“So, tell me about your stories.” Lisa Petrano leaned forward excitedly.
I gulped against the bile I felt rising in my throat. Why was I so nervous? It was obvious that she was interested in what I had to offer, but I couldn’t get over the idea that millions of people could read the stories I’d believed to be fact. What if people thought I was crazy? What if they sent me back to live out the rest of my days in the psych ward? I had to take a deep breath to keep myself from hyperventilating before I could say another word.
“Well, I have these dreams about a place called Riona. I don’t know how or why, but I know everything there is to know about that world. I know the people, I know the landmarks, I even know how it came into being.”
The publisher was hanging on every word I said. I took the opportunity to continue laying the groundwork for my story.
“Riona is a world made from elements of Earth. The Great Alchemist found a way to access other worlds and happened upon a void that had yet to be inhabited. It was dark, cold and empty, but she didn’t see it for what it was, she saw it for what it could be.
“On Earth, Sophronia was not held in high regard. Alchemy was often mistaken for witchcraft even though it is actually a special form of magic that relies on the living elements found in nature. When Sophronia found the void, she decided she would create a world from a few precious stones and alchemical methods. It started out as a way to prove her worth, but instead became so much more.”
“How did more people come to live there?” Lisa couldn’t lean any further forward if she tried.
This part of the story was a little dark. The people of Riona gave little thought to their origins which was just as well because they wouldn’t have liked what they learned. I waited, trying to determine how best to share the dark secret of Sophronia without making her seem evil.
“When the Great Alchemist returned to Earth, she wanted to show the world what she could do. The trouble was, she couldn’t convince anyone to trust her enough to bring them through the portal. Instead, she lured them there.”
Lisa’s mouth popped open like a child hearing an exciting bed time story. I hardly contained my grin as I continued with my tale. “She chose people from the villages near her secluded home and promised them access to the stone of the philosophers. Not many alchemists were said to be capable of creating the stone, but Sophronia had done it.”
“You mean the stone that can make people live forever?” Lisa asked as she leaned back in her chair. “You do know that was used in a very well-known fantasy series, right?”
I blinked at the publisher who now seemed ready to dismiss my story. I had no idea anyone else had written about the stone. I couldn’t let something so minute destroy my chances of becoming an author.
“The stone wasn’t only used for endless youth, it was also used to turn basic metals into gold. She wasn’t promising eternal life, she was promising endless riches. It was something those villagers desperately needed but had never hoped to have. Why would they want to live forever if they had to work themselves to nothing?”
I had piqued her interest again. “Did she deliver?”
“In a way, yes. She created Riona using her blood and the famed stone. It was infused with natural elements, precious stones and the blood of its creator. Sophronia had accomplished the impossible. She had created a whole new philosopher’s stone. As long as the stone was worn by someone whose blood matched the Great Alchemist, Riona would live and flourish.
“The riches she offered people weren’t in the form they expected, but once they arrived in the world she’d created, none of them wanted to leave. It was a chance for a fresh start in a world untouched by disease and poverty.”
“I’ve never heard anyone put a twist like that on the concept of the philosopher’s stone. How did you come up with that?” Her green-eyed gaze was locked on me.
I shrugged. I really didn’t have an answer for that one. The back story for Riona had just been in my brain. At one point, I believed it to be the true story of a magical world; one that had spit me out in the middle of New York City. I couldn’t tell her that, not yet. The last thing I needed was for the hotshot publisher I wanted to work with to think I was unstable. I mumbled something about creative energy and random bursts of inspiration. It seemed to satisfy her, so I let it go.
“The first book will tell the story of Sophronia and her quest to break out of the mold society had put her in. It will give the reader a background on where she came from and what led her to create Riona.” I paused, waiting for Lisa to finish her furious scribbling. “The second book will tell of the discovery that the void Riona had been created in was actually the place between worlds.”
“Wait, what do you mean ‘the place between worlds’?”
I bit my lip, unsure if her tone indicated interest or confusion. “There are more worlds than just Earth and Riona. They were already there when the Great Alchemist created the kingdom she later ruled.”
“So, in order to get to other places, all worlds have to go through Riona?” She waited for verification.
“Essentially, but the Royal Guard of Riona identified all portals and policed them to make sure no undocumented entities traveled between worlds. But, they didn’t discover other worlds until the Gorum.”
Silence. I took her lack of response as an indication that I should continue, when she didn’t stop me, I assumed she was still interested.
“The Gorum come from a terrible place. It’s a desert, food is scarce and there is no magic. They invaded Riona and smashed things up pretty badly. The Royal Guard managed to send them back to Goru, their world, and the Order of Alchemists sealed each gate from the Rionian side. The young queen, Isadora, sent men on missions through the portals they discovered in an effort to identify each world and determine if we had any other enemies.”
“We?” Lisa raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow.
My heart pounded. Had I really said we? “Sorry, you know how writers are. I’m just really invested in my story.”
“Hmm. And what did they find?”
“There were a few other places that warranted supervision, but only the Gorum were outright destructive, or so they thought. Somehow, the scouts missed the Sideon. They arrived accompanied by the Gorum. It wasn’t long before Riona discovered who the true enemy was. The Sideon came to suck the life out of a new world.”
“Do you have more than two books planned?” Lisa inquired without looking up from her notepad.
“Yes. I believe there will be at least five.” I hadn’t thought past the third book, but I didn’t think she would go for a trilogy without the promise of more stories.
“I want you to get me the first draft of book one. How soon do you think you can do that?” She looked me in the eyes.
I had no idea, but Paula seemed to think I was close to finishing the first story. “I can have it to you in a week.”
“Perfect. Once I have reviewed the first draft, we’ll talk contracts. I want to make sure your writing style is as engaging as your story seems to be. If it’s not, we may discuss the possibility of a ghost writer taking over for you.”
I was completely clueless and a little overwhelmed. I agreed to her terms and left the office with my head held high. Once I stood on the street, I took a deep breath in the cool December air. It was refreshing and crisp. I quickly pulled out the cell phone Paula had given me and pressed the picture of her face. Every day I learned more about technology and felt more comfortable in the world around me. I stopped feeling out of place. The phone only rang once before Paula’s voice broke through the rhythmic tone.
“Well? How did it go?” She asked before I could offer a greeting.
“I may have promised to have the first draft done by the end of next week.”
“Okay. You can totally do that.” Paula was ever the calming influence in my life.
“I’m heading home. I’ll see you when you get off work!” I didn’t want to tell her how nervous I was about the whole thing, at least not yet.