Aw yeah. . . WIPpet Wednesday is here!

*Toots the horn on the 'Little Engine That Could'*

Welcome aboard WIPpet Wednesday, folks!  Here is my second time joining in with the rest of some wonderful authors in sharing my Work In Progress.  Anyone can participate (click on the link to get yourself enrolled), and you get to see a great many tantelizing snippets of imagination-at-work out there.  Thanks to My Random Muse for hosting!

Now, today's date is June 12, 2013.  I will take day twelve from the month and give you 12 paragraphs.  Last WIPpet Wednesday I gave you a small teaser about the massacre at Harper's Grove Annual fair (not to be confused with the annual massacre of Harper's Grove Fair *wink*).  Well, that seemed to have whet quite a few appetites for details, so I am giving you the following 12 paragraphs immediately following that one short three liner from page two of the opening chapter that I 'tantelized' you with. 

To clarify, the massacre of Harper's Grove is a past event.  Terry, one of my main characters, is reflecting back on this story he's heard countless times.  He did not bear witness to the gruesome spectacle.  Akira's speech begins in the first paragraph:


“Kneel, and submit to my will!  Pledge your loyalty to me this day, and your lives will be spared.  You will know work and sweat and labor, but you will also know the freedom from frivolous argument and unnecessary warfare!  Follow me, and take pride in building a new nation that will not fall apart!” Her honey coated voice, enhanced by some sort of magic, rang through the air so all could hear.  Blank, confused stares turned into defiant expressions.  No alien was going to waltz in and declare herself ruler.    

Steve Cromwell, an older gentleman who had the reputation in town for being a heckler, shouted out, “You’re crazy!”

Almond-shaped eyes fixed their stare on him.  Akira said nothing.  Slowly, her lips pulled up in a feral smile that revealed fanged teeth while a growl rose from the back of her throat.  There was a flash, and a long bronze staff instantaneously appeared in her hands.  A half crescent moon sat on the top, hundreds of tiny emerald gems inlaid into the metallic surface.  The gems glittered dangerously as the staff pointed at Steve.  Brilliant green light shot out from the crescent moon center and hit him square in the chest.

The older man was blown backward through the crowd, the force of the blast knocking citizens down as his body carved a path.   He landed roughly on the ground, the crack of his skull echoing loudly as it smacked against the earth.  Blank eyes stared up at nothing, the jaw slanted and jutting out at an unnatural angle.  

Steve was the first casualty.

A terrible moment of silence passed, then Suzanne, Steve’s wife—her name also etched on the memorial wall—filled the air with the shrill keen of a widow’s despair.

Akira’s minions stepped out at that point, scores of them surrounding and trapping the crowd where they stood.  They were skinny, lanky gray creatures with oversized arms and hands, hard wrinkled skin similar to a rhino and just as tough. They had bald heads and melted faces with red beady eyes.

Suzanne’s cries were joined by terrified shrieks from several others, ripping the air with fear and disbelief.  Citizens scattered here and there, only to wind up face to face with one of the melted gray-faced minions, unable to escape.  Large, ape-like hands rose into the air, and when they struck down to the earth, human bone crushed and splintered. 

Stepping out next was a beast of mythical legend: the Minotaur—he was a fearsome creature with a black bull head and two great pointed horns that curved outward and were sharp as spears.  His rippling torso resembled something akin to a body builder on massive amounts of steroids, with thick stalky legs and cloven feet.  Clad in bright golden armor from the waist up and a helmet around his horned head, it wasn’t a surprise he went by the name of Goldore.  Those eyes glittered black coals of putrid and hate, targeting any human as the enemy.  Wielding his great golden sword high up in the air, devastation struck wherever it landed. 

So much bloodshed.   So much loss.

Scores upon scores of people died.  Screams echoed for miles as people scrambled to escape from a trap that snaked them in the further they tried to run.  Too many minions outflanked the citizens, holding them hostage while death claimed them in grotesque fashion.

Few found miraculous escape.  Very few, and not nearly enough.

****

There you have it!  I welcome comments and positive criticism. 

