MEET MY WIP: Not The Chosen One (A Totally New Story! Dragons, Ganglords, Cliche Flips, oh my!)
Hello, peoples! I figure it's just about time I introduce you all properly to my new WIP! I've been teasing a lot about it in certain circles, but I haven't mentioned it at all on my blog, so it is time.
Not the Chosen One
A Novel by R.F. Gammon
Years ago, the Six Warriors saved New York from the Forces of Darkness. They were dragon riders, heroes, wielders of a deep and unknown magic. Now they work 9-5 jobs and have kids, and it’s time for someone else to face the Darkness in its resurgence.
The Mage announces that there is only one way to find the next Chosen One: a light from the heavens will shine down at the next assembly, and the person it strikes will be the next hero. Everyone expects it to be Cassie, the daughter of two of the Six. No one expects the real Chosen One: Keo, the most ruthless mafia lord in NYC.
When Cassie is sixteen, Keo contacts her with a deal: she will perform his Chosen One duties, while he defends New York. An easy fix for everyone. But the Forces of Darkness are stronger than anyone could imagine, and it’s possible that Cass isn’t strong enough to save the world...
I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH OKAY. So, here: some snippets, aesthetics, character art, and songs!
Cassandra Mae Tennant (aka Cass), the Protagonist
Someone banged on the bathroom door. “Cassandra! If you waste all the hot water there will be nothing left for your father!”
Cass moaned. “I’m coming, Mom! Geez!” She forced herself out of the shower. Wringing her hair out with a towel as she applied her thin layer of makeup, she stared at herself in the mirror. An angry face, paler than a vampire’s and with more zits than was healthy, stared back at her. She could probably enter a contest and win for Most Tired with those shadows under her eyes. She was dead, basically. She was absolutely dead.
Vampire or zombie? That was the question.
Either way, she could imagine drinking blood or eating brains. Preferably those of her teachers. And the dress code people. And the stupid idiots who tried to rob her island and burn Manhattan down every night.
Coffee//self-defense class//hoodies//gal pals//caramel flavoring//the hero we didn't need//famous//bad grades//dragon rider//sass//warrior
Keo, the ganglord
Every seat and table was empty.
Except for one seat, where a man in a black suit and sunglasses sat, his dishevelled black hair in a tumbled mess across the top of his head. His feet were propped on the table. Two steaming mugs of espresso sat on the table before him.
“A pleasure, Miss Tennant,” he said, rising from his seat and pulling off the sunglasses. His eyes were shockingly black. “Fancy a caramel macchiato with whole milk?”
Secret strength//suits//honesty//make a buck//power is awfully nice//close friendships//mentor and father type//vodka occasionally//smokes out of spite
Myles, the gangster boy
“Myles, are you crazy?” Cass shrieked.
“They took my hoverboard!” Myles looked up. Despite the split lip, the blood in his hair, his black eye, and the fact that he was being forced up onto his knees, he looked the most upset about this statement. “They took it from me and they beat me up! And they took my gun, too. I hope you’re proud of yourself, Cass.”
“You idiot!” she screamed.
“Aww, thanks, does this mean we get along now?”
“No!”
Petty thief//hoverboards//I like guns//three younger sisters//romantic at heart//afraid of nothing//friends before anything else//no sleep//blue eyes
The Six: Yolanda, Zeke, Vera, Simon, Alina, and Wile
From the dining room, Dad’s voice boomed, telling some sort of joke that made the female voices of Yolanda and Alina howl with laughter. Dad, the only person who could make Alina laugh. A glass clinked—almost certainly Wile, proposing a toast. Mom laughed out loud and turned to run back into the dining room, leaving Cass alone with the dishes.
She groaned, plugged her earbuds into her phone, and hit the video chat button.
Lifelong friendships//the once and future heroes//dragon trainers//swordsmen//stuff of legend//business and day jobs//glorious past, monotonous future//collective parenting
Allison, the BFF
“I want espresso,” she said, and Allison nodded. “Mom will probably kill me if I miss the bus home, but I can probably just get a cab…”
“Oh, yeah, just get a cab out to Long Island. Because ‘I have money to throw around!’ ‘I’m rich!’ Sometimes, Cass, you’re despicable.” Allison sighed. “I’ll pay for the espresso.”
“No, you don’t have to do that!” Cass protested, but Allison was already marching down the street, and Cass had to run to keep up with her, ducking around a group of college students lurching along the street with fast food beverages and backpacks.
