tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40282543127644071342024-03-19T01:48:37.717-07:00Author Autumn DawnAutumn Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18142359468867203120noreply@blogger.comBlogger317125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028254312764407134.post-88609257730983478112022-12-16T07:29:00.005-08:002022-12-16T07:29:59.848-08:00Retiring this blog<p> In the interest of streamlining, I'm retiring this blog. All new book releases info (there have been a couple) will be on Facebook for now.</p><p>Book info you might have missed (sugar fairy adventure, goblin general) are on FB.</p><p>The email autumndawn@autumndawnbooks has been retired, so if I've missed any comments here, message me on FB. <br /></p><p> https://www.facebook.com/autumn.dawn.18<br /></p>Autumn Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18142359468867203120noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028254312764407134.post-21225133075349222152022-08-06T07:13:00.002-07:002022-08-06T07:13:28.511-07:00IGHK is live on Amazon!<p>Copy and paste into browser: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B8TTFWXR <br /></p>Autumn Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18142359468867203120noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028254312764407134.post-15324032900866205482022-08-05T17:06:00.003-07:002022-08-05T17:06:39.725-07:00The Ice Giant's Housekeeper is live at Smashwords!<p> The Ice Giant's Housekeeper is live at Smashwords!</p><p>Copy and paste into the browser: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1159320</p>Autumn Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18142359468867203120noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028254312764407134.post-956755797396841142022-08-04T15:29:00.003-07:002022-08-04T15:29:49.011-07:00The Ice Giant's Housekeeper<p align="center" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.1in;">
<span style="background: transparent;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWn8GknTl3irH77lYwJKxcchQBcbPCocE7ypgdXlL7LJctoya1HSE__Y_VhbPZOtd7O5dlWWprZb8ZjzlHlR2BSOEXkxLjUO92NB9oLwRx13Or7Bi7tI2asIy9QiIEJdZc881nVn1LqBGmdQVixlDf1bguM8pWetWil-xpSZ8Vtu99DZZFAZXu5nSX/s2700/IceGiantHKeeper.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWn8GknTl3irH77lYwJKxcchQBcbPCocE7ypgdXlL7LJctoya1HSE__Y_VhbPZOtd7O5dlWWprZb8ZjzlHlR2BSOEXkxLjUO92NB9oLwRx13Or7Bi7tI2asIy9QiIEJdZc881nVn1LqBGmdQVixlDf1bguM8pWetWil-xpSZ8Vtu99DZZFAZXu5nSX/s320/IceGiantHKeeper.jpeg" width="213" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p align="center" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.1in;"><span style="background: transparent;">The Convergence had changed
their world. Years ago, Earth and the fabled elven world had melded,
causing earthquakes, raising sunken islands and unleashing monsters.
The catastrophic disaster disrupted every facet of transportation,
agriculture and caused widespread death. When the shaken citizens of
both worlds finally sorted things out, roads got fixed, farms and
factories started to produce, and oil and natural gas once more
fueled the nations. The world ran on a mix of magic and science,
allowing dragons to rule the skies and satellites to dominate space.</span></p>
<p align="center" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.1in;"><span style="background: transparent;">These
days, resources were focused on infrastructure, communications,
manufacture and monster control. Meat and animal products were
especially rationed. It took a lot of manpower to protect herds of
animals and helpless, delicious chickens from hungry monsters. WW2
memorabilia and rationing posters were back in circulation, as people
were encouraged to “grow your own” and “have a monster garden”.
Etsy sold framed posters of Rosie the Riveter, people were encouraged
to “make do and mend”, and homemaking was a full-time job again…</span></p>
<p align="center" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.1in;"><span style="background: transparent;">Which
is why Hakon and his brothers were struggling. Women were naturally
superior at homemaking; at least Fern thought so. </span>
</p>
<p align="center" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.1in;"><span style="background: transparent;">Fern
served the perfect frost giant family, until a disaster forces her to
find a new home. Turned out another family was in need of a live-in
housekeeper. It’s not exactly a dream job.</span></p>
<p align="center" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.1in;"><span style="background: transparent;">He
needed a cook. Maybe someone to clean house. The little human seemed
like a good idea, but it was tricky keeping her alive.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.04in; margin-top: 0.04in;">
He needed a housekeeper. She needed a home.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.04in; margin-top: 0.04in;">
Fern’s apartment is wreaked by monsters and she’s fired the next
day. With nowhere to go, she’s grateful to accept any job...even if
it’s working for a family of ice giant bachelors. They’re nice
enough, if dreadful slobs. Thankfully, it’s nothing a fire hose and
elbow grease won’t clean.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.04in; margin-top: 0.04in;">
A member of Fire & Rescue, Hakon doesn’t have time to breathe,
much less clean. Not only is the new housekeeper a talented cook, she
makes his house a home. She also comes with unexpected magical
talents...</p>
<p align="center" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.04in; margin-top: 0.04in;">
<span style="background: transparent;">American pie and monsters. Ice
giant cattle ranchers and goblin bankers. Murderously protective
magical geese and a very talented housekeeper.</span></p><p align="center" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.04in; margin-top: 0.04in;"><span style="background: transparent;"> .....</span></p><p align="center" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.04in; margin-top: 0.04in;"><span style="background: transparent;"> </span></p><p align="center" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.04in; margin-top: 0.04in;"><span style="background: transparent;">I have cover and a blurb. Working on the innards now. Hope to upload in a few days. <br /></span></p>
<p> </p>Autumn Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18142359468867203120noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028254312764407134.post-55639626199335913772022-02-09T06:55:00.003-08:002022-02-09T06:55:52.822-08:00Goblins! Perfectly describes. One of my favorite scenes.<div class="separator"><p style="break-after: auto; break-before: auto; line-height: 100%; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-indent: 0in;"> <img alt="May be an image of text that says 'Me: *breaks enemy's neck to conserve ammo* Everyone else at laser tag:'" class="i09qtzwb n7fi1qx3 datstx6m pmk7jnqg j9ispegn kr520xx4 k4urcfbm bixrwtb6" height="477" src="https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/273631451_10223716117709748_2236508281551857541_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-5&_nc_sid=5cd70e&_nc_ohc=fmJ6PE5AbiIAX9MfBnk&_nc_ht=scontent-sea1-1.xx&oh=00_AT9K2i6rBjTCL4v2ChDy-36FSDFNu2vPHIt-IRtV91sKeA&oe=62089287" width="422" /></p></div><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Hakon
pulled up to the curb to let Fern out. “Meet me at the hardware
store when you’re done,” he said, pointing down the block. He’d
decided it would be easiest if Fern set up an account with their bank
so he could transfer money for household expenses to a card for her.
Hall would be in charge of watching the account, but it would make it
easier for her to do the household shopping.</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">On
the outside, Goblin Gold looked like a mundane bank. Built of gray
stone blocks, it rose two stories and had a red and gilt sign. The
doors were ornate, solid steel, and there were no windows on the
first floor.</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Inside
was well lit with skylights and soft LED. The floor was polished
tile, the counters sleek and modern. There were comfortable chairs by
a fish tank in a waiting area, plus a small kids space. Fern played
on her phone as she waited in line to turn in her paperwork, slightly
bored.</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; text-indent: 0in;">
“<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This
is a stickup! Hand over your money!”</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Fern
gasped and froze, her attention on the man waving a gun wildly in
front of her. Was this a joke? This couldn’t be a real robbery!</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; text-indent: 0in;">
“<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sir,
please, put the gun down,” the female goblin behind the Plexiglas
barrier said calmly. She had blue gray skin and pointed ears with
multiple piercings, her hair intricately braided away from her
carefully made up face. Her eyes were bulging and orange.</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; text-indent: 0in;">
“<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Listen,
bitch!” The scruffy human robber, whose red eyes were probably due
to narcotics, stuck the gun in the goblin’s face through the gap in
the Plexiglas. “I said...ahh!” His sudden scream made Fern jump.
Twin guillotines shot out of the sides of the gap, slicing off the
man’s hand. Blood sprayed all over the bullet proof glass that
dropped down to protect the teller. Still holding the gun, </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">the
hand</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
fell through a hole in the counter. A window opened in the glass,
showing the hand as it was vacuum packed and time stamped before
being whisked away.</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Someone
puked.</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Goblins
in dark uniforms came and whisked the man away. He was crying and
clutching his dripping arm. A blood trail followed him out.</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
intercom came on. A soothing female voice announced, “Sorry for the
disturbance, dear customers. Police are on their way. As you can see,
your money is safe at Goblin Gold.”</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A
stooped janitor in a tan uniform showed up with a steam mop and
cleaned the bloody floor. His expression was utterly bored.</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">While
Fern was still gaping, an automated spray shot out and cleaned the
blood off the counter with a robotic squeegee. Now clean, the barrier
slid away.</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
teller smiled at Fern, who was next in line, the customer in front of
her having taken his squishy stomach to the bathroom. “I can help
you,” the goblin said, friendly and understanding.</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Fern
gulped. She reached gingerly in her purse and pushed the papers over
the counter, using just her fingertips to nudge them close to the
teller. This close, she could see the dark slits in the counter where
guillotines lurked.</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; text-indent: 0in;">
“<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Thank
you,” the woman said, distracting Fern from grisly contemplation.
