Welcome

Grab a cup of tea or coffee (oh what the heck, get a danish too!) and sit a spell. You might want to grab your notebook and pen because you never know when you will be inspired to write down a quote, or jot down a poem of your own. Words are like that, they take you on a journey and the next thing you know you are breathing life into your own magical world of words.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Rite of Passage - The Contest Winner


Conn’s sixteenth birthday came too soon for his liking. The entire village had gathered to celebrate his coming of age. They encircled him now; the men in front of him wearing ceremonial pelts and headdresses representative of the animals they could become at will, their wives beside them chosen for them based on their stature, the rest of the women and children forming a circle around him. He stood in the center of people he had known his whole life and felt none of the excitement his friends before him had felt. Andro had been thrilled before his quest, and he had turned into a mighty cheetah. Of course, that made sense. He had always been the fastest boy in the camp. And upon his return, he had been betrothed to Ree, which suited him just fine. Nofu had become a massive bear, but Nofu was also the biggest of the three of them. Nofu was the biggest of all of the boys in the tribe. That was a great source of embarrassment to Conn’s father, as Conn was the son of the Chieftain and should have been biggest, or fastest. But he was neither. And Nofu was now promised to Shae. Conn knew his father worried, and that made him worry.
No, Conn was not the biggest or the fastest, but he was the son of the Chieftain. That counted for something. His father had transformed into a massive wolf. The tribe expected the same from him. If he managed that, or anything even remotely as respectable, he would become the next Chieftain, and he would be able to claim Khandari as his bride. He prayed to the stars that he didn’t change into something lame, like a mouse or a lemur. He didn’t care about leading the tribe, but he loved Khandari and couldn’t bear to see her with someone else. Of course, if he became a warthog, they would likely ostracize him and he would never see her again. He willed his legs not to give out and his stomach not to void itself. Vomiting and collapsing in front of the entire village was not the way to start his journey.
His father stood and everyone fell silent.
“Conn. Today you turn sixteen and it is time to take your quest. Do you go willingly to the Circle of Destiny?”
“I do, sir.”
“You go forth alone, with no weapon but your transformation for protection. Know that whatever enemy you face; you must be able to defeat it on your own. Whatever you become is what you are in your heart, and that is how you shall be forever known by your village. Do you accept these terms?”
As if he had a choice. To deny the Circle of Destiny meant leaving the village. And, as the Chieftain’s son, it meant humiliation for his father and the end of his father’s rule; possibly the end of his life.
“I do, sir.”
“Then be on your way. Your village wishes you a safe and swift journey, and eagerly awaits your triumphant return.”
The men all stood and thumped their right fists to their hearts. The women rose and applauded. Conn looked around and caught the eyes of just a few people before he left the circle. Andro and Nofu stood together at the end of the male line. They had huge smiles on their faces and excitement gleamed in their eyes. They had been forbidden to tell Conn anything about what he was going to face, but they did say it was a rush. That wasn’t helpful. Conn’s mother had tears in her eyes, but she too was smiling. It wasn’t an excited smile, but it was full of love. His father’s face could have been carved of stone, but his eyes looked worried. Conn wasn’t sure if he was worried about his position or worried about his son, but neither gave Conn much confidence. Conn stopped and bowed before him, and could have sworn he heard him whisper.
“I love you.”
He only thought so for a moment, because when he looked up, his father wasn’t even making eye contact, and that was nothing his father would say in front of people. He almost never said it in the privacy of our home. Conn was sure he was mistaken. He continued scanning the crowd, needing to see one last face before he left, needing one last look in case he didn’t return.
There she was.
And it was as if everyone else had disappeared. As he broke the circle to leave on his journey, she grabbed his hand and squeezed it.
“Come back to me. Come back soon.”
Conn only smiled. Something was stuck in his throat and he had no words to answer her.

