The Oracle and The Muse

EVERNEATH Pre-Release Interview With Nikki Beckett

2012-01-23T09:26:00.000-05:00

I am pleased and honored to interview Nikki Beckett today on my blog. Nikki is the main character in Brodi Ashton's Debut novel entitled Everneath. I'm especially excited about this book as it retells a popular Greek Myth in a fresh way. Everneath is based on the Persephone myth, which is one of my favorites. Before we get to the interview, I'd like to get some housekeeping out of the way.

First of all, do please visit Brodi Ashton's Website
Everneath Releases January 24th. Go Pre-order now IndieBound or Amazon or Barnes & Noble
Here is a blurb about the book:

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

Here is the video trailer:

And, now onto the interview...

Me: First of all, thank you Nikki for agreeing to talk with us. We're excited to have you on the blog today. I have twenty questions for you so that your readers can gain just a little more insight into you as a person. It's going to be somewhat rapid fire. You ready?

Nikki: Fire away

Me: 1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?

Nikki: Um, nope! I wish I had a better answer for that, but no.

Me: 2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?

Nikki: If you talk to me at the beginning of the book, it was over a hundred years ago. I don't know if I'll ever be able to cry again.

Me: Awwwh, kind of sorry to hear that.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?

Nikki: No. It's messy and very boyish.

Me: *laughs*

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?

Nikki: Turkey. The non-processed kind.

Me: Oh, healthy. Good for you.

5. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?

Nikki: I have six months left. I could do anything!

Me: True. You could do a lot in 6 months.

6. WHAT DO YOU NOTICE FIRST WHEN YOU MEET SOMEONE?

Nikki: That person's eyes. I wonder what's behind them.

Me: Me too! *high-fives* Nikki. I'm a total eye person.

7. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?

Nikki: My rash decision-making skills.

Me: Yeah, rash has gotten the best of many people.

8. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?

Nikki: It's a tie. My family and Jack.

Me: *Whispers* yeah...

9. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?

Nikki: An apple.

Me: Again, healthy. Nice.

10. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?

Nikki: Blue

Me: Blue is my favorite color. In fact, I was just discussing this the other day with someone.

11. FAVORITE SMELLS?

Nikki: Bacon. Mmmmmm.

Me: OMG... Bacon...? We could totally be best friends!!

12. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?

Nikki: Jules.

Me: 13. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?

Nikki: Happy Endings!

Me: Ha! Me too!

14. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?

Nikki: Black.

Me: Classic!

15. HUGS OR KISSES?

Nikki: If I'm with Jack, kisses. But kisses also get me in trouble. In fact, you could say all of my problems started with a kiss.

Me: Ha! Kisses are sneaky like that.

16. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?

Nikki: D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths

Me: I'm partial to Bulfinch's. But you can see, I LOVE Greek Myths. And any book on myths is great!

17. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?

Nikki: *smiles* I don't have a mousepad.

Me: Moving right along then...

18. FAVORITE SOUND?

Nikki: The little gasp someone makes when they are surprised in a good way.

Me: Nice!

19. JAY-Z OR KINGS OF LEON?

Nikki: Crap. I don't know either of those.

Me: *Laughs out loud* All right final question...

20. WHAT POSITION DO YOU SLEEP IN?

Nikki: Curled up on my side.

Me: Allrighty then... that concludes the interview. Thank you, Nikki, so much for stopping by. It was a pleasure talking with you.

Hook, Line, and Sinker Blogfest Courtesy of @jwparente

2012-01-18T15:02:00.000-05:00

ATTENTION Blogfesters!! Justin Parente is hosting his second annual Hook, Line, and Sinker Blogfest!!

Date: February 13, 2012

Where: In My Write Mind blog, and your own

Objective: Post your 500-1000 word hook and critique other hooks posted by participants

Suggestive topics to consider when critiquing:

Does the character have a personality I can fall into easily? This includes any dialogue exchanged.
Is the world around them set up to compliment the character as they're introduced?
Are there secondary characters to assist with the hook?
Lastly, would I read more?

Click the link above to go sign up for this Blogfest. I participated last year and will be again with a brand new gem.

RETURN for my entry on the 13th!!

Can You Hit A Perfect Pitch? Blogfest Entry

2012-01-15T14:00:00.000-05:00

Eucharisto, or Thank you to the illustrious Brenda Drake over at Brenda Drake Writes... for hosting this awesomesauce Can You Hit The Perfect Pitch? Blogfest. Agent, Ammi-Joan Paquette will be judging our entries which consist of:
-a two sentence (35 word mx) pitch
-First 150 words of the manuscript

Do click the link above to view the other entries.

So... here is my entry:

Title: The Sky Throne
Genre: YA Fantasy
Word Count: 82,500

Pitch: When Zeus is uprooted from his home to attend a school for gods-in-training, he's drawn into a dangerous world where he'll have to battle Gods and negotiate with Goddesses to save the school.

I trudged up the darkened beach, digging my toes in the sand with each step. Visions of pearl-skinned sea nymphs still danced in my head. Their iridescent eyes and seductive charms made me smile.

"C’mon, Zeus" Anytos called, throwing a stick at my feet.

I held a finger in the air.

"Zeus, seriously!" He clapped his hands once loudly.

"Wait. Hold on." I closed my eyes to enjoy the images of those sea nymphs. Just a splinter of time more.

"Zeus!" His words sliced sideways through my memories of them. "Sun’s nearly up. We don’t have much time!" Tos stood at the top of a dune calling down.

I sighed. “I’m coming.”

