News on Street Stories | Debra R. Borys

At just over 25,000 words, Cry Baby Cry has reached the one-third point. In other words, the end of Act One. To jump start Act Two I need to knot the embroidery threads I’ve been laying in so that I can start to unravel the individual strands of clues I’ve planted so far.

The knot that I think I need to use is the scene I wrote earlier of Jo meeting Lily’s father. Originally, I thought this scene would not happen until much later in the book, but now I realize making Lou Beckett suspicious that Jo’s visit might be connected to his missing daughter can be the complication needed to rachet up the suspense. Just when Jo thinks she has finally found a safe place for Lily, she messes it up without realizing it.

Here’s a quote from Lily’s father below. You can click on it to read the whole scene again if you haven’t already.

“Martin gives a rousing sermon anytime, but you should hear him when he’s under a tent. Just like Jesus himself must have sounded from the Sermon on the Mount. Yes, certainly. You must come and see for yourself. Have you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior?”

Coming up with a catchy summary to describe a book is always tricky. How do you hook a potential reader without giving away the surprises you have in store for them? I’m hoping you can help me decide between the two options below as the description for Cry Baby Cry. Which one do you think works best?

OPTION 1

Lily May Beckett tried to be a good girl and change her ways. But when the path to forgiveness leads to hell on earth, sin feels like the only option.

How far will a father go to save his daughter? How far will reporter Jo Sullivan have to go to save that daughter from her father? Haunted by the memory of her failure to rescue a murdered girl, Jo once again finds herself racing to find the answers before it’s too late.

OPTION 2

Disagreeing with someone’s gender identity is never an excuse for abuse, but what’s a father to do when determined to save his daughter? Lily tried to be a good girl and change her ways, but when the path to forgiveness leads to hell on earth, sin feels like the only option.

Haunted by the memory of her failure to rescue a murdered girl, Jo Sullivan risks her life to save Lily from her father and reveals a reality only a twisted mind could believe was part of God’s plan for humankind.

As always, you can read pieces from the new book posted on Birthing the Next Book.