Liss Thomas's Blog: Mingling Myths and Monsters with Mortals, page 9
July 15, 2013
"Thirsty Merman?" - Chapter 20 - Beyond Pacifica
Photo credit: Greg Riegler Photography / Foter / CC BY
Kyran crouched in the corner, the hood of his jacket pulled low over his eyes. He didn’t move as Captain Velasquez entered his cell and held out a glass half filled with water.
“Thirsty merman?” he asked.
“I need more than half a glass. You haven’t given me any food or water since we got here. What good is your discovery if I’m dead?” Kyran asked. He didn’t budge even though he needed water badly. His gaze never left the glass.
Velasquez put the glass on the ground closer to Kyran and backed away. Kyran snatched it up and downed it in one gulp. He wiped his mouth and a light film of skin came off his lips. He winced and replaced the glass before retreating to his corner , still cautious of the man before him.
“I would give you more but you seem stronger when you’re around a lot of water. I prefer to keep you in a weakened state. Perhaps if you showed me what you truly look like, I would grant you more.”
“Ironic. I need salt water to change my appearance and yet you refuse me water because it would make me stronger. I feel we are at an impasse.”
“I’m having a hard time believing you, Amigo. I think you are trying to trick me,” Velasquez said.
“Believe what you want. I’m not doing any parlor tricks until I get more water,” Kyran said.
The captain moved close a scowl marring his face. “I have your life in my hands, Amigo and you will do as I say. Now, show me!” he yelled, snatching Kyran up by the arm. Kyran hissed in pain, his face contorted. The captain yanked back Kyran’s sleeve and gasped. The skin looked flaky and white as snow. He touched a section and the skin peeled away in his hands. Kyran snatched his arm away and covered the tender flesh with his sleeve, cradling it against his chest.
“I need w-water, p-please,” Kyran pleaded. He crouched back in his corner and rocked.
Captain Velasquez smiled as he peeled the flaked skin from his palm. “I will have this analyzed, if the results come back favorable, I will get you more water.” He opened the door to leave then stopped. “But don’t hold your breath,” he added with a smile.
###
Del and Miguel bounced down the poor excuse for a road until it became dark. They had no choice but to pull over for the night. She pulled a few snack bars and water from her backpack and shared her rations.
“Tell me about your brother, Miguel. What special medical attention does he need?” she asked.
“Mi hermano has autismo.”
“Autismo? Autism?” she asked.
“Si. Pedro is eight years old. He loves numbers but can’t tie his shoes. The Captain said he would get Pedro special help. I don’t like working for smugglers but it’s all I can do. Mi Madre and Papa are dead. We have no other familia. We lived in a small abandoned boat before. The Captain caught me stealing. They were going to kill me but I begged for my life. I told them about mi hermano and he spared me.”
“Do you get to see your brother at all?” Del asked.
“No, not anymore,” Miguel said.
Del didn’t ask anymore questions. She took off her jacket and draped it over Miguel who couldn’t keep his eyes open. She settled down and watched him sleep for several minutes before her eyes shut as well.
###
Del woke to the sounds of men screaming. She sat bolt upright and scanned the truck but Miguel was gone. Before her she saw the jungle brush shaking and swaying until Miguel broke free and headed for the truck. Several natives appeared a few yards behind him. Miguel jumped in the truck and locked the doors. The natives hurled arrows and spears at the truck with great force.
“Don’t just sit there, drive!”
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"Thirsty Merman?" - Chapter 20 - Beyond Pacifica
July 12, 2013
Impromptu Writer's Prompt - Girl Who Reads
I’m always on the lookout for a good writer’s prompt. And behold! One of my favorite blogs has just posted one.
The prompt must contain the following line
Here is my entry:
It was a dark, stormy night and the roads were deserted. I had just pulled up to a red light when I heard it….
Church bells rang in the distance. I checked my dash clock. Midnight, of course. I punch the accelerator and plow on past the irritating red light and drive toward the sound. I mentally check the gear in my trunk, high powered cross bow, projectiles, machine gun, two smaller hand guns, knife strapped to my ribcage and another gun holstered to my thigh. And one unruly creature waking the humans hoping for a curious meal to appear.