1st Five Pages Workshop via Adventures In YA and Children's Publishing Blog

2011-12-12T11:54:00.000-05:00

Here is my first revision in the 1st Five Pages December Workshop. Let me know what you think. If you want to see the first submission (before revision) see here--> First Submission

****

The distance between darkness and light was a nano-moment, my mother once told me. A sliver of space. The breadth of a strand of hair. I hadn’t known what she’d meant until that day. And still wished I hadn’t.

I trudged up the darkened beach, digging my toes in the sand with each step. Visions of pearl-skinned sea nymphs still danced in my head. I smiled.

“C’mon, Zeus,” Anytos called.

I held a finger in the air.

"Zeus, seriously," he insisted.

"Wait. Hold on." I closed my eyes to enjoy the images of those sea nymphs. Just a moment more.

"Zeus!" He sliced sideways through my memories.

I sighed. “I’m coming.” Though, what could one more moment have hurt?

“Sun’s nearly up. We don’t have much time!” Tos stood at the top of a dune calling down.

I hated the pre-dawn runs we took every morning. The birds weren’t even up yet. I couldn’t wait to get back to the goats I tended with my mother. Against her wishes, I’d named each one. That’s why she never let me slaughter them for food. Or rather, why I never participated.

There was nothing too terribly stressful about goat herding. They were a self-sufficient lot. Sometimes watching them was like watching the sun crawl across the sky. In those moments, my mind wandered like a stray goat.

I’d always felt like I could do more. Be more. Something inside of me clawed for the extraordinary. Yet I had to face that I’d likely never leave Crete.

I joined Tos at the top of the dune and looked across the dusty Cretan expanse that stretched into low-lying hills. Tos turned to me. "You ready?”

“Let’s do it…”

Before I’d finished, Tos had taken off running, like being shot from a bow. His feet pounded the path as he ran ahead.

I crested a high ridge in pursuit. A burning sensation spider-webbed through my lungs when I saw the sun’s first ray in the east. Pushing onward, I strained to keep pace with Tos, whose legs moved at a pace I simply couldn’t match. Not yet anyway.

“Faster, Zeus,” he yelled over his shoulder.

“We’ve been running non-stop since the southern coast.”

I stopped and clutched my chest. Ragged breaths came in gasps. I placed my sweaty palms on my knees and inhaled deeply. I knew that the daily running would benefit me somehow. But, that didn’t mean I had to like it.

Anytos turned abruptly. “Whose fault is it we’ve been running such a distance, huh? I promised Amalthea I’d keep you safe, Zeus,” he responded. “You. Here. Not safe. Let’s go!”

"Hmmmph." I stood straight, stretching to one side then the other. I knew he was right. We’d been out way too long. But boy were those nymphs worth it. I took another deep breath as I stared back toward the east.

“I knew I shouldn’t have let you talk me into going to see those sea nymphs again,” Anytos continued. “Shoulda known better than that. The Tribe is gonna be pissed when we get back.”

“Don’t act like you didn’t have a good time.” I managed a half smile despite my fatigue, rustling fingers through my hair.

"That’s totally beside the point. The longer we’re away from the cave, the less safe you are."

I totally resented not being safe. I’d watched my mother’s pained expressions over the years. Stress from living in constant fear.

Tos began running again, building another healthy lead. Rocking back on my heels, I resolved to finish. One last push. Come on. Dig Deep.

I lunged forward. Chasing Tos up the next incline, my feet barely touched the ground. I ran so fast, I didn’t even feel the rocks on the tree-lined path. As I reached the next ridge, a ray of sunlight speared my eye through the trees and blinded me momentarily.

I forced my stride farther. Wider. My arms whipped the air at my sides. I grinned as I closed the gap between us.

Ahead, the cave opening beckoned. The Cave. My home. I knew the drill. Get to the cave before someone sees you. Someone like who? I always wondered who’d ever come looking for me?

I saw the dark silhouette of mother sitting on a hillside just above the cave, surrounded by lightly grazing goats. Crouched, her right hand gripped a hooked staff, on which she counterbalanced her weight. Her tunic rustled gently in the thick, salty breeze.

The sun rose faster than usual. Like ridiculously fast. I stopped to look into the sky, marveling at the rapid ascension. Darkness to light. Tos pulled my arm sharply.

“That’s not normal, Zeus. We need to get in the cave,” he said.

We ran the final stretch around my guardian tribe, the Kouretes, who danced in a circle. Their chants filled the air. Fully armored, their tunics flapped around their frames as helmets clanked atop their heads. Shouts echoed across the plain, punctuated by the clashing of spears to shields. They always said that they chanted to ward off evil spirits. To protect me. All I heard was constant noise, really.

As we drew closer to the cave, my mother stood suddenly and turned toward the sun. The sky brightened, and the sun’s brilliance grew more insistent. I shielded my eyes but the heat was searing. Spots dotted my vision as I watched my skin darken by the second. Sweat beaded all over my bronzed skin at once.

My heart began to race wildly. “What’s going on here? Why is the sun falling?"

“Remember we kept telling you somebody might see you if you’re out too long?”

I nodded nervously.

“That’s Hyperion descending!” He pushed my shoulder. “Get in the cave!”

“The Sun Deity? Why is…?”

“Don’t ask questions. Just do it. Now!”

The Kouretes’ noise grew louder. But, I still didn’t understand. All that time I thought I’d been hiding from other people on the island, not Deities.

Tos pushed me. “Hurry!”

I took off running with Tos close behind. We’d just reached the cave when I heard my mother yell. I stopped in my tracks and turned.

Fear spiked through me. I held my breath and turned to head back into the brightness and scorching heat. Tos’s fingers dug into my arms to pull me back.

I yelled, "I can’t leave my mother out there!" I jerked my arm from his grasp and placed a helmet on my head. After grabbing my shield and spear, I ran into the clearing outside the cave. I heard Tos behind me.

The fiery orb hovered close to the earth. Flames grabbed at the sky in every direction.

