Evening lovely readers 🙂
Today I am able to write this post with a sense of excitement and wonder. Those of you that have read my previous posts will know that I mention one of my best friends and writing hero, J. S. Collyer, quite frequently (yes this is the perdy lady just above 🙂 ). Well today I’m thrilled to be able to say that her first novel is due to be released in August entitled ‘Zero.’ I can’t say enough good things about her writing (and not only because she’s my friend 🙂 ) and don’t really know where to start but I’ll give it a jolly good shot 🙂
In such inspirational writing there isn’t just one set genre that can be used to describe the diversity within. I hear cries of ‘SCI FI, YOU KNOW IT’S SCI FI, SCI FI, SCI FI, SCI FI…’ Well this would be where you’re wrong. The utter genius and creativity within her writing suggests many intricate nuances that combine to make such yummy creativity emerge. Yes, some of her stories are set in the future but from my personal experience alone there has been thrillers, dystopian futures, dark horror and more evident in the Worlds she creates. She has such a mastery of language that really helps you to picture the story as if it were playing out in front of you. I can promise you are drawn into these Worlds and you will struggle to put her novel down until you have read the entire thing. Please, check out her blog with the link above, I can promise you won’t be disappointed. You can also find the synopsis for her novel here. As some will notice, it is being published by the epic Dagda Publishing. I have mentioned them a lot in previous posts too so please take a look at their catalogue of books to get even more literary goodies to wet your appetite. Neither will disappoint 🙂
And now on to my flash fiction. Today I decided to write a flash fiction that is set in one of the Worlds from my novel. I know this won’t make much sense as my novel isn’t out (yet 😉 ) but hopefully it will be understandable and enjoyable at the same time. Please enjoy 🙂
Gifted
Aria took a deep and steadying breath. She should be used to this by now but by the Lady it still made her skin crawl. She had too much flesh on show to begin with but this had never seemed to bother any but her. She adjusted her bard ‘robes’ as the great silver doors to the throne room opened. The fact they were referred to as robes was laughable; there were thin slivers of silver scales covering her nipples and very little else with almost translucent silver lace descending from her silver belt. Honestly, it would make little difference if they entered naked. Now Aria sighed. She was surrounded by her sister bards but only a few of them in the group were true seers and unfortunately Aria was the most powerful; this could be both a gift and a curse. She knew things about the others that she was not sure that even they knew.
The sultry music began and all started to sway towards the throne, their hips swinging in time to the seductive beat. Each had determination in their eye as one could be picked to marry the crown prince and have dominion over all the rest. It was not really a choice, more what was expected of you in this life. She almost wanted to laugh; of all the roles that Fate could have tasked her with within the realm of Death why did it have to be that of a Seer? Aria looked up to see piercing chocolate eyes staring at her. The King was sat atop the silver gem encrusted throne, a handsome man himself with only a few silver hairs adorning his ebony beauty but he was nothing compared to the prince. He had the softest rose coloured lips in creation, soft brown hair that looked tousled by the fragrant wind of Ollania, a strong chiselled nose and an intelligence in his eyes that called to the deepest part of her being. She could feel her heart begin to accelerate to almost painful levels and shockingly the large decadent hall, aristocratic revellers and even the King disappeared. Only she and the prince remained. She felt that he was looking deep into her soul to discover all of her secrets but she would willingly tell him them all for just one smile from his soft lips. Eventually however even he disappeared and Aria realised she was having a vision.
A silver haze overtook her sight and Aria was dumbfounded at the timing of this particular vision. Perhaps the prince had triggered it? Clarity was soon to appear however as the haze cleared to reveal the temple of the seers, her home since she was a small child, however everything remained in the black, white and shades of grey instead of the multifaceted hues she was used to. An older version of herself was stood in the centre of the spacious marble hall arguing with the prince, only now he wore the crown of the King and there seemed to be an evil blood red aura that shone in the monotone of his surroundings. Finally the prince withdrew a shining silver dagger and plunged it into the older Aria again and again. There had been no sound to begin with but the scream the older Aria emitted echoed throughout the temple and through her own soul. She knew that there were tears streaming along her cheeks at the sight of her own Death and she longed to look away but her vision was drawn to a presence in the corner. Stood there was a beautiful woman that looked hauntingly like the Lady, the creator of Aria’s universe. Alethea, the Angel of Death, had created their Universe after she Fell and had needed to bring those humans affected by her fall to a sanctuary. How did this woman look like her? She even had the beautiful ebony wings and the scythe. She too seemed frozen as if she were watching the scene in a vision, crystal tears streaming over her ivory skin, but as she did not seem to see Aria then she must be seeing it as a past vision far into Aria’s future. What could this mean?
Gradually the scene receded from her sight and she found herself back in the middle of the bards, her eyes still locked to those of the prince. More crystalline tears fell over her soft skin. She now knew that this man, this prince with so much authority, was both her salvation and her damnation and she knew there was not a thing she could do about it…
