It was pointed out to me that in the kindle version of Astral Bodies 5, Chapter 25 is actually chapter 12 from part three! GAH! Sorry for anyone that downloaded it and might have been confused, but the error has since been corrected and should be live very soon. It was ONLY THE KINDLE version that was affected, so if you downloaded it elsewhere you're a-okay.
Now, on to NaNoWriMo!
...
...
...
I'm doing terribly. Only in the sense that I've been busy with school, and started working on Phasing a bit more?? I don't even know how it's already the end of November. I didn't get nearly as much done on Misled Souls (Astral Bodies 2) that I wanted, but hey, there's still a few more days. I'm sure I can do SOMETHING.
And speaking of Astral Bodies! The full version will be available soon! December first the compilation will be available, and is currently on for preorder at select retailers :) I'm also adding a few more chapters to Wattpad until the full version is available.
Showing posts with label NaNoWriMo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NaNoWriMo. Show all posts
Monday, 24 November 2014
Saturday, 1 November 2014
NaNoWriMo 2014, Day 1
Today marks the start of NaNoWriMo! I've been waiting for this for what feels like forever, because I'm so excited to get working on Misled Souls, the second novel in the Astral Bodies series! To kick off day one I thought I would post the temporary cover (that may also turn into the official cover!).
Arrowood was a quiet city, or so Tess thought. Until she met Adler she never thought much of murders, warlocks, or ghosts; not in real life at least. But now that she knows what’s out there she’s more determined than ever to develop her skills and help those that can’t be helped by normal means.
With the Arrowood Vampire gone, Adler brings Tess to their next case; finding the missing bodies of Arrowood. Over the past week dead bodies have been disappearing from graveyards and morgues, and the police believe they’re being stolen. Adler thinks they’re breaking themselves out.
Evidence shows that a man dug himself out of his own grave, and a woman walked herself out of her own autopsy. The undead are rising all over the city, and it’s up to Tess to figure out why.
Now, I'm off to start some writing! You can track my progress on my NaNoWriMo page here. I'll most likely start posting excerpts on Wattpad within the next couple of weeks as well!
Anyway, to everyone participating this year, Happy NaNoWriMo!
Friday, 24 October 2014
Astral Bodies 2
NaNoWriMo is starting very soon, so I thought I would post the synopsis + title for what I'll be working on! As stated before, I'll be writing Astral Bodies 2, the continuation of Tess's journey with Adler as she solves supernatural crimes in Arrowood. I have quite a bit outlined for this, so I'm hoping I'm able to get a lot done between school and other things.
The current title (it could change) for Astral Bodies 2 is...
The current title (it could change) for Astral Bodies 2 is...
Misled Souls
Arrowood was a quiet city, or so Tess thought. Until she met Adler she never thought much of murders, warlocks, or ghosts; not in real life at least. But now that she knows what’s out there she’s more determined than ever to develop her skills and help those that can’t be helped by normal means.
With the Arrowood Vampire gone, Adler brings Tess to their next case; finding the missing bodies of Arrowood. Over the past week dead bodies have been disappearing from graveyards and morgues, and the police believe they’re being stolen. Adler thinks they’re breaking themselves out.
Evidence shows that a man dug himself out of his own grave, and a woman walked herself out of her own autopsy. The undead are rising all over the city, and it’s up to Tess to figure out why.
I am ridiculously excited to start working on this. I've gotten the beginning outlined and ready to go, and I'm dying to begin! You can read the first part of Tess's journey in Astral Bodies, which has multiple free parts to it (or preorder the full version which is available this December).
I am ridiculously excited to start working on this. I've gotten the beginning outlined and ready to go, and I'm dying to begin! You can read the first part of Tess's journey in Astral Bodies, which has multiple free parts to it (or preorder the full version which is available this December).
