Sneak Peak - Spirit Beasts 2 ~

I wanted to share this from my Work in Progress for the second Spirit Beasts book. :D  Events in this scene happen right after Lies that Blind:

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Chaze bared his crooked teeth. “Someone real stupid went and split my lip.” There was a definite nasty sneer towards Dave before he tapped his temple and then turned and continued to lead the group of firefighters off towards the building.

“Chief?” Dave rasped.

Frankie too was having trouble reconciling that information. She’d assumed Chaze was just a biker. Well, of course he would be more than just a hulking brute on a motorcycle. It explained the leathery skin, and his rasping voice. Is that how he earned the horrible scar across his throat?

“Knights Valley crew.” Mano turned back to Frankie. “Let the kid check your arms. He’s….” He wiggled his fingers and Frankie wasn’t sure if he was trying to convey ‘safe’ or ‘one of us’ or ‘mystical’. Maybe everything.

“Knights Valley? You are so full of shit.” Frankie’s head spun from more than the pain in her arms. Knights, rooks, kings, queens and….

“Read a map, Mouse.” Mano smirked at her.

Christopher pulled her against him when she tried to lunged for Mano. “I’m not letting you go anywhere until someone looks at your arms.” His jungle green gaze trapped her when she looked up at him. Christopher Harris-Wallace stood almost seven feet tall, and he was utterly perfect. He had smudges of ash and blood across his high cheekbones, like war-paint. He held her as though he wanted to shelter her from the world, rather than protect the world from her.

She didn’t frighten him.

She was pretty sure nothing scared him.'

Trina, oh Trina

I’ve been writing about Trina and I’m happy to announce that she’s turning into more than just a Harris puppet/tool/weapon. On the surface, she’s out for her own self-interest but the things she did in her youth still hang over her and no one will let her forget it, particularly those Harris boys. It is awful to have the actions a 16 year old self thrown back as reminders of wrongdoing dozens of years later. Through that lense, it’s easy to see how someone would simply stop confiding/sharing with people and believe they can never move on or change or find forgiveness for what they’ve done.

I wrote this poem when I was fleshing out the character, shortly after An End to Summer. A peek into Trina’s frame of mind. Doesn’t everyone deserve a second chance? (Names of boys changed to protect the..erm…’innocent’.)

I’m Trina <3

I’m the girl in the flame-red lipstick. 
Fire flicking from my fingertips and
sparks dancing off my stilettos. 
I’m the girl in Andy’s car, 
in Andy’s arms, 
in Andy’s lap. 
I’m adrenaline and
gasoline and
matchsticks and
supercharged lust.

I’m the girl with the rainbow hair. 
Stars spilling from my mouth and
moonbeams gleaming off my skin. 
I’m the girl in Billy’s car, 
in Billy’s arms, 
in Billy’s lap. 
I’m firecrackers and
dynamite and gunpowder and all
the risky choices mother warned you about.

I’m the girl on the fast path to the top. 
The American dreams, 
stuffed in an apple pie cooked by
the comet’s red glare. 
I’m the girl in Cory’s car, 
in Cory’s arms, 
in Cory’s lap. 
I’m booze and
coke and
speed and
the heartache hangover worth wrecking your life.

March 2018 Update

Updates on Works in Progress:

Spirit Beasts #2 – 32k’ish words.

Spirit Lands #2 – 35k’ish words.

Spirit Lands #3 – 10k’ish words.

Gems Book #2, #3, #4, #5 – 21k’ish words.

Technarian – 45k’ish words.

Unnamed Sci-Fi story – 75k’ish words.

My muse was hijacked in October when fires devastated my community. I had very deliberate plans for Frankie that included her demonstration of strength and flammable temper.  Danger to her friends and unexpected revelations add up to a pretty explosive tinderbox for her and the characters in my fictional world.  To have this situation thrust on me in reality has altered my outlook on this plot-point as you might imagine.  The place I love most in the world burned to the ground.  My plan for Frankie’s reckoning played out in reality has been very intense.  It’s been difficult to write out those events with dispassion when I drive through the aftermath every day. 

More recently the real-life town of Yountville had a horrible and tragic incident at the Veterans Home. That center will, at some point, have an important place in my fictional world.  Not to be too spoiler’y, but it’s the nation’s largest Veterans center and  if you’ve read through the stories thus-far, you’ll understand why this would be important to Frankie and Marcie’s new world.  Retired warriors…waiting for their time… need I say more?  It’s interesting how real life events are impacting my characters and the fictional world and how I’m viewing it.   All I’ve wanted to write this week is Frankie Welton opening a can of whoop-ass on anyone who dares fuck with her warriors.

Burning Bright