Friday, October 18, 2019

#90 Inside the Emotion of Fiction "THE TRUNK" by Linda Mooney



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****Linda Mooney’s THE TRUNK is #90 in the never-ending series called INSIDE THE EMOTION OF FICTION where the Chris Rice Cooper Blog (CRC) focuses on one specific excerpt from a fiction genre and how that fiction writer wrote that specific excerpt.  All INSIDE THE EMOTION OF FICTION links are at the end of this piece. 

What is the date you began writing this piece of fiction and the date when you completely finished the piece of fiction? I started it on April 28th of this years, and finished it on May 28th.

Where did you do most of your writing for this fiction work? And please describe in detail. And can you please include a photo?
My husband and I are empty-nesters. Ours was originally a four-bedroom home (but the fourth bedroom is very, very tiny.) Hubby is a remote staffer for a company out of Nashville, and his office is that fourth bedroom. I took son #2’s slightly larger bedroom for my own office, where I do 99.9% of my writing.

What were your writing habits while writing this work- did you drink something as you wrote, listen to music, write in pen and paper, directly on laptop; specific time of day? I drink coffee most of the day. I also plug into my computer and listen to orchestral music while I’m writing. I can’t listen to actual songs with words. They distract me. Some of my favorite albums are those by Thomas Bergersen, Two Steps from Hell (Trust me on this! These are some fantastic scores!), Audiomachine, Trailerhead, and Future World.

My schedule usually runs like this: I edit the chapter I wrote the previous day that morning. After lunch, I begin the next chapter. When I take a break, I either record a chapter into an MP3 file—which will eventually become an audiobook—or edit a previously recorded file (BELOW RIGHT). I finish the chapter that evening.

What is the summary of this specific fiction work? In the not too distant future, the human population is nearly wiped out by an alien invasion. Six years after the initial attack, Emlee Dow isn’t too worried about the continuing alien presence any longer. It’s the few humans left who pose a greater threat. Food and supplies are hard to come by, making survival an ever increasing struggle. Luckily, she finds refuge in an undiscovered basement room, containing enough supplies to last weeks.
Feeling full and relatively safe, Emlee decides to rest while she can. She wasn’t expecting her world to be turned upside down when she woke. Or for the already upside down world to be flipped right side up, pre-destruction. Thrown into the past, she meets Mykail, and has only days to convince him she’s not crazy before history repeats itself…or is it the future?
In these difficult and trying times, it’s hard to know who to trust. Just when you find someone, they’re lost just as quickly.
Can love be found again in the future? Or is it a thing of the past?  
Warning! Contains several outfit changes, broom handle self-defense, a spare key fob, expired food, freckles, the sound of thunder, a never-ending search for sanity in a world gone insane, and two people forced to wait years before love triumphs.


Can you give the reader just enough information for them to understand what is going on in the excerpt? Emlee has lived through an apocalyptic event caused by aliens. While on the run from some predators, she comes across an untouched basement that affords her protection. In this basement is a trunk of clothes, and she puts on some of those clean clothes since she hasn’t had a decent bath in weeks. But when she wakes up, she finds herself back in the past, just hours prior to the aliens attacking, and meets the man who lives in that basement. She then has to convince him of what’s about to come down, and find a way for them both to survive this second time around.

Please include the excerpt and include page numbers as reference. The excerpt can be as short or as long as you prefer. (From Chapter 14, page 50)     Her gaze went immediately to the windows. Seeing the bright sunlight, and the lack of magazine pages not taped over them, Emlee knew she was back in the past. Just how far back, and when in time she’d arrived, remained a temporary mystery.
       Hurrying over to the kitchen, she saw the cases of water were gone. She threw open the pantry to find the lone bottle of water and can of ravioli, as well as the envelope with his letter to her.
       She stared at it, stunned. Mykail had already left. She hadn’t reappeared before they’d met, as she’d halfway hoped. They’d already had their day and night together, and he’d departed after she’d disappeared.
       “How long ago did he leave? He said he waited all day for me to come back. What time is it? What day is it now?”
       She thought back on what she’d told him. She remembered when the initial scout ships came, one was blown out of the sky, and that’s how the world came to see their first Tlok. That was Saturday night.
       “The motherships arrived Sunday, and that’s when they started firing at us.”
       She glanced outside, at where the sunlight was shining brightly. It couldn’t be Saturday, or else Mykail would be here. Which meant it either had to be Sunday, or sometime after the attacks.
        How much grace time did we have before the aliens attacked us? Was it late morning or early afternoon? It was difficult to remember, but she thought it was late morning. She’d been sleeping in and had been awakened by the sound of loud explosions.
       Emlee stopped to listen. So far she couldn’t hear any explosions. Nor could she hear the sound of sirens, or people screaming, or gunshots. It was a quiet and peaceful Sunday morning.
       So far.
       “I need to get out of here now before it all comes down. My boots. Where are my boots?”
       She knew she’d left them by the bed. Relief washed through her when she spotted them sitting where she’d left them. Mykail must have realized she might need them if and when she returned. Ignoring the fact that it was necessary to wear socks with them, she quickly slid them on and tightened the straps. She’d worry about socks later. Hopefully, she wouldn’t suffer too many blisters in the meantime. It was imperative she get to the marina, and as quickly as possible. With any luck, she’d arrive at Pier C to find Mykail there, either waiting for her or not yet departed. Hopefully both.
       “I need to arm myself.” Hell may not have erupted yet, but it wouldn’t be long before it did. Once the aliens started firing on them, people would become hysterical. Their sense of self-preservation would kick in to the point where they’d attack anyone whom they deemed dangerous. They would try to flee, stealing anything that ran if they didn’t have their own vehicle. They would kill without hesitation. Common sense would be the first thing tossed out the window. But the few who managed to retain their cool, who observed and acted when the right moment presented itself, those people would become the last survivors. They would win the ultimate lottery, and be the ones who’d live to see the result of their world turned upside-down.
       She knew because she’d been one of those sober-minded people.
       “Boots, check. Now I need a weapon. Poker, poker. Where’d I leave the poker? Oh, yeah. Upstairs. I threw it away before the police came.” It wouldn’t be too difficult to find. She vaguely recalled where she’d been when she’d tossed it away. “I’ll take that with me.”
       She checked the room a final time before heading up the stairs. “Is there anything else I need to take with me? Am I forgetting anything?” She patted her pocket to reassure herself that the thumb drive was there.
       Her eyes lit on the pantry, its doors left wide open. The bottle of water and can of ravioli called to her, letting her know she hadn’t eaten anything since the night before. Past experience had taught her she needed to eat every chance she got. To never let an opportunity to fill her belly go by, because it could be days before her next meal. Same for safe-to-drink water.
       As loud as her internal alarms were sounding, urging her to get out of there, she reined them in. “No eat, no energy. Simple as that,” she commented, going over and reaching for the can.
       This time the tab opened as it was designed to do. Within seconds, Emlee felt the container’s sides grow warm to the touch as the internal heating elements did their job. Taking a fork from the utensil drawer, she ate.
       She leaned against the stove as she forced herself to chew her food, rather than bolt it down. The continued silence around her became unnerving, and curiosity made her wonder about the latest news. “At least it’ll let me know what time of day it is. Television, on!”
       The screen brightened, and the first thing she saw was the definitive shape of a mothership. Shoveling another ravioli into her mouth, she listened attentively to the newsman. She’d never heard this part of history, as she hadn’t been watching the TV or listening to any broadcasts when it all came down the first time.
       “—these obviously bigger and more powerful spaceships,” the man announced. The guy’s face was noticeably several shades paler, and it was clear he was fighting to keep his voice from shaking. “Repeated attempts by our military to establish communications with the aliens have gone unanswered. President Cho of China, Prime Minister Sisslebean of the UK, and President Chyevsky of Russia all confirm that their countries are seeing many of these same space crafts, mostly the smaller and faster versions, hovering over their major cities. Luckily, however, there have been no overt hostile moves made by these creatures, which President McInerny says is surprising, considering the fact that one of those smaller ships was shot down late yesterday afternoon.”
       “Don’t worry, fella. They’re going to hit us back any minute now,” Emlee murmured.
       A swooshing noise, followed by the words NEWS ALERT, came on the screen. A different newsman appeared, looking just as scared as the first guy.
       “This just in! The president has declared martial law for the entire United States! All citizens are advised to return to their homes immediately, and all shops and stores close their doors. No businesses will be allowed to be open after three p.m. eastern time. Martial law will remain in effect until further notice. I repeat, the president has declared martial law—”
       The TV went dark. The central air shut off, and the lights went out. At the same time, Emlee heard the first faint rumbles in the distance. The ones that sounded like thunder, but which she knew had nothing to do with the weather.
       Stuffing the last bite into her mouth, she dropped the empty can and fork into the sink, and ran for the stairs. The first blast came just as she reached the top step. It knocked her against the wall, where she bounced off, lost her footing, and slipped down a couple of steps before she managed to recover.
       Another explosion, this one closer, made the whole house shake. Getting to her feet, she grabbed the door knob and turned it, when a third blast sent shockwaves through her. Stunned, she fell sideways and tumbled to the foot of the stairs.
       Outside, vehicle alarms went off, shrill and penetrating. Emlee tried to get to her feet, but her knee gave her fits. Pain shot up her leg and into her hip, and she cried out as she used the wall to get back up on her feet.
       Something detonated almost directly overhead, above the subdivision. Or maybe it just sounded that way. But it acted like a massive hammer, slamming down on the Earth. Emlee was thrown to the floor as the backlash acted like a vise, squeezing her flat to the point where she couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move, couldn’t do anything but gasp for air. A tremendous crash came from above her, and she threw her arms up over her head in case the ceiling gave way. Instead, she was showered with a fine blanket of dust as the pressure suddenly eased.
       Dazed, she gave herself a moment to come to grips with herself. Grabbing the wall again, she was able to stand and slowly limp up the stairs. Twisting the door knob, she tried to open the door, but something was blocking it, preventing it from swinging outward.
       She stared in shock at the doorframe as the truth of her situation became clear. The ceiling and roof of the house had caved in, exactly the way she’d found it six years later. But this time she was trapped inside the basement apartment.
       Leaving her with little or no option of escape. 


Why is this excerpt so emotional for you? And can you describe your own emotional experience of writing this specific excerpt? I’ve always loved time-travel stories and apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic stories. So any chance I get to come up with a unique and different twist on things are loads of fun to write. I wanted the story told from the heroine’s POV, and include how I might react if such an impossibility ever happened to me. Of course, I don’t think I’d have the same stamina and wherewithal to accomplish what Emlee does, but makes for a lot interesting “what ifs”. 
Were there any deletions from this excerpt that you can share with us? And can you please include a photo of your marked up rough drafts of this excerpt. Nothing was deleted from this story. And, unfortunately, I don’t keep copies of edited drafts. My editor, Chelly Peeler, will vouch that I write clean, with maybe a dozen or so corrections needed per book.

Other works you have published? Oh, yes. So far I’ve published over 125 books. You can find them all at my website https://linda
mooney.com/

Anything you would like to add? THE TRUNK is a standalone. I run about 50/50 between writing those and series. But I learned a long time ago never to say never to never about doing a book 2 (or 3) when it comes to any standalone. Sometimes a plot hits me from out of the blue, or readers may beg for another book. 

Linda Mooney loves to write sweet and sensuous romance with a fantasy, paranormal, or science fiction flair. As the author of over 100 books, her technique is often described as being as visual as a motion picture or graphic novel.
       She’s a wife, mother, grandmother, and retired Kindergarten and music teacher who lives in a small south Texas town near the Gulf coast, where she delves into other worlds filled with daring exploits, adventure, and intense love.
       She’s had numerous best sellers, including 10 consecutive #1s. Also included in her achievements, she’s been named Author of the Year, and her book Lord of Thunder is an Epic Ebook "Eppie" Award Winner for Best Erotic Sci-Fi Romance.
Linda also writes naughty humorous romances under the name of Carolyn Gregg, horror under the pseudonym of Gail Smith, and elementary teacher workbooks as L. G. Mooney.
     In addition, she is an audiobook narrator for all genres, but specializes in romance fiction.
For more information about her books, up-coming and new releases, contests, and giveaways, and to sign up for her newsletter, please visit her website:
http://www.LindaMooney.com


INSIDE THE EMOTION OF FICTION links

001   11 15 2018 Nathaniel Kaine’s
Thriller Novel
John Hunter – The Veteran

002   11 18 2018 Ed Protzzel’s
Futuristic/Mystery/Thriller
The Antiquities Dealer 

003   11 23 2018 Janice Seagraves’s
Science Fiction Romance
Exodus Arcon

004   11 29 2018 Christian Fennell’s
Literary Fiction Novel
The Fiddler in the Night

005  12 02 2018 Jessica Mathews’s
Adult Paranormal Romance
Death Adjacent

006  12 04 2018 Robin Jansen’s
Literary Fiction Novel
Ruby the Indomitable

007  12 12 2018  Adair Valerez’s
Literary Fiction Novel
Scrim

008  12 17 218 Kit Frazier’s
Mystery Novel
Dead Copy

009 12 21 2019 Robert Craven’s
Noir/Spy Novel
The Road of a Thousand Tigers

010 01 13 2019 Kristine Goodfellow’s
Contemporary Romantic Fiction
The Other Twin

011 01 17 2019 Nancy J Cohen’s
Cozy Mystery
Trimmed To Death

012 01 20 2019 Charles Salzberg’s
Crime Novel
Second Story Man

013 01 23 2019 Alexis Fancher’s
Flash Fiction
His Full Attention

014 01 27 2019 Brian L Tucker’s
Young Adult/Historical
POKEWEED:  AN ILLUSTRATED NOVELLA

015 01 31 2019 Robin Tidwell’s
Dystopian
Reduced

016 02 07 2019 J.D. Trafford’s
Legal Fiction/Mystery
Little Boy Lost

017 02 08 2019 Paula Shene’s
Young Adult ScieFi/Fantasy/Romance/Adventure
My Quest Begins 

018 02 13 2019 Talia Carner’s
Mainstream Fiction/ Suspense/ Historical
Hotel Moscow

019 02 15 2019 Rick Robinson’s
Multidimensional Fiction
Alligator Alley

020 02 21 2019 LaVerne Thompson’s
Urban Fantasy
The Soul Collectors

021 02 27 2019 Marlon L Fick’s
Post-Colonialist Novel
The Nowhere Man

022 03 02 2019 Carol Johnson’s
Mainstream Novel
Silk And Ashes

023 03 06 2019 Samuel Snoek-Brown’s
Short Story Collection
There Is No Other Way to Worship Them

024 03 08 2019 Marlin Barton’s
Short Story Collection
Pasture Art

025 03 18 2019 Laura Hunter’s
Historical Fiction
Beloved Mother

026 03 21 2019 Maggie Rivers’s
Romance
Magical Mistletoe

027  03 25 2019 Faith Gibson’s
Paranormal Romance
Rafael

028 03 27 2019 Valerie Nieman’s
Tall Tale
To The Bones

029 04 04 2019 Betty Bolte’s
Paranormal Romance
Veiled Visions of Love

030 04 05 2019  Marianne Maili’s
Tragicomedy
Lucy, go see

031 04 10 2019 Gregory Erich Phillips’s
Mainstream Fiction
The Exile


032 04 15 2019 Jason Ament’s
Speculative Fiction
Rabid Dogs

033 04 24 2019 Stephen P. Keirnan’s
Historical Novel
The Baker’s Secret

034 05 01 2019 George Kramer’s
Fantasy
Arcadis: Prophecy Book

035 05 05 2019 Erika Sams’s
Adventure/Fantasy/Romance
Rose of Dance

036 05 07 2019 Mark Wisniewski’s
Literary Fiction
Watch Me Go

037 05 08 2019 Marci Baun’s
Science Fiction/Horror
The Whispering House

038 05 10 2019 Suzanne M. Wolfe’s
Historical Fiction
Murder By Any Name

039 05 12 2019 Edward DeVito’s
Historical/Fantasy
The Woodstock Paradox

040 05 14 2019 Gytha Lodge’s
Literary/Crime
She Lies In Wait

041 05 16 2019 Kari Bovee’s
Historical Fiction/Mystery
Peccadillo At The Palace:  An Annie Oakley Mystery

042 05 20 2019 Annie Seaton’s
Time Travel Romance
Follow Me

043 05 22 2019 Paula Rose Michelson’s
Inspirational Christian Romance
Rosa & Miguel – Love’s Legacy: Prequel to The Naomi
Chronicles

