Excerpt Extravaganza! Today's Excerpt from PCL Anthology

Welcome to the JLB Creatives Blog, where an eclectic team of creative geniuses share their fantastical imaginations. 

On Mondays we are featuring an excerpt from one of our creative authors. And what makes this feature so fun is that we publish a wide range of genres. You'll never know what to expect for the excerpt.

To read all of our excerpts thus far, we invite you to visit our blog archives and look for our first Excerpt Extravaganza! that began on August 1, 2016.

Enjoy!

Today's excerpt is taken from the Pickford Community Library's Young Writers Workshop 2012-2013 Anthology. The author of the excerpt is Taylor Green.

Change. We all go through it, the good and the bad. It seems things never stop...well...changing. My first memory of a big change happened at age five when I got a new baby sister. At age ten I had to take care of her and my younger brother every day while Mom sucked down a few packs of smokes and a fifth of whiskey. And while Dad was at work, I had to look for food in our small mountain-ofdirty-clothes-and-trash house. 

I tried my best to act like a mom for those two kids, but I was too young to know how. My efforts always ended in fights with them, and eventually I'd give up, especially after being told, “You're not my mom!” I tried to reason with them. “I know, but I'm the oldest, and Mom's passed out.”

 This is my story. I'm Darcy, now 15 years old. Some people say my life has already had more ups and downs than my share, and I've been hiding a lot of them. I'm ready to come out with the truth now and share a story I've always been a bit ashamed of, but it's time for change. I can remember nearly every event during the time things started to turn for the worst, as if it were yesterday. I was in the fifth grade.
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To download this free anthology visit the JLB Creatives JTP Ebook Shoppe. 

Excerpt Extravaganza! Today's Excerpt Is From "Protective Measures"

Welcome to the JLB Creatives Blog, where an eclectic team of creative geniuses share their fantastical imaginations. 

On Mondays we are featuring an excerpt from one of our creative authors. And what makes this feature so fun is that we publish a wide range of genres. You'll never know what to expect for the excerpt.

To read all of our excerpts thus far, we invite you to visit our blog archives and look for our first Excerpt Extravaganza! that began on August 1, 2016.

Enjoy!

All previous excerpts are available in our archives. We began this series on August 1, 2016.

Today's excerpt is from author Jessica Arman's Protective Measures. Jessica is an accomplished writing enthusiast from the Advanced Journey to Publication Writing Program Curriculum.

The bell sounded to mark the beginning of afternoon sector work. The morning was all classes, and after lunch everyone had to go to work in the jobs they chose. Taryn, Laiken, and Ryker were all in building, which is where they had met.

“I guess I’ll see you guys when I’m done with Garn and her boys,” Taryn said as they split up at the doors. She watched them leave, pushing each other and laughing. She loved seeing them together, just like brothers. When the boys rounded the corner, she made her way back to the classroom.

Before she even reached the classroom she knew something was wrong. The hallway was too empty and too quiet. She walked into the room to find most of the teachers present, and at the very back stood the master, Alloy. He was short and heavyset. His black suit fit like a second skin. He had bleached blond, slicked-back hair, and his face was always tight and emotionless. Taryn knew this could not end well. She put on her best “I don’t care” face and stood in front of the assembly.

“Do you know why you’re here, Ms. Bicks?” Alloy asked.

“I left class without being dismissed. Since when is that something you get involved in?”

“That is one reason you are here, but there are many more. I have been keeping my eye on you and have found that you are a leader for some of these students—too much of a leader. They seem to think that when you are around they can get away with more. Not to mention your constant misbehavior anyway. We are going to put a stop to that.” 

Alloy said. He grabbed the intercom mic and made the announcement, “All students must now report to the auditorium. Please sit in your rank order, with the highest in the front.” He clicked off the intercom and faced Taryn again.

“Now, Taryn if you would follow me to the auditorium, we can get this over with and put you back in your place.” Alloy's face sported a devilish grin.

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If you would like to discover more about this author and/or download her novella for FREE visit Jessica Arman's author page at JLB Creatives Publishing online. 

Excerpt Extravaganza! Today's Excerpt Is From "Wesley Out West"

Welcome to the JLB Creatives Blog, where an eclectic team of creative geniuses share their fantastical imaginations. 

On Mondays we are featuring an excerpt from one of our creative authors. And what makes this feature so fun is that we publish a wide range of genres. You'll never know what to expect for the excerpt.

To read all of our excerpts thus far, we invite you to visit our blog archives and look for our first Excerpt Extravaganza! that began on August 1, 2016.

Enjoy!