"Mother!" I called. She scampered down the hill as fast as she could. The goats scattered in front of her.

The Kouretes took up battle stances, shields folded across their chests, spears ready to throw. Amalthea ran behind them and I joined her.

“Get back in the cave,” my mother growled through clenched teeth. She looked over my shoulder as Tos approached. “I thought I told y…”

A loud explosion erupted in the sky that shook the ground with its force. Amalthea turned around as a figure emerged from the freakishly large ball of fire. The mountain of a man rode a soot black chariot pulled by four ginormous stallions the color of sunsets. I could only assume he was Hyperion.

I stood sack jawed, never having seen an Elder Deity before.

Can We Guess Your Character's Age? Blogfest.

2011-12-08T12:30:00.001-05:00

Thank you so much to Brenda Drake over at Brenda Drake Writes... for hosting this awesomesauce Blogfest. Here's the Blogfest rules in a nutshell. Post the first 250 words of your finished, or not quite finished, manuscript (any genre) to your blogs. This contest is about voice--whether or not your character's voice matches his or her age. From December 8th-9th hop around each others' blogs and try to guess the age of the character, give critiques, or praise.

It's been a while since I participated in a Blogfest and I'm glad to be back on the circuit with a new WIP.
So here's my entry:

The distance between darkness and light was a nano-moment, my mother once told me. A sliver of space. The breadth of a strand of hair. I hadn’t known what she’d meant until that day. And still wished I hadn’t.

Earlier that morning, I trudged back up a darkened beach, digging my toes in with each step. Visions of pearl-skinned sea nymphs still danced in my head and I smiled.

“C’mon, Zeus,” Anytos called.

I held a finger in the air.

"Zeus, seriously," he insisted.

"Wait. Hold on." I closed my eyes to enjoy the images of the sea nymphs. Just a moment more.

"Zeus!" He sliced sideways through my memories. “Sun’s nearly up. We don’t have much time!” Tos stood at the top of a dune calling down.

“I’m coming.”

Life had been easy. All except the pre-dawn runs every morning. Hated them. I couldn’t wait to get back to the goats I tended with my mother. Against her wishes, I’d named each one. That’s why she never let me slaughter them for food. Or rather, why I never participated.

There was nothing too terribly stressful about goat herding. They were a self-sufficient lot. Sometimes watching them was like watching the sun crawl across the sky. And, it had been in those moments that my mind wandered.

I’d always felt like I could do more. Be more. Something inside of me clawed for the extraordinary. Yet I had to face that I’d likely never leave Crete.

1st Five Pages Workshop via Adventures In YA and Children's Publishing Blog

2011-12-05T10:59:00.000-05:00

This month, I am honored and blessed to be a part of a wonderful program they have over at Adventures In YA and Children's Publishing Blog. They run a 1st Five Pages Workshop wherein 5 writers post their 1st five pages to be critiqued by all. To enhance my own benefit from this process, I am reposting my selection here. So please offer any comments you may have.
Thanks. And DO click through the link above to visit the other writers.

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
I trudged back up the sandy beach, digging my toes in with each step. Visions of pearl-skinned sea nymphs still danced in my head. I closed my eyes to savor the images. Just a moment more.
“C’mon, Zeus,” Anytos called.
“I’m coming.”
Life was easy. All except the hard runs every morning. Hated them. I couldn’t wait to get back to the goats I tended with my mother. Against her wishes, I’d named each one. That’s why she never let me slaughter them for food. Or rather, why I never participated. My heart broke every time I thought of eati… Oh, nevermind.
Other than, ick, the slaughter, there was nothing too terribly stressful about goat herding. They were a self-sufficient lot. Sometimes watching them was like watching the sun crawl across the sky. And, it had been in those moments that my mind wandered.
I’d always felt like I could do more. Be more. But what? Something inside of me clawed for the extraordinary. Yet I had to face that I’d likely never leave Crete.
My friend Anytos stood at the top of a dune calling down, “Sometime today!” He looked into the sky. “Sun’s high. We don’t have much time!”
I joined him, looking across the dusty Cretan expanse that reached into low-lying hills. Tos turned to me. “All right. You ready?”
“Let’s do it…”
Before I’d finished, Tos had taken off running, like being shot from a bow. His feet pounded the path as he gained an early lead.
As I crested a high ridge in pursuit, a burning sensation spider-webbed through my lungs. Pushing onward, I strained to keep pace with Tos, whose legs moved at a pace I simply couldn’t match. Not yet anyway.
“Faster, Zeus. Run faster,” he yelled.
I stopped and clutched my chest, ragged breaths coming in gasps. “We’ve been running non-stop since the southern coast.” Resting my palms on my knees, I inhaled deeply. I knew that the daily running regimen would benefit me at some point. But, that didn’t mean I had to like it. And besides, today’s strenuous run was a punishment of my own design. “Let me walk a few steps to catch my breath.”
Anytos turned abruptly. “Whose fault is it we’ve been running such a distance, huh? I promised Amalthea I’d keep you safe, Zeus,” he responded. “You. Here. Not safe. Let’s go!”
"Hmmmph." I stood upright, stretching to one side then the other. I clasped my hands behind my head and took another deep breath as I stared into the vast sky above.
“I knew I shouldn’t have let you talk me into going to see those sea nymphs again,” Anytos continued. “Shoulda known better than that. You always keep us on the edge of trouble.”
“Don’t act like you didn’t have a good time, Tos.” I managed a half smile despite my fatigue, rustling fingers through my hair.
"That’s totally beside the point. The longer we’re away from the cave, the less safe you are."

