[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.rhondaparrish.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Ill-Be-Home-for-Christmas-1-1-1024×576.jpg” title_text=”I’ll Be Home for Christmas (1)” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
One thing I really enjoy doing in my writing is exploring the same situation through different points of view. Writing scenes from a second point of view almost feels like cheating, because the hard part (for me) is done \u2013 the action, the plot, that\u2019s all decided already. That leaves the fun part \u2013 looking at the situation through a different character\u2019s perspective and seeing what I see.<\/p>\n
So when I was asked to do that for one of the scenes from my book Blindspots<\/em> I was excited to do so \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n In this scene, our heroes \u2013 a pack of anthropomorphic dogs \u2013 have reached their owl friend Winter\u2019s nest to ask for her help locating Jasper, a dog who just happened to have a very specific type of security system installed. The Fortress 180.<\/p>\n The scene in the book is from Ricky\u2019s point of view, but in the following bit we take a look at it through the eyes of Winter.<\/p>\n ~*~<\/p>\n Alternate point of view scene from\u00a0Blindspots:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n I know I have it around here somewhere, I think, flipping through a stack of newspapers. Though, as the dust tickles my beak I wonder why I am bothering. I can just tell the dogs what I have to share without the paper and they\u2019d\u2013oh! There it is!<\/p>\n I tug the paper out of the pile, careful not to let the rest of it topple over, and snap it open in front of me. The headline reads:<\/p>\n FORTRESS 180 RECALLED AFTER ACCIDENT INJURES TWO<\/p>\n Yup. This is the one.<\/p>\n Tucking it under my wing I pick my way back to the main control room. The dogs are all waiting, some more patiently than others. Ricky and Fenton are standing in the middle of the room, looking nervous. Ricky at least has the good sense to keep his tail tucked in close to his body this time. Last time he\u2019d been here he\u2019d started wagging it and scattered dobobs and whirlygigs all over the place. Meep also caused an avalanche last time she was here, but thankfully she is up on Moo\u2019s back. That\u2019s just safer for all of us.<\/p>\n A bird\u2019s nest is their sanctuary and I\u2019m a bit of a collector. I shouldn\u2019t have to worry about my collections being scattered all over the floor just because I happen o spend time with dogs.<\/p>\n \u201cHere is is,\u201d I say, pointing a wing tip at the headline.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen was that?\u201d Meep asks.<\/p>\n \u201cMonth or so ago? You don\u2019t read the news?\u201d<\/p>\n They all shake their heads, looking utterly clueless. It\u2019s a good thing they\u2019re cute, I think. But what I say is, \u201cWell, the system is magical, and there is a serious shortage of those crystals they use for magic these days. So much so that the company started using smaller, inferior ones. Bad things started happening.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBad things?\u201d Ricky said, dumbly.<\/p>\n I resist the urge to sign at the poor dog. It\u2019s not his fault. \u201cThe way the system is supposed to work is that if someone unauthorized enters the protected room, or if the owner presses the panic button, everyone nearby gets teleported to a secure location. They all land in a cell somewhere where there are security guards to intervene in whatever is going on and arrest the intruders. But it started malfunctioning. Teleporting everyone to random locations. And once it exploded.\u201d<\/p>\n All the dogs gasp in shock and horror. \u201cIs that how those dogs were injured?\u201d Fenton asks, his eyes almost comically wide.<\/p>\n \u201cThe explosions? No. They were injured when they were teleported to a spot ten feet above the ground and gravity kicked in.\u201d I stretched my wings, snowy white and beautiful, wide apart as far as they\u2019d go. \u201cShame they did not have wings.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJasper also doesn\u2019t have wings,\u201d Ricky says. It\u2019s the first good point he\u2019s made all evening. Possibly not so good for Jasper though.<\/p>\n ~*~<\/p>\n That was a lot of fun! And also? I don\u2019t know an elegant way to segue over to this, but even though this book is aimed at grown-ups, I commissioned Allie MacAllister<\/a> to illustrate a few scenes from it for me. This scene was one of them:<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.rhondaparrish.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/WintersWorkshopIllustration.jpg” title_text=”Winters Workshop Illustration” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n There are three more illustrations and lots more scenes in the book. All the scenes are from Ricky\u2019s POV\u2026 but maybe I\u2019ll write a sequel from Winter\u2019s LOL We\u2019ll have to wait and see.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.rhondaparrish.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Blindspots-High-Resolution.jpg” title_text=”Blindspots – High Resolution” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Amazon (US<\/a>) (CA<\/a>) (UK<\/a>)<\/p>\n Kobo<\/a><\/p>\nOrder Now<\/h2>\n