Kingdom of Uisneach: The Prophecy

Dreams of battle. A king offering a crown. Longing for a faceless archer. From a quiet life in Maine, Briana Brennan, landscape designer and bookworm, is led into the woods and through a tree, where she emerges a savior of the mythic kingdom of Uisneach. She must begin the journey through a land terrorized by the evil Lord Shamwa. Guided by the stalwart Lord Marshall Sigel and the handsome young bard, Silas of Cedarmara and mentored by a forest crone and a shapeshifting crow, she must discover how to use the black medallions they wear to unlock the curse and rescue the king.

A magical map, mystical beings and a fantastic world all contribute something to the journey and to Briana’s growth as a woman, a warrior and a queen. Briana’s trek across Uisneach is a grand adventure that will hopefully bring her love and a happily ever after. Or will it?

Sunday, June 4, 2017

The Gauntlet

I am three chapters from finishing the revisions on The Prophecy. Rather than seeing any rainbow and hearing and angelic voices singing hallelujahs, I am reminded of the scene in First Knight where Richard Gere, as Lancelot, runs the gauntlet to reach Lady Guinevere and receive a kiss.
Do you recall the scene? Lancelot learns that the victor of the gauntlet will get to kiss Guinevere. No one has made it through, but Lancelot determines to try and as we hold our breath (not really), he makes it through in one piece. He impresses King Arthur and finds a very chivalrous way to deal with a kiss he isn’t actually going to get.
I am so close to my goal of finishing this novel and publishing it. I want to see the rainbows and hear the angels sing. I want to begin working on book two. Who knew that at the point I need to put every ounce of energy and time into this project, I would be faced with a gauntlet of my own.
Unexpected medical and dental visits that cannot be done during the other work week, funerals and family events and the zillion appointments and things that need to be tended to. Don’t get me wrong. Taking care of your health is important and serving others in a time of need is a privilege I don’t take lightly. Life goes on and I’m happy to be an active part of it, but I do wonder why it seems to come all at once and at a time when, as a writer, you just want to retreat to the cave, get off the grid and tell people you were a figment of their imagination?
However, I noticed in the gauntlet scene that Lancelot had a strategy for making it through the challenge. There were three things critical to his success:
Planning- most of the other challengers raced headlong onto the plank and were kicked off or injured almost immediately. Lancelot studied the patterns of the gauntlet, determining where the openings were, figuring out the pace and probably calculating his own skill.
Timing-Based on his assessment he determined the pace of his moves. Timing is critical to the success of any venture.
Knowing when to stop and when to go- This goes along with the planning and timing; it’s the visual of the two combined. I marveled at the grace with which Gere maneuvered through the moving weapons on an unstable platform. He didn’t panic, he didn’t give up; he just watched closely what was happening around him and responded to the moment while always moving forward.
This musing is a pep talk for me. A reminder that the universe is doing its thing and I’m just meant to flow with it. But I am not helpless and I will be successful. I simply need to remain calm, stay focused, do what needs to be done in the moment and carve out other times to work on the book. I’m almost there and this gauntlet is child’s play for me. I will enjoy the rainbow and angelic chorus at exactly the right time.

2 comments:

  1. Loving this blog! Helps a reader to keep up with what is on the mind of the writer of this wonderful tale!!

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    1. Thank you, Marsha. I don't know if knowing what is on this writer's mind is good or not but I'm happy to share.

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