Food//living in Manhattan//sisters before misters//vigilante justice//"poor"//unpopular but above all that//would kill you for hurting her bestie//makeup is life//let's give Keo a manicure
Some general aesthetics:
New York City//nighttime//gangsters//dragons//romantic flight//Chosen Ones//saving the world//evil vs. good//sass sass so much sass//Sassy Cassie//crying over opera//unlikely friendships//see the giant guy? he's your mom now//politics are irrelevant, nobody will ever remember us
A couple more snippets:
“You don’t believe in the Darkness anyway, Keo. My parents know who it is and they’re prepared to fight back. That’s good enough for me.”
“Oh, but Cassie, what if they don’t know? Or rather...what if they do know, but they won’t admit it? You need to know a painful truth, and you need to hear it now.”
Cass snorted. “Why the heck do you think I care what you have to say about it?”
“Because you need to know the Identity of the Chosen One.”
“If you say my parents have been lying to me for my whole life and it’s actually me or something, I’ll probably shoot you in the face.”
“Let’s not resort to that, please. I can’t help thinking that would be rather painful for me. It’s not you, and that’s the problem.”
“Just hold on, Miss Tennant.” The voice was so casual she would have expected it to be from Alfred, Batman’s Butler or something, not someone who had just snatched her out of the sky. “We’ll have you home shortly.”
“WHAT! THE! HECK!”
They were on—a hoverboard. Some guy had caught her. On. A. Hoverboard. The city of New York sailed by below them, only a story above the ground. The guy’s arm was tight around her waist, holding her steady on the hoverboard.
“Why am I on a hoverboard?”
“Why am I on a hoverboard?”
Myles chuckled again. “This thing is loaded and ready to fire, boss. As always.”
“You’re cleaning a loaded gun?” Cass turned to stare at him, unable to ignore him anymore. She took a step back, putting the bulk of the desk between her body and his gun. “Are you an idiot?”
“How many people have said that at this point, Quentin?” Myles asked.
The big man in the doorway just laughed. “I think the count is something like seventeen now?”
Cass gaped at them. They were all idiots. Keo employed a bunch of hare-brained idiots.
Dad looked up from his game. He was wearing jeans and a T-shirt and watching football with a can of beer in his hand, his bad leg up on the ottoman. Mom was dressed in sweatpants, had her graying hair in a ponytail, and was drinking hot herbal tea. Both of them looked like totally normal, suburban, working-class parents. Neither of them looked like the Saviors of the world who had ridden against the Dark on dragons. Dad definitely didn’t look like he’d absorbed all of the Dark into his physical body and then tried to die in order to get rid of it. They were her parents, nothing more.
And yet the fact that they lived on a private island with the rest of the Six and a stable full of dragons definitely said something about the truth behind that statement.
That's all, folks! Does this WIP sound like fun? I admit, I really, really love it. It's SO MUCH FUN to write and I think it's going to be a blast both to edit and to query, so I'm really really excited by that!!!!! Chat with me in the comments and tell me what your WIP is!
40 comments
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I'm so in love XD Mostly with Myles, ngl...
ReplyDeleteThese snippets are amazing and also Quenten <3
Crying during opera XD XD
AGH, I love this so so much XD
I adore Myles wholeheartedly xD
DeleteYES QUENTINNNNNN
XD That's your fault and you know it
<33333 I'm so glad!!
um EXCUSE ME I AM DYING FROM THE SASS. XD
ReplyDeleteThis story sounds absolutely incredible, Faith!! (*cough* if you need someone to read it *cough*)
I ADORE THE SASS OF THIS BOOK OKAY
DeleteThank you!!!!! I'll definitely keep you in mind ;)
WHAT IS THIS INCREDIBLE STORY THAT I HATH NEVER HEARD OF? I DEARLY NEEDS IT
ReplyDeleteYOUR BLOG INSPIRED IT SOOOOO XD
DeleteHANG ON A SECOND. LET ME CATCH MY BREATH. Faith this sounds and looks and just IS so incredible!!!!! WHEN CAN WE READ ALL OF IT?!?! Now? Okay now sounds good. *blinks expectantly*
ReplyDeleteBtw, I tagged you on my blog. <333
Danielle @ Snapper
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!! Hopefully soon! <3
DeleteMAKE SURE YOU LET ME READ THE WHOLE THING ASAP WHEN IT'S DONE !!!
ReplyDeleteI SHALL!!!!!
DeleteWHAAT THIS SOUNDS SOOOO GOOD!! I love the snippets and characters!!! Promise you'll let me read it when it's finished <3 <3
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely! <3 I'll do a beta call for sure once I've finished writing it.
