Hey y'all! I have a guest post from Melanie McFarlane, Author of THERE ONCE WERE STARS. Check it out & make sure to enter the giveaway!
Haven't heard of THERE ONCE WERE STARS? Check it out!
Author: Melanie McFarlane
Pub. Date: April , 2016
Publisher: Month9Books
Pages: 331
Formats: Paperback, & eBook
Peace. Love. Order. Dome. That’s the motto that the Order has given the residents of Dome 1618 to live by. Natalia Greyes is a resident of Dome 1618, a covered city protected from the deadly radiation that has poisoned the world outside for four generations. Nat never questioned the Order, until one day she sees a stranger on the outside of her dome. Now Nat wants answers. What else might her government be hiding from the good and loyal people of Dome 1618?
Now on to the post!
How do I talk about my favorite 5 scenes without giving away spoilers … by being extra sneaky and only letting you read part of each … MUAHAHAHAHA !
Scene 1: The Beginning
I love this scene so much. First lines are so important and can be agonizing to write. I created this opening scene after my first round of edits (originally it started in a clearing at the edge of the dome). This scene provides a touching memory where we instantly realize that our main character, Nat, doesn’t have her mother anymore. It brings up questions such as, where is her mother? What happened to her? And my all-time favorite, why does she still have the same bed sheet from childhood?
I stretch my arms across my bed, running my fingers along
the same sheets I’ve had since I was a child. The stiffness was
beaten out of them long ago, but they still carry the memory of
my mother carefully stitching the first tear back together when
I was seven. The tiny x’s remind me of her long fingers, moving
the needle back and forth with the same care as when she worked
with samples in her laboratory.
Scene 2: The Mystery
This scene is near and dear to my heart because it’s the moment Nat realizes the outsiders can see her. The scene gives you a bit of setting and the powerful emotion of fear.
I gasp out loud as his partner turns toward me. There’s no
way they can see me; a foot of shock-proof glass, spotted in dust,
stands between us. I’m on the inside, under the broad cover of
the dome, protected behind the tinted façade, while they stand
on the outside, open to the harsh world that was destroyed long
before my time. But still, against all odds, our eyes connect. A
smile breaks at the side of the man’s mouth as another gasp escapes my lips. My hands jump to my mouth to hold my screams inside.
They see me.
Scene 3: The Boy
Eeeep! Finally we get to meet Evan. The boy who survived the outside. I love this scene because he is all beat up, but still shows his trademark “mischievous spark”. *swoon* What is it about bad boys that makes my insides melt.
The elevator dings and the doors slide open. I gasp—the
Outsider is standing in the middle of a small group of Order
members. His right eye can barely open and is turning a terrible
shade of purple, and his body is slumped forward, held up by the
Order on either side of him. Our eyes connect and for a moment
I see something mischievous spark inside them. A smile plays at
the edge of his mouth, making my stomach twist in discomfort.
Does he recognize me from the clearing?
Scene 4: The Slap
I know – it seems so minor, right? But what you realize the moment Nat’s Grandmother slaps her, is that there is something really wrong in this seemingly utopian city. Why are people so afraid?
As I burst into my bedroom, Grandmother is sitting on my
bed holding my mother’s notebook.
“Where have you been?” she hisses at me. “You missed
supper.”
“I had to go back to the clearing—”
“You did what!” She jumps up and slaps me with such force
I fall back against my bedroom door.
I cradle my cheek as tears run down my face. She has never
struck me before, and though I know this time I have gone too
far, my tears are not from the sting of her hand as much as my
own fear, because this time I know she’s right.
Scene 5: The Kiss
What! We’re on the last scene. Oh man, I think I need like at least 10 scenes next time. How can I only talk about five! In this scene we see the first kiss … oh my … I mean, do I have to explain why I like this one? I think you get it
I used to smile all the time. Did that change in the last few
weeks? I look from Evan’s eyes, past his nose, to his lips, and back up again. His fingers meet mine on the ledge, the sensation so strong it feels like they’re on fire. He leans in, as if to whisper
something more, but tilts his head towards my face. I close my
eyes as his lips brush against mine, softly moving with a gentle
urgency.
My body melts against his, and I wrap my arms around his
neck. His arms guide me closer against his body, while his thumb
moves from my cheek, down my neck, sending small shocks of
electricity through my body to the ends of my limbs. A tiny gasp escapes my lips.
So there you have it – Five of my favorite scenes from There Once Were Stars. I promise I’ve barely touched the surface. There’s still the missing artifact, the love triangle, oh, and how can I forget the betrayal! I can’t wait to hear what your five favorite scenes are. Connect with me on social media and let me know!
