Melissa Barker-Simpson

Hi, how was your week? Mine was a little crazy, so I’m thrilled it’s the weekend – more so because I get to catch up. So let’s talk. I have a pretty comfy couch, so we’re good here for a while.

I’m currently reading Rogue Lawyer by John Grisham, but we’ll get to that in a minute. First, I promised a summary of my thoughts on Crossing Bedlam by Charles Yallowitz, which I finished last week. I wrote a review, and you can find it by clicking here.

So, back to Grisham. I actually read a review on  Don Massenzio’s blog, and as I used to be a huge fan of Grisham’s books, after reading what Don had to say about Rogue Lawyer I couldn’t resist. So far, so good. I think I might actually be hooked again. I’m a faithful reader, so I tend to stick by my favourites. Unfortunately the last couple I read of Grisham’s made me hesitate when considering his latest release. I would have got to it eventually, put it on my ever growing reading list. I’m glad I didn’t wait. There are so many authors I enjoy at the moment, it’s not easy to choose. Unless it’s Lee Child (because I have a serious weakness for Jack Reacher), I tend to read them in order.

Going back to the crazy, as in week, that would be crazy busy, I’ve only read a couple of chapters. I expect I’ll have more to say about it next week, though. If you’ve read it, feel free to share your thoughts.

Writing wise, I’ve mostly been editing. I’m working my way through episode 2 of the Collective, and trying to make sure the characters have a unique voice. It’s written in third person, but each episode is told from multiple points of view – changing characters depending on the scene. Again, it’s different to my novels, juggling so many characters (and plot lines), so the challenges just keep coming! Not that it isn’t fun. I’m having an absolute blast. In fact, I’m so excited about this project, I had to pull over to the side of the road yesterday to jot something down (safely).

One of the things I love about getting to know my characters is that, even when I know their background, think I know all their secrets, bam, out of the blue they share something with me and I think ‘No! Really?’ I know I’m not alone in that – even the most explicit of planners get caught by surprise. I mention this because it’s the reason I had to pull over (safely).

I will be releasing a sneak preview of the first episode next week (Chapter 1) on the website, so I’ll share a link with you. I already posted it to Watt Pad, so if you want to check it out, you can do that here. Just a note, if you read the post I wrote for Writer’s Quote Wednesday, you will recognise the first part of the chapter, so you’ll need to scroll down for the continuation – to find out how the scene ends.

But that’s it from me. I’ve rambled enough. I want to hear about your week. Are you reading anything new? If it’s still the same book, how’s that going? What about writing, blogging, creative outlets in general – do you have anything to share?

Thanks for stopping by.

Mel