Author2Author
Blog Chat welcomes;
Author,
M.E Lorde to the sofa!
Images provided by M.E.L. Graphics by @2014 Danni (Ellie) Williams. All Rights Reserved. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(*)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ellie
Tell us who you are…
M.E
I am M.E. Lorde, otherwise known as Michael Lorde, I am from Canandaigua, New York. I have four children. I love kids. I was raised with two sisters. We usually had a pet or two in the house.
{Ellie smiles}
Ellie
And what was it like growing up?
M.E
I was athletic and my older sister was a musician, my younger sister took karate. We had a pretty well rounded education in a rural home town. Pretty average upbringing I imagine, but my parents were very much artists who had at some point in life been told not to follow those silly dreams of art. Me? I choose too.
{Ellie smiles again}
Ellie
Beautiful hun, and how do you think your family would describe your work?
M.E
My father, unfortunately passed away a year and a half ago.
{Ellie saddens}
Ellie
I’m so sorry hun.
{M.E smiles and continues}
M.E
My mother is very supportive. She’s told me numerous times she doesn’t know where I get my creativity from. Well, I do. I get it mainly from her. My youngest daughter is my greatest fan.
{Ellie brightens}
Ellie
And how do you find the time to balance your work life with family life?
M.E
I think most authors will say that it can sometimes be difficult. After all, unlike in many professions we cannot get away from our work... as we carry it around in our heads.
Ellie
I suppose we just do our best in that situation.
{Ellie sighs deeply}
Ellie
Sorry, a bit of a morbid question now but; say hypothetically speaking and for whatever reason you only had 2 minutes to live…What would be your last words and to whom?
{M.E pauses for a moment before she continues}
M.E
My last words would more than likely be to myself, saying “Well this sucks. I had more to do.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(*)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ellie
Are you into Astrology?
M.E
I’m really not, but I do have to say, I’m a Sagittarius and the descriptions of the sign does seem to fit me. Also, Sagittarius are apparently supposed to get along well with other Sagittarius. I have never met a Sagittarius I did not like a whole lot. That’s about the extent of my following astrology.
Ellie
It always amazes me of how alive we all truly are but on certain views.
{They
chuckled together}
Ellie
Do you believe we’ll be able to accomplish ‘Time-Travel’ one day?
M.E
Of course we will. Tarron will develop the Pool of Light and save all of humanity by sending Tolomay through it. All problems solved.
{M.E winks at Ellie and she
chuckles}
Ellie
Bit of a bummer we won’t be around when that happens huh?
M.E
Most defiantly
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(*)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ellie
What advice would you give your 18 year old self if you could go back in time for only 30 seconds?
M.E
While you’re too young and busy to know this now, but keep your loved ones sufficatingly close. You will have less time with them in years to come and you will miss them dearly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(*)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ellie
What is your favourite music/ Movies/Tv andActor/Actress?
M.E
Music I enjoy all kinds, but one favorite is Van Morrison, Movies The Terminator, TV I don’t watch television, and Actors/Actresses? I don’t have a favorite.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(*)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ellie
What inspired you to be a writer?
M.E
It was more of a need that I stuffed for years until I finally published. Now I realize I should have been doing this my entire life.
Ellie
How long have you been writing?
M.E
I can’t remember not writing stories, even as a child.
Ellie
Are there any other relatives who have been bitten by the literary wand?
M.E
Not yet, though I’m hoping my son will start up sometime. He wrote wonderful stories as a kid.
Ellie
Do you have any other talents other than writing?
M.E
Well, I’m an artist, but I don’t do it as a career. I do it for pleasure.
Ellie
Do you believe you’ll continue to write for the rest of your life, and do you ever run dry of ideas?
M.E
Yes! Absolutely and No! In fact, my daughter thinks it’s perfectly normal for someone to stop what they’re doing in the middle of it to go to the laptop, open it up, write a few sentences or more and then go back and finish the dishes or whatever else they might have been doing. I’ve never been as happy at work as I am now. I get about 5 new book ideas a week.
