International Writing Competition

Hi Guys,

Sorry if I've been a tad busy with the writing competition but I promise I'll get back to normal after Feb 1st! lol

Meantime take a look at this...

Yet another Press Release.

http://www.briefingwire.com/pr/meet-the-finalists-of-the-marsocial-author-of-the-year-contest

laters...........

Competition Time!

Hey Guys, 

I've been a tad busy lately and not posted for a while, however I want you all to know why I'm such a happy bunny.

I entered a competition at MARsocial and have actually got through as a finalist! I sent a link below if you want to take a look but I'll post the excerpt from the book I entered so you can read it for yourself.

If you like it please let me know. As you know the first two book(s) are available on Smashwords for free. All the books are available on both Amazon and Smashwords.

 

#MARSocial Author of the Year #Finalist. The Tessellation Saga, Prophecy’s Heir. By @Dede12012...marsocial.comThis is short synopsis from my Tessellation Saga Series. On Arotia, a prince is punished for using an outlawed form of magic, Blood Magic, his body is destroyed and his soul condemned to the void, ...

This excerpt is taken from Prophecy's Heir, the first book of The Tessellation Saga.

    The drizzle began to ease off as the wolf finally stopped above a small decline in the forest floor.  Bending almost double Jed placed his hands on his knees and threw up, his exertion making him sick; finally, with his stomach empty, he stood straight and stretched his back looking through a gap in the canopy high above him at the now clear sky, glad that at last the rain had stopped.  He had not had as much enforced exercise in years and was thoroughly exhausted, a gentle whine from Blue brought his gaze back to earth; the wolf was standing over something in the bracken.

    In the darkness before the dawn, the birds began to sing in praise of the new day.

    ‘Journey’s End!’  Jed exclaimed as he recognised what seemed to be the body of a girl.  More slipping than climbing down the wet muddy slope, he reached the body and tearing off his coat, he threw it to one side as the wolf turned toward the forest as if on guard.  The girl was lying on her side with blood still slowly trickling from a raw wound just below her shoulder and pooling beneath her.

    ‘She’s not dead boy,’ Jed said aloud, more to himself than to the waiting wolf, ‘but she ain’t gonna be with us fer long,’ he added, as he brushed away the myriad of tiny bugs already gathered and feeding off the nasty wound in her back.  Gently, turning her over, he noticed her extended belly.  ‘G’awd’s Strewth,’ he blasphemed, ‘she be young to be this way,’ tenderly; he brushed the hair from her face and covered her dying form with the blanket.  A soft moan escaped her lips.  ‘Miss… miss…,’ Jed began as her eyes fluttered open.  ‘I’ll stay with yer, you’ll no be alone…,’ he cuddled her to his chest as best he could, suddenly thinking of Mayan, his deceased wife, dying alone, scared and in such pain. ‘I’ll not let yer down agen…’ he said quietly as the tears began to roll down his face.

   ‘Please... please…,’ the girl struggled to speak startling Jed from his thoughts.  ‘Gath…,’ she whispered.       The wolf snapped its head around and stared intently at the girl.  ‘Save my baby, he wants my baby…,’ she pleaded as her life finally ebbed away.

The dawn had at last arrived bathing the scene with its promise of light and warmth and the day, one of the first nice days of the very late spring was going to be a good one as Jed held the dead body of the girl to his chest and wept into her hair.

    ‘Girl, I can’t save yer baby,’ he said quietly, ‘it be gone now… it be with you.’  The wolf howled as Jed wept with a prayer for her soul’s journey but just as he was about to put the body down he felt a violent kick in his stomach, in his astonishment he let the body of the girl fall to the ground with a thump.  The girl’s stomach was moving…  ‘The child be still livin’!’ Jed exclaimed hurriedly pulling aside her clothes and feeling her wet belly, the child inside kicked against his hand.  He reached for the girl’s wrist to feel for a pulse or sign of life as all the time her belly moved and kicked, the movements growing weaker and weaker as Jed worked on the mother.

    Taking his father’s knife he gently felt the sharp blade, I can do this… he thought, knowing he had birthed animals this way before, but then the mother’s were always alive, is this right?  He asked himself, the morality of the situation clouding his mind.

    ‘Blue, should I let the child go with its ma?’  He asked, wrought with indecision.  The wolf moved down beside the man it had already saved twice, it looked into Jed’s eyes and whined before gently licking his face.

    ‘SAVE IT.’ Jed heard.  Nodding silently, Jed gently sliced the dead flesh open, through the skin, through the muscle wall and into the womb.  He had to hurry, the child had no time, but still he took his time.  I will save this child… he thought as in his mind’s eye, he could see his dead wife smiling at him.  Discarding the knife, he reached between the bloody walls of the girl’s womb and felt for the infant.  It feebly punched at his hand.  Gently he pulled the small fragile body free of its mother’s corpse and tied off the cord attaching it to its dead mother with thread taken from the handle of his father’s knife.  Satisfied the knot was secure he cut the cord sharply, feeling the heat of the cord blood running over his fingers.  Holding the child by the ankles, he gently slapped its bottom; upside down, the tiny child still covered in blood and cream opened its eyes and screamed in anger.  Tears of laughter, sadness at the loss of the mother and joy of new life filled Jed’s heart as he gently wrapped the tiny gore covered child in his coat and placed the screaming bundle on the floor beside the wolf.

    ‘Watch the babe Blue, whilst I see to its ma,’ he said, as he tenderly began to cover the body of the young dead girl with the old blanket.  Noticing a small silver and crystal amulet around the girl’s neck, he removed it and put it carefully into his pocket, thinking to give it to the child later.

‘I got ter leave yer like this if I’m ter see ter yer boy, I’m sorry,’ he said as he brushed the hair from the girl’s face and closed the still open eyes.  ‘I’m sorry I couldn’t save you too, I’ll be back in a few days an’ I’ll bury yer proper like then,’ he said as he kissed the girl’s brow and reverently covered her face whispering a second prayer for her soul on its Final Journey.

So...

What do you think? Wish me luck it's the biggest competition of its kind anywhere!

Oh on another note, Hetty the hen has arrived and is comfortably ensconced in her new home. I'll post a little bit more about her in my next update! 

Now off to Zumba Zumba!

Byeeeee...........  til next time. :)