This story was penned in outline form within the first year after my dad died. Inspired by a medal showing up for him that was likely supposed to have been given to him when he got out of the service right after I was born, the story quickly took shape in outline.
Character developement took a little while as I was working on the other manuscripts. But now that they are done, I've been able to hammer it out pretty quickly.
Now at about 75,000 words, I have a few chapters to finish and it will be ready for the first critical edit cycle.
I will post more here and a teaser as I get the story turned over to editing.
Thursday, March 24, 2016
Boston Knights - A Story About A Little Gold And A Little Love
This story was inspired from two directions. The first was the discovery of two unusual keys at the Flinder's Market in Adelaide. The second was two ladies that I have known for many years that do everything together. And no, there is nothing of me in this story. Well, very little that I will admit to anyway.
This story practically wrote itself. The keys were discovered the first weekend in February, the story was finished and through the first critical editing by the second week in March.
The teaser for Boston Knights follows:
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The discovery that some ancient stories handed down in the families had more truth to them than fiction sparks a hunt for the real truth of the stories. Told as bedtime stories, three individuals find themselves working together to find out more about their ancestors and where they might have hidden some gold, or if it was after all, nothing but a hoax.
The adventure begins with Steve, whose elder brothers work in construction. Having found an old desk amidst some demolition work of theirs, they call their brother to salvage it and see if perhaps he might want to restore it and some other bits and pieces.
As Steve is an antiquities restoration expert, he is definitely interested. Within the desk, behind some well locked drawers, he eventually finds hints that the stories he was told as a kid, may have been more than just stories. In his pursuit of answers, he finds members of two other families that heard the same stories when they were children.
This begins a delightful adventure that finds the three of them embroiled in more and more details that lead them further and further from their homes.
Eventually, the puzzle pieces begin to come together in Ayr, Scottland when they make the acquaintance of some more members of the extended families, only to find their hopes dashed when they discover any gold that may have existed was quickly squandered. Moreover, any additional clues seem to have been destroyed.
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This is what I would call a light romance and adventure. At a somewhere over 63,000 words, it is a quick and easy read aimed at young adults and romantics looking for something a little different.
I will 'clean up' my teaser as I get this book through its final editing. It is, by the way, a finished manuscript ready for presentation to an agent/publisher.
I'm still looking.
This story practically wrote itself. The keys were discovered the first weekend in February, the story was finished and through the first critical editing by the second week in March.
The teaser for Boston Knights follows:
-------------------
The discovery that some ancient stories handed down in the families had more truth to them than fiction sparks a hunt for the real truth of the stories. Told as bedtime stories, three individuals find themselves working together to find out more about their ancestors and where they might have hidden some gold, or if it was after all, nothing but a hoax.
The adventure begins with Steve, whose elder brothers work in construction. Having found an old desk amidst some demolition work of theirs, they call their brother to salvage it and see if perhaps he might want to restore it and some other bits and pieces.
As Steve is an antiquities restoration expert, he is definitely interested. Within the desk, behind some well locked drawers, he eventually finds hints that the stories he was told as a kid, may have been more than just stories. In his pursuit of answers, he finds members of two other families that heard the same stories when they were children.
This begins a delightful adventure that finds the three of them embroiled in more and more details that lead them further and further from their homes.
Eventually, the puzzle pieces begin to come together in Ayr, Scottland when they make the acquaintance of some more members of the extended families, only to find their hopes dashed when they discover any gold that may have existed was quickly squandered. Moreover, any additional clues seem to have been destroyed.
-----------------------------------
This is what I would call a light romance and adventure. At a somewhere over 63,000 words, it is a quick and easy read aimed at young adults and romantics looking for something a little different.
I will 'clean up' my teaser as I get this book through its final editing. It is, by the way, a finished manuscript ready for presentation to an agent/publisher.
I'm still looking.
Waiting - A Story About A Volcano... and MORE
WAITING... a story of a little over 101,200 words. Though I am still unsettled about the title on that one, I expect something like 'Waiting For The Right Moment' might work as well. There are a number of 'waiting' titles already out there. I will accept the advice and guidance of a good agent... by which I have not yet been found.
I'm not sure where the inspiration came from for that story. It was something I penned back in the early 2000s. One of those ideas that I put to paper and left to mature... hopefully like a fine wine.
I picked it up again in 2006, worked on the overall outline and characters I wanted to 'employ'. And set it aside until recently.
Mind you, I did not stop writing in the interim. I write pretty much all the time. If I am in a parking lot waiting for a customer to open up for the day, I sit and make lots of squiggly black lines in one of my journals in hopes it makes some sort of sense the next time I look at it. If I'm waiting for some long job to finish, I'll take a 'coffee and writing' break - no charge to the customer, of course.
This last year I got stuck back into it. Taking breaks now and then, still reading lots of stuff, still pecking at it and other things... but it did take the forefront of my writing efforts.
