Tag Archives: writing

NaNo, Facebook Hop, Giveaway ending: Monday Blog Post

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Have a Happy Halloween!

Newest News:

I’m still prepping my NaNo story, Mystery at the Reunion. I’m getting excited because NaNo starts in 2 days!

The cover designer has not sent me my Brown Rain covers and I’m both disappointed and upset. It’s going to delay my release.

Starting today, I’ve joined over 70 authors to conduct a 4 day Facebook hop. What is that? Each of us has an hour on our Facebook author page to run a contest, play games, and promo our books. I have from 4 – 6pm Eastern today on  https://www.facebook.com/ConniesRandomThoughts/. Sign in and join me for the fun.

Malaysia Mosque with Muslim pray in Malaysia – Depositphotos_108130076_original

I continue to write my serial, Slave Elf. I wrote another Slave Elf episode yesterday. I’m really enjoying this story. You can find the first episode here.

Giveaways:

Would you like to win free ebooks, other prizes, or $150 in Paypal cash? Drop by https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/giveaways-and-prizes/ and click on the Rafflecopter link for the Spooktacular Authors Halloween Giveaway. There are 2 days left so get it now!

2018 Planner

I have started a contest over on my newsletter. What? You don’t get my newsletter? That’s a shame. But see below on how you can join in on the fun. I already have several people writing in to enter it. It runs to the end of October, just 2 days away, when I’ll use a random number generator to select the winner. Let me know you’ve joined the newsletter and I’ll send you the information to enter.

P.S. By the way, you can get the pictured mug at: https://www.gearbubble.com/gbstore/conniesrandomthoughts

Shout Out:

Rita and her mom!

I’d like to give a shout out this week to Payson Book Festival author Rita Reger.  Rita is the author and illustrator of the children’s series, The Adventures of PEPE QUACKAMOLE™. I caught up with her and a few other Payson Book Festival authors at the Cottonwood Book Fair being held during the Cottonwood Fall Festival. If you’re looking for children’s books to give this holiday season or for birthdays, you can’t go wrong with her series. You can find her at https://www.facebook.com/rita.m.reger/.

 

Where Will I Be?

Check my website, https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/where-will-i-be/ for my next engagements.

On December 9th I’ll be at the Mesa Book Festival. Get full details at https://mesabookfestival.com/. I’ll be in a booth with my author friend, Marsha Ward. www.MarshaWard.com. Between the two of us, we have a large number of genre’s covered. Come get your Christmas presents and stocking stuffers. The festival runs from 2pm – 8pm.

Newsletter Sign Up:

Click here to sign up for my newsletter. I’ve put sign-up gifts on both the regular and the Brown Rain newsletter sign-ups. That’s right. If you sign up for my newsletter you get a free story from me. Be prepared for fun and contests! Click on the video link for a short video from me. Hear what I’m working on. Join my “A” Team to be the first to read my books and hear what new books are coming.

Don’t forget to follow my blog, too. Different material goes in the blog as in the newsletter. You can share both, so spread the word!

Newest Book Release:

Mystery at the Book Festival released June 1st and I’m pretty excited about it. You can buy it and my other books at: Apple, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and Smashwords, today! You can also see all my books on https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/my-books-and-other-published-work/. If you’ve read any of my books, please drop a short, honest, review on the site where you bought it or on Goodreads. It’s critical to help me promote the books to other readers. Thanks in advance.

Slave Elf Part 28: Flash Fiction Friday

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alnwick_castle_by_americamarten-dbomzh2 via DeviantArt.com. https://www.deviantart.com/art/Alnwick-Castle-706511126

See Part 1 here.

Part 28

Delia walked up to the edge of the moat as Kaya stood a little to her right and behind her to back her up if necessary. Delia wiped her hands on her trousers then focused as she raised her hands. Her mouth was so dry her tongue was sticking to the roof of her mouth. She refocused on the yellow bands, her energy forming the green magic. At the point when she thought she couldn’t hold the magic any longer, she released it, watching it flow across the moat and cover the yellow bands. She kept feeding the magic, urging it to cover every yellow line, smother it, eliminate it.

Beside her Kaya had her hands raised as well, green power circling her hands, ready to assist if needed. “You can do it,” she whispered.

Delia gave a brief nod. She had to stay focused. It wasn’t long before every yellow line was covered but something was wrong. “It doesn’t feel right.”

“What do you mean?” Kaya looked at her, eyebrows high.

“It’s not the same magic we practiced on. It’s wrong.”

“What’s it doing?”

“Resisting, pushing back.” Her arms began to shake with the effort. “I’m not sure I can hold it.”

Kaya through her magic at the bands. Delia could feel the other elf’s strength and it helped but it wasn’t going to be enough. “We have to build a wall. This is going to blow back on us and the army.”

Kaya had beads of sweat running down her temples. “How did you hold this alone?”

“No idea.” She drew a shaky breath. “Can you hold a few moments while I build a protection shield?”

Delia could see Kaya’s entire body vibrate with her effort.

“A very short time.”

“Here I go.” Delia removed her green magic and using the edge of the moat in front of her as an anchor, began weaving yellow bands in a circle. Around and around she went. Behind her she could hear her father ordering the army back. That was a little relief. She continued to build—around and around until the yellow wall was two stories high. She whispered the command and dropped her arms. “Stop, Kaya!”

Kaya fell to the ground, panting just as the protection on the gate flashed. Delia was knocked backward off of her feet, a wave of energy passing by, ruffling the grass and shaking nearby bushes. The army behind her roared. She twisted around to see what was happening.

Out of holes in the ground elves came running, dressed all in black, she could see that most of them had auras dark as night. Shaking, Delia realized that she and Kaya were on the wrong side of that mass of elves.

