Sadie Marks and I are in a few groups on Facebook together. She and Ava Taylor (my alter ego) write in similar genres.
Author Bio
Sadie Marks has been in love with Science-Fiction and horror
since she was a little girl and when given the opportunity to mix
power-exchange romance with sadistic aliens there was no way she was going to
turn it down. She is currently working on the sequel to her first novel:
Surrendering to Her General, and there’s a good chance she’ll be getting into
some darker territory as she goes.
Her wide and varied experiences lend a note of realism to the D/s relationships she portrays in her books.
Tell us about yourself.
Hi, my name is Sadie Marks. I’m the darker half of
author Kessily Lewel. Between us we have six books published. I like to explore
the dynamics of power exchange relationships (D/s) in fantasy settings so all
of our books, so far, have dominant men and submissive women as main
characters.
When did you know you wanted to be an author?
I knew I wanted to be a writer when I was in high school, but I didn’t have a specific desire to write books back then. While I’ve been steadily published since I was in my early twenties it’s all been articles and short stories. I only recently decided to try my hand at books.
What genres do you like to read? Are these the same genres you write in?
I read most genres, though I prefer fiction. Ya, sci-fi, fantasy, and horror are my favorites. So far, I’ve written all of those except young adult. I’d like to try that genre too someday though.
Is your book for adults, young adults or children?
Definitely for adults. They are what we call ‘steamy’ and some of the scenes are extremely graphic.
What is your current release or project?
Surrendering to Her General just came out on June 6th. It’s my first novel-length attempt at science fiction.
Tell us about the key characters
The main character Kenzi, is a human woman from earth. She’s
always wanted to explore her fantasies about submission but has never been able
to let go and do it. She is given the
opportunity to help her planet and fulfill her fantasies at the same time by
becoming a willing slave to an alien race for a contracted length of time, and
she throws herself in without entirely understanding what she’s getting into.
Tal is a general of the Sadecs. They are sadistic warriors
feared throughout the universe, but they’ve discovered, in certain humans, the
balance they’ve been lacking. An offer is made to trade advanced technology for
human submissives and masochists, and he ends up claiming Kenzi as his own.
What is your blurb or synopsis of the book?
Kenzi was a submissive who’d never quite worked up the
courage to tell any of her lovers about her fantasies. She’d never dared to
explore her need to be disciplined and dominated, but all that changed when the
aliens arrived. Now submissives and masochists of all kinds are a premium
product that can be traded to the sadistic Sadec race in exchange for their
incredibly advanced technology.
Tal never intended to keep her for himself, but once he
tastes Kenzi’s sweet submission, he finds that he can’t let her be auctioned
off to just any crew member on his ship. He’ll share her with others, whether
she likes it or not, but she will belong only to him. His slave. His pet. And
if he has his way, she won’t be returning to Earth at the end of five years
Share an excerpt (Warning adult content)
“You’ll be good anyway, girl. Trust me on that, because
if you’re not, this will be only a tiny taste of the punishment you’ll get. I
could keep you on edge like this for days,” he warned her. His voice had
turned hard like ice, deepening until the usual odd alien quality of it was
gone.
Her bottom lip trembled at the thought of so much suffering.
She wouldn’t be able to stop from touching herself until she was raw, even
knowing she wouldn’t be able to orgasm without him. “I will. I’ll be good,
but please…” her voice trailed off, but the pleading expression remained.
He examined her thoughtfully, and an expression she could
only read as devious appeared. “So far, you’ve only been spanked. I like
spanking, and your file said it was your main fantasy, so it seemed like a good
place to start, but I wonder what you’d do in exchange for that orgasm you’ve
been begging for. Something harsher, maybe?” he asked as he flicked her
clit sharply with one finger.
Do you have a favorite scene?
I do but it would spoil the plot if I spelled it out. Let’s
just say there’s a scene where she surprises herself, and an important Sadec visitor. She thinks she’s going to be in a
lot of trouble over an instinctive reaction, but instead finds out she’s won
respect in their eyes and it ends up making an opportunity possible that she’d
never dreamed of.
What advice would you give a beginner?
That would depend entirely on what they are beginning …but let’s assume we’re talking about writing. My advice is to write. Write a lot. Write about the things you’re passionate about. Write what you’d enjoy reading.
If you have trouble getting started, try writing fan-fiction. A lot of great authors got their start playing in someone else’s playground until they felt confident enough to branch out into their own creations.
Blog link: Sadie doesn’t have a blog of her own but shares
one with Kessily Lewel which covers a variety of topics including: writing, D/s
relationships, and submission. https://kessilylewel.com/
Ted came to me through social media. His books sound complicated but interesting.
Author Bio
Ted Halstead served twenty-five years in the State Department as a Foreign Service Officer, most of it overseas, and was promoted to the Senior Foreign Service after his second tour at US Embassy Riyadh. His tours included four years at US Embassy Seoul, and two years at the East Asia Pacific Bureau in DC. He is a National War College graduate, and served for three years at a regional US military headquarters.
Tell us about yourself.
That’s a long story! I’ll just give some background relevant to my
latest book, The Saudi-Iranian War.
My first assignment in the Foreign
Service was to Embassy Riyadh, where I worked in administration. Since we were moving to a new Embassy
building and switching out most of our leased housing during my tour, it was even
busier than usual. That tour was in the 1980s, before the first Gulf War.
When I came back to Embassy
Riyadh twenty years later, I was the Country
Coordinator for Consular Affairs for Saudi Arabia. That meant I supervised provision of all
American Citizen Services, as well as all visa services for foreign visitors
and immigrants seeking to travel to the United States, at Embassy Riyadh and
our Consulates General in Jeddah and Dhahran.
The chain of events that
led to my return to Embassy Riyadh started on 9/11. On that day I was at the National War College at Fort McNair, where we had
begun our studies less than a month earlier. We could all hear the plane hit the Pentagon
just across the Potomac River from Fort McNair.
Everyone has their story of how
9/11 affected them. We were unique,
though, in being the only Americans in a one year masters degree program in
National Security Studies. In essence
we were being paid to think, above all, about how we
could prevent 9/11 from happening again.
Note that all the 9/11 hijackers
obtained visas to travel to the US. Most
of them were Saudi nationals.
We made many changes to our visa
process after 9/11, including more detailed interviews and questionnaires. The key change,
though, was collecting fingerprints from most applicants and high quality
digital photos from all applicants. We
used that data to check fingerprint records held by both DHS and the FBI, and
ran facial recognition (FR) checks against our photo database as well as photos
supplied by other US government agencies.
