Entry Six

Whew.  So it has been a month since my last post, and what a busy month it is.  The fall season is always a bustle of activity for me, and this year it is no exception.  If anything, it is worse than usual.

So for those of you who are keeping updated by my booksie account, you may have read that I've had a recent death in my family.  My great-grandmother died on Sept. 30th, at 5:50 a.m., after almost three and a half hours of struggling.  I will never forget how she fought for each breath, while her lungs filled up with liquid.  Nightmarish.  She was a close member of mine family, and will always be missing.  I'm only nineteen, mind you, so I've never watched anyone die.  It was horrible, and add onto that, that it was a member of my blood, and it makes it horrible.

But that's not the all of it.

My aunt was married Oct. 6th, and thought it was a beautiful wedding, that was also the same day that Hospice took my great-grandfather (the one who has cancer, and whose wife died the week before last).  My cousins found him with his head in the grandfather clock, and it was a miracle that the glass did not slice his throat open.  He has simply given up.  Hell, I would too if I lost my spouse of 61 years.  That is a long time to stay married to someone, to love them and take care of them.   His organs are beginning to shut down.  Yesterday, we went down to Pensacola to visit him, and when my  mom walked into his room, I thought she had walked into the wrong one.  I remember thinking...  That's not my pawpaw, he doesn't look like that.  But then I seen the name of the wall, and it was like hitting a pile of bricks.  His mouth was open, like that of my grandmother's when she died, and he was breathing really loud.  It was like time had split, showing my a vision of my grandmother on her deathbed, fighting to breath.  I don't think I could breath right then.  It was horrible, and all I wanted to do was cry, but I had three sisters, my mother, step mother, and father in the room with me, and I could show no tears.  I had to be strong for my family, be the support that they need.  And we need it.  Trust me.

So I don't know how all of you feel about ghosts, but I am a firm believer in them, and that faith has been reaffirmed this passed week.  The house that my grandparents lived in, was built by my pawpaw's own hands, and my grandmother's spirit has not left that house.  I believe she is waiting for my grandfather to pass.  But here is the proof that she is still there...  My cousins were in the house by themselves.  Their both guys, a year or two older than my nineteen, and built like an athlete.  Not much scared them, and it takes something huge to do so.  Well, Jay and Brandon were in the house, when the sewing room light came on. Mind you, that was my mawmaw's favorite room.  No one was in there.  The guys were in the kitchen, goofing off and talking, when the light turned on.  Brandon screamed.  Like.  A.  Girl.  Man, I wish I had been there to see that.

Well Jay called his older sister, who went in because the guys were too scared too.  Ha!  And she went in to turn off the light.  She said that when she did, she felt an icy pressure on her shoulder....  And she got the hell up outta there.  Jay said that you would've thought the fires of hell were at her heels.

That's not the only incident thought.  Lights have been coming on and off constantly, in rooms she's was a familiar visitor in when she was alive.  And a cup, which was all the way across the dining room and no where near the kitchen, appeared upright in the middle of the floor, in front of the sink and fridge...  Aunt Susie and Aunt Debra were in the living room when they heard the extra cups hit the floor in the dining room.  With the layout of the house, there is no way that a cup could have rolled or bounced into the kitchen and land, upright, on the middle of the floor.

So, yeah, she's still there.

Oh!  And with the bad news, comes the good...  I finally have a job in the USAF (United States Air Force). Instead of them putting me in any random job, and me possibly hating that job, I picked five that I wanted to have...  And I got one of those five!  I'm so excited.  I go in two weeks to sign contracts, and I have a DEP CC meeting this afternoon, so I might find out then.  BMT (Basic Military Training) is in Feb. 2013.  I CAN'T WAIT!!  I'm so excited.  But if I don't gain at least ten lbs, I'm gonna have a bit of trouble. I'll have to work on it. :)

So, with all that's been going on, I haven't really had a lot of time to work on The Phantom Races.  Those events listed above are just barely brushing the pile of stuff we've got going on...  We've got moving, family drama, football games, the fair is coming up, birthdays, holidays, drama, siblings... Oh, and did I mention drama.  Yeah, one half of my family is lovers of starting trouble and BS.  It's their hobby.

But I'm gonna see if I can get at least chapter five done today, and catch up on my Reading Requests on booksie.  They're beginning to pile up.  Well, take care everyone, and be safe.  Hope the muses bless you with tons of inspiration today. :)

- Dixie

Entry Five

So the first four chapters of The Phantom Races made it onto the computer screen today.  I am pleased at how they have turned out.  To read the novel, click here.  Thanks for those of you who clicked on that lovely "here" link to the left.  I really appreciate it.  I just love it when those little orange boxes pop up that says "New Comments" or "New Fan Requests".  They really  make my day.

