Confession Time
Masked is actually the first story I wrote that wasn’t for a class in school. I was always an avid reader, and though I thought about writing, (and wrote some poems and short stories for my creative writing classes) I never thought writing a book was something I would be capable of doing. I had stories in my head, but to be honest, I thought everyone went to bed with made up characters acting out scenes, like a movie playing behind their eyelids. When it came to writing any of those stories down, I didn’t know where to even begin. At the time, Masked was just a scene taking up residence in my brain. A scene in a barn between a boy and a girl that I couldn’t evict. Instead of new stories and new characters entering stage right in my mind, Addalynne and Drake stayed. They showed me their story, and I fell in love with it. So one day I grabbed my computer and I wrote what is now chapter 23. It took me about 6 months to write the rest of the book, but much longer to do edits and rewrites.
Since writing Masked, I have written several short stories, half of another novel, and the beginning of the second book of The Divided Kingdom Trilogy. I have definitely grown as a writer since I first wrote Masked. Though many authors never publish their very first book, I chose to because I love Drake and Addalynne’s story. Are there things I would have done differently if I wrote the book now? Yes. Will the second and third book have more characters and more world building? Yes. But that doesn’t change how proud I am of Masked or how much I think many readers will enjoy it.
Masked started as a story that I wanted to tell for myself. Now it’s a story that I want to tell to anyone who wants to listen. If you like romance and dark fantasy; if you like when books take you through a whirlwind of emotions; if you want to take a chance on a new author, then give Masked a chance and allow Addalynne and Drake to introduce you to the beginning of their story.
Masked (Book 1) of The Divided Kingdom Trilogy is available in ebook and paperback on Amazon
