With Shades of Milk and Honey, I posted the first three chapters in the clear as I wrote them and then password protected the rest. I also posted chapters of Glamour in Glass and had folks reading it as I worked. I discover that I miss having you read along as I write.
The new novel, The Transfigured Lady, is another alternate history fantasy but set in a different universe that Shades of Milk and Honey. I’ve been working on it for the last year, largely in the form of research. After a couple of passes at the outline, I’m finally writing the novel and am now about four chapters in but…
As I’ve said, I miss you.
So, here’s a teaser for the first chapter.
Heat followed Cora Fairchild through the stage-door and clung to her neck with sticky fingers. Even first thing in the morning, the warmth of August in Nashville just about laid a body out. What had she been thinking when she booked herself back here in the summer? Besides the fact that she got to play Titania, of course.
She stopped short inside the door of the Vendome. The narrow backstage hall was crowded with people in various states of undress. Some wore the spangled tights of acrobats. One dapper man had the long tail coat and polished shoes of a song-and-dance man. Cora had forgotten that Mr. Sheetz was renting the Vendome to a vaudeville company this week during the times the stage was dark.
Pushing her way through the line of chorus girls headed for the stage, she ducked into the green room and the blessed cool. The sweat that Cora’s corset had trapped between her chemise and skin made her shiver at the sudden chill.
I’ll be posting teasers and password-protected chapters as I work. If you’d like to read Chapter 1, just use the form below and I’ll send you the password.
There are some ground rules, but they are fairly mild. I’m doing this because it helps me to hear reader reactions, but since I’m posting raw drafts I’m interested in big picture questions about the story more than things about individual lines. I don’t need big complicated reactions — although those are great too — even just a line that says “I liked it when…” or “What did you mean about…?” is very helpful.
EDITED: I finished the first draft on August 3, 2011. I will need another round of readers for the revision. If you would like to read, please use the form below to contact me.