This helped us achieve two
goals. The first was to find out whether
we or any other US government agency had adverse information on a visa
applicant. The second was to freeze the
first identity presented to us by a visa applicant. If they subsequently changed their name
and/or date of birth in an effort to avoid linking them with an earlier refused
application, we could now detect that effort.
We began deployment of FR and fingerprint capture at over 200
overseas posts in September 2003, and finished
in October 2004. I was the
deployment manager.
We knew that the fingerprint
scanners we were using, designed to capture two index prints, needed to be
replaced. The reason was that two
prints, given the millions of prints we were collecting, would eventually
produce false positives. To avoid this both we and DHS needed to start collecting
all ten prints.
The problem was that the best digital fingerprint scanner available was too
expensive, too big, too heavy, and required an external power supply. So, we went to the National Institute of
Standards and Technology (NIST) to ask interested companies to make a new
scanner that would address these problems.
Here’s a link to my presentation:
Three companies produced new
devices. One of my primary reasons for
going to Embassy Riyadh for a second tour was to oversee our pilot test of
these new fingerprint scanners, and do so for longer than just a few days. It was no coincidence that this pilot
test was in the country home to most of the 9/11 hijackers. The effort paid off
– the scanner we selected is still in use today at all Embassies overseas as
well as at DHS screening at all US international airports.
So, over a more than twenty year
period I’ve lived and worked for years in Saudi Arabia. I naturally drew on that experience in
writing this book. One Amazon reviewer
liked the book and found the experiences I recounted interesting, but noted they are “not PC.” Perhaps so. However, they are true, and written exactly as I experienced them.
When did you know you wanted to be an author?
I thought about writing novels for years. However, until I retired I simply didn’t have
the time.
What genres do you like to read? Are these the same genres you write in?
When I had time to read, for example on a long flight, I
enjoyed reading either history or thrillers.
So, I suppose it’s no surprise I ended up writing thrillers.
Is your book for adults, young adults or children?
My books are written for adults, but there’s nothing to
prevent young adults from reading them, and I’ve had positive feedback from
several young adults I know. My books
have no erotic content, and though there is certainly violence, there is no
gratuitous gore. Many reviewers have
compared my books to early works by Tom Clancy, especially Red Storm Rising, which I consider high praise.
What is your current release or project?
My latest book is The
Saudi-Iranian War. It features the
same two central characters as my first book, The Second Korean War. However,
it is not strictly a sequel, since the two stories each stand alone. I dislike books that don’t really end and
force you to buy another to conclude the story, unless that’s made clear at the
outset (for example, the Lord of the
Rings trilogy.)
Tell us about the key characters
The two key characters in The Second Korean War and The
Saudi-Iranian War are both Russian.
Anatoly Grishkov starts the first book as the lead homicide detective
for the Vladivostok district, but events quickly force him into a
counterintelligence role. Grishkov’s
service in Chechnya, which precedes both books, left him with valuable combat
experience but also bitter memories. His
wife and two children are the center of his world, and protecting them is part
of his motivation as a police officer.
Alexei Vasilyev is an FSB officer Grishkov first encountered
in Chechnya. A total loner, he doesn’t
even have a dog to avoid any vulnerabilities that could be used against
him. His missions have frequently taken
him overseas, unlike Grishkov who had never left Russia before the events in
the two books. Vasilyev is much older
than Grishkov, and is near the end of his career. He is impressed by Grishkov’s combat
instincts, especially when they save his life, but correctly believes Grishkov
needs on the job training to be an effective counterintelligence agent. Vasilyev is happy to provide that training,
because he genuinely likes and respects Grishkov, especially after Grishkov
saves his life.
Neither Grishkov nor Vasilyev have any illusions about the
Russian state they both serve. Both are
still ready to die to protect it. Both
will work hard to let their opponents die for their cause first.
What is your blurb or synopsis of the book?
I can’t really say more than the Amazon blurb without giving
away the plot:
Iran’s Supreme Leader will use three nuclear weapons, VX and
two armored forces driving on Riyadh to overthrow the Saudi monarchy. Can
Russian agents, Saudi tanks and American technology stop him in time?
Share an excerpt
This dialogue is between Iran’s Acting Supreme Leader Reza
and Bijan, the Iranian colonel charged with organizing part of the attack on
Saudi Arabia:
Bijan paused, and then said, “We realized first that we
could never fly a nuclear weapon directly from Iran to Riyadh. No matter how
many fighters the Saudis divert to the war in Yemen, there will be more than
enough left to respond to a flight originating in Iran that proceeds to overfly
the Kingdom. In fact, the flight might be intercepted the moment it approaches
Saudi airspace, since we know they monitor all air traffic crossing the Gulf,
and fly regular patrols along the coast. Instead, we will fly the weapon into
Bahrain Airport, where we have agents who can prevent its discovery by Bahraini
officials.”
Reza nodded. This made sense. After all, Bahrain was just a
short drive from the Saudi border.
Bijan continued, “We will have a Boeing CH-47 Chinook
already at Bahrain Airport, ready to carry the weapon to its final destination.
It will have a flight plan showing its destination as an oil field about twenty
minutes flying time south of Riyadh. Since Chinooks are routinely used to
deliver oilfield equipment and we have agents in place at Saudi Aramco, we will
have no trouble with clearance.”
Reza scowled. “It will take the Saudis no more than a few
minutes to set their fighters on this helicopter once it fails to land at the
oilfield. Unless you want me to believe that the Saudis don’t have an air
patrol over their capital, and the best radar coverage possible for many
kilometers around it.”
Bijan nodded. “I agree that the Chinook will be detected and
attacked before it reaches Riyadh, but I think it will take more than a few
minutes. Flying low will make it difficult to detect, and a senior commander
will have to authorize an attack on a previously cleared flight. Also, some
attempt to communicate will be made before fighters are cleared to engage, and
the pilot will claim navigation failure once contacted. We estimate ten or even
fifteen minutes will be needed before the Chinook is actually under attack.”
Reza grunted sourly. “So, the helicopter will be shot down
with Riyadh on the horizon. I think that will be scant consolation for its
crew.”
Bijan laughed, and shook his head. “I would have never
wasted your time if we had no plan for the Chinook’s survival. I’m sure you
recall the pair of J-20 fighters I asked you to obtain for us from the Chinese
last year.”
Now Reza’s scowl was back, and deeper than ever. “I was
going to ask you about that. The Chinese demanded over a billion dollars worth
of oil in barter for those planes, and more on top of that for the trainers and
equipment you told me would be necessary to get them flying with our pilots.
