I just realized it has been a whole month since my last post. To summarize more or less thirty busy days, I’ll start by saying I finished Nanowrimo. TCOM is now 90K and nowhere near its completion. There are good chances I’ll have to change the title. For a book named The City of Men, the main characters reach said city at the very end of the story and nothing really happens there. Roberto suggested to call it Journey to The City of Men and I like it. I’m still working with my editor on Prince of War. A combination of real life and fictional angst is slowing down the editing of my beloved Prince. But, we are getting there. At the end of November, the anthology Christmas Lites II was published and I’m truly proud my little fairytale is among so many great shorts. Meanwhile, I flew back to Italy to celebrate my dad’s 70th birthday and I am staying in Umbria for another week. Finally, tomorrow, my first illustrated tale, The Prince’s Day Out, should be released. Crossing fingers!
writing
Christmas Lites II Giveaway
Next week, Christmas Lites II, the anthology put together by Amy Eye to raise money for the NCADV, will be officially released. To celebrate the event, we’re having a huge giveaway. And since I don’t throw around adjectives, judge for yourself the magnitude of the gifts.
Click this awesome link to be one step away from winning this beautiful anthology and so much more. Like two copies of The Priest, for example.
Join us this Christmas season as authors from across the globe unite to spread holiday cheer and raise money for a very important cause. You will delight in the various stories these authors have created in order to take you on a journey from inside their heads and into your heart. Fairy tales, mysteries, journeys with zombies and monsters, vampires, angels, trips to the North Pole and much more await inside the covers of this book. All proceeds from the book are being donated to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Not only will you get a taste of the spirit of the season, but you will do so knowing you did your part in helping a very worthy cause. Merry Christmas!
Contributing authors:
Addison Moore
Amy Eye
Angela Yuriko-Smith
Cassie McCown
E.C. Stilson
Frank Smith
JA Clement
JG Faherty
Kimberly Kinrade
Lizzy Ford
Lynn Rush
Melynda Fleury
Misty Baker (Mysti Parker)
Monica La Porta
Nichole Chase
Patti Larsen
S. Patrick Pothier
Tish Thawer
Tricia Kristufek
Vered Ehsani
Elizabeth Evans
Friday Snippet #25
Logbook entry #1. It’s the second day of Nanowrimo and I’m still coherent. I’ve written 4k of TCOM and then applied myself to X. All in all a successful day. Marie got branded and Allegra discovered something else about Julius she didn’t know about. Stay tuned to witness my steady descent into the abyss of nanomadness. It’s going to be fun for you. Although, I’ll let you know that both The Priest and Prince of War are nanobabies. The Priest in its entirety and Prince of War partially. Time to do some editing.
From X, just because I’ve become attached to this project.
“Here we are.” Julius sighed out loud while she looked at one of the biggest houses she had ever seen.
“How distant are you from the throne again?” She tried to be funny, but a feeling of inadequacy was settling in her heart.
“Too distant. Don’t get any ideas. I won’t let you seduce me to marry into monarchy.” He laughed, but she didn’t need his power to read auras to know he was frantic.
“You wish.” She playfully swatted his arm.
They walked toward the granite steps leading to the front door, but someone burst through it before they reached the landing.
“Julius! My baby! You made it home—” A woman in her mid-forties, long dark hair and strikingly green eyes, took Julius in her arms and didn’t let him go.
“Mom, I’m so glad you’re here. I thought you were gone too…” Julius kissed his mother on both cheeks. “Are the others…?”
The woman hugged him even tighter. “No, no, everybody’s here. When they came for us, we didn’t let them enter the house. Papa shot them away.”
Allegra felt an uncomfortable ache in her heart and stepped back to distance herself from the scene. Only then, Julius’s mother seemed to realize she was there and directed her outstretched arms toward her.
“You must be Allegra Lionhead, yes? Thank you for bringing my boy back to me.” A ferocious hug followed her words. “I’m Caterina Blanchard. Nice to finally meet my Julius’s guide. He talks so much about you.”
