"It is the property of every sorrow which overtakes us to reawaken past griefs which we believed dead, but which were only sleeping. The soul has its scars as well as the body, and they are seldom so well healed but a new wound can reopen them."

--The Conspirators: The Chevalier d'Harmental -- Dumas

Sounds like old Alex D. knew a little something about things like PTSD.

Speaking of sorrow, I acquired a fresh wound. I've been working on a short story about a motorcycle trip my pater familias took back in the 50s. The deadline looms at my shoulder, its cold breath casting a hoary frost on my neck. A precious hunk--500 to 1000 words--was lost, gobbled by the ether, swallowed by the digital void. The misfortune depressed me enough that I didn't write at all last night. I had hoped to finish the piece, or come close to finishing it, but that little gut punch doubled me over for the night. Maybe I'll redo the lost part tonight, but here's the thing: It won't be the same. It won't be as good. It won't be the creative flow that descends like the dew from heaven when I've passed through the veil between the here and now and the realm of once and future possibilities. Instead, I'll be trying to re-create the past words, assembling them like scattered Legos; the shape may be similar, but the colors of the blocks won't be the same in every location and many will be irretrievably lost; it will be a cheap copy of the dream that flowed from my fingertips. I am writer; hear me whine.

Enough with the whining. Here's something more interesting:

Character Spotlight - a double-header:

Let me start with the first character of my first book. The protagonist from Justice in Season, a western set in 1860's Idaho Territory, was based on an actual person. In fact, many of the events in the book are fictitious versions of some historical events. The historical figure wrote his own history in which we tend to see him in a completely positive light, full of courage and determination. In crafting the fictional character, Victor McBride, I tried to preserve the courage and determination while furnishing him with a new background which also revealed fears and uncertainties. I think he may be all the braver for overcoming the fear and the trouble of his past.

In Threading the Rude Eye, (Book 1 of the Tomahawks and Dragon Fire series) we meet the protagonist Alex as a young man with a fiance and big plans. His plans are on hold until he can complete his indenture. He has a pronounced sense of justice and high hopes for his future. The revolution against empire unexpectedly slops over into his little world, completely altering his future and destroying all for which he had hoped. If not an opposite to McBride, Alex is certainly different. His fears and uncertainties threaten to control him. Unlike McBride who willingly rose to fight against evil, Alex has the fight thrust upon him. Alex's is not so much a story of vengeance as it is one of discovering the right course and committing to that course. His growth through the series isn't entirely linear. Initially, he has a lot to learn and a short time to learn it. At least he has a mentor in Jonathan to help him in the early stages of the adventure.

Check out these freebies and discounts:

American Fantasy Tales - stories with connection to America

Clara Lewis' Detective Lagarde Series

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Something French - tales with some connection to France or the French language. Viens voir.

Keep on reading,

Stanley