Here's a blatant promotion of my alter ego, Wayzgoose, and his new book, American Royalty 1: Coming of Age. I generally keep my two personalities as separate as I can so I don't get confused. But this is a story I'm quite excited about.
During the first draft writing, I was torn as to whether this would be a Devon Layne book or a Nathan Everett book. It has a lot of sexual content as a coming of age story like Devon Layne stories do. But there is very little explicit sex in the story and what is there could be toned down enough to make it acceptable in the literary genre of Nathan Everett. The result was ultimately that it would be released in June as Nathan Everett's newest literary romance.
However, the version posted here under my author name 'Wayzgoose' still has the unexpurgated sexual content, making it the first story under that name to be marked with the code 'Minimal Sex' rather than 'No Sex.' At the same time, don't expect this story to have my 16- and 18-year-olds falling into bed in the first chapter with the best sex of their lives. There will be a long slow build before it gets to the point fumbling explorations.
Because American Royalty 1: Coming of Age isn't about the sex. It is set in an alternate universe in which America has a well-defined and functioning class structure. Unlike class structures you may be familiar with, however, this one is not based on wealth, hierarchy, or heredity. It is based on the careful analysis of a person's fundamental character. The entire education system is tasked with determining a child's ultimate class and teaching accordingly. Typically, a child is told what his or her class is at about the time of reaching majority-sixteen. However, in some instances, a final classification might not occur until the early twenties, and people may influence their class standing by applying themselves to developing the necessary character. In other instances, it seems some kids know what class they are from the moment they are born.
In this defined class structure, however, someone must teach the newest royal what it means and how to behave socially as a royal. And who better to mentor a royal than a servant?
American Royalty 1: Coming of Age follows young Liam Cyning from the time he is told he is royal until he shows he can actually act and perform as a royal. Beside him through this growth is his new personal assistant and mentor (and one-time nemesis), Meredith Sauvage. The two struggle with developing relationships, class conflict, and family values.
You will find the language in this story to more formal and possibly stilted than most of my writing. It might be helpful to imagine a William Powell/Myrna Loy or Clark Gable/Joan Crawford movie of the 1930s. However, you will find social, political, and scientific development to have its own timeline in this story. The actual date is never mentioned. Automobiles are plentiful but air travel is rare. Telephones (landlines) are so common as to have one in almost every room but there are no cellphones or personal computers. Children reach their majority as adults at age sixteen but there are still restrictions on their movement and school is far more flexible with some leaving at age sixteen to go on to the workforce and some simply continuing either in high school or moving directly to college.
The story structure is slightly more complex than most of my stories. The odd numbered chapters are written from the point of view of someone from one of the twelve classes, each different. The short chapters of 1,000 to 2,000 words each often provide explanations or introduce action from the long chapters. The even numbered chapters are between 8,000 and 10,000 words and are written from either the point of view of Liam or of Meredith. They switch back and forth after chapter four.
Chapters one to three of American Royalty 1: Coming of Age have been posted today. Each week, a long chapter and a short chapter will be posted on Sunday mornings for ten weeks. I am most interested in your comments, which will be publicly viewable. Voting will be turned on at the end of chapter seven-in two weeks. Please feel free to leave comments or to send email as I will be rewriting during the next month for a commercial release in June. Since this will not be the 'final' version, no eBook of this version will be made available.
I appreciate all your support for both my author identities, aroslav and Wayzgoose. Please enjoy!