Yes, Alice, I'm a day late...
I was at the
Louisville Authors Event in Kentucky this weekend, so yesterday was a foggy, dig-out day. But I wouldn't change a thing! LAE 2014 was a
blast.
Compared to other events, it was relatively small. The turnout was moderate, but for me, the point was getting to spend time with author-friends I know and getting to meet author-friends I've only ever "known" online!
For writers out there trying to decide if they should do one of these things, I say a
HUGE YES! This was my third event, and I'll only be able to do probably two more this year.
Still, even when it's small like LAE, I had plenty of
sweet reader-friends come out to chat and get a signed copy of one of my books or have me sign their Kindle cases...
More than that, Friday and Saturday nights were spent talking shop, talking family, talking changes, and just
getting to know other fellow writer-friends outside the cave. That is
so important.
Writing is such an isolated job, and with the way everything is moving online, marketing books is also becoming pretty isolated. Being alone for long periods isn't good for anybody--just ask Elsa! *wink*
Author events are refreshing, rejuvenating, and we had so many good laughs. I think it's safe to say we all came back feeling bonded and great about our goals and aspirations and about each other. Nothing's better for squashing any feelings of isolation, loneliness, or competition than face time.
Here's a little photo collage of my time there...
|
Top, l-r: Me & Kate Roth, Denise Grover Swank, Kiki,
Center: Aleatha Romig, Jennifer Laslie (organizer), my signed book haul,
Bottom: Me with Dawn Pendleton & Kate. |
* * *
And now for that Mosaic Teaser!!!
Newsletter subscribers got this one last week. Not signed up for my New Release Newsletter?
Here's the (link)!*
*Be sure to add leightmoore@gmail.com to your contacts so it doesn't bounce to spam! (Subscribers, be sure you've done this as well!)
Mosaic
by Leigh Talbert
Moore
*unedited draft, subject to change*
expected release