Helen B. Henderson's Blog, page 32

Hooked on First Change, Rescue, #MFRWHooks

 

To celebrate reaching 50K on my current work in progress, an excerpt from Magic and Steel - Mt'wan Comraich, one of the novellas in First Change: Legends From The Eyrie, the latest of the Dragshi Chronicles.

This excerpt picks up where Attack left off as a pride of large cats attack a dragon. One of the duties of the dragshi and the true humans who live at Cloud Eyrie is to protect the dragons irregardless if the human is a dragon lord or a shepherd such as Kedar.

Although I normally leave on a cliff hanger, due to requests here is a teaser to how the gryphlor attack ends. (At least as far as the great cat attack.) A hint of foreshadowing of Kedar's future is in the excerpt. To see the full how and why, pick up First Change: Legends From The Eyrie.

Blood loss threatened to overwhelm the energy of battle. Leaning heavily on the slicked wood, he wove back and forth as he fought to stay on his feet, for to fall meant death. His gaze never left the unblinking eyes of the snarling cats.

Faoth’s excited yelps crackled into the air. Kedar held his breath. Before he could turn and see the dog's condition, a sense of relief washed through him and realized Faoth’s cries were not a warning, nor did they reflect pain.

 

Tawny blurs accompanied by whimpers and snarls dashed towards the woods. Before they reached the safety of the trees, streams of fire flowed across the meadow, brightening the burgeoning dusk. One by one, orange fire surrounded the cats.

Now the whistle of air over pinions reached Kedar’s straining ears. “Lilese and the dragshi did come,” he whispered. Rioghnach is safe. No sooner had the words passed his lips than the battle energy that had sustained him retreated in a single blink. Nerveless fingers lost their hold on the staff and blood-covered knife. No longer able to stand, he measured his length in the wet grass.

. . .

Warmth surrounded Kedar. Flickering blue light cast an eerie glow on the back of his eyelids. However, it was the music, an ethereal chorus of silver tones that called him. He couldn’t make out any words, separate any individual voice, yet he listened with a rapt attention. His entire being yearned to soar.

The world brightened as if someone woke from a deep sleep, giving the impression of a great sigh, then of slipping down into the cottony darkness of slumber. As the specter vanished, so did the song.

<Come back!> Kedar cast into the cosmos. He fought back tears at the waves of sadness, of unbearable loss, that overwhelmed him. “Don’t leave,” he whispered.

The pain lessened. Eventually, he became aware of the gentle caress of fingers on his forehead.

<You have slept and rested,> a comforting voice said in his mind.<Return, Kedar. Return to the world of the living.>

Pinpricks of light appeared, a jagged line in the blackness. Heartbeat after heartbeat, the split widened into a glowing chasm. Lethargy retreated under the repeated mental commands to awaken. Finally, they could no longer be denied and he opened his eyes to stare into the leader of the dragshi’s worried green orbs. Lilese’s strong arms helped him sit up, while another of the dragshi pressed a cup of restorative into Kedar’s trembling fingers. He noticed that the rest of the rescue party had traded their dragon wings for human arms and legs and were sitting in groups of two or three, talking in quiet tones over cups of steaming ubhai tea.

 

~ * ~
The rest of MAGIC AND STEEL as well as the other tales in First Change, is available at these ebook sellers.

Be sure to check out the other excerpts by the authors of MFRW.

National Doughnut Day

National Doughnut Day--June 4th. Whether you're partial to the cream-filled, glazed, jelly or chocolate varieties, the doughnut is something near and dear to so many of us. While there are several stories (or call them myths) about how the doughnut (or donut) came about, the Salvation Army established National Doughnut Day in 1938 to raise funds during the Great Depression and honor the women volunteers, who supported the soldiers on the front lines during World War I by serving them delicious meals, and of course, doughnuts. Approximately 250 "lassies" provided assistance to American soldiers in France in 1917.

 
Today, women's role has expanded beyond ones more traditionally related to the hearth, such as providing food, to more active military roles. But the tradition of National Donut Day continues with many national chains and smaller shops are offering free doughnuts to celebrate.

Doughnuts have a disputed history. One theory suggests they were invented in North America by Dutch settlers. According to anthropologist Paul R. Mullins, the first cookbook mentioning doughnuts was an 1803 English volume which included doughnuts in an appendix of American recipes. By the mid-19th century, the doughnut looked and tasted like today’s doughnut,
and was viewed as a thoroughly American food.

