Lia Ego

Opening Scene - Antagonist’s POV. Reveals the secret that becomes the nucleus of the primary conflict. Sets tone, introduces protagonist, setting and supporting characters. Foreshadows secondary conflicts. 

 

        Jameson smelled a sale.  Greg and Amy Young beheld Amber Marsh with starry-eyed delight.  This would be a breeze.

         “Amber Marsh is a custom home community positioned on a unique land parcel that frames the marsh,” Jameson explained.  In other words, mostly swampland that the larger builders passed on. 

         Jameson led the couple along the sweeping arc of the sidewalk. They gaped at the expansive homes, comfortably cushioned by mature trees and lush landscaping.  The neighborhood was quiet on this weekday afternoon, except a young woman who tinkered with an iridescent globe in her front yard. Her summer dress skimmed her toned thighs. Jameson gave her a courteous nod, which she returned with a polite smile. 

         “Is that a gazing ball?” Amy asked her.

         The woman’s smile grew. She ambled over to them.  “It sure is.  I’m Jen Holloway.” She extended a hand and they shook. When she took Amy’s hand, Jen started. “Oh—” her gaze fell to Amy’s midsection. “You’re ..” 

         Amy’s hand went instinctively to her flat belly. Her brow furrowed.  “How did you know?” 

         Jen lifted a shoulder, “Intuition.”

         “Greg and Amy are considering making Amber Marsh their home.” Jameson cut in smoothly. 

         “Oh, perfect!” Jen exclaimed. “I see your children being very happy here. This is a place of joy and grace.”  Her eyes held Amy’s.

         Greg frowned at her and placed a hand on his wife’s shoulder to move her along. 

         They were a few paces away when Jameson strode back to Jen for moment. “This is it,” he told her under his breath. “This is the last one, and I’m out. I love you. I can’t wait to be with you, all the way, every day.” 

         Anticipation turned her eyes the color of sapphires, but she gently pushed him back to the sidewalk. “Go make the sale.” 

         Jameson jogged back to the Youngs and continued as if there had been no interruption. “Ms. Halloway has been here for seven months. She was the first resident, after me.” 

         “You live here?” Amy asked.

         “In addition to being the developer, I was the first resident.”

         “Jameson Homes also handled sales for Amber Commons, the big neighborhood right next to this, right?” 

        “Indeed. Amber Marsh is a welcome alternative to the cookie cutter homes hastily built to keep up with the population sprawl of Central Florida.  It has been extremely well-received. The home we are about to see is the last remaining offering in Amber Marsh.” 

          An ugly white Ford with an Uber sign in the windshield drove by, ruining his perfect street.  A dark, muscular man of about thirty got out.  He hoisted a potted plant from the back seat and sent them a casual wave when he caught sight of the trio.  Jameson frowned and kept his hands firmly by his sides as Greg and Amy waved back.  He would get to the bottom of that later.

         “Here we are.”  Jameson arranged his features into an easy grin as they approached a cheerful blue door. “This was our model home, so it is fully built out, with the best finishes and upgrades. That means you get top-of-the-line everything, and you don’t have to wait months for completion. You can move right in.” Quick close, quick cash.  

         They entered, and Jameson felt the click.  

         “Ohh,” Amy cooed as she took in the two-story foyer. She veered to right, into an enormous dining room, then made a quick left into the kitchen.  Greg was drawn to the view. He strode through the living area and opened the oversized sliding glass door discreetly housed within the wall of floor-to-ceiling windows.

         They had pulled out all the stops for the design of the pool and backyard. A spiral slide adorned one corner of a large rectangular infinity pool, and there was a six-person hot tub built into the other corner. The outdoor kitchen gave way to an entertainment center that retracted into the wall.  Though he had initially been against the up-front expenditure, the wow factor now worked in Jameson’s favor. 

         “This backyard, like all homes in Amber Marsh, is raised above the walking path that runs along the marsh.” 

          Greg wandered over to look down at the pine boardwalk, connected to the yard by a short staircase. About a football field across, the marsh reflected the sky and the towering oak forest across the water.  

         Amy joined them and grasped hands with Greg.  Jameson very much liked the look that passed between them. “What a perfect place for our girls to grow up,” she murmured. 

