I can't believe it. "Dead Dreams" is written and turned in and I'm free! It's a great feeling. I do know that I probably should have done one more edit, but at least it is done.
This story was a new adventure for me, because it was my first attempt at a general release (not LDS specific.) There were scenes that I had so clearly pictured in my head that I never got to and others that seemed to appear out of thin air that I was really pleased with.
As I typed the last few pages, tears were pouring down my cheeks which is always a good sign. The best feeling is when you type the last word and know the story is really over. Every loose end makes sense and hopefully you've learned something along the way.
Special thanks to Betsy Grow who totally helped me with the fortune teller. Also, to my sweet husband who took the children to the grandparents for the weekend so I could write all night long, which I did.
Well, if you're interested, here's my final pitch:
When senatorial hopeful Peter Strabeck is found near death in his speechwriter’s room, the press has a field day with his family, leaving them hopeless and broken. After college graduation Margaret, the youngest daughter, must force her dreams aside to care for her widowed mother over the next eight years. Her mother’s final words are to J a young attorney who has been called to secretly amend her will. Mags doesn’t trust J who is the son of her father’s alleged murderer.
The family arrives hoping for a hefty inheritance, and J explains that the money has been spent on legal fees and the home shopping network. They are furious but find solace in childhood memorabilia. While attending the funeral, they are robbed. Who would want a life-sized Barbie head, brass knuckles and an old sheepskin rug, but one of them? Mags knows who the culprit is, but stays silent. Frozen relationships begin to thaw as the siblings investigate each other and on the way help a struggling teenager, save a marriage, complete a dissertation and eventually land together on the island of Jamaica.
J is pleased that all is going as planned, except the third provision. How can he ever get the independent, headstrong Mags to have feelings for him? When strange things begin to happen, J is certain he is receiving help from beyond the grave. Can Mags let go of the past and resuscitate dreams she thought had died? .
Dead Dreams is a twisted family comedy of 58,555 words. Contemporary fiction with a hint of romance, this story is a light read similar to Delinsky’s Three Wishes with the homey feel of Debbie Macomber. It will appeal to anyone who agrees that life is better with family, even when they are a little crazy.
