Story of the Week: Heartless in New Orleans

Pauline Creeden's steampunk story "Heartless in New Orleans," published in Obsidian River, recounts a young woman's late-night journey to a graveyard. Helen is on a mission to dig up her lover, the late Milton Bennett, Inventor and Alchemist.

That very morning, she’d watched his funeral procession from the street. She wished she’d killed him privately, but she couldn’t risk being caught for murder if she stayed in New Orleans. Instead, she spooked the flesh horses that pulled the driverless coach waiting to pick up Mr. Shelby at the Gentleman’s Club. She needed to wait three days for them to bury the body. Three days before she could take possession of the key she needed in order to live.

What is that key for? That's the mystery running through the story. Creeden litters the narrative with hints but I didn't quite believe my instincts until the final paragraphs. Like many steampunk stories, this tale thrives on atmosphere and the ingenuity of the mechanical devices that populate this version of New Orleans.

The steel horse, smelling of grease and oil instead of sweat and hay, passed the wrought iron fence, walking with grace that mimicked its flesh and blood counterparts. A brass automaton with unnecessary leather reins in its hands played coachman. She held her breath as the black lacquered coach shone in the gaslight. The curtain was drawn in its window, and she sighed in relief.

Creeden adds new meaning to the oft-used phrase "key to my heart" and succeeds in creating a creepy atmosphere and suspense as Helen races to save her life as time ticks away. The only fault I see in the story is the underground grave. I think most bodies in southern Louisiana are interred above ground due to the high watertable. Give "Heartless in New Orleans" a read. It's well worth your time.

To learn more about Pauline Creeden and her writing, check out her blog at fatfreefaith.blogspot.com.

Photo Credit: By ricetek. Posted at morgueFile.

CSFF Blog Tour Day Two: Eye of the Sword

Today I have some random thoughts on Henley's writing and the Seer's Sword scene.

Henley's writing is clear, concise, and professional. I don't recall ever stumbling over a cumbersome sentence. However, I don't remember a lot of wow moments either. She favors dialogue over narration and doesn't use a lot of metaphors.

Treven shouldered through the whistling gale until he reached the center of the gap. There he faced the wind and stared, squint eyed, across the land that lay north of the mountain range. A river curved like a black snake around the tall, flat-topped towers of earth that rose from the floor of Tabaitta Canyon. The sides of the plateaus looked like sheer cliffs, striated with purple shadow, darkening as he watched.

With arms outspread like an eagle's wings, Trevin leaned into the wind (p. 75).

That's about as metaphorical as you'll find.

After Trevin is accused of Resarian's murder and incarcerated, the Eldarrian council meets to decide Trevin's fate while he wastes away in the dungeon, punishing himself with recriminations for failing to protect Resarian. Pym brings him news of the proceedings which don't appear to be going well for Trevin but are not without some hope. Ultimately, the council splits on its decision so some other means must be employed to decide the case.

King Kedemeth folded his hands on the table. "Lord Shuldamar." His rich voice resonated like Haden's.

Shuldamar stood and bowed. "Majesty."

"I understand the council came to no agreement regarding the case of the accused."

"That is correct, Majesty."

"So he will be put to the eye of the sword," said the king.

"A rare occurrence," said Shuldamar, "but reasonable in this case."

"So shall it be" (p. 105).

The Seer's Sword belonged to Arelin, a warrior Angelaeon who died in the Dregmoors attempting to rescue winged horses. The sword reflects the true character of people and will tell the council if it can believe Trevin's account of Resarian's murder. Nothing wrong with the idea of an enchanted sword that reflects truth, but why didn't they use it in the first place? Why is it's use a rare occurrence? Is there some cost for using it? Henley doesn't provide any explanations which undercuts the power of the story at this point and this is the turning point. The sword reveals Trevin to not only be honorable but the long-lost son of Arelin. After this revelation, the sword is given to Trevin who then uses it as anyone would use a sword. It has powers far beyond that of a mere weapon--it does not appear to improve Trevin's abilities with a sword--so why risk damaging or losing it?

In conjunction with the CSFF Blog Tour, I received a free copy of Eye of the Sword from the publisher.

To learn more about Karyn Henley, check out her website at www.karynhenleyfiction.com/Karyn_Henley_Fiction/welcome.html, read her blog at www.maybeso.wordpress.com, or connect with her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/Karyn-Henley/140411189331787?v=wall.