Once I figured out the direction and the final plotline, it was a fast finish. Two subsequent months in editing and re-editing left me with a fairly well finished product that I was then willing to 'expose' to some fearless readers for their critical review. It survived three separate reviews with minor recommendations each time. I did go ahead and send it out then to about a dozen different folks... agents, publishers, and the like.
I did get back maybe 50% response rate - disappointing, but not entirely unexpected. Most of the responses were boilerplates. The folks couldn't even take the time to read the query letters in full because I included a sentence at the end that told them to include the word 'bedazzled' somewhere in the body of the text so my email program would allow it through the spam filter. ONLY ONE editor did so. I had no such filter active so I know none went to spam. It was a test... only a test.
Out of all that, I did receive two offers for publishing. One even included a contract.
However, the contract was by all appearances, an offer to start a self-publishing round for me. The other was clearly pushing me to self-publish. NOT what I want to do. I want an agent and/or publisher that can look at my work critically, say yea or nay, give advice, and help me move on. I prefer a traditional relationship over some nonsensical thing where I have to worry about all the minutia of self-publishing.
My stories have been well received. The folks that have read them (not all family and friends!) have asked for more, asked if there were going to be sequels, and in just about every case, became very invested in the characters. I like that!
Anyway... here is the teaser without the spoiler that I have been sending to the agents and publishers.
-----------------------
I'm not sure where the inspiration came from for that story. It was something I penned back in the early 2000s. One of those ideas that I put to paper and left to mature... hopefully like a fine wine.
I picked it up again in 2006, worked on the overall outline and characters I wanted to 'employ'. And set it aside until recently.
Mind you, I did not stop writing in the interim. I write pretty much all the time. If I am in a parking lot waiting for a customer to open up for the day, I sit and make lots of squiggly black lines in one of my journals in hopes it makes some sort of sense the next time I look at it. If I'm waiting for some long job to finish, I'll take a 'coffee and writing' break - no charge to the customer, of course.
This last year I got stuck back into it. Taking breaks now and then, still reading lots of stuff, still pecking at it and other things... but it did take the forefront of my writing efforts.
Once I figured out the direction and the final plotline, it was a fast finish. Two subsequent months in editing and re-editing left me with a fairly well finished product that I was then willing to 'expose' to some fearless readers for their critical review. It survived three separate reviews with minor recommendations each time. I did go ahead and send it out then to about a dozen different folks... agents, publishers, and the like.
I did get back maybe 50% response rate - disappointing, but not entirely unexpected. Most of the responses were boilerplates. The folks couldn't even take the time to read the query letters in full because I included a sentence at the end that told them to include the word 'bedazzled' somewhere in the body of the text so my email program would allow it through the spam filter. ONLY ONE editor did so. I had no such filter active so I know none went to spam. It was a test... only a test.
Out of all that, I did receive two offers for publishing. One even included a contract.
However, the contract was by all appearances, an offer to start a self-publishing round for me. The other was clearly pushing me to self-publish. NOT what I want to do. I want an agent and/or publisher that can look at my work critically, say yea or nay, give advice, and help me move on. I prefer a traditional relationship over some nonsensical thing where I have to worry about all the minutia of self-publishing.
My stories have been well received. The folks that have read them (not all family and friends!) have asked for more, asked if there were going to be sequels, and in just about every case, became very invested in the characters. I like that!
Anyway... here is the teaser without the spoiler that I have been sending to the agents and publishers.
-----------------------
This is the story of Alex, a gentleman going through a troubled time in his life. At a loss for direction, an unexpected introduction leads to a very unexpected adventure.
Beginning in a somber court setting, our ‘hero’ finds himself at a loss for what to do next with his life. Perhaps he just needs to go do a load of laundry. However, an interruption and introduction leaves him equally confused until he concludes this new person is just some sort of recruiter trying to get him to do some ‘consulting’. He has no idea how right, or how wrong he could be.
His first meeting is a quick tete e tete and a bit of a tease. With no real information on what ‘they’ want him to do, Alex continues with his efforts to find direction and move back into a more normal life.
Still feeling disconnected and needing some distraction, he falls into a deal where a wonderful vacation presents itself… and he grabs it. To his chagrin, it turns out to be just another part of the recruiting process that started weeks earlier.
Giving in to curiosity, intrigue, and the charms of his recruiter, Tracy, he cautiously accepts the opportunity for the adventure.
This journey finds him helping decipher some strange technology found inside a volcano, an unexpected love affair develops, and a virtual reality turns out to be not so virtual.
On his way, he finds that Tracy becomes more than a close friend, and the people she works with become very important in his life. Berk, a large, boisterous Australian. Theo, the director of the project, vegetarian and so tall he needs to duck through doorways. There are Karen, a feisty molecular physicist and other scientist trying to make sense of what they have found. Kyle and Tatyana are the ‘concierges’, pilots, and protectors.
Karen and Tracy have a surprising history and a closeness that keeps Alex on his toes. They become his closest allies in his search for a new way to look at the information that has already been uncovered.
As the secrets of the volcano are untangled, a virtual reality begins to play heavily in the lives of our characters. At once seeming to be a help to their quest for information. At other times, the virtual reality seems almost to be playing with their very lives.