I totally resented not being safe. I’d watched my mother’s pained expressions over the years. Stress from living in constant fear. Sometimes I wished to be the most powerful man in the world. Hiding from no one.
"All right." Rocking back on my heels, I resolved to finish. One last push for today. Come on. Dig Deep.
I lunged forward. Chasing Tos up the next incline, my feet barely touched the ground. I ran so fast, I didn’t even feel the rocks. As I crested the next ridge, I forced my stride farther. Wider. My arms whipped the air at my sides. I grinned as I closed the gap between us.
Ahead, the cave opening beckoned. The Cave. My home. I knew the drill. Get to the cave before someone sees you. Someone like who? I always wondered who’d ever come looking for me?
I saw my mother sitting on a hillside just above the cave, surrounded by lightly grazing goats. Her weathered face warmed as I came into view. Crouched, her right hand gripped a hooked staff, on which she counterbalanced her weight. Her gray tunic rustled gently in the thick, salty breeze.
In the foreground, my guardians, the Kouretes danced and chanted. Fully armored, they jumped and twirled. Their tunics flapped around their frames as helmets clanked atop their heads. Shouts echoed across the pastoral calm, punctuated by the clashing of spears to shields. They always said that they danced and sang to ward off evil spirits. To protect me. All I heard was constant noise, really.
I drew closer to the cave. My mother stood suddenly, turning toward the sun. The sky brightened, and the sun’s brilliance grew more insistent. I shielded my eyes but the heat nearly burned me. I watched my skin darken by the second. Sweat beaded all over my bronzing skin at once.
My heart began to race wildly. “What’s going on here? Why is the sun falling?"
“Remember how we kept telling you someone might see you if you’re out too long?”
I nodded nervously.
“Hyperion is descending!” He pushed my shoulder. “Get in the cave!”
“The Sun Deity? Why is…?”
“Don’t ask questions. Just do it. Now!”
The Kouretes’ noise grew louder. But, I still didn’t understand. My mind clouded with confusion and anxiety. And yet more impatience at more hiding. I wanted to turn and stand my ground.
Tos pushed me. “Hurry!”
I took off running with Tos close behind. We’d just reached the cave when I heard my mother yell. We stopped in our tracks and turned.
Fear spiked inside of me. My breathing shortened. I turned to head back into the brightness and searing heat. Tos grabbed my arm to pull me back. "No!"
"I can't leave my mother out there!" I yelled, yanking my arm from his grasp. I placed a helmet on my head, grabbed my shield and spear, and ran into the clearing outside the cave.
"Well, you’re not going without me!"
The fiery orb hovered close to the earth. Flames grabbed at the atmosphere in every direction.

"Mother!" I called. She scampered down the hill as fast as she could. The goats scattered in front of her.
The Kouretes took up battle stances, shields folded across their chests, spears ready to throw. A loud explosion erupted in the sky that shook the ground with its force.
Hyperion, the Elder Sun Deity, emerged from the freakishly large ball of fire. A mountain of a man, his immense black chariot came to rest on the ground, its wheels scorching the soil. He stood behind the monstrous, fiery stallions. Flames leapt off his muscular arms as he held fast the reins.
I was sure none of us had ever seen the Sun Deity this close before. Was this who I’d been hiding from all this time? Uncertainty quaked through my limbs. Fight or flight?
Hyperion nodded his head forward. Two smaller guys jumped off the back of the chariot. Both young men were blond and muscle bound. Both brandished long black spears.
The Kouretes took aim and began launching their javelins. Hyperion waved his hand dismissively. They all missed. All twelve javelins. I stood slack-jawed at the display of power.
Fright gripped me. My chest heaved like I was hyperventilating as I gripped my shield and spear tighter. White-knuckled. Sweat pooled in my palms and ran down my forehead and into my eyes.

JASON'S QUEST... my first published short story!!

2011-09-28T13:39:00.000-04:00

Many of you have heard the mythical tale of Jason and the Argonauts from Greek Mythology. For those who have not, the tale flows like this:

Pelias, the ancient king of Iolkos, overthrew his brother Aeson for the right to control all of Thessaly. Alcimede, Aeson's wife, feared for her infant son, Jason's, life so she hid him away with Chiron the centaur. Many years later after Jason had grown up, Jason returned to Iolkos to claim his place as rightful heir to the throne. Pelias told Jason that to claim the throne of Iolkos, he had to embark on a dangerous journey to obtain the famed Golden Fleece.

Jason set off aboard the Argo (hence Argonauts) with some of the bravest heroes in the land including Peleus, Heracles, and Castor and Pollux. The journey was indeed fraught with peril but along the way Jason received aid from unlikely sources. One of those sources, Medea, eventually became Jason's wife.

But the story of Jason and Medea does not end there. In fact their story is as magical as it is disturbing. Please do find Ovid's Metamorphosis and continue your reading.

*******

All of this is to say that... I have recently had my VERY FIRST short story published in an anthology named GREEK MYTHS REVISITED. My story is a retelling of the story I detailed above, entitled "JASON'S QUEST."

If you enjoy Greek Myths... please check out Greek Myths Revisited... and yours truly. A host of talented authors contributed to the book and it is fabulous.

Thank you for your support.

Made of Awesome Critique Contest

2011-05-28T14:11:00.001-04:00

Hello all and welcome to The Oracle and The Muse for my entry into this Awesomesauce Contest!

Thank you to Shelley Watters over at Is It Hot In Here Or is it This Book for hosting this contest in which contestants are charged with posting their first 250 words of a finished manuscript in hopes of winning... (drum roll)... a 10 (TEN) Page Critique (and blip on the radar) from Judith Engracia, agent with Liza Dawson And Associates.

Please make sure you click Shelley's link above and visit all the entries and offer any critiques you deem necessary. Since you're here, please critique mine below.

