Welcome to GreenGrass - Sil

Welcome back to another edition of Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday!  Thanks for stopping by.  What is Sci-Fi-Fan-Sat?  Well, it’s a group of authors and writers who love sharing their writing snippets for general consumption.  You can find all the talented contributions this week over at the main site – SciFiFanSat.blogspot.com .  Stop over and check them out.  This week, I decided to take a break from the WIP I’ve been sharing from – Stein, and share another character snippet from my novel Welcome to GreenGrass.  This week we take a closer look at Sil – the near-telepath stuck in a house with a grumpy human, a demon pacifist, and a misplaced demi-god with attitude to spare.  Enjoy!

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          “I have no idea how you’re fitting all that in your mouth,” Sil said as she removed a steaming pot from the grill and poured a ladle full of thick stew into a bowl in front of Thyme.  The boy shoveled his spoon from the bowl to his mouth as quickly as his wrist allowed, splashing it all over his face and the blue jersey shirt Sil found in Traveller’s bedroom.

          “I have never eaten this large of a portion and may I have some more of the seconds that you mentioned before?”  The boy’s words came between spoonfuls of broth.

          “Ha, you’ve already had seconds and thirds.  This is what I guess you would call fourths.  I think this should be your last of it for now though.  You can actually get sick eating too much too fast.”  Sil picked up an empty plate from the table and placed it in a large wash bowl by the window.  “I hope John won’t mind, but I think we may need to borrow another shirt until we can pick some up for you.”

          Sil stared at the wide-eyed boy hovering over the bowl, wiping the edges with his fingers.  On her world, children were taken from their mothers directly after birth to be raised and educated in a communal group atmosphere until they were old enough to become productive members in society.  The males and females were separated so the females could learn the fine arts, political sciences, and mathematics and the males were taught the manual skills, mechanical and agricultural.  She never had the chance to contribute to her own society by endowing herself with a child before being brought to GreenGrass and never spent any time around children.  She was raised to believe the male species was subservient in all ways to females but her time in GreenGrass, specifically with Traveller, Talyn, and Bonz, had made her aware of some of the merits they possessed, ones that she was unaware of before. 

Hopefully you got your fifteen sentences worth!  If you want to check out more of Sil and the gang, you can pick up a copy of Welcome to GreenGrass over at my publisher’s – Necro Publications / Bedlam Press, Amazon, and all other major e-book retailers.  Thanks again – comments are welcome – and see you in seven!

STEIN #20

What’s makes a weekend great?  Sun, Saturdays, and Sci-Fi/Fan, of course!  Hopefully we’ll have plenty of all of that over the next few days.  To get your Science Fiction and Fantasy fix, just stop on over to SciFiFanSat.blogspot.com and check out the contributions from the bevy of great authors hanging out over there.  For me this week, it’s another installment from my WIP – STEIN.  We’ve been following Annie and Stein’s twists and turns for a while now and I think it’s almost time to turn a new page for my contributions but until then, enjoy!  In case you need to catch up or want to read all of my snippets from STEIN – I’ve included a list of them at the bottom.

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          This was the second time in as many hours someone pointed a gun at his head and Stein’s patience was wearing thin.  After all the years, you’d think he’d know better than to get involved with people again.  Solitude always proved to be his best friend.

          In a blur of motion, Stein grabbed the rifle by the barrel, snatching it away from the man.  Turning the weapon on him, Stein growled.

          “Idiot men and their idiot inventions.”

          “Stein!  Don’t hurt him.”  Annie crossed the vacant lot in purposed but cautious strides.

          “Please, mister, I thought you was one of them and didn’t want nobody to hurt Trudy is all.”

          The young man’s hands trembled and the fear in his eyes read like a billboard.

          Stein leaned into the rifle’s sights, bringing them to rest square on the boy’s forehead.  He glanced down at Trudy beside him, who watched the whole scene playing out in wide-eyed amazement.  Slowly he lowered the gun, gripping both ends of the barrel and bending it in half.

          Pulling back his hood, he said, “Maybe I’m a bit of both.”

And there you go.  The mystery that is Stein deepens.  In case you haven’t notice, his people skills are somewhat lacking.  Let’s see how he does in a group setting.  Thanks for reading and please leave a comment and let me know what you thought.  See you in seven! 

