[Break-time] Week Three

*Insert fancy “the” here* Classic Spongebob.

I’ve had a few firsts this week, going right into start of it.

I got to attend my first public book release (not for myself), and one of my older cousins is currently visiting. It’s the first time I’ve seen him in six years, and boy, does it show. I’m apparently taller.

A lot of time was spent in talking and enjoying each other’s company, and merriment was pretty evident. Honestly, I haven’t been one for spending a lot of time with my family, and some years are harder than others when it comes to interacting around the holidays, but this year was one of the first in a very long time when I felt genuinely accepted and as though I were… revitalized in my idealisms on family.

And not even just with my own. I’ve found a place among others, and that’s only changed me because I decided to take the plunge and become an author. It made me.

Book Release Party

Let’s see if you can spot me…

I’ll be honest–I’ve never been to a book release party, and now one day, I want to create my own, because I had an amazing time at Erin Casey’s in honor of her debut novel! It turned out fun, and I enjoyed getting to meet new people!

I’m also not afraid to say that I was one of the first to grab a paperback, because I enjoyed proofreading the first book, and I’m looking forward to the next one in her growing series. It’s, um, also the first time I’ve ever had a credit in a book that wasn’t my own, which was both a bit scary to think on, because it shows how much I’ve developed in this two-year span as a creator.

I’m still so proud to have been a small part of this incredible journey.

In Other News…

Remember, there’s always opportunity in your corner. You just have to round it.

I actually forgot, but today is the last day for my audiobook funding! Come help me with the last push for “The Final Lesson” to be realized in audio!

In addition to that, I’ve decided that this week, I’m going to put some devotion towards my other love besides writing–voice acting! I’ve got a line of auditions right in a folder, and I’m excited to give it a shot. Wish me luck!

EXCERPT 101

This week’s excerpt is going to come from the second chapter of “The One Left Behind: Magic.” I’m currently planning a new book that I currently have titled “Sincerely, Fury,” but as soon as said book is complete, I’m diving right back into this series. And hopefully, the second book will be better than the first.

******

The two roamed through the sandy patches known to many travelers as the Sands of Glave for hours on end. Relek didn’t have an ounce of momentum to stop walking, not even for the smallest drop of water. And if Frayle slowed down for even a minute, he feared that Relek would take off and leave him to fend for himself in the desert. It wouldn’t be the first time.

They reached the Church late in the early hours of the morning before the sun rose. The sandy winds died down and the air became crisper—you could almost taste the salt. It should have been relieving to stand in the holiest place in their world.

But it felt…wrong.

Frayle stared upon the Church for the first time since he and Relek had stepped up towards the entrance. The once luxurious creamy paint had gradually chipped away from age. The boards could barely keep the building standing. Even the aura surrounding the region felt off. There were no other buildings anymore. No other people. Only the whistling grits of sand could fill the land. It was a place of high stature, and now, here it stood, in shambles.

“What did Barron do to this place?”

“We shouldn’t idle around,” Relek replied simply before making his way through the double doors. Frayle quickly followed suit.

The interior of the Church was haunting. The lights were shut off, no signs of life anywhere in the main hub of the area. Relek started ahead, unconsciously reaching out a hand and placing it over the wooden booths as he maneuvered, more as a guide. Frayle investigated the stone altar in the center of the room from afar, where people of Nimestria traveled far and wide to pray for salvation. He took a step forward towards the altar and gazed at it for some time until Relek’s voice broke his concentration, “The Head Priest must be further inside of the Church. Don’t waste time exploring too much.”

By that point, Frayle wandered about the Church’s hall, as much as he could manage in the dark. There had to be a reason why it was so empty, and why it appears no one had tended to the needs of the Church in months. It was eerie. And moreover, it was unbelievable.

Frayle allowed his hands to trace over the ground before his fingers found a few fragments of broken flint. He grasped the pieces in his hand and brought them further into his line of sight. They would still be of some use. He rose to a stand again, and his eyes wandered before meeting a wooden torch hanging unlit just above one of the booths. “Hey, Rel, do me a favor, pass me that torch.”

Relek raised an eyebrow before slowly reaching out to follow Frayle’s outstretched hand, running his fingers over the torch’s rough texture before grasping it. “You’re asking me, the half-blind fighter?”

He tossed it towards his companion, and Frayle heard it clunk against the floor in front of him. After some mishaps, he got a light, grabbing the rodded end with his hands before it could hit the ground. He let out a sigh of relief as he stood, holding out the torch to Relek. “Lead the way, ‘half-blind fighter.’”

“…That was a joke, Frayle.”

“You brought it on yourself.” Relek sighed heavily, taking the torch from him. Behind the altar were stairs that would lead them into an area that the Head Priest dubbed ‘the corridor of angels.’ There, they would make their way.