Category Archives: Excerpt

Rise of the Snowmen Deleted Scene

12 Saturday Dec 2020

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As a fun extra for the upcoming publication of Rise of the Snowmen, I’ve decided to post a deleted scene from the novel, a piece that takes place early on from Greg’s perspective.

But first, a bit of background!

Why does the scene switch tenses?

Because I cut this scene, this piece is still in first draft form. What this means is that the words here show the thought process that goes from outline drafting within present tense to dropping into past tense as I picked up the narrative during that writing session.

Had this scene been within the final draft, I would have edited the first half into past tense, removed the repetition, and smoothed out the barrage of telling words, leaning the story to a more limited POV vs. the omniscient narrator (me!) who was talking.

What’s wrong with the scene? Why cut it?

This scene ended up being cut for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I wrote the other side of this scene from Taylor’s perspective and I decided that his side was more powerful and necessary to show because of their character arcs. He’s the one who gets to make a choice during this sequence.

And secondly, I was able to show the emotion Greg feels here in other sequences, so this bit felt too repetitive in a general sense.

Tension loses intensity when it’s too repetitive. Tension also loses intensity when the character isn’t an active participant. In this case, Taylor’s side allows you, my dear reader, to see someone actively struggling against a choice, where Greg’s side…well, you’ll see.

Why haven’t we seen many other deleted scenes from your novels? Continue reading →

Rise of the Snowmen: Chapter One Excerpt

27 Friday Nov 2020

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RISE OF THE SNOWMEN

Enjoy this excerpt from my upcoming novel!

This is a sequel to Those Bloody Christmas Elves, which you can read about here. The excerpt below will give spoilers to Those Bloody Christmas Elves, however, it is not a requirement to read the first story in order to understand or enjoy Rise of the Snowmen :)

CHAPTER ONE

Where the angels creep and the snowmen feed…none survive.

Twas the season, once again, of blissful ignorance and peppermint. Of flashing rainbow lights and warm apple cider. Of spruce and spiders inside homes and sugary delights that ended most often with stomachaches. Not to mention too many presents, off-key carols, and trash. Oh, so much trash.

Too cynical by half.

Taylor frowned into his burnt coffee and shoved his other hand deeper into his jeans pocket. That’s what Greg had said at the start of the drawn-out holiday season, long before turkey had been carved or costumes put to good use. Too cynical by half.

As if the man couldn’t remember how he’d almost lost his little girl last year to an elvish kidnapping and thought the world seemed greener now that days had dulled the terror. As if she had never been in danger of being dragged off to the North Pole in the clutches of the cruelest lie parents told their children.

In fact, that was her laugh now, Mandy Westmill tugging her mother along in her wake as she filled a bag of reindeer food, spilling oatmeal and glitter across the gymnasium floor.

Even with her black hair braided over the crown of her head, Mandy held a hint of her father in her manner. That stubborn set of her jaw. Those dark eyebrows. The way her lips twisted slightly when she grinned. And, of course, that single dimple that popped inward and seemed stuck there in her contagious happiness.

Truly her father’s daughter in so many ways.

Taylor caught her winking at him from across the gymnasium, her finger to her lips in a hush sign and her shoulders hunched forward in a cute attempt at subterfuge. Taylor smiled at her from behind his coffee and returned the wink before casually turning in case Mandy’s mother, Katie, might send a glance his way.

She might not recognize him. After all, they’d only met the few times when Taylor had lingered at Greg’s house during a drop-off or pickup between the two, but Greg wanted to avoid a confrontation. Reason enough why Greg sat safely out in the parking lot of Reynald Elementary school while Taylor cased the place, searching for signs of elvish infiltration.

In years before, elves had nabbed kids right out of the parking lot or snatched them during solo bathroom breaks. Once, during a warmer December, they’d even joined a game of hide and seek out on the playground. Yet Taylor had been there each year, thwarting their efforts and rescuing children from elvish clutches, normally all without parental involvement, or even knowledge.

But last year the elves had struck early and strong, using laced sugar sprinkled on top of the cookies. Mandy hadn’t been the only child nabbed, but she’d been the one Taylor had noticed. And with Mandy had come her father and Greg Westmill wasn’t like any of the other parents Taylor had ever stumbled into dealing with. That man’s stubbornness, his absolute refusal to leave Taylor’s side, not even to go to the police, had spawned a whirlwind of emotions, some of which Taylor still wasn’t sure he understood. Continue reading →

Lost Isle Teasers (WIPTruthOrDare Twitter Collection)

11 Sunday Jun 2017

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For the month of May I participated in a twitter game called #WIPTruthOrDare for Lost Isle: The Ocean’s Aviary I, though many of the questions had less to do with the novel. On each day there were two options, a truth or a dare, so I made sure to show which I chose for each day. I did skip a few days where both the truth and dare didn’t correlate with my novel much.