The story I like the most is not about the donut, but the donut hole. A sailor supposedly pushed one of the treats onto a ship's wheel. It eliminated the raw center and temporarily freed his hands. Now you know why I said, myths.

While donuts may be most commonly associated with police stories (and more than one author has had their character stop for a midnight jolt of sugar), that is not the only way an author could incorporate an event such as National Doughnut Day. If writing a historical, the character could be one of the lassies. Or for later years, the descendent of one or find a letter written by one where they talk about a doughboy (yes I couldn't resist that) who was leaving for battle.

For myself, I'm celebrating. Instead of cereal, eggs and sausage, or a bagel, I'm reading my morning emails with a donut in hand.

More information on National Donut Day can be found at http://donutdayusa.com/.

Thanks for joining me. Until next time. ~Helen

PS- some doughnut stores and organizations have giveaways.  

Hooked on First Change, The Attack, #MFRWHooks

 

It's been a while as I've been focusing on finishing up my current work in progress. As a return to the hop, an excerpt from Magic and Steel - Mt'wan Comraich, one of the novellas in First Change: Legends From The Eyrie, the latest of the Dragshi Chronicles.

The Lady Mairin Alidryer of the Dragshi searched for the one man in the world intended to be her mate. However, the man she left behind when she gained the freedom of flight refused to accept the truth that she did not love him. Now the head of a band of raiders, her former suitor turned stalker swore to have Mairin on her knees in front of him.

All that stands between his plans is the true human, Kedar, wielder of the enspelled sword called Mt’wan Comraich. But will the steel of the Protector of Mt’wan be enough.

Bodyguard to the Lady Mairin, Kedar dared not fail in his duty—or more dangerous—love her. For like the true dragons, the shifters mated for life in this world and the one beyond.

This excerpt picks up where Duty left off as a pride of large cats attack a dragon. One of the duties of the dragshi and the true humans who live at Cloud Eyrie is to protect the dragons irregardless if the human is a dragon lord or a shepherd such as Kedar.

“Rioghnach, wake up,” Kedar screamed. “Gryphlor.”

Whether his cry triggered the attack or the cats just took advantage of the dragon turning towards the sound, a pair of gryphlor broke cover—and leaped.

Confusion answered Kedar’s warning, but it didn’t slow the dragon’s reflexes. Her tail whipped out, catching a striped feline in mid-air. The crack as the creature hit the ground wagon lengths away rolled across the meadow.

Yelling and waving his staff to distract the attacking pride, Kedar ran from the protection of the woods. A pair of brown- and tan-shaded gryphlor peeled off and loped through the grass. Their target was obvious—him.

The element of surprise now gone, the full pride, from the gray-muzzled to the youngest kit, rose from concealment in the grass until the dragon faced more than a dozen cats. A shifting circle of brown and tan, they padded around Rioghnach, keeping just beyond the reach of her claws. Kedar suppressed a moan at the realization of the dragon’s plight. Teeth and talons weren’t enough. She needed dragon fire. But every time she sucked down air, a cat leaped so that she could not catch more than a quick draft, never enough to fuel her flame. No matter how hard she tried, the dragon didn’t catch more than an odd piece of fur with her fiery breath.

And I can’t help, Kedar cursed. He needed all his focus to battle the gryphlor stalking him.

A giant paw raked toward his face. The staff blocked the blow, but the force of the collision rocked him from hand to shoulder. Gathering his mental strength, he cast a frantic call into the ether to the dragshi for assistance he knew could never get there in time. <Lilese! Anyone! Gryphlor attack.>

What might have been a faint response tickled at his mind. However, continued probes of his defenses by the stalking cats prevented any more mindspeech. A prayer to his ancestors that his message had gone through was followed by reality. Quick calculations told the truth. Even if they were near and already on the wing, it would take the dragshi too long to provide any real assistance, and even longer if they had to shift from human to dragon form. Blood already streaked the blue hide and Rioghnach’s reactions were slowing. With each attack, the big cats got closer to inflicting a fatal wound.

~ * ~
The rest of MAGIC AND STEEL as well as the other tales in First Change, is available at these ebook sellers.

Be sure to check out the other excerpts by the authors of MFRW.

Journeys in Real Life #mfrwauthor

Welcome to the monthly topic from the MFRW challenge. The topic is "Real Life Events That Have Inspired Your Writing."

Some thinking had to go into the topic. My romances are based in fantasy worlds so there really aren't real life events in them as such. The closest would be the battle's eve farewell scenes of the Dragshi Chronicles.

