Wings

(Note: the people in the image above do not look particularly like Logan or Sadie. But the image evokes the feelings and emotions I was trying to get across with this writing; so I added this special piece of art in.)

I was on the swings at the park today, listening to music, thinking, and absentmindedly practicing voices. Out of nowhere, I suddenly found myself acting out the conversation here. The general idea had already been in my head, but nearly the entire conversation sprang to mind, line by spontaneous line, all at once, at the park today. When I acted this scene out, Logan had a Scottish accent and Sadie an English one; but that was just how I imagined it. It doesn't actually hold any significance that I know of.

The bit of backstory needed - Logan is a twenty-almost-twenty-one-year-old fellow, and Sadie is a fifteen-year-old. They met somehow, realised they were in similar situations at home or at school... and one thing led to another before they were forced to leave - Logan, chased away by a family who never cared in the first place, and Sadie, who ran away because she didn't feel accepted or loved. Sadie is a dreamer through-and-through, and almost childlike. Logan is a little more - okay, a lot more - aware of the world.

That in mind, here's the scene I wrote. It's random and probably not very good, but I like it; so I posted it here.

~~*~~

 "Logan?" Sadie murmured, lying down on her back in the grass and watching the sky. The last flames of sunset were fading past the horizon, and velvety dark blue began to spread a blanket above.

"Yeah?" Logan sat beside her, resting his elbows on his knees.

There was a beat of silence, and then she spoke again. "Do you ever wonder what it would be like to visit the stars?"

Logan ran a hand through his hair, glancing at the sky and then back down at his younger friend. "Sometimes. I think everyone does, at one point or another."

Sadie kept talking, her voice distant, as though speaking from another world. "We can, someday. Some people have wings, you know."

"Do they?"

"Mmhm. See, good people have wings. You know, the people who are kind, and gentle, and go out of their way to help others simply for the sake of helping others. They have wings." She paused, and when Logan glanced at her, he could see her eyes were shut.

Assuming she was asleep, Logan turned his head, planning to get comfortable and try to catch some sleep as well.

Suddenly, she spoke again. "You have very lovely wings."

Logan raised his eyebrows, surprised. Then he smiled slightly, unfolding his legs from beneath his chin and straightening them. "Oh? What do they look like?"

She spoke through a yawn. "They're feathered, and a faded purple. There are faded forest green streaks, and faded midnight blue streaks... but your wings don't look solid, they look almost like mist or... or fire sometimes."

"They do sound pretty." He glanced sideways at her. "Do you have wings?"

"Yes." She spoke matter-of-factly, eyes on the sky again.

"And what do your wings look like?"

"They're feathered, and dove-grey, with pale blue streaks. I like my wings."

"I like your wings too." Logan was quiet for a moment before speaking again. "Does everyone have wings?"

"No, because not everyone is good yet," Sadie replied. "Once they learn to love, then they will find their wings."

"You always say that everyone has some good in them, no matter what," Logan pointed out.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean they're good people yet; just that they have an ember glowing somewhere deep inside of them." She propped herself up on her elbow and reached out, touching a finger to the scars on Logan's wrist. "They haven't found their wings yet because they haven't learned love or kindness."

Logan bit his lip, the scars reminding him of words and of people he would much rather forget. Before he could search for something to say, Sadie had lain down again.

"We'll fly someday, and we'll get to see the stars. See, we have wings so that when the bad people are trying to hurt or trick us into losing our wings, we can leave the chains of the earth and fly away, somewhere safe. And instead of being around for them to hurt us, we can go and sit on the edge of the crescent moon, or play Tag among the stars."

"Can we fly right now?" Logan asked.

"Not yet. We're still learning how," Sadie said, nodding. "We'll learn."

A companionable silence fell as Logan pondered on everything Sadie had talked about. The sky was dark now, and the stars she held in such high esteem were flickering high above.

Sadie spoke again, and this time, the topic had changed.

"Logan?"

"Yes, Sadie?"

She sat up, hugging her knees to her chest. "Do you... do you think the reason we have no homes and no families now is because... because the Father really is angry at us? Punishing us? Like everyone said?"

Logan's heart went cold and he moved closer, placing a hand on her shoulder. "No, Sadie." He grasped for an explanation. "You explained it yourself."

She tilted her head. He continued. "We're out here because... because we have wings. You can't trap a bird inside a cage, can you? They're free spirits. They get sad if they have to be kept in one place. And we have wings; we can't be trapped in the same place forever either. We have to travel, because we're free, and when you're free, you can't stay put for long."