We Are All Human

"Noboday can avoid falling in love.  They might want to deny it, but friendship is probably the most common form of love."  - Stieg Larsson, The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest

A warm thank you to all of you wonderful writers who posted your comments last WIPpet Wednesday.  I had plans to visit each of your pages to return the kindness. I got to a few, but not to all.  My goal this upcoming WIPpet Wednesday is to do so. 

I want to give adequate warning that this post may not necessarily be witty or carry a message of inspiration or uplifting thought.  I wish to let you know that I am human. 

That has been a heavy thought to dwell on this week, being human.  It entails all sorts of meaning and opinion.  What I am after, though, is to let you know that among this screen of words lies a person who laughs and jokes and cries and gets upset and shows the rainbow of emotion. 

This week dealt with humanity for me.  It can be so easy to forget how human we all are.  When we don't get along with someone, it can be so hard to realize that inside both opposing parties lies a golden person who is loved and also loves.  That they, too, have the rainbow of emotion that we wish others to see in our own selves.  That we are capable of making mistakes that are worthy of forgiveness, that our actions, ill or positive, won't be etched into one tiny moment of time and branded on our skin as the only definition of who we truly are. 

It is so easy to find the negative.  Social media loves to broadcast it, because we love to find it.  We find it in ourselves, in the environment, in others, in everywhere.  It is a life-long lesson to learn how to find the positive and focus on it, to hold onto it and strengthen ourselves in betterment.  I repeat:  That is a life-long lesson. 

It really should be remembered in each other, that we are all on differing paths toward achieving that.  Some more than others.  Really though, hard as it may be, try just to focus on your own path of life-long betterment.  It's the only path you can control.  It's the only way negativity won't swallow you up and chew you into a thousand more shattered pieces. 

Why am I talking about this?  This might sound abstract, and it might sound vague and out of the blue. 

It is.

Death usually has that affect.  It's abstract, it's out of the blue, and so often times, it isn't expected.  You aren't prepared for it.

I knew someone who died last Sunday, June 2.  He was 74 years of age, he was a coworker, and he was a friend. 

I didn't often let him know the positive impressions he made on me.  I kept those to myself, ever the silent observer, keeping to myself. 

The point of this post isn't to discuss the person that I knew, however.  There are many of us that have experienced the loss of someone dear.  It causes the mind to grapple with life, with its fragility, and with its many varying aspects of negative and positive.  My point today, is to let you know that I knew a very fine human being.  My point is to let you know that I myself, am human.  I witness every day the acts of humanity.  We all do. 

That is a part of why I like writing, because I can explore some of those aspects.  Life is a very unique thing to experience.  There are exciting moments, boring ones, loving ones, scary ones, and so on and so forth.  I enjoy imagining different life experiences. 

This past week I reflected on a real life one.  There is something I wish to take from this small aspect of humanity I witnessed from my coworker:  We are all human.  We have a lot of potential differences.  That's okay.  We are going to get mad at each other.  That's okay.  We are going to love each other.  That's okay.  We are going to do something that causes someone else sorrow.  It may not feel okay, but that's still okay. 

What we need to come together and do, is try to understand that we are all human.  If we could learn to understand that we all feel similar emotions, maybe we could be quicker to forgive, quicker to understand, quicker to let go, quicker to love, quicker to see that differences don't have to equate themselves to negativity, quicker to. . . *fill in the blank.*  I think you see where I'm getting at. 

I may get mad at someone tomorrow.  What I hope to do, is to let go of that anger quickly.  I hope to view that person as someone who still loves, who is loved, and has goodness inside.  I hope not to brand someone by one moment of time that didn't set well with me. 

I saw my coworker do that.  It is my life-long lesson to figure out how he figured it out.

Stay tuned for WIPpet Wednesday, where I promise for something lighter and less heavier than the very puzzling aspect that makes up humanity. ;)  

WIPpet Wednesday

"Let's whip it, let's WIPpet Wednesday!" 

