I was not dead, well, still half-dead but still here above ground. I had simply passed out from the overall strain of whatever I was doing which I could not exactly recall so it must have been very intense. For how long I was out for I wasn’t entirely sure but I had awakened to hands shrugging my shoulders with increasing intensity and so crossed my arms over my face to shield myself while shouting, “No! Get away from me, you Haggard Wench!”
Calm, cool hands brought my arms down gently and I ventured to open my eyes to find not the easily excitable (and extraordinarily insane) healing bag-lady but Sophina knelt down before me, peering into my face questionably. It was quite the contrast. Sophina looked so much more outer-worldly majestic than at any other time that I had seen her. It ached to watch her, even for a moment. Black dress, black lipstick, black hair, large black eyes and a white porcelain face from a dolls from a dream that you would not want to ever forget faced me and I somehow knew that she was not here to harm or terrify me, not this time.
‘Dweller.’ She whispered.
I gazed at Sophina as an artist would a fine painting. That she was here seemed nothing short of a miracle and reinforced what Jacob had said about her being my keeper. I still did not truly understand what that entailed but I didn’t have to, not right then. I had never been so close to her and I had just opened my eyes. That in itself was its own reward. The question of why Sophina was here or how she had got here did not seem too important at the time. The fact was that she was here. I felt as though I was staring at heaven, a dark heaven filled with impossibilities to be broken.
I reached out and touched her face. Sophina did not back away, instead her eyes grew with curiosity so I caressed her and she let me, even leaned into my hand. There was such sadness in her there that I did not see before. It was breaking my heart to look at her but would only break it even more to turn away.
(Excerpt from ‘The Dweller’ Chapter 11)
I am so glad I saw this before leaving!! I cannot wait for it to be finished. I know it will be absolutely brilliant!! I will be watching for your posts on my travels. I am so hoping to be able to sink into your book in the evenings. Got my Kindle all charged up and ready. 🙂 Be well, Dear Hernan!! Take good care of you!!
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I am very much looking forward to what you think of my book. And I am working very hard on my current novel. It was a mess when I started but I am getting it back on track. It’s slowly getting to where it needs to go.
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Do you have an editor?
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No. I tried but their rates are absurd and I go through my books four or five times until I am convinced that they are on par anyways.
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I am sure you do a fine job. Just wondering. 🙂 I will be praying for your progress!! Hugs sent your way! 🙂
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Thank you, Skye. And Happy vacation!
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((tip toes in….I forgot to hit “like”…..tip toes out))
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This line really stood out of me: “I felt as though I was staring at heaven, a dark heaven filled with impossibilities to be broken.” Nice work. I see this is an excerpt from a novel your currently working on. Hope the writing process is treating you well; it looks like it is.
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I really liked that too and added it on my third and last time through the chapter. Yeah, I initially wrote this book 12 years ago and when I got halfway in rewriting it this year I almost gave up. It just wasn’t working. But I stuck with it and became obsessed with finishing it. I’ll have to go through it a couple more times but now I can see how to make it what I intended to. Plus I’m on chapter 12 out of 17 so it would be a shame to back out now but this was by far my toughest project and I learned a lot about writing trying to fix it. I wouldn’t have felt right about myself had I given up.
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I know what you mean about not wanting to give up on a project, especially one that you believe in. I still have a 10-year old project that I’m hoping to come back to soon. That’s really cool that you’re so close to finishing. It shows a lot about the determination of a writer, and you in particular. It’s tough work but worth it in the end. Continued luck writing. If you ever decide that you do need an editor, me and one my friends from my graduate program have an editing business with really cheap rates since we’re just starting out and trying to get established.
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Thanks for the encouragement. It seems that all I’m doing these days is writing. You have to be insane, or passionately insane. And really? I might be in need of one after this book. You should send me your rates. Are you on facebook?
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