Sadie thought about this, leaning her head sideways to rest it on her shoulder, atop Logan's hand. "But why did our families and friends get upset at us?"

Logan shifted and put his arm around his friend's shoulders. "Did they have their wings yet?"

"No." She gazed off at the horizon, deep in thought.

"Well... they weren't upset at us so much as confused." Logan disguised his sigh behind the clearing of his throat. "See, our wings are so different, so bright... they weren't sure how to handle it. It hurt their eyes, and it was something new; something they had never encountered before. And new things scare people sometimes."

"They were scared of us?" Despite the darkness, Logan swore he could see her face fall.

"Not us. Our differences. They were scared of our wings, Sadie. But you'll see - someday, they'll find their wings, and they won't be scared anymore. Then they'll be ready for us to come back."

Sadie was quiet, but he felt her relax a bit. He continued talking. "Until then, we're going to travel. We're going to use our freedom to visit all sorts of places, and maybe even find other people with wings. And we're gonna learn how to fly."

She nodded, yawning again. "I wish my mum wasn't scared of my wings though. And that your mum wasn't scared of yours. I wish you hadn't had to leave."

"Trust me, I don't mind it at all," Logan murmured. "Don't worry. Someday they'll realise that we're just different, and then they won't mind us coming back."

More quiet fell.

After a while, Logan murmured, "Sadie, can people lose their wings, once they find them?"

There was no answer. Listening carefully, Logan heard steady breathing and realised she had fallen asleep.

He gently took his arm from around her shoulders and lowered her to the grass again. She curled up, head resting in a patch of clover.

Logan stood and walked a few yards away, looking down the hill at the town below. He glanced back, lost in thought, before returning to his position a few feet from Sadie. Memories plagued him...

After several moments lost in thought, Logan rummaged around in his backpack until he had located his permanent markers. He selected a purple one and uncapped it, placing the cap in his mouth.

With a steady hand and using only the faint lights from the sky, he sketched two feathered wings onto his wrist, nestling them inside a ring of stars. He studied the job as best he could in the dimness for a minute before recapping his marker and returning it to his backpack. Holding his wrist up, he stared at both the drawing and the marks underneath.

Then, with a last glance in the direction that led to where he had once called 'home', he sprawled out on the grass next to his friend and folded his arms behind his head. Thoughts of stars and wings and 'good people' filled his mind.

He watched the silver-pinpointed expanse of dark blue above his head until somewhere along the line, sleep found him, and he drifted off with a small smile on his face.

~~*~~

Blog Tour: Meet My Main Character

Welcome! I know, it has been quite a long time since I posted on this blog. You have my deepest apologies. Perhaps hearing a bit about one of the bright souls running around in one of my stories will appease you.

I was tagged for this tour by the lovely Faith Blum. She is the author of A Mighty Fortress, which is the first book in the brilliant Hymns of the West series.

On to the questions!

1) What is the name of your character? Is she fictional or a historical person?

One of the main characters of the story is Skye Calderano. (She shares the title of 'main character' with Anden Ramoor, whom you will hear a little more about in the later questions.) She is fictional, not historical; she couldn't be anyway, as she lives in the future!

2) When and where is the story set?

The story is set sometime in the future; probably around the year 3217. It is set on several different planets at various times in the book, but mostly on one planet. I call it Adsila for now, but that name might change. The city of Qytet is where all of the characters, main and supporting, band together.

3) What should we know about her?

Skye is a 16-year-old orphan who is struggling to find her way in life. As a child, she was full of spirit and always curious - always wanting to learn, learn, learn. When her mother died, she became quieter and less excited about things. After her father was gone, she stopped entirely. The flame is still there, but subdued by grief and confusion. Her father, Lenard, and his best friend - Anden Ramoor, so close to Lenard that he was appointed Skye's uncle by her parents - were the co-owners of the starship Pariah; until the ship vanished, and her father was allegedly killed (neither she nor Anden saw him die, but Anden saw him mortally wounded, with injuries hardly anyone could survive - as a result, they [and I, myself] assume he is dead).

She was sent to an orphanage, despite her father having always wanted Anden to be her legal guardian if anything happened to him. Skye is allowed occasional letters from Anden. One day, she senses that he is up to something big - so she runs away from her current foster home and goes to find him.

4) What is the main conflict? What messes up her life?

