I Have a Problem Finishing a Good Book.

     I don't know about you but I have a problem. As the title says, I always chew through a book really fast, then drag out the last big chunk. When a story is good, it's hard to put down but as I see it coming to a close (or that I need to go buy another book!) something inside me gets all sad and I just have a hard time finishing it. I always do, but it always takes a bit longer.

Silver Mane Web Series

     I am very happy to see myself make such progress on this series. I have a bad habit of starting too many projects at once, and never finishing any of them. This however, I just posted part 6. I've been working on it well over a month now and while I don't feel like it's moving fast enough, I do feel like I'm getting there. This project was more of a personal challenge for myself to just keep writing. Regularly. I've honestly written more this year so far than I normally do over a few months. This project was also meant to be a drawn out process. Once it does run out however, I will be starting a new one. (But that's a good while off.) Silver Mane also runs side by side to a full length novel that I plan on publishing sometime later this year. We are about to start getting into the good parts of this romance, and at a later time if I do publish it, it will have some added mature content. Not here though. I'm going to try and keep this as PG-13 as I personally can.

Silver Mane - Part 6

Start Here

     Aureal fumed. His snorts could be heard from his spot in the rear of the pack. “This bitch of your’s is n’thin but trouble.” His words were smashed through his clenched teeth, while his lips were pulled back. His eyes were those of a mad man, wide with a wildness to them.

     Stela stepped up to him. The pack had been on the move all night and the sun had started to come up. They were all tired and hungry, but with what happened in the village, they couldn’t afford to stop any sooner. Aureal had been irritated he entire time. “She is mine, and you shall do well to remember that. You did not carry her, you do not have to feed her, but you will damn well respect her.” There was a snarl in her tone and her hackles rose up along her spine. Her words had been true, she carried the human woman with her the entire way, her arms ached from it but even when some of the other pack members offered, she refused them. “She is an alpha of this pack.” Her eyes narrowed at her words, a silent threat, almost willing him to challenge her.

     Her pack stepped up behind her, forming a half circle around the human. They would always have her back. Aureal looked around and realized anything more that he said would only start a fight. While he didn’t agree with his alpha, he respected her. He lowered his head and took a step back. Then looked up with a grin. “She’s not alpha yet, you two aren’t mates just yet.” He stood up again, squaring his shoulders in his own protest. “After that, then I’ll honor her as one.” He turned on his heel and walked over to the other side of the clearing they had stopped in and plopped himself down on a log. The wood creaked under him, but didn’t give way to his weight.

     Stela took a deep breath and turned, her pack dispersed as she did and they went about getting themselves ready for some rest. She walked up to Ana and pressed herself against the woman. “I’m sorry if he causes you pain. He’ll get used to it.” Her voice finally showed the exhaustion from their all night run.

     Ana herself found her breath catching in her chest. She could feel the warmth roll off the wolf, her wolf, she mentally corrected herself. She still felt so strange to this life. She felt safe and scared all at the same time. She heard every word of their exchange. She knew what he meant, and she was scared. There had been a time when Ana was placed into situations with other women. Normally they were for her lords pleasure more than hers. She had never however, considered herself a lesbian. “I...” She started to say, but Stela placed a padded finger to her lips to hush her.

     “I know. You are not the first to enter a pack this way. I will wait until you are ready.” She lowered her head and pressed the top into Ana’s chest. The was a deep grumble that followed. Almost like the purr of a cat. There was nothing but warmth and love in the action. The large wolf stood back up and scooped up the woman in her arms and carried her off to the spot where they would be sleeping.

     The sky was clear and warm, so they slept without shelter. Ana curled up against her wolf and Stela wrapped her tail around the human like a blanket. Her own body heat keeping them both warm. High noon had just passed as the wolves stirred. They woke and stretched. Ana was still very tired and groggy but she woke with the rest of them.

     “Did the princess get enough sleep?” Kavos bantered.

     Ana at first thought he was talking to her but when she turned to look, his eyes had been focused on Aureal. The larger wolf just snapped at the pure white that stood there, arms crossed. “Shut ‘yer face or I’ll make you a real ghost.” There was a deep chuckle from both males. It seemed as if the entire pack was actually in good spirits after the short rest. “I’ll make use of myself and go grab something to eat for us.” He bowed low at Stela as she nodded in approval at him, and with a flash he darted into the woods.

     Kavos walked over to his alpha and bowed, then turned to Ana who was still sitting on the ground trying to wake up and bowed again. “Morning my lady. Did you rest well?” His common out of all of the pack was by far the best. It shocked the woman as he spoke so clearly through his animal maw.