The steeple comes into view around the next bend and the lights blaze inside the church. The bells have stopped but It doesn’t calm my fears. The victim must be near. I jump the curb in my Austin Martin Vanquish and slide to a halt. I jump out and pull the crossbow from the trunk, strapping it to my back with a full quiver of explosive tip arrows.
I see the victim inside, moving toward the confessional. I burst through the door and he turns to me and smiles. The elderly priest.
“Are you the one that rang the bell?” he ask.
“No sir, I’ve come to check it out. I don’t think you’re safe here,” I say as I pull my weapon to the ready, checking the isles and moving past him.
“I am quite safe, dear girl. This is a sacred house,” he says.
“I’m sure it is but right now, there’s something lurking that is anything but sacred.” I hear knocking sounds from the confessional and line up my crossbow for the kill. I kick the door open and stare dumbstruck at the priest, tied and gagged, his eyes wide in panic.
“Forgive her father, for I have sinned,” the thing behind me hisses.
“Damn.”
Don’t for get to click on the link back to read other entries!
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Impromptu Writer's Prompt - Girl Who Reads
July 11, 2013
Vacation! - Regular Posting Resuming Monday
Sorry Human! I had a few days vacation and instead of writing, I played. Don’t Hate! I’ll be back on schedule next week. In the meantime, here are a few friends I met …. they like to play too!
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Sea Screamer Tour in Clearwater, Florida with the fam! They’re mostly human except for my brother in law – more deranged platypus than human but we like him anyway!!!
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Vacation! - Regular Posting Resuming Monday
July 8, 2013
Chapter 19 - Into The Jungle
Photo credit: Stuck in Customs / Foter / CC BY-NC-SA
Delphina held tight as the sharks led her a few miles out to sea before they turned South. The boat’s trail led them back closer to shore.
“Are you sure this is the right way? Del asked.
The lead shark turned back with a stunned look on its face.
“Fine, fine, I trust you,” Del said. They continued for hours. Del found it increasingly hard to hang on and lost her grip a few times. She could tell only a few hours of sunlight remained and they would have to stop soon. As they came around a shallow bend, the sharks made for land. Del watched the bottom of a boat come into view. She couldn’t be sure but it looked like the one. She released her hold on the shark fin and swam under the dock.
Del bobbed on the surface and listened for signs of life. She heard one set of footsteps walking back and forth near the vessel. She made a knocking sound underneath the dock. The person above cocked a rifle. She saw a shadow lean over the edge. She heard him lay the rifle down to get a closer look. Del saw her chance. She reached up and snatched at his shirt pulling him into the water. She had her own pistol ready and jammed it his face before she pulled it back.
“You’re just a kid!” she yelled.
“I’m almost sixteen!” he yelled back.
“What are you doing guarding that ship? Where are your parents?” He rolled his eyes at that question and jerked away from her. They both pulled themselves onto the dock. He reached for his rifle but Del stepped on it.
“I mean it! Why are you here?” she asked.
“I don’t gotta tell you nothing, lady,” he said.
Del grabbed the scrawny teen and hauled him to the edge of the dock. She whistled and two fins surfaced. She held him out so he could see the sharks.
“Start talking, kid,” Del said.
“Ok ok! Chill lady! I got no parents! The captain pays me real good to watch the boat when they dock here.”
“What’s your name, kid,” Del asked.
“Miguel. I got a little brother that needs medical attention. The captain makes sure he gets it and I take care of the boat. They come here every week. That’s it.”
“Where’s the crew now?”
“They spend about three days at the factory and then they come back.”
Del looked the kid over. He looked small for fifteen and thin. She almost felt sorry for him but knew smugglers and drug dealers recruited early. She guessed almost sixteen was a stretch.
“Can you take me to this factory?” Del asked.
“No way!”, Miguel said trying to twist his way from Del’s grip. She held fast. She needed to get to the factory and find Kyran.
