Tara Maya's Blog, page 25
September 4, 2013
4. Puddlepaws
The Unfinished Song: Initiate
(Start at the Beginning of the Novel)
"Contement - Siamese Kitten," L.A. Berry
Dindi
…formed a circle and shoved Dindi back and forth, finally pushing her into the dust. They laughed and flounced away.
The dust tasted like dung. They were right. No one from Lost Swan Clan had ever passed the test given during the year children disappeared for Initiation rites. She could be taken for Initiation any day now, Dindi thought. And all omens indicated she’d fail miserably. L...
(Start at the Beginning of the Novel)
"Contement - Siamese Kitten," L.A. Berry
Dindi
…formed a circle and shoved Dindi back and forth, finally pushing her into the dust. They laughed and flounced away.
The dust tasted like dung. They were right. No one from Lost Swan Clan had ever passed the test given during the year children disappeared for Initiation rites. She could be taken for Initiation any day now, Dindi thought. And all omens indicated she’d fail miserably. L...
September 3, 2013
Excerpt: Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Gracelingby Kristin Cashore
She caught the fall of every leaf in the garden, the rustle of every branch. And so she was astonished when a man stepped out of the darkness and grabbed her from behind. He wrapped his arm around her chest and held a knife to her throat. He started to speak, but in an instant she had deadened his arm, wrenched the knife from his hand, and thrown the blade to the ground. She flung him forward, over her shoulders.
He landed on his feet.
Her mind raced. He was Graced, a...
She caught the fall of every leaf in the garden, the rustle of every branch. And so she was astonished when a man stepped out of the darkness and grabbed her from behind. He wrapped his arm around her chest and held a knife to her throat. He started to speak, but in an instant she had deadened his arm, wrenched the knife from his hand, and thrown the blade to the ground. She flung him forward, over her shoulders.
He landed on his feet.
Her mind raced. He was Graced, a...
Why Are There Mysterious Things On My Blog?
Ok, I realize I started posting excerpts from Initiate on my blog without letting you know what I was up too, and maybe that was overly mysterious. You might be saying, "Hey, Tara, I've already Initiate. Duh! In fact, I just re-read it last night, for like the seventeenth time, because that's how much I love it. What gives?"
Well, I know YOU have read Initiate, because you're awesome like that.
But maybe you have some friends on Twitter or Facebook who haven't? So I decided to post the ENTIRE N...
Well, I know YOU have read Initiate, because you're awesome like that.
But maybe you have some friends on Twitter or Facebook who haven't? So I decided to post the ENTIRE N...
3. The Goose from Lost Swan
The Unfinished Song: Initiate
(Start at the Beginning of the Novel)
Dindi
… by their movements, tracing out incandescent symbols with their bodies. The dancers themselves glowed too, in the same color as whichever costume they wore. Even now that Dindi knew what to look for, she couldn’t see it all the time, only if she concentrated.
The human dancers encircled the last of the Aelfae dancers, who fell into an artful pile of corpses.
“The Aelfae are no more, the Aelfae are no more,” victors a...
(Start at the Beginning of the Novel)
Dindi
… by their movements, tracing out incandescent symbols with their bodies. The dancers themselves glowed too, in the same color as whichever costume they wore. Even now that Dindi knew what to look for, she couldn’t see it all the time, only if she concentrated.
The human dancers encircled the last of the Aelfae dancers, who fell into an artful pile of corpses.
“The Aelfae are no more, the Aelfae are no more,” victors a...
September 2, 2013
2. But She Had a Plan...
The Unfinished Song: Initiate
(Start at the Beginning of the Novel)
"From the Ashes," by Stephanie Pui Mun
Dindi
Every head in the square was riveted on the Tavaedies. Drum, rattle, and flute flared into dramatic music. The masked men and women leaped into motion. Occasionally, to emphasize the moves, the dancers chanted or shouted as well.
Dancing wove magic. Some ritual dances, or tama, ensured bounty, others averted drought. This tama, Massacre of the Aelfae, recalled history. The Tavaedies...
(Start at the Beginning of the Novel)
"From the Ashes," by Stephanie Pui Mun
Dindi
Every head in the square was riveted on the Tavaedies. Drum, rattle, and flute flared into dramatic music. The masked men and women leaped into motion. Occasionally, to emphasize the moves, the dancers chanted or shouted as well.
Dancing wove magic. Some ritual dances, or tama, ensured bounty, others averted drought. This tama, Massacre of the Aelfae, recalled history. The Tavaedies...
Look Inside Mind Games by Kiersten White
Fia and Annie are as close as two sisters can be. They look out for each other. Protect each other. And most importantly, they keep each other's secrets, even the most dangerous ones: Annie is blind, but can see visions of the future; Fia was born with flawless intuition—her first impulse is always exactly right. When the sisters are offered a place at an elite boarding school, Fia realizes that something is wrong . . . but she doesn't grasp just how wrong. The Keane Institute is no ordinary...
Fallen by Laury Falter
Maggie is unaware of the terrifying fate that awaits her. It isn’t until she lands in New Orleans for a full year at a private high school and her unknown enemies find her does she realize that her life is in danger.As a mystifying stranger repeatedly intervenes and blocks the attempts on her life, she begins to learn that there is more to him than his need to protect her and that he may be the key to understanding why her enemies have just now arrived.
Download Fallen, the first book in the G...
September 1, 2013
1. The Unfinished Song: Initiate (Beginning of the Novel)
The Unfinished Song: Initiate
(This is the Beginning of the Novel)
by Toni CogdellDindi
Dindi scanned the crowd, hoping to slip into the plaza un-noticed. Barter Hill swarmed with people because aunties from the three clans met here to trade every half-moon. A kraal at the bottom of the hill held aurochsen and horses. Interconnected rectangular adobe buildings created a square around the top of the rise. The old uncles, to suit their dignity, leaned against the wall on a log bench, under th...
(This is the Beginning of the Novel)
by Toni CogdellDindiDindi scanned the crowd, hoping to slip into the plaza un-noticed. Barter Hill swarmed with people because aunties from the three clans met here to trade every half-moon. A kraal at the bottom of the hill held aurochsen and horses. Interconnected rectangular adobe buildings created a square around the top of the rise. The old uncles, to suit their dignity, leaned against the wall on a log bench, under th...
August 30, 2013
Today Only Buy a Book from Dragonwell, Get $5
A colleague of mine, whom I first met ten years ago (online) in the Online Writer's Workshop, is celebrating his book release today. He has a beautiful writing voice and this story is well-researched, a work of both passion and philosophy. I've only read excerpts of it so far, but I am looking forward to reading the whole thing.
Visit Dragonwell and learn more about W.B.J. "Walt" Williams and his new fantasy novel The Garden at The Roof of the World. Or just head over to Amazon and grab the bo...
Incubus: The Daughters Of Lilith: Book 2 by Jennifer Quintenz
Braedyn Murphy used to think nothing important ever happened in her sleepy town of Puerto Escondido. But that was before she learned she was a descendent of Lilith, the mother of all demons. Now Braedyn fights to protect humanity from the Lilitu - the beautiful, souls-stealing daughters of Lilith. As she fights the Lilitu, Braedyn must also fight her growing love for her boyfriend Lucas - because giving in to temptation could end his life.
Their only ray of hope is an angel’s offer to make Br...