Plus a bribe for the Chinese officials authorizing the sale. Keeping them a
secret has also been difficult and expensive. Yet so far we’ve made no use
of…”
Reza’s voice trailed off as realization hit him. “These
Chinese planes will protect the helicopter and the weapon it carries! Are we
ready? Can these planes really succeed against the Saudis? Surely, they will
have their best planes and pilots protecting the capital.”
Bijan nodded. “I think the J-20s can succeed. We only have
to keep the Saudi fighters off the Chinook for ten minutes or so. The J-20s
will be difficult to hit for the same reason I am confident they can make it
across Saudi airspace without detection. They are fifth generation fighters
that are nearly invisible to radar. Our radar has been unable to detect them
until they are practically on top of us. The Saudis’ radar may be better, but I
don’t think it’s that much better.”
Reza looked doubtful. “Don’t the Saudis have American made
fighters? Aren’t they just as good as these Chinese planes?”
Bijan shook his head. “The Americans have fifth-generation
fighters, including the F-22 and F-35. They have sold none to the Saudis. The
fighters they do have such as the F-15 are capable, and they could get lucky. I
must repeat-there is no way to guarantee success in such an operation. All we
can do is prepare as well as we can, in the time we have available. Still, I
believe we will succeed.”
Reza sat mute for several moments, and Bijan started to
think that the operation would be canceled.
Then Reza nodded sharply. “Continue your preparations. I
will let you know when whatever nuclear weapons we have are available.”
Do you have a favorite scene?
Yes, but describing it would give away a key point in the
plot, and I hate spoilers!
What advice would you give a beginner?
As much as possible write based on your experience.
The Internet is a fabulous resource- never underestimate
what you can find. For example – I
wondered whether information about an American antipersonnel mine might be available
online. When I searched I found a
PowerPoint presentation prepared by a US Army Sergeant to train American troops
in its use.
No excuses- write every day.
Don’t worry about perfection as you write. Rewriting and proofreading come later.
D L and I connected through social media. I’m a sucker for books about witches so her’s look interesting!
Author Bio:
I grew up in southern California where I studied at The California Healing Arts College for massage therapy, then working as a Massage Practitioner for thirteen years. I now live in Colorado, where I worked in the real estate business for a time, before deciding to focus on family and writing.
I always loved writing, concentrating on poetry rather than prose when I was younger. That changed however, when I had a dream one night that inspired my debut novel, The Dark Awakening.
In my spare time, I enjoy a wide variety of hobbies, including reading, attending rock concerts, and exploring new vegan restaurants in Denver.
In the future, I hope to continue to write exciting novels that will captivate my readers and bring them into the worlds that I create using my imagination.
Tell us about yourself I grew up in southern California, now living in Denver, Colorado. I love to read, and often had unique ideas of great stories but never put them down on paper, until last year when I released my first novel, The Dark Awakening. I also carry a real estate license that I used for a few years before deciding that writing was my passion and it was all I really wanted to do.
When did you know you wanted to be an author? In 2009 I started to write my first book, for me. In 2017, someone read my book and told me I should publish it, so I did. It’s been quite a journey since.
What genres do you like to read? Dark romance or YA paranormal. Are these the same genres you write in? I write YA paranormal and branching to other genres such as thrillers, mystery and adult romance.
Is your book for adults, young adults or children?
16+ due to mild language and violence
What is your current release or project?
Book two of my series will be released on May 18th
Tell us about the key characters.
Mercy is a strong-willed heroine who starts off confused and not understanding what is happening to her. You will see quite a development in her character as you go into book two. Caleb is a mystery guy, stubborn, arrogant and obsessed with having Mercy back into her life, but he also holds secrets. Maurice is a villain you love to hate. Handsome, but devilish.
What is your blurb or synopsis of the book?
The Dark Awakening:
Just as Mercy pieces her life back together after a vicious attack, she notices a stranger lingering in the shadows, and watching her every move.
Mercy isn’t certain if what she’s seeing is real, but when Mercy crashes her car on the side of the road, she’s rescued by a handsome and mysterious man named Caleb, who she finds herself both drawn to, and afraid of.
Caleb reveals to Mercy that she’s strongly linked to an ancient coven; the roots slowly dragging her back to Salem. He also claims to be in love with her, but can she trust him?
This story takes you on a journey of magic, secrets, betrayal, and abduction, in a world filled with witches, vampires and werewolves, which Mercy and her friends never knew existed.
Mercy must discover who she truly is, and find the powers within her to save mankind.
The Dark Underworld:
Mercy’s life changed forever when she discovered that not only is she a witch, but that she was born to rid the world of vampires once and for all.
After a year of intense training to hone her powers, she and her coven are pulled into a murder case in her hometown of East Greenwich. The coven, with the help of a friend with direct ties to the investigation, discovers that a vampire attack claimed the victim’s life. Mercy suspects the killer belongs to a new clan in town, The Black Horse, and goes undercover in the vampire underworld. There, she’ll discover dark, long-hidden secrets and face her father from her previous life, who she learns is the leader of this ruthless undead.
New relationships will develop, friendships will be tested, and lives will be lost.
As Mercy draws closer to finding the killer, a villain from her past creeps out of the shadows. Maurice, centuries-old vampire, is thirsty for revenge after her coven took down his clan.
The Chosen Coven will now have to combine the forces of the Universal Elements, to fight the darkness that falls on their city.
Share an excerpt
“I need to go. Thanks for finding my phone.”
I stepped quickly to the side to walk by him, but he moved into my path, blocking me from going any further.
“Mercy, relax. I’m not going to hurt you.”
Everything around me froze in place and my heart stopped in its tracks. He knows me.
How did he know my real name?
Do you have a favorite scene? I love the scene from that excerpt, when Mercy sees Caleb for the first time after he had tracked her down to share a dark secret about her past. There is a sense of attraction, but she’s terrified of him.
What advice would you give a beginner? If you have an idea, publish it. Don’t be afraid and keep going.
Julian and I met through social media. His book sounds fun and engaging for younger readers.
Author Bio:
I was born in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, the only child of an awesome loving family. Growing up I fell in love with dinosaurs, through movies like Jurassic Park and The Lost World: Jurassic Park. In 2013, I graduated from the now defunct Art Institute of Pittsburgh with a degree in Visual Effects and Motion Graphics. In 2016, I married the love of my life, Cloey. We live just north of Pittsburgh.
Tell us about yourself.