All previous excerpts are available in our archives. We began this series on August 1, 2016.

Today's excerpt is from 5 star Rhonda Walker's children's book Wesley Out West. Not only is it an entertaining story, it's a wonderful educational tool for children, and the illustrations are nothing shy of amazing!

“Hello, Wesley,” said Octopus, holding out two of his arms.  “I heard you say you never get to do anything exciting.  
I am from Big West, and we need someone to save our town.  
Old Walter the Whale has taken over.  We need a brave sheriff. 

Will you help us?”


To discover more about our author Rhonda Walker, watch Wesley's book trailer, or purchase you copies of Wesley Out West we invite you to visit Rhonda's author page by clicking here

THIS JUST IN!

IT'S ALMOST TIME! MARK YOUR CALENDARS...OCTOBER 6!

GET SIGNED UP TODAY...

As proud supporters of the Pickford Community Library and teachers of their Young Writers Workshop we are excited to announce the fifth year is gearing up for young writers in Michigan.

This group of aspiring young writers is where our Journey to Publication Writing Curriculum was birthed and developed. This group holds charter members who we have watched come up through the ranks of writing to become successful authors.  

Straight from Pickford Community Library in Pickford, Michigan...

PICKFORD COMMUNITY LIBRARY YOUNG WRITERS WORKSHOP BEGINS ITS FIFTH YEAR ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6 AT 7 PM

Pickford Community Library’s Young Writers Workshop is ready to kick off another fabulous year. Starting on October 6, 2016, young aspiring authors will begin their journey to become published. New writing enthusiasts will write short stories, poetry, essays, micro-fiction, and flash-fiction; returning enthusiasts can choose to expand their writing abilities by composing longer works (novellas or novelettes) in most genres.

Pickford Community Library
Young Writers Workshop
Writing Enthusiasts: 2015- 2016 Season

The workshop meets every other Thursday evening from 7:00-8:00 p.m. at the Pickford Community Library. It concludes in mid-May with a “Book-Release Soirée” for the authors, their parents and friends, and other special guests who support the literary arts for young adults. Young aspiring authors from grade 6 through college who are interested in learning the ins and outs of becoming a published author are welcome—and encouraged—to attend the free workshop sessions. This program is open to all students in the Eastern U.P. and currently has enrollees from Pickford, Rudyard, Cedarville, Kinross, and Sault Ste. Marie.

Janet Beasley of Florida (author and CEO of JLB Creatives Publishing) and Dar Bagby of Brimley (author, illustrator, and Senior Editor at JLBCP) are the co-instructors of the course; Janet participates at each adventure session via Skype. All participants’ works will be published in eBook form free of charge by JLB Creatives Publishing, and no one (author or publisher) collects royalties. At the end of the workshop, each story/eBook will be made available to the public, free of charge, through SmashWords and the “Book Shoppes” at JLBCreatives.com. The works will also be available for digital checkout via Overdrive at most U.P. public libraries.

The Young Writers Workshop was founded by Pickford Community Library Manager Ann Marie Smith in 2012 and is free and open to the public. If you would like to enroll, please contact Ann Marie at the library before October 6 at 906-647-1288 or at amsmith@uproc.lib.mi.us The Pickford Community Library is located at 230 East Main Street in downtown Pickford. We look forward to hearing from you!

Excerpt Extravaganza! Today's Excerpt Is From "Triforce Warriors"

Welcome to the JLB Creatives Blog, where an eclectic team of creative geniuses share their fantastical imaginations. 

On Mondays we are featuring an excerpt from one of our creative authors. And what makes this feature so fun is that we publish a wide range of genres. You'll never know what to expect for the excerpt.

To read all of our excerpts thus far, we invite you to visit our blog archives and look for our first Excerpt Extravaganza! that began on August 1, 2016.

Enjoy!

All previous excerpts are available in our archives. We began this series on August 1, 2016. 

Today's excerpt is from author Noah Kamper's fantasy novella Triforce Warriors. Noah is an accomplished writing enthusiast from the Advanced Journey to Publication Writing Program Curriculum.

Link woke on the battle field the next morning. His head thumped, his leg was twisted, and his wrists were burning with pain. He turned his head and gazed at the carnage. He heard groans from monsters that were lying on the battlefield. Arrows, gunpowder, monster remains, and blood littered the field. He attempted to roll over, but the one finger that would move willingly with limited pain did him no good. He tried lifting his head up, but to no avail. His neck was twisted slightly, probably not broken, but majorly cracked. He was lucky the fall hadn't killed him, but the pain and his slight paralysis made him wish the fall would have killed him. He tried moaning, but his throat burned with pain, and it was drier than the Lanayru sands. He closed his eyes and tried to remember where his sword was. It was gone…the dragon had caused him to fling it away. He opened his eyes and looked at the sky. It was light blue, similar to Lana's hair…

Lana. She had run away from their home. His eyes managed to draw enough liquid to drop a single tear down his cheek. He prayed silently to the goddesses that morning that Lana was safe and that the monsters hadn't invaded the city.

