Hi and welcome to the FINAL WEEK of the Summer Love
Blog Tour!
My debut romantic suspense novel, THE FIRE WALKERS
comes out this Tuesday!
I can’t believe it. Throughout June I’ve had the
great pleasure of introducing you to my fire hero Aidan, and his outgoing girl,
Kelly.
The third and final
Walker in my story is a special character to me. A rescued racehorse, his name
is Keegan.
While insight for the
plot of THE FIRE WALKERS stemmed from many sources, Keegan is who really got
the adventure started.
Five years ago I began
volunteering at a horse rescue in western Maryland, and being around the horses
taught me so much. Each of them were so unique, and the stories of where
they’d been gave me inspiration.
Keegan’s character is
an amalgam of all the traits I adore in the horses, and I was committed to
writing his story right. Like his fire counterparts Aidan and Kelly, Keegan wasn’t easy to figure out at first.
As far as the Astrology theme is concerned, Keegan is an Aries like Aidan. And they get in each other's way because they're so alike. Two equal forces going for the same target,
which in this story is Kelly’s attention.
As an English major, I was taught to begin the story with the impact of action. Page one of THE FIRE WALKERS begins with Kelly waking up in a jail cell. This
is where all the paths cross – Aidan’s,
Kelly’s, and the Dove Group’s. The past collides with the present (ß
fire theme), and the conflict reawakens after three years of being dormant. Kelly’s
destiny is chosen here. She will get charged with the community service, where she will meet Keegan. It’s the
dominoes of fate falling into place.
Keegan’s part in this succession
comes in Chapter 4 when Kelly steps into his stall for the first time. I knew
that was going to be a powerful scene because of what Keegan had been through (starvation
and abandonment). And it played out perfectly, like a surge of flame. There was
no sweet, “Hi there.” It was BOOM, here I am, and that is Keegan.
Keegan stands out
from the other horses in many ways. He’s ornery and headstrong and lovable for
it. His moments with Moe and the humans depicts his fiery nature.
There are two chapters
in particular where Keegan steals my heart.
The first is in Chapter
8; Kelly and Aidan have their first fight, which is the most intense moment between
them. I drafted that chapter three times from different point of views to
ensure that I wrote it right. As an author I want the conflict to be believable
and not simply for the sake of having drama sprinkled in. I want the
struggle to show that these two characters care for one another. The battle is
not about tearing one another down, it’s about intentions being at cross purposes and causing a
disadvantage to both, which gets heated when the characters are of the fire element. Aidan wants what he wants, but at the cost of
something important to Kelly.
I’m pretty proud of the
version you’ll read in the book. By the end of the scene you see Kelly walking
away and Aidan pained by the fact that he’d held her back. Keegan is there,
between them, acting as a buffer and the comic relief, illustrating the parallel between the two alpha males.
The second scene comes
in Chapter 9, when Kelly and Aidan reconcile over Keegan’s history. The Keegan you meet in Chapter 4 is withered, his spirit set on ‘survive.’
In Chapter 9, Kelly lays out the documents from Keegan's file, the paper fragments of the horse’s
past. So she’s not only revealing Keegan’s back story, but all three Walkers
are able to bond over what they have in common.
I never get tired of
reading that scene, and I sincerely hope that it translates to readers the same
way.
When I sat down to
write this post I thought, Keegan. What
can I say about him?
He comes to
me in pictures, not words. His determined chin kicking up although the
rest of him looks so frail. The propeller spin of his tail. His muzzle covered
in gray mash after he slurps his food. His adorable snort whenever Aidan gives him a hard time.
What can I say? Keegan's my
hoofed hero. J
And you get to meet all of them in three days.
Keegan and Kelly and
Aidan. Sophie, Hank, Pippa, Drea, and Jason.
Moe, Callisto, and Baker’s
Dozen. Eric and Ben.
IN. THREE.
DAYS. O.o
The
time is upon us. There's no turning back now.
I
want to take this moment to THANK YOU for following my blog and sharing this journey with me. THE FIRE WALKERS is a long time dream that releases July 1st, 2014!
Please check back for
all the details and links!
This
Wednesday, July 2nd: I’ll be visiting Jean Murray's blog to talk
more about Keegan. There will be tidbits including his mom’s fire name, and other fun nuances to this Walker's story.
For updates on other guest posts and TFW info please
follow me via social media:
Twitter – https://twitter.com/ShelleyNGreene
Website – www.ShelleyNGreene.com
See you then!
Aw, it's great to read about characters that aren't human for once. Great post!
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