To learn what the other CSFF bloggers are saying, follow the links below:

Julie Bihn Thomas Fletcher Booher Keanan Brand Beckie Burnham Jackie Castle Brenda Castro Christine Theresa Dunlap Cynthia Dyer Victor Gentile Ryan Heart Janeen Ippolito Jason Joyner Carol Keen Emileigh Latham Rebekah Loper

Shannon McDermott Karen McSpadden Meagan @ Blooming with Books Rebecca LuElla Miller Anna Mittower Mirriam Neal Nissa Faye Oygard Nathan Reimer Chawna Schroeder Kathleen Smith Donna Swanson Jessica Thomas Steve Trower Shane Werlinger Phyllis Wheeler

CSFF Blog Tour Day One: Eye of the Sword

This month's CSFF tour features Karyn Henley's Eye of the Sword, book two in her Angelaeon Circle series of fantasy novels. Eye of the Sword continues the stories of Melaia and Trevin begun in Breath of Angel. I haven't read the first book in the series which I believe centers on Melaia. The second book casts Trevin as the protagonist and follows him on a multi-part quest. I don't recommend starting a series in the middle, but Henley provides enough detail when she makes allusions to events from the previous novel that readers can follow Trevin's character development from the first novel into this one without becoming lost and confused.

The action begins with an unfortunate incident. Trevin finds his brother Dwin drinking with some unsavory-looking Dregmoorians. (The Dregmoors neighbor Camrithia and are the source for ongoing raids.) A fight ensues and Trevin jumps down a well to escape the Dregmoorians who outnumber him three to one. The incident causes Trevin to be late for a banquet honoring his appointment as a comain--a type of knight who answers directly to the king. Trevin's appointment is partially a reward for saving King Laetham and Princess Melaia "from the sorceries of Lord Rejius and his attempted coup" (p. 15). Trevin finds that the Dregmoorians are honored guests and that one of them is Prince Varic who has come bearing sparkling gifts and an offer of peace in exchange for Melaia's hand in marriage. Trevin is besotted with Melaia, though he appears to have little chance of winning her father's approval as a bridegroom. For her part, Melaia is not happy with Varic's offer and tells her father that she will only marry Trevin. King Laetham is more interested in the political gain from a royal marriage. The rivalry between Varic and Trevin is one of the key conflicts in the story.

Harps turn up

in the oddest places.

King Laetham sends Trevin north to the Kingdom of Eldarra to consult an oracle, ask for the allegiance of Eldarra, and find the comains who have all gone AWOL. Melaia gives Trevin an extra chore. In order to restore The Wisdom Tree, which Rejius destroyed, three harps must be united. Melaia possesses one but the location of the other two is a mystery. Melaia's mother died looking for the other harps. Trevin has a lot riding on his shoulders. To add to his problems, Trevin has doubts about his worthiness to be a comain or deserve Melaia's love. One of the black marks on Trevin's checkered past includes serving Rejius.

With assurances from King Laetham that the betrothal of Varic and Melaia will not proceed until Trevin returns from consulting the oracle, Trevin sets out on his quest with Pym--who served one of the missing comains--as his armsman, akin to a squire. On their way to Windsweep--the canyon in which the oracle resides--Trevin befriends Resarian, the teenage crown prince of Eldarra. Resarian is with his Uncle Hayden rounding up wild horses. Resarian dreams of adventure and is long on enthusiasm but short on skill and good sense. Hayden and Resarian accompany Trevin and Pym to Windsweep but only Trevin and Pym enter the canyon. Trevin leaves Pym at the bottom of a plateau and climbs a ladder in the rock to meet with the oracle who gives Trevin some answers that will in typical oracular fashion require some interpretation. Trevin descends the plateau to find Pym gone but Varic and Resarian waiting for him. Varic boasts to Trevin of the rumors he has started about him in King Laetham's court and threatens to kidnap Resarian. Trevin and Varic fight, but just as Trevin nears victory, Varic tosses Resarian onto Trevin's sword. Hayden arrives to see Trevin's bloody hands and the dead Prince Resarian skewered on Trevin's sword. Varic accuses Trevin of Resarian's murder. Trevin is led away to the dungeons of Eldarra to await trial and most likely an execution. Events take a decidedly different turn and Trevin learns more about himself than he could have ever imagined.

There's much more to Henley's fast-paced plot but I'll leave off the summary with Trevin in chains, arguably the low point in the story for him.

In conjunction with the CSFF Blog Tour, I received a free copy of Eye of the Sword from the publisher.

To learn more about Karyn Henley, check out her website at www.karynhenleyfiction.com/Karyn_Henley_Fiction/welcome.html, read her blog at www.maybeso.wordpress.com, or connect with her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/Karyn-Henley/140411189331787?v=wall.

Photo Credit: Pub plaque in Omagh. Kenneth Allen [CC-BY-SA-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons.

