Fault Line Update

Hello faithful readers.

I have exciting news for you.  The story Fault Line is about to be available on Kindle Scout https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1WGHAW4Y4G1G2

Now this is a new platform for Kindle and I am excited that Fault Line will be part of it.  Basically what needs to happen is I need your help spreading the word about Fault Line.  An excerpt of the story will be available at the above URL.  If people (YOU) are excited about the story, and vote for it, then it bumps up in ranking.  If it gets high enough then the people that voted for it receive a copy of the full story and Amazon pushes it out to the masses.

This is an exciting story.  Just check out this excerpt https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1WGHAW4Y4G1G2

See, I told you so!

Seriously, please take the time to check it out.  I am sure you won't be disappointed.

Let me know what you think.

All the best.

TL Scott.

First Chapter Preview of the next TL Scott Novel Fault Line

Hello faithful readers,

Well the wait is almost over.  The next novel is being screened by some trusted beta readers.  It has been a long time coming but the wait will be worth it.  I am going to paste the first chapter of Fault Line into this post for your reading pleasure.

If you see something that you think would make the story better please comment and let me know.  If you like it then please also let me know.

Let's start up a conversation.  I look forward to interacting with you.

Well, without further ado.  Here it is.

Enjoy:

Chapter 1

Late summer is a great time of year in this part of Texas.  The sun has eased back from the blistering intensity of July.  It now warms the skin instead of frying it like an egg in a skillet.  The air has lost some of its sweltering quality and is stirred by a cool, breeze that rolls gently through the park. 

Kids play in the green oasis of nature.  Several play catch with Frisbees while others toss a baseball back and forth.  Tired mothers watch their tireless toddlers play.  Young couples lay on blankets, basking in the sun as much as they are basking in their love.  Toddlers feed the ducks by the pond.  Joggers make their way along the path which winds around the promenade.  The rhythmic cadence of their footfalls add to the natural rhythm of the day.  At the south-eastern corner of the promenade a black lab races along the green expanse of grass.  It launches into the air and catches a Frisbee with effortless grace.

Bill is taking it all in.  It feels good to be back home.  The smell of fresh cut grass combined with the cool morning breeze helps him to relax like he hasn’t been able to do for so long.

“Man you got ‘a get the Shelby.  If you’re going to get a Mustang you might as well get the best,” said Sam.  Sam was from Virginia Beach and had grown up around muscle cars.  His Dad taught him some of life’s most valuable lessons while tinkering under the hood of one project after another.  When it came to cars Sam knew what he was talking about.  His favorite project had been when he had rebuilt a 442 with his Dad and Uncle.  It had been the first time his Dad had involved him in the restoration of the engine and transmission.  Before that, he had mostly done body work and been the one to fetch what the men needed.  In fact, looking back, it was probably that restoration more than anything else which had led him to decide on being a 63B, light vehicle mechanic.

“Listen man,” said Sebastian, “I still haven’t made up my mind.  Yeah, I love the Shelby but that Camaro is awesome too.”  He held up his hands to forestall the complaints he knew were coming.  “Before you say that it can’t compare with the Mustang think about after-market work.  With some fine tuning and a little tweak to the computer chip she would be sweet!  Now toss in a new transmission and it would scream!”  Sebastian was an Army brat and had spent most of his childhood in Germany.  He had always been good with electronics and had initially come into the Army to do that.  Once he was in the Army himself, he learned about the things the guys in EOD did so he cross-trained and became an 89D.

“It still wouldn’t be the same grumbled Sam.”

“To tell you the truth I’m leaning toward the Beamer.  I’ve been reading about the M3 and it really is a complete package.  I like the way that it rides so low to the ground.  It really hugs the road.”  Sebastian scooted to the edge of his chair while he was talking.  “Its got 425 horse power pushing around 4000 pounds. Get this man, it goes zero to sixty in four point five seconds!”

“You’re right man, said Tommy, that M3 is sweet.”  He was leaning back as usual.  His normal pose, and attitude in general, was relaxed.  “For me though, I’m going to get an Escalade.”  Tommy was from Atlanta and would be going there to visit his Mother after the wedding.  Like the rest of the guys he hadn’t been home in over eight months.  He was an only child, and in spite of his tough as nails exterior, he had a soft spot for his mother.  She had made a lot of sacrifices for him.  His dad had died when he was young and she had raised him as a single mother.  He owed her a lot and tried to respect her sacrifices by becoming the best man he could be.  He had big shoes to fill.  His father had been a great man.  Tommy constantly strove to become better.  Maybe one day someone would think that he had been a great man as well.

