Author Journey: October 20, 2023 - What's That You Say?

 Welcome to the scenic route! This will post late to the blog this morning. I'm struggling with sinus issues today and they started yesterday with a bad headache. Blech... I'm a little dizzy today, but I'm going to get this post out despite that. So here goes!

Author Journey: What's That You Say? 

Eh? Nano starts in eleven days? Eleven?! I'm so not ready for this. I don't know how it's going to go but I'm just going to dive in and do my best. I can't believe this month went by so quickly. Two unplanned trips out of state in rapid succession will eat a lot of time out of your schedule, too. I'm glad for those, though. They were both much needed. 

I haven't done a whole lot toward preparation for this coming NaNoWriMo event. And I don't hold out much hope of winning. I'm going to try, though. Thanksgiving will be a greater challenge this year as I'll probably be doing more cooking than usual. 

My mom is doing better, gaining in strength. And we got confirmation that her heart is definitely healthy, so that's been a relief. But she's not up to cooking big meals or anything yet. So I'll have to learn how to work out a schedule that works around what I need to do for Thanksgiving. Thankfully, this means I can read to her. I've been going through Over Land & Under Stone as time allows, reading it aloud so I can hopefully catch things I'd miss otherwise. 

I still haven't made any more progress on the cover art for Over Land & Under Stone, either. I don't have much motivation, but I'm working on building that. I think I have too much on my mental plate again. I might have to see what I can let go of in my projects, or at least, what can wait. 

I still don't know whether my books are live on Google books yet. I'll be checking on that today or tomorrow. If you'd like to stay updated on that, keep reading my Friday posts. 

Writer's Life: Oh, Yeah, It Just Gets Better & Better

As I mentioned in the previous section. My mom continues to gain strength, for which we praise God. Even so, at her worst, I knew this was a temporary thing, that it would take time, but she would get better. I'm certain that was God helping me stay positive when mom and dad were struggling to do so. Thanks for the prayers and please keep them coming. We still don't know what's causing her gastric trouble and so will need more testing done. 

On another note, I'm gaining weight again. While I'm not happy about it, it's been next to impossible to get to the gym and the summer was too hot and dry to go walk outside. I'm kinda confused, though, because I don't eat a lot of sweets. If I overeat anything, it's probably chips but I've tried cutting way back on those. I'm hoping it's not more food allergy issues because I'm already so limited on what I can eat. Of course, with us eating out, I may actually be getting something in my food that I'm not supposed to have. I'll have to be extra vigilant. 

Spartacus is still a chonk and he's still happy. We did find a shredded talon claw this past week when we clipped his claws. That shook me a bit. We're watching him closely to make sure he doesn't start favoring that leg. 

He's obviously going to sleep it off and predict a little rain while he's at it.

Just Keep Writing: Friday Fascicles (posted on Sunday, but...)

If this is your first time participating in this kind of writing exercise, you're in for a treat. If you've done this with me before, just keep scrolling for the prompt.

Rules:

1. You can use any/all of the words and/or the photo in the prompt below to create a unique written work. Fiction or nonfiction, poetry or prose, even lyrics are acceptable.  
2. Please keep the material you write clean (i.e. nothing R-rated or worse) if you wish to share the link to your work here, as well as if you link back to my site. I strive to keep my site free of such things. My readers know and expect this. I respect your right to write whatever you feel you need to write. And you're free to use my prompts. But if your material is graphic, I'd rather not view it, and most of my readers will not wish to. 
3. Have fun! This type of exercise is perfect for growing in the writing craft, or for helping through a rough patch in your current WIP. If you're looking to push your author limits and you normally write in nonfiction prose, try a whimsical collection of lyrics. If you normally write poems about real life events, try your hand at a fanfic. Give yourself some room to explore.

Don't forget to leave a link to your creation (unless you're writing graphic material) so my readers and I can check out your work. I'd appreciate a link back to this post to help me reach more readers, but it's not required. 

What do you think? These should be fun to work with. 

Story Snippets: Surge (Children of Y'Dahnndrya book 2) by Robin McElveen

Chapter 7

Settling In

Ya’el jerked her arm away. "I can follow you without being carried like a bag of vegetables." 

He smiled. The expression wasn’t pleasant. Then he shrugged and led the way back through the tunnel which remained lit the entire time. Once they stepped out into the open, Ya'el breathed deeply. 

"Ah! It's good to be outside again."

He turned to face her and unfurled his massive, leathery wings. Up close, she could see there were spikes at the end of the spines. Unwittingly, she reached out to touch one. In one swift, smooth motion, she found herself tucked under his arm once again. 

When she opened her mouth to protest, he spoke over her. "You have no wings. So you can't reach the place Edrea has chosen for you without my help, toddling babe."

Ya'el screeched once, a sharp yelp suddenly cut off by the wind whistling past her ears. Had the gusts not made it hard to breathe, the land receding beneath them so quickly would have done so. She couldn’t even look around properly. In moments, the Ammyr landed, opened a door, and released her roughly onto the floor of a wooden house high in the canopy. 