My name is Joey Kelly (my pen name is Julian Michael Carver). I work full-time in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as a video editor and motion graphics artist. Some of my content has been featured in Roseanne, Ancient Aliens, CNBC, and most recently the trailer for Hunter Killer. Thankfully, I am one of those rare people who love their day job, so I don’t mind using my skills in advertising to market my books! When I’m not writing, I enjoy working out, gardening, and fossil hunting! I’m completely obsessed with dinosaurs and extinct life, which plays a big part in what I love to write about. If I wasn’t a video editor, I would probably have pursued a career in paleontology.
When did you know you wanted to be an author?
Although I can’t give an exact date to this question, I can say that I’ve always been interested in writing books. As a child of the 1990’s, I grew up loving books like Goosebumps. When I was a teenager, I had a big interest in reading Fantasy novels, in part because of their beautiful cover art (there’s the artist in me coming out again) which led me to begin writing my own stories. I would write so much, sometimes my parents would have to force me to go outside just to see my friends and get me away from the computer. Eventually, I wrote my first novel in 7th grade. It is out of print now, but from what I remember it was about 100,000 words.
What genres do you like to read? Are these the same genres you write in?
This may seem a little out of the ordinary, but I find the genre I like to read the most is mystery novels, like ones from Mary Higgins Clark. I am a Lifetime channel addict so that’s probably why (LOL!) I am currently reading a book called “The Eye of the Beholder” by Anne Reed Rooth, and I love it. I usually hunt down the ones from the 1990’s in thrift stores. As far as what genres I write in, I have written in the past in fantasy, horror, and science fiction, but right now it is mostly science fiction in the lost world subgenre, which means lots of dinosaurs!
Is your book for adults, young adults or children?
My current book series, and the one I will be writing in the foreseeable future (The Backpack Dinosaur series) will be for children, but who knows? Hopefully the parents will like it too!
What is your current release or project?
The Backpack Dinosaur Book #1 – A Raptor Ate My Homework! A cute, funny series spotlighting a pair of siblings who find and hatch a raptor egg and adopt it as a pet in their suburban neighborhood. The series will expand over many tones, like humor, adventure, thriller, holiday, horror, and many more.
Tell us about the key characters:
Andy and Anna are the two key human characters, and are twin brother and sister, living in the fictional town of Highland Falls in Western Pennsylvania. They find a strange egg in an alley in their home. The egg hatches into the third main character, Tennyson the velociraptor, who will be featured prominently on all the covers. Fortunately for the kids, the raptor is a “good” raptor, and is very protective of them, which will come in handy as they face various problems throughout their fourth-grade adventures.
What is your blurb or synopsis of the book?
It’s the first day of fourth-grade for twins Andy and Anna. Andy is a shy boy obsessed with dinosaurs and Anna is an adventurous girl willing to take risks. One day when they step off the school bus, Anna suggests taking a shortcut through a dark alley to get home.
As they navigate through the abandoned
alley, they find a mysterious large egg tucked under a bush. They take it home
and try to hatch it, careful not to tell their parents who are strict about
pets. After building a makeshift nest in the attic, the egg hatches into a
friendly baby velociraptor, whom they later name Tennyson, due to his
infatuation with destroying tennis balls.
Now they must convince their parents to keep the little dinosaur, while overcoming bad grades and the school bully.
Aside from your love of Dinosaurs what inspired your story?
The book itself was inspired by many children’s book series that a loved to read growing up. The cover art is inspired by goosebumps and encyclopedia brown. The story itself spawned from my love of Jurassic park and The Lost World, and another book that I recently got into called Raptor Red, which was released in the mid 90s. The novel was unique as it finally featured a dinosaur as the main character.
What advice would you give a beginner?
I would say never give up, even if you get bad reviews. Not everyone will think your work is great. Tolkien is regarded as one of the greatest writers ever, and on every page of his writings I find things that I would change. Also, as a secondary bit of advice, I would say to set manageable goals. Writing a little bit every day, even a hundred words is progress. Networking with fellow writers on social media has done wanders for me as far as keeping me motivated and making me laugh when I am in a writer’s block.
Kaitlynzq and I met on social media and because of our mutual love of poetry.
Author Bio
My fictional stories are written from the
inside view
of a character’s interior heart-that
beautiful, vulnerable, intimate space
feelings, desires, needs, dreams
a blend of
delicate feather ripples of heart waves
needs, feelings, dreams, desires
quiet, gentle heart strings
tender, continuous
soft, vulnerable air mist
circles, weaves to caress
a sonic sea of heart’s breath
Woven into audio books that are recorded in my voice with a medley of music as a heart’s wave into downloadable mp3 files; audio plays adapted from the audio books, and layered into pdf files like a heart’s song; audio poems that are multiple poems designed to connect to form a story as a heart’s breath; and audio sets that are sets of these interconnected stories with elements from each story that interweave in one another as heart’s wave, heart’s song, heart’s breath.
Tell us about yourself.
It’s been wonderful to connect with Eileen,
and I appreciate the opportunity to share more about what I do with all of
you. Since my bio is already provided, I
thought I would expand upon some of what touches me that in one form, or
another finds its way into my writing.
The following words are part of the textures
that are included in a poem I wrote several years ago
….A
lake rests among majestic hills
And
reflects the tranquil place of my mind…
These words, when I read them now remind me of
times when I’ve been hiking in the mountains, and the clouds, fog and mist are
resting below my feet, and gathered in a way that somehow looks like a calm
body of water is nestled within the mountain range.
I find nature’s unique moments so fascinating
and inspirational. Sometimes, tears like
waterfalls come from the well inside of me that is unknown, but felt.
If you would like to read this poem, as well
as more prose & poetry, these links lead to the posts on my blog &
audio streams
What genres do you like to read? Are these the same genres you write in?
I love adult literary fiction, poetry and
romance, and these are the same genres that I write in.
Is your book for adults, young adults or children?
My books are created for adults.
What is your current release or project?
Ancient
Script of Lovecontu audio poem is a story that
revealed itself to me one poetic layer within another of feelings, needs,
desires, dreams. Like the title as
whispers of heart beats from within.
And, it is the depth of a heart’s beautiful,
vulnerable, intimate space that is held inside of the multiple poems that
interconnect to form the story of Ancient
Script of Lovecontu.
Desires that stir the spectrum of emotions, expression of needs that walk delicately with the companion of uncertainty, touches like flowers as more is revealed, and all with the chord of lovecontu as a stream of words.
This audio poem is included in the series of
interconnected stories Lovecontu Song de
Light Lovecontu. A series that interweaves interior elements from the
stories together like gentle hugs to one’s heart from Ancient Script of Lovecontu audio poem, a vocal surround of unique
instrumental notes from Legend of Song de
Light audio book, layers of quiet a cappella from inside Legend of Song de Light audio play, to
petal soft pink glows that hum throughout the hours held within Lovecontu Song de Light Lovecontu audio
set. .