Here is my entry:

Title: BANISHED
Genre: YA Historical Fantasy
Word Count: 62,000

Prince Caenus deflected a thrust from his friend’s sword. Dodging his friend’s advance, Caenus darted between fluted columns near the edge of the otherwise sparse palace courtyard. He sidestepped another advance while retreating several steps, but his friend’s sword point bit into Caenus’ ribcage. Again.

No matter what he did, Caenus could neither escape his friend’s sword, nor his father’s searing gaze. During a lull in sparring action, the prince shot a brief sidelong glance toward where his father brooded. Disappointment bent the lines on his father’s forehead.

“I need a strong son to reign when Hades darkens my doorstep!” The king barked. “You can’t beat your friend in a swordfight. You can barely ride a horse. When will you be strong enough to command the military?”

A shaft of sunlight streamed through thickening clouds and onto the royal palace. Kranos remained in the shadows. Studying. Assessing.

Caenus’ best friend and sparring partner cut off the prince’s evasive maneuvers. And again, wood beat against wood. Thrust. Swipe. Swing. Block. Dust rose from the ground in random clouds, kicked up by the rapidly moving feet of the young men. Their sparring swords danced against one another as familiar foes.

“Is that your best, Caenus?” Galen ducked a half-hearted swing of his friend’s sword. “Is there no more fight in you than this peasant’s display of swordsmanship?”

Galen knocked the sword from Caenus’ grasp and, with the flick of his wrist, guided the tip of his own sword to Caenus’ throat.

The Splendor of Persephone... Artful Thursday.

2011-04-14T13:22:00.000-04:00

I'd wanted to do an Artful Thursday post featuring Persephone for a long time. But I needed to wait until the perfect moment. Ladies and Gents... it has arrived. Spring is upon us... full blown in some parts of my readership's world and just beginning in others. Believe it or not, I know people who are still getting snow... IN APRIL. Heavens To Demeter... your daughter has risen already, give these poor people a break, will ya.

So yes, Persephone is daughter of Zeus (king of the Greek gods) and Demeter (Greek goddess of harvest). The story goes that when Hades (Greek god of the Underworld) abducted Persephone, Demeter was so distraught that she cast the world into famine... there by giving us the seasons of Fall and Winter. When Persephone was allowed to return to the land of the living, Demeter blessed the earth with an amiable climate, and the flowers bloomed once again... there by giving us Spring and Summer.

So, without further ado... Persephone.

Let's Get Physical: Describing Physical Elements... TUESDAY TIDBITS

2011-04-12T10:44:00.000-04:00

Raise your hand if you like reading long lists of physical descriptions in prose... whether they be describing a a person, place, or thing.

*crickets*

What? No takers?

I've read stories like that before and it irks me. My, how the sands have shifted... I used to write that way as well. The passages always began so innocently. Something akin to:

Jenna walked in. She had dark brown hair and light brown eyes. Her red camisole matched her red heels. She wore a pair of form fitting, dark rinse jeans. The club was dark and noisy. Lights flashed in time to the blaring music.

If I was writing the scene now, I would try to reveal her physical features over time, not all at once. I might begin with one feature. Have her do something or say something and then come back to the next feature a little later. I also like to engage a person's physical features during pauses or beats in between dialogue. And mostly one at a time... maybe two... but never ever more than two at a time.

In terms of environment, I always try to have the character notice something about the setting or environment. If that's not possible, or I've used the *notice something* trick already, I try to have the character interact with their setting... take a book off the shelf, scrape their feet across the dry earth, run their hand over a rough wall, etc.

Here's an example from my current WIP, The Sky Throne:

I stepped inside the door to my new home, a modest log and stone, one-room building. It beat The Cave any day. In one corner stood a wooden desk and chair. I trailed my hand over the grain of the wood. Beside it, a window overlooked the olive trees outside, close enough to pluck from. I wheeled around and saw two doors with handles near the center of them. They didn’t exactly look like and entry or exit.

Curiosity bubbling up, I walked the six paces across the room toward the doors. Grasping the handles, I opened them slowly. From a horizontal bar inside, hung two blue, two white, and two black tunics, along with one white cloak. Uniforms. Uggh. I fondled the fabric of the tunics and turned them over in my hands.

The wooden planks beneath my feet creaked as I stepped around the space. I sat down on a raised platform bed with a goat’s wool stretched over it. I ran my hand across it and drew in several deep breaths.

*****

So, tell me... what techniques do you use to introduce physical features and setting?

Death Becomes Him... Hades Inspired-Artful Thursday

2011-04-07T09:42:00.001-04:00

Hades... the Dark Prince... The Unseen One... Greek God of The Underworld, Ruler of the Dead. Not many know that the term Hades refers not only to the man, but to the place (The Underworld) as well. He is one with his dominion. He's often depicted with either his trusty sidekick, Cerberus- the three-headed guard dog, or his reluctant wife, Persephone.

Which brings me around to the relevance and timeliness of this post...

I'm posting this pictorial of ole Hades because either spring has sprung, is springing, or will be springing soon where you live. His relationship to spring is wrapped in a tale as old as time itself. So the story goes... that Persephone, daughter of Demeter, was strolling in the meadow, minding her business, picking flowers in the fields of Nysa, when Hades erupted through a gap in the earth and abducted her... taking her to The Underworld. Distraught, Demeter cast the earth into a vast famine. Zeus intervened and bargained for Persephone's release. But before she left, Hades tricked her by giving her a pomegranate to eat, thereby ensuring that Persephone would have to revisit Hades for six months a year. And when she is in the Underworld, is when we have late fall and winter. But when she re-emerges... all of our flowers bloom again and we have spring.
See this post on Spring In Greece.
See this post on Demeter

And now, I give you... Hades.

