Helen B. Henderson's Blog, page 11

Duty, Honor, Loyalty #mfrwhooks

The challenge topic is "What is the most important value to teach children?" I considered the times when nieces, grandnieces, or grand-nephews were small. Then I thought about the characters whose tales I've been fortunate to chronicle.

Captain Ellspeth grew up adhering to the guild mottos carved in old script on the wood doors of the guildmasters office. On the left panel the way to do business, "Fair Trade – Fair Profit." And on the right panel, guidance for living the right life, "Kin Above All – But Honor."

Although it doesn't exactly match the qualification of "most important value," the following excerpt shows the Archmage Dal teaching a lesson, not in the classroom but on the battlefield. Dal demonstrates mercy to the vanquished... if they deserve it. To set the scene, now that his enemy's army has been routed, he advances of his previous captor who hides behind another man.

Dal closed the distance to Ruaridh’s fragile protection. He lunged forward and knocked the sword from the soldier’s hand. Beneath the askewed helmet, Dal saw frightened eyes within a pale face.

He could not be more than sixteen turns, Dal realized. “Unless you want to join him, I suggest you leave.” The hope that flickered across the youth’s face brought a memory of another boy who stood disarmed before a superior warrior. He heard Telarim the Red’s words again, as if for the first time.

I might as well use Telarim’s technique. “Return to your home,” Dal ordered the youth. “If in two turns you still want to soldier, find Telarim the Red. Tell him Lieutenant Dal sent you. Telarim will teach you well if you’re willing to learn.” 

The boy stepped aside, careful to keep his hands away from his sides. His throat convulsed several times before he was able to speak. “My lord, my life is now yours. I have no home to return to. For your mercy, command me and I am yours.”

Dal stared down into brown eyes young with life. “Take that black gelding. Go to Stratven and present yourself to the King’s Guard. The toiseach of the guard will assign you work until I get there.”

In honor of the nation's founding a bit of self-promotion about the book that inspired the title of "Duty, Honor, Loyalty." Hearth and Sand: Stories From The Front Lines and the Homefront is a collection of twelve tales of those who served on the battle front, and the stories of the loved ones left behind who preserved the homefront. How it relates to the title? The tales represent a continuity of service from the past to the present and into the world of tomorrow.

If the books referenced in the post, the fantasy Windmaster or the multi-genre Hearth and Sand, intrigue, click on the cover for excerpts and the first chapter. Or go straight to the buy links to paperback and ebook formats below.
Windmaster books2read  /  Amazon Hearth and Sand books2read /  Amazon
~ till next time, Helen

Dive Deep, Hatchling's Mate #WeWriWa, #SnippitSunday

 

​ 
Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, the weekly hop for everyone who loves to write! Visit the other participants on the list and read, and comment on their 8sunday posts.

​Today's excerpt is from the fantasy romance Hatchling's Mate. To set, the scene, To set the scene, against all orders, Talann attempts to swim across a flooded river to save women and children stranded on a hill. (Crossing Halted).  His ribs are broken by debris. (A Question Answered)  Some help arrives (Unexpected Help), but it isn't enough.

And now the Sunday Snippet.

* * * *

Excerpt
 
Handhold by handhold, he moved along the muck. His lungs burned until the need to suck down anything, even water, overwhelmed. Only his steel-tight grip on his will prevented giving in and he blindly fought toward the next purchase. The filtered daylight did not reach the black object in front of him enough for a clear identification. He couldn’t tell if what blocked his path was the bank he sought, or he feared, a boulder with raging water on the other side.

* * * *

Buy Links: / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / More Sales Sites 
Visit the Dragshi's page for more on the Dragshi Chronicles.
​I hope you like the snippet I shared for Talann / Glynnes this week. Be sure to read the other Weekend Writing Warriors blogs and the #SnippetSunday authors for more great reads. 

~till next time, Helen

JOY, SORROW AND THE OTHER REJECTION #MFRWHooks

Reviews, acceptance, and rejection have been on my mind a lot of late. The reason? Fire and Redemption is at the editor. And the next step after that is releasing the romance fantasy to the world, Many writers know the joy of acceptance, that feeling of exhilaration when you open the letter (or these days, the email) offering a contract. And, it is probably safe to say there are few writer’s not familiar with the feeling of rejection that accompanies a publisher's letter that begins, "Thank you for your consideration of <insert publisher here>. However, at this time we do not feel <Insert your title here> is a good fit." You know the rest. But there is 'The Other Rejection.' And its feeling is even worse than the first. The cause? When a reader posts negative comments on a sales or reader site.