“You’re all crazy,” Raul said.  “The classics are the best.  I’m gonn’a get me a ’78 Monte Carlo and trick it out.  Picture it man, lime green, full chrome rims, at least 32’s, and full hydraulics, a true hopper.”  He crossed his arms and sat back with a smug look on his face.  When none of the guys showed any reaction he quickly sat forward in his chair again and put his hands on his knees.  “You’ve got to be kidding me guys.  You don’t know what a hopper is?”  He held out his hand palm down and bounced it up and down, small at first then bigger and bigger bounces.  “Sweet right?” he asked as he leaned back again. 

Raul was from New York and had joined the infantry.  He had joined to be in the infantry.  He wanted to go out and make a difference.  Once he was in the Army he decided he liked the camaraderie and worked hard to become better.  He graduated all of his courses at or near the top of the class.  When he was done with his initial training he applied himself and completed his G. E. D..  He found that he actually liked to learn.  This was different than when he was in school back at home.  He decided to try some college classes.  He finished his Bachelors degree in three years and was working on his Masters in adverse psychology.  Along the way he also completed Army Sniper training.  He had a real knack for observing and analyzing.  He was also really good at taking action when it was the right time.

Bill just sat back and listened.  He usually was the quiet one of the group.  These were his friends and he knew he was damn lucky to have them.  It was kind of funny that two years ago they hadn’t known each other.  They had come from all different walks of life.  Each man had decided to join the Army for his own reasons.  At the core of it each man was looking for the same thing.  Each of them wanted to become better than what they were.  Over the past two years they had become as close as any brothers.  Being in battle together does that.  Especially when they had saved each other’s lives too many times to count.

Bill watched the tranquil scene of normal life play out in the park across the street.  His attention was focused on a crow.  It was working on a crust of bread.  It would attack the prize a few times then raise its head, darting it from side to side to make sure his perimeter was clear.  The crow was cautious.  He made sure his prize was still safely his.  Satisfied, it returned its attention back to the bread, stabbing its beak into the crusty morsel.  Suddenly, it dropped the meal and launched up into the air.  The unmistakable crack of a gunshot shattered the tranquility.

Instinct and experience guided Bill’s eyes over his left shoulder.  Jumping out of his chair, he pivoted his body around, eyes searching for the aggressor.  He was kneeling on his right knee when his eyes locked on their target.  His right hand clasped the grip of his Sig Sauer SP 2022 Nitron which was still firmly in the holster.  His left arm, now clear of the seatback was coming around for a two hand grip.  Seeing a confirmed threat, he cleared leather and brought his weapon to bear.

A man was in the middle of the two lane road, standing over a woman. She was down on her knees and gesturing her hands fiercely.  Bill couldn’t make out the words they were saying from this distance, but it was obvious he wasn’t asking her out on a date.  The man was holding the stock of what looked like an AK 47 with his right hand, waving it around menacingly, while shouting at the woman.  His long, stringy, brown hair flying around his head.   He punctuated his agitation by thrusting the gun up and down.

The woman raised up off of her heals and said something to him.  Whatever it was caught his attention.  He stepped closer to her and bent his thin frame down to her again. 

She shrank back from his leering face.  Whatever it was she said next, he must have found amusing.  He tossed his head back and laughed, then started dancing around her.  He was doing a kind of high step, pumping the rifle up and down.  He was really getting it too.  His knees were pumping up and down.  Once he was back in front of her he stopped dancing, threw his head back, and howled like a wolf.  In a fluid movement he snugged the butt of the gun up to his shoulder and sighted in on the woman.  The black barrel ended inches from her upturned face.  Her jet black hair blew back from her face in the gentle breeze.  It and the angle she was facing prevented Bill from seeing her face. 

Bill admired the way she faced the man that was about to take her life.  She looked proud and strong.  Even if she was seconds from meeting her maker she wasn’t going to cower.  He instantly respected her for that.

Bill was increasing the pressure of his trigger finger.  Seeing the man tense his shoulder and bring his right elbow out to the side triggered him to engage fully.  A split second before applying the final amount of pressure, the dancer jerk to the right.  The guy continued to fall in what seemed like slow motion.  Bill knew better.  This was what he called battle speed.  As the man fell, bullets sprayed out from the barrel of the AK47 in a deadly arc.  In this case, it was good that the AK 47 shot up to six hundred rounds-per-minute. It quickly ran out of ammo before anyone was hurt by this madman.  With the guy out of the fight Bill scanned for other threats.  Seeing none he did a quick check on his friends.  Sam and Raul were both covering down on the baddie.