{Ellie
laughs}
Ellie
It can get annoying tho’ cant’ it?
{They
chuckled together}
Ellie
How would you feel if one day, you suddenly discovered you had lost your ability to write?How would it affect your life?
M.E
Wow, I have no idea. I guess I would be able to go out in public without constant observations and thoughts like, ‘Wow, okay, I’m going to implement that lady’s mannerism into that character in my book’, or ‘Gee, how the heck can I get man ‘A’ to knock off man ‘B’ without man ‘C’ noticing it?’ (all while standing in line at Starbucks while waiting to order.)
{They
laughed together}
M.E
Yeah, I’m sure I would be a little easier to be around if I wasn’t an author, but not nearly as amusing to everyone else, I’m sure.
Ellie
If you could have written any book in the world, by any author; what would it be and why?
M.E
It would be my own. I rather like my characters in Tolomay’s World series.
Ellie
And do you write anything else like; poetry, Music, Songs, Scripts?
M.E
I have wrote poetry, but not currently. I wrote song lyrics that were performed years ago, but never music. And scripts, yes, I have written scripts and I’m working on some now.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(*)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ellie
What are your hobbies?
M.E
Like I said I’m an artist so I enjoy creating. It doesn’t matter what, but I think my newest project will be one I’ll post on my fb wall. It’ll be useful in my kitchen.
{Ellie chuckles}
Ellie
Oh, oh wow! I’m privileged to be your friend on FB, I can’t miss it now haha
{M.E Laughs}
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(*)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ellie
What is your favourite genre to read?
M.E
Fantasy. But, I’m picky there.
Ellie
What about favorite genre to write?
M.E
Fantasy will always be my chosen genre for writing. However, I am having a great time with this romance comedy I’ve started.
Ellie
What are you reading now?
M.E
I have three friend’s books in queue to read, but it will be a couple of weeks before I get to them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(*)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ellie
Who are some of your favourite authors?
M.E
Lately I’ve read more Indie books than those published by traditional means. I think it’s because there seem to be less restrictions on the writing itself. Almost like the reins are hanging free and so the horse can run at will. I’ve enjoyed many bestselling author’s works, but lately I’ve been choosing Indies it seems. There are a number of well written and cleanly edited Indie authors whose work is out there and I enjoy those books. Some of my recent reads are books that are in this event (Fantastical Reads Event).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(*)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ellie
What is your favorite food(s)?
M.E
I like food. I will have an occasional pizza, but otherwise usually try to stick with home-cooked and as organic as I can get. I like real food. I pretty much like it all. The only exceptions I can think of are anchovies and beets. Yeah, not really a fan of those two foods.
{They chuckled
together}
Ellie
What is your favourite food(s) to cook?
M.E
Pasta; all types. I really love making lasagna. My daughter isn’t a fan as I’ve made it often.
{Michael smiles}
Ellie
Something you’d like to cook but haven’t yet?
M.E
Lamb shank with white sauce.
Ellie
And if you eat out, what cuisine would you normally go for?
M.E
Believe it or not, I usually let my daughter choose.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(*)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ellie
Cool. Congratulations we’ve not moved on to the question stage about your work.
{Michael smiles}
Ellie
Okay so let’s do this! Tell us about your books…
M.E
Tolomay’s
World Novels- the first three of the seven book series;
vTolomay’s World and The Pool of LightvTolomay’s World and The Mountain of TegivTolomay’s World and The Splitting of The Trunk.
Ellie
And are you self-published/ published with these books?
M.E
Yes, both.
Ellie
And what was it like for you, to publish your first book?
M.E
I was excited, but very unprepared for the world of online marketing.
Ellie
You and me both hun, frustrating isn’t the word
{They both laugh together}
Ellie
So what inspired you to write your first book?
