Sword and Sorcery Book & Web Series: Creatures of Grace
Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2012 8:21 am
I'm writing a digital book (pending publishing on Kindle & iTunes) so using this forum to help spread the word.
A collection of feminist sword and sorcery short stories about: Unwanted pregnancies. Gender identity. Sexual orientation. Jaded female friendships. You know, the controversial stuff.
Stay tuned for the announcement of when it's available!
Story List:
“A Sunny Afternoon with Frankie and Lydia” – Draft done (DRAFT teaser down below)
“Damon” – Draft done
“Self” – Draft done
“Burn” – Draft done
“The Mother’s Hex” – In process
“Working Girls” – Pending
“Trophy” – Pending
Watch for an announcement of when it’s available on Kindle and iTunes!
—————————
A Sunny Afternoon With Frankie And Lydia (DRAFT)
Frankie was sooo bored. And she would be the first to admit that she doesn’t handle such states well. But in her own defense, she really doesn’t suffer into such intense restlessness that often given how much she travels.
It’s always the start of trips, when leaving one place for another that her enthusiasm was at its peak. Yet after several days, weeks and sometimes months, the repetition just hammers away at the heart of a self-described city girl. She manages the boredom well, but when the destination was finally so close she could taste it that the deferred restlessness wanted release, and release now.
After five weeks of traveling west across land by almost every means possible, Lydia had calculated that they should be reaching the first true town some time that night, especially with taking passage across a lake in a rowboat they had “found” on the shore.
As she draped against the bow of the tiny vessel, she arched her arm over her eyes to provide shade under the sun in the cloudless sky. The air was a little cool despite the bright light and the only sound was the oars steadily cutting through the calm water. She had loosened as much of her light dress without revealing parts that she didn’t want sunburned. She had pinned up her thick, almond-brown hair to cool off as much as possible while a fine layer of sweat covered every part of her body.
She peaked at the one other occupant in the rowboat.
Always one to react to being watched, Lydia met her look with that unblinking green eyed stare.
Even just sitting in rowing a boat in a well-worn peasant’s dress and her ice-blond hair pulled back in a ponytail, she exuded the aura of one who was both relaxed and yet ready to burst into action at a moment’s notice. Lydia had the lean, sinewy form of a woman raised as a blacksmith’s daughter who was not afraid of doing unglamorous chores to eat. Yet, she had the elegant features that could be breathtakingly beautiful if she were incline to make herself presentable for admiration. And that’s a big “if”.
While Frankie relished the company of people, Lydia was the opposite, content to be in the background and observing. But it was that social reserve in her best friend that Frankie actually thought was a little sexy. Especially the way she looked at you as if you had her undivided attention, like right now.
“You know, we should celebrate being so close to true civilization,” Frankie said with a lazy drawl that slightly mocked her own noble upbringing. She slowly and carefully eased her way across the short distance between them.
The other woman sat expressionless and waiting, pausing in her rowing as Frankie moved into straddling on her lap, draping her arms over her shoulders.
“It’s a gorgeous, peaceful day and no one is around as far as the eye can see. Literally,” she purred as they were almost nose to nose. “We can make as much noise as we want and no one will disturb us. We won’t have such a luxury when we reach town.”
Lydia’s only change in her expression was to narrow her eyes slightly. “To do that would risk us falling asleep and not making the town by midnight. And we would lose our direction in the middle of this lake. Do you want to risk another night sleeping on the ground?”
Frankie frowned at the matter of fact response.
Lydia could say ‘no’ in a way that it actually seemed like your idea.
“And I have to do all of the rowing since you seem incapable of rowing this boat in a straight line. I don’t think I have the energy something extra.”
It was then that Frankie knew the answer wasn’t just a ‘no’ but a punishment for her earlier demonstration of rowing the boat in a circle when it was her turn. She just didn’t want to do the work and her friend was far more suited for such menial things. At the time, Lydia slightly narrowed her eyes and took the oars but didn’t voice her suspicions… until now.
However, feeling provoked and aroused, Frankie pursed her lips to respond when both women suddenly distracted the slight side to side rocking of the boat. Wordlessly, they both determined that the movement was caused by the large wakes rippling across the lake, apparently starting from the middle of the lake, which was still far away from them.
Lydia immediately stiffen, tense for immediate action. “I think we’re about to find out why we’re the only people on this lake.”
A surprised Lydia is rare; an alarmed Lydia is downright bad.
