Gaven Darrow
Dwarf, owner of Forest Bakery and Herb Shop first appeared in chapter 11 of Shadows in the Stone
The waggon swayed gently as it passed over the ruts in the road. Gaven Darrow peered ahead, scanning the waysides as he entered Goshen. The small village rested far from Linden Lake where many moons ago bandits attacked from the trees and beat him near death. That day he had lost a sweet little girl to thieves.
Lord Peadar Tasgall of Aruam Castle
Hauflin, first appeared in chapter 05 in Shadows in the Stone
The soft glow of the single candle danced on the page. It guided Lord Peadar Tasgall’s pencil as it scrolled carefully the letters to form words learnt in his hauflin youth. Here, beneath the cloak of darkness and night, the lord disconnected from his duties, the castle and the people of Maskil he served. He permitted his mind to roam to a far-off place where fresh smells of the forest and soil rejuvenated his being.
Long-forgotten scents permeated his pours until they diluted the adverse odours of the castle and the invisible force percolating through the walls and into his bed chamber.
The pencil quickened. The force grows fervent and the minds feebler. The darkness has compromised those from which we seek refuge. The child has been taken.
The map of Ath-o’Lea has been in the making for years. It’s changed many times since its conception, but the one thing that remains the same is my idea of what makes the land where my Shadows in the Stone characters live special to me.
After all that time spent creating the map, I still don’t feel it’s finished. I want it to look better. As an overall map for The Castle Keepers series, it’s useful because it shows Maskil in relationship to the sea and places mentioned in the first novel (Midway Keep, Ellswire, Pogwa Mountains, Petra), as well as places introduced in the second book, Scattered Stones (Tigh Na Mare, Glentosh, Titterton, Wardlow).
My fantasy novel, Shadows in the Stone, originally opened with the scene below. I wanted readers to know the stones within the necklace were important to the overall story, and I wanted to introduce an important character.
As the story progressed, I realised Catriona wasn’t a major player overall, and that the story was more than just about stones. I also wanted to start in the middle of the action; I wanted to get readers into the story without delay.
After much consideration, I decided to remove this scene. Maybe in a few years, when I release the series in a set, I will return it to the beginning, but for now, it will remain a deleted scene.
Continue reading “Deleted Scene: Shadows in the Stone Beginning”
Diane McGyver 