     “I did, thank you.” She was still scared and trying to be modest around them. The truth was, she wasn’t exhausted only because she had been carried most of the trip. That had been odd and when she tried to argue it had only gotten her the response that she wouldn’t be able to keep up, and deep down, she knew it was true. “Where did you learn common so well?”

     The white wolf laughed, it was a deep laugh that came up from somewhere in his chest. “Thank you My Lady. I, unlike the block head,” He jabbed a thumb over to the now empty log. “I enjoy the company of humans and often go explore their villages.”

     “How can that be? Villages don’t allow wolves in.” There was shock. In all her time she had never seen or heard of a wolf in a village, let alone a werewolf. The only one she had ever seen was the animals head mounted on the wall of her Lord’s throne room.

     Again he laughed at her words, not directly at her. Alice had started to make her way over by this point, all of them slowly gathering around for whatever story was to come, and one anothers company. “You are right, they don’t let wolves in. They do let in humans however.” There was a grin on his wolf like face. “With time comes power. It might be a surprise but I’m actually the oldest in the pack here, two hundred years ago I had my first change. I didn’t choose to join the pack at that time. I did my own thing. I was happily surprised that I could change back to myself when the magics of the world were low. New moons, and day time. With a few years of practice, I was able to change to my human form easily.”

     Ana watched him with intent while she listened. She knew nothing about werewolves and their lives. She also had a lot more to learn she realized. The white wolf took a seat in front of her, his short tale now over and he pulled his legs awkwardly under him. Alice took a spot to her side, her deep ebony fur was plush and touching Ana. They were all so close to her. She felt her heart race for a moment.

     Stela swiveled an ear towards them. All of them heard the change but only the alpha reacted. She stopped watching the woods and walked over to the small group. She took her own place behind the human girl and pulled her prize against her warm body. Ana relaxed at once.

      “Would you like to see Ana?” Kavos watched her. His words were kind and low, and exciting.

     She didn’t even have to think for a moment. This was something that would truly be interesting. “Please! I’ve never seen a wolf change.” She pressed herself back against her alpha and watched intently.

Part 7

Inspiration

     As an only child who grew up in my fathers business, I had very little escape from the real world. The one thing however, that I did have, was books. I could find them and get lost in the worlds for hours and days on end. Any time I needed a break, I could dive right in. It got to a point where I would re-read books, and they would envelope me like a warm blanket. There were a few of those while I struggled through high school. One writer would be the one that actually helped shape me into who I want to be today. J.K. Rowling.

     Yes the famed Harry Potter author. She's been nothing but inspiration to me through all of my writing. The first one in the series came out while I was just exiting elementary school. I remember seeing it in the Scolastic "news paper". Where kids can buy books through their school. I was so excited. I then started to read, and instantly put it down. It wouldn't be until her forth book came out and the first movie was set to release when I picked it back up, determined to finish it. My senior year of High School, the final book came out, and I finished it in a straight through read. To this day, the series is one of my favorites.

     She was there with me through some of the hardest times in my life. Now as an adult I admire her for so much more. I found out that she was on her last leg, children needed her and she was jobless and needing help. She honed her craft and with some luck she landed it. Her life turned around all because she never stopped writing. That's strength. That's the type of person I can only hope to be in this life. Even today after she is doing well enough that she never has to publish another book, she still writes. With her program Lumos she's helping children around the world, not just in her country. I admire her, not as just an Author, but as a person.

New Short Preview

     “ In that moment the world around them rushed away. The elven kingdom forgotten. The years of being without another human’s touch. All of it was gone to the two. All that mattered, was the here and now, and that was one another.”

     This is what I’ve currently been working on. A quick little short that will be out just in time for Valentines day. Something cute, something sexy with a good dose of fantasy. While writing today I typed this out. For some odd reason these words really stuck to me. They felt bold on a blank paper.

     I believe this is because they have such weight to them. Personally, I can feel the world itself falling away. I can almost see my own problems rushing away with theirs while I live their moment with them.

     I hope that you feel that too when you read this. Or at least something similar. It means that I’m doing my job. Either way, I’m very happy with this little chunk. Just wanted to share it with you all.  

Silver Mane - Part 5

Part One Here


     Her first conscious night with the wolves passed. Ana couldn’t find it in herself to full let go and fall asleep. Every little noise woke her. Perhaps she didn’t trust the wolves like she started to think. She woke before dawn even kissed the sky and went for a walk. It surprised her that not a single wolf stirred as she left the pack’s cave. She walked out of the clearing and into the woods. She let the magic of the land grip her and she followed trails that were normally only touched by deer and faries themselves.

     Ana took her time in the crisp fall air. The wind prickling her skin, making the soft hair on her arms stand at attention. She didn’t mind it though, it came with her new found freedom. That alone wasn’t something she was ready to give back. She came to a stream and passed over it on a fallen log, only to continue walking farther and deeper into the woods. The sounds of birds graced her ears and foxes darted back and forth across her path. Before she knew it, the sun was already up. She was also hopelessly lost in the array of trees.

