by Sarah | Feb 19, 2013 | Books, Changing Tracks, Hump Day Hook, Writing
Another Hump Day Hook! Once again I’m bringing Jane Doe to the party.
It’s been a rush the past two weeks as my book has been published, and read by people I know. Now my baby is going out into the world with blog tours and review sites.
As the whirlwind continues I wanted to bring you a character I’ve not yet shown during Hump Day Hook…the husband Jane can’t remember – and that knows her as Clara:
“Please don’t call me Clara.”
“I don’t know if I can call you anything else.” His hand settled on her shoulder. “I know who you are.”
“I might have been. Once.” Jane sighed.
*~*~*
Hump Day Hook asks authors to post one paragraph of one of their stories, whether a WIP, one contracted, or already published. Please visit and comment on the participants – you might just stumble on the next great read for your library! To see more participants, click on the HDH banner below:
by Sarah | Feb 17, 2013 | Hybrid, Tuesday Tales, Writing
Another Tuesday Tales, the same story – still without a title.
The prompt this week is spider, and I used it REALLY early on because I had no idea how to fit it into the story.
Remember, this is a meme with many contributing authors, so make sure to click the link at the bottom of the image to take you to see more!
Anyhow, as always this is un-edited mostly, so forgive any errors. :
“You want me to die. Simple as that. No explanation required?” I scoffed and folded my arms across my chest. “And what’s in the box? What plague have you brought me?”
“I’m not quite sure. It could be as simple as a spider or as complex as a simulated virus. I only asked that it not be painful for you.” My father continued to hold the box in front of me, I could feel the smoldering power of his will pressing on me.
“Impossible. I have settled in here. I’m attached to this family. The children.”
“They are not yours. It should be of little consequence.”
“Do you think me completely heartless?” My pulse started to race. The ambient temperature rising further, my hand once again burning. I stepped back from the offending red box. “Unlike you I care about them.”
“You’ve been known to be plenty heartless when the need called for it. I’ve seen you slay young ones weaker than those two.” He pointed at the family portrait on the wall. “When the need called for it.”
Tears welled up behind my ears, dousing some of the rising heat of my soul. I shook my head, “Never on purpose. They were casualties of war. A war I fought and survived just as you did, Father.”
“And now we must do everything in our power to maintain that peace. If war erupts again those two children and this entire world could be at risk of another annihilation.”
“Don’t be so dramatic. That hasn’t happened since the dinosaurs were wiped out. Millions of years, Father.”
“Jyoti. Have you ever known me to exaggerate?” His silver hair gleamed in a stray beam of sunlight as wind picked up outside. The planes of his human features shimmered with hints of silver under the flesh. His disguise had been hastily and not quite thoroughly formed. Even the gray eyes gleamed with hidden fire.
Concern lodged a lump of emotion thick in my throat. My father was many things, melodramatic was not one of them. “What has happened?”
“I’ll show you.”
I jerked my hand back from his reach. “I will maintain this form.”
He sighed and nodded. “Fine. For now you will.” The red box disappeared in a burst of fire.
Still hesitant, I set my hand into his and stepped close to him.
In another burst of fire my living room faded to black and all I could feel was the burn of fire and wind as we moved fast. I closed my eyes, soaking in the heat in a way I hadn’t enjoyed for fifteen years.
“You miss it.” His voice was warm and kind again. “Why do you fight?”
“Of course I miss it. It is where I am from, what I am. That doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy the life I have now. My home, my family, my friends. Being human is not as tedious as you make it to me.” I still refused to open my eyes, even as the fire faded and the world around us came into reality again.
“Look, Jyoti.”
Opening my eyes might mean being swayed to his point of view. My nails dug into his flesh until the thin layer cracked under the pressure and scales resisted the same fate.
“You must, child.”
*~*
Hope you enjoyed it! Click on the Tuesday Tales badge to see more excellent entries!!
*~*
by Sarah | Feb 12, 2013 | Books, Hump Day Hook, Morgana Chronicles, Writing
Another Hump Day Hook!
Since you’ve had weeks upon weeks of Changing Tracks to read…I thought I’d give you some variety by bringing back Rose Red the badass bounty hunter in Into a Mirror Darkly.
Red has just shown off her skill with her new bow. Wulfie, her secret lover, has been off on a mission for 8 months, and couldn’t even communicate with her for 2 months. So she’s been a little…pent up:
Wulfie picked up an arrow. It twirled in his fingers before he lifted it to look down the length. Once he’d finished, he inspected first the feathers and then the point. “Well done, Red.”
