New Updates to Out of the Shadows Prologue

Hey everyone! I've just updated the prologue and first two chapters of Out of the Shadows: Book II of the Elysian Chronicles on my website, http://www.elysianchronicles.com/.

Check it out here!

(www.elysianchronicles.com/oots_sample_ch.htm)

Out of the Shadows: Installment 5 of the Prologue & First Chapter

For those of you new to my blog, I've been adding pieces of the first chapter of Out of the Shadows: Book II of the Elysian Chronicles. Cleck out the link if you want to read the beginning of the Prologue. Also, if you want to receive notification of Out of the Shadows' release, sign up here.

Chapter One

Davian raced through the Palace of Ezzer’s quartz gates and into the palace courtyard. Down the main path he flew until he reached the fifty-foot, quartz Statue of Ezzer. Davian knelt and crossed his fist over his chest in salute. He kissed his hand and touched the base of the statue. “I wish you were the one we were electing,” he whispered. He glanced at the inscription on the statue’s base. In times of darkness, let faith be your guide. Let your hope never fail. Immediately, Davian’s worry increased. The statue’s inscription matched Cassadern’s message, and the last time Cassadern told him not to give up hope, the Third Battle began. Davian stood up and flew through the palace’s crystal doors and down its ornately-carved quartz halls. He passed through the sapphire encrusted Command Chamber doors, barely noticing the two guards who saluted him.

Davian paused a moment as he stared at the hall. Two rows of quartz pillars supported the vaulted ceiling and led from the doors, past the quartz statues of Elysia’s ancient rulers, and all the way to the empty crystal throne that sat upon the a dais. It won’t be empty for long, Davian thought. He turned to the immense forty-person conference table in the center of the room where High Seraph Salla and the other seraphs perched. Children, thought Davian. After Eric and his conspirators had assassinated most of Elysia’s high ranking officers, Salla promoted the remaining lieutenants and captains to positions far beyond their experience. Most of the seraphs sitting around the table had taken orders from majors only three months ago, and they held onto Salla’s words the way boys hold onto candy.

Davian landed in front of Salla and knelt.

Salla frowned. “You’re late. I expected my senior arch-seraph to set a better example.”

“Something came up, sir. I need to talk to you alone as soon as possible.”

Salla lifted an eyebrow. “If you wanted to talk to me, you should have come to the policy meeting on time—not continued research on a project you know I’m going to order you to stop tomorrow.” He turned to the rest of the seraphs at the table, who stared at Davian with disdain. “That concludes this meeting,” Salla said. He hopped off his perch, turned away from Davian, and headed for the door. The rest of the seraphs exited as well.

Davian looked around the room for something he could punch instead of Salla, but he dared not touch anything in what he still considered the hallowed hall of Ezzer. He flew after Salla. “Sir, I really need to talk with you.”

“I’m a busy cherubian, Davian. I only ask that you respect my time, which you can’t even seem to do.”

Don’t give me that, thought Davian. You’ll be spending most of your time frolicking about in the Treetop two hours from now. Davian flew in front of Salla. “I was late, sir, because I just discovered a possible threat on your life. Now, I could have arrived at your meeting on time and allowed you to be assassinated, or I could have traced the threat to make sure it was valid. Which would you prefer me do next time?”

“I’d prefer you’d adjust your tone and show me proper respect.”

Any other seraph would have cowered and immediately apologized. Davian crossed his arms. “Fine. When you have time to realize that you don’t want to die tonight, find me.”

Davian turned to fly out of the Command Chamber, but Salla blocked his path. “You have five minutes.”

“Thank you. Remember how you and I originally assumed that Eric led the Third Battle Conspiracy? Well, sir, we were wrong. Eric was a blind—the face of the leader, but not the leader.” Davian reached in his pocket and pulled out a charred note Harley had given him. He passed Salla the note, which said:

Eric, proceed with your plan to keep Davian on Earth—but do not harm Gabriella more than necessary. Either recruit her, or make it look like an accident. I want Davian out of our wings, not on rampage. And be patient. You will have the pleasure of killing him once everything settles down. Give the senator my command crystal and tell him to take those who have joined us out the northern canaf before the sun sets on Friday. Once you finish with Gabriella, return and await my orders. The letter had no signature.

Out of the Shadows is Now in the Hands of My Advance Readers

Done!

