L is for Loquacious

This is a continuation of the A-Z blog challenge.  Click here to see the list of all 1935 participants!

Loquacious:  [loh-kwey-shuhs]

1. talking or tending to talk much or freely; talkative; chattering;  babbling; garrulous: a loquacious dinner guest.

I love this word.  It tickled me even more when Hermione Granger used it to describe Victor Crum; well, rather what Victor Crum wasn’t.  I’m sure Rowling sent some kids to the dictionary on that one.

I tend to do that, too…you know, send kids to the dictionary.  I don’t like dumbing down a novel or story.  As a YA author, I think it’s important for kids to learn a new word a day.  It’s my job, my lot in life.  It is my diabolical plan.

I’ve been told by some that I’m more loquacious than I should be.  I highly doubt this as I’m actually a rather shy person when it comes to talking to people face to face.  I admit, though, that sometimes my blogs ramble on.  When speaking with friends and family, I ramble on.  My stories ramble on.  I even have a character, a meadow gnome by the name of Twiller, in my novel, In the Shadow of the Dragon King, who is quite loquacious.  (You know, they’re a very talkative sort, meadow gnomes.  I suggest avoiding them all together or you’ll be stuck in conversations with them for hours.  They really don’t know when to shut up.)

Of course, talking a lot can have its advantages, too.  Blabbering and chattering to your neighbors and friends and co-workers about a new product like a new book, is a great marketing tool.  You simply have to make sure you don’t overdo it and bore your audience with all your enthusiasm, even though enthusiasm in the right amount is quite contagious.  Contagious enthusiasm.  Hey.  I like that marketing term.  I wonder if it’s been used before.  Oh, what am I saying?  Of course it has.  Marketing is contagious.  Oh!  Oh!  You know what is else is contagious?

Laughter.  Ever hear someone burst out with a funny laugh, and all of a sudden you have to laugh along with them just because their laugh tickles your funny bone?  Haven’t you ever kept laughing because you’re laughing?  Oh my gosh, I do that all the time until my sides hurt and it’s hard to breathe.  Laughter is great for the soul, you know.  Experts say you should have at least 5 good belly laughs a day because it takes away stress and just makes you feel better all the way around.  I’m way behind on my laugh quotient for the day.  Actually for the last umpteen years of my life.  I wonder if you can ever catch up on belly laughs.  Wouldn’t that be kewl if you could harness a belly laugh, you know, collect it and store it in a laugh box so when you needed to laugh, you’d have one right there at your disposal?  Oh wait…*snap fingers*…that’s an idea for a story.  Shhh.  No way!  I just had a brainstorm.  Huh?…What’s that?…I’m being too loquacious?…But I just got started…Oh, okay, I’ll let someone else talk for awhile.  Geez…tough crowd…and just when I was getting on a roll.  *ouch!* Ok, ok, I’m going.  Oh, wait, I forgot something.  *taps on computer screen*  Hey, you.  Yeah, you on the other side of the glass.  I’ve got a question for you.

Who is the most loquacious character you’ve ever read about? Take the stage for a while and don’t afraid to be loquacious in your answer.  After all, it is Friday the 13^th .  If you can’t gibber-jabber today to keep the evil spirits away, when can you?

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• Belly Laughs (thecarrotseeddotcom.wordpress.com)

D is for David (Heiland, that is)

This is a continuation of the A-Z blog challenge.  Click here to see the list of all 1935 participants!

Who the heck is David Heiland?

He’s this guy…

Okay, okay.  You’re right.  It’s not.  This is Zac Efron, but if I could cast my MC, David, from my novel, In the Shadow of the Dragon King, this is what he would look like. Hot, right?

But what makes my Zac Efron look-alike so special?

David was born March 31 and is 16, almost 17 years old, extremely wealthy and lives with his godmother, Lily.  His father, Edward, was a fighter pilot.  Unfortunately, he died in a training mission over the Gulf of Mexico 3 months before David was born.  His mother, Jillian, died from complications after David’s birth.

David lives in an 1860’s mansion in Havendale, Tennessee, located not far from Bristol, and his favorite ride out of four cars is the steel-blue 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500 his father left him.

He is a champion archer and State track star and longs to be a fighter pilot like his dad when he grows up. His favorite subject is history, and finds Geometry a complete waste of time.  He’s an honor student, and holds multiple National academic awards.  He loves to read, draw and play his guitar. His choice of music:  classic rock and roll from the ‘60s and ‘70s.  He broke his left leg while running in a track competition when he was 15.  The injury still causes occasional problems.

His best friend is Charlotte and he would do anything to keep her from harm. His greatest fear is losing her from his life.  He is not in love with her.   Their friendship is strictly platonic.

He is cunning and mentally alert.  He listens to conversations and picks up subliminal meanings.  He remembers things easily and has a photographic memory, especially when it comes to minor details. Intuitive.  He can articulate well.  He has lots of energy he’s a great organizer and a determined fighter.  He’s a great adversary, especially of mind.  Dramatic.  Tough on the outside, soft on the inside.  Charming.  Stylish.  He likes being alone.  Doesn’t like ‘socializing’ or adulation from teachers for doing what he loves to do, but he does like taking control and being a leader.

