WiP Wednesday

           Like so many other things that I end up doing, WiP Wednesday idea came to me at 3am. For me, there is just something magical about the hours between 1 and 4 in the morning. Personally I think it is because my inner critic is NOT a night owl. So I usually get these off the wall ideas for stories or crafts or whatever. Usually this results in some very odd emails or texts to friends, but thankfully I have yet to be disowned by them. Anyhow, I had this idea about posting a clip from a work in progress heretofore known as WiP. The thought was still hanging in the air dripping fuzzy clouds and sparklies, when a story idea stepped forth demanding it be first. Of course, I shooed it away, but it kept coming back, poking at me til I sat down and began to write.
          This story changed several times while I wrote. The original one had to do with mistaken identity and a marketplace bombing, but I have found that I must let the story run its own course. So here it is. Djinn There, Done That. I hope you find it interesting, but please remember this is the first draft after all and just the first chapter.

Djinn There, Done That

Ancient plastered covered buildings towered over the dust covered cobblestone streets. Vendors and beggars called out in a strange and exotic tongue. Even the air smelled foreign, filled with a mixture of spice and earth. It had a heady quality that warmed the soul and suffocated spirit at the same time. Colorful tapestries hung from lines stretched taunt across the roadway, a bold dash of color to a bland beige backdrop. At five-foot-four, even Jenn had to duck and weave to make it through the maze of rugs and throws. Monkeys jumped from rooftop to rooftop, chattering to one another as they searched for open windows.

Never had Jenn seen so many people in such a small area…okay maybe on Black Friday, but that’s totally different. Kids ran in-between the maze of merchants, laughter ringing out as the grabbed for the candy she held out for them. She could sense the stares, being fair-skinned and auburn hair she’d expected as much, but there was something unsettling creeping about just below her ribs, making her shiver. She scanned the crowd in attempt to see what had set off the ominous sensation. Lost in a sea of faces, she desperately tried to spot anyone staring at her. 

Startled, Jenn screamed when someone or something had grasped her arm.

“Oh, I’m sorry, but you startled me,” Jenn rambled. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment. The old woman didn’t mean her any harm. She just wanted her to buy a necklace. The crone cooed to her, apparently talking up the jewelry. The only word that Jenn could make out was ta’wiz. It wasn’t anything remarkable, just a black pouch on a string. It smelled of musty herbs and paper, it reminded her of the library after a hurricane had flooded the town. The woman fastened it around Jenn’s neck before she knew it. The woman gave her a toothless grin, very pleased with herself. Not wanting to offend her, Jenn found some coins and held them out. The old woman grabbed a few and with her other hand stroked Jenn’s cheek.

“Safe now,” she rasped as she went back to her stand. The old woman kept watching as Jenn stood there debating whether to keep wearing it. She grabbed her camera, raised it and snapped a picture of the woman. One day, she will show this snapshot when telling this story the next time one of her friends complains about mall kiosk workers.

Hands grabbed at her pants leg as she passed by, nearly skeletal men begging for change or a bit of food. This was completely different than the streets of Atlanta. It broke her heart to see so many hungry. Knowing it really wouldn’t solve much, but unable to walk away Jenn purchased some strange meats, fruits and a couple jugs of water and handed it out to all that she could see.

In her mind, she could hear her grandfather say something about the nothing good comes from feeding strays, but how could she call herself a Christian if she turned a blind eye and just walked away? She felt a bit better when rationalizing it as payment for her using them in her photos not as a hand out. A crowd began to form around Jenn as she handed out the bits of food.

She spotted a man at the entrance of an alley, partially hidden by debris apparently too weak to make it to her. Several times he tried to stand only to collapse, shivering at the attempt. Jenn pushed people aside to get to him. She tried to pat him arm to reassure him everything was going to be okay, but he flinched away from her. Obviously he was use to being struck and had come to expect it. She gave him water and fed him some of the remaining meat. He coughed and tried hard to keep it down. 

       A gentle smile began to spread across is leathered face. His eyes were the only thing youthful about him. They had a mesmerizing quality to them, almost a glow within those deep obsidian pools lined with just a touch of mischief; you could lose yourself in the depth of those warm dark eyes. When he pointed to her neck, she knew he wanted her necklace. Without realizing what she was doing, Jenn had unfastened it and held it out for him. He cautiously reached out for it and she let go, letting it fall. He turned his hand at the last moment letting it hit the ground and kicked it away. Amused and confused, Jenn started to ask why he had done such a thing, but those eyes…They made her so dizzy.

