It's Another Weekly Check-In For A Round Of Words In 80 Days...See What's Going On!
Today, this typical Sunday in February, this bright, sunny, spring whispering sort of day, I discovered that my brother has welcomed some little lambs to his flock! One sheep even had triplets this year!
Sweet and fleecy, these babes frolicking merrily across the green brought a smile to my face. Hope you enjoy the same reaction.
Don't forget President's Day...
The third Monday in February was chosen to honor presidents past. Maybe slip a biography into your TBR pile on one of the great men in our nation's history. Always one fascinated with history (and a nosy-Nettie), the stories of these men (and women) of times gone are among my favorites. I've heard that David McCullough's book on Truman is wonderful. I keep meaning to check it out of the library...hmmm, yeah, add one more thing to my 'to-do-list'. One day...one day. Ha!
On The Writing Front...
Had to share this little comic I happened across! Love it! This guy's got the right attitude...ha...which brings us round to my editing progress...
* Ten chapters are edited. The document is corrected, updated, and shiny-new. Let's see...that leaves about ...100 pages to go. I thought I was closer to being done. Oh, Wait! I was! I'm still writing, too. Please, just smack me. Er...well, not really. This story keeps coming and coming. The characters are interesting and exploring them, exposing them is simply more fun than I expected.
I cannot complain, but sometimes I still do.
* Social goals met! Near the end of last round and into this first round of 2012, I'm seeing a few of my relationships with fellow writers deepen into friendship. It's really nice.
* New story is still on the side burner. I've been so heavy into the editing that I've not expanded on the historical idea at all. I still have about 50 pages of reading to catch up on for my research. There's no hurry.
* Finally, I wanted to put out a snippet of The Third Fate. This will also appear on The Third Fate's page....click the tab at the top of the page!
Meet Cael Maccinnnis...
'Perched on the concrete ledge, chilled night air whirled around his head, not that the cold bothered him. Fall had arrived. Dusky shades of twilight lingered in the west, but that, too, was of little consequence. Breathing in deeply, Cael savored the smell of blood, of humanity pervading the night air. He needed to feed.
Arriving in Glasgow to attend to business, now concluded, Cael had the city spread below, a pagan offering on the altar of his hunger. Feeding from mortals offered sustenance. With little strength to be gained from their blood and the absence of the sensuality found in feeding from another vampire, Cael approached the necessity with resigned indifference - unless hunger grew too strong, as he had allowed this time.'
Meet Paige Kinnell...
'Paige blinked, once, twice, peering about her entryway in hazy confusion.
I really need to get some sleep...
Throwing her woolen wrap over the bench, she slumped down, prying the chic heels from her tired feet with a sigh of relief. Twelve hour days plus her commute wreaked havoc on her fashionable tastes. Weariness swept over her, and for once, she omitted her regular habit of sitting with a mug of hot tea to unwind and headed straight for the shower.
Half-an-hour later, cozy in flannel pajamas, Paige sank into her overstuffed chair, pulling the yellow chenille blanket around her shoulders. She was alone; she'd checked the doors and windows twice, but the nagging sensation of a watchful presence lingered eerily. Reaching for her neck, Paige again felt the strange tingling ache surge beneath her fingers.
What is going on with me tonight?
Shaking her head and snuggling into the chair, she stretched her legs on the ottoman and sank into deep sleep. When her phone chirped much later, she uttered apologies in her dreamlike stupor and returned to sleep like the dead. As her body rested, her mind came alive, sensual images filling her dreams - images of a man.
Meet Pilar...
''Pilar,' he ground raggedly, 'in the name of all you hold dear, remove yourself from my presence before I...'
One look at him altered her disposition. He turned to her, breathing heavily, the green-gold beauty of his eyes hidden beneath fevered blood lust. She made to leave, to abandon her plan, but his thrall caught her, binding her in place as he slowly approached.
'Malcolm?' she breathed in a hush, no notion of whether this was the same man she loved.
She'd never seen him like this. He only came nearer. Pressing his lips to her forehead, Malcolm's hands trailed over her shoulders and arms as he breathed in her sweet scent. He nuzzled her neck, lightly scraping his fangs, now elongated in anticipation of tasting her, against her tender flesh. A whimper escaped her, and Pilar understood without doubt that she had overplayed her hand.'
Meet Malcolm...
'A faint knock interrupted his brooding.
'Enter,' he commanded.
The gold-leafed handle turned silently, admitting Pilar Michaels, her head held high, shoulders straight. Pride marked her features, the Roman nose, dark mysterious eyes, small bow-like mouth with full lips.
By the Fates she was beautiful.
She was also his enemy. Supposedly.
Malcolm ceased his pacing, greeting her formally.
'Welcome to my home. I hope you will be comfortable during your visit.'
Her head tipped in deferential reply, a slight action with mammoth implications.
'You have need of my skills, Malcolm of Clan Gaunson. I, too, have need of yours,' Pilar reasoned. 'Perhaps we can help one another.'
'Do you propose an alliance of sorts?' Malcolm returned smartly.
'An alliance?' she mocked, yet humor glinted in shining eyes. 'Surely reciprocity is a more apt term, Malcolm. Or would you prefer we enter into a more permanent agreement?'
Malcolm caught her innuendo, breathing deeply. He would make no reply. It was safer that way.'
Meet The Fates...
'Charity, what are you doing?' Harry inquired, seeking her for a game he and Jael had dreamed up.
'Playing, silly,' she giggled, setting the glowing orb on the side table and skipping off to join her siblings.
'Playing what?' curiosity prompted him to ask.
'What else but a game?' Charity laughed, taking Harry's hand. 'Shall we play something new today?'
'Oh, yes!' Harry exclaimed, distracted from his questioning for the moment. 'But Jael wants to play hurricane! We haven't played hurricane in a very long time. Say you'll play, Charity!'
'Well...,' Charity considered. 'It has been a very long time since we played hurricane. We'll have to convince Old Zephyr to join us. It's no fun at all unless he blows his hardest.'
Harry ran ahead, yelling for Jael, and Charity smiled, thinking of her own game a moment before giving her attention fully to the upcoming festivities. She, her brother Harry, and sister Jael had loved games as long as she could remember, since Father Time set the hands of his wondrous clock in motion. Now, time marched on, but Charity and her siblings remained the same, children ever indulging in their beloved games.'
The Third Fate,by Nadja Notariani © 2012
Nadja
I recently met Shannon through BTS Bookclub on Goodreads, and I'm wishing her success today! Also this week, I joined The Questionable Content Reading Challenge, hosted by Pavarti Tyler. March is reader's choice, and I took a recommendation and read Gaijin, by Remittance Girl. I've passed my recommendation along to a few friends. Check out the reading challenge before you delve in, Gaijin is not a book for everyone. Dark, disturbing, erotic, and horrific, this novella will stay with you long after you've finished. 
A few additional scenes added into my handy-dandy notebook.
Strong openings are important...and as you can see, I've altered a number of words and phrases in my first page. Here's to getting it 'just-right'! Anyway...I thought Deniz would like to know that she's not alone in filling the pages with notes, thoughts, verb choices, and so on, and so on....
I cannot answer for anyone else, but I find myself unable to conjure the least troubling thoughts. I'm having a blast, and expect it to continue! January surpassed any expectations I imagined, leaving me absolutely nothing to dare complain about. Believe me, if I dared to complain, it would simply provoke bad karma...ha! Not this girl....No Way!