Everyone here refers to me as “their storyteller.” It’s an honor to be chosen by them, though I know some have their doubts.
I began this journey in 2019, shortly after my mother passed away after her ten year battle with cancer. While spending time with her in the hospital, we shared a special moment that I’ll forever cherish.
“Grab life by the balls,” she said, boldly, from her bed.
My mother had a creative side she never explored and reminded me to take a chance in life. I appreciated the sentiment and thanked her, but it wasn’t until after her death that I absorbed the meaning of her words.
After her passing on June 7, 2019, I returned to an old passion I once explored – writing. I began with song lyrics and poetry, quickly laughing at the words I’d written. One night I had an intriguing dream, which was something my mother and I bonded over. While it wasn’t monumental, it was clear and strangely memorable.
The following night, I was writing in bed and an unusual concept came to mind. As I began typing, the words effortlessly flowed from my mind onto the screen. After a couple hours, and a few thousand words later, I’d written the first chapter of what would become Archaic Deception: The Guardian of Emblems.
As the weeks and months passed, I began talking with the characters from their world, allowing them to show me the way. It was an intimate process no one was made aware of. After three months of writing, I finally revealed what I’d been working on to my husband. With his unconditional support and encouragement, I completed the first draft two months later. The first draft of my first novel was complete.
In the early stages of writing, I had no idea how vast and complex this world would become. I’d never imagined the characters and locations would speak to me as much as they had. Remembering my mother’s final piece of advice, I’ll forever be eager to share these adventurous and deceptive stories from a realm outside of our own.
The characters from Archaic Deception have made their minds up about me being their storyteller. Some of them welcome my perseverance, while others hope for my termination. Fortunately, writing is a powerful tool, so maybe I’ll one day impress some of them (and possibly disappoint some others). We can’t always win. Regardless of their opinion, I hope you join us on this whirlwind of a ride as the journeys and stories unravel themselves in front of our very eyes.