She crawled over to Kaya who was lying limp on the ground. “We must move!”

“What?”

“The black elves are attacking from hidden tunnels. We’re on the wrong side. Move!”

Delia helped her to her feet and the two began working their way to the left at the edge of the moat. They hunched over, hoping to avoid being seen. Delia desperately wished for some bushes for cover but of course, none would be found this close to the moat. “We have to get far enough around the castle to cut back to the forest.”

“Yes.” Kaya was breathing harshly.

Delia didn’t like the sound of it but there was nothing she could do about it at the moment. Ahead, she could see the dust rising from Mystesto’s force. “Look. The same thing happened to them.”

Kaya raised her head. “Not good.”

“Not at all. We’ll try and cut into the forest here.”

Kaya nodded and did her best to move quickly. Delia tried to see all around her. Nothing was coming up behind them. Nothing was coming from Mystesto’s direction either. They were closing in on the tree line. She began to think they were going to make it.

They ran into the shade, a blessing in itself. Kaya struggled to stay on her feet. “I have to rest.”

Delia found a tree and helped Kaya sit, back against the trunk, on the side away from the fighting. She glanced around. They were alone. She knelt next to the apprentice. “Can you tell me what hurts?”

“Everything. I used the last of my strength to hold that spell.” Kaya stopped, breathing hard. “Then when the spell snapped, even with your shield, it felt as though I’d been whipped.”

Delia took a look at Kaya’s aura. It was very faded. “I’m sorry. You’ve been injured in a way I don’t know how to fix.”

“I just need rest. It’ll come back.”

Delia sat back on her heels. They were in a fix. She couldn’t carry Kaya. Two forces were fighting on either side of them. Neither of them had more than simple eating knives on them and they were cut off from their own side. Delia pressed her fingers to her temples as though that would generate an idea. All she could feel was panic.

“Take a breath.”

Delia shook her head with confusion. “What?”

“Take a deep breath,” Kaya said weakly. “I can see you’re panicking. Just take a breath.”

Delia felt like a selfish child that the injured elf had to comfort her. “Sorry. I don’t know what to do.”

“That’s fine. We’ll get out of this.”

Delia nodded. She refrained from asking how. She held Kaya’s hand. “Of course, we will.” As they sat, she listened to the battles on either side of them. The clang of sword on shield or sword on sword was loud. There was screaming, too, though she tried not to dwell on that. She worried about her father and the ambush. Was he safe? What about Mage Kaepli and Sisruo? Delia fought back the tears of fear and grief. Stop being a baby. You can’t stay here. Move! “We need to move, Kaya. We’re too close to the castle and the battle.”

“Let’s go then.”

Delia helped her to her feet and they did their best to move quietly through the forest. “It’s just a mile to our camp,” Delia whispered. “Do you think you can go that far?”

Kaya nodded.

They edged around a large bush and just beyond it, Delia heard a snap. She turned around and out of the bush emerged four male elves, dressed all in black like the ambushers. There must be a tunnel in that bush, she thought, just before one of the elves raised his hand and threw a blue ball of magic at them. She didn’t have time to untangle herself from Kaya. The ball hit them. Her last thought was, No!

 

Thank You! Come back next week for Part 29.

1115 Words

Find more of the Forward Motion Flash Friday Group here: http://www.fmwriters.com/flash.html

Giveaways, Fall, and More: Monday Blog Post

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Arizona Hike October 2016 by Randy Cockrell

Newest News:

If you look below, I have two giveaways running this week. In both cases, entering is free and in both cases, there are lots of other authors so you can get as many books as you can read, plus other prizes in the Spooktacular Authors Halloween Giveaway. Links are below!

Vegas by Randy Cockrell

Fall is here and I love it. I love the cooler weather and the leaves turning color. I love October because it’s planning month for November’s National Novel Writing Month, otherwise known as NaNo. I am brainstorming my next Jean Hays book, Mystery at the Reunion. So far as my notes read, we get to meet Jean’s ex-husband, some of her old Air Force buddies and, of course, see how Jean solves a murder outside of her hometown, in Las Vegas! I imagine she’s going to have a run-in with local law enforcement, don’t you? Release will be next summer. I may even do a pre-order? What do you think? Would that work for you?

Giveaways:

Would you like to win free ebooks, other prizes, or $150 in Paypal cash? Drop by https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/giveaways-and-prizes/ and click on the Rafflecopter link for the Spooktacular Authors Halloween Giveaway. This ends after Halloween! Get it now!

Hurry! A Young Adult, Instafreebie giveaway that runs from today through October 15th. Eleven authors and 12 books to give away in mystery, SciFi, Fantasy and Thriller genres. https://www.instafreebie.com/gg/8B0D07lf5WpRswSUwjQS

Shout Out:

Author Marina Epley

For this week, the shout out is to Marina Epley. A former editor, now full time author, she grew up watching SciFi, horror and action movies and has written stories she shared with her classmates. She released her trilogy, The Mind Breaker, in 2016. You can find more of her work at https://www.epleymarina.com.

Where Will I Be?

Check my website, https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/where-will-i-be/ for my next engagements.

My next public appearance will be at the Pine Fall Festival October 14th and 15th. On both days, I’ll be in the Community Hall with a few other authors selling and signing books with the antique dealers. On Saturday besides crafters, is the annual chili cook-off. Saturday hours are 9am – 5pm and the chili cook-off starts at 11am. Be there at 11am. The chili usually runs out by noon. Buy a ticket, taste the chili, vote for your fav top three! My hubby is usually there with his version. Sunday the hours are 9am – 4pm. Lots of crafters will be there and the weather is lovely in October. Come on by and say hello.