"Show Me The Voice" Critique Blogfest

2011-03-20T10:51:00.001-04:00

Thank you so much to Brenda Drake over at Brenda Drake Writes for hosting this Critique Blogfest. And also big thanks to Agent Natalie Fischer for judging the entries. Make sure you click through the link above to see the rest of the entries.

We were charged with posting our first 250 words to be critiqued and judged. So I am opening the door again to my Caenus MS.. actually, now named "Banished." Following are the revamped first 250 words.

*****

No matter what he did, Caenus could neither escape his friend’s sword nor his father’s gaze, which needled his skin. During a lull in sparring action, the prince shot a brief sidelong glance toward where his father brooded. Disappointment bent the lines on his father’s forehead.

A shaft of sunlight streamed through thickening clouds and onto the royal palace. Caenus’ best friend, Galen cut off the prince’s evasive maneuvers. And again, wood beat against wood. Thrust. Swipe. Swing. Block. Dust rose from the ground in random clouds, kicked up by the swiftly moving feet of the two young men. Their sparring swords danced against one another as familiar foes.

“Is that your best, Caenus?” Galen said, ducking a half-hearted swing of his friend’s sword. “Is there no more fight in you than this peasant’s display of swordsmanship?”

Galen knocked the sword from Caenus’ grasp and, with the flick of his wrist, guided the tip of his own sword to Caenus’ throat.

“King Me!” Galen beamed.

*****

Agent Pitch Contest

2011-03-19T17:57:00.000-04:00

The YAtopia Blog and Super agent Ammi-Joan Paquette have so kindly offered to host a pitch contest. And seeing as she's currently closed to submissions, this is an opportunity you simply CANNOT miss out on.
It's really quite simple what you have to do. Ready?

Go straight to the YAtopia blog *right now* and enter.

2011-03-17T10:57:00.001-04:00

Just ran 4.5 miles in my new Air Hermes winged clouds. RunWin

The Art of Running... Artful Thursday

2011-03-17T09:29:00.000-04:00

In light of my recent entry into My Very first 5k Race, I have decided to dedicate this Artful Thursday to Ancient Greek Runners. The Greeks prided themselves on physical fitness. And not simply weightlifting, or muscle building. A disproportionate, bulging, swollen appearance was definitely not the goal. But rather overall proportionate perfection. *That* was the goal.

In that spirit, they created any number of competitive physical contests and in some cases organized them into Games. The breadth and depth of ancient Greek athletics is fodder for another post. Here, let us honor some famous ancient Greek runners from mortals to Gods. These people elevated running to an art form.

First I'll list a few famous mortal runners.

Orsippos of Megara
He won the foot race in 720 BC, and distinguished himself as the first Greek to run naked in Olympia.

Ladas of Argos
He won the Dolichos race at 460 BC. He was famous for his light running. It was said, that his feet did not leave tracks on the ground.

The Death Of Ladas, The Greek Runner, Who Died When Receiving The Crown Of Victory In The Temple Of Olympia

George Murray (1899-1904)

Lasthenes of Thebes
He won the Dolichos at 404 BC. He also won a contest between him and a racehorse, who ran from Koroneia to Thebes.

Aegeus of Argos
Another famous long distance runner from Argos was Aegeus, who won at Olympia in 328 BC. He ran to Argos to bring the good news without making any stops.

Leonidas of Rhodes
He was the only ancient Greek athlete to accomplish the impossible, winning four consecutive Olympiads.

Next we have the famous Pheidippedes who ran the legendary 26 miles from Marathon to Athens to announce the Greek victory.

Finally a few deities who were known for their running:

Atalanta (deity status disputed)

and lastly...
Hermes

Delusional Doom Ides Of March Blogfest

2011-03-15T08:52:00.000-04:00

Thank you to the illustrious Hart Johnson over at Confessions of a Watery Tart for hosting this Delusional Doom --- Ides of March Blogfest. Make sure you visit the other ill-fated stories of death-becomes-them. I just love the buttons for this blogfest. But of course I would. See above and below.

To set this scene up, in the second book of my Caenus trilogy, Caenus marries Kalliste and they've just returned home from the wedding. Kranos is announcing the news, but someone in the royal court has other plans.

Long rectangular wooden tables dissected the cavernous reception hall built for small intimate gatherings of fifty people or less. Silver wine goblets sat innocently at the top edges of the plates on the exquisitely set tables. Invited guests slowly strolled into the room and mingled with one another while picking from the grape and fig platters that had been placed in random intervals along the length of the table.

General Nikios paced in a corner, silently wondering about his own destiny. He had hoped that Kranos would name him king for now, knowing that when Caenus was old enough, Caenus would assume rule. If I were king, he schemed, perhaps I could have the prince exiled and rule with absolute power. Perhaps send him on a modern wild fleece quest.

Nautical mastermind, Akaikos, certainly desired the royal scepter and crown, however he knew that being the youngest of the generals, his chances would never look as good as they did right now. He had absolutely no desire to go to Samos, but how could he stage a coup… and whom would he recruit to support him?

Diokles’s mind wandered, as he mingled through the crowd, thinking of what life would be like were he king. To be sure, Nikios topped the queue. How, then could he possibly create the necessary vacancy to take a more advantageous position in this royal race?

Kranos and Alexis welcomed all guests into the hall. Golan, finally feeling like his old self again after the long trip, had finally arrived. He approached and embraced first Caenus then Kalliste before turning the corner to enter the hall and embrace Alexis and Kranos.

A buzz permeated the hall. The air, filled with the scintillating aroma of roasted lamb and wine, crackled with such a high level of excitement and energy that no one saw the hand that grabbed Kranos’ wine goblet and slipped a poisonous concoction into it.

Guests continued to enter the hall and locate their seating assignments. Once everyone was seated and ready for the reception to begin, Kranos stood from his throne of a seat at the middle of the table, directly beside Alexis. All chatter fell to the ground as the still muscular king stood.

