Character Sketch - Do Not Disturb

Recently I participated in WriteOnCon (thanks to Sarah Turnbull for telling me about it!), a "FREE Online Children’s Writers Conference (rated MC-18, for Main Characters under 18 only)" where one of the participating writers, L.L. Tisdel, who is also an artist, offered her skills to sketch the main characters from the books of any writers who were interested. 

Now despite the conference character age rating, there was a New Adult Fiction category on the site, which is why I decided to join in. New Adult Fiction is a developing genre of fiction that contains main characters between the ages of 18 - 25. My main character is in her early twenties and still figuring out her way in life. 

My work-in-progress, Do Not Disturb, is about a young woman/hotel maid, Sherri Mason, who steps into the center of secret packages, murder, & her late father’s ghost story after she moves back to her hometown in hopes of uncovering the mystery of why he abandoned her when she was a child and how he died shortly thereafter. 

This is the sketch of my character:

I love it! Tisdel is super-talented and did a great job. I hope you'll check out more of her work at her website.

Anyway, I've had some difficulty determining what genre to place my book into. It has elements of a cozy mystery, and there's also that ghost theme, so the supernatural genre has occurred to me. After reading through various feedback though, the thriller/suspense genre seems to fit.

It was a good learning experience and I recommend it for next year to all you children's book through new adult authors out there. 

For now, I still have a blog hop to answer to, so that's one of the things on my to-do list. Read about what I got tagged for at funny lady, J.B. Everett's Mobyjoe Cafe. Also, be sure to visit her at Momaiku, where "Behind every good mother is a child pushing her buttons."

*****

Visits and Creepy Poetry

Well, they’re up to their old tricks again. It’s getting comical at this point. Maybe they’re sending signals because it’s “All Hallows' Eve.” Ah, you know who I mean, don’t you? Yes, it’s them again.

I was driving with my son yesterday and at the stop light, I noticed a license plate on the car in front of me with the birth date of an ex-boyfriend on it; that would be the day, month, and year. (An ex-boyfriend that is still alive, mind you.)

Huh. Interesting.

When I looked at a second car, I noticed it had the word “hug” on it.

Then I looked at a third car where I saw the name of a different ex, and a fourth car that had a word significant to all of this on its license plate. (To protect the names of the innocent, I won’t go into detail here.)

That’s four cars at one stop light; a first time that has happened.

I let it dissipate from my mind, but then on the drive home with my daughter today, I noticed the name of a game my dad used to enjoy playing on the license plate in front of me. That car drove away and the next car said, “Luv,” on it.

Seriously, I think all of these people I’ve lost over the past six or so years are having fun with me, trying to remind me on a day when I’m feeling blue – blue about the state of the world, about the weather, and other personal issues that mean nothing compared to the big picture - that I am actually thought of.

At least by them.

I will leave this Halloween post with a “creepy” poem, written using a prompt from Poetic Asides:

Visit

Shadowy man moves
me to sleeplessness, in the morning
just a picture
hanging
where it’s always been,
slamming
to the floor, hazy hand
demanding
attention