He broke the spell when he bowed and kissed her palms in thanks. His lips were soft as silk and cold as ice, sending chills from her tips of her fingers straight to her heart.  He must have been a real ladies man in his youth for even now she was flustered by him. Jenn looked around and found that they were all alone in the darkened alleyway.  Apprehension tugged at her and she pulled her hands back.  It took her a moment to realize she was holding onto something. Slowly opening her hand, she found he had placed a small coin in them as payment. She tried to give it back, but he was adamant she keep it.

The coin was oddly heavy for such a small thing. Jenn flipped it several times, admiring the artwork of this unusual find. A slight tingle seemed to emanate from hit when she grasped it tightly. She looked back to try once again to return the coin, but when she did she discovered he had vanished. The only evidence he had ever been there lay in the middle of her palm.

"Heads left, tails right," speaking only to feel less alone in the dark, dank alleyway.

She flipped the coin high in the air, caught it, and slapped it on the back of her hand.  Jenn hesitated, unsure if it was due to the sudden disappearance of a clearly frail man, the isolation within the dimly light alley or the sudden knowledge that a new journey was about to begin.

"Left it is."

Jenn started off at a fairly good clip. She managed to get a block away before she was thrown to the ground. A deafening roar shook the ground and the sky lit up brighter than the fourth of July. Screams seemed to come from everywhere at once, even inside her head. It wasn’t until she felt the tension in her own throat did she realize she was screaming too.

Another explosion rocked the market sending Jenn back to the cold cobblestones, only the layer of dirt and sand cushioning her fall. Rolling onto her back she could see the fireball shoot up to the sky, like a demon hungry to grasp the stars.

The air began to shimmer from the heat. A strange buzzing sound kicked up and grew in intensity to an almost maddening level. Jenn covered her ears trying to buffer it out, only to discover it came from within. Everything shimmered and wavered like glitter filled water. Jenn reached out to see if it held mass. At first she thought she was imagining it, her hand was transparent. Holding it up and covering her eyes, she could still see the marketplace and the fire that ensued.

A crack appeared in the cobblestone just before her. Jenn tried to move away, but she felt encased in gelatin. The buzzing spread throughout her, echoed and amplified, shaking her to her core. She saw a thin thread of bluish silver smoke wrap round her and snake up her body. It worked its way to her head and wove back round to her feet. Jenn tried to break free, but it just moved with her, like it was part of her. Cocoon, was the only thought her mind could grasp and the mist-like smoke encased her.  Her world had become a shimmer of silverish blue.

People ran past her, like she was invisible, her screams muffled to an inaudible whisper. Jenn punched and kicked to break free, but the mist began to squeeze her. A dull electrical like current pulsated in time with her heart. A floating sensation began in the pit of her stomach and she swore she would soon pass out. A young woman carrying her child ran toward her. Jenn thought she had made eye contact when the pair ran straight through her. Not around her, but through her. Jenn clawed at the mist. She saw the tail end of it begin to be sucked down the crack in the road. Her mind screamed as she felt herself be pulled toward that small yet deep abyss.

“This wasn’t what I meant when I prayed for an adventure,” she sobbed. Prayers and promises flowed from her like water until the darkness finally took hold.

Ruined by Rants

I don't know if it's just me. but there seems to be a lot of ranting going on. I don't know if it is just due to the political climate or what, but it seems like every day my inbox is just filled with subject lines of hate-filled rants. Now a few have turned out to be laced with quite a bit of humor or have a tongue in cheek self-deprecating vibe, but overall there are just too many that are ranting at the world.

I believe everyone does have a right, a need, to vent, but is a public outlet the right way to go about it? I was always taught not to do this in such a venue as publishers and agents may read these tantrums and decide they can live without the drama or avoid the future risk of being included in one of these public tirades. Maybe I'm being paranoid or overly cautious, but I for one know I have enough stress in my life without subjecting others to my emotional take on the publishing world. Poorly written books will continue to be printed, some will even make the bestseller list and make millions, but that doesn't mean they should. Agents and publishers will continue to drop writers for whatever reason, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't seek representation.

