Hey, guys! You know that feeling you get when you're in a rut? And you just need something a little different to shake yourself out of it?

 

Well, that recently happened to me.

 

I was five chapters in on Gauntlet (Book 3 of The Prodigy Chronicles) and had stopped to work on the Mimic release. If you've ever self-published a book, you know the overhead involved. It gets a little crazy. And just as things were winding down...

 

An idea hit.

 

My work on The Prodigy Chronicles has a way of getting tedious. There are sooo many things to remember, and characters to develop, and rules to follow. I have a tendency to overthink anyway, and trying to keep it all straight can get frustrating. Progress seems slow. I do intend to finish, of course. I love Willow's world and will absolutely see it through to the end.

 

Locking yourself into a series, however, doesn't always allow for inspiration.

 

So when this new idea for a novel hit me, I decided to act on it. Needed to, actually. I had to find out if I could write fast again...to be seized by a plot, fall in love with it, and crank it the heck out. That's how I felt about Gambit. I needed to know if I could do it again.

 

Strangely enough, I did.

 

It felt pretty good. I chewed on the plot for a couple of weeks and then got to work. No major editing, no overthinking. Just writing for the sheer love of it. The story unfolded itself as I went along, and in ten weeks...it was done.

 

And I was like...YAY!

 

 

 

 

 

This novel is very different from The Prodigy Chronicles. It came from a darker, grittier part of my psyche and contains elements of paranormal, dark fantasy, and horror. There's a little romance thrown in, but it doesn't dominate. The story has an earthy, sensual feel to it.

 

What's it about?

 

Glad you asked. I'm calling it The Last Starling, and it's about an eighteen-year-old werewolf named Jayce who lives with his pack in the Missouri Ozarks. His life revolves around three things: being a Senior, worshipping a girl he can't have, and killing vampires. When a blue-eyed raven shows up in his dreams--delivering a warning--he finds himself thrust into danger that threatens his pack, his town, and his very existence as a wolf.

 

That's the super short version, of course. I still need to finalize the jacket copy. But I've done three rounds of editing and the cover is underway. And I believe this will land in the Young Adult category, but am not totally certain. Will reveal more in upcoming weeks.

 

In the meantime, I've been sharing bits and pieces of the rough draft version on Facebook, along with images to set the tone. The first one is below, and I'll blog the others in future posts to give you a feel for the setting and characters.

 

More to come...enjoy!

 

 

 

Post #1

 

 

 

 

It watched.

Waited.

Drew upon ages of instinct to pinpoint the source of agitation.

The next breeze identified it: the boy’s scent. Strong and predatory, full of musk, earth, and blood. Powerful enough to make the raven screech in alarm. To remind it of the terrifying danger it had left behind.

And alert it to the new danger that lay ahead.
 

 

 

Image Credit: Shake Things Up, Peanuts Dance, Raven Art