Saturday, 11 October 2014
NaNoWriMo 2014
So the past two years I've been doing NaNoWriMo, and this year will be no different. Though it does come at a time when I'm in the middle of a project! Phasing is starting to wrap up, so I thought I would follow the actual rules this year (to work on something you have written absolutely nothing on). It's a difficult rule for me to follow, since I usually write the first couple of chapters to everything I think of and then put it aside for quite a while. But I realized that I hadn't started one project, and NaNoWriMo was the perfect excuse to divide my attention! YAY!
My serial novel Astral Bodies completed this year, so for NaNoWriMo I will be working on Astral Bodies 2! I've written nothing for it, other than a few brief notes on the plot so I look forward to seeing what I can come up with in the heat of the moment.
I don't have a title yet, so I'm just going to be calling this one Astral Bodies 2, and it will be the continuation of Tess's journey with Adler. I'll post the temporary blurb closer to NaNoWriMo!
My serial novel Astral Bodies completed this year, so for NaNoWriMo I will be working on Astral Bodies 2! I've written nothing for it, other than a few brief notes on the plot so I look forward to seeing what I can come up with in the heat of the moment.
I don't have a title yet, so I'm just going to be calling this one Astral Bodies 2, and it will be the continuation of Tess's journey with Adler. I'll post the temporary blurb closer to NaNoWriMo!
Thursday, 17 July 2014
Glenbrook First Draft = DONE!
Yesterday I typed the final words to the first draft of Glenbrook! Can you believe it? I can't!
I didn't quite make my goal of 70K words and it ended up at about 65K. But I still have to revise and edit, so it might manage to get there (or at least another thousand!). I'm so excited that this book is done, and I hope you guys like the ending ;)
I'm still going to be posting some chapters onto Wattpad, though not too many more. News and updates about publishing dates will be posted pretty much everywhere in the coming month or so.
But yeah, I just wanted to do a post about this! It took about a year and a half, and there were some hurdles in there, but I got to the end. YAY!
I didn't quite make my goal of 70K words and it ended up at about 65K. But I still have to revise and edit, so it might manage to get there (or at least another thousand!). I'm so excited that this book is done, and I hope you guys like the ending ;)
I'm still going to be posting some chapters onto Wattpad, though not too many more. News and updates about publishing dates will be posted pretty much everywhere in the coming month or so.
But yeah, I just wanted to do a post about this! It took about a year and a half, and there were some hurdles in there, but I got to the end. YAY!
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Wednesday, 16 July 2014
Day 16
Only about 10K words to go and I meet my goal of 25,000 words for Camp NaNoWriMo. Glenbrook is quickly coming to an end! I've been tweeting a lot about it lately, so be sure to follow me @somethingofdev for updates and such. Once I have the first draft of Glenbrook done and I've gone through it a couple times I'm going to set up the preorder through Smashwords (which sends out to B&N, Apple, and Kobo). So be on the lookout for that most likely mid-August :)
As for Glenbrook excerpts, I have up to chapter four posted on Wattpad, so if you wanna get an early read of it, it's there for you (and more to come! I'll be updating it about every ten days with new half chapters.).
In other news, Astral Bodies part 6 is out soon! Only two more weeks, and the preorder is already set up for you to get from Smashwords and Apple (and soon B&N).
As for Glenbrook excerpts, I have up to chapter four posted on Wattpad, so if you wanna get an early read of it, it's there for you (and more to come! I'll be updating it about every ten days with new half chapters.).
In other news, Astral Bodies part 6 is out soon! Only two more weeks, and the preorder is already set up for you to get from Smashwords and Apple (and soon B&N).
Wednesday, 9 July 2014
Day 9 of Camp NaNoWriMo
It's day nine of Camp NaNoWriMo and I've reached the climax of Glenbrook! With only 16K more words to go, I think I'll be doing pretty good to reach my goal (and if not, I will get it there in the revision process). Either way, I think I'm doing wonderfully in writing daily on it, way better than I was for a while. Camp NaNoWriMo really does inspire you to write every single day :)
It looks like I'll be finishing Glenbrook this month, and if all goes well, I imagine I will be able to do a late October/early November release. As long as revisions don't throw a curve ball my way and my alpha readers don't take too long to give me feedback.