“Tonight we honor two great young men,” Kranos echoed through the silence.

From his position toward the middle of the table, Golan turned and shot a look of pride toward Caenus who was sitting at one long end of the table. The generals, seated together at the other end, each looked nervously at one another, trying to figure out who the second guest of honor would be.

“These two men have shown both courage and valor in trying times, and have proven loyalty and allegiance to the kingdom of Iolkos,” Kranos continued.

Golan next looked sidelong at each of the generals, who sat with their wives. He felt that surely the good king had something of import to say of one of the generals. He never suspected that the second guest of honor was in fact himself. Caenus looked with dreamy admiration at his own beautiful new wife, who beamed with radiance.

“To Iolkos!” Kranos said, lifting his goblet toward the rafters.

“To Iolkos!” the guests roared back, echoing off the stone walls.

“Take now your goblets in hand. If they are not already filled with fine Samian wine, a gift from the esteemed royal family of Samos, let them now be filled. For tonight, shall we first honor my son, Caenus…”

Caenus stood as applause rang out, filling the hall to the rafters.

“… And, to his wonderful new wife, Kalliste, the Princess of the Kingdom of Samos…”

Applause continued to roar as she then rose to her feet, waving to all.

“…A marriage of empires, no doubt, but a marriage of hearts, first and foremost. Raise your goblets now until their bases are high in the air,” Kranos bellowed proudly, lifting his goblet and consuming the whole of its contents.

When the roar subsided, Kranos continued, “Now… for the other great man I wish to honor this night. Remember, I said that I wished to honor two great young men…”

Caenus and Kalliste both replaced their seats, clasping one another’s hands tightly. The generals looked at one another with sidelong glances. Akaikos then shifted his gaze to Golan, still unsure of the direction Kranos would take. Caenus also looked at Golan with a supportive smile then up at the generals, for he was not quite certain of whom his father would speak next. Caenus wondered whether his father would speak of Golan’s bravery on the Aegean, or name a general to succeed as king.

“I have taken on anotherrrr…” Kranos spoke slowly, slurring a bit, and taking a deep breath. “I have takennn…” Clearing his throat, he paused and then tried to continue. Kranos began feeling queasy and weak. Then his stomach felt as if it was being eaten out from the inside. Kranos clutched his stomach and, again tried to continue through the pain.

“I have taken onnn anotherrr s-s-s…” That was all Kranos managed to get out before he crumpled to the floor, his crown clanking as it tumbled from his head.

Spring: Rebirth and Renewal... Demeter's Artful Thursday

2011-03-10T09:59:00.000-05:00

So, last week I did a post on lovely and serene Demeter. And any discussion of Demeter, gently moves toward Persephone. And any engagement of the two of them can hardly be divorced from the subject of seasonal change. Depending on where you live, arguably, the two most dynamic season changes are summer to fall and winter to spring. In certain areas, fall foliage can be breathtaking, to be sure. But Spring... is not only beautiful in it's own right, but holds the promise of something more precious: Rebirth and Renewal. So, it is in the spirit of Rebirth and Renewal that I bring you this collection: Spring In Greece... or Greece- In Spring.

Spreading The Word...

2011-03-09T10:09:00.000-05:00

I am pleased to announce that my blogger friend, Roland D. Yeomans, has released his novel- "The Bear With Two Shadows." As you will come to appreciate, Roland is a superbly talented writer.

Here's Roland's Blog. Hop on over there and say hello and follow his blog tour.

Check out "The Bear With Two Shadows" on Amazon.

Woo Hoo! Two Awards!

2011-03-08T10:29:00.000-05:00

Instead of our regularly scheduled programming (Tuesday Tidbits), I bring to you this special service announcement. I am completely honored and flattered to have received the following two awards.

It seems I have again won the Stylish Blogger Award. It's almost like winning my second Oscar. Such awesomesauce!! Thank you so much to Rebecca Enzor over at Sticky Note Stories (she can write 335 words on a single sticky note). As part of the award, the recipient is supposed to reveal seven things about themselves. I will simply re-post what I posted last time since I have a couple new followers since the last time.

Receiving this award requires me to adhere to a few rules:

1: Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this award.
2: Share seven things about yourself.
3: Award ten recently discovered great bloggers.
4: Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award.

So here are Seven things about me:

I played bass drum in college. Proud brother of "Sticky Situation"- Hampton University *Buda, Buda*
I taught middle school for 2 years and high school for 4 years
I coached high school football- last post: Special Teams Coordinator
I'd love to travel the world and blog about the places I go
I have a fear of heights but I desperately want to go skydiving
I don't have arachnophobia per se, but I do have a standing "Kill On Sight" mantra for *all* spiders
I play fantasy sports like it's a profession.

Here are the Bloggers I am passing this Award on to:
Tracy Walshaw
Cambria Dillon
Diana Paz
Stephanie Thornton
Shelley Watters
Dominic De Mattos

M. Pax
Eleni Alaxandraki
Natalie Whipple
Michael Di Gesu

I also received another award... Woot! Woo Hoo!

Thank you so much to Morgan Lee over at Fantasy Fairy for this wonderfully decadent Blog Award.

