To Glide Or Not To Glide? That Is The Question, Right?

    

So, let's recap.  We've met Skyla.  We've met Ranger.  We've tasted a little danger.  Now, let's have a little fun...hehehehehe.  Let's glide!!  Glide?  What's that you say?  Well, it's only one of my favorite things in this book!  It's kind of a cross between surfing and sky diving. It's also one of Skyla's favorite things to do and something that I would only do if if my life depended on it (or if chocolate was involved...lots of chocolate).                
          This is actually the scene which started my vision for this whole story. I won't be sharing the whole scene, just a small piece of it, but I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!!
          That being said, I give you week five's snippet!

            I hit the edge first, anxious to feel the wind in my hair.  Staring out into the open air sends a trickle of anticipation through my veins.  All I can see for miles is endless sky.  White clouds powder the horizon beyond the Zap Net.  I can hear them sizzle and pop as they come into contact with the electric field, vanishing into thin air as they are converted to oxygen.  I breathe in deeply.  Somehow, the air is just better out here in the open.  

Ranger stares at me while I continue my little breathing ritual.  Shaking his head, he bends down and begins unpacking his glider beside me. 

“We’ll be here all day if you keep doing that.”

I exhale sharply and shoot him a stern glance.

“What,” he mutters, shrugging his shoulders.  An amused smile curls up one side of his lips.  “It’s true.”

I roll my eyes and set my glider on the ground beside me.  Unhooking the rough leather straps, I pull the machinery out into the open.  The metal links clank loudly as they spread, overlapping each other until they form a small crescent shaped board, just large enough to hold one person.  Directly in the center lies a small hole where a long t-shaped handle connects.  Shoving the pole into it with a click, I tug on it to make sure it’s secure. 

Ranger helps me complete the process, stretching the rough, ivory colored canvas sail across the hooks on my pole and checking the engine to make sure it’s functioning properly.  The steady hum of gears lets me know it’s ready.

My heart whirls with excitement as I glide my hand over the sail’s rough material, feeling the texture of the cloth beneath my fingers.  Anxious, I rush to the board, placing my feet on either side of the platform.  Touching the sail’s handle, I let the cool metal kiss my palms.  My blood pumps wildly, like a fever running through my veins, as I peer over the Edge and then let my board slip over into the endless sky.

“Hey wait for me,” Ranger calls from behind, but I am already gone.

The first plunge is always the best.  My stomach drops at the sudden rush, sending small icy shivers through my body.  The wind rips through my hair as I plummet, tossing it back and forth like a feather.  The sail flaps madly, snapping and bucking against the rush of air.  Pure adrenaline pumps through my veins. 

I am alive. 

I am free. 

I'm not really sure I would have the guts to go gliding in real life but man was it fun to write about it!  I hope you enjoyed this snippet.  See you next week!!

A

    
    

Confessions Of A Writer

         

           So, I have a confession to make. I'm a...a...a die hard romance fan! There I said it...whew, I feel so much better!  Now, I can finally sleep at night :)   In fact, romance is one of my key three!!   A little adventure, a few knives or swords and a splash of romance make an excellent novel! :)   That being said, this week I'm going to introduce you to Ranger, one of the male leads in the story.

         Now guys, don't click off the page!!   Although, I love a good romance, this book definitely has a plot.   Books without plots are like peanut butter without jelly or a monkey without bananas or...well, you get the point.   So, chill for minute.   This week may be for the ladies but I assure there is plenty of action for you manly types.  

         That being said, we join Skyla on the run again...

 

          Once I’ve cleared the crowd, I ditch my heels and burst into a sprint towards the East Edge.  Just like Ranger taught me, I twist and turn down multiple alleyways to make it harder for someone to track me.  Even so, I have the sick feeling that someone is in pursuit. 

            Picking up my speed, I turn the corner in an alley and stop, pressing myself up against the side of the building, disappearing into the shadows.  I don’t need anyone following me back to the hideout. 

            Moments later, I hear the patter of feet on the ground.  I was right after all.  Listening closely, I try to envision my stalker by the sounds I hear.  One person, possibly male from the way the feet stomp instead of glide like most girls.  Not a Sip, there’s no gear jangling.  I can hear loud puffing as they approach, so they are probably tired, an easy target for someone with my training.

            Crouching down low, I prepare myself to confront my attacker.  The familiar surge of adrenaline spreads through my body.  I have had just about enough surprises today.  Now, it is someone else’s turn.  Whoever it is will regret that they even dared to chase me. 

