 November is a quiet month, unless of course winter storms visit us. But even the holiday it is best known for, namely, Thanksgiving, can be a rather introspective one. This year as always, I've much to be thankful for, including my fellow Quills who join me today for our topic: "Picture This!" Our goal is to provide you with pictures of people, places or things from our stories. (Be sure to clink on the link at the end of the posts for each of Parker and Robin so as to get the rest of their stories!)  I think we'd do well to hear from P.S. Broaddus first this time around. Well, Parker, what do you have for us from A Hero's Curse? There are several images and fan art pieces that I really enjoy and that even inspire the way I write. Many deal with Essie Brightsday herself, the central character of both A Hero's Curse and Nightrage Rising. Essie Brightsday is a 12-year old blind girl who has a certain amount of gumption, but still wrestles to find her place in the world. The way artists and illustrators have rendered Essie is both interesting and inspiring. Interesting, as each image reveals something new about both the artist and the character, and inspiring in that I get to discover new aspects to a character I created.  I'm anxious to hear what Robin Lythgoe, author of As the Crow Flies, has. Aren't you? Take it away, Robin! I have a huuuuge collection of images. I will never run out of inspiration from that quarter! I write primarily fantasy, but that doesn't stop me from seeing a science fiction style image and diving off the cliff of "What If..." That happened recently with the short story "Sixes" that I wrote for the Quills' flash fiction challenge. In my story, Elran's Journey, the main character is the younger son of highly regarded and respected members of the Peerage. In the eyes of society he has everything any boy could or should want.  Finally, I've been busy scrounging around, looking for pictures that will show you things that I had in mind while writing. So, here we go! It’s interesting how vivid are the pictures in my mind of things I write about, yet how terribly difficult it is to find photographs of those people, places and things, to show others. Readers of Oathtaker know that early on, the twins, Reigna (derived from the word, “reign”) and Eden, are born. For me, this picture shows a bit of what I had in mind. Of course, one of these infants looks a little more like a boy, and it is true that these infants have the wrong hair color (given that Reigna and Eden as young adults, have copper colored hair). Still, I chose this photo for the overall feeling that it evokes through the following text from the tale:  This was indeed a miracle. No Select had ever before born twins—not one, not ever. “Easy, Rowena, you can do this.” Half giddy, Mara fought to hold down her grin. A tear rolled down Rowena’s face as another contraction took hold. “Almost there,” Mara encouraged. “Almost there.” After a couple minutes, a final contraction gripped the woman. When it released, the Oathtaker held up another child. She tied off the cord and cut it. Once again she felt a tingling sensation, then the infant’s heavenly scent momentarily overtook her. Although this child looked identical to her sister, her fragrance, a combination of bergamot, jasmine, and orange, with hints of warm musk, differed. Like her sister, the infant took in a gulp of air, but she did not cry. In danger but with Dixon’s assistance, Mara sets off with the infant twins, seeking a place of refuge. Before long, they come upon the home of Drake and Maggie. Here is what I described that they saw:  The small thatched cottage showed signs of wear. It leaned slightly to one side as though it had grown weary of holding its own weight and rested on one hip. Planters at its windows sported scented violas, while a large flowerpot at the steps provided an assortment of herbs at the ready for kitchen use. The citrusy scent of lemon thyme, the clean smell of lavender, the earthy scent of oregano, the freshness of mint, and the piney aroma of rosemary, filled the air. I admit that the thatching appears to be missing from the cabin in the photo here. Still and all, this place feels "right” to me. What do you think? Does it work for you?
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