“I’ll need two forms of ID, please.”</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; text-indent: 0in;">
<br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">***</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Hakon
took in Fern’ wide eyes and pale face. After hearing her story, he
swore. “Sorry about that...but on the bright side, you can see why
we prefer that bank. It’s very secure, and the banking app is easy
to use.”</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Fern
stared at him.</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">“<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Right,”
he said briskly, quickly completing his purchase. “Time to go
home.”</span></span></p>
<p> </p>Autumn Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18142359468867203120noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028254312764407134.post-74293904675307891132022-02-07T17:25:00.009-08:002022-02-07T17:33:52.515-08:00So, I accidently started something with Winter Frost.<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiAO1LGn-x6YAjbYJb6rLYhRsC8Fi7DuRAi2MRs2oUK8-88XKm_JMKiEoYlCyi9ydh-LLB9DAyrxYRaAi0bX8XhEGqTy3UzIlt5tiIPoMqAX66GSOq-MG3443pzfC5a9v6tDiZ-JRLRiqnWFgONd1YiJfb6a54UVq1HnaOSE4e6J0BDPpZwaaCn5dQQ=s2400" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiAO1LGn-x6YAjbYJb6rLYhRsC8Fi7DuRAi2MRs2oUK8-88XKm_JMKiEoYlCyi9ydh-LLB9DAyrxYRaAi0bX8XhEGqTy3UzIlt5tiIPoMqAX66GSOq-MG3443pzfC5a9v6tDiZ-JRLRiqnWFgONd1YiJfb6a54UVq1HnaOSE4e6J0BDPpZwaaCn5dQQ=s320" width="213" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><i>Winter Frost </i>was never intended to be more than a short story. It was my release valve, the thing that let me breathe. Readers, however. You readers. It's been very well received. Probably because this last year has been full of grief, and we all needed someone to pop the lid off that pressure cooker.</p><p>Maybe also because I put the best, and some of the worst, of the women in my family in there. Ria is a mix of the best of the best, the kind of woman we wish we could be. She was inspired by real people living hard things, and she triumphed, even though she lost everything.</p><p>But maybe not everything. Because of you, she'll crawl out of those ashes and live. Ria will be a part of my frost giant's lives. Now, because you're invested, I have to continue her story.</p><p>Here's a piece of Ria in Greenleaf Snow Angel Plum/Mother of Ice and Frost (haven't decided on title).</p><p>Excerpt:<br /></p><p style="break-after: auto; break-before: auto; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
next morning at breakfast Viggo said, “I’m thinking about
teaching Ria to drive.”</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Garth
grunted at him and kept on eating potatoes and sausage.</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">“<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
heard Bob the barkeeper is looking for a car for her.”</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Fern
glanced at the boys as she pulled biscuits from the oven. She’d
heard all about Ria. The girl had lived in the same apartment
building as Fern. She’d escaped with her grandma and grown a giant
pumpkin in an old wheat field. With the community’s help, they’d
turned the pumpkin shell into a home for the teen and her sickly
grandmother. It was the talk of the town.</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Fern
hadn’t known the girl was a mage. She wondered if Viggo liked her.
He was certainly checking up on her a lot.</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It
was Frode who asked, “Is she your girlfriend?”</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Viggo
looked at him seriously. “No, but she needs help. Everyone’s
keeping an eye on her, because it’s just her and her grandma, who’s
sick. She’s got dementia, and that’s rough. They don’t have
much money, and Ria still has to go to school.”</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Hakon
smiled approvingly. “That’s my brother.” He looked at Frode.
“We take care of our neighbors.”</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Frode
wrinkled his forehead. “But she’s not a neighbor.”</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">“<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Your
neighbor is anyone who needs you, squirt,” Viggo said
condescendingly. “Besides, Garth’s the one who likes her.”</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Garth
choked, then glared at his brother.</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Viggo
gave him a cheeky grin as he got up to fetch the biscuits.</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">“<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Does
she need anything? Should I send some biscuits for her? Milk?” Fern
looked around, wondering what else she should send.</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">“<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
think they’re pretty good on groceries, but you could send a couple
of biscuits and a jar of honey, maybe. She eats like a bird,” Viggo
said thoughtfully. “Also, the neighbors keep sending food. Everyone
likes her, and they want to get a look inside her pumpkin. It’s
pretty cool. She grew her own furniture and stuff.”</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">“<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Take
some pictures next time you’re there,” Hakon suggested. “Fern
will like that.”</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">“<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Why
don’t I just bring her along?” Viggo suggested. “You said you
needed some ingredients, right, Fern? Nuts for the cookies and toffee
you talked about?”</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Everyone
perked up. Dessert was serious business.</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">“<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
guess I could.” She glanced at Hakon to see if he objected. It
wasn’t exactly excellent use of her time to buy single ingredients
on a weekday.</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">“<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Good
idea!” he said enthusiastically. “Take your time and buy some
clothes, too. You haven’t replaced all the things you lost.” </span></span>
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">She’d
picked up a couple of things from the bulk store when she’d gone
shopping that first day, but he was right. “I guess I could do some
early grocery shopping.”</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">“<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Yeah,
then we don’t have to,” Viggo muttered under his breath, relived.
Clearly, he was not a shopper.</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Suddenly,
everyone had a list. </span></span>
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">“<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What
about school? I thought it was an in person day,” Fern said as she
got her things ready.</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">“<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We’ll
just do the online assignments. We can catch up with our friends
later,” Viggo said.</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Garth
didn’t object.</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Fern
stared sadly at the ruble that was once her home. She hadn’t seen
it since she’d moved in with Hakon’s family, and it was
heartbreaking. She’d just paid her rent for the month, too.</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">There
was a lawsuit, so maybe she’d get her deposit back one day. There
was no point in digging through the rubble, though. Her things hadn’t
been valuable, and were long gone.</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Garth
nudged her, distracting her from her sadness. “Ria’s place is
coming up. It’s pretty cool.”</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Ria
lived a couple of blocks from the wreck of their apartment. Her
pumpkin house sat on the edge of a wheat field, a puff of smoke
emerging from the pumpkin’s stem. A vine curled charmingly around
the pumpkin, and as they got closer, Fern saw it was a gutter to
collect water.</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A
path of trampled snow led to the front door, which someone had
snow-blown, and there was plowed parking right next to it. The
neighbors really were taking care of them.</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
pumpkin door opened at Viggo’s knock and hearty hello!</span></span></p><br />Autumn Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18142359468867203120noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028254312764407134.post-68708143458543569122022-01-01T07:49:00.001-08:002022-01-01T07:49:29.357-08:00Winter Frost is live!<p> Winter Frost is live! Look for it at your favorite ebook dealer.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09PGS8CDC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg6S4fKHH8_nyDNko9DOVlXNeu-p_Wh3mSJXBIH9ADN5jdod1yCAkCkaGw_1U37ajbddYrI29nPZ487vQqylarPLpAVH017KzR2lJwhpScundwFYyHxnq8TzGd5zOh79GT48id7B5I1WX10JOS1A1OWoQGh8SnW0aeSoi43tdeVSsuhOUGO8a5dM2YS=s320" width="213" /></a></div><br /> <br /><p></p><p><br /></p>Autumn Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18142359468867203120noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028254312764407134.post-67415821940928482542021-12-29T17:23:00.007-08:002021-12-29T17:24:52.280-08:00Excerpt of Winter Frost<h3 align="center" style="break-before: page; line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0.17in; page-break-before: always;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Story is edited. Will upload this week.</b></span></h3><h3 align="center" style="break-before: page; line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0.17in; page-break-before: always;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYdcgSgvaGyCDVfKgeBiqN74VFvAOrABxseOz9X0pa6y_HsNDz58mJKeUTAX2yfn6TNmgSxQGetqg1YcOiNiYkufm07YYhfaSQ4czjppC7aoC59UYlPDFF9n4Q4lWZzTH4u-lzqYeDli8Bw3GdLDXVevYxFDaVRq3MY917CZMATBdSe6-i_Aq1Gzsn=s2400" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYdcgSgvaGyCDVfKgeBiqN74VFvAOrABxseOz9X0pa6y_HsNDz58mJKeUTAX2yfn6TNmgSxQGetqg1YcOiNiYkufm07YYhfaSQ4czjppC7aoC59UYlPDFF9n4Q4lWZzTH4u-lzqYeDli8Bw3GdLDXVevYxFDaVRq3MY917CZMATBdSe6-i_Aq1Gzsn=s320" width="213" /></a></div><br /></b></span></h3><h3 align="center" style="break-before: page; line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0.17in; page-break-before: always;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Winter Frost</b></span></h3>