Tell us about the key characters
The key character is a lady whose name is
heard within a poem. And, sensory
experiences of her emotions expressed in nature’s rhythmic qualities, with love
as the undercurrent, to natural connections.
What is your blurb or synopsis of the book?
This link will guide you to the vocal synopsis
for Ancient Script of Lovecontu audio
poem
Share an excerpt .
An excerpt of a poem from inside Ancient Script of Lovecontu audio poem
A
hamster to and fro
One corner to the next
Faster and faster with each step
Blind to what’s around it
Now bruised every which way
Oh, actually, that’s how I’m feeling
A
breeze, melodic in pace
Caresses around me
As a cocoon of soft cashmere
Oh, actually, that’s how I’m feeling
Jackhammer
blasts through the air
Ricocheting past every decibel level
Breaking glass splinters to the ground
Immeasurable chaos
Oh,
actually, that’s how I’m feeling
Smooth
luxury blesses my tongue
Sprinkles with surprises of heaven
As nature’s bounty moves in celebration through my body
Oh,
actually, that’s how I’m feeling
Honeysuckle
saunters in through the screen
To remind me of spring
Accompanied by daffodils sweet aroma
With a promise of what is to come
Oh,
actually, that’s how I’m feeling
Feelings
to experience,
To allow,
To decode
Feelings
as reminders of being alive
And under them all
Hear spirit’s whisper,
“I care about you”
“I care
about you.”
To hear the vocal recording of this poem as
recorded within the story of Ancient
Script of Lovecontu audio poem, please select this video
https://youtu.be/Z6KhCkH0izY A video
that holds a special extension of an integral stream.
Do you have a favorite scene?
One of my favorite scenes is the following
stanza that is included in the excerpt:
A moment I personally would like repeated in all of my days. A scene that holds so many variations, and are part of the inspiration for this story. My own dreams, needs, feelings, desires held in many ways within the words that make the layers of this stanza.
A
breeze, melodic in pace
Caresses around me
As a cocoon of soft cashmere
What advice would you give a beginner?
Something that helps me when I am staring at the center of uncertainty is to re-read, and re-read good reviews of my books. They can be like blankets of reminders to continue writing.
The humor Joshua Grant uses on his site is what drew me to him. He’s reviewed one of my short stories. It’s been fun getting to know him.
Author Bio
Joshua Grant is a loving caring guy with a mild case of misadventure. He has survived a flash flood, encountered several bears, and has sailed the ocean blue. Currently, Josh makes a living teaching and working with kids in several different environments, with the occasional novel always in the works. Learn more about him and his work at diabolicshrimp.com.
Tell us about yourself.
I’m an adventurous guy.
I survived a flash flood once, sailed a chunk of the Atlantic Ocean, and
have had several close encounters with bears and even a moose! But in all that craziness, I really just love
people, getting to laugh and joke and grow alongside each other. I work with kiddos both at school, camp, and
at church. When I’m not doing that, I
like to hang out with friends and family, play video games, and I’m a huge
movie buff. I’m also writing all the
time, either a novel or reviews for other authors.
When did you know you wanted to be an author?
I actually just kind of fell into it really. I had a middle school English teacher who
believed in me and made me believe in myself.
I started writing short stories then.
Ironically, it was standardized testing that made me into a writer
haha! I was bored when I finished the
test early and we used to be able to do whatever when we were done as long as
it was quiet so I would write. From there
I just kept doing it until this day.
So…thanks boring testing I guess? 🙂
What genres do you like to read? Are these the same genres you write in?
I’m actually fairly new to reading, really just the last
several years. I started with young
adult fantasy and sci fi and loved that!
Now I literally read everything under the sun. As far as my writing goes, it has to have a
fantasy or sci fi element but outside of that I’ll pretty much write anything
now too.
Is your book for adults, young adults or children?
I currently have four books and another on the way in just a
couple weeks. I have two horror books in
the same series (Pandora and Jericho) and they’re definitely for adults! I was a little mortified when I had a bunch
of parents of kiddos I work with come up to me and say ‘hey I bought your book
for my kid’ and I had the really awkward task of explaining that they were for
adults. They kinda looked at me like I
was a monster, haha! I also have a young
adult fantasy (The Fifth Ascendant) and a young adult sci fi thriller (Nexus).
What is your current release or project?
I’m excited to finally be releasing Silly Tales from
Albanon. It’s a quirky collection of
humorous short stories all set in the same fantasy kingdom of Albanon. I take classic fantasy clichés and turn them
on their head. There’s an orc, but he’s
a detective, or an ultimate assassin, but he’s a possessed pink teddybear. It’s goofier than what I normally write but I
love it and all the stories build on each other towards a twist ending. It’s also loosely connected to my flagship
series The Fifth Ascendant.
Tell us about the key characters
This book is more about an ensemble than any key
characters. I had fun crafting this
world and making each character unique and humorous, but they all have depth in
their own way. It begins with a gnome
who dreams of being an explorer and venturing beyond the Great Tree where all
the gnomes hang out. We eventually move
to the imperial occupied city of Valeria where I introduce you to a Necromancer
in love, a thief princess, an elf mage kid who steals his grandpa’s golem and
takes it for a ride, and a pirate with a murderous reputation who is actually a
coward. There are several more all after
their own goals, but ultimately there’s a greater sinister plot going on in the
world of Albanon.
What is your blurb or synopsis of the book?
What does an adventurous gnome, a princess-turned-thief, and
a teddybear assassin all have in common?
Well…nothing really. But when
the quirky fantasy realm of Albanon is beset with an unspeakable evil, these
hapless heroes and more will have to band together to fight deadly monsters and
save the world. And there’s a cute
sentient cactus. Did I mention the
cactus? What’s not to love about that?
Share an excerpt
Earlier that day
“We
shouldn’t be here.”
The
slightly warbling voice came from the crystal hovering at Koren’s side. The clear stone glowed faintly, casting its
bluish light on the grey stonecut walls of the tunnel causing strange shadows
to stretch and shrink. Every time Norgel
spoke, her light would pulse playing murder with Koren’s night vision (the
dwarves called it tunnel vision but that seemed to confuse most Upworlders for
some reason).
“Trying to
concentrate here Norgel,” she said, adjusting her sweaty hands on the battle ax
so she could wipe away the trickle of blood from her nose. A pack of deep goblins also seemed to agree
that she didn’t belong there.