STEIN #1 

STEIN #2

STIEN #3

STEIN #4

STEIN #5

STEIN #6

STEIN #7

STEIN #8

STEIN #9

STEIN #10

STEIN #11

STEIN #12

STEIN #13

STEIN #14

STEIN #15

STEIN #16

STEIN #17

STEIN #18

STEIN #19


 

Stein 05/24/14

Hi!  Another Saturday - another Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday and all is right in the world.  Make sure you stop over and check out all the great writing happening over at SciFiFanSat.blogspot.com.  This week's snippet comes from my WIP - Stein.  We've been following Annie trying to survive in a hard new world and the new friends she's made along the way.
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          Trembling, Trudy partially crawled into the hole left from the broken sun flower. She looked at the rainbow tennis shoe, laying on its side between her and her the hooded man.

          The stranger followed her stare down to the lost footwear.  Slowly bending down, he picked it up and approached the child.

          "Are you fast?" he asked.

          "What?"  She pulled back her hand.

          "Can you run fast?"  He knelt down and dangled the shoe in front of her by the laces.

          Grabbing it, she worked the shoe back on her foot.  "I'm the fastest girl in fourth grade...I mean I used to be."

          They sat in mutual silence as Trudy traced two stick figures in the dirt.

          "Do you wanna play?" she asked without looking up.

          "Get away from her!"  A man screamed, sprinting across the lot towards them.
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Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this week's installment.  Leave a comment on the way out. They're always appreciated.  See you in seven!!

SFFSAT - Bonz - part demi-god, all attitude

You have two choices.  You can either go outside and cut the grass, weed the garden, or whatever other yard work that's beckoning OR you can stay inside and read some great sci-fi and fantasy writing snippets over at SciFiFanSat.blogspot.com.  I'll wait here while you decide.

I knew you'd make the right choice!  Shoot on over and read all the great writing snippets posted over on the main site after you've checked out my contribution for the week.  I have been posting from a WIP titled STEIN but I'm giving it a slight break to post another snippet from my novel Welcome to GreenGrass.  It's a sci-fi fantasy adventure centered around the adventures of terran detective John Traveller trapped in the alien city of GreenGrass under an impenetrable glass dome.  Traveller's made some friends since he's been there and here's a glimpse of one of them, Bonz - part demi-god, all attitude.
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“I have room for one more lass on the end!”

Bonz brought the wooden bench back down to the tavern floor. The smell of spilled ale and smoke filled the darkened drinkery as Bonz laid flat on his back, lifting the wooden bench filled with young women back up into the air to the delight of the other bar patrons. These were his kind of people. Impressed by a simple display of strength and not concerned about expressing their feelings and all of the blasted talking that seemed a constant back with Traveller and Talyn. Not to mention the female, Sil, the woman would one day drive him mad. He could not understand why it was so difficult to remove her from his thoughts.

“I’ll jump on.” A young girl cried out from a nearby stall and skipped across the room to take the remaining space on the edge of the makeshift weights. Her plume of black hair bounced lightly off her shoulders as she crossed the floor. Bonz found her form very much to his liking.

He brought the wooden bench back down and grabbed his mug of ale, spilling as much on the floor as he got into his mouth. “Hop on the board and I shall show you all why my followers carved statues of me back on Candonia.” Bonz braced one hand against the center of the bench and held his mug in the other as he hoisted the giggling girls high into the air.

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A bar filled with lasses, ale flowing, and feats of strength?  I think we all see where this is heading.

I may have to post another snippet from this chapter next week.  Check out some of the other snippets from Welcome to GreenGrass here on my blog.  It's available thru my publisher and over at Amazon.

Thanks for reading and comments are appreciated.  Have a good week and see you in seven.

STEIN #18

Well, it’s officially the first Saturday in May!  With April showers come May….Science Fiction and Fantasy Snippets!  Don’t believe me?  Just go over to SciFiFanSat.blogspot.com and check out all the great writing happening there from a score of great authors!  This week, my contribution to the literary bouquet is another short from my WIP – STEIN.  We’ve been following Annie and Stein from their impromptu introduction back in the alley to the garage where Annie and her friends are holed up.  She was hoping to ease into the meet and greet between Stein and her fellow survivors but sometimes fate has a way of fouling things up.  If you haven’t been reading, you can check out all of the STEIN snippets posted here on my page.  I listed them on the bottom.  Hope you enjoy!______________________________________________________________

          Trudy’s hands were covered in dirt as she wiped her face, smearing mud across her cheek and chin.

