Kate and a Cardboard Box

In the first chapter of The Hammer, we are introduced to the book, Daybreak 2250 AD, which was written by Andre Norton, in 1952, the year in which the Cor Series begins. The author's real name was Alice Mary Norton, her pen name an accommodation to the male dominance of the science fiction genre of that time.

In Alice Norton's novel, the protagonist is a lonely mutant named Fors of the Puma Clan, a young man who didn't fit in and had a driving need to prove himself worthy. I could relate and liked to imagine myself as Fors, out hunting with my telepathic animal companion, a puma named Lura.

Many years later, while reading my son, Daybreak 2250 AD, I told him about my idea for the Cor Series. He wanted to know more so I began writing it for him. Over time, we both lost interest and the half-finished book was tossed in a cardboard box and stored away.

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Five years later my youngest daughter, Alyssa, showed up with a white 3 ring binder in hand. She had been looked through old boxes in the crawl space, found my draft story and wanted to know what would happen next. She asked if I would write her a new chapter for her upcoming birthday.

For a writer, it only takes a single fan to get us energized, so I rummaged through my old computer disks, found the book files, and moved them onto my laptop. The joy of creating the world of the Cor was rekindled and I wrote a two more chapters in time for Alyssa's birthday.

The next day she was back with the manuscript in hand. "Where's the girl?" Alyssa asked. "There should be a girl in this story."

When 100% of your fan base asks for a change, you'd better listen, so that evening I started over, and Kate walked onto the stage. At the time I had no ideas what an integral role Kate would play in the ongoing story of the Cor.

A random investigation into a dusty cardboard box brought the Cor series back to life and transformed it into a more interesting story. This has continued to happen as the books morphed through an audiobook test and now it's web novel phase, with other readers asking questions or making suggestions. Thanks for being a part of the journey.

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