Then there are my local histories. But they report real life events, rather than be inspired by them in the traditional sense.

Which leaves me with non-romance fiction. Hearth and Sand are a collection of twelve tales of those who served on the front lines and the stories of loved ones left behind who preserved the home front. Set universes apart and separated by decades in time, the stories reflect a continuity of service from the past to the present and into the world of tomorrow.  Real life events that inspired the tales came from historical notes, veterans’ own words, letters left by their ancestors, or contemporary events. Pen was put to paper while watching fighter planes land in the Philippine Islands and in the shaded woods of a stateside farm. The collection that comprises Hearth and Sand crosses genre from contemporary to historical, and science fiction to poetry. I hope you'll check it out.


Buy Links:
Amazon  Walmart   More Ebook Sellers


~till next time, Helen

Be sure to see how the other authors answered the question. https://mfrw52week.blogspot.com/

Hooked on First Change, Duty, #MFRWHooks

An excerpt from Magic and Steel - Mt'wan Comraich, one of the novellas in First Change: Legends From The Eyrie, the latest of the Dragshi Chronicles.

The Lady Mairin Alidryer of the Dragshi searched for the one man in the world intended to be her mate. However, the man she left behind when she gained the freedom of flight refused to accept the truth that she did not love him. Now the head of a band of raiders, her former suitor turned stalker swore to have Mairin on her knees in front of him.

All that stands between his plans is the true human, Kedar, wielder of the enspelled sword called Mt’wan Comraich. But will the steel of the Protector of Mt’wan be enough.

Bodyguard to the Lady Mairin, Kedar dared not fail in his duty—or more dangerous—love her. For like the true dragons, the shifters mated for life in this world and the one beyond.

In this excerpt, we see duty is not just an attribute of man. Dogs are more than companions, and have served as protectors and guardians for humans as well as other animals. A well-trained sheep dog is extra hands and eyes to the flock's guardian. One of the duties of the dragshi and the true humans who live at Cloud Eyrie is to protect the dragons irregardless if the human is a dragon lord or a shepherd such as Kedar.

The sun had not even kissed the mountain peaks before Faoth raced from her spot farther down the trail. A tawny blur, the pup headed straight for Kedar. She snatched his pant leg in her mouth and tried pulling him back towards the meadow.

“Faoth, obey” Kedar said, his voice as much a growl as those coming from the dog. “Home!”

Although the puppy released Kedar’s pant leg, her head swiveled from the trail ahead to the path behind and back again as if unsure where to go.

Kedar was just as torn. Faoth had never disobeyed him, so why was she doing it now?

With a whimper, the puppy dropped its efforts to get Kedar to follow, and ignoring orders to return, scrambled over rocks in the direction of Rioghnach.

The hackles of the head dog’s neck straightened into a golden crown of thorns that emphasized the black face. Lir looked up at Kedar, its expression plainly asking for orders.

Suddenly the animals’ actions made sense—gryphlor.

He tried reaching out to the dragon with mindspeech, but only silence greeted the attempt. Kedar realized his friend would be sleeping off her meal and would be unable to defend herself until it was too late. A glance at the sun told the story of distance already traveled.

“No,” Kedar yelled. The path would take too long. Despite the danger posed by the wood’s inhabitants, he would have to go cross-county. With the dog at his side, he raced into the deepening shadows of the forest. I have to reach Rioghnach. The old one must be protected at all costs.

Fear took control of his feet and he ran faster, ignoring both the branches that grasped at his clothes and the stickers that ripped his skin. Sharp pains in his side finally forced him to stop. “Go on,” he ordered Lir in a hoarse croak. As if it had kept its pace slow to accommodate its human leader, the golden dog took off at a fast lope. Unwilling to be left behind, Kedar sucked down long breaths and, holding a hand to his side, staggered on.

Reaching the tree line, he saw Faoth and Lir had circled around and now crawled on their bellies, inching closer to the dragon. The only sign of their passage was a slight wave in the grass.

Kedar planned his actions to complement the dogs’. Even though they could not see him, without commands to counter them, their training and instincts would direct them. And he had done the training, making the dogs’ defense techniques predictable.

Although he sensed the gryphlors’ presence, Kedar could not spot the large cats. His eyes strained to separate shadows from brown hide. Finally, his efforts were rewarded. Movement, as if a breeze rippled through the meadow, showed the gryphlors’ location. The pride had spread out and were between him and Rioghnach. Wings spread to bask in the warmth radiating from the rocks, the dragon faced away from the threat. Even worse, the big cats were downwind so the dragon would not catch a hint of their presence.

