Chapter Nine Excerpt: Jealousy, Gossip, and Boys.

Continuing with excerpts from some of my favorite scenes, this is an excerpt from Chapter Nine.  The first excerpt, introduced a very important issue in the story that existed in the early 1960s, segregation.  This excerpt addresses issues every teen girl can relate to: jealousy, gossip, and...of course...boys.

 

 

As Marg took off her cover ups, I set down my bag to grab my own blanket.  Suddenly, the worst possible thing happened; I caught a glimpse of Judy running towards us.  Trip must have seen her at the same time because I heard him say, softly to Johnny, “What’s she doing here?”

“I invited her,” Marg stated smugly.

“Why?” Johnny questioned.

“Because she’s my friend, and I need her.”

Johnny looked bewildered for a moment as he watched Marg get up and join her friend.  They did not join us right away as they stood off in the distance whispering to each other.  It became apparent to me that Marg was rehashing the conversation we had in my room to Judy.  I watched them closely as I imagined the things they were saying to one other.  I was so involved in them that I did not notice that Johnny had walked up behind me.

“Why do I feel as if I am being ambushed?” Johnny asked.  I jumped at his question, and he laughed.  “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.”

I smiled.  Our short interlude increased the rage on Marg and Judy’s faces.  Johnny looked at the girls and then back at me.

“Am I being ambushed or are you?” he questioned.

“I think both of us,” I replied softly.

“Don’t worry, I’ll protect you,” he stated as he put his hand on my back and led me over to his friends.

One of my favorite excerpts from Chapter One

That summer was proving to be a very boring one until I met Ruby.  I remember the day I first saw her face.  I was out in the backyard, twirling myself in the tire swing out back.  I was depressed over Judy and Eddie and decided to leave it up to a small flower to tell me what the future held.  I would pull a petal saying, “He loves her,” in disgust, then proceed to the next exclaiming “he loves her not.”  Somehow, for whatever reason, the entire grouping of flowers ended in ‘he loves her.’  I sighed audibly, leaned over as far as I could, without falling out of the swing and cracking my head open, then I picked another flower in hopes that it would tell me differently. 

I started on my second dozen flowers before I heard a giggle from the fence behind me.  I did not know who moved into the house behind us as it had been vacant for quite a while, but someone was there now.  So, I ducked out of the swing and moved over to the little head that popped up above the fence.  I was startled at first because I had never actually met a colored girl, but her eyes glittered with amusement, and I could not help but ask why she was laughing. 

“What’s so funny?”  I smiled.  Her laugh was contagious. 

“I just wondered if you realized that is a swamp lily.”

I looked down at the purple flower in my hand and then back up at her. 

“It only has 6 petals, so you’re just going to get the same answer every time.”   I stared down at the flower for a minute and then broke out into laughter.

“I wasn’t really paying attention,” I giggled, throwing the flower to the ground.  “I was thinking of…”

“A boy,” she stated, finishing my sentence.  I blushed.  “What’s his name?”

“Eddie.”

“And you like Eddie?”

            “NO!” I exclaimed.  “No,” I laughed correcting my outburst, “I just really hate the girl he is dating.”   She nodded her head as if she understood.  “Eddie is my best friend, but since he started dating Judy I haven’t seen him much.  This summer has been a drag.”  I walked back to the tire swing, ducking underneath it so that I could get in with my skirt on.  I swung for a few seconds as she watched me.  Ruby seemed nice enough, but I was not sure if we were allowed to play together. 

My Teenage Life: Freshman Beginnings

The first book in my new series My Teenage Life is up on Amazon Kindle.  My publisher tells me the print version will follow in about a week. 

Go to Amazon

New series to be published

So, I know I wrote earlier about my new book which would be the first of four books in a series called My Teenage Life.  I am excited to announce that I signed on with a publisher yesterday.  My agents worked long and  hard to find a publisher that could help bring this book to all you wonderful people.  I have been very blessed.  I guess it is time to revive the old blog.  I realize I haven't been on for a REALLY long time, but with the new series come out, hopefully, I can attract some more followers and prepare everyone for the arrival of my new series. 

The 1960s

My third book, which will essentially be a series, is set in the early 1960s. It is fun researching this era because I kind of wish I had grown up in it. I grew up watching movies like Gidget and the Beach movies with Frankie Avalon and Annette. I love Bobby Vee, James Darren and the Beach Boys. If they still made poodle skirts, I would be wearing them. It is a time period I have always loved so why not set "My Teenage Life" during that period of time? Sounds like a good plan to me and a book I will enjoy writing.

Research, research, research

Writing any period piece is extremely daunting. Somehow you have to create a world that is not only believeable to your readers but actually true to the time period. Conveniences we have today, how many times do we actually stop and think when those came into existence. 1962 was the year of the first wal-mart and k-mart. There were so many things we have now that didn't exist then and I have to weed out those things. Like flavored chips. The first flavored chip came out in 1962, salt and vinegar. Then after weeding all this out, I need to recreate the buildings, the dress, everything. So here is the question, do you use an existing city, school, etc. or do you create one. I am a personal fan of adding history into my books so I like to have a real place I can base everything off of but that leads to more research. Where is "My Life at Fairfield High" take place? Bangor, Maine.

My Third Book

I picked my third book, which is actually a series. I know, it took me forever to do. It is hard to decide on one because I have several started. Although this one is going to be quite an undertaking because it takes a lot of research, I think it is time. "My Life at Fairfield High" takes you through the life of a young teenager as she enters and completes all four years of high school. The kicker is that it is set in th early 60s. Thus, a lot of research. I am searching through some of the important dates of the early 60s as I listen to JohnnyAngel. It is a lot of fun to do, but still is going to take quite a bit of time. So the story of high school and all it's experiences through the eyes of a young girl in the 60s. Are you interested? Your history lesson for the day. Martin K. Speckter invented an interrobang in 1962 which was a new puctuation mark combining the use of the exclamation point and the question mark. Now here is the question: Do any of you use the interrobang?

Cindy our main character enters her freshman year in 1962 so expect history lessons as I take you with me through this journey. Stay tuned. Creating these characters is just the start. After book one is done, we still have three more to go. :)