            I wait till the sounds are almost upon me before I stick my leg out from the corner, tripping my opponent to the ground.  He spills onto the street, probably swallowing at least a pound of dirt.  Good.  He deserves it. 

            I reach down, pulling at the back of his shirt.  My heart is pounding as I get ready to introduce this guy to my fists. 

            “Skyla,” a familiar voice calls from the ground.  “Is that you?”

            I stumble backwards, letting the fabric slip through my hands.  Black jeans.  Gray shirt.  Realization floods through me.  “Ranger?”

            He looks up from the street, his face covered in dirt, and starts to laugh.

            It takes me a minute to process but soon I relax, sitting down next to him, laughing too.  “I’m sorry.  I thought some freak was following me.”

            Ranger chuckles again.  “What?  Were you going to beat me?”

            A grin slides across my face.  “You know it.”

            “You still could you know,” Ranger says, raising an eyebrow.

            “What exactly are you suggesting?”  I laugh nervously.   

            Ranger takes my hand.  It’s still shaking from the adrenaline rush.  He pulls me closer, wrapping me in his arms.  “I’m suggesting that you show me exactly what you can do.”

            I’m still breathing heavy from our late night sprint and find that being so close to him doesn’t help to slow my heart rate. 

            “I don’t think you can handle it,” I say trying to be confident but it comes out all breathy and nervous.

            Ranger flashes that irresistibly confident smirk and leans down, his lips just inches from mine.  I can’t help but stare.  “Can’t I?”

            I don’t really know if it’s a question or a challenge.  My eyes flutter.  I’m having trouble processing anything with him this close to me.  “I…”

 

           Yeah, I know I'm cruel but I can't let you read everything ahead of time! :)  I hope you enjoyed this small glimpse of Ranger.  Come back next week for a brand new snippet!  

         

A 

Skyla Book Trailer

 

 

 

So this video is on Facebook and if I can get it to work it will be on You Tube as well but I most definitely had to put it here on my blog!!  If you haven't seen this yet, all I can say is sit back, grab some popcorn and enjoy!!!

 

Oh and make sure you're watching it in HD and give it time to load.  It's just more epic that way ;)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Awesome :)

 

A

Fairy Dust and Unicorns...

               

Have you ever read a story where everything is happy and bubbly and nothing ever goes wrong? Sprinkle in a little fairy dust, add a unicorn and some glitter and you'll have the perfect book...for a five year old girl. Fortunately, my book isn't made for five year olds. That's right, my book has conflict, bad guys and all around chaos! 

Are you intrigued yet?
Skyla has many enemies. Here below I've given you a glimpse of one of her first encounters with a sect.


     Fresh bread is a huge weakness of mine: the crisp outer layer, still warm from the oven’s touch, the soft insides that pull and separate into a delectable treat and the taste of butter and yeast on my tongue.  Fortunately for me, the baker is about as smart as the bread she makes.  She doesn’t even notice the missing loaf I’ve taken, which is now warm against my side.  I spare a quick glance into my satchel, the smell of yeast rising to meet me.  My stomach growls and complains, pressing me to hurry back home so my hunger can be satisfied.  I cut through an alley, taking the short way home. 
     I race around the corner and smack into something hard.  A shoulder, I think.
     “Hey,” a rough voice cries out.
     Staggering backwards, my arms flail about as I try to right myself.   My body freezes when I look up.  A group of boys, all wearing black hoodies, line the alleyway.  I suck in a deep, painful breath as I realize the seriousness of the situation.  These aren’t street vendors, this is a Sect. 
      In the orphanage, we all heard of the mysterious Sects that control the outer Edges of Cerulea.  Up till this very moment, I thought it was a myth, something fabricated by bored little orphan girls with nothing better to do.  Swallowing hard, I pray that everything else I’ve heard isn’t true.
     Slowly, one by one, they turn towards me, prompted by their comrade’s cry of distress. 
     My palms start to sweat. 
     Their faces hover alarmingly beneath their hoods.  It’s hard to see anything but a few inky tattoos snaking their way into view.  Backing away slowly, I hope they’ll let me go.  They aren’t interested in a small child, right? 
     I am not that lucky. 
    As they move closer, following me in my retreat, I can just make out their cold eyes.  They probe me, searching for weakness, looking for any vulnerability.  I feel exposed, naked, underneath their gaze.  My feet fidget nervously, stirring up a cloud of dust beneath me.  The urge to turn and bolt stirs within, but would that be worse?  All I know is what their eyes are telling me.  I have just interrupted whatever it is they are doing and it’s not okay. 
     A thin boy, tall and gangly, with a scar rippling down his right cheek, steps forward.  A cigarette teeters loosely from his pierced lips.  His dark brown eyes narrow till they are small slits beneath his hood.  I know that look.  I’d seen the same look in the Head Mistress’ eyes many times.  He’s trying to decide if I’m worth the effort or not.
     “What do we have here?”  He walks toward me, the grit on the street crunching underneath his shoes. 
     My body freezes as he closes in, the small bubble of my personal space suddenly violated.  Blowing out a stream of smoke, he aims straight into my face, making me gag on the ashy air.  An evil smirk slides across his face. 
     His eyes run the length of my body, touching every part of me without ever lifting a finger.  Slowly, he reaches forward, running his hand freely through my black hair, tasting it with his fingers.  My body stiffens at the contact.  He moves down to my shoulder, fingering the strap of my satchel lightly.  With a gentle tug he slides the strap off my shoulder, relieving me of my newly acquired bread.    