Well, not really. But I did just the the almost second draft of Out of the Shadows: Book II of the Elysian Chronicles into the hands of my advance readers. It's got a few holes, but it's basically complete. Yeah! Now onto finishing the third draft before August 31, 2007.

Frustrations in Writing

Or, Vent Time!

Argh! I’m currently plodding through my first draft of Out of the Shadows: Book II of the Elysian Chronicles, trying to make it my second draft—which has to be done by the end of this week, by the way, if I want to get it out to my advance readers before I leave for three weeks so I can get their comments when I come back. Anyway, the first part of the novel flows smoothly from one scene to the other. Everything makes sense and feels right (finally). Putting my scenes together to has thus far been easy (and taken me a week.)

Unfortunately, just after my midpoint, everything goes haywire. I’ve got tangents, loose ends that never get resolved, repetitive scenes that quickly become annoying, etc. Name your writing problem and, trust me, it’s in there. Basically, the best way to describe working with the last half of the Out of the Shadows manuscript is this: it’s like putting a puzzle together. I’ve got all the pieces I need—as well as a whole bunch of pieces that I don’t need. I have to sort between the pieces and figure out which ones belong and which ones stay, only I don’t have the box cover to look at.

Add to that, the fact that I’m dealing with two separate dimensions with two separate plots, meaning two separate puzzles that have to fit together. The question becomes, can I get this done in four days?

Probably not without coffee…

Tags: Out of the Shadows, The Elysian Chronicles

For more information on my novel, A Prophecy Forgotten: Book I of the Elysian Chronicles, and my upcoming novel, Out of the Shadows: Book II of the Elysian Chronicles, check out my website at http://www.elysianchronicles.com.

Out of the Shadows & Home Run Derby

Or: Multi-Tasking Put to the Test

First, a bit of superstitious business. My premonition about my watching the New York Yankees and them winning is proving true, but I just can’t watch them until after August 31st when Out of the Shadows is due.

Second, tonight, I shall attempt the impossible—watch Home Run Derby while editing Out of the Shadows: Book II of the Elysian Chronicles. Impossible, you say? Well, usually, yes, but I have with me, the Magic Mute Button to aid in my quest. Ah, yes. The Magic Mute Button. See, I’m auditorily stimulated, which is really weird because I’m a writer, but anyway…. Sound can break me out of my zone. That’s why I watch most of my baseball games with the aid of the Magic Mute Button while I’m trying to edit. With the game (in this case, derby) on mute, I can glance up and see how things are doing without breaking out of the “zone.”

After watching some of the pre-derby magic, I have decided that if I had to pick a spot in the ball park to watch the derby, I’d be in a kayak in McCovey Cove. That looks like so much fun! (Only unlike Kenny Mayne, I would be wearing a wetsuit instead of a helmet camera.)

Tags: Home Run Derby, Kenny Mayne, New York Yankees, Out of the Shadows, The Elysian Chronicles, McCovey Cove

Out of the Shadows Prologue: Part 1

As a little promotional stunt for my second book, Out of the Shadows, I'm going to be posting bits of the prologue and the first chapter once a month on the blog. (I'm also doing it on my website, but in full.) Anyway, this is June's bit.... (By the way, pay no attention to the periods at the front of the paragraphs. For some reason, blogger doesn't read regular html, and I'm tired of fidling with it.)

