Lois Brown-Writers Cubed

Lois Brown is an expert.

The statement doesn't require specifics. She's just an expert. It doesn't matter what she's doing.

Lois graduated with a bachelor's in journalism and a master's in communication. After college she worked as a news correspondent in Washington, D.C. I can just see her grilling politicians and lobbyists on important issues in the Rose Room. The thought makes me smile. She did some time working in the corporate world as a communications specialist and eventually turned to freelance editing and ghostwriting for several New York Times best-selling authors. In 2004 she self-published a book on overcoming stress and anxiety and was invited to teach at BYU's Education Week and other conventions and speaking engagements.

Fiction writing didn't make her to-do-list until about a year and a half ago. She's on her way to conquering that mountain too. It's only a matter of time before some lucky agent scoops her up and benefits from her brilliance and work ethic.

I love Lois because she gets things done. She sets out to do something, and does it. Considering her impressive resume, she is completely humble. She's a master editor and has taught me so many things about writing and publishing. We in Writers Cubed are lucky to have her!

Lois writes middle grade fiction. Her book "Cycles" is a middle grade mystery with elements of science fiction. It speaks strongly to young people negotiating the challenges of Junior High with just enough romance to satisfy her audience.

Here's my back of the book attempt:

Thirteen year-old Renee doesn't know she's just weeks away from dying . . . again. After a bad horseback riding accident she is taken to the hospital where they test her blood for a necessary transfusion. Her blood is unlike anything the doctors have ever seen. By a strange coincidence, her next-door neighbor, Dr. Dawson, happens to have some of her blood stored in his basement. When Renee and best friend Sam learn she is not her parents biological daughter, they work together to unlock the mysteries of her birth. If they can't find answers and escape the evil people following them, Renee will loose herself to another cycle. Another death.

Here's an excerpt:

“Come here boy,” Renee called. The horse moved toward her, and she gently attached the tether to keep him still, not because he needed it but because it was the rule. Carefully sitting on an old stool so splintered that one quick move would result in a backside of slivers, she ran the brush over Mercury's sleek dark coat in her familiar pattern—a spiral. Her mother called it a doodle and said it was one of Renee's most annoying habits. Spirals were all over the phone book, her homework, and the newspaper. Even in her mashed potatoes.

The barn's worn, weathered walls stood in stark contrast to the high-tech security system that Dr. Dawson had installed last year after the deadly horse epidemic. Metal bars guarded the windows, and the large front sliding door was equipped with electronic deadbolts. Each time she entered, Renee had the impression she'd been there a thousand times before. In reality, she'd only been helping with her neighbor's rare horse since the beginning of summer.

She settled into the rhythm of brushing, allowing herself a quick fantasy about riding Mercury. She never had, of course. Not with Dr. Dawson being so paranoid.

At first she didn't notice the voices outside. Their hushed tones blended with the wind blowing in from the Diablo Mountains to the east. But a loud rattle awoke her from her daydream.

A man and woman talked to each other while one of them tried to pull the barn door off its hinges. At least that's what it sounded like to Renee. Puzzled, she stepped forward to help them open it but then stopped. These people don't have the code. They're trying to break into the barn. The thought made her throat turn dry, and she couldn't swallow.

“The electricity to the barn should have been disabled by now. What's holding it up?” said the woman.

A deep groan followed more clattering.

“I don't know,” the man finally answered. He tugged a few more times. “I'll go see.” His loud footsteps faded into the distance.

Renee fell to the floor behind two bales of hay and stopped breathing—or at least tried to. As she hid, she heard lighter footsteps—probably those of the woman—circling the barn. Obviously the intruders had one thing on their minds, to steal Mercury. She put her head into her hands and rubbed her forehead. How could she get herself and Mercury out of the barn without getting hurt? She lifted herself to her knees and crawled toward the tack area. Standing up, she then hoisted the lightest pad and saddle off the wall. The dust from the leather seat flew into her eyes, and she blinked several times trying to wash away the gritty feeling. She needed to see clearly.

Holding the equipment tightly in her arms, she returned to where Mercury was tethered. He nuzzled her neck.

“Don't worry, boy. I'm going to keep you safe,” she whispered.

Big thanks to Lois for letting me brag about her. She really is a great writer, editor, and friend. Check out Lois and learn more about her published works on her blog and her website.