“Should be. I had months to work on them, plenty of frustrations to use to focus on making each arrow perfect. I believe I have close to two hundred in my closet right now.” She gathered the remaining arrows and carried them back into the house.
“That’s a lot of frustration.”
“It certainly is.
*~*~*
Hump Day Hook asks authors to post one paragraph of one of their stories, whether a WIP, one contracted, or already published. Please visit and comment on the participants – you might just stumble on the next great read for your library! To see more participants, click on the HDH banner below:
by Sarah | Feb 10, 2013 | Books, Hybrid, Tuesday Tales, Writing
Another Tuesday Tales, the same story – still without a title. I thought I’d reveal what they are in this one, but with only 300 words to play with…well, it just wasn’t happening. Hopefully next week.
There is a tiny little time jump for this one in order to make it fit with the assigned image, but really nothing happened, so it’s just a scene break 🙂
Remember, this is a meme with many contributing authors, so make sure to click the link at the bottom of the image to take you to see more!
Anyhow, as always this is un-edited mostly, so forgive any errors. :
The markings on my hand tingled. Itching fire crept along every line until it flamed bright red against my flesh. Just when I was certain the flesh would peel back to reveal what was beneath the flame cooled.
I rose from the couch, not sure if he’d arrive as a human or magically appear. But he was close. The ambient temperature rose enough that I began to wonder if the burning in my hand had truly died down or my body temperature just rose to match the coming flames of hell.
With a squeal of tires a fire-red corvette ripped into the driveway.
“Daddy dearest. How kind of you to call.” I knew he’d hear me over the engine. He’d probably hear me from the next town if he tried.
Sure enough the inappropriately distinguished gray-haired gentleman in the car looked right at me through the sheer curtains that covered my picture windows. Damn third sight. Mine could be useful, but his was just annoying.
“Forget it.” With my hands on my hips, I shook my head at him as he got out of the car. “I’m not doing it.”
“If there was any choice, I wouldn’t make you.” He didn’t even bother to knock, walked right in my unlocked door. Thankfully he didn’t bother with even a cursory greeting as my skin already tingled from his proximity.
“There’s always a choice.”
“No, Jyoti.”
“I am Carolyn.” I stormed after him. “In this life, on my vacation I’m Carolyn. I did my part. I fought the battles. I defended our territory.”
“And now you must preserve it, or else we all perish. You’re the key, Jyoti.” He turned, cradling the small red box that had been in the package in his hands. “You must die to keep us alive.”
*~*
Hope you enjoyed it! Click on the Tuesday Tales badge to see more excellent entries!!
*~*
by Sarah | Feb 5, 2013 | Books, Changing Tracks, Hump Day Hook, Writing
Another Hump Day Hook! Once again I’m bringing some Jane and Cole to the party.
This really is lucky week 13…because I found out yesterday that Changing Tracks will be released on the 8th – that’s this Friday! So you’ll be able to find it on Friday at Secret Cravings Publishing!
All month long I’ll be having a giveaway here on the blog that will include copies of the book and some surprise swag! So to keep updated on the giveaway and where to find it when it starts, make sure to head on over to my Facebook page & like it to get my updates.
Once again I beg your indulgence. In 95% of cases I try to keep it to one paragraph, but as its release week and I love this little scene and how she fends off his attempt to sway her affections, it’s a little longer. Next week will be well within guidelines again, promise. This isn’t much longer than a paragraph:
As her fingers sought the prize she had in mind, he lifted her onto the desk. Her hand abandoned its task when he yanked her hips firm against his. Desire rose to fight off her anger, winning the battle. She would cave soon.
The pain of the past few weeks rushed up at the thought. With a sob, she pushed him away. “No.”
“Come on, Jane.” His lips found the sweet spot just under her ear.
Focusing on the rising anger at the gall he had to assume she would be so weak, that a few suggestive touches would sway her, she shoved him back with all her strength. At his chuckling, she reached into the drawer and grabbed what she’d been after. “I believe I said no.”
Cole’s laughter faded when she leveled the gun at him, his eyebrow quirking up. “You ain’t gonna shoot me.”