Other than that, don't forget you can preorder Astral Bodies part 6 and 7 at select retailers. Fenridge and Northcliffe are still FREE for a couple more days! Get them now and then get Glenbrook later this year!
And for all the other writers out there, HAPPY CAMP NANOWRIMO! Also, good luck! :)
It looks like I'll be finishing Glenbrook this month, and if all goes well, I imagine I will be able to do a late October/early November release. As long as revisions don't throw a curve ball my way and my alpha readers don't take too long to give me feedback.
Other than that, don't forget you can preorder Astral Bodies part 6 and 7 at select retailers. Fenridge and Northcliffe are still FREE for a couple more days! Get them now and then get Glenbrook later this year!
And for all the other writers out there, HAPPY CAMP NANOWRIMO! Also, good luck! :)
Sunday, 6 July 2014
Day 6
Today marks the almost first week completion of Camp NaNoWriMo, and I'm doing much better than earlier this year! I'm not quite at what I need to be, but I'm only a little behind; according to my profile stats as long as I write 822 words each day for the next three weeks I'll stay on track. That SOUNDS simple enough, but I know I'm going to be getting stuck somewhere along the way (did I mention this is the end of Glenbrook I'm writing?). There's a lot to make sure I include.
Anyway, I thought I would post an excerpt. This is part 1 of Chapter 4, and if you missed it the first three chapters are already on Wattpad!
**unedited first draft**I didn’t want to try and explain to Neeson why I was quitting my job without notice and taking a trip to the Yukon. He probably wouldn’t have approved, which is why I decided to call him at the airport. There was no way he was going to be able to stop me there, as I sat in the plane with Jared next to me.His phone rang a few times before the voice mail picked up, and I found myself breathe a sigh of relief. It made me wonder how hard it would be to tell him I was going into Shadeland.When the tone beeped I said, “Hey Neeson, I’m going away for a while. Tell Dad I’m fine, okay? I’m just working on getting Luke back.” I paused, glancing at Jared beside me. There was a very thin aisle between us, and he seemed distracted by reading the safety pamphlet, but I wasn’t sure if he was listening. “Love you. Bye.” I hung up and turned the phone off, shoving it into my pocket.“You really like things short and sweet, huh?” Jared asked.I shrugged and stared forward at the television screen a few seats ahead, pretending it was fascinating. “Easier that way.” Only when we were finally in the air, and the seatbelt light was off did I notice Jared had his gun on him. The silver pistol caught my attention as he stretched, and it revealed itself beneath his black leather jacket. I couldn’t help but gape a little.“How did you get that onto the plane?” I asked. It seemed impossible, even with his fake ID’s. They might work on senile old women, but airport security?He flashed me his fake SILC badge, a new one I hadn’t seen, and winked at me. “They let you do just about anything if they’ve only heard of you in newspapers,” he said. “That, and having confidence helps.”Sometimes I thought Jared was a little too confident, but I didn’t say that to him. “Are you going to ignore me the entire time?” Keiji questioned. I turned to face him, sitting quietly beside me. “I paid for Business class for you two, and you aren’t even going to act like I’m here?”“Calm down,” Jared ordered. “We woulda survived just fine back with the common class. Besides, at least you don’t have to sit beside this thing.” He sent a glare to Azazel who lay quietly in his cage next to Jared. Honestly I wanted to keep Azazel close, because he hadn’t seemed too keen on the idea of a cage, but after witnessing Jared and Keiji’s behaviour, I thought it best they stay separated. Still, I felt bad Azazel had to be locked up two-fold.Keiji rolled his eyes, and I wondered how he could afford Business class. He dressed like a punk, with large black boots, metal band tee-shirts and mussed up hair to match. Keiji didn’t look like someone that would be sitting beside me, sipping champagne and glaring at Jared like he was a bug.