Today I'm hosting a Friendly Fire excerpt for Lynn Seresin's Blog Tour. Friendly Fire is the second book in the Thin Air Saga. I'm also giving away an ebook of Friendly Fire. Details at the bottom of the post.
***Friendly Fire Excerpt***
How could he understand, when he had always felt a connection with his own
kind? Even as a sylphid, I’d felt out of step with other air spirits. Hungry for a world
of greater sensation, greater possibility. I’d given up everything for a body of flesh and
bone. A body that could appreciate touch. Daniel’s touch, to be specific. And now, he
was telling me I still didn’t quite fit in. Was there no place in the whole of the universe
where I truly belonged?
“No one suspects my secret,” I argued. “Even our closest friends wouldn’t
guess that I wasn’t born human. I’ve learned how to use forks and spoons. I know it’s
proper to shake hands when introduced to someone new, and to make small talk at dinner
parties. I have a job. I have friends. Thanks to Shane, I’ve mastered reading and writing. I
can operate a computer and a cell phone. I know how to text and download apps. I can
play Angry Birds. I can navigate the subways. I know who John Lennon is, and how he
died. I know about 9/11. I even have a Facebook page. I know so much—”
Wasn’t that enough?
Daniel’s face blurred behind my tears and I quickly blinked them away.
He reached for my hand again but I pulled it back. I had once hungered for his touch, and
suddenly I wanted no part of it.
His voice, when he finally spoke, was laden with sympathy. “Alice, you
can’t become the same as everyone else by gathering practical knowledge and wearing
the latest hairstyle. That doesn’t change the fact that you’re still different, and always
will be. I just wish you wouldn’t look at it as some sort of a disease.” His eyes crinkled at
the corners. In the past, that smile would have melted my heart instead of turning it to
stone. “It’s what I love about you the most, baby. I’ve dated dozens of human girls—”
“I am human,” I corrected him, frostily. I seized his hand and pressed it to
my breast. “Can’t you feel my heart beating? My chest rising and falling as I breathe in
air?” I flung his hand away. “If you’re going to label me, get it right.”
Daniel shook his head and smiled again. “Alice—”
“Perhaps you should call me Aeris,” I interrupted, swallowing back
tears. “Alice is a human name, after all.”
“Alice is your name. You’re not Aeris anymore.”
I scowled at the bedspread as I traced its paisley pattern with my fingertip,
remembering the day Daniel and I had purchased it. How happy—how normal—we’d
been, shopping like so many other young couples in the store that day. “I don’t know
who I am,” I mumbled, shuddering as the tears started to flow.
“You’re my Alice,” Daniel said, softly.
I looked up at him. “Is that all I am?”
He gazed back at me, pain in his eyes. “Isn’t that enough?”
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And...since I completely screwed up and forgot to do my guest post on the 10th...welcome to
Lynn's Weird Writing Habits.
I’ve read about writers having some pretty unusual rituals surrounding the writing
process. I can’t say I’m really one of them. I can pretty much write anywhere, anytime. My best friend once said I could probably write in the middle of a construction site and not be put off by all the hubbub. That might be a bit of an extreme example, but I’ll admit I’ve been blessed with the ability to concentrate in the face of all sorts of distractions—especially two young children clambering all over me while Spongebob Squarepants blares in the background. (Truth be told, my son and daughter are now teens, but writing throughout their early childhood gave me plenty of opportunities to increase my powers of concentration!)
I may not have any “quirks,” but I definitely have preferences. I prefer a quiet
environment, tucked away from the rest of the household. I’ve set up a spare bedroom
(dubbed “the writing room” by my family) at the back of the house that’s absolutely perfect. I
like to sit in a comfy barrel chair and place my laptop on an adjustable table designed for that
purpose (both from IKEA). I usually can’t resist checking my email, latest ratings/reviews on
Goodreads, and maybe tweeting a bit as a way of warming up my fingers before starting. If my
energy is really flagging, I might watch a video of Adam Lambert performing one of the songs
from his first album. His enthusiasm and positive energy is better than a can of Jolt, as far as I’m concerned. Then, I re-read the last couple of pages of my manuscript and begin to write.
I have two writing companions that keep me company—our black Lab, Dudley, and our
teacup Chihuahua, Layla. Dudley usually stretches out at my feet, and Layla’s only happy if she’s tucked in beside me on the chair. Aside from Dudley’s occasional snoring, they’re the perfect writing buddies: they’re quiet, patient, and don’t think I’m weird when I read my writing aloud to hear how it flows. Of course, I can write without them if I have to, but I definitely prefer their company.
The only other possibly quirky part of my writing process is my tendency to write in
spurts. I usually write about two hours in the mid-morning, take a break to tend to laundry,
housework, grocery shopping, and anything else that needs to be done around the house, and
then reconvene after dinner to write for another hour or so. I’m not one of those writers who
can write for hours on end because I sort of run out of gas and need to recharge my creative
battery.
So, that’s my not-so-quirky (well, maybe a little quirky) writing process…
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So we have 2 giveaways. One is the tour giveaway.
To win this necklace, all you have to do is leave a comment and be sure you mention that your comment is an entry into the contest. Be sure to leave your email address. Your comment will automatically enter you in Better Read Than Dead's giveaway for a free ebook of Friendly Fire.
Good luck and happy reading!