The path to the Circle of Destiny wasn’t long. Conn wished it was a two month hike. His thoughts were on overdrive. He had been trying to transform into something, anything, for weeks, but he had had no luck. His friends had laughed at him.
“You know no one’s ever been able to transform before sixteen. Quit trying,” Nofu said.
That didn’t stop him from closing his eyes, scrunching his face, squatting down, tightening all his muscles, holding his breath, and squeezing his body from the inside out.
Andro nearly fell over. “I don’t know what you’re doing, but that isn’t how it works.”
“Then how does it work?”
Andro thought for a second and said, “I don’t know. It just happens. I mean…” He took off at a jog and then he was a sprinting cheetah. Then he was Andro again, loping back to them. “I just think ‘run’ and I run. And somewhere along the way when I want a lot of speed, I get the cat.”
“That’s like me. I can be wrestling around and all of a sudden… bear.” Nofu stood there shifting back and forth between him and his bear shape until he got confused and ended up a weird mix of Nofu upper body on bear lower body.
Andro laughed and said, “I think you better concentrate a little harder, buddy. You don’t want to go home like that.”
Nofu grinned and glanced down. “Some people might like me this way.”
“Some people might like you better the other way around,” Andro answered. That way we wouldn’t have to listen to you!”
Nofu fixed himself and they continued the banter, but Conn had stayed quiet the rest of that afternoon. His friends had shifted so easily because they had always had those innate qualities in them. As Conn continued walking toward the Circle of Destiny, he couldn’t help wonder what internal qualities he had. He couldn’t think of any.
He wasn’t incredibly fast like Andro. He wasn’t ridiculously brawny like Nofu. His father was born to protect and teach – much like the wolf – but Conn didn’t feel that in him. He didn’t feel anything in him. He burned to feel something, anything, which was second nature to him. But he didn’t.
God help him, but all he felt, when he let himself feel things, was love. He loved his family, he loved his friends, he loved his tribe, and he loved, he loved, Khandari. He didn’t have any animalistic traits because he wasn’t interested in war and violence. He didn’t want to fight. He was going to fail this test because he cared too much for others.
If his tribe ever came under attack, he would fight to the death for anyone of them, because he loved them all, but he wasn’t a fighter. And because he was no warrior, he had no spirit animal to transform into. He would die in the Circle of Destiny, forever labeled a coward, a disgrace to his family.
He had walked as slowly as he could; a dying man didn’t often rush to his demise. But even small and sluggish steps make progress. He was at the Circle of Destiny. He had no supplies to unload, no weapons to get ready; as tradition mandated, he had made the journey with only the clothes on his back. He rubbed his palm where Khandari had squeezed it and thought about her last words to him. It broke his heart to know he wouldn’t be returning to her. His heart burned with love for her. His body stung with the knowledge that he’d lost his family and friends, that he was leaving his village behind.
The ground shook and the brush parted. The largest bear Conn had ever seen came into the clearing, snorting and pawing at the ground. It was followed by a lithe cheetah and a massive wolf. They were foaming at the mouth, rabid.
“Father? Nofu? Andro? It’s me. Conn.”
The bear continued pawing the ground, while the cheetah started circling to Conn’s left. The wolf shifted to Conn’s right. Conn couldn’t be sure if these were his loved ones, or if this was a trick that was part of his test, but if it was his father and his friends, he wanted to help them.
“You need to switch back now. You’ve been hurt. You need medicine. We have to get you home.”
The wolf turned into his father, still foaming at his mouth. “If you go home, you fail. Stay and finish this.”
The other two animals had flanked him now, and they were pouncing, readying for attack.
“Father, you can’t mean that. You need help. You all do.”
“Stay or lose, Conn,” his father said.
“But you’ll die!”
The animals were snarling.
Conn felt feverish. He took a step toward his father. “Let me help you.”
The cheetah crouched.
The bear raised a forearm.
The Chieftain shifted back into the wolf.
And in the center of the three animals, Conn transformed.
Where Conn once stood as a sixteen year old boy then stood a wall of fire. Flames shot toward each of the animals, beating each of them back away from where Conn had been standing. Then the cheetah, the bear, and the wolf disappeared, and Conn became his human self again.
“What have I done?” he cried. He dropped to his knees and hung his head.
“You have won,” a voice said.
“What?” He looked up and saw an old man in the center of the Circle of Destiny. It was the man from the cave drawings. “Are you the Elder Murdo?”
“I am a representation of him, yes. I am here to congratulate you, Warrior of Fire. You are the first.”
“The first what?”
He chuckled. “For someone so wise, you aren’t very smart. The first Warrior of Fire.”
“I’m sorry sir. I don’t understand.”
Elder Murdo pulled Conn to his feet and put his arm around him. “This place tests body, mind, and soul. The body becomes what the soul is and fights how the mind reacts. Most men here think like animals, react like animals… but that’s not to say they aren’t good people, wise people. That’s just how they are. You, however, are different. You are the Warrior of Fire. We’ve been waiting for you.”
“What’s different about me?”
“You are wise enough to know that you don’t always have to fight. Sometimes it’s best to have compassion.”
“But I still had to fight.”
“You didn’t strike to kill. You only protected, formed a barrier, pushed back. You are the first one to do that. You are the first one to become fire in the first place. You are the Warrior of Fire. Use your power well. Go in peace, my son.”
And he disappeared.
Conn hoped his father wasn’t going to be angry.

