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My paranormal romance novella, Prometheus Unstitched is getting closer and closer to submission time.  My deadline is 9-1-11 but I’m pushing for the sooner the better.

I’ve had three lovely beta readers go through it so far and I’m now busy, busy culling through their thoughts and running autocrit.

I’ve also finished two drafts of the query.  First draft I posted at Absolute Write’s query letter hell and Scribophile.  I’ve posted my second draft here on my blog.  Queries are always considered in-process until the story finds a home.  The synopsis is in process too.

Writing a novella against a deadline like carrying around a nearly full term baby.  You just want it to finish cooking as quickly as possible and get out of you.  ha-ha!  Me and my analogies.

I realize I haven’t posted any snippets from this puppy, other than a couple of sentences over at Absolute Write in the “Favorite Lines You’ve Written” thread.  Here’s the one and only snippet I’ll post.

Theo leaned forward on his elbows, forearms crossed.  “Ever heard of Cassandra?”

“Cassandra who?  Does she work in the costume business?”

“No, Cassandra from Greek legend, daughter of the King of Troy, lover of Apollo, priestess of Athena.  Ring a bell?”  Theo sported a cocky grin, the faintest of dimples asserting itself in his cheek.

“Keep going…” Cory whirled her hand to urge him on with what would have been a ludicrous story were he not super-powered.  She met far too many strange superheroes to dismiss any tales outright.

“Cassandra had the gift of foresight but Apollo cursed her with the inability to convince anyone of her predictions.  I am a descendant of Cassandra through my mother’s side.  I possess the same ability, and, alas, the same curse.  All I can do is all I can do.”  He tapped his chest.

Cory’s brow formed deep grooves.  “Okay, yes, I remember reading about Cassandra.  Why didn’t you call yourself Cassandra Man?”

Theo rolled his eyes and whispered, “No.”

She interpreted that to mean he thought taking a gender-bending name belittled his masculinity.  These guys were all so touchy about that sort of detail.  Recalling her mythology, Prometheus meant “forethought” in Greek.  As the champion of mankind, the Titan god Prometheus was a much more grandiose embodiment of Theo’s ability and purpose, typical of the superhero mindset.

“O-kay, but why do you say all you can do is all you can do.  What does that mean?”

“It means, I alone can take action to forestall or prevent bad stuff from happening.  For example, say I foresee you tipping over in your chair.  If I tell you, “Miss Blindbarrow, mind your chair or you will fall,’ you will ignore me and still fall thus proving my prophesy true.  I can, however, dash to your side and catch you before you hit the floor, if…” he held up a finger, “if I have shut off the prophecy prior to seeing you hit the ground.  Once I see an outcome, I can’t change it, but I can alter the circumstances to lessen the impact.”

Cory tapped her pen against her pad.  “That sounds like a paradox though.  If you change the outcome, you disprove your prophetic abilities.  With no prophecy, you eliminate the need for action.”

“True, which is why I can only alter the circumstances.  Prophecy is not an exact science; the edges are blurry.  Those edges are where I can effect changes and, if I may be so bold as to state, what I do not see, I can rewrite.”

“But if you don’t see it, how do you know you changed it?”

“I don’t, but there are certain laws of physics that cannot be ignored.”

“I dunno, I’ve seen ‘em broken a few times by the otherworldly types.”

“They don’t count.”

“Says who?”  Cory tapped her pen.