The Midnight Turn Prologue
Part 1: Genevieve
Genevieve St. Claire’s novel The Midnight Turn has captivated readers with snappy prose, steamy romance and believable characters. In a genre saturated with imitations and garbage, Ms. St. Claire’s work rises above the rest, proving creativity still exists in the modern day and a once floundering subject has life in its everlasting undeath.
--Hollywood Literary Magazine
Two hundred years changed a lot. My first novel has been described as a tissue of horrible and disgusting absurdity. It was dismissed due to the gentleness of my sex. I was called an imitator of my father, a fool, an upstart or any other term one might labor another with. Yet despite those naysayers, there were some who saw it as special and the success, then and now, has spoken volumes.
The Midnight Turn was to be my reintroduction to literary society, my written address to the world after a century of silence. Anyone who knows an author understands the difficulty for us to keep our mouths shut and I’ve been no exception. Waiting proved difficult but I needed the right character, an interesting setting and a story which would once again excite the imagination.
Christian Drake became a vampire right around the time my first novel was published. He was a scholar in life, a man dedicated to reason and knowledge. When his notions of life and death were challenged by his transition into a state of un-life, he discovered a vast society of supernatural beings. Some good, some bad, they occupy the stage of his progression from destitute victim to hero.
One paragraph does it little justice. Millions of copies have sold through the various online chains[1]. People fell in love with Christian. I approved a graphic novel and fan fiction appeared all over the internet. My agent booked me at conventions where I sat on panels and discussed motivations and plot, answering insightful questions from an entirely over analytical crowd.
Such success was possible when I was alive but the acclaim was different. Inscribing books was not unheard of but the type of celebrity I experienced was more akin to Byron’s fame than anyone else I knew. My saving grace came from a split second decision to dress a certain way during any promotional performances, to appear in a modern gothic stereotype.
Which is why I invented the name Genevieve St. Claire. Absurd as it may sound, it captured the minds of my readers. They thrilled at the mystery. Much like the anonymous release of my first work, the name alone (or lack thereof in the past) became part of the discussion. One thing I’ve learned, not only from myself but my late husband, his friends and my father, is how important talk is for a creative work.
Any of those things could’ve warranted their own story but the email I received trumped them all, at least from my perspective. I never dreamt The Midnight Turn would be so successful but perhaps when it hit, I should have prepared myself for the possibility of Hollywood interest. My style must cater to a cinematic flare.
I hired Colleen Withers as my agent right before I presented Turn to the publisher of my choice. She immediately came on board and since then, she’s cut back her client list from ten to three. I kept her incredibly busy, especially with all the tours and discussions. She was young and new to the trade but disciplined and tough.
Her email contained enough punctuation to make a grammar dictionary blush so it must’ve been real.
Gen,
I’ve been up all night brokering a deal with an executive from one of the big movie houses! They want to buy the rights to your book! The contract they sent is amazing!! It includes you having a say in cast choices, locations and final script approval!!! This IS HUGE!! I mean, I’ve represented a lot of people but only like…two movie deals.
Don’t worry, I engaged our entertainment lawyer and he looked over the work to ensure I’m not an idiot but it’s legit. Tell me you’re interested! This could take the book to new and exciting places! I know these people and they do great work! Seriously, GREAT!!!!! Get back to me soon! They seem eager to move!
And hey, turn on your phone once in a while[2]! I know your new one works. I just gave it to you last month!
Call me!!!!!
--Colleen
The exclamation point never quite enjoyed such a rousing turn. She didn’t have to panic. I would certainly allow the film to be made. If only I still held the rights to my first novel…the number of movies it spawned quite literally boggled my mind. Even with all the time in the world, I barely kept up. However, I have seen each and every one.
They ranged from abysmally horrible to quite good. They all seem a little taken with the how rather than the why or if we should but no matter. The visual medium requires such extravagance and in so inviting the viewer along the trail of a mad genius, they understand the obsession all the better. After all, I’ve seen such behavior in a creative visionary before.
It can be terrifying and wonderful to behold. Much as I’m sure angels feel as they observe God.
Finally, I would have the opportunity to see the ultimate act of creation from my work. Like The Modern Prometheus, these film moguls would take Turn and manifest it from the cold word to living motion. My own excitement did not warrant an abuse of grammatical tools but I couldn’t stop smiling. I set out to embrace the world once again and it accepted me with open arms.
No more shadows to cover me…no more big names to haunt me…my own merits…my own inventions…my own creation. Let it live…though my own quote hovered there to haunt me. The beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart. I guess we’ll see at the premiere.
[1] I’m amazed by how things have changed so dramatically. Online stores replacing physical locations seemed contrary to human nature. Buying items sight unseen? How? Yet we’ve all been forced to do it. For good or ill, the day of browsing are nearly at an end. Perhaps the apocalypse has nothing to do with God or Heaven. It has to do with everyone sitting at home, never interacting with each other as they scroll through endless lists of products.
[2] Mobile phones have become something of a danger in the modern day. They absorb attention, keep our heads bowed and our lives separate. If we’re not busy shopping online, we’re staring into tiny glowing screens attached to the palms of our hands. Technology may make activities easier, but they separate us spiritually until even while in another’s company, we are engaged elsewhere. That’s why mine’s off all the time.