<h3 align="center" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0.17in;"><a name="_y0ma0e6hwmhf1"></a>
</h3>
<h3 align="center" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0.17in;"><a name="_y0ma0e6hwmhf2"></a>
<i><b>A Short Story in the Convergence Series</b></i></h3>
<h3 align="center" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0.17in;"><a name="_y0ma0e6hwmhf3"></a>
<b>by</b></h3>
<h3 align="center" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0.17in;"><a name="_y0ma0e6hwmhf4"></a>
<b>Autumn Dawn</b></h3>
<h3 align="center" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0.17in;"><a name="_y0ma0e6hwmhf5"></a>
</h3>
<h3 align="center" style="margin-top: 0.17in;"><a name="_y0ma0e6hwmhf6"></a>
<b>PUBLISHED BY:</b></h3>
<h3 align="center" style="margin-top: 0.17in;"><a name="_y0ma0e6hwmhf7"></a>
<b>Autumn Dawn</b></h3>
<h3 align="justify" style="margin-top: 0.17in;"><a name="_y0ma0e6hwmhf8"></a>
</h3>
<h3 align="center" style="margin-top: 0.17in;"><a name="_y0ma0e6hwmhf9"></a>
<b>EDITED BY:</b></h3>
<h3 align="center" style="margin-top: 0.17in;"><span style="color: #434343;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><b>Beta
reader Hezzo (Heather) Russell</b></i></span></span></h3>
<p align="center" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0.17in;">
<span style="color: #434343;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><b>I’</b></i></span></span><span style="color: #434343;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><b>m
grateful. So many thanks.</b></i></span></span></p>
<h3 align="center" style="margin-top: 0.17in;"><a name="_y0ma0e6hwmhf11"></a>
</h3>
<h3 align="center" style="margin-top: 0.17in;"><a name="_y0ma0e6hwmhf12"></a>
<b>COVER IMAGES: Shutterstock.com</b></h3>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<h3 align="center"><a name="_kz8d8sfs8z2j"></a><b>Honorable Mention</b>:
<i>Dee Dee. When I said I can’t write anymore, that I seized up
when I sat at the keyboard, you said, “So write about that!”</i></h3>
<h3 align="center"><a name="_vmv8sqfmclob"></a><i>So I did.</i></h3>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p align="center" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">And</p>
<p align="center" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<h3 align="center"><a name="_ma35yfytmn15"></a><i>To my remarkable,
amazing family. You are magic.</i></h3>
<h3 align="center" style="margin-top: 0.17in;"><a name="_y0ma0e6hwmhf13"></a>
</h3>
<h3 align="center" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0.17in;"><a name="_y0ma0e6hwmhf14"></a>
<b>Find out more about upcoming releases: </b><span style="color: blue;"><u><b>www.autumndawnbooks.com</b></u></span></h3>
<h3 align="center" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0.17in;"><a name="_y0ma0e6hwmhf15"></a>
<b>Sneak peeks of works in progress:<a href="http://authorautumndawn.blogspot.com/" target="_top">
</a></b><a href="http://authorautumndawn.blogspot.com/" target="_top"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u><b>authorautumndawn.blogspot.com</b></u></span></a></h3>
<h3 align="center" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0.17in;"><a name="_y0ma0e6hwmhf16"></a>
<b>Friend me on<a href="https://www.facebook.com/autumn.dawn.18" target="_top">
</a></b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/autumn.dawn.18" target="_top"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u><b>Facebook</b></u></span></a></h3>
<h3 align="center" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0.17in;"><a name="_y0ma0e6hwmhf17"></a>
</h3>
<h3 style="margin-top: 0.17in;"><span style="color: #434343;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><b>Winter
Frost</b></i></span></span><b> Copyright © 2021 by Autumn Dawn</b></h3>
<h3 style="margin-top: 0.17in;"><a name="_y0ma0e6hwmhf19"></a><b>All
rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved
above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or
introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or
by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright
owner and the above publisher of this book.</b></h3>
<h3 style="margin-top: 0.17in;"><a name="_y0ma0e6hwmhf20"></a></h3>
<h3 style="margin-top: 0.17in;"><a name="_y0ma0e6hwmhf21"></a><b>This
is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and
incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are
used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and
trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of
fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use
of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored
by the trademark owners.</b></h3><h3 style="margin-top: 0.17in;"><b> </b></h3>
<h3 style="margin-top: 0.17in;"><a name="_y0ma0e6hwmhf22"></a></h3>
<h3 style="margin-top: 0.17in;"><a name="_y0ma0e6hwmhf23"></a></h3>
<h3 style="margin-top: 0.17in;"><a name="_y0ma0e6hwmhf24"></a></h3>
<h3 style="margin-bottom: 0.04in; margin-top: 0.17in;"><a name="_y0ma0e6hwmhf25"></a> </h3><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0.17in;"><i><b>The Convergence</b></i></p>
<h3 style="margin-top: 0.17in;"><a name="_y0ma0e6hwmhf37"></a><a name="_y0ma0e6hwmhf38"></a>
<b><i>It had been thirty years since the Convergence, when the
dimensions aligned and combined Earth and the world of Gwyllon, known
in human mythology as “Underhill”. Elven castles and ancient
ruins sprouted in vacant lots, on major highways, sometimes merging
with existing buildings, twisting into completely new structures.
Roads and rail systems reformed, and after the rioting, starvation
and death, agriculture finally sorted itself and food began to flow.
A new government formed of elves and men had arisen, a society of
human tech and elven magic. Cell phones and frost giants, race cars
and elven steeds, dungeons and dragons…</i></b></h3>
<h3 style="margin-top: 0.17in;"><a name="_y0ma0e6hwmhf39"></a><i><b>And
everywhere, monsters.</b></i></h3>
<h3 style="margin-top: 0.17in;"><a name="_y0ma0e6hwmhf40"></a></h3>
<h3 style="font-style: normal; margin-top: 0.17in;"><a name="_y0ma0e6hwmhf41"></a>
<b>Winter Frost</b></h3>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Fleeing monsters,
Ria and her grandma end up at the edge of a wheat field. Dark, -40 F
and storming, Ria grew a giant pumpkin to shelter them. Inside was
squishy and full of seeds, and grandma doesn’t appreciate the
rescue…</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Creativity and magic
help them survive the storm, but it’s the good will of their
community that turns the pumpkin into a home.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">With
a killer thief on the prowl and deadly winter to survive, Ria will
need her friends and neighbors to get through this time of winter
frost.</span></p>
<h3 style="margin-top: 0.17in;"><a name="_y0ma0e6hwmhf44"></a><a name="_y0ma0e6hwmhf43"></a>
<b>Heat level: sweet. Contains no graphic love scenes.</b></h3>
<h3 style="break-inside: avoid; line-height: 100%; margin-top: 0.17in; orphans: 2; page-break-inside: avoid; widows: 2;">
<br />
</h3>
<p style="break-before: page; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0.17in; page-break-before: always;">
<br />
</p>
<h3><a name="_epzamf4vxxor"></a><a name="_lo4l3c9b5ius"></a><a name="_c0cwgqr2bd6r"></a><a name="_s1hye99gi181"></a>
<b>1. Escape</b></h3>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">“Run, Grandma!”
Ria grabbed her grandma’s hand and dragged her out into the storm.
They didn’t have a choice; the apartment was falling apart,
battered by monsters.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Storm hags shrieked
and flew by, their long white hair whipping in the wind. They looked
like old women with huge black eyes and fanged, black lipped mouths,
their gray skin the color of death.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Ever since Earth and
the old Elven world had merged, releasing magic and monsters, life
had become unpredictable. There were no guarantees your safe, cozy
home would still be there when you woke up. If you woke up.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Thanks to the
government’s relentless propaganda, everyone knew to have an
emergency bag ready to go. Ria had grabbed her emergency backpack as
they’d evacuated the besieged apartment.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Grandma had grabbed
her purse and her container of cat ashes. It was a small plastic pail
with flowers and kittens, utterly useless against the North Dakota
winter or monsters.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">It was chaotic
outside. People fled in all directions, shooting at the monsters as
they ran, screaming, some dying. Ria had grabbed the apartment ward
stone, the magic force field was supposed to repulse monsters, but
this one must have been cheap. Clearly, it wasn’t rated for a
residence this large. Their skinflint landlord was going to regret
that when the lawsuits rolled in.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">However, it was
perfect for protecting a teenage girl and her grandma as they fled
through the storm. Her coat was open and flapping, stocking hat and
gloves still in her pockets, but she’d gotten grandma zipped and
protected. They weren’t really running, but for grandma their fast
walk was difficult. It was distracting.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">In her panic, Ria
ran away from the crumbling apartment, the shrieking hags and the
gunshots from concerned residents. Unfortunately, that led away from
the buildings and into an open field on the edge of the light. The
snow was driven hard into her face, blinding her, and as they stood
at the edge of the road, Ria didn't dare run back toward town.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">She was scared and
panicked. When she was asked later why she didn't find a closer
house, that would be her answer.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Cold, exposed to
stray gunshots, she frantically dug through her pockets for the
plastic bag of seeds.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">It wasn't that odd.
