When Time Travelers Bump into Themselves...

I know there's a good deal of debate about whether or not it would be possible, but, in my world, the Society in the Shadow of Civilization, it happens. More than once.

The first instance in the Society in the Shadow of Civilization is in The Shadow Watcher, when Sam and Michael travel to Costa Rica in search of the Flamella tree. They didn't expect to see anyone except Adjatay - but, they see themselves across a ravine...   

A Shadow in Doubt: Chapter Four - Duty Call

Happy Saturday! Today, I'm sharing Chapter Four from A Shadow in Doubt, where Sam ponders her situation, Jay and Kristoff make her want to gag, and you'll find out who I was listening to while writing that part of the book....

Chapter Four

11/18/2006 - Duty Call

A groan near my head woke me. My hair fell in my face when I lifted my head; I tried to push it out of the way, but it just fell back in the same place. A male chuckled softly behind me - from the sofa - and my heart skipped a beat hoping it was Michael. I rolled over, disappointed it was Kristoff smiling at me from the couch.

I couldn’t figure out how he got there, so I asked, “How?”

He smiled, holding out a can of Pepsi. “Artemis let me in when I rang the bell,” he replied. Because it’s perfectly natural for a cat to answer a doorbell in a secret cavern.

I accepted his offering with gratitude, “Thank you.” Two gulps down, I was awake. “I hope you brought something stronger for Sleeping Beauty here.”

He tapped the travel thermos on the end table next to him. “Never leave home without it.”

“Come on Jay,” I gave her a shove, “it’s time to get up.” Then to Kristoff, “Take the lid off, she’s gotta smell it.”

Book Birthday: The Shadow Watcher

Today, I've been helping put the finishing touches on my son's science project, and now I'm finally taking a moment to celebrate The Shadow Watcher's second Book Birthday!

Technically, according to Amazon, I'm a day (almost two) late. I seem to remember setting the date to publish as the 7th. But, what difference does it make, really? None! All that matters is it's there.


I can't believe it's been two years! It really doesn't seem like it's been that long. Then again, in some ways it seems much longer.... It's been almost seven years now (I think?) since I wrote the scene - intended to be a short story - that started all of this. Is it just me. or does it seem like the more time passes, the more mischievous it is? 






My heartfelt thanks to you, Dear Reader, for your support along the way - whether you've been with me from the beginning of this journey, or you're new to my little world, you are appreciated! From December to February this year, The Shadow Watcher saw sixty consecutive days of (mostly) multiple Kindle downloads for the first time - and I know that didn't happen without help! So, once again, Thank You!


I look forward to sharing the next installment of Sam's story with you - the best secrets (in my humble opinion) are yet to come! But, Of Sovereigns and Shadows won't be out for about a year. (Yes there is a very, very rough, and short, draft!) Perhaps that's how we'll celebrate The Shadow Watcher's third birthday? What do you think? 

Wherever you are, I hope you're having a beautiful day, night, or sometime in the between....
Roari



The Shadow Watcher is available FREE from the following ebook retailers:
Amazon (US) Kindle edition*
Barnes&Noble.com Nook edition
iTunes iBooks edition
Kobo
Smashwords all ebook formats


* Available in all regions for just .99 cents (USD)

Happy Groundhog Day! (Thank you, Phil. We'll take an early Spring, happily....)

It's been quiet in my little corner of the webiverse lately. Okay, more like silent. Except for the choir of crickets singing. Do you hear them? Oh, and the wind from this last storm system howling like a rabid pack of wolves for the last three days - that was exciting.

Snow blew in with the pack for about forty-five minutes Sunday. It wasn't cold enough to stick, but just enough to run around in and have fun with the kids. It also brought a mountain of tumbleweeds to our backyard, which was not as much fun. (Picture this multiplied by ten.)

Society (in the Shadow of Civilization) Talk

I've been on a break from the Society since A Shadow in Doubt. Mostly. The timelines, the hopping, the Fore Shadows, and the events unfolding were making my head spin. I have scenes, little bits and pieces, scattered about all over six hundred and seventy some-odd years now. Sometimes the best way for me to stitch the pieces together is to step away and come back later, with a fresh perspective.

So, I wrote something else for NaNoWriMo again this year, then let my brain turn into jelly for most of December. Now, it's eight days into January. Time to get it back together!

The Novica Christmas Parade

The Christmas Parade was last night, and I missed it! It's not always easy to get down there for these things, especially when I make so many other trips down for family events during the holidays. Hopefully we'll make it next year.

Novica is based on my hometown. It's not an exact replica, though one commonality is the annual Christmas Parade, traditionally held the first Saturday of December. And, because Sam loves her hometown as much I do, and the timing was right, the parade made its way into A Shadow in Doubt. Since I missed out on the festivities this year, I decided I'd share Sam's version of the '06 parade with you....  

November News: Aliens and an Interview

November? Already? Where did this year go? It's day six of NaNoWriMo, but only my third day of writing. I'm close to hitting par for day three though, and I'm about to dive back in...after I write a quick post...

The idea for this year's attempt came to me a while ago. All I really did with it was write some notes about the two main characters, and a few paragraphs of a scene. Then I tucked it away in my treasure trove of story sparks,

Character Spotlight: Adjatay - Keeper of the Tree

(Spoilers, maybe? Be warned....)

Sam first meets Adjatay in The Shadow Watcher, and visits him again in A Shadow in Doubt. Though Adja's appearances are brief, he is a key figure as the keeper of the Flamella tree.

According to www.babynamespedia.com, the name Adjatay is of Cameroon/African origin, meaning prince". It was meant to be; in my head, Michael called him Adja, before I even started looking for names. 

Adja was taken in by the Society in the Shadow of Civilization in the mid-eighteenth century, and in recognizing the purity of his soul, he became a sort of spiritual center for Samuel, and later Sam. It takes a special kind of person to live alone in the jungle for more than a century, without going bananas.

Midnight Rambling On Nightmares: Horror Flicks, Ghosts and Aliens ... Oh, my!

When I was little, I had nightmares. I know, kids have bad dreams, but, these were terrifying. They were REAL.

Sam's timeline is getting seriously twisted.

Society in the Shadow of Civilization
Book Two

Sam Marquet's journey continues with unexpected twists, as she struggles to find the balance between her new role in the world her grandfather created and her place in the real one.... 

More Midnight Rambling: Burning the Candle...

It's half past midnight, I'm sitting here, at my desk, taking a break from corrections on A Shadow in Doubt. I haven't been sleeping much the last couple of weeks. Some of that has to do with the heat. The rest, well, I'm doing that thing I do when there is a deadline approaching

I'd rather get some action in the first chapter...

That's not what I meant! But, now that I have your attention....