This version is transcribed from one of three known copies of "The Origins and Histories of Isiterra" written by Terrano, found in the antiquities vault at the Iselos Learning Hall.
Thursday, August 7, 2014
Isiterra - The Tale of the Orbs
This version is transcribed from one of three known copies of "The Origins and Histories of Isiterra" written by Terrano, found in the antiquities vault at the Iselos Learning Hall.
Friday, August 1, 2014
A Letter to My Muse
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Photo: Kathy VanDeventer All-free-download.com
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I am listening, waiting,
for you to whisper in my ear.
Sing to me your song,
of wordless meaning
that creates life with paper and pen.
Speak to me, evasive spirit!
I anticipate our next encounter,
that I might find answers
for questions left on the last page
we wrote together.
I am selfish, demanding
You devote your time to me.
You are timeless though,
and so much of mine is devoted
to other mundane daily rituals.
Tell me, what can I do?
I begin these tasks at your beckon,
And you leave me at your whim,
How do I finish...
(See what I mean?)
I hope you're having a beautiful day! Roari |
Thursday, July 17, 2014
New story - sneak peek!
It's been a quiet week. Wasn't feeling too well over the weekend, and it carried over into Wednesday. I think I feel human again.
I haven't been entirely unproductive, though. No, I've been busy. Well, my delirious little mind has been. What has my delirious little mind been up to, you ask? Why, of course, I'd love to share!
Obviously, I knew sending The Shadow Watcher out there all by its little lonesome wasn't going to amount to a massive flow of sales. I knew this before I wrote it. Not because I don't believe one day it will, it's just all by itself right now, and needs some company. Takes me awhile to get a novel right though.
Oh, but wait! Remember those side notes I talked about before?
Yes, well, here's the latest. Or part of it, anyway. These short stories I plan on putting out for .99¢, or some for free, to help get more content out there faster. A Shadow in Doubt is still planned for fall, but Fore Shadowing: Shadows on the Moon will be sooner, I think. For now, please enjoy this entirely unedited excerpt :)
08/05/2169 - Moon Colony - Gamma Structure
Paranoia is a mild state, relative to the one in which I lived after we administered the vaccination to the colony. Nearly two weeks have passed since the U.C.E. requested a sample of the compound we used. I couldn't seem to sleep for more than twenty minutes at a time. At two thirteen a.m., I sat up, feeling someone else was in my room, and saw the shadow pass before the clock.
My heart started pounding. My eyes adjusted to the darkness, and I saw a man, wearing what appeared to be a cloak and glasses, standing near the window to my right.
To my left, a woman whispered, "Samuel, we need to talk."
I wanted to cry out, my father might hear in his quarters next door. But not likely.
She spoke again, "We mean you no harm, but they're coming." This time I could see her. She was wearing glasses too, with tinted lenses.
I snapped on my bedside lamp. They were both strangers - I'd never seen either of them on the Moon before. I assumed the worst. "The U.C.E. sent you, didn't they."
He answered, "No. But like she said, they're coming."
"What do you want from me? Who are you?"
"The truth is often not expected." She smiled. Her eyes, still visible through the lenses she wore, were familiar to me, like I'd known them my whole life, but I couldn't place it. "We're here to help you. Telling you who we are doesn't help right now. You'll understand, in time."
"Samuel, you have to escape now, you and anyone who helped you with the vaccine."
The story the lab gave the U.C.E. was they accidentally administered all of the vaccine, and they had not been able to replicate a new batch. Time was running out for them to send something back to the labs on Earth - probably Sky Geneva, otherwise Sky Milan - for testing. They won't replicate a new batch, because they didn't make it. My friends at the lab, Tollack, Voorhia and Marcus took a great risk in helping me distribute a juice from a fruit-bearing tree I created. They called it a vaccine, and when everyone one the moon was cured, we destroyed the rest.
I couldn't let the U.C.E. have the real thing, because then they would know about my project, my tree. We were not surprised when they designated me to the Time Travel project, as the U.C.E. considers it my sibling, my parents its parents. But my true love was bio-chemistry, and I couldn't stay away.
The quest for eternal youth from within, long linked to the fuel we put into our bodies, lead me down this path. It was an answer to a question, a problem I wanted to solve from the time I was a boy and read of quests to find the Fountain of Youth. I had no idea what I was creating, and had not thought of the implications - or possibilities - it truly meant for the future.
The UCE had, and they labeled their quest the Sovereign project. They believed if they could defy the aging process, they could rule the universe. Once they'd spread out to conquer it. Which they would do when they could live long enough to travel far enough to do it. Crazy, right? My father would say that's why he went with science, and not politics.
