Valentines, Dragons, and Ninja's, Oh My! (Plus IWSG)

Would you like a chance to win MY BOOKS? (The Maiden of Time trilogy?) Keep reading...

From Arlee Bird at Tossing it Out and Guilie Castilol-Oriard at A Quiet Laughter, and co-hosted by Elizabeth Seckman, Yolanda Renee, Denise Covey. and Alex J. Cavanaugh.

My contribution:

NEVER LOST

I can't do this

echoes loudly

over the petulant stares

and hungry faces

waiting to be fed

my anguish.

I stand straight

smile plastered and cracking

chasing a single breath

blinded to the crowd by

a well of loss.

For he lies in that casket

now closed

to open at some distant date.

Long, long in the future.

Did I know him at all?

Well enough?

Or is he a stranger?

His world so distant.

So dignified.

Farther than I could reach.

Though reach I did,

a child cooing for his pleasure

a girl trusting his grasp while treading ripples

a young woman handing greasy tools beneath an elevated van

a daughter locked behind a piano to produce an adequate eulogy of love.

The song that waits

trapped by four 

bloated words:

I can't do this.

But he is not gone.

He is listening

championing his little girl, though unseen.

My throat opens.

I sing for him.

And though I cannot see him,

I am wrapped in his love.

In my home, Valentines Day is a family holiday. My husband buys/makes gifts for each of his kids and they wake up that morning to a daddy surprise. My father did similar things--surprises. That's one aspect I remember him best for. He passed away in 2004, and though I sometimes speculate about what life would be like if he were physically present, I can attest that he is not far. Those who pass on are closer than we think.

Find the rest of the hop HERE.

As far as IWSG, this is it this month, folks! Emotion is what drives powerful writing--the good, the bad, etc. What emotion are you experiencing right now, and how can you use it to better your writing?

 

Now how about a giveaway? (One that's a little lighter hearted?)

Last week Rena Rocford shared with us ACNE, ASTHMA, AND OTHER SIGNS YOU MIGHT BE HALF DRAGON, along with two truths and a lie. Those who guessed the lie correctly were entered into a random drawing for the chance to win an ebook.

The Game:

1. I once wore the Hope Diamond. I was working at the Smithsonian for my master's degree, and the Hope Diamond was just being put back into its setting after being scanned for a documentary to see if it was possible to get the Hope and another diamond from the Cul de Mar. They were about to shine up the diamond and they were letting the resident scientists wear the diamond. It was surreal.
2. One time, a person fell out of the sky into the middle of a field trip I was leading. Then, he flew away.
3. I once pulled a matched pair of black pearls from an oyster at a pick'a'pearl. But first, I told the guy running the kiosk that I couldn't buy one because I would pull a pair of matched, black pearls, and that would blow his mind. He said he didn't believe me, and the rest is history.

The lie: #1. And by way of fun, Rena said: I did see the Hope up close and personal. They had it out of its setting for a documentary to see if it could have been cut from the Cul de Mar, but I didn't wear it. No one wears it. My adviser held it, but I didn't have the nerve. So, there I am, standing inside a vault, inside a vault and they're passing around the Hope Diamond. The Hope Diamond. My brain leaked. Then, I was looking around and there was a diamond necklace. At first, I thought it was a fake. Then I thought about how I had to walk past two armed guards to get into that room. Every gaudy, shiny bit of of everything in the room that had looked like a cheap tourist attraction suddenly looked VERY different. There was a solid gold statue of a camel with crushed rubies mixed into epoxy to color the blankets. The diamond necklace in the box with silk could only be real diamonds. I pointed it out. The guy said "Oh yeah, that's the necklace Napoleon gave to Marie. That's the package he gave it to her in." This necklace. And I held it--in the same package Napoleon held. 

Interesting side notes about the truths: 

I had the matched black pearls made into a pair of earrings. I wear them when I need some extra luck. I'm suspicious that all the luck is worn out of them with that spectacular origin story, or they are wiser than I am and realize I haven't really needed their luck just yet. 

As for the guy who dived into my field trip, he was just launching his parasailer. It hadn't caught the wind yet (it wasn't the best launch). I saw something out of the corner of my eye and slammed on the breaks. The parasailer fell onto the van, dragged his bottom across the windshield, tweaked the antennae and flew away.

Way to guess everyone! And the winner is:

...DRUM ROLL...

Hilary Melton-Butcher!

Congrats, Hilary!

And now for this week's feature... A ninja/demon fusion...

For as long as sixteen-year-old Zade can remember he’s dealt with the thing locked inside, another soul that can use his body...if he lets it. 

As long as he stays away from the nearby villagers, he can control the soul’s strange powers—and its hunger—powers he needs to keep the encroaching creatures of the nether realm from finding the demon gate and destroying the valley where he lives. 

But when Zade saves a village girl from monstrous wolves, he loses the one tool that aids his control: the villagers’ fear of him. 

Now they won't leave him alone and his darker side is getting stronger—a side hungry for blood, and it doesn’t care if that blood is demonic or human.

Get your copy HERE.

Ready to meet the author?

R. W. Hert spent her childhood dreaming of fairies and dragons, large battles filled with magic, and the impossible coming true. Books were a  portal that allowed her to visit the impossible and believe in the unlikely. Today she uses those dreams to create worlds that others can travel through and enjoy. Today she lives in Utah with her husband and three kids.

