Excerptness

In honor of my fantastic editing so far I thought I’d share a wee bit from the beginning…. So here it is!!







When Neal started coming to he was bobbing up and down with the motion of a horse. But apparently he was not the only one on the horse for there was an arm around him and he could see the other one on the reigns. To add to it his head was on the persons shoulder. Neal sat upright and would have fallen off if the person’s thin muscular arm had not held him in place. Neal turned to find himself looking into light blue eyes. “I was wondering when the mud boy would wake up.” Said a girl’s voice. Neal’s eyes took in the whole of the face.


“Jamie I knew you’d fallow me!” said Neal throwing his arm around her without falling.


“We were waiting only a few human strides down the road when we saw the highway men. So we waited for the opportune moment then struck. They were taken aback so they were easily taken. Then we picked you up and we went on.”


“We, what is this we stuff. Who is with you?” Neal said.


“Tantin also known as Mr. Billy Bones.” Jamie said airily. This time Neal really fell out of the saddle.


“Ow.” He yelped as he hit the dusty road. Jamie pulled her horse, Heir, to a stop. Another two horses trotted to the other side of Neal, he sat up. When he looked up he had to shield his eyes from the sun. “Oh no! By Zantor! I’m gonna kill you Jamie I’m gonna kill you both.”


“By Billy!” Billy reached down to help Neal up but Neal fell back onto the ground and would have started hitting his head on the ground but pain shot through his spine and he sat bolt upright. “Come on. Up. Up!” Said Billy’s annoying voice.


“No I’ll die here thank you.” Neal crossed is arms like an angry child.


“Get your sorry ass up.” said Jamie clearly annoyed. She dismounted her golden chestnut gelding, walked other to Neal yanked him off the ground, picked him up and put him in the saddle of Jam. “Now we are all going to the Snowy Waste. Whether you sissies like it or not.”


“Now see here old chap” Billy started, but changed his mind after a glare from Jamie “Chappette?” He looked back at Jamie but just received a roll of her eyes. “I Sir Tantin Exyel am not a sissy! Just because I ran and hid in the bushes and screamed like a little five Elson old girl when you chopped that one’s head off does not mean that I’m a sissy.”






If you want to read the beginning excerpt from The Snowy Waste check it out on my website! HERE

Laters,

Second Semester Whoot! and Raven-ness

Good Evening,

Today was my first day of classes and I had bio tonight 7:30-10:15. I was tots def scared that I would do horrible in the class because I last took bio junior year of high school. Turns out I was afraid for nothing. My professor asked me to stop answering questions so other people would have a chance. I guess that means I’m going to breeze through this class! Yay! Plus it helped remind me why I’m going to be majoring in bio… cause it’s awesome!!!!! Hahaha. Needless to say I’m very excited about this semester. I can’t wait for tomorrow I have two classes Nazi-Era Germany Pre Holocaust (can anyone say AWESOME!!!) at 1:55 and Algebra at 6:00. So over all a very nice day. Oh and in case you didn’t notice I redid my blog…. Again…. It’s just way to much fun to change the appearance. Oh so while I was slacking all day I wrote some awesomeness for Cry of The Raven/ Quest Quartet because Cry of The Raven overlaps hehe. Aaaaaaannnnnnndddddddd ya I think that’s it for now…

Laters,
T.V.

P.S. Here’s a part of Cry of The Raven….

     The silver washed city lay out in front of Raven, candles burned in some windows while others were black. A sigh escaped his lips as he tilted his head to the left… then the right… the castle was directly in every window. “What a waste… those candles could be in the dark houses of peasants who can hardly pay your damn taxes.” Raven muttered through gritted teeth. They would pay soon enough. It was only a matter of time till the castle was cleansed of the filth that lived there currently. A small smile crept onto his face as he stood on the slate roof. “Only a matter of time.” he said. The assassin moved along the roof and jumped through the gaping hole that lead to the ruined choir loft. He landed silently then walked to the edge where he could look down at the main floor.

     Some old pews remained in place with moth eaten cushions, but most of them had been removed from the floor when the small gang of assassins had moved in. Colored patterns of moonlight washed the creaky and decaying floorboards. Raven let his eyes wander to the stained glass windows. Many panes of colored glass remained in their lead fixtures, but some of the panes had been broken and jagged bits of color marked the spots. The pulpit was washed in candle light and Raven saw his friends sitting around a table strewn with parchment. He smiled, they were always the diligent workers.

     Quietly the black haired man walked down the spiral staircase to the main floor. He moved silently across the floor. After so many years of living in the abandoned church he knew which floorboards to avoid and which spots to jump. No one jumped when he came into the pool of candle light. The four assassins were used to their friend coming from the shadows. “Rave, take a look at this. We found some old texts in the basement that talk of the Royal family.” Elise said pointing to the dusty pieces of parchment on the table. His heart clenched a little in fear as he saw everyone reading.
     “Oh. Anything interesting?” he asked trying to sound uninterested.

P.P.S. I wanted a visual to sort of go with Raven's hide out. So Ii googled. and i found this site. And i LOVE the pictures. They are tots def what I had in mind.

100,000 Words

Hello,

Okay so FANTASTIC news!!!! I’m over 100,00 words for The Snowy Waste!!! PARTY TIME!!! so ya I’m soo totally excited! And I’m in such a perfect mood now that I thought I would share a scene that leads up to a big scene in the first book of The Final Thread Trilogy.

It’s during the campaign for The Dragon Empire…..

Fury built up inside Samjedabar’s chest till she couldn’t take it any longer and she charged into battle. Her blades swung in. Feron cauterized wounds on contact while Wreden slashed hot blood onto her with it’s ice-sharp blade. The blood only fueled her anger. Her Fa’Dor side relished in the blood and she felt her fangs coming out. She snarled and decapitated another enemy. Alone Samjedabar was turning the tide of the battle but her Elites were cutting a wide path of destruction alongside of her. Hot blood soon soaked her some was her own but most of it was from her dead enemies. Wreden came down and cleaved a daemon’s head like a melon. Blood and brain matter sprayed onto her face. A laugh broke from her lips. The exhilaration of the battle thronged in her veins. Today was the day she was going to die, but she as not leaving without making a name for herself in this fight. An enemies’ sword slipped by her defenses and into her lung collapsing it in one painful move.
Samjedabar looked at the blade in her side. She knew that she should be feeling the sting and burn of pain but she felt empty. As the blood poured out and stained her shirt the Drasdon took a shuttering breath. It was all pointless… everything was pointless. Why had she wasted so much time in this place where so many people hated her? At least she was at the end now. The end of everything that had ever meant anything. Blackness began to creep in to her vision. Then she remembered that there was a war raging around her and that she had a task to do. Even though she wanted to give into the enticing arms of death she shook her head and fell to the ground. Her hand wrapped around the blade’s hilt and she pulled it from her side. She could not leave this hate filled life yet.
Samjedabar looked around at the battlefield, her Elites were cutting a wide path of destruction. Out of the corner of his eye Faust saw Samjedabar pull the sword from her side. He stabbed his opponent in the neck and turned to run to Samjedabar’s side. “Milady.” He grabbed her under the armpit and hoisted her to her feet. “Are you alright?”
“I am fine Faust. Thank you.” Samjedabar said through the haze in her head.
“We can continue to fight if you need to make a retreat.” he said looking into Samjedabar’s eyes. He saw pain there. But there was also a fire burning there that told him she would not leave till she had killed The Herald, even if it was the end of her.
“No. I NEED to do this.” She said through gritted teeth.
“We can always assault tomorrow. You need not kill yourself when you can rest and be ready to go tomorrow.” He tried to pled with his Queen.
“No. It ends today or it doesn’t end at all.” she pulled away from Faust. “Best of luck Faust. It has been an honor to fight by your side.” she grasped his wrist and he grasped hers. “May Luck be with you.” she said before launching herself into the air.
Faust looked down at his blood covered wrist. Shock sank into every bone as he realized that he would not see Samjedabar again. Then he shook his head. He had to fight on. He could do this. So the Dragostean let out a cry and charged back into the melee that was raging.
Samjedabar flew slowly toward The Herald’s castle. Her vision swam and it was often hard for her to see if she was going in the right direction or not. Crimson dropped from her boot as the blood leaked from her wound and down her leg. Lifeblood was fleeing from her body. Yet it was not her time to go. Not yet. Just a little longer. After many long minutes of flying Samjedabar was on The Herald’s Plateau. She folded her wings and stumbled and fell to all fours as she hit the ground. Get up! she yelled to herself. Heal yourself. Now. A voice in her head said. No get up and go fight. You are as good as dead either way. Another argued. The first one won out for Samjedabar dropped a blue orb on her wound and healed it just enough to stop the bleeding. “And now I go to face my death.” she said aloud. And as soon as the words left her mouth a sense of calm settled over her and she was unafraid of what was to come.
The Drasdon got slowly and unsteadily to her feet. Then she started toward the front doors of the castle. Darkness greeted her when she hobbled into the empty entrance hall. Samjedabar staggered as all her sense seemed to fall silent, The Herald‘s magic was strong. She dropped another healing orb on her wound, her vision cleared and her sense of balance came back. Now she was ready to find Clewween.

I hope you enjoyed it…..

Laters,
T.V.

Writing Notebook and Stuff

Hey ya,

Sorry for not posting. I’ve been sick and it kinda is a downer on the energy…. Plus I had classes yesterday and I was totally zoning out! It was bad. But I went to bed really really early and got close to thirteen hours of sleep I woke up popped a dayquill and I’m doin awesome! Haha living the college life.

Anyhow I promised something out of my writing journals. Now I always carry pen and paper with me and I would always carry my writing journals around with me in high school so if I got an idea I could write in all out in class. I always seemed to get the best ideas in class…. Any how I found this poem in my notebook and I can tell you exactly when I wrote it because it was inspired by a picture. It’s this one of the gargoyle and it was tacked up in my French class and I looked at it and ideas just started popping in my head. And yes I'm pretty sure that's the exact picture. So ya here it is….

Stony Smile

The street below looks so dazzling,
She passes beneath and I note her passing,
For I sit here so high above,
Perhaps never to feel her love,
A stony smile on my face,
Forever looking upon this place,

Not always was I like this,
My life before had nothing amiss,
Until that dreaded, fateful day,
My world was snatched away,
A stony smile forced on my face,
Forever forced to look upon this place,

A knight of valor I used to be,
From a battle I’d never flee,
This is the place my life was stolen,
But my dreams were swollen,
A stony smile on my face,
Forever looking upon this place,

My lost love is surely long dead,
Sleeping, perhaps, under a flower bed,
My new love though, her looks are my plight,
Beauty that makes me want to take flight,
A stony smile on my face,
Forever looking upon this place,

A place I’m denied entrance,
For I must sit here in my stony trance,
Whishing she’d come up top me,
To share my love and let me free,
A stony smile on my face,
Forever looking upon this place,

The wind blows so cold up here,
With no one about to share my fear,
Of falling of my stony perch,
And plummet to the ground of this church,
A stony smile on my face,
Forever looking upon this place,

I hear soft footsteps on the stairs,
Could this be the answer to my prayers,
A warm hand runs down my cold back,
I see her hair so raven black,
A stony smile on my face,
Forever looking upon this place,

I’ve always wondered what you were,
Half man, half beast, is what you are sir,
She whispers to the chill air,
If only she knew, if only she had a care,
A stony smile on my face,
Forever looking upon this place,

I feel sorry for you, stuck up here,
She said with a tear,
Though it is nice to be,
Just us, just you and me.
A stony smile on my face,
Forever looking upon this place,

I itch and want to move my stone,
As I stretch and slowly turn to bone,
She gasps and looks at me,
As I stand am set completely free,
A stony smile not on my face,
Free to look upon this place,

I turn and smile at my new love,
She is truly the prettiest, the best of,
Anyone around, I love you,
I you too, if only you knew,
A stony smile not on my face,
Free to look upon this place,

As my heart beat loud and true,
I overlooked one clue,
One single thing that ruined it all,
I remembered only as I started to fall,
A stony smile gone from my face,
Falling upon this place,

Also I’ve added some new stuff to my site so check it out (sites.google.com/site/taylorvangclear/home)

Laters,
T.V.

Bye-Bye Writers Block

Hi ya,

 So awesome news!! I finally got over my writers block with The Snowy waste! Whoot! So I decided to honor my lack of writers block with an all night writing fest. So far it’s going great. I’ve been at it since midnight and I’ve typed almost 5,000 words. I’ve typed 11 pages manuscript style (one inch margins arial 10 double spaced). So I’m pretty proud of me. And I’m having a riot typing cause as I think I’ve mentioned I’ve chucked out most of what I had written in favor of some new plot twists and just general tweeks that will connect it and make it flow better. So I’ve been adjusting that tonight. I was so excited I added in two battle scenes…. Hehe I have such a bad addiction to those things. Over all in what I have typed for The Snowy Waste I’m fast approaching 100,000 words!! I’m at 81,000ish now so when I hit 100,000 words we’re having a party! Haha any how I just wanted to share that I’m working on the series again. I’m still coming up with ideas for my vampire book but I’m going to pass on typing. I just want to work on the series so I can finish The Snowy Waste! I’m just so excited that it’s my main focus again! Yay! So as a bonus for you all here’s a little tid bit of what I’ve typed tonight.

This is just some down time/kill time till it gets good. But basically they just left Vayger and they found out that Vayger wasn’t welcoming at all and they lost their horses there so they are on foot…. Which sucks for them…. a lot. So here you go!

 The air was crisp and cold when the five awoke later that day. Even though noon had passed the air was still freezing. Neal rubbed his hand together to try and bring some warmth into them. Jamie started a fire with nothing but magic and Billy helped her keep it up so they could all warm up and eat before they started their long walk north. It was going to be tough without the horses but they had to make it. Winter was upon The Waste but it had yet t snow and that made the questers a little apprehensive because it meant that the snow would come soon and there was a great possibility that they would be caught in that storm. If they were caught in that storm it would spell doom for the surely. So it was wise of them to get right back to walking after they were warm.

Muscles were sore from yesterdays fleeing but no one complained because they knew that they needed to do this. They needed to get to The Twin Talons before they were all caught and killed in a storm. As they trudged north not many words were exchanged for they knew it was easier to keep walking then to talk and waste precious energy. So one foot was paced in front of the other and they walked stride after stride north. When night fell they had covered good ground but not enough to bring them to The Talons on the next day. It would be at least another day if not more and the way the wind was blowing it felt like a snow storm was on it’s way. But they kept walking. It would have been easier with the horses and it would have been a nicer journey because they legs wouldn’t have been aching so much… but they could deal. They all knew what they had to do.

Sore legs was a small price to pay for the peace of Exyel. All of their struggles would work out for the better. Exyel needed them to finish this and they would even if they had to walk the whole way they would complete it. They would see this quest through till the end. It was this thought that kept them walking over the hard cold ground of the waste. It was this that made them pull their cloaks tight around them as they trudged on. Even with their gloves on their fingers froze and their hands shook from cold. Through two layers of socks and through their boots the cold seeped. They would stop periodically so Jamie and Billy could start a fire and warm them all before they continued on.

Day slipped into night and they stopped for rest. This time though they all had enough sense to make a fire to sleep by. After the fire was secured for the night and they had all eaten they fell asleep without much thought or talk. The days journey had taken a lot of energy and they were all anxious to get it back. So sleep blessed them all.

Hoped you liked it!!
 Laters,
T.V.

Playlist And Vayger Scene

Greetings!


I moved in to my dorm yesterday. Yay! I’m officially a college student, how exciting! After I unpacked I sat down and did some hardcore writing. Yesterday I wrote almost ten pages! That’s pretty good for me because I usually get side tracked by whatever, but with just my roommate and I around there’s like nothing to distract me… except to pick out music. So I got this great idea to do a play list post. Basically this is the music that I’ve been listening to while I’ve been writing lately. It’s in my iTunes as my Inspiration play list…. Great name right. Any how I’ve decided to arrange them as the top 13 most played this time. And I’ll also include the scene I’ve been working on. Enjoy!

Scene: When the Quest Quartet first arrive in Vayger and don’t get quite the warm fuzzy greeting they’d expected.


1. The Call -- Regina Spektor
2. Love Song -- Taylor Swift
3. Who I Am Hates Who I’ve Been [Acoustic] -- Relient K
4. Must Have Done Something Right -- Relient K
5. Legacy -- Sanctus Real
6. Until The Day I Die -- Story Of The Year
7. If It Means A Lot To You -- A Day To Remember
8. Waking The Demon -- Bullet For My Valentine
9. More Then It Seems -- Kutless
10. Overture -- Andrew Lloyd Webber (for Phantom of the Opera)
11. Just Another Star -- Bullet For My Valentine
12. Up and Up [Acoustic] -- Relient K
13. Forever and Always -- Bullet For My Valentine
Laters,
T.V.


Oh p.s. here’s a little snippit of the scene…..

Jamie did not have a chance to throw a retort at Billy before they came upon Vayger. Little Gnome children ran about barefoot in the street as older Gnomes gathered. Luke’s heart leapt into his throat as he saw so many familiar faces. Mounts were pulled to halts and the new comers dismounted. “Can that really be you Luke?” a Gnome asked in his native tongue.
“Yes.” Luke bowed.
“Well who is it that you’ve brought with you? Criminals? It seems like the stunt a no good Gnome like you would do.”
“What issue do you have with Luke?” Jamie asked in perfect Gnomish as she stepped forward.
“He is no good. He abandoned Vayger and everything we Gnomes stand for. Why should we let him back into our town?”
“You should allow him to enter because this is his home town and,”
“It don’t make a difference if this is his home town or not.” a Gnome said as he stepped forward brandishing a sword. Jamie’s hands flew to her sword hilts.
“Why do you draw a sword at us?”
“You’re likely to be some group of criminals come to hide out here. Or you might be a group that’s lookin’ to mooch off us good folk for the winter.” another Gnome came out of the crowd with a sickle.
“I assure you we are neither. All we wish if for a night’s stay, we can pay for food and lodging. There is no need for you all to be getting so defensive with us.”
“Jamie… just let it drop. We can go around. I know some paths we can take.” Luke said as he tugged at her sleeve but she did not budge.
“No Luke. I do not think that they are treating you fair. I will not tolerate people treating my friends this way.” Jamie’s legs bent slightly as she crouched into a battle ready stance. Behind her Jamie felt her friends tense and she knew they wanted a fight as little as she did.
“We cannot allow you to stay here if you all are renegades. It’ll be bad news for Vayger see.”
“Oh I understand where your false fears come from. But we are not renegades. You assume too much and on the pretext that we are traveling with Luke. That my friend is very closed minded of you.”
“If you are no band of marauders then why does your hand stray to your blade so fast?” a gnome in short trousers asked.
“Why do your fellows take up arms so fast?” Jamie quipped. As the gnome turned to look at his fellows he saw that many of them now had weapons out. They started to advance toward Jamie. “It would not be wise of you to attempt this.” she drew her sword halves out spun them with blinding accuracy and then connected them in a swift movement so she could spin windmill them in front of her. The Gnomes who had taken up arms faltered in their advance. Jamie smiled and checked her blade’s movement so it stopped in mid spin. “So is this how Vayger will be remembered for welcoming The Quest Quartet? You take out swords and sickles to greet us? Very odd… ” Jamie spun her double ended blade in another blinding display of moves. She vaulted over her moving blade and landed in a couch as she smacked her blade down on the dirt. Her gaze fixed on the gnomes and the closest ones took steps away from her.
“What do you all think you’re doing?” a voice chimed from the crowd. Everyone fell silent and a path was made for the speaker. A pretty little Gnome came through the crowd. She wore leather trousers and a green linen shirt, her brown hair was pulled back in a loose bun.