THE ELYSIAN CHRONICLES: OUT OF THE SHADOWS
Prologue Part 1

. Maurice wiped the Treetop Inn’s bar for what felt like the fiftieth time that day. The lacquered counter already sparkled, but Maurice preferred wiping to gazing across the quiet tavern full of empty tables and booths that should have been full of large parties of happy, boisterous patrons talking or playing jalonga. The usual twinkle in Maurice’s brown eyes had dimmed, and the smile that used to greet all of his customers—even his least favorite—had disappeared. Maurice figured his smile would stay in hiding for quite some time.
. A drop of sweat trickled down Maurice’s cheek and into the folds of skin between his chin and neck. He glanced across his tavern again and shook his head. Even though the sweltering weather kept him from lighting fires in the fireplaces, his Treetop Inn still felt cold. He filled two mugs of honeywine and flew them to two textile merchants, who were talking quietly at a booth. He forced a smile. “How are you fellas doin’ this fine day?”
. “I’ll be better once the senate votes in favor of a king tomorrow and the people start buying cloth again,” muttered one of the merchants. He raised his mug to Maurice and took a gulp of honeywine. The other merchant raised his mug in agreement.
. Maurice hid his frown. Scandal after scandal had characterized the late prime minister’s term, souring the Elysian people on the democratic process. Most of the senators were now urging a vote to eliminate the office of the Prime Minister and reinstate a monarchy, which they believed would help Elysia win the Tri-Millennial War against the mornachts. Although Maurice understood the Senate’s logic, he disagreed with their timing, and he especially disagreed with the Senate’s choice for king. “People will start buying again,” Maurice said. “With or without a king. It’ll just take time.”
. “Ah, but it will take less time if we’ve got a king, and my family needs food,” said the first merchant.
. “No argument there,” muttered Maurice. He wished otherwise. “Now, you two don’t hesitate to call me if you need anything.” Maurice returned to the bar, grabbed his rag, and began furiously wiping the tables.
. The Treetop’s door swung open and shut, and Maurice felt a brief chill flow into the tavern. A tall cherubian dressed in white robes and a white cloak flew inside. The stranger kept the cloak’s hood pulled over his head, hiding everything but his nose and graying goatee. He flew to the bar and crossed his arms.
. “Good day, stranger,” Maurice said. He strained to catch a peek at the stranger’s eyes but saw only a shadow. “I assume you’ll be wanting a place to stay tonight.”
. “I need no room.” The stranger’s voice rang clear and strong. Stronger than most cherubians nowadays, thought Maurice. The stranger reached inside his cloak and pulled a scroll out of his robes. “Seraph Davian will be arriving in less than half an hour.” He handed the scroll to Maurice. “Give him this.”
. Maurice frowned, caring little for the visitor’s curt tone, and wondered how this stranger knew Davian’s comings and goings. “If you’re that sure he’s coming, you might as well wait for him.”
. “I’m short on time.” The stranger turned to leave. “Make sure Davian gets that scroll.”
. “What’s your name so I can tell the seraph who this scroll came from?”
. The stranger looked over his shoulder at Maurice, and Maurice finally caught a glimpse of his eyes—bright blue eyes with pupils that resembled a multi-pointed star instead of a circle. “My name is of no consequence. Tell him that the message on the scroll is from Cassadern.”
. Maurice raised his eyebrows. “Cassadern? That doesn’t sound like a cherubian name.”
. “It isn’t. And I have a message for you, Maurice. You will see Davian’s face again after today. When you do, do not hesitate to give him what he asks.” With that the stranger spun around and flew out of the Treetop, leaving Maurice staring at him openmouthed as the door swung back and forth.

. The summer sun’s rays bounced off the crystal Palace of Ezzer that sat atop the trees in the center of the city, illuminating the charred trunks and branches burned during a fire that had occurred during the Third Battle for the City of Ezzer only three months earlier. Posh, upper-class cherubian shoppers, politicians, and businessmen dressed in their finest shimmering robes talked and laughed with each other, but their eyes betrayed fear, possibly of Elysia’s future economic welfare.
. The talking continued until a clean-shaven cherubian with short, brown hair who wore a black breastplate and a silver kilt barged out of the palace’s gates. His sea-green eyes flashed with anger, and his lips snarled, accentuating the scar on his chin. A four-pointed seraph star dotted the tip of the cherubian’s helmet, and a ring of white metal on the fifth finger of his right hand flashed in the sunlight. As he flew, Elysian citizens on the streets stopped and stared. Women blushed. Children watched with wide eyes. Men tipped their hats, and soldiers tipped their helmets as he passed. The seraph nodded back, silently wishing he could fly the streets of the City of Ezzer in somewhat anonymity the way he could before the Third Battle.
. “Are you all right, Seraph Davian?” asked a herald, who sat next to a blond boy in a light-green robe.
. Davian took a deep breath and forced himself to smile. “I’m just fine today, young man.”
. The blond boy whispered something to the herald.
“Ask him, not me,” said the herald. The boy shook his head and turned red. The herald sighed and turned to Davian. “My brother wants to know why you aren’t wearing any of your medals.” The boy hid his head behind the herald’s back.
. Davian knelt on one knee and looked around the herald so he could see the boy’s eyes. “I don’t wear my medals because I don’t like them clinking against my breastplate, letting the mornachts know I’m coming.”
. The boy nodded and took a deep breath. “Did you really kill all of those mornachts during the Third Battle?”
. “Of course he did,” said the herald. “Seraph Davian saved the City of Ezzer.”
. Davian shifted his weight. He hated discussing the Third Battle, and he especially hated people referring to him saving the city. “The army of Elysia saved the city, lads.” He patted the young boy on the head. “Lots to do today. No time to rest.” He continued flying, trying to avoid eye contact with anyone else.
. A breeze blew through the city, temporarily cooling it off and making the blackened trees sway. Davian hated the trees; they reminded him of how his best friend, Eric, had formed a conspiracy of soldiers and tried to take over Elysia’s government. Eric and his soldiers joined forces with the mornachts, Elysia’s enemies, and attacked the City of Ezzer. They assassinated most of the senators and military officers. Eric himself slaughtered the Prime Minister, High Seraph Octirius, and Arch-Seraph Zephor, Davian’s close friend and mentor.
. At least it doesn’t smell like smoke anymore, Davian thought to himself. Finally, three months after the Third Battle, the smell of damp soil after the morning rain had replaced the smell of burnt wood. Pale green leaves—leaves that usually showed themselves in early spring—also started poking their way through the blackened branches, making the city look as though it was covered in green mist. Only one tree in the City of Ezzer, the tallest and oldest tree, had retained its large, pre-battle leaves. The Treetop Inn, a tavern made of wood darkened with age and stained glass windows that had warped over time, lay nestled in the top of that tree, and Davian headed directly for it.