She really likes Asiago cheese and Swiss. You might run across her munching some while curled up on the couch watching a movie.

R.W. gave me two truths and one lie to test your "lie detector" skills. Those who figure out the lie will go into my magic hat for the chance to an eBook of DAEMARKIN, DEMON'S VOW! (Open Internationally.)

You have until Tuesday, February 9 at 1 p.m. EDT to guess. Be sure to come back for the answers on February 10.

TRUTH OR LIE

1. I climbed a waterfall barefoot and when I reached the top gorged myself on wild raspberries. Best raspberries I’ve ever had (and the most awesome climb I’ve ever done). 

2. I ran over a mile in under 4 minutes because I thought I was being chased by a mountain lion. 

3. I was dropped down a twenty foot hole and left to get out on my own. 

ALSO, you have a chance to WIN MY BOOKS, along with R.W. Hert's. (My books are the 7th prize--see the dots below the prize announcement? Yup. A paperback of Soulless for US residents or eBook of MOONLESS and SOULLESS.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

So sleuths, which is the lie? Are you missing someone this Valentines season? Do you like ninjas? How about demon stories?

Cowboys VS Ninjas

At three a.m. I started this mental debate: Which would you rather have battling for you? An army of Cowboys, or Ninjas? (Yes, these are the crazy kind of insomniatic conversations I have at 3 a.m.) So, which would it be for you? Let me lay out a few selling points and feel free to add your own.

Stealth VS Boldness:

My brothers were fascinated with becoming ninjas. One thing I learned through them was stealth. I know how to stand right behind someone and stay in their blind spot. Ninja's are masters of being invisible. So, you might argue, they're the more effective soldier. Well, they're certainly sneakier. Cowboys are bold. You hear them coming--with their whooping and thundering horses. I dare say many a battle would be won just by the fear factor their approach inspires. So which is better? Silent assassinations, or intimidation?

Weapons: Throwing stars and Katanas VS Bullets

Throwing stars might be silent and painful, but nothing can make you dead faster than a bullet. Granted, I wouldn't want to face a katana at close range. Then again, I wouldn't want the blunt force of a rancher's fist either. So, is this a close range or distance battle? Are you afraid the neighbors will overhear and send in the cavalry?

Horses VS Two-toed socks:

I think this is a no-brainer. HORSES. =) (Those ninja shoes are so stinking awkward.)

Fashion:

Man in a Duster

or Man in Black

(Sorry gents, this one is intentionally skewed toward the ladies.) Which one do you want coming to your rescue?

Yes, this is all random silliness, but it makes me grin, and hopefully it makes you grin too. Happy Friday!

So what's your vote? Which would you hire? An army of ninjas, or an army of cowboys, and why?

Goal=Get Out And Live

Distractions are abundant. Right now an adorable one is padding back and forth behind me, making faces that  tempt me to grab the camera and follow him for the rest of the day. Another is wobbling teeth in what I swear is going to be an entirely tooth-less mouth before long. Another is singing a tune he composed yesterday, making me ache to jump to the piano and knock out a few of my own inventions...

But I can't.

See, tomorrow is the deadline. I'm not a procrastinator. I've been nimbly ambling along for an entire month...and now October is almost here. Tomorrow is the last day.

AND (speaking of pleasant distractions) I was awarded the Versatile Blogger by A.E Martin, Cheryl, and Barbara V. Evers. Thank you ladies! Can you feel the love? 

The RULES: 
1. Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them in your post.

2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Pass this Award along to recently discovered blogs and let them know about it!

1. Bess Weatherby: A NYC nanny who's kicking trash and tunneling out her own writing path while working in a world of total insanity. (Meaning NYC.)

2. Mary Waibel: For surviving the upstate NY cold, I applaud you. 

3. Pk Hrezo: If you haven't met her yet, digitally speaking, she's a must. 

4. Matthew Rush: Whose blog is all about the acquisition of Query Warrior Monk skills. 

5. Rachele Alpine: Being another BUSY individual, she finds time to write meaningful blog entries. 


So seven things about myself (as if two weeks ago wasn't revealing/embarrassing enough)...




1. I wrote and illustrated my first book while in the 2nd grade, including a surprise ending. (And no, it wasn't a school assignment.)

2. Once in a universe long ago and far away I was the best unicorn artist in the galaxy. (3 yr old artist, that is.)





3. My brothers were determined to train me into a ninja. (Ask. I know all about stealth and technique.)






4. I had a "My Girl" relationship. Instead of dying he moved to Idaho and builds violins. 

5. I auditioned and made it into a madrigal choir with over 350 applicants for 12 spots.


6. I still can't dance, despite #5.



7. The daughter of a 20+ year scout master, I can pack it, hike it, repel into it, spelunk it, scuba it, ascend it, and rough it. High adventure, you are my friend.  

See what I mean about distractions? Now I want to go hiking. Oh how I miss my mountains...

*Ahem* Tomorrow is the last day. Enough with distractions (you wonderful blog-a-rific world!), I have a draft to finish.

What's keeping you from your goals today? Have you recently reached a goal? If so, what did you do to celebrate?