Showing results by narrator "Sonja Field" in All Categories

Have you written a story with an exciting concept and interesting characters - but it just isn't grabbing the attention of readers or agents? It's time to look deeper into the story beats that create realistic and compelling character arcs. Internationally published, award-winning novelist K.M. Weiland shares her acclaimed method for achieving memorable and moving character arcs in every book you write.

Ten years ago, I adopted Blue after I broke up with my boyfriend one hot, early summer night with the windows open and the neighborhood listening. The next morning, I went straight to the pound in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Articles on buying your first dog tell you to never buy a dog on impulse. Going to the pound because you need something in your life that's worth holding onto is rarely, if ever, mentioned. I asked the man at the pound to show me the biggest dogs they had. He showed me some Rottweiler-German Shepherd puppies that he said would grow to be quite large.

My dog once took a bullet that was intended for me. A bullet that ripped through his chest, narrowly missing his heart, and exited through his shoulder blade. This left him unconscious on the floor of my home. Amazingly, this bullet did not kill him. Ten years ago, I adopted Blue after I broke up with my boyfriend one hot, early summer night with the windows open and the neighborhood listening. The next morning I went straight to the pound in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Articles on buying your first dog tell you never to buy a dog on impulse.

Recovering from a near-fatal attack that has left her with residual trauma, including haunting dreams and flashbacks, Sydney Rye is regaining her strength at the jungle training camp of Joyful Justice, the vigilante network inspired by her now legendary acts of vengeance. However, when she runs up against an old adversary, he destroys the peace she has found and puts her and Blue's lives in danger.

Trouble finds Rye when she stops the attempted rape and murder of Anita, a reporter working on a story of corruption and child trafficking. The atrocities Anita describes send Sydney and Blue on a quest that takes them across India after a dangerous and, up until now, untouchable, figure.

Why do some stories work and others don't? The answer is structure. In this IPPY and NIEA Award-winning guide from the author of the bestselling Outlining Your Novel, you will discover the universal underpinnings that guarantee powerful plot and character arcs. An understanding of proper story and scene structure will help you to not only perfectly time your story's major events, but will also provide you with an unerring standard to use in evaluating your novel's pacing and progression.

I am desperate for freedom, for peace, and for justice. As I leave captivity and step into the bright sun-filled day, a wave of relief washes over me. I am not free yet, though. Walking between barbed wire topped walls toward the exit gate, I breathe in fresh air, preparing for the next challenge. An enemy posing as a lover waits for me. I will evade him, though.

It was one the most beautiful mountains in America - Mt. St. Helens in Washington State. But what many didn't know was that this peaceful mountain had an explosive past. Eleven-year-old Sally Tanner knew the mountain well, and, like many, she never imagined that this serene wilderness could turn deadly. But on May 10, 1980, Sally finds herself in the middle of the deadliest volcanic eruption in US history.

One of Sydney Rye's dearest friends, Hugh Defry, has been accused of brutal murder. All the evidence points to Hugh and he has no memory of that night. But Sydney refuses to believe that Hugh is capable of such violence. Sydney flies to Miami searching for the real killer unprepared for the realization that her personal fight for justice has become much more than she'd ever imagined. Sydney is pushed towards making a decision that will change not just her life, but possibly the future of crime fighting.

The daughter of a close friend is brutally murdered in the desert, and Rye turns away from her mentor to seek revenge. Her quick temper and deadly intentions lead Sydney Rye into a trap where she will need all of her new skills to survive.

It has been 13 years since the war started, the bombs were dropped, and the central states became a thing of the past. When the war ended, a wall was erected to divide the surviving states from those destroyed. I never expected to go beyond the wall, but unlike all the others who volunteered to go, I wasn't given a choice. With a dim knowledge of what I could do, the soldiers came for me. They took me beyond the wall where I learned that the truth is far more terrifying than I'd ever dreamed.

When a dangerous man from her past calls, Sydney Rye finds she cannot turn him away. Robert Maxim explains that the daughter of a powerful friend has gone missing and he wants Rye to find her. In exchange, he offers her something she had given up hope of ever having; freedom from her past.

In the multi-award-winning Structuring Your Novel, Weiland showed writers how to use a strong three-act structure to build a story with the greatest possible impact on readers. Now, it’s time to take that knowledge to the next level.

Master the art of crafting workshops that not only educate but also inspire lasting transformation in participants, with this time-tested and user-friendly guide. This comprehensive guidebook equips you with everything you need to successfully facilitate personal growth and collective wisdom in workshops, retreats, and trainings. Featuring a range of ready-to-use exercises, templates, worksheets, and checklists, this results-driven guide empowers you to confidently create and fine-tune your workshops with confidence and skill.

To her neighbors, Jennifer Johnson seemed odd, just a little off. How could she not? Her entire existence was a lie. While the child at her breasts was really hers, the husband by her side…not so much. John and Jennifer Johnson shared the same innocuous last name—second most common in the United States—but he was not the father of her son, nor the love of her life.

When Sydney Rye's good friend and fellow Joyful Justice council member, Merl, goes missing in Shanghai, she and her dog, Blue, rush to the People's Republic to track him down. Following Merl's trail leads Sydney into the darkest corners of China's corruption, where she witnesses atrocities that make her already cold blood freeze.

A cold wind rushes across the fallow corn field, pulling at my cargo pants and dipping into the open neck of my long overcoat. It's too large for me, drooping off the shoulders and buttoned around my son, James, as he sleeps against my chest in his baby carrier. Blue's nose taps my hip. My son's breath warms my chest. This is home. They say you can’t ever go home again–but I think they're wrong. No matter where I stand, as long as I have these two with me, I am home.

Standing at the edge of the gateway, I understand two things. One, I have no idea what I’m doing. Two, the gateway to Hell is not closing. Now, there may be only one option left to me, to all of us. I may have to enter the one place I’d hoped to avoid throughout this journey. I may have to enter Hell. Unfortunately, a change in events takes the choice away from me.

Inspiration is a slippery thing at the best of times. But as a writer, you can't afford to wait around on Madam Muse's goodwill. In this encouraging audiobook, award-winning author K.M. Weiland shows you how to nurture creativity and put it at your summons, rather than the other way around.

Sydney Rye is in Miami, surrounded by friends and co-conspirators who share her values and goals. People who believe in her. For the first time since her brother’s murder, Sydney Rye is finding a way to live in peace, but also isn’t helping anyone in need. Unfortunately, this peace can’t last. Sydney is in the eye of a storm.