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Dream Future #IWSG 12/04/2019

December 4, 2019 By ravenofiernan 2 Comments

Find out more at The Insecure Writer’s Support Group

Monthly Status Report

Well, it was NaNoWriMo, and I have fantastic news! I finished typing up the 2/3 of the revision I had written by hand, then wrote the remaining 1/3. I won Nano with a complete second draft of Cipher at 95,729 words! This is a much better length, and a much better draft. There is still a lot of work to be done, but once again, Nano came through for me.

My winning total was about 111,111 words because I did include a lot of my brainstorming, which I do normally when writing, and also some other creative works, including this post and a short story. Overall, it was a good writing month, and I cannot wait to see this novel continue to improve!

And now on to the optional monthly question:

December 4 question – Let’s play a game. Imagine. Role-play. How would you describe your future writer self, your life and what it looks and feels like if you were living the dream? Or if you are already there, what does it look and feel like? Tell the rest of us. What would you change or improve?

The main internal thing I would change is that I would become better at consistency. Once again, this November, I proved that when I want to, I can get the words out. But they come out all at once in a gush. Most of my writing was done on my days off, when I turned off the internet and did long three or five hour marathons. I had 50k by Day 10 by getting 30k in the first three days. I had three more 10k days (all on Sundays), and an almost 10k day on Black Friday. Weekdays, I sometimes got above the NaNo daily par of 1,667 words, but mostly they were lower. I did write every day, which is a type of consistency, but I know a writing career can’t be supported by writing seven 10k days in November and then barely making it to 2,000 words any day the rest of the year.

Of course, the main external thing I would change would probably help with that. While I like my job, my dream is to lower my hours from 40 hours a week at my day job to 30 hours. That would allow me to keep my group insurance, but give me more time off. I have even daydreamed about how I would change my schedule. (Since we all have to work at least one Saturday a month and since I value regularity in my schedule, I would keep my Saturdays). I would work 8 hours on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, and 6 hours on Saturday. Then have Sunday through Tuesday off. If I could do 10k days even two of those four days, that would leave still two days for errands and other social/household work.

The biggest part of my dream, though, would be something I already have: the sheer joy of creation, of bringing my words, my lives, my soul to the page, to create the novels only I can create. I am doing that now, and the dream would be lifeless, if that part was no longer present.

INSECURE WRITER’S SUPPORT GROUP

FOUNDED BY

Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh

Writers supporting, encouraging and learning from each other. Post on your own blog about your struggles, your triumphs, and your successes. Talk about your works in progress: the good, the bad and the ugly or some other writing relating topic on your mind. Read others, interact, comment, and grow within this wonderful author community. Every month there is an optional question for those who may need help figuring out what to post about.

Twitter is @TheIWSG Hashtag: #IWSG

Join in here!

IWSG Website

And here are the awesome co-hosts for the November 6 posting of the IWSG!

Tonja Drecker
Beverly Stowe McClure
Nicki Elson
Fundy Blue
Tyrean Martinson

The Order of the Good Death #IWSG 11/06/2019

November 6, 2019 By ravenofiernan 4 Comments

Monthly Status Report

Not a lot has gotten done in October. September was a productive month, writing-wise, and I’m looking ahead to the frenzy in November known as NaNoWriMo.

I participate every year, and have a great deal of fun, so I’m not planning on missing out anytime soon. Of course, that knowledge made me desperately want to play more Skyrim, make more soup, and in general take care of my house, not to mention actually spend time with people.

So, that’s pretty much it for October. Not a bad month, but not much writing.

For November, I am not doing a traditional NaNo. Instead, I will be finally typing up and finishing writing the second draft of Cipher. I’ve been writing it by hand since 07/2018 and I got stalled recently because of the slowness with handwriting, which made my critic louder, and I just wasn’t getting the words. Since it will need to be typed anyway, I decided to just type the whole thing for NaNo, and when I get to the part where I stalled (near the end), just keep going and finish the thing.

I will be doing a third draft anyway, so might as well use the motivation of NaNo to help me get this one done.

November’s Question

And now on to the optional monthly question:

November 6 question – What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever googled in researching a story?

This isn’t actually something I googled, and it’s probably not the strangest thing, but it’s what came to mind when I saw the question.