But you
belong here. They can attest to that.
She glanced
at the dead goblins littering the hallway behind her, then turned her attention
to the lithe creature in front of her, the last of the roving horde. It hissed at her, saliva dripping down its
partially clear spindly teeth. The thing
was shriveled and gangly, its skin dark and mottled. Its childlike hands and body twitched in
anticipation of the kill its beady black eyes picked out of the dark.
Koren was
the opposite. She held completely still,
only the frills of her battle skirt swaying lightly, belying the heavy thump of
her excited heart. This was it, the
deciding moment of battle, the awakening in her soul. Norgel warbled nervously. Koren took an adrenaline filled breath.
The deep
goblin screeched and sprang forward with lightning speed, but the one thing
that beat lightning speed was lightning precision.
Koren
twisted, barely dodging the goblin’s raking claws, and brought her ax around in
a wide arc. The goblin fell to the
ground, joining its foul brethren. Its
head joined them a second later (a fate well deserved if her mailbox brimming
with ‘Pumpkins and Shields’ ads had anything to say about it).
“Good. Very good.
You did great Lady Koren,” Norgel praised in that patronizing tone of
hers. “Now can we return to Grethal?”
Koren
brushed a strand of her vibrant red hair from her sweaty forehead. “Not yet.
Those goblins were looking for something.”
For being
such a dead space, the Underdark had a life of its own. The vast labyrinth of tunnels, some dwarf
made and some natural, was home to a litany of creatures, none of which were
friendly. Even Wocs and Llubs, the main
meaty food staple of the dwarven people, could kill you without a second’s
hesitation if you let your guard down.
But if you learned to read the creatures’ habits, their needs and
cravings, you could not only survive the Underdark, but learn to thrive in it.
These deep
goblins were one such example, and a promising one at that. They craved treasure above all things, even
their lust for blood. If a pack this big
had come together, there must have been something really good nearby.
Koren’s
heart sped up. “Come on.”
Norgel
hovered reluctantly. “Can’t you just
take one of these goblins’ teeth as a trophy?
It’s very small and—“
“No,” Koren
said with exasperation. She heard what
Norgel didn’t say. A goblin’s tooth
would be easy to hide, and wouldn’t attract the attention of the matron mothers
back at Grethal. It was small, like the
light flicker of hope Koren felt when she stumbled upon one such trophy stashed
away amongst Lady Karifen’s things. When
she questioned the old woman about it, she saw the freshness of life lift the
dullness in her withered face…but only for a moment. Just as quickly, the weight of the world
descended back upon her. She dismissed
it as the whim of a silly little girl.
But one
silly little girl’s whim was another silly little girl’s dream, a dream that
Koren intended to make a reality.
Back in
Grethal, dwarven women weren’t supposed to do anything ‘unseemly,’ things like
deviating from their household chores or picking up a battle ax. Koren was pretty sure adventuring into the
Underdark alone qualified. She had
dreamed since she was little about going with the men on one of their
raids. The dwarves were constantly at
war in the depths protecting the rest of Albanon from the ever rising
darkness. Her father told her it was
something about cleansing the infection from the vessels running throughout the
World Beast’s body, whatever that meant.
Koren
swallowed down the pain the memory of her father brought. Dwarven women were only supposed to support
the war effort by feeding the men and maintaining things on the home front, but
that didn’t stop Maduin from teaching his daughter to fight in secret. The celebrated veteran taught her everything
he knew about combat and the Underdark, but nothing topped the most important
lesson he left her: if someone says you’re too small to ride the ride, use an
ax to shorten the standards.
Koren
smiled as tears stung her eyes. Her
father died shortly after on a raid.
They said he died the way he lived, doing what he loved. They also said that he died very painfully
being devoured by an Abyssal Maw, but Koren always decided to avoid that little
tidbit.
Do you have a favorite scene?
I love all the chapters and characters, but the excerpt
above is definitely from one of my favorite scenes. You have this dwarven girl who is told to
stay home while the men go out to fight and raid in the Underdark, these labyrinthine
tunnels filled with monsters and treasure under Albanon. But instead, she treks out there battling
monsters much to the dismay of her companion, a sentient crystal that’s
obsessed with chores and is a terrible nag.
It’s a fun scene, but more than anything it’s all about the power of our
choices and the love of family. It also
has all these fun little vignettes about dwarven parenting.
What advice would you give a beginner?
I would actually say only two things really. Stick with it. You are only going to be successful in the writing field if you play the long game. In addition to this, write what you love. Write the novel you personally enjoy reading. If you love it, there’s at least a hundred other people out there that will also love it!
JL and I met through social media. I enjoyed getting to know her.
Author Bio
J.L. Keathley is a self-published author who focuses on YA Fantasy. She lives in Arkansas with her husband and two daughters. She loves animals and has a variety of pets. She has always loved to read and decided to write what she wants to read about. She likes to travel with her family and find adventures.
Tell us about yourself
I am from Arkansas. I have been married since 2007 and have two daughters.
When did you know you wanted to be an author?
I didn’t really, it just happen. Now I am excited because I published a book and plan to publish more.
What genres do you like to read?Are these the same genres you write in?
Anything YA, preferably YA Fantasy. Yes, I write the same genres.
Is your book for adults, young adults or children?
It is for people who enjoy young adult novels.
What is your current release or project?
My current project is Chasing Lightning Bugs (hope to have it published by July of this year.) My current release is Distant Memories (The Shadow Realm, Book 1).
Tell us about the key characters:
Key characters for Distant Memories is Alexa and Lavy. Both are what makes the main character a big part of who she is and what she will be come. They will both play a large part in her character development. I can’t really say much else, because it will give spoilers.
What is your blurb or synopsis of the book?
Distant Memories: About to turn sixteen, Jade was looking forward to getting her first car and a little more freedom. Life, however, had a different path in mind. A thirst for blood and newfound fangs exposed a secret world to her… a world hidden from humanity. To leave behind everything she knew and enter The Shadow Realm, she must embark on a fateful journey to uncover the truth about the past and understand her strange dreams. Daring efforts to unravel her destiny will reveal new powers, new friends, and very real enemies.
Share an excerpt
The girl started to change forms. She started to get smaller; her arms became wings with brown, black, and white feathers. Her feet changed into talons, her mouth and nose became a beak, and her eyes went from dark brown to black. I could hear her bones crunching as she turned. When she was done, she was a falcon, a beautiful bird. After the change had been completed, she flew away.
Do you have a favorite scene?
When Jade, my main character has flash backs in the cemetery with a powerful witch and learns of her past.
