Sunday Excerpt #excerpt #amwriting #fiction

Where did the week go?  Once again, we come to Sunday and it is time for my weekly excerpt.  

Today’s excerpt continues our story.  Chapter seven focuses on Mindy while she takes care of Jason after bringing him ‘home’ to their safe house.  We really get a good look at Mindy and learn some about her and Jason before Sabrina comes back on stage again.

Mindy watched as Sabrina took off on Jason’s motorcycle then loaded the unconscious fox into the back seat of the sedan.  She idly wondered to herself how her old friend could ride in the rain.  However, before she got to the end of the block, she dismissed the thought; the rain had slacked off to a drizzle.  Her only concern was getting Jason to the safe house without being pulled over by the police.

It was late and very few were out on the streets.  Most of the police were suspicious of anyone out after midnight.  Most knew gangs and the mafia bosses used this hour to move their ill-gotten goods or worse.

She didn't have to worry about being seen.  Neither did she concern herself too much with her passenger; a single glance at the back seat told her that he was still out cold.

She sighed as she opened the door.  Jason wasn't light and she wasn't the strong young lady she used to be. Mindy knew she was going to be sore after hefting him up the stairs.  All she could hope for was a few minutes of rest before her friend came back.

To her, Gabriela wasn't the same cat she had known all those years ago. She had changed. It wasn't because she had been gone for so long.  Something else was different about her.  Something Mindy saw within herself.

That was the least of her worries. The staircase leading up into the ten story building loomed before her. Mindy wasn't up to it.  She had to for the sake of her friend. She knew all too well what Gerin could, and would, do to any family members he kept captive, just so he could get the results he wanted.

From the bottom of the stairs, Mindy looked up at the second floor, sighed again, then heaved Jason onto her shoulders to start her accent. Using the walls and the railing to help brace the fox on her shoulder, she carried him up the stairs.

By the time she reached their apartment, she was exhausted. It had been a long time since she had to carry anything heavy.  Jason was unceremoniously dropped onto the only bed then she dropped down into the chair near the window.

While she rested, Mindy looked Jason over. She had to admit that he was a handsome fox. His fur was that soft gray many called silver and had the normal dark ears and streaks behind the nose. The clothes he wore left something to be desired, but everyone had their own tastes. His ranged from the long black duster over a shirt and black jeans to heavy steel toed boots complete with chains around the ankles. She looked at his tousled hair with disgust, for it was very unkempt.  Even wet, it looked like he didn't keep it very clean.

Mindy prided herself on her appearance. She kept her dark gray fur clean, and her long black tresses brushed. Minus the drab gray cloak, her clothes were always casual and colored to suit her moods. The punk look just wasn't her at all. She didn't care for the cloak she had to wear while ‘working’, but is was a necessity. At least it served a purpose of helping to keep her furry bottom safe and dry.

While looking at him, Jason started to stir as the effects of the chloroform wore off. She watched as his eyes fluttered open for a moment.  They appeared unfocused at first.  As he groaned, he moved and faced her and she moved to sit with her back to the wan light coming through the thin curtains.

The fog in his head hurt as Jason woke up.  His tongue felt dry and swollen and his limbs felt like dead weights.  The light that drew his attention stung but he could make out an image just in front of it.  It moved and the hint of fur was seen before he let his eyes close again.  Just those few seconds hurt and were starting a headache like he had never felt before.

Once his eyes closed, Mindy got up and headed for the kitchen.  The antidote she was given had to be set up.  If he reacted like Sabrina said he would, he was going to need it very soon.  While she fixed the drink, she heard him groan loudly and move about on the ancient bed as the effects wore off.  On her way back to him, she paused by the bathroom and grabbed the aspirins.  She was sure he was going to need them to help get rid of the throbbing behind his eyes.

If you want to critique, review, or even beta read Society of Night and Lies, just let me know.  I need all the help I can get.

#writemotivation Check-In

Due to malfunction in the cerebrum, there will be no witty snippets to begin today’s post.  Due to this same malfunction, this post is also arriving late.  Please be patient while these malfunctions are being repaired.  Normal function should return within a week or sooner depending on varying conditions.

And for the not so technical (hehe) I’m still recovering from last week’s virus.  I’m over the worst but energy levels are still kind of low.  Thinking hasn’t been easy, even at work, and I tire easily.  That’s why this post is so freaking late.  I’ll be back to my normal, strange, self eventually, but this recovery is a long and slow process this time around.

