Hey, everyone. Time for another WIP Wednesday. Today, I’ll share an excerpt from Cold Dark Night. But first, let me introduce you to someone and explain how I got her name.
I’ve used various methods for coming up with character names—random generators, popular name sites, keeping of a list of ones I encounter. However, this one came about unexpectedly while driving to work. Well, maybe I should have expected it since I am a Beatles fan and my favorite album is Abbey Road.
As usual, I was listening to music. Suddenly, the idea popped in my head. Characters named Abbey and Penny.
Abbey Lane grew up in the town of Madeira, went away to college, then returned to take a job as the local librarian. She has an older sister named Penny.
Yes, her sister’s name is Penny Lane and no, Abbey will not marry someone with the last name Rhodes. She does, however, have a special “gift” in that she’s often warned of impending danger through dreams.
However, she doesn’t talk about it often as someone from her past hurt her deeply when they refused to heed her warning. Penny is the only one she confides in.
Abbey is a friend and neighbor of my protagonist, Tami.
Excerpt
Abbey Lane sat at the breakfast table, hoping a second cup of coffee would revive her. She’d tossed and turned for the latter part of the night. It had been a long time since she’d had one of those dreams.
Most of her visions were vivid and easily recalled. This time, she couldn’t grasp all the details no matter how hard she tried.
She rubbed her forehead in an attempt to remember. Someone was lurking outside a two-story house. She couldn’t tell if the person was a man or a woman, only that they were intent on harming whoever lived there.
Last night’s dream meant something. She hadn’t felt this strongly about one in years. If only there was someone to talk to. Maybe she’d tell Penny.
Abbey glanced at the clock on the stove. There was much to do before the library opened. Sleeplessness or not, this was no time to dawdle. She rinsed her coffee cup in the sink, grabbed her purse, then walked outside.
Across the street, Tami sat in the porch swing, watching as Jason drove away.
Abbey called out to her, “Taking advantage of the mild weather?”
“Yeah. I hear it won’t last long, so I thought I’d enjoy the outdoors while I can.”
“Don’t blame you. I need to run, but I’m looking forward to lunch.”
“Me too.”
“I’ll meet you at Maria’s at noon. It’s on Main Street. You can’t miss it.”
“See you then.”
As Abbey got into her car, a chill enveloped her. The house… older… two-story…
The memory faded as quickly as it appeared. Tami’s house was similar. No. The house in my dream didn’t have others nearby. I’m sure of it.
But when she drove away, she couldn’t shake the feeling someone close to her would soon be in danger.
While Abbey is a minor character, don’t be surprised if you won’t see more of her. Matter of fact, she’ll be the protagonist in the second book, Blood Red Dawn.
Hey, everyone. For today’s WIP Wednesday, I’ll share the third and final playlist for the Driscoll Lake Series. For this one, I began selecting songs while still brainstorming the plot. I shared in a post a few months ago, where Lyin’ Eyes inspired the storyline. (You can 
But Stephanie Harris, the protagonist in my first novel, also has a love for music. She was largely influenced by her father. Unfortunately he died when she was only fourteen, but she never forgot the times when the two of them would go for drives in the car with the radio tuned to a Classic Rock station and the volume loud. (Her mother’s taste leaned more toward classical music, but that’s another story.)
So, I changed direction and added a couple of characters whose motives and actions would fit the plot. Brian became a respected citizen and construction company owner. But he wouldn’t let me stop there. He implored me to tell his story, and thus the sequel, Unknown Reasons, was born.
Joan Hall 
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