From my last post, hopefully I've got you wondering what WIPpet Wednesday really entails.  Well, it's a fun little way to give readers a taste of my current WIP: Work In Progress.  Each Wednesday, I'm going to reveal something about my project that correlates with the day's date.  Adrian has turned me onto this, and if you're curious, WIPpet is also going around at that site too. 

So, today is June 5, 2013.  I am taking the day's calendar date of 5, and using a simple math equation:  2+3=5.  So for my WIPpet today, on the second page of my manuscript, I am sharing three lines with you.  They are:

Terry had heard the story of the Harper’s Annual Fair Massacre countless times:  Standing atop the stage and scattering local entertainment, Akira’s large emerald eyes bore down onto the crowd, glaring with fierce determination, silently challenging anyone to defy her.

Well, there you have it!  Page 2, with three lines, equals 5. :)  Short and sweet, and. . . tantelizing, I hope?  I welcome any comments. 

Sunday and Wednesday will hold updates on this blog from me.  If you haven't, I encourage you to subscribe to e-mail updates.  If any one is more familiar with blogger than I am, is there a way you can view stats on users who have done so? 

I hope you guys have a great week, and thank you kindly for stopping by my itty bitty corner of the web.

Work In Progress: The Reveal of my Next Project

Happy Sunday to all of you!  I want to thank you for taking time out of your lives to mosey onto this itty bitty corner of the internet and read someone's musings.  Hopefully Little Dude's story was entertaining and worthy of your time.  If you have read The Coin, then you know that this mini story was a bit different in writing style and genre.   

Well, I am shifting writing styles/genres yet again and want to reward you with insight into my current WIP (Work In Progress).  I was tagged last week with a fun little game fellow authors participate in, which is answering a few questions about one's WIP.  I figured sharing this survey would be an appropriate way to reveal my new project with you.  My thanks to Adrian J Smith for tagging me!Without further ado...

1.       What is the name of your current WIP?

I am writing the first book in a five book series that is titled 'How You Found Me.' The sub-title is yet unknown.

2.       Give a short summary of your WIP.  

Terry Owens has moved to Harper’s Grove with one mission in mind: to join the Defenders and battle against the alien force of Akira and her driving ambition to take over the city.  There’s just one problem—becoming one of the Defenders isn’t exactly a position for hire.  Determined and optimistic, Terry doesn’t let that insignificant detail stop him from hoping to be the first exception.  With that sole purpose in mind, it is why he tries so hard to keep himself from falling for quiet, charming James, who just so happens to be the leader of the team—until James starts to show similar interest.  It catches both by surprise. After all, neither of them had ever allowed that aspect of their lives to be open for discussion.  In the meantime, little does Terry know someone else is eager to make his dream of becoming a Defender come true.  With her own devious plans in mind, Akira seeks to give Terry all the power he could ever want—at the cost of his own free will.

3.       Ready to do a cover reveal? 

 

        Not even close!  It’s on the back burner of my thoughts though, believe me.  I've got ideas stirring. 

4.       How many words are you into it? 

 

       About 13,200 words.  Because page count vastly differs depending on the format and size used (especially for the digital book age), giving a page count isn’t the most accurate way to gauge the size of an author’s story.  Though for those who are still curious, that puts me at about 31 pages in Microsoft Word.  I would like to add here, that this is my word count for a third (or is it fourth?) revision of this story.  It’s a project I have been working on for over a year. I do believe this latest revision is on the right track, which is why I am choosing to reveal it to you guys!

5.       Goal word count by the end of the week?

 

       I need to be better at setting goals, so to motivate myself, I have recently tried to set myself the task of 5,000 words this week, but we’ll see!

6.       Goal word count for the entire manuscript?

 

        60,000-70,000 words

7.       What genre does your WIP fall within? 

 

        Action/superhero, fantasy, romance, gay fiction.

8.       When would you *like* to publish this project? 

      
        My hope is toward the end of this year if I can get myself writing fast enough now that I’ve ironed out a lot of the kinks. Not all of them, but most.
 

9.       Go to page 5 of your manuscript and pick a sentence at random to share with us! 
       
        I’ll give you a little bit more than a sentence!  How about a paragraph?

