Chapter One of Night of the Storm: Book Two of
the Eura Chronicles
Rise of the Flame's History and Acknowledgements
Rise
of the Flame was the first book I’ve ever written. It started as a short story
that I typed on my mother’s typewriter when I was eleven years old.
How it has grown!
Throughout the years my dreams have shaped Lilae and
Liam’s world, and unique creatures and powers began to seep into this world.
With each passing year that I added more and more chapters, Lilae began to be
shaped by my experiences, insecurities, and dreams.
While a powerful being that is faced with saving the world, I believe that she is the most like me in
many ways. From a girl in my dreams and daydreams, to a character put before
the world, Lilae is a cherished being that I have long loved and looked to for
solace. Writing her story has helped me through the toughest times.
When
my home was broken into, and my laptop was stolen with the only file that I had
of Lilae’s story, I almost lost the desire to write. I’d lost years of work,
and entered a six month depression that made it impossible to even pick up a
pen and paper or open a file on my computer. It was Lilae’s incessant
reoccurrence in my dreams that gave me the courage to get over the pain of
having lost her, and to start the entire book from scratch.
I must say that starting over was the best thing I’ve ever done. I may
have lost thousands of written words, but Lilae’s story was engrained in my
mind. And so, the story morphed into the epic trilogy that I present to you
today.
Throughout the years many people have encouraged me and gave me the
strength to pursue my dream of becoming an author. I must thank my family for
always supporting my writing. My mother always encouraged me, and my
grandmother introduced me to the incredible world of fantasy, and my younger
brother was always there to let me read my stories to him.
Thank you to my beta readers, Melinda Metz, Carrie Enders, Jacqueline
Pfhal, Julia Fe Chala, Zachary Katz- Stein, Erica Li, Victoria Duncan, Caridad
Ortiz, and Kenichi Kamihara. Thank you to my editor, Ann Wicker.
Special thanks to my amazing artist, Jennifer Munswami of JM Rising
Horse Creations, and my fairy god- mother, Colleen M. Albert, The Grammar Babe.
It is with the help of these incredible individuals that I present to you, Rise
of the Flame
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