M.E
I was ten years old when I wrote my first book. It was about a bird named Bably (I have no idea why- apparently I was a weird kid?) I wrote it, did the artwork and stitched and bound the book. Too bad it’s been lost along the way all these years. I would have loved to read my old thoughts. I wonder what I would have found in them.
Ellie
I did similar. I was such a weird kid
{They laugh}
Ellie
I still have all my school work since 5th form! My drawing was cool for a child and my handwriting was appalling! And my stories were as strange and as wonderful as Terry Giliam. Not quote the genius he is but I had potential {Laughs} It’s awesome to see how far you come.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(*)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ellie
So how would you describe your books and the nature in which you’ve written them?
M.E
Well, I can only view them through my own biased eyes, and I think most people like our own versions of things. So perhaps I can refer you to one of my reader’s thoughts on the first book. ‘Lyrically written’, I think, was the term used. This series is unique in that all my other books came to me in normal, everyday language, but this series has a tone and voice all its own. I’m kind of partial to that tone.
Ellie
And what genre is your work mainly ventured in?
M.E
Fantasy and psychological thrillers are what I work in most. I am working on a fun comedy romance. That’s definitely new to me, and is a bit emotionally charged, so it will be fun to write.
Elie
Forever learning we are aren’t we {smiles}. And have you ever or do you ever find yourself a struggling writer?
M.E
It’s always a struggle to find enough time. So I stopped trying and now I do more outside of writing than I did, say a year ago. It’s a better balance, but took a little bit to work it out.
Ellie
Is it hard to come up with ideas and plots?
M.E
Not at all. They come to me all the time.
Ellie
How about characters? Are they easily born and developed in your world of creativity?
M.E
My characters are pretty much ready-made before my fingers hit a keystroke.
{Ellie giggles}
Ellie
So we said earlier about how you can’t really go out without having so much on your mind to begin with, hiding from our thoughts, ideas and epic story-lines of fiction, which is normal {laughs} for all us as writers; is so damn hard. That we observe people, and we ponder on the thought of placing them as characters in our books. So this question to me doesn’t seem like a hard one to answer since you already answered it in some small way in a similar previous question. But I’ll ask it anyway {laughs again}. I mean you can elaborate on it more here.So do you ever get random moments when you suddenly get ideas flying at you in all directs?
{M.E Laughs}
M.E
Constantly. It can be very aggravating when I’m in the middle of writing a book and other plots are urging me to write them. I usually juggle about three books at once, but one is at center stage. It works fine for me.
Ellie
So who was/is the easiest Character to write?
M.E
It’s easy to write a character if you let them take their own shape. If I try to form the character, nothing in the character or plot works at all. Then it’s a mess.
Ellie
And are any of your characters based on real people?
M.E
No. They’re all ficticious.
Ellie
Do you have a favourite character(s)?
M.E
Tolomay.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(*)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ellie
Without giving anything away from your books too much!What is/are your favourite scene(s) in one of your books?
M.E
The third to the last chapter in the third Tolomay’s World (The Splitting of The Trunk) gets to me every time. I’d say it’s close to being my favorite.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(*)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ellie
Does anyone beta reads your work before you publish?
M.E
Many readers put eyes on it before I send it to my editor.
Ellie
Have you ever trashed a piece or complete piece of work before someone read it?Feeling it wasn’t good enough?
M.E
Pieces of it, yes, but never a whole works.
Ellie
Never after someone’s read it?
M.E
Pieces, yes. But again, never the whole thing.
Ellie
And do you have a ritual before writing?
M.E
Not really, though coffee is always welcome.
{Ellie laughs
Ellie
Coooofffffeeee!!
{M.E Laughs}
Ellie
And do you have a special place or time to write?
M.E
I enjoy writing at home more than any other place, though I do have an office I write in as well. At home it’s usually night writes though and I’m very much a night person, so I suspect that’s why.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(*)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
M.E
Dream no small dreams for they have no power to move the hearts of men -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(*)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ellie
How long does it take you to complete a book?