Terry continued staring up at the monument, lost in the thoughts and memories swimming around in his head.  These were a group of highly skilled fighters, known for their magical abilities, but mostly for their message to defend, protect, serve, and not let the enemy win.   Six people—it seemed a little crazy that six people, extraordinary or magical—could fight the way they did against the alien forces of Akira.  It was true she hadn’t picked forces that had keen intellect, but strength was still strength, and her side had lots of it. 

10.       Will this WIP be turned into a series book?  
          
        You bet!  This will be a five book series at the very least.

11.       What has been the hardest challenge working on this WIP? 
          
       It originally was a fanfiction piece inspired by the Power Rangers (yup, I’m proud of that!).  You will see the influence as you read it.  It has been a challenge changing things around to make it enough of my own, hence the number of revisions it has gone through.

12.       What has been your favorite part of working on this WIP? 
          
        Writing Terry and James.  That’s about all I’ll say!

13.      Any special treat planned for when you finish the final draft of your WIP? 
            
        Oh my!  Well, since it’s a series, I’ll be eager to move on to the next book, but eating out and a back scratch from the hubby would be quite nice.  I’m relatively easy to please.

 

Stay tuned for WIPpet Wednesdays!  What is that, you ask?  Well, it is where I share with you an update on my WIP that somehow corresponds with the date I am posting on.  Don't really get it?  Come back on Wednesday to see what I mean :)

(Mwahaha! Come on, I've gotta leave you with a small semblance of a cliff-hanger!)

The Adventures of Little Dude: Epilogue

Epilogue:  Saying Goodbye

Little Dude was carried into a building where he was welcomed by quite a few other humans saying nice things to him, including the nice lady.  After such a long and scary ride, he needed all the comfort he could get.  Fingers came and wrapped themselves around, lifting him out of his cozy little nest.  Those fingers were soft and warm and reminded him of Mama, which also reminded his belly that he hadn’t eaten for a long, long time. 

Straightaway he opened his beak, thinking excitedly, FOOD!

Sadly, nothing came.

“Aww, you’re a hungry fella, aren’t you?” said the new lady that was holding him. 

“I think Little Dude worked up an appetite on the car ride over,” the nice lady replied.  “He wasn’t too happy about the drive.”

There was a soft chuckle.  “Is your name Little Dude?”

Little Dude chirped in response, making the new lady chuckle again.  Then soft, gentle fingers started probing his head, neck, and also his wings.

“Is he okay?” the nice lady asked.

“I can see that he’s dehydrated, but other than that he seems okay.”

“Oh good!  I was worried that maybe he hurt himself during the two separate falls that he took.”

There was more conversation that went on, but Little Dude wasn’t really listening.  Was he in Hollywood?  Had he finally made it?  More importantly, where was food?  He really could use some right about now.

The nice lady’s voice slowly cut into his thoughts.  “Well Little Dude, I guess this is goodbye.  I hope you enjoy your temporary new home until you get a little bit older.  Make sure to grow up healthy and strong!”

Wait, the nice lady was leaving?  But—but—

“Thank you!”  Little Dude squawked.  “Come see me again in Hollywood!”

The nice lady chuckled, and then she and her mate walked out the doors, and Little Dude was taken to go get cleaned off and fed. 

Even though he hadn’t quite made it to Hollywood yet, the wildlife rehabilitation clinic was a very nice place, and he made some new friends that didn’t tease him about his big beak.  He was fed and taken care of and plumped up into a nice young Starling that was ready to fly away several weeks later. 

When Little Dude felt the wonderful rush of air ruffle his feathers and found the heat thermals that let him soar high in the sky, he thought of the nice lady, and was glad that she had brought him to the best home he ever had.

As he flew away with a group of his friends, they all had one mission in mind:  finding Hollywood.  

****

There you have it folks, the story of Little Dude!  I hope it was entertaining for you.  It was enjoyable to write.

