I love telling my kids stories. I love reading fiction, fantasy, sci-fi, etc. I’ve written many short stories over the years, but have a story in my mind right now that I am going to commit to paper. I will post the story on JU in chapters. My biggest problem when writing a story is going back and re-writing over and over until it’s ruined. By posting my chapters here, I will be FORCED to accept my first draft…which may mean it’s not very good (and prob with typos), but hopefully w...

Chapter 3 Rotta awoke with a start. She kicked the heavy fur pelt from around her naked body. She stared hard at it as if waiting for it to bite her. “What is it darlin?” Max lifted his head from the next pillow. “What’s got ya so riled?” “It’s cursed,” she whispered wiping the sweat from her forehead. “What’d ye say?” Max mumbled. “Cursed? Whose cursed?” Rotta shook her head as if trying to dislodge...

Chapter 11 “What has he done?” Gainrel asked when he rejoined Mikael outside the hasma. “He has retrieved the clan emerald, and killed the man Max.” Mikael said. “What news of the merchant?” “The merchant is well,” Gainrel said. Both Legna stood atop the opposite building and watched Rotta’s hasma burn. “Your human set this fire?” Gainrel asked. Mikael nodded. “Shortly after the dead man’s body was r...

Chapter 13 A frustrated Cade made his way back toward Rotta’s burning hasma, the full moons providing ample light. Razar followed her scent quite successfully for some distance then suddenly it was gone. Razar rounded the spot not far from the hasma where the scent disappeared. Cade ran a thick palm through his black hair. It made no sense. Razar never lost a scent once tracking it, even when the hunted tried disguising it. He arrived as the last of the city folk were retreat...

Chapter 15 “Shifter,” Cade spat. Razar growled deep in his throat and stalked toward the beautiful woman. “No!” Simon yelled and stood between Cade and the woman. “She too is looking for the witch!” Cade’s eyes narrowed. “Then it be for no good cause. Stand aside. You know the penalty for harboring a dark race. And penalty you shall pay.” Razar chose that moment to leap for the woman. The air shimmered a split second before Ra...

Chapter 16 “You were wise to bring us this issue Gainrel,” Venjamin, the leader of the seven Legna council spoke. “We are hearing many disturbing reports from the field.” “We must move to crush these dargon.” Bela said, one of the council and a general among the Legna . He was known for taking incalculable risk when battling the warriors of Agoniture. To date, no Legna could beat him in any of the warrior tests. “I will call a legion up and ...

Chapter 17 The morning broke with the two suns beating upon the three travelers. Cade was running at his usual ground eating pace. Magus slapped rhythmically on his strong back as he ran. Razar ran between Cade and the shifter who forsook the guise of beautiful woman for something far faster and sleeker, a pure white panther. Razar did not like the panther, nor did he like the shifter. He wanted to rip the Shifter’s throat from her body. Only his loyalty to Cade kept his fangs in...

Chapter 19   Hot, he was so hot.   Cade opened his eyes to shadows dancing on the rock ceiling above him.   A small fire was burning, the smoke layering the ceiling of the cave in black soot.   He loosed his right hand slowly from around Magus’ hilt.   “I thought you would sleep forever Wardex,” the woman’s voice came from across the fire.    Cade groaned and tried to push himself up.   “Razar,”...

Chapter 21   Razar pushed ahead through the thick underbrush leaving his companions a few steps behind.   “Hold!” Baran Wardex shouted at the hound for the tenth time in as many minutes.   Razar stopped but did not look back.   His nose turned in the air and eyes searching the dense cluster of trees.   “Father, do not shout at Razar,” Kyna said patting Razar’s wide black head.   “He is anxious for us to...

Chapter 22 Razar stood at the mouth of the cave his back stiff.  A low growl rolled back toward the travelers.   Baran lifted his hand in warning.   Kyna pulled the bow from around her head and notched an arrow.   Inside the cave, Cade lay resting beside the fire.   “Your people come,” the shifter said and stood.   “Your hound even now stands at the entrance.”   Cade stood amazed again at how quickly his wounds healed.   “Yo...

Went to a baby shower a few weeks ago. Don't worry this isn't about that. We played a game, and I thought it would be a great JUWC challenge, but I am mixing it up a bit. Below is a list of words.  There is one word for every letter of the alphabet.  Read through the DEFINITIONS first and see if a storyline jumps out at you.....then write a short story, scene, act, whateva...while using every single word.  (Sometimes when I am having writer's bloc...

Tabbitha looked up from the laptop into the dark blue eyes of a man she could only describe as, yuuuuummy.  The sounds of the coffee house seemed to recede when she tuned her whole attention to the man before her. Tall, yes he was definitely tall, at least six feet two inches.  Her neck hurt to stare up at him. Levis.  Very few men looked bad in a pair of tight Levis, but some looked so scrumptious they rivaled the sticky doughy treats in the pastry case not five feet f...

Link   Chapter 34   Verin’s four stubby leather wings echoed dryly in the dark chamber as he circled round and round the tower’s perimeter.   The dust, disturbed after decades of slumber, fell on invisible waves and landed atop the rotting bed canopy.   A lone figure lay unmoving beneath the heavy blankets.   Dark black hair spilled a shadow on the yellowed pillow, violet eyes stared unseeing at the canopy above.   Verin stop...

Sarah shoved the small brown paper bag into an over sized black purse.   She wasn’t hiding anything, she told herself.   It was just easier to carry in the purse.   She looked in the rear view mirror.   Tired.   She looked so tired!   And the makeup she applied to hide the dark rings under her eyes, made them look worse.   She sighed and looked longingly at the black purse.   No.  Not now, you have too much to do today.   Focus...

Location   I based Jude’s locale loosely on a map of southeastern Arizona.   If you go straight west of Drake, and straight North from Bagdad, where the line intersects, that’s Jude.   Carr County and Drake County are fictitious.   As far as I know there are no counties by those names in Arizona.   I created highway 30 to run from highway 89 to Jude.   All the other highways mentioned are real, though I don&rsquo...