P.H. Solomon's Blog, page 331

Tech for Writers – Backup Tips

Editing for Deep POV

As I discussed in a previous blog I work in computer support for my day job. Here’s another post regarding computer issues that writers often face.

The Dreaded Backup Question

A problem with a computer or lost data from accidental deletion is a fact of life. Many small businesses and home users do little to back up their data on a regular basis. That is, until data is lost and the lesson is learned the hard way. I think people avoid it because they don’t want to think negatively or they are just too busy. But bad things happen to data regularly so planning and taking a little time can save you from a major headache. This is another question that I field from some people who have the concern so I’ll address this today.

What to Understand about Backups

The old saying is, “You’re only as good as your last backup.” This is very true for several reasons, the obvious being that you have something to go back to in case you lose data. But the important point is that you perform backups regularly to insure you have new data captured as well as revised data from a recent date. If you did your backup months ago then that’s the point in time you have and nothing newer. You should perform a backup ASAP and then plan to backup more often than you have been.

Also understand that a backup is not usually live so data you just changed isn’t captured automatically if you are running a traditional backup. However synchronizing data via software to the cloud keeps your active data rather safe though this is not entirely the case. I’ve had issues with Word not auto-saving as often as it should so I click the save icon often to make sure new data is save for the synchronization.

To What Should Data Be Backed Up?

Clip Art Image Copyright by Microsoft. Clip Art Used by Permission of Microsoft

Again, this is another great question. I like having several options for redundancy. For my daily needs I use Dropbox to synchronize working data to the cloud, meaning internet (no endorsement intended, there are several such products that work well). Most services allow you to purchase extra space for backup, however, in the case of writers most text files are very small so your needs may not be huge. No matter what word processing you use make sure to save often to avoid issues with the software. It can be the difference between hours of work lost versus a few minutes worth of missing data. How such software works is by synchronizing data in a special folder to the cloud on the internet. Most of these services allow you to even access this data from a webpage or smartphone. The main advantages to this type of backup is that your data is off-site on the cloud and the synchronization is frequent depending on the number of saved changes to files – just make sure you’re data is in the correct folder for the software to access and check that it is working properly.

Next I backup to another location using an external drive. Again, I have software that defines what I back up and where. My external hard drive is a good location for this type of redundancy but I only use it about once a week since I sync to the cloud daily. You can also use a thumb drive just as easily. The pros to this kind of drive is that it is small and easy to carry. However the size is also a con in that it can be easily lost. Some backup software also allows you to buy space on a provided cloud so that you remove the aspect of hardware failure with your backups. Remember that this type of cloud space is not necessarily like synchronization so you may have to manage your space by deleting old backups whereas something like Dropbox is syncing changes from a specific folder. Using backup software means you must define what is backed up unlike synchronization software where you must save to a specific folder so understand the differences between the two types of software.

Summary and Closing

To be clear, I recommend backing up data using more than one type for the sake of redundancy. You can do this by using a service like Dropbox for syncing services over the internet to the cloud. You can also backup to hardware simply by copying data you want to protect it or by using specific software. I like to keep a backup of some sort on hardware I can reach in case I’m unable to reach cloud-based services. Whatever you use be consistent and diligent to backup your data so you won’t sweat data loss when something goes wrong.

Do you have a backup plan for your writing data? What type of backup do you use? Please share your strategy and ask questions in the comments section below this post. Also, check out my latest posts and my announcements on the News page. I’m planning a month-long sale of “The Black Bag” for Halloween but you can download it for free from Smashwords by signing up to follow this blog via email for the coupon. Thanks for reading!

PHS

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Filed under: Indie Publishing, Planning, Self-publishing, Tech Tips, The Black Bag, Tips, Writing Tagged: Indie Publishing, P. H. Solomon, Planning, The Black Bag, Tips, writing

6 Writing Updates

Photo used in The Bow of Destiny book trailer

Rather than post a short update on the News page I decided to post more details here today.

1. I plan to complete my current revision of The Bow of Destiny by the end of the month to send to my editor for structural and then detailed editing.

2. I’m currently in discussions with an artist about the cover design for The Bow of Destiny. I hope to share more details during October and announce a cover reveal date.

3. I was honored by Rave Reviews Book Club to have the “The Black Bag” chosen for their PUSHTUESDAY via Twitter last week – many thanks to those who supported me and bought copies of The Black Bag

4. I’m planning a price reduction for The Black Bag during the month of October so check back for more details. However, if you want the book sooner than that you can receive a coupon for a free copy (for any e-book format) to download from Smashwords. You know you want to whet your appetite for some early Halloween reading ! Sign-up today for the free download!

