MESA (Chapter 15!! DONE)

 I can't say I'm officially halfway done with the book because I think I'm right at 39,000 words, and to be halfway through I would need to be at about 43,000, so I'm about that far off. There will probably be between 30-32 chapters, so that's why Chapter 15 is so important to me when I write.

    The first seven or eight chapters are usually spent sizing up the book with introductions to the theme, the tone, the characters, etc., and then next seven or eight start to hone in, narrowing down on the actual events that must take place. Think of it as a long river ride that starts out slowly and ends up with all sorts of rocks to dodge, rapids to maneuver through, and obstacles to cross and overcome before it begins to smooth out again. You can't jump into a rapid river and expect to come out of it alive! You sort of have to ease yourself into it; taking your time to understand where you are and what you'll have to go through before the ride comes to a close.

    In Chapter 15 of "Mesa," the boys find themselves traveling from Albuquerque to Gallop, New Mexico and when they arrive they're no sooner about to settle in for the night when they decide to take in the sights. When they do they find themselves fist-deep in a raucous brawl that certainly will test their meddle, but also keep them moving quickly enough to remain unscathed by gunfire and the throwing of hands. They come out of it on top -- you know they do. It's another Nick Posh thriller, but it's not the last of the series by any means.

    Tomorrow they'll make their way through to Las Vegas and check out Lake Mead where one of the bad guys met his demise at the hand of a very interesting lass.  Wednesday through Friday I'll have them traveling about the outskirts of Las Vegas and they'll even join the traveling Bollen Group Circus as a couple of roustabouts; they'll end up dressing in costume as clowns so as to fit in. Think about that for a second. They dress up in wild costumes to fit in...I love it.

    Well, that's about it for now. The week and the weekend promise to be really harried for them both -- and I have to figure out how to use the giant pachyderms to help the two good guys escape. I'll let you know how that turns out, but I'm pretty sure the baby elephant they kidnapped ends up being a fixture at the Oklahoma City Zoo! 

Photo Creidit:  ChicagoKenny.com