It is soon discovered massive amounts of energy have been accumulating for more time than our characters can comprehend. What possible purpose could there be in accumulating enough power to knock our solar system askew? Moreover, how is it possible that what they found in the volcano can predate any such technology developed by humankind?
An unexpected antagonist is quietly moving against the island volcano and its occupants, wanting only to take the technological secrets of the volcano and its newly discovered ‘inhabitant’.
And then there is (censored). If ever trouble could come from an unexpected place, (censored) was that place. Instrumental in divulging to the antagonist the secrets and surprising technologies within the volcano, (censored) pushes into motion a sequence of events that can only end one way.
Once the trouble starts, it can only end with the help of what they have found in the volcano.
The only caveat… they must first figure out how to make it work.
First, A Little History
Greetings All...
First, I would like to offer a little history on myself. My writing history at any rate. Some of the 'other stuff' would not be something worth publishing... trust me!
My 'life' as a storyteller began quite early. I seemed to have the classic middle child syndrome. Not that I knew of such back 'then', but it seems to fit if you want to categorize me in some way.
It was difficult to get attention, so when I did, I took advantage of it. Difficult to get me to shut up sometimes. Well... often. Okay... MOST of the time.
I could take a simple event like my brother stepping on a nail and turn it into a huge, fifteen-minute long explanation, including what happened before, during, and after the event. Concise explanations of the blood trail, hopping and jumping, subsequent tetanus shots, and how itchy the scar was as it healed.
That 'ability' stayed with me for many years until I realized in my early teens that people really didn't appreciate a blow by blow. Most of the time they just wanted a quick and dirty account and for me to go away.
I think that was really when I started to write. Notes, thoughts, angry letters that were never sent. Then one day it occurred to me that I actually enjoyed writing. At that point a lot of my thoughts and ideas for stories ended up being penned to journals. Some vanished through the years. Some were saved and survived a divorce and a move a third the way around the world. Digital, if you have a proper backup, is wonderful at saving all kinds of stuff.
My kids, whom I loved to read to almost from day one, were a serious influence on getting me to actually finish many of my 'works'. As they got old enough to ask "are we there yet", I began to tell stories 'on the fly'. It was fun to create 'stuff' for them. Some of it was obviously borrowed from other stories I'd heard. But when that ran out, I started to create a LOT of original stories for them. I have some of those notes saved and waiting for me to return to them.
Many more years passed. Raising the family, owning and operating my own business without any serious help from my spouse, I had very little time to concentrate on my writing in its fullest form. The most I got to do was write little story ideas, situational curiosities, thoughts on plot-lines, and on and on. But, no completed stories... no finished manuscripts. That is... until recently.
Recent events have given me the time to finish two manuscripts already, the third is underway and will be ready for critical review shortly. I will post separately about them. Since this is my first post, you will likely have already read about the stories.
And that is that for the moment.
First, I would like to offer a little history on myself. My writing history at any rate. Some of the 'other stuff' would not be something worth publishing... trust me!
My 'life' as a storyteller began quite early. I seemed to have the classic middle child syndrome. Not that I knew of such back 'then', but it seems to fit if you want to categorize me in some way.
It was difficult to get attention, so when I did, I took advantage of it. Difficult to get me to shut up sometimes. Well... often. Okay... MOST of the time.
I could take a simple event like my brother stepping on a nail and turn it into a huge, fifteen-minute long explanation, including what happened before, during, and after the event. Concise explanations of the blood trail, hopping and jumping, subsequent tetanus shots, and how itchy the scar was as it healed.
That 'ability' stayed with me for many years until I realized in my early teens that people really didn't appreciate a blow by blow. Most of the time they just wanted a quick and dirty account and for me to go away.
I think that was really when I started to write. Notes, thoughts, angry letters that were never sent. Then one day it occurred to me that I actually enjoyed writing. At that point a lot of my thoughts and ideas for stories ended up being penned to journals. Some vanished through the years. Some were saved and survived a divorce and a move a third the way around the world. Digital, if you have a proper backup, is wonderful at saving all kinds of stuff.
My kids, whom I loved to read to almost from day one, were a serious influence on getting me to actually finish many of my 'works'. As they got old enough to ask "are we there yet", I began to tell stories 'on the fly'. It was fun to create 'stuff' for them. Some of it was obviously borrowed from other stories I'd heard. But when that ran out, I started to create a LOT of original stories for them. I have some of those notes saved and waiting for me to return to them.
Many more years passed. Raising the family, owning and operating my own business without any serious help from my spouse, I had very little time to concentrate on my writing in its fullest form. The most I got to do was write little story ideas, situational curiosities, thoughts on plot-lines, and on and on. But, no completed stories... no finished manuscripts. That is... until recently.
Recent events have given me the time to finish two manuscripts already, the third is underway and will be ready for critical review shortly. I will post separately about them. Since this is my first post, you will likely have already read about the stories.
And that is that for the moment.
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