When he returned to the village, the whole tribe was still assembled and waiting for him. He walked immediately to the center of the circle and waited for the Chieftain to address him.
“So you return safely from your journey. I trust it was a success.”
“I completed my mission.”
That was not the typical response. It raised a few eyebrows, but the Chieftain didn’t question him.
“And what animal are you. Please demonstrate.”
“Permission to speak to you privately, sir?”
The Chieftain’s brows furrowed. “Nothing you have to say regarding this matter should be kept from the village. Either speak, or transform.”
Conn sighed. He knew saying that he didn’t transform into an animal would cause chaos and likely not give him a chance to explain before he was thrown out of the village. The people were starting to murmur. He shrugged and said, “Okay.”
He became fire.
Shrieks and gasps filled the circle. Everyone was on their feet applauding. Then, one by one, the men dropped to their knees and clasped their fists to their hearts. When even his father did so, Conn switched back to human and approached him.
“Father, what’s going on?”
“Warrior of Fire,” he said, standing and grasping Conn by the shoulders. “I’m so proud.”
“I didn’t know this was such a big deal.”
“You should read your lessons more. I didn’t think I’d live to see it.” He kissed Conn on the forehead. “I’ve always loved you, but I’ve never loved you more, my son.”
To the tribe, he said, “A tribute to my son. Instead of my choosing his bride, he gets his choice of any girl he wishes.” He pulled Conn aside and said, “I had planned on giving you Nimbala. She’ll make you an excellent bride.”
“Forget that, Dad,” Conn told him. To the tribe, Conn announced, “I choose Khandari!”
And they ran to each other and kissed, sealing their betrothal pact.

Written by Staci Troila  for the Teen Fantasy Fiction Writing Contest. You can also find her on FacebookStaci has two short stories being published in an anthology, and a book with an editor that she is hopeful will be published. 

About Staci from her blog: 
"I’m Staci Troilo, and I’ve been writing stories ever since I can remember. Granted, the ones I wrote in grade school aren't really of publishing quality, but I enjoyed writing them at the time nonetheless. I have a Master’s Degree in writing from Carnegie Mellon University, and I’ve been working as a writer and/or an English professor since 1994. Now that my two wonderful children are older (and presumably self-sufficient), I’ve decided to take the time for myself and write a book. Notice I didn’t say try to write a book. My husband always tells our kids not to try to do something but to actually do it, so that’s what I’m doing. It’s great having a supporting and loving family. Now if I can just get the puppies to leave me alone long enough to string two coherent sentences together, I’ll be in good shape. But they’re so darn cute!"

Congratulations Staci for winning the Teen Fantasy Fiction Writing Contest! Thank you for contributing such a wonderful story!

Fantasy Fiction Writing Contest Winners

I held a writing contest between February 21, 2012 through to March 20, 2012 and never posted the results. I think I was a bit embarrassed that I didn't have more entries and was unable to complete the Anthology that was to be created from it. These wonderful writers are long overdue their accolades.

There can be only one winner within a contest but I feel like I have two. The first because I felt her story had all the elements of the contest and weaved a story that thrilled me to my marrow.


The author's name is Staci Troilo and you can find her on Facebook as well. She confessed to me that Young Adult stories weren't her thing after the first or second submission but on her fourth submission I think we were both surprised. I actually discussed it in a previous post, Finish or Quit, because it was so incredibly well timed and such an outstanding story. Read the winning story, Rite of Passage.
It is a coming of age story of a young boy with all the fears and insecurities wonderfully expressed with a twist that, with each word I read, brought hope and excitement. Staci has two short stories being published in an anthology, and a book with an editor that she is hopeful will be published. 



The second winner is the lovely L.S. Engler. She actually submitted more stories than anyone else and has published her very own anthology using many of the stories she was inspired to create from the contest's prompts. The story that I loved most from her is, Dragon Rising, the first story in her Anthology, Bowlful of Bunnies, now out from Amazon that just came out today! I love this story's charming characters that you begin to love and wish there is more of at the end of the story. This is a book I would definitely like to read to my grand daughters.



Thank you both for sharing your wonderful stories with me and I wish you Much Success now and in the future!

Writing Love Affair Continues - Row80 End of Round Two

This is the end of my second round of A Round of Words in 80 days and it has been the best thing for my love affair with writing.

When this round of eighty days began I hadn't gone up to the Lake House yet until a couple of weeks into it and I began writing up a storm. I wrote most of my first draft for Opening to Miracles, finished the first draft of my memoir, and at the beginning of this month I began a new novel for my shapeshifters that I am hoping to have finished by the end of June. It has been a busy writing time.