         “Mr. Cliff?”

          It only took a second for her to realize that whatever was looming over her wasn’t who she hoped.

          The figure lumbered towards her and said, “Pretty.”

          A gnarled hand reached for her as she held the sunflower between them like a shield.

          “Mr. Cliff!”

          Grabbing the flower, it snapped the stalk in half and threw it aside, clanging hard against the nearby fence.  Trudy smelled the blood and rotten flesh as it knocked her to the ground and growled.  She kicked at its face as it bit into the rubber on her shoe, ripping it free from her foot.

          Screaming, Trudy closed her eyes as it grabbed her shoulders, pinning her down. 

          “No, no, no, no.”

          And then, she felt…nothing.  The pressure holding her arms down disappeared and the awful smell vanished.  Opening one eye, she peaked up at a man in the hood who gripped the zombie by the back of its neck.  Turning, he heaved the monster forty feet into the air, well over the fence line, and it crashed down through the windshield of an abandoned truck out in the street.

Whaaaaaaatttttt?!  I bet you didn’t see that one coming.  I tried to turn it a bit with the setup from last week.  Let me know what you thought.  Comments are always welcome!  Thanks for reading and see you in seven!

STEIN #1 

STEIN #2

STIEN #3

STEIN #4

STEIN #5

STEIN #6

STEIN #7

STEIN #8

STEIN #9

STEIN #10

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STEIN #12

STEIN #13

STEIN #14

STEIN #15

STEIN #16

STEIN #17

 

 

The Cult of Me - Author Interview

One of the great things that come along with getting a book out for the enjoyment of the reading masses is being able to meet so many wonderful folks along the way.  Whether that's meeting them at a show, a book signing, or some where here in the vast and wild pages of social media.

The writing community has always been a supportive one and finding so many people along the same literary journeys really opens your eyes as to the resources out there that are available if you chose.

Recently, I was able to talk a little writing and promote my novel - Welcome to GreenGrass over at the website  - The Cult of Me.  I had a great time and hope you find the time to check it out. 

Here's the link:

The Cult of Me - author interview S.A. Check

STEIN #17

Hi all!  Another Saturday is here, which brings us a brand new installment of Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday.  Welcome back and I hope you found a seat up front.  What is SciFiFanSat you ask?  Well, it’s a group of authors who come together every weekend and share writing snippets from some of their published works and works in progress.  Sounds like fun, right?  We’re always looking for fresh voices, so climb aboard and give it a shot with ten to fifteen sentences of one of your own literary treasures.  This week, we’re still following the adventures of Annie from my WIP, STEIN.  Last week her mysterious hero was accidentally shot by a member of her group.  Undeterred, she was determined to bring him back to their home in hopes you will join them.  If you need to catch up, all the previous snippets are posted on my site.  Read on and enjoy!______________________________________________

          Ever since the first day she met him, Mr. Cliff told her never to stray too far away and always know what was going on around her. 

          Still, the giant sunflowers across the street practically pulled Trudy under the fence and into the vacant lot across from the garage.  Her hand brushed over the petals and the sun warmed her cheeks as she dug around the base of one of the flowers.  She would plant it in the exposed dirt in the corner of the garage and already rehearsed her speech to Mr. Cliff on how she would water and take care of “Daffy” every single day. 

          Suddenly, her face grew cold, like someone had turned off the sun.  Looking over her shoulder, the silhouette of a man stood between Trudy and her yellow friend.

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          “We just don’t have the room to take in anyone else, Annie.”  Mr. Cliff stood inside the bay door of the ram shackled building with his arms folded across his chest.

          “But we can’t just leave him out here.  Brody, tell him how saved my life.”

          “All I saw was the two of them coming out of the alley after a pack of shoppers just went through,” Brody said.

          Mr. Cliff asked, “So where is this mysterious hero of yours?”

          “Umm…we left him across the street so I could prep you a little before we introduced him.”

          A panic stricken young girl, maybe fifteen, ran up to the group and pulled at Mr. Cliff’s jacket.

          “Has anyone seen Trudy?”

Uh, oh.  This could turn bad.  Thoughts?  I hope you enjoyed the read and, please, leave a comment on your way out.  Feel free to use the 15 items or less lane and thank you for shopping Check-Mart.  See you in seven!