I am in a new book writing club. Each month we write  chapter in a book and send it to the next name on the list. This is our first month so I get to write the first chapter of my book. Next month I will be writing the second chapter in someone’s book. It should be fun. Our group is called The Tea Party Book Writers. It will be interesting to get my book back at the end of the year to see what direction the story has gone.

Here is my front cover:

Here is my first chapter:

Chapter 1

Felicity Blank

              Once there was a girl named Felicity. She had a father who was always playing with her, when he wasn’t away or at work, a beautiful mother who was always laughing at her jokes, and a loyal husky, Trotsky, who followed her to school each morning, patiently waited, then went home with her each afternoon. She didn’t have any brothers or sisters, but she desperately wanted a brother to have adventures with and was always daydreaming about the fun she would have. Felicity was a complete tomboy.

            Her teacher, Mr. Leaman, was a very strict, harsh teacher and all his pupils feared him, except for Feliss; or so everyone thought. Feliss really wasn’t afraid of teacher Leaman until…

            “Felicity…. FEL-ICITY!” Slap.

All of a sudden Felicity felt an agonizing pain on her hand. She realized she had been daydreaming and teacher had wanted her. Four more slaps came rapidly and she was at full attention holding back the tears in her sky blue eyes and cradling a rose-red hand while listening to teacher’s scolding.

            “Felicity, why have you not been paying attention to your studies? You shall stay after class and miss your recess. You shall have extra school work to take home. Now, take your slate to the corner and fill in every answer correctly and make sure you speak your replies immediately. Do I make myself clear?” Seeing Felicity’s nod he started slowly, “then… go... to… the…. CORNER!” Felicity jumped as he roared the last word, grabbed her slate and ran white-faced to the chair in the corner where she started to study.

Recess was called and as Felicity watched her classmates file out, she saw the smile that her best friend, Bobby, gave her in encouragement. When she was finally released from school, Trotsky was still waiting to walk home with her. Felicity started to run as fast as she could. When Felicity ran fast, no one could catch her. She could easily outdistance all of her classmates and even father could not match her speed. Trotsky could beat her though and he easily pulled ahead in the race for home.

The teacher only kept her a few minutes after class and when she arrived at home supper was not yet ready.  “Oh Feliss, you’re home already? Well, go round up and feed the animals.” said mother. “By the time you finish washing up supper will be ready for you.”

Felicity started her chores straight away. Father had five hounds that he used for racing- Grip, Fang, Wolf, Spike and Cody. Occasionally, Felicity raced Trotsky and he always won, giving her a little pocket money.  But she didn’t like to use him like that very often. Her mother had a coop full of chickens. The milk cow, Betsy, was gentle and never kicked the milking bucket. The family also had five horses, one for each of them, plus two extras. Feliss had Socks, mother had Mary, father had Benny and the others were Bill and Pat.

Felicity had taken care of the animals and washed up. She was just about to go inside when father came home. Feliss ran and jumped into her father’s arms. She received a large hug and they walked inside for supper. They ate chicken, corn-on-the-cob, mashed potatoes, peas and had a fresh glass of milk to drink.

“Tomorrow is Saturday, dearest.” Father was saying to mother “And I do believe it’s somebody’s birthday but I can’t remember whose it was, do you think you could help me remember, Margaret.”

            “Oh, I can’t think of whose it would be Howard…but I just can’t keep from thinking it was someone in the family.” said mother

            “Whose could it be?” said father “Aunt Rebecca’s?”

“Cousin Bailey’s?”

“Uncle Joe’s?”

“Grandpa Billy’s?”

“Excuse me, but I do believe I know whose it is.” said Feliss in a rather loud, posh kind of tone.

            “Whose?” asked mother and father with surprised, amused faces, but they just couldn’t hold the smile in any longer. “MINE!” shouted Feliss.

“Oh, it couldn’t be.” said father. “Yours is July 17^th.”

“No, that’s Aunt Rebecca’s.”

“Well, September 3^rd then.”

“But that’s Cousin Bailey’s.”

“May 8^th!”

“Uncle Joe’s.”

“August 12^th.”

“Grandpa Billy’s.”

“Well, I guess it was yours then, you win!”

“What shall we do tomorrow, Howard? It must be something special.” said mother.

“I think we should have a picnic by the lake so Feliss and whoever she invites can go swimming and swing on the rope swing.” Father suggested.

            “Oh, that’s a wonderful idea father!” said Feliss excitedly.

“Who do you want to invite Feliss?” asked mother.

“Ha!” father exclaimed “Isn’t it obvious she wants to invite Bobby and Peter?”

 “Ah yes.” said mother “Poor Bobby and Peter. With their father dead and their mother near death, if she dies the poor children will be put on an orphan train and sent away.”  At this Feliss dropped her fork “But if she does die we’ll adopt them won’t we? We have to!”

            “Feliss with the hounds, horses and chickens to feed we don’t have so much money” said mother.

            “Then sell the hounds and eat the chickens or better yet sell the chickens too. Then we’d have the money!” cried Feliss, burning with emotion.

            “Feliss please.” said father “The boys will want dogs and the family needs the chickens.”

            “Then keep one chicken and three hounds, the boys can have the spare horses too.” cried Feliss “Then we’ll sell four chickens and two racing hounds.”

            “No Feliss, we can’t.” said mother

            “We could!” said Feliss.

            “Felicity!” warned father “You’re arguing with mother.”

            “Oh.” said Feliss bowing her head in shame. She knew it was against the rules of the family to argue with one superior to you. “I’m sorry Mother.” she said quietly.

            “I forgive you.” said mother. “But try not to do it any more, alright?”

            “Yes, mother.” said Feliss, joyful and perky again now that all was forgiven. “But, where’s father?” she asked realizing that father had slipped away.

            Mother put on a huge smile.

            Feliss slowly looked behind her and then… POW!

            Father slapped her in the face with a pillow and their Friday night pillow fight began. Later that night, as she was drifting off to sleep Feliss said a little prayer for her best friend Bobby and his brother Peter and their dear, sweet ill mother. She knew she would see them at the lake tomorrow for her party and she fell asleep thinking of the fun they would have.

* I know how I want my story to end ... I will be waiting to see how my friends change my plans. Ü

What do you think will happen??

Love,
Addison