Grandma had her purse and her cat's ashes. Grandma's idea of
emergency items these days was sketchy.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Besides, Ria was a
plant mage. Not as powerful as some, she was only good with pumpkins
and the cucurbitaceae family. She had an impressive green thumb, but
cucurbits like squash, melons, cucumbers and gourds were magic in her
hands.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">So when Rhea tossed
the pumpkin seed on the ground it didn't matter that it was covered
in snow, frozen, storming and dark. The pumpkin grew like it had been
struck by magic lightning. In a matter of minutes it was as big as a
bedroom. She made a door and let her grandma out of the storm.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Grandma was
suspicious about magic but Ria was born with it, as were many of the
human children after the convergence. When Earth and the elven world
collided, chaos ensued. She was part of the new generation, one of
many human mages.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">It had nothing to do
with witchcraft. Either you were born with special talents or not. No
amount of hocus pocus could gain abilities, but a mage could be hired
for the right price. Everyone needed a job, after all.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">“This is a
terrible idea,” Grandma fretted. “We should go back to town.”</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">“Back to town?
We're lucky you made it this far without falling! Come on grandma.”
She dragged her grandma inside and shut the door. Before something
ate them.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">There was hardly any
room in the pumpkin, as it was naturally filled with flesh and seeds.
Ria tunneled into three feet of flesh, batting dangling pumpkin seeds
and threads from her face. Her boots sunk unpleasantly into damp
pumpkin flesh, and her hands were covered with pumpkin slime.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">“It's dark in here
and it smells like pumpkin,” her grandma complained.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Ria firmed her jaw.
“Use your flashlight, grandma. I’m going to fix this.” Ria
tuned grandma out. She concentrated on the pumpkin, drying it,
turning the fibrous flesh into insulation and hardening the outer
shell. She also formed a smooth inner shell.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The interior grew as
the pumpkin flesh receded. She left a foot of pumpkin wall between
them and the deadly Dakota winter. She could barely hear the wind
with such a thick sound barrier. It was comforting.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> A bright light
suddenly blinded her. She yelped and threw her hand in front of her
eyes. Grandma had her flashlight pointed at Ria's face.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> “Can you see the
dark?” Grandma asked suspiciously. “Your eyes are glowing green.”</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">“No!” Ria gently
pointed the flashlight at the ground. Her eyes were naturally green
and her hair orange, like grandma’s used to be. But those and the
aggressive freckles were natural coloring. Ria’s eyes glowed green
because she was a plant mage.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> “Please grandma,
I'm trying to save us.” Would it kill grandma to wait quietly?</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">“Don't know if a
pumpkin is the way to do it,” grandma grumbled. “I want my
rocking chair.” Grandma was short but very fat, and hadn’t gotten
much exercise before their shuffling escape. She was clearly winded.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">“<i>I</i> want you
to have your rocking chair,” Ria muttered. This gave her an idea to
keep grandma occupied. She took a seed from her pocket and planted it
on the floor of the pumpkin. It sprouted into a smaller pumpkin that
formed a flat, cushy seat. Vines curled, forming the frame and legs.
The seat back was woven with vines and leaves.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Rhea admired it
briefly. That was some nice work!</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Grandma muttered
about magic but quickly claimed it. She cradled her purse and her cat
bucket as if someone would snatch them. She sneezed and dug out a
handkerchief. “I'm cold,'' she announced accusingly.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Ria sent her a
disbelieving look. “<span style="font-style: normal;">Ok</span>. I'm
getting to <i>that</i>.” She stressed the word, biting back the
things she wanted to say. Like maybe a little less criticism would be
nice. While she saved their lives.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">She cleared a circle
in the bottom of the pumpkin, all the way down to frozen dirt.
Sweating even though it was damp and cold, she took a break from
magic while she gathered the pumpkin seeds (which were now nicely
dry) into a pile. The pumpkin stem became a chimney with vent holes
on the side. She didn't want to die of smoke inhalation after
surviving monsters.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The lighter from her
bug out bag and a little bit of pumpkin fiber started a nice bonfire.
She tended it until it was going well, then stood and stretched. She
was exhausted! She’d never done so much magic in one day.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">She wasn't done
either. They were going to need somewhere to sleep. The floor would
work in a pinch, but grandma was old. At her age being chilled was a
terrible thing.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Ria chose a loofah
seed this time. It grew into a long green oval the size of a queen
bed. Ria turned the sponge inside into a cushy mattress with a
floppy, spongy quilt.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">She shifted the
seeds next to the dry pile of pumpkin seeds, making sure not to mix
the two. Pumpkin seeds were edible.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Ria was shaking from
so much spent energy, so she sat on the cold floor and wheezed. She
dug through her bag and ate half a protein bar and drank some water.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">She’d been too
busy to answer her grandma's constant questions, but now she folded
back the quilt and showed her grandma the bed.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">“What is that? You
don't expect me to sleep there, do you?” Grandma asked
suspiciously.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Ria ignored her and
spread the emergency foil blankets. “Come on, Grandma. It's time to
sleep.”</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">“I'll just sleep
in the rocking chair,” Grandma said stubbornly. It wouldn’t be
the first time.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Ria tried logic.
“The rocking chair is made out of a magic pumpkin.”</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">“I don't care.”</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Ria took a breath
for strength. “I love you and I don't want you to die of cold,
grandma.”</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">“I'll be fine
right here.”</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Neither love nor
logic then. There was no way she was going to let grandma sleep in
the chair. Ria made the rocking chair sag a little. With great
difficulty, grandma got up.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Ria was instantly
there, supporting her elbow. “Oh no, it looks as if the rocking
chair needs work! I'll try to fix it tomorrow, ok? I'm too tired
now.”</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">“Should have known
a magic pumpkin couldn’t be trusted,” grandma fretted.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Ria steered her to
the loofa. “The floor is too cold to sit on. Why don't you sit on
the bed? Ria helped grandma to the bed and tucked her in, on the side
closest to the fire, and then went around the bed and climbed in.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">And then Ria slept
like the dead.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p><p style="break-before: page; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-before: always;">
</p>
<h3><b>2. A blinding light woke her.</b></h3>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Grandma shined the
flashlight in Ria’s face. “Where are we? I need to go home and
feed the cat.” Grandma said. The dementia was bad this morning.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Right. Ria forced
herself out of bed and fed the fire, shivering in her chilly coat and
boots.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Trying to save them,
one pumpkin seed at a time.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">She crawled back
into bed to warm up. The pumpkin room wasn't bad for a rush job. The
inner shell was hard and smooth, a nice burnt orange. With a little
work, it could be comfy.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">But it needed a
toilet, right now. Ria got up and grew a pumpkin into a stool shape,
forming a hollow inside and a lid hinged with vines. The root was a
long deep shaft.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">For privacy, she
made a vine screen hung with strong, velvety leaves for wiping. She
used it, and then helped grandma before leading her back to the fire.
“I fixed your rocking chair, grandma.” She demonstrated its
sturdiness by bouncing on it. “If you want to sit there, I’ll
bring the blanket for you.”</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">“I want to go
home.”</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">“Soon,” Ria
lied. Home was gone. Saying it wouldn’t help, though.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">She peeked outside
the door. It was still dark and the storm howled, shoving the door
shut. They weren't going anywhere. She made sure her grandma was
watching as she slammed the door shut. “Yikes! It’s nasty out
there.”</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">They had three
protein bars and two water bottles. Ria let grandma have a bar and
water, then pulled a cooked pumpkin seed out of the fire and broke
off the burned half. She nibbled on the rest, considering options.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">They could live
here, but would need food and water. A proper wood stove or
fireplace, because the open fire was a little smoky. They didn't have
Wi-Fi or a way to power lights or charge phones.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">They had no car.
Haven't had a car in a long time, took the bus shopping. They cleaned
the old apartments in exchange for a free room, and lived on
grandma's social security, which was never much. Grandma had some
government assistance for free grocery vouchers, so that was
something.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Ria didn't have time
for odd jobs. She tried to keep her grades up while doing most of the
apartment cleaning. Grandma's health made it hard for her to keep up.
At seventeen, Ria was much more fit.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">At least they had
the ward stone to keep monsters away. She took the small yellow stone
from her pocket, studied it soberly. It was warm, and she could feel
the faded magic in it. Maybe it was once powerful, but even rocks got
old.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">She glanced at
grandma. At eighty-seven, grandma was declining. The dementia had
been creeping in for years, and the physical decline was happening
faster than expected. It was just a matter of time…</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Ria shook her head.
One problem at a time. She could handle the food and water for now.
Maybe they could arrange grocery delivery later? Power was a problem,
but maybe a generator would work? How did you use a generator? How
much did they cost? They ran on gas, which meant she’d have to find
a gas station.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">They had no Wi-Fi,
but did have data through the cell phones. There was no way to charge
them, though. Grandma would need medicine. So many things.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">First things first.