NEW! In November the Payson library is having it first ever mini-comicon. SciFi and Fantasy fans, get ready to head to central Arizona. There’ll be costumes, SciFi and Fantasy panels. I’m excited! I’ll post the date as soon as I have it.

On December 9th I’ll be at the Mesa Book Festival. Get full details at https://mesabookfestival.com/. I’ll be in a booth with my author friend, Marsha Ward. www.MarshaWard.com. Between the two of us, we have a large number of genre’s covered. Come get your Christmas presents and stocking stuffers. The festival runs from 2pm – 8pm.

Newsletter Sign Up:

Click here to sign up for my newsletter. I’ve put sign-up gifts on both the regular and the Brown Rain newsletter sign-ups. That’s right. If you sign up for my newsletter you get a free story from me. Be prepared for fun and contests! Click on the video link for a short video from me. Hear what I’m working on. Join my “A” Team to be the first to read my books and hear what new books are coming.

Don’t forget to follow my blog, too. Different material goes in the blog as in the newsletter. You can share both, so spread the word!

Newest Book Release:

Mystery at the Book Festival released June 1st and I’m pretty excited about it. You can buy it and my other books at: Apple, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and Smashwords, today! You can also see all my books on https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/my-books-and-other-published-work/. If you’ve read any of my books, please drop a short, honest, review on the site where you bought it or on Goodreads. It’s critical to help me promote the books to other readers. Thanks in advance.

Slave Elf Part 24: Flash Fiction Friday Post

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Purple by Dinky03 http://www.deviantart.com/art/PURPLE-14567744

In the morning after the mage had redressed her head, Delia went to the King’s tent. “May I come in, Father?” she asked at the open tent door.

“Of course!” He beamed up at her from his table strewn with papers. “A welcome break.”

Delia stepped inside. “Mage Kaepli told me you decided to wait here another day.”

The king nodded. “It gives the wounded time to recover. You look well.”

“The wound hurts and I still have a headache but not like yesterday. I’ll be fine.”

“Good. We will leave at first light tomorrow. Rest well.”

Delia came around his table and kissed him on the head. “Thank you.” She went back to the door. “I think I’ll stroll around a little and work the stiffness out of my legs. Then rest awhile.”

“Good idea. Take care.”

“I will, Father.” Delia left the tent and looked around the camp. Everything spiraled out from the king’s tent. She began to stroll, enjoying the sunshine and fresh air. The tent was fine but as the day got warmer, it began to smell musty. She was glad to be outside. At the mage’s tent, she found all of the apprentices, gathered. “Hello.”

“Hello! We’re glad to see you up,” Kaya said. “Sisruo told us you were feeling better.” Kaya grinned at him as he blushed.

Delia saw the blush and could feel the heat rise on her cheeks as well. “Master Kaepli was most helpful.”

“Do you still have a headache?” Sisruo asked.

“A little but nothing I can’t handle.”

Sisruo leapt to his feet. “I’ll make more of the headache potion.”

“No, thank you. I’m fine. What about the other wounded?”

“They’re over in the hospital tents. Most will be able to ride tomorrow. The rest will stay here with the guards surrounding the prisoners.” Couran rose from his squat as he finished speaking. “We’re taking a quick break from the morning’s healings. Then we’ll bring them all food and more water.”

Delia nodded. “I’m just working the kinks out, then I’ll be back to my tent.”

“You’re going to keep walking?” Sisruo’s tone of voice indicated his alarm.

“Is there some reason I shouldn’t?” Delia saw Pelan swat Sisruo in the calf from where he was sitting on the ground. A grin across his face.

“Well. I, uh, no, I suppose not.” He blushed again as Kaya snickered. “I’ll walk with you.”

Delia arched an eyebrow. “Thank you. That would be nice.”

As Sisruo hurried to her side, Couran and Pelan both laughed. Delia hid a smile. “Let’s go then.”

They strolled past the Captain’s tent and then Mystesto’s. She realized she could tell who’s rank and status was higher by the tent arrangements. As they walked, she made note of the walking wounded. They nodded to her as she passed and nodded back. “So many hurt!”

Sisruo nodded. “Using the healing arts, we put many back on their feet. Some, though, were hurt too bad for the healing to do much except take away some of the pain or fix minor problems. Kaya has volunteered to stay behind when the camp breaks to look after the ones not able to travel.”

“That was nice of her.”

“Her healing gift is better than the rest of ours. It’s a good choice.”

Soon they came to the hospital tent and Delia went inside. She spoke briefly to each elf, holding their hand or laying her hand on a fevered forehead. “They’re so nice to me,” she said after they left.

“They saw you are wounded. They feel as though they share a bond with you now.”

“Perhaps so.” Delia was lost in thought about how well she was fitting in, given her upbringing when a psychic blast knocked her sideways. “What?”

“Who did that?” Sisruo gave Delia a quick look over. “Are you all right?”

Delia shakily exhaled. “Yes. I think so.”

Sisruo strode to the wooden fence holding the prisoner elves inside. “Who attacked her?”

The elves inside laughed and moved away from the fence.

Delia studied their auras. All of them were dark. One in particular though, drew her to the fence. She looked directly at the elf. “You know me?”

The elf made a mocking bow, a smirk on his face. “Who wouldn’t know the poor princess Delia, robbed of her background. Forced to live with humans.” The six other prisoners all laughed.

Delia could feel the scorn. She swallowed the insults. “You have me at a disadvantage. What’s your name?”

By now the guards were surrounding the fence, spears ready.

“Ceinno.” He made a sweeping bow.