Unfortunately I haven't done much of anything else. My blogs have certainly suffered. I have kept up mostly with Twitter and Facebook, probably more than I should, and my house is a wreck.

I have been on an emotional roller coaster that hasn't stopped yet. Major changes within the family that still have me turned upside down and inside out. I am doing a lot of breathing and taking care of myself the best that I can. Writing has become my safe haven. When I am in the flow of writing the whole world goes away and I don't have to think about what is going on around me. I don't know if that is good or not but it certainly feels like a break to me.

The last week or so has been particularly stressful and I haven't been able to get back into that flow of writing. I did seem to break into it a little tonight though and that has me feeling better.

I am hoping to attend the next round of 80 days and hopefully actually finish one of my books (final edit). Then of course I will have to find a beta reader then an editor. That terrifies me a little. Okay maybe a lot. First things first though, I have to finish editing my creations. That will be my top priority.

I look forward to seeing all of you in the next round. I know I don't get to many of your blogs but I do my best to support your writing on Twitter and Facebook as I have felt supported by many of you in my writing.

May you have a wonderfully restful time off from Row80 and I will see you next month.

Please do support the other Rowers by visiting and leaving your word love in the comments.

Sunday, June 17, 2012

VaginaBlog - My Vagina Solidarity For Michigan Women



My Vagina should not be an issue that Government debates or dictates. There are much more serious issues such as what is being done to our food that no longer nourishes but instead makes people sick.


I am appalled that there are politicians that think it is more important to meddle in women's lives, silencing their voices and dictating what we can do with our own bodies, than work to save our economy and our environment.


Enough is enough. I will not be silent. I will not be told what I can and cannot do with my body. My Vagina is none of your business. My Vagina is sacred. My Vagina is life giving to wondrous creations. Vagina is not a bad word or a negative thing to say. Stand tall and tell these politicians that your Vagina isn't public property to be regulated and dictated to.


Men, if you love your mothers, sisters, wives, daughters, aunts, female cousins and friends, tell the politicians to quit trying to take their power away and to stop trying to regulate women's bodies. Remind the politicians that it is your mother's, sister's, daughter's sacred body and no one should be able to dictate what they can or can't do with it. Remind them that Vagina isn't a bad word. Tell them that the Vagina is for women to decide what is best for it.




Vagina Vagina Vagina. It isn't my favorite word for that part of my body (yoni is) but it isn't a bad word and shouldn't be treated as such. It is the most sacred, life giving, and birthing place to creation. Politicians honor women as the life givers they are and stop trying to take their power away.


What you can do


  • Write a VaginaBlog post on your blog then email your post to the Michigan House Speaker: JamesBolger@house.mi.gov  
  • You can also email it to your representatives telling them you are't going to stand for such nonsense anymore. Tell them to stay out of your Vagina and deal with the more important issues at hand
  • Post your #VaginaBlog to Twitter and Facebook
  • Reclaim the word Vagina and stand tall

You can find out more about how you can help by going to these sites


It is past time for our government to leave our rights alone and work on the issues at hand., figure out how to save our economy, the environment, and stop those that are making our food toxic. Or we will find someone who will.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Writing, Life and Checking in With Row80


The beginning of June I began JuNoWriMo which is writing a novel within a month for those that don't know what it is. I began the first week like gang busters. I wrote from 733 to 5344 a day and was feeling pretty good about my story and where it was going. I was typically thousands ahead of the 1667 a day that was required to complete 50,000 by the end of the month. I am currently at 19,876 total words for my novel.

I of course hit a wall. Now I am several thousand behind and trying not to allow it to worry me. I just need to do whatever it takes to get around that wall. I did do some problem solving trying to figure out what exactly the block is, whether it was fear or something else. I decided it was a little of both. I think it was also a pinch of depression that sneaks in on me when I am not diligent at keeping it at bay. Of course life has been interesting and stressful on the home front as well.

It is interesting that writing and working on my novel have completely side tracked me from writing in my blogs. I can't believe it has been almost a month since returning from staying at the lake and writing a post for A Writer's Universe. I never meant for so much time to go by. I watch other writer's participating in the JuNoWriMo that regularly post on their blogs and I am amazed because most of my focus is on my novel.

I am determined to get back on track with writing regularly for my blogs as well as getting back on track with my novel for the month. Those are my primary goals at this time. Ah and spending time out of doors exploring the world of photography that I can add to my blog posts. Okay and I am really missing my art that I used to create with my Shadow Rhythms' posts. 

I guess I have been really focused on writing and letting everything else fall to the way side. Hopefully I can find a better balance.

You can find and support other Rowers here.

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