Available at Amazon, Smashwords and All Major E-Book Vendors!

5. I’m submitting a short story this week. If it is accepted anywhere I’ll be sure to post the news everywhere so keep checking my feeds for announcements. I’m also working on several other short stories for submission as well. Check my Short WIP page for story titles.

6. I’ve hosted several book blog tours over the last month so check those out and support those authors.

Thanks for reading and supporting. Everyone is welcome to leave comments and questions.

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Filed under: Best Laid Plans, Blog Tour, Creativity, Editing, Elemental Earth, Fiction, Harmony Kent, Indie Publishing, Rave Review Book Club, Self-publishing, Social Media, Tamie Dearen, The Battle for Brisingamen, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, Twitter, What is Needed, When Darkness Breaks, Writing Tagged: Announcement, Coverart, Facebook, Goals, Indie Publishing, Launch, Marketing, P. H. Solomon, Rave Reviews Book Club, Short Stories, Social Media, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, Twitter, What is Needed, writing

4 Platform Tips for the Fund Challenged Writer

Have you got a list of things that you need to do as a writer? Do you lack funds to acquire some or all of these needs for your writer platform. Here’s 4 tips for inexpensively improving your platform without breaking the bank.

1. Lack funds to create a website? Use a free one like WordPress.com. Want a custom domain name with your site for minimal cost? WordPress and other such hosts can help with that too. Here’s what WordPress can do!

2. Need to use email with your own domain name? Try it for minimal cost via Google Apps. Here are the instructions.

3. Have a product, announcement or other tweet you want new followers to see and retweet? Pin your tweet to the top of your feed and it will be the first post seen on your feed by visitors. Here are some visual instructions to do just that:

Go to your feed and choose something you’ve posted and click on the 3 dots for “More” and then click “Pin to your profile page”:

Here’s what currently stays at the top of me feed:

4. Want to add pictures to your blog posts but lack funds? If you have Microsoft Office installed you can use Click Art from Office. Verify that the Click Art is from Microsoft by either hovering over the image or right clicking on the image and choosing properties to see the originator. To access this library from Office 2010 click on the Insert tab and then on the Click Art button:

In fact, the picture at the top of this post is from Click Art. Read the terms of service for Click Art and understand how you may use it. If you need to use royalty free pictures for re-sale that’s another issue altogether so know what your are doing with pictures. For a great discussion of Microsoft’s Clip Art usage click here.

That’s all for today. See the News page for upcoming announcements like the month-long October special for “The Black Bag”! Feel free to leave comments below and I will reply! Remember to sign-up to follow by email and receive a coupon for a FREE copy (any e-book format) via Smashwords for “The Black Bag”. Thanks for reading!

PHS

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Filed under: Creativity, Fiction, Indie Publishing, Marketing, Planning, Self-publishing, Tips, Twitter, Uncategorized, Writing Tagged: creativity, Indie Publishing, The Black Bag, Tips, writing

“SPOTLIGHT” Author Blog Tour: Best Laid Plans

  Hi! I’m Tamie Dearen—wife, mother, grandmother, dentist, Jesus-lover, musician, composer, and author (as of 2013). I’ve published four books and a novella in The Best Girls Series, and one Young Adult Fantasy, Alora: The Wander-Jewel. As a relatively new author, I’ve found Rave Reviews Book Club to be a great resource for information and a wonderful place for mutual support.

This is an excerpt from The Best Girls.

 

Best Laid Plans: Book Three of The Best Girls Series

 

“Charlie, I don’t understand why you won’t even give me a chance.” Josh tried to catch her eyes as he spoke, but they darted away as if his gaze had burned her corneas. She held herself away from him, her posture rigid, even as they swayed together on the dance floor.

“We’re just too different, Josh. We live in different states. We have different dreams. We have different beliefs and values. You believe in casual sex, and that’s fine for you. But I’m the absolute opposite of that. Can’t you see? There’s no hope.”

“There’s no hope because you refuse to allow it. I’m changing. I’ve already changed. I’m not the same man that you met six months ago, but you won’t give me an opportunity to prove it.”

“Why are you trying to change into something different just to please me? You were fine and happy before you met me. There were obviously lots and lots of women who liked you just the way you were. Why try to change into something you’re not?” She tried to pull away, but he firmed his grasp at her waist and hand.

“But that’s the thing. I wasn’t fine and happy before I met you. I was miserable and I didn’t even know it. And now I’ve met you, so I know I could be really happy if I changed and you loved me. But you won’t give me a chance, so I’m still miserable.”