A little bit of fun facts:  this was based on a true story.  I found Little Dude on the ground in the carport of my apartment complex.  That evening was just as much as an adventure for me as I’m sure it was for Little Dude, which is why this story fluttered to life.  Though fictionalized to some extent, the events written here are true, as are the pictures and video.  They are the real McCoy, Little Dude himself!  I would love to hear your feedback.  Do you have any favorite moments you particularly enjoyed?  Would you like to see more short stories in the future?  Leave a comment please!

On Sunday I will be posting information about my WIP (Work In Progress).  I haven’t spoken much about the future project I am writing. . . get ready for the reveal!

A few other things I realize I haven't advertised:  You can follow me on twitter @booksbysmiles, and I am also on facebook too.  I am in need of gaining more likes on that page, so if you haven't already, please go on over and like it!  Facebook: Books By Smiles

Thank you so much for your interest!  I hope to keep it :)        

The Adventures of Little Dude: Part Six

Note to self:  Blogger's 'blog schedule' eludes my technical skills.  I thought I had this set to post in the morning, but low and behold, it hasn't!  Without further ado, here's the continuation...

 Part Six:  Little Dude’s Adventure

Little Dude was excited.  Did the nice lady just say they were going on an adventure?  Did she understand him when he explained about wanting to go to Hollywood just now?  Oh, how he hoped!

Suddenly his nest was being lifted into the air, which made him so excited. 

“Oh yay oh yay oh yay!” he squawked. 

A bright red car door opened up, and inside he went, his nest settling right onto the nice lady’s lap.  Did the lady have food?  Boy, he could sure use some right about now.  He was going on an adventure!  One needed to eat when going on an adventure.  He opened his mouth, but nothing came.  That made him a little sad.  When was he going to get food? 

Very soon, something happened that made Little Dude forget all about nourishment.  A great loud rumbling sounded, followed by some scary vibration.  Was this the car starting up?  Jeepers, it sounded a lot more scary now that he was inside of it!

If Little Dude thought that was the worst of it, boy was he wrong.  He started sensing movement and knew that the car was now driving, but it felt. . .

WHOA!

“What is that?!  What is that? Ahhh!” Little Dude squawked with panic.

He was moving very fast now, but this didn’t feel like the right kind of movement!  His wings weren’t flapping and he didn’t feel any wind, but his tiny body was going on a very fast and very bumpy flight. 

“This doesn’t feel right!”  Little Dude yelled.

“Shhh,” the nice lady responded to his terrified chirps.  “It’s okay Little Dude.  I know this must feel very strange to you, but I promise you’ll be okay,” she soothed.

The very fast movement and the bumpy-ness continued though, so Little Dude wasn’t at all comforted.

“This doesn’t feel right!” he continued to chirp away.   

After what felt like a long time, the movement slowed down and came to a stop.  That made him feel a little bit better, so much in fact that he stopped screaming for a minute.  Was he in Hollywood already?

“Hey,” said the nice lady’s mate.  He sounded like he was laughing.  What was so funny?  “I think he likes the car better when it’s not moving.  ”

Well that was certainly true, Little Dude agreed.

“We’re at a stop light, Little Dude,” the nice lady explained.  “This will only last a little bit, and then—”

“Ahhhh!!” Little Dude yelled.

“Yup, we’re on our way again,” the nice lady explained.  “Shhh, it’s okay little guy.  We’re taking care of you.  This will be your first flying experience.  It’s always scary the first time.  Just wait until we get on the freeway.  You’re in for a rush!”

The nice lady continued to talk, but Little Dude wasn’t really paying attention.  He was very concerned about the bumpy movement that did not feel right.  Maybe he should have waited until he was just a tad bit older so that Mama could show him the way to Hollywood herself.  He much preferred flapping his wings compared to—

“AHHHHH!!!”

The car was now going much, much faster now.  The bumpy-ness turned into very fast and very scary vibration.  What did the nice lady say to him?  Something about a freeway?  He really did not like the freeway.  Nope, he really didn’t.

The bad part was, this freeway thing went on for a very, very, VERY long time.  How far away was Hollywood?  He knew that some part of him should be braver than he was, but it was so hard to find that bravery inside when he was traveling so fast in such an unnatural way.  The nice lady was trying to soothe him, but he just couldn’t help the squawks that continued to pour from his beak. 