The conflict starts when she runs away from her foster home to go to where Anden lives and find out what he's up to. When she does, he explains that he has arranged a search for the Pariah: he wants to find the ship, and - hopefully - the man (or alien) who stole it. Skye insists on coming along, some of her old fire coming back. As for what messed up her life - that was the theft of the Pariah, and the death of her father. That was when her entire life got turned upside down.

5) What is the personal goal of the character?

Skye has several goals - she wants to find the Pariah. Her childhood was filled with dreams of someday being the captain, or at least her father's second-in-command. She knows she can no longer fulfill that dream, but it is one reason she so desperately wants to find the ship. She also wants to find out what truly happened to her father - how he died, and why.

She also wants to get permission to have someone she knows and loves as her legal guardian. Not necessarily Anden, but someone she actually knows (family friends, or other relatives), rather than jumping from foster home to foster home.

6) Is there a working title for this novel, and can we read more about it?

The working title is Tomorrow's Bones. However, it is just that - a working title. I have been considering changing it. As for  reading more of it, you can find unedited snippets here and here. You can also look at quotes and character/story inspiration in these two image boards: Tomorrow's Bones {Storyboard} and The Pariah.

7) When can we expect the book to be published?

I'm honestly not sure. I hope to have it published by Summer of 2015. I don't know if I will or not, but I'm certainly going to try.

The next thing I'm supposed to do for this tour is tag 4-5 authors. I managed to get 6!

~*~

Ophelia - Marie Flowers is a  Christian, writer, singer, and Nurse aid. She enjoys using her talents to remind others that there is hope, and that we never truly walk alone in this life. She is the author of two poetry books - Sixteen, So In Love With You and her most recent, Zeal Aspiring. 

Find her books here:

Sixteen, So In Love With You || Zeal Aspiring

Follow Miss Flowers online:

ZA's Writings || Opinions, Thoughts, and General Rambling 

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As a dreamer, tea-drinker and star-chaser, Elizabeth Kirkwood has a dual obsession with writing and talking about brilliant writing.  When not dredging her fingers in authorly ink, you will find her playing guitar, doodling on her friends' Latin notes, or talking about scientific poetry.  Her first novella, Bridled, is to be published in 2014.

Follow Miss Kirkwood online:

Chasing Woven Glass Through The Storm

~ 

Cathy Baker is a person of many facets. She is an eighteen-year-old college student who loves writing and reading fantasy, and pondering those strange and profound mysteries of life. She has been writing since she was eight, and finished her first novel when she was twelve (not published - she set it aside for some years and is now in the process of revising it). She has been developing other stories ever since. She tends to write in spurts; as with the rest of her hobbies, she often goes for days or weeks without indulging, only to suddenly receive a powerful burst of inspiration at the most inconvenient moment, causing her to drop everything and write. Her alter ego is a winged, six-foot-tall squirrel warrior from a far-off land.

Follow Miss Baker online:

The Journal of a Wanderer on Life's Path

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In the land of reality lives a homeschool graduate named Jessica Verve. She owns four editions of Black Beauty and a vintage dictionary that would put many dumbbells to shame. Hermited away beneath her bed lives a fuzzy red dog who loves to verbally express his emotions while she is in the middle of writing a very important scene in one of her WIPs. Most people think she spends her days spinning tales in one of her favorite genres (Mystery, SciFi, and Character Study) but in reality she is plotting to rule the world [of insects] with an immobile army of carnivorous Venus Fly Traps within the next thirty years. Okay, maybe not…

Follow Miss Verve online:

Jessica Verve

~

 Jeremiah Stiles is a werewolf living in the cold, dark, regions of Washington state. He writes science fiction and fantasy when he isn't working secretly in a warehouse or eating things that threaten those whom he loves.

Follow Mr. Stiles online:

Another OtherWorld

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A servant of the Author, and a servant to all who serve him:
Patrick Lauser was born and raised in the tops of the trees in Washington state, and is currently in the tops of the mountains in Ireland (which are about as high as the trees were in Washington).
A reader, starting from the Word of God, and sifting through the world of Ideas (a word he involuntarily tends to capitalize).
A writer of the unheard of, and a thinker of the unthought of.

His hobbies include, but are not limited to: photography, throat singing, wearing camouflage and black, and eating hot-sauce on cake.

Follow Mr. Lauser online:

A Servant of the Author || Pinterest || Google Plus

Updated Operation Valiant Character List

Ya'll remember that novel I was writing for NaNoWriMo in 2012? Yeah... I never finished it... got 20,000 words in, lost all shreds of sanity and energy, and gave up. I'll be returning to it, don't worry--I just need a break from writing novels for a while.

