The Background Adept

Diving headfirst into a book is a wonderful plan for the weekend. But only until the book drags you in headfirst for real. Not figuratively. Very literally. And the author (to get stuck in his own novel!) was generous with troubles for my heroine.

Of course, she’s not someone I feel sorry for—she’s just a secondary character! So what if she lost magic, got pulled into a conspiracy against the crown, and they want to kill her? Those are just background details that readers shouldn’t even pay attention to!

But now the real question is: how do I get out of this story? Maybe try crossing my name out of the text? But the moment I attempt it, everything immediately interferes—circumstances, plot, the characters… Especially one. The one I should have kept far away from.

Cynical, unbearable, restrained—so restrained it grinds your teeth… In short, he’s great at taking what’s started through to the end, sending enemies to their graves, and driving me to a breakdown—both of my nerves and my roof. And also…

Wait. What do you mean by “to the altar”? With editors? I’m not agreeing to sacrifice myself! Not to that either! Or to any other version of it!