TRAVELER has gone through many revisions on its road to being a published novel. A lot of is was polished and re-arranged, and two subplots were cut completely. One of them I felt a little torn over, but the editors felt it was too much – considering the plot arc of that character.

So here’s what the original scene looked like, the first time Jessa stepped through an antique mirror and met Pirate Finn . . .

“Jessa? Is something wrong, love?”

I open my mouth and close it again, shaking my head. “You sound kind of…Irish.”

“Well how d’you expect me to sound?” he asks, confused.

“I–I don’t know. I guess the Irish is fine.” Actually, it was sexy and it made my stomach flutter, is what I really want to say to him, but maybe it’s just the aftermath of that kiss.

I glance around. “Love the ship.”

“Well, I would hope so. It’ll be your home soon enough.”

“But I’m en–” I break off as the rest of the memories fill my head. I’m not marrying Boyce. I’m running away. I three weeks, I’ll be running away with Finn. He pulled into port four months ago, and told me I was a Traveler. We’d become romantically involved shortly after. And we are leaving town, sailing away together.

Because I was pregnant.

Suddenly, entirely too many memories are filling my head, and I step back, putting a little room between us. My hand goes instinctively to my belly.

His eyes show his concern, and he steps forward, placing his hand over mine across my lower stomach.

“Are you all right, love? Is it the babe?”

That’s right – in the original version of the story, alternate Jessa and Pirate Finn were running away together and planning to elope in order to head off the coming scandal. And now you know why he had to loosen her corset strings at the ball later – it wasn’t just because she was constricted – she was worried about the baby.

I thought it was an interesting exercise to see Jessa experience being a teen mom, and there were a couple of lovely, tender moments between her and Finn because of it. Unfortunately, it really did put an entirely different spin on the epilogue that the editors thought might be too dark.

So there’s that tidbit – expect more scenes from the cutting room floor in the future!