Delia studied him. His aura was dark purple, almost black, like a fresh bruise. She wondered if that aura hurt. “You are a relative?”

“Not of a sniveling, human-raised abomination. I’m nephew to Iyuno.”

“Then you share blood with my father and myself. Why this war?”

“My uncle is the better elf. He was cheated of his throne.”

“Were you there?”

“No. But Uncle told me.”

It was obvious to Delia as she watched Ceinno’s aura bubble and flash, that she wasn’t going to change his mind. A brief thought about how her father’s conversation went passed quickly and she left it alone. “I’m sorry this has happened. We’re family.”

Ceinno spit on the ground. “No kin of mine.”

The evil permeated the stockade, rising from all seven elves. She turned to go. Sisruo took her arm. “Best to leave, Princess.”

“Do you feel it?”

“Feel what?”

“The evil. It’s thick over the stockade. I’m going to suggest to father that those seven be separated.”

“Probably a good idea, Princess.” Sisruo cut straight through the spiral camp to the King’s tent. He called out to the guard in front. “Princess Delia to see the King.”

Delia had a moment of annoyance about him speaking for her but pushed it away. This was more important.

“Come in.”

The King rose. “Are you alright, daughter?”

“Yes, Father. I am. I just came from the prisoner’s stockade.”

The King’s face clouded. “I wish you hadn’t.”

“I met Ceinno. He is almost as evil as Nethene. I advise separating those elves. The entire stockade stinks of evil.”

“What happened?”

“We were walking by. I wasn’t even aware of the stockade. That’s when a psychic blow nearly knocked me off of my feet.”

The King glared at Sisruo. “You were with her?”

“Yes, Sire. The prisoners were most disrespectful.”

Ucheni looked back to his daughter. “I’ll talk to Captain Neoni about it. You think they’re dangerous?”

“Yes, I do.”

The king sighed. “Very well. But stay away from there.”

“Yes, Father.”

She bowed and left, Sisruo behind her.

“Are you sure you’re alright? That seemed like quite the blow.”

“I’m fine. Just a little tired.” She stopped at her tent. “I’ll take a nap, I think.”

“Good. If you need more headache medicine, let me know.”

“Thank you, Sisruo.” Delia went into her tent. It was warmer inside than out. All the better to sleep, she thought.

She lay down on top of the wool blanket and closed her eyes.

 

Thank You! Come back next week for Part 25.

1184 Words

Find more of the Forward Motion Flash Friday Group here: http://www.fmwriters.com/flash.html

 

New Floor: Monday Blog Post

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My new office floor.

Newest News:

Now that the book festival and fair are over, hubby began his long awaited project, replacing the carpet in our office with vinyl flooring. We started last Friday and were finished by Saturday afternoon. All except, that is, for the transition pieces leading from the office to the hall and from the office into the closet. Those he finished on Sunday. I still have a lot of files to bring back into the room, hopefully not back to the daybed. That would be nice to take a nap on.

A fellow author invited me to write a horror story for a book bundle. I’ve signed up to do it but it won’t be published until October 2019. That gives me plenty of time to work it out as horror isn’t my usual strong-point. However, I have decided on the main character name, Agnes Ditchweed, that it will be a SciFi horror taking place on another planet and that’s about it. If you don’t want to wait that long, I have my collection, Halloween Tales, on Amazon to help satisfy your Halloween reading. Go to my website tab Books for links to major retailers.

 

Giveaways:

Would you like to win free ebooks, other prizes, or $150 in Paypal cash? Drop by https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/giveaways-and-prizes/ and click on the Rafflecopter link for the Spooktacular Authors Halloween Giveaway. This ends after Halloween! Get it now!

Shout Out:

Today’s shout out is to Claudette Melanson. An award winning author, Claudette writes horror. You can find her book, Rising Tide: Dark Innocence, on permafree at https://www.amazon.com/Claudette-Melanson/e/B00IHS7GBI. Enjoy!

Where Will I Be?

Check my website, https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/where-will-i-be/ for my next engagements.

My next public appearance will be at the Pine Fall Festival October 14th and 15th. On both days, I’ll be in the Community Hall with a few other authors selling and signing books with the antique dealers. On Saturday besides crafters, is the annual chili cook-off. Saturday hours are 9am – 5pm and the chili cook-off starts at 11am. Be there at 11am. The chili usually runs out by noon. Buy a ticket, taste the chili, vote for your fav top three! My hubby is usually there with his version. Sunday the hours are 9am – 4pm. Lots of crafters will be there and the weather is lovely in October. Come on by and say hello.

NEW! In November the Payson library is having it first ever mini-comicon. SciFi and Fantasy fans, get ready to head to central Arizona. There’ll be costumes, SciFi and Fantasy panels. I’m excited! I’ll post the date as soon as I have it.

On December 9th I’ll be at the Mesa Book Festival. Get full details at https://mesabookfestival.com/. I’ll be in a booth with my author friend Marsha Ward. www.MarshaWard.com. Between the two of us, we have a large number of genre’s covered. Come get your Christmas presents and stocking stuffers. The festival runs from 2pm – 8pm.

Newsletter Sign Up:

Click here to sign up for my newsletter. I’ve put sign-up gifts on both the regular and the Brown Rain newsletter sign-ups. That’s right. If you sign up for my newsletter you get a free story from me. Be prepared for fun and contests! Click on the video link for a short video from me. Hear what I’m working on. Join my “A” Team to be the first to read my books and hear what new books are coming.

Don’t forget to follow my blog, too. Different material goes in the blog as in the newsletter. You can share both, so spread the word!

