The Arrival and Confessions

The Arrival, in some form or other, has been in my head for nearly 3 decades.  I wrote the first draft, which would become the now published book, in 3 months, but for a variety of reasons (life/health/name it), it was stuck in edits for 10 years - one of which was with a  professional editor.  Its sister book, Confessions of the Second Born, was also written in 2007 and stuck in edits, but I stopped working on it completely in 2015 (when cancer announced its presence).  Needless to say, when I have the time and energy to look at it now, I am beyond happy.

Between these two paper bound siblings, Confessions is the favored child (because I love Jonathan - he's an ass, but he's an ass that came to life in my head).  And every beta reader has been completely absorbed by the story, leaving me with little criticism to work with.  LOL

But really, the way readers react to Jonathan in The Arrival will affect they way they view Confessions, something I've mentioned in a few after-the-fact discussions, and is the closest thing to a spoiler I'll give.

I digress . . . The Arrival is out there!  I've heard so many theories at various stages and had wonderful conversations with readers afterward.  It's amazing.  It's truly awesome.  Between my beta readers, people who read my manuscript for fun, and the folks who have purchased the book, I haven't heard the same theory twice - ever.  The one constant?  No one can put the darn thing down!  And that makes me giddy.  Joyfully, school-girlishly giddy. 

Another constant?  It sticks with you.  You think about it.  You want to talk about it.  And none of conversations are the same because the take away is different for each reader.  Yeah - it's a vampire book, except it's not.  It's a book that has vampires in it.  There's a reason for that, just like there's a reason there are humans in it.  But I'm not saying anything else about that. 

I'm eager to polish Confessions and get it out there.  The 3rd book, Children of the Morning Star, is only partially written, and, like Confessions, hasn't been touched since early 2015, if that.  I do worry about finishing it.  Being able to finish it.  But then I remember when I started writing it and how it took over and wrote itself - characters changed themselves in ways I never expected and a character created itself with a surprisingly prominent existence that I still have yet to figure out.  I have to believe that I can do it.  There's even the possibility of a fourth book or character shorts.  Writing is cathartic for me and I have boxes upon boxes of notes and research detailing the overarching tale alongside each book's story.  I know how it all ends. 

For now, I am thrilled that The Arrival is out and that people love it and want more.  The confessions are coming. I promise.  And so are the COMS.  ^_-