You’ve met two villains from TMC. It’s time to introduce you to some goodies. First one up? Mark Shephard. I debated on how to do this, how to get him to sit down and ask him about himself. But asking Mark to sit for a few minutes is as impossible as asking a five-year-old to sit through a three hour lecture.

So, I asked a buddy of his: TMC’s very own hero, Luke Cedrus. I know we haven’t discussed Luke in detail, yet. But he’s next. Promise. (He really wants to meet you.) For now, he told me about the first time they met. And this little tidbit: “Mark can be a bit of a sissy.”

She’s not quite as evil as Romulus Mortifer, but in many ways, she comes close. Mostly because she was inspired by a teacher who refused to believe in me or nurture my  burgeoning talent. (OK, it wasn’t burgeoning in 10th grade. But it could have been with bit more love and a little less criticism!)

Anyway, we all had one of those in our lives. In a weird way, we all need one of those. It’s so characters like these can exist. Say hello to mine: Aberdeen Hall.

I’m calling The Missing Crimoire TMC from now on. Short. Sweet. Done.

For those contemplating diving into reading a new book — I understand the commitment, people — I want to introduce you, so to speak, to one of the characters in TMC. The villain, actually. Romulus Mortifer.

Who wouldn’t want to dive into the workings of an evil man? Reading his thoughts years before he appears in my book? It’s just a tiny taste of who he is, so I hope you invest some time…wait. Asking you to invest time to get to know my villain seems odd. OK, so just glance at the below, get the gist of who he is, and then prepare to invest your time in meeting Luke. TMC’s hero. You’ll love him.
But first – our villain.

It’s a bit like birthing a child, writing your first book. Or so I’ve heard. While I can’t claim feeling physical pain as intense as childbirth, the emotional coaster I experienced seems painstakingly close. Joyful ups, gloomy lows. Plus, a protectiveness towards my manuscript grew deep inside of me. Suddenly, who was seeing it, reading it, learning it, mattered. Mattered like who my kid’s prom date was.

But, the journey was worth it. Most of the time, it is. And like those women who forget the pains of those nine months and shoot again for another, I too will remember not those devastating and heart aching memories attached with creating and shoot again for another. And another.

Say hello to my firstborn. The Missing Crimoire would love to meet you.