He flicked his eyes toward the wall and found that the gate was intact and the wall un-breached. He smiled meekly and let loose a sigh of relief. He furrowed his brow and looked closer at the gate. It was opening! Two figures sprinted from the gate toward Link. As they neared he could see that one of them was Impa, but the other he didn't know. She had a tight white, blue, and black tunic that covered her whole body. She had a pair of the hidden blades on her hands, and her face was covered in a white linen cloth. She had braided her hair with white cloth, but what he could see of it was blue. The front of her tunic was covered in ornate designs. There was a silver eye with a Triforce above it, as if it were looking up at it. She had a kunai strapped to her belt and a short sword hooked to her back.

They arrived next to him, and the mysterious figure knelt down while Impa checked his breathing. The mysterious figure placed her hand on Link's chest and pushed it down, sending a shock of life throughout his body. His leg untwisted, his wrists no longer hurt, his head wasn't thumping, and all other injuries felt completely better.

Link sat up. "Who are you?" he asked the mysterious figure and turned to Impa. "And what happened after the battle with the dragon?"

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To discover more about author Noah Kamper and/or download Triforce Warriors for free visit his author page on JLB Creatives by clicking here.

Happy 91st Birthday to WWII Navy Veteran Carl L. Young!

WWII Navy Veteran Carl L. Young
Sailed the Melvin R. Nawman DE-416

Welcome blog fans! We're so glad you stopped by this post. It is a very special post as today is Carl L. Young's 91st birthday, and he is still with us to celebrate such a milestone!

Who is Carl L. Young you ask? He is a WWII navy veteran and is the true-life author of the journal from which our author, J. D. Karns, crafted his first novel, 28 Months of Heaven and Hell. 

28 Months of Heaven and Hell is a hot title that is receiving attention in the veteran world and rave reviews from all walks of life. 

Karns pulled actual facts from Carl's WWII navy journal (that he kept while sailing on the Melvin R. Nawman DE-416), and stunningly wove them into a historical fiction novel that takes the readers not only into the Pacific, but also the challenges and emotions that arose in the home-front back in his home state of Ohio.

When Carl returned home from the war his youngest brother, Charles, asked him to tell him all about it. He told Charles, "Some day, little brother, some day." 68 years later Charles began receiving emails from Carl...but they weren't just any emails. The emails were journal entries. It was 168 emails later that 28 Months of Heaven and Hell was written. JLB Creatives Publishing was honored to work with this family and their project plus publish J. D. Karns for the first time in his life...he was 82 years old, and still lives today.  

Carl's actual journal lying atop a copy of
28 Months of Heaven and Hell
(All rights reserved)

This novel has achieved more than rave reviews. When you understand the back story you'll find it is a heartwarming story far beyond the pages. 28 Months of Heaven and Hell not only holds the haunting tales of war-life, but it also has brought a family back together. Charles and Carl had lost contact with each other for over 60 years. Thanks to social media and email they found each other once again. 

When the novel was released, Charles was re-introduced to numerous family members he hadn't seen for many years and introduced to several he didn't even knew he had. Charles now stays in contact and communicates with many of them. His oldest nephew made a special trip to Florida to let Charles hold Carl's actual journal in his hands. Needless to say the moment brought tears of overwhelming emotion to everyone's eyes. 

Both Carl and Charles were thrilled beyond belief when they had the chance to Skype with each other for the first time this past July.    

Here's a couple of excerpts from 28 Months of Heaven and Hell. Both excerpts are based on information straight out of Carl's journal.

Carl L. Young 1945
Honolulu

Excerpt 1:

BAM! The big wave hit. Chester felt the ship list, and he checked his gauges. He quickly made peace with his maker when he saw that the Nawman was listing at sixty-plus degrees! Strapped in his chair, on his way to being upside down, he detested the thought that his gut feeling had been right many weeks before. He thought of the box of letters he had left with Jeb. The radio went dead, and he was certain this was the end. The Nawman’s creaking, snapping, and low rumbling brought him to tears. He closed his eyes and whispered, “I love you Mom, Dad, Mike, Jeb, and especially you, Sue. I’ll see you in Heaven.” He braced himself for the worst. 

