The Story Behind the Story: ONE RED SHOE by Diane Burton

Assassins, killers, and spies. Oh my! My upcoming release does not have paranormal elements, nor does it take place in space. So, no aliens, shape-shifters, or ghosts. I hope you’ll indulge me anyway. Here's the origin of ONE RED SHOE.

Once upon a time, many, many years ago, at a local romance writers meeting (Mid-Michigan RWA), one of the members presented a writing exercise. The only clue was this: you’re on a train platform and someone is running toward you.

The first thing that popped into my head was: the man running toward her on the subway platform wore one red shoe. I wrote as fast as I could until time was up. When we shared our pieces, I was amazed at the variety. One person wrote about a man going off to war, and his sweetheart ran toward him to say good-bye. Another met a friend. And so on. If I recall correctly (and it was years ago) mine was the only one that hinted at danger. You see, the red in the shoe was blood.

That mini-story stuck in my head for years. I wrote, rewrote, and wrote more until I had a complete story. The central theme remained the same: a schoolteacher writer from Iowa rescues a wounded spy in a New York City subway. Daria is a wide-eyed optimist, going to NYC for the first time, ending up there on her own. I remember my first time at a writers’ conference in NYC. I was older and not that naïve. Still, I did play Fan Girl when I met my favorite authors. Consequently, I used some of those feelings for Daria’s emotions.

As the story progresses, the reality of assassins chasing them sinks in, and Daria changes. At first, she lets Sam (the wounded spy) dictate their escape. Each time, the assassins nearly catch them. Dara’s strength emerges as she takes over the rescue. I loved watching (writing) her character arc. Very rewarding.

For several rewrites, the first line remained the same until I went to another writing conference. I’d never ridden on the subway in NYC. Toronto and DC, yes; New York City, no. To make my story authentic, I had to see what it looked like, so I talked a group of friends into going with me, and we rode the subway. At night, no less. I’ll never forget the sights and smells, which I had to include in the story.

Six years ago, I submitted this story to The Wild Rose Press. They accepted and published it. I just received the rights back, and now I’m reissuing it myself. That half-hour writing session turned into one of my favorite books.

Blurb:

It Happened One Night meets Knight and Day

When elementary teacher Daria Mason left Iowa for a writers’ conference in New York City, she didn’t expect to come home with a wounded spy. Sam Jozwiak works for a shadow agency that gathers intel vital to U.S. security. From the moment he steals digital files from a Russian Mafia kingpin, Murphy’s Law takes over. No matter how he covers his tracks, the kingpin’s assassins find him. What’s worse than getting shot in the butt? Accepting help from an Iowa tourist. Thus, begins a road trip that takes Sam and Daria cross country with the assassins right behind them.

Excerpt:

For the second time in her life, Daria Mason came face-to-face with a man pointing a weapon at her. A pervert, with unzipped jeans, wielded a green box knife. Because she’d raced into the restroom without checking out the situation, he now stood between her and the exit.

She was at the end of the proverbial rope. After walking in circles, she finally found a restroom and nobody was stopping her from using it. Especially not someone playing copycat with that guy in the movie who wore one red shoe.

“I am having a really bad day,” she declared in the don’t cross me voice she used on her brothers. As soon as her words echoed off the hideous pink and black tiled walls and floor, she lowered her voice. “You are in the wrong place, mister. Now zip up and get out.” She pointed straight-armed toward the door.

The man shook his head and set the flimsy knife on the counter. “Lady, you have more guts than sense. You are in the wrong place, at the wrong time.” His voice was even softer than hers. He eyed her with a look so dark and intense it paralyzed her like a hawk freezes its prey. She swallowed past the fear in her throat, certain it sounded like a gulp.

ONE RED SHOE will be released on Monday, October 22, 2018. It's available for pre-order:  http://a.co/d/8DH9M5H