Heritage: Book One of the Gairden Chronicles (44 page)

Whew. Okay, that’s enough with the drama, don’t you think? The third and final reason for the existence of
Heritage
is less sobering. There’s a certain spirit—a certain magic, if you will— about a party of adventurers gathered around a campfire, sharpening their swords and preparing to catch some shuteye rolled in a sleeping bag in a ditch before rising at dawn to get back on the road toward the black tower off in the distance. Of battling fantastical creatures over sprawling, empty countryside. Of sitting in a study, the smell of old books overpowering the scent of stew roasting over open flames, and listening to wizened sorcerers talk of ages past. Of sucking in our breath when the heroes get knocked down by some ancient evil force, and cheering them on when they get up, dust themselves off, and give as good as they got. Of turning pages late into the night because fantasy worlds are so much fun to visit when the chaos of work, school, and family responsibilities press in a little too tightly.

I wrote
Heritage
because I had something I wanted to say, and because, as a writer, I let my characters do the talking for me. But I also wrote it because I wanted to pay tribute to the magical, mysterious, and wonderful stories I grew up reading.

In January 2013, with snow piling up outside and my apartment good and toasty, I doped Aidan with anesthetic, picked up my scalpel, and commenced surgery on what would be the second-to-final draft of
Heritage
. Two months later, Aidan came to, groggy, but so much stronger than before he’d gone under the knife.
Heritage
was done-ish. I sent it off to Margaret Curelas at Tyche Books. Four months later, I uncrossed my fingers long enough to open the email I’d been waiting for: Margaret read
Heritage
, and she loved it.

We had a little more work to do, but not much, to my delight and hers. Margaret is a fantastic editor because she helps her writers smooth out edges rather than ask them to build an entirely new piece. She helped me hit on the right word when I was almostbut-not-quite near it, pointed out inconsistencies, and offered suggestions designed to help me tell the story I’d set out to tell.

Three rounds of edits later, completed over roughly two months, and
Heritage
is done. Not done-ish. Done. Finished. THE END. And that’s weird. It’s weird to think—to
know
—that Aidan will never again pop into my head for a late-night chat about
Heritage
. I stick to a writing schedule, as some writers do, because it’s the only way I know to stay disciplined. There were nights when a flurry of ideas would batter at my brain. I’d type furiously in the book’s journal and go to bed, as excited to wake up refreshed and ready to write with Aidan as that nine- or ten-year-old boy was to open his Game Boy so many Christmases ago. That’s something Aidan and I have done for 10 years, and I’m proud to say that each draft of his first adventure turned out so much better than the one before it.

Yes,
our
book. Aidan is real to me. That’s how it works. Writers aren’t drivers. When the writing is going well,
really
well, we’re in the passenger seat, giving out directions when needed, but also knowing when to switch off the GPS and let our crazy drivers call the shots. Aidan took me places I never imagined back in 2004. I enjoyed the journey, and I hope you do (or did), too.

And we’re not done yet.
Heritage
is only the first leg of our journey together—you, me, Margaret, and Aidan “It’s about a sword” Gairden. I hope you’ll stick with us. We’ve got more to say, and more fun to have together.

David L. Craddock - 12 January 2014, Canton, OH

Author Biography

D
AVID
L.
C
RADDOCK LIVES
with his wife in Canton, Ohio. He writes short and long fiction, nonfiction, and grocery lists. His nonfiction publication,
Stay Awhile and Listen: Book I
, chronicles the history of
World of WarCraft
developer Blizzard Entertainment and became a bestseller on Amazon.com less than 24 hours after its release. Tag along with him online at davidlcraddock.com, facebook.com/davidlcraddock, and @davidlcraddock on Twitter.