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You are here: Home / Archives for The Embassy Guards

The Embassy Guards

Time to get back to work!!!

October 16, 2013 By Lynne Leave a Comment

November is National Novel Writing Month (nanowrimo.org), known affectionately as NaNo to those of us crazy enough to participate. The goal is to write 50,000 words in one month and perhaps complete that novel that you’ve always dreamed of. No self-editing, no rewriting, and no worrying about anything but getting the words on the page. I’ve done NaNo for the last three years and have completed it for the last two. Yup! That makes me a freaking winner!!! In 2011, I wrote Saving Emily from start to finish and blogged about the process here. It took several more months to rewrite and edit before Emily was ready for release. Last year, I went for completing the 50K word count and didn’t worry about finishing the book in the time given – it was too large a project for NaNo. Those words were part of The Embassy Guards. Getting all the words down on the page made me a winner.

I have no idea what the hell I’m going to write this year, but I need to decide pretty damn quick.

I have a couple projects in the back of my head, but I’d been taking some time off. My latest unnamed standalone suspense novel turned into a slog (for me) and I’m inclined to set it aside. I did this when I wrote A Shared Fear. I knew I had a good book but it wasn’t flowing, so I let it set and wrote Blood Link III – The Civilian. Focusing on something else took the pressure off me, and when I came back to A Shared Fear, it rolled right out.

With only two weeks to go, I’ll need to choose the project and lay out the novel. I can work blind, but I’ve found it’s better with NaNo to have a clue where I’m going. My list includes a plot outline and rough chapter schedule so I can meet my major plot points.

The other thing I need to do is alter my personal schedule. If I’m pushing the word count then I should warn my friends that I won’t be around as much, pay the bills in advance so I won’t forget, and warn the girl dog that she’ll have to be much more vocal in getting my attention to go out. I’m not telling the cat anything – she’ll use it against me.

Mr. Scott shall have to be forewarned also. He really doesn’t mind NaNo as my distraction often affords him the opportunity to practice his hunting and gathering skills. None of those skills are particularly healthy as he has a tendency to hunt between the closest fast food places and he gathers way too much Taco Bell than is good for us. This being said, I should also spend a little time in the next two weeks cooking a few things that can go in the freezer. And you should all buy stock in bag-o-salad since I sure as hell won’t be spending time making my own.

Oh!!! And names for my characters – yeah – I definitely need names. Something short and quick to type… like Ed or Sue…

Filed Under: A Shared Fear, Blood Link, Saving Emily, The Embassy Guards, Writing

The Embassy Guards Now Available

March 31, 2013 By Lynne Leave a Comment

I’m very proud to announce my newest release. I hope you all enjoy it.

The Embassy Guards by Lynne Scott.

The_Embassy_Guards_Cover_for_Kindle

When Marine Sergeant C.J. MacLean reports for duty at the embassy armory, she finds herself in an unusual position and quickly figures out that the small group of Marines she’s to work with isn’t really assigned to the embassy. Master Gunnery Sergeant Nate Jackson already has his hands full when C.J. arrives. The embassy’s new arrogant and demanding major has discovered the unit’s existence and could blow the team’s cover because he believes that Nate’s special operations team belongs to him.

Then, a group of Pakistani terrorists attacks an embassy dinner, and only C.J. and Nate’s actions save the ambassador and a wealthy American weapons manufacturer. Caught on camera while taking out two terrorists, C.J. becomes the target of the surviving cell members. Now Nate and his team are dodging the major, on the trail of the terrorists, and trying to keep C.J. safe, but there’s just one big problem: C.J.’s a Marine. She keeps running to the guns.

Editor: Marcia Lindley
Cover Design: Liquid Reality Studios
102,736 Words

Available from Amazon through the link on the right side of the page.
Also available in paperback at CreateSpace and Amazon.
Available from Barnes and Noble for the Nook.

Filed Under: The Embassy Guards

Who can you ask for help?

March 1, 2013 By Lynne Leave a Comment

My new standalone novel The Embassy Guards recently went to Marcia for edits. The draft has been making its way through the beta readers, and I feel like we’re finally there on this book.

Notice the “we’re” rather just an I. Sure I do the writing, but there are a lot of people involved by this point. I usually have boatloads of questions as I write. Some I know to ask while I’m working, but many are asked by my beta readers once they have the draft in their hands.

I thought it might be fun to tell you a little about this part of the process, even though it’s a bit out of order here. It never ceases to amaze me how willing my friends are to help.

The key to success is a wide variety of friends with different skill sets, all of whom are willing to help just because… Well, I don’t know why some of them haven’t told me where to take myself off to yet. I try to keep track of who helps on each book and put them in the acknowledgements. I also offer to buy them a beer or a cup of coffee the next time I see them. Fortunately, most of them live out of state so I don’t have to pay up.

Some people answer multiple questions. Dave Dingley (former Marine) is my resident weapons guy. He makes sure that I used the right weapon, that I called it by the proper name, and never, ever, “Oh my God, Top, are you just a f***ing hooplehead?” ever call a magazine a clip! He also helps by providing many inappropriate comments throughout the beta process. Finding the common ground between the Marine nomenclature or descriptions and translating those into language all of my readers can understand often falls to Dave. He first has to explain whatever “it” is to me so I can understand what “it” is, and then I can write about “it.” Talk about reducing something to the lowest level! Dave is incredibly articulate. And patient… very, very patient.

Some people answer a single question. But sometimes those little questions just stop me in my tracks and annoy the hell out of me. I hate not getting something I should know right. George Zaniewski was kind enough to look at a short paragraph that I had screwed up. I mistakenly used the word enlistment when referring to a term of service for an officer. He provided the appropriate terminology for me. I’m sure Ski thinks what he did was nothing, but help from a friend when you need it is priceless. That particular item was actually caught by one of my military beta readers, Jim Lewis. While I was asking Ski, Jim had also followed up by asking one of his friends who is also a retired commissioned officer. Interestingly enough, they refer to their term of service as a “commitment.” That word, while correct, makes it feel like they have been sent to the asylum to work off their education sentence. Oh, wait… they have.

Scott Underwood helped me out when I asked him a dumb question about radio call signs and identification. He answered the question, and I wrote the section and moved on. Sadly, I have many more questions now. I’m fine with the squad leader being One, but why the hell is the lieutenant or the captain Six? And just who the hell are Two, Three, Four, and Five? None of those questions matter to my story, but this is what happens when I ask a question. Twenty more occur to me. I fortunately didn’t bother Scott with all those unnecessary questions – I can’t afford to run him off.

So, while the actual writing is solitary, my novels are truly a team effort.

The Embassy Guards will be out later this month.

Filed Under: The Embassy Guards, Writing

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