Newest Book Release:

Mystery at the Book Festival released June 1st and I’m pretty excited about it. You can buy it and my other books at: Apple, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and Smashwords, today! You can also see all my books on https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/my-books-and-other-published-work/. If you’ve read any of my books, please drop a short, honest, review on the site where you bought it or on Goodreads. It’s critical to help me promote the books to other readers. Thanks in advance.

Slave Elf Part 22: Flash Fiction Friday

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knight_by_jorsch-d65hbwt via DeviantArt.com

 

Part 22

The King’s force lined up on one end of the valley. Facing them, Iyuno’s force, filled the other end. She didn’t see the humans, so they might be off to one side or another, as Mystesto’s and Neoni’s forces were, hidden in the woods. At her father’s signal, a soldier blew his horn and the standard bearer dropped the flag, signaling the start of battle. The elves around her roared and kicked their horses forward. She remained in place, to the right of her father, who watched as his elves raced into the center of the valley.

Iyuno’s forces did the same. Delia switched to her magical sight. There were no black aura’s. “Father, I don’t see Nethene’s aura in the other force.”

Ucheni nodded. “He’s probably with some other force. We’ll find him eventually.”

Her horse danced and Delia had to keep pulling it into line while she watched the opposing forces close in on each other, the center of each line meeting in the middle with a crash and a roar. She could feel gooseflesh rise on her arms at the hue and cry that rose over the field in front of her.

Her father’s forces held and she could see elves dropping one by one from their saddles. Pelan must be in there somewhere, using the sleeping spell. Arrows rose and fell, elves screaming with pain as they hit. A small party of five broke away and headed for the King. Delia kicked her horse forward and of its own volition, a fireball formed in her hand. As the five grew closer, she readied the ball, hurling it as far as she could. She didn’t want them to get close to the king. The ball hit the lead rider, knocking him from his horse. The horse screamed and reared, kicking the horse next to it and causing confusion. In no time, all of the horses were screaming. The sound gave Delia chills. She threw another fireball, at the horses. Again, rearing and screaming, the elves could barely control their mounts.

The elves grew closer. One elf in particular seemed able to control his horse while shouting instructions to the others. She chanted the sleeping spell and cast it at him. She saw him shake his head. He was too far away. She threw another fireball, hitting him in the chest. He dropped from his horse and rolled on the ground, putting out the fire. Too close! Too close! She tried the spell again. He rolled across the ground, the spell missed! He grabbed his horse and leapt into the saddle. She threw ball after ball at the now four elves. Two hit, and the elves fell. Two were left.

“Daughter, be careful!”

“Yes, father.”

She tried the spell once more. One elf fell. One more to go, the calm one. She cast the spell, it hit him just fifteen feet away. The King kicked his horse to the left while Delia urged her mount right. The enemy horse raced through the middle and disappeared behind them. The elf lay asleep on the ground in front of them. Two of the King’s elves dragged the elf out of the way and remounted.

“Well done, daughter.”

“Thank you, father.”

Delia tried to still her shaking hands. That was too close. She turned her attention to the battle. There was so much dust it was hard to tell what was going on. King Ucheni kicked his horse to a walk and advanced to the battle. Delia wanted to tell him to stay back but bit her tongue. It was his place to be in the battle. She needed to keep her eyes open.

The horn blew again, and Captain Neoni’s forces came out of the woods just as a company of humans came out of hiding. They joined behind the first battle. The humans were on foot. Captain Neoni’s force formed a circle around the humans. Delia saw them dropping. Sisruo and Couran were wielding the sleeping spell with good result. It didn’t take long for all of the humans to be lying on the grass.

It was different with Captain Mystesto. The group he faced seemed to have their own spells. Elves burst into flame though Delia didn’t see any fireballs. She had to stop looking there as her father had reached the first battle. She chanted the sleeping spell non-stop, elves dropping in front of her like cord wood. Twice she had to kick her horse out of the way of swinging blades. Her father drew his sword and entered the fray. It seemed forever to Delia before the opposing force numbers were noticeably fewer. Her father wiped his blade and Delia took a breath. Was it over? She started to ask her father when something hit her in the back of the head. She could hear herself whimper and slump in the saddle. Then it went black.

 

Thank You! Come back next week for Part 23.

820 Words

Find more of the Forward Motion Flash Friday Group here: http://www.fmwriters.com/flash.html

Slave Elf Part 21: Flash Fiction Friday Post

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campfire_by_kiaraz via DeviantArt.com

Part 21

The day came for them to march off to the first location her grand-uncle had set up troops. Her horse constantly bobbed head up and down and shifted left and right. Delia did her best to calm herself before trying to calm the horse. It was picking up her feelings. Finally, her father, the king, rode up. The Captain shouted out the order to proceed and she followed the rest of the elves in the king’s retinue out of the castle gates. A company of elves rode ahead of them while the rest of the force followed behind the king. Now that they were moving, she felt better. Sitting and waiting was difficult.

Sisruo rode up and moved into position beside her. He nodded toward Mage Kaepli who rode beside the King. “I was chosen to be his body servant.”

“Quite the honor,” Delia replied. She looked over him and his horse. He had dressed himself and his horse simply, as she had. There were no silver decorations on bridle or saddle. The sword at his side was plain, no fancy guard or decorations on the scabbard. A simple gray cloak hung from his shoulders over brown and green tunic, leggings and boots. Similar to her own dress.

“Yes. It is. I’m honored and hopeful I don’t make a mess of it.”

“Not likely. He seems to like you very much.”

“True. But that has only made him harder on me.” He gazed off into the distance over the heads of the king and the mage. “He’s convinced me to take my final testing when we return.”

“Good. It’s time. You seem to have an excellent grasp of magic.” She shrugged. “At least to my eye.”

