JULY 2024
Conclusion is Nigh
After the first round of editing, Hearts in Sorrow came in at 130 pages with 49,431 words. From start to finish, Hearts in Sorrow took me about three months to write. It is not an overly long novel, unlike other titles in the Collective Obsessions Saga, but it was ample for establishing the story between John Larkin and Maeve O'Quinn as she did not live much beyond her 19th birthday.
(Above): Word counts by hand for Hearts in Sorrow. Click on image to view larger size in a new window.
I sent the manuscript to my publisher, who in turn sent me a contract for the book on July 20th. I've said it many times before, but receiving a publishing contract never gets old, and in no way do I take it for granted. It gives me a thrill each time. If all goes according to plan, the e-book and paperback editions of Hearts in Sorrow should be released by Christmas 2024.
I also mentioned to my publisher that I was now working on the final part of the Collective Obsessions Saga (Limb of Iniquity), the timeframe for which takes place during the pandemic (2020-2022). Her reply: "That sounds fascinating, really looking forward to it. Once it's been published, we should consider a boxed set of the whole series as part of the sales initiative." I'm all for that!
The last paragraph of the blurb for Hearts in Sorrow:
Anne wonders if their marriage will be enough to hold John's interest, especially after they emigrate to America. Or will he forsake her for another?
For anyone who has read the entire series, John does indeed take up with another woman in his namesake town of Larkin City, Maine, as described in The Advent. He never leaves Anne, of course, but carries on for many years with Lizbeth Bisiker, the auburn-haired owner of the Amber Whale Tavern.
In addition, the relationship between Anne Larkin and her daughter, Molly, is tetchy at best in The Advent, the reasons for which are alluded to in Hearts in Sorrow. That Anne imagined killing her own daughter when she was a baby gives a good inkling into the hostile mother-daughter interactions when Molly was an adult. I'm fairly certain readers of the saga will recognize that the root of their trouble is based on Molly's character and physical resemblance to Maeve, whom Anne had always been bitterly jealous of, even in death.
I enjoyed constructing the storyline for Hearts in Sorrow. As John Larkin's life in Ireland - prior to emigrating to America - was lightly touched on in the remaining novels in the Collective Obsessions Saga, I was determined to paint a picture of where it all started. I tried to keep true to the areas between Castletownbere and Bantry, Ireland, using maps and available historical references in regards to the timeframe, which took place in the mid-1800s.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank my significant other, Jerry Dalton. He is patient with my writing process, even the inevitable meltdown I have for each book, during which I'm convinced the work is crap. Yet Jerry is always willing to lend a hand when it comes time to print off the first draft of my books for editing purposes. He's even read a novel or two penned by me. Since he favors spy thrillers and science fiction, I'm touched he gave my books a whirl in the first place.
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Posted by Deidre Dalton on Sunday, 21st July 2024
Character Death Knell
I truly dislike writing character death scenes, but it simply has to be done for a fictional story that spans more than 165 years through ten novels.
Here's an excerpt from Hearts in Sorrow (prequel to the Collective Obsessions Saga), which may be subject to change during the editing process.
Castletownbere, Ireland; June 1855
When it came time to close the coffin, John
focused his eyes on Maeve. He did not want to lose sight of her. He would
never see her again, not in this world. She was truly alone now, and he
could do nothing to help or protect her. He had the sudden urge to crawl
into the casket with her and be done with life, but he restrained himself.
He closed his eyes as the lid was finally latched shut.
Burial took place at St. Finbarr's Cemetery after a brief funeral service inside the church. Maeve's plot was next to that of her mother, Fiona Fitzgerald O'Quinn. John stood next to Dary and Anne at the gravesite, stone-faced and dry-eyed. Dary was weeping openly, perhaps fueled by copious amounts of whiskey, while Anne remained calm with stoic resignation. She wore a black wool dress, her hands clutching an equally dark reticule.
Father O'Driscoll spoke over the grave solemnly:
"Oh God, by whose mercy the faithful departed find rest, bless this grave, and send your holy angel to watch over it. As we bury here the body of our sister, Maeve O'Quinn, deliver her soul from every bond of sin, that she may rejoice in you with your saints forever. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen."
John watched as the coffin was lowered into freshly-dug grave. He swallowed, feeling the dryness in his throat. He wanted everyone to go away so he could be alone at Maeve's final resting place. He could not see her face anymore, except in his mind. It was intolerable, yet he was helpless to change it.
The death of Maeve O'Quinn is no secret as she was mentioned in The Advent as being the love of John Larkin's life who dies in 1855, before they could marry. Instead, John marries Maeve's guilt-ridden older sister, Anne, who then goes on to emigrate to America with him in 1866 with their two children, Roderick and Molly Larkin.
(Above): Hearts in Sorrow in progress, including my copious number of sticky notes. Click on image to view larger size in a new window.
In addition, I awoke at four in the morning last week and made my usual cup of decaffeinated Kauai coffee using a pod in our Keurig brewer. About thirty minutes later, I went to the back steps of the house to have my first smoke of the day. It was cool, dark and quiet.
I was suddenly struck with a rather dramatic ending for Hearts in Sorrow. It wrote itself in my head all at once, so I scurried back into the house to jot it all down. While I'm nearly finished with Hearts in Sorrow, the conclusion came to me early with a resoluteness I rarely experience as I edit and moves bits of the story around. The writing process can sometimes be long and tedious, but once in awhile a shiny nugget will shine through unexpectedly.
It's part of what keeps me going.
If I can keep up the relentless pace, I predict the first draft of Hearts in Sorrow will be complete by the end of July or early August. After editing, I can hopefully go back to the already half-written Limb of Iniquity, which is set in the present day and is the final part of the Collective Obsessions Saga. My desire is to finish the novel by the end of the year.
(Above): Dedication page for Hearts in Sorrow (subject to change). Click on image to view larger size in a new window.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed on all fronts.
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Posted by Deidre Dalton on Monday, 1st July 2024