They needed more water. The storm was still raging. Grandma couldn't
go outside and it was a miracle she'd made it to the pumpkin without
falling. She was exhausted. Ria didn't wanna leave her. A glance at
her phone showed it was still a little early for phone calls.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">She thought for a
bit, and then planted another seed. A pumpkin vine grew through the
wall and wound around the house, forming a gutter to collect water.
She made a water barrel indoors out of a hardened, hollow cucumber
(because cucumber water tasted better than gourd water and she was
tired of pumpkin) and routed the water to drain into it, making sure
she added an overflow valve. She’d learned that tip from cleaning
the apartment rain barrels.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">She grew a dipper
gourd and made some bowls and cups out of gourds. If it weren’t for
the grim circumstances, she’d have enjoyed the situation. Her magic
was fun, and she enjoyed making things.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Ria heard a noise
outside. Voices.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">“Of course it's a
mage,” a man was saying. “You see that perfectly square door? You
think a monster made that?”</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Someone knocked on
the door.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">“Who’s there?”
grandma called. “Ria, go see who it is.”</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Ria took a seed in
hand, just in case. Then she cautiously opened the door. It was two
guys she recognized from school. One looked very surprised to see
her. The other one looked pleased.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">“I didn't know you
were a mage,” Viggo said. Viggo Aze was seventeen, a year ahead of
her in school. The frost giant was seven foot tall, but so personable
he wasn’t the least intimidating. “We were just on our way to
school and…” He frowned with concern. “Are you ok?”</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i>Are you ok?</i>
Ria stared at him, unsure what to say. She had been holding it
together until he asked. Until someone cared.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">She swallowed. “Not
really,'' she said, and the story poured out.</p>
<p> </p>Autumn Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18142359468867203120noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028254312764407134.post-80494569139529591112021-12-29T07:39:00.000-08:002021-12-29T07:39:25.903-08:00Winter Frost<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi6fsArcvCyGBxHAJVITDK5dfinEL6OO61mGUt12DXLDiONl3DoKOCd6ojnw2yGKBi0w6BGJMLwPyglNZ7rdprFOU9Or-i5r3bo1RygYaE8Rku5zRrfBNqsgPTHEJ_l8opYctzCd6MLoemk_lq1gh8Jh6LMO-UX7KHJknIswJy_ystQBZjnrqq105HB=s2400" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi6fsArcvCyGBxHAJVITDK5dfinEL6OO61mGUt12DXLDiONl3DoKOCd6ojnw2yGKBi0w6BGJMLwPyglNZ7rdprFOU9Or-i5r3bo1RygYaE8Rku5zRrfBNqsgPTHEJ_l8opYctzCd6MLoemk_lq1gh8Jh6LMO-UX7KHJknIswJy_ystQBZjnrqq105HB=s320" width="213" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div class="" dir="auto"><div class="ecm0bbzt hv4rvrfc ihqw7lf3 dati1w0a" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id="jsc_c_10p"><div class="j83agx80 cbu4d94t ew0dbk1b irj2b8pg"><div class="qzhwtbm6 knvmm38d"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb d3f4x2em iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto"><div class="kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">I'm working on the edits now. No formal blurb yet on this short story, but a plant mage flees from the monsters destroying her apartment with her grandmother. It's North Dakota winter, dark, and storming. She grows a giant pumpkin in a field to shelter them. It's squishy inside and full of seeds, dark...and grandma shines her flashlight right in Ria's eyes to complain about the rescue...</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">It's a hard story to write, first, because writing's been impossible for a long while now because reasons. Second, it's my way of grieving my grandma's recent death with grace and humor. That's very hard, but the result was worth it.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">I don't like public grieving, and I detest funerals. Nonetheless, I was crying in church, at family gatherings, now, as I write this...</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">...and then a friend told me, "So write about that!"</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Thank you, sister. You gave me back more than you know.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Coming soon from the Convergence Series: Winter Frost.</div></div></span></div></div></div></div>Autumn Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18142359468867203120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028254312764407134.post-64133052415946153522021-05-22T18:04:00.010-07:002021-05-22T18:08:10.249-07:00The glass cracked<p style="font-variant: normal; line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0.17in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="background: transparent;">“<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Yes.
Thank you,” Fern said quietly, gathering her things.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0.17in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: transparent;">Embla
hesitated. “If there’s a problem, an emergency, you call.”</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0.17in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: transparent;">They
both knew there was nothing Embla could do, but it was a nice
gesture. Fern smiled, a little warmed. “Thank you.”</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0.17in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: transparent;">Wind
blasted her as she exited the cab, a light dusting of flakes hitting
her face. “Drive careful.” She hesitated and added mischievously,
“Stay warm.”</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0.17in;"><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">Embla
guffawed and shut the door. As if a frost giant would ever worry
about </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">that</span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0.17in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: transparent;">Fern
unlocked the door to the foyer and let herself in, grateful for the
warm air. Her mailbox was empty, so she trudged up three flights of
stairs (the elevator was still, as always, broken) and let herself
into her tiny apartment. Leaving her duffle by the door and shedding
layers, she hung them up on hooks and gratefully sat on her bed...the
only place to sit in the small space.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0.17in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: transparent;">It
was clean, with just enough room for a tiny bathroom, micro closet
and a mini fridge stacked with a microwave, coffee maker and hot
plate. There were shelves with minimal cooking supplies, but that was
it. She didn’t even have a TV.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0.17in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: transparent;">At
least it was affordable, and safe...usually.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0.17in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: transparent;">After
her shower, she curled up in long johns and socks under the covers
and tried to focus on the newest book she’d downloaded on her
tablet. Maybe she should have a snack. She had food in the fridge,
things Embla insisted she take home. Embla considered a lot of human
food sub-par, improperly prepared and likely to cause weakness. She
didn’t want her kitchen help getting sick, because it would mean
she’d have to do her own dishes.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0.17in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: transparent;">The
wind was picking up, rattling the iron shutters, and she could hear
the faintest trace of a moan.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0.17in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: transparent;">She
gave up and got dressed. She checked her emergency bag, tucked her
tablet, charger and a metal water bottle inside just in case. Maybe
it was silly. It wasn’t like she could run outside with storm hags
on the rampage. The sensible thing was to hunker down and…</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0.17in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: transparent;">A
tremendous blow rocked the building.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0.17in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: transparent;">Fern
yelped and instinctively ducked. Heart racing, she listened
and...another deafening blow rattled her shutters. The glass cracked.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
Autumn Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18142359468867203120noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028254312764407134.post-77149261428544784712021-04-10T08:31:00.001-07:002021-04-10T08:31:26.042-07:00You'll be fineFern rinsed the last plate, dried her hands and gathered her stuff.
She was already wearing long johns under her leather pants and
crochet sweater, so she traded her slippers for wool socks, another
sweater, scarf, coat, trapper hat and mittens. She had snow pants and
heavier lambskin mittens in her duffle bag just in case, but riding
in Embla’s truck wouldn’t be as cold as the bus. More than once,
she’d seen her breath on the bus, and it was supposed to be
equipped with two heaters.
