Archive for the ‘lela markham’ Tag
In my ongoing attempt to whet your appetite for my next published book, here’s a little tidbit of what you’ll find inside.
Mike Biurrarena y Sanchez forced his fingers to release from the webbing as other soldiers began to grab their gear and file toward the back of the plane where the tail door would soon drop.
Ridiculous that flying still made him nervous. How many flights had he taken? He shouldered his pack and slung his AR-15. Warm air rushed into his face as he followed other men downward.
Men with wands waited at the bottom of the ramp. Mike didn’t recognize the equipment, but the odd clicking noises reminded him of Geiger counters. There’d been rumors in the air that something “big” was happening, but the details had been sketchy when the cell phone coverage cut out.
Nuclear? Dios mio!
The day’s heat still radiated off the tarmac while a huge tow truck pulled a passenger jumbo toward the far end of the terminal where the runway lights illuminated a string of passenger jets parked wingtip to wingtip in what was usually a no-man’s security area.
“Sanchez, Vasquez, Carlson, with me.”
Mike recognized Crispin, who was already surrounded by a dozen black-clothed men with duffels resting at their feet and various semi-auto rifles slung over their backs. Crispin had been the CO on two of his last three assignments. A competent leader, ex-Special Forces, given to ironic jokes that Mike usually didn’t get until Ric laughed. He’d have to pay closer attention without Ric to be the smart one.
“Men, thank you for getting on that plane. Do you know what is going on?”
They didn’t, really. They’d sat on the tarmac of a backwater airfield forever before they’d been given the scramble order, but no reason had been given for any of it. The cell phone chatter had been suppressed early in the flight. Crispin sighed then stood a little straighter.
“At precisely 7 pm Eastern Standard Time, terrorists struck an as-yet-undetermined number of US cities with low-tech nuclear weapons.” He let that sink in a moment. Everyone looked stunned. “I know many of you have families and friends to be concerned about, but we have a mission to accomplish. I only know that Denver and Kansas City were hit. There are others, but the information is sketchy right now. Our job here in Wichita is to maintain order and protect the governor, who is relocating here because Topeka is considered too close to Kansas City. As soon as we can get communications channels cleared, we will let you call your families.”
Mike remembered to take a breath. A memory of Ric saying “Don’t be near any big cities on Wednesday” surfaced. How had he known?
Watch for the book launch October 4 or you can preorder right now.
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Have you ever read a book and wondered how the author came up with that idea? I tell you a little about the process that went into Life As We Knew It. Join me on the Open Book Blog Hop.
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Mirklin Wood has its own Facebook page, for those who would like to support it.
https://www.facebook.com/MirklinWood1/
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The paths were filled with daemons of all sizes and shapes, terrible faces contorted in rage
as one after the other they pressed toward Donyl and Pedyr, swinging their bronze weapons to meet their iron. Calm and rational in this irrational situation, Donyl dealt death as no novice at arms had a right, slicing and parrying, arms burning with fatigue. He understood that they were going to die – that had been a given when they saw the hordes upon the paths — but the man at his back deserved better. Here was a Believer, a follower of the One, who trusted his god to save his soul, but did not expect him to save his life. Oath-sworn to see Donyl to his destination or die in the attempt, Pedyr fought a last futile battle for naught but honor. The citadel is within sight! Could not the Denygal god find it to save this most deserving man? Donyl’s rational mind thought this as his exhausted arms continued swinging his sword upon daemon after daemon, with no stop in sight. God I do not know, please save Pedyr.
An air-rending roar filled the gorge and the daemon host ducked as if expecting attack from on high. A terrified keening rolled along the paths, echoing off the cliffs, as a dark winged shape glided out of the moon light and swept low. Donyl screamed as the enormous claws reached down and plucked him free of the ledge.
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I’ve been working away at Mirklin Wood, Book 2 of Daermad Cycle, and it is almost ready for launch. Which means … it’s time for you the reader to get a few tastes of what I’ve been cooking up.
Some of your favorite characters are back. You may find out how I resolved a few of those cliff-hangers. I’m introducing a few new characters. And … well, you’ll have to tune in to find out.
The loose publication date for Mirklin Wood is March 15 … give or take a panic attack or three.
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I love Christmas music, though I don’t want to hear it before Thanksgiving and I don’t particularly care for it in stores on infinite loop. This maybe why I do my Christmas shopping in September and October.
Many of the great European composers wrote a tribute or two to the season. We have a local singing group that does Handel’s Messiah every December. If the weather isn’t too cold, many churches run around the Tanana Valley singing in the run-up to Christmas.
I personally am not a good singer, but my family members are, so Christmas music places a large role in our celebrations. Either Brad and Bri are singing the songs or they’re playing on the stereo.
So, the question was “What are my favorite Christmas songs?” First, you should go see what my fellow blog hoppers say are theirs.
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Like so many things, I can’t really say I have an absolutely MOST FAVORITE Christmas song. I have a few.
I Heard the Bell on Christmas Day
Do You Hear What I Hear?
Silver Bells, my favorite is not by Bing Crosby, but I couldn’t find it.
What Child is This?
My mother was born Christmas Day (major gyp, right?), so I always have to say, though it is not my favorite, my mind always touches on this song for Christmas because it was her favorite.
Little Drummer Boy
Rebecca Lovell is working on a debut novel, but she has lots of short stories for you to read while you wait and something to say about Christmas music as well. Check out her blog.
