Conclusion is Nigh
Posted Sunday, 07/21/24
After the first round of editing, Hearts in Sorrow came in at 130 pages with 49,431 words. From start to finish, Hearts in Sorrow took me about three months to write. It is not an overly long novel, unlike other titles in the Collective Obsessions Saga, but it was ample for establishing the story between John Larkin and Maeve O'Quinn as she did not live much beyond her 19th birthday.
I sent the manuscript to my publisher, who in turn sent me a contract for the book on July 20th. I've said it many times before, but receiving a publishing contract never gets old, and in no way do I take it for granted. It gives me a thrill each time. If all goes according to plan, the e-book and paperback editions of Hearts in Sorrow should be released by Christmas 2024.
I also mentioned to my publisher that I was now working on the final part of the Collective Obsessions Saga (Limb of Iniquity), the timeframe for which takes place during the pandemic (2020-2022). Her reply: "That sounds fascinating, really looking forward to it. Once it's been published, we should consider a boxed set of the whole series as part of the sales initiative." I'm all for that!
The last paragraph of the blurb for Hearts in Sorrow:
Anne wonders if their marriage will be enough to hold John's interest, especially after they emigrate to America. Or will he forsake her for another?
For anyone who has read the entire series, John does indeed take up with another woman in his namesake town of Larkin City, Maine, as described in The Advent. He never leaves Anne, of course, but carries on for many years with Lizbeth Bisiker, the auburn-haired owner of the Amber Whale Tavern.
In addition, the relationship between Anne Larkin and her daughter, Molly, is tetchy at best in The Advent, the reasons for which are alluded to in Hearts in Sorrow. That Anne imagined killing her own daughter when she was a baby gives a good inkling into the hostile mother-daughter interactions when Molly was an adult. I'm fairly certain readers of the saga will recognize that the root of their trouble is based on Molly's character and physical resemblance to Maeve, whom Anne had always been bitterly jealous of, even in death.
I enjoyed constructing the storyline for Hearts in Sorrow. As John Larkin's life in Ireland - prior to emigrating to America - was lightly touched on in the remaining novels in the Collective Obsessions Saga, I was determined to paint a picture of where it all started. I tried to keep true to the areas between Castletownbere and Bantry, Ireland, using maps and available historical references in regards to the timeframe, which took place in the mid-1800s.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank my significant other, Jerry Dalton. He is patient with my writing process, even the inevitable meltdown I have for each book, during which I'm convinced the work is crap. Yet Jerry is always willing to lend a hand when it comes time to print off the first draft of my books for editing purposes. He's even read a novel or two penned by me. Since he favors spy thrillers and science fiction, I'm touched he gave my books a whirl in the first place.
