Developing A Character With an Assist from Diane Fanning

I've blogged several times about the complex character that I'm developing for Footprints in the Sand and I got a great idea -

Last year I read a book by Diane Fanning - it was about the murder of Bobbie Jo Stinnett. You probably remember the young pregnant woman who was killed and the murderer literally her baby from her body and kidnapped the child. That's not what I have planned for my book - but the mentality of the kidnapper is great research for my book.

So, I contacted Diane to see if we could toss around some thoughts. Who better to ask than someone who researched this woman and the condition that led her to commit these horrible crimes? We exchanged some emails and she gave me some great input -- thank you very much Diane.

About 3 years ago I met Dianne Fanning when I moderated a true crime panel at the Virginia Festival of the Book and she was on the panel. I've always enjoyed true crime books and if you enjoy true crime - you HAVE to give her books a read.

These are some of her true crime books and you can find reviews for a number of these on my review blog - I have read just about every one.

2007 - Out There: The In-Depth Story of the Astronaut Love Triangle Case that Shocked America

2007 - Under the Knife: A Beautiful Woman, a Deranged Doctor, and a Shocking Murder

2006 - Baby Be Mine : The Shocking True Story of a Woman Who Murdered a Pregnant Mother to Steal Her Child

2006 - Gone Forever : A True Story of Marriage, Betrayal, and Murder

2005 - Written in Blood

2004 - Into the Water

2003 - Through the Window: The Terrifying True Story of Cross-Country Killer Tommy Lynn Sells

The Pastor's Wife: The True Story of a Minister and the Shocking Death that Divided a Family

Novels by Diane Fanning
Punish the Deed (Lucinda Pierce)
The Trophy Exchange: A Lucinda Pierce Mystery (Lucinda Pierce)
Bite the Moon (Five Star Mystery Series) (Five Star Mystery Series)
The Windwalkers

You should take a look :)

Nikki Leigh


Diane Fanning
Author of PUNISH THE DEED, the second Lucinda Pierce novel from Severn House
www.dianefanning.com
www.myspace.com/dianefanning
www.womenincrimeink.blogspot.com

Planning Details For Footprints in the Sand

The galleys for Book Promo 201: Harness the Power of the Internet with Web 2.0 and Social Media Marketing are coming along very nice and I have the updated galleys to work on today. Love when the book gets this close to be complete and ready to go to the printer :)

But, I wanted to post an update about Footprints....

Over the weekend I had a little time to start getting some of my plot ideas on paper. So many great ideas floating around in my mind, but I've started writing them on index cards and that will give me a chance to organize all these ideas. Its also amazing to me how many additional ideas come to me as I'm arranging my thoughts.

I wrote one book with no plan and learned a HUGE lesson. While I love spontaneity in my writing - having only a vague idea wastes a lot of time. My first novel was started that way and I ended up tossing out over 50,000 words (200 pages) of content because I started the story in the "wrong" place. With the schedule I have and with business I don't have time to waste like that. So, I plan the basic things that I definitely want to include and especially with a mystery to keep the story on track.

BUT that does NOT mean that my characters aren't "allowed" to take control of the story and that does NOT mean that I don't change course if needed. That is all a big part of the fun of writing :) My first book took over a year to write - almost every book after that took less than half that time and my business books were each written in about 3 months. For a couple of years, I was a full time freelance writer and when the bills need to be paid - there isn't a year to play with a book idea :)

So, once the galleys are finished, I look forward to finding time to keep brainstorming the story. Hopefully I can also find time to head to the Outer Banks to do some research about the Ash Wednesday Storm which is the backdrop for this kidnapping mystery........

Nikki

Working on Book Promo 201 Galleys - Getting Back to Footprints in the Sand

I haven't had a chance to work on Footprints in the Sand lately, but I'm hoping to get a chance to work on it some this weekend. Last weekend I was at the Virginia Festival of the Book and the weekend before that -- we were working on the virtual tour for Maureen G Mulvaney's Amazon campaign for her new best seller -- The Women's Millionaire Club. Several weeks before that - I was working on other projects - but Footprints needs my attention and I really want to do some story brainstorming.

So, I called a local psychologist to see if we can talk about one of the characters. I work hard to maintain authenticity in characters, setting etc so I need to talk with a professional about some ideas I have for this character. Hopefully she can point me in the right direction. More updates soon -- I hope. I'll also let you know when Book Promo 201: Harness the Power of the Internet with Web 2.0 and Social Media Marketing is available :)

Nikki

Additional Character and the Book Dedication

I'm not revealing any huge secrets, but I planned to base a character in Footprints in the Sand on someone who has always been very important to me, but I needed someone's approval to do this. I got that approval a few days ago - so JD will be in the book. He's going to be a great friend to Nathan (the hero) and I think he will play an important part in helping Nathan solve the mystery of the kidnapping. The character will be his own "person", but there will be parts of his personality and behavior that will be familiar to people who knew the person he is based on.