And here’s how the award goes:
1. Thank and link back to the person that gave this award.
2. Share 4 guilty pleasures that you have.
3. Pass the award along to 6 other sweet blogs

So here are my Guilty Pleasures

Chocolate and Caramel
Cap'n Crunch w/ Crunch Berries
Tacos Al Pastor
Breyer's Vanilla Bean Vanilla Ice Cream

Thank you again for thinking of me. Here are the Bloggers I am passing this award to:

Erica and Christy
Mara Nash
Sheri Larsen
Rachel

Demeter- A Mother's Love... Artful Thursday

2011-03-03T09:44:00.000-05:00

Spring is peeking it's head up from a long hibernation. Green grass appears where frost had turned it into winter wheat. Buds are forming anew on trees who'd wept their weight in lost leaves. Yes, in many areas in the northern hemisphere, Spring is just around the corner. As I look around my own city of Wilmington, NC, I see the ugly reminders of winter... bare trees, brown grass, et al... but I know that the annual Azalea Festival is in one month. And if you've never been or never seen, it's a sight to behold because azaleas are in full bloom and full regalia. More on that later.

But, it is the coming of spring that influences this Artful Thursday post on Demeter, Greek Goddess of Bountiful Harvest. Of course many of my readers are familiar with the myth in which Hades abducted Persephone, Demeter's daughter, and tricked her into staying in the Underworld for six months. And while she was down there, Demeter was so distraught that she neglected her duties to bring fertility to the Earth and nothing grew. That, my friends is how we have our seasons. Stay tuned for a more in depth post on young Persephone later.

So, without further ado... Demeter.

A Little Sunday Levity

2011-02-27T07:33:00.000-05:00

Star Wars vs. Classical Mythology

2011-02-22T14:19:00.000-05:00

Hey English teachers there's an awesome writing contests for high school students over at the Bernice L. Fox Classics Writing Contest presented by Monmouth University. This year's prompt: Compare Luke Skywalker or Anikin Skywalker to a Hero from Classical Mythology... WHAT'S NOT TO LOVE ABOUT THAT?

Don't dawdle... entry deadline is March 15, 2011. Sorry for the late notice but I just found it.

Tuesday Tidbits: Deliver On Your Promise

2011-02-22T12:13:00.000-05:00

Remember her? Remember that doe-eyed optimist who was simply living her life... minding her business at the beginning of your story? Thought you would. You began your story by painting a picture of her normal, run-of-the-mill life... and then something happened to her. An event rocked her world. Turned it upside down. And she went on a quest to discover rhyme and reason and make sense of it all.

When you first introduced her, you inherently promised something. You promised she was going to grow and evolve and change... for the better of course. Just like cold, ugly iron is subjected to the fire and heat of the forge in order to become a sharply honed sword. So it was with your character. She faced insurmountable odds. She met with failure again and again on her journey for truth and understanding.

The final piece of the plotting puzzle, is to Deliver On Your Promise.
In my original post Keep Yer Pants On, Plot By Numbers I suggested that you could follow simple, effective plot points to aid your story. A lot of people disagree with plotting. They think it's the devil... the antithesis of good writing. Character determines all. And I say there's a place for characters leading the way and there's a place for events leading the way. They are for different types of books.

What my original post, and subsequent series have been about are ways to lead your character through a tried and true series of events.
Grab Your Reader By The Nose
Rock Your Character's World
Hit Your Character In The Jaw... A Few Times
Deliver On Your Promise

I think even the most hard core character-driven "pantsers" can recognize hints of truth in what I've presented. Because they are more or less elements of good story telling.

So back to our girl. We've led her through hell and back and she has grown and changed. There should've been a physical transformation and/ or mental and/ or emotional. And then she emerged on the far side... glorious and triumphant. She's discovered things about herself and her world... discovered her own powers and how to wield them. And she's not the same little girl anymore.

I hope you enjoyed this series. I'm open to any comments and an open dialogue on anything I've written.

~Cheers

DNA Writers' Contest

2011-02-21T14:38:00.000-05:00

Check out this epic contest of awesome proportions! Or, is it awesome contest of Epic Proportions?
At any rate it's awesome and it's epic and if you consider yourself a writer you should enter... the awesomeness epic awesomesauce that is their contest over at DNA Writers: Writing Is In Their Blood!

The synopsis: For reaching 100 followers in a short span of time, the lovely ladies at DNA Writers are holding an Epic Double Helix Contest. And all you have to do to enter is fill out the form... oh and bullhorn the contest all around the online-isphere! That's It.

Go head on over there and drink the awesomesauce! http://dnawriters.blogspot.com/2011/02/epic-double-helix-contest.html

Tuesday Tidbits: Hit Your Character In The Jaw... A Few Times

2011-02-15T10:36:00.000-05:00

This is the third installment in the series I began 4 Tuesdays ago entitled Keep Yer Pants On, Plot By Numbers. You are welcome to visit the last three posts to see where I'm headed with this series... Post 1 and Post 2 and Post 3.

We've discussed Grabbing Your Reader By The Nose with a great first line and first paragraph. Hook the reader in and get them emotionally involved... and then BAM, you Rock Your Character's World!! Your character's world gets turned upside down (which draws the reader in even more).

Today, I'm talking about Hitting Your Character In The Jaw. Trust me, they'll thank you later.

As a writer, you must escalate the tension and draw it out. Remember when I said how your protag must face a conflict or challenge they can't easily solve? Sure you do, because your loyal followers of this series. *wink*

Obviously, if the challenge cannot be easily solved then Your Character *Has To Fail*... at least in the short run. After all, she's facing insurmountable odds, yes? She has to run into wall after wall, and meet frustration after frustration. You can even give her small successes and large failures. Through all of these challenges your character will grow and change. We all learn far more from our mistakes than from our victories, right?

We've also discussed how your character has an external struggle that she needs to overcome. But she should also have an internal conflict that needs to reconciled as well. As the story progresses and the challenges escalate, the consequences for not solving them should become more dire, which causes the reader to become more emotionally engaged.

And, by the time the protag meets the defining moment, aka The Climax, she will have made a discovery. A discovery about herself. A discovery about her world. A discovery about her powers and her control of them.

Come back next Tuesday for the final installment in the series. Deliver On Your Promise.