New Release: ETRUSCA'S VOW. AFV Defender Book 3

 

M'kar tumbled out of the cart and landed in the lavender and rose-streaked moss lining the side of the pathway, retching. Thyal shouted something and suddenly he was there, kneeling over her, holding her as she shuddered and fought to breathe. He was still holding her when Security found them and used stunner wands to drive away the swarms of birds and small ground-dwelling creatures that covered the shivering, weeping, ragged, bleeding, smothered men. He didn’t let go of her until a small, pink-faced woman with a crown of white braids wrapped around her head knelt and put her arms around M’kar and patted her back.

M'kar didn’t know how she knew it, but the little woman made the angry, confused cries of all the creatures go away. Shuddering with relief at the quiet inside her head, she burst into tears. 

By the time Security found her parents, and Thyal’s parents, and dealt with the two failed murderers, M’kar and Thyal had been taken to the closest healer station. The little woman introduced herself as Master Maenta. M’kar had calmed down enough to notice how everyone hurried to do obey her, and they didn’t ask questions. Maenta held M’kar’s hand the whole time, and that was even more comforting than Thyal holding her hand. She asked for a room where the three of them could be alone, and quiet, and asked for a drink that was all creamy pink and lavender and mint green swirls. M’kar didn’t think she could swallow anything, but she tried. All the shivering and throbbing and brief sharp stabs in her head quieted, and she felt the humming in Maenta’s hand holding hers.

Off the Bookshelf: DOROTHY AND JACK: The Transforming Friendship of Dorothy L. Sayers and C.S. Lewis, by Gina Dalfonzo

 

Yet another book that proves I have a bad habit of buying far too many books in a year than I can read. And some, regrettably, sit and wait for nearly two years before I take one off the to-be-read stack and actually start reading.

And when I do ... I don't want to put that book down.

Delightful, enlightening, educational experience. I bought this book because I'm a C.S. Lewis fan, a free Narnian, and trying to live up to his challenge about using the fantastical for Kingdom purposes. More opportunities to get to know him, his life, his thinking -- yeah, go for it.

Now ... I think I've discovered a new author to become passionate about. The thing is, I've encountered Sayers multiple times in the past. Most recently, her novel Gaudy Night was part of an Aurora Teagarden mystery episode. I really have to free up some space on my to-be-read mountain for some of her books. Starting with Lord Peter Wimsey's adventures. I know I read a collection of short stories about him years ago ... where did I file it?

This book is a must-read for any fan of either or both authors, with snatches of their correspondence over the years, interactions with mutual friends, growth and changes in their lives and careers, their writing successes, and joys and sorrows. Bravo to the author. Her passion for both subjects comes through, and her honesty in dealing with their foibles and fears and questionable choices is admirable and refreshing. 

I think I might even be brave enough to try to read Sayers' translation of Dante. 

New Release: ETRUSCA'S VOW. AFV Defender Book 3

 The cart stopped, startling a yelp out of her. She opened her eyes, expecting to see the door of the cart shelter at Thyal’s house. Instead, the cart had stopped a dozen meters from the path to the house. She looked at Thyal, then turned to look where he looked, with a frown darkening his sharp-boned, tanned face.

Two men stood on the pathway to the front steps and main door of the house. One faced the cart. The other turned around from the door and looked at the children in the cart.

“Go, go, go,” Thyal snarled, and slapped the controls for the cart. “Security. The intruders are at our house!”

The men yelled and raced after them. The cart seemed to crawl as it moved forward. M’kar wanted to jump out of the cart and run, but she knew it went faster than she could run. The smart move was to save her energy. She turned to look as the men ran and shouted, cursing Thyal and the cart and her.

M’kar understood those words. The language. They were speaking Nisandrian. She hadn’t heard Nisandrian since leaving Nisandros. She wanted to laugh at how strange the words sounded, but she couldn’t breathe. Everything felt wrong. She should be able to fight and defend herself, but her head pounded and her limbs had frozen. What was wrong with her? Had they already shot her with a tranquilizer, and she didn’t feel the dart?

Go away. Go away! Leave me alone! I’m not going back.

The bird cries and squeaks and pips and creaks of all the creatures filling her head to the point of bursting exploded into fury. 

A dark cloud swirled down out of the sky and enclosed the two men. They screamed and cursed and waved their arms and spun around, trying to break through the cloud. It grew thicker. A matching cloud of darkness snaked across the ground. The animal sounds erupted out of M’kar’s head and into her ears. The darkness reared up like a wave and engulfed the men. They went down, lumpy shapes that writhed and screamed.

New Release: ETRUSCA'S VOW. AFV Defender Book 3

 

The moment passed and the cart darted into the tunnel. M’kar sat upright. The sharp sensations faded but her head still throbbed. She thought she heard birds calling inside her head. The frightened and angry squeaks of little furry, sharp-toothed creatures joined them. She didn’t know their species. The voices grew louder with every heartbeat. She yelped when the cart emerged back into the sunlight and pressed her hands over her eyes.