Writing is an art, and as such, is subjective. Just because someone doesn't like one story, doesn't mean they won't like another. Randomly pick 10 books from a shelf and I think you'd be lucky if you liked one third of them. Like with most fields, you must develop a thick skin and learn to pick your battles. In the end, we write simply because we must. I've come to think as the whole publishing industry as speed dating. You are going to get burned quite a bit before you finally get to sit back and enjoy the fire. So write for you. Get it down and send it off into that great abyss known as publishing. You never know, maybe yours is the next must read.

Good Luck and Best Wishes,
Marguerite (Mags)

A Chance to Win $50 Amazon Gift Card

I just created an Amazon Author's page and I'm trying to get my like numbers up. So, I started to think "what's in it for you?" You are asked by a million authors to do this or do that and seldom to you get more than the ocassional thank you. Don't get me wrong, it isn't easy for us either ( at least not me) to continually bombard you with requested, but it is the nature of the beast with publishing. Anyway, I thought I would do a giveaway of a $50 Amazon gift card once I hit 50 like and we'll see where we go from there. You get one entry for liking my Amazon Page http://www.amazon.com/Marguerite-Lafayette/e/B005HDZII4/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1341412761&sr=1-2-ent and either post here, or FB with a tag to me or tweet @margie2092 that you've liked it and you're entered. If you post the link or tweet it you'll get another entry. So you can have up to 3 entries for just a moments work. Thank you for your support and good luck! ~Mags

Coming Soon ~ Camdyn's Curse

I've decided to try something new (well new for me) and write a story exclusiveness on this blog. Each Friday I will post a chapter and hopefully (fingers crossed) at the end I will have a full and complete story and you will have enjoyed the creative process.

Friday, July 13th the debut chapter of Camdyn's Curse will be up and ready for viewing.

Art student Camdyn Barrett thought she was doing her dad a favor by using her summer break to clear out her grandmother's cabin so it could be sold. Little did she know she would be opening a door to a secret from her childhood long since forgotten.

Fifteen years ago, eight children in the small rural town of Axson went into the woods for an adventure, only one came back. Camdyn was only seven when she and her friends followed a mysterious light deep into the woods surrounding Avalon. Several days later, she stumbled onto the local road, catatonic and covered in blood. No trace of the children was ever found.

Camdyn’s biological father fell under suspicion and when he was found hanging in the woods, the local law deemed it a suicide, even though it clearly was a lynching. Fearing further retribution her mother packed them up, left the town of Axson and the horrific memories behind them. That was until Cam’s dad received notice that her grandmother had passed on. She hadn’t realized she had any surviving family. So when her stepfather said they could sell it to pay for a year at the Sorbonne, she jumped at it.  

Now she is faced with a past she can’t remember and a town full of hushed whispers of witchcraft and a curse that bears her name. Her only friend and ally is a young firefighter, who always seems to be there to rescue her. Can Camdyn solve the mystery from her past before she becomes the next victim of Camdyn’s curse?

Remember: Camdyn's Curse starts on July 13th so I hope you'll save the date and stop by each Friday for each chapter. 

                                                                                               

                                                                                                ~Margie

Dare to Dream

We have studs! No not the fun kind :P This shortly after busting through old sheetrock that had cured to the consistency of concrete. Don't let those home improvement shows fool you, it will not come down in a clean sheet!

In my pursuit of becoming a writer and the excuses that quickly followed, I decided what I REALLY needed was a dedicated space in which I could sequester myself and retreat into a world of my own creation. Mostly, it was a way to delay having to actually write. Now that it has finally started to take shape and I'm on pins and needles waiting for its completion.

When I first started this little room could have been part of the show "Hoarders." Piles of stuff accumulated over the years had found there way out into this tiny corner room in my garage. I kid you not to say if the door had not opened toward the outside, I would never had been able to open it at all. I literally looked into a mass of items as high as my shoulders (okay, I am only 5'4 but still).

It took me the better part of the next few months to sort through that mass of mess and I did find quite a few treasures among things that should have gone straight into the trash. I found catalogs from the 80s and a couple of picture from then too (anyone remember tall bangs and poodle perms *shudders*), needless to say, somethings are best left in the past.