What advice would you give a beginner?
Write for yourself, not for anyone else. Tell the story that you want to tell.
Robin Gregory was born in Florida and raised in California with seven siblings, and in the company of cowboys, crawdads, and the occasional rattlesnake. When not writing magical realist novels and screenplays, she likes to hike in the wilderness, listen to difficult jazz, talk with angels, and watch Guillermo del Toro films.
Her début, young adult novel, The Improbable Wonders of Moojie Littleman, is about a disabled, orphan boy with healing powers who befriends an otherworldly clan. It won 22 awards, including Kirkus Reviews, Indiefab, IPPY Best Books of the Year. Chinese and Turkish translations to be released Summer, 2018.
Mrs. Gregory studied Creative Writing and Literature at the University of California, Santa Cruz and Stanford University’s Writer’s Workshop. Her professional experience includes journalist, minister, and mapmaker.
What are her favorite things? Saints with potty-mouths, children under the dinner table, the classics, and corn chips.
Presently, she lives in California with two comedians, her husband and son.
Tell us about yourself.
They tell me I came through a portal above
Pensacola, Florida, where my daddy flew Navy jets. I grew up with seven
brothers and sisters, building forts and romping in the foxtails of California,
accompanied by real cowboys and the occasional rattlesnake. I studied Creative
Writing and Literature at the University of California, Santa Cruz and Stanford
Writer’s Workshop. My favorite jobs have been “mom,” lay minster, and
infant massage instructor. I am a longtime student of mysticism, a blend of
Eastern, Western, and Middle Eastern teachings that emanate from Love. This is
what inspires me to write, and to be of service to others. The Improbable Wonders of
Moojie Littleman, my début novel, won 22 awards,
and is in development for a feature length film.
When did you know you wanted to be an author?
I actually wrote my first novelette in first grade. It was a
picture book about an Arabian horse who didn’t have any friends. I had trouble
learning to read, so the idea of writing word-stories never occurred to me till
the end of high school, when I miraculously “caught up.” After reading “Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka, I was literally
set afire, and started taking writing classes.
What genres do you like to read? Are these the same genres you write in?
I’m drawn to literary fiction, especially magical realism. I
like books that speak to me on multiple levels, that make me see the world
through new eyes.
Is your book for adults, young adults or children?
I wrote The Improbable
Wonders of Moojie Littleman for fluent readers of all ages. It has won awards in middle grade, young
adult, and adult categories.
What is your current release or project?
I’m working with a producer on the screen adaptation of
Moojie 1. It’s nearly ready to go out for pre-production reviews and contests.
Meanwhile, I’ve got Moojie 2 & 3 of
a trilogy drafted.
Tell us about the key characters
The key character in The Improbable Wonders of Moojie Littleman
is a young, partially-disabled boy named Moojie. Despite a pretty rough
beginning, he’s gifted, determined, smarter than people think, and
kind-hearted.
What is your blurb or synopsis of the book?
Early 1900s, Western America. Moojie is a lonely, disabled boy with uncontrollable telekenetic powers. His adoptive father leaves him at his grandfather’s wilderness farm where he befriends otherworldly outcasts mistaken for Native Americans. Following a series of trials that challenge his mental and physical abilities, Moojie is summoned by the call to a great destiny … if only he can survive one last terrifying trial.
Share an excerpt
P R O L O G U E
Once I dreamed of being crippled and lost in the woods. Using
umbrellas for crutches, I circled back to a giant oak tree three times, fell to
the ground, and burst into tears. The leaves of the tree rustled, and I looked
up and asked, “Which way from here?”
“Depends on where you’re going,” said the tree.
“I want to go home.”
“You are home.”
“But I want to find my real home.”
“You don’t have to go anywhere,” the tree said.
I cried all the more.
The tree continued, “All right, go on a journey, if you must.
Just get up and walk.”
“But that would take a miracle.”
“A miracle, you say?”
“I don’t believe in miracles.”
“Why, you’re talking to a tree, aren’t you?”
—M.L.
Do you have a favorite scene?
I think it would be the end. Though circumstances have been
difficult, unpredictable, and sometimes infuriating, Moojie sees that
everything happened as it should–and for the better.
What advice would you give a beginner?
First and foremost: Don’t be in a hurry to publish! Nine out
of ten books are published before they have had time to ripen or undergo sufficient
revision and editing. It’s one thing if you’re writing a book for friends and
family. But you don’t need to publish on Amazon to do that. It’s a whole other
game if you want to be a recognized author. Your work, more than ever, must
distinguish itself through professional review or it will disappear into
cyberspace, never to be read.
Jim and I connected through Twitter. He gifted me a copy of No Mistakes Grammar Bites volume 1. I gave him a 4 star review and had this to say
Giammatteo provides simple language to assist someone struggling with proper word usage. He uses simple techniques to help everyone understand how and when to use particular words.
Author Bio
Giacomo Giammatteo is the author of gritty crime
dramas about murder, mystery, and family. And he also
writes nonfiction books including the No Mistakes Careers series as
well as books about grammar and publishing. When Giacomo
isn’t writing, he’s helping his wife take care of the animals on their
sanctuary. At last count they had forty animals—seven dogs, one horse, six
cats, and twenty-five pigs.
Oh, and one crazy—and very large—wild boar, who takes walks with Giacomo every day and happens to also be his best buddy.
Tell us about yourself.
Not much to tell. I’m 67, and I’ve been married for 50 years to the same lovely woman. We met when we were thirteen.
My wife and I have owned an
animal sanctuary for 25 years, and at one time, we had as many as 55 animals.
In 2015, I had two heart attacks and two strokes which left me disabled and unable to do damn near anything. It took me 18 months to learn to type again, but in 2017, I was able to break the world’s record for most books written by a single person in one year. Of course, I was no longer working, so that freed up my time.
When did you know you wanted to be an author?
I didn’t know until I was about 50.
What genres do you like to read? Are these the same genres you write in?
I read a lot of military history as well as biographies, but that is not what I write. I write in many genres: mystery, fantasy, children’s books, grammar, and general nonfiction, as well as books on publishing, writing, etc.
Is your book for adults, young adults or children?
I have books for children but most of my books are for adults.
What is your current release or project?
I have several books going on right now: two mysteries, a fantasy, a book on writing, and one final book on grammar.
Tell us about the key characters
In the two mystery books, the characters are continuations from the earlier books in the series. The same goes for the fantasy book, as it’s the fourth in a series. The grammar book, of course, has no characters.
What is your blurb or synopsis of the book?