“Did your clan pay for this?” I asked.He sighed. “I have an allotted amount of money,” he explained. “They’re being lenient on me, since Kat disappeared.”I flinched.“Sorry,” he said, “since Kat passed away. When I first left Japan it was to find him—we were still hoping he was alive.” Keiji twisted the flute between his index finger and thumb, his eyes narrowing in thought.I looked to Jared to see his reaction, but he was pretending to be interested in something in another pamphlet. The guilt still weighed him down, I knew that; it weighed me down too. And it wasn’t just Kat’s death on my mind. It was Melody and her grandfather, Utah, and Charlie, and Amber. I rubbed at my temples, a headache forming.“‘Scuse me,” I mumbled as I stood. I hurried into the bathroom while Keiji began to go over the finer things that came with his “executive” status, as he called it, with Jared. If my head didn’t hurt so much I might have thought they might kill each other while I was away.The bathroom wasn’t as small as I thought it would be, but it wasn’t exactly comfortable. The sweet smell of name brand soaps filled there air along with the sounds of the engines. It was quieter there compared to sitting between Jared and Keiji, but it didn’t make my head feel better.In a haze I bent over the sink and turned the cold water on. I splashed it onto my face, ignorant of how it soaked into the collar of my shirt and sweater, or how it got all over the counter. I didn’t care. My head pounded.I groaned quietly, grinding my teeth hard in hopes of not alerting anyone. If Jared got wind of this I was certain he would somehow force the plane to land. Liv? a voice asked. Liv, I’m sorry.“Luke?” I whispered. I could feel him in my mind, just like when I’d talked to him outside the police station. He was putting his thoughts in my head, but I wasn’t sure how. Wasn’t he in Shadeland?I’m in trouble, he said, bringing another onslaught of pain. I fell to my knees, gripping the counter but failing to hold myself up. There’s nobody else again.“Where are you?” I asked through another groan.Shadeland, he replied. They need—help—it’s not—He cut out, along with the pain. I blinked my eyes a few times, unsure if the pain was really gone or I was just dying. I stood on shaky legs, feeling my hands sizzling with the residual connection to Luke, to Shadeland. A fine pink mist drifted from me and dissipated into he air. I watched it a few moments until it stopped and I knew it was safe to return outside.If only my hands would stop shaking.I didn’t understand much of Luke’s message, only that he was in trouble. The more I thought about what he said, the more I couldn’t figure out. If he was in trouble, why would they need help? Who was “they” exactly?I shook my head and dried off with paper towels. They were smooth against my skin where I imagined they would have felt scratchy. I sighed, another reminder of my not-so-human half.“Mom,” I whispered, “what’s going on?”
Tuesday, 1 July 2014
Camp NaNoWriMo and Special Anniversary Giveaway!
(Happy Canada Day!)
And happy start to Camp NaNoWriMo! This month I plan on getting Glenbrook done, or at least very close to done. My goal is 25,000 words, which would bring me to my entire word goal for the book.
Liv has gone through a lot in this one, too, and has been visiting old friends and making new ones (or enemies). I'll be keeping up with excerpts each week, along with word count updates on Facebook and Twitter. I'll also be posting facts about what happens in Glenbrook every so often, so check out those :) Here's one now...
Azazel's true form will be revealed!
Oh, and remember how on Facebook I said be on the lookout for a special announcement?
WELL HERE IT IS
To celebrate my two year anniversary of publishing, I'm going to giveaway The Ethereal Crossings series for free until July 11! The prices have just been changed at Smashwords, so it might take a day or two to reach other retailers.
*Note about Amazon: I can't set books to free at Amazon, but if you download the free .mobi file at Smashwords, that can go on your kindle :)
I'm going to do a "Thank You!" post on the 11th, but I'll say it here too.
THANKS FOR READING!
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Sunday, 29 June 2014
Are you ready for Camp NaNoWriMo?