M.E
Each book has been different.
Ellie
Okay so how much down-time do you have in between projects?
M.E
I usually work multiple projects at once.
Ellie
Who or what has been your biggest literary influence?
M.E
I’d have to say those who wrote the books I read as a small child. I learned to love reading because of them, learned to love writing.
Ellie
If your book(s) had a soundtrack, who would create your Soundtrack for you?
M.E
I’m not sure, but I would want involvement. I have a very clear definition of what music would suit the storyline.
Ellie
And would it be Motion Picture or Score?
M.E
Motion picture.
Ellie
Similar question about the movie side of things; what actors/actresses would you have to play your characters?
M.E
It would have to be an unknown. Tolomay’s character would have to be seen by the movie viewers as an unknown, so they could get to know her from the get go. Much like was done with the Hunger Games and Twilight. It was brilliant and made a huge impact on viewers. They did not use well-knowns, so nothing was preconceived.
Ellie
That’s the same idea I would have for my main character. I hate when Hollywood dampens the spirit of a character by placing well-known actor/actresses in their place. My main, Awen is Welsh, so she’d HAVE to be Welsh, end of. I won’t have anyone disrespecting or defecating her character, I want her to be fresh and real to the viewers. I completely agree with you Michael.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(*)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ellie
And which book would you like that to happen too and why?
M.E
I’d like that to happen to all of them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(*)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ellie
So what’s up next for you, Michael?
M.E
Tolomay’s World (4th book) and a psychological thriller - very dark, and a romance comedy.Two of the three will be released this year, possibly the third one as well, but that’s still tentative.
Ellie
And of all the books/ stories you have written, which is your favourite?
M.E
Tolomay’s World and The Splitting of The Trunk.
Ellie
Well thank you so much for this Michael, it’s been amazing hun, and such a pleasure. If I couyld ask you to do one last thing…
M.E
Of course. And Thank you also.
{Smiles are reciprocated}
Ellie
Can you just take a moment to chat freely to your readers and potential new readers, anything you like.
M.E
I’m an author who waited many years to follow my dreams of writing. I love what I do with a passion. I want to share my stories with the world. For those who are readers, I hope you enjoy my books. I hope my stories will somehow impact your life, how you think about others and the world around you. I’m a deep thinker and I try to portray that in my works. For those who are readers and want to become authors... just do it. Don’t make it hard by listening to anyone who would try to squash your dreams. Not much was ever accomplished in this world by listening to the diminishing words of others. It is not their decision to make. It’s yours. Decide it. Learn the craft. Do it. It’s that simple. If you need encouragement, join a few facebook author pages. You’ll get encouragement there.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(*)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Images provided by M.E.L. Graphics Design by @2014 Danni (Ellie) Williams. All Rights Reserved. |
Michael has given us a little Excerpt
of each book from the Tolomay’s World Series!
(8 Jan 2014)
‘Tolomay’s
World and the Pool of Light’
“Peace of life,” said
the chideman as he poured the blue water from the glass urn into the
pool. It was surreal.
“Peace of life.” My
response was automatic.
My heart
pounded. For thirteen years I’d trained for this. Still I was not
ready. The machine’s copper pipes gave off a warm smell that drifted to
my nostrils as if precious biscuits were baking in the eating room. The
calming scent only made it worse. I was leaving.
On display before
every citizen in the community, my bare feet stepped the few inches further to
the edge of the pool. Fear haunted my mind. Shivering from head to
toe caused my short golden dress to tickle at the tops of my thighs. I
brushed away the itch. Goose bumps peppered my arms and legs. I was
freezing. For a moment, the massive musics and sounds on the stage
overwhelmed me. I was small in comparison to everything here, all present
and to this wondrous event. Through dazed thoughts, my focus returned and
I remembered to count to three before placing my foot in the shallow liquid.
