Sigh

I have bronchitis. It is awful. After days of coughing, I feel like someone beat me along my backs and ribs. The cough is a little better since yesterday and all the meds I was given but still a little rough.

Right before I got sick, I had an epiphany with the book. I made a rather large decision and then forwarded two versions of the beginning to Emily, my assistant, and Emily, my very old friend who also happens to be one of my first fans. Probably the only person on this planet who’s read every single one of my books. Including the unpublished one 😀

The feedback returned confirmed something I already knew. The character as originally written is great. Very Kira-like. It’s a formula that has a fan base and one you all seem to like since Firebird is my most popular series. The new version, however, is unlike anything I’ve put out before and quite intriguing. She’s older. In her forties. With kids. I kind of sort of love her. Even though rewriting this to reflect who she is, is going to eat up more time and space and ugh. I just want this draft to be done. But I can’t make myself walk away when everything in me is screaming this change is the thing I’ve been searching for and the reason this book has come so difficult to me despite the amazing scenes I’ve been producing.

The words are flowing. The backstory is killer. To the point it’s hard for me not to talk my husband’s ear off with all my ideas. It’s been a long time since I’ve been this excited for an idea. Hopefully that means I can catch up in no time.

In the interim, here is a snippet for the unwary, introducing them to Ember of the Wastes 2.0

At the sight of the burning wreckage, the younger one let out a low, impressed whistle. “What happened to being circumspect?”

Ember shrugged. “Things happened.”

The young man shifted to look at her. “What things?”

Ember narrowed her eyes. “Things.”

“Stow it, Cole,” the second man warned, cutting off his friend’s next response.

“You don’t have to be so rude, Baron. You know you don’t like this any more than I do. The whole purpose of her going in alone was to not draw attention.” Cole gestured toward the wreck. “What about that says quiet to you?”

Baron acted like he hadn’t spoken. He looked at Ember. “Did you get it?”

“I did.” Ember plucked the stuffed gryph off the rock next to her and pried off the right eye she’d noticed was a little bit loose earlier. “Sorry about this, friend..”

Once the eye was gone, the recess behind it was revealed. Carefully, Ember removed what was inside and held it up for the other two to see.

Cole leaned down, examining the small oblong device resting on the tip of her finger. “So it really was here.”

“What about her?” Baron demanded.

“Still missing, I’m afraid.”

She caught the tiny flex of Baron’s jaw that showed he wasn’t nearly as sanguine about that news as he was pretending. Always so sensitive, this son of hers. And determined to never show it.

He’d been that way ever since the day she picked him up at the age of seven when she found him on his hands and knees digging a hole in search of water. He’d read about the technique in a book once and desperate had decided to see if it worked.

It wouldn’t have. Maybe in the territories, but not the Wastes.

By that point, she already had Raven, 8, and Cole, 4. The decision to add Baron to the family seemed like a simple one. You could never have too much family. Blood or otherwise.

She’d never regretted that choice. Not once in all the years since.