddle of bedsheets trembled and rocked, and soon the sound of humming emerged in a soothing tone to settle the frightened mound.

“Go to sleep, Mia,” the figure in the other bed pleaded.

A squeak replied in answer.

“What?” the young girl said groggily as she rolled over and sat up in the bed. She stretched her arms and pushed her long blonde hair back from her face as she watched the pile of sheets that covered her sister rock faster.

From beneath the sheets a long pale narrow arm emerged and pointed down at the floor between the two beds at the moonlight.

Bree looked down at the floor. “It’s the moon, Mia. It’s just the moon.” She fell back into the pillow on the bed. “Get some sleep! It’s our first day of high school tomorrow. I don’t need to go to school with dark circles under my eyes.” Out of the corner of her eye she caught a flash of dark and light that swept across the ceiling like a winged serpent. She instinctively reached up and grasped at the pendant around her neck and rubbed the raised engraving of her name, “Bridget.” The necklace, her mother stated, was her protection. A gift she and her twin sister, Mia, had received this year at their fourteenth birthday party.

As she rubbed the necklace, she drifted off to sleep, but her sleep was one of strange dragons and shifting shadows.

The next morning, she climbed out of bed and glanced over at her twin sister Mia’s bed. Paper littered the bed, and the sketchbook and pencil sat ready for the next round on the pillow next to her sleeping sister. Bree reached over and picked up one of the drawings. Typical Mia, Bree thought as she examined the drawing.

Bree shivered as she looked down at the paper. It was a sketch of their bedroom with the moonlight streaming through the window, but on the outside of the window, a dragon streaked across the sky, and the shadows it cast on the floor was snakelike. “Mia,” Bree whispered. “Mom is not going to be happy to see these.” Bree scooped up the drawings and shoved them all in a nearby wastebasket. She then walked over and shook Mia slightly. “Wake up, Mia. Time for breakfast and school.”

Mia stirred, but she did not wake up.

“Mia, wake up. We can’t be late. I know you hear me.”

Mia rolled over and pulled the cover up over her head and placed her hands over her ears.

“Okay. You leave me no choice,” Bree said, and with a swoop of her hand, the cover slid down the foot of the bed. “It’s time to get up.”

Mia rolled over and looked up at her sister with a frown.

“I know you don’t want to go to school, but you have to go.”

Mia pushed her long, mousy-brown locks back and secured it with an elastic band that she had around her narrow wrist. She then held out her arms at her sister.

Bree looked her over and said, “No. Not on our first day of high school. You just want to be picked on, don’t you?”

Mia fell back on the bed.

“Don’t worry. I’ll help you.” Bree walked over to the closet and started pulling out clothing. “You really have to make more of an effort.” She stood and admired a pale blue top and a pair of jeans. “You have a lot against you, so you have to try harder.” She turned and held out the items in her hands.

Mia sat up, looked at the clothing choices, and rolled her eyes.

“I don’t care,” Bree said. “You’re wearing them. Tomorrow, you can wear your slouchy old sweatshirt and jeans if you want to, but today, you’re going to make a good impression.”

Mia stood up and walked over to Bree and snatched the clothes out of her hands. As she headed into the bathroom, she glared at her sister once more before she slammed the bathroom door behind her.

I swear, thought Bree. Why must I be my sister’s keeper?

The post Wednesday Work in Progress: 1st Chapter appeared first on Martha L. Thurston.

I’m so excited. I found out today that my last book, Operation: Containment is at #639 in the category for Young Adult Zombie books. That’s exciting! I can’t wait to see it climb some more!

When I wrote the book, I wanted to write something with my son in mind. He was the inspiration for the book (and the cover!). When it first started out, it was to only incorporate some of the lore of the area where we were living with some of the unexplained things (my students loved to come in and tell me their “ghost” stories).

I have also finally decided on a name for my current WIP, which has been a WIP for some time now. The 1st book based on my Necklace series will be titled Legacy, which I also hope to title the series (if I choose to continue that into a series). Right now, I really want to finish up the Operation 2nd book. I have too many books that I really want to write, but with teaching, I never have enough time to write.

Stay tuned to see what will happen.

The post WIP and Updates appeared first on Martha L. Thurston.

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The first book that I published was Operation Homecoming Queen. It started, not as a novel, but as an example for a student who was struggling with the concept of creating a scary scene. In fact, the scene where she finds herself in the rain looking at her reflection in a mirror, was an example of how to set a mood in writing.

One of the biggest enjoyments that I have is to share bits and pieces of my writing with my students. I love the idea of teaching the creative process, and of showing them how small changes make a difference.

The post Throwback Thursday: My First Book appeared first on Martha L. Thurston.

For a Teaser Tuesday, I thought I would include a small excerpt from my upcoming novel: Operation: Containment.

     At last, he seemed to be within twenty yards inside the containment field. He had been lucky, so far, and he was afraid that at any moment his luck would run out. He sat down the bomb and simultaneously turned to scope the area. A low growl behind him caused him to startle, and as he did, he accidentally depressed the red button.

     Five minutes. That’s all the time that he had to make his way out, and now there was a zombie soldier standing face to face with him. He backed up and fell flat onto the forest floor. From his seated position, he raised the gun and pulled the trigger. The soldier fell face first onto the ground.

     Zane scrambled quickly to his feet. Four minutes. I have four minutes. He jumped over the dead soldier and raced back across the same steps he had taken to get there. Time was clicking away.

     Three more zombies, drawn to the sound of the gun was running toward him. He fired off three more shots. Direct shots to the forehead. The soldiers sank down on their knees, and then flat on the ground as he leaped over their bodies. 

     Three minutes. Run, Zane, run!

The post Teaser Tuesday: An excerpt appeared first on Martha L. Thurston.

Many may not like the spooky and horror elements of the story, but I promise that within the story, a small current of a love story exists between the two main characters in the story.

Look for the book to be published by the end of the summer. I will give you more details as the time draws closer. I’m hoping that the cover will be completed by the end of the week and approved so that I can at least give you a glimpse!

The post Expectations for the month of June appeared first on Martha L. Thurston.

I recently had the time to redesign the cover for my book, As Worlds Collide. This is book 4 and the final book in the Deirfiur series. I’m really excited about this book. It tied up Ashlyn and Ciaran’s story nicely.

If you would like to purchase a copy, you can do so by using the links below:

Amazon

Nook

Kobo

The post As Worlds Collide appeared first on Martha L. Thurston.

The problem? Changing jobs and moving to a new part of the state.

Who knew that changing schools and districts would require such a huge time commitment?

I am looking forward to the move, though. I have the opportunity to teach middle school while teaching 9th grade English. Once more, Romeo and Juliet is a part of my teaching curriculum! O’ how I have missed thee!

In the time between packing and driving 130 miles, I have been writing, revising, and editing. The last book in the Deirfiúr series is scheduled for publication in August. It is my goal to have a cover reveal in two weeks. I will have a more precise date as it gets closer.

The post Finding time to focus appeared first on Martha L. Thurston.