Whether you are a new author in the glow of your first release, or are multi-published with a dozen books in your portfolio, even if it is not a professional review, it is easy to take negative remarks personally. Your fingers itch to leap onto the keyboard. You give in, and your reply to the one who dared insult your work flies into cyberspace, possible laced with words like idiot, brainless, illiterate.

Stop. Step back from the keyboard. Do Not Hit Return.

The names may vary, "flamers" or "trolls" are common, but the attitude is the same. These are people raring for a fight and will make any type of negative statement to start one. On a blog or forum, they might hijack a discussion or make negative and challenging statements to a number of different people. It's best just to understand that this is probably a person with a whole lot of time on his hands and who enjoys watching the fray he creates, especially other people's anger.

Whether it is a teenager searching for attention or a shock jock agitating for fun, either way, responding to their 'boring' with 'book is intriguing, exciting" just encourages them to talk back. And before you know it, a war of words you can't win has started.

The recommendation to resist the impulse to counter the troll's cruel words is not given flippantly, and putting it into practice can be challenging. There is an old saying, "One 'oh shXX' wipes out all the 'atta boys'." Instead of the "Keeps me awake, couldn’t get to sleep until I finished the book" that you've heard since the book's release, the commenter's "boring" echoes and echoes and echos.

Deep breaths. You didn't send that first email, the war hasn’t started. And if it does, well, your retaliation, or more accurately called a calculated response, can be always be done later. Instead of firing the first shot with a fiery, explosive email, create a list of actions that you can take. There are ways to defend yourself without firing a shot.

On a personal note, regarding rejoicing. Although one year may end in flames, a new one can start with unexpected accolades. To all readers: Note that a review doesn't have to come at any particular time. Nothing improves an author's attitude than when a reader takes the time to leave a comment stating how much they enjoyed the book, thanking the person who directed them to it, and ending with a statement of intent to buy the sequel.

I hope my sharing helps when you log into your Amazon author page, or Goodreads, or wherever, and see a reader has posted a comment that hurts. Tell yourself it is only one person’s opinion. Reinforce with positivity, that you have studied your craft, worked hard, and done the best you could.

Trolls don't always win in fairy tales or in real life .

 

Unexpected Help, Hatchling's Mate #WeWriWa, #SnippitSunday

 

​ 
Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, the weekly hop for everyone who loves to write! Visit the other participants on the list and read, and comment on their 8sunday posts.


​Today's excerpt is from the fantasy romance Hatchling's Mate. To set, the scene, To set the scene, against all orders, Talann attempts to swim across a flooded river to save women and children stranded on a hill. (Crossing Halted).  His ribs are broken by debris. (A Question Answered)

And now the Sunday Snippet.

* * * *

Excerpt
 
Strength from a source other than his own will surged through Talann’s body. Within a heartbeat, the pain receded to a more manageable level and he pushed away from his floating sanctuary. Where before he had fought a losing battle, now he cleaved through the choppy waves. Each stroke brought him closer to the shadowy figure frantically beckoning him on.

<Dive, Tal. Deep!> Glyn’s command rang in Talann’s head. <Debris will reach you in four... three... two...one.>

The countdown echoing in his head, Talann bent at the waist and, ignoring the pain in his chest, dove until he touched the rocky bottom.

* * * *

Buy Links: / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / More Sales Sites 
Visit the Dragshi's page for more on the Dragshi Chronicles.
​I hope you like the snippet I shared for Talann / Glynnes this week. Be sure to read the other Weekend Writing Warriors blogs and the #SnippetSunday authors for more great reads. 

~till next time, Helen

A Question Answered, Hatchling's Mate #WeWriWa, #SnippitSunday

 

​ 
Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, the weekly hop for everyone who loves to write! Visit the other participants on the list and read, and comment on their 8sunday posts.


​Today's excerpt is from the fantasy romance Hatchling's Mate. To set, the scene, To set the scene, against all orders, Talann attempts to swim across a flooded river to save women and children stranded on a hill. Waves knock him against rocks, doing more than knock the breath out of him. On the shore, Glyn sends out a mental question. "How bad are the ribs?"

And now the Sunday Snippet.

