First Draft Complete!!!

The printer is working double time putting to paper the draft of my first novel: Tarbin’s True Heir. I finished it!!! I wrote 4162 words, the most ever in one day, for the final stretch. Hearing those gears spin in the printer spitting out my work is intoxicating!

Yes, it is only one step. Yes, I still have a lot of work ahead of me. Yes, I’m very fond of exclamation marks. But I WROTE A BOOK!!!

My hands are itching to fix the early plot issues I addressed later in the book. I need to eliminate the characters I removed from the story to be consistent throughout the manuscript. I need to rearrange a couple chapters to balance the flow of the story.

I want to make official character sheets as well. That will make it much easier to verify a character I introduced with blue eyes kept his blue eyes without morphing to brown or hazel or whatever color tickled my fancy as I typed. When I began writing this book, all of my notes were in a handy notebook which proved to be cumbersome as I progressed. About three quarters of the way through, I started using Scrivener, software obviously created by writers. I find it incredibly easy to use with handy character sheets worked in. For the rest of my novel writing career, I will create a reference for each character as I go, instead of having to check for consistency during the revision.

Most experts say you’re supposed to take a break between finishing your draft and revising. Ergh! Good thing I found a short story anthology looking for entries. Maybe I can distract myself writing a tale about Vegas…

For all of you curious individuals, here is the Prologue to Tarbin’s True Heir. I will need beta readers as soon as I have completed the revisions. If you find this section enticing and believe you could give me an honest critique, I will gladly send you the manuscript.

A small light flew past the closing door into the Queen’s birthing chamber. It hovered over the newly born royal twins. The baskets looked gigantic holding the pre-mature babies. Chary, the Queen’s maid, took no notice of the odd happenings at the baby basket as she busied herself cleaning up the exhausted Queen. The ball of light stood as tall as one of the baby girl’s forearms as she stopped fluttering long enough to grip a tiny, pinched finger. She repeated the action on the male child. The little girl whimpered softly while the little boy screamed with a strength not often seen in one so young. The light disappeared through the opening door as a servant baring clean sheets entered.

Chary along with the servant each picked up a baby to offer comfort when they noticed a tiny bit of blood on one finger of each child. Puzzled, they cleaned the infants and dressed the royal charges in their formal naming attire.

“Who was born first?” asked the young servant tying the elaborate knots of the gowns as if dressing a doll.

Clutching the girl child protectively, Chary looked at the Queen. The Queen’s eyes widened in fear, silently begging Chary to honor her wishes.

“The little boy was first to see his future kingdom,” the beloved servant smiled at the Queen. No one need know the truth.

“And a strong ruler he will be. Look at all that dark hair,” the servant girl set the boy back in the basket, calmed down for the moment and ready to meet the world.

Chary reluctantly set her almost bald charge next to him. The children looked so different Chary would have doubted their origin if she had not delivered the babies herself.

“Shiasta, my queen, let us prepare you for the ceremony. Your children must have names. The High Priestess awaits our arrival with her predictions. Let us not delay her any longer.”

 

Successful in her mission, the flitting light zoomed through the hallways. The castle inhabitants were celebrating, toasting to the twin births. The Tarbans had waited much too long for an heir. His arrival caused the kingdom to sigh in relief. The castle dwellers in the hallways felt unencumbered for the first time since King Roland’s crowning. The rowdy celebrations allowed the light’s trip to the central gardens to go unnoticed.

As the light reached the grove of trees, he stood waiting for her. She landed softly on his shoulder with two tiny vials in her hands. He reached deep into the branches and pulled out a large emerald, as big as the light sitting on his shoulder. She handed him the boy’s vial since he was to be the heir. He emptied the blood onto the gem. No reaction. He repeated with the girl’s blood. A bright light from deep within the stone flickered, then dimmed.

“So it is to be the girl child,” he reflected in a deep, resonating voice. He replaced the gem in its hiding place as the light on his shoulder returned to hers.

To hold you over until my book is ready for publication, I offer Ghostwalk by Rebecca Stott. This tale of time travel and love with murder and alchemy thrown in for color will insight curiosity in the reader. I found myself wondering how much I really new about Isaac Newton as we learn abut this fictional version. Stott brings the time periods to life so vividly I felt like I had visited. Interesting plot with an ending I did not predict.

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