Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
Rachelle Dekker | Exclusive Excerpt: NINE
Author Guest / August 31, 2020

I opened my eyes, and once more I was sitting on a bench between the sweet neighborhood to my right and the bustling downtown to my left. The thoughts I’d recovered earlier crashed into my brain, and their rumbling fears with them. My heart rate spiked. I could feel beads of sweat collecting at my hairline. I had to control this. Deep breaths. Internalize the fear. See it, switch it off, stomp it out. I’d been trained to do so. Wasn’t that what Dr. Loveless had said? “You came back,” the small voice beside me said. I turned and saw the high ponytail and unicorn shirt. “You lied to me.” The girl’s face went sour. “Did not.” “You said you would show me the game.” “I did. It’s not my fault you lost.” Lucy, remember, this is your mind. You are safe. Dr. Loveless’s voice echoed like a whisper in my ears. I had to keep my brain trained on the truth of her words. “Are there more games like that one?” I asked the child. “Oh yeah, lots,” she said, her eyes widening. “Can you show me?” “Not until you win the first one.” Fear beat against my heart….

Rachelle Dekker | Five Character Types Every Suspense Novel Needs
Author Guest / July 16, 2018

Characters make or break a story, no matter the genre or theme. Readers have to be able to take the journey with each character that is written into the pages. They need to be able to place themselves in the characters’ shoes so they can experience the story as if it were a part of their own. When you accomplish this, you create a reading experience that is unforgettable. When creating a suspenseful setting and mysterious plotline, the characters have to be as dynamic and dimensional as possible. And not just your lead, but also the other major character roles that I believe every good suspense novel needs. First—The Protagonist: This one is obvious. Your hero, or lead, has to be relatable and honest. This is their story mainly, so all the elements of the story are in place to pull them forward to the end discovery. People need to like them, of course, but they also need to have weaknesses and struggles. They need to make mistakes, take the wrong path at times; they need to be afraid, and then filled with strength when the time comes. They need to reflect us so that the reader can relate to…