“Mom?” Can we go inside? We had quite a morning so far and I need to rest.” He made a tentative step toward the door.
Julius must have seen Allegra’s reaction through his mother’s eyes. It hadn’t escaped Allegra he had kept a finger on his mother’s arm the whole time the woman was talking to her. She followed them inside the house, making a mental note to ask him later why he went under his mother’s last name.
Christmas Lites II: Cover Reveal
I’m proud to be part of a charity project for the NCADV which was put together by my editor extraordinaire, the one and only Amy Eye . The anthology Christmas Lites II will be available for purchase on November the 26th, but today the cover designed by Regina Wamba has been revealed in its entire splendor. And, if I may say so, it’s gorgeous. I humbly contributed with a short story of the fairytale variety, although there are no fairies involved. Just good, magical vibe to make you feel all warm inside when you read it.
“Join us this Christmas season as authors from across the globe unite to spread holiday cheer and raise money for a very important cause. You will delight in the various stories these authors have created in order to take you on a journey from inside their heads and into your heart. Fairytales, mysteries, journeys with zombies and monsters, vampires, angels, trips to the North Pole and much more await inside the covers of this book. All proceeds from the book are being donated to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Not only will you get a taste of the spirit of the season, but you will do so knowing you did your part in helping a very worthy cause. Merry Christmas!”
The list of the super-duper (Amy’s adjectives) authors who have participated with their shorts:
Addison Moore
Amy Eye (my super-duper editor)
Angela Yuriko-Smith
Cassie McCown
E.C. Stilson
Frank Smith
JA Clement
JG Faherty
Kimberly Kinrade
Lizzy Ford
Lynn Rush
Melynda Fleury
Misty Baker (Mysti Parker)
Monica La Porta (yours truly)
Nichole Chase
Patti Larsen
S. Patrick Pothier
Tish Thawer
Tricia Kristufek
Vered Ehsani
Friday Snippet #24
Still fighting the cold, I’m now calling it what it is: futile résistance. Next stage, more or less organized revolution. Finally, fully embraced anarchy. Despite headaches akin to migraines and the inflammation of the trigeminal nerves, I wrote a striking 1k words every day for the last four days. I know it doesn’t sound worth declaring to all and sundry, but I’m not a sprinter. I’m the epitome of a marathon runner. Slow but consistent. Regarding today’s snippet, I couldn’t decided which portion was better suited to stand alone, so I kind of blindly picked. Several time… Then I decided to post the snippet that gave more information.
From X:
Allegra squinted and saw the upper corner of a doorjamb behind a big framed painting portraying some hunting scene—from what she could see of it since it was partially covered by two bookcases. She passed a series of coffee tables covered in books and statuettes, and even climbed over one to reach the other side . Finally, she squeezed between the door and the painting and entered the kitchen, where she spotted the person who had caused the noises and found it was no person after all.
“Kingstone!” Julius outstretched arms welcomed a small beagle who had apparently been gorging himself on what was left inside the oven.
She took notice of how the smell of baked goods wafted in and out of her radar depending on the dog’s mouth being open or not. “That explains why the scent was so fickle.”
“What are you looking at?”
“Just the oven—” She realized he was neither talking to her nor looking through her eyes and turned to face the wall the beagle was now barking at. Kingstone had started without warning, a low growl coming from inside his belly and getting more and more anxious until he leaped out of Julius’s embrace and ran back to the landing.
“Allegra…?” He seemed helpless for a just a moment, but she hated that immensely.
“Here.” She took his hand in hers and automatically pointed her nose after the beagle.
“Can you feel anything?”
“I’m afraid Kingstone was the only sentient being around.” She tried to focus on her sense of smell and shut down all the others, but she had the feeling if anybody was out there he or she must look like the street urchin they had just encountered at her house. And she wasn’t ready to face another of those blank stares and the horrors hidden behind them.
They still made a summary look-around, but were outside in the alley a few minutes later.
“At least we now know that whatever is happening here, animals are immune to it.” Allegra didn’t know if it was important or not, but she needed to say something.