The Melvin R. Nawman rolled back upright. 

Chester sat in awe. He screamed as he banged on the radio, but no sound returned. He felt he could do no good from his chair now, so he unbuckled his seat straps and jumped from his chair, his feet landing flat on the starboard bulkhead. From below deck aft he walked, stumbled, and crawled back and forth from the starboard bulkhead to the port bulkhead while the ship continued through the waves. Somehow he made it topside and into the pilot house. He grabbed Randall’s leg for balance and pulled himself up. 

“The mast! We’ve lost the main mast!” Randall shouted. Chester now knew why the radio had gone dead. He peered through the driving rain as best he could and saw the enormous mast dangling over the side of the ship with cables still attached, making for a dangerous situation. 

Excerpt 2:

As the ship drew closer to the island, Chester said to Randall, “It’s hard to imagine we were just watching whales on a calm sea, and now we’re watching this.” 

A call came over the radio from the observation plane, letting the big ships know that their salvos and explosives were making direct hits; they were doing great. Chester looked at Randall when the sounds of the bombing began to escalate. 

GQ sounded, “Red alert! Bettys have been reported in the area.” Chester and Randall knew the kamikazes had to be close to the Nawman because of all of the extra fire power that opened up immediately after the alert. 

Chester walked to the porthole to see for himself, and what he saw shocked him. Rapidly the sky was filling with flack from all of the ships firing their big guns. Black smoke began to cover the water’s surface, and not long after the fires ignited, the faint smell of gun powder seeped into the sonar room. 

Randall squeezed his face next to Chester’s to take a look. “Looks pretty bad out there, but we’re winning, I just know it!” He stepped back, leaving Chester the full view once again. 

“OH MY GOD!” Chester stood motionless, his face glued to the glass. “She’s coming right at us. We’re gonna die. We’re really going to die. Right here. Today.” He reached his hand out. Randall grabbed it and pushed his face back onto half of the glass. Chester could feel Randall shaking. They put their arms around each other and stood in awe. Chester barely squeaked out, “That Betty’s too low. Our boys can’t gun her down.  She’s too low. She’s too low. OH MY GOD! SHE’S TOO DAMN LOW!” He could not close his eyes. He and Randall braced for the impact.

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J. D. Karns

To learn more about our author, J.D. Karns, click here. To purchase a print copy or an ebook of 28 Months of Heaven and Hell from Amazon click here.

Excerpt Extravaganza! Today's Excerpt Is From "Whooo's Coming to Dinner?"

Welcome to the JLB Creatives Blog, where an eclectic team of creative geniuses share their fantastical imaginations. 

On Mondays we are featuring an excerpt from one of our creative authors. And what makes this feature so fun is that we publish a wide range of genres. You'll never know what to expect for the excerpt.

To read all of our excerpts thus far, we invite you to visit our blog archives and look for our first Excerpt Extravaganza! that began on August 1, 2016.

Enjoy!

All previous excerpts are available in our archives. We began this Monday series on August 1, 2016.

Today's excerpt is from 5 star author Amy Sellers's Miss Amy's Rhyme Time Collection - Whooo's Coming to Dinner?


Jelly Beans, Jelly Beans in a jar, 
Billy thinks the BLACK ones 
taste like TAR! 
Whitney wants the WHITE ones, 
PURPLE is for Paul, 
Rhonda likes the RED ones, 
and Andy eats them ALL!
Jelly Beans, Jelly Beans in a jar, 
Billy thinks the BLACK ones taste like TAR! 
Oliver eats ORANGE ones, 
Grant gets the GREEN. 
In just one day 
the kids will eat the whole jar clean!

Jelly Beans, Jelly Beans in a jar, 
Billy thinks the BLACK ones taste like TAR! 
Yolanda likes the YELLOW ones best so far. 
But where has little Billy gone? 
To find a CANDY BAR!

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To discover more about our children's author Amy Sellers or to purchase her Miss Amy's Rhyme Time Collection of books we invite you to visit Amy Sellers's author page at JLB Creatives Publishing

Excerpt Extravaganza! Today's Excerpt Is From "Sydney Finds a Job"

Welcome to the JLB Creatives Blog, where an eclectic team of creative geniuses share their fantastical imaginations. 

On Mondays we are featuring an excerpt from one of our creative authors. And what makes this feature so fun is that we publish a wide range of genres. You'll never know what to expect for the excerpt.

To read all of our excerpts thus far, we invite you to visit our blog archives and look for our first Excerpt Extravaganza! that began on August 1, 2016.

Enjoy!

