I was thrilled when Gerald and the Wee People started getting good reviews. Folks told me they enjoyed the book. At the time, I was involved in several authors' groups on Facebook, and we did a lot of mutual sharing, blog hopping, reviews, and boosting each other's morale. I know; a lot of my writer friends left those great reviews just because we were friends instead of being totally objective and brutally honest.
However, some people seemed to enjoy the story and suggested turning Wee People into a series. I was willing to give it a shot and sat at the computer to begin the second book.
Nothing happened. My muse refused to cooperate.
At the time, many distractions kept me from concentrating on my writing, one of which was the possibility of purchasing another home. I had inherited some money, and we thought a new house would make a good investment. Plus, it was fun touring houses and imagining Bob and me making a fresh start. One afternoon, we looked at a small mobile home that did not impress me at all, but I fell in love with the name of the street – Bo-K Lane.
My muse loved it too, and the story started flowing. As soon as we were home, she lured me to my little cubby hole of an office, and the first chapter of House on Bo-Kay Lane wrote itself.
As I've said before, I'm a pantser. I cannot plot out or outline a story. Mainly because I have no idea what will happen from one chapter to the next. That's what makes writing so exciting – the thrill of discovering the twists and turns in the plot after I’ve written it. I recall reading over a chapter I'd just completed. In the final sentence, Gerald realized the mysterious stranger lurking inside an enchanted mirror was actually himself. What? I couldn't believe it!
I asked myself if I really meant that, and where in the world was I supposed to go from there? The following day, my muse continued the tale as if there was no problem.
Unlike the two to three years it took to write Gerald and the Wee People, book two completed itself in a couple of months. House on Bo-Kay Lane continues Gerald and Vernon's adventures with the Wee People. But instead of the boys transporting to the village of the wee people, strange things start happening at an old abandoned house in their own neighborhood. Ghostly images of familiar faces gazing out the windows begin to appear, and images of their friends begging for help haunt their dreams. Their nighttime visitations compel the reluctant teens to investigate the dilapidated house. What they uncover fuses the Wee People, a magic mirror, parallel universes, and two Geralds into a tale of mystery and difficult truths no one wants to believe.
Excerpt from House on Bo-Kay Lane
Vernon couldn't sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, visions of the house on Bo-Kay Lane flashed through his mind.
Did Gerald actually see Alyson and Sheela? Sheela, maybe. She's been to this world before. Alyson? No way. What would an apprentice firestarter be doing here? Unless the little busybody started messing with something she shouldn't have. Now that, I'd believe. Alyson could get into trouble without even trying.
Vernon reconsidered his last thoughts. Nah, that's impossible. They're both back in the far-seers compound in the Wee People village. Heck, Gerald must've been daydreaming about the friends we haven't seen in almost a year. Mulling over the past, Vernon realized he sort of missed them, too. Before he let himself go too far down the rabbit hole, he said aloud, "Nah, it was just Gerald's imagination."
After tossing and turning and beating his pillow into submission for a few more minutes, Vernon went to sleep. In his dreams, a voice called out his name. It sounded vaguely familiar, but he couldn't match it with a name.
Snatches of strange images popped in and out of his head — a full-length mirror in a very fancy frame, footprints across a dusty floor, a hand reaching out towards him, and the back of someone's head. Unable to escape the visions, Vernon gave up any thought of restful sleep and sat up, totally exhausted.
Even though he was on summer break from school and usually slept in, he reluctantly dressed and exited the house through his bedroom window.
Gerald was already awake when he heard the tapping on his bedroom window. He'd had weird dreams, too. Vernon crawled through the window. The boys sat on the side of his bed. After sharing their dreams with each other, they tried to figure out why they both shared the same visions.
***
Hopefully, a third book in the Wee People series will be coming out in 2023. That is, if I can get my muse to cooperate.
However, some people seemed to enjoy the story and suggested turning Wee People into a series. I was willing to give it a shot and sat at the computer to begin the second book.