The man snapped me back to the present. "Their representatives will be here in less than twenty-four hours. You have to execute your plan, and get the tree out of here now."
I was dubious. The fact that I had only just discovered the healing properties of the fruit a week before patient zero booked his flight for the Moon, and brought the Antarctic flu to our virus free colony, was only too convenient. I made my father eat it the minute he showed symptoms of the Antarctic flu, but within minutes of biting into the core, his hair thickened and darkened, and the wrinkles in his face began to smooth. I shrieked out loud, startling him because it was not a manly sound, and all I could do was point to a mirror across the room.
The age-reversing effects of the fruit were not as apparent in a cat as they are in a human, but I realized what happened the instant it happened. My experiment was a success. I could save the colony. But I had to conceal it from the U.C.E., because otherwise they would take it from me, before I could even study it. I filled a sack with the fruit, and ran called my friend, who worked at the lab. He was sick too, but when he drank some of the juice from just the flesh of the fruit, he felt fully recovered. His fever was gone. We headed to the lab, and called two more of his associates. I couldn't enter, without record of my being there, so I stayed outside.
"I still don't know if it's a good idea." I went on the assumption they already knew my plan.
"Going back that far, it poses too many risks."
The man handed me an envelope, "Which is why you'll need this."
"What is it?"
"Instructions."
"For?"
The woman sighed, "How to make it all work."
"From who?"
They looked at each other, moments passing that seemed like hours. Hours I apparently no longer had to waste. I could tell they were weighing the outcome of what they told me. She shook her head, he answered. "My instructions were to deliver you the coordinates you need to set the time machine for, and other notes attached. I think you'll know who they're from when you read them."
I opened the envelope, the contents of which consisted of several aged leaves of paper, scratched and scrawled upon in a hand I knew - unmistakably - was my own.
And, the rest is coming soon to an e-reader (hopefully) in your hands!
I hope you're having a beautiful day!
Roari
I haven't been entirely unproductive, though. No, I've been busy. Well, my delirious little mind has been. What has my delirious little mind been up to, you ask? Why, of course, I'd love to share!
Obviously, I knew sending The Shadow Watcher out there all by its little lonesome wasn't going to amount to a massive flow of sales. I knew this before I wrote it. Not because I don't believe one day it will, it's just all by itself right now, and needs some company. Takes me awhile to get a novel right though.
Oh, but wait! Remember those side notes I talked about before?
Yes, well, here's the latest. Or part of it, anyway. These short stories I plan on putting out for .99¢, or some for free, to help get more content out there faster. A Shadow in Doubt is still planned for fall, but Fore Shadowing: Shadows on the Moon will be sooner, I think. For now, please enjoy this entirely unedited excerpt :)
08/05/2169 - Moon Colony - Gamma Structure
Paranoia is a mild state, relative to the one in which I lived after we administered the vaccination to the colony. Nearly two weeks have passed since the U.C.E. requested a sample of the compound we used. I couldn't seem to sleep for more than twenty minutes at a time. At two thirteen a.m., I sat up, feeling someone else was in my room, and saw the shadow pass before the clock.
My heart started pounding. My eyes adjusted to the darkness, and I saw a man, wearing what appeared to be a cloak and glasses, standing near the window to my right.
To my left, a woman whispered, "Samuel, we need to talk."
I wanted to cry out, my father might hear in his quarters next door. But not likely.
She spoke again, "We mean you no harm, but they're coming." This time I could see her. She was wearing glasses too, with tinted lenses.
I snapped on my bedside lamp. They were both strangers - I'd never seen either of them on the Moon before. I assumed the worst. "The U.C.E. sent you, didn't they."
He answered, "No. But like she said, they're coming."
"What do you want from me? Who are you?"
"The truth is often not expected." She smiled. Her eyes, still visible through the lenses she wore, were familiar to me, like I'd known them my whole life, but I couldn't place it. "We're here to help you. Telling you who we are doesn't help right now. You'll understand, in time."
"Samuel, you have to escape now, you and anyone who helped you with the vaccine."
The story the lab gave the U.C.E. was they accidentally administered all of the vaccine, and they had not been able to replicate a new batch. Time was running out for them to send something back to the labs on Earth - probably Sky Geneva, otherwise Sky Milan - for testing. They won't replicate a new batch, because they didn't make it. My friends at the lab, Tollack, Voorhia and Marcus took a great risk in helping me distribute a juice from a fruit-bearing tree I created. They called it a vaccine, and when everyone one the moon was cured, we destroyed the rest.
I couldn't let the U.C.E. have the real thing, because then they would know about my project, my tree. We were not surprised when they designated me to the Time Travel project, as the U.C.E. considers it my sibling, my parents its parents. But my true love was bio-chemistry, and I couldn't stay away.
