Saying Goodbye

Today I’m taking advantage of a day away from the office to enjoy some me time. The pups got me up at 6 and instead of rushing around; I made some coffee and sat outside in the cool morning air. The sky was just starting to lighten and the stars were fading back into the atmosphere. The sound of birds tweeting in the trees that line my back fence filled the, air and I couldn’t help but smile. It was so nice to take a few minutes to soak up the beauty that surrounds me.

Today I’m working on book three, brainstorming the end of the book. But honestly it feels like more than just closing out Lyla’s adventure; it feels like I’m deciding a path for me too. Writing these books has been the biggest personal project I’ve ever undertaken and I’ve become attached to the storyline. I love getting emails from my readers suggesting plotlines, egging me on to kill this character or bring that one back, but this final journey is proving to be a solitary one.

Last week I was in NYC roaming through Central Park and just getting lost in all the people and movement of the city. As I wandered through the chaos, I couldn’t help but find myself wondering how the Mercer Legacy will end. What will be Lyla’s Legacy? Will she fight? Will she win? Who will stand with her? Some of the readers want more action, some are asking for more history; what’s the right mix? And how will it end? Harry watched his son get on a train; Bella saved her family; Katniss survived; Wendy ruled a kingdom; Tris triumphed to truth…but what will Lyla do?

Closing her story is proving much more difficult than I expected. Maybe I baked too much of own spirit in her character, so I don’t know how her tale will end. Perhaps I’m struggling to let go because I fear that the end of her story will be the end of this phase of my life. I was buried in busy for more than 15 years, working to become something more than what I was, more educated, more successful, more mature. But when I finally delved into what I loved, when I picked up my laptop and retreated into the magical realm of a fictional teenage girl named Lyla, I found more excitement and happiness than all of those other things combined had given me.

So today, I will spend some time with Lyla and together we’ll figure out how she will end, but also, I’ll figure out how I will continue on without her; and where my next path will lead.

I am 150 pages into book 3 and working to finish the story in the next month or so…