Dreams, Delusions, & Sneak Preview #2
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Dreams and delusions. What’s the difference? A delusion is a misunderstanding brought about either by sickness or trickery. A dream, on the other hand, is an enigma that proceeds from your subconscious. It can reflect your fears, your embarrassments, or your desires. Your sins. Most of the time, dreams seem to be a composite of images that your mind struggles to reconcile while you sleep. All scientific conjecture aside, I doubt any human being will ever crack the code behind the true meaning or significance of dreaming.
Part of the reason I find the main character of my novel(s) so appealing is the idea of how a dream can drive you to success or failure. If you misinterpret your dream, you’re bound to make mistakes and screw something up. It becomes a delusion, a story you tell yourself to make everything better. That’s what made Llewyn Finch’s journey in The Shadow Over Lone Oak so fascinating to me as an author and a reader.
For the sequel, I’m trotting down a new avenue of storytelling. How do I redefine a character when he can no longer rely on one of his so-called talents? I’m not going to spoil what happened to change Llewyn’s “gift” so you’ll still have to read my first novel to find out. But the question remains: who is Llewyn if not a man of dreams and delusions?
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Enter Kasey Alexander.
A shapely figure leaned against a pillar behind his car. Darkness permeated the garage, obscuring features, but he recognized that voice even without seeing her face.
“Kasey?”
She stepped out of the shadows, her blonde hair hanging loose around her shoulders. She was dressed in a maroon-colored pantsuit and impractical high heels. Last time he saw her, what little she wore would’ve made a stripper blush.
“So, Mr. Dreams and Premonitions can recall the past after all.”
He hadn’t had a dream or a so-called premonition since that night in Lone Oak. Only nightmares. But what did she know? The two of them hadn’t spoken in five years.
“You were following me? Why?” He didn’t mean to sound so suspicious, but recent circumstances had him questioning nearly everyone’s intentions.
“Why, you almost sound like you have something to hide,” she said, sauntering toward him. “But that can’t be; the Llewyn I remember didn’t have time for a private life. Or life, for that matter.”
Ouch. Kasey Alexander always had a way of driving the stake right into his heart.
You’ll have to wait for the sequel’s release to know the whole story, but suffice it to say that Llewyn’s past is more muddled than TSOL lets on. I hope you enjoyed this (short) sneak peak. It won’t be the last.
As for progress: two more chapters have been completed, for a total of six. I’m aiming to finish at least one chapter per day now. At that rate, I’ll have the first draft completed before the end of the month.
These blog posts will likely continue to run a bit on the small side as I work on the novel. The end result will be worth the trouble. I promise.
An appropriate Bible verse for today’s topic:
“For God speaks time and again, but a person may not notice it. In a dream, a vision in the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they slumber on their beds, He uncovers their ears at that time and terrifies them with warnings, in order to turn a person from his actions and suppress his pride. God spares his soul from the Pit, his life crossing the river of death.” (Job 33:14-18 HCSB)
Thank you for reading. The weather’s stirring out there, so stay safe. God bless.