Bill kept his weapon trained on the inert form in the road from his kneeling position.  He cut his eyes over to Tommy and Sebastian and saw they were taking cover behind the decorative fence that separated the café from the sidewalk.  He could see they were at a loss.  They were so used to being in uniform and reacting as they were trained to do.  When their finely honed reactions came up with a missing weapon they were at a loss for a beat.  This wasn’t Iraq or Afghanistan.  It was Texas, and yet war had found them here. 

Bill kept his weapon pointed at the bad guy as he ran over to the woman.  She was still on her knees in the middle of the road.  The bad guy hadn’t moved since he had hit the pavement.  As Bill got closer he could see why.  A pool of blood was spreading out from his head and a small puddle was congealing under his torso as well.  Bill wasn’t taking any chances.  He had seen men get up from wounds that should’ve killed them outright before.

He slowly circled the body, keeping his eyes on the man’s hands.  If they so much as twitched Bill would drop the hammer.  His finger skillfully had 3 of the 7 pounds of pressure squeezing the match grade trigger.  It would only take a small fraction more to dispatch the man if needed.  He kicked the rifle away from the corpse and then looked at the woman.  She was staring at the body.  He couldn’t see her face from his angle.  Her black hair was loose and partially covered it.  He could see that she was shivering in spite of the warm air.

A crowd was beginning to form.  Sam and Raul were still training their weapons around, searching for any more potential threats.  Sebastian and Tommy were keeping the small crowd that was forming back, forming a loose perimeter defense.  They were doing their best to keep the look-e-loos away from the scene.  Of course in this modern day most of the people had their phones out, trying to catch it all on video.  It would be up on social media before the authorities had a chance to arrive on the scene.

“Are you okay ma’am?”

She raised her obsidian eyes up to his and said in a calm voice, “I think so.”

“Are you hurt?” Bill asked her.

“No, . . . I don’t think so,” she replied shaking her head slowly.

“Are there any more of them?”  He asked as he cast his eyes around. 

“I don’t know,” answered the woman.  “I don’t know who he is.”

She looked down at her lap and her body sagged down.  The steel that had held her up seemed to leave her. “He was really going to kill me,” she murmured.

They both knew she had spoken the truth.  Bill didn’t see any need to say anything further on that point.

“What’s your name ma’am?”  Bill asked her in a gentle tone as he reached out his hand to help her up.

She took it and let him help her to her feet.  Once she was sure she wasn’t going to fall back down, she squeezed his hand a little and responded; “My name is Isabella, thank you.”  She said looking him in the eye.

“You’re welcome,” he replied simply.

There was something about this woman, something more than her beauty.  There was a feeling of strength that radiated from her.  He tore his gaze from her beautiful eyes and looked around at the scene developing around them.

More people had gathered on the sidewalks on both sides of the street.  Traffic was at a standstill.  Cars were lined up with their doors standing open.  Their drivers had abandoned them to get a better look at the aftermath of the violence that had played out in their small town.  Small children were standing with their parents.  Some parents were trying to cover their children’s eyes but the curious little ones weren’t having it.  Bill wished he could cover the body up.  Not to give the man his dignity but to lessen the macabre interest that had overtaken these people.  He knew better though.  He knew the police were going to conduct an investigation.  Back here that meant collecting forensic evidence.  Almost as if on cue the shrill notes of a siren cut through the still morning air.  All together less than three minutes had passed since the first shot had been fired and the discordant wail sounded the arrival of law and order.

Okay, so there it is.  That's the first chapter.  Please take a minute while the experience is fresh and leave a comment of what you thought of it.

Thank you,

TL Scott

A Life Worth Living is now available

Great News!  You can now get your copy of A Life Worth Living.  This is the revised version.


http://www.amazon.com/Life-Worth-Living-T-Scott/dp/1511607963/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1434213956&sr=1-1&keywords=a+life+worth+living+t+l+scott

How To Publish your book

Hello again faithful readers and welcome to those that are visiting for the first time.

Okay so you have finished your story and now you are working on getting it published.  Fortunately you have several options.  I urge you to spend the time researching the different options and then choosing the right one for your book. 

If you are an established author you will likely go with a traditional publisher.  Well if you are an established author it is unlikely you are reading this as you already know how you are going to publish your book.

The traditional publishers typically only accept submissions from literary agents.  They already have a stable of established authors and are very selective when it comes to bringing in new authors.  Some do accept unsolicited submissions but know that your odds are slim.

So if the traditional publishers normally accept submissions from agents then lets talk about getting an agent.  First though I want to say that one of the main reasons for them relying on literary agents is because of trust.  Over time the publishers have come to realize that these agents submit quality stories that are likely to be successful.