I'm so glad I'm not Skyla right now!!  I hope you enjoyed your trip to the dark side!  Goodbye until next week!

A

Will the real Skyla Deep please stand up...

            Let's be honest with one another.  A story can be amazing, but without awesome characters it's pretty much is a bust.  People move the story and the story moves the people.  You can't have one without the other, right?  Right! 

            That being said, I know you're going to love Skyla Deep.  She is my main character and the person whose point of view we see the story from.  I pretty much can sum her up in one word...AWESOME or maybe TENACIOUS or...  Okay, reality check!  Yeah, I'm probably not going to be able sum her up in one word.  I am a writer after all!!  So, I guess I'll just have to let you see for yourself. 

           Enjoy this small glimpse into the life of Skyla Deep.

 

            My name is Skyla Deep, at least that’s what they tell me.  I was left on an orphanage’s doorstep when I was a baby, abandoned by my parents to The System.  I’ve thought about it a lot over the years and I’m almost sure it was cold and dark, the sky completely starless, when it happened.  Somehow it seems that’s the way it should be when you’re being discarded. 

            Eleven years later, I’m still wondering what I did to make them hate me so much. 

            My life in the orphanage is pretty much a personalized hell.  Eat, obey, sleep and then wake up and do it all over again.  Don’t question the System.  The System is right.  The System is perfect.  End of story.

            As if that wasn’t enough, they also tag us…like animals.  At birth, they inject a tracking device in your shoulder, effectively putting you on the grid.  You can’t even pee without the System knowing where you are.  Creepy, right?  Even our free time, if you can call it that, is monitored by the wardens.  They are the Head Mistress’ evil spies who report even the slightest of infractions to her Royal Iciness.

            Things wouldn’t be so bad if I knew how to play the game, how to obey the rules, but I’m too stubborn.  Trouble always seems to find me, like it’s branded into my DNA, and when it does, there is no telling where it will lead me.

 

           And that's a wrap for this week!! Stop by next Tuesday for a brand new, tantalizing,  scrumptious snippet from my book!  Thanks for checking out my blog and feel free to share this with your book lovin' friends!

 

A

 

 

           

In The Beginning...

          

           Today's the day!!  I can't tell you how excited I am to finally share a piece of my upcoming book with you!  Yes, I'm definitely doing a little happy dance inside.

           First of all, I want to say thanks for taking the time to visit my blog.  I'll be posting a teaser every Tuesday up until the release of my book in early summer, so, definitely keep coming back!! 

          For those of you who don't know, my book, titled Skyla, is a dystopian novel.  If you don't know what that means, don't worry about it!  Just sit back, read and enjoy!

          And now, for the main attraction (big drum roll). 

         This week, I've decided to share my "blurb" as I like to call it.  It gives you a rough idea of what my book is about.  I hope you enjoy it!

 

           The world as we know it doesn’t exist anymore.  Humanity has retreated to the skies after almost being obliterated by the deadly Ghost Virus.  Man-made islands floating in the troposphere now house those that survived.  The System, a new form of government, controls and regulates everyone’s lives in an effort to preserve the human race. 

            Skyla Deep is not your average orphan in this sky born world; abused, neglected and in need of something the System doesn’t offer…freedom.  Desperate to live instead of merely exist, Skyla runs away.  She aligns herself with one of the notorious sects who control the outer edges of the islands.  There’s just one problem.  On an island this small you can only run from the System for so long.

            As events escalate, Skyla will come to question all that she’s been taught to believe.  She’s always felt the System isn’t what it claims to be, but wonders just how deep their treachery runs?  And with the Ghost Virus making a reappearance on the islands, will humanity survive?

 

            Let me know what you think in the comments below and come back next week for some actual book content! 

 

A