Day 23 Again only 2500 words & 1 Blog Today NaNo / NaBlo

Day 23 of NaNoWriMo Wordcount 46,777/ NaBloPoMo (23 for 23) 

Rainy day view from my aerie

So far, so good.  The Blog a day is pretty much a rambling journal entry with excerpts from my WIP (work in progress aka my NaNo Novel).  Piece of cake for someone used to journaling daily.  I just have to remember not to err on the side of TMI.  I can also schedule it to drop around 7pm when most of my followers might actually see and read it.  Still have way more followers on my WordPress blog (265) which I post identically to my Blogspot blog (25).  No clue, why. First of the year, I'll probably upgrade WordPress.

Keeping up my momentum on the novel’s wordcount is not as easy, but I’m still ahead of schedule.  I keep reminding myself to just write, just write, just write.  I fell 1000 short of the 3500 words I wanted to do yesterday (Friday) and again today, but I have lots to do that does not involve writing and if I get back to 3500 on Sunday, I’ll  cross the 50,000 word finish line even if I have not really finished the novel.  

I have, as I think I mentioned earlier, written the last chapter however thin it appears right now.  I saw it and had to get it down then and there and then go back to driving my plot and characters toward that endgame. 

I should have run errands yesterday while the weather was mere wet, today is damned cold, and I’d rather stay in with my little heater whirring away, but gotta stock up for Thanksgiving, etc.

Excerpt from Murder is a Primary Color:Kane

James was listening, grim-mouthed, and the ghostly apparition just sat and wept.  A noise at the door alerted them all that they had another listener.  James was up in a flash, out the door and down the stairs in hot pursuit of Kane.

Jade, close behind him, sent out her mind touch to follow Kane and reach out to him and find something that would make him traceable in case he escaped.  Brie leaped to the window and the white lioness leaped to the ground and brought the big man down.

A deafening roar shook the trees and birds scattered before the ancient threat.  The maid and cook ran from the kitchen to the back to see what was going on and were aghast.  Mr. Kane lay face up in utter terror and upon his chest was the small white cat they had fed earlier. 

James came up and Sabrina leapt aside to watch.  Kane stared, first in confusion then anger overtook him.  "Illusion, damned, illusion" and his eyes met the cats and there was a barrier to further examination.  Then he raised his eyes as James cuffed him, and he saw Jade and his icy stare hardened more.  "Witch!  You don't know who you're dealing with.  You just don't know."

Jade's schooled stone face belied the chill of icy cats’ paws down her back.  This was just a dance of fencers, a feint and parry and the battle as yet not joined.  She knew it in her bones.

Mañana y’all.

Day 20 Another 3500+ words & 1 Blog Today NaNo / NaBlo

Day 20 of NaNoWriMo Wordcount 38,277/ NaBloPoMo (20 for 20) 

Wednesday is hump day for my buds still working in Dilbert’s realm, but it’s just another great day for me.  I still can’t believe I lived long enough to retire on social security, and wonder of all wonders, it is enough to pay all the bills with a bit left over for fun. 

I say retired, but I’m not one to just up and quit doing; I’m just doing what I want to do instead of what others want me to do.  Now all those things I did on the side such as my writing, painting, and photography are my primary occupations.  I’m loving it, especially in this studio/office I call my aerie.  Three large windows let it so much light, ad the French doors to the living room let me watch the TV if I want while never leaving my desk.

I finished one small e-book and uploaded it to Amazon’s e-pub platform.  I’ve been working on queries for my children’s picture book. I’ve been painting a series of small paintings on rescued wood that will probably be on sale the first of the year.

Right now, I’m determined to finish a novel during National Novel Writing Month (nanowrimo.org) and post a Blog a day.  So far so good.

Excerpt from Murder is a Primary Color:The first Battle 

Jade lifted the bottle from its satin nest, and set it on the table between Sabrina and her.  She broke its seal, and removed the stopper and was pushed back into the chair by the sheer force of the hot, raw rage that roiled forth from the bottle.  It assaulted her senses like a physical force.