“You’re saying that meeting me took you from being blissfully ignorant about how miserable you were to consciously aware of how miserable you are?”

“You’re twisting my words.” He ground his teeth together, searching for something to say, anything to break through her barriers. “Charlie . . . Don’t you miss me, even a little? Don’t you ever think about that kiss?”

She was quiet for a moment, “Josh . . . Okay, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t physically attracted to you. There. Are you happy? But . . . But that’s not enough to build a relationship on.”

His mind was spinning. This was his moment, his only opportunity. She’d finally at least admitted to an attraction. If that was all he had to work with, he’d have to improvise. “So physically, you could see yourself being married to me? I mean, if I was a different guy with this body and this face, you could love me?”

Her face was so red, he thought she might be in pain, “I .  . That’s . . . Okay, yes, I mean, if you were someone else. But—”

“What’s he like? This other guy? This someone else that you’re going to marry someday?”

“I . . . Honestly, I don’t think he exists. I don’t think there’s a guy that I’m willing to give up all my independence for. I don’t really need a guy, anyway.”

“But if he did exist, what would he be like?”

Charlie let out an exasperated breath. “I don’t know. I don’t spend time thinking about it.” Josh peered into her huge golden eyes and saw her pupils dilate. She gave her head a shake as if to clear it. “I guess he’d be a partner. I don’t need someone to take care of me like a parent. And . . . He’d have some kind of cool job, like, I don’t know . . . Maybe he’d be a fireman. Someone brave and adventurous who helps people. Not someone who spends his whole life working to make more money. And he’d be the kind of guy who only wanted to be with one woman for the rest of his life. I don’t want to constantly think I’m being compared with someone else—and probably coming up short.”

He was quiet for a moment, contemplating her words. “Thank you. At least I understand what you want, and how you see me.” He heard his voice crack and turned his face away, embarrassed. The hope that had bloomed in his chest died a little at the truth of her assessment.

“Josh, I’m sorry—”

“No, it’s okay. It’s my fault. You hit closer to home than you realize. That’s pretty much who I was, but not who I am and not who I intend to be.” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, whistling between his lips. “But let me ask you just one thing. You don’t think you could ever love a doctor? Not even an adventurous doctor who wanted to help people?”

 

Charlie felt her face reddening again. She had so little control around this man. It was one of the reasons he made her feel so uncomfortable. When he’d asked her the first question, she’d tried to come up with a description he couldn’t possibly fit. It probably wasn’t even true. She had no idea who she wanted to spend the rest of her life with or who she could ever be in love with. She only knew that her attraction to Josh made her lose the ability to think logically. When she was with him, she always lost the upper hand. And she needed that advantage to compete. What was she supposed to say to his question now that he was making it specific? What was a safe thing to say?

She was distressed to find that tears were flooding her eyes. What on earth was wrong with her? She blinked furiously, but a few escaped onto her cheeks. “I don’t know.” She pulled her hand away, trying to escape before he noticed her crying.

“Wait, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

He drew her against him, wrapping his arms around her. Suddenly, the floodgates broke. She’d been working so hard to be independent and not accept any financial assistance from Steven. But her workload, along with classes and studying, had been overwhelming. And she felt so alone and isolated in Colorado while her mom and sister were across the country in New York City. But she didn’t want to admit it to anyone. She hated admitting she was wrong—she’d always hated it. She’d been so incredibly stressed, but hadn’t wanted to share it. She didn’t want to burden her pregnant mom or her sister who was planning a wedding. Now, enveloped in the Josh’s arms, she realized how much she missed feeling cared for and comforted. The tears kept coming, even while she tried desperately to stop them.

He led her back to her chair and handed her a clean napkin. Then he knelt down in front of her, and gazed into her eyes. She noticed for the first time that his deep green eyes had little flecks of blue in them.

“Charlie. I’m not going to do this to you anymore. I love you, and I want to be with you. But I want you to be happy even more. I can’t stand that I made you cry. I’m really sorry. I won’t bother you any more. Just, please . . .” He made a strangled sound in his throat and dropped his eyes. “If you ever change your mind, please come find me.”

He leaned in to brush his lips lightly against hers, and then he was gone.