Because I sure am! Glenbrook is well on it's way to getting done, and even though I won't have it published by my anniversary (July 11), it'll at least be done for a release this year. I can't believe June is already coming to a close...what the heck happened? I'm never going to make my reading goal at this pace >_<
Astral Bodies 5 was released earlier this week and is already on all retailers. The next two parts will each be $0.99, making the total for the book $3.99. Upcoming dates are...
Astral Bodies 5 was released earlier this week and is already on all retailers. The next two parts will each be $0.99, making the total for the book $3.99. Upcoming dates are...
July 31 - Part 6
August 28 - Part 7 (the final part!)
I hope you guys are enjoying the story as much as I did rewriting it. Astral Bodies actually started off as my attempt to write a mystery without a supernatural element, and after about 40K words I decided that I didn't like things without a supernatural element. It was very boring. So, I changed almost everything. The only thing that stayed was the fact it opened in a hotel lol.
Tuesday, 17 June 2014
July Camp NaNoWriMo 2014
There's only two more weeks until Camp NaNoWriMo 2014, and I'm not sure what I should work on! This is the problem you get when you have too much on the go. I need to find a way to make my brain slow down and focus on one single project at a time...
I'll most likely work on Glenbrook, because it kind of stalled a bit while I focused on finishing up Astral Bodies (Part five is out soon by the way!). I only need about 25K more words until I've reached my word count goal, so that'll be my NaNoWriMo goal! :D I'm excited for you guys to find out more about Shadeland, and what happens between Liv and Jared. You can actually start reading the first draft of it on Wattpad!
As for publishing updates, part four of Astral Bodies came out! Find out what Tess saw that will define the future of the case, and learn what a family member has been hiding for her for some time now.
Part five of Astral Bodies will be out the end of June, and is going to be a free instalment :)
I can't believe how quickly this serial novel is coming out; I feel like I just started publishing it and it's almost time for the end! I've really enjoyed putting it out in this format though, and I think I'll be doing it again, although I might try to shorten the timespan. Maybe every two weeks or so? I'll figure it out once I actually start book 2.
I'll most likely work on Glenbrook, because it kind of stalled a bit while I focused on finishing up Astral Bodies (Part five is out soon by the way!). I only need about 25K more words until I've reached my word count goal, so that'll be my NaNoWriMo goal! :D I'm excited for you guys to find out more about Shadeland, and what happens between Liv and Jared. You can actually start reading the first draft of it on Wattpad!
As for publishing updates, part four of Astral Bodies came out! Find out what Tess saw that will define the future of the case, and learn what a family member has been hiding for her for some time now.
Part five of Astral Bodies will be out the end of June, and is going to be a free instalment :)
I can't believe how quickly this serial novel is coming out; I feel like I just started publishing it and it's almost time for the end! I've really enjoyed putting it out in this format though, and I think I'll be doing it again, although I might try to shorten the timespan. Maybe every two weeks or so? I'll figure it out once I actually start book 2.
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Wednesday, 9 April 2014
Spring is finally here!
Spring has finally arrived in Canada! It's about damn time, too. And I think the warmer weather has helped to reignite my writing mojo--I'm doing a lot more writing than I was over the winter.
I'm wrapping up Astral Bodies, and it looks like it might have seven or so parts to it. Have you checked out Tess's story yet? Part three will be coming out at the end of this month, and it's going to be free! Here's an update on the scheduled release dates for upcoming parts...
As for Glenbrook...it's going. I'm relatively on track for a summer release, but I'm not too sure. Updates as I go, I guess. For now I have started posting pieces on Wattpad, so check it out!
As for my Camp NaNoWriMo project, it's going surprisingly well. Phasing is just a little bit behind schedule, but I already have most scenes planned out on cue cards or just in my head--I just need to find the time to sit and write it now! Chapters are also being posted on Wattpad for you to read.
I'm wrapping up Astral Bodies, and it looks like it might have seven or so parts to it. Have you checked out Tess's story yet? Part three will be coming out at the end of this month, and it's going to be free! Here's an update on the scheduled release dates for upcoming parts...
