Football or Creative Muse? - Cracked Return Gets First Glance

After working on the next day's scene outline on my current novel, I allowed myself to wander into the realm of Cracked Return for a bit. It was either that, or watch a football game, and while I don't mind being physically present while the guys relieve their machismo, the sport fascinates me for all of two minutes at a time.

So, Cracked Return got a soft glance and a bit of thought. Here are the notes:

The book starts off on Earth - in the same time but on a different place in the timeline. Somewhere in the past, something changed Earth and allowed it to become a world of magic instead of technology. It still has modern comforts - but they are powered by magic.

Our tomb-raider will be the heroine of the story. So far, I've determined she is a thief, and she steals because (1) she needs to for survival - it is her chosen occupation; (2) she is rebellious and thrives on bucking authority; (3) she loves the adrenaline rush. She is naturally athletic, and likely very small, because it helps her get in and out of tricky places easily. She is classically beautiful, which helps her get away with it, because no one likes to think of someone like her being a thief. She is able to easily fool people into thinking she is something she is not.

Our nonsocial rascal will be the hero. He is a grumpy hermit who does not like to be bothered. At all. Ever. He orders all the supplies he needs from one contact in town - another man - so he doesn't have to interact with anyone. He amuses himself with drawing, writing, sculpting, and general creative activities. He also happens to be the protector of the tomb, which makes him a skilled and practical warrior.

At some point our heroine will get a bug to find this 'lost' tomb and raid it. She has heard legends of a dead god-king and the treasures he left behind, and she is determined to find it. She finds the tomb, disarms the guardian who is taken with her and doesn't suspect her for a thief, and steals the treasure. Maybe she goes through a bunch of challenges in the tomb, with the guardian hot on her heels. Maybe she slips in and steals it easily, and slips out with the guardian not knowing what happened until it was too late.

The unfortunate consequence of her action is that the two of them are swept into modern earth, a world without magic, and must learn to adapt. The book ends with the thief restoring the treasure & returning magic to Earth.

Possible twist - the artifacts themselves are the source of magic. It would be interesting to figure out how these small, steal-able, physical objects contaminate the whole earth with their magic.