So, on a depressing note, we found out this passed week or so that my grandfather, the very one who inspired me to go into the United States Air Force, has about three to four weeks to live.  For those of you who are not keeping in touch with the going-on of my day-to-day life, he has both liver and lung cancer.  On a good note, however, his feet were less swollen today, and he got plenty of sleep last night.  He's still awfully pale and weak, but we'll take what we can get.

I haven't worked on chapter four of The Phantom Races is nearly three weeks.  To know that I've officially finished it really makes my night.  It's not quite as long as the previous three chaps, but it'll make due.  I've also been on a tragic romantic kick lately, through no fault of my own.  I miss my best friend, and high school love, terribly- though he's engaged to another.  Sounds like the plot of a novel, does it not.  Love is a real pain in the ass.  Might incorporate it into TPR.

So, on my reading list as of tonight, Ms. Deborah Harkness's novel, Shadows of Night is sitting beside me.  The first book, A Discovery of Witches, was the bomb, and no doubt the second installment will be just the same.  I'm already loving it, and I'm only about, oh I don't know, four, maybe five chapters in.  She has an amazing writing style that pulls you in and envelopes you, like a warm blanket on a cold night.  Beautiful, simply beautiful.

As autumn is fast approaching, I've been inspired by the new found coolness of the northwestern tip of Florida.  It's not much of an improvement, only hanging around the low eighties, but it is a far cry from the horrible 110+ temps of our unusually hot summer.  Thank the Gods it is finally coming to a slow crawling end.  Well, without further ado, I shall leave you to your computer, writings, and other hobbies.  I hope this new post finds you well, and may the Gods bless you with inspiration and happiness.  Take care, my friends.

Entry Four

Alright, alright.  Let's see what I can let y'all in on today.

So a lot has been going through my head with The Phantom Races.  On a good note, I'm a quarter of the way done with chapter four, and so far my word count is 9197 words.  BOOYAH!!  Last time I did a word count challenge, my goal was ten-thousand.  Now, in just four chapters, I've almost exceeded that amount.  Hell yeah.  Which is why my word count goal for August is twenty-thousand words.  Yup, I'm gonna do it folks, and nothing short of death will stop me.  And on top of that, my sisters will be startin' school Monday. Heck yeah, but I'm still babysitting Sierra (my 2-year-old cousin-in-law), and possibly my adopted niece, Terra Lee.  Beautiful names, aren't they.  I especially like Terra Lee (of course, I'm biased, because my middle name is Lee).

Anyways...  So, the angel idea, I'm still playing around with, and actually added into the third chapter.

That's about all I can think of to add today.  I've got to get back to working on chapter four.  I wanted to give y'all a heads up on the novel.  Thanks for stayin' with me.  I really appreciate it.

Stay tuned.  :)

An Excerpt of The Phantom Races

Hey everyone.  So as promised, I have an excerpt up for The Phantom Races.  I hope y'all enjoy, and stay tuned, cause there's more to come.  :)

)O(

     No good comes from Selisona.  Ever.  I remember the red car, they smug little man inside.  He looked like a noble, and that look on his face haunts my memory.  It was like a man taking joy from watching a dog being beat.

     Just as I turn my head, I hear a familiar voice shout just on the other side of the isle.  “Amalaya!”

     “Cal?”  His hair is the first thing I see, such a brilliant vibrant color, like autumnal leaves.  Then his massive body stumbles into view, and he nearly knocks over a rack of toiletries.  As he rights himself, he turns to me with a frantic look upon his face.  “What are you doing?  Is everything okay?”
     He regards the man questionably, like a dog would a stranger.  The look of disapproval in his emerald eyes is enough.  Stepping away, I take my place beside him, looking up into the face I have grown to love and cherish.
     “You have to come with me,” he pants, his whole body shaking.  Something horrible has happened.  “We have to go.  Now.”
     As he tugs me away from stranger, I look back, and find a tear sliding down the aged cheek.  What’s going on?

Entry Three

Hello, my friends and followers.

So this afternoon, I spent my time on horseback, thinking about my character, Amalaya.  I tried to see the world through her eyes, from the back of Slim (my bay stallion), just as she would atop Solstice.  I felt one with my horse, feeling the way he moved beneath the saddle and watching how he reacted to different things, like the wind and the sound of my voice.  It was amazing, and refreshing.  It has been too long since I've gone riding, and I'm going to have to be doing it more often if I'm to write a novel with a horsewoman as my MC.

