The Heartbeat and the Submarine

Above: A barred owl sitting on a small branch of a pine tree. Its eyes are closed to the sun, and its yellow beak is bright against its white and brown mottled feathers.

February 1, 2025

Happy February! We’re one month into the year already. I hope you have managed to find some peace in your days, all things considered. We’re past the shortest days of the season, and it’s straight on ‘til springtime. Personally, I can’t wait.

Updates

Convergence of Connection: This book is with my editor, and I should have her feedback by the end of the month. That’s a bit earlier than I expected, but it actually works out better, given our travel plans in March.

The Way of the Wielder, Book Four: I began writing the first draft of this a couple of weeks ago, and I’m already almost 8,000 words into it. It’ll be fast-paced (much faster paced than the first three), and I look forward to diving into it each day.

There’s another update I want to mention, but I think it’s about time I give that its own spotlight.

The Heartbeat and the Submarine

Let me take you back to the beginning…

The Submarine

Last April, my parents took my nephew and niece to a submarine museum. This isn’t a standard museum. You can actually walk through a retired submarine—sit in the captain’s chair, look through the periscope, see the mechanical room as it was upon retiring, everything. It’s really fun!

Anyway, this museum is only about half an hour from me, so I met up with them that day. We did the self-guided tour, walked around the visitor’s shop, and then went back to the car for snacks.

While chatting about various things, my nephew suddenly asked me, “So, when are you going to write a book for me?”

For perspective, I had published The Way of the Wielder a month before this. My nephew knew about that book, but because it’s not for kids (it’s definitely not for kids), he wanted something he could read. I told him I would happily write a book for him. He nodded, pleased with himself.

Three weeks later, we went to one of his lacrosse games. As we were getting ready to leave, he asked me, “So, how’s my book coming along?”

Biting back a laugh, I told him, “I haven’t started it yet. But I have an idea. A boy goes off on an adventure with a submarine crew. How does that sound?”

He smirked—he’s just like his father—and nodded. “Cool.”

And that was that.

The Heartbeat

I struggled to find a catalyst for the story. The submarine was a fun aspect, but it felt incomplete by itself. I needed something more. Something that would make the submarine’s presence important and exciting.

A couple of months after visiting the museum, I was weeding in the garden when I heard something strange in the distance. It was almost like a heartbeat—low and slow, and massive.

Sounds like a monster in the sky, my writer’s brain said with a chuckle. Then my eyes widened. Suddenly, I had my catalyst.

Putting It Together

Once I had the pieces, the outline came together in a matter of days. But I had other things to do before I could start writing it (namely, publish Mysteries of the Material and edit Convergence of Connection). I dabbled a bit in November, but come December I put my full focus on this story, and finished the first draft in mid-January.

As always, there was some deviation from the outline. It’s still a middle grade magical realism story, but it’s more aligned with my universe of stories than I first envisioned (which is good!). Overall, I’m really pleased with how it came out, and I look forward to editing it later this month.

The Blurb

I don’t have an official blurb for this story yet, but here’s what I’m thinking:

Ten-year-old Collin has heard countless tales of adventure from his dad and grandpa. This year, he’s determined to find one for himself.

One day, while wandering the beach, he hears a mysterious heartbeat over the sea. He also finds an abandoned submarine. Curious, he steps inside, and discovers it’s anything but abandoned.

When the crew asks him to join their mission to find the source of the heartbeat, Collin accepts. The adventure that follows is filled with science and magic—and is one Collin will never forget.

The Heartbeat and the Submarine will be released in July, just in time for my nephew’s birthday.

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That’s all for now. Thanks for reading, and as always, stay creative!

~Sarah