Fantasy Friday First Look

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So there I was, debating which character I should interview for the blog when the ever gorgeous and super sweet Debra Kristi tagged me in a new meme that’s making its way around the blogosphere. It’s called the Look game.

I suppose that’s because the rules say something like, you’re supposed to run a search in your work in progress for the word “look” and then paste the surrounding paragraph(s), tagging as many people as possible.

Simple enough. And since it’s Friday, it had to be my fantasy, The Temple of Ardyn. So here goes:

Instead of a storeroom filled with casks of ale and old chairs, Taryn stared into a gaping blackness. “Bloody hell.”

Brandt reprimanded her for cursing and she mumbled an apology, eyes fixed on the emptiness in front of her. “Take my hand and whatever you do, don’t let go.” Brandt gripped her hand in his. “There’s no telling where you might end up.”

“Where does it lead?” The darkness pulled at her with a curious desperation.

“Aelinae, darling.” His hand tightened around hers. Motioning to the now nonexistent doorway he said, “You’d be surprised at what is possible when you look beyond what you think you know.”

At that moment she was certain she knew nothing. Everything she’d been led to believe was made moot by the undulating, seductive void before her. “Portals to other worlds,” she murmured while checking her hold on Brandt’s hand. “Well, let’s see what this Ay-lynn-ay has to offer, shall we?” There was a strength in her voice she hoped conveyed the confidence she didn’t quite feel.

Ooo ~ ~ ~ ooO

Now for the fun part! I get to tag some of you to share a bit of your work in progress. If I tag you and you aren’t up for it, no worries! If I didn’t tag you, but you’d like to participate, that’s awesome. Just let us know in the comments so we can pop over to your blog and check you out!

Julie Catherine Vigna (her artwork is amazing, please stop by to see it) ** Bethany Lopez ** Callene Rapp ** Gayle Carline ** Louise Behiel ** Rebecca Enzor ** David Walker ** Virginia Ripple **

I look forward to reading all your excerpts, ladies and gent!

53 thoughts on “Fantasy Friday First Look”

  1. Tim and I a hunting went.
    Came across three girls in a tent.
    As they were three and we were two.
    I bucked one and Tim-Bucked-Two!

    As you can see I’m more of a limerick kinda guy! LOL!

    Reply ↓

    • My darling Mr. August, there is supposed to be the word, ‘Look’ in your selection. Is it just me, or did you just make up your own meme?

      That is so like you! And that’s why we absolutely adore you. Mwuah!

      Reply ↓

      • Sorry! Is this better?
        Tim and I a hunting went.
        “Look! There’s three girls in a tent.”
        As they were three and we were two.
        I bucked one and Tim-Bucked-Two!

      • Also – I checked with my in-house “writer geek” on this “meme” thingy?
        She shrugged! Lotsa help there…NOT! – so please elaborate for the laypersons would ya!

      • Much better. A meme is anything you want it to be. You could start one where everyone needs to blog about undies. Oh, wait, that’s already being done. By your wife! I’m sure you and Natalie would have no problem thinking up fun memes.

  2. I love that bit of your novel – it definitely pulled me in and made me want to read more! And I loved that you had your MC say the name like that, so the readers know how to say it.

    Thanks for tagging me! I already found the “look” in my novel, and here it is:

    Kaye was in the back of the tent changing out of her ceremonial dress and into old clothes already stained with blood when her sister came in, back torn and bloody from the whips. Kindra sunk face-first onto her cot and reached up to untie the strings holding her halter top together, thick drops of blood falling onto her mark. It made Kaye’s back ache to look at.

    Kaye grabbed the bowl of herbs and submerged a clean cloth in it. “I’m proud of you,” she said and spread the cloth over the bleeding mark.

    Reply ↓

  3. Great excerpt, Tameri! Your writing in haunting, and I love it.

    Debra tagged me, too, and I’m planning to play along in some fashion. Feels a bit like airing out my undies—oh wait, already did that. ;) But I like this meme in particular. I’m eager to read others’ bits, too. Fun!

    Reply ↓

  5. Tameri, “love” your excerpt, it sounds intriguing! Thank you for tagging me, and for the lovely compliment on my work – that is so much appreciated. I have a lot on my plate right now so won’t do a separate blog …. but here’s an excerpt from my YA novel (could only find “looked”, hope that’s okay?) … Hope you enjoy it! ~ Julie :) xoxox

    Part of the gallows frame inside the hull still stood, the timber perfectly sound and the planking solid. It was amazing how well the cold, fresh water had preserved it all, even while enshrouded with soft algae and sharp-edged zebra mussels. Fan-tailed round gobies and spindle-shaped chubs looked at us with curiosity while they pursued each other around the wooden beams; occasionally swimming so close that they brushed against us. I stretched out my hand to touch one but it quickly pirouetted and gyrated through the water just out of reach.