Scene 1: The Beginning
I love this scene so much. First lines are so important and can be agonizing to write. I created this opening scene after my first round of edits (originally it started in a clearing at the edge of the dome). This scene provides a touching memory where we instantly realize that our main character, Nat, doesn’t have her mother anymore. It brings up questions such as, where is her mother? What happened to her? And my all-time favorite, why does she still have the same bed sheet from childhood?
I stretch my arms across my bed, running my fingers along
the same sheets I’ve had since I was a child. The stiffness was
beaten out of them long ago, but they still carry the memory of
my mother carefully stitching the first tear back together when
I was seven. The tiny x’s remind me of her long fingers, moving
the needle back and forth with the same care as when she worked
with samples in her laboratory.
Scene 2: The Mystery
This scene is near and dear to my heart because it’s the moment Nat realizes the outsiders can see her. The scene gives you a bit of setting and the powerful emotion of fear.
I gasp out loud as his partner turns toward me. There’s no
way they can see me; a foot of shock-proof glass, spotted in dust,
stands between us. I’m on the inside, under the broad cover of
the dome, protected behind the tinted façade, while they stand
on the outside, open to the harsh world that was destroyed long
before my time. But still, against all odds, our eyes connect. A
smile breaks at the side of the man’s mouth as another gasp escapes my lips. My hands jump to my mouth to hold my screams inside.
They see me.
Scene 3: The Boy
Eeeep! Finally we get to meet Evan. The boy who survived the outside. I love this scene because he is all beat up, but still shows his trademark “mischievous spark”. *swoon* What is it about bad boys that makes my insides melt.
The elevator dings and the doors slide open. I gasp—the
Outsider is standing in the middle of a small group of Order
members. His right eye can barely open and is turning a terrible
shade of purple, and his body is slumped forward, held up by the
Order on either side of him. Our eyes connect and for a moment
I see something mischievous spark inside them. A smile plays at
the edge of his mouth, making my stomach twist in discomfort.
Does he recognize me from the clearing?
Scene 4: The Slap
I know – it seems so minor, right? But what you realize the moment Nat’s Grandmother slaps her, is that there is something really wrong in this seemingly utopian city. Why are people so afraid?
As I burst into my bedroom, Grandmother is sitting on my
bed holding my mother’s notebook.
“Where have you been?” she hisses at me. “You missed
supper.”
“I had to go back to the clearing—”
“You did what!” She jumps up and slaps me with such force
I fall back against my bedroom door.
I cradle my cheek as tears run down my face. She has never
struck me before, and though I know this time I have gone too
far, my tears are not from the sting of her hand as much as my
own fear, because this time I know she’s right.
Scene 5: The Kiss
What! We’re on the last scene. Oh man, I think I need like at least 10 scenes next time. How can I only talk about five! In this scene we see the first kiss … oh my … I mean, do I have to explain why I like this one? I think you get it
I used to smile all the time. Did that change in the last few
weeks? I look from Evan’s eyes, past his nose, to his lips, and back up again. His fingers meet mine on the ledge, the sensation so strong it feels like they’re on fire. He leans in, as if to whisper
something more, but tilts his head towards my face. I close my
eyes as his lips brush against mine, softly moving with a gentle
urgency.
My body melts against his, and I wrap my arms around his
neck. His arms guide me closer against his body, while his thumb
moves from my cheek, down my neck, sending small shocks of
electricity through my body to the ends of my limbs. A tiny gasp escapes my lips.
So there you have it – Five of my favorite scenes from There Once Were Stars. I promise I’ve barely touched the surface. There’s still the missing artifact, the love triangle, oh, and how can I forget the betrayal! I can’t wait to hear what your five favorite scenes are. Connect with me on social media and let me know!
About Melanie:
Whether it’s uncovering the corruption of the future, or traveling
to other worlds to save the universe, Melanie McFarlane jumps in with both
hands on her keyboard. Though she can be found obsessing over zombies and orcs
from time to time, Melanie has focused her powers on her upcoming YA trilogy:
THERE ONCE WERE STARS and her YA urban fantasy series: SUMMONER RISING.
Giveaway Details:
• Five (5) winners will receive a digital copy of There Once Were Stars by Melanie McFarlane (INT)
Thanks for hosting me. This post was incredibly fun to write!
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting me. This post was incredibly fun to write!
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of this book! Can't wait to read it!! The cover is stunning.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting scenes.
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds amazing! I fell in love with the cover since the first time I saw it. Loved all the scenes! Can't wait to read this!
ReplyDelete