         They meandered the yard and gestured to where they envisioned outdoor furniture, then moved back inside.  They identified perfect spaces for the nursery and home office upstairs, where a large loft anchored four bedrooms with generous closets and well-appointed bathrooms.  When the three emerged onto the sidewalk, they all wore satisfied smiles.  

         Greg turned to Jameson. “It’s more than we were expecting to spend…”

         “But Amber Marsh is one-of-a kind,” Jameson finished for him.

         “I need to crunch the numbers.”

         “That,” Jameson inclined his head toward Amy, who gazed at the house as though envisioning their future play out within its’ walls, “defies numbers.”

          Greg’s eyes went soft and Jameson couldn’t blame him.  Amy had shiny black hair, a warm smile, and a youthful energy that Jameson bet made her a great lay.  Her tits were a bit too small for his taste, but he supposed they were appropriate for her slender build. He had never had an Asian woman before. Maybe if they were neighbors, he could … but no, he was committed to Jen now, turning over a new leaf. 

          “We'll be in touch soon,” Greg said.  

          Jameson’s mouth watered.  So close!  This deal would position him perfectly for retirement. For freedom. For Jen.

          A tall, angular woman parked in the driveway and unfolded herself smoothly from a white BMW.  She tossed her swing of blonde hair over her shoulder, and she sent them a polite nod and a smile. 

         “Hello,” she said. ”Welcome to Amber Marsh.” She moved to Jameson’s side and extended a hand. "I'm Anne."

         “This lovely creature,” Jameson beamed, placing a hand on her shoulder, “is my wife.”

 

 

 

 

7 Pre-conference Assignments 

 

1.         After getting dumped for a younger woman after decades of marriage, Anne fights to rise above the cliché, and prove to her ex, her community, and herself, that she is more than just the rejected half of Team Jameson.  Anne falls back on well-honed skill of being the consummate hostess and creates a dinner party business.  The people of Amber Marsh, with their varied beliefs, ages, and backgrounds, provide a support system she never knew she needed.

2.         Jameson is a narcissist with a bone-deep sense of entitlement. He scorns his parents for not showering him with wealth from birth. He feels entitled to pursue other women while married to Anne.  He feels he entitled to all of Anne’s attention and affection, to the exclusion of their children. He feels entitled to the lion’s share of the credit and financial gain from their business partnership, and feels confident that Anne should remain his business partner even after he’s dumped her. He feels entitled to control her whereabouts and actions, even as he focuses on a fresh, exciting new relationship.

3.         Divorce and Dinner Parties - an Amber Marsh Novel.    or      Amber Marsh: Divorce and Dinner Parties        

4.           In Identity by Nora Roberts, Morgan rebuilds her life after unthinkable devastation to the financial and personal foundation that she painstakingly built over years.   She forges friendships within a new reality that looks nothing like the one she had planned, and re-learns to assert herself professionally, even in the face of sabotage and self-doubt.  She gradually begins to overcome her skepticism of men and romance. Anne walks a similar path in Amber Marsh: Divorce and Dinner Parties, and the book features a tone of warmth and community that is reminiscent of Nora Roberts’ work. The flawed but resilient central character is boosted by a multi-generational cast of supporting characters, with the added depth of characters from varied cultures and backgrounds, all navigating their own challenges alongside Anne. 

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid follows several characters through their day, from their own POV, building to a climax where their plotlines meet and climax in tandem, surrounding the central female lead character.  Similarly, Amber Marsh: Divorce and Dinner Parties introduces us to a diverse and overlapping cast of characters, and draws us into their stories, building toward a mutual climactic event.  Both Anne from Amber Marsh, and Nina from Malibu Rising struggle to maintain their self-esteem and public persona following a very public break-up. They must somehow be there for the people who are counting on them, even as they struggle to reclaim their sense of self-worth.  Each repeatedly faces off with an ex who still demands her time and energy, and remains in close proximity with his new flame.

5.     Following the loss of the marriage, career, and image that she spent decades cultivating, Anne must rebuild her life, surrounded by intriguingly diverse neighbors in the upscale Central Florida community that she developed. 

6a. Anne has developed the coping mechanism of projecting an unbothered façade to hide her vulnerability.  

TRIGGER – Jameson doubles down on leaving Anne, then invites her to remain his business partner. 

