Monday, August 4, 2014

Bluewater Bullion - Book 7 of the Bluewater Thrillers

I promised that after I finished writing Love for Sail I would write another Bluewater Thriller.  I’m 23 chapters along in Bluewater Bullion, the seventh book in the series. It’s nice to be working with Dani and Liz again, although I can feel Connie Barrera looking over my shoulder. She’s got something to say, and she wants me to get this next Bluewater book done so that she can have the stage again.

Dani and Liz are claiming that they have seniority, insisting that they’re entitled to my full attention. They’ve been sulky and difficult to work with when I’ve taken time off to contemplate Connie’s next adventure. It was one thing before her first book was published, but they’re seeing her in a different light now. I wouldn’t say they’re jealous, but they’re demanding that I take my time with their story and not let Connie rush me.

After six books, they’re wanting to do things a little differently. They’ve decided they want to be less dependent on their network of friends. They think that they can make it on their own, without calling Phillip and Sharktooth every time things get rough. So far, they’re doing all right, but they’ve had to slap me down a couple of times when I thought bringing in reinforcements would be expedient.

Characters in a series are like children; they grow and change quickly. That’s as it should be. Otherwise, their stories would become stale. This particular change isn’t one that I anticipated, though. I’ve been expecting one of them to get involved with a man, but their standards are high, and neither has found an attractive candidate yet. Witness the following exchange, where they’re discussing their two male guests in Bluewater Bullion.

“Gerald’s kind of hot,” Liz said.
“Not my type,” Dani replied. “He’s a little too limp-wristed.”
“So you like Joe better?” Liz was referring to their other guest. Joe Thompson was a former Navy SEAL employed by Yates to help him find the wreck.
Dani shook her head. “Loser. My bet is he got run out of the Navy. He strikes me as a bully, and he’s way to quick to tell you about his experiences.”
“He’s sure built like a Greek god,” Liz said.
“Like they say in Texas, ‘big hat, no cattle.’ That body comes from too much time wasted in the gym – not useful muscle.”
Liz laughed. “There’s no pleasing you. At least they’re both easy to look at.”


Or this one, where they’re talking about one of the guests and a woman friend that he’s brought aboard for a day’s sail:

“You know, he’s a nice enough guy, but … ” Dani shook her head.
“But what?” Liz encouraged her.
“I don’t know. She seems a lot more outgoing than he is.”
“So?” Liz said.
“They seem a little mismatched, I guess.”
Liz chuckled, shaking her head.
“What?” Dani asked. “Why are you laughing at me?”
“Not you. Us. Sometimes I think neither one of us is ever going to find a guy that measures up.”
“Nothing wrong with high standards,” Dani said. “I don’t want somebody that I have to take care of all the time; that’s a pain.”
Liz smiled.
“Well, do you want somebody like that around all the time?” Dani asked.
“Not all the time, but maybe just every so often. I mean, he is pretty hot, you know?”
“That’s what you said about Joe the other day. He ever get around to asking you out?”
“I think he sort of lost interest after Gerald told him I was going to shoot Rigo.”


I need to get back to work and finish Bluewater Bullion; I certainly don’t want these two annoyed with me. Besides, I hear Connie tapping her foot …

5 comments:

Author Bob Nailor said...

It really becomes insane with the characters control you but at the same time, it can be some of the best writing available. I love when my characters control me, but it does get difficult juggling their needs, my needs and time. Great post.

Anonymous said...

Congrats on Book #7 - that is such an amazing accomplishment! You are so inspiring!

Unknown said...

I know what you mean about characters getting jealous. It's great that Dani and Liz are evolving though. I look forward to more of their adventures.

Unknown said...

Congratulations! One of my favorite things about writing is how characters take on a life of their own and change the direction of the story.

Lisa Jey Davis said...

Very cool! Congrats on book 7! I love how the characters are taking on a life of their own!

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