I've also decided who to dedicate the book to, but now I will have to craft a great written dedication. Thankfully, I have all kind of time to figure that out :)

I also found some awesome resources and tips for parents to help them prevent kidnappings - and I'm planning to include those in the back of the book along with internet links for much more information.

Several other projects are taking up my writing time right now, but ideas for this book are simmering :) I've also got post it notes with ideas all over the covers of a couple of notebooks.

I read How to Write a Damn Good Mystery and all kinds of interesting story ideas cme to me while I was reading, so I jotted the notes down and stuck them to the front of the book. It looks really funny, but there is only one idea that I might not use :)

Time to get back to work for a client - hoping to share more soon :)

Nikki Leigh

An Interview With (the real) Kristie

Lilah and the Locket

An Interview with (the real) Kristie

I thought readers might like to get a behind the scenes look and insider information about Kristie from Lilah and the Locket. Kristie and Nathan are real people and Lilah is their dog. I used information about each of them to create the main characters in Lilah and the Locket.

Kristie agreed to answer some questions for you and I want to share them. I hope it will give you some additional information about the story and the main characters in the story.

Kristie, Nathan and Lilah live in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and they vacation on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Rachel Deragon, the artist, who painted the picture for the cover also vacations there. We all have ties to the area and I feel that makes the story more special to each of us.

Feel free to drop me a note with your thoughts.

1 - You may not know this, but I had an idea for a murder mystery set at Cape Hatteras for a long time and I thought of that the moment I opened your entry envelope. This all started because you entered some pictures of your Shepherd Lilah in a fundraising event that I organized for the Charlottesville/ Albemarle SPCA. Why did you choose the picture of her at the ocean?

We chose the photo at the ocean because she just loves the beach and water. She goes everywhere with us and this was a picture of her first trip to the beach. She loves playing in the ocean and digging in the sand.

2 - I remember the day when I called to tell you that your picture was chosen for the story. But, I never got to ask what you thought when your family was chosen for the story.

We were thrilled. Our dog is like a child to us and to have a story written that included all of us was very special. What a great item to have on our bookshelf. And the way the book is written, with detailed about the things we do and the ways that Lilah acts, it just adds to how special it is to us. It's something we can always read and use to remember our special bond with Lilah even long after she leaves this earth.

3 - In order to make the details about the characters more "true to life", I asked you to fill out character worksheets for each of you. Can you tell us about filling out the character worksheets for yourself, your husband and Lilah?

We just tried to be as detailed an honest as possible. We really wanted the story to be true to who we are and how we act and react to different situations. It's not often you get to have a story written about you, so we wanted it to be a true reflection of us and our relationships.

4 - In what ways do the characters remind you of your family? Are there any aspects of the story that are more special to you and Nathan?

Well, you really took our personalities and put them on paper and that in it self reminds me of our family. Even down to the things that Lilah does on a daily basis, that fact that Lilah really does go to work with us, and my husband does work in construction. The interaction between the myself and Lilah in the beginning of the story is great. You really captured the true relationship she has with both my husband and I. I also really liked the way you incorporated Nathan and Lilah meeting and the relationship that develops between Nathan and I from his friendship with Lilah.

5 - Are you happy with the setting of the story? If so, why or why not?

Yes, we love the setting of the story. One of our favorite places to spend time is at the beach. We are there as often as possible fishing, playing in the surf with Lilah, and walking the beach.

6 - How do you think you will feel the first time you see the story about you, Nathan and Lilah in print?

I can't wait for that day! We'll have a lot of feelings... what you've done by writting this story about us is very special and something we'll always cherish. I can't wait to buy copies for my whole family for the following Christmas. I'm already getting requests for copies.

7 - Did you learn anything about the writing process from this experience?

I learned how important it was to give as much detail as possible in order to make the story really have a true impact and hold a special place within us.

8 - What do you think when you hear that several reviewers were captivated by the romance between Kristie and Nathan in the story?

It's very exciting. I've never had anything like this done for me or my family before and to hear that people love the idea, story, and the relationships that developed make the experience even more special. I love that people are interested in the romance between myself and Nathan. The way that the relationship falls together in the book is really cool because Lilah is a very important part of our lives and our romance very well could have developed in the way it is portrayed in the book. It shows what a strong bond the three of us have with each other. We are ecstatic!

I hope that you enjoyed getting to learn more about how this story came about and more about the real Nathan, Kristie and Lilah.

Nikki