What's Happening with SOI???

11:14 PM

Hello all,

Sooooo......*shuffles feet back and forth*

I decided not to enter Seeds of an Orchard Invisible (SOI) into the Rooglewood contest.

The main reason why....is because it's not completed yet.

Ideally, I should have been working on edits this month before sending it off. However, due to a rather disastrous Camp NaNo (writing wise, not anything else wise) and a even more disastrous term in graduate school, SOI is still in that messy first draft state. It's not even a completed first draft.

Just like I said in this post, this WIP isn't going to die, though.

I'm just taking a lot slower than I originally had thought.

Right now, I have two official alpha readers (Lia and MK) who have been busy cringing at what Ceinwen has been doing and adopting my rogues. (The latter I wasn't quite expecting, but okay!!!)

Now, because I'm not entering SOI into Rooglewood....

I get to share every single detail about it.

With all of you.

Which means....

More character stuff (BP, possible interviews, etc.)

and more importantly.....

More snippets.

“I hear, Eirwen, that you have been down in the kitchen.”

Subtle gasps were heard among the ladies in the company and their servants.

So that was what it was about, eh? “Yes, my lady. Cook has been ill, and the food must be prepared, no matter what hands do it.” Eirwen caught the now-familiar scent of wood smoke, even stronger here than in the kitchen. Surely the manservants didn’t stock the fireplaces with green wood also???

Ceinwen smirked. “It must be…tiring work, isn’t it?”

Eirwen smiled. “Sometimes, yes. Bu-”

Eirwen’s grin was washed out in a moment when she saw Ceinwen's threatening gaze.

“I’ve been hearing some horrible tales about you, Eirwen. How you steal money for the servants and embroider their stockings and flirt with gardener’s boys! Such conduct in the eyes of the royalties of the world is abominable.”

Eirwen eyes began to glaze. Far away, a voice announced two men of high distinction. As if rooted, Eirwen’s gaze was fixed on Ceinwen as she seemed wrap herself in the haze of the smoking hearth, making her more druid-like than ever before.

“You are due some humiliation, fair princess. Oh, your ears are scarlet now, but wait till the butcher’s bloody hands are finished with –”

Coughing and spluttering, a large dark-haired man stumbled into the large room, interrupting Ceinwen’s softly-spoken rant. Recovering his poise, he bowed respectfully to the company.

Ceinwen, not bothering to return the gesture, whispered under her breath as he passed. “Really, Aneirin! Couldn’t you have been a bit more…dramatic, regal even, when entering company such as this?”

King Aneirin, coughing and directing a steady threatening gaze at Ceinwen all the while, said hoarsely, “Woman! There was a curtain of SMOKE before me…” He trailed off as the smoke curled around him again, worsening his coughing fit.

Undaunted, she continued, still softly. “Well that is no excuse! Smoke gives such and air of mystery, and it reveals you at your best advantage…”

“Oh, so it matters not if I’m able to BREATHE afterwards….” King Aneirin accepted Eirwen’s tumbler of water, Eirwen noticing that he didn’t even look at her or Ceinwen.

How Eirwen’s horse managed to miss all of the trees must be attributed to Eirwen’s guardian angel. On and on through the densely overgrown woods, the black hooves tore. Eirwen’s fright and pain only drove the poor animal faster.

Her father’s last words to her reverberated through her brain. Over and over, as if stuck, she saw the flash of scarlet, her father’s body dropping like a sack from the war stallion’s back. An awful sinking feeling invaded her. Was her father, even now, viewing his last minutes here on Earth?

Several minutes later, the passion of Eirwen’s fright was superseded by barbs of pain as her leg started to throb unmercifully. Eirwen, sensing her horse was tired, slowed him to a stop cautiously. As she stopped before the entrance of a dirt path, the change in light disoriented Eirwen, and her head began to swim.

A dark shadow descended from the trees. Eirwen fought to concentrate as her vision threatened to blur further.

“Halt…oh wait. You are halted.”

Eirwen’s eyes cleared a minute to see a short dark-haired person aiming an arrow straight at…her horse’s knees? Eirwen frowned and shook her head slightly to clear it again. Yes, she had been right. What was more, his armor was ill-fitting and had seen better days.

“Who are you?”

“Can’t you tell?”

Eirwen looked him up and down.

“You don’t look like a man to me. Neither do you look like a dwarf either.”

“I’m a…I’m a rogue.”

The first is an add-on from Camp NaNo, and the second one is a newish one. Newish in that I haven't shown it to anyone besides my alphas.

I plan on introducing a new character from SOI to you readers very soon *wink wink* I think you'll like her :)

Sooooo.....I'm dying to know.....what did you think of the snippets? Please chat with me!

Scribblingly yours,

Catherine