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Last, she strapped
on a thigh holster. In warmer weather she preferred a shoulder
holster, but there was no quick way to access it under her layers,
and it was necessary with all the monsters about.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Not that it would be
any help against a storm hag.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">She brooded as she
looked out the window of the truck. Snow berms rose high on either
side of the road, making a sea of bumpy white broken by the
occasional farm house. Most wild things, natural and otherwise, would
be burrowed down for the coming storm.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Most things.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Storm hags were
dingy gray, like dirty snow. Particularly violent blizzards brought
them, riding storm winds like howling banshees, clawing anyone
exposed to shreds, leaving frozen corpses behind.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Stone, metal and
thick wood were proof against them, wards even better. Unfortunately,
as Embla pulled up in front of Fern’s stone apartment building, she
was reminded that her building couldn’t afford wards.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">“Good, thick
walls,” Embla said, surveying the building grimly. There was just a
hint of doubt on her face. “You’ll be fine.”</p>
<p> </p>Autumn Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18142359468867203120noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028254312764407134.post-34812587480566184512021-04-02T10:28:00.002-07:002021-04-02T10:28:48.319-07:00Frost Giant Greenleaf Snow Angel Plum snippet<p>2020 was stupid. Hopefully 2021 will be less so.</p><p>It's come to my attention that I'm taking this writing thing too seriously. LIFE has been too serious.</p><p>So...here's a work in progress. It's not political. It has no major life lessons. What's in it? Whatever I want.</p><p>Messy, unedited, and just for fun...enjoy.</p><p>Autumn Dawn</p><p><br /></p><p></p><p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Mother
of Ice & Frost</b></span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"> </span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">by</span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Autumn
Dawn</b></span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"> </span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">PUBLISHED
BY:</span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Autumn
Dawn</span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"> </span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">EDITED
BY:</span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">To
be determined (let me know if you're interested in the job)</span></span></span></p><p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: "Liberation Serif", serif;">their
email address (if applicable)</span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<br />
</p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"> </span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">COVER
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Find
out more about upcoming releases: www.autumndawnbooks.com</span></span></span></p>
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<span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Sneak
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<span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Friend
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<span style="color: blue;"> </span></p>
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<span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Title</span></i></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
Copyright © 20</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">21</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
by Autumn Dawn</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">All
rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved
above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or
introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or
by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright
owner and the above publisher of this book.</span></span></span></p>
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<span style="color: black;"> </span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: avoid; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: avoid; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This
is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and
incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are
used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and
trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of
fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use
of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored
by the trademark owners.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"> </span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"> </span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"> </span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Contents</span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"> </span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Chapter
1</span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Chapter
2</span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Chapter
3</span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Chapter
4</span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Chapter
5</span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Chapter
6</span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Chapter
7</span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Chapter
8</span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Chapter
9</span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Chapter
10</span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Chapter
11</span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Chapter
12</span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Epilogue</span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">About
</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="#3dy6vkm"><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: navy;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-weight: normal;">Autumn
Dawn</span></u></span></span></span></span></span></span></a></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; widows: 2;">
<a href="#1t3h5sf"><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: navy;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-weight: normal;">Bibliography</span></u></span></span></span></span></span></span></a></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"> </span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"> </span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"> </span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"> </span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: avoid; break-inside: auto; font-variant: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: avoid; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><b>Title</b></i></span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"> </span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>It
had been thirty years since the Convergence, when the dimensions
aligned and combined Earth and the world of Gwyllon, known in human
mythology as “Underhill”. Elven castles and ancient ruins
sprouted in vacant lots, on major highways, sometimes merging with
existing buildings, twisting into completely new structures. Roads
and rail systems reformed, and after the rioting, starvation and
death, agriculture finally sorted itself and food began to flow. A
new government formed of elves and men had arisen, a society of human
tech and elven magic. Cell phones and frost giants, race cars and
elven steeds, dungeons and dragons…</i></span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>And
everywhere, monsters.</i></span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"> </span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Mother
of Ice and Frost</i></span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"> </span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"> <span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
Convergence had changed their world. Years ago, Earth and the fabled
elven world had melded, causing earthquakes, raising sunken islands
and unleashing monsters. The catastrophic disaster disrupted every
facet of transportation, agriculture and caused widespread death.
When the shaken citizens of both worlds finally sorted things out,
roads got fixed, farms and factories started to produce, and oil and
natural gas once more fueled the nations. The world ran on a mix of
magic and science, allowing dragons to rule the skies and satellites
to dominate space.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 0);">These
days, resources were focused on infrastructure, communications,
manufacture and monster control. Meat and animal products</span> were
especially rationed. It took a lot of manpower to protect herds of
animals and helpless, delicious chickens from hungry monsters. WW2
memorabilia and rationing posters were back in circulation, as people
were encouraged to “grow your own” and “have a monster garden”.
Etsy sold framed posters of Rosie the Riveter, people were encouraged
to “made do and mend”, and homemaking was a full-time job again…</p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Which
is why Hakon and his brothers were struggling. Women were naturally
superior at homemaking; at least Fern thought so. Didn’t mean they
couldn’t do other jobs, just meant they knocked it out of the park
on the home front. The ability to shoot and fix tractors if they
needed to was a definite bonus.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Fern
serves the perfect frost giant family, until a disaster forces her to
find a new home. Turns out another family is in need of a live-in
housekeeper. It’s not exactly a dream job.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He
needed a cook. Maybe someone to clean house. The little human woman
seemed like a good idea, but it was tricky keeping her alive.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"> </span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Heat
level: sweet. Contains no graphic love scenes.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Expect
reasonable amounts of gore as monster heads explode and plenty of
action.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"> </span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"> </span></p>
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<span style="color: black;"> </span></p>
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<span style="color: black;"> </span></p>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Prologue</b></span></span></span></p>
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<span style="color: black;"> </span></p>
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</p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">“<span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>D</b></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">addy?
Why are there monsters?”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;">“<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Because
people complained that they couldn’t believe in things they
couldn’t see. So God opened their eyes and all hell broke loose.”</span></span></span></p>
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</p>
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</p>
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</p>
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</p>
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</p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>F</b></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">ern
finished blending the soap and removed her stick blender from the
bowl of emulsified fat and homemade lye. She hummed along with the
radio as she poured the soap into the greased wooden mold. After it
set but before it was hard, she would slice it into bars and let it
finish curing for a few weeks.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She
took the mold and carefully stepped down from the stool behind the
tall kitchen counter. At 5”8, she was hardly short, at least by
human standards, but this wasn’t a human household.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
laundry room was right off the kitchen, and she placed the soap on a
low shelf next to the cleaning supplies. The shelves ran all the way
to the ten foot ceiling, but she didn’t feel like climbing the
ladder.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It
was time to start on lunch, so she moved the stool to the stainless
steel sink and started scrubbing enough potatoes to fill the five
gallon stock pot for creamy potato soup.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It
took a lot of soup to feed a family of frost giants.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
snow was January thick, and the thermometer outside read -40 F,
typical for North Dakota. It didn’t bother her here in the warm
kitchen, though. She could see the hay barn stuffed full of giant
round bales, food for the goats, sheep and cattle her bosses owned.
The goat shed was directly in front of the window, so she could see
her boss, Embla, pitching hay to the goats and knocking ice out of
the water bins. Dressed in nothing more than suede pants, boots and a
gray t-shirt, the seven foot giantess wasn’t at all bothered by the
cold. Her long blond hair was braided, and she wore an ax strapped to
her back, within easy reach. Bare handed, she pulled the metal bound
gate closed and latched it, unconcerned with the frosty metal’s
bite.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Fern
caught a glimpse of her face in the triple pane windows and checked
to make sure her hair was still mostly tamed by her own braid. The
wild curls would never perfect, but at least they stayed out of her
face with this style. The freckles she could do nothing about.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Embla’s
feet stomped snow off outside before she breezed in. She toed her
boots off and padded across the hardwood floor. “Snow coming. Good,
you started the soup.”</span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;">“<span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Yes,
ma’am.”</span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Embla
opened the industrial steel fridge and polished off a quart of fresh
raw goat’s milk straight from the jar. Embla took care of her
precious goats herself, preferring the outside work, but Fern
filtered the milk for her and made cheese, just as Embla had taught
her.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She
also made the household bread, pickles, kombucha and almost all the
meals. She loved the kitchen work, loved tasting the delicious food
she created. She was constantly reading, learning new recipes and
techniques to expand her knowledge.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">If
she could have lived here, life would have been nearly perfect.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sadly,
her apartment was in the city, less than ten miles away, but worlds
apart. She couldn’t see how her dream of having her own country
home would ever work out, despaired of meeting a man who shared her
vision, but she was grateful for the job that let her have a piece of
it.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
radio buzzed with an important weather announcement. Snow was
supposed to start by early afternoon and become a blizzard. School
would be dismissed early.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Embla
grunted. “You’ll have to take the bus home early, then. Probably
run late in the morning, too. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span>Figures.<span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
I was going to make beer tomorrow, too! Now I’ll have to cook
breakfast.” She scowled at the big basket of eggs on the counter.
Ebla was a good cook, but she’d rather be outdoors with her
animals.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">There
was nothing she could do about it, so Fern stayed silent. She would
have happily stayed the night on the couch and got up early to cook,
but Embla’s seventeen year old son was a flirt. He was way too
young for Fern, who was twenty-four, but Embla would never stand for
the human to stay overnight. She was taking no chances; a human
female was not suitable for her son.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Fern
didn’t take it personally. Embla wanted the best for her boy. In
her world, marrying a human was literally marrying down. Who wanted
short grandchildren? Embla’s parents were both nine foot plus, and
Embla was considered petite (she had a bit of a complex about it).
She’d never hear the end of it if her grandkids were puny and weak.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="border: none; break-after: auto; break-inside: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-inside: auto; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Fern
had heard Embla’s mother’s deep alto voice (she was a loud
talker) through the phone often enough to sympathize. How could such
a booming voice sound shrill?</span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Kory, Embla’s son,
stomped off the snow on the porch a little past one PM as Fern was
cleaning up the lunch dishes from Embla and her husband.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Seventeen, dark
blond, 7”9, Kory was decent looking, with hands and feet that
promised more growth to come. He grinned at Fern and sniffed the air.
“Smells like good things cooking.”</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">She smiled back and
set out a big bowl, fresh bread and utensils. “Creamy potato soup
with bacon. Here’s the shredded cheese.”</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">“Awesome! I’m
starving.” He wolfed it down, followed by two more.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">“They let you out
early,” his mom remarked from her loom. Although she had her
sheep’s wool commercially carded and spun, she enthusiastically
wove and knit. She also used the tanned hides to make pants and such
for her family, producing most of the textiles for her household.
