As everyone knows, not all
the scenes in the first version of a story make it into the final book—that’s
what editing is all about! Here’s part of a deleted scene from Wolf’s Clothing, featuring some of the
players on the Haunted to the Max
team from Stumptown Spirits: Logan,
Riley, producer Julie, cameraman Zack, and clueless star Max.
In this scene, the crew
helps—or hinders—Trent in his efforts to find Christophe. Bishop, a character
who makes his first appearance in Wolf’s
Clothing, is also along for the ride as they trek through the woods near
Mt. Hood, with Zack filming the whole thing.
~
For the sixth time in as
many minutes, Julie said, “Are you sure this is the right path?”
Trent glared at her over
his shoulder. “I can only tell you what I overheard. They were speaking French,
for God’s sake. Cut me a fucking break.”
“Watch the language. We
don’t want to have to bleep too much out in post-production.”
He slapped irritably at
a blackberry bramble, and got jabbed with a thorn for his trouble. “I can’t
believe you’re filming every fricking minute of this shit.”
“It’s our only chance.
No retakes, so we need to roll as much footage as we can. We’ll edit the hell
out of it in post-production, but I don’t want to miss our first sighting of
the wolf.”
“Wolf?” Bishop, who
hadn’t let Trent get more than three feet from him since they’d left the van,
grabbed Trent’s elbow. “You said this was life or death.”
“It is.”
“The life or death of a
wolf?”
“Jesus, Bishop. Just
roll with it, okay? If everything goes well, you’ll have a chance to play
ex-cops and robbers, or ex-cops and kidnappers, or ex-cops and
what-the-hell-ever. But for now, shut up. Everybody shut the fuck up.” Including me.
Julie slapped her
clipboard against her leg. “But we need some dialogue for the camera.”
“Screw the camera.
You’re all about post-production, so do it in voice-over, for crying out loud.”
Julie pouted. “It’s not
the same. I want the raw quality. The shock of discovery. The—shit!” She leaped
back from the gopher snake that slithered across the path inches from her toes.
Max positioned himself
in front of Zack, in the center of the camera frame. “Here in the wilderness,
you never know what wildlife you’ll encounter. Some will be benign, wholly
natural, like this harmless snake. But what of the rumors of other, less
natural—some might say even monstrous—creatures? Could they lurk here as well,
ready to lure an unwary traveler to his doom?” He struck a pose, staring into
the lens. “Chilling . . . if true.”
Trent turned to Logan.
“Where did they find this guy?”
“Don’t look at me. I
asked the same question first time I met him.”
About Wolf’s Clothing
What do you do when you finally prove the existence of the
otherworld, but the ghosts kick your ass?
For Trent Pielmeyer, the answer is run like hell—away
from his hostile family, away from the disbelieving cops, and far, far, far away
from anything that smacks of the supernatural. After seven years’ captivity in
a whacked-out alternate dimension, he is so over legend tripping.
When Christophe Clavret spots Trent in a Portland bar, he detects a
kindred spirit—another man attempting to outrun the darkness of his own soul.
But despite their sizzling chemistry, Trent’s hatred of the uncanny makes
Christophe hesitant to confide the truth: he’s a werewolf, one of a dwindling
line, the victim of a genetic curse extending back to feudal Europe.
But dark forces are at work, threatening more than their growing love.
If Christophe can’t win Trent’s trust, and if Trent can’t overcome his fear of
the paranormal, the cost could be Trent’s freedom and Christophe’s humanity. Or
it might be both their lives.
Available from Riptide Publishing: http://riptidepublishing.com/titles/wolfs-clothing-legend-tripping-novel
About EJ Russell
E.J. Russell holds a BA and an MFA in theater, so naturally she’s spent
the last three decades as a financial manager, database designer, and
business-intelligence consultant. After her twin sons left for college and she
no longer spent half her waking hours ferrying them to dance class, she
returned to her childhood love of writing fiction. Now she wonders why she ever
thought an empty nest meant leisure.
E.J. lives in rural Oregon with her curmudgeonly husband, the only man
on the planet who cares less about sports than she does. She enjoys visits from
her wonderful adult children, and indulges in good books, red wine, and the
occasional hyperbole.
Connect with E.J.:
Giveaway
To celebrate the release of
Wolf’s Clothing, one lucky
winner will receive a $25 Riptide Publishing gift card! Leave a comment with
your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern
time, on October 15, 2016. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks
for
following the tour,
and don’t forget to leave your contact info!