This is what Happens

When you have too many irons in the fire, so to speak.

I sat comfortably this morning, confident I had a post scheduled for today--only to finally check in and realize that I don't.

So...

Thursday was a day I set aside just to write. I planned it, announced it, and got all ready to go. My mind was swirling with ideas. I have a short story to edit, and wanted to get it done or mostly done Thursday.

That was the plan. The reality? Not so much.

At 3am my husband woke up to find we had no power AT ALL in the house. He checked the breakers and everything was fine, just no electricity. At 5:30 we both got up, partly because we were overly warm and uncomfortable in bed and partly because it was time to get my oldest up for seminary. Which he does online since we live 30 miles from the church. Ya, that wasn't about to happen. We got all the kids up for school and got ready by flashlight/candlelight. Hubby called the power company. A truck showed up around 7. Hubby went to work, the kids caught the bus to school, and the puppy and I waited. I finally returned to bed with a headache and listened to the power company truck in the alley.

Suddenly, the ceiling fan came on. The bathroom light. Yes! Power is restored. I waited a few more minutes to see if the guy would come to the door and tell us what had happened. Nothing. Not a peep from the dog, who barks incessantly if someone comes to our door. My headache and I drift off to sleep.

The next thing I know it's 11am. We have power, but I feel rotten. Bad sleep will do that to you. So I take some time to wake up and get going. Announce to FB that I'm signing off for the day to get some writing done. Sure, the kids will be home from school soon (it's now about 1pm) but I can still work. I can shut myself in the office while they do chores and stuff and get some done. I can even write later while they are in bed. My schedule is not completely derailed.

Then I get a call. Can I come in at 2pm for a meeting to discuss my benefits? Yes, because I need to. But I'd rather not. Sigh. I get ready to leave.

I'm sitting in the waiting room and my boss calls my cell phone. Can I come in to work at 3pm? Forget that I have a meeting. Forget that I have dough rising at home for cinnamon rolls (which, by the way, did not survive). Forget that I have edits to do. I have to spend the evening at work.

Rush through my meeting. Hurry home. Throw my work clothes in the dryer and put together dinner for the kids for later. Leave them a note begging apology and also begging them to get along.

In all of that, I did write a couple of heart wrenching scenes for The Lost Princess. So I guess the day wasn't an epic fail. Sometimes I feel like that's what I get for making writing plans. It's almost like going to the temple. I've got to keep it a secret, sneak up on it, if I want to actually accomplish anything.

Mama said there'd be days like this.

Teaser #2

by Cheri Chesley

Here you go, as promised. The first peek into the story of The Lost Princess, the final installment of the Peasant Queen series.

CHAPTER 1


“Are you sure you’re all right?”
Jessenia looked at her handsome, older brother. “Don’t worry about me. I’m concerned for Mother. Is this what she really wants?”
“They aren’t forcing her,” Rogan said. “If you ask me, she was lost the moment she met the great grandchildren.”
“But Fayterra is so far away,” said Jessenia. “And why there instead of in Demarde with you?”
“I think returning to Demarde after all this time is too difficult for her.” Rogan looked across the courtyard. “She’s so happy, Jess. I haven’t seen her smile so much since you were a baby.”
Jessenia leaned against his shoulder. “It’s going to be quiet with you gone.”
He put an arm around her. “You’ll be busy enough running this estate. You won’t have time to miss me before I’m back for a visit.”
“The newly crowned King of Demarde thinks he’ll be free to come all this way for regular visits?” Jessenia ducked under his arm and turned to face him. “And you tell me I’ll be busy. You have to reorganize an entire kingdom.”
Rogan gave her a smile. “You could come along, you know.”
She sighed and looked around. “No. Someone has to stay, and I’m his heir. It’s my responsibility.”
“Delegate,” he said. “Your father never wanted you in charge of his estate. He made that clear enough.”
“All the more reason I should stay.”
Rogan lost his teasing smile. He put his hands on her shoulders. “You can’t prove anything to a ghost.”
Jessenia folded her arms across her chest. “I’m not trying to prove anything. My place is here, just as yours is in Demarde.”
“Just remember two things for me.”
She smiled up at him. “What?”
He leaned in and kissed her forehead. “If anyone questions your authority, I’d be happy to set them straight.”
“And the second thing?”
“There is always a place for you in Demarde.”
Jessenia looked away. “I don’t belong there.”
“You are family. You are the queen’s daughter.”
“Yes,” she said. “I am also the daughter of the queen’s kidnapper. You know that isn’t going to make me very popular.”
“No one can blame you for what your father did,” Rogan said. “That’s not reasonable.”
“People tend to struggle with reason where their hearts are concerned. Think about it. My father kidnapping Mother threw Demarde into chaos. You know the history. You’ve heard the rumors.” She sighed. “I’m a living reminder of that.”
“That doesn’t make you responsible,” said Rogan. “Don’t make yourself an outcast in your own family.”
“I’m not,” she said. “I just see the situation more clearly than you do.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Do you?”
Jessenia chose to ignore his tone of disbelief. “Come. Mother is beckoning us to say goodbye.”

So Glad To Be Here

When I auditioned for this blog last year, little did I realize they'd be asking me back on a more permanent basis. What a wonderful place, and what a beautiful blog. (Thanks, in part, to the fabulous artwork of Elizabeth Mueller) I feel a little like I just won an important award. What was Liz Taylor's famous line when she won the Oscar? "Thank you from the bottom of my heart."

My name is Cheri Chesley, and my first novel, The Peasant Queen, was published by Cedar Fort December 2010. I recently (as in Monday) finished the second draft of the sequel, The Tyrant King. I'm spending this week fine tuning the manuscript and will submit it for (hopeful) publication next week. And, I've set aside the entire month of May to write the rough draft of the third and final novel in the series, The Lost Princess. That final novel has become dear to my heart, as during down time at my 11 book signings in December, I plotted out the entire book. I am so excited to get to know Jessenia better as a character--she's the titular "lost princess."

After I submit The Tyrant King to Cedar Fort, I'm going to treat myself in April to publishing a few short ebooks. I know it sounds like I'm blitzing the publishing world, but that's really not the case. Part of it is an effort to get my name out there, and part of it is testing the ebook waters. One of my favorite stories from The Peasant Queen series does not fit the standard mold for traditional publication. It can't be a romance because the two main characters are not together at the end of the book. It can't be a happy ending story because the bad guy wins, and gets away with it. He isn't even revealed to the characters by the end of the book. And, best part, the main character disappears 3/4 of the way through--although I may have sorted that out. I've spent three years trying to make this story fit into the traditional mold, and it won't. But, I know readers of the series will appreciate knowing that it's available somewhere, so I will put it out as an ebook.

But, I owe my kids a summer off. And, when their last bell rings at the end of May, I'm folding up my laptop (so to speak) and putting all my writing on hold. Which I guess is why I'm working so hard now, so I can justify taking that time off. Once they get back in school in August, though, I'm pulling out my rough draft of The Lost Princess and making it beautiful. I'm submitting it before the end of the year. :)

For more information on my series, ebooks, story ideas, signings, etc, you can check out my BLOG or my website HERE. I'm particularly proud of that website--my nephew helped me build it. Who am I kidding? My nephew did it for me. :)