Julius was lost in his thoughts and led the rest of the way to his house in complete silence.
Friday Snippet #23
Still under the weather. Last week flu has progressed into a long-lasting cold. Outside the window, fall is in full swing, leaves have found their final resting places on the ground, and the oranges, yellows, and reds have relocated with them. Still, lots of green left standing and with them my hope the universe will re-align itself for my sake.
From X, Julius decides to take a shortcut through one of Cartaghena’s most talked-about neighborhoods:
Before some of the buildings—the more colorful ones—elaborated signs waved from their poles, some of them sporting cut-outs figurines self-explanatory of the kind of services offered by the establishment. Others were just paintings. Allegra saw a cute rendition of an embraced couple and blushed, her eyes went to the curtained windows and she wondered what happened behind them.
“I was never there. I was told great things about the owner though,” Julius commented.
She opened her mouth, but words failed her and couldn’t help to turn to take a look at him.
He arched his brow, lips turned up in a smile. “You were dying to ask me that.”
“Was not.” She faced the street again.
“I told you I was with a friend.”
“And?”
“She wouldn’t have been happy if I had gone visiting those places.”
“Oh, that kind of friend.” She wondered—and not in kind terms—about that unknown girl who had been free to visit such a neighborhood. At night and with a boy.
“She used to live… right there.” He moved her to face a small cottage on the far left.
“Charming.” She knew Julius was a few years older than her, but she didn’t like he had much more experience. Especially if the way he had obtained such experience hadn’t had anything to do with her. She tried to rationalize her emotions with the fact that guide and guided shared a special bond, but her voice had betrayed something different and she hated it.
“Lucilla’s dad was a renowned painter and her mom was his favorite model. Maybe you saw some of his portraits—” Julius kept her looking at the cottage.
Awful name. “Highly doubt so.” She moved and for a moment they lost contact. Sometimes, she did that on purpose. She wasn’t sure this time whose eyes she was blinding.
Friday Snippet #21
Fall in full bloom in my neck of the woods, the sun shines over reds, yellows, and oranges. To celebrate, I dyed my hair accordingly and added more purple, because there isn’t enough purple in the world. My vitamin D level to the roof, I’m experiencing a moment of exuberant creativity or maybe it’s the dye trickling down through my hair follicles. In the past, absinthe was used to reach such level of artistic nirvana. I believe in style.
From X:
Allegra lead them to the front door, stepping over the marble staircase with reverence. “I used to play with Mirko and Carina, running up and down these steps, imagining they were an astral portal.” She saw herself and her brother and sister laughing breathlessly. One deep sigh stuck between her aching heart and her throat, Allegra moved them forward toward the entrance.
“Hi.” Julius waved his free hand in a salute; he did that every time he had a glimpse of her. The wooden door, big and polished to mirror-like shine, reflected their images back to them. A tall, elegant boy, and a much shorter and diminutive girl.
Details of their faces were fuzzy, but she knew any other moment he would have accompanied the salute with a big smile. He was always happy to see her. He had just done it to make her happy now. “Hi.” She waved back at him out of habit, then freed her hand from his. “Just a sec.” She looked for the right key among the ones dangling from the ring and once she recognized it she went for the lock.
Julius gently wrapped his hand around her wrist. “Never told you, but I’ve always hoped you’d be paired with me.”
Friday Snippet #20
I’ve been working on X for several weeks now and it’s coming along fine. Kind of darkly fine, but fine nevertheless. All in all, almost 5k.
Julius extended his free hand and gently laid one finger on the boy’s arm, waited a moment to let the kid react to his push. “Here, let me help you.”
His voice was hypnotic and even Allegra—although she should have been used to it by now—was affected by it. The boy visibly relaxed before her eyes and emitted a slow whoosh sound.
“There’s something strange with him—” Julius released his hold on her hand to fully connect with the boy.
