NOT YOUR USUAL SUSPECTS

A group blog featuring an international array of killer mystery, suspense, and romantic suspense writers. With premises and story lines different from your run-of-the-mill whodunits, we tend to write outside the box. We blog several times a week on all topics relating to romantic suspense and mystery, our writing, and our readers. We welcome all comments and often have guest bloggers. All our authors can be contacted separately, too, using their own social media links.

We find our genre delightfully, dangerously, and deliciously exciting - join us here, if you do too!

NOTE: the blog is currently dormant but please enjoy the posts we're keeping online.


Julie Moffet . Cathy Perkins . Jean Harrington . Daryl Anderson . Nico Rosso . Maureen A Miller . Sandy Parks . Lisa Q Mathews . Sharon Calvin . Lynne Connolly . Janis Patterson . Vanessa Keir . Tonya Kappes . Julie Rowe . Joni M Fisher . Leslie Langtry

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Using Real Life Experiences...

Do you ever have anything bad happen to you and think 'well that sucked, now I'm going to use it in a story'?

It happens to me a lot.

For instance, two years ago, we were in Bamfield, BC, and a friend of ours took us out for a ride in his boat. Now, that was fine and dandy--until the engine failed. And then the second engine failed. And then the gusting wind and big swell drove us toward rocks. The water was too deep for the anchor to catch the bottom...and, oh, did I mention my then 8- & 10-year-old children were on board with me???

On the positive side we could literally see the Coast Guard station about half a mile away. 

When the CG dispatcher asked our position the boat's skipper told her to look out the window because we were waving at her as he said 'Mayday, Mayday'. The rescue boat got to us in under five minutes and we didn't smash against the rocks and no one died. Thank goodness :)  And I decided I WAS going to have a coastie hero/heroine one day because they are awesome. So, that's the next story I'm planning to write, assuming my editor goes for it (a little fairy dust on that one please ;)).



Tell me about your real life dramas. Anything stranger than fiction?

Toni's first Bamfield-set release, DANGEROUS WATERS, went on sale yesterday.

7 comments:

Elise Warner said...

Toni--that is one exciting story. You've just sold me your first copy and you haven't written it yet. I've used incidents in my work but nothing major yet. Too close to it.

Rita said...

Zowie! How very scary. And can’t wait to read the coastie story. I do love my coasties.

Toni Anderson said...

LOL Elise, it's always better looking back (from dry land!)

Toni Anderson said...

Rita, I know how much you love the coast guard. It's very different between the US and Canada but they are very brave individuals.

Clare London said...

Great post :). My disasters aren't as exciting as youts LOL. They're more domestic,like nearly missing the plane last month coming home from the US, or dropping red wine down my clothes just before meeting an important client... and yes, they'll both be in an upcoming book!

Wendy Soliman said...

Something similar happened to my husband when bringing a boat from France around the notorious - hell can't remember its name - but it was a notorious point. Both engines failed and they were drifting towards rocks in a big sea. He sent assistant into engine room, something had come loose and crashed against battery switches.

All was well, just in the nick of time, and yes, I have used it!

Marcelle Dubé said...

Bet your heart was beating faster, eh, Toni? Most of my adventures are of the small domestic sort, unless airlines are involved. Then they are of the small disaster sort. ::sigh::

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