“What’s wrong?” Thyal said.

M’kar tried to say she didn’t know, but her throat felt stiff and hard. She couldn’t force the words out. She shook her head and held on tighter to the edges of the bench.

“Are you sick?”

She nodded.

“Take deep, slow breaths and close your eyes and listen to your heart. Tell it to slow down. That helps.” 

M’kar didn’t think it would, but she tried it anyway. She closed her eyes and listened to the rattle-hum of her heartbeats. The gasping hiss of her indrawn breath. 

Off the Bookshelf: DEAR WRITER, YOU NEED TO QUIT, by Becca Syme

 

Thanks to the Great Lakes Fiction Writers craft book club for choosing this for our October discussion book.

VERY needed, especially as I struggle with a couple projects all at the same time. Including a book I told my publisher in Australia I would get to her by the end of October -- LAST year. Yeah, Sandy, this one is for you ...

The subtitle says a lot -- and calms some of the anxiety perhaps generated by the title: What to Keep, What to Quit, What to Question

Basically, many writers are hampered and even blocked, distracted, frustrated, drained by false assumptions about the writing process, what they should be doing, what they shouldn't be doing, and how to go about it.

Everyone needs to find out what works best for them, and not let the loud proclamations by supposedly successful writers force them into routines and mindsets that don't work for them.

Syme goes through so many assumptions and blows them apart, always asking if writers are SURE this is the way it has to be, no wiggle room, no adaptations, no exceptions.

It's kind of freeing, and kind of frustrating, and kind of embarrassing, to face up to the things you've just taken for granted you gotta do to be a writer-type person. Yeah, there were times as I went through the checklist and questions when I thought .... yeah, time to quit -- handicapping myself! Let go of the false assumptions, find the things that work for me, and stop letting other people try to force me into their square boxes, when I'm more star-shaped.

Y'know?

Syme has an entire series of books of writerly advice, and I think if I'm smart I'll investigate more of them.

New Release: ETRUSCA'S VOW. AFV Defender Book 3

“I’m sorry.” M’kar looked behind them. No one had followed them from the restaurant. She gripped the edges of the bench seat and willed the cart to move faster. She couldn’t remember any of the landmarks they had passed, and that was stupid. How could she find her way back to Thyal’s house if something went wrong and they were separated?

“It’s not your fault.” Thyal patted her hand. “They’re not very good hunters, making a stupid mistake like that. What do they want?”

“Kill me or marry me, it’s all bad for me.”

That made him laugh, though he did manage to smother the sound into a snort. Security responded, asking for more information. Thyal gave the officer the names of the cadets who had been talking to them.

“Be careful,” the woman said. “The only Nisandrians we have on record currently on Academy grounds are Dr. Jeyn Fleetwind, Ashrock of Ba’e’do’stra, and M’kar Fleetwind-Ba’e’do’stra. Please take shelter quickly and stay there, until we locate the intruders.”

“Understood.” Thyal frowned at the control panel as the connection died. “Maybe someone is pretending to be Nisandrian to cause trouble?”

M’kar didn’t have any answer for that. She flinched as the path the cart followed dipped down and they headed for a short tunnel, passing from one section of the Academy grounds to another. Muffled thuds echoed out at them, then shadows erupted from the tunnel, turning into birds. She caught her breath and ducked down, even though the clear panel at the front of the cart, and the curving roof protected them from collision. 

For a heartbeat, she thought she saw herself. Multiple images of herself. Crouching down in the front seat with her arms raised as a shield. Her head throbbed like something sharp wanted to erupt from her temples and through her eyes. 

New Release: ETRUSCA'S VOW. AFV Defender Book 3

 “Is that real?” He gestured at the white lines paralleling the long, thin scars on her right arm, then upward to the lightning bolt at her temple. “I got to tell you, playing around like that could get her in big trouble.”

“With who?” Thyal asked, his tone going quiet. Just like Master Reydon’s voice had become when dealing with a very rude Ankuaran who had intruded on their dinner in the garden the night M’kar’s family arrived on Le’anka. That was the quiet her father wanted her to try for, when dealing with troublesome people and animals.

“Oh, hello.” Another of the cadets turned around, glanced at M’kar, then back to Thyal. “Two baqwaks, pretending to be Nisandrians. Came through the plaza this morning, saying they were looking for their little sister.” He glanced at M’kar again, gray eyes narrowing. “Described her tattoos pretty accurately.”

“I don’t have any brothers,” M’kar said. “They’re liars.”

She caught her breath, positive that frown on Thyal’s face meant he was going to contradict her. Yes, she had three half-brothers, but they wouldn’t come to Le’anka to look for her, and they wouldn’t go around telling people she was their sister.

“We should go back,” Thyal said, and reached for her hand.

M’kar held on and ran, keeping pace with Thyal all the way to their cart. He didn’t let go until they were seated, and he needed that hand to program the commands to head back home. When the cart jolted forward, he contacted Academy security, then asked them to contact Dr. Jeyn and Ashrock and Master Reydon.