The process of finding a literary agent is not an easy one.  It takes great perseverance.  You must write the perfect query letter.  You should avoid sending a mass query letter to everyone.  Many agents have posted what they want to see in your query to them and what their submission requirements are.  If you choose to ignore them you do so at your peril.  Remember as great as you know your story to be these agents are looking for authors that they are willing to work with for years to come.  They are looking for professionals.  You must do your research and query each agent individually.  I strongly encourage you to learn about query letters.  There is some good information online if you take the time to look for it.  One of the main parts of the query letter is your personal history.  This is a summary of what you have done.  What you have published before and any awards or recognition you may have earned.  If you have these achievements then by all means make sure you list them.  If however you are just starting then tell the agent why you are qualified to write this story.  Also tell them why you should be represented.  One thing to keep in mind is that if you do have a literary agent then you will also be required to pay your agent from your profits.  The representation can be essential.  Most of these agents are true professionals and are very good at what they do.  As in all professions there are some that are good at it and some that are not so good at it.  Again do your research and look for an agent that you feel comfortable with.  If you choose to go this way I wish you well.

Another way you may choose to go is with a vanity press.  This may be the right way to go for you.  If your story is likely to appeal to a small niche market or only for your family and friends then it may be worth it to pay to publish a small number of copies.  Be very careful though.  There are some companies out there that charge large amounts for their services and then do not perform well at all.  Do your research and tread carefully.

The last option I want to talk with you about is self-publishing in the ebook format.  In my opinion this is the way to go for everyone.  If you are an established author then this is a market segment that you cannot afford to overlook.  If you are just starting out then this is the way to go as well.  As long as your manuscript is formatted per their requirements then your submission will be accepted.  One other main advantage is that you will get a large percentage of the sale.  With a traditional publisher you will usually only receive 10 to 15 percent.  If you have a literary agent then you will need to pay the agent from those royalties.  Granted that the major publishers can get your book on the shelf in a lot of locations.  The more available your book is the better the chance of it being sold.  I recommend you make yourself familiar with www.Smashwords.com  This company in my opinion is fantastic.  They make the process very easy.  The submission process is simple and quick.  Compared to traditional publishers the e-publishing will get you between 30 to 80 percent of the sale.  Another major advantage is the Smashwords can get your book available in multiple outlets.  They will make it available on Smashwords, Kobo, Barnes&Noble, Diesel, Apple ibookstore, Sony, Amazon, and Library direct.  One major advantage is that Smashwords will consolidate your sale records across these different platforms.  If you were to publish your book individually at these different outlets then you will need to track your sale history on each of these sites.

In summary I recommend everyone research all possibilities and then do what is best for them.  If you are an established author then you will likely have an agent and go with a traditional publisher.  If you have not already I recommend you look into publishing your book as an ebook as well.

If you are in the beginning phase of your writing career I recommend publishing with Smashwords.  In my research I have not found any other way to publish your story at a lower entrance price and having such a large distribution channel available.  This should translate into a larger profit margin for you.

If you have any questions or comments please take the time to post your response.

I wish you all the very best.

T. L  Scott

How to discover your characters. T L Scott

Hello again, I hope you have been well since the last post.  Today is Saturday and it is the day before Easter Sunday.  It is a time that many of us get together with family and friends.  Before I go into the body of the post I want to wish everyone, whether you celebrate Easter or not, a very happy weekend.  I hope you enjoy your time with family and or friends, or alone if you prefer, this weekend.

What makes up a character?  The answer comes down to their experiences.  Of course how much of their experiences we, as writers, reveal is up to us, and the story.  Going into too much detail about a character can grind the pace down.  You can also run the risk of going off in a direction that really has no relevance to the story.  Remember the story must stay tight.  If there is no point in telling that Jimmy once wore his Grandmothers pumps then don't.  If however Jimmy goes on to become one of the premier shoe designers in the world then it may have been critical to the story.

Characters are like us.  They have a past.  They did not get to the point of the story without living some.  Just as you do not want to hear a persons life story when you are ordering a cheeseburger, the reader does not want to have to read about a characters history if it is not relevant.  That is the key.  What is relevant to the story.  It may be that it is important to reveal that the cheerleader used to be heavy before she started running.

I have found that sometimes the characters just stand up and speak for themselves.  They have a clear voice and nothing more needs to be added.  This however is rare for me.  More often I find myself getting to know the characters before the story goes on.  I have found a tool that works really well for me and I would like to share it with you.