Follow Tamie online:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TamieDearen

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tamie-Dearen/1384772145109650

Website: http://tamiedearen.weebly.com/

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Tamie-Dearen/e/B00FS21B4Y/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=undefined&sr=1-2-ent

 

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Filed under: Best Laid Plans, Blog Tour, Fiction, Indie Publishing, Marketing, Rave Review Book Club, Self-publishing, Social Media, Tamie Dearen, Twitter, Writing Tagged: Amazon, Announcement, Best Laid Plans, Coverart, Indie Publishing, Launch, Marketing, Rave Reviews Book Club, Tamie Dearen, writing

4 Common Computer Questions

 

When other writers find out that I work by day in computer support, technical questions are immediately asked of me. Here are some of those questions and my suggestions in answer (NOTE: I’m not doing technical support from this site so please don’t ask me about fixing problems).

What brand should I use? I rarely answer this directly as there are several good brands of computers available depending on your taste and budget. The main idea I suggest is research the brand and model.
My battery doesn’t charge anymore. Should I replace my laptop? This depends on one main factor: the age of the laptop. A new battery can cost between a quarter to half of the cost of an inexpensive laptop so if the laptop is over three to four years old and/or out of warranty you might consider replacing it. At that age a laptop may have other parts that fail so investing more money into it may be a losing prospect versus a new, affordable laptop. Also consider this: many newer laptops have solid-state hard drives with less failure potential as well as improved battery life.
Should I get a laptop or a tablet? If you travel a lot then a tablet is ideal and may last longer than a laptop. With a laptop the keyboard can fail/break or the screen can stop working with age. While a tablet can be broken, an external keyboard can be more easily replaced. I’m strongly considering a tablet when I eventually replace my current laptop. Regardless, my next computing device will have a solid state drive.
Where should I get a new laptop/tablet? What should I pay? I look for good buys on clearance/refurbished sites. Also, consider getting an extended warranty especially if you carry your laptop/tablet to various locations or travel frequently. However, if you are mainly computing from home then there is less wear and tear on it so the standard warranty is fine. As far as how much to pay it depends on what you r usage. If you just write then something less expensive is fine. If you play games or do more intensive tasks like graphics design then something with more horsepower (more memory and faster CPU) and a larger screen should be considered.

So those are some common questions I get. What questions, suggestions or personal preferences do you have? Please share your thoughts in the comments section. Also, remember if you opt to follow this blog via email I’ll send you a coupon to download my award-winning short story, The Black Bag, for FREE.

Thanks for reading and check back often for news. I’m currently completing a revision of The Bow of Destiny to send to my editor as well as other details toward publication.

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Filed under: Tech Tips, Tips, Writing Tagged: Computer Tips, P. H. Solomon, Tech Tips, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, writing

Deep POV Tips Pt. 5: Eliminate Narrative Distance

Editing for Deep POV

This writing tips series began after I attended a webinar in late July the subject of which was deep third person POV . Part 1 , Part 2, Part 3 & Part 4 of this series are available if you want to catch-up on the topic. As promised, here are more tips gleaned from the presentation that you may find helpful as I know they will be for me.

One characteristic of deep POV is the elimination of narrative distance. What does this mean? Simply put, the reader lives with the POV character as the events happen instead of being informed or directed by a narrator. In other words, instead of using a narrative voice with tags that cue the reader on activity and dialogue by the main POVC, the deep POV style lets the reader experience the action with the main POVC.  For example:

Narratvie usage: When the door opened, Martha turned with surprise and said, “Who’s there?”

Deep POV: The door banged open. Martha whirled. “Who’s there?”

Notice the difference? There’s not a tag for Martha’s question. Also the action is ongoing in the second example which is accomplished by the verb usage and dropping unnecessary conditions and descriptions. In so doing, the narrative excess is removed along with the telling and passivity.

In my next post, I’ll focus on another characteristic of deep POV and how it is applied.

Want more pointers? Try these resources for deep POV:

Rivet Your Readers with Deep Point of View by Jill Elizabeth Nelson

Writer’s Guide to Emotion: Fiction Writing Tools by Sherry Soule

Check out Janice Hardy’s Fiction University.

Do you use deep POV? Why or why not? How do you utilize these and other aspects of this technique. I love receiving comments so feel free to leave one via the form. Also, you can receive notifications about this blog by email and even receive coupon to download my award-winning short story for free. Sign-up and download today!

Thanks for stopping by and reading.

P. H. Solomon

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Filed under: Creativity, Deep POV, Editing, Fiction, Indie Publishing, Self-publishing, Tips, Uncategorized, Writing Tagged: creativity, Deep POV, Indie Publishing, P. H. Solomon, The Black Bag, writing

Day 136! ………………How Did We Get Here? (87)

PHS:

While my blog focuses on writing, my subject pales in comparison to this issue. We all need to keep these girls in our thoughts and hope they will be released/rescued soon. Thx to jinlobify for keeping this serious issue in the forefront through this blog!

