February Update

     I just wanted to real quick toss together a small part of my progress so far this year. Mostly this is for my own good. It's meant to inspire me and to show me (and you) how much I have gotten done when I look back. February is almost over so two months in sounds like a good spot to gauge my progress and line up my hopes for how the rest of the year will go.

      "My hopes for this year. To write. To keep writing. To pour my heart onto the pages for you all to enjoy, but mostly to just get the voices out of my head. I do plan on redoing this blog. I want to shift my focus from just updates to more of a free web series. I will be testing the waters on this project over the next few weeks."

     I can for sure say that I have been writing. I have also been working very hard on this blog, not only keeping it updated regularly but I have kept up on my web-series. I've written well over 6,000 words already this year. That's a pretty decent number. I do however, believe that I can do better. I've also submitted a short story to a few magazines at this point. In the beginning of the year I had hoped to attempt to submit one every month no matter what. So far, I've reached that goal as well.

     I've also wanted to (for a few years now) keep a better handle on the books that I have read, even if I don't review them all. To be a great writer, I need to read. Good books, bad books, and everything in between to hone my talent. So I would like to also start keeping track of those. Perhaps even making a separate page on here for what books I have read. I can also just put up a quick list for my year start and attempt that with my next book. haha. I haven't read a lot so far this year. The first one took me forever because it was so painfully bad that I had to make myself read it. I did a silly thing and bought a book from the dollar store, only to realize it was in the middle of a series. (This may not have been the first time that I've done this.) It was just a poor book. Enjoyable in a few passing moments, but I'm not going to go out and buy the series. The other book is the one I am still working on (and painfully close to the end, I wish some books would go on forever, or that the next one would just appear on my doorstep) is the first book in The Game of Thrones. I'm truly enjoying that one, so I expect to post something more about it later.

     Overall, I feel like I am getting somewhere. I've been keeping up on this blog (a first!) and I've been working hard at starting marketing for my next novels as well. I have two planned for release this year and I still aiming for a few shorts as well. On top of the monthly submissions to magazines. I have a lot going on but I can handle it. While I didn't quit my day job, I did leave one to focus more on my current job, as well as my writing. I can really tell the difference in my work. 

     End note to future me: Great work me, keep doing what I'm doing. 
          ~Past me.

Silver Mane - Part 7

Start Here


     There was a grin on his wolf face as she answered. He was one of the few in the pack that could do this at will so well. Kavos lept from his spot on the ground next to the girls and hopped back a few feet, the grin still on his face. Luck was with him, the new moon was just a few days off now and it was the middle of the day. It wouldn’t be easy, but he knew that he could do it.

     He cracked his knuckles and flexed his shoulders before he started to focus. The clearing was silent for a moment, all eyes on him. There was a loud cracking sound and Kavos locked his jaw. His eyes slammed close as the pain hit him. His beautiful white fur bristled up against it, even though it did little to ease the pain. His body reacted as the shift started.

     Ana watched such a strong animal hunch over with pain. She winced as she watched his bone rearrange themselves. The loud cracks and snaps of joints dislocating echoed through the clearing. Alice dropped her ears. She knew the type of pain he was going through, Ana didn’t. The half beast roared as he started to shrink. His body becoming more and more like a human.

     It seemed like it took forever, but really only a few moments had passed. The pain melted away with the last few bits of fur. Kavos stood up, stark naked in the noon sun. A smile was still plastered on his face. Ana gasped. He looked so different, and yet so much like his wolf. His face was beautiful, long silver hair went down just past his shoulders. His body was just as flawless. It looked as if he had been carved away from white marble. Every part of him looked as good as the last and Ana drank in the sight. “Not so scary now eh?” He asked as he walked over and crouched down in front of her.

     She couldn’t help but blush as his man bits dangled free. She had never even though about cloths because the wolves fur normally covered everything. She pulled herself together. “Very, human.” She smiled and made sure to make eye contact with him.

     The rest of the awkwardness was disrupted by Aureal crashing through the brush. A small cow was slung across his back. “Whoa man! Put that away. Nobody wann’a see that!” He threw his paw up to stop his eyes from seeing the naked man.

     Ana couldn’t help but laugh as Kavos stood up and walked over to Aureal and tossed his arm over the still wolf. “Don’t tell me you’re scared of me like this?” There was a taunt and the white wolf made a crude pelvic thrust towards the still furred pack member. That even got a small chuckle from Stela. “See even she thinks it’s funny.”

     In a brotherly way, Aureal couldn’t resist. “That’s because it’s so small.” The wolf tossed the cow into the center of the clearing and sized himself up against the now human. The two had a good laugh while the rest of the pack got ready to eat.

     Alphas always went first. Ana started to make herself a small fire. It took her only a few moments but by then, Stela had the animal ripped open and pulled off a large chunk of meat and brought it over to her human. She dropped the solid mean into the girls lap, nuzzled her with her bloody face and then went right back to her meal.

     Ana roasted the meat. The large chunk took quite a while to cook, but in the end there was plenty left, and she knew that would be easier to travel that way. She seemed quite proud of herself in the moment. Only then to realize that she never picked up a pack before they left.

NEXT

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.