The Phoenix Curse: After - Part One Read online



  After

  Part One

  Book one of

  The Phoenix Curse

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  By D.R. Johnson

  Copyright © 2012 D.R. Johnson

  All rights reserved.

  Edited by Mary Boudreaux

  Cover design and artwork by Debra Johnson

  https://drjpublishing.blogspot.com

  This book is a work of fiction. All characters, names, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Any resemblance to actual events is purely coincidental.

  This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of the author, except where permitted by law. For information or to obtain permission, contact Deborah Johnson, Grand Prairie, Texas. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Dedication

  For Sierra, my lovely daughter, who helped me find something I lost long ago.

  My inspiration.

  Contents

  Dedication

  Acknowledgments

  Prologue

  Chapter 1 – Ali

  Chapter 2 – Joss

  Chapter 3 – Ali

  Chapter 4 – Joss

  Chapter 5 – Ali

  Deleted Scenes

  About The Author

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  Acknowledgments

  I would like to think this is the beginning of a wondrous journey. Not only a journey for Ali and Joss, but a new chapter in my life. I am happy to have each and every one of you with me as I set out on my new endeavors.

  This is the story of how the first book, After of The Phoenix Curse trilogy, came to be.

  I was a bit of a book nerd back in high school. Always reading. Always writing. I even had unsupported dreams of becoming a writer someday. Here and there I would jot something down, mostly a little bit of prose or poetry, nothing substantial. When the attack in Florida happened, my friends all joked about zombies. That night, I was lying in bed unable to sleep, and I hopped out of bed to write down what eventually became the intro to the trilogy.

  Then, last year about mid-October, I stumbled on to something called National November Writing Month (NaNoWriMo for short). For those of you who have never heard of it, it is a challenge to write 50,000 words during the month of November. There are only a few stipulations. One, the book has to be a work of fiction, and two, it has to be a brand-new book.

  I had never written anything this big before, but just recently, my daughter had started writing on her own. She asked me for my ideas on her stories, and I started editing her work. While doing that, my passion for writing that I thought long dead rose again to the surface.

  I decided to try the NaNoWriMo challenge.

  I have many books that I have started, maybe gotten as much as 10,000 to 20,000 words into them over the course of many years, but I needed something fresh. Without having any outline at all for what I was about to start, I fell back to the little blurb I had written over the summer. As I started writing, the characters blossomed, and the story started writing itself.

  I succeeded in winning the NaNoWriMo challenge with five days left to spare, and I kept going. On March 25, 2013, I finished the first draft of my first book at a little over 130,000 words. The feeling of accomplishment was indescribable. Not only did I complete the NaNoWriMo challenge, but I finally crossed the finish line in a life goal that I thought I would never achieve.

  And I kept going.

  Book 2, Dreamland, has already been started, and I am well underway into that story line as well as continuing to edit the other 2 parts of After. I cannot promise a timeline at the moment, although I wish I could. I still put in forty hours a week at my day job, and add in the unpredictability of life in general, any timeline I give truly is a shot in the dark.

  But now that I know that I can do it, I will keep going.

  I have to thank my beautiful, inspirational daughter. I don’t think that I ever would have lifted the metaphorical pen again if it had not been for her. Her spirit is indomitable, and despite any setback she’s ever come across, she has faced it down and charged right through it. I cherish her as my daughter and as my friend. It was from her strength that I drew the courage to try again.

  My husband’s role in this was no small part, either. He tolerated my midnight ravings, and always listened as I bounced ideas off him. He was my beta reader, editor and, most importantly, he supported me. This book would not be what it is now without him.

  Now, I’d like to invite you all to join me on my blog for all the latest updates on The Phoenix Curse as well as my new projects I have lined up on the horizon.

  https://drjpublishing.blogspot.com

  https://www.thephoenixcurse.com

  If you enjoy the book, please remember to stop by Amazon and leave a review.

  Thank you all!

  Prologue