All previous excerpts are available in our archives. We began this Monday series on August 1, 2016.

Today's excerpt is from 5 star children's book author Thom Battisto, Sydney Finds a Job. Thom is the owner of the Read to Sydney Foundation, a nonprofit entity that is teaching children to read...one "tail" at a time. 

I will find a job, thought Sydney, and off she went to figure it out. Just then Tom headed out the door to get the morning paper. Sydney had an idea. Get the paper. I can do that! She raced past Tom and grabbed the paper. Hang on tight, Sydney thought.

Tom laughed and called out to Sydney, “Bring the paper here, good girl!” Sydney dropped the newspaper at Tom’s feet. Oops! There was a problem. What do you think the problem was? That’s right:  the newspaper was very wet and dripping with slobber. Tom patted Sydney’s head. “You’re good at fetch Sydney, but this is not the job for you.” Sydney agreed that wet papers are yucky. She set off to find herself a different job.

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If you would like to discover more about our author Thom Battisto or purchase a book (all proceeds go toward funding the Read to Sydney Foundation) visit Thom's author page on the JLB Creatives Publishing website.

Excerpt Extravaganza! Today's Excerpt Is From "Boelik"

Welcome to the JLB Creatives Blog, where an eclectic team of creative geniuses share their fantastical imaginations. 

On Mondays we are featuring an excerpt from one of our creative authors. And what makes this feature so fun is that we publish a wide range of genres. You'll never know what to expect for the excerpt.

To read all of our excerpts thus far, we invite you to visit our blog archives and look for our first Excerpt Extravaganza! that began on August 1, 2016.

Enjoy!

All previous excerpts are available in our archives. We began this Monday series on August 1, 2016. 

Today's excerpt is from author Amy Lehigh's YA fantasy novella Boelik. Amy is an accomplished writing enthusiast from the Advanced Journey to Publication Writing Program Curriculum, and now serves as an apprentice editor for JLB Creatives Publishing.

As dawn’s light began its sweep through the forest, Boelik stretched out of bed. “What does the morning bring me,” he yawned. “Little birds again today, or shall I find some large game by chance?” Boelik walked out of his home, finally able to stretch his arms all of the way without the low roof. He made himself a breakfast of meat and berries near a small fire. When finished, he put his fire out once more and began to head for the heart of the forest, opposite the traveler’s path to the village. But no further than a few steps from his grove, Boelik heard a young woman’s scream come from the path.

Whipping around, his cloak fluttering absentmindedly behind him, he wondered if he truly heard what he thought he did. But while he hesitated, another scream assaulted his ears. Boelik dashed for the path, speed beyond any human’s causing him to be no more than a blur in the forest. He stopped just short of the path to crouch in the bushes and assess the situation.

The young woman who had bumped into Boelik in town the previous day screamed again, eyes wide with terror. In front of her lithe frame, sprawled back on the ground and gaping in fear, was a large brown-black wolf. The beast snapped at her, and she beat its muzzle back with what seemed to be the only thing on her: a basket of apples. The fruits rolled across the ground as the wolf stumbled back for an instant, toward Boelik’s hiding place. He took the chance to leap onto the wolf’s back, hooking his arm around its neck and locking his long legs around its waist. It snarled in reply and was quick to retaliate.

Air whooshed out of Boelik’s lungs as the wolf used its weight to crush him and make him release its throat. The maiden stared in fear as the two then stood and glared at one another. As Boelik glanced over to check on her, the wolf charged, eyes glinting with hunger as it bit into his human arm. Screaming as teeth dug into his flesh, Boelik twisted so that the woman would not see his furred arm flash out from beneath the cloak to punch the wolf between the eyes. When he was not released, he cried out and put his claws in the soft part between its chin and throat. The wolf made a gurgling growl as it stared at him with wild eyes, their light fading.

At last the beast let go, dropping to the ground, its crimson blood mixing with the red apples. Boelik cast a quick glance at the woman before running off, much closer to a proper human speed, toward his creek. He had no desire to let her see any more of him lest she run and tell the villagers of the monster in the woods. Images of fire and swords and screaming horses swept through his mind; he shoved them away and kept running.

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To discover more about this Journey to Publication author and download her free ebook visit Amy Lehigh's author page on JLB Creatives Publsihing.

Using a Dialect in Dialogue

"Dialogue...dialect. What's the difference?" (I have actually had students who confuse these two words.) Believe me, there is a BIG difference! Let's take a look at the definitions:

      dialogue: conversations between/among characters

      dialect: a variety of a language

According to dictionary.com: dialect is a variety of a language that is distinguished from other varieties of the same language by features of phonology, grammar, and vocabulary and by its use by a group of speakers who are set off from others geographically or socially.