The quest for eternal youth from within, long linked to the fuel we put into our bodies, lead me down this path. It was an answer to a question, a problem I wanted to solve from the time I was a boy and read of quests to find the Fountain of Youth. I had no idea what I was creating, and had not thought of the implications - or possibilities - it truly meant for the future.
The UCE had, and they labeled their quest the Sovereign project. They believed if they could defy the aging process, they could rule the universe. Once they'd spread out to conquer it. Which they would do when they could live long enough to travel far enough to do it. Crazy, right? My father would say that's why he went with science, and not politics.
The man snapped me back to the present. "Their representatives will be here in less than twenty-four hours. You have to execute your plan, and get the tree out of here now."
I was dubious. The fact that I had only just discovered the healing properties of the fruit a week before patient zero booked his flight for the Moon, and brought the Antarctic flu to our virus free colony, was only too convenient. I made my father eat it the minute he showed symptoms of the Antarctic flu, but within minutes of biting into the core, his hair thickened and darkened, and the wrinkles in his face began to smooth. I shrieked out loud, startling him because it was not a manly sound, and all I could do was point to a mirror across the room.
The age-reversing effects of the fruit were not as apparent in a cat as they are in a human, but I realized what happened the instant it happened. My experiment was a success. I could save the colony. But I had to conceal it from the U.C.E., because otherwise they would take it from me, before I could even study it. I filled a sack with the fruit, and ran called my friend, who worked at the lab. He was sick too, but when he drank some of the juice from just the flesh of the fruit, he felt fully recovered. His fever was gone. We headed to the lab, and called two more of his associates. I couldn't enter, without record of my being there, so I stayed outside.
"I still don't know if it's a good idea." I went on the assumption they already knew my plan.
"Going back that far, it poses too many risks."
The man handed me an envelope, "Which is why you'll need this."
"What is it?"
"Instructions."
"For?"
The woman sighed, "How to make it all work."
"From who?"
They looked at each other, moments passing that seemed like hours. Hours I apparently no longer had to waste. I could tell they were weighing the outcome of what they told me. She shook her head, he answered. "My instructions were to deliver you the coordinates you need to set the time machine for, and other notes attached. I think you'll know who they're from when you read them."
I opened the envelope, the contents of which consisted of several aged leaves of paper, scratched and scrawled upon in a hand I knew - unmistakably - was my own.
And, the rest is coming soon to an e-reader (hopefully) in your hands!
I hope you're having a beautiful day!
Roari
Thursday, July 10, 2014
Sometimes you just have to listen.
This one is for the woman I met in the bookstore yesterday. A book triggered her grief, and she needed someone to listen. I'm glad I was there.
To K-
The sadness was plain in your eyes.
I wondered, "What causes the tears she cries?"
Weary wells, windows of your soul,
They poured it all out.
A stranger, I might walk away,
The choice to stay was just as simple.
Could I not lend my ear?
You didn't expect me to listen,
Much less respond, sharing in kind.
But, I had to. Someone did.
You needed a tether to the world,
And I let my own fall away,
That afternoon, I needed to hear what you needed to say.
I didn't have the answers you sought to find,
But, I hope it gave you some small comfort,
Knowing I am just as unknowing.
One thing I've learned about grieving, everyone does it their own way, in their own time. She thanked me as we parted, for taking the time to listen, but I should be thanking her. It was a reminder of what is important - how we treat those around us. We share this world together, for the little time we have on it. Small acts of kindness cost nothing, and are more rewarding than you think. When others have shown me kindness, I appreciated it more than they probably know. I do believe things happen for a reason, even if we never understand why in this life.
K-, this rose is for your mother. I hope you and I meet again one day. Even more, I hope your heart finds peace.
I hope you all have a beautiful day!
Roari
Monday, June 30, 2014
Is there a light at the end of this dark cave I've crawled into?
Sometimes I wonder what it would be like without all of these characters in my head, chattering away, nagging me to let them out. Quieter? More organized? More focused?
Starting out, I just scribbled poems and stories for myself. It was my therapy of choice. Then, there was the first main character. I was only concerned with building her world, at first. And that world kept getting bigger and bigger....
I spent too many years working too many hours at a job that left me too exhausted to focus on writing, so I feel like I'm way behind in the game. I've read more articles, essays and blog posts about the craft, the business, the art, the culture, the trends, and the futility of a writing career than I can count. At some point, it all starts to bleed together into one big sign that screams Do Not Enter. But those are my favorite places to go!
Despite the seeming pointlessness of trying to write books, fictional novels more specifically, I foolishly decided to listen to the characters who wouldn't stop talking. Now, there are six distinct worlds in which I write. But the more time I spend in them, the more I feel like I'm burrowing deeper in a cave. The world continues to revolve around the sun, and I'm here in another one, trying to give it life.
