I did what I set out to do. Now comes the work.

This book is complete. "The Darkness You Fear: Ghosts of the Lost Blue Bucket Mine."

Mostly.

Now comes the work.

I've cut a couple of minor characters, added a character who is minor but who plays a huge motivational role. I've changed a bunch of names. I have a chapter early that just doesn't work, mostly because I wrote in 3rd person and had to change it to 1st person. I just keep hacking away at it, improving it slowly with each attempt.

I'm using the location of Fort Boise as a jump-off point, though the first Fort Boise, which existed at the time of the events, was later moved 50 miles to the east and is the present day Boise. So I may put in a Historical Note:

"The events in this book are mostly true, though the names and characters are fiction. The Fort Boise described in this book was located by the Snake River and precedes the later location 50 miles to the east of present day Boise. As far as I know, The Lost Blue Bucket Mine has never been found."

I have to put in locations and dates. I want the to correlate as much as possible with the real Lost Wagon Train, (Meek's Cutoff). It's got to be generally right, but perfect accuracy can wait for the last draft.

In other words, I'm trying to get this book in the rough shape it needs to be.

I've taken to sending these rough versions to Lara, because her editing clears away a lot of things making it possible for the last draft to be more effective. Then, if she has time, she can copy-edit the highlighted changes I make.

As soon as I send this off to Lara, I'm going to start researching the book for historical details. This is adding embellishment and believability to a plot that is centered around the characters.

I'm hoping to have this book done by the first week of February.

I like the book, though I wonder if it is going to go over with the readers. But I did what I set out to do.