She kept it at bay but felt it’s hot pressure against the personal shield that surrounded her.  Holding her protection close, she mentally wended her way through the maze of emotion.  How can one explain the journey of the mind self?  She entered the bottle and was in a room, a long and dark room.  She walked in this darkness and one by one, she lifted curtains, pulled them down, folded them, smoothing them and laying them one by one beside the path she walked. 

Step by careful step, Jade walked until midway there was something just on the edge of vision. It lurked in wait and then was there full blown before her.  Its vile and bilious words were spewed slime and acids against her protective bubble, and it tore at her mind with hot tongs. 

Then Jade heard a roar and there between them was a star-white moon-eyed lioness.  Her roar became many icy shards speeding toward their mutual enemy.  He cringed and took a step back.  She roared again, and the darts issued forth again - white fire from a dragon's mouth - each finding its mark.  The lioness paced back and forth before Jade, pushing him back and back. 

Be gone, she roared.  Desist!  Go back to the hole of hell from whence you came.  She roared again, and white-hot flames licked out and caught at the fringes of his black cloak. 

Jade began to chant the words learned in childhood, words that till now were but words.  She watched as each word she mouthed and each rune she drew in the air became blue-white shards of stardust that flew toward the enemy.  He grew smaller; he was fading, but not finished.  He screamed forth black words of acid venom that met hers in mid-air but the diamond shield did not yield. 

The Lioness roared again spat forth white flame that pushed through and the black reeking words, and he was lost in the wail of fear that followed him down a long black path that closed behind him.

Shaking but determined, Jade continued through the maze and the rage ahead was ebbing.  Curiosity and then hope glimmered ahead and then she could sense a desperate plea.  "Oh, please, who's there?  Please, please, find me.  Over here, please help me.  I'm here."

Mañana y’all.

Day 19 Another 3500+ words writ & 1 Blog Today NaNo / NaBlo

Day 19 of NaNoWriMo Wordcount 34,710/ NaBloPoMo (19 for 19) 

Tuesday and the writing is going smoothly.  At this pace, I will cross the 50,000 word finish line before this time next week.  I sit and write every morning before I let the household chores that literally shout to be done get through to me. 

No company coming until next week, so I’m letting some things go.  I really should have bought more box food (lean cuisine is my fav).  Cooking from scratch, which is my usual modus operandi, is a messy business and the kitchen currently is messier than my messy brother or dead ex’s ever was.  Sigh.  I’ll have to tune in the Doctor’s at 2 in the kitchen to entertain me as I plow thru the dirty dishes, as it will probably take an hour to restore order. 

Tonight, it’ll be Stouffer’s Spinach soufflé and a glass of red wine.  That’ll be just one baking dish, fork and glass.  I only cook in glass and in a real oven, so I remove the food from it’s supposedly safe plastic container into my covered glass dish and put it in my oven at 350. 

While the soufflé cooks for about an hour, I’ll sip my first glass of cabernet and print out my day’s scribbling.  It helps me to know where I left off and get a feel for my story’s trajectory, and I might even start writing longhand toward tomorrows wordcount.

Excerpt from Murder is a Primary Color:Playing 'just a stray' 

Brie mewed at the back door and was answered by the cook. "Oh, and what have we here?  Well aren't you the pretty one? Jenna, look-it this pretty white puff ball.  Purr, is it?  I bet you want a bite don't you love?"

Brie preened and postured and walked right up to the cook and looked up into kind the brown eyes and then turned to the maid and looked and meowed again.  Hmmm she thought - open as open could be, and they like cats too, she mused as she looked at the generous plate the cook set before her.  A coldness entered the far door in the form of a male human just as she was inspecting the cook's offerings.

"What is this?"  He scowled in Brie's direction.  She felt the cold icy closedness of his essence, and resisted the urge to look him in the eye.  He must not know she is more than just a stray cat.  She blithely ignored him and gave full attention to the plate before her, eating with well-feigned relish as she thought a hungry stray would.

"Oh sir, just a stray kit come to the back door.  We're just givin' her a few scraps."

"Hmph", he continued to stare at Brie, "She doesn't look like much of a stray to me."

Brie purred at him and then risked it all.  She purred loudly and turned her sliver green eyes to look into the black heavy hooded slits that stared at her with such dislike.  Brie maintained her blank cat, just a cat facade of mind.  The human relaxed a little, but his thought reached her, as he turned to talk to the cook, she could momentarily see the mind behind the eyes.  It was black and swirling and murky.  Brie shivered inwardly, she dare not let her findings register.  This was unlike anything she had ever met. 