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Blog Hop Topic – How do you relieve stress?
First, I highly recommend that you check out PJ MacLayne’s website to see how she relieves stress and books for some great reads, which may be the ultimate answer to relieving stress.
Wow! Stress is a big topic. And this novelist relieves stress by … writing.
Okay, that was really easy. So easy that you might think I’ve not had a lot of stress in my life. You’d be wrong. I’ve earned my scar tissue. There are some people who would apply the label “tough cookie” to me and I’d wear that badge proudly, knowing that I had thoroughly earned it. I’ve been there, done that, and used the t-shirt as a tourniquet.
And, no, I’m not going to tell you about it. You can read my novels and decide when I’m being authentic.
The truth is there is nothing like creating a fictional world or setting and working out your stress there. I can blow up countries, punch bullies in the mouth, create solutions that actually work or … just go somewhere that is far away from my reality. Sometimes I work through forgiveness and redemption in my novels and other times I just kill the bastard … or torture him-her. Writing is also often where I am the closest to God, where I can hear His voice most clearly and follow His guidance most directly. I can also be my most human there, in that fictional world where I don’t have the face the consequences of my own impulses, but can let God correct me through my characters.
I don’t think I’ve ever experienced a stressful day of writing (formatting is NOT writing), but writers should live some life if we want something to write about, so I do take breaks. Hiking the Alaska wilderness isn’t exactly stress-free. There are dragons in those woods — well, okay, moose and bears — and even on a hot sunny June day, the weather can turn on a dime, drop 70 degrees and make you wish you’d never left home. We risk our lives heading into the wilderness, which might seem stressful to people who have never done it. When we return, we’re recharged and ready to face life again … or write a novel.
Listening to music and dancing to it, taking hot baths, sitting by the wood stove reading someone else’s novel while hearing the fire crackle, pop and sizzle, chopping firewood to feed that wood stove, watching series on Netflix, walking on the treadmill, singing gospel music at the top of my lungs where nobody else can hear me, throwing a stick for the Lab preferably in a fast moving body of water, washing walls …. Yeah, washing walls — anything mindless and physical is often one of the greatest ways to reduce and remove stress. It gives you something else to concentrate on while also allowing you to confront your thoughts. In some ways, it is an old-fashioned version of EMDR (you can google that). Try it sometime and see how it works for you. But if you’re a writer … you could just work it out in a story.
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man, but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able” (I Corinthians 10:13).
If I put myself in the right place to listen to God, He really takes care of my stress for me, even when my life circumstances are still in turmoil.
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I participated in Breakwater Harbor Books anthology Gateways, which will be available October 1 on Amazon. It’s listed on Goodreads. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26700744-gateways?from_search=true&search_version=service
A stand-alone short story featuring characters and a historical event from the land of Daermad, Pivot of Fate was my first short story in 25 years and I think it turned out well as an introduction to the world I brought to life in The Willow Branch and will continue to reveal in Murklin Wood.
In addition, it offers peaks into the universes of several Breakwater Harbor Books authors, mostly in the speculative fiction realm. Please check it out.
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Welcome to the blog hop. This week’s topic is — what is my secret pleasure?
Have you checked out Kelly Williams blog – Blue Honor — yet? Give it a try.
If you want to join the blog hop, follow the link
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I talk a lot about our outdoor life here in Alaska. I love photographing wildlife and flowers, picking berries, and camping under the midnight sun. I accept that my husband likes to seek out great views and that means hiking to ridgetops. I love the flavor of wild-caught salmon in the middle of the winter.
Ah ….
But, my favorite part of going camping is ….
When it’s over.
My favorite indulgence is a ritual I undertake when we get home. Yeah, there’s unloading the Jeep and counting kids and dogs to make sure everybody made it home … but after that, there’s the BATH.
I unplait my braids (I always braid my hair tight to my head before going out into the wilderness because it keeps it from getting tangled in branches and it’s way easier to deal with when I get home), take a quick shower, shampoo and soap, rinse and then, as soon as the dirty water is down the drain, I drop the plug in and fill the tub with the hottest water I can stand. I condition my hair, pile it on top of my head, grab a bottle of cold water and submerge myself to my chin.
When your husband is nicknamed “Ridgewalker” you expect sore muscles after a hike. There’s something about climbing the equivalent of a 50-story building that will do that to you. I rub kinks out of my calves and thighs, relax, think about writing (always thinking about writing), and generally don’t do anything until I feel sweat standout on my nose and then see dirt floating on top of the water.
It’s a uh dirty little secret that they don’t tell you, but it takes about 20 minutes of soaking in hot water for your skin to let loose of the dirt you have in your pores. Showers don’t cut it. I shower for ordinary life, but after a outdoor excursion (which is typically three days sans bath), I take a nice long soak. It’s relaxing, it gets me really clean, and it provides a transition between our outdoor life and our “real” life of paying the bills and cleaning the kitchen.
Sometimes I get really decedent and add lavender oil to the water or an oatmeal infusion. Sometimes I masque my face and these weird scaly patches I get on my triceps. And always I wait until that skim of dirt appears on the surface of the water.
Then I pop the plug and take a quick rinse shower, sometimes wash my back with this long mesh cloth we have, dry off, wrap up in a great terry cloth robe and … I’m home. I can sit down and journal my experiences, write a scene to a novel or have hot chocolate or tea and watch a Netflix show.
Ah — indulgence!
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aurorawatcherak 