She’d even made a couple of pairs of pants for Fern, amused at the
tiny size.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Sadly, Fern wasn’t
as talented with fiber arts, but she couldn’t be good at
everything. Besides, she more than made up for it in the kitchen.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">“Yeah. They’re
warning of storm hags,” Kory said.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Fern froze with her
hands in the dishwater. She’d turned the radio off after the storm
warning, figuring she was up to date. Quiet time was expensive today.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Embla paused in her
weaving. She put on her boots and went outside. Fern watched her take
a deep breath, sampling the air. When she came back in, her face was
grave. “Leave the dishes. I’ll drive you home.”</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">She’d never
offered to do that before.</p><p></p>Autumn Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18142359468867203120noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028254312764407134.post-5599897071001450442020-11-23T08:10:00.000-08:002020-11-23T08:10:01.567-08:00New Stuff, Contracts<p> So, it's been 2020. I think that sums it up.</p><p>We've spent the last few months setting up our new house. The goats are about to give birth...again. Goat aprons as birth control are like condoms with teenagers. Honestly, now, why bother?</p><p>The labadoodle pup is potty trained and sleeping through the night (mostly). Our yellow landshark is chewing slightly less. Slightly. She makes up for it by shedding madly.</p><p>I canned lots of stuff from the garden, we're stocked on toilet paper and the Air BnB room is up and running.</p><p>Just as I was wrapping all this up, I was contacted by two different publishers, and my books will soon be featured on Webnovel and Goodnovel.</p><p>I've been updating my book covers and website, making my books available in print again. It's a beginning.</p><p><br /></p>Autumn Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18142359468867203120noreply@blogger.com227tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028254312764407134.post-32226156882524408712019-12-20T07:57:00.001-08:002019-12-20T07:57:19.979-08:00It's almost Christmas and I have the blues.It's almost Christmas and I have the blues. Dark, gloomy, in an apartment, my youngest kid moved out and in the Air force, won't be home for Christmas. Sigh.<br />
<br />
At least my house is going to be beautiful: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQBFjCF3eQw">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQBFjCF3eQw</a><br />
<br />
We're bringing our goats...home. Ish. Closer, anyway. We decided it was too risky to keep them on the property, no matter how well fenced, so they'll be with someone from church who's previously had goats. We cleaned up the pasture last weekend, stashed some alfalfa and straw, minerals, etc, and now we'll fetch our critters. Three goats in dog kennels in a minivan, one of them a young (not too smelly yet) buck. I'm sure it will go completely smooth...<br />
<br />
We're excited, can't wait to have critters to care for. We're also looking at ordering a hundred trees to border our property, and we saved enough wood from the framing to easily make a chicken coop. Spring chicks! Garden! A puppy!<br />
<br />
The returning of the light and dawn of the new year are cheery thoughts, and we have a lot to look forward to. At lot will happen over the next few months, and I can't wait for 2020!<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, I'm going to keep poking at my frost giant story, turn on Christmas music, and possibly bake some cookies. I hear butter is good for warding off the blues...Autumn Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18142359468867203120noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028254312764407134.post-59605228301174859602019-11-27T12:19:00.000-08:002019-11-27T12:19:19.380-08:00new hobby: YouTube uploadsWriting is going, slooowly. Also, we're going stir crazy in this apartment. Thus, we've started a new hobby: YouTube uploads. We're chronicling the house construction, our adventures with goats and whatever crazy schemes a bored creative mind comes up with. My husband has endured the wackiness for years, and now it's time to share. Enjoy!<br />
<br />
<b>House foundation, foggy day:</b> https://youtu.be/wWf3TOx4jQM<br />
<b>Our dwarf Nigerian goats:</b> https://youtu.be/648TjryZs54Autumn Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18142359468867203120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028254312764407134.post-64389054611698624732019-10-07T17:46:00.002-07:002019-10-08T09:19:25.316-07:00Frost Giants, Greenleaf Snow Angel PlumNext Convergence book will feature frost giants in North Dakota. No release date yet, but about 30,000 words in, aiming for 75,000...maybe. 60 pgs so far. Doesn't have title yet, so calling it <span style="font-family: "liberation serif" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><i>Greenleaf Snow Angel
Plum</i>...because calling it "latest book" isn't cool when you have several half finished works.</span>Autumn Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18142359468867203120noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028254312764407134.post-81606829752170296532019-08-05T10:16:00.000-07:002019-08-05T10:16:29.339-07:00Working at lastSo...I'm writing things. That's all I've got to say about it right now.<br />
<br />
I never understood writer's block until the last few years. Maybe they should call it stress block. Turns out one can't get sick/repeatedly injured/home school/plan wedding/sell house/build house and keep on rolling. Nice thought, but no.<br />
<br />
The good news is that once everyone is married off, in boot camp and employed, life settles down. One learns to breath again. It's no longer crisis mode 24/7, and creativity starts to trickle back. Me time becomes a thing again.<br />
<br />
My health is good, I have a dog that ensures I climb 3 flights of stairs a minimum of six times a day to keep me fit, a farmer's market outside the apartment two days a week with fresh, healthy veggies, and much less stress.<br />
<br />
Everything's going to be okay.Autumn Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18142359468867203120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028254312764407134.post-41083932820499053642019-06-05T07:39:00.002-07:002019-06-05T07:39:35.306-07:00Lost fan mail Between sharing a laptop and moving, I think I lost some fan mail in the last few weeks. If you haven't heard from me, I'm not being mean. Please, resend and I'll get back to you.Autumn Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18142359468867203120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028254312764407134.post-43782953419330016632019-06-05T07:38:00.000-07:002019-06-05T07:38:04.936-07:00Apartment lifeMoved into an apartment. Decided to ditch camper idea; this is more comfortable.<br />
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Crammed a house worth of stuff into storage and a 3rd story apt, no elevator. My shoulder's still recovering, but kids and friends were big help.<br />
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Pollen and smoke started, but I'm setting up my desk so I can work. Books to write!Autumn Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18142359468867203120noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028254312764407134.post-49211115712395064232019-05-08T11:39:00.003-07:002019-05-08T11:39:45.469-07:00Moving shortlyWe're moving at the end of the month, which is both wonderful and a terrible amount of work. Sooo much paperwork! We're having a house built on 10 acres, but meanwhile we'll spend a couple of weeks in an apartment, then move into a camper, soon to be parked on the land until fall, when the house will be hopefully complete. It will be just us and our eldest son, since our daughter's married and the youngest is off to air force boot camp shortly.<br />
<br />
Castle had to go back to the breeder; another painful thing. The transition was just too hard on him, and it was the only fair thing to do. Sometimes it's like that, especially with Aussies, but it still hurt. The whole family is grieving. We'll try again with a puppy when we're settled, probably a golden retriever.<br />
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Pollen is lame, but other than giving my a headache for a couple of days and general fuzzy brain, it's not too bad.<br />
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I'm packing, survival crocheting/stress knitting.<br />
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So, I don't have a book. I have the start of one, will work on it as I can. Should be an interesting summer.Autumn Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18142359468867203120noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028254312764407134.post-63948383455705112872019-03-11T09:30:00.000-07:002019-03-11T09:30:03.120-07:00Castle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdVcNhSxpSqTNXMqgec9AdjlPv5NE8TWsqeW6mNvhnfyQkizuFuzYyNjWThUA7x0JP9p6M3yuTYYrtzB20kwGWJst4nfKIfANG65Jdu0H7E-J2H3_aModr5JpVEh7o9lR4xuXbPxQklww/s1600/Castle+dog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdVcNhSxpSqTNXMqgec9AdjlPv5NE8TWsqeW6mNvhnfyQkizuFuzYyNjWThUA7x0JP9p6M3yuTYYrtzB20kwGWJst4nfKIfANG65Jdu0H7E-J2H3_aModr5JpVEh7o9lR4xuXbPxQklww/s320/Castle+dog.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is Castle. He'll be 2 in May. It's fair to say he saved my writing.</div>
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My imagination, which had been supercharged my whole life, faded over the last year. I thought it was stress (teenager with senioritis). I couldn't even look at the computer, unless it was news or Pintrest. I was just going to look at dogs, make a connection with a breeder and maybe get a puppy in the fall. It's an awkward time, as we're selling our house and plan to live in an RV until our new house is built. Besides, we already have a terrier mix, Buck. Don't be greedy, right?</div>
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Castle was available. He was the pick of the litter, a show dog...until he lost two front teeth to a bone. His owners loved him, but they're professional breeders and they have a responsibility to their business. They let us adopt him.</div>
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Two days later, not only am I sleeping better than I have in a long while, I'm writing. It's a Convergence book, from scratch, and involves ice giants. I thought I was broken, thought about finding a day job. Turns out, I was mourning my Aussie Jack, who we'd lost last year.</div>
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Castle isn't Jack, but he filled the Aussie shaped hole in my heart. He's the grace I didn't know I needed, a shy, goofy bundle of love that refuses to let me mope. He's also crazy pretty, with a gait like poetry in motion. I'm so grateful he's mine.❤</div>
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<br />Autumn Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18142359468867203120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028254312764407134.post-78558735323069664832018-11-27T12:10:00.002-08:002018-11-27T12:10:43.612-08:00What I'm doingWe:<br />
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-Married off our daughter in September.<br />
-Are doing online public school for my last kid in school, his senior year. Kid goes to Air force boot camp in the spring.<br />
-Recently fixed a problem that's been keeping me up for a long time. Sleeping deeply every night is amazing!<br />
-Husband got promoted, adjusting to new responsibilities<br />
-joined church decorating committee, because someone needed to step up, and I was someone. I'm now unexpectedly social...and busier. Undoubtedly, it's good for me.<br />
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Any of these things would be enough to slow the writing, and all of them together is definitely doing it. I've decided it's just that season of life, try to enjoy it.<br />
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Today, I'm going to clean my house, pack the Pintrest worthy willow screens I made (ow, drilling through wood is heavy work. Good thing my husband helped). We're having dinner with friends tonight, going to transform hedge clippings into holiday centerpieces for 100 people. Good times.<br />
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My health is great, no trouble with rainy day sinus headaches, so I have hope for spring. Maybe smoke/allergy season will be kinder, too.<br />
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Thanks to the wedding, I've discovered an unexpected talent for decorating. Combined with like-minded women of artistic ability and thrifty creativity, our poor church is developing a personality. Our husbands may not like being drafted for the sawing and cutting, but they seem resigned... John even enjoyed parts of it. Doing projects together can be fun.<br />
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May your holidays be as cozy and fun,<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Autumn Dawn</span><br />
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<br />Autumn Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18142359468867203120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028254312764407134.post-554694201055994482018-10-31T13:01:00.000-07:002018-10-31T13:01:17.440-07:00Working on next bookWorking on next Convergence book. No title or release date yet. More info later<br />
<br />Autumn Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18142359468867203120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028254312764407134.post-20670128703707840762018-07-08T17:38:00.004-07:002018-07-10T10:03:14.665-07:00Typos, mistakes, let me know here!<b><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></span><br /></b>
<b><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></span>No matter how many times I (or my editor) look over a manuscript, things slip through. It's super frustrating, but readers can help! It takes time away from other work to pull up a manuscript and fix stuff, but it's nice to know that I've done the best I can to weed mistakes out.</b><br />
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /><b> Find a typo on a new release? Let me know! Just got this one today:</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><b><br /></b></span>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><b>Message</b><br />Hi, I noticed some potential corrections for Autumn Dawn on Kindle. If you have already made them please ignore.