I love cozy mysteries, and I’ve written a few over the years. I have one in a bed-and-breakfast, and a YA one set in a Catholic private school. And of course, being so slow at revising, all are very messy rough drafts. Still, it remains an interest, and a few years ago, one of my writing friends introduced me to the Ask a Mortician videos by Caitlin Doughty, which led me in turn to her nonprofit organization The Order of the Good Death.

Immediately, I knew I wanted my paranormal mystery series to be about a funeral home worker who knows about and applies natural burial techniques in addition to more typical mortician services. Her work would give her access to the corpses of the murders, and I could also explore these other options in my work. As a pagan, I have long wished that upon death, I could just be buried naturally in the earth and have the earth consume my body the way it would happen naturally. To learn that this is actually something that can be done was eye-opening to me, and I want to share that with others.

I can do that through my main character, while still presenting an interesting mystery.

And of course, I use the resources at The Order of the Good Death liberally to make sure that the details are accurate.

INSECURE WRITER’S SUPPORT GROUP

FOUNDED BY

Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh

Twitter is @TheIWSG Hashtag: #IWSG

Join in here!

IWSG Website

And here are the awesome co-hosts for the November 6 posting of the IWSG!
Sadira Stone
Patricia Josephine
Lisa Buie-Collard
Erika Beebe
C. Lee McKenzie

Storytime Blog Hop 10/31/2019

October 29, 2019 By ravenofiernan 6 Comments

Welcome to the October 2019 Storytime Blog Hop!

I don’t have a story this time, so check out my past entries, which are also the first two flash fiction pieces of my Tarot collection:

0 – The Fool

I – The Magician

Then hop along to the other stories. I’m sure you will find something you love!

Loney Lucy by Bill Bush
The Traveler by Barbara Lund
Evening by Karen Lynn
Man Of Your Dreams by Gina Fabio
The Undertaker’s Daughter by J. Q. Rose
The Road by Elizabeth McCleary
Storytime Blog Hop by C. T. Bridges
Storytime Blog Hop by Warp World Books
The Exception by Vanessa Wells
Number 99 by Juneta Key
Edda’s Second Chance by Katharina Gerlach
Very Thin Line by Rebecca Anne Dillon
Henry Moves House by Nic Steven
For The Ghost The Bell Tolls by James Husum
Never Alone by Melanie Drake
The Neighbor by Meghan Collins

Many of these stories will also be featured on Holly Lisle and Rebecca Galardo’s podcast, Alone In A Room With Invisible People

They are reading several flash fiction pieces aloud for their Halloween episode.

The Value of Reading #IWSG 10/02/2019

October 2, 2019 By ravenofiernan 6 Comments

Monthly Status Report

So, after my slump in August, September ended up being a very good month, writing-wise and other. I decided to put my revision on hold for Nano, to use its energy to power me through the rest of the rewrite, so I haven’t done much on that.

But I have gotten some more work done on the website — still obviously more needs to be done, but it’s on the right track. And I wrote two flash fiction pieces: a story about a dragon at Christmas and the next installment of my Tarot series, IX – The Hermit. I’m pretty happy with both of them, but still awaiting feedback on the dragon story.

The decision to focus on my routines has paid off. I have been sleeping better and feeling like I have more energy. The writing is more consistent, too, which is expected and a nice side effect.

October’s Question

So, now onto the optional question:

October 2 question – It’s been said that the benefits of becoming a writer who does not read is that all your ideas are new and original. Everything you do is an extension of yourself, instead of a mixture of you and another author. On the other hand, how can you expect other people to want your writing, if you don’t enjoy reading? What are your thoughts?

When I saw this question, I will admit I was a little dumbfounded. Why would someone who does not read even want to be a writer? It’s like someone who hates music wanting to play the piano. What is the point if it’s not your thing?

Reading has always been my thing. Oh, there was a period when I didn’t know about the type of books I would have liked to read, and I was reading all this realistic fiction, and got bored with in, and thought I didn’t like reading anymore, but that was just because I didn’t know about the right books. As soon as I found Nancy Drew, I was off again, usually finishing a book a day, despite going to school. And after Nancy, there was Agatha Christie.

And then, in junior high, I found some Piers Anthony Xanth books in my cousin’s room. Then Mercedes Lackey, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Ursula K. LeGuin . . .

