Who’ll Get a Voice?

By Mary Albers Felkins

No, that’s not the author version of The Voice. Or maybe it is.

I’m at a pivotal point in the first draft of a jilted bride novella and have wrestled with a weighty - and familiar - writer decision: Through whose point of view should this particular scene be written? Who will take center stage? Who gets to speak?

In the past, I’d simply ping back and forth pretty equally between the heroine and hero in my romance stories.

You know, she speaks, then he speaks. Back to her. Or maybe I’d let the hero have a voice in the next scene before crawling back into heroine’s skin to give her a voice.

But now, fingers hovering over the keyboard, I’ve learned to ask an important question which guides my decision:

Through whose perspective will I be able to squeeze out the greatest emotion for the reader?

Because emotion drives story. No matter the genre.

If it’s a hero’s proposal, maybe the heroine should allow the reader to experience this in her POV so they can celebrate with her more deeply. Particularly if she’s believed the lie that no one would ever pursue her.

But what if the ring came at great cost to the hero, one he’d sold something of value to acquire and hoped she’d accept? Maybe the reader would enjoy what that felt like, lowering with nervous energy to one knee, offering his beloved a ring.

Sometimes both characters insist on being heard. You hear it? Listen to me! Listen to me! Since I’m not writing in omniscient POV, I’ll have to choose.

Hmmm.

To help untangle the knot of confusion, I’ll write the scene from both perspectives. Then sit back and ponder them awhile until I determine which stirs my soul a bit more.

If I’m not moved or the scene feels a little meh or awkward, my reader might find better things to do with their time than press on through to the end.

As much as I have my favorites, the character whose point of view ignites a greater fire of emotion will earn the privilege of speaking so those pages keep on turning. All the way to a breathlessly satisfying end.

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Mary Albers Felkins is a contributor to writer’s blogs and on-line magazines. Her debut, contemporary romance, Call To Love, (www.pelicanbookgroup) will be released November 15^th, 2019. The completed cover anxiously awaits being partnered with the story behind it. She is represented by . Raised in Houston, Texas – and forever a Lone Star girl - she and her husband Bruce moved to the foothills of North Carolina in 1997. They have four (adolescent to young adult-sized) arrows in her quiver. She can be lured from her writing cave if presented with a large, unopened bag of Peanut M&Ms or to watch Fixer Upper. If, upon introduction, she likes your first or last name, expect to see it show up in one of her novels. To follow Mary’s story-style devos each week and receive book news via email, join other #Felkinsfans at www.maryfelkins.com  https://www.facebook.com/MaryAFelkins   https://www.instagram.com/maryafelkins/   https://twitter.com/MaryAFelkins  https://www.pinterest.com/MaryAFelkins/  https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-albers-felkins-9426a140/

Once Upon a Time in Louisiana

By Bruce A. Stewart

Here’s a question for you. What does a twenty-eight-year state police veteran write about when he retires from the force? Why, romance, of course. And so, Sing Me Something Happy, my first published novel, was born.

Since my retirement, I have written five books, quickly closing in on number six. My offerings range anywhere from the aforementioned romance to mysteries featuring a small-town sheriff. Though the books couldn’t be any more different in content, one common thread connects them all. Each is set in my home state of Louisiana.

When folks think Louisiana, I’m pretty sure I know what images come to mind. Endless swamps with cypress trees too numerous to count. Venomous snakes bigger than a grown man’s arm. Flesh-ripping, human-devouring alligators on the prowl for their next unsuspecting victim. A place where you don’t even have to be naked to be afraid. Get it? The television show? Naked and Afraid? 

Anyway.

And while we do have all those things, we have so much more. You’ll find acres of flat farmland, corn and cotton fields stretching as far as the eye can see. Rolling hills covered with tall, straight pines. Shrimp boats. Cajuns and rednecks. Po boys. Jazz and boudin. And wildlife so abundant, our state has been nicknamed, Sportsman’s Paradise. Why, in Louisiana, even our ducks have dynasties.

My latest release, Hurt Road, is a romantic suspense about a Michigan teen who, by a twist of fate, must move in with his grandparents. Grandparents who just happen to live in Louisiana.

So, check out one of my books. My goal is to turn out interesting stories set in one of the most unique and colorful places on the planet. Laissez les bons temps rouler, y’all!

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Growing up in the colorful, multicultural, state of Louisiana, Bruce A. Stewart was reared with an appreciation for diversity and a love for small town life. After high school and a couple of years of college, he began his twenty-eight-year career as a Louisiana State Police trooper, retiring as a sergeant in 2009. During that time, he witnessed the humorous, the sad, the tragic, and even the unimaginable. These life experiences give him tremendous credibility when writing about the many aspects of the human condition. Having been deployed to New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and Lake Charles after Hurricane Rita, he has seen firsthand the determination and courage of ordinary people thrust into extraordinary circumstances. Bruce writes Southern Fiction with a touch of humor, romance, suspense, and inspiration. He is represented by Cyle Young of Hartline Literary Agency. He has two published novels, Sing Me Something Happy and Hurt Road, both with Clean Reads. Bruce’s website: www.bruceastewart.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/bruce.a.stewart.7?ref=bookmarks Facebook Author page: https://www.facebook.com/authorbruceastewart/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorbastewart