Friday, November 2, 2012

A Novel Approach

My First Novel
I have recently published my first novel, "Rescued." I started writing this book ten years ago when an idea came to me after reading a book by Mary Higgins Clark. The book evolved over two years and in 2004, an agent from Georgia said he'd be happy to take me as a client. He sent out the manuscript and after a year when he couldn't lure a publisher, discouraged, I put the book aside. In early 2005, I rewrote the book again, this time approaching publishers directly. I followed the format for the Harlequin Intrigue" series, but received rejection letters as it didn't meet Harlequin's rigid standards.  It's true what they say about those rejections.

In August, 2006 I became a grandmother and my world changed dramatically, the book went on the back burner again, but it was a loose end that I wanted to finish. I had a great story, so when a friend suggested I try self-publishing, I rewrote the book for the fifth time last November, and got the Lulu.com
account all set up, but then the holidays came and went and afterward, I couldn't get motivated to write. Before I knew it, summer was here again and I got busy with my furniture restoration. Then in July, I began doing some freelance writing which motivated me to pick up the book again and this time, get it done! I knew it was now or never, so I got to it.


Finally, this September, 2012, I got back to "Rescued," rewrote and edited it with a vengeance, and was determined not to stop until it was finished. It was an enormous undertaking, because I not only wrote a book, I built a book. I designed the cover and assembled the pages, so I'm responsible for it all, content, typos and design. My many years experience as a graphic designer was an asset. I wanted the cover design to jump off the shelves (or a web page). The photo ties in nicely with my story.

Dayton, Ohio: Carrie Reynolds, an attractive twenty-seven-year old paralegal, gets "rescued" by the handsome auto-restoration expert, Jake McKenna. Carrie has inherited her uncle's farm and is busy reading the letter from his attorney after work as she heads toward her parked car, so she doesn't hear Jake's shout of warning, then steps into a busy intersection in the path of a rogue cab. Jake reaches for Carrie's arms as she looses her balance and smashes her heel into the curb, breaking a shoe. After assuring that the young woman is uninjured, their eyes meet and the attraction is instant, but Carrie is apprehensive with strangers and refuses when Jake impulsively asks her to dinner, saying she has plans.

Carrie heads home and wonders if she should have accepted Jake's offer, then shrugs it off and gets ready for an evening out with her friends, unaware that Jake and his dark, enigmatic friend, Nikko Brooks are at the same restaurant. When Jake steps over to Carrie's table, she introduces him to her friends. Sparks fly between Carrie and Jake and they end up spending the evening together.

When Carrie heads to her uncle's farm, she makes a startling discovery and enlists Jake's help. Jake goes to the farm, and soon, odd things begin to happen that threaten Carrie's safety. Carrie soon learns that someone from the past has returned, terrorizing her. As the passion between her and Jake escalates, she pushes aside her fear and on a stormy night, they give into their desires, completely unaware of the danger that lurks in the darkness and the person who plots to destroy them.

If you'd like to purchase "Rescued," please click on the link at the top of the page for lulu.com and search for it. I hope you enjoy reading it and I welcome any comments!

Rene Bellis

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