The Stars in the Sky

Author's Note

A huge thank you to everyone who read Marie and Will's story, the second story that I have ever put out in public. The experience I wanted most as a writer was to connect with readers who got something out of my writing: laughs, swooning, empathy, connection, the sense that I'm here with you, or an excuse to buy a vibrator.

Just kidding on the last one.

Not really.

Comments, votes, views: these things all motivate me to keep writing and I appreciate them very much.

I know that not everyone is my reader, but I love finding those who are, and I love it even more when I can tell who you are through your votes and comments.

This is a first draft where most chapters were written and posted same hour, so if you have suggestions, please let me know. I'm going to revise it, especially to bring out more of Marie's migrant farmworker upbringing.

A bit of trivia is that every horse in the book is named after a real horse that I have come across at some point in my life, mostly ones my kids rode on this past summer, although my husband rode Thor. Thor. Who names a horse "Thor"?

Everything else is entirely fictional. Well, except for McConnell's ice cream (yummy), Robitaille's candy (the Reagan candy isn't actually vegan, although other candy in the store is), Tri-County Produce (my favorite store on the planet), and Pea Soup Andersen's, all of which are portrayed fictionally.

So, what's next?

Three bonus chapters, if I'm brave enough: Will's first threesome ... Hmmm. This is written and it's frankly porn, so I'm wondering whether I should post it. I suppose I could call it "back story"...

Fuck it, I'll just post it ... I think.

There is also a 1,000 word essay on Will's abs (halfway written) and Amelia and Ryan's wedding (I'm stuck on describing the table settings). Two out of the three of those are the result of me succumbing to peer pressure from @maxinedonner. (She didn't ask for the wedding, I just want to write it. And her writing is hilarious and sexy, if you haven't checked it out. While I'm at it, props to my friend @BG_Davies too, whose writing is gorgeous, and who has a novel coming out shortly. I always want a suggestion of something good to read after I finish a book, to avoid the inevitable book hangover.)

Remember Jake, Amelia's workaholic hottie boss? His neighbor is a five-foot nothing, sassy, single mother named Lucy Figueroa. She's going to shake up his orderly, closed-in world. This will be the third book in the series, entitled "All the Waters of the Earth." I still need to figure out what I'm going to call the series as a whole. My intention is to make the titles of my books in this series be one long, run-on sentence ("The Sun and the Moon and The Stars and the Sky and All the Waters of the Earth and...") Suggestions?

Since I've been on this Wattpad writer's journey, I've also taken a look at some of my older work that no one has seen. I'm thinking about posting a couple of basically complete, non-erotica, not really romance novels here on Wattpad.

The first one I wrote as a screenplay and I'm considering turning it into a novel. I've called it a few things, including "Tad and the Cartoon Girl" and "Take Me Too." It involves anime, surfers, rainbows, record shops, and the ability to be drawn physically into another person's dreams. There's some sex in it but nowhere near much as this series.

The second is teen fiction about two girls who want to sing: one who works at a Dairy Queen, the other is a pampered princess. I wrote it for NaNoWriMo a few years ago and have played with it a bit since then. It might be fun to have some writing on Wattpad that is not labeled as "mature." I don't only write about people in bed. Or in the shower. Or in a barn. Or in a supply closet.

Off of Wattpad, I'm going to re-write The Sun and the Moon — an expanded and revised edition. We'll talk about what the Pop Rocks actually felt like.

So, stay tuned, keep in touch (I try to respond to all comments and messages — although sometimes Wattpad is stinky about notifications), and thanks for reading.

I have the best readers!

Love,

Leslie