To Be Continued in M. B. Weston’s Out of the Shadows: Book II of the Elysian Chronicles....

Click here to read more of the Prologue & First Chapter.

Tags: Out of the Shadows, The Elysian Chronicles, Davian, Cassadern, Treetop Inn, The City of Ezzer

For more information on my novel, A Prophecy Forgotten: Book I of the Elysian Chronicles, and my upcoming novel, Out of the Shadows: Book II of the Elysian Chronicles, check out my website at http://www.elysianchronicles.com/.

Out of the Shadows

Weekly Update

This week a few great things happened:

First, I visited both Alva Middle School and Corkscrew Middle School. Both were lots of fun, but both were also long drives. I really enjoyed meeting all the kids and talking about writing, and I’m glad that coffee exists because I had to get up super-early to get to the schools on time. (Especially Alva, which is about an hour away from where I live. I had to get up at 5:30!)

Second, my husband fired me from my cleaning job! Yah-hoo! Well, he didn’t really fire me—demoted me to part time is more like it. He figured out that I’ve been so exhausted from promoting my book and working on the sequel that what I could do in three hours he could do in ne. (He also figured out that if I didn’t clean offices at night, then I would have to do the cooking and cleaning at home, which he has been doing since I’ve been the one working basically two full time jobs.) Anyway, I’m fired! This gives me my nights free and alone to finish A Prophecy Forgotten’s sequel, Out of the Shadows!

For more information on my novel, A Prophecy Forgotten: Book I of the Elysian Chronicles, and my upcoming novel, Out of the Shadows: Book II of the Elysian Chronicles, check out my website at http://www.elysianchronicles.com.

Breaking News: ArcheBooks and M. B. Weston Sign a Contract on Out of the Shadows: Book II of the Elysian Chronicles!

Out of the Shadows Scheduled to Debut in December 2007!

For all you Davian fans out there and for all of you who came to my book signing, I have awesome, colossal news! ArcheBooks and I reached an agreement today on the sequel to A Prophecy Forgotten. It’s called Out of the Shadows: Book II of the Elysian Chronicles, and ArcheBooks also plans to publish Out of the Shadows by late November—just in time for Christmas!

I want to thank all of you who showed up at my book signing and who purchased A Prophecy Forgotten during this time. You are the reason that ArcheBooks offered me this contract so soon, and you are also the reason for the pre-Christmas debut date. Thanks to each of you for your support!

To celebrate, I’m going to post a little bit of the prologue and the first chapter of Out of the Shadows on my website each month at http://www.elysianchronicles.com/oots_sample_ch.htm. Check it out! The first post is already there!


For more information on my novel, A Prophecy Forgotten: Book I of the Elysian Chronicles, and my upcoming novel, Out of the Shadows: Book II of the Elysian Chronicles, check out my website at http://www.elysianchronicles.com.