What inspired The Reborn Series *deleted scene*

A lot of people ask me how do I come up with the stories I write. I get my ideas from so many places. I already shared with you how Death Knows My Name was inspired by the movie Prophecy II. I guess it is time to share what inspired The Reborn series.

About a year and a half ago [edit: Wow more like closer to 2 years ago!] I use to be a huge blog surfer. My book blog roll was massive. Reviewers, writers, anything book related I was there. One day while I was surfing the Deadline Dames and they do this meme type thing called ROD ( Readers on Deadline) where they post a picture and us readers get inspired and write a little flash fiction. Well, I did get inspired and my flash fiction (which I did not even enter to the contest) turned into an entirely new animal.

I posted the fiction chapter by chapter on Textnovel.com (was huge into textnovel back then and the story even got editor's choice.) When I came to the end of my flash fiction one devoted reader demanded that it not stopped there. I also did not want to say goodbye to Tara and Dain, so I obliged.

That one ROD picture inspired a whole new world that includes two prequel short stories (both available now on Smashwords.com for free) and 3 novels (coming soon...I hope!)

The opening scene I wrote for the picture that was the initial first thing I wrote for the world, didn't even end up in the final version of Reborn which I am currently editing one last time (I hope. But 1 turns to 3 so quickly.) and then querying. *fingers crossed*

But I am deciding to post the cut prologue below and the picture. Also don't forget to download your copies of Lord of Requited Love and The Life That Ends here for free!

Forever- By Michelle Monique (click pic for her page)

Deleted Scene

I shouldn't be here. I know I shouldn't, yet, here I am. Sighing heavily I ran my hand through my hair which was a little damp from the sweat on my brow.

“Why are you here Dain?” I murmured to myself. That's right, I am a glutton for punishment. I can't have her. I shouldn't even want her since I had been purged not even a century ago, but I do.

Tara sat under the knotty oak tree, her dress flowering around her like the petals of the prettiest flower on earth. By God she was breathtaking in this light. The moon shined down it’s silver light over her skin and shone off her nutmeg colored hair. The wind blew slightly and tangled in the strands as it tugged at them softly. The stirring of the breezed brought her soft scent to me and I shivered remembering the taste of her mouth and the feel of her skin on my lips and tongue.

I sighed. No, that was another lifetime. Centuries ago. I couldn’t remember that now. Not with the danger it would now bring. We were the reborn they wouldn’t allow us to be together again. Only once and we had already lived that chance.

They had purged us both. Me more than once but unless they purged my soul and replaced my heart it would never last. My love for Tara was branded on my soul and my skin would never forget her touch. Not in this lifetime or my next. Damn-it we had a family together, though I shouldn’t remember them either.

Tara lay back on the grass eyes focused on the stars, mouth set in a soft pillowy pout. Oh to touch those lips once more with mine, to take them gently between my teeth teasingly and sooth away the sting with the tip of my tongue.

But this time they had screwed us. I turned away. Tara was a Fifty-six years old women and I was but a boy at Sixteen years old. Maybe in the next lifetime. I walked away with a longing heart.

I feel guilty about how mean I am...to fake people.

I just finished The Reborn 1st draft and though I did follow mostly the direction I wanted to go in I did one major change that is making me have to go back and rewrite book 2's opening. I mean that is no big deal, it sucked anyway. The main issue is I totally just screwed 2 characters over. On the upside the couple of characters I was supposed to screw over lucked out...for now at least.

One character, damn I feel like a bitch for what I'm doing with him. He is going a place that is going to take a miracle to dig him out from. Not sure if I can save him!

His poor heroine, he is going to put her in purgatory then drag her through hell because of one tragic mistake.

In the next book (the one I have to re-write the opening to) one guy's jealousy can cost him everything while another girl's past is haunting her and the one person she loves more than life just won't let her shake it. Can't he see that she has changed? He can't and makes her question if he even knows who she is anymore...the girl she was then has nothing to do with the woman she is now! If he can't see that...is he the man for her?

Oh and book 3...talk about dark places.

Oh the angst I putting these teens through. Sorry characters!



Cut or uncut?

I am okay with rejection. Or at least that is what I told myself. I would say, “oh they aren’t rejecting my work they just don’t like the query.” Until, I got my first full MS rejection…in form letter. Ouch. I know, acquisition is purely subjective, right? One person didn’t like it doesn’t mean that nobody will like it. Still it is hard to hear without a bottle—I mean glass of wine. Dratz, why did I give up drinking this week again?




Dejectedly, I even thought of giving up writing. “I suck.” I told myself…“I suck I suck I suck.” It was like a sulking pout as I wallowed in my bed. I was ready to throw in the towel, at least on adult paranormal. Maybe I could work on my YA novel?…



Then, I decided maybe I could look into fixing the pacing of chapter one like EVERYONE has been saying could use help. I think it’s effin perfect but if everyone is saying it…



But guess why I was so reluctant to cut scenes from chapter one, besides it being effin perfect? Because you pull one string and then you have to go chapter by chapter and rework it. The more you cut the more you have to rework and the more you rework…Yes! The more you have to cut!



I just cut one of my favorite scenes that shows Devon and Mayne’s friendship…but it’s about ERIC and Mayne so…it is gone. Maybe I will stick it in Devon’s short story? No… *wipes tear*

The sea of No

The picture's artist.

Well, the beginning of the year I decided it was time to take a dive and go swimming.  For a writer that means start querying. Yes, if you are also a writer your heart probably started racing at the thought.  The dread, the excitement, the vigilant email watching, and the pending heartbreak.




Querying is like dating.  All those rejections in search of someone who will: see you, ‘get’ you, then love you enough to marry you and say “Yes, I want to share this journey with you. Yes, I believe in you.”