Allegra never liked it. It didn’t seem proper he looked through someone else’s eyes. Eyes that weren’t hers. Her uneasiness was short lived as she watched Julius recoil in pain the moment he switched from her sight to the boy’s. “What is it?” He didn’t answer her, but terror showed on his features and she felt pain herself. “Julius? What happened?” The boy seemed to react to the wave of emotions emanating from Julius, brief elation lit his face to be replaced by fear and finally a calm that was utterly out of place.
“Allegra,” Julius croaked, feeling the air with his hands, looking for her.
She had never seen him looking so lost and realized she couldn’t bear it. “I’m here.” She reached out and pulled him in a tight hug.
He let his breath out in a rush. “It’s all twisted.”
“What’s all twisted?” She stroked his back, her fingers massaging his tense muscles, but it didn’t feel right. Then, it hit her. They were touching, but she could sense he wasn’t connected to her. She didn’t even know he could do that. It hurt her.
“I was a monster.” His body started shaking. “You were a monster. The house, the backyard… everything was wrong.”
Allegra was confused and upset to see him out of control, but he was beyond reading her aura and for once she had to explain her feelings. “You’re scaring me.” His instability feeding hers in a vicious loop, she couldn’t help sobbing and despising herself for it.
Friday Snippet #19
Busy editing. That’s the short sum of this past week. The longer and uncensored version is available before a cup of tea, if you’re so inclined. Otherwise, I’ll spare you boring details.
From X, because it’s still amusing me to work on it.
“Are you ever coming back?” Julius had stopped abusing the metal gate, which prompted Allegra to plunge her hand past the spider webs and look for the ring with all the keys attached. A quiet Julius was a busy Julius.
Allegra found what was looking for, gave the child another glance to ensure he was still there, was surprised he hadn’t moved at all, and went back to the entrance where she found Julius attempting to climb the gate as she had worried. “Can’t you stay a minute without me? It’s not that you aren’t used to—” She didn’t know how that accusation had slipped through her words, but a vivid image of Julius touching Sofia’s slender arm played in her mind, followed by what he had said to her afterward, “Her eyes see colors in such a different way than yours.” She had never asked him if he meant it as a compliment to Sofia or to her; the memory still put her in a foul mood, but the hurt look on his face made her immediately regret her words. “Found the keys and a child.”
He was surprised by her statement and didn’t reply to her barb. “What child?”
Allegra fumbled through the keys, she couldn’t remember which one was the gate’s, and tried several before finding the right one. “That child.” She touched his right cheek—she could have make contact with his hand as it was customary, but somehow that didn’t occur to her—and turned toward the house to give him a clear view of the porch, the bushes nearby, and a small child half hidden behind the greenery.
Friday Snippet #18
This week I’ve posted on time and every day. I’m feeling rightfully entitled to boast about my accomplishment.
From X:
“What are you doing?” She felt Julius’s aura pushing her anxiety away and she didn’t like it. “I told you I need to be in control.”
“Your heart rate is too elevated. You won’t be in control for long.” Sometimes, he acted without consulting her. They had huge rows about it once or twice a month.
“Not now, please.” She didn’t want to argue with him, but her sense of smell was already dimming. “You’re blinding my nose.”
“It’s okay, your olfactory power is stronger than mine anyway. You can function even at reduced capacity and still sense more than a normal human being.” He was calm as usual and forcing her to calm as well. “Yield. It’s pointless and you know it.”
She did know. It was how she had passed all her finals with flying colors. She was prone to panicking when under pressure and he couldn’t bear to feel her anxiety building. He had let her have her way only once and she had regretted it. “Just to prove a point,” he had explained to her, when calming her down after failing an important test. But someone who she thought was her father was hiding from her just meters away and she didn’t want to listen to Julius, even though she knew he was right.
“Allegra, reason.” The pressure on her arm increased, until it was uncomfortable and at that point he repeated her name.
“You won.” Allegra emptied her mind and let his aura invade hers. For the briefest moment, she saw blue circles playing behind her eyes, then a sense of calmness descended slowly on her. Wave after wave of blue light covered her until she was in control of herself once again.
“Better?” Julius massaged the spot where his fingers had left a mark on her skin.
“Yes.”
Monica La Porta 