This is the beginning of my story of Celine, an illegitimate child possessing “the hum” which gives her empathic abilities. Could you please read the first part of the chapter and let me know what you think? Do you want more? Why or why not? Thank you. Chapter One The Severing Power Gallantide — Where the Rivers Meet the Sea in Melavaire Celine had always known the hum. It had lived beneath her thoughts for as long as she could remember—a soft, steady presence, like a second heartbeat that did not belong entirely to her. When she was small, she thought everyone felt it. They did not. Celine, just ten-years old, sat cross-legged on a worn wolfskin in the library, Amma—her grandmother—opposite her. The chamber was warm with firelight and memory. The little girl’s small wooden tarot cards lay spread carefully before her, each one turned with quiet attention, while Amma’s voice drifted through the final lines of a story from the Children’s Book of Illusions. In soft finality for the evening, Amma closed the book before Celine could ask for another story. Candlelight flickered across Amma’s face. The fire answered with a soft crack. Around them, the books watched in silence—stories of the gifted, written in a time before such gifts—knacks, as they were called among the enslaved—were named a poison by the Sentinels and marked for eradication among noble houses like the Ashwyns. The hum shifted. It became urgent. A warning—and for the first time, frightening. Amma stilled. As her grandmother closed the leather book of children’s stories, Celine tried to delay her bedtime while continuing to flip over her miniature wooden cards. She ensured her voice was as pleading as possible. “Please read another tale, Amma,” the child begged as the candles flickered in their sconces. In the massive fireplace in front of them, a log burned, eliciting the sound of sparks and sputters while glowing flames warmed the room with heat and wood smoke. Books climbed from floor to ceiling on the other three walls, all bound in leather, a signal of Melavaire’s wealth. Scribes wrote this book, telling stories of noble children as gifted as Celine and Amma, published before the Sentinels declared them illegal for the “poison” magic they contained.

Being a romance author is more than writing love stories, it is the art of capturing human emotion in its purest form. A romance writer has the unique ability to turn ordinary moments into unforgettable experiences, creating characters who inspire readers to believe in love, hope, healing, and second chances. Every page written is an opportunity to touch hearts, spark imagination, and remind people that connection still matters in a fast-moving world. Romance authors do not simply create fiction; they create emotional journeys that readers carry with them long after the final chapter ends. The path of a writer is not always easy. It requires discipline, creativity, vulnerability, and courage. There are moments of doubt, long nights of rewriting, and challenges that test passion and persistence. Yet, true romance authors continue writing because storytelling is not just a hobby — it is a calling. A great romance story has the power to comfort the lonely, encourage the hopeless, and inspire readers to open their hearts again. That is the true strength of this genre: it reminds people that love, in all its forms, is worth fighting for. To be a romance author is to believe in the beauty of emotion, the strength of connection, and the magic of storytelling. It is a profession built on passion, creativity, and the fearless pursuit of touching lives through words. Keep writing. Keep dreaming. Your story may become the reason someone believes in love again.

What Makes You Stop and Watch a Book Trailer? 🎬📚 As someone who loves helping authors showcase their stories, I've noticed that the best book trailers don't try to tell the entire plot. Instead, they create a feeling. They leave readers asking questions like: - Who is that character? - What happens next? - Why does this world feel so captivating? A great trailer should spark curiosity without giving away the story. It's like a movie teaser it invites people into your world while leaving them wanting more. Whether your book is fantasy, romance, thriller, mystery, sci-fi, or historical fiction, every story has moments that deserve to be experienced visually. I'm curious... If you could turn one scene from your book into a 30-second cinematic trailer, which scene would you choose and why? I'd love to hear your answers and learn more about your stories.

Chapter 1 Complete Hi. I do apologize. I actually forgot I had posted my story on this site. Letting you hang in curiosity for 2 month was a little long. I hope the entire chapter is worth waiting for. Thank-you for the wonderful replies. I have written the story through chapter 6 and will post at least weekly. Let's get this rolling. THE DAUGHTER OF THE SHADOW PRINCE Daughter of the Shadow Prince Chapter One The Severing Power Gallantide: Where the Rivers Meet the Sea in Melavaire Celine had always known the hum. For as long as she could remember, it had lived beneath her thoughts, steady as a second heartbeat. When she was small, she thought everyone felt it. They did not. Ten-year-old Celine sat cross-legged on a worn wolf skin in the library, facing her grandmother. Candlelight moved across Amma’s face as the fire crackled in the large fireplace behind them. Leather-bound books climbed the other three walls from floor to ceiling. Between them lay Celine’s miniature wooden cards. She turned each one while Amma finished a story from the Children’s Book of Illusions, which told of noble children with gifts like theirs. The Sentinels wrote the book before they condemned such magic as poison and began rooting it out of houses like the Ashwyns’. Before Celine could ask for another tale, Amma closed it. “Please read one more, Amma.” “Celine,” Amma laughed. “Greedy child. You must sleep before your mother arrives tomorrow.” At the thought of her mother and stepfather returning from his desert estate, Celine shivered. She studied the three cards she had drawn, each small enough to fit in her palm, then gathered them and climbed into Amma’s lap. As she rested against her grandmother, the hum passed between them, warm and familiar. Celine handed her the final card. “Please, Amma, I found a new one. I do not know where it came from. Who put it there? What does it mean besides hope?” “Little Moon, you know all your cards,” Amma studied it. “Where did you get the Hope card?”