Well, my holiday novella is off for edits, and now I’m thinking about what’s next. I believe I’ll dive back into the Surrogate series, return to Etain’s world. Traditions is in the rewrite stage of its existence, and I have a new tool in my arsenal, an audio reader that’s inside my word processor, which is ever-so-helpful where flow’s concerned.

Welcome to WIPpet Wednesday* by the way. This week I’m sharing from Mama, Me, and the Holiday Tree – Appalachian Elementals 1 ½. Yes, 1 ½. This novella is set in the holiday season between novels one and two, so we decided to run with the half.

It’s scheduled for a November release.

Here’s the blurb to get you started.

A dozen handmade holiday ornaments, that’s all, but it might be an impossible task.

Centenary Rhodes and her mother are at constant odds. It’s one of the many reasons Cent left home when she was eighteen. Mama’s difficult for anyone to manage, but now that Cent’s back home, she has to try. Mama, however, won’t acknowledge who Cent’s become, even though she’s repeatedly been shown the truth.

It’ll take more than popcorn strings and paper snowflakes to heal the rift that’s formed between Cent and Mama. It’s going to take bushels of patience, heaps of magic, and assistance from everyone on both sides of Embreeville Mountain to reset the Balance between them.

But with Yule and Christmas just around the corner, it might already be too late.

***

Here’s my WIPpet Math for 9/12/2018:  2+2+1= the first 5 paragraphs from Mama, Me, and the Holiday Tree.

      This is what I get for marrying an earth elemental. I stare with dismay at the dirt trail leading across the porch and through the front door. I don’t get rare gems or sparkling geodes placed lovingly at my feet by my elemental spouse. No, I get a cedar tree, bare roots caked with half-frozen mud, wedged into the living room corner.

     Stowne’s dragged a holiday tree into our home while I was at work today.

     “No one saw you do this?” I scratch my head as I consider the leaning mass of fern-like, scaly, sticky needles. “And I thought we’d talked about getting a tree tomorrow.”

     “No one was here.” Stowne’s grinning ear to sandy ear. “It is a surprise. You have worked so hard lately that you have forgotten how close it is to Yule.”

     Yeah, Yule. About that. This is my first Yule with Stowne. No, let me correct that. This will be my first Yule celebration this life, and they’re trying to make it special for me, so I can’t sound as upset as I’m feeling at present. “Two days. I know. Thanks, honey, but can we do something about the mess?”

*WIPpet Wednesday is a blog hop hosted by Emily Wrayburn wherein writers share excerpts of their latest WIP. All genres and levels of accomplishment are welcome. The only stipulation is that the excerpt must coincide with the date in some manner. For example, on 10/8/14 you might share 10 lines from page 8, 8 paragraphs from chapter 14, or perhaps 18 sentences by doing WIPpet math and adding the day to the month. We’re flexible like that.

Cedar tree image by Nick West on Unsplash