So keeping with my spirit of the 12 Blogs of Christmas, I decided to do 8 lines from a WIP. Well, the problem arose of what WIP, and then it hit me. I'm trying to begin promoting RTD since it'll be pubbed in January or February. So, I decided to do a teaser from the sequel to RTD, which is a YA Literary Fiction. I don't have a name yet, but most of the characters from RTD will be making an appearance as well as some new characters. The story moves from 1939 when the story left off to 1964, and it follows Jackson Tate's cousin, Parker's, three daughters: Eighteen year old Caroline, Seventeen year old Julianne or Jules, and fifteen year old, Emma Katherine, or Emmie.
The sweltering summer of 64’ changed us. Forged in the fiery inferno that almost consumed us, that threatened to squelch our voice and even snuff out our very lives, we were molded into the women we became. I turned fifteen that summer. The tomboy, the baby, the sheltered child of antiquated privilege made off the backs of cotton mill workers. Until then, all I knew was how much I admired the delicate, lady-like gentility of my oldest sister, Caroline, and how I coveted the rebellious, free-spirit of my middle sister, Julianne, or Jules as she was called. That summer we didn’t need black and white scenes on the TV of bloodied brutality coupled with cries for freedom and the anthem of “We Shall Overcome” from places like Selma, Birmingham, or even Atlanta because the drums of war raged all around us. The sins of our father, long submerged in the river of time, floated to the surface like a body weighed down with rocks—bloated, putrid, and hideously distorted. From society ladies frenzied fanning, the wind brought fragments of the truth about a place I only thought existed in the Bible and of man I thought was only a ghost. Damascus. John Christian
14 comments:
wow the prose is really beautiful and it completely captivated me!!
Krista, you have such an elegant style that jumps off the page into my imagination. Already I can feel the setting, the turmoil. I can't wait to read RTD so I can read this after!
Love the last line - Damascus. John Christian. Something about that gave me shivers. Just ties the two together so well.
OMG, I freaking love southern history. I also love all the metaphors and really image-heavy writing you have going on here. It's really nice.
p.s. Thanks for the shoutout yesterday. You ladies mean so much to me!
LOVE this!! I <33 RTD. I'm sure the sequel will be as badass. :D
Such a great voice here! And I love this line: "The sins of our father, long submerged in the river of time, floated to the surface like a body weighed down with rocks..."
I''m a history major...ah history...so I love reading things like this. I can feel the atmosphere here (literal and metaphorical) and I just love it!
Do you really want to beta 365? I'll return the favor :]
Just drop me a message or comment and I'll give you my email
I really love the voice in this. I'm not a big history fan, but this I would read.
I'm really, really, really glad you are trying literary YA.
You obviously rock at it.
Wow, this is powerful writing. This is seriously the best teaser of yours I've read so far. Keep it up!
I felt the heat exuding from my computer screen. I felt like I was in 64'. And I am so feeling this character. Seriously, great job :D
Nice teaser! I love stories set in the past. I hope things go well with RTD!!!
Wow.. amazing! Your prose is brilliant, and I really felt pulled into the story!
This was amazing. I was completely hooked.
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