Originally posted on jinlobify:

It was only yesterday that I was writing about how Boko Haram did not have any plans from the onset about what to do with their victories, and how their sponsors only unleashed them to disorganize and disrupt the government of President Jonathan. This notion is beginning to gain more grounds than their attempt to copy ISIS. Not only were they not supposed to do more than just performing acts of rascality, and irresponsibility, they were not even supposed to do anything close to beheading, mass killings, and wiping out of villages and towns, a reckless band of murderers and destroyers of properties.

I was reading an interview this morning between two American journalists, one on the ground in northern Nigeria, and the other somewhere out there. Not only did they report that Boko Haram is emptying towns and taking them over, but the abducted girls, who have been sighted…

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What is Needed Part 6

Photo used in The Bow of Destiny book trailer

Author’s Note: This is the conclusion of Part 2 of the prequel blog serial entitled “What is Needed”. Click on these links to read Part 1, Part 2 (first section), Part 2 (Conclusion), Part 3, Part 4 and Part 5. This series is a companion to The Bow of Destiny (Part 1 of The Bow of Hart Saga) as expanded writing samples for the current Indiegogo campaign for the novel. The events of the blog series pre-date those of The Bow of Destiny by several hundred years but include several long-lived characters who appear in the forthcoming novel. Please read this post and consider supporting the fundraiser. To learn more about The Bow of Destiny campaign click the provided link. This material is copyrighted and not intended for reproduction except at the author’s consent.

What is Needed (Part 6)

by P. H. Solomon

Troll-wolves howled and Hastra slipped into the shade between trees with Zelma and Howart. If only we can avoid the pursuit one last time. The Tower’s just ahead if I remember correctly. She pinched her lower lip and peek along the old road they followed.

The sun dangled between corona-rimmed clouds and the snow-capped peaks of the Grey Spires. Sunshine bathed the path ahead of the three furtive shapes with golden light.

Zelma’s breath puffed mist. “Is it still clear?”

Howart loomed in the shadow of the trees. “They aren’t as close as yesterday.”

“They make enough noise to scare everything for miles. But I don’t see any scouts so let’s go.” Hastra eased out of hiding onto the overgrown road and her two companions followed.

Her stomach rumbled but Hastra dared not call for a halt so she ate bread from her bag. Two weeks and the food’s still good though this is hard now. She kicked a root and stumbled but Zelma steadied her.

At the head of the long rise Hastra spied the pile of weathered stone named the Old Tower. Where Withlings used to go to see and hear instruction or speak rituals. Now it’s the dead end of the trap Kregen sprung on us. They staggered over the path against wind that snapped and swirled across the end of the headland that thrust into the booming sea.

Horns and Troll-wolves howled. Much closer now. “We must hurry now, sister.”

Zelma walked on with eyes wide and shivering.

Hastra brushed hair from her face. Is she cold or afraid? The edifice loomed out of the gloom of dusk in the east. Distant lightning flashed across the Bay of Storms from the east and lit the roofless tower-top. It defies wind and weather. Gusts tugged at the low scrub-trees scattered around its feet. This isolated end of nowhere may be the end of us. If only Eloch…

The travelers hurried into the shadow of the Old Tower and took refuge from the blasts in a shallow alcove. Snippets of howling and horns broke through the roar of wind. They’re coming now. There’s no escape. Hastra hugged herself but still shivered. “Now what?”

“I don’t know except go up.” Howart steadied himself with a trembling hand on the stone. He leaned against the wall, slid into a crouch and laid his head on scratched arms folded over his knees. A ragged sigh escaped from his thin lips. “Just need to rest a while.”

Hastra peered along the road. We’re all spent and bound to die. She touched the death wound from which she’d risen. “What is needed is given.”

Horn blasts floated on the wind. Zelma’s lips quivered and dark circles ringed her eyes above pale skin. Her hair reached from beneath her gray hood. “They’re coming now.”

Hastra nodded. Even her hair seems faded. “They’ve found our scent. We can’t stay here long. If we are needed atop the tower then let’s climb.”

Soft sobs escaped from Zelma. “Then what?”

Hastra embraced her sister. “We’ll pray, Zelma. All will be well in the end. We’re here for a reason just because we’re still breathing when we should be weeks dead.”

Zelma forced a thin smile through her tears. “It will never be the same as it was, but perhaps we see better atop the tower.”

Hastra stirred. “Trolls are near. It’s time.”

Zelma’s hair fell across her face as she touched Howart’s head. The Grendonese man remained still. “He’s fallen asleep.”