Day 1 Truth: What is your current word count for Lost Isle?

Day 2 Dare: Write a pitch line for your WIP.

Continue reading →

Lost Isle Teasers (WIPjoy Twitter Collection)

14 Sunday May 2017

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In April I participated in a twitter challenge to celebrate a current WIP. The book I used was Lost Isle: The Ocean’s Aviary I, which will be published in December 2017. Gay fantasy romance, as per the norm. I thought I’d gather the answers to all the questions here as teasers for the novel :)

Just as a quick additional announcement, I’m adding 2-3 more monthly posts on my blog. The second Sunday will have a post similar to this one serving as a collection/teaser. The third Sunday will be a publication of a short poem. And there’s the possibility of me adding a fourth post at the end of each month that will serve as an update to let everyone know what I’ve accomplished for that month and where I am in different projects.

None of these are time-intensive so they will not interrupt my writing schedule, but will hopefully give more information to you on a regular basis to remove spotty updates.

Day 1: Introduce your WIP!

Day 2: Describe your main character.

Day 3: Share a visual that goes with Lost Isle.

Day 4: Share a song that inspires you for Lost Isle.

Day 5: Share a line of description.

Continue reading →

Pack – Excerpt from Haunt of the Wilds

18 Wednesday Nov 2015

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I’ve been doing a daily blogging challenge for the month of November where I post short fiction pieces as teasers for my upcoming release, Haunt of the Wilds. Today, I’ve gotten to P, and since De’vii’s pack is so important to him in the books, I decided to give you a real introduction to his dogs. However, instead of writing new words as I’ve done for most of the letters, below is an actual excerpt taken straight from Haunt of the Wilds. Enjoy!

Haunt of the Wilds Excerpt

Haunt of The Wilds eBook CoverHe’d barely been on watch for an hour, Rid, Wress and Leam all making the rounds in the run-down streets attempting to sniff through the heavy scent of fire and smoke, when the door to the house squeaked open. He didn’t move from where he had propped himself up against the only standing pole that had used to serve as part of the railing. Didn’t need to. A full third of his dogs were facing that direction. And all of them, including De’vii, recognized Caliebb’s scent before he even stepped outside. Mott came running despite the fact she had been circling the nearby rotting buildings with Ens and Wit.

“What are you doing up?” asked De’vii.

Caliebb came to stand next to him, one hand trailing the worn and cracked wood railing. “Wes sort of took over Epsie’s other side and I couldn’t get comfortable.”

De’vii started to straighten, alarm sparking in his body and his mind stretching out to grab a hold of every member of his pack. “Wes is sleeping with Epsie?” Sou was already on his feet and pouncing for the door.

“It’s fine,” said Caliebb. He reached over, looking as if he was about to grab De’vii before he snatched his hand back and shoved it into his pocket. “Mi’saa has a couple of her dogs standing guard over Epsie’s nonexistent virtue. And quite frankly, I don’t think Wes is so bad as to attempt to seduce her when she’s hurting.”

De’vii didn’t share Caliebb’s same optimism over Wes’s character, but he did settle back against the wood, knowing Mi’saa was awake and would be relieving him as soon as she was done caring for her pack. Sou stalled at the door, muzzle swinging toward Caliebb before he flopped down next to Fel on the leaning porch.

“You should be in there too,” said De’vii, turning just enough so he wasn’t completely blocking Caliebb out.

Caliebb tapped the broken railing. “I told you, I couldn’t get comfortable.” Continue reading →

Haunt of the Wilds (Chapter One Excerpt)

09 Monday Nov 2015

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Haunt of The Wilds eBook CoverI went the easy route for H in my A-Z Challenge since the first novel begins with Haunt :) I’ve been doing teasers for my upcoming novel duology during the month of November and today marks the day I give you the actual first chapter from Book 1.

It’s a little over 5k words, but introduces both main characters and A LOT of dogs. I won’t blame you if you don’t remember all the dogs’ names. I only put them in the first chapter because 1, they’re vastly important to De’vii and 2, because I wanted my readers to know I was referring to a dog when I mentioned them again.