Nothing happened. My muse refused to cooperate.
At the time, many distractions kept me from concentrating on my writing, one of which was the possibility of purchasing another home. I had inherited some money, and we thought a new house would make a good investment. Plus, it was fun touring houses and imagining Bob and me making a fresh start. One afternoon, we looked at a small mobile home that did not impress me at all, but I fell in love with the name of the street – Bo-K Lane.
My muse loved it too, and the story started flowing. As soon as we were home, she lured me to my little cubby hole of an office, and the first chapter of House on Bo-Kay Lane wrote itself.
As I've said before, I'm a pantser. I cannot plot out or outline a story. Mainly because I have no idea what will happen from one chapter to the next. That's what makes writing so exciting – the thrill of discovering the twists and turns in the plot after I’ve written it. I recall reading over a chapter I'd just completed. In the final sentence, Gerald realized the mysterious stranger lurking inside an enchanted mirror was actually himself. What? I couldn't believe it!
I asked myself if I really meant that, and where in the world was I supposed to go from there? The following day, my muse continued the tale as if there was no problem.
Unlike the two to three years it took to write Gerald and the Wee People, book two completed itself in a couple of months. House on Bo-Kay Lane continues Gerald and Vernon's adventures with the Wee People. But instead of the boys transporting to the village of the wee people, strange things start happening at an old abandoned house in their own neighborhood. Ghostly images of familiar faces gazing out the windows begin to appear, and images of their friends begging for help haunt their dreams. Their nighttime visitations compel the reluctant teens to investigate the dilapidated house. What they uncover fuses the Wee People, a magic mirror, parallel universes, and two Geralds into a tale of mystery and difficult truths no one wants to believe.
Excerpt from House on Bo-Kay Lane
Vernon couldn't sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, visions of the house on Bo-Kay Lane flashed through his mind.
Did Gerald actually see Alyson and Sheela? Sheela, maybe. She's been to this world before. Alyson? No way. What would an apprentice firestarter be doing here? Unless the little busybody started messing with something she shouldn't have. Now that, I'd believe. Alyson could get into trouble without even trying.
Vernon reconsidered his last thoughts. Nah, that's impossible. They're both back in the far-seers compound in the Wee People village. Heck, Gerald must've been daydreaming about the friends we haven't seen in almost a year. Mulling over the past, Vernon realized he sort of missed them, too. Before he let himself go too far down the rabbit hole, he said aloud, "Nah, it was just Gerald's imagination."
After tossing and turning and beating his pillow into submission for a few more minutes, Vernon went to sleep. In his dreams, a voice called out his name. It sounded vaguely familiar, but he couldn't match it with a name.
Snatches of strange images popped in and out of his head — a full-length mirror in a very fancy frame, footprints across a dusty floor, a hand reaching out towards him, and the back of someone's head. Unable to escape the visions, Vernon gave up any thought of restful sleep and sat up, totally exhausted.
Even though he was on summer break from school and usually slept in, he reluctantly dressed and exited the house through his bedroom window.
Gerald was already awake when he heard the tapping on his bedroom window. He'd had weird dreams, too. Vernon crawled through the window. The boys sat on the side of his bed. After sharing their dreams with each other, they tried to figure out why they both shared the same visions.
***
Hopefully, a third book in the Wee People series will be coming out in 2023. That is, if I can get my muse to cooperate.
Available at Amazon.com
Print
https://www.amazon.com/House-Bo-Kay-Lane-Wee-People/dp/1481214810
Kindle https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AJUEXBS/
Universal link
http://viewbook.at/houseonbokaylane
Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Greta-Burroughs/e/B003N3F5AQ
https://www.amazon.com/House-Bo-Kay-Lane-Wee-People/dp/1481214810
Kindle https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AJUEXBS/
Universal link
http://viewbook.at/houseonbokaylane
Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Greta-Burroughs/e/B003N3F5AQ
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