Genevieve St. Claire’s novel The Midnight Turn has captivated readers with snappy prose, steamy romance and believable characters. In a genre saturated with imitations and garbage, Ms. St. Claire’s work rises above the rest, proving creativity still exists in the modern day and a once floundering subject has life in its everlasting undeath.
--Hollywood Literary Magazine
Two hundred years changed a lot. My first novel has been described as a tissue of horrible and disgusting absurdity. It was dismissed due to the gentleness of my sex. I was called an imitator of my father, a fool, an upstart or any other term one might labor another with. Yet despite those naysayers, there were some who saw it as special and the success, then and now, has spoken volumes.
The Midnight Turn was to be my reintroduction to literary society, my written address to the world after a century of silence. Anyone who knows an author understands the difficulty for us to keep our mouths shut and I’ve been no exception. Waiting proved difficult but I needed the right character, an interesting setting and a story which would once again excite the imagination.
Christian Drake became a vampire right around the time my first novel was published. He was a scholar in life, a man dedicated to reason and knowledge. When his notions of life and death were challenged by his transition into a state of un-life, he discovered a vast society of supernatural beings. Some good, some bad, they occupy the stage of his progression from destitute victim to hero.
One paragraph does it little justice. Millions of copies have sold through the various online chains[1]. People fell in love with Christian. I approved a graphic novel and fan fiction appeared all over the internet. My agent booked me at conventions where I sat on panels and discussed motivations and plot, answering insightful questions from an entirely over analytical crowd.
Such success was possible when I was alive but the acclaim was different. Inscribing books was not unheard of but the type of celebrity I experienced was more akin to Byron’s fame than anyone else I knew. My saving grace came from a split second decision to dress a certain way during any promotional performances, to appear in a modern gothic stereotype.
Which is why I invented the name Genevieve St. Claire. Absurd as it may sound, it captured the minds of my readers. They thrilled at the mystery. Much like the anonymous release of my first work, the name alone (or lack thereof in the past) became part of the discussion. One thing I’ve learned, not only from myself but my late husband, his friends and my father, is how important talk is for a creative work.
Any of those things could’ve warranted their own story but the email I received trumped them all, at least from my perspective. I never dreamt The Midnight Turn would be so successful but perhaps when it hit, I should have prepared myself for the possibility of Hollywood interest. My style must cater to a cinematic flare.
I hired Colleen Withers as my agent right before I presented Turn to the publisher of my choice. She immediately came on board and since then, she’s cut back her client list from ten to three. I kept her incredibly busy, especially with all the tours and discussions. She was young and new to the trade but disciplined and tough.
Her email contained enough punctuation to make a grammar dictionary blush so it must’ve been real.
Gen,
I’ve been up all night brokering a deal with an executive from one of the big movie houses! They want to buy the rights to your book! The contract they sent is amazing!! It includes you having a say in cast choices, locations and final script approval!!! This IS HUGE!! I mean, I’ve represented a lot of people but only like…two movie deals.
Don’t worry, I engaged our entertainment lawyer and he looked over the work to ensure I’m not an idiot but it’s legit. Tell me you’re interested! This could take the book to new and exciting places! I know these people and they do great work! Seriously, GREAT!!!!! Get back to me soon! They seem eager to move!
And hey, turn on your phone once in a while[2]! I know your new one works. I just gave it to you last month!
Call me!!!!!
--Colleen
The exclamation point never quite enjoyed such a rousing turn. She didn’t have to panic. I would certainly allow the film to be made. If only I still held the rights to my first novel…the number of movies it spawned quite literally boggled my mind. Even with all the time in the world, I barely kept up. However, I have seen each and every one.
They ranged from abysmally horrible to quite good. They all seem a little taken with the how rather than the why or if we should but no matter. The visual medium requires such extravagance and in so inviting the viewer along the trail of a mad genius, they understand the obsession all the better. After all, I’ve seen such behavior in a creative visionary before.
It can be terrifying and wonderful to behold. Much as I’m sure angels feel as they observe God.
Finally, I would have the opportunity to see the ultimate act of creation from my work. Like The Modern Prometheus, these film moguls would take Turn and manifest it from the cold word to living motion. My own excitement did not warrant an abuse of grammatical tools but I couldn’t stop smiling. I set out to embrace the world once again and it accepted me with open arms.
No more shadows to cover me…no more big names to haunt me…my own merits…my own inventions…my own creation. Let it live…though my own quote hovered there to haunt me. The beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart. I guess we’ll see at the premiere.
[1] I’m amazed by how things have changed so dramatically. Online stores replacing physical locations seemed contrary to human nature. Buying items sight unseen? How? Yet we’ve all been forced to do it. For good or ill, the day of browsing are nearly at an end. Perhaps the apocalypse has nothing to do with God or Heaven. It has to do with everyone sitting at home, never interacting with each other as they scroll through endless lists of products.
[2] Mobile phones have become something of a danger in the modern day. They absorb attention, keep our heads bowed and our lives separate. If we’re not busy shopping online, we’re staring into tiny glowing screens attached to the palms of our hands. Technology may make activities easier, but they separate us spiritually until even while in another’s company, we are engaged elsewhere. That’s why mine’s off all the time.