Sisruo chuckled. “Kaepli said pretty much the same. Said I was just dilly-dallying. Get on with it.”

Delia had to chuckle in return. “Very direct.”

“Indeed.”

They spoke often over the next four days as they marched to battle. The sound of tack jingling and rattling covered their conversation from others in formation. What Delia found annoying was the constant dust. It filled every crevasse in skin and clothing and she was at the front. She couldn’t imagine what the dust was like at the rear of the line.

When they camped for the night the fourth day, her father called a council.

“Have we found Nethene?” the King asked as they stood around a map of the area spread across a rough table.

Captain Neoni shook his head. “No. There’s been no sign of him since four days before we left the castle. The men I had watching him had to be left behind when we rode. They still hadn’t woken from whatever spell he used on them.”

The king nodded and looked at Mage Kaepli. “And you?”

“I can see Iyuno’s forces ahead. Nothing more than that.”

Chief Scout Mystesto spoke up. “I sent scouts ahead, they’ve just returned. It looks like about a thousand elves, half on horseback. The rest on foot. There are humans, as well, sire.”

King Ucheni’s eyebrow rose. “Humans?”

Mystesto nodded. “More than likely mercenaries, Sire. Swords for hire, is my guess.”

The king rubbed his face, the beginning of a beard already growing. “That could mean that Iyuno isn’t as well supported as we thought. Humans also means less magic and more fighting.” He sighed. “And I’m sure Nethene has already joined my Uncle Iyuno.” He blew out his breath. “There’s nothing we can do about it now.”

He pointed at the map. We break our force into three parts. I’ll take the center, here,” he tapped the map at a point mid-way along the valley floor. Captain Neoni, take the right, Mystesto, take the left.” Ucheni looked to the mage. “And you, Master Kaepli. I’ve heard you have a weapon.”

“One I hope, Sire, will spare many elf lives. I and my apprentice Kaya, will be in Chief Scout Mystesto’s force. My right-hand apprentice, Sisruo and apprentice Couran will be with Captain Neoni. Apprentice Pelan will ride with you.”

“Only one mage with me, Kaepli?”

“Oh no, Sire. Your daughter is well trained in the new method. She’ll be by your side as planned.” The old elf gave Delia a quick wink.

Her father turned to her. “Well done, daughter. You seem to be a formidable force all on your own.”

A blush began to creep up her cheeks and she stared at the map. “I will do my best to protect you, Father.”

He clapped her gently on the shoulder—a smile on his face. “I couldn’t ask for a better daughter.”

“Thank you, Father.”

Ucheni drew a deep breath. “That’s all for tonight. Get your rest. We’ll need it.”

Delia returned to her tent. She was still amazed that the baggage train had one just for her. She splashed her face and took off her boots, lying down on her pallet fully clothed. The weather was still warm enough that she didn’t bother with the finely woven wool blanket provided. She stared at the top of the tent, lit in waves by the torches around her father’s tent. The light flickered and moved as the light breeze flew the flames.

After the big build-up by Mage Kaepli she hoped she could carry out her duties to protect her father. She pressed her fingertips against her eyes. Not a good horsewoman, she hurt, especially after four days in the saddle, from head to toe. That didn’t help her sleep either. Her legs would go into random spasms so even if she did drift off, the spasms jerked her back awake. She muttered the chant to awaken someone from suspension. A yawn in the middle of one iteration was so wide her jaw cracked. She worried about her father. What if he went charging ahead. Could she keep up? How long could she keep up the pace of suspending elves and throwing fireballs?

It was all a swirl in her mind until scratching at the tent door woke her. “It’s daybreak, Princess. We have mush and tea ready at the fire.”

Delia suppressed a groan. It hadn’t felt like any sleep at all. “I’ll be right there. Thank you.”

The elf left and Delia rolled from her pallet. She stretched as best she could and pulled on her boots. It was going to be a long day.

 

Thank You! Come back next week for Part 22.

1064 Words

Find more of the Forward Motion Flash Friday Group here: http://www.fmwriters.com/flash.html

Fair, Fair, Fair: Monday Blog Post

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Newest News:

Thanks to everyone who went to my Book Funnel Giveaway. A large number of people signed up to my newsletter and received a free copy of Mystery at the Fair.  I have another giveaway, a YA Dystopian and Apocalyptic one, scheduled for September 4 – 10. That’s the same week as my Northern Gila County Fair but I plan on giving away a copy of my Brown Rain series, book 1, First Encounter. Over 50 authors are involved, so if you like SciFi, this is the giveaway for you. The link will be out next week in this blog and in my Facebook and Twitter feeds. Mark your calendars!

Tomatoes in bowls in the kitchen. Must be time to make a nice marinara sauce. Pears are beginning to ripen. So juicy!

The last few days have been all about data entry into our new fair database. The exhibits tent has 12 departments, each one with dozens of items to log into the database. Never fear. It will be done.

No responses to my Do you use KU, question. Does that mean no one uses Kindle Unlimited for their book reading?

Giveaways:

Would you like to win free ebooks, other prizes, or a $130 in Paypal cash? Drop by https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/giveaways-and-prizes/ and click on the Rafflecopter link for the Summer Blockbuster Giveaway.

Look here for next week’s YA Dystopian and Apocalyptic SciFi book giveaway!

Shout Out:

Here’s a shout out to Marina Epley. She’s fighting with the Houston floods right now but in calmer days she’s a YA Dystopian, SciFi/Fantasy author. Her newest book is Kora. Check out https://www.epleymarina.com/ to find out more about this great author.

Where Will I Be?

Check my website, https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/where-will-i-be/ for my next engagements.