DeleteTHIS LOOKS AND SOUNDS AMAZING, BUT I AM LOWKEY TERRIFIED FOR THE SAKES OF THESE POOR CHARACTERS.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, same though! I’m so scared of what Faith is gonna do to poor lil Myles. 😥
DeleteDon't worry I'm actually way nicer to them in this book than I usually am to my charries! xD
DeleteThat...doesn’t comfort me😂
DeleteSounds so cool! It reminds me a bit of Renegades by Marissa Meyer, but I have no clue why. Good luck with it!
ReplyDeleteThanks! Yeah, I kinda feel that vibe too writing it ;) Thank you!!!
DeleteUm, I’m sorry, but I think MY BRAIN JUST EXPLODED FROM AN OVERLOAD OF SASS AND PERFECTION.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Myles is my little cinnamon roll and nobody is allowed to touch him. *protects the adorable child*
I literally cannot wait to read this story. Please let me know THE SECOND it’s available for beta readers because I will be signing up even if it means failing every class I’m in because I’m desperately in love with the Myles baby. <3<3<3
AHHHHHHH I AM SO GLAD TO HEAR THAT
DeleteI love Myles more than I can say xD
Okay I shall!!!!!!! XD I hope you actually like it when it's done and you can read it! XD
I am absolutely DYING to read more!!! Like, so much awesomeness in one post! My ability to even is gone!
ReplyDeleteAHHHH thank you Sarah!!!!! <3
DeleteTHE PERFECTION OF THE BLURB.
ReplyDeleteTHE PERFECTION OF THE SNIPPETS.
THE PERFECTION OF EVERYTHING.
😍😍😍😍
AHHHHH <333333333333
DeleteEXCUSE ME WHAT WHAT WHAT.
ReplyDeleteI've been dyyyying to know more about this since you've been dropping the title and just ALJSL:DJFL:J:SJDF. This has to be one of THE most brilliant concepts for a story everrrrr. Way to flip the chosen one trope backward, sideways, and inside out! I am LIIIIVING for this idea of the once big heroes now being white collared parents. Also, the mix of modern life with DRAGONS and hero stuff? *clutches heart* SO IN LOVE!!!
The characters all sound aaaaamaziiiiiing too. But of course they do. These are Faith Characters after all! Also your aesthetics are the best thing ever. "power is awfully nice" "I like guns" "let's give Keo a manicure" So much gold right here. XD
I JUST LOVE ALL OF THISSSS.
AHHHHHH
DeleteOh my goodness I love that you love it because just ahhhhhhh I don't know where this concept came from but I adore it wholeheartedly xD THANK YOU!!!!!!
Awwww thank you! And I died writing those xD Love these characters a bit myself ;)
THANK YOUUUUUUUUU.
I. LOVE. IT. SO. MUCH. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing. Wow. :-O I already love Cass. <33
Thank. You. So. Much. <333333
DeleteTHANK YOU!!!!!!!!!
What a way to turn that trope on it's head ;0 Love it!!!!
ReplyDeleteketurahskorner.blogspot.com
Thank you!!!!
DeleteThis sounds so interesting. :) And I wonder how the whole chosen one thing will play out, whether Cass will do it (despite not being the chosen one) or whether Keo will turn into the true hero. :D
ReplyDeleteAnyway this looks epic,
-Quinley
Thank you! Honestly, since I'm pantsing this, I kind of want to know that too. xD
DeleteThanks!!!!!!
You're welcome. :) I do hope that Cass does it though (since I love girl heroes)
Delete-Quinley
LAJKSDFJLAS
ReplyDeleteI'm casually dying over here. OH MY GOODNESS GRACIOUS GOLLY GEE!!! Faith, this is the most amazing sounding book I've ever read about and MYLES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <3
I'm dead now.
~ Lily Cat (Boots) | lilycatscountrygirlconfessions.blogspot.com
THANK YOU SO MUCH AHHHH!!!!!!! Myles is my precious baby and he deserves the world *heart eyes*
Delete<333
THIS SOUNDS AMAZING! I already love Cass!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad!!!! And thank you!
DeleteWow! What a unique story idea! Can't wait to see it all laid out on paper! :DD
ReplyDeleteThank you so much!!!! <3
DeleteOMG THIS STORY IDEA THOUGH! It is brilliant, and I 100% love it already. All your characters sound amazing, and the premise kinda blew my mind.
ReplyDeleteFunnily enough, my sister mentioned recently how interesting it would be to have a story world where the teenage heroes were adults now and we kinda started spitballing ideas after that. It's so neat that you're already writing that story down!
Alexa
thessalexa.blogspot.com
verbosityreviews.com
Hello, friends! Do make yourselves comfortable and stay for a while--I'd love to chat with you! I simply ask that you keep it clean. :)