A To Z Challenge. CHAPTER ONE -- NÁNDOR

     The Aerie hid in the craggy mountain range, which bordered the outer rim of the land.  Dense forests cloaked the peaks in dark needles and darker shadows.  Strange creatures haunted the wildwood, humanoids that waited in the gloom to take the unwary traveler. 

The Aerie was not meant to be found by the faint of heart.  No, this place only helped those who faced their fears and trekked through the dangers of both man and beast. 

Many travelers came to find afflatus for their leaders.  Their monarchs wanted hints of the future, of knowledge to come.  They desired to know if their harvests would be plentiful and their kingdoms peaceful.  Their representatives sometimes waited weeks for aestival time to arrive to receive their audience.

Nándor wiped the sweat from his brow as he rested.  Even as high up into the range as he was, humid heat bore down on him.  This was the last leg of his journey.  The Aerie was close, but that also meant the forest's perils loomed closer.

His day had started well before dawn.  He rose as grey broke the darkness, breaking camp with efficient movements.  His horse had plodded along the overgrown path for the last two hours without complaint.  Now, the hearty stallion drank from the stream in the adumbrated clearing.

Filling up his waterskin, he stood and patted the horse’s glossy neck.  The horse snuffled his hair and blew out a large breath before mouthing his ear.  Nándor laughed, but it came out tired.  He pushed the horse away with a gentle hand then scratched the horse’s muzzle.  “I bet you’ll be glad to get there, won’t you?  So will I, Tesni.”

He stepped away and mounted the horse.  “Another hour and we’ll be there.”  He turned his gaze toward the mountain peak.  Squinting, he found the faint outline of his destination and frowned.

With a gentle tug of the reins, he turned his horse toward the mountain fortress.  He just hoped it was worth it.  Would the arcane augury help guide him against Ahriman?

Nándor did not know, but all was lost without a clue to the rogue’s whereabouts along with the sacred object he stole.  Ahriman absconded in the night and no trace could be found. 

His name was now an anathema among the people.  A once great man now nothing but a villain. 

Nándor’s face turned stony at the very thought of the man.  He would find the treacherous coward.

©djinnia 2014

OMG! IT'S NEARLY HERE!!!

Okay, peeps!  This is the home stretch.  Less than one week and counting until the A to Z Challenge begins.

As you know, I've bitten off a huge task of trying to finish (or I MAY have finished . . . **shakes head to shatter fantasy** Um, not happening.  EVER!) a story before the days catch up to me.

This is the awesome calender that shows each letter's day.  So you and I both can anticipate the next letter.

Of course, I'll probably be frantic trying to finish.  I may go stark raving nuts before the end, but I want to conquer that danged Z.  I want it desperately.  I want to use that cool Z word I found on the list.  My fingers tremble at the thought of typing it.

And so I leave you to go tear my hair out as my pen either flies across the page, my fingers tap quickly across the keyboard, or I'm stare in utter despair at them both as my mind blanks out in writer's block!

I hope not.  I really hope I can finish this.  It will make me happy see if I can finish this challenge and this story. 

A TO Z CHALLENGE . . . JUST HOW CRAZY AM I?

This is it, folks.  This is where I tell you what my theme is for the 26 days of the A to Z Challenge.  (See pretty A to Z Challenge clickie button on sidebar.  Go on and click it; you know you want to.)

DU DU DUN!  The epic reveal happens now.

I'm going to write a story.  Ha!  That was so anticlimactic it hurt.  Plus, it wasn't my theme.  MUHAHAHA!

No more teasing.  I will really tell you what my theme is now: Word(s) of the Day from Dictionary.com.

That's my theme in a nutshell.

 The story will incorporate words from the Word of the Day archives.  All the words used will begin with that day's letter.  For example, I will use A words (like apple) on April 1st and Z words (like zebra) on April 30th.  Each entry, of course, will run each letter that corresponds to each day. (minus Sundays.  We get those off for good behavior.)

I'm going to link up each word to its definition page just because I'm sick and demented like that.  So if you're just as weird you can see their epic meanings.

I hope I can complete this challenge.  I want to see if I'm able to write twenty-six chapters and complete a story at the same time.  I never can for Nano . . . so here's to me driving myself insane! Woo Hoo!

In the great words of Bill and Ted: "Party on, dudes!"

(and my prescheduling had issues!  Argh!   It was supposed to go up at 9 am, but it totally didn't do it!)

A BIT OF RANDOM BORINGNESS 2

So far my life has encompassed three things:  a gift project (which is done!  YAY ME!), A to Z (I'm on K), and editing my book (that's not happening, but I'm pretending it is . . . heh heh heh).

Other than that, it's just work, life, and my furry babies.

Then there is a certain person that shall remain nameless that I would like to bop on the head.  Frustrating is the term that comes to mind.

I finished reading Blackberry Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke.  Again frustrating comes to mind when I think of this book.  It ends on a CLIFFY!  GRR ARGH!

I'm also listening to the book Backwards by Todd Mitchell.  It's a very interesting book.  I won't say anything about it except that the book name says it all.

Also, I'm reading the Ghostwalker series by Christine Feehan.  I've finished the first one, Shadow Game, and i'm almost done with the second one, Mind Game.

It's fun to go back and read books you've read a years ago.  They're almost new again.  

AND NOW A BIT OF RANDOM BORINGNESS

Hello everyone.

It's been a while since I posted anything.  So I'm going to bore you do death today.

Right now, I'm listening to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows as I contemplate.

So what I am working on?  I have a Christmas present that's turning out to be very, very late as well as an early birthday present.  I'm nearly done though.  Yay.  It didn't help that I got sick twice while trying to finish it.  Two weeks in November and two weeks in January.  Le sigh.

I'm also working on my A to Z Challenge project.  I've finished A-F (Evil F.  Bad F).  I'm currently working on G.  So only 20 more letters to get through before April 1st.  When it's all said and done, I'll post the entire thing on it's own page here.

 I thought I would be able to get through my Goodreads books in December.  Nope.  I read through one.  It was Dreamwalker by C. S. Friedman.  Good book.  Has one of my favorite plot devices: Alternate Worlds.  Actually I use them quite a bit now that I think about it.  Heh.  Heh.

So that's what's going on of note other than regular life ups and downs.  

OH MY GOODNESS! ISN'T IT BEAUTIFUL!

This is the cover that will have my first published piece.  It was created by a talented artist named Jennifer Redstreake Geary. 

This book will have all the stories from Composers of Relief collaboration in one volume.  All the proceeds go to these charities:  Gawad Kalinga (“give care”) and GVSP (Gualandi Volunteer Service Program).

Ebook Available at Amazon, UK, Smashwords, B&N  *soon* from iTunes, Kobo, Sony, & Diesel .

The album is available at iTunes, Amazon, CDbaby, and Spotify. 

LE SIGH. AND WOO HOO!

As you know I was a first cut finalist in the Reuts Publications short story contest, Reutsway.  I found out on the 31st that I didn't make the final cut.  Neither did my friend, Sam.  And there be the le sigh in my post's title.

 You're wondering what the woo hoo is, aren't you?  Well, some time around the 5th of this month, I will still become a published writer.  The story for charity on my post  A WORTHY CHARITY, MUSIC, AND STORIES.  COME ON.   YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO . . . will be published as an ebook with all the others!

I will give out the order links for the book when they become available.