With eyes watering,
my every heartbeat echoed in my ears. Never again would my father’s eyes
look upon me. Never again would I feel his warm embrace. I would so
miss his gentle, loving voice. How would I bear it? I fought my
great desire to turn and dart to him, or steal a look as he sat in his chair
upon the stage. Instead, I kept my step.
There would not be
another last goodbye. We already said it, and he wanted just the
one. It would be my greatest honor to him to leave with the dignity,
respect, and position he bestowed upon me, to act older than my meager thirteen
years. I had to be brave and pave the way for the others, as he had
instructed.
The tears nearly
choked me as I quietly sniffed them back. I could scarcely see, but chose
not to rub the wet away. Everyone would notice. More would only
follow and my eyes would be closed soon enough. The time had
arrived. This was no longer wholly my choice. I was being led by my
duty and so had to control my emotions for these last few seconds.
The immaculate stage
held static, causing the miniscule hairs on my head to stand on end. They
reached toward the beautiful colored glass of the cathedral roof in the pod
community’s grandest room, as if they too wanted to stay. The urge to
run, to escape, consumed me, yet I betrayed my heart, followed my learned
directions, and kept my course.
No matter the logic
and knowledge in my head, nothing had prepared me for this feeling of claws
tearing me apart from the inside out. I fought off the nausea. I
could not be ill, not in front of the community while representing my father.
The crystal and
copper Pool of Light lay before the five of us, with solar panels running from
floor to ceiling as the toner’s chorus continued to sing behind us. The
brilliant round majesty beneath my feet, only six inches deep, held the key to
our futures and to what would become the whole of humanity. We were taking
these steps for everyone. Once we left, we could never return home.
Tarron had ordered
that we space ourselves just two paces separated, one behind the next.
The four older candidates followed behind me, the taste of anticipation
mingling with the hum of energy that filled the great room. My mind
whirled.
‘Keep walking
forward… do not turn around,’ father’s words echoed in my head.
I was
horrified. Chills took residence up and down my spine, causing me to
shake further. How would my days unfold without him by my side? How
could I leave him alone? My heart was dying.
‘The coming light can
blind, if you lose protection of your eyelids,’ he had warned.
Think only of your
training and the swim, I
reprimanded myself against my inert weakness. Focus. You are leading
the others.
I squeezed my eyes
closed.
“Your eyes… don’t
forget,” I choked out the words, reminding the four following me to keep theirs
closed as well.
The desire to see
where my feet landed was nearly more than I could endure as I took my next
step. Blindly, trembling as I’d never thought possible, I walked on until
a humming of energy engulfed me. Then a wall of water, warm and flowing,
caressed my face and arms and legs until I was drenched in it. It
unnerved me. I imagined my skin would feel this way if covered with a
million tiny insects. That vision sent more shivers. I rubbed away the
feeling. Fear controlled me. I was holding my breath. ‘Do not
forget to breathe, Tolomay,’ I remembered father’s training. ‘Or you may
lose consciousness.’
Barely able to manage
my thoughts, I took back my air and continued forward.
A light penetrated
the liquid as if they were one and the same. Much too bright, even with
eyes closed, it rained down upon my body as if it were the sun and had no limits.
The burning lasted only a moment and rid me of my chills. Then I was
struck hard in the back by a force that seemed more as power than matter.
It propelled me through the air so fast I almost opened my eyes, but instead
fell into a somersault, ending in a stand as I had been trained.
The grasses felt soft beneath my bare
feet. The air smelled completely different...
Image provided by M.E.L |
(3 Jan 2014)
Tolomay’s World and The Mountain of Tegi
Kenter stared at the deflated Juper. He was thinking
on it since they left the well. Still, no answer. He racked his
brain for what memories might help, but only information for the use of
a Juper was shared with candidates. No training told them how to activate
one.
How would the science team have done it? It would have
taken a strong natural energy to fill it. What would they have used...
the sun perhaps?