Part 3 - April 24 (FREE) Read an excerpt here!
Part 4 - May 29 ($0.99)
Part 5 - June 26
Part 6 - July 31
As for Glenbrook...it's going. I'm relatively on track for a summer release, but I'm not too sure. Updates as I go, I guess. For now I have started posting pieces on Wattpad, so check it out!
As for my Camp NaNoWriMo project, it's going surprisingly well. Phasing is just a little bit behind schedule, but I already have most scenes planned out on cue cards or just in my head--I just need to find the time to sit and write it now! Chapters are also being posted on Wattpad for you to read.
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Sunday, 24 November 2013
Even more Glenbrook...
I feel like I haven't been blogging a lot lately, but that's mostly because when I have time to sit down and write, I want it to be on my books. Glenbrook is still going, and I'm nowhere near the 50K word goal, but I'm getting a solid start on everything.
Before I get to the excerpt, here's a reminder that there is a Goodreads giveaway for The Warden in the Gates, with the new cover! Currently it's only open to Canada and the US.
And now here's some more Glenbrook!
Before I get to the excerpt, here's a reminder that there is a Goodreads giveaway for The Warden in the Gates, with the new cover! Currently it's only open to Canada and the US.
And now here's some more Glenbrook!
“Calm down,” Keiji said. “I’ll get you out of here.”
We started to waltz as the music changed, and Keiji easily took the lead. I wasn’t one to judge, but he was a pretty good dancer, even with me fumbling to keep up. Soon I found my pace, and we swirled across the floor. It wasn’t long until more Fenridge began to join.
It’s not me I’m worried about, I thought. I felt frantic as I searched for Jared, still no sign of him.
Keiji was doing the same, but his eyes were more calculating. He was just looking for Jared or Azazel.
“What’s happening?” I asked.
“I think Merelda might have left out a couple of details on the phone,” Keiji admitted.
“What kind of details?”
“The forced marriage between you and her eldest son,” he said quickly.
I held back a hiss. “What?”
“If it makes you feel better, he doesn’t seem to want to marry you now that he knows you aren’t a pureblood.” Keiji shrugged.
“Splendid,” I muttered. “Anything else?”
“Just that you’ll have to start running soon,” he whispered. “I’ll take care of Jared, but you need to go.”
The zipper to the kitchen opened and Keiji shoved me through. On the other side I found a few confused dragons, and Azazel sitting by the far door. Keiji shouted, “Don’t worry about him; I’ve got a plan! Be sure to pick Azazel up before you leave; trust me!”
I didn’t trust his plan, but I didn’t have a choice. While none of the cooks were trying to stop me, I could already hear voices on the other side.
Merelda shouted, “Do not let her go! She is your next Queen!”
I did not like the sound of that. Taking my chance to dash by the stunned cooks, I ran forward and scooped Azazel into my arms before slamming the door open. A cold wind smashed into me, almost blowing me back into the tent, when my feet touched down on dirt.
Keiji shouted one last warning, “Don’t forget to breathe!”
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Saturday, 16 November 2013
More Glenbrook!
I've been at work on Glenbrook and haven't really had much time to update my blog...so here's another part of Glenbrook!
Liv? a voice asked. Liv, I’m sorry.
“Luke?” I whispered. I could feel him in my mind, just like when I’d talked to him outside the police station. He was putting his thoughts in my head, but I wasn’t sure how. Wasn’t he in Shadeland?
I’m in trouble, he said, bringing another onslaught of pain. I fell to my knees, gripping the counter but failing to hold myself up. There’s nobody else again.
“Where are you?” I asked through another groan.
Shadeland, he replied. They need—help—it’s not—
He cut out, along with the pain. I blinked my eyes a few times, unsure if the pain was really gone or I was just dying. I stood on shaky legs, feeling my hands sizzling with the residual connection to Luke, to Shadeland. A fine pink mist drifted from me and dissipated into the air. I watched it a few moments until it stopped and I knew it was safe to return outside.