When used properly a dialect can help build character, plus it reveals “who” might be talking.

Dialect can be drawn from an existing one, or the author can create a new one. In Janet Beasley’s Hidden Earth Series, Volume 1, Maycly the Trilogy, Book 1, Two Altered Worlds you'll find a brand new dialect. There are characters called "chukkons" on the world of Maycly who have their own way of talking. Though it is an unknown dialect, the author has left enough of the “real word” so readers can follow along easily and still get a feel for how a chukkon talks. You’ll notice that the narrative is in plain English while the dialogue carries the dialect.

Charleo laughed. “Here be yer taggerts, me friend. Ye shouldna be a-takin’ me so serious.” A few of the others in the Pipe Shoppe who knew Charleo could be heard giggling at that remark. “Now let’s see:  one, two, three, four, and five.”

“What be this? Ye dunna trust yer old pal Charleo? Countin’ in front of me. Shame, shame.”

“Sorry. Just force of habit there. No hard feelin’s?”

“None be taken. I was only a-pullin’ yer leg. Now I s’pose I’ll be a-needin’ some pipe stuffin’s ta smoke in this wonderful pipe.” Charleo ran his fingers over the pipe stuffing jars. “How about...umm ...this one. I’ll be a-havin’ me a laund of the ‘E’er So Sweet’.”

“Ooooo, tis one of me favorites.” Jobi inhaled deeply with every scoop until he had dished out a laund on the scale, and he added a pinch more.

“How much be I owin’ ye fer it?”

“Ah, nothin’.”

“I’ll be a-givin’ ye somethin’ fer it, ye crazy wee fella.”

“No arguin’ now. Yer first pipe stuffin's be on me.”

Charleo realized there was no budging Jobi. “I’ll be sure and make a point of showin’ yer fine piece of work ta everyone. And I be a-thankin’ ye from the bottom of me heart.” Charleo gave a nod and a wink to Jobi.

“And ye be welcome from the top of mine.”

Excerpt Extravaganza! Today's Excerpt Is From "The Untold Legend - The Warrior Queen"

Welcome to the JLB Creatives Blog, where an eclectic team of creative geniuses share their fantastical imaginations. 

On Mondays we are featuring an excerpt from one of our creative authors. And what makes this feature so fun is that we publish a wide range of genres. You'll never know what to expect for the excerpt.

To read all of our Monday excerpts thus far, we invite you to visit our blog archives and look for our first Excerpt Extravaganza! that began on Monday August 1, 2016.

Enjoy!

All previous excerpts are available in our archives. We began this series on August 1, 2016.

Today's excerpt is from NIEA Winner author Amy I. Long's adult fantasy novel The Untold Legend - The Warrior Queen. 

Days passed, and not one person said a word about the disappearance of my sister. One night I went to my chamber early. Father burst through my doors carrying his sword.

“You I will kill this night for taking my only daughter away. The servants who searched this hall have found Deira’s body. You will pay!” he shouted, stepping closer.

“If you wish to fight me, let it be tomorrow,” I said. 

“No, you will die this night!” he screamed. 

“But would you not want everyone to watch my death?” I calmly questioned. 

“No, this is a private matter,” he said sternly. 

Knowing my father was a poor swordsman, I tried to put the matter off. When he raised his sword to me, I did defend myself. “You cannot win,” I said, blocking every blow. I even tried my old trick of stripping him of clothes. I cut them off, and still he fought on. “Go away,” I yelled. 

I got no response; he just fought on. With all my strength, I drew back my sword and then brought it forward to block his blow. I attempted to break his sword in half. It stayed in one piece. But because of the force of the blow it fell to the floor. I dropped to my knees and grabbed it. Backing up, I faced my naked father. A sword now in each hand, I held them both up, twirled them around, and then brought them both forward and crossed them in front of me, never once removing my eyes from him. I wanted to prove that I was a better opponent than he thought me to be.


“You cannot win against me, not with my experience,” I said, returning my own sword back to my side. I held only his. 

“How did you ever get out of this room?” he asked while breathing heavily. 

“You helped her. You helped Deira attempt to kill me by locking me in my own room to starve,” I blurted at him. 

“How?” he asked again. 

“I jumped,” I yelled. Backing up a few steps, I lowered his sword down to rest at my side. After staring at me for a moment, he lunged across the floor, pulling back his fist. He tried to strike me, but I blocked it by bringing the sword forward to meet his fist. His hand met the smooth part, not the edge, but the blow to his knuckles made him double over in pain. 