“I’m not asking, kid,” Del said before she hauled him from the dock. She kicked the rifle into the water and pulled Miguel along until she saw an abandoned truck. “Who’s truck is this? You know how to start it?” she asked. Miguel snatched his arm away from Del and checked out the truck. He opened the unlocked door and found the keys under the matt. He dangled them for Del and she snatched them from his hand.
“Get in.”
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Chapter 19 - Into The Jungle
July 6, 2013
July 5, 2013
July 4, 2013
Divided - Chapter 18 - Beyond Pacifica
Photo credit: palestrina55 / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA
Kyran moved to attack but stopped short as the three men turned their guns on Delphina.
“Jose and Juan you met on the pier. They’re looking to settle the score so I wouldn’t provoke them,” Velasquez said. Another man moved and untied his fallen shipmates. One latched onto Delphina and whipped her around to face him.
“I need to settle a score too. It’s not often we have a woman onboard the ship,” he said.
Delphina slammed her forehead against his nose. He released her howling in pain. The other two made to secure her but Del kicked them back.
“I don’t have time for this, ” the captain said. “Shoot her!”
“No!” Kyran shouted. He lunged for Delphina and shielded her with his body and wrapped an arm securely around her. He thrust out his palm to the guns aimed at his back. “Stop!” he yelled, watching their eyes. The men hesitated. Kyran turned back to Delphina and whispered in her ear.
“Del, I promise I won’t let them hurt you. I’ll protect you. Please don’t fight them. They want us alive. They know what I am.” Del turned in his arms to face him, her eyes wide in shock. “Do you trust me?” She nodded. Kyran turned to face the captain pulling Delphina behind him and waited.
“Good. Let’s go.”
Del grabbed her duffle before they exited the building and walked the short distance back to the docks. The crew led them down to a larger slip where their fishing vessel sat rocking with the current. Kyran looked past the boat to the water’s edge just a few feet away. He saw several dark outlines beneath the surface.
Without warning Kyran released Del and attacked the two men behind them. In quick succession he threw them several feet back down the dock. He tossed Jose across the deck of their boat sending him crashing into the far side. He caught a glimpse of Juan and the captain reaching for their guns. Kyran turned back to Del and slammed his palms into her chest, sending her flying through the air from the force.
Del flailed through the air clearing the dock. Her eyes locked with Kyran’s and knew his intent was to get her to the water and to safety. A sound of a gunshot cracked through the air and she watched in horror as Kyran slumped to the deck just before she splashed into the ocean.
Del forced herself to breathe in the salt water and slammed her eyes shut against the initial sting. Opening her eyes again she dove for the bottom, her mind trying to process the last few events. A few shots buzzed through the water but she hovered well out of reach now. The boat’s engine sputtered and caught and soon it pulled away and headed out to see. A few dark shadows caught her eye. Two tiger sharks began to circle. They seemed confused as they approached. She almost felt their confusion in her mind. With purpose, Del swam toward them.
“Please don’t eat me, please don’t eat me,” she thought as she closed the distance.
“I need your help,” she thought. Hoping they would understand her. “Kyran’s on that boat, we need to track them,” she thought. One shark inclined his head and swam off after the boat. The other patiently waited for instruction.
“I need you to take me to where the boat is heading.” Del attached her duffle like a backpack and reached for the shark’s fin. He seemed to sense her intent and saddled up beside her. “This is so cool,” she thought. The shark’s toothy grin widened. They shot through the water as other creatures rushed to clear their path.
###
Kyran woke with a throbbing pain in his shoulder and the rumble of a truck engine in his ears. He bumped around the back of a storage truck, his wound poorly wrapped and his other arm handcuffed to a railing. He gripped the sides and pulled himself up to see through a small slit into the cab. Jose and Juan rode in the cab as they bounced along a jungle road with no signs of water in sight. Kyran slumped back down and tried to plug the hole in his shoulder. Without salt water, he would not heal quickly. His skin already felt dry and his tongue felt thick in his mouth.
He needed water and soon.
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Divided - Chapter 18 - Beyond Pacifica
July 3, 2013
July 2, 2013
Michelle Birbeck - Author Interview
Today’s Guest Author is Michelle Birbeck, author of “The Keeper’s Chronicles.” Let’s get straight to the questions. I’m sure mortals and monsters alike will delight in this fun interview! Enjoy!