There is some good news out of the long bout with the virus.  I had lost ten pounds.  Not because of being sick.  I had a decent appetite which helped a lot. Normal weight loss thanks to some help from my medication to control my blood sugar.  Thanks to my general appetite decreasing from being sick, I’ll be shedding a few extra pounds.  I don’t intend to go back to eating so much again.

I still have a long way to go before I reach my goal weight of 180 pounds.  But, the first ten are gone with more slowly falling away.

Doc didn’t put me on any kind of diet, but did suggest several changes to make which I had already started to help manage my cholesterol.  More fiber, less carbs, and more lean meat will be what I’ll have, and definitely more veggies.

Gotta love veggies!  Oh!  And fruit, too.  Yum!  /drool

Due not feeling so good, I haven’t done much on my goals, but I did manage to check one off.  I’ll work on the last one over the weekend if it’s raining.

1) Polish and revise chapters 4 (or five as the case may be) through 7 of Society of Night and Lies.

This one is done!  All I have to do now is add them to the main file on my hard drive so there’s an extra copy available.

2) Write another two chapters of Black Friday 2 and maybe come up with an actual name for the book.

Sadly, nothing has been done to this one, yet.  Like I said, I just haven’t had the energy.

3) Study the craft. Reading project for the month to learn more about creative writing, scene and structure, and other writerly things.

This one can be checked off.  I finished Scene and Structure last week and returned it to the library.  I’ve started Revision and Self-Editing but haven’t gotten very far in it.  There is some good advice in there someplace.  Just got to get through the techno-babble to find it.

How’s everyone else doing on their goals so close to the end of the month?

Sunday Excerpt #excerpt #amwriting #fiction

After the long and icky week I’ve had, I finally have the energy to do some editing.  This excerpt is what editing I’ve done.  But, it will finish chapter six of Society of Night and Lies. 

Going through all of these posts to put them in my file, I noticed some discontinuity.  That will be fixed soon.  For now, enjoy this final portion of Chapter Six.  Looks like Sabrina may be suspecting something about her friend, Reyna.

The way things were looking; it would be a while before she could feel the touch of her husband’s hands on her fur. The soft sigh, though barely heard by anyone, was interrupted by a familiar laugh. One eye, then the other opened to see Reyna standing there beside her table with her arms crossed and the quirk of a grin teasing at her muzzle. A smile slowly crawled across Sabrina’s muzzle as she motioned to the seat across from her with a nod of her head then chuckled softly. “You’re late.”

“Sorry, Ree, I was detained by Felix. He was trying to follow me.” She said while she took a seat and beckoned the waitress over. “A cherry soda and some fries, please.” She said to the rabbit waitress then, after she was out of earshot, she spoke to Sabrina. “He’s very worried about you. If you don’t talk to him soon, he is going to come looking for you.”

Sighing, Sabrina nodded. “I can’t contact him right now. It is far too dangerous. If anyone from the society were to find out about him…” If she wasn’t worried before, she was definitely worried now. “Dean is already dogging my tail to see what he can find out. I won’t be surprised if he already suspects I faked Jason’s death.”

Green eyes went wide at the mention of the wolf’s name, and then Reyna leaned across the table and asked in a conspiratorial whisper, “Dean’s involved?”  Then settling back into her seat, she continued. “Just great. We’re gonna to have to work fast to make sure he doesn’t discover the truth.”

“I know. Trust me, I know.” Sabrina rolled her eyes. “I could poison him and it all now, but…”

“But what?” Reyna inquired while she eyed her friend curiously.

Sabrina shook her head and sighed.  ”He probably already expects that AND everyone would know who did it.  From what I understand, I was the only one who specialized in poisons.”

“Ah, I see,” Reyna said as she slowly nodded.  ”You’re not the only one… I mean anyone could have studied as well just not… as much as what you did.”  She suddenly looked nervous after cutting her initial comment short.

Sabrina almost missed that sudden switch and the flash of expression in her friend’s eyes.  Eyeing her casually, she nodded and leaned back in her seat to watch her more carefully while they talked.  ”I also learned that he has some extra pull with Gerin.  The old yote isn’t young anymore.  He needs to train someone to take over when he retires.”  If he manages to retire Sabrina thought to herself.

Suddenly, a sly grin appeared on the Rey’s muzzle, and then she chuckled. “He does. Does he? That just might work in your favor, Sabrina.”

