Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Chapter Two of Aladdin is Up!
We heard from Jasmine in chapter one, now it's Aladdin's term. Or, as I call him. Alád. He's traveled deep under the English Channel to meet with his agency handle, but this assignment is different. Check it out here! Leave a comment and let me know what you think!
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Twisted Tales: Aladdin Chapter Two Teaser
The next post for my futuristic re-imagined Aladdin will be up next week. Here's a short teaser!
Alád strode through the halls of the underground bunker toward the elevator at the end of the corridor. The red running lights along the floor illuminated his way, but were also scanning him for explosives, weapons, and any biological signs that he might be planning something stupid. When he reached the elevator, he held his wrist up to be scanned, the neon green light leaving a prickling trail down his forearm. The elevator doors opened and closed behind him. He didn't have to press any buttons, it only descended one floor. He emptied out of the elevator only to walk to another at the opposite end of this hallway. He stood very still, the retinal scan would fail if he moved even a little bit. After three failed attempts the whole facility went into lockdown. Alád was at the headquarters of an agency made up of representatives from CIA, MI-6, Mossad, and Hezbollah. It was the top secret of the top secret. So much so that it didn't have a name; because it didn't exist.
Alád strode through the halls of the underground bunker toward the elevator at the end of the corridor. The red running lights along the floor illuminated his way, but were also scanning him for explosives, weapons, and any biological signs that he might be planning something stupid. When he reached the elevator, he held his wrist up to be scanned, the neon green light leaving a prickling trail down his forearm. The elevator doors opened and closed behind him. He didn't have to press any buttons, it only descended one floor. He emptied out of the elevator only to walk to another at the opposite end of this hallway. He stood very still, the retinal scan would fail if he moved even a little bit. After three failed attempts the whole facility went into lockdown. Alád was at the headquarters of an agency made up of representatives from CIA, MI-6, Mossad, and Hezbollah. It was the top secret of the top secret. So much so that it didn't have a name; because it didn't exist.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
The Waiting Game
Cue Tom Petty singing, "the waaaaaiting is the hardest part."
In terms of digital publishing, waiting four weeks to hear if your manuscript has been selected is not a long time. Most waiting times are 12-16 weeks. But since this is my very first submission, it feels like forever. I'm anxious and excited and fearful all at the same time. Part of me knows that expecting my very first submission to be selected is a long shot. But part of me is hopeful that it's good enough.
I submitted a contemporary/erotic romance novella, just under 30K words, to Carina Press for a holiday anthology. The theme was Harleys and Holidays. I'm a huge Sons of Anarchy fan, so this felt right up my alley. Not a full novel, subject matter I could get into. Being a full-time working mom of three, it's not easy finding the time to fit in writing. But this isn't something that's going to fall into my laugh. It's time to put forth the effort to become a writer and get out of this soul-crushing cubicle.
I'm currently plotting out the 2nd book in this series to keep me from obsessing my submission. But then I stalk the editor's Twitter feed for clues.
Still waiting...
In terms of digital publishing, waiting four weeks to hear if your manuscript has been selected is not a long time. Most waiting times are 12-16 weeks. But since this is my very first submission, it feels like forever. I'm anxious and excited and fearful all at the same time. Part of me knows that expecting my very first submission to be selected is a long shot. But part of me is hopeful that it's good enough.
I submitted a contemporary/erotic romance novella, just under 30K words, to Carina Press for a holiday anthology. The theme was Harleys and Holidays. I'm a huge Sons of Anarchy fan, so this felt right up my alley. Not a full novel, subject matter I could get into. Being a full-time working mom of three, it's not easy finding the time to fit in writing. But this isn't something that's going to fall into my laugh. It's time to put forth the effort to become a writer and get out of this soul-crushing cubicle.
I'm currently plotting out the 2nd book in this series to keep me from obsessing my submission. But then I stalk the editor's Twitter feed for clues.
Still waiting...
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Nerves
Last Friday was the deadline for an open call from Carina Press. It came right down to the wire for me, but it really shouldn't have. I had plenty of time, but when the call originally came out I was still working my FT day job plus a freelance job. And it was the holidays. Cue losing my freelance gig and a continuing erosion of being satisfied with a job that keeps me in a cubicle. At first I was worried about being able to write the minimum word count; by the time I was done I was getting concerned about going beyond the maximum. Now I wait. Which sucks, so to keep myself occupied and to try and harness the power of positive thinking, I'm plotting out book two in that series. I'm also giving more attention to my story over at Twisted Tales. Happy Writing!
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
I forgot to plug my fairy tale post on my own blog? REALLY?
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Aladdin Teaser
Tomorrow my first post on Twisted Tales comes out. It's a collaborative blog of writers dishing up new, twisted versions of classic fairy tales. I'm writing a futuristic, espionage version of Aladdin. Crazy, right? Check out the blog tomorrow for more!
Jasmine scanned the streets of Marrakech from atop the palace walls, the scents and sounds of the marketplace were like the tendrils of a creeping vine; enveloping her as she breathed in deeply. Her stomach grumbled when she caught a whiff of her favorite soup, harira, made up of lamb, red lentils, and vegetables. Licking her lips, she fished her Magnilens glasses out of her pocket and put them on. Data started streaming across her vision and a sight scope popped up, Jasmine turned off the data feed and trained the scope on her favorite stall to see if Rajah was ready to start serving. Nobody made better harira than Rajah, and he knew it, that's why he could charge almost twice as much as anyone else.
Jasmine scanned the streets of Marrakech from atop the palace walls, the scents and sounds of the marketplace were like the tendrils of a creeping vine; enveloping her as she breathed in deeply. Her stomach grumbled when she caught a whiff of her favorite soup, harira, made up of lamb, red lentils, and vegetables. Licking her lips, she fished her Magnilens glasses out of her pocket and put them on. Data started streaming across her vision and a sight scope popped up, Jasmine turned off the data feed and trained the scope on her favorite stall to see if Rajah was ready to start serving. Nobody made better harira than Rajah, and he knew it, that's why he could charge almost twice as much as anyone else.
Friday, March 8, 2013
Everyone Has to Start Somewhere
Welcome to my blog, such as it is. Everyone has to start somewhere, right? Hopefully this space will grow as I fight to find the time to write. Join me and if we're lucky, you'll find something you like in my stories.
~Phoebe
~Phoebe
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