At 11:58 p.m. on New Year's Eve, I finished a sentence at the bottom of three pages of a kidnapping scene, saved it, and sent if off via e-mail to Bonnie, my relentless friend who was responsible for my writing it that night. The scene wasn't finished, but I had brought the kidnapper to the main character's door armed with chloroform and God's approval.

It's been almost a year since I told Bonnie about the planned kidnapping scene, but many things have interrupted my writing. She has periodically pleaded, nagged, harangued, and used other tactics to numerous to mention in an effort to get the scene out of me. You see, Junior is her favorite character in my novel in progress, Runemaster. As the son of an overbearing fundamentalist preacher, Junior's hopes for a television ministry of his own are dashed when his father spends the church's money to pay off a blackmailer. To add to Junior's woes, the woman he has adored for almost fifteen years wants nothing to do with him and seems to be attracted to a psychic. Certain she is possessed, Junior kidnaps the love of his life in the hope of exorcising the demon(s). Once she is free of Satan's influences, she will love him.

Junior's had a hard life filled with disappointment, but he has a good heart, so Bonnie really wants him to win. Right now, I don't think he can. We'll have to see. In the meantime, I brought in the new year writing a scene I had been putting off and brought this novel in progress back on my radar of things to do. The year is off to a great start.

Hazel