REACTION – Anne fights to appear calm while she reels inside. She doesn’t want to lose her professional security along with her personal status. 

EXERPT - 

“It’s done then,” he said softly. 

“I suppose so.”

“Anne,” he bowed his head. “I want to thank you. Taking this journey with you has been,” he blew out a breath, “amazing. We make a great team. This is truly the most important thing we’ve ever done.” 

Anne wanted to mention their kids, but opted not to derail his performance. 

“We went out on a great note,” he said.  “I‘m going to miss you.”

A heartbeat passed, then another. Her mouth fell open. “What?” she hissed. “You’re actually going to leave me?”

“Anne,” he said with strained patience. “Please don’t make a scene.  There are people on the other side of that wall. It’s over. I removed my personal effects from the house this morning.”

It was as though she was choking on ocean water, salty and full of stinging microorganisms.  Anne thought she might drown.  Then he dropped the real bombshell. 

“But I would love to keep working with you.”

The ocean water was now tinged with acrid oil. She fought the rising urge to gag.  She wanted to spit in his face, but this was no time to act rashly. Their business partnership was lucrative, and, well, it was her life. “I—I need some time to process this.”

He squeezed her hand again. “Amber Marsh is magic. We can make more magic together.” 

Anne wanted to take those words and bash him over the head with them until he bled out all over the carpet. Instead, she withdrew her hand and strode from the conference room.

 

6b. Jameson jeopardizes Anne’s new business through overt sabotage, as well as residual emotional damage from decades of criticism and emotional mistreatment. 

TRIGGER – Jameson undermines Anne at a business meeting.

REACTION – Wrapped up in her own negative reaction to Jameson, Anne is dismissive of her son, Leo.  She lashes out at Tiago because she does not want to be duped by a man’s charm, again.  
EXERPT - 

Jameson had charmingly, effectively, talked her right out of the job.  

And what really made her want to dig a hole and crawl into it, was that she just sat there and let him do it.  She didn’t tell him to get the hell away from her after the spectacle he had made of himself. She didn’t stand up for herself and her business and call out his duplicity because she didn’t want to a make a scene. 

Leo bounded over, drenched with sweat. “Mom! I got a sick takedown today!”

“Great,” she said dismissively. 

His smile dimmed a bit, but he shrugged. “Katja asked me to stop by and tell her how it went. I’ll meet you at the car. Later, Tiago!” 

Tiago traded high fives with Leo and turned to Anne with an easy smile.  “Hello, lovely Anne.”

Anne stiffened. “Save it.”  Tiago looked at her blankly for second, then opened his mouth to speak. She didn’t let him. “I’m in no mood to deal with you. Men are not worth the energy.”

He blinked in surprise.  She didn’t pause.  “Please don’t assume you’ll charm my pants off, literally. We went on one date. A bad one at that. Don’t assume I’m lonely or desperate enough to jump into bed with you just because you embody some dark and handsome male paradigm.”

“I wasn’t—”

“You’re not even tall, dark and handsome! You’re average height.”

Tiago watched her like a bomb squad agent regarding a suspicious package. “Guilty.”

“I’m sure you have plenty of legging-wearing, Insta-worthy twenty-somethings to wrestle with. Aim your perfect smile at them, not me.” 

“Anne—”

“What? I bet you practiced saying my name in the mirror before we met. Perfectly honed for maximum impact. Gross.”

“Anne,” he repeated and leaned in conspiratorially. “This sexist, ageist little rant is dripping with self-loathing and paranoia.  I’m sorry for whoever harshed your mellow, but please be careful. This type of energy will eat at you from the inside, starting with that headache.”

 

7.    Amber Marsh is the natural body of water that anchors Anne’s community, literally and figuratively. The marsh flows behind the homes, connecting them. It is a resource they share, yet appreciate it from different perspectives.  Ultimately, residents join Anne to protect and nurture the marsh.

Each home is a setting as well, reflecting the personality of its’ residents, and the modern, opulent texture of Amber Marsh. The way that each character relates to their inside and outside spaces is a window into their personal history, taste and personality. 

Each residence lends to the aggregate community, which is Anne’s brainchild. She is connected to every roof, lawn and layout by the work that went into their creation.