However, since the last time I mentioned it, I have come up with an updated character list. So without further ado, the seven main characters of Operation Valiant.

~~~~

Seth Sheppard is the main protagonist (though there are six more). He's a loyal and rather quiet person--he has great self-control, and rarely ever gets angry. Unfortunately, that anger builds up inside of him until he ends up getting set off by the smallest of things. He's the unofficial leader of the British SAS group.

Christopher Gunn is a man who moved to London from Orlando, Florida when he was eleven years old. He's unbelievably calm; he hardly ever gets angry, and he rarely shows emotions--he's not apathetic (at least not much), he's just very composed. He and Seth become very good friends along the course of the novel.

Jamie Grant is the youngest of the team, at 25 years of age. I haven't developed his character as much as the others--I do know that he has problems with depression. That was the thing that stuck out to me as soon as the concept for his character arose in my head.

Finlay Morann is, at 36, the oldest of the group. He's boisterous and very friendly. When he's not on a mission, his hobby and favorite pastime is cooking. He's always wanted to be a chef--not very likely in German-occupied England in the year 2999.

Seamus Dillinger is Irish, but became an English citizen when he was in his early teens. He looks older than he is. He is the unofficial second-in-command, due to his no-nonsense manner and his quick thinking in a tense situation.

Nathan Shaw is an optimistic and chipper Scotsman with a rather short stature. He pretends that life is all just one big game, which helps him keep calm in the face of danger--he's learned to trick himself into believing it.

Tommy Cade is a cynical guy with a 'we're all going to die sometime' attitude. His sense of humor is ironic, and annoys the others to varying extents. Despite that, he is possibly the most fearless (and reckless) of the group, and the first one to leap into battle.
~~~~

There you are, I hope you enjoyed reading that. I enjoyed writing it up. And no, I did not choose pictures of Lord of the Rings actors deliberately. I had the characters in mind, and then went on a hunt for actors or other people online that looked like the characters.

Methinks I Might Have An Idea For This Year's NaNoWriMo (finally)

Well, this is just a vague idea. But I've been learning about different wars and warfare lately, and I thought it would be cool to take seven soldiers, maybe ones from the SAS, and send them into a mission.

...

In which my sadistic mind kills off at least three of the characters. Which, it isn't really sadistic since that's what war is, but I don't normally kill any of my characters off.

Anyway, all I really have at the moment is a list of characters and some famous lookalikes. I need a title and a plot...

Seth Sheppard - Sean Bean

Tommy Cade - Dominic Monaghan

Christopher Gunn - Viggo Mortensen    

Jamie Grant - Ewan McGregor

Ewan Dillinger - Jude Law

Finn Morann - Random Scottish guy I don't know

Nathan Shaw - Billy Boyd

I Discovered Something!

I was editing the first chapter of The Night Phoenix today. As I did so, I was trying to think of a plausible excuse for the two shapeshifters. I mean, it's not like everyone will be completely ignorant or oblivious to the fact that a wolf or a fox shapeshifts into a mouse all of a sudden--even if they're not paying close attention.

As always, the answer was right in front of me, and had been for quite some time.

I started a roleplay with a friend of mine, Mary Hills (you can find her blog here: Writing Progress ). Rowan, who is one of my shapeshifters from The Night Phoenix, is one of my characters in the roleplay.
Well, in that roleplay, I had Rowan shift into the form of a human. My brain, I think, was telling me, "It's just a roleplay, you don't have to play by the rules of your novel."
This afternoon though, I realized--why in the world is one of the rules of my novel a rule that says the shapeshifters can only shift into the form of animals? I mean, why?

I don't quite know. Perhaps I made that rule up at 4:00 in the morning, which was when I first started writing The Night Phoenix (I got up early, since it was the first day of NaNoWriMo, and I wanted a head start on this race I was involved in).

Anyway, I'm extremely excited about this. The shapeshifters' ability to become a human could take the novel into so many different directions! So, I'm going to decide on what their human forms look like (I already have Rowan's human form mostly created, I think; not Aelfcynn's), and then decide which places in the novel they'll be human.

If anyone has any ideas what Aelfcynn's human form should look like, please let me know! ((Oh, and as a sidenote; she usually shapeshifts into the shape of a pure white wolf with green eyes.))

Thanks, guys! You rock! : )