I use flashcards to record the important character traits.  At first I tried using 3x5 cards.  I quickly found out that my characters were bigger than 3x5.  I tried cramming all of their details into that small space and it did not work well.  I now use larger index cards.  I get to know them.  Their height, hair color, eye color, distinctive mannerisms, their build, are they slim, muscular, heavy-set?  Are they strong of character or are they needy?  I really try to imagine what they are like.  Once I get it all out then I decide how much of them to reveal during the story.  As the story comes to life more details about the character will develop.  I simply add them to the card.  I have found that using the cards I am able to stay true to the voice of the character.  They are more distinctive.  I am also able to keep things in order and not confuse one character with the other.

While I am talking about keeping the characters straight I will share another tool that I use.  I use a timeline to keep the events in order.  The timeline often has branches to keep track of the different things going on.  Like the index cards this is a tool I use to keep things straight.

These tools have helped me to realize my characters more clearly and to keep track of what they are up to.  If you do not already use them then I hope that you will find them useful as well.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog.  If you have any suggestions please take a minute to comment.

It is Saturday so I will be spending this weekend with the characters that are my family and friends and as much as I would like to edit some of their traits life does not work that way.

I will talk with you again soon.

T L Scott

Why should I write this story?

Hello and thanks for dropping by.

I was asked a question the other day from a friend of mine and I want to share my thoughts on it with you.  This friend revealed to me that she had been thinking about writing a story for a long time but had decided not to because she would not be good at it.  She went on to say that she still thinks about it but she just is not good at those kind of things. 

In the short time that I have been a writer I have heard this story quite a bit.  Here are my thoughts on the subject.

Why should I write this story?  There are so many answers to that question.  There are the text book answers: to inform, to entertain, to persuade.  Hopefully every story I share with you will achieve all of these items to some extent.  There is always the answer of to make money.  I don't think there is anything wrong with the desire to make money from telling stories.  In fact it is one of my primary goals.  That goal is circular.  I want to make enough money with my writing so that I can dedicate more time to my writing.  The money is not really the goal for me.  The way that it would enable me to dedicate more time to writing and not have to work another job for 40 hours a week.  That is 40 hours that I could be telling stories.

The real reason for me to write a story is so that I can share it.  I have found that the process of writing the story for me is great fun.  I really enjoy discovering the characters as they develop throughout the story.  More often than not they end up being different than what I first imagined them.  They also change the story from what I thought it would end up as. 

I have a lot of ideas for stories rolling around in my head.  I guess I could tell you that I am mulling them over.  That is true and still not complete.  Some of the stories are content with staying in the background while others are incessantly popping up with new scenes and scenarios.  This brings me back to the conversation with my friend.

I pointed out to her that since the story kept coming back to her it was obviously something that she wanted to talk about.  I advised her to do just that.  Sit down and tell the story.  Simply write it out.  No pressure to show it to anyone else.  Simply tell the story.  After that go back and read it over and see if the story has been told.  Are there points that need further explanation?  Are there things that are missing?  Once the story has been told then sit back and let it simmer for a while.  Ask yourself whether you want to share the story.  If so with whom?

It is my opinion that we all have stories to tell.  Some of these stories are to be shared.  Some are definitely not meant to see the light of day.  Burn baby Burn!!!  And then there are some stories that demand to be told!

If you are still reading this then you have the passion within you.  I urge you to pick up the thread and find out where it leads.  Will you weave an epic odyssey?  Will you unravel the mysteries of the universe?  Will you bring laughter and wonder to children?  Will you cause the heart-rates of lovers the world over to race?  Pick up the thread my friend and let the tale be told.

Talk with you again soon,

T L Scott

Where do the ideas for a story come from?

Hello readers.  Now that A Life Worth Living is off to the publishers I am focusing on the next story.  This one is a completely different one than A Life Worth Living.

I have heard a lot of people ask where do the ideas for a story come from.  I would like to hear your thoughts on this subject so please join in.

For me the thoughts come literally from everywhere and everything.  By that I mean that I never know what is going to inspire a random thought to become a plausible story line.  Sometimes it is revealed in a series of events that spin off of the initial "what if".   Other times it comes from looking at something and wondering how it happened to be what it is.  At other times it is more I wonder what would have happened "if". 

More than anything I think it comes down to asking questions.  It is the why, the what if, the I wonder. . . that leads to a story line.  Then of course the characters themselves start to reveal themselves and the story takes off on its own.  Where it ends up is as much a revelation for me as it is for the reader.  I just get to see it first.

Well those are my quick thoughts on where the ideas for a story come from.  Please share yours.