To learn what the other CSFF bloggers are saying, follow the links below:

Julie Bihn Thomas Fletcher Booher Keanan Brand Beckie Burnham Jackie Castle Brenda Castro Christine Theresa Dunlap Cynthia Dyer Victor Gentile Ryan Heart Janeen Ippolito Jason Joyner Carol Keen Emileigh Latham Rebekah Loper

Shannon McDermott Karen McSpadden Meagan @ Blooming with Books Rebecca LuElla Miller Anna Mittower Mirriam Neal Nissa Faye Oygard Nathan Reimer Chawna Schroeder Kathleen Smith Donna Swanson Jessica Thomas Steve Trower Shane Werlinger Phyllis Wheeler

Story of the Week: Forget Me Not

Wayne Thomas Batson's "Forget Me Not" is about four college freshmen girls on a road trip to Florida that take a side trip down a shortcut from hell. The four girls are Lisa, Kristin, Samantha, and Meagan. Lisa, Kristin, and Samantha are sorority girls. Meagan is not. She's along for the ride because she and Samantha used to be close friends. If you've ever felt like the odd-one-out, the uncool person in a group, you'll find it easy to identify with Meagan, who serves as the story's protagonist.

When the action begins, the girls are driving through the backwoods of Georgia on a road that Lisa claims is "'not even on the map!'" The shortcut around Atlanta was Meagan's idea and the other girls blame her for their predicament. Lisa and Kristin don't do anything to hide their disdain for Meagan, talking about her as if she wasn't there. As they enter a swamp and the road deteriorates, Lisa spots an old plantation house and decides to stop and ask for directions. The girls are spooked by the creepiness of the house and a front door that seems to open on its own. A man, whom Meagan describes as "a creepy version of the chicken guy" [Colonel Sanders], appears in the doorway out of nowhere. The man assumes they have come to see his garden despite Lisa's protests.

“Garden?” Lisa echoed. “Who cares about a stupid garden? We need directions. Do you know how we can get back on to Interstate 85?”

The man smiled gently, as if humoring the most foolish of notions from a truly naïve intellect. “Certainly, I know the way to Interstate 85,” he said. “But wouldn’t you like to see my garden? It’s really quite extraordinary. Right this way.”

The girls follow the old man to a beautiful garden behind the house.

It’s like… it’s like the Garden of Eden, Meagan thought. But, she reminded herself, even the Garden of Eden had a snake in it.

The girls feel drawn into the garden. The old man warns them not to go past the forget-me-nots. Meagan spies the forget-me-nots along the path, places her hand around a cluster, and warns the other girls.

“You would know what they are, you dweeb,” sneered Lisa. “I don’t care what Colonel whats-his-name said. I want to keep going.” Rolling their eyes and giggling, Lisa, Kristin, and Samantha walked passed the little blue flowers…

…and disappeared.

Shocked at their disappearance, Meagan accidentally picks the spray of the forget-me-nots and decides to follow her "friends." After passing through the portal beyond the flowers, she finds the three girls wandering aimlessly on a hill in the countryside and discovers that the three have forgotten who they are. The bottom of the hill is surrounded by dark-looking trees that come to life and drag Lisa, Kristin, and Samantha away. For some reason, they leave Meagan alone.

The trees had looked at her hard for several breathless moments, but they left her alone. Stranded in a strange, terrifying place, her friends violently captured, Meagan felt more truly helpless than she ever had in her lifetime. Still clutching the forget-me-nots, she fell to the ground and wept. Exhausted and emotionally drained, she slipped into a deep, numbing sleep.

When Meagan awakes, she discovers that she has been "captured" by a different group of trees, the Broadleafs, who are at war with the Hemlocks. The Broadleaf leader--King Teninbaum--tells her that forget-me-nots are a powerful herb and saved her from the Hemlocks who will ultimately throw the other girls into the Dreadmire and consume them through their roots. Teninbaum agrees to help Meagan rescue her friends and an army of Breadleafs sets out to battle the Hemlocks.

Batson's story has obvious echos of Tolkien's Ents. Batson's trees walk, talk, and fight, but unlike the Ents, they don't take forever to do anything. The story also echos the plot of The Berinfell Prophecies Series by Batson and Christopher Hopper. In that series, some young people living in our world travel to a different world to aid in a conflict between two groups that once lived in peace but because of "insults" from the past, are now at war. As Meagan learns more about the two groups of warring trees and their conflict, she discovers that her problems with her friends are a microcosm of the conflicts between the trees. The irony here is that the "beautiful" ones are aiding her against the "ugly" ones. The theme of racial conflict emerges from the story's action as does the theme of self-sacrifice. Meagan is prepared to pay dearly to save her friend's lives and Teninbaum makes the ultimate sacrifice.