*~*~*
Hump Day Hook asks authors to post one paragraph of one of their stories, whether a WIP, one contracted, or already published. Please visit and comment on the participants – you might just stumble on the next great read for your library! To see more participants, click on the HDH banner below:
by Sarah | Feb 3, 2013 | Books, Challenge, Hybrid, Tuesday Tales, Writing
Another Tuesday Tales, the same story – still without a title. It’ll come to me eventually, I suppose. I give a couple of hints into WHAT Carolyn is, but still don’t spill the beans completely. I believe the next foray into this world will answer it for you…but I can’t be sure until it’s written. 🙂 I do know that a couple of times during this bit I tried to slip back into 3rd person. Still not used to this first person stuff.
Remember, this is a meme with many contributing authors, so make sure to click the link at the bottom of the image to take you to see more!
Anyhow, as always this is un-edited mostly, so forgive any errors. :
I got to my feet and carried the box into the kitchen. For a few minutes I could do nothing but stare at it sitting on my table. Whatever was in that box could, and likely would, ruin the busy life I had now — only to make it more chaotic. I’d done my time, earned this vacation. With trepidation I dug the scissors out of our ‘junk’ drawer and sliced open the tape.
It didn’t matter if I could have sliced it open myself. Without direct orders I’d stay human as long as possible.
Brown shredded paper provided a buffer against bouncing. The assembly shunned many modern conveniences like packing peanuts. It now was suspect, the delivery truck and man might not have been anything more than my phoenix spy outside. Crafty creatures like that could imitate a great many sounds.
I sighed. No point in delaying any longer. I yanked out the shredded paper and it drifted like snow to my spotless bamboo floor. A plain white envelope sat on top of something. The stamped crest was made of pure liquid silver, set by cooling to earth’s temperature and removed only by fire itself. Not known to humans, only our kind knew of its location and existence.
Two dragons curved along the shield, their tails entwined, noses touching. The face of the shield held a griffin with wings unfurled. Habit brought my hand to my chest where my pendant hung hidden below my shirt. Solid silver, heavy daily reminder of how many years before my molt would occur.
So far in this incarnation I’d worn it every day, it had helped me appreciate the short span of time I’d have. After so many years it became easy to take a vacation as a human for granted. After all, thirty years is nothing when you’ve had eons.
I pulled my hand from the pendant and ran my fingertips along the lines of the crest. Once again I’d have to shed a bit of humanity to open it. They knew it, that’s why they’d used liquid silver.
A scream jolted through me and the envelope toppled to the table. My heart pounded in my chest as I glared at the hawk perched outside my window. While I’d ended use of my third-sight, I had no doubt he was the same phoenix from out front. “For an animal with a life as long as mine you are exceedingly impatient. I’m opening it. Go return and tell them as much. Nosy bird.”
Its beak opened and a staccato of shrieks echoed out, a loud and very poor imitation of laughter. “Glad you’re enjoying yourself.”
I grabbed the envelope again and stretched out my neck. Doing this would leave my hand marked for days. I’d have to feign an injury so Darren wouldn’t know. Maybe I could keep it down to one finger.
Eyed closed I focused on the burning heat in the base of my spine and let it build into a small flame. Under careful guidance the flame worked its way along my bones and into my veins down to my finger.
Pain let me know the shift was happening, but I kept my eyes closed. I’d much rather let instinct tell me the silver had melted than the visual of the matter.
Once the flap of the envelope popped up I pulled my finger back. It took ten times more concentration to rein in the heat and return it to my source. My index finger throbbed and when I opened my eyes it looked like someone had fun with a tattoo gun over half my hand. Lines wove together into something akin to a Henna tattoo, with both elaborate designs and the scallops of scales.
If only I was still single I could leave them.
No matter, I’d cover it later. For now, the letter had to have priority. I pulled out the thick card-stock and flipped it over. My own fathers elegant script scrolled along the card. A message and a command.
Emergency. Inside the box is your excuse. You will not be able to return.
“Bullshit.” I threw down the card. “I won’t do it. You tell him.”
My tattooed hand jerked toward the bird outside my window. “You tell him that I won’t leave so that I can’t return. I won’t molt so easily. Tell him.”
The bird let out a shrill scream before lifting into the air.
Sure I’d be in trouble. But I’d be damned if I’d be ordered around that easy.
*~*
Side note, to see approximately what Carolyn’s hand looks like after this little incident, it’s something like this:
http://blog.bodycandy.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Henna-Tattooing.jpg
(I’m linking to the image rather than display it as I don’t like displaying any image that isn’t mine on the blog. Click over, though…it’s pretty cool)
Hope you enjoyed it! Click on the Tuesday Tales badge to see more excellent entries!!
*~*
Another Hump Day Hook! Once again I’m bringing Jane Doe to the party.
