A New Novel Begins

Today is a day of firsts.

I've never shared on my blog a section from one of my works in progress. I thought I'd pull out some courage and give it a go. Plus, many of my non-writer friends seem quite curious about the writing process.

When I was accepted into the Sheldon Oberman Mentorship Program, I shelved the young adult novel I was then writing. 

This past 9 months has brought me many writing rewards. Most importantly, three days ago I finished a complete rewrite of the novel I worked on with my mentor Carolyn Gray. It began as, Who Needs Romeo - A Tale of a Modern Day Juliet and finished as, Forever Julia.

It is the best novel I have written thus far. At least that's how I feel about my development as a writer.

This stretch of time has also allowed for the novel I cast aside to peculate in my mind, and my brain, and my head too. Yes, I am a die hard fan of Jack Black's School of Rock.

Yesterday I returned to, Gemini, writing a new first chapter. It gave me goosebumps. 

Will it survive my final edit? Who knows. 

I only know that it feels like the right start for now.

I hope you enjoy it.

Chapter 1

Truth [trooth]  

actuality or actual existence.

In the shadows lurked the truth.

And it floated through the jack pines and skimmed over the peat bogs straight to the old log cottage that sat high on the rocks.

In the shadows lurked the truth.

And it hovered outside a bedroom window, where it peered through the cracked yellow plastic blind.

In the shadows it lurked.

And it melted into that room and waited at the end of the bed for the sleeping girl to see it.

In the shadows lurked the truth.

And at the first pale light of dawn, Kate screamed.