The story demonstrates the power of the forget-me-nots to preserve and restore memory, but it's not clear why the Hemlocks fear it. And why the Broadleaf's do not use the power of the forget-me-nots in their fight against the Hemlocks? Some clarifications on these points would fill in a hole in the plot of an otherwise very rewarding and enjoyable story.

As you might suspect, forget-me-nots have an interesting history in folklore and legend and are of course associated with remembrance. Here's a tidbit from Wikipedia's entry on Forget-me-nots:

In 15th-century Germany, it was supposed that the wearers of the flower would not be forgotten by their lovers. Legend has it that in medieval times, a knight and his lady were walking along the side of a river. He picked a posy of flowers, but because of the weight of his armour he fell into the river. As he was drowning he threw the posy to his loved one and shouted "Forget-me-not." It was often worn by ladies as a sign of faithfulness and enduring love.

To learn more about Wayne Thomas Batson and his writing, visit his blog at enterthedoorwithin.blogspot.com. Also, see my reviews of his novels Curse of the Spider King and Venom and Song.

Photo Attribution: By Sedum Tauno Erik (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-2.5], via Wikimedia Commons.

Story of the Week: One More Tuesday

I felt annoyed after finishing Milo Fowler's "One More Tuesday" from his two-story collection Out of Time - 2 Strange Tales. I wasn't annoyed because the story was bad or frustrating. I was annoyed because I hadn't written it. I think that's the highest praise you can get from a fellow writer.

"One More Tuesday" follows Josef through less than an hour of a Tuesday morning, actually more than one Tuesday morning, the same morning multiple times. Like the protagonist from the film Groundhog Day, Josef is stuck reliving a segment of time. He wakes up in his apartment, goes to the street outside, converses with an old man walking his dog, and later witnesses a horrible accident in which a streetcar crashes when it runs over the man and his dog. A few minor details differ from day to day. Sometimes Josef wears shoes. Sometimes Alice—a girl living across the hall whom he wants to ask to dinner—is on the streetcar and other times in her flat, but the old man and the little dog always die.

Josef had tried warning the old man on more than one occasion. Josef had tried stalling the streetcar many times with as many reasons as he could muster, but the driver was a stickler for his schedule. Josef had tried everything he could think of to keep it from happening all over again, but it didn’t matter. Every morning, he awoke after a horrible nightmare only to discover the nightmare had not ended. Far from it. It was always beginning anew.

Josef decides that the only way to break out of the nightmare is to save the old man and his dog, even if that means saving them against their will. Josef succeeds but at what cost to his relationship with Alice? And what about the old man who threatens to go to the police after Josef knocks him out with a punch to the face. How can Josef justify his socially unacceptable behavior without giving the old man and Alice more reason to think him a lunatic? These questions and the endless repetition of Tuesday mornings that precede them leave Josef feeling utterly demoralized. He decides to try again and takes one last drastic step, but will Tuesday morning come again?

Fowler's story has a Kafkaesque feel. Josef lives alone in a dreary apartment building. He works at a mind-numbing job in a tile factory. He is frustrated at his inability to ask Alice to dinner. He feels powerless to make positive changes in the drudgery of his life. Even the doors to the apartment building oppose him.

A spotted bulb in the plastered ceiling sent a dismal glow over the rows of square mailboxes lining the lobby wall, their faded numbers barely legible. At the pair of heavy doors, Josef leaned his weight into one and pushed it open against its will.

Fowler gives his tale a delicious twist with an ironic turn. Josef's heroic acts to save the old man, to reach out and do a service for a stranger, ultimately undermine Josef's humanity, leading to a horrible crime. Kafka would be pleased with that one.

To learn more about Fowler and his writing, check out his blog at www.milo-inmediasres.com.

Launching Tales of Woe and Wonder

It's finally out. My Kindle eBook Tales of Woe and Wonder collects my previously published fantasy stories from 2010 and 2011. Here's the list of stories from the table of contents:

—"A Gift from over the Sea"
—"The Princess and the Vampire"
—"The Fletcher’s Daughter"
—"The Hand with the Knife"
—"Why the Squonk Weeps"
—"A Mother’s Gift"
—"Under the Bridge"
—"The Master and the Miller’s Daughter"
—"Esme’s Amulet"

I registered the book for KDP Select so there will be some free promotions coming in the near future. It's also available for lending and borrowing for Amazon Prime members. Putting out an eBook was one of my W1S1 goals for the summer. This was a lot more work than I anticipated but I'm happy with the final product. Next time should be easier.