That’s also the reason why I have different naming techniques between houndmasters and dogs, to make it easier to know which I’m introducing/talking about during the story. It’d be weird to be reading along and suddenly having someone you thought was humanoid to be barking or butting their head into your crotch, etc. You know, things we all do normally :P

Haunt of the Wilds: Chapter One

He’d been out of the scene for a few months—running hard down trails past the Braken getting his pack prepped and practiced with the two new pups—so when he arrived back in the biggest doghouse in Crafton looking for a job, he’d anticipated being met with excitement. Not annoyance. And certainly not from Mi’saa.

“De’vii, De’vii.” Her voice was deep for a woman, but it fit her well, accentuating the corded muscles that ran from her neck to her calves. She kept her hair cut short, a leftover lesson from when she’d caught it on one job and almost had her scalp ripped off. She was lounging on the low couch, one of her dogs stretched out beside her, another two curled up on the floor and three more circling the area in guard positions. “You little shit.”

“Good to see you too, love. May I introduce the two newest members of my pack.” De’vii flicked his fingers, although it wasn’t necessary for Wit and Ens came forward with just an encouraging thought.

Mi’saa barely spared them a glance, narrowing her eyes up at him. “You cut out on me.”

Damn her rudeness. De’vii stroked Wit’s neck, sending comforting thoughts the dog’s way, making sure he knew he hadn’t done anything wrong. Ens was a different matter altogether. He sat glaring at Mi’saa and likely would have snarled had most of his bad behavior not been bitten out of him by Fel, Kat and Sou during the last months. He was still chafing, De’vii knew that, but he was better in public now. Especially at a doghouse where the fur flew and the scents of blood and fury permeated the air, promising a dogfight for good behavior. And any houndmaster or nocturn hound worth their weight didn’t just relish a fight, they lived for it. Continue reading →

Grave (Curtain Chasers Book 2) Excerpt

24 Sunday May 2015

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As promised, here is the first chapter of Grave, Book Two in the Curtain Chasers Trilogy. There are some spoilers for Alley (Book One) in the excerpt so be aware. Grave is available for pre-order right now.

Grave - Curtain Chasers Book 2GRAVE
Curtain Chasers Book Two
gay paranormal mystery romance

Forthcoming June 15, 2015
Amazon

When Clay Devlin receives a call from his lover, Jacob Hunt, he hopes for a tryst that might rekindle their fading relationship. Instead, he gets hired.

Jacob wants Clay to help a young boy who is bound to a curtain in much the same way Clay had recently been. Only, this curtain is home to another entity as well, one far more dangerous.

As Clay hunts for a way to save the boy, he finds himself rediscovering the easy companionship and heightened passion he’d shared with Jacob. Just this time with the constant reminder that Jacob might be planning on leaving him behind once the case is closed.

But when the situation turns deadly, Clay must choose between giving up the freedom he’d fought so hard to gain or losing Jacob completely. And time is slipping away with every agonizing step forward.

Warning: This novella features a lost grave, hidden heartache and takes place where death and violence breed powerful beings and not everything is as it seems.

Chapter One

The call came while Clay was stepping out of the shower. He let it go to voicemail, thinking it was Donnie seeing if Clay still planned on stopping by the pub tonight. In fact, he’d dressed, ran the slightest bit of gel through his hair, pretending not to notice the couple that had gone gray near his ears, and was searching through the fridge for leftovers when he remembered.

And he only remembered because his phone rang again.

This time he picked it up to answer, his heart giving a one-two thump out of rhythm when he saw who it was. Continue reading →

Alley (Curtain Chasers Book One) Excerpt

09 Saturday May 2015

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I’d like to announce that the first in a novella trilogy I’ve written is on pre-order. It will come out on May 15th, 2015. All three novellas feature the same M/M couple and are set in a fantasy/contemporary world. Could also be classified as paranormal. I’ll add the missing links as they become available. First chapter is below :)

ALLEY
Curtain Chasers Book One
28k words

Amazon | iBooks | Kobo
Nook | Scribd | Inktera

For three years, Clay Devlin has been stuck in an alley, hanging suspended between worlds. He yearns to be free. Even if that means facing consequences from a mistake he made before someone caged his soul on the wrong side of a newly opened curtain.

So when Jacob Hunt wanders down Clay’s alley, desire overwhelms good sense. Not just the desire to be free, but the desire for some normalcy and the touch of another man against his skin once more. But Jacob is a hotspot hunter with a famous blog, thousands of fans and a one-track mind. His attention could easily be motivated by manipulation rather than true attraction and his promises as empty as the alley Clay calls home.

