Song for a Lost Kingdom, Book I

by Steve Moretti

  What started as an idea for a screenplay and then transformed into a novel, has been a journey of discovery with a long list of supporting characters. My wife Pam has always been there encouraging and supporting me, waiting for “the book” before she would give it a read. That kept me going to get something done and printed to show her. Also my daughter Keera who wanted to read it right from the start and is my first true fan!

  To the rest of my family, mom and dad and my sons Phil, Marc, Tyler - thank you for telling me to stay on this road. I hope you enjoy the journey with me.

  I would also to acknowledge the contributions of many, many advance readers and editors who gave me feedback, suggestions and some brilliant ideas! Your inspirations were truly remarkable and the story would be much poorer without you.

  I began the novel in 2014, after developing an extensive outline and having only previous experience with screenplays. One of my first editors was Hannah Lawrence, who was studying in Scotland. Her feedback, inspiration and suggestions were like rocket fuel to me as the first chapters began to emerge from my keyboard. I am extremely grateful for all her guidance and help in getting the first draft done.

  A special thank you to Julie Brierley, cellist with the Stratford Symphony Orchestra in Stratford, Ontario. Julie was an early reader and provided technical guidance on music, orchestras and even martini’s! Her enthusiasm and encouragement were very much appreciated.

  I also received valuable input and feedback from Michelle Brown, Brynn Lucas and Deborah Natelson in the first year of writing. From suggesting changes regarding technical points (engagement rings, sword fighting, horseback riding, etc.) to expressing well-deserved revulsion towards an early draft of the Philippe character, your honest appraisals made such a difference. Thank you!

  My researcher was Emily Crouch, who dug up documents from her hangout in France, reaching into digital archives in the UK and Europe that provided new insights and opened up interesting directions to explore.

  A very special thank-you to my Ottawa writing group, Peter Smith, Wendy Patterson, Morgan Fortin, Averil Elisa, Eric Adler, Nicole Zkwakrala, Jen McCarthy, Mandy Sheldrake and Ivan Blake, among others. Our monthly critique sessions (that I still attend) added layers of depth to the story, caught more typos and grammatical issues than I thought possible in my wildest nightmares and most importantly, provided whole new perspectives. I enjoyed each and every meeting and I know that you will see some of your feedback reflected in the finished work.

  Thank you also to Mark Morey for your analysis and insights, Cat Skinner for your thorough and precise critique and excellent suggestions, Olivia Hauvuy for lifting my spirits while showing me what was broken, and to Keith Oxenrider who operated with the precision of a surgeon opening my manuscript. Asma Al-Naser forced me to ask questions early on and I kept hearing her voice in early drafts. Thank you to Joshua Laurent for a succinct analysis of the completed second draft, with some great ideas for improvement. Thanks to my mom, Irene Moretti and to Sara Sykora for a last minute read to patch spelling mistakes and grammatical holes! Any that got missed are my fault at this point.

  I would also like to thank of course, my final editor Penny Fletcher for her unbridled encouragement, enthusiasm and energy. Penny has a sharp red pencil and is a great cheerleader!

  Thanks to my mastermind colleagues Andy Statia and Kathi Nidd for practical advice and ongoing suggestions and encouragement.

  Finally special thanks to Sarah Penner and Lara Cloudon, who read a nearly final draft and gave me invaluable feedback. They are both writers, with natural gifts for language and story-telling. Their notes, suggestions, questions and encouragement provided me with chocolate for the ego that helped propel me to the finish line. Lara will be working with me closely on Book II. She also edited the Prequel and is another one of my mastermind colleagues.

  Writing may be a solitary endeavour, but in my case there was a whole team behind the words and story that appears on the page. I am grateful to have met so many truly inspiring people along this way.

  Thank you for your guidance and support.

  Steve Moretti

  Ottawa, July 2018