A Year-Long Project

 In July of 2021, I submitted a short story to Gravelight Press (Devil's Party Press) to be considered for their horror anthology, Halloween Party '21. It was accepted and published in October. Set in current time, it was a ~4500 word story about a young woman who had been a vampire for 160 years. She continued to be in my mind, even after the story was written, and I began exploring her back story, at least as much as she wanted to share with me.

The offshoot is that I am finishing the editing suggestions from the beta reader prior to sending it to an editor for final polishing. Marie is a complicated character. Raised a Quaker, she finds herself turned into a vampire, but not by her choice. Like many of us, she must deal with the internal conflict of reconciling her need for human blood with her Quaker ethics and morals. Blood, particularly human blood, is vital to her existence, and the conflict is mind-wrenching. 

The storyline sees Marie move from 1857 Kansas territory to the aftermath of WWII. As a dewy debutante, she travels from New Orleans to St Louis, from Atlanta to Pittsburgh. She becomes a gun moll in 1920's Chicago, and travels to California in the great migration caused by the Depression. Her WWII adventures help her deal with loss, grief, and the inevitability of a long, long lifetime.

Here's an excerpt. 

That early afternoon I adjusted my bonnet and threw my brunette hair over my shoulders, searching in my pocket for a bit of string to tie it back. I shielded my eyes from the insistent sun. It was getting hotter, and the day promised no respite. I had long given up on a cool breeze, and my light gingham dress clung irritatingly to my shoulders and back.

Laundry needed to be washed, regardless of the weather, and today was an especially beastly day. Mam called, "Come back, Marie. The boys will get here when they get here, and your watching won't make them move any faster. Hildy needs help with the grandson, and you have a special way of soothing his teething aches.Come in, daughter. Supper will be ready soon." Her last words are etched in my memory. 

This book, at close to 80,000 words, covers only half of her life. So, I've started working on the last half of her life, bringing her from 1945 to the present. Volume I has a working title of "Second Date." That is subject to change. It is, and has been. a lot of work, but Marie was rather insistent that I write her story. All of the editing and coreection is to make sure her voice is strong, and her story (and struggles) clear.