"You don't have to be so rough," she frowned and struggled to rise. The house swayed gently in the breeze. She stretched her arms out to the side and set her feet further apart to help her balance. "Agh! How do you walk up here?" 

He chuckled and grinned contemptuously as he enunciated, "Toddling. Babe."

"Oh, fine. Make fun of my hardship." She moved too quickly and almost fell over. Righting herself amid his laughter, she managed to place her hands on her hips for emphasis as she urged, "Why don't you go now? Don't you have other things to do?"

"Yes, I do." He scowled.

"Then go do them! I'll figure this out. Somehow." Throbbing began at her temples and above her nose. She rubbed her eyes with one hand and the treetop swayed again unexpectedly. The balance she’d worked so hard for broke and she stumbled. With one outstretched hand, he steadied her, then removed it as fast as if she was a raging forest fire. 

"Alright." He turned to leave.

"Wait!" While he turned around, she struggled with the belt of the skirt he’d given her. She didn’t want to owe this man anything.

"What are you doing?” Did his voice sound almost panicked? She stilled and looked up at him. “That’s yours to keep. Edrea made it for you."

"Oh. Good! That's good." She sighed in relief and wondered at the return of his scowl. 

"Maybe," he started slowly, "maybe I'm wrong. Maybe you will have more need of me than I know." He hung his head, as if his troubles weighed more than the world. "But they told you, didn't they? About the conjunction and what must happen during Festifi Geil'ia? Where you are now..." he trailed off. His brows dove into a deep vee, the transformation so sudden it startled Ya'el. "Where you are now will make progress slow,” he finished in a rush. “If I'm to mentor you, then you will have to listen to everything I tell you. If I say go, you will go."

Ya'el flared with angry heat. "Can't you ask nicely?"

"Why? I'm doing what I was told. You are the one who is rebelling against every offer of help. You can't succeed if you don't let go of that first." He would’ve stood tall, but Ya’el’s roof was too low. Somehow he still managed to convey strength, confidence, and menace.

"But this is who I am." Her quiet words hid the storm raging inside. Her family would've known and backed away to give her space. The hulking stranger before her did not.

"Then you will have to grow beyond the person you are now. You will either use those qualities to strengthen us when you become Serafin. Or you will die.” He paused, then added, “And so will we for there is no time left to choose another."

Ya’el gulped as cold dread poured over her. She dropped to her knees on the floor. "That's not so bad." A half-hearted chuckle seemed the best defense. "Expecting little of me, are you?" Sarcasm seemed the only way out of the darkness threatening to snuff out her light. 

Suddenly she looked up. The warmth of determination fought off the cold which threatened to overwhelm her. "I'm not giving up." 

He nodded at her declaration. "And I will help you as much as I can. For now, you should rest. The next few dawnings will be," he paused for effect, "interesting."

"Am I to wear this every day?" Ya'el couldn't help thinking how she'd really like to wear something more like the tunic she'd arrived in.

Kol pointed to the far wall where three rows of small square doors hung in two columns. "You'll find everything you need in your home. All were filled before your arrival. They’re for storage, the upper two for linens, the middle set for food, and the lower set contains clothing. If there's nothing else you need, I'll be over there." He hunched over a bit more and walked to a window beside the door, pointing to a nearby treehouse that was higher up than hers. "You just have to call loudly. I'll hear."

Ya'el nodded. "My thanks to you, yet again, Ammyr Kol." She hung her head and mumbled, "And I owe you an apology. I'm sorry for being so stubborn. And for my temper." He turned to go and she lightly touched his arm. He flinched away as if burned. Her eyes opened as wide as her mouth as she hastily apologized. "I am so sorry! It seems impossible...but...did I hurt you?"

He frowned deeply again and growled, "I am of Yacan now but I was born Genzetti. We do not touch each other so freely." 

"I guess, I'll be apologizing to you a lot, then," she grinned but it was tinged with sadness and regret this time. Surprise and annoyance flickered in his eyes before he shuttered them. The annoyance, she expected, but surprise? 

"We start early, when the suns rise. For now, settle in. Eat. Refresh yourself. There's a small closet over there for that," he gestured to the far corner where she spotted a neatly fitted door just wide enough for her to slip through. "Then," he pointed a finger at her for emphasis, "rest."

Ya'el nodded and watched as the dark giant jumped off her porch and spread his wings. She fought the shivering floor and scooted to the door to watch as he flew in a widening spiral pattern rising ever upward until he reached his own home to the right of hers. The motion of her home paired with his flight pattern made her dizzy. 

When he was lost to view, she closed her door and busied herself exploring her curious lodging. She found a toweling cloth, a cleansing bar, and a fresh change of clothing right where they were supposed to be and hurried to obey the Ammyr's instructions. A refreshing bath was exactly what she wanted anyway. Ya’el smiled at the thought.

I hope you're enjoying the story. It's been a joy to write it. While the editing process is somewhat tedious, it's still satisfying to know I'm doing something I truly love and working on a project I believe in. 

Were you here for the word prompt? If so, was it helpful? Please let me know in the comments. 

I know this is an abrupt conclusion, but next Friday I'll have another chapter of my WIP for you to read. Please do visit again. 

Until next time,
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