As the cook examined the menu he had handed her for tonight's dinner, Brie swiftly exited and was gone before they turned. 

"Curious," the cook mumbled, as she closed the door carefully leaving the food outside, "I'll just leave it in case the kit comes back."

Brie took to the large old Magnolia outside and climbed to where she knew Jadeah waited.  She leaped onto the sill and through the window and landed silently, a puff of star-white fur on a stark white carpet.

James started and looked at Jade, but she was deep in meditation as she gazed at the box before her.  Jade was aware of Brie and waited as the cat gracefully leaped again onto the chair opposite her, circled once then sat sphinx-like, paws forward, eyes alert and ready to protect.  "Hello, old woman,"  Jade smiled and eyes met eyes that blinked once in acknowledgement.

I am safe now, Jade thought.  Well Brie, here we go.

Mañana y’all.

Day 17 Another 3500+ words & 1 Blog Today NaNo / NaBlo

Day 17 of NaNoWriMo Wordcount 27,655/ NaBloPoMo (17 for 17) 

Today is Sunday and any writing that gets done will get done in the afternoon as I don’t alter my Sunday rituals for anything less than an emergency.  NaNo does not constitute an emergency even if I am still a few words behind schedule. 

I buy the early edition of the Sunday Birmingham News Saturday afternoon on the way home from wherever I happen to be.  That way when I get up Sunday, I can head straight to the kitchen to put on the coffee.  Next as my impatient cat, Jazmine, keeps reminding me it’s treat day and she gets a can of Fancy Feast in her treat bowl – the rest of the week she eats kibble.  She knows when it’s Sunday, just like she knows if I’m even thinking of getting some yogurt out of the fridge.

While she munches, I pour my first cup of coffee and sit at the kitchen table to sort my paper by sections. All ads are first to see if there are any irresistible bargains out there for next week.  These are followed by the funnies, parade, living, and so on ending with section A (supposedly the news, but it always seems to have football above the fold – sigh).  It’s a poor imitation of what it once was even 5 years ago, but it’s a paper and a paper has always made Sundays complete.

The power was out this morning, so I am grateful for my little TV that is my kitchen TV and whose battery thankfully is always fully charged.  As I peruse the paper, I watch first the Today Show followed by CBS Sunday Morning.  Today was mostly remembrance of JFK assassination.  So sad to relive an event I remember well even though I was only 13 when it happened.

Back to NaNo.  I figure if I keep up the 3500 words a day, I’ll cross the 50,000 word finish line on November 24, which is my plan as company starts arriving Monday, the 25^th for the Thanksgiving holidays.  Anything I write beyond that is gravy.  

Excerpt from Murder is a Primary Color:

The House

I went to the house first to drop my bags and get my bearings and eat my lunch on the back terrace overlooking the sea.  It was a large affair.  Nanna Seti had told me much about it and once or twice we had visited it and walked from room to room. 

It had been empty a long time and the echoes of pasts lived here were so dim as to be negligible.  Yes, this old house so far away from the city and so near the sea would do me well for now and years to come. 

It was like a small fort sitting on its own 10 acres of dense forest and rock - totally defendable.  The thought startled me. It's such a shame that one must always consider that in our plans - defense.  But, I would not argue.  The House had a long history as a place of refuge and escape for everything from pirates, patriots to slaves and then we the Wyse.  History has proved time and again that such is a necessity however calm the current waters.  Be the cataclysm be man or nature, this House will serve me and mine well.

The cellars were actually catacombs like fingers radiating out under the ground from the main house.  They would be further enlarged.  The old generators would be refurbished or new ones built.  The library of knowledge would be updated and enlarged and converted to holodisks lest the Clouds fall.  Foodstuffs and seeds stored in glass and plexibins would once again line the deeply recessed shelves in the storage areas.

This house, now my home will become one of many in the worldwide net known only to the inner most Council.  Whatever comes we will have the means to survive and rebuild unless the earth is rent asunder and all our souls are hurled to the heavens whatever lies beyond.