Writing is just an extension of all that. I wanted to stay in those worlds forever, but more, I wanted to create my own. I found books that I loved, but also books I wanted to love, but didn’t . . . where the idea was fascinating, but the book wasn’t what I wanted. And so, I wanted to write those stories.

And that’s where I am now. I want to write all the stories that I want to read that don’t exist yet, except in my head. But if I didn’t read . . . what would I write? And why would I write?

INSECURE WRITER’S SUPPORT GROUP

FOUNDED BY

Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh

Twitter is @TheIWSG Hashtag: #IWSG

Join in here!

IWSG Website

And here are the awesome co-hosts for the October 2 posting of the IWSG!
Ronel Janse van Vuuren
Mary Aalgaard
Madeline Mora-Summonte
Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor

The Slumpy Month of August #IWSG 09/04/2019

September 4, 2019 By ravenofiernan 16 Comments

This is my third post for The Insecure Writer’s Support Group.

So, there’s always an optional question to answer for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group, for which I am very grateful, because I don’t always know what to write about. I am also very grateful that they are optional, not required.

Especially this month. This month, I know what I want to write about. I’ll keep that optional question and maybe bring it out at a later date. This month, I want to talk about last month.

The month started strong. I went to a fantastic workshop by Bernadette Marie about building an author platform, and I did start posting on Facebook more. I have an ambiguity about Facebook because it has been bad for me in the past, but I think I am finding the right balance, at least for now. I also got a lot of revision done that first week of August.

But then things went downhill. Now, I should say that I have typically been a “spurt-and-slump” writer: getting lots of motivation and big word counts/productivity during certain periods of the year, and then having dormant periods where I don’t write much of anything at all. Since April 2017, I have been trying to focus more on consistency: to lower the peaks and raise the valleys. In general, it is working, but it’s still my pattern.

And August, well, other than that first week, turned out to be a slump month. I haven’t had a whole month be a slump in a long time, so it caught me by surprise, but I can see the work of my inner Rebel. So September, I am going back to the basics, so to speak. While I would love to continue pushing on my revision, I think what is most important is to develop and maintain a structure.

I have created morning, evening, and night routines. Writing is part of the evening routine, but it’s only 10 minutes. And to be honest, pretty much the only routine that is solid is the morning routine. So my goal for September is to focus on building and maintaining those three routines. I might not be writing much, but I will still be writing. Just as important: it will help with the other slumps I had in August, too. Because, as it turns out, when you start giving up on one thing, you start giving up on everything else.

I need to stop giving up on myself.

INSECURE WRITER’S SUPPORT GROUP

FOUNDED BY

Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh

Writers supporting, encouraging and learning from each other. Post on your own blog about your struggles, your triumphs, and your successes. Talk about your works in progress the good, the bad and the ugly or some other writing relating topic on your mind. Read others, interact, comment, and grow within this wonderful author community. Every month there is an optional question for those who may need help figuring out what to post about.

Twitter is @TheIWSG Hashtag: #IWSG

Join in yourself!

IWSG Website

And here are the awesome co-hosts for the September 4 posting of the IWSG!
Gwen Gardner
Doreen McGettigan
Tyrean Martinson
Chemist Ken
Cathrina Constantiner

Morning Coffee Ritual

August 21, 2019 By ravenofiernan Leave a Comment

In the morning, I usually do a coffee ritual. I developed this ritual when I was in college, so 20-some odd years ago, and I keep coming back to it because it calms and centers me. It is also very simple and can be done anywhere you have coffee, or tea, or other hot earthy* beverage.

It is also pagan in nature, as it calls on the five elements (air, water, fire, earth, spirit), the Goddess, the God, and/or one or more personal deities. If you want more information on these, please post in the comments section, and I will explain. I don’t want to clutter this post with an explanation, because I think the ritual itself can be done without formal understanding.

So, first, you have your cup of hot earthy beverage. Sit for a moment and just be. Then bring the cup to your nose. Breathe in the aroma, and say or think: “Air, inspire me.”

Let yourself feel inspired by air.

Then drink some of the liquid. Feel the liquid on your tongue, in your mouth, sliding down your throat. Say or think: “Water, cleanse me.”

Let yourself feel cleansed by water.

Now, cup your hands around the mug or cup. Feel the heat of the liquid. Allow it to move from your hands into your body. Say or think: “Fire, purify me.”

Let yourself feel purified by fire.

