A Reading Adventure Begins ...

Each one of the books in the Nautical Mile Series will be available for free download via Amazon this Friday 2/15 and Saturday 2/16.  Be sure to get your copy and let me know what you think.  It has taken awhile to capture the elusive magic bubbling to the surface.  I'm still tweaking the storyline as it seems to be evolving from a simple story, created for my own children, into a complex world of its own. 

Stay tuned, as I am presently working on an ending befitting of the magical underwater realm of Aquatica and the legend of the Water Child. 

Query Update

Well peeps, I deleted my horrible query letter.  Like I said before, desperation is the kiss of death.  Always write from a position of power because those agents are like sharks, they can smell the fear a mile away!  Desperation can come from many places.  Wanting someone to read your story, to like your story, to acknowledge your existence ... it can even be desperation because you know yours is a story worth telling.  (I have all of these things making me feel desperate.) 

Next time, and yes there will be a next time.  Next time, I think my query letter will pretty much just be my story synopsis.  None of the 'hi' I'm the scare d'cat that'd love to have her novel published with you - crap.  Just short and sweet.  Simple.  Straight to the point and less reasons for them to throw my letter in the trash bin or hit the delete button. 

I'm also considering taking a writing course.  Now I think I can write.  But crafting a story is akin to building a house.  Just because I can nail two pieces of wood together doesn't mean I can build the darn house.  So perhaps, after this novel - a little late, I know - I will take an honest to goodness course.  Because I have thrown away about 50,000 words to get to the good part of my story.  Think of all that wasted time spent on material that'd I later carve out.  It makes me sick to think about it. 

SEA SICK!!!!!  

Storyline Synopsis

For the Seagers, the water is where it all began.  Generations later when little Sabin is selected to sit at the Circle of Trust in his grandmother’s stead, he finds himself entering the dark and dangerous waters of Aquatica. 

The untimely death of Sabin’s beloved grandmother brings about a startling revelation.  Grammy was more than a woman.  She was a Meridian, an Aqua Defender and leader of Neptune’s secret alliance, the Circle of Trust.    

Sabin gets pulled under and inducted into Neptune’s service.  Even though he is just a boy, his enemies have their sights set on blood.  Hades (Neptune’s evil brother), Dagon (Neptune’s only son), and the wicked Banshee of the Bay have joined forces in an epic struggle between good and evil.

Incredibly, the pint sized hero has Neptunium blood running through his veins.  Everyone suspects that he is related to royalty, when that couldn’t be farther from the truth.  Little Sabin is secretly a unique blend between everyone fighting, from royalty to slaves.  He is the Water Child destined to save Aquatica from certain destruction. 

Family secrets surface and place a heavy burden on the young Seager.  Sabin and his brothers venture to Aquatica to discover more about their heritage when war breaks out.  The trio ends up behind enemy lines to witness the return of Neptune’s evil son, who hopes to dethrone his father. 

Barely escaping by the skin of their teeth, the Seager brothers finally make it to the safety of the city as the shields lower.  The Meridians regroup and assess the damage from rebel forces.  Sabin’s natural ability is apparent as he instinctively taps into the power within.

Never far from danger, Sabin is attacked by a traitor in their ranks and taken to the Oracle’s healing room.  The Ancestral Water Guardians have interrupted death, for the Water Child cannot be taken before his time.  During a state of unconsciousness, the nine-year-old begins his training. 

 

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Right now, my reduced version is about 35,000 words.  I took out the entire 2nd chapter where Sabin reacts to his Grammy's death.  Instead I just went straight to the funeral scene.  I deleted the two chapters about the haunted conch shell.  But I did save the scene about the Siren of the Sea traveling to the Notti's.  Instead of getting their help to deliver a message - she asks for help in protecting Sabin.  Which is a revelation in itself because it reveals that the Water Child is a groundling. (so it works)

 

I'm starting work on the ending.  I'm ready for this little saga to be over.  Pitching it as a junior novel series isn't really working.  So it's time for plan B.  Yeah, don't you know there's always a plan B ... even if it's really plan X,Y,Z!