044 05 24 2019 Gracie C McKeever’s
BDMS/Interracial Romance
On The Edge

045 06 03 2019 Micheal Maxwell’s
Mystery
The Soul of Cole

046 06 04 2019 Jeanne Mackin’s
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The Last Collection:  A Novel of Elsa Schiaparelli and
Coco Chanel

047 06 07 2019 Philip Shirley’s
Suspense/Thriller
The Graceland Conspiracy


048 06 08 2019 Bonnie Kistler’s
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The House on Fire

049 06 13 2019 Barbara Taylor Sissel’s
Domestic Suspense/Family Drama
Tell No One

050 06 18 2019 Charles Salzberg’s
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“No Good Deed” from Down to the River

051 06 19 2019 Rita Dragonette’s
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The Fourteenth of September

052  06 20 2019 Nona Caspers’s
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053 06 26 2019 Jeri Westerson’s
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054 06 28 2019 Brian Moreland’s
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The Devil’s Woods

055 06 29 2019
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057 07 03 2019 Saralyn Ricahrd’s
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#058 07 04 2019 Hannah Mary McKinnon’s
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#059 07 05 2019 Sonia Saikaley’s
Contemporary Women’s Literature
The Allspice Bath

#060 07 09 2019 Olivia Gaines’s
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Blind Luck

#061 07 11 2019 Anne Raeff’s
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Winter Kept Us Warm

#062 07 12 2918 Vic Sizemore’s
Literary Fiction-Short Stories
I Love You I’m Leaving

#063 07 13 2019 Deborah Riley Magnus’s
Dark Paranormal Urban Fantasy
THE ORPHANS BOOK ONE:  THE LOST RACE
TRILOGY

#064 07 14 2019 Elizabeth Bell’s
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NECESSARY SINS

#065 07 15 2019 Lori Baker Martin’s
Literary Novel
BITTER WATER

#066 08 01 2019 Sabine Chennault’s
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THE CORPSMAN’S WIFE

#067 08 02 2019 Margaret Porter’s
Historical Biographical Fiction

BEAUTIFUL INVENTION:  A NOVEL OF HEDY LAMARR

#068 08 04 2019 Hank Phillippi Ryan’s
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THE MURDER LIST

069 08 08 2019 Diana Y. Paul’s
Literary Mainstream Fiction
THINGS UNSAID

070 08 10 2019 Phyllis H. Moore’s
Women’s Historical Fiction
BIRDIE & JUDE

071 08 11 2019 Sara Dahmen’s
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TINSMITH 1865

072  08 19 2019 Carolyn Breckinridge’s
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KALIEDESCOPE & OTHER STORIES

073 08 21 2019 Alison Ragsdale’s
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THE ART OF REMEMBERING

074  08 22 2019 Lee Matthew Goldberg’s
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THE DESIRE CARD

075 08 23 2019 Jonathan Brown’s
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THE BIG CRESCENDO

076 09 02 2019 Chera Hammons Miller’s
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Monarchs of the Northeast Kingdom

077 09 09 019 Joe William Taylor’s
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The Theoretics of Love

078 09 15 2019 Linda Hughes’s
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079 09 19 2019 Max Elliot Anderson’s
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Snake Island

080 09 22 2019 Danny Adams’s
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Dayworld: A Hole In Wednesday

081 09 24 2019 Arianna Dagnino’s
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082 09 29 2019 Lawrence Verigin’s
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083  10 05 2019 Emma Khoury’s
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The Sword And Shield

#084 10 07 2019 Steve McManus’s
Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
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#085 10 08 2019 Sheila Lowe’s
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#086 10 10 2019 Jess Neal Woods’s
Historical Fiction
THE PROCESS OF FRAYING


#087 10 11 2019 Karen Odden’s
Historical Suspense
A TRACE OF DECEIT

#88 10 14 2019 Kate Maruyama’s
Love, Loss & Supernatural
“HARROWGATE”

#89 10 17 2019 Sherry Harris’s
Mystery
“LET’S FAKE A DEAL”


#90 10 18 2019 Linda Mooney’s
Science Fiction Apocalyptic/ Post Apocalyptic
“THE TRUNK”