Being free might be worth the risk of trusting Jacob. But if he’s wrong, and Jacob Hunt is just another selfish curtain chaser, Clay will find himself stuck on the wrong side of that curtain. Forever.

Warning: This novella involves alley hookups, wasted whiskey and a trip into the otherworld.

Chapter One

He could always tell the writers. They walked with glazed expressions, annoyance flickering across their faces whenever someone dared interrupt their reverie with small talk. Especially if said small talk was about the weather. They were the ones who looked down the alley with a mix of wonder and fear in their eyes, as if the story written in the stained brick and cracked pavement spoke to them. Continue reading →

Breaking Currents (Siren Song 6) Excerpt

21 Sunday Dec 2014

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Breaking Currents

Copyright © Emmi Lawrence

Edited Dec 28th, 2014: This story has been removed and below is only an excerpt. The entire Siren Song novella will be available for purchase in January 2015.

Siren Song cover designed by James, GoOnWrite.com

Siren Song cover designed by James, GoOnWrite.com

It was another four days before Rikel made a conscious decision on whether to see Caarafk again.

While before he’d had throbbing need goading him along, now doubts assaulted his mind every time he thought about trusting Caarafk. Doubts that morphed into thoughts about becoming song sick again, especially after Kula asked whether the song scream’s power was temporary and the honest answer was nothing more than a shrug.

The decision came one morning after a particularly vivid dream. Unlike the ones that had haunted Rikel when he’d been song sick, this one didn’t dissolve into immediate sexual expression. Instead, he walked along an endless sandbar, far out into the Eversea, listening to Caarafk singing softly, but never, ever reaching him. Rikel woke lonely, feeling as if he was letting an opportunity sail past him. When he finally fell back asleep, he dreamed that he went to the north shore and walked the Gamble, only to find it empty and silent. Years had worn away the edges of the rocks, leaving no evidence that Caarafk had once waited for him because the siren had long since moved on. Just like Kula’s siren.

He waited two days, partially to prove to himself that it wasn’t residual song sickness driving his desire and partially so that he wouldn’t be going to the Gamble when he was tired and sore from hard labor. His dreams became just as abstract and strange as they’d been before he’d gone to the Nest, Caarafk never putting in another appearance, even when Rikel woke with morning wood.

The third morning—a full three weeks from the day he’d last seen Caarafk—Rikel woke early, kissed Mother goodbye, promised Wela he would be safe, after she gave him a concerned look, and headed up to the north shore.

This is only an excerpt of Siren Song. For more excerpts you can go to the Excerpts page.

One Last Song (Siren Song 5) Excerpt

14 Sunday Dec 2014

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One Last Song

Copyright © Emmi Lawrence

Edited Dec 28th, 2014: This story has been removed and below is only an excerpt. The entire Siren Song novella will be available for purchase in January 2015.

Siren Song cover designed by James, GoOnWrite.com

Siren Song cover designed by James, GoOnWrite.com

Later, when Jieve had already fallen asleep and Wela was outside resetting the rodent traps around Mother’s garden, Rikel sat across from Kula, letting the constant movement of her hands drive away the desire to go see Caarafk. She glanced up at him now and then, but mostly kept her gaze on her lap.

“Wela will stop you if you leave,” she said finally. “You might as well go to bed.”

“Are you coming?”

She shrugged.

After another moment, he asked, “How do you do it? How do you sit here day after day and never even go to the water? You don’t go to the docks. You don’t even walk along the cliffs. It’s like you’re not song sick at all.”

Kula’s hands froze for a second. Then she continued without losing her place in the thin ropes. “You find something that is more important. When I was little, Father used to threaten to whip me if I so much as touched the water and I was more scared of him than I desired to find my siren, especially after he told me he’d sell me off to an old farmer from Vaisar a few years later.”

Rikel snorted. “No, he didn’t.”

“Yeah, why do you think we never got along? When I figured out he would never do something like that, I had an awful phase where I would sneak out. At first, I would just go to the cliff and sit there, listening. Then I would go to the Gamble and wait. No one ever came.”

“Gods,” breathed Rikel. “You don’t still do that, do you?”

She shook her head. “Tarok caught me coming home one night. Reamed me until I was crying. The songs don’t have the same effect anymore, mostly because I know I’m not truly wanted.”

“What if your siren had met you there and did still want you?”

She didn’t glance up from her work. “Then I’d probably be dead.”

This is only an excerpt of Siren Song. For more excerpts you can go to the Excerpts page.