Katie Runyon

I’ve been happily working on book two, and by that I mean planning book two. Since you are supposed to wait a while before you go through your story and edit it after your finished and I have a beta reader going through to help work out the kinks, I felt I needed to do something. I was having so much trouble trying to mesh out the story and the characters for the second book. But the last few days I have been getting pretty far. I’ve mostly been working on the new “baddy” for the second book. Of course he’s going to be bigger and badder than the last one and have a much bigger following. I still have a lot to work out in that area, but it’s coming together. Previously, I was working on Kari’s brother, Granger. I have since figured out a lot about him, but I’m not finished, I want to make sure I know as much about him as I can before I start. The hardest thing for me to decide was if he would have any powers and if so, what. I have decided so and I hope it turns out right in the end.

I’ll be working more today on this stuff. The thing I’m having the hardest time with is naming. I’m moving out of the more normal stuff with this group of evil. So, it’s much more difficult creating something that sounds different but still is not altogether impossible. So, we’ll see how it goes today. As far as plot, I think I can say this without being too spoilery. In the second book, we find out a secret that Medwin has been keeping for a VERY long time. The good thing about having the first book still there to change, is that I can add in little hints for the second book. Which I will be doing in this case, even though it is small and of course you won’t realize it until you find out his secret. I am excited about the second book, and of course the first. I’ve been enjoying this more and more and I hope it stays that way. Having people interested in my work is very satisfying. So, thank you for everyone who has taken an interest. It’s only a draft and I hope that by the time I have been able to “work it over”, it’ll be nice and shiny and great!

First off, I’m writing this entry a year older. I am now 23, yay for me! I feel like 23 will be a good year, but anything would probably be better than the first 22 Second, my stepfather is coming home from the hospital Tuesday. He had his other leg amputated below the knee. Now that he has no legs, things will be better and worse at the same time. He had trouble walking on his other prosthetic and now he will have to have two prosthetic legs. I think the problem is that he doesn’t trust it, but now he doesn’t have a choice. The doctor said that he will shorten them to lower his center of gravity. My stepfather is a rather large man, so it makes things all the more difficult. On the good end of this is, hopefully he will have no more trouble with his legs, since mostly it was always the feet that gave him the trouble and started the infections. So I don’t know how much longer I will be out of work since he can’t take care of himself yet, none the less an 11 year old. But we are checking into getting medical help at home for him since we can hardly afford food with only my mother’s small salary.

As for my writing, I realize that I forgot to let everyone know about the added scene. It’s small, but I think it helps the reader understand why the antagonist has become what he is. Here’s the scene for those who don’t want to go searching for it in chapter 15:

Edan stood at his window, the same window he had stood at when he ordered Manning to go after Kari. His thoughts turned nostalgic, as they had since Manning was murdered. He glanced over his shoulder and stared at the book and talisman sitting atop his desk. Was it all worth it? He asked himself. But he did not have the answer.

He knew a father should never have to bury his son. Was it all my fault? He wondered. But again, he did not know. What he did know, was that he had to continue with his plans. Manning’s death needed to have meaning. He would get his revenge and all that his family should have had from the beginning.

Memories from his past cascaded forward and he became lost in them.

“Father,” Edan greeted as he sat down on the chair placed alongside his father’s bed. “You wanted to see me?”

Edan was in his early twenties and his father was close to dying. An illness had quickly ravaged him, leaving him weak of body but still strong in mind.

“If I am ready or not, my time is almost here. Soon, things will fall to you and you need to be ready.” Edan’s father coughed uncontrollably. “I’ve told you this many times before, but something must be done. Our family’s name has fallen to tatters. We are no longer as powerful as we once were. We have meager standings when we should have everything!”

His father’s words were coming out in wheezes, so Edan handed him a drink. His father had often gone on these long rants.

“Something must be done to raise our name so we are feared once again. We should not stand in the shadows when we deserve so much more! You need to finally be a man and not a disappointment. This family doesn’t need a weakling like you to lead it, but we have no choice.”

Edan felt a rage growing within him, but he tried to choke it down.

“This is what I’m talking about! You stand there and do nothing! Be a man and let everyone know that you will not take disobedience and backtalk. Your mother knows I am the boss, if she talks out of turn, she pays the price. No man should let a woman trample all over them, but you let your wife lead you around like a dog. We are in power for a reason. Women are weak and we are strong. Remember that!”

“Yes, Father,” Edan replied flatly.

“Bahh! I do not know where you came from, but you surely are no son of mine. My son would be no coward. Your mother has babied you so that you would fill out a dress better than a suite of armor!”

Edan felt his ears grow hot. “I am a man! A bigger man than you!” Edan yelled, standing so suddenly that the chair clattered onto its back.

His father smiled. “That’s a start.”

Edan calmed himself down and picked up the chair.

“We deserve everything the world has to give. We are better then those simple beings, we are Dream-Makers! We are powerful and strong! After I am gone, I will be watching and if you want to make me proud then bring our name to greatness. Take from the weak what should be ours.”

“I will do as you say, Father, I will make you proud.” Edan touched his father’s shoulder. “Our family will have the world, I promise.”

His father smiled and for once Edan felt something akin to love from his father.

Then the memory faded and Edan was left standing alone. The only pleasant memory of his father was gone. He had tried to keep his promise and be the man his father had wanted him to be. He had mirrored everything about his father. He let out his rage instead of bottling it. He didn’t let anyone, especially women, disrespect him. He made the Thynnor name a name to be feared. And soon, he would take what should have been theirs.

But the price had been steep and Edan feared that the price of keeping his promise would only rise higher.

I have been slowly plotting the next book and can’t wait until the plotting stage is over and I can begin to write again. But by then, I might be onto editing the first book. I guess I’ll have to wait and see and so shall you.