The Undiscovered Country

Falling in Love

Part of what motivates me to write is love. Love of the written word. Love for the story, and love for the characters.

The book — entitled “The Red Dagger” — I want to submit to Amazon’s contest is a labor of love.

The impetus of the book was a character that appeared in the seventh (yes, seventh) draft of my first novel. He so intrigued me, I wanted to write his story. You could say I fell in love with him. The character, Titus Allegine, is overall a decent person. He, however, likes to fight, even kill, but his moral compass is strong enough he won’t kill in cold blood. He instead fuels that desire by protecting others as a bodyguard-for-hire. The book begins with him as a child when his entire family is murdered by an assassin’s bomb.

I tackled the story originally in 2005 during national novel writing month in November. I finished it I believe six months and about 75,000 words later.

Overall the story itself is solid. There are scenes that need working as well as the writing, but the ending requires the most modification. Without giving it away, the climax peters out instead of bangs. To leave the ending as is would result in many an upset reader.

The last thing I want is anyone to throw my book across the room (or in the garbage) in anger or frustration.

“The Red Dagger” could also fit as the beginning of a series. Whether or not it’ll get that far is anyone’s guess. I have yet to think up of a sequel, but I haven’t taken the time to brainstorm, either.

Plus Titus appears again in the second book of my first trilogy with a slightly larger role.

What amazes me is how I can keep all these characters, plots and subplots of multiple stories all straight in my head. I can’t remember what I ate for lunch yesterday!

I created a book of The Red Dagger, with the prologue loaded so far. Please tell me what you think. Thank you!

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