Upcoming events

JOVITA

Just an update...This painting's progress speaks about where I'm at with Cassandra's Castle...it isn't done, I'm working on it. I thought while I wait to bring news about any future happenings with my manuscripts, I'd introduce some other fantasy writers I've had the deep pleasure of meeting. In the next few months, and maybe continually from then on, I'll be interviewing some fantasy authors that HAVE had their work published. You'll be able to learn about their books, read an excerpt, and get to know them so stay tuned and if you are interested, click on "Author Interviews" above.

Emotion Flash Fiction

I want to thank CASSIE MAE and ANGELA  COTHRAN for this fun blogfest! I've read a lot of really great work and met many fantastic authors. Thanks so much!


Appalled: to fill or overcome with horror, consternation, or fear; dismay:

The raging dragon reached the Kaempern travelers before the horse and rider could, but Ian witnessed the terror. He heard the screams. Fire rose from the earth like an inferno ignited by a match from hell. 

The dragon had spit his wrath and flew into the sky, hovering like a vulture. Waiting to strike again.

When Ian finally reached the blackened earth, pain pierced through his being like a sword, his stomach turned sour from the stench of burnt flesh.

Stunned, he dismounted.  Men, women, and children lay scorched on the ground, some crawled, others lay still, others walked in circles, confused. 

"No!" he cried. "No." For a moment his mind fogged, his body froze.

Through his tears, he saw people walking in the distance. He struggled to regain his senses.  If he didn’t come out of shock and act before the dragon struck again more people would die. He had to bridle the anger and pain.

“The shield,” Ian tried to holler, but his voice cracked. “The shield.” This time he could hear himself, but no one responded. He mounted Sparkles and searched desperately for the Dragon Shield. Within moments he found it lying upside down, abandoned on the ground. His feet trembled when he dismounted again. With shaking hands he grabbed the wooden targe and glanced at the sky.

The dragon hovered overhead; its shadow blocked the sun, stirring a cold wind that blew ash and sparks across the prairie.

Ian and Alex

The blog fest assignment for Wednesday is Dialogue Introduction: Have two characters introduce each other using only dialogue—no backstory, no internalization, just dialogue between the two. Max 250 words.
NOTE to Cassie and Angela: This is 'dialogue between the two' and I'm assuming that their conversation is meant to introduce the reader to who they are and their relationships (That's how I'm interpreting this assignment.) I'm including body language since body language is a form of communication.

Ian Wilson, MC of Ian's Realm Trilogy.

                         

“I don’t get it, Dad. I mean, I thought I was your whole world, like you are mine.”

“How was I to know what was going to happen in those caves, Ian? It was a nightmare for me as well.”

“Yeah. But after that? Why didn’t you come home?”

“Things changed after that.”

Ian nodded. “Yeah, they did. I stopped being important to you.” 

“That’s not true, son.”

“No? Then where were you ? Why did I think I was an orphan? Where were you when the dragon almost killed me? Where were you when the Kaemperns took me prisoner? I'll tell you where. Nowhere! My dad was nowhere.”

Dad reached out, but Ian swung his shoulders away. “Son, if I could have suffered in your place I would have.”

Ian spit.

Dad’s voice softened. “Remember when you nailed that love letter to Abbi over my wooden Foundry sign outside our house?”

Ian didn’t answer.

“Remember how you pounded that piece of torn cardboard over my name? You were mad, but it was your day, your milestone. It was the best thing you ever did for yourself.”

Silence.

“Maybe it wasn’t the best way, but I had to step out of your life. You needed the kind of friends you found in the Realm. You need the kind of love Abbi gives you. I can’t be everything for you.”

Ian squeezed his eyes shut for a long moment, and finally opened them again to see his father’s tears. “You’re right,” he whispered and swallowed. “I’m sorry, Dad.”

 “Me too, son.”

Cassandra's Castle WIP

We'll take a moment to interrupt our blog fest with a snapshot of a future painting WORK IN PROGRESS for Cassandra's Castle. For those who don't know, Cassandra's Castle is a historical-fantasy based very loosely on the political uprising in Portugal in 1910. I am very fortunate to have a friend who travels the world  taking gorgeous photographs, Rose Mancuso, and she's consented to let me paint some of her photos of castles she took in Portugal. That and some shots I've taken at our own Tilbury Event that I co-host with Gordon and Nancy Frye, are references for this painting, which will probably be titled Jovita.

Jovita is a young lady in the rebel camp whose taken it on herself to help Cassie through some difficult circumstances during the revolution.

Blogfest interview for Monday Feb 6. Adrian of Ian's Realm

Adrian, the old coot, walks in, his hands shaking on the doorknob. The tall collar of his coat is wrapped high up to his chin, his red eyes race as he scans the furniture nervously.
“Sit, please,” I say. "This will only take a moment."
His big shoes stumble across the floor, he falls on the couch, his hands cover his head and he leans into his sobs.
“We’re just going to talk. I’m just going to ask you a few questions.”
His body nods and he wipes his face with his sleeve, lies on the couch and closes his eyes.
"Adrian, what is your biggest vulnerability?"
“Rum. I ‘m a sot.”
"Do others know this or is it a secret?"
“It’s no secret. I drink whenever I can.”
"What do people believe about you that is false?"
(Sobbing) “I am not a bad person. I tried my best to save the kid. They think I’m part of his schemes, but I swear, I’m not. I told him to stop. But kids these days, you can’t make them listen to you, so I just follow along hoping to keep him out of more trouble.”
"What would your best friend say is your fatal flaw?"
“Stian? He thinks I'm stupid.”
"Why is that?"
“He takes me for the fool. He uses me and I let him.”
"What would the same friend say is your one redeeming quality?"
“He wouldn’t. He’s hardened by the world. But if he did, he’d have to say I’m loyal. “
"Why?"
“ I’ve stuck with him for all these years.”
"What do you want most?"
“I just want to go back to the real world, get out of this hellhole, this Realm.”
 "What will you do to get it?" 
“Die. If Stian doesn’t get me out I have no other options. They’ll hang me here.”

Excerpt from Cassandra's Castle Chapter 4

Cassandra's Castle is coming along, closing in at 1/5 the finish line and getting deeper...Somewhere in the middle of chapter 4...