BONUS CONTENT: Meet the woman who lives between the lines
In this week’s letter, I’m sharing a scene from my protagonist's POV. A scene that helps us understand who Imogen really is and the fragile pieces of her life she is trying to shield from the world.
In this week’s newsletter, I’ll give you:
🔪 The exclusive look inside my latest work in progress: Swallowtail. (scheduled to be released in 2026!)
🔪 Adding to my TBR pile: Unveiling Justice by Juliette Trott
🔪 What I’m currently reading: The Final Sentence by Nicole Annbury
Once a month, I’ll share EXCLUSIVE details on my next writing project. As part of my NIGHT CREW (that’s you, if you’re reading this!) you’ll hear it here first before I share anywhere else!
My main character, Imogen, had very little personality when I finished my zero draft, which is normal—at least for me. Editing a manuscript is having the chance to breathe life into the characters I had roughly sketched out in my zero draft. It is a chance for me to give them a personality and some depth and make them a little more human so that readers can relate to them a little more.
It’s also our chance as authors to have a little fun…
Swallowtail is a dark and twisted psychological thriller and it needed scenes where we have a little “break” from all that and give you a glimpse into the characters soul. These are places in my story where I can insert a little background or banter.
In addition to showing you what my character feels inside, I wanted Imogen to have a favorite food. (there is a story behind this!) I had thought long and hard about what she would like. Pasta? Cereal? I struggled with just the right dish, so I kept writing and knew that eventually, I would think of something to finish the scene I had in mind.
Every interaction and experience I have as an author has the potential to become the kindling for a story or an idea for a scene. This is also a chance, if we want, to weave in parts of us into our fictional world.
The inspiration for the character’s food choice came from a trip I had to Portland many years ago to a restaurant called Shalom Y’all. When I was there, I had visited this place and had a brand-new-to-me dish called shakshuka. I had no idea what it was or what to expect, but it was one of the best dishes I had ever had.
I hadn’t thought about that place or that dish for many years, but when someone recently asked for recommendations in the area, it all came back to me and I realized that THIS was what I could use for my character, Imogen. It was the dish that I could make her favorite and I knew precisely which scene it would be known.
And now I’m sharing this scene with all of you…
The wording may be changed a bit when this goes through final edits, but this is from “Swallowtail.” I hope you enjoy a little glimpse into what Imogen is like on the inside.1
Genre: Fiction
Genre: Psychological thriller
CW for this chapter: loss of a loved one, references to dead humans
I come to this side of the woods to escape my reality. To sit with the water and listen to nature around me. And to spend time with the woman that no one wanted. I wonder if someone does the same for my baby sister, Taryn. I left her body alone that last night and ran. Did anyone take the time to give her a proper burial? Does someone go and see her?
I’ll never know.
God, I miss her. I miss her silly jokes. I miss the way she could not draw a stick figure to save her life but she could whip up anything in the kitchen without even following a recipe. She would attempt the most unusual styles. Her shakshuka was my favorite. Someone challenged her to make it after never hearing about it before. So she did. Never in my life have I had this dish but I imagine that it was exactly how it was meant to be. The savory sauce. The delicate egg. The way her face shined when she saw our faces as we tasted it for the first time. She knew she had nailed it. If I ever had it again, I would not want it to taste any other way.
I often sit here next to this dead woman and think about what it would have been like to know her. I named her Olive. Everyone needs some kind of identity. Especially a dead someone. I could not let her be the girl dumped in the woods that no one cared about. I wonder if she had some quirky quality when she was alive. Did she know how to style hair? Maybe she also made shakshuka.
🔦 Author Spotlight:
Each week, I will be spotlighting some authors. This could be something I’m reading or what I’m itching to read down the road. This is my way to support authors and introduce you to authors you may not have heard of yet.
Adding to my TBR hopefuls this week is Unveiling Justice by Juliette Trott. The blurb for this one looked intriguing! It is a courtroom drama with psychological twists. If you have read it, let me know what you thought!
I’m currently reading The Final Sentence by Nicole Annbury. and it is great so far! I met Nicole through Substack and we instantly became writing friends.
The hook in this book that got me?
Appearances are deceiving in Cape Ivy. Some hide behind a mask, while others face its deadly consequence.
I LOVE this quick blurb of hers! If you love psych thrillers, consider grabbing a copy and reading it too! You can find it at major online retailers, or you can call your local indie shop and library to have them stock it for you.
Until next time, Night Crew…
My books:
You can find my book, DEEP IN THE WOODS, at any indie bookstore, your local library, Amazon, Kindle Unlimited, Audible or where ever you like to get your books. (if you don’t see it on the shelf in a brick and mortar, just call them and ask them to order it for you!) And to those that have taken the time to read and review my book, thank you! It means the world to me.
Small towns are full of secrets. In this small town, some of those secrets are buried deep…
In other words, this is unedited, unfiltered, and raw. You have been warned. Some of the names of my characters have changed.
Copyright Mica Merrill Rice, 2025. All rights reserved.
No part of this work or any of my books may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
The following excerpt is a work of fiction. Any name, character, event, business, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination. Though there are references to real places and towns, any similarity to actual persons, living or deceased, or actual events is entirely coincidental.
This work is a work of an ACTUAL human. I’m proud of that, even in its imperfect form. This content is not available for AI training. All rights reserved.
Also note that footnotes kick ass
Loved the sneak peek.
Love the title and the sneak peek!