After the attack in the dragon mountains Kjertil agrees to challenge Indris not Chaldric.
Ria's death throes has the word bugling instead of bulging to describe her eyes.
Love the seriese. Please keep up the good work.
Best wishes S.</span><br />
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><b>Another one:</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-family: Lato, sans-serif;">The
part that caught my attention was the glitch on Cara's birthday
changing from turning 22 in the beginning, to stating she had just
turned 20 on page 42.</span></span></div>
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I've enjoyed all the other three books in this 4-book elemental world and have waited anxiously for Cara's story to be written. Autumn Dawn's creation of a world of Elementals is wonderful and spikes the imagination.I've enjoyed all the other three books in this 4-book elemental world and have waited anxiously for Cara's story to be written. Autumn Dawn's creation of a world of Elementals is wonderful and spikes the imagination.The
part that caught my attention was the glitch on Cara's birthday
changing from turning 22 in the beginning, to stating she had just
turned 20 on page 42.<div class="gig-comment-content" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); outline: 0px;" tabindex="0">
<div class="gig-comment-body" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #585858; line-height: 18px; outline: 0px;">
<br style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18px; outline: 0px;" />However, I feel as if there were several chapters left out of this book, as it was such a quick ending and there were a couple grammar errors in the beginning of the story which might have been just the formatting of the book to sell? The part that caught my attention was the glitch on Cara's birthday changing from turning 22 in the beginning, to stating she had just turned 20 on page 42. The 22 was a little young in my mind for being involved with such an older elemental, but still worked and flowed for me, it was the turning 20 years old, that had me cringe just a little, as she was just nineteen the day before, and it seemed young for me.<br style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18px; outline: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18px; outline: 0px;" />Overall, a good book to read, but the other 3 were more detailed and longer. I recommend reading all four of her books.</div>
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<br style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18px; outline: 0px;" />However, I feel as if there were several chapters left out of this book, as it was such a quick ending and there were a couple grammar errors in the beginning of the story which might have been just the formatting of the book to sell? The part that caught my attention was the glitch on Cara's birthday changing from turning 22 in the beginning, to stating she had just turned 20 on page 42. The 22 was a little young in my mind for being involved with such an older elemental, but still worked and flowed for me, it was the turning 20 years old, that had me cringe just a little, as she was just nineteen the day before, and it seemed young for me.<br style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18px; outline: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18px; outline: 0px;" />Overall, a good book to read, but the other 3 were more detailed and longer. I recommend reading all four of her books.</div>
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<div class="gig-comment-body" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #585858; line-height: 18px; outline: 0px;">
I've enjoyed all the other three books in this 4-book elemental world and have waited anxiously for Cara's story to be written. Autumn Dawn's creation of a world of Elementals is wonderful and spikes the imagination.<br style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18px; outline: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18px; outline: 0px;" />However, I feel as if there were several chapters left out of this book, as it was such a quick ending and there were a couple grammar errors in the beginning of the story which might have been just the formatting of the book to sell? The part that caught my attention was the glitch on Cara's birthday changing from turning 22 in the beginning, to stating she had just turned 20 on page 42. The 22 was a little young in my mind for being involved with such an older elemental, but still worked and flowed for me, it was the turning 20 years old, that had me cringe just a little, as she was just nineteen the day before, and it seemed young for me.<br style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18px; outline: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18px; outline: 0px;" />Overall, a good book to read, but the other 3 were more detailed and longer. I recommend reading all four of her books.</div>
</div>
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></span><br />
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<div class="gig-comment-body" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #585858; line-height: 18px; outline: 0px;">
I've enjoyed all the other three books in this 4-book elemental world and have waited anxiously for Cara's story to be written. Autumn Dawn's creation of a world of Elementals is wonderful and spikes the imagination.<br style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18px; outline: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18px; outline: 0px;" />However, I feel as if there were several chapters left out of this book, as it was such a quick ending and there were a couple grammar errors in the beginning of the story which might have been just the formatting of the book to sell? The part that caught my attention was the glitch on Cara's birthday changing from turning 22 in the beginning, to stating she had just turned 20 on page 42. The 22 was a little young in my mind for being involved with such an older elemental, but still worked and flowed for me, it was the turning 20 years old, that had me cringe just a little, as she was just nineteen the day before, and it seemed young for me.<br style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18px; outline: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18px; outline: 0px;" />Overall, a good book to read, but the other 3 were more detailed and longer. I recommend reading all four of her books.</div>
</div>
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Autumn Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18142359468867203120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028254312764407134.post-21041037885541893302018-06-16T09:45:00.001-07:002018-06-16T09:45:26.518-07:00Black Hound coming out in print shortlyThank you for supporting the release of my ebook, <i>Black Hound!</i> The print version should be available next week (Amazon is reviewing it now).<br />
<br />
I celebrated release day by grocery shopping, cleaning house and capturing a swarm of bees in a horse coral to repopulate our be hive.<br />
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The bees were starting to swarm when we got there, so I gave the branch a sharp shake and the clump dropped into the cardboard box we brought. Hopefully there's a queen in there; we'll know in a few days. If not, we might be able to buy a queen from a local bee keeper.<br />
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It was pretty funny. We were driving down the road on the short trip to our hives and the bees were escaping the cardboard box in the trunk. Of course we were wearing bee suits, because no one wants to deal with bees while driving.<br />
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We got out of the car and my husband had a long walk across an uneven field carrying a box of escaping bees to the empty hive. The grass was tall, and predictably we were picking ticks off our bee suits when we were done.<br />
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We also had to use a shop vac to get all the leftover bees out of the car, because they didn't want to leave.<br />
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We were super excited to get the swarm, agreeing it was one of the best dates ever. Bees are in limited supply and only available in spring, costing about $100 per swarm, and that's not including hives and equipment. We also have three more empty hives, so if you live close to Spokane and have a loose swarm, we'd love to fill our hives. <br />
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Bees are necessary for fruit and many other crops and pesticides kill them by the millions. I love eating, so I'm happy to keep the population going when I can. Besides, honey from freshly crushed comb is ecstasy; we're addicted, and our friends say it's better than commercially spun honey. My husband grumbles when we have to buy commercial honey, says it's just not as tasty.<br />
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I can't prove it, but I think it's because they get to use the fresh, clean wax their body naturally produces to make storage cells, instead of gunky old wax left over from spun honey. Whatever the reason, yum!<br />
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That said, processing honey is a lot of work, and not everyone has the guts to work with bees. Commercial keepers work hard to keep their hives alive and food on our table. In honor of them, I think I'll celebrate with the big bag of cherries I just bought. Mmm, cherries...<br />
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<br />Autumn Dawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18142359468867203120noreply@blogger.com0