~ * ~
The rest of MAGIC AND STEEL as well as the other tales in First Change, is available at these ebook sellers.

Be sure to check out the other excerpts by the authors of MFRW.

Reflections on 2021 A to Z

  

This is my 3rd attempt--and surprisingly third completion- of the A to Z in April Challenge. A to Z is the challenge hop that asks bloggers to spend the month of April using the English alphabet as inspiration for their posts. This year's participants came from 85 countries.

Reflecting on the 2021 challenge one word came to mind--thought provoking. Besides the difficulty in matching a topic to a letter (more on that later), the short time frame that required a post a day was an additional complication. And since I did both the 2020 and 2019 challenges I didn't want to duplicate their posts. At least not plagiarize too much from my previous ones. The link to the topic list of the earlier challenges is provided to see how the letters have changed.

Then there was the world event called Covid-19 or the novel corona virus. Although some improvement has been made over the past year, travel restrictions, scheduling vaccine appointments, and continued cancellation of volunteer activities, stole the energy to write, and chased the muse away.

The theme for the challenge mirrored what I use for this blog--the characters and settings of my novels with a touch of the writing life tossed in for variety.

Reading through the comments left on the Journey to the Stars and Worlds of Imagination was interesting. Some were already followers of the blog and my fantasy romance novels. Others stopped by because of the topic such as "x" words, writing tips, or music.

The full list of posts from the challenge follows. I hope you'll find a topic or two of interest. ~till next time, Helen

D is for Dragon

A+e=d creating a characters name
Bad Character
Customs
Dragon
Editing Love It or Hate It

Favorites
Gryphlors
Historian
Inns
Journal

G is for Gryphlor
Kia
Life
Music for The Soul and Imagination
Never Say Never
Outdoors  

K is for Kia
Potioner
Quest
Revenge
Sea Shanty
Time In My Worlds
Uncommon - Unique- Unusual  

Volcano
Welcome
Xtra
You
Zulu

   

 

2021 Z : Zulu

 

 

It took a lightning flash, but the topic for "Z" turned out to be one of the easiest. A slideshow of old pictures running on a digital frame started flipping through pictures of my father in his flight uniform and the planes he flew. Now how does that translate to Zulu?

Not giving my age, but a craft like this
was among my first exposures to airplanes.

After World War II, the military alphabet (then known as the Able Baker Alphabet) was reworked by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) so that letters and numbers would have distinct names that would be easily understood irregardless of the speakers language. This version of the alphabet was also used  by by airline pilots and crew for radio communications. Between the military service of family members, the shows I watched growing up, and an association with the commercial aviation industry, it is not surprising that at one time I could recite the entire alphabet. (And yes, I still use it when talking to customer service personnel who can't tell the difference between B, E, G, and several other letters.)

A - Alfa
N - NovemberB - Bravo
O - Oscar C - Charlie
Q - Quebec D - Delta
O - Oscar E - Echo
R - Romeo F - Foxtrot
S - Sierra G - Golf
T - Tango H - Hotel
U - Uniform I - India
V - Victor J - Juliett
W - WhiskeyK - Kilo
X - X-RayL - Lima
Y - YankeeM - Mike
Z - Zulu

 

Thank you for coming along on the Journey to Worlds of Imagination. If you've missed any of the posts, here is the link to a list of them all. If you're following other blogs in the challenge, here's the master list of the other participants. 

~ till next time, Helen

2021 Y : You the Reader

 

 

Two of the things authors cherish most are their readers and reviews. However, since both of those things begin with “R” and that letter was used for the Rules of Magic, I decided to take a different path and chose the letter “Y” in the hope that my reader is YOU.

To those of you who have read my tales of fantasy and adventures in worlds of imagination, thank you. I hope they help you escape from your everyday lives and bring you a touch of joy. To those looking for well-written fantasies to read, I hope you’ll consider adding one of mine to your to-be-read list.

And as an enticement (or outright bribe) a special gift. Click on the FREE READS button in the sidebar for your choice of a science fiction, fantasy, or scifi romance short story.

Since this is the next to last post of the challenge, I hope you’ll grant me a moment of promotion. It is a few words from those of YOU who have read my work and been kind enough to leave a review.

Windmaster - A great read by an author with magic in her veins.

Windmaster Legacy - Don't miss this beautifully written, powerfully evocative sequel

Windmaster Golem - gripping to the end. fantastic world of mages, danger, romance, and survival. 