At any given time or place, a large portion of my mind is somewhere else creating scenes, characters, stories, and sometimes I drift over there. It's not intentional. I don't mean to be inattentive. It's just the embers of a story in my brain never completely go out. The flames may die down, for months and years at a time, but the characters and their worlds are always with me, smoldering.
Do we all seek a light at the end of the tunnel? I don't know. For me, finishing a novel, and going through the process of self-publishing isn't enough. I don't see a light. I didn't expect The Shadow Watcher to climb any lists, and it hasn't, because no one knows who I am, or that it exists, really. Not beyond you, reading my blog, those who've seen posts on Facebook, and family and friends who I've shared it with. But now that I've gone through the process, I know what to expect, and I'll move through it more quickly with the next book, and the one after that.
All I see are more books that need to be written. I'll worry about the light later....
I hope you're having a beautiful day!
Roari
Saturday, June 21, 2014
I'd rather be in my own little world....
I've been accused of spending more time in one of my own little worlds than the real one. It's probably true, but not just of being in the worlds of my own creation, I get lost in those of countless other authors and artists as well. It's an escape from the ugly reality we see on the news, or may even encounter first-hand, every day.
I can escape into a piece of art, such as the photo above, as easily as a book. Now that I think about it, various pieces have been inspiration for several of my stories. Now this, I just saw today, but it could be the flower fields in the valley of Naharran on Isiterra, though there would have to be five moons in the sky. Really, it's more of a scene out of The Land of All But Forgotten Things. See the glow of the fairies, waking up in the flowers? Places like this are what I've dreamed of seeing for as long as I can remember. Since I can't draw them, I write about them.
The Shadow Watcher is different from from my earlier novel attempts, the landscape looks like your typical Southern California neighborhood. (If you've seen Roswell, you've seen Novica.) It's my first novel set in the "real world," and I was intentionally setting out to write something different. It resulted in my first published novel as well - who knew?
As much as I'm enjoying the endless possibilities here on Earth, I want to hurry up and be done with A Shadow in Doubt already! Isiterra is calling to me - that world is truly my own, and I've been away too long....
I hope you're having a beautiful day in your corner of the world - or can at least escape to one you prefer!
Roari
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| Photo by Alishba Farooqui at Stockvault.net |
The Shadow Watcher is different from from my earlier novel attempts, the landscape looks like your typical Southern California neighborhood. (If you've seen Roswell, you've seen Novica.) It's my first novel set in the "real world," and I was intentionally setting out to write something different. It resulted in my first published novel as well - who knew?
As much as I'm enjoying the endless possibilities here on Earth, I want to hurry up and be done with A Shadow in Doubt already! Isiterra is calling to me - that world is truly my own, and I've been away too long....
I hope you're having a beautiful day in your corner of the world - or can at least escape to one you prefer!
Roari
Monday, June 16, 2014
The Weight of Time
The Weight of Time
The weight of Time
presses against my shoulder,
urging me forward,
on, and on,
toward what end,
I could never imagine,
I only know Time will not wait.
I started that as a post on a poetry blog last May. I may or may not finish it. Maybe it is finished. I don't think so though...
I was feeling this pressure of time slipping away, like I was missing out on my kid's childhoods, always saying "maybe next year," knowing there are only precious few of those years before they are grown and living their own lives. (And that I would never finish writing a book.) We were fortunate at that time to be in a position where I could leave my job to stay home, so I did.
There is still the pressure of time. Getting to school. Getting homework done. Filling in the holes the dog digs. Editing the sequel to The Shadow Watcher. It's a different kind of weight, one I don't mind carrying. Speaking of editing, I'm going to get back to it now...
Enough rambling for one night. I hope yours is beautiful!
Roari
The weight of Time
presses against my shoulder,
urging me forward,
on, and on,
toward what end,
I could never imagine,
I only know Time will not wait.
I started that as a post on a poetry blog last May. I may or may not finish it. Maybe it is finished. I don't think so though...
I was feeling this pressure of time slipping away, like I was missing out on my kid's childhoods, always saying "maybe next year," knowing there are only precious few of those years before they are grown and living their own lives. (And that I would never finish writing a book.) We were fortunate at that time to be in a position where I could leave my job to stay home, so I did.
There is still the pressure of time. Getting to school. Getting homework done. Filling in the holes the dog digs. Editing the sequel to The Shadow Watcher. It's a different kind of weight, one I don't mind carrying. Speaking of editing, I'm going to get back to it now...
Enough rambling for one night. I hope yours is beautiful!
Roari
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