There are many things that have been going through my mind for The Phantom Races.  I've played with a bunch of ideas, drifting from just humans, goddesses, and unicorns, to the addition of angels and prophecies. I thought to myself, if the Phantom is to appear before Amalaya, then he has to have a reason, one dire enough for the Fates to send out their famous, or infamous, messenger.  Then I thought:  Angels.

So here's three words for you that I will hint to you:  Celestials, Shadows, and Shadow Angels.

Interesting, I hope.  I'm still playing around with the basics, but I'm working on it now, as we speak.  Things are really starting to piece together, sort of like a giant puzzled, though there are certainly many pieces that are still missing.

I can't wait to introduce you to my world that resides in my head.  Until then, my friends, stay tuned.  I know I keep saying that an excerpt it coming soon, but I promise you.  It is.  It so is.  Til then, have a great time, and for those of you are write, may the muses grant you inspiration.

Entry Two

Hello everyone, and welcome back.  So, this is just some more ramblings from me working on my novel.  I've found that I can think better if I write everything down, and who knows, you might be able to untangle some of the knotwork that is in my mind.  Here we go...

So I've been trying to figure out just what makes the annual Phantom Races so special.  One of the sneak peices that I'll give you, that some may already guess, is that one of the main components in the novel is unicorns.  Perhaps a bit cliche, perhaps not.  However, I'm bringing a bit of mythological into a semi-modern, fantasy world.  They rise from the sea, but even though they do, each beast is special, attached to one of the four elements.  They are wild, dangerous, and deadly, not liking humans at all.    When they rise from the sea, they are on land for at least a month or two, and always the key prize is the Phantom, though he hasn't been seen in almost two hundred years.

An historic figure, some consider the Phantom to be a myth, nothing more than stories told to children to keep them out of the sea.  He is legended to be bloodthirsty, a black beast from the very depths of the ocean itself, only controled by the Fates- the three goddesses of Alia.  But there are some that say he is as real as the summer storms that roll off the sea.  To them, he's waiting out there, gathering strength, until he can finally make landfall.  However, here's the catch...  It doesn't matter how dangerous he is.  If he arrives on land, then that means danger is nearing the future for Alia.  In a way, he is like the kingdom's "warning system", or perhaps their hero.  The Fates direct him to Alia's savior, and he sends him, or her, the message- but there's another catch.  All captured unicorns must race, and since the Phantom seeks out his charge, he is then deemed "captured".  I'm currently playing around with the idea of making the Phantom somehow communicate with its charge.  It's still under construction.

The riders- men only- must catch them [the unicorns] as they crash onto the shore. It's chaotic and very dangerous. In fact, during the two/three months of the races, no women or children are allowed onto the beach. It doesn't matter what age the men are. If their names are drawn by King Everly from the Silver Chalice, they must race. The penalty for not racing is death, though for elderly men, it is the remainder of their life in prison.  The winner(s) of the race are given wealth, military status, and a place in the royal family's social circle.  Part of the reason for the races is to weed out the weak.  They believe that because the Silver Chalice is controled by the Fates, the names called from said chalice are fated to be famous military commanders.  Like I said before, I'm still playing around with ideas, so this is what I've got so far.

Alright, so let's see what I've got so far...  Stuff worked out about the unicorns...  Info about the riders...  Some words on the Phantom...  I think that about covers it for tonight...  Maybe.  There might be something or other at the end of this, or knowing me, I'll make another post. 


For more information on The Phantom Races, stay tuned...

Entry One...

Today is the day that I work on the second chapter.  It's going well, all things considering.  The chapter lengths will definitely be longer than those of The Gathering Storm, at least by a page or so.  I'm also going to work on it not being so rushed.  In TGS, when I read over the chapters, it felt like everything was shoved together, with action on every single page, choking it down.  With Phantom Races, I'm hoping for a more slower pace, one that will allow you to get to know the world I have created better.  Amalaya is a hard character to write as, as she is most things I am not, but she has a strong spirit, and does things for her family that put her last.  I admire that, as I have often had to do the same for my family.

I have written out a little of the plot basis, but once I reach the capitol of Alia, I freeze up.  I'm hoping that once I write a few more chapters, it'll melt.  I'm looking forward to the next couple of chapters.  It's going to be intense, dramatic, and a little heart breaking.  You'll get to see just how far Amalaya will go to keep her family safe.

I have to say, I am enjoying writing about Amalaya's family and pets.  Though they all won't play an up-front, major role in the story, they all have a huge impact on Ama's decisions, and helped to build her into the character she is at nineteen years old.

Well, that's about all I can think to add right now.  Stay tuned for more information and special, behind the scene tidbits.  Who knows...  There might be an excerpt in it for you.

Take care.