On September 16th I’m going to be at the Payson Flea Market. The details are still being worked out but this is a great event for picking up Christmas Presents and cool stuff for your house and yard. I’m inviting a couple of other authors to come to my space as well so there’ll be a lot of books to choose from.

My next public appearance will be at the Pine Fall Festival October 14th and 15th. On both days I’ll be in the Community Hall with a few other authors selling and signing books with the antique dealers. On Saturday besides crafters, is the annual chili cook-off. Saturday hours are 9am – 5pm and the chili cook-off starts at 11am. Be there at 11am. The chili usually runs out by noon. Buy a ticket, taste the chili, vote for your fav top three! My hubby is usually there with his version. Sunday the hours are 9am – 4pm. Lots of crafters will be there and the weather is lovely in October. Come on by and say hello.

On December 9th I’ll be at the Mesa Book Festival. Get full details at https://mesabookfestival.com/. I’ll be in a booth with my author friend Marsha Ward. www.MarshaWard.com. Between the two of us, we have a large number of genre’s covered. Come get your Christmas presents and stocking stuffers. The festival runs from 2pm – 8pm.

Newsletter Sign Up:

Click here to sign up for my newsletter. I’ve put sign-up gifts on both the regular and the Brown Rain newsletter sign-ups. That’s right. If you sign up for my newsletter you get a free story from me. Be prepared for fun and contests! Click on the video link for a short video from me. Hear what I’m working on. Join my “A” Team to be the first to read my books and hear what new books are coming.

Don’t forget to follow my blog, too. Different material goes in the blog as in the newsletter. You can share both, so spread the word!

Newest Book Release:

Mystery at the Book Festival released June 1st and I’m pretty excited about it. You can buy it and my other books at: Apple, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and Smashwords, today! You can also see all my books on https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/my-books-and-other-published-work/. If you’ve read any of my books, please drop a short, honest, review on the site where you bought it or on Goodreads. It’s critical to help me promote the books to other readers. Thanks in advance.

 

Cozy Giveaway, Editing, KU Thoughts: Monday Blog Post

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Newest News:

I’m in a mystery giveaway this week at https://books.bookfunnel.com/free_mystery/wrllo9pt15. This giveaway, as you can see, is through the Book Funnel site. If you haven’t used them before, you’ll love how easy it is to download books and they have a fantastic help desk if you run into a problem. Anyway, the giveaway has 25 authors and their books and everyone of them is a winner. So, stock up for your last summer vacation or your fall reading in front of the fireplace. This giveaway ends the end of this week so don’t delay.

Bountiful Basket

The garden is still producing. I picked a lot of green and yellow beans and tomatoes on Sunday. The peaches are picked from the tree and I gave away a lot of them. I still have lots in the fridge though, and am loving my peach smoothies in the morning or for lunch. Yummy.

I’m working hard these last few days before the fair so I haven’t gotten to Tested’s edits yet. I will though, I will! In the meantime, I’m finalizing the parking plans for the fair so I can turn them over to the Fire Department. Rules must be followed.

In Book 1, Bob is a soccer player.

Also under writing news, I think I mentioned over a year ago a set of stories I call All About Bob. There are 5 stories planned for that YA series and one is already drafted. I’m thinking about going ahead and writing them all and putting them in Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited. What’s your thought on this. Do you use KU?

Giveaways:

Would you like to win free ebooks, other prizes, or a $130 in Paypal cash? Drop by https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/giveaways-and-prizes/ and click on the Rafflecopter link for the Summer Blockbuster Giveaway.

I mentioned above my mystery giveaway with about 25 other authors on BookFunnel.com. The giveaway started August 19th and runs for one week. Here’s the link again in case you missed it above. https://books.bookfunnel.com/free_mystery/wrllo9pt15. Act fast, this giveaway ends the end of the week.

Shout Out:

Are you a mystery fan? A fellow author, Betty Web, is writing some fantastic mysteries. Check out her website,  http://www.bettywebb-mystery.com/, where you can find her Lena Jones mysteries. Hold on to your seat, though, they’re high octane!

Where Will I Be?

Check my website, https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/where-will-i-be/ for my next engagements.

On September 16th I’m going to be at the Payson Flea Market. The details are still being worked out but this is a great event for picking up Christmas Presents and cool stuff for your house and yard. I’m inviting a couple of other authors to come to my space as well so there’ll be a lot of books to choose from.

My next public appearance will be at the Pine Fall Festival October 14th and 15th. On both days I’ll be in the Community Hall with a few other authors selling and signing books with the antique dealers. On Saturday besides crafters, is the annual chili cook-off. Saturday hours are 9am – 5pm and the chili cook-off starts at 11am. Be there at 11am. The chili usually runs out by noon. Buy a ticket, taste the chili, vote for your fav top three! My hubby is usually there with his version. Sunday the hours are 9am – 4pm. Lots of crafters will be there and the weather is lovely in October. Come on by and say hello.

On December 9th I’ll be at the Mesa Book Festival. Get full details at https://mesabookfestival.com/. I’ll be in a booth with my author friend Marsha Ward. www.MarshaWard.com. Between the two of us, we have a large number of genre’s covered. Come get your Christmas presents and stocking stuffers. The festival runs from 2pm – 8pm.

Newsletter Sign Up:

Click here to sign up for my newsletter. I’ve put sign-up gifts on both the regular and the Brown Rain newsletter sign-ups. That’s right. If you sign up for my newsletter you get a free story from me. Be prepared for fun and contests! Click on the video link for a short video from me. Hear what I’m working on. Join my “A” Team to be the first to read my books and hear what new books are coming.

Don’t forget to follow my blog, too. Different material goes in the blog as in the newsletter. You can share both, so spread the word!