Hastra’s head whipped around at the close sound of horns. Zelma jumped and Howart started.

The gaunt man stood. “We must go and seek Eloch’s guidance.”

They scurried from the alcove and climbed the stairwell that wound around the tower’s girth. Wind flailed the surviving Withlings and the storm thundered in the bay as they fought for each ascending step. They ignored their weariness as horns sounded closer.

Hastra staggered. Surely there’s time for us. She thrust her hands before her and pulled for the next step as rain pattered the stone.

Horns sounded closer along with hounds baying, clear and constant, as the din of pursuit carried over the wind. They grappled their way to the top and knelt with their cloaks twisting in the violent wind.

Snarls announced the arrival of trolls. The troll-wolves howled. Kregen’s voice rose in the wind. “Quickly, take them.”

Hastra raised her eyebrows to Howart and Zelma. There’s fear on their faces. If only we can meditate in all this. “Pretend it’s the Hall of Silence.”

Hastra shut her eyes and raised her hands. What is needed is given and I need focus. She ignored the troll boots clamoring on the steps. She breathed and reached for practiced calm. Move in me, O Eloch. She exhaled. Welcome warmth bloomed at the edge of her awareness and she waited rather than reached for it in conscious thought. Warmth swallowed her fear and grief.

Hastra’s eyes blinked open and shut as her usual trembling at the presence of Eloch took hold. Her arms shook and her body quaked. Zelma and Howart undulated like grass in the wind in Hastra’s brief glimpses.

The clouds spun into a whirlwind that detached from main storm and churned toward the tower. Hastra closed her eyes. Calm as a sleeping babe. Indecipherable words erupted from her mouth.

The wind rumbled and drowned the clamor of troll horns and hounds. Hastra’s body stilled with the wind and her eyes opened. Light glowed in the spinning gust. We’re protected from our enemy. Her arms dropped to her sides and then she fell over and stared at the shape moving amid the light and whirlwind.

Beyond the silence with the whirlwind, Kregen cringed at the stairwell. He stretched out his arms and shouted unheard words. He shook his fist with a grimace and fled.

“You have come as children in need. Will you serve on?” The voice suffused Hastra with the rich whisper of peace and inexorable power.

Kregen’s offer rose with the flash of the knife. Hastra smiled as tears spilled from her eyes. “I will serve.” Zelma and Howart answered the same.

“Zelma Vorcinni, should you choose to follow, to you shall be given the task of protecting for long years that which shall come to you in time. You shall want for nothing, not even companionship in desolate places.”

“Howart Balto, should you choose to follow, to you shall be given the task of hiding against chaos what shall come to you after a while. No power of time or change shall pierce the bulwark about you in the midst of confusion.”

“Hastra Vorcinni, should you choose to go, to you shall be given the task of labor against innumerable foes, yet you shall find rest and plenty in the midst of want and danger.”

“And now, my children reach to me if you will come and be comforted and healed…”

At Eloch’s urging, the three Withlings stretched out their hands as one.

The whirlwind fell away.

Hastra rose on one elbow amid a grass covered field at dusk. “Zelma? Howart?” She sat alone with her bag that held her food and the Book of Prophecies.

End of Part 6

Comments are welcome so please leave them below. See my Contact page for information on how to connect with me or follow the blog by email. Visit my Indiegogo campaign for more information and help support the novel’s publication. The campaign ends tonight!

Thanks for reading!

PHS

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What is Needed, Part 5

Photo used in The Bow of Destiny book trailer

Author’s Note: This is the conclusion of Part 2 of the prequel blog serial entitled “What is Needed”. Click on these links to read Part 1, Part 2 (first section), Part 2 (Conclusion), Part 3 and Part 4 This series is a companion to The Bow of Destiny (Part 1 of The Bow of Hart Saga) as expanded writing samples for the current Indiegogo campaign for the novel. The events of the blog series pre-date those of The Bow of Destiny by several hundred years but include several long-lived characters who appear in the forthcoming novel. Please read this post and consider supporting the fundraiser. To learn more about The Bow of Destiny campaign click the provided link. This material is copyrighted and not intended for reproduction except at the author’s consent.

 

What is Needed (Part 5)

by P. H. Solomon

Their chains clanked and scraped the stone floor as the three of them moved.

Zelma’s resolve slipped into weeping while she clung to Hastra’s hand. “How are we alive?”

“I don’t know.” Hastra touched her blood-stained dress and the hole where the Kregen stabbed her. She ran her finger along the line of her mortal wound but found no blood. Best not probe that further. She withdrew her hand and squeezed Zelma’s with the other.