If only my hands would stop shaking.
I didn’t understand much of Luke’s message, only that he was in trouble. The more I thought about what he said, the more I couldn’t figure out. If he was in trouble, why would they need help? Who was “they” exactly?
I shook my head and dried off with paper towels. They were smooth against my skin where I imagined they would have felt scratchy. I sighed, another reminder of my not-so-human half.
“Mom,” I whispered, “what’s going on?”
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Friday, 8 November 2013
NaNo Updates
NaNoWriMo is going fairly well so far, but I can feel it starting to slow just a bit. That second week really is a killer! I miss the good old days when I only worked part time and even when I was working I was able to read a book (not because I didn't do my job, but because it was just THAT bad at the place I worked). Good times.
Anyway, I'm up to about 14K words for my NaNo WIP Glenbrook (The Ethereal Crossings, #4). Some things I've found while getting back into Liv's head is that A) I missed it, and B) I needed a break. Taking a few months off to work on other things really helped, I think!
Although during my absence from The Ethereal Crossings I forgot many side character names :/ LOTS of rereading to do lol.
With that said, here is an excerpt from Glenbrook (a rough first draft!).
***CAUTION: SPOILERS AHEAD IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE FIRST THREE BOOKS***
Anyway, I'm up to about 14K words for my NaNo WIP Glenbrook (The Ethereal Crossings, #4). Some things I've found while getting back into Liv's head is that A) I missed it, and B) I needed a break. Taking a few months off to work on other things really helped, I think!
Although during my absence from The Ethereal Crossings I forgot many side character names :/ LOTS of rereading to do lol.
With that said, here is an excerpt from Glenbrook (a rough first draft!).
***CAUTION: SPOILERS AHEAD IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE FIRST THREE BOOKS***
Azazel was no longer in my arms, as he decided to start walking on his own. I thought it might be a power thing, him trying to show the Eidolon that he still is in control despite his cat form. By the way Carson and Taia treat him it was clear he still holds some authority in the Shade, but Sera didn’t seem to even notice him. I wonder what it will be like if I ever get to the other side.
I knocked on Emerson’s door, hoping she would be the one to answer. I didn’t want some other faerie to talk to me first, and I certainly didn’t want it to be her brother, Harker to either. He would never let her do it, I was sure.
But my knocking was met by silence. I listened closely, trying to find the small puffs of breath on the other side of the door to tell me someone was inside, but there was nothing. I knocked again, and this time feet shuffled.
It wasn’t Harker or Emerson that greeted me, although I didn’t count his look of disgust as a greeting. It was Breccan, the tall bleach blond faerie that had attempted to negotiate with the wolves. The way his fingertips barely touched the door reminded me that he hated just about everything human. I resisted rolling my eyes.
“What is it?” he asked.
“I need to speak with Emerson,” I told him, careful to control my tone. It was getting harder and harder to keep my temper at bay, knowing that everyone was able to help me but wouldn’t. Why was it the only people willing to help were the ones that could do nothing? People like Jared and Azazel were determined to get Luke back, yet Sera and Dr. Wineman weren’t?
It wasn’t right.
“She’s resting,” he said, “come back later, or better yet, not at all.” His hand flicked and the door almost shut. I slammed my hand flat against it, pushing it open wide.
“I need to get to Shadeland,” I said. My voice wasn’t desperate as I thought it would be, but rather furious. Threatening. Thankfully I couldn’t feel my eyes changing to their scaled counterparts, not yet anyway. It was there, just below the surface.
I took a step inside, but Breccan didn’t budge. He stood his ground, but I could see the sweat beginning to form at his temples. If anything he was nervous. After all, my kind was supposed to be extinct—he probably had no idea what I was, much like the rest of the Eidolon.
“Let her in,” called Emerson. She was in a room to my right, the room that belonged to Charlie, the first owner of this apartment, and the room that used to be Kat’s. I looked towards the half shut door, memories swirling. I shook them off, along with any guilt.