Newest Book Release:

Mystery at the Book Festival released June 1st and I’m pretty excited about it. You can buy it and my other books at: Apple, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and Smashwords, today! You can also see all my books on https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/my-books-and-other-published-work/. If you’ve read any of my books, please drop a short, honest, review on the site where you bought it or on Goodreads. It’s critical to help me promote the books to other readers. Thanks in advance.

 

Slave Elf Part 19: Friday Flash Fiction Post

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http://www.deviantart.com/art/green-subatomic-694368700

 

Part 20

Sisruo turned back to her. “I’m here from Master Kaepli. He wondered if you would consider joining us in suspending the enemy fighters.”

It was Delia’s turn to be surprised. “He doesn’t have enough mages to succeed?”

Sisruo’s shuffling gave away his answer. “Not really. He spoke positively at the council meeting but he feels the more elves he has available to do the work, the better off we’ll be.”

“I’ll be at my father’s side.”

“That’s perfect. You could suspend anyone who closes in on the king.”

Delia thought about it. She had it in mind to use her fireballs and heat blasts to keep the enemy from her father. But as she thought about it, wasn’t it better to hold the elves rather than kill them? “I’ll do it. Will you teach me?”

“Yes, Princess. That’s what the Master has suggested.”

Delia nodded and cleared her mind from thinking about heat blasts. “Very well. What do I do?”

They spent until sunset practicing. “How do I know I’m doing it right?”

“Tomorrow, come to the Mage’s study room. We’ll practice on the apprentices that already know how.”

Delia shook her head. “What if I make a mistake?” I could kill someone!”

“That’s how we all learned. And we’ll teach you to un-suspend them too.”

Delia thought this a bad idea but couldn’t think of any other way to test her skill. “What about on an animal. A dog or a pig?”

“They aren’t the same size. They would take a lot less power to suspend. It has to be a full-grown elf.”

“Very well.” She rubbed an eye. “Tomorrow after breakfast?”

Sisruo nodded. “After breakfast then.” He looked at the sky. The first stars were already beginning to shine. “Shall I walk you to the castle?”

Delia swallowed her annoyance. He didn’t think she was helpless. He was just being polite. “Thank you.”

They walked in silence, Sisruo with his hands clasped behind him. “Master Kaepli is worried about you.”

“Why?” Again, she had to work to be polite.

“You’re new to your powers, Princess. That is all. I and Master Kaepli are both surprised and amazed at how you’ve adapted to your new position. That change could not have been easy.”

It wasn’t easy, she thought better of saying. “It has had its challenges.”

Sisruo chuckled. “Diplomacy must have been a birthright, Princess. You’re a natural.”

She had to smile at that. “Sometimes. I was hurt, you know. For years. I thought I was abandoned.”

“I cannot fathom it, Princess. And I regret it with my whole being.”

“Nothing to do with you, Sisruo. And Father and Mother have been so loving since I’ve returned. They apologize constantly.”

They arrived at the gate. The guards opened the door for her.

“In the morning, Princess.” Sisruo bowed.

“In the morning, Sisruo.”

The next day she was in the workshop where she’d first researched changing her aura. She still practiced that every day and was getting stronger and holding the aura longer. But this morning Mage Kaepli, Sisruo and three other apprentices were waiting for her. She was introduced to Couran, Pelan, and Kaya. Kaya was the youngest and female. Her blond hair was plaited into many braids and pulled back into a pony tail which hung down her back to her hips. Couran and Pelan were cousins, brawny, as though they worked with weapons. “We do!” they said when she asked. “Our uncle is Captain Neoni. He was disappointed when we chose to become mages but forgave us anyway.” The two of them laughed.

Kaepli clapped his hands. “Let us begin. Kaya, you go first.”

Delia watched as the young woman, younger than herself, suspended Pelan. He sank slowly to the floor, eyes closed, seemingly asleep.

“Try to rouse him,” Kaepli told Delia.

She walked over and crouched down. No amount of shaking or calling his name roused him.  “He’s truly suspended, Mage Kaepli.”

“Kaya, wake him.”

The young elf held her hands over him and chanted. Pelan woke slowly and sat up, rubbing his eyes. “Nice little nap.”

The apprentices chuckled as Kaya gave him a hand to his feet. “Now you, Delia.”

“I’ll be your partner,” Sisruo said as he stepped into the circle. He looked at her confidently and gave a small nod of support.

Delia wiped her hands on her skirt. She had felt confident yesterday evening but now, what if she killed him? Her hands trembled.

“You can do it, Delia,” Mage Kaepli said. “Just trust your instincts.”

Her instincts were telling her this was a bad idea. But Sisruo gave her a smile and the others were speaking words of encouragement so she held out her right hand and focused, just like last evening. Sisruo sank to the floor. For a moment she panicked, thinking she’d killed him. Everyone was clapping. “Well done, Princess,” Kaya said.

“Here’s the waking spell,” Mage Kaeply said. He said the spell three times. Delia held her hand over Sisruo and took a deep breath. She chanted the words, focusing on the elf on the floor. She could feel the power running from her to him. He didn’t move. She looked in fright at Mage Kaepli.

“Wait. It takes a moment.”

It didn’t seem to take so long when Kaya brought Pelan back. Then Sisruo moved. She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. He sat up. “Well done, Princess.” Everyone clapped again. Delia helped him to his feet. “That was exciting.”

“We’ll practice a bit more today. Then every day until the army leaves.” Mage Kaepli left the room.

Delia nodded. Another tool under her belt. It felt good.

 

Thank You! Come back next week for Part 21.

946 Words

Find more of the Forward Motion Flash Friday Group here: http://www.fmwriters.com/flash.html