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#amwriting #FridayFiction Part 2 #TheVanishedBoy @harmony_kent #newbook #crimethriller

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Hi everyone. I can’t tell you how much pleasure it is to pen my second ‘am writing’ post. It means I’m still going, lols. My new meds seem to be helping my breathing, so fingers crossed that continues! I avoided steroids this time, which is a relief, as I’ve had roughly six sets of those nasties since March last year. Since last week, I’ve penned over 14,000 words on The Vanished Boy. If you’re a regular here, you’ll have seen the blurb and cover already, so feel free to skip down to this week’s excerpt. I’d love to know your thoughts, bearing in mind this is straight from the WIP and is the first, unrevised draft. Have a wonderful weekend, everyone 🙂

About the Book:

It’s so remote out here. Anything could happen …

 

 A missed phone call in the night is all it takes.

When Carole’s 18-year-old son goes missing, she breaks into Jayden’s laptop to try to understand his life.

All too soon, Carole discovers just how little she knew her boy.

And when one lead after another dead-ends, the distraught mother has to face the unthinkable.

Sucked into a sticky web of deceit and lies, nothing is as it seems.

 

When your life turns inside out and upside down, who would you trust?

 

Excerpt:

Distraught, Carole fishes out the emergency matches from the same junk drawer, carries those and the calendar out to the back garden, and sets all twelve pages on fire. She holds the corner and watches the paper curl up and brown. Smoke blows in her face, along with blackened bits of burning paper and ash. Carole coughs and drops the hot mess. It hits the long wet grass. After a few seconds, the flames fade and fail. For a full five minutes, unheedful of the Cornish mizzle soaking her clothes, and oblivious to the piercing cries of the gulls—fighting over scraps—she stands and stares at the remains, lost in thought.

Her neighbour, John, brings her out of her trance when he yells over the fence between their properties, ‘You all right, maid?’

She shakes herself and nods. With a sniff, she scrubs at her cheeks and clears her throat. ‘Yes. Thanks. Just … well, you know.’

His kindly eyes crinkle at the corners. ‘It gets you at the most unexpected times. That it does.’ John nods and walks on, leaving her to her grief. He lost his wife a couple of years ago, so he understands to a degree that most other people just don’t. How many times has her sister told her to get a grip and that she should be over it by now?

 

 

© Harmony kent 2021

You can find all of my books at Amazon: http://author.to/HarmonysBooks

 

 

22 Comments on “#amwriting #FridayFiction Part 2 #TheVanishedBoy @harmony_kent #newbook #crimethriller”

  1. 14,000 words is fantastic progress, Harmony! That means the story is flowing. I love the excerpt. As a reader, sometimes I struggle with the present tense writing, but this is a well-written piece. Congratulations on the progress and on the improved health!

    • Thanks so much, Jan. I kept trying to write this in past tense, the the charcters and story just weren’t having it. It’s demanding present tense, lols. 🙂

  3. So happy you are feeling better, Harmony, and without steroids. Loved the excerpt and I’m already wanting to know more. Look forward to being able to read the whole story in the future!

    • Thanks, Denise. I’m so relieved I’ve avoided more steroids! So thrilled you enjoyed the excerpt 🙂

  4. Anything involving your kids is magnified ten times over. This sounds like a winner. Glad you’re feeling better and hitting the keys.

  5. Glad you’re feeling better and writing up a storm. I loved the excerpt. Can’t wait for this one, Harmz. It sounds fabulous!

  6. Glad you’re feeling better. I’m jealous of your productivity, but I’ll get through my projects. Somehow, I always do.

    • I think that you’ve stayed more consistently productive than I managed, Craig. So kudos to you for that! Thanks for your well wishes. I’m so relieved my breathing has improved. I’m looking forward to where your projects will lead. Thanks, Craig 🙂

  7. So happy you are feeling better, Harmony! I enjoyed this excerpt. Her grief is palpable. I’m assuming that before this moment, the significance of the calendar was explained. I’m looking forward to reading more. 🙂

    • The significance of the calendar is explained previously. It’s a heart-wrencher. I’m always conscious of keeping my excerpts fairly short. So glad you enjoyed the extract and that her grief comes through. Your well wishes are so appreciated. Thanks,Yvi! 🙂

  8. Good excerpt! I don’t understand the em dashes, though, because they call attention to the scraps like the scraps are important to the scene. Would it be better to write:
    . . . and oblivious to the piercing cries of the gulls fighting over scraps, she stands and . . .

    I love the last paragraph. The difference between John and her sister comes through!

    • So glad you’ve enjoyed the excerpt and that the differences come through. Thanks, Priscilla 🙂

  9. This book sounds very intriguing, Harmony. I have one of your books on my short list. I’m glad your health is improving, have a good weekend.

  10. I’m so glad your health is better, Harmony. What a long year it was! Your story has me intrigued. Since the first excerpt, I’ve been hooked and this second excerpt pulls me in further. You’ve made grief very real. Powerful writing, my friend.