(If you’re here for the Aprils Fools for Love Event & Giveaway, go here.)

Here’s the link to the Weekend Writing Warriors central page, so you can visit all the participants sharing excerpts today…A fun way to sample new books and find new writers!

We’re onto a new story of mine, a WIP that still needs a lot of work. Mark, an ex-Special Forces soldier in the Sectors, has been hired by the Outlier Empress to rescue a kidnap victim who’s been taken to the border planet Freemarket, where anything goes and the authorities are usually hands off. Kind of like Las Vegas…he’s broken into the house of  Barent Kliin, the kidnapper, persuaded Alessandra to go with him and fled in a stolen car, pursued by the bad guys and the planetary police. They collided with a cargo hauler…Mark knocked the driver out and assisted Alessandra from their wrecked vehicle, after which the couple flee into the crowded marketplace but are now trapped…until a strange little being showed up, offering to help…having no choice, Mark and Sandy flee with the creature and fall into a tent. The owner of the tent is an extremely mysterious being, who prevented him from shooting at their pursuers. She’s offering them the opportunity to Travel…not in a groundcar or a  or a spaceship…two weeks ago she showed them the Globes of Amarkana. Now Mark has picked one.

Mark knelt, the gesture feeling somehow appropriate at this moment. He let the Globe roll from his fingertips onto the carpet. Rising, he positioned his heavy boot on top of the orb, and glanced at Lajollae. Features difficult to discern in the blinding aura now surrounding her, she nodded. Mark drew Sandy into his arms. Closing her eyes, leaning against him, she locked her hands behind his back, over his spine.  Angry shouting grew closer, Kliin calling the princess’s name.  Mark raised his foot and brought it down in one violent motion, shattering the Globe.

And next week Mark and Sandy will Travel.

(If you’re here for the Aprils Fools for Love Event & Giveaway, go here.)

Here’s the link to the Weekend Writing Warriors central page, so you can visit all the participants sharing excerpts today…A fun way to sample new books and find new writers!

We’re onto a new story of mine, a WIP that still needs a lot of work. Mark, an ex-Special Forces soldier in the Sectors, has been hired by the Outlier Empress to rescue a kidnap victim who’s been taken to the border planet Freemarket, where anything goes and the authorities are usually hands off. Kind of like Las Vegas…he’s broken into the house of  Barent Kliin, the kidnapper, persuaded Alessandra to go with him and fled in a stolen car, pursued by the bad guys and the planetary police. They collided with a cargo hauler…Mark knocked the driver out and assisted Alessandra from their wrecked vehicle, after which the couple flee into the crowded marketplace but are now trapped…until a strange little being showed up, offering to help…having no choice, Mark and Sandy flee with the creature and fall into a tent. The owner of the tent is an extremely mysterious being, who prevented him from shooting at their pursuers. She’s offering them the opportunity to Travel…not in a groundcar or a spaceship…last week she showed them the Globes of Amarkana. Now Mark has to pick one.

Mark kept going back to one particular globe, high on the tree, dangling precariously on its crystal branch. Nothing differentiated this bubble from all the rest but it drew him nonetheless.

When he stretched to touch the globe, it fell into his hand. 

“You’ve chosen, now breathe the air of the destination you’ve selected,” Lajollae said in a harsh whisper, “Make haste, for your time is over – I’m leaving this place for my next station.”

Mark stared at the surprisingly heavy globe in his hand, not sure what she wanted him to do. Breathe the air? Was that what was encapsulated in the shimmering glass – air from somewhere else? How was air going to win them freedom from Kliin’s pursuit?

(Note from me: we’ll see what happens, next week!)

(If you’re here for the Aprils Fools for Love Event & Giveaway, go here.)

Here’s the link to the Weekend Writing Warriors central page, so you can visit all the participants sharing excerpts today…A fun way to sample new books and find new writers!

We’re onto a new story of mine, a WIP that still needs a lot of work. Mark, an ex-Special Forces soldier in the Sectors, has been hired by the Outlier Empress to rescue a kidnap victim who’s been taken to the border planet Freemarket, where anything goes and the authorities are usually hands off. Kind of like Las Vegas…he’s broken into the house of  Barent Kliin, the kidnapper, persuaded Alessandra to go with him and fled in a stolen car, pursued by the bad guys and the planetary police. They collided with a cargo hauler…Mark knocked the driver out and assisted Alessandra from their wrecked vehicle, after which the couple flee into the crowded marketplace but are now trapped…until a strange little being showed up, offering to help…having no choice, Mark and Sandy flee with the creature and fall into a tent. The owner of the tent is an extremely mysterious being, who prevented him from shooting at their pursuers. She’s offering them the opportunity to Travel…not in a groundcar or a spaceship…last week she showed them the Globes of Amarkana. Mark is speaking:

           “What do we do?”

            “Pick the Globe meant for you,” Lajollae said, “You’ll know which one is your destiny.” 

           “What if we pick differently?” Sandy clutched at his sleeve, “I can’t lose you again!”

            Lajollae shook her head. “You can each choose your own destination or one may decide for both.”

            “This mad escapade is because I trusted you,” Sandy said, “Decide for us.”

            Mark took a step toward the Globes, studying them, trying to decide which to pick, not sure what was going to happen next – there was no going back, no other way to end this.

(Note from me: maybe 2-3 more weeks of this scene to share…thanks for all the kind comments last week on the happy occasion of my daughter’s wedding!)

Here’s the link to the Weekend Writing Warriors central page, so you can visit all the participants sharing excerpts today…A fun way to sample new books and find new writers!

We’re onto a new story of mine, a WIP that still needs a lot of work. Mark, an ex-Special Forces soldier in the Sectors, has been hired by the Outlier Empress to rescue a kidnap victim who’s been taken to the border planet Freemarket, where anything goes and the authorities are usually hands off. Kind of like Las Vegas…he’s broken into the house of  Barent Kliin, the kidnapper, persuaded Alessandra to go with him and fled in a stolen car, pursued by the bad guys and the planetary police. They collided with a cargo hauler…Mark knocked the driver out and assisted Alessandra from their wrecked vehicle, after which the couple flee into the crowded marketplace but are now trapped…until a strange little being showed up, offering to help…having no choice, Mark and Sandy flee with the creature and fall into a tent. The owner of the tent is an extremely mysterious being, who prevented him from shooting at their pursuers. She’s offering them the opportunity to Travel…not in a groundcar or a spaceship…Lajollae is speaking:

“Behold the Globes of Amarkana.” She yanked at a corner of what Mark had thought was the tent’s back wall. The shimmering panel fell away, revealing a tree fashioned entirely from crystal, taller than Mark. Jagged, sharp branches of clear glass, patterned with leaves incised deep into the surface, jutted from a thick trunk at odd angles. At the tip of each branch hung a perfect golden ball, ethereal bubbles yet made of solid material. The globes were translucent, empty at first glance, but then Mark saw faint spirals of white smoke in some, flickering lightning in others, flames in a few. Several appeared to contain misty rain droplets floating suspended as if captured in mid air…the branches stirred, with a faint chiming sound.

Note from me: I think it’s only seven sentences but there you have the description. Next week Lajollae will explain how one Travels…my daughter’s wedding is today (Sunday) so I won’t get around to comment until Monday – sorry!