If we’re speaking about the
grammar book, it will be something like “Simply Put: The Plain English Grammar
Guide.” Learn grammar without needing to know grammatical terms.
I just made that up, so it may change.
Share an excerpt.
This is an excerpt from Simply
Put. It covers the rules regarding how to use “lie, lay, laid, and lain”
successfully. It’s a simple way to learn.
🐗 The first
rule is a simple reminder. Never use “laid” or “laying” to mean rest or sleep.
If you remember that, all you need to work on are the words “lie” and “lay.”
If you start to say, “I was laying down when you called,”
realize that “laying” cannot be used with rest, so use “lying” instead. “I was
lying down when you called.”
🐗 If you have a
temptation to use the word “laid” associated with rest or sleep, use “lay”
instead.
2. If you start to say, “I laid
down,” realize that “laid” cannot be used with rest so use “lay” instead. “I
got tired last night and lay down.”
3. Any time that you use “lie”
or “lay” meaning to rest, check the tense in your head. If you’re talking about
now, the word to use is “lie.” If you’re talking about something that
already happened, use “lay.”
That’s it. You’re done. You now are a master regarding the use of “lie, lay, laid, and lain.”
Do you have a favorite scene?
In my book Murder Is Immaculate, it’s when the detective from NY arrives at his childhood friend’s house to help him out of a bind.
What advice would you give a beginner?
Learn how to tell a story and learn enough grammar to help you tell it.
Holly is a Wisconsin writer like me. We met by chance on Twitter. Go Wisconsin!
Author Bio
Holly Tierney-Bedord is the author of over twenty books including Kindle
Unlimited All-Star winner Sweet Hollow Women. She lives in Madison,
Wisconsin.
Tell us about yourself.
I’m the author of over twenty books in a variety of genres.
I’m also a miniaturist (I “flip” dollhouses and make mini furniture and décor).
I write about that as well. I live in Madison, Wisconsin.
When did you know you wanted to be an author?
I’d have to say since I learned how to write I’ve wanted to be an author. I’ve always loved writing and creating little “worlds.” As a kid, I thought I’d grow up to be a fashion designer, greeting card designer, artist, interior designer, writer, or about twenty other things. I’ve always loved having creative projects to work on. Most of these career choices aren’t very practical, yet they weren’t as crazy as they probably seemed because the kinds of things I loved as a kid are still my favorite activities today.
What genres do you like to read? Are these the same genres you write in?
I like to read all kinds of books. For the most part, I like
to read authors who write in the same genres I write, but that covers lots of
kinds of books. One difference, though, between what I write and what I read is
that I write mainly fiction and about 40% of the books I read are non-fiction.
Is your book for adults, young adults or children?
Most of my books are for adults, though some of them are for everyone.
What is your current release or project?
My new release is called Little
Miss Eyes of Blue. It’s the prequel to my novel The Woman America Loves a Latte. It was a bit of a tough book to
write since the main character’s upbringing is so sad and difficult.
The book I’m currently writing is a much lighter romantic comedy. It’s part of a series I’m writing with several other authors. It takes place on a cruise ship. It’s fun and refreshing to write something funny and lighthearted again.
Tell us about the key characters
The key character in Little Miss Eyes of Blue is a young girl named Veloura. Despite the rotten apples life hands her, she’s tough, determined, more intelligent than people expect, and very good-hearted.
What is your blurb or synopsis of the book?
Since Little Miss Eyes
of Blue goes with The Woman America
Loves a Latte (The two books are stand-alones, but I actually recommend a
person read The Woman America Loves a
Latte first, even though it takes place after Little Miss Eyes of Blue) here are both blurbs:
Little Miss Eyes of
Blue:
Veloura is off to a rough start in life.
While her parents aren’t often there for her, the kindness of strangers, friends, and teachers helps to make up for what she’s missing at home, and opens her eyes to the vast potential in the world around her and within herself.
This book is the prequel to stand-alone thriller The Woman America Loves a Latte.
The Woman America Loves a Latte:
From the Kindle All-Star Award-winning author of Sweet Hollow Women comes a quirky thriller for fans of Megan Abbott, Liane Moriarty, and Carl Hiaasen.
Veloura has never stood a chance. Orphaned as a teen, she’s settled for a life of low expectations. She spends her days sprucing up the shack of a has-been bull rider and washing hair down at the local salon. But when it turns out her fiancé doesn’t have her best interests at heart, she’s forced to come up with a new plan for herself.
An opportunity to be the spokesperson for a coffee chain means a bright future could be hers, if only she can stay ahead of her dark past.
Share an excerpt
Marla Merkowerowitz put the furniture
polish in the caddy beneath the kitchen sink and tossed the dust rag into the
laundry basket. She sat back down at the kitchen table and lit a cigarette. Her
daughter Veloura was still napping, but Marla had a feeling that wouldn’t last for
much longer. Not today, not tomorrow. Just shy of two years old, Veloura would
rather play and talk than sleep. Even as a baby, she’d always been too afraid
of missing something to sleep through any substantial portion of the day.
Marla’s husband Paul was at his new job
at the candle factory. He was just starting his second week and already he was
complaining. The night before, he’d told her, “I can’t take it. All the scents.
Vanilla. Peach. Pine. Strawberry. More vanilla. It’s making me sick. It’s going
to cause me cancer.”
“That’s crazy,” Marla had told him.
Then she’d laughed at the hypocrisy of it. Like just about everyone they knew,
they were both heavy smokers. Now he suddenly cared about getting cancer and
thought candles were going to cause it?
The thing about Paul was that he was
lazy.
No, Marla realized, that wasn’t the
thing about Paul.
Laziness was a thing about Paul. A thing she could have tolerated if he was the
one.
But he wasn’t. He wasn’t the one. The One. That one significant, complementary
piece of the puzzle.
And it hurt to know that. To even think
it. And so she tried not to, but this was the reality she was living in. It was
as real and pervasive as a black storm cloud forever overhead.
She could wear his ring and raise his child, sign his name and sleep in his bed. All these things they shared, didn’t that make them fifty percent hers? Or, actually, a hundred percent hers and a hundred percent his. Well, that was even worse because it meant not being able to give it all back.
Do you have a favorite scene?
Not really.
What advice would you give a beginner?
Read a lot and write a lot. Something I learned to do in
grade school was to “free write” where you sit down and write anything for a
certain amount of time (usually just 3-10 minutes). Keep writing, even if
you’re just writing things you see around you in the room, how you feel,
something on your mind that’s bothering you, etc. This is a great exercise
because it teaches you that you don’t have to have a plan or a point to get
started.