Take another drink of the liquid. This time, wait until you have swallowed, and then touch your tongue to the roof of your mouth. Taste the earthiness of the beverage. Say or think: “Earth, ground me.”

Feel your feet connect to the Earth. Feel your solid connection, the support it provides you. Feel grounded.

Draw or imagine a pentacle over the beverage. Say or think: “Spirit, surround me.” Imagine the liquid being infused with spirit, then take another drink.

Let yourself feel surrounded by spirit.

Finally ask for the blessings of the Goddess and God, as well as any personal deities you might have. I usually ask for a blessing to help me live up to the ideals of my highest self.

Blessed be,

Raven

*earthy here means anything that you personally think of as embodying the element earth: groundedness, tradition, solidity, etc.

Photo by rawpixel.com from Pexels

Surprise! #IWSG 08/07/2019

August 7, 2019 By ravenofiernan 10 Comments

This is my second post for The Insecure Writer’s Support Group.

Before we get to the monthly post, I want to first apologize to all the people who wrote to me in June, which was my first post for IWSG. My brain apparently took a leave of absence. I had written the post and posted it early in May so I wouldn’t forget, and somehow thought I would receive email notifications when there were comments. But I didn’t get any email notifications and instead of actually checking here (the smart thing to do), I just assumed no one had responded. Late June/Early July was crazy, so I missed that month’s posting, but did do a blog hop at the end of July and found all the responses waiting for my approval! So, first of all, thank you for writing, and then second, please forgive me for not seeing/responding to them until last week. I will be more responsive this time now that I know I won’t be getting email notifications!

I will also plan to check out some of the other blog posts this time, too!

Anyway, on to the question:

August 7 question – Has your writing ever taken you by surprise? For example, a positive and belated response to a submission you’d forgotten about or an ending you never saw coming?

I’m always surprised when I am writing, to be honest, and it doesn’t seem to matter how much or how little outlining I do. I’ve done detailed scene-by-scene outlines of the whole book, and also jumped in with only a line or so and no plan at all. Obviously, I’m surprised when I have no idea, but even when I outline, I start diverting from the planned plot about a quarter of the way through and by the time I am half-way through, the plan no longer works. As a result, I now do broad plotting, if any (having an idea of where I want the story to go and some main points I want to get to), for the whole book, and if I want, more detailed planning of the beginning, and as I go. I think the “as I go” planning is called headlight planning.

So that’s sort of a process question, but let’s get to a specific moment of surprise. I have started writing Prime Tower*. It’s basically an epic science fantasy dystopian novel about an amnesiac. Think Bourne Identity mixed with something like 1984 or Zamyatin’s We. The plot is more spy novel/epic fantasy than dystopian, but the setting is pretty dark. And it’s both futuristic and has magic.

While I was developing the magic part of the world, I had a flash of insight, and I saw the whole climax play out before my eyes. It was just amazing and perfect, and it linked the characters and the world and the plot in a way that resonated with the theme of the story. I can’t wait to get there!

*You can read about Prime Tower and other works in progress on my Works in Progress page!

INSECURE WRITER’S SUPPORT GROUP

FOUNDED BY

Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh

Twitter is @TheIWSG Hashtag: #IWSG

Join in yourself!

IWSG Website

And here are the awesome co-hosts for the August 7 posting of the IWSG!
Renee Scattergood
Sadira Stone
Jacqui Murray
Tamara Narayan
LG Keltner

I – The Magician

July 30, 2019 By ravenofiernan 12 Comments

Welcome to the July 2019 Storytime Blog Hop!

Last time, in April, I posted 0 – The Fool, so here is the next in my series of Tarot flash fiction pieces. I will note that I am shopping II – The Priestess around, so not sure what I will have here for the next blog hop, since I don’t want to use first publication rights until I’m done shopping. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this one and the other stories in the hop!

Without further ado, I present:

I – The Magician

The first time I jump, I fall into darkness. Then I wake up. The ground is hard, but I don’t feel bruised, so I don’t know how I got there. It is dark, but off in the distance, I see a bright light. I feel the dirt below me and hear drips. I stand, shaky, and test out my legs. I feel young and alive. I walk toward the light, letting my eyes adjust, but when I exit, it is still a shock. The sun is overhead, but seems to be all around, and yet somewhat filtered by tall trees, both hardwoods and evergreens. When I turn around, the cave is gone, just the edge of a mountain rising behind me, and no door or other entrance. But I’m used to that by now, and suddenly, I want to do something.

All this time I have been following, being guided, but now it’s time for me to act, not merely react. Even though I don’t know where I am, I see a clearing in the distance and head that way. The clearing is unusual because there is a table in the middle, but no one around. On the table are various tools I have never seen before. A shining brass plate inscribed with leaves. A silver chalice filled with some kind of sparkling liquid. Along the top edge lies a curved sword. And right in front of me a golden stick with two gems, one on each end. I pick it up.

I like the heft of it in my hand. One end is blue and the other red, but as I watch, the colors swirl and change. Yes. I can do something with this. I can make something. But first, I need to stake my claim on this place, so I set it down again, and pick up the sword. With the sword, I draw a circle in the dirt around the table, and then a star. I don’t remember my name, but I know I came from the stars, so I make it my signature.

I want to create life, a plant, a tree to grow in this clearing long after I am gone. One that will greet anyone else who comes out of that cave. Back at the table, or perhaps altar is a better word, I pick up the wand with the glowing tips. I raise it to the sky, pointing the other end down toward the brass plate. I feel the sunlight hit the tip of the wand. It is warm and electric, and I almost drop it, but I’m so excited about the plant that I manage to hold on to it. It gets hotter, almost too hot. I stand firm, and as I watch, the lower gem turns bright emerald green. A stream of life bursts forth, bursting off the brass plate, blinding me. I close my eyes against the brightness, but keep my hand grasped firmly around the wand. It shudders for a moment, but then, it steadies and cools. The painful light outside my eyelids recedes into delicious coolness.

When I open my eyes, I see a tiny hawthorn sapling sitting on the brass plate. I point the wand at an area of dirt near the altar, and watch as a hole appears, just large enough for the sapling. I set the wand down, and plant the sapling in the hole, covering it with dirt. I look back at the altar. Something seems incomplete and I realize that I have used all the tools except the cup. I take a drink from the cup — pure fresh water that is somehow magical. But as I move away from the altar, the altar begins to shimmer. It is translucent; I can see the grass and dirt through it, and soon, it has disappeared. I am left holding only the cup.

I pour the rest of the water over the hawthorn. In just seconds it begins to grow, growing and spreading until it is fully grown. In the distance, I hear a dog barking, and out of the corner of my eye, I see a glint of silver from the chalice. I rest beside the hawthorn a moment, but I know I cannot stay.

It is time for the next adventure.

The End

Want to read more? Check out the next story in the blog hop!

Evening Update by Elizabeth McCleary

Allies, by Eli Winfield

The Salem Witch Trials and What We Can Learn From Them by Amaliz Tenner, Class 4c by Katharina Gerlach

The Fairest by Nic Steven

Something About Mary by Bill Bush

Grumpy Old Harpies by Juneta Key

The Goddess of Wine by Vanessa Wells

A Melody in A Grotto by S S Prince

Say Hello to Chris Bridges, Supporting Storytime Quarterly Blog Hop

Tears and Toil by Barbara Lund

Coming Soon: by Karen Lynn

Home Repairs by Jason Gallagher

The Robot Accomplice by Janna Willard

I hope you enjoy the stories!

Genre Confusion #IWSG 06/05/2019

June 5, 2019 By ravenofiernan 14 Comments

So, I have just joined the Insecure Writer’s Support Group, which is fitting, since I am a writer and very insecure!

INSECURE WRITER’S SUPPORT GROUP

FOUNDED BY

Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh

Twitter is @TheIWSG Hashtag: #IWSG

Join in yourself!

IWSG Website

JUNE CO-HOSTS:

DIANE BURTON / KIM LAJEVARDI / SYLVIA NEY / SARAH FOSTER / JENNIFER HAWES / MADELINE MORA-SUMMONTE

QUESTION FOR JUNE 05, 2019: Of all the genres you read and write, which is your favorite to write in and why? (Always optional)

This is a good question for me. I don’t really have one favorite genre to write in, or to read in, for that matter. Sometimes I need light fluff. Other times I want something intellectually dense, but not too emotional. Other times, I yearn for emotional intensity. So, when it comes to writing, I want to have books like those out for others who read. It doesn’t help that ALL genres have books on all ends of this spectrum, for the most part.