He held it open in his hand to allow full sunlight to enter,
twisting and turning it to allow light to all sides, but it did not change in
the least. Then he recognized the mistake in that choice. There
were no windows at the pod community. The elders could not have used the
sun, not with active solar flares.
It was biological energy, for certainty; else their juper
from the pod would not have passed through. What would fill it? Did
they convert solar energy by use of old solar panels? If so, he could not
replicate the process. Did they capture electricity from a lightening
rod? That would be impossible for him as well.
The thought came from nowhere and he stopped his feet before
they neared their hill. Urging his sister to the bank of the stream, he
dropped the Juper into the water.
The ground shook and the section of stream rose several feet
into the air, in the form of a whirlpool. At its center lay the dark
device. The energy of the water brought it to life until it grew to the
size of an activated Juper.
When the water subsided the Juper sunk to the bottom of the
stream. Kenter waded in and retrieved it. It was full and lighter
in color, but not by much. His heart sank at his sister’s next
words.
“Why is it still red?”
He examined it further. It looked perfectly alive, but
Lethia was correct. It should be clear. He rubbed his wet fingers
over his brow.
“I thought it they are translucent and only change color to
glow at night, and only to green,” she continued. “That’s what Mize
taught you, right? Clear as the other one...and green at night?
This one looks angry.”
“I know, Leth,” he answered, even more frustrated at her
words.
He never heard of a blood red Juper. He must have
filled it wrong. His hands gripped it tightly to see if the energy would
release itself back to the water. It didn’t. It already
settled. Had he ruined a precious Juper left to him to help the clean
world?
“Maybe its age has changed it. Or the radiation ruined
its function,” he said. “I have destroyed it.”
“No, Kenter. You will find a means to fix it. If
anyone can figure it correctly, you can,” said Lethia. “I believe
that. Those who left it would have known.”
She set her arm around his shoulder and the two started
their last steps to home, the seemingly useless Juper clasped tightly in his
hand.
Image provided by M.E.L |
28 Nov 2013)
Tolomay’s World- The Splitting of The Trunk
I dreamed in memories, Tarron’s dark knowing eyes pondering
my thoughts as I sat, hands folded, in the room adjacent to the chamber
hall. Through the walls, solar panels could be heard being positioned,
the Pool of Light ready and awaiting its great gift to us all.
Trembling, I listened to the crowd gathering in the
background, trying to logic my father’s words. The distraction of our
final lesson did not help. My heart was frantic, the chills in my toes
nipping and biting like tiny metal teeth inside my feet. Still, I tried
to busy my mind.
“Intellect?” I answered, mind dazed.
“Do you believe intellect to be the answer?” he replied.
I was obviously wrong, and very ashamed. In my last
lesson, I should excel with insight, but I’d lost focus. Where was my
focus? I could think only to today’s impending swim.
“Duty?” I tried at it again.
Tarron’s bottom lip straightened slightly. I had
missed the mark, once again incorrect, but rightfully so. Nervousness can
muddle the mind.
“Shall I repeat the question?”
I nodded, watching my fingers shaking like a storm pulling
at autumn leaves, my heart flooded in sadness.
“Think deeper, my child. You must feel the answer you
seek, not reply with what you believe I desire to hear. What divides
us? What makes us the individuals we each are, stronger or weaker, giving
or selfish, respected by others or disregarded, standing apart from the next
citizen in a way that all recognize? What one thing about each of us is
mighty enough to do all these things?”
I immediately thought of my skin and hair, those differences
separated me from everyone here, but I knew those were not the words he
desired. I did not understand his question. Pod mindset was
directed toward the good of all, always for what was best for each citizen, but
more so as part of the whole community. He had never spoken words such as
this in this manner, words of division, of individuality. His eyes bore
seriousness into me. This was important to him, that I learn this lesson.
I wrestled for an answer, concentrated with all my might.