Curious, she asked her friend, “Oh? What do you have in mind, Rey?”  The ridge above her eye lifted as an ear swiveled back.  Though it had been still until now, her tail started to curl slowly along the side of the booth.

“Think Ree. If we sabotage his reputation, make him look real bad in front of the others and Gerin…” she suggested, leaving the rest hanging to be picked up by the suddenly churning thoughts of her friend.  Something in her voice hinted that she knew more than she admitted.

Catching on, Sabrina’s eyes went wide for a moment as her lips formed an ‘O’ shape.  A guarded smile formed though her eyes showed more darkness simmering in their depths. “I see-ee-ee. That won’t be easy to do, but it could be fun. If we play our cards right, Gerin’ll order him killed after kicking him out. I like it. I like it.”

“I see the gears spinning now.”  Reyna giggled while she leaned on the table again and casually cupped her jaw in her hands. “So, tell me, Ree, how are we going to accomplish that?”

With eyes sparkling with mischief, Sabrina smiled and leaned a little closer to her friend. “A very good question, my dear, but one I’ll enjoy setting up.” Then, her expression changed to one more serious as she settled back in her seat. “First, we have to see about keeping a certain fox from being killed. To do that, I need that background check you, and Felix, did for me.”

Perking her ears, Reyna sat up and cocked her head to one side then asked, “Why did you want to me to dig around so much on this one person?”  While she was curious, fear was welling up inside.

Sabrina saw something, in her friend’s eyes that seemed to confirm a few suspicions.  Until she had actual proof, she couldn’t do anything.  Gauging her words carefully, she spoke, “Nothing you need to be concerned with, Rey.  Let’s just say I need to make sure of a few things before I go another step.”

*Gulp* Reyna could only stare at Sabrina wondering what the feline woman knew.  Slowly, she nodded and relaxed, accepting the fact that her friend is being paranoid and nothing more.   “I still say you’re crazy, Sab.”  Reaching into her jacket, she pulls out a manilla envelope and drops it on the table between them.

“Never claimed to be anything else,” she said.  A smirk curled across her muzzle as she picked up the packet then spent a minute peering at the contents; even pulling out random papers before tucking it under her arm.  ”Very good.  Definitely worth the wait.”

Reyna let out a huge breath and slumped in her seat.  It looked as though she had been worried about the contents.  ”Anything else you need?”  She meant to be sarcastic, but quelled the feeling when she looked her friend in the eye.

Sabrina considered, pretending to think hard on the question.  ”Oh, I think there is something you can look up for me.  It’ll be easy this time.”

Suddenly sitting up, Reyna’s eyes widened and her ears drooped.  ”Why am I afraid to ask what this one will be?”

Without answering, Sabrina stood and dropped a few bills on the table to tip the waitress.  Along with those bills, she dropped a white envelope.  ”Everything you need to know is in there, Rey.”

The envelope was quickly snatched up.  Reyna pulled the paper out and read it then glanced at the back.  It was the letter that brought Sabrina to New Urbania.  ”I don’t understand.  This is the note you were given last week.”

Eyeing her friend, Sabrina nodded.  ”I know.  You know where Shyleah lived.  We both know who D is.  You have two days to figure out how he found her.”

“Two days?” She sounded incredulous and her eyes quickly filled with worry.  Slowly, as she looked up at her, the vixen shook her head. “This’ll take more than two days to do.”

“That’s all the time you have, Rey. Not a minute longer.”  Her voice sounded dark with a harsh edge behind the calm words. “I know you can do it. I’ve seen you do it before for others.”  Something in her tone said she wasn’t going to expect less. “Two days. That’s all you have, Rey, and not a second longer.”

As she turned to leave, Rey lifted her hand to detain her a moment longer.  She couldn’t find the words to speak.  Her confidence in her skill was being put to the test.  There was a shine to the feline’s eyes that said she wasn’t going to be very forgiving if her trusted friend didn’t come through for her.

“We’ll meet here in two days.” Sabrina reminded her. By the time she stepped out into the cold rainy morning, the sky had already started lightening towards day. With a sigh, she looked up at the clouds then pulled her hood up and headed toward the motorcycle.  How she hated the rain.

Check out my author page, Fantastic Furry Realms, on Facebook.

