Book Recommendations

• Comments on Then You Hide
• Book Recommendation Archives

What the Playfriends Have Checked Out

Book Recommendations

THEN YOU HIDE by Roxanne St. Claire

Reviewed by Marilyn Puett

Southern gentleman Wade Cordell is the best marksman in the military.  Or he was until he left because he was tired of killing people for a living.  When Lucy Sharpe offers him a full-time position with the Bullet Catchers instead of the part-time consulting work he’s been doing, he waffles.  He knows Bullet Catchers protect their clients, but he hasn’t forgotten that sometimes they have to kill in order to protect.

So Lucy offers him a “gimme” – a simple assignment to find a woman who’s on a vacation in the Caribbean.  Find her and take her to meet the woman who gave birth to her and then sold her to a black market adoption ring.  The woman who’s serving a life sentence for murder.  The woman who is dying a needs a bone marrow transplant from a relative.

Wade tracks her down on St. Kitts, but Vanessa Porter is a keen negotiator.  Before the Wall Street investor with the killer instincts will agree to visit this woman, Wade must help her find her work associate who’s decided to drop out in the islands.

What follows is murder and mayhem that takes Wade and Vanessa from island to island, following a trail of clues, which might be leading them to their man – or not.  And while Wade is falling in love with the woman he’s supposed to find and protect, Vanessa is fighting the emotions because she can’t possibly love a man who killed for a living, any more than she can care for a woman who is not only serving time for murder, but who sold her like an unwanted lamp.

Rapid-fire dialogue and a plot full of twists and turns highlight this second book in Ms. St. Claire’s 2008 Bullet Catchers trilogy.  This bodyguard is to die for and he steams up the love scenes like rain on asphalt in August.  He’s met his match in Vanessa, a spitfire with a brilliant business sense but who considers herself unworthy of anyone’s love.  You won’t be disappointed in this fast-paced romantic suspense.

Craft Articles from the Study Hall

The (Not So) Dreaded Synopsis by Danniele Worsham 

Is there anyone out there who abhors writing a synopsis as much as I do? It’s easy to tell there is, considering how many articles on writing a synopsis have the word DREADED in the title. Quite a few, let me tell ya.

Unfortunately, this is an essential part of being a writer. A synopsis isn’t some useless task editors thought up to torture us. Before our stories see the light of day, a great synopsis can help sell our work to that coveted editor or agent. Some contests require a synopsis with submissions, because it allows judges to see the evolution of the story beyond the few pages in front of them. After publishing, a synopsis is often used in marketing, as a basis for advertisements or foreign sales.

Since there’s no use continuing to bemoan this task, we might as well get down to it. Writing the synopsis doesn’t have to be that bad, as long as writers approach it with some very basic tools.

First, have a plan. (That’s my organizational side coming to the fore.) I don’t know about you, but I always proceed faster and with more ease if I know where I’m going. This requires a map that gives me direction and guidance, instead of wandering lost in the convoluted darkness of my storyline. Not all plans work for all people, though. We’ll discuss that a little more later.

Second, approach writing your synopsis with the expectation that you will rewrite it at least two, if not more, times. Girded with this realization, you won’t be quite as frustrated when rewrites, then more rewrites, are needed. After all, we are stripping this story that we’ve worked so hard to embellish and ripen to its original naked state. What writer would enjoy doing that?

Now, let’s discuss the way I approach writing a synopsis. It is no better or worse than any other approach. It just happens to work for me.

1. Opening Hook Paragraph*
     Just like your book, hooking the reader right away is essential. I like to utilize the first paragraph of my synopsis to throw out that all-important kernel that makes my story unique, and hopefully catches the reader’s attention. Often I’ll add information that sets a tone for the story, like details of the setting or world building. For instance, in one I introduced the rules of a secret society I was using. You could also describe a game or theme that is used throughout the story, or paranormal writers could set up the rules of engagement for their characters.

* by paragraphs, I mean 3 to 5 sentences

2. Characterization Paragraphs (Heroine, Hero)
     Next I like to delve into who my characters really are. After all, what good is the most outstanding plot if no one cares about the people in it? Each of these paragraphs (one per person) addresses the character’s goals, motivation, conflicts, relevant background information, and current situation.
     We’re setting the stage here.

3. Plot Points
     Having described the lay of the land, I move on to explore the significant signposts along the way. I don’t go into every little detail, though it is tempting to ramble, but instead focus on the essential points that the editor must follow to see the forward motion of the story. I find one paragraph per plot point is sufficient.
     Things not to include here: subplots (unless absolutely essential to the understanding of the storyline), secondary characters, extraneous explanations, or rambling (of which I’m often guilty).
     Things that should definitely be included: brief characterization of your villain and emotional/internal turning points that compliment the external conflict. Remember, we’re writing romances here. Show the editor how the relationship grows throughout the book, not just who gets killed when. Some relational points to consider include the first kiss or sexual scene, background revelations and their impacts, and when/why they fall in love.

4. Black Moment, Climactic Event, and Resolution
     Spend one to two paragraphs explaining the ending of your story. Don’t leave editors guessing. You might think curiosity will have them jumping on the chance to see what happens next, but that’s not a likely scenario. Editors and agents want to know you can deliver. There’s a saying that goes something like, “They want to make sure aliens don’t arrive in chapter thirteen.” That about says it all.

5. Wrap It Up
     For me, this final paragraph usually describes the resolution of the romance. How does the couple we’ve grown so attached to finally achieve happily ever after?

6. Other Important Information
     Format should be identical to your professionally formatted manuscript. Some people advocate double spacing your synopsis, or they can be single spaced with one blank line between each paragraph.
     Length depends on the size of your book and the company to which you are submitting. For many of the companies I looked up, the requirements ranged between two and five pages. Most companies list specifics in their submissions guidelines, so be sure to do your research.
     A synopsis is always written in the present tense, as if the story is happening now. The only thing written in past tense are events that occurred before the story takes place, like important background events.
     Utilize your synopsis to showcase your voice. The language should mimic the mood of your book to give the editor a feel for the manuscript, whether emotional, dark, funny, quirky, etc.

7. Other Plans
     As I mentioned before, not everyone works the same way, just like some people are plotters and some pansters. My map might not work for you, so here are some additional helps on the synopsis journey:

www.Lirw.org/synopsis.html
     This great article by Victoria Ardito lists a series of questions for you to answer to easily build a synopsis. It has a great example too!

www.lisagardner.com/tricks/synopsis.htm
     Author Lisa Gardner has a thorough collection of synopsis lectures covering everything from studying the market to submission do’s and don’ts.

www.charlottedillon.com/synopsis.html
     Charlotte Dillon’s website is a great writing resource, period! This page has a collection of many, many synopsis writing links.

www.writing-world.com/publish/synopsis.shtml
     This article shows one way to write a synopsis after the book is done.

http://www.sff.net/people/alicia/artsynrevision.htm
     Here author Alicia Rasley uses synopsis writing and rewriting to ramp up your plot.

www.lindaneedham.com/synopsistwn.htm
     This synopsis is based on the Hero’s Journey method of plotting.

It is my hope that you take away just one tidbit of information that will help turn your experience writing a synopsis from DREADFUL to DELIGHTFUL, if only when you view the final product. Good luck!