Heart Duel (book 3) Excerpt
I'm writing Cratag's story now, and he was at the beginning of this scene. It's after a street melee. Lark (Hawthorn) is the heroine and a Healer, in love with Holm, a Holly, and their families are feuding. T'Heather is her grandfather on her mother's side and her boss. And all this explanation...is it worth it? Do you want to see old excerpts?
Lark had thought of making a new life, becoming a new woman. She had partially gained her goal. T’Heather’s support of her independent living had given her the respect she so wanted from all her Family.
But nothing could lift the pain of loving Holm, and the knowledge of imminent heartbreak.
T’Heather urged her from the site of death, circling around the dark blood that seeped between the cracks of the gray stones, staining the mortar red.
May you enjoy what you read today,
Robin
Lark had thought of making a new life, becoming a new woman. She had partially gained her goal. T’Heather’s support of her independent living had given her the respect she so wanted from all her Family.
But nothing could lift the pain of loving Holm, and the knowledge of imminent heartbreak.
T’Heather urged her from the site of death, circling around the dark blood that seeped between the cracks of the gray stones, staining the mortar red.
May you enjoy what you read today,
Robin
posted by FantasyAuthor RobinDOwens | 9:12 AM
8 Comments:
Yes, yes, yes. I do want to see old excerps. Pretty please?
Tine
I don't see a problem with bringing up older novels. It might lead a new reader to a book they weren't aware of. And anything that increases Heart sales, and gives me my Heart fix is all good!
I actually like when you post in the format you'd use to submit. You get conflicting advice on what style and rules to follow when submitting and it's interesting to see an established author's work.
BTW, I'm not sure who does your web pages, but it's pretty redundant. Bookshelf and Worlds look pretty much the same. And when you announce things like contests in blogs it takes dedicated digging to actually find what you are talking about on the web pages themselves.
I had a question about Heart Duel. The story thread had Holm and Lark not being aware of each other as heart mates during passage because Holm had to evolve.
It was never really explained what process this took, what happened, although his brother saving his life might have been mentioned (I'll have to re read to see) as the mitigating factor. But once Holm was aware he had a Heart Mate the pattern for his Heart Journey seemed to conform. Find Heart Mate, Have Sex with Heart Mate, Some how let it slip that Heart Bond exists, Resolve Conflict, Heart Mate....
I wonder if it's possible on Celta to do it in reverse? Date, fall in love, marry, have bad and good life experiences as a couple that allow them to grow into a Heart Bond?
And I thought it might be an interesting situation your newest talent found herself in the upcoming book. She is a Catalyst. If she could trigger a Heart Mating between married couples, even better if a couple comes to her and a heart mate is triggered between one of the married partners and someone else after a long, prosperous, happy marriage which would win out? A life time of love and devotion or a Heart Mate.
Took me over two hours to get to sleep last night because I was thinking of these dang characters!
What else did I think of?
How about some other 'hobby's' that allow heart mates to craft their heart gifts...
Stain Glass.
Blown Glass.
Etched Glass (that's the last of my Glass line)
Porcelain
Macramé
Quilting
Bonsai
Sculpting
Braiding
Doll Making
Miniatures
Wood Carving
Dream Catchers – I thought of an entire story arc where dreams were captured in these American Indian style dream catchers and a celtic talent was able to project them holographically and analyze them.
Holo Artist. - You've mentioned these exists. And I'm guessing they work something like the phone system. But it'd be nice to see a holo star or producer. I thought holo's would be captured in crystals.
I almost forgot....
New Age in America consists of candles, scents, crystals (all of which could be used and made as heart gifts) What would New Age be in Celta? Is Everything that is old new again? :)
A reader... Would it be possible to set the "urban fantasy" in one of Celta's cities? past/present or future? Good way to introduce new characters completely different from your present "thread", and this way those of us who do not care for "urban fantasy" woul look forward to it.
As Tannun points out the possibilities for more Heart books are endless and so all your readers can look forward to many Heart books in the future without compromising creativity/fresh approach/new characters/subjects. etc. etc.
ROBIN!
HEART FATE! IT'S HERE!!!!!!
Barnes and Noble's relented and let me have my copy a few days early. Shhhhh, I'm reading. Back in a few hours!
Thanks, Anonymous.
Tannun, a lot to think about, so that's why it took me a bit.
First, website. Contests should always be on the home page, after the intro page.
Worlds are my EXTRAS page, things like photos, interviews, etc. I'll add links. ;)
I suppose I have fallen into a pattern, so I'll see how I can change it, in Change and Journey. Heart Change has a man with little Flair, so that might be different. Heart Thief did have the confirmation after the marriage and child.
Heart Duel, it was actually the experience in the life pod of the ship, and most especially the trek across the mountains, bog, etc. that made Holm grow. Not sure I emphasized this, though.
You saw how the experience (at least the life pod) affected Tinne.
Re: Creative bents,
I've used glass making (D'Heather), and wood carving (Straif Blackthorn). Saille Willow did pottery/porcelain.
Everyone in my critique group loves the creative Flair of Del in Heart Journey (heh, heh, heh). But I must admit Heart Journey is a small variation on the pattern, though that is the romance pattern, and there are a couple of variations in the story. Anyway, I think I got most of your questions.
Robin
As someone who has done embroidery/needle arts for nearly 40 yrs, I found Heart Dance quite interesting. It led me to wonder about those who would manufacture not only the various threads used, but also the myriad cloths, needles, scissors, hoops, frames and stands. How would all those various energies influence or affect the person's work? Would/could they need to be put to use, manipulated or banished by the Flaired needle artist? What toll would be exacted in expending/using that energy? All this began to boggle my pagan mind, forcing it to think about not only the energies contained in the items I use (their origins and the individuals involved in their making) and the things I make, but also about the handmade items I buy and/or see at shows, right down to those sadly neglected and dicarded items one sees selling at flea markets and such.
Suzane, I did crewel embroidery for years (before I started seriously writing, I'm sure whatever skill I had for it is gone), thus Dufleur's Flair.
I started thinking of clothes in Heart Thief, of course, when someone in my critique group asked whether Ruis' nullness would affect magical seams. Yes.
So I've really talked about 3 things: Very, very expensive clothes without any Flair; very, very expensive clothes with lots of Flair in the fabric that would have you changing the pattern of the gown (luminescent beads/threads in different shades?) and regular clothes with some magic and Flair to hold them together and clean 'em up now and then.
Dufleur's stitches had an extra dimension because of her primary Flair.
The cost is energy, as always.
Robin
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