I waited until he gained his composure. When he faced me, he grabbed my wrist in an attempt to make me drop the sword. Out of reflex, I took my other hand and placed it near his. Using my strength, I turned it, slicing his thigh. He instantly stepped back, releasing his hold. 

“Why fight, old man? You cannot win,” I said, watching him examine his wound.

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If you've been trying to decide if adult fantasy is a genre you want to dive into, we highly recommend our NIEA Winner, Amy I. Long's The Untold Legend to break into the genre. And if you're an established adult fantasy enthusiast you won't be disappointed to pick up this amazing tale of love and honor. To discover more about Amy or to purchase her novel visit Amy I. Long's author page on our JLB Creatives Publishing website.

Constructing a GOOD paragraph

A paragraph consists of several sentences grouped together, all of which discuss one topic. The first sentence in your paragraph is the topic sentence. It is the most general sentence in the paragraph and introduces an overall idea. It should suggest a question(s) in the reader’s mind and point your reader in the direction you are going; it does not provide any detailed information about the idea, It is usually the first sentence in the paragraph and should be indented. It can also make a reference to the preceding paragraph. The next sentences in a good paragraph are the supporting sentences, They should answer the question(s) suggested in the topic sentence and provide explanations (facts, details, examples) that support or explain the main idea expressed in the topic sentence. You can include as many sentences as necessary to accomplish the explanation. The concluding sentence summarizes the information presented within the paragraph. It is similar to, but not exactly the same as, the topic sentence.

A good paragraph includes four elements: unity, order, coherence, and completeness. To achieve unity you need to maintain one controlling idea (a single focus). This main idea is expressed in the topic sentence, detailed in the supporting sentences, and summarized in the concluding sentence.

Order can be cause & effect wherein a situation either causes or results from another, chronological or order of events in time, comparison/contrast or similarities and/or differences among things, emphatic, which means details are arranged in order of importance or for emphasis, and/or spatial, which is the discovery of how things are arranged in a space. Coherence is the element that makes a paragraph understandable. It uses logical bridges; in other words, the same idea is carried from one sentence to the next and successive sentences are constructed in parallel form. Verbal bridges can be used as well (e.g., pronouns refer to nouns in previous sentences, keywords are repeated in several sentences, synonymous words are repeated in several sentences, transition words link ideas from different sentences). Consistent verb use and point of view are maintained throughout. To achieve completeness you must maintain a single idea throughout the paragraph.

One of the most prominent questions when developing good paragraphs is, "When do I start a new paragraph?" The answer is simple: 1) when beginning a new idea, 2) to contrast ideas or information, or 3) when your reader needs a pause. Bear in mind that paragraph construction involves taking liberties when writing dialogue, and than's a whole other ball game. We'll cover that another time. 

Excerpt Extravaganza! Today's Excerpt Is From "Hidden Earth Series"

Welcome to the JLB Creatives Blog, where an eclectic team of creative geniuses share their fantastical imaginations. 

On Mondays we are featuring an excerpt from one of our creative authors. And what makes this feature so fun is that we publish a wide range of genres. You'll never know what to expect for the excerpt.

To read all of our excerpts thus far, we invite you to visit our blog archives and look for our first Excerpt Extravaganza! that began on August 1, 2016.

Enjoy!

All previous excerpts are available in our archives. We began this series on August 1, 2016.

Today's excerpt is from #1 best selling and 5 star author Janet Beasley's Hidden Earth Series: Volume 1 Maycly the Trilogy - Book 1 Two Altered Worlds

Bewildered, Iona cut loose again with her gift of chattering. “Let’s see…today I’ve seen a…a…gnome-like guy pop out of a cloud and leave a Dream Decanter on my nightstand. It spewed musical fog that my feet and legs are now dangling in causing my legs to heal. And let’s not forget the three-inch-long buzzing something…whose name, by the way, was apparently Jit? And he…she…I think it was a he…had a face like a human and wings like a dragonfly that he used to fly by my eyes leaving a trail of sparkles. Then he disappeared into the cloud with the little gnome guy…man…thing. I opened a magic letter signed by SUL, and now my birthmark is warm. Are you kidding me?” 

     She tried to put all of the recent events together. The poem on the card faded. It and the envelope burst into flames in her hand, making her jump. “Too weird. It didn’t burn me. Well, that was interesting.”

     She went silent, pondering to herself. I will never see this place again. Though it might have been guilt forcing these feelings, she wanted to believe she was truly thankful for the provisions she had received.