I left the house in good hands; I should say paws.  I could see in mind’s eye, Brie prowling from room to room acquainting herself with our new home. 

Mañana y’all.

Day 10 New project started late last night NaNo/NaBlo

Day 10 of NaNoWriMo- New project started late last night - 10,050 / NaBloPoMo (10 for  10).

As I posted yesterday, I just lost all momentum followed by interest on the Wadenhoe novel, so I just stopped and decided to go with a sequel to an old Nano Novel from a few years back whose
characters still live in a far corner of my mind.

Tentative Title:  Murder is a Primary Color.  I've been writing on it most of last night and then again today to get back to the 10,050 words I had already written on Wadenhoe. I'll have to do 3500 words a day to get back on schedule by this coming Friday then I can go back to a mere 1668.

I'm beat.  I'm looking forward to pouring a glass of Cabernet and tuning in PBS Masterpiece @ 8 to watch Paradise followed by a rerun of season 2 episode of Downton Abbey.

Dessert will be a second glass of wine and as many chapters of current new book, an ARC of 'Hild' by Nicola Griffith which is due out Tuesday.   Set in 7th century Britain, the style is much like that of Mists of Avalon and I am so loving it.  I'll post the Amazon link to it below. 

Meanwhile, here's new NaNo excerpt: 
Scene: Breakfast bar in Jades sunny kitchen

..."Hmmm? Oh - yes, Mira. I've been called in by my friend in law enforcement. You remember the Lt. Jeffries I worked with several months ago?"

"Yes Miss, it's the murders on the news. Isn't it?"

Jade's white forehead furrowed and she gazed from beneath black brows. Mira was momentarily frightened and Jadeah sensing her fear, relaxed her face and smiled. "I should view the news more often, you apparently know more than I. Yes, I suppose it would have been on the news. But please, no questions. I must plan my day. When the bell rings, it will be Lt Jeffries. Please let him in."

Sabrina was suddenly on the red leather stool next to Jade, carefully preening her paw with special attention to her claws. Their eyes and minds met and Sabrina queried, “We have work?”

“Yes, will you help?”

“Of course. I might be an "old woman", but I am quite able.”

“Point taken old girl. We wait for our ride; be alert.”

Mira watched in awe from the stove as she poured the steaming chocolate almond milk into a large blue mug of equally steaming black cayenne-laced coffee. She knew her mistress talked to this feline, and she was sure the feline understood and talked back.

Mira's grandmother had explained to her about curanderas and their familiars and told her to treat the cat as well as her mistress and speak to her as to a human and with respect. This cat was not like her little Sabato at home, not at all. This one looked at you when you talked. Mira only hoped it could not read minds, too.

The doorbell interrupted her thoughts, and she put the coffee on the bar in front of Jade and left the kitchen to let in the Lt. She touched the keypad and stood with her mouth a little open. She had forgotten how fair was this gentle giant. All blond longish hair, clear amber eyes and legs that went on forever. "My mistress waits in the kitchen, sir."

James strode down the hall and Mira did not catch up with him until he was seated at the kitchen bar on the other side of Brie - and now there were three.
Here's the link to Hild.

Day 9 – Dumping Current Novel – NaNo/NaBlo

Day 9 of NaNoWriMo  - Dumping current project and starting a new one (sigh)/ NaBloPoMo (9 for  9).

Met with Alabama Writers group for NaNo write-in at Panera's Main Street @ 10 this morning for a write in and we got no writing in.  It turned into a kibitzing session.  

That was fine. I've pretty much lost steam on this project and seriously considering a sequel/spinoff of a previous NaNo Novel.  I'll have to double up to catch up, but those characters live for me and I can rethink the Wadenhoe project for later in 2014.

I'll be updating title, etc., on Nanowrimo tomorrow, and start doing some furious writing most of tomorrow on new project to make up for lost time.  Tentative Title 'Murder is a Primary Color'.

Met two interesting young women this morning whose Indie Publishing Company is worth a look.  Check them out at Matter Deep Publishing. 

p.s. My own indiepub e-book (How to Journal and How to Publish from your Journal) will be going on sale as an Amazon selection on December 2 @ $2.99.  I'm hoping it will kick up sales.