Who if your favourite character from one of your novels?
My favourite character out of my books has to be Poppy. I should really say it’s Serenity, the lead character in The Keepers’ Chronicles, but Poppy so very often sneaks off into the lead. She’s a Roman, born in Rome itself some two and a half thousand years ago. She’s also a vampire. At one point in the history of The Keepers’ Chronicles, she was queen of the vampires. A sadistic mind who gave the ruling class everything they ever wanted to keep the other vampires in line. But time passed, people changed, and Poppy found a wandering Egyptian, whom she turned.
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During the time of The Keepers’ Chronicles, she has left behind the world of ruling the vampires in favour of staying with Issac, her Egyptian. However, what draws me to her so much is the traces of her former life that glint through from time to time. She is still feared among the vampires, still respected for the twisted things she gave the ruling body, and above all, she still acts like the queen she was. No one gets in the way of Poppy Baruti, lest they find their heads suddenly unattached.
If you had a super power what would it be?
If I had to pick any superpower in the world, it would have to be the ability to fly. I would love to be able to get home after a long day without having to walk. If my feet are killing me and the train is packed or the bus is late, I would be fantastic to be able to shoot up into the sky and just fly home. And imagine the views! Clear, sunny day, soaring as high as the birds with all the world in front of you. There wouldn’t be any baggage allowances or check in times at the airport, or waiting on the platform for the train to come. Up you go, out across the world, to anywhere at all. It would be fantastic!
Self-publish or Traditional? Why?
A combination of both. Personally, I think the process for all types of publishing is flawed. With self-publishing, it is so expensive when done right, and there isn’t anything stopping it being done wrong. Anyone can put anything at all up for sale and call it a book. And the cost of editing and marketing can run into the thousands, no matter which currency you’re working with. But at the same time, the gatekeepers to traditional publishing are more concerned with what will make them money instead of what’s actually written well. If they had a choice between a well written book and something they know will make them money, they’ll go for money every time. Or at least, often enough that they give the impression money is all that matters.
For my books, I like the control I have over the cover, the content, and the marketing that I get with being with a small press publisher. The cover is everything I wanted, even though I didn’t know it at the time, and as well as the control I had over everything, I also had the help of someone else who knew what they were doing. So although the process can be flawed, there are up sides to everything, so it’s just a question of finding the right fit for you.
What is your favourite mythical creature?
Vampires. I’ve grown up with them for most of my life, and I’ve seen so many different incarnations of them that if it were all in a list it would be as long as my arm. From tame vampires to blood thirsty killers, vampires who live on feelings and emotions to those who live on blood and never see the sun. There are so many things that can be done with vampires that there is always something new to read about with them.
I love the freedom of them, too. To be able to take a well-known figure and then change it to fit a completely different world. You can do anything with them. Give them a reason for not going into the sun, give them a new reason why they can or why they can’t. Then change their fangs or the way they feed. Alter who they can feed from and how often they feed. Give them a different reason for needing blood, and a different reaction to it. Add in powers to the mix and see what happens. The world has no boundaries at all, and I can’t help but be completely and utterly in love with a world so endless as that of the vampires.
What is your current WIP?
I’m really excited about my current project. It’s set in York, England, and I got the chance to visit there again the other day. The book is called The Stars Are Falling, and it has just been accepted for publishing with The Writers Coffee Shop Publishing House. I was so excited to be in York that I might have scared a few people whilst I was there.
There is a bridge in the book, one that the main character, Jenny, ends up going over. So I went all the way down to that specific bridge, and for the first time, I got to stand on it, looking down at the river below, and feel exactly what Jenny must have felt when she decided to jump (in order to save someone who had just been thrown off). I might have done a little dance and squeed a bit. I also might have taken some pictures and stroked the railing. There is something so magical about being in the place where the book is set, standing in the same place, knowing what happened there when no one else around you has any idea.