     “Yap! Yap! Yap! YOWLY-WOWEEE!” barked Wiskee.

     “Well, there’s another new noise from you. I guess you’re getting a little anxious? All I can say is, it’s a good thing you can’t talk because you’d chatter on more than me!” Iona calmed her small dog, Wiskee, with her touch. “OK. OK. I’m on it.”

     She brushed her hands together and resituated herself on the bed. She thought about her job—she was no longer going to be visiting those in need, and this troubled her.

     “I will see to it they are cared for.” Iona could not believe she was hearing what she thought was SUL’s audible voice again.

     She looked at Wiskee and whispered, “And we’ll never see our strange but lovable friend, Dumpster Man, again.” She had grown quite fond of him.

     With his nose, Wiskee pushed her hand toward the Dream Decanter, but she was still admiring the apartment. “Holy smokes! I can’t leave those!” She jumped from the bed and gathered the only remaining tangible memories of her family, their photos, and put them safely in the waistband of her pajama bottoms.

     She sat back down on the bed and clutched Wiskee under her arm without thinking. He made the noises to let her know she was holding him a little too tight.

     “Oh, I’m sorry little buddy.” She loosened her grip.

     Saying goodbye to her home was all too familiar and unpleasant. Iona closed her eyes and silently beckoned. Please let this be true. Please, SUL, I want to trust You with all my heart, and believe that You will take me to my family. She reached for the Dream Decanter, never letting Wiskee out of her grasp, and did just as the poem had instructed.

     Window shades dropped with a whoosh and a thud. Iona freaked and spoke from the pitch dark, “I didn’t know we had window shades.” All of the outside noises ceased; the silence was spooky.

     Guarding Wiskee with her life, she crossed her legs underneath her and felt the bed begin slowly turning and moving upward through the darkness. She was afraid of hitting the ceiling but was also afraid to jump because she did not know how high they really were. She reached high above her head and felt nothing. “STAY PUT WISKEE!” She hated to let go of him, but was concerned at their height. Carefully she stood on the bed but could not feel anything above them; she knew she could reach the ceiling if she stood on the bed. Frightened she sat back down and immediately grabbed Wiskee. If we’re floating in space, where are the stars? Where’s the moon? What are we…suspended in time?

     With her next breath she gagged. “What is that awful smell. Ack! That certainly isn’t roses! This can’t be right.” She saw what she thought was a fireball heading toward them. It came up fast from below and just missed the bed on its rapid ascent. Iona screamed. The fireball fizzled out high above their heads like a dud firework. She tossed the Dream Decanter to her pillow and scooted to the center of the bed, not letting Wiskee out of her tight grasp. She felt him trembling.

     She had always longed for adventure, but this was not exactly the adventure she had pictured in her mind. Somberly Iona spoke into the darkness, “What have I done?” 

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If you are a lover of enchanted fantasy you'll want to get hooked on this series! "Maycly" the trilogy has been compared to "The Wizard of Oz," and landed ahead of the "Hunger Games" on amazon. Click here for Ebook  Click here for print book  Click here to watch the Hidden Earth Series books trailers

Cliffhanger

I'm sure you've heard the phrase, "leave them hanging!" And when it comes to your readers, that's a GREAT phrase to apply. Whether you're going from chapter to chapter or from volume one of a series to volume two, it's the best way to leave your readers wanting more. I have read books that I can't put down--probably you have, too--because I can't stand to be left hanging. I just HAVE to go on to that next chapter to see what happens. Likewise, when a good book leaves me wanting to read the next one in the series, I can hardly wait until that next one is released.

 If you want to keep your readers coming back for more, it's a good idea to implement the use of cliffhangers. What a fun word. It means exactly what it says: it's as if you have been left hanging on the edge of a cliff with no one around to help you, so you are forced to wait until another person comes along. Readers describe cliffhangers as "love-hate relationships;" they love the idea of wanting more, but they hate the idea of having to wait. That's what you, as an author, want to accomplish with your readers.

Let me give you an example: you have spent the entire book getting your protagonist to the place where he/she (and your reader) expects to find the antagonist. Your protag arrives at the spot only to find someone other than the antag who says, "Hello. I've been expecting you." And that's where you end the chapter...or the book! Now your reader is left to wonder who it is. Is it the antag? Is it someone else? Does the protag know this character? Has the person been sent by someone? Is he/she going to help the protag? Is he/she a cohort of the antag? Is it a relative? A friend? An enemy?

That's what a cliffhanger is all about.

On my deathbed I want my last words to be, "I hid a million dollars under the..." That would be the ultimate cliffhanger, wouldn't it?