Frankie didn’t need another word to know that this was her cue to get off of her friend’s lap now.
A collection of feminist sword and sorcery short stories about: Unwanted pregnancies. Gender identity. Sexual orientation. Jaded female friendships. You know, the controversial stuff.
Stay tuned for the announcement of when it's available!
Story List:
“A Sunny Afternoon with Frankie and Lydia” – Draft done (DRAFT teaser down below)
“Damon” – Draft done
“Self” – Draft done
“Burn” – Draft done
“The Mother’s Hex” – In process
“Working Girls” – Pending
“Trophy” – Pending
Watch for an announcement of when it’s available on Kindle and iTunes!
—————————
A Sunny Afternoon With Frankie And Lydia (DRAFT)
Frankie was sooo bored. And she would be the first to admit that she doesn’t handle such states well. But in her own defense, she really doesn’t suffer into such intense restlessness that often given how much she travels.
It’s always the start of trips, when leaving one place for another that her enthusiasm was at its peak. Yet after several days, weeks and sometimes months, the repetition just hammers away at the heart of a self-described city girl. She manages the boredom well, but when the destination was finally so close she could taste it that the deferred restlessness wanted release, and release now.
After five weeks of traveling west across land by almost every means possible, Lydia had calculated that they should be reaching the first true town some time that night, especially with taking passage across a lake in a rowboat they had “found” on the shore.
As she draped against the bow of the tiny vessel, she arched her arm over her eyes to provide shade under the sun in the cloudless sky. The air was a little cool despite the bright light and the only sound was the oars steadily cutting through the calm water. She had loosened as much of her light dress without revealing parts that she didn’t want sunburned. She had pinned up her thick, almond-brown hair to cool off as much as possible while a fine layer of sweat covered every part of her body.
She peaked at the one other occupant in the rowboat.
Always one to react to being watched, Lydia met her look with that unblinking green eyed stare.
Even just sitting in rowing a boat in a well-worn peasant’s dress and her ice-blond hair pulled back in a ponytail, she exuded the aura of one who was both relaxed and yet ready to burst into action at a moment’s notice. Lydia had the lean, sinewy form of a woman raised as a blacksmith’s daughter who was not afraid of doing unglamorous chores to eat. Yet, she had the elegant features that could be breathtakingly beautiful if she were incline to make herself presentable for admiration. And that’s a big “if”.
While Frankie relished the company of people, Lydia was the opposite, content to be in the background and observing. But it was that social reserve in her best friend that Frankie actually thought was a little sexy. Especially the way she looked at you as if you had her undivided attention, like right now.
“You know, we should celebrate being so close to true civilization,” Frankie said with a lazy drawl that slightly mocked her own noble upbringing. She slowly and carefully eased her way across the short distance between them.
The other woman sat expressionless and waiting, pausing in her rowing as Frankie moved into straddling on her lap, draping her arms over her shoulders.
“It’s a gorgeous, peaceful day and no one is around as far as the eye can see. Literally,” she purred as they were almost nose to nose. “We can make as much noise as we want and no one will disturb us. We won’t have such a luxury when we reach town.”
Lydia’s only change in her expression was to narrow her eyes slightly. “To do that would risk us falling asleep and not making the town by midnight. And we would lose our direction in the middle of this lake. Do you want to risk another night sleeping on the ground?”
Frankie frowned at the matter of fact response.
Lydia could say ‘no’ in a way that it actually seemed like your idea.
“And I have to do all of the rowing since you seem incapable of rowing this boat in a straight line. I don’t think I have the energy something extra.”
It was then that Frankie knew the answer wasn’t just a ‘no’ but a punishment for her earlier demonstration of rowing the boat in a circle when it was her turn. She just didn’t want to do the work and her friend was far more suited for such menial things. At the time, Lydia slightly narrowed her eyes and took the oars but didn’t voice her suspicions… until now.
However, feeling provoked and aroused, Frankie pursed her lips to respond when both women suddenly distracted the slight side to side rocking of the boat. Wordlessly, they both determined that the movement was caused by the large wakes rippling across the lake, apparently starting from the middle of the lake, which was still far away from them.
Lydia immediately stiffen, tense for immediate action. “I think we’re about to find out why we’re the only people on this lake.”
A surprised Lydia is rare; an alarmed Lydia is downright bad.
Frankie didn’t need another word to know that this was her cue to get off of her friend’s lap now.