EXCLUSIVE: Excerpt from DARK SEA, Shadowwater II

The following provides clues to my third book in the Shadowwater series (draft in process):

(Photo: Wendy Shreve)

"He couldn’t see through the foggy haze until the curtain of mist flew open to reveal his darkest fear: The crow sat with one eye open as the sun rose along the eastern horizon. His comrades, branches away, were separated into groups: those who had families to care for, or singles, like himself who served as sentinels. And then the ruckus began, a wave of warning calls coming closer and closer to him. A juvenile on the verge of becoming an adult, this crow had allowed itself to be distracted—by an attractive beauty shining in the sun—and as the crow felt it had lost its ability to fly, he discovered why. A sea hawk—though an observer wouldn't have been able to clearly identify the bird—had the poor victim in its clutches, diving rapidly to the ground underneath a parked RV which offered a comfortable hiding spot from the on-comers.

Hoards of the young bird’s friends had begun diving down toward the eagle, waves of fighters trying to get the eagle’s attention. A cacophony, which had awakened the radius of birds and some humans, had been incessant. However, this raptor had been too smart. Still the hawk kept the crow under its strong talons as the juvenile struggled to free himself. When the din of his friends died down, the crow knew he would be dead soon. As the raptor began pulling away the crow’s tufts of feather from its chest and pulling out its entrails, the eagle cried out in triumph. As the dying crow gave up its last breath the hawk turned into an osprey—with green eyes.

Cal awoke, sweat covering his body, as he noticed his dream catcher had fallen from its hooks. He took several deep breaths and steadied his nerves before getting out of the bed. Often, in his dreams, Cal could reach out to his uncle or Spirit Chief when he had been troubled or disturbed. Sure enough, he heard a knock on his door. Welcoming him in, Cal saw that Spirit Chief’s silver hair had begun to turn white. The tall, commanding man, however, still retained mesmerizing eyes and an indomitable character." (Copyright 2014 Wendy Shreve/ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)

DEAD CROW (pantherpro-webdesign.com)

DARK SEA, Shadowwater II available in paperback and e-book. Follow link: www.shadowwater.net for more information.

HOLIDAY WEEKEND? WRITERS NEVER STOP

A misconception regarding writers is we have loads of free time, take breaks for holidays and have an easy life. Bullocks! Half the creative process involves observing, listening, reflecting, note-taking and constructing, even before we put our thoughts on paper (and part-time jobs).

This weekend, I will continue blogging about my book and post more photos that have sparked my imagination. Let me share an excerpt from my newest book in the SHADOWWATER SERIES (title to be determined), and accompanying images which sparked my imagination, hence this scene:

She could smell the heat. The dense, dewy moisture brushed her nostrils as she inhaled. The crescent moon, close enough to catch but not bright enough to light her way.The feline ignored the shadows, as did the human walking beside her, both imperceptible, flanked by tall grasses and planted bushes, palm trees.

Google Image - Belize at Night

Google Image*

Google Image - IntrepidReporter - Mayan Woman

*READ MY POST: "THE CAT: A Night in the Tropics" (October 2014) regarding my imaginary, though always possible, encounter with a jaguar in Belize. Watch YouTube visual presentation of "Around the World in 15 Years for more about other encounters in Belize." https://youtu.be/RaYwJm9Cz5I

FOR MORE ABOUT MY SHADOWWATER BOOKS: go to www.shadowwater.net

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

VISUAL BLOG: SHADOWWATER REFLECTIONS

This week I want to showcase the backdrop to my Shadowwater books. 

As one critic put it: "Shadowwater draws its readers into the magical world that is Cape Cod." (San Diego Book Review). 