As for what the book is about, here’s a little bit about it:
Nineteen year old Jenny is more content staring at the night sky than joining her friends on a night on the town, at least until the stars begin to fall, bringing destruction with them.
What do you do when you need a spark of creativity?
I like to get away from the computer whenever I feel the need to get some inspiration. It doesn’t normally matter where I go, but walking always helps. Having a bath is also a great way for my mind to kick into gear and give me something to write. Actually, anywhere that I can’t take the computer. You can almost guarantee that as soon as I get somewhere that I can’t write, I want to. Same goes for when I go to bed. I get into bed, ready to go to sleep, and Bam! Inspiration.
What time of day is best for your writing?
The best time of the day for me to write is after dinner. When I get up first thing in the morning, I go off to the gym, then I spend the afternoon catching up on my TV shows, so by the time it gets to after dinner, I am ready to write. Once I start, however, I don’t like to stop. Not until my eyes are burning, I can’t see the computer screen, and the birds are calling good morning.
Star Wars or Star Trek… or Both?
Star Trek. It took me years to remember the difference between the two, and occasionally I still get confused. Which is daft, really. I can remember the plot line to a ten book series that I’m writing, the general plot to every other piece I’ve ever written, every episode of Criminal minds from the first thirst seconds, and the plot of every book I’ve ever read from its blurb, but I still get confused between Star Wars and Star Trek. Don’t even get me started on names! It takes me an absolute age to remember real people’s names.
But lately I’ve been watching the new Star Trek, and if I had to choose, I’d watch those again and again. I’ve also seen all the original movies, too, courtesy of my husband.
What habit do you have that annoys those around you most?
Typing whilst not looking at the computer. It’s a great party trick, too. What freaks people out more than annoys them, though, is when I start writing and hold a completely different conversation, whilst not looking at the computer, and still manage to type things that make sense. For some reason people think that’s weird. I think it’s fun. I’ve always been a multitasker, so holding a conversation and writing doesn’t seem so strange to me.
I can also write with my eyes closed, and write around 100 words a minute. Which is fantastic for speed challenges during National Novel Writing Month every November. Last year the people in my region did a sponsored write in for charity. The aim was to stay awake for 24 hours and write for the whole of it. Turned out to be a lot harder than we thought, and all of us hit hysteria at one point or another. I decided that I would try for the full 50,000 words of Novel Writing Month in the 24 hours. I did it, just, and then promptly swore that if someone ever suggested doing it again, they’d be kicked in whatever nether-regions they happen to have.
If you have a partner/spouse, do they read your work? How do they react?
I subject my poor husband to everything I write. He is the first person to read it after I’ve finished writing it. He’s not a reader per se. He does read, but slowly and not often. So when I ask him to read something for me, it comes at a price. That price is coffee. My husband loves coffee, and drinks several cups (of decaf) every day. When he can, he doesn’t make them himself. I learned a long time ago that if I said yes once, I would do nothing but make coffee, so I refuse to make them most of the time. These days we have an arrangement. He reads what I write, and I make him coffee, but only if he’s reading at the time.
As for what he says, well, he has never outright disliked something yet. But he will tell me when I’m writing rubbish, and if something doesn’t sit well, he’ll let me know that, too. He is one of only three people in the world who get to see my first drafts. The other two are my best friends, Amy and Alice, who will also happily tell me if I’m writing utter nonsense.
Fantastic Interview!
Connect with Michelle below
Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Michelle-Birbeck/e/B00800FYQ2/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1363107267&sr=8-1
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/michelle-birbeck
iBookstore: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/michelle-birbeck/id518091551?mt=11
Website: http://michellebirbeck.co.uk/
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MichelleBirbeck
twitter: https://twitter.com/michellebirbeck
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5291957.Michelle_Birbeck
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Michelle has been writing and reading her whole life. Her earliest memory of books was when she was five and decided to try and teach her fish how to read, by putting her Beatrix Potter books in the fish tank with them. Since then her love of books has grown, and now she is writing her own, and looking forward to seeing them on her shelves, though they won’t be going anywhere near the fish tank.
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Michelle Birbeck - Author Interview
Mingling Myths and Monsters with Mortals
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