My reader is in for a treat. I thought I would tell about my ten-year struggle to become a published author, a feat I am yet to accomplish.

First I'll tell you about that great, yet terrible day I decided to become an author. No, it wasn't well thought of like day. The day started as any other day, well almost like any other day. It started as a trip down to Branson. No, I don't remember why it was almost ten years ago, give me a break. On the way to Branson, my wife, Mrs. Raballard and I were talking. Okay, she was talking I mainly listened. I remember saying "one day I'm going to write a novel for children", I had been telling stories to my children ever since they were young. Mrs' Raballard, being much wiser that I, simply smiled and then said "shut up and write your story"

That was all I needed. I'm not a dummy and know when the wife speaks, the wife speaks. I sat down, shut up and started my novel once I returned home. Well, that was my first mistake. I didn't know the first thing about writing a book. I knew nothing about manuscript lengths. My first draft for my MIddle-grade novel was 109,000 words, a tad too long. I knew nothing about beta-readers, I had none. I knew nothing about editing, I didn't edit. I knew a little about querying. My first query produced one victim who asked for a full manuscript. I was in heaven. I sent ou the full and then sat back counting the money I would be receiving.

Needless to say, I never received any money. The agent never responded to the manuscript, probably cause he never stopped laughing about the 109K word mess.

It never phased me. I kept right on querying my 109K novel and kept getting the rejection fever. It wasn't until a few years later and a friend mentioned that my novel was too long and should chop about 40,000 words. With my friends help I cut the manuscript down to 72K words. However, I still got 99.99% rejection. It has since cut down to 50K words with very little querying. My agent had it for a while but was unable to sell it. I took it back, and have been sitting on it.

The title has gone through just as many revisions from INTO THE BLACK REALM, to MOMNAPPED, and finally A SOMEWHAT TRUE ADVENTURE OF SARA ROBERT, the only thing remains the same is this is my baby. I love Sara as if she is my own. I can't see (or refuse to see) why other people don't love her the same. I suppose the worst part of writing is to write your heart into a book, love it, nurture it and then give it to another in hopes that they love it the same way.

My agent told me "not every great book gets published."

So I sit here with a great book, a book that I have loved. It doesn't seem to be going anywhere.

I present Sara Roberts 2007-2017

Sara’s mother, Elizabeth, has kept her past life a secret. Due to being the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter, Elizabeth is heir to the throne of Tenebrae, a magical, evil kingdom. A title she detests and runs away from to no avail. If it hadn't been for some great detective work from the malicious, toad Appleton, the secret might have remained hidden. The odious toad has been following the Roberts family ever since they forged documents and left their planet. He would have caught them sooner, had it not been for the magic-spell Elizabeth’s mother placed on her. Liz would get a terrible migraine headache whenever Appleton got close to his prey. The family always moved after a headache, which made it difficult for Appleton to track them.

 Okay, now you have a basic background, just enough so you can follow along. That brings us to our story. You should know that Sara had a particularly rough day at school today, her birthmark started to glow in math class, and a note from Mr. Thompson appeared in her math book. It wasn’t a good start for the day. And then when she gets home from school her mother isn’t there.

 That’s how she ended up at Mr. Thompson’s mansion. Mr. Thompson told Sara that her estranged great aunts had kidnapped her mother, tried her for treason, and sentenced her to death. Elizabeth’s execution is the only way for them to ascend to the throne. The shock came when Mr. Thompson tells Sara that she alone must rescue her mother. Her aunts failed to take into account how a daughter's love would undermine their plot.

 Mr. Thompson transports Sara to the evil kingdom through unreliable means; unfortunately, she lands in a creamed-corn field an ocean away from her mother. A farmer along with his harvester/pet gigantic caterpillar tell her that the only way to cross the ocean is with the help of a crusty pirate and his crew, a lizard and a man with a scary dragon tattoo.

 A raging storm separates her from the pirate where Appleton, her aunt’s evil henchman, captures her.  She escapes with help from a rat that was once in charge of her mother’s safety. With the aid of a nearsighted sea-monster and a few dolphins, Sara finally makes it to the prison where her mother awaits her execution, scheduled for dawn. And dawn is a mere ten hours away. Her aunt’s elite soldiers of scary, overweight rats guard the gate. The aunt’s themselves, are hidden safely within the prison walls and ready to carry out the execution.

 Assisted by an invisibility bracelet, Sara foils her mother’s execution and frees the remaining prisoners, whose only crimes were trying to depose an evil regime. There is one more problem. Ghosts of dead prisoners guard the only escape route from the prison. After a short negotiation, the leader of the apparitions allows Elizabeth and Sara to leave the fact that the leader happened to be Sara’s long lost, dead grandfather might have helped with the negotiating.

 Sara’s long journey ends when she and her mother are transported back to Earth. Oh, good, look, we have a happy ending.

whew, that was one long blog. I'll come by in a month or two to tell you about my second novel.