* * * *

Excerpt
 
Talann groaned and tightened his grip on the log. Any thought of fabricating disappeared in the instant of its creation. You can’t lie with your mind, Talann’s honesty whispered.

And I never could dissemble with Glyn. With a resigned sigh at the inevitable, he answered the query. <Broken>

* * * *


Buy Links: / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / More Sales Sites 
Visit the Dragshi's page for more on the Dragshi Chronicles.
​I hope you like the snippet I shared for Talann / Glynnes this week. Be sure to read the other Weekend Writing Warriors blogs and the #SnippetSunday authors for more great reads. 

~till next time, Helen

Hooked on Windmaster Legend, #bookqw Bright #mfrwhooks

 

A forbidden love. An impossible quest. The accusation of witchcraft.
Can love survive?

A snippit from Windmaster Legend using the bookqw "BRIGHT."

To set the stage, Leod was told his next berth would be a captaincy. It turned out to be a garbage scow. He disregarded the old-timers sea wisdom. The result was the Cluaran Leana sank.

Twenty-one marks on the small piece of driftwood propped against the side of the lean-to counted the days since Cluaran Lèana’s wreck. As he had every day since being washed ashore, Leod climbed the rocky spit at the end of the island. Hour after hour, he watched the blue expanse. The sun burnished his skin a deep brown. Even with the hat he made from woven tree fronds, the bright light of mid-day blinded and made distinguishing between surf and sky difficult.

Movement caught his eye. Leod held his breath. The small spot of yellow grew larger. Still, he didn’t move until the shape resolved into a sail. “Wahoo,” he yelled. Joy at discovery mingled with fear added speed to his footsteps. As he raced past the cooking fire, he snatched up a pair of burning brands. Skidding to a stop at the signal pyre, sand showered the prepared wood. A glance over his shoulder showed the vessel had not come closer. In fact, it seemed to turn away.

~ * ~
Purchase Windmaster Legend at Amazon or these sellers. And don't miss the rest of the Windmaster Novels. Find more on the entire series from the pull-down menu above.


 

A Crossing Halted, Hatchling's Mate #WeWriWa

​ 
Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, the weekly hop for everyone who loves to write! Visit the other participants on the list and read, and comment on their 8sunday posts.


​Today's excerpt is from the fantasy romance Hatchling's Mate. To set, the scene, To set the scene, against all orders, Talann attempts to swim across a flooded river to save women and children stranded on a hill. Waves knock him against rocks, doing more than knock the breath out of him. On the shore, Glyn sends out a mental question. "How bad are the ribs?"

And now the Sunday Snippet.

* * * *

Excerpt
 
The lack of response from Talann raised questions as to his true condition. Did he have the reserves necessary to complete the mission? More than his life was at stake. A decision had to be made whether to allow Talann to continue on, or to use the ropes intended to save others to save him. Finally, Glyn cast a silent prayer to her ancestors—and his—to guide her choice, and pressed for a reply.


* * * *


Buy Links: / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / More Sales Sites 
Visit the Dragshi's page for more on the Dragshi Chronicles.
​I hope you like the snippet I shared for Talann / Glynnes this week. Be sure to read the other Weekend Writing Warriors blogs and the #SnippetSunday authors for more great reads. 

~till next time, Helen

Out and About at BWL, Snowdays

 

 

Over on the BooksWeLove Blog, I'm sharing some thoughts on snowdays.

~till next time, Helen

Interviewing a Dragon

It is always fun to interview a book character. But be careful what you ask him, for Trelleir is a dragon. See the interview at Maggie Blackbird's blog. 

Be sure to check back each day this month to meet new characters and new authors.

Looking Back On 2023 #MFRWhooks

Trying to be ever hopeful, hoping for a happy, healthy, prosperous 2024.
Before we say a final goodbye to 2023, let's take a look at what were, according to you the readers, as evidenced by your page views, among the most popular 10 writing posts of 2023. I do want to note, that they are not necessarily presented in order.

Now counting down. ~till next time, Helen

    10.  A to Z in 2022

    9.  Race, #bookqw, Windmaster Legend 

   8.  An Encounter Amongst Friends, Dragon Destiny 

   7.  Narration or Imagination

6  Finding New Sources

5.  Free For Now, Fire and Amulet

 
4.  Rain, #bookqw, Windmaster 

  3.  Thirteen Visits, Real, Virtual, and to Worlds of Imagination

2.  Nothing, #bookqw, Windmaster

  1. Unusual Weather, Windmaster