The Beginning of the Sequel

I am a senior in high school. Two weeks ago, when I stepped onto school property, the fact was made official, and a mysterious author began the first few words of a new book.

I suppose the beginning books in my series aren't all that important, though of course they lead up to this new arrival. I grew up all over the place, in Colorado and Morelos and Oaxaca and some others in between. My dad works in camping, and his job is literally to play games. My mom is also a writer, that is, she tries to be one when she isn't busy with her three needy children.

Of course, my older sister, Molly, just got married and is off in college with her husband. And, to my uncontainable excitement, I'll follow her out of the nest before too long. (Although I can't imagine I'll be following her into marriage for at least another five years.)

What else should you know about this series? I wish I could say the books were happy over all, but the truth is there have been countless ups and downs. I can't complain, though, because the words haven't been all bad.

There's always the novel, Shadow Whispers, that has loomed in the back (or front) of my mind since the beginning of my junior year. I'm now beginning the fourth draft, and I can assure you the process has not been a lovely frolic through the meadow. In fact, there have been times when I want to shoot the characters for refusing to help me out, and I've had to delete more than half of the first draft throughout the editing process. It's painful taking out entire chapters- the way I imagine it must feel to have a finger chopped off.

In any case, the novel remains and continues to alternately grow and shrink with each day of editing. Sometimes the novel consumes me, and all I can do is think about the Whisperers and the Shadow and what will happen next. However, even with the novel at the forefront of my mind, I am still the author, typing and scribbling and clicking away behind the computer screen.

I am the girl behind the novel, the creator between the pages.

And this is my story.