And another: "The tale [Dark Sea: Shadowwater II] encompasses treasure, boats, spells, shark attacks, impending casinos, medicine wheels, the legendary Puma of Pamet and Cape nature. It’s make-believe, fantasy, as the author places a different colored lens over reality (giving herself liberty to do so by a chapter heading quote from Black Elk)." (Barnstable Patriot)

SEE FOR YOURSELF, THE MAGIC THAT IS CAPE COD:

FEEDING FRENZY

SWEEPING SURGE (Nor'easter)

THE CALM

Cal with his surfboard?

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 

Go to: www.shadowwater.net for more information on my books.

I'M BACK! SHOULD I BE?

You decide: pretentious selfie or funny moment?
All depends on context--and eye for detail!

Yes, I have written my blog every two weeks, but give a blogger some "slack." Oops! Pundits suggest avoiding alliterative writing, especially in fiction. Well, those pundits certainly know what they're writing about, don't they? Actually, according to other experts on Twitter, for example, most Tweeters who give advice aren't qualified to do so.

Therefore, this week, I'm going to post, drum roll please...! Oops, a cliché! Oh, and overusing exclamation points--editors have a point, !, on that usage.

I received my training via two parents who were writers, years of post-graduate education (Don't tell my college and first grad school that I didn't learn to write "well" until my second graduate program. "Misspent youth," my father would say.). And that last sentence leads to another suggestion: temper usage of parentheses and use them correctly. If I were to comment on the debate over how to use parentheses, and for that matter, adverbs, (has anyone read classic fiction recently?), and semi-colons, and. . .James Joyce, where are you when I need you? Oops, another "No, no," rhetorical questions should be kept at a minimum, and when referring to famous author's works, make clear for the contemporary reader which one; okay, Ulysses, Roman name for the Greek, Odysseus; and if you read the Odyssey you will get my reference.

Oh, no! Last sentence too long, sorry Proust. No verb in last sentence and this one, too! I apologize Elements of Style.

I think most will agree that the grammar Nazis--yes, I do find the use of Nazis disturbing, though now commonly used--and deconstructionist line-editors have reduced fiction writing to stale, formulaic, by-the-book, plot narratives. How book snobs used to describe Harlequin romances. Antithetically (adverb and high-brow lexicon), where are the content, copy and line editors at so-called highly respected publishing house when we need them? Case in point, I dare not be explicit for concern about reader backlash: a series published 2011-2012 which received the UK's National Book Award for Popular Fiction and Book of the Year.

No, I will forge ahead, not for the notoriety, awards or maximum sales in a year, but to do what I love: write fiction.

P.S. If you find any errors in THIS BLOG, ignore them, if you have a sense of humor. LOL. Future blogs, you have my blessings. I think.

www.shadowwriter.net
www.facebook.com/shadowwaterseries

THE OSPREY

Watercolor by Wendy Shreve
Copyright 2013

A welcomed seasonal traveler which arrives here late for spring,

While some birds pause to whistle or others stop to sing,

You preen your wings of black and white then shriek a high-pitched ring.

*

 Sailing with the thermals, flying with ennui,

You spot a bluefish skimming the surface of the sea.

Plunging downwards fearlessly, your talons raised and ready,

You grasp your prey beneath the bay; a raptor poised and heady.

*

When you meet your partner and bind a sturdy nest,

You raise your chicks to pick up sticks with little time to rest.

And once your tenure ends as summer days are done,

You ascend again into the sky to seek a warmer sun.

Copyright 2013 Wendy Shreve
www.shadowwater.net

IMPRESSIONS OF A CAPE COD WRITER: THE UPPER CAPE

Have a boyfriend who loves driving to different parts of the Cape, taking me along as we explore new places for both of us or for me. Recent discoveries include multiple osprey nests in every town we visited, encouraging sign for the once endangered species. For fishermen, ospreys' presence also mean plentiful fish are nearby.

"Blues" off of boyfriend's favorite fishing spot on the Upper Cape have been abundant this year. Silvery skin which glistens with the sun's rays and bright, bold yellow eyes encourage and dare fishermen to try to catch them, as the stubborn fish fight along way until brought to shore. Once released, when we'd look up to see the them leave, like magicians the "blues" would be gone as if they'd learned their lesson for the day and dove into the depths to allude other predators.