Now was not the time.
Azazel and I marched into Emerson’s room to find her laying in bed, covered with about a dozen blankets. She was shivering, her skin a strange pale blue.
“She’s sick,” Breccan explained. “She cannot take you.”
“Why—Why do you want to go to Shadeland?” Emerson asked, sitting up. It looked like she was struggling.
“Luke is trapped,” I said.
Her eyes widened. “Is he…?” She looked to Breccan, as if to convey a message I couldn’t understand.
I shifted my eyes between them as Azazel jumped onto the bed. He was doing the same thing he had done with Taia and Carson; he simply wagged his tail back and forth, and stared them down. “What is it?” I asked the faeries.
“It’s time for you to go,” replied Breccan. “Emerson needs to rest.”
I looked at him.
He glared back at me. “If you want to get to Shadeland so badly, why don’t we bargain? I’ll gladly take you there; I just won’t guarantee you come back.”
I thought of Harmony’s warning about faeries. She said they liked to take first borns, or lifespans. What would he want? I wondered.
I looked back to Emerson but she had passed out. Azazel stepped down from the bed, clearly not worried I might bargain anything away with Breccan. Maybe that meant it wouldn’t be so bad.
I asked, “What kind of bargain?”
I’d seen in the past just how bad a witch’s deal could go, and imagined a faeries wouldn’t be much different. But this was for Luke…
Breccan shrugged at me. “What have you got?”
Not much, I thought, and probably not enough. Azazel circled at my feet, showing an unusual restlessness. Breccan watched him with mild curiosity, not the respect others showed.
I never gave Breccan and answer, and instead waited for him to come up with something. After a moment of silence he rolled his eyes and said, “Ten years. I’ll make it easy, since you’re trying to help a friend. And if you die in the Shade, I’ll get whatever you would have had left.”
Ten years of my life? I thought about what I might miss, or even how old I was going to be when I died, and thought ten years didn’t sound so bad. Not if it meant I could have Luke for another fifty. I asked, “Ten years of my life taken away, or in servitude to you?”
He cocked an eyebrow. “Nobody has ever asked that. Clever. But it will be the former.”
He was certain I was going to take the bargain, maybe even more certain than I was. I told him, “Let me make a call.”
Breccan held his hands up. “Of course.”
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Sunday, 3 November 2013
Glenbrook - Prologue
As you may know, Glenbrook: Book Four of The Ethereal Crossings is my WIP for NaNoWriMo. So here's a peek at it!
Luke stood in the shaky haze of violet and pink that always came with a transition from Ellengale to Shadeland. It was blurry, and anything further than ten feet from him was a mess of shapes and colour, but that didn’t matter. What his eyes focused on was the body at his feet.
A man no older than himself, with wide brown eyes and throat slashed, it stared at Luke with growing questions. Luke shivered in the cold of the Shade, finally able to rip his eyes from the body to peer around him. He was completely alone.
His own clothes were coated in blood but he couldn’t remember where it had come from. A frail hand touched his shirt, and came away wet with red. He tried to focus on feeling pain, but he felt fine; no injuries.
He looked back at the man at his feet when he suddenly felt the weight of a dagger in his hand. He dropped it, letting it clink against the concrete at his feet as he stumbled backwards and fell to the ground.
It had always been hard for him to remember what happened during the first few minutes of his transitions, but his memories weren’t coming back anymore. He waited, heart beating hard against his ribs as he tried to crawl backwards. Head swimming, he squeezed his eyes shut to block out the blood and haze of the Shade.
What had he done?
In other news, I've set up a preorder for With Cross & Charm, with the scheduled release date at the end of January 2014. You can download a sample from Smashwords (and soon other retailers), or check it out on Wattpad.
In other news, I've set up a preorder for With Cross & Charm, with the scheduled release date at the end of January 2014. You can download a sample from Smashwords (and soon other retailers), or check it out on Wattpad.
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