|| Calm of Day; a novel by an anonymous author ||

My first completed novel. Enough said.

Calm of Day Installment One; Chapters 1 through 8
Calm of Day Installment Two; Chapters 9 through 15
Calm of Day Installment Three; Chapters 16 through 20
Calm of Day Installment Four; Chapters 21 through 26; and an Epilogue


The book is best classified as Women's Fiction (a little different than "Romance" in that it does have a fairly complex story line, developed characters, surprises and a bit of twisting drama.) Like a typical romance piece, it's a boy gets girl, girl gets boy sort of read (with just enough heat to be entertaining), but there's a whole lot more to it. Including; class and socio-economic disparities, the impunity with which the wealthy and powerful move through the world wreaking havoc, addiction, trust and betrayal issues, really fucked up family dynamics, a dramatic near-death experience, abandonment, a lot of factual and fictionalized North Carolina colonial history, a sideline story that solves one of the longest running mysteries of Colonial America, and not quite a happy ending....

All of which leaves you hanging on for resolution in Part 2 (which is almost finished, down to the last two chapters, then edits.)

The first book is set on the northern Outer Banks of North Carolina (on a fictitious island based loosely on old Portsmouth), in Chapel Hill, and in Asheville, North Carolina (at an estate based entirely on the Vanderbilt estate; Biltmore) - with a few excursions to Boston, MA.

The central characters are:
John Cage; Vietnam vet who escaped back home to the sanctuary of his family's island, married and had a large family. He works hard to support his family in an economically challenging part of the world.
Ross Cage; Eldest daughter and our heroine. She's a complicated girl with an anti-social bent. A bookish type who lives too much in her head and in her books.
Jenn Cage; Second daughter with a much less complicated make-up. She's her sister's best friend and the sweetest, simplest contrast to her sister's depth.
Jackson Tyler; An ambitious, ethically blind (but loyal) right hand man to the heir of one of the largest family fortunes in America.
Rick O'Neill; The reluctant billionaire who struggles with his lineage, his wealth, and the endless expectations and responsibilities that come with being the last living "O'Neill"; one of the nation's most prominent, most successful, and obscenely wealthiest families.

Surrounding these are a host of secondary characters and circumstances who together set the stage for a drama revolving around preconceived notions, incorrect first impressions, control, deceit, greed, betrayal and the certain lack of trust in humanity that develops in good people as a result of all these negative experiences. The critical "turning point" scene involves our two most unlikely characters thrust together into a situation that demands surrender of their well-honed defense mechanisms in a life or death struggle for survival that neither knew they had in them.

Here's the Book:
Calm of Day Installment One; Chapters 1 through 8
Calm of Day Installment Two; Chapters 9 through 15
Calm of Day Installment Three; Chapters 16 through 20
Calm of Day Installment Four; Chapters 21 through 26; and an Epilogue

To view an image collection of important scenes and locations, as well as characters (upcoming), visit the Calm of Day Flickr image page by clicking here.


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