Howart cleared throat. “It’s the prophecy. We live because of it.”

“Why not the others then?” Hastra chewed her lower lip.

Beyond Zelma, Howart’s chains rattled. “What is needed is given.”

Hastra mumbled the response with Zelma. “But what has been given besides life? We are chained in darkness and useless here.”

“We must wait and see.”

“Perhaps.” He’s got a better grasp of this than me. We may be waiting for the rats to chew us to the bone. She shuddered. Does my heart beat? Will I live through the pain of rat bites? She squeezed Zelma’s hand again. Better not mention that to her.

As the time passed, Hastra dozed several times and lost track of time. Once she awoke to rat’s fur brushing her ankle. She kicked with both feet. The rat squealed and it pattered away.

Zelma gasped at Hastra’s commotion. “What’s that?”

“Nothing, just woke from a dream.”

“I heard something running on the floor.”

Hastra jumped as Howart’s deeper voice boomed in the silence. “There are rats in here.”

Zelma’s chains rattled as she pulled her feet closer.

After that Hastra sat awake and waited for the rat to return. Teeth gnawed on boards in the darkness and matched her hunger pangs. At least, I still get hungry. She rubbed her raw wound inside her dress. Better than the alternative.

Later, the door’s lock snicked open and woke Hastra. Light shined around the edges of the door. They’ve brought us food or come to drag us before Kregen again. Wait, that’s no flickering torch. Her leg-irons scraped on the floor when she stirred and a rat squealed as it scrabbled away.

Howart and Zelma woke with groans as the door opened. Hastra squinted at the glow and her eyes watered. A figure in shadow stepped into the doorway. Her chains clicked and fell open. She gasped as the figure with the wide-brimmed hat waved them to the door.

Zelma leaned close grasped Hastra’s arm. “What’s going on? Who’s that?”

Hastra patted her sister’s trembling hand and opened her mouth to speak. The hat – he’s the one who healed me. “I think we should follow.”

Howart kicked his chains away. “Who is it? Why should we follow.”

“First, he’s got a light. Second, he let us loose and third, he healed my leg several months ago.” Hastra struggled to her feet and her knees wobbled.

The stranger moved into the passage beyond the room and the light faded as he walked away.

Howart stumbled to the door. “Hurry, he’s leaving.”

Hastra and Zelma leaned against each other and followed. They stepped into the hall as their rescuer turned a far corner. The three Withlings hobbled after the light past broken doors and intersecting passages that stretched into brooding darkness.

They arrived at the stairwell out of the lower cellar and Howart paused. “This isn’t the way out. It’s back up to Kregen and trolls. Should we risk it?”

Zelma climbed a few steps before she turned back. “Maybe they are gone and this man came to free us.”

Hastra followed her sister. “Stay in the dark but I think we have no other choice.”

They gained the upper cellar and drew near the stair to the keep when the noise of trolls echoed from above them.

Howart stretched his thin arm in the sisters way. “Still here. Where’s he leading us, back to them?”

The man’s light faded and then grew brighter. He waved to them. “Come, it’s safe. There’s food for you.”

Hastra shrugged to Howart and pushed past his out-flung arm. “Think how he set us free without keys. I’m following him. Anyway, he says there’s food.”

Hastra scurried on the stair and the other’s feet scuffed on the stone behind her. We need the food soon. I’m going to faint without it. She touched the rent in her dress where Kregen’s knife-blade killed her. There’s too many miracles in this since that moment.

The Withlings gained the main level the hustled after the man in the wide-brimmed hat. Lumps lay in the shadows of the unlit main hall.

Hastra’s gaze touched the hand at the moment Zelma gasped and wept. They’re dead, all the Withlings are dead. Fixed stares greeted Hastra wherever she whirled.

Zelma covered her mouth with her hands. Howart gaped and his eyes bulged from their deep hollows. They wound through the hacked bodies until they stood by the door to the dining hall where trolls hooted and snarled.

Their rescuer waved his arm into the room. “Eat, take what you need. When you finish I will show you out.”

Hastra whispered in spite of the din from the trolls. “But we’ll be seen. They’ll kill us.”

The man in the hat pointed to a table where no trolls sat. “I have everything you need prepared. Go on.”

She glanced at her companions and their doubtful expressions. He set us free without keys. Hastra peeked into the dining hall. The trolls fought and laughed, their tusks and fangs flashed in the light. I’ll run if they notice me. She sighed and stepped through the doorway.

The trolls never noticed her. Hastra lowered her head and scurried toward the table laden with food. Around her trolls howled their vile glee but none of them even glanced her way.