He has a need to make things ‘right’.  He can’t stand disorder.  He always has to win, to succeed in everything he does.  Must be the one to take initiative, but needs backup once the ball gets rolling.  Needs to help others, especially without them knowing.

On the downside, he is short-tempered, stubborn, with childlike tendency to see things from his own point of view and to express himself as he sees things in an innocent and youthful way. While some might see this as being self-absorbed or even selfish, he sees it as being honest and expressing his true thoughts and feelings and doing what he thinks is right.

He runs his fingers through his hair a lot, bites his fingernails and grits his teeth when nervous or angry.  He’s a klutz in spite of being a state track champion and he mumbles in his sleep.

He has to make his bed every day.  Papers have to be stacked neatly and in piles of similar size. i.e. large pieces of mail together, letters stacked together, postcards stacked together.  His clothes are color-coded in his closet and are on color-coded hangers.  He flips out if anything is out-of-place.

His greatest weakness:  he’s quick to judge.  Quick tempered.  Easily bored, even with his own concepts, and tends to wander off.  He will sometimes sit back and let others have their way.  He can be bull-headed, obstinate and doesn’t like being told what to do.  He’s impatient, aggressive but also needs reassurance he’s doing the right thing.  He’s two dimensional.  He doesn’t see all sides or all aspects, leaving him open to physical and verbal attacks.

He’s taken down a peg or two when he is thrust into the care of Sir Trogsdill Domnall, a highly respected and lethal knight of the kingdom of Hirth.  David is irritated by Trog’s methods of teaching, but when David comes face to face with a sorcerer and a dragon that are determined to murder him, David soon realizes Trog may not be such a bad teacher after all.

Lucky Seven Meme

I’ve been tagged again by the amazing Susan Rocan, but there won’t be any number of questions I have to answer this time around.  This is a new kind of game and I saw it a few weeks ago circling around on the blogosphere and I secretly hoped it would come my way because it’s just so much fun!

Here is the scoop:

1.  Go to page 77 of your current manuscript or WIP

2.  Go to line 7.  Copy down the next seven lines, sentences or paragraphs as they are written.  No Cheating!

3.  tag 7 authors and pass on the Lucky Seven Meme

Here goes my excerpt from In the Shadow of the Dragon King:

Charlotte hugged her drawn-up knees. “Hmm, let me see. I’m in a heavy sweater sitting in a forest that’s as warm as Florida in July, surrounded by insects and birds that could carry me away.  My cell phone is in my coat back at your house, not that it would do me any good in this God-forsaken place, and I have welt marks on  my arm from where I’ve pinched myself so many times to convince myself all this is real.  Does that answer your question?”

David smiled and nudged her with his elbow. “Well, at least you aren’t plastered to a wall anymore.” 

And, my seven lucky authors are:

Jennifer Eaton

Julie Reece

Emi Gayle

Cara Olsen

Hannah Bullimore

L.A. Freeland

Kevin Hiatt

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• Lucky Seven (tracikenworth.wordpress.com)

Can you guess my character’s age?

Brenda Drake has this awesome blogfest contest going on over at her blog. The topic: Can we guess your character’s age?

Being the contest nerd I am (and a huge fan of Brenda Drake’s site), I’ve decided to participate. I’m posting the first 250 words of my novel,  and I am excited to see if I’ve managed to get my MC’s voice right.

I’m going to pop over to everyone’s site to participate. I think this is a fun contest and a great way to interact with other writers. It also lets you know if you’re on the right track with your character’s voice.

So, with that said, here are my 250 words. *rubs hands and smiles really big*

***

David Heiland leaned over his desk and blew the eraser crumbs from the cat-like eyes staring back at him in his drawing.  Just like in his nightmares, the dragon clung to the castle’s battlement, a lifeless body clutched in one talon. Small horns jutted from the top of the creature’s head and two leather-like whiskers protruded from both sides of its snout. From its neck hung a pendant on a braided chain – a reptilian eye embedded in a swirling web.  Crouched in the shadow of a turret were a man and a woman, their arms raised like shields above their heads, terror etched into their eyes and mouths.

Charlotte closed the bedroom door and tossed her coat on the bean bag chair, burying the gaming controllers.  She peered over David’s shoulder.  “Wow, that’s amazing and creepy.  I can’t get over how real it looks.” She kicked off her sneakers and climbed into the center of his carved, four-poster bed. “Who are the people?”

“My parents,” David said, examining his work.  “You know, it’s funny.  Up until a few years ago, all I ever dreamed of was them being alive.”  He brushed his thumb over the woman in the drawing.  ”I used to pretend the front door would open and they’d walk through it, and all would be right with the world.  Now all I dream about is this,” he said, smacking the picture, “and some woman’s voice whispering to me, ‘Your time is nigh.  Be brave’.”  With a flick of his wrist, the drawing pad sailed across the room and landed on the foot of the bed.  “It’s driving me nuts.  I can’t take it anymore.”  He leaned back in his chair and ran his fingers through his hair.

“It’s just a dream, David,” Charlotte said.  “It doesn’t mean anything.”

“Oh, yeah?” David said.  ”Then why can’t I get it out of my head?”

“I don’t know,”  Charlotte said, twisting a loose thread in the bedspread.

***

Don’t forget to hop around the other participant’s sites and leave your comments!