I was so proud when I first laid eyes on that first little patch of concrete. I think that really spurred me on and kept me going. After I had managed to clear it completely out, I  tore down the impromptu bookcases that were attached to all four walls. Now don't get me wrong, I think bookcases are essential, but these took up so much room there wasn't enough room for anything else. I mean the room is barely 7ft by 8ft, so I am not kidding when I say it is more of a writing knook than anything, but it is away from the furbabies and a space that will be dedicated to writing and writing alone.

I do believe that one lesson I learned after losing my job last year was that when you decide to rely making your hobby a job, you must treat it as such. I seriously messed up by not scheduling actual writing hours and having a designated space which to do it in. Being one who is easily distracted, I have to be very diligent about keeping myself on schedule. I have to time myself when accessing social media or I tend to find myself sucked into the vacuumous void of the internet where time speeds by faster than one can blink.

So here I sit, counting down the days until I can reveal my writer's cave to the masses. I hope that it is everything that I envision it to be. I have been dreaming of it for so long now I'm not sure if that it will ever be real, but one can certainly hope.

Coming Soon 

I have planned to do a serial story here on this blog starting next week. It's a little paranormal story I've been toying with, so I am hoping y'all will enjoy it.

~Margie

Congratulations to Laura Andlauer, you've won the $25 Amazon gift card. Please email me at margie2092(at)yahoo(dot)com let me know if you want a physical card or email version and where you would like it sent.

A huge thanks to everyone for taking the time to stop by and leave a comment. I truly do appreciate it. Wishing all a wonderful weekend and remember, never stop believing in your dreams!

~Margie

The Long Road Back

"All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost; the old that is strong does not wither, deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, a light from the shadows shall spring; renewed shall be the blade that was broken, the crownless again shall be king."

                                                                                                                      ~JRR Tolkien Lord of the Rings

It's been awhile since I have blogged or wrote anything for that matter. It isn't that I haven't had anything to say or that I didn't want to write. I simply was attacked by a bad case of the shoulds. Many of you know exactly what I'm talking about, I should clean the should, I should work out or at least jump on the treadmill for thirty minutes and most of all I should write or blog today. Like many with "authority issues", I instantly rebel against anything I should do and quickly succumb to another dreaded malady,  the Sparklies, which for those of you don't know, is when you are fascinated but whatever you aren't doing at the time.

Anyway, after a while I fell into the trap of thinking I couldn't write or maybe shouldn't write. I sat back and supported many wonderful authors, celebrated their latest releases and although I truly was happy for them (and still am) I was jealous. It is the plain and simple truth. I just couldn't understand how it was so easy for them. How the stories just seemed to flow from a unseen tap. Little did I understand at the time, that ALL authors struggle. Whether it is with self-doubt, plots, stories ideas, revisions, whatever, they all have their moments. We often don't see the downs or maybe they are there but we don't take them to heart, but they have them all the same. In the end, I had to be honest with myself, I just wasn't devoted to my craft. I had a million excuses/distractions, but the simple fact was I didn't write because I was afraid.

I was afraid I would never be the writer I want to be. I still struggle to capture the story I see in my mind. It wasn't until I had another bad workshop experience that I saw I had actually grown some as a writer over the past year. I won't name names by berating a workshop or  instructor but suffice it to say their instructing technique and my learning style were vastly different. This time instead of being thrown into a "I quit" or "I can't write funk" for weeks (months) I simply shrugged and realized we just didn't click. Now, for those of you that really know me, understand what a big accomplishment this was for me (LoL), but it truly was groundbreaking moment.

So, now I'm back; back to writing, back to being a supportive friend and contributor and hopefully back to entertaining you with my quirky sense of humor and often odd outlook on life. I will be posting ever Friday and hope that we can have some fun and make this adventure to publication an interesting journey. I will be trying on many different genres and posting excerpts for your pleasure and opinion.

Now let's see who read this whole post. I will give away a $25 Amazon gift card to one lucky person who leaves a comment. To be entered you must say what your favorite genre is (ie: mysteries, thrillers, chicklit, paranormal, erotica etc) before midnight on Thursday the 24th. The winner will be drawn at random and will be announced on May 25th.