Novel Update & Poem: This Day

ROOMS

by Bob Stegner

(Trish Steele)

Rooms is very close to being published. I think it's about two weeks away. I've worked more with Greg Opalinski, who is doing the book's cover design and illustration, and I'm extremely excited about his work and the direction that the cover is going. When it's published, you'll see why!

New Book: "Beatrice"

(Forest)

Beatrice is coming along. It is very different from Rooms, but I'm enjoying the differences. It's not easy to write, but exciting to see it progress. I've written about 34,000 words, and I'm into chapter 14. The book is very intricate, and putting all the pieces together is challenging.

The book is a fantasy/thriller, so I'm working on building the tension as I go through. Also, the amount of fantasy will increase as the book progresses as well as the more dynamic plot elements. I'm enjoying it more and more as each chapter builds on the others.

Poem
The poem below was written in 2006 and coincided with the writing of Wheatgrass: An Irish Fantasy. I've traveled to Ireland a lot and have read a great deal on its history, people, and its rich legacy of writers. This is a poem that has that Irish feel, and I like the story it tells, the picture it paints and the way it ends. 

This Day

On summer planes

Of green and peat

Of wind and marsh

And bog

She swiftly stepped

Around the rock

As sunlight chased

The fog

She moved and flowed

And smiled her eyes

Upon the beauty

Green

The awesome roar

Of windward storm

Came in

From out at sea

Round drops then touched

Her cheeks again

As light still crossed

Her path

She knew this day

Would ne’er return

To bless her eyes

So soft

So by the sea

As seabirds soared

And cried

Their whistled tunes

She took it in

All sounds and sights

And imagined

Secret runes

She closed her eyes

And dreamed a man

Who touched her

Bright as spring

The time ticked by

The hours moved on

The storm kept

Rolling in

She thought

And pondered

Journeyed home

And finally at her door…

Last peek around

The wood frame square

A final look

At sea

She caught a glimpse

Of her true love

And saw the look

Of me

Copyright © Bob Stegner 2006

Image of Door:

Trish Steel [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Tree/Moon Image from:

Forest Blue Moonlight Wallpapers.. Digital image. Travelization. N.p., 30 June 2012, Web. 16 Mar. 2014. <www.travelization.net>.

Rooms Update & More On The New Book

ROOMS

by Bob Stegner

(Trish Steele)

I have finally completed all of the edits of Rooms. It was a creative and exhausting task.  I was just thinking about how thankful I am now for all of the student papers that I've read and edited over the years. It helped, and during the process, I've also learned a great deal about my writing and writing in general.

Since the editing is now completed, I can focus on working with Greg Opalinski, who is doing the book's cover design and illustration. I just chose the basic layout today from several possible choices. The cover image will come from a scene that occurs within the first few chapters of the book.

Next we'll be looking at the main character, Rad, and what he will look like and be wearing. It's a very powerful experience to see a character come to life visually through someone else's eyes. Greg is doing an awesome job, and he's been very patient with my requests and suggestions. He's wonderful to work with.

I'll let you know the exact date when Rooms will be published on Amazon. It should happen soon! Also, I wanted you to know that I've updated and changed the Teaser below as well as the Excerpt from chapter's one and two. There have been a lot of changes since I first put these on my blog, so if you haven't looked for a while, you might find it fun to see the changes. I think both chapters are much better.

Rooms' Teaser

Rooms' Excerpt: Chapters 1-2

Rooms' Chapter Titles

Wheatgrass: An Irish Fantasy published and for sale on Amazon.com

Paperback - $3.23

Kindle version - $0.99 

Wheatgrass' Teaser

Wheatgrass' Excerpt

New Book: "Beatrice"

(Forest)

Las time that I wrote a blog on this topic, I mentioned that I'd let you know the name of the new book, and as you can see above, it will be called Beatrice. I've decided to give it the same name that I gave the original short story that I wrote for my students in Alaska. The story in the book is quite different than the original, but I still like the title and think it works well, even with the story being different.

I've completed ten chapters and have the next few planned. As I've said in the past, the work that I did for Rooms has helped me a great deal in my new book, but the fact that it is a different genre absolutely presents different challenges.  If you haven't read my earlier post on the new book, this book will be a fantasy/mystery/thriller and take place in Scotland with the Bauman family being at the center of the story.

The plot is taking lots of twists and turns, and it's been a lot of fun pulling from the varied tapestry of events to gradually build the story. I've encountered an interesting conundrum while writing it. I did some research beforehand and have included some aspects of historical events. There was one situation where I used something that actually happened to someone, but I felt that the person's family might not appreciate them being used in the story. I hadn't included their name, but I decided to change that part of the book anyway. It actually worked out better with a purely fictional event, but this was my first situation of that type.  The other events are very old that I have in the story and are important to the story line, and even in that case I've changed any names in the connections to those that I've fictionalized. I think it's fine to include them in the story. So, including non-fiction in a fiction story has its problems and aspects that you have to consider.

I'll keep you updated on this book as I go along, just as I did with Rooms.

Image of Door:

Trish Steel [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Tree/Moon Image from:

Forest Blue Moonlight Wallpapers.. Digital image. Travelization. N.p., 30 June 2012, Web. 16 Mar. 2014. <www.travelization.net>.

Rooms Update / Poem: The Candle Flame

Before reading the Poem, "The Candle Flame," you can learn more about what's happening with Rooms by reading below.

ROOMS

by Bob Stegner

(Trish Steele)

I have been doing the final edit on Rooms, and Greg Opalinski, who will be doing the cover design and artwork for the novel, has been working hard on the cover. It's been fun working with him, and I'm more excited every day about seeing the finished cover.

Rooms will be published on Amazon in a few weeks. I'll let you know on this blog when it happens.

Rooms' Teaser

Rooms' Excerpt: Chapters 1-2

Rooms' Chapter Titles

Wheatgrass: An Irish Fantasy published and for sale on Amazon.com

Paperback - $3.23

Kindle version - $0.99 

Wheatgrass' Teaser

Wheatgrass' Excerpt

Poem

(Cain)

The Candle Flame

The calm

In a candle flame

Casting warmth on the walls

In a darkened room

The music plays

The mind wanders

The candle

Constantly confined

Yet serenely there

With me

Meditative, ancestral thoughts

Pervade and pause

In truth

Oh soft, luxurious flame

Oh round, aspiring flame

Oh small, pinpoint in the night

Take my soul

Take me

To the other side

Yet teach this side

Of existence

Reminiscent of wind

Of rain

Of dark

Of a moonlit night

In a forest

As your glow seeks out

My eyes

Reflecting back to someone

Who is speaking

Through the flame

Casting knowledge

Hope

Universal truths

While lying there

Just a fingertip away

Beyond my corporeal reach

Even closing my eyes

I see you there

With me

Surrounding me

Guiding me

Home

A candle flame

A hearth fire

Wood crackling

In a rock hewn wring

A tree with soft lights

At Christmas

The twinkling of windows

From a city

The soft glow in her eyes

As she smiles

The candle flame

 Is

That peaceful place

I will understand

Someday 

Copyright © Bob Stegner 2006

Image of Door:

Trish Steel [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Image of Candle Flame:

Cain, Ricky. Candle Flame. Digital image. Ricky Cain. Flickr, 9 Sept. 2012. Web. 13 May 2014. <https://www.flickr.com/photos/ricky1146/7975340370/>
Creative Commons License Page:  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/