    Billy and Colin were checking out the enormous anchor and some heavy iron machinery that had been swept off the deck. Susan and I found an upturned life boat that was stove in at both ends, and part of the paddle box with the letters W.A. How I wished that I had an underwater camera!

    Colin motioned for us to join him and Billy as they ventured further from the shipwreck. When Susan and I reached them, he gestured ahead. There, caught in a rock formation in a shallow reef, lay a small trunk; a second trunk half covered with silt and debris a few feet to its right. We stared at each other and gleefully swam towards them. Billy got there first and crouched down beside one of them, then swam to the other and did the same. He looked up at us and shook his head in disappointment. The locks had been broken and the trunk lids were partially opened so we could see inside. It wasn’t the gold. We did see a stock of medicine bottles and what looked to be doctor’s instruments in one of them. The other trunk obviously belonged to Captain George; his name was stenciled in large letters on the lid, and parts of it were still fairly visible. We peered through the small opening. A water-logged, very faded family photograph in an ornate, rusted metal frame lay on top of some personal possessions, anchoring them with its weight. ~ :) (Excerpt from WIP, The Island, © J C Edwards, 2012)

    Reply ↓

    • Wow, you are good, Gayle. So glad you did this! I’ve been dying for more Peri. It better be Peri or I’ll be sad. Well, not if it’s Snoopy, then I’d be happy. Oh heck, I just want to read some of your writing, it doesn’t matter what story it’s from!

      Reply ↓

  8. She ran a meme for “Look.”
    She wants us to quote from our book,
    But us men all feel lonely
    Cause she wants women only.
    I guess I’ll just go read my Nook.

    Now you know why I don’t do poetry, lol.

    Reply ↓

    • Hey guess what David? There is such a thing as the edit button. So look who’s tagged now! That’s right my friend. We’ve got a gentleman in the house. I’ve thrown down the gauntlet, now it’s up to you to bring it.

      *There was no way I was going to try to put that into a poem, but I do adore your poetic response.* Fabulous!

      Reply ↓

  10. Pingback: A “look” at my WIP « Callene Rapp's Blog

  11. Yay! LOVE!!! You were so quick to respond to the challenge my head is spinning.:D And you feigned worry. Your snippet is AWESOME! I can’t wait to read your book. Your prose is inspiring. I, too, was hooked at “Bloody hell.”

    Reply ↓

  12. There’s always some fun game going around the blogosphere isn’t there?

    Nice excerpt. What’s on the other side of the portal? I’m dying to know.

    Patricia Rickrode
    w/a Jansen Schmidt

    Reply ↓

  13. One paragraph on each side didn’t make much sense, so I included two on each side. Here goes:

    Fancy glanced back at the huge black woman sitting with imperial grace in the middle of the seat despite the bouncing of the rig on the rough road. “Thank you, Hera. You’re always such a comfort. Are you all right back there?”

    “Doan yo’ worry yo’ pretty li’l head ’bout me. I be okay.”

    As she faced back to the front, Fancy saw a fork ahead. “They’d probably stay left. The one to the right doesn’t look like near as good a road. They’d want to make as good time as possible.”

    “Unless they figured we’d go left and they could lose us on the back road. I’m not so sure.”

    Fancy realized Phyllis had a valid point. She sat wondering what to do as Phyllis veered to the left.

    Reply ↓

  17. Here it goes…

    When she heard Roni’s bawdy laugh, she opened the door with a smile, and was faced with a faded grey t-shirt stretched across the sexiest chest she had ever seen. Without looking up, she knew the owner of that chest. She had been crushing on him ever since her first day in this small town.
    She felt the familiar tug in her belly, as she allowed herself a moment to draw her gaze slowly up his chest, over his broad shoulders, and into his striking face.
    Kent was the most gorgeous man she’d ever met in person, and no matter how many times she saw him, she always got butterflies when he was near.
    He grinned broadly down at her.
    “Hey, Nic,” Kent was the only man who had ever called her that, and she felt her heart trip every time he did.

    Reply ↓

  19. What great fun you came up with Tameri. I’ve loved reading every reply – and – if David didn’t come through for you, I was going to remind him I’d reviewed his new release ‘Heaven Sent’ and although a Christian theme – he certainly had nice passages there that fit nicely into the requirements. (Wow, is that one long run-on sentence, or what)? Don’t answer, David.

    Reply ↓

  20. Pingback: Tall Tale Tuesday: Color Me Wild « Ellie Ann

  23. Pingback: Giving A Little Love to the Romantic Suspense | Tameri Etherton

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