Showing posts with label traveling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label traveling. Show all posts

Friday, January 6, 2012

SFFSat January 7th: Adra visits Harbourtown

From my Nanowrimo novel, Dead Transgressions.

Adrasteia, the half-Atherian, half-Ixilean hero, is currently visiting Harbourtown with Duke Leandros of Aeril, the brother of the woman she's sworn to protect from a plot by the Children of IxChel, intent on reclaiming their people's Jade Star. The Duke has taken Adra on a small tour of the countryside while she recovers from her wound. And by countryside, I mean various cities around Athering, as there are no wilds left.

Soon they reached Harbourtown, and Adra was glad for the chance to stretch her legs. The air smelled strongly of brine and seagulls rent the sky with their harsh cries. She and Leandros went down to the seawall, where they took a leisurely stroll, watching the waves come in and out. It was a sunny day but there was a chill in the air — each breath left Adra’s nostrils and lungs feeling awakened. She was glad she had her jacket with her; since her injury she found herself getting cold with more ease.  
Harbourtown was a slow city. More a town, really — the streets were cobblestone, a throwback to a simpler time, and the buildings were still made of wood. Really old wood, she supposed; at some point they’d no doubt have to rebuild in stronger synthetic materials. Until that time came, however, Harbourtown clung to the past. It was almost quaint.





Friday, September 23, 2011

Fiction Friday: tales of my travels

I've been travelling since yesterday, when I caught an 8:30 ferry to Vancouver from Nanaimo. Mom picked me up and we then drove down to Bellingham, where Village Books is. As publishers, we had business there -- they have an EBM, and it's cheaper per page to print there than it is to print in Vancouver. And an excuse to come down to Washington is always nice -- do you know it's my first trip outside Canada since 2008, when I moved back up there from Hawaii? Ridiculous, I know.

So here I am in a hotel room in Everett, where it's way too warm, trying desperately to get out a few blog posts while I have steady access to internet and no interruptions. I also like my posts to appear in the morning, so it's my last chance. Mom is loading up the car, and we're heading down to Bellevue and Seattle proper today so I can meet an online forum friend (yay!) and because I have an appointment with a naturopath.

(Sidenote: the cleaning lady just came in here and saw me sitting naked on the bed, despite the no disturb sign on the door. Sigh.)

Then onto Village Books, where I can sit in the café and work on my computer while we wait for the proofs of our latest publishing masterpiece to come off the machine, before heading back up to Vancouver tonight.

I then get to spend two nights at my partner's which is always awesome.

Anyway, writing while traveling is a funny thing. It's sometimes easier -- especially if you've scheduled that travel time as a writer's retreat, which I'll have to do in the next year to Hawaii so I can finish Islands of Fire and Water. If you haven't, however, it can be harder.

Especially when Angry Birds is on your iPod, distracting you.

Next week I'll have more notes from the revision pile, I'm sure. Today, however, you get to have tales of my travels.