A reader asked how I came to write a “woman’s book.” She was referring to A Thorn of the Crown on Kindle.
Actually, dear reader, I didn’t exactly write the book. It started as a sort of competition between me and Zolestina von Tatianoff; an exercise actually. The goal for each of us was to write a cliffhanger and then the other person would pick up the thread from there or write a conclusion to a scene and start another which was again picked up.
Somehow we had to manage to get from point A (China) to point B (Hawaii) to point C (San Francisco) and then finally to an ending in Book Four. Another idea was to “lose” characters and possibly find them again, or do them in once and for all. We even had them returning as ghosts (which seemed farfetched, but is perfectly acceptable now).
The initial writing took only about eight weeks, but the revisions and rewrites went on for two years. I’ve never counted the characters in the manuscript, but it is quite a parade.
Writing Thorn was a real learning experience and one we both thoroughly enjoyed. There were times when we laughed so hard tears flowed, times we groaned at the purple prose. We did use an outline as a general map of where we were headed, but it was only written for about fifty pages ahead. We were never quite certain how any of this would end, but it did in, I think, quite a magical way.
QUICK SYNOPSIS
A Thorn of the Crown tells the story of an orphaned aristocrat in headlong flight from war-torn China in 1949, across pirate-infested seas to the flanks of a rumbling volcano in Hawaii, and then on to danger and glamour in San Francisco. At age 16 Katrin is protected only by a mysterious amulet and the blessing of the Mother Superior, but this leads to a grand inheritance and fulfillment as a wealthy, desired woman. With humor and aplomb Katrin survives further perils to discover her true destiny. Beauty and wit meet high adventure in an action-packed tale of love.
You can see it here on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Thorn-Crown-ebook/dp/B004XTX07E/
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A PERSONAL NOTE TO YOU…
If you are in my ever expanding circle of friends and followers that I follow and friend and you have not gotten a Thank You from me on your page or site or blog it’s because I’m easily lost. So please accept this blanket thanks to everyone and forgive my lapses. You can always mail me at spencer911@gmail.com.
Also on Kindle:
*4 Spooky Short Stories
*Tomorrow Will Take Care of Itself
*Paper Cuts
*Timothy Holbrook and the Zombie Curse
Copyright 2011 by Spencer Schankel. All Rights Reserved.