     There was an odd noise on the winds, one that was deeper than the chirp of birds. It was a thundering and yet not like any storm she had ever encountered. She followed the noise. Her movements were swift as she reached the edge of the forest and the sounds grew louder. Now she could even hear the low murmur of people. Her heart lifted and she raced across the scrub and up a small hill. As her eyes could see over it her mouth dropped open with happy surprise.

     Below, nestled in a small bowl of land was a lively village. There were shops of clothes, of food, of trinkets from all over the lands. Ana rushed down there without thinking and started to look among the tents. In the center gathered a large group of people that were dancing around a fire with people pounding away on drums.

     “Thunder!” She thought. It all made sense to her. The beautiful woman was so enchanted with everything around her, she didn’t notice everyone who watched her. She had already forgotten that she smelled of wolf and still had bit’s of blood flecked on her from eating with the pack the night prior. Pair that with the fact that she had escaped being a slave, she must have looked pretty bad.

     A guard approached her. His shield at ready and his pike pointed towards her. “This is no place for you, Wild One.” The term was used more as a name. Ana was about to use her master’s name and claim she was on business for him, but then her heart sank as she realized she no longer had that protection. Her eyes grew wide in panic. “I said get!” The guard shouted and shoved his pike towards her.

    The tip was meant to make contact with her, but it never did. There was an angry roar that echoed off the tents and drowned out the beating of drums. A wolf that walked like a man came between the two humans. Stela had been swift and silent. She broke the shaft of the pike and pulled the guard toward her. Her drool pelted him in the face as she let loose another roar.

     The sound brought the crowd into a panic and within moments other guards were racing towards them. This was not good. Stela glanced around and without another thought she scooped up her woman.

     All Ana could remember of that moment was she was standing, and then the next moment she was being held against warm fur. She relaxed at the feeling and the wolf’s soothing heartbeat let her drift in and out of sleep.

     The wolf stayed on two legs and ran, taking large heavy strides. Stela tried her best to keep her arms from jostling the woman too much. Her paw pads split from the heavy impact but still she kept running. The pack swarmed around them. Guards raced up behind and a few where on horseback. “Aureal, stop those horses if you can.” Her words were a command.

     He grunted in acknowledgment and turned on a dime. The monster of a beast stood on his hind legs, reaching his full height of about ten feet tall without counting his ears. He bellowed into the air. It was a deep howl that seemed to echo even from off of the ground. The men skidded in their tracks. The horses were no fools and bolted. One even threw his rider as the human attempted to forward the animal towards the wolf. One brave man threw a spear. Aureal wrapped his fingers around it and grinned.

     The look was that of a mad man, mixed with the hunger of a wolf. The man who threw it, quickly realized his mistake. Aureal hurled the spear back towards the group of people. It made it’s target and ran right through the human who had originally used it. The large male wolf chuckled as he watched the humans scatter in fear. He nodded and returned to all fours and took off running to catch up to his pack.

     “We will have to find another home my friends. I am sorry. We all knew this day would come though, there were too many times already that the humans had come looking for us.” Stela announced to the pack once they were a good few miles north. “We will continue to head north and find a new home.” She nuzzled Ana and held the woman close, savoring the moment. 

Part 6

"Between Heaven and Hell" -Preview

     Hello everyone, I am very excited now that this project is nearing the 2/3 way, to announce it. First a little background on this project. It's been a six year in the making story. I started it in high school and I have redone it more times than I should have. Here I am, finally nearing the finish line of the first draft and I couldn't be more excited. So without further ado, let me introduce to you my first full length novel, "Between Heaven and Hell". *Please note everything here might not make the final cut.

     When Kira sells her soul to the devil, she gains some pretty amazing powers. Little does she know that she will regret them when she falls head over heel in love with an angel. Love cannot conquer all and when her heart get's broken, she blames the world. While dealing with that broken heart she must face some of her greatest challenges, like coming to terms with her past, all while the world is suddenly in great danger. She's torn, will she shave the place she calls home, or will she watch it all burn? 

And now an exert:

     "Darkness was all around her but her new master watched anyway with glee. "Take your reward." His fingers snapped and the sound bounced off the cave walls. Kira never heard the final echo. Her own cries drowned it out as pain rushed through her body."



     I am aiming for a release date sometime this summer. I also have a wonderful artist that will be doing the cover work that I am beyond excited to see. I'm also looking at posting some character profiles and what not here and there, just so that you can all get excited for it as well. Also please don't forget to go subscribe here to get "Silver Mane" delivered to your inbox day's sooner than it's released as well as promotional items like discounts.