And so it begins.

Here is a teaser from the first chapter of my book.  Feel free to read, enjoy, & send suggestions!

Chapter 1- Terror in the East

The smell of ash hung heavy in the air as the night grew deeper.  Darkness crept over everything slithering its tentacles into any place not lit by a candle or fire.  Clouds hung low threatening to dump their contents onto the placid thatched roof of the inn that stood alone in the woods.  A single glowing light from the inn flickered in the windows indicating the existence of someone within, but not casting a warm or welcoming glow on the dirt road outside. 

For a passing traveler this inn was not one that they would pull over and enter into for a casual drink of grog.  In fact this inn was the type where one would stop only out of necessity.  Thus the inn was aptly named Last Hope. 

The inn had not always borne this name, it had once been a thriving center for travelers and traders.  The town the inn had been in was once called Briley. Once a booming market town the economy of trade had begun to collapse as bandits and other thieves began to terrorize the merchants and travelers of the town.  The town was the carcass and the thieves vultures feeding upon the decay but the inn always remained safe.  As the town around the inn died away and the buildings and people of the lost city had begun to scatter and fall the inn was the last hope for many.  Some came to the inn to drown their sorrows in the strongest brew the innkeeper could find.  Others came for the gambling, betting their last hope on a game of chance and more often than not losing to lady luck.   The inn soon became a home to vagrants and homeless giving the once savory inn a decrepit and homely look.  It stayed that way for many years until rumors of horror came from the east.  War, bloodshed, and an unknown terror burning through the countryside devouring everything it could find.  One night as the vagabonds sat in their inn gambling the loaf of bread they had stolen or even the very clothes on their back a woman stumbled through the door.  Half of her face had been burned so horribly that many diverted their eyes to avoid the sight of her.  Her leg was broken and dried blood made her shirt stick to her rail thin body.  After collapsing on the floor the innkeeper took her to a bed to let her rest but her injuries were so far beyond aid that all the innkeeper could do was keep her comfortable until she died.  

If you can't write, read!

My theory has always been that if I want to be an effective author I need to be an effective reader, by observing others craft I can be a better wordsmith myself.  The last couple of days have been interesting, to say the least.  With visits happening, a migraine, and an 8 month old in the throws of separation anxiety (augh mom went to the bathroom, MELTDOWN!!!)  I haven't had the ability to balance a laptop on my lap to write in my own book so I did what I believed to be the next best thing, read!  Now I personally am drawn to books that are sci-fi or fantasy so with that in mind I picked up these books:

They are the Nicholas Flamel series by Michael Scott.  I was instantly in love with these books!  I'm not going to say much about the plot but the story telling is absolutely AMAZING!  He has researched settings, historical characters, and woven a tale so intricate and thorough that I find myself going "oh yeah!  That was in book 2."  From a fantasy lovers standpoint I also love his system of magic wherein the caster must use their aura, it isn't an endless supply, really makes for purposeful spell casting. 

One of the great things about being both a reader and a writer is that as I read I take mental notes of all the things I would like to incorporate into my own writing.  I wish I could continue on with the praises of these books but the 8 month old is calling, rather shrieking, so just take my word for it that these books are really worth the time!  Read them! :)

The breakthrough!

I was finally able to get past that moment in the book that is so pivotal to the main character! Its definitely rough but I'm so relieved to have that stumbling block behind me! Hooray for moving forward and having the moment I've been mulling over for years (yes, literally years) on paper. So ready to move forward. Stay tuned readers as teasers are coming soon.

The Defining Moments

Last night as I sat reading and re-reading the last written chapter of my book I realized why I had stopped at that point. It was in that moment in the book where the main character had what I call a defining moment;  We all have them, those moments in life where we know that nothing can or will ever be the same, the moments that completely redefine who or what you are.

I thought about my own defining moments and while there were plenty I decided to focus on just one moment to see if I could correctly pinpoint how to describe it. I knew absolutely no moment could be more defining than the birth of my daughter but as I tried to put that moment into words I found that anything I said about the birth, looking into her eyes for the first time, and my own instant love  felt so incredibly inadequate. So I wondered how do I describe a character's defining moment when I can't even describe my own?

This is one of those moments where I wish I could share what I have written with you readers but I feel that in doing so I would ruin too much of the story, most of the story hinges on this moment. So in the meantime as I struggle to create the correct word craft for my characters moment I hope to find a muse to give me a little guidance.

Once Upon a Time

Once Upon a Time, that age old phrase that starts so many stories.  When contemplating how to start this writing blog I wanted to come up with something moving, inspiring, and original but alas my brain marbles seem to have fallen out. Is it cliche? Sure, but in this moment it seems to fit so here goes:

Once upon a time there was a woman who dreamed to be a writer. She decided it was time to put her cursor to paper and started writing. Despite the inspiration and free flow of words her writing stalled as real life began to interfere; Pursuing a degree, student teaching, job hunting, teaching high schoolers, and adding a baby to the family.  The stories were still there but had no voice. With a little prodding and friendly coaxing she was finally ready to pick up where she'd left off, the question now is where does she start? Well here we are at the beginning (again) creating another once upon a time.

By creating this blog I hope to achieve a few things,

1. Stay inspired to continue writing. If I am accountable to someone or something, the blog, I will continue with my writing.

2. Have a place to collect my thoughts whether related or not related to my writing. Sorry readers you may get some random thoughts!

3. To share bits and pieces of my work to get an idea about how people feel about my stories.

So here's what I ask dear readers, please read, respond, and offer constructive criticism (emphasis on constructive, please be nice I am still learning). I also ask that any and all words posted here stay here, I shouldn't have to lecture mature adults about what plagiarism is or how serious it can be as well as the legal action I am willing to take to protect my work. Thank you all & here's to a new once upon a time that will hopefully create a happily ever after.