Icky Week #writemotivation check-in

It has been a bad week for me this week.  Started Monday with a sore throat and a mild case of laryngitis and fell from there..  This virus knocked me down, literally, for the majority of this week.  Just when I thought I could go back to work, it knocked me for another loop which required a doctor.

Because I’ve been out for more than three days, Wal-Mart demands I do the paperwork for a medical leave of absence.  What the hell?  Colds and minor cases of the flu can keep someone out for a week, minimum, and they know this.  But, only three days before needinga FMLA leave of absence form.  Someone, somewhere, has no concept of reality.

More than a week, okay, I can see it.  But more than three days?  No.  But, if I want to work, I have to do it.  *huge sigh*

But, yeah, that’s my week.  I’m filling out the paperwork tonight and running it to the clinic tomorrow for the doc to fill out.  Nausea will not keep me from working for long.  Especially with medication to help.

But, this makes my #writemotivation check-in easy to do.  I haven’t had the energy or the mental capacity to remotely consider writing or editing.  I can say I’ve had ideas for a story I don’t intend to publish except on certain sites.

I‘m in the set up scenes, introducing the characters who’ll be participating and showing their personalities before starting it off.  Let’s just say that this story is one which will make most people want to un-watch and unfriend me if they read it.  That is why I am only posting it in certain places because I know the audience very well.

But, I can say one thing for my goals this month.  I did finish reading Scene and Structure.  It gave a lot of good advice on how to bring scenes together through cause and effect.  This is definitely one book I need for my library.

That is a hint for Christmas/birthday gift.  *cute kitten eyes begging*

Last, but not least, before the worst of my illness hit, I managed to create a page on Facebook that will feature my current published book and the works in progress.

Fantastic Furry Realms  

It still needs a lot of work and for me to update more often, but this has been up for only a week… barely.  Some of you have seen it already.  The rest of you, come by and have a look.  Like it if you want and definitely comment.  I’m proud of just this little bit.

Do watch that page.  Slowly, as I get help and advice, the cover photo will change to help support my main book, Black Friday.

Sunday Excerpt #excerpt #amwriting #fiction

We’ve finally come to Sunday once again.  It has been one of those long tiring weeks with very little progress in writing.  But, never fear, your weekly excerpt is here.

Once again, we pick up where we left off.  Sabrina has found her way to the B52 Diner, an old restaurant that helped define the term ‘greasy spoon’ in trucker lingo.  She had just sat down to relax and eat while pondering the dreary, rainy weather.

Thoughts kept racing through her mind, chasing one another to catch her attention. So much had changed since she left the Claw and Fang to live her life with Felix.  There were new faces in the old crowd.  Older members were no longer there.  What she had overheard in the hall, some policies changed as well; making it more difficult to leave.

New Urbania hadn’t changed all that much in itself, but the people and places she knew did. So much of the old city had been rebuilt.

Even she had changed while she was gone.  Domestication has taken its toll on her, for she used to not hesitate when it came to anyone threatening her or a friend. Tonight, she did hesitate, and it almost cost her friend’s life.

Lucky for her, Dean is nothing more than a lackey for her adopted father, Gerin. Neither had changed very much.  Only time was showing on the old man’s face.

So engrossed with her thoughts, she didn’t notice the three other patrons, or the waitress, glancing her way when a low growl slipped past her parted lips. Realizing she had done that aloud, she looked at each of them with a dark glare over the rim of her coffee cup.

One by one, they each dropped their eyes and returned to their own business. All of them except for one.  A grizzled old male bull dog watched her for a few more seconds before coming to a decision. Casually, he stood and walked over to her table.

As he got closer, she could see the cleric band almost hidden by the short collar of his plain gray shirt, even though the dangling pendant of a cross picked up the ambient light rather well.  For a heavyset canine, he seemed to almost glide over the floor and his dark eyes looked kindly.

Just what she didn’t need right then, a priest to pester her before Reyna arrived.  Hoping he’d keep moving, Sabrina set her cup down and watched him through narrowed eyes.  With all she had on her mind, she would not be able to appreciate his wisdom and kind words.

Noting the rather dark look, the preacher paused then put on a gentle smile. “Good morning, my child. What has a lovely young lady like you in such a foul mood?”  Though soft, he held a slight accent that marked him as a foreigner.

“Just the rain, father,” she said with a look that dared him to say anything more to her. She really did not want to be bothered until she had a few things figured out and her life set back in order once again.

