I wrote the first draft of Keeper of the Night on index cards. I didn't plan it that way. Like my other stories before it, the journey held surprises. One day I took a stack of multi-colored index cards and titled each one with various topics I wanted to explore. The book takes place on Guam so the cards included cultural details such as surahanas(island healers), tatamona(ancient ancestors), and the way Chamorro boys flirted with their eyebrows.
But as I wrote the titles, lines came to me. The words sang out spare and lyrical. By the time I'd compiled a thick stack, I realized my pre-writing tool was actually a draft. If we keep ourselves open to any style, a story will show us the way.
This month's giveaway is Keeper of the Night. A signed hardback copy will be awarded to two names drawn randomly from a drawing. To enter, email your name and SNAIL mail address to kwhevents@suddenlink.net by this Sunday, November 30, noon(Central time). Good luck!
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