The Turtle Boy: Peregrine's Tale by Kealan Patrick Burke Read Free Book Online

INTRODUCTION
     
    I have to admit I'm fond of
writing introductions to my books, and here's why: Writing the
introduction almost always means the book is done: written,
rewritten, read and reread ad
infinitum (and often ad nauseum ), to the point where I'm
ready to fling the manuscript out the door, or possibly drop it
from a height and watch the wind play critic. It means I get to
brew some coffee, maybe light a smoke, and take a few moments to
directly address you, the reader. I'm aware that some of you, as a
rule, bypass introductions entirely, while for others it's the
first thing they read. Assuming the eyes scanning these words now
are doing so because they're curious, eager to discover what has
brought you and me to this place, and time, in our lives, let me
welcome you and promptly get on with the show, so to
speak.
    When I wrote The Turtle Boy , I never
intended for it to become the first book in a series. The Hides , then, was not
written to cash in on a tale that had put my name out there and won
a few awards, but mostly because after finishing and delivering the
first book, I couldn't get Timmy Quinn, or Kim, out of my head. I
wanted to know more about them, see them later in life, even if
whatever I wrote never saw print. It was also the perfect excuse to
revisit my hometown and resurrect some old ghosts. The Hides , if reader
feedback is to believed, went over just as well, but drew some
criticism because of its length. People wanted more, and that's
never a bad thing, but all I could say was that The Hides was the length it was
because that's how long the story wanted to be. Any longer and I'd
have been padding it, and that's something I prefer to avoid,
because it shows. Snappy, fast-moving scenes become drawn out,
exposition gets lengthier (and more tiresome), and the pace
falters. So I left it as is, with the promise that more answers
were to come. And I followed up on that promise, although it would
take over a year for the third book, Vessels , to be released.
    If anything, and
though The Turtle Boy has gathered quite a bit of fuss to itself over the years due
to positive reviews, the Bram Stoker Award, and the ridiculous
prices it now commands on the secondary market, Vessels was the best of the three
books, in part because my writing had developed enough in the
interim between installments to enable me to tackle subjects I'd
avoided before, and in a more mature fashion, and also because the
story itself had matured, as had the characters, and I had a little
more freedom to put them all through the grinder, with nary a
smidgen of remorse. Vessels is a bleak, unforgiving tale, with perhaps the
most alarming and surprising ending of all the books. Again, reader
feedback let me know how much the book was appreciated and enjoyed,
but a common theme ended all these emails and message board posts,
and that was frustration at how long readers would have to wait for
the final chapter, the conclusion of a series that has now spanned
almost four years of my life. Worse, I've had to admit that even
though the last book, Nemesis , has been started, it's not
even close to being done. So, while the final book continues apace,
it will, unfortunately, be a while before you see it.
    Hence this little curio you now hold
in your hands.
    There are times when authors or
publishers will get too greedy, particularly if they know they are,
or have access to, a cash cow. The same book might be released over
and over again, with minor changes but an unwaveringly high price
tag. And every time, fans of the author's books will fall all over
themselves to get their hands on it, only to find that the book
they bought isn't a whole lot different from its previous
incarnations.
    I abhor this practice, and have no
desire to be a part of it.
    Which is why, with The Turtle Boy: Peregrine's
Tale , what you have is not some hastily
scribbled prologue, epilogue, or mysterious "lost chapter of
Chupacabra" unearthed from some mystical secret