At the table Hastra snatched food without thinking and shoved it in her mouth. She chewed and groaned. Howart and Zelma soon joined her and they ate their fill. Howart found sacks into which they shoved the excess for provisions. They returned to the doorway and the man in the hat.

“Follow me.”

Hastra bent and cocked her head as their rescuer strode past her. I never can quite see his face. She hefted her bag and walked behind the sight of his brown coat and hat.

The man in the hat led them to the chapel. Benches and chairs lay overturned and they picked their way through the ruined room.

Their rescuer kicked a pile of broken wood and pointed to a leather-bound book lying spine up and open. He cocked his head to Hastra. “You must take this burden. Write the prophecy in it and all your visions.”

Hastra stumbled through the refuse, knelt and gathered the book to her breast. She blinked tears and nodded. I know him know. She wiped her sorrow from her cheeks.

“Time to leave.” The man in the hat left the chapel and the three surviving Withlings trailed after him.

They followed out the front door but turned to a postern gate down the wall.

Hastra blinked under the gray sky and the brushed her hair across her face. Clean air. She sucked in a long breath. At the gate Hastra paused with her companions.

The man in the hat pushed the gate open. “Go to the old tower if you still serve as Withlings.”

They shuffled out the gate. Here the chill wind snapped their tattered cloaks and bit their faces. Hastra hobbled on the narrow trail beyond the walls of Withling’s Watch.

Zelma’s voice rang in the gusts. “He’s gone. Who was he?”

Hastra cocked her head at the gate and motioned to her sister and Howart. “Come, we’ve a mission to fulfill now. Maybe we’ll see him again.” It’s just us now. “What is needed is given.”

End of Part 4 (Part 5 will be posted on 9/2)

Comments are welcome so please leave them below. See my Contact page for information on how to connect with me or follow the blog by email. Visit my Indiegogo campaign for more information and help support the novel’s publication.

Thanks for reading!

PHS

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RRBC Book Blog Tour: When Darkness Breaks

Join me in celebrating Traci Sanders latest book release When Darkness Breaks as part of a week-long blog tour via Rave Reviews Book Club. Take it away Traci!

My first love in writing was poetry and songs, which is basically the same thing to me.  Songs are poetry set to music.  Words and music have power.  I learned this at a very young age as well.  I loved listening to music as a child, but my favorite part was always the lyrics.  Most of my friends just liked the beat, but I wanted to hear the story being told inside.  If a song didn’t tell a good story, it didn’t speak to me.  I am still that way in the music I choose to listen to.  I try to teach my children this same value, but it doesn’t always register.

 

New Release: When Darkness Breaks

“When Darkness Breaks”

Local news anchor, Amber Woods, seemed to have it all – a thriving career, two beautiful children, and a doting husband named Drake. Life was perfect…until her world was turned upside down in one fateful night. While the incident causes Amber to renew her priorities; unable to deal with what happened, Drake begins sinking into a deep depression laced with infidelity and alcohol. Hoping a change of scenery will salvage her quickly deteriorating marriage, Amber agrees that a move to New York may be just what they need. Unfortunately, she quickly discovers that you can’t outrun your problems and the past is not always left in the past. Can Amber save her marriage without losing herself along the way? What will she do when darkness breaks her will to keep trying?

 

www.amazon.com/dp/B00MONNXSC

 

 

About the Author

 

Traci Sanders, author of When Darkness Breaks

Author and mother of three, Traci Sanders has been composing poetry, songs, and children’s stories since the young age of ten. In 2003, she opened her home to young children in her community offering “beyond the basics” teachings. In 2008, she was recognized by the Child Care Resource and Referral Agency as Family Childcare Provider of the Year and was featured in two local newspapers. In 2010, she furthered her education by earning her Child Development Associates degree and was a recipient of the FIRST (First Incentive for Raising Standards among Teachers) Award presented by the Child Care Commissioner of her state. She continues to shape the young minds of the future through her home-based childcare program. Her daily interactions with these children provide constant inspiration for her writing and she plans to continue on this path until her story has reached “The End.”

Her first book was published in January 2013 titled Welcome to Poop Camp “The Truth, The Whole Truth, and Nothing but the Truth about Potty Training.” She released her first children’s book about family child care in May 2013.  To date, she has published five books including her first novella When Darkness Breaks.

 

Twitter – https://twitter.com/TLCKids4915

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Website – http://www.tlckidspublishing.com/

As usual comments are welcome via the form below. Please support Traci with by sharing on social media as well as purchasing and reviewing her book.

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