As always, he was patient, breathing quietly as I reasoned
out my response. It came suddenly, like a storm, as I raised my eyes to
meet his. This was right. I knew it. I’d logicked it out in
my brief moment of focus.
“Choices,” I replied.
Tarron smiled and my heart pounded with joy.
“Yes, Tolomay. Choices are what rule all of humanity,
each one sifting to and through, stroking those around us without us knowing
quite how. And you were partially correct in your other answers.
One’s intellect and duty play a part in who one is, as does life’s experience,
but it is always our choices that define who we really are, and lead us
toward who we will become.
“Remember this, though, I speak not of the mouth, or mind,
but choices of action. For thoughts and words can rarely change a
thing. Ideas must be played out, like a note to a song on the page.
For it does little to think of a note, and not draw it into the great symphony
of life, doesn’t it? Some fail to choose because of fear of the
unknown. Some fear weakness, or that they will make wrong
decisions. Heartfelt choices are the most precious of things. They
are powerful gifts, ones to treasure. So do not be afraid. Your spirit
and heart will lead.”
I sat for a moment realizing that today was no longer my
choice.
“Father.”
Tarron’s eyes set themselves upon mine as I continued.
“I do not want to leave you. I am afraid.”
Without faltering, his gentle answer came as he touched my
shoulder with a guiding hand.
“Child of my heart, I do not wish to see the pain in your
eyes regarding this. We must all grow, each of us able to hold our own
weight, or humanity is indeed doomed. You are ready. You are more
than ready for this. Do not doubt yourself.”
It was not doubt that haunted me. I loved my
father. I needed him. The tear ran its course down my cheek.
“There will be no reason for your eyes to visit me upon the
stage, Tolomay. We will say our goodbyes, here in this room, and only
this once.”
His reply startled me, horrified me to my core as I stared
back at him with desperate eyes. He would desert me at the end? I
was not to look upon his face once I left this room?
“It is my desire,” he insisted, his voice barely
wavering. “And will be easiest for all involved.”
I cried into his chest, his strong arms carrying the burden
of my weight as he knelt before me.
“Hush your pain, now. Leaders need dry eyes. Oh
child, what wonders your beautiful eyes will view on the other side.”
I settled my heart as best I could. After many
moments, Tarron rose to step to where a box lay on the floor near the door, a
single sprig of rosemary adorning its flat square top. He handed it to
me. I smelled the glorious herb, rubbing the scent upon my cheek to keep
me strong, then gave the precious stalk to my
father.
In spite of my grief, my heart leapt when I pulled opened
the lid. The garment was born of my own precious DNA, the golden dress,
made of my hair, that which he had saved throughout my life to weave into this
very fabric. Tarron wiped my tears that couldn’t help themselves as they
streamed down my cheeks, even as he helped me slip the garb on.
“Yes,” he continued his teachings while he tied my waist
string. “We all make choices, some more difficult than others.
Still, we can choose them each, one at a time. Even difficult choices
must be made, my wonderful child of spirit and light.
So do not avoid them. Do not overlook them. They
are great gifts, indeed.”
Image provided by M.E.L |
Blind Veil by Michael Lorde, Brooke Kelley,
Beverley Lousbury and Persis Sopariwala (31 Oct 2011)
Book Blurb:
What does an unreported crime that
occurred decades earlier have to do with a NYC cop? Everything!
Nothing the old scientist told him could possibly be true…or so the decorated New York Cop and former Marine tries to tell himself.
But as the evidence mounts, he faces the terrifying question -- is the Blind Veil lifting?
In a race for his life, he must decide if he is losing his mind or is the world he thought he knew merely an illusion?
Nothing the old scientist told him could possibly be true…or so the decorated New York Cop and former Marine tries to tell himself.
But as the evidence mounts, he faces the terrifying question -- is the Blind Veil lifting?
In a race for his life, he must decide if he is losing his mind or is the world he thought he knew merely an illusion?
Image provided by M.E.L |
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