That said, as my subtitle suggests, what really draws me is the weird. Usually, this means some sort of paranormal, fantasy, or science fiction element. I also love puzzles and mysteries, the sort Agatha Christie is famous for, so most of what I write includes a mystery, either as the main plot or as a subplot. And I love solving problems in ways that are a little unconventional: thievery and spying and assassination are really fascinating to me, as are serial killers and secret organizations.

So, what genres do I write in, then? Cipher, the novel I am revising, is an urban fantasy. As the first book, it sets up the world of vampires, and other paranormal creatures. I’m also planning on including a secret society, and most of the plots will be intrigue or mysteries.

The Neighborhood Witch Watch series is paranormal cozy mystery: the premise is a neighborhood watch made up of witches and other supernatural beings. I’ve flirted with putting them in the same universe as Cipher, but have decided not to. The supernaturals in this series are more flavor than core elements, so the mechanics are more simplistic. I’ve written the first book, but have not yet revised it, nor planned any more yet.

Prime Tower is a standalone science fantasy. The main plot is a mystery in that the main character is amnesiac. Think Bourne Identity with future technology, dystopian government, and natural magic. So, it’s not mystery in a traditional sense (no one is solving a crime), but it is a puzzle, with secret powers and spies. I’ve started writing this.

And then, I am hoping to write a series around The Rookery — a Renaissance-esque fantasy about a monastery of thieves and spies who can turn into ravens and use chess pieces as messages. Lots of play on the word “rook”.

As you can see, while I write in many different genres, the core pieces always seem to come back.

What genres do you like to read and/or write?

0 – The Fool

April 23, 2019 By ravenofiernan 12 Comments

Hello! It is time once more for the Storytime Blog Hop! This month, I am providing my story 0 – The Fool, the first of several flash fiction pieces on the Tarot. This one also happens to be featured in It Happened in a Flash: An Anthology of 64 Bite-Sized Stories. The anthology is free as an e-book, so be sure to check it out!

With that said, here is the story:

0 – THE FOOL
by Raven O’Fiernan

I remember that day perfectly: the sun shining so bright that I kept my head down, the scent of the flowers so overpowering that every breath was a mouthful of perfume. I was taking a walk through the meadow singing to myself when I realized I had no idea where I was. The landscape in all directions was the same flat flowered field. Like my life of sixteen years: all the same, no adventure. As I looked to see any sign of the way back, I heard a dog bark. It was a short playful bark, and as soon as I identified its direction, I saw a path form in the grasses.

Coincidence? Maybe. But I was curious; I didn’t really want to go back home yet. The day was still young, and I wanted to explore. I wanted to meet the dog. I took one look, then started along the path. Mother wouldn’t miss me for several hours anyway. After some time I could still hear the dog ahead of me and the sun was still in the upper East. How was that possible? But I was curious, so I continued.

I became alarmed when the grass grew. I wanted to go home. It felt like I’d been walking forever. Grasshoppers hopped from the top of the blades, which were now shoulder height. And then, I looked behind. Big mistake. A wall of grass—so high I couldn’t see past it—blocked the way back. I tried to push through it, but it was too thick and dense. There was only one way to go: forward. So I walked on and eventually the grasses gave way to rocks, and along with the dog, I now heard the sound of waves crashing.

The path ended. I stood at the top of a cliff looking down to a tumultuous sea below. Mountains rose to either side of me. Home was gone. From a cave in the mountains, a small spotted black and white dog came running. He barked and jumped at me, and ran up to the edge of the cliff and made circles, chasing his tail. Then he looked up at me expectantly, joyfully wagging his tail. I looked over the edge at the sea, and suddenly the dog hurtled off the cliff. My heart froze in horror, but the dog shimmered in the air and disappeared.

I had to know what happened. So, I leapt.

The unknown became home, and the dog was always ahead of me.

—

Also, be sure to check out the rest of the stories in the Blog Hop:

Big Enough by Elizabeth McCleary
Grumpy Old Demeter by Vanessa Wells
Say Pleaseby J. Q. Rose
Provoking the Muse by Moira K. Brennan
It all Started… by Bill Bush
Zombies by Barbara Lund
Before The Dreams by Katharina Gerlach
To Wake A God by Juneta Key
The Sprite In The Well by Angela Wooldridge
Something Different by Karen Lynn