Windmaster Legend - a great read

Dragon Destiny - one of the best dragon shifter stories I have ever read.

Hatchlings Curse - Any fantasy lover would enjoy this epic tale! This is a very unique story with a truly exceptional plot.

Hatchling's Mate - An enjoyable fantasy read, especially for fans of dragons.

Hatchling's Vengeance - a true keeper

 

 
Imprisoned in Stone - a fascinating fantasy world with engaging characters. A worthwhile read

If you're following other blogs in the challenge, here's the master list of the other participants.

To make following the hop easier, here is the link to all my posts. Just remember, the next day's post isn't live until midnight.

~ till next time, Helen

2021 X : Xtra

 

 

Last year I spelled excuses without the "e" so it would fit the letter "x," this year's modified word is "extra." To make up for taking license with the language, I am using this post to give you, the reader, something extra. Click on the banner covers for excerpts and a free read of the first chapter of each book.

And as the commercial says, "That's not all. Act now and receive not one, but two short stories, absolutely free. And don't even pay a separate shipping and handling fee." Just click on the free reads button on the sidebar.

 

 

Love is forbidden between the living and those the government bring back from the grave. But it happens.

A lost archive buried beneath the sands of the planet Withym's immense desert is threatened when a volcano, dormant for many years, erupts. Desperate to save what she can, archaeologist Treall not only enlists the aid of a member of the planetary survey team, but breaks rules and regulations. An adventure in the world of tomorrow, "Treasure Beneath the Sands" blends technology and human spirit to save an alien treasure. 

 

 If you're following other blogs in the challenge, here's the master list of the other participants.

To make following the hop easier, here is the link to all my posts. Just remember, the next day's post isn't live until midnight.

~ till next time, Helen

2021 W : Welcome

 

How someone talks can provide insight into their personality and background. A soft, "Hallo, the camp," is a different greeting than a boisterous, "Yo." Not to stereotype, but one could be a cowboy from the American West and the other a teen from a contemporary, metropolitan city.

A typical greeting in the fantasy world of The Windmaster Novels or that of the dragshi is, "Fair Day." An alternate greeting, especially between strangers or to those on a pilgrimage to the Temple of Givneh is, "Well, met." It also serves as a response to the welcome of, "Greetings, traveler."

Not all welcomes are friendly. To remember someone's deed the "length of my days" or to continue to do something, "I will track you the length of my days," is a threat that forebodes danger or trouble in the future. 

Beyond hellos and good-byes, in the world of the dragshi, the formal acknowledgement of indebtedness can have even more far-ranging implications than a threat. The excerpt from Dragon Destiny that follows is Anastasia's presentation of Lord Branin of Cloud Eyrie to the leaders of her clan.

“Father, Uncle Elem, members of the Clan Miller,” Anastasia called, sending her voice across the clearing. “May I present Lord Branin Llewlyn, from Cloud Eyrie in the Valley of Mist. Not only did he save me from a pack of gryphlors, he is the one who alerted the camp.” Taking a deep breath, she continued in formal greeting, “We owe him a great debt.”

She held her breath and waited to see how her father and uncle would take her binding the clan to the dragshi standing behind her.

“Sire, you are doubly welcomed to our fire,” Yunka said giving the visitor a bow worthy of the highest courtiers of Nerelan’s capitol city. “For saving my daughter’s life, I owe you a debt that can never be repaid.”

Stepping forward, Elem swept out his arm to encompass those standing in the clearing. “M’lord, Clan Miller owes you a life debt, so I, Elem, leader of the clan so swear. Ask of us what you will, and if it is within our power, we will serve you.”

The ending of this post are some of the farewell blessings you'll read in The Windmaster Novels, the Dragshi Chronicles, and Imprisoned in Stone. Some are sailor-oriented, while others are given by those with special powers.

 

&#9829 &#9829 Deep peace of the running waves to you.

&#9829 &#9829 Fair winds and following seas. Safe journey Sea Falcon (or the desired vessel's name).

&#9829 &#9829 My son/daughter/child, go with my blessing and that of your clan. Bear your name with pride and honor.

 

And my favorite,

&#9829 &#9829 Safe journey to all who travel in your shadow.

If you're following other blogs in the challenge, here's the master list of the other participants.

To make following the hop easier, here is the link to all my posts. Just remember, the next day's post isn't live until midnight.

~ It is my wish that the above blessings bring you luck. till next time, Helen