A dirt road pounded by the brutal ice, snow and brief spring rain showers brought us to a hidden beach my boyfriend had been to over the years. His voice lifted to reveal what his eyes had foreseen ahead: "Oh, no. Look at the cars!" I, unfamiliar with the spot, hadn't been surprised and told him its Memorial Day weekend and asked why the shock?

He told me that for years the oasis had been without visitors. That day, my man began to understand that the beaches he had asserted should be accessible to everyone included those he believed had been his own private sanctuary. With 20 knot wind gusts however, the only intruders enjoying the secret treasure were resilient windsurfers--an exception being one bewildered, wet-suit-wearing attempter whose sail had collapsed in the white-capped, 56 degree sea.

Boston's weather may have hovered around 80 degrees, but the ever-present wind on the Cape that day made stalwart visitors cover themselves in layers as they shivered in their beach chairs. The air temperature, on the Upper Cape stayed a cool 62 degrees, not including the wind chill. It didn't prevent, nevertheless, one college-aged "polar bear" from plunging into the water in his swim trunks. His eyes displayed complete delight.

More impressions to come. . .

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Copyright 2015 Wendy Shreve

Look for the third book in my SHADOWWATER series this Fall. For more information about my novels, go to www.shadowwater.net

NATURE'S CHECKS AND BALANCES: HAS MAN TIPPED THE SCALES?

With this year's sudden, triple eruptions of Chile's volcano, Calbuco, geologists are predicting a temporary cooling of the Earth's atmosphere, a result of spewed volcanic gases and ash which have risen into the stratosphere. Meanwhile, what's been left behind on terra firma is a blanket of ash that has ruined crops, marine life (including the region's bread-and-butter industry, salmon), damaged or destroyed homes and decimated forests. As seen after the Mt. St. Helen's eruption, however, a natural renewal and resurgence happens, where new forests, even more fertile farmland and wildlife return. It may take decades, but the surrounding environment adapts and often recovers. At least that's what scientists used to think. What has changed hasn't been Earth's resilience to withstand natural disasters; no, it's the inability of our environment to recover from human negligence.

The Mt. Everest avalanche resulting from the 7.9 cataclysm in Nepal possibly swept away years of man-made debris including oxygen bottles, garbage and, more poignant an estimated 200 bodies frozen in the permafrost from fatal sojourns up the mountain. Not far away Nepal's farmland will recover and families will rebuild their lives, but many worry that the country's purported corrupt government and historic lack of jobs, may force the Nepalese to focus solely on tourism at the expense of their surrounding environs.With oversight of foreign aid coming in, the Nepalese can salvage their homeland without solely depending on reckless tourists who disrespect the soaring mountains they climb. Let's hope that the tragic jolt Nepal suffered could be a smack on government officials' heads about their country's future. (BREAKING NEWS, via CBS THIS MORNING, Nepal's officials are considering closing the affected route up Mt. Everest.)

And the remaining garbage on the world's tallest mountain? It is the tip of the human footprint affecting much of our world. Artificial ecological disasters have begun to outnumber natural ones: fracking-induced earthquakes and contaminated water caused by industry, are two examples. Sooner than later if left unchecked, man-made, destructive catalysts will lead to widespread destruction of our crops, homes and populations.

Nature has a way of re-setting the ecological clock, but has man finally outwitted the power of Mother Earth to check and balance the destruction of our ecosystems? Stephen Hawking thinks so: "It will be difficult enough to avoid disaster in the next hundred years, let alone the next thousand or million," Stephen Hawking said. "Our only chance of long-term survival is not to remain inward-looking on planet Earth, but to spread out into space." (Space.com)

For me, never, in my lifetime did I believe we could be facing Earth's tipping point: the imminent possibility that our world will become a page in an intergalactic history book of barren planets in our galaxy.

MARS