Smiling, the dog nodded. “Surely, that isn’t all. Something is bothering you, I can tell. You can confide in me, child. Anything you say won’t go any further than this table.” Without being invited, he sat down across from her.

The dark look she gave him spoke more than the what she had to say.  “I would rather be left alone, right now, father. So…” she gave him a rather pointed look during her brief pause, “… if you don’t mind, please leave.”

Sometimes, being a priest was a good thing.  But for this one, it wasn’t.  He ignored her expression and the less than polite request for him to leave.  He folded his hands on the table and maintained the gentle smile in hopes she’d give in.  “Come now, child. My vows prevent me from telling anyone what you say to me.”

Finally losing her temper, Sabrina leaned over the table and grabbed the preacher by his collar then pulled him close so they met nose to nose in the middle of the table. His eyes flew wide with fear that she was able to pull him so easily from the seat. “Let me [put this as clearly as I possibly can, father.  Leave. Me. Alone. Now!” She snarled at him, letting him see the flash of her teeth then shoved him back onto the seat.  She remained half standing, hands planted firmly on the table, to make sure her point got across.

After that, the preacher finally caught the hint and scrambled to leave the table as fast as he could. As he made his retreat across the diner, she sat down and resumed sipping at her cold coffee. Softly, she grumbled under breath about the audacity some people have while she watched the rain fall. From that moment on, she was left alone except for the occasional visit from the waitress to refill her coffee.

For hours, Sabrina sat there watching the rain while drinking coffee and picking at the grease mass called a burger on her plate. She was hungry, but it just didn’t look all that appetizing, not even when it was first placed in front of her. At least the side dishes were decent, she thought, or her mood would have continued to deteriorate from hunger. She wished she was back at the Other Side Bar and Grill where a stiff drink would be in her hand instead of a cup of liquid caffeine. Perhaps, at this time of the night, she would be curled up in the arms of her ferret.  She missed him so very much.

Mid-Week and #writemotivation

I’m behind on this post.  You can take away my cookies, but there is a good reason this time.  A very good reason.

Since Sunday, I have been busy doing some promotional building for my writing, and artwork, on Facebook.  It all started with an invitation to an event called the Facebook Page Exchange where authors and other businesses pages who haven’t promoted their work or been able to get many visitors, were invited to participate.

This is a start, I can say that much.

So, for Sunday and Monday, I was promoting just my normal Facebook page and mention links to this blog and others I have crossposting along with my two main art sites.  That got old fast, but it did get people to notice.

On a whim, I created a page that will focus on my writing and art, the Fantastic Furry Realms.  Several hours were spent just situating things and deciding on an icon as well as filling in a lot of blanks with information.  The worst of the work is done, but there’s still plenty left to do.

Now, with this page, I can direct people to it for this exchange.  The one who created this event has found it so busy, they created a group to pick up and make it much easier to keep track of posts and scroll through to visit links or pass on the love with likes.

Cookies have been earned with this promotion of my work.  Black Friday is featured since, well, it is my first and only book.  First link presented in today’s post and definitely mentioned in one of those blanks I filled.

I haven’t slacked off on these writing goals this week.  I actually got quite a bit done!

1) Polish and revise chapters 4 (or five as the case may be) through 7 of Society of Night and Lies.

I only have about half to three-quarters of chapter six left to do then this goal will be done.  I know it says to chapter 7, but that was only if I had made a chapter split earlier in.  I’ll keep working on this one even after I complete this one,

2) Write another two chapters of Black Friday 2 and maybe come up with an actual name for the book.

I’ve started on this one.  Not much written at this point, but it has been started.

3) Study the craft. Reading project for the month to learn more about creative writing, scene and structure, and other writerly things.

Still trying to read through Scene and Structure.  My reading time is mostly in the morning before work and just before bed at night.  Maybe two hours at most to learn and think about what I had just read.  The way it looks, I may just have to buy a copy of this book so I can read at my own pace.

Has anyone been trying to promote their work, yet?  How are your goals coming along?

Sunday Excerpt #amwriting #fiction

Welcome again to the Sunday Excerpt hour.  Today’s piece of literature picks up where we left off last week after Sabrina and her trusty friend, Mindy, have knocked out Jason Foxworth and shown what a bully and a coward Dean really is.

“Mindy,” Sabrina said as she glanced at her friend, “Go get the carand take Jason to the hideout. He can recover there without anyone finding him.”

“What about you, comrade?” Mindy looked at her friend, worry filling her sweet blue eyes.  She picked up the fox and slung him over her shoulder as if he were a sack of potatoes.

“Don’t worry about me, my friend. I’ve got to meet with someone soon then visit with father before we can do anything about this fox.” Worry filled Sabrina’s voice as she looked in the direction of the building the Claw and Fang called home. “Just keep him safe.”  She paused for a moment as thoughts went racing through her mind.  ”I trust you with him.”

Not at all surprised by her friend’s wishes, Mindy nodded and headed back to where they had hidden the car in a nearby parking lot. Still not sure about her friend’s loyalty, Sabrina followed at a discreet distance to make sure the mink did do as she asked, then went back for the motorcycle.

Since she had to hide the fox’s bike, she took it to get to her next destination.  She was glad the motorcycle wasn’t very distinctive.  If anything it looked worse than it actually was.  it rode smoothly over the worn streets of the warehouse district and down secluded alleys to the old side of town.

Away from the newer, more modern, look of the city, the old city still bore the scars of the Great War.  Old buildings were in bad repair or burned out husks.  The ruins made dangerous places for children to play and the homeless to take shelter.  Even at this late hour, eyes could be felt staring out the glassless windows as the bike drove past.  Only the foolhardy would linger after dark in the old city.

Sabrina had no intention of staying long beyond the next light change.  Where she wanted to go was on the edge of the old city in an area of construction that was slowly edging its way closer to the scars of the past in the name of progress.  The place she was going had been there since before the war and had miraculously survived it, mostly, intact.

The B52 Diner was an old favorite of hers, if only because of the old time decor and the fact that part of the actual building was a rather large bomber lying tilted on its side so that one of the wings jutted out to cover the walkway and some of the parking for drive-up customers. Inside, the aerial theme was kept with the booth seats resembling wide pilot seats and the tables looking like they were views of the land from high above. Maps and medals adorned the walls, and there was even a memorial plaque for all the war heroes that died in past wars. Pictures of famous people were also posted near the memorial and other places on the walls.

What stood out most about the diner was the bar was a real set of propellers set end to end as the counter top. The stools and other seats were normal enough to go along with the black and white tile, and the smooth, almost metallic looking walls. Just above the counter, a chalkboard showed the items and prices.

The food wasn’t the best.  She wasn’t there for the food.  She was there to meet someone.  It was the only place she felt safe and unobserved.

Sabrina looked about the room as she walked in.   She stepped up to the bar and ordered herself a coffee and a burger. She knew she was going to regret eating the food in this place later, but it had been hours since she last had anything. Another casual look told her that her friend wasn’t there yet, so she picked an out of the way corner to eat and wait.  It wasn’t long before her food arrived along with a refill for her coffee.

The owner seemed to love the war-time theme so much, he had his wait staff wear either uniforms or suits like out of some old movie.  The waitresses and waiters wore the flight-suits while the bartenders, normally, wore the officer uniform.  They weren’t real aviator clothes, but they fit the theme of the diner.

Many times in the past she had wondered why the owner chose that theme.  No one complained that she knew of.  Certainly the veterans were thankful someone remembered them fondly and gave them their due.

Looking at the old war memorabilia, she ate quietly and mentally gave thanks to those who had fought and won the Great War.  Her attention then became attuned to the rain that was still falling steadily, keeping everything dreary and cold. It had stopped during her ride over and picked up just before she pulled under the wing.  Soon the rain will be snow, she thought to herself, then things will really be hard to keep up. Or… perhaps not.

Writing Progress #writemotivation

It is so hot!  How hot is it?  It’s so hot, snowballs are going to Hades to keep cool.  It is so hot, your groceries are cooked before you reach your car.  It’s so hot, the sun is jealous.

Enough of the jokes.  You get the hint.  It be very hot here in Oklahoma once again.  Where are those comfortable temperatures we had last week?

I didn’t feel much like doing this yesterday.  I was being lazy is all.  Very lazy.  Also, I was setting things up so I could work on these goals and figure out which will be done and when.  I’m also seeking willing victims… I mean volunteers… to go over my revisions on Society of Night and Lies as I complete them.

Chapters one through three are ready for review, amazingly enough.  Everything Michelle, thebnc, noted at the last critique session has been implemented, and I hope, put to use on the rest of chapter one and into two and three.  There’s still a few rough spots I’m sure, but need some suggestions to smooth them out.

With #pitchmadness going on, I decided to read through the rules and what is expected so I could figure out what I needed to do.  First thing I saw… the first 150 words ends in mid-sentence.  You just barely meet the main char when it stops, but you get the feel of the bar.  That says to me I need to do some revamping to get her in there.

A synopsis, or even a pitch, is a tad more difficult for me.  I think I have something, but I’ll save it for another post.  As it looks now, this #pitchmadness will have to be missed so I can present something better.

Anyway, onto the goals.  Would you believe I’ve made good progress this week and it’s only Tuesday?

1) Polish and revise chapters 4 (or five as the case may be) through 7 of Society of Night and Lies.

I’ve just revised chapter four.  There’s one sticky spot I’m not sure how to fix, but it definitely feels better to me and shows more emotion from a worried, if drunk, husband and a concerned friend.

2) Write another two chapters of Black Friday 2 and maybe come up with an actual name for the book.

I’ve just barely got started on this one.  More of the planning than actual writing but I know what I want to see happen.  Bickham says a disaster must happen, well, this one won’t be a disaster per se but it’ll work.

3) Study the craft. Reading project for the month to learn more about creative writing, scene and structure, and other writerly things.

Still reading.  John Bickhan does explains things well, but he’s repeating himself over and over.  Scene and Structure is a book for any author to have handy as a reference.

Just ask if you want to help beta read and fix those tricky spots.  I need honest input.

How are your goals coming along?

Sunday Excerpt #amwriting #fiction #excerpt

 It has been a nice week if a busy one for me.  Mostly I’ve been working on avoiding work, which means not a lot was done to the first three chapters of Society of Night and Lies.  On top f that, I’ve been exceedingly tired, so the effort to write just wasn’t there.  But, that is taken care of and I’m just about done with chapter three.

Today’s excerpt picks up where we left off last week with Dean running off and acting like the bully he is.  He’s out of the picture for now, but Jason is back in and Sabrina has to do her job of making him look like he’s dead and convince him why.

As Dean made his retreat, both women looked at each other, then started laughing. As funny as what the moment was, it made it more difficult for Sabrina to catch her breath. Their laughter was quieted when the sound of a door slamming closed brought their attention back to what they were supposed to be doing; watching and waiting for Jason Foxworth.

Jason had left the building and was getting on his motorcycle once again.  His back was to them while he sat there looking up at the upper stories of the old building and pulling on his gloves.

This was the chance they were hoping for, catching Jason unaware. After pulling their hoods up to hide their faces, they slipped from the alley and crossed the street quietly.

 Just as Jason turned to look behind him for traffic, Sabrina was there, a wild grin plastered on her face and the bright gleam of something terrible about to happen in her eyes. Before he could react, Mindy was behind him and together they wrestled him off his bike onto the ground. Only the flash of metal and the cold touch of steel kept him from calling out for any kind of aid.  But that didn’t stop him from trying to struggle in Mindy’s arms or kick at her.

 “Hold still, fox, or you’ll end up hurting yourself worse,” growled Sabrina in a disguised voice.

 Bewildered, Jason jerked at his pinned arms and shouted, “What the fucking hell is going on? Get away from me, bitch!”

 Mindy kept a tight grip on his arms, making sure he couldn’t get away from her.  He managed to land a few kicks which glanced off her legs instead of hitting higher. To his amazement, she handled those kicks well, merely grunting and tightening her grip.  Mindy snarled at him. “Don’t move fox. I do not want to hurt you.” Then she glanced up at her feline friend and smiled.

“Let me go, you fucking bitch!” Jason snapped at Mindy through bared teeth.  He was seething and getting angrier the long he was kept pinned between both.  ”Why should I listen to either of you?”

 “I’ll explain later, Jason, but for now, you need to take a little nap.” Sabrina purred  with just a hint of a growl to her voice.  Without taking her eyes from him and avoiding his wild kicks and attempts to free himself, she felt around in her pouch for the cloth and vile she bought for just such emergencies.

 ”Huh?” Something about the dark furred woman caught his attention; something very familiar all of a sudden. Just as he was about to ask, she placed a cloth over his nose.  The noxious fumes of chloroform filled his nostrils. Trying as hard as he could, he fought against their restraint but could not resist the effects of the fumes.  Within seconds, Jason was out cold.