It always helps to be a bit manic now and then.
I first copyrighted “They Came By Night” in March of 2020, a year later and the final edits are still being made. April 2nd is still my goal, though I told the publisher April 30th.
Why so much editing? I had what’s called a developmental edit; a lot of constructive feedback. It involved some restructuring to pace the plot better. I had to cut out an entire chapter (which I will place on this blog in May). I toned down some of the violence to make it more accessible, especially as the protagonist is only 13. Though this book is not YA.
Initially my intent was for the book to be: “As if Harry Potter and Game of Thrones had a baby and they fed it meth”. I wanted all the sex and violence of Game of Thrones but have my main protagonist a young and innocent boy. Unlike GoT I wanted a strong moral core, which is what Sam provides.
GoT was not heart warming, but I intend for “They Came by Night” to have tender moments, but also have the raw brutality of war. There is one scene where Tom, Sam’s father, has been separated from his son for months and he storms a boat with his men, only to find a cowering boy that reminds him of his Sam. The boy is unarmed, and while the rest of Tom’s men are slaughtering the crew, Tom sees his own son in the Northern boy. There is an uncomfortable moment where he soothes the boy, even hugs him, as he longs for his own son. Moments later in the same chapter Tom can hear the sounds of his own men raping the locals, so we go from heart warming to sickening in the blink of a readers eye. When I read a book I want to feel; it helps me immerse.