This is so scary!

That thought went over and over in his head until. . . was the movement slowing down?  Yes!  The car wasn’t going quite so fast, and then it was going even slower.  Finally, after what felt like an entire life time, it stopped, and the rumbling noise and the bumpy-ness went away.  For the first time in ages, Little Dude wasn’t screaming.

“We’re here Little Dude!” the nice lady exclaimed.  “You made it!  Here’s your new home until you’re old enough to go out on your own.”


Stay tuned for the epilogue on Friday!  Thanks for your interest in Little Dude!   The page views have been awesome to monitor this last week and a half.  Please feel free to leave a comment and let me know how you have (or haven’t) been enjoying this little story.        

The Adventures of Little Dude: Part Five

Part Five:  Decision Making

Sarah felt very glad to be out of her pooped-on t-shirt.  Her face, her rubber gloves, and now her hands were all scrubbed clean when her husband walked through the door.  That surprised her, because she was trying to be as quick as she could so she could join him downstairs.  Their plan was going to be bird watching to see if Mama returned to the nest.

Before she could ask why he had come up, he spoke and answered her query.  “He fell out of the nest again.”

Sarah felt her heart drop.  The first thought that surfaced was one of surprise mixed with I-wondered-if-that-was-going-to-happen mixed with, “What?!”

Her husband nodded. “I saw him fall.  Good thing I placed the bowl with towels we had him in right under the opening, so he fell onto that instead of the ground.”

Sarah felt relief, but still, she wondered, “Is he okay?”

“I think so.  It was a soft fall this time around, at least.  He seems fine.”

Sarah felt a little bit better hearing that, but worry plagued her.  Little Dude was going to be a problem.  She sighed and walked downstairs to the carport with her husband.  There was Little Dude, sitting a little awkwardly in his makeshift nest, but otherwise looking fine.  He was now starting to squawk and make noise.  Sarah bent down and stared at him.

“Why did you have to fall out of your nest again?” Sarah asked him.

A series of squawks erupted from Little Dude in answer.   

I wish I could understand bird language.

Sarah heaved another sigh.  What was she going to do?  Sure, she could try to put Little Dude back up in his nest for a second time, but she couldn’t trust that he was going to stay there, and if she continued to hang out near the nest, Mama might be nearby and feel threatened that her home wasn’t safe anymore and would abandon it.  That would endanger the other baby Starling that was still up there.

Sarah left Little Dude and walked to the other end of the carport with her husband.  There were two options left to them:  try to take care of Little Dude themselves, or try to contact someone else who could. 

After some more discussion, the decision was becoming clearer:  Sarah needed to contact someone, because she really didn’t know how to take care of a baby bird on her own.  She feared that Little Dude would shrivel up if she tried to take him under her wing. 

After some phone calls (on a Saturday evening, no less) Sarah finally got the phone number to her local Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic.  They asked if she could send a picture of the bird so they could know how young and what breed he was.  Sarah did so, and they confirmed that Little Dude was a baby Starling that was too young to be out of his nest.  He wasn’t a state protected bird, so Sarah had the option of taking care of him if she wanted, or she could bring Little Dude to them.

Sarah stared at Little Dude, wanting to give him the best possible chances for survival.

“Would you be able to take him?” she asked the woman over the phone.

“Yes,” the woman replied.

“Okay, what is your address?” Sarah asked.  The woman gave it to her, and Sarah’s heart stammered a little bit.  The wildlife clinic was forty-five minutes away!  For a city girl, that was quite a drive, and with gas prices being what they were, she and her husband measured their amount of driving carefully.  Despite all that, though, taking the drive was what she and her husband were going to do. 

Hanging up, Sarah stared at her husband, and with that silent look they gave each other, they both knew that Little Dude’s survival was worth it.   

Sarah then walked up to Little Dude, picked up his makeshift nest, and said, “Well Little Dude, this will be a different kind of flying, but you are going on an adventure with us.”

Stay tuned for the finale.  Part Six will be available Tuesday!