Tag Archives: Writing

Mrs. Jameson and her African Violets (4C)

06 Tuesday Jun 2017

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Ari’s Tour
(previous installments)
4A—Ari Nix and How It All Began

4C—Mrs. Jameson and Her African Violets

Now this had happened once before when he’d been a child. He remembered the day, or at least those few moments, quite vividly. But at that time his sister had been in the room and she’d almost instantly jumped on him, sending him swooping back into his body. He hadn’t had enough time to truly panic then.

Not so now.

The dark kitchen he sailed through was one he’d seen before, though not for quite a long time. Mrs. Jameson kept her pots and pans in an organized line hanging from the wall and a triplicate of feeding bowls ran parallel upon the floor underneath. And at the furthest feeding bowl was a black and white cat, a skinny thing that jerked as Ari floated above its head.

“Hello, hello,” he said with a wave that sent the cat crouching, her eyes glowing in the frail light sneaking in from behind the blinds in the next room. “Don’t mind me. Is your cat lady up? That wonderful woman who feeds you?”

The cat, predictably, did not answer. Continue reading →

The Illusion That Is Failure

04 Sunday Jun 2017

Posted by in Fantasy, M/M, Mini

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Dear Seth,

I’ve heard most people regret missed opportunities. Chances to confess their deepest emotion or grip some elusive offer, that which terrifies them into a stasis while the moment slips beyond reach. I’ve said much I’ve been sorry for, done many things that may or may not have led to the best outcomes, but one thing I’ve never had difficulty with, in my entire life, was seizing opportunities when they presented themselves. I’ve experienced more than most and I don’t regret any of it. Not the bad or the uncomfortable or awkward. Without them I wouldn’t have a comparison for the wonderful, the beautiful or the precious.

Yet, even I have a regret. Yes, me. The man who shrugs off mistakes, who laughs at adversity, who thrives under the illusion that is failure.

Please, Seth, do not take what I write next as indicative of a lack of depth of my feelings for you. You have been, quite literally regardless how clichéd it sounds, the best thing in my life, my heart and soul within another and even, at times, my reason for breathing. Despite that, if I could go back, if I could change one thing, it would be to walk past you that morning. Continue reading →

Ari Nix and How It All Began (4A)

01 Thursday Jun 2017

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4A—Ari Nix and How It All Began

Tequila had never been Ari’s spirit of choice. In fact, he didn’t have a spirit of choice at all given bad things happen when alcohol was involved and bad things on top of bad luck just didn’t mix. Not like a well-shaken drink.

But on this auspicious evening, at, oh, eight o’clock, after having nicked a bottle from Chase down in 1C, Ari opened up a brand new app and attempted not one, not two, but three separate recipes all involving a cheap, gold liquid that tasted surprising like melancholy and self-pity. Not a bad combination if he was any judge. And then the app crashed. And he broke his tumbler. Leading to a not-very-smart-decision to switch to a shot glass.

With breath tasting of orange juice and a sticky residue clinging to his pale blue shirt, Ari threw himself into the chair by his full-length keyboard and began to stumble through the beginnings of sad melodies he’d memorized in his youth during his angstiest stage. And then, for some dreadful reason, he switched to love songs. The sort of love songs that would leave a lonely man sobbing if he didn’t have a lick of sense not to delve too deeply into emotions best left alone.

And Ari was a little short on sense this evening. Even he could admit that. Continue reading →

May, Briefly

31 Wednesday May 2017

Posted by in Updates

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One of my personal problems is that I tend to forget anything and everything I’ve accomplished in a given time period, thus leading to the thought I haven’t actually accomplished anything at all. Which, I’ve been informed, is completely wrong.

I’m hoping that listing everything I’ve done each month will help remove this thought-process while giving everyone updates on where I am in differing projects.

May accomplishments:

1) Prepared Pre-order for Bridle the Unicorn

This includes Edits, Blurb, Formatting, ISBN info and Promotional Schedule.

2) Wrote 6 short stories.

I did a question challenge in May where I would ‘answer’ a question given to me in story format in a character’s POV. Wrote:

  •  The Illusion That is Failure (I really liked this one so it got bumped ahead of the story I’d originally finished for June)
  • The Baywater and the Hurricane (Set in the same city as The Cascade and the Firebrand)
  • Just a Typical Day in a Nurse’s Life (Sort of a conglomeration of first and second person that is supposed to be humorous)
  • The Choice in the Inevitable (Ideological World-building for a country that never falls to the Merandin Empire)
  • Tall, Dark & Handsome (Coffee shop romance and only non-fantasy I wrote)
  • First Date Taboo (A confession on a dinner date)

I also have a few more small stories started but not finished, but they have dropped to least priority now that May is over.

3) Prepped Bridle the Unicorn Promo

  • Roan’s Interview
  • Ari’s Interview
  • Ari’s Tour
  • Quotes

4) Prepped Blog Posts

I lost count of how many I prepped this month. All the short stories and poems I finished were edited and prepped as well as anything else I finished having to do with Bridle the Unicorn. This was in anticipation of having a bunch of things ready to go in the coming months so I can concentrate on completing longer projects.

5) Requested Cover Date

For a new houndmaster novella set mostly in Crafton. Tentative release next winter/early spring.

Ari’s Interview (Bridle the Unicorn)

30 Tuesday May 2017

Posted by in Fantasy, M/M, Short Story, Teaser

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Ari’s Interview

Copyright © Emmi Lawrence

No one had ever sat in my office who could quite compare to Ari Nix. He had an insatiable, yet conflicting curiosity that did not breed questions. Rather, he just touched and poked at my things, chuckling under his breath at jokes to which only he knew the punch-lines. His nose crinkled constantly, in bemusement, disgust or delight, his emotions on parade across his face with little care over who might see them.

This man did not hide things. At least, he did not hide them well.

By the time I managed to cajole him into settling onto the bench, I had already discussed my last few books—which he lost interest in quickly—my taste in music—which he mocked incessantly—and my fashion sense—where he claimed my clothes needed a few more holes and much less grey. I disagreed silently and with a roll of internal eyes, but as I was enjoying his energy and discussion, I said nothing out loud of my thoughts.

“All right, Ari. Let’s get right to it. Since you’ve already pretty much introduced yourself, how are you feeling today?”

“Uh, good. I guess. At the moment at any rate. That might change.”

“Why might it change?”

He shrugged and rubbed at the frayed edges of the cushion. “Life throws things at me constantly. Luck takes its toll. You never know what might happen.”

“Of course. Luck is an interesting topic—”

“So are a great many things,” he interrupted. “Let’s talk about something else.”

“Okay.” I glanced at my list of questions. “Are you involved with anyone right now?”

Ari did not have the same resistance as I, so when he rolled his eyes, it was a dramatic and very outward sign. “These questions are incredibly boring. Predictable. You need to ask more thought-provoking questions like… If you could know when and how you die, would you want to know?” Continue reading →

Roan’s Interview (Bridle the Unicorn)

25 Thursday May 2017

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Roan’s Interview

Copyright © Emmi Lawrence

He had a curious, but careful, gaze as he sat on the bench I indicated. His hair, brown with just a hint of a reddish tinge, flowed almost to his shoulders and his eyes were the color of charcoal in the shadows cast by my single lamp. He had a easy smile, but a slight one, that came fast and disappeared just as quickly.

“Thank you for stopping by,” I said. “I only have a couple of questions if you don’t mind sparing a few moments for our readers.”

“Not at all.” That smile again, a flash of light before it faded once more. “It’s my pleasure.”

“Just for the record, your name?”

“Roan Baylor.” Continue reading →

Bridle the Unicorn: Ari’s Tour

23 Tuesday May 2017

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The Plan

Hey everyone! Bridle the Unicorn’s publication date is set for July 28th, but before my novels come out I always like to publish some free promotional pieces to whet your appetite. In this case, I wanted to come up with something that even those of you who have read the story might still enjoy!

Anyone who followed along last year knows there were a number of times I really—really—wanted to write some of the story from Ari’s point of view, but was unable to because of spoiler city in his mind. So! As a way to let me finally play around in his point of view I came up with an idea that intermixes writing in Ari’s mind with an introduction to the apartment building inside which most of the story takes place.

I call it: Ari’s Tour. Continue reading →

Lost Isle Teasers (WIPjoy Twitter Collection)

14 Sunday May 2017

Posted by in Excerpt, Fantasy, Teaser

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In April I participated in a twitter challenge to celebrate a current WIP. The book I used was Lost Isle: The Ocean’s Aviary I, which will be published in December 2017. Gay fantasy romance, as per the norm. I thought I’d gather the answers to all the questions here as teasers for the novel :)

Just as a quick additional announcement, I’m adding 2-3 more monthly posts on my blog. The second Sunday will have a post similar to this one serving as a collection/teaser. The third Sunday will be a publication of a short poem. And there’s the possibility of me adding a fourth post at the end of each month that will serve as an update to let everyone know what I’ve accomplished for that month and where I am in different projects.

None of these are time-intensive so they will not interrupt my writing schedule, but will hopefully give more information to you on a regular basis to remove spotty updates.

Day 1: Introduce your WIP!

Day 2: Describe your main character.

Day 3: Share a visual that goes with Lost Isle.

Day 4: Share a song that inspires you for Lost Isle.

Day 5: Share a line of description.

Continue reading →

Indestructible

07 Sunday May 2017

Posted by in Fantasy, M/M, Short Story

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After the panic, the fury and finally the numb acceptance, Nate had plenty of time to meditate. Not just on his predicament, though that dominated his thoughts at first, but about everything beyond that as well. Life in general became of blur of memory and emotion as his body morphed from uncomfortable to unbearable until settling on desensitized.

The cloying cement leaked into every crevice, every fold of his skin. Into his ears, his nose, around the thin layers of his eyelids. There it hardened, encasing him more firmly than his ancestors in their lost and buried catacombs.

How long would he suffer this? How long until the cement cracked and crumbled as this building’s foundation felt the weight of the structure bearing down upon it? A decade or two? A century? A millennium?

He could still taste the last breath of air on his tongue, its gentleness in his throat. He could smell the freshly fried donuts from the shop down the street, hear the ringing of the old church bell as Sunday mass let out over at St. Peter’s, the stained glass windows likely shivering in their frames with every pounding pass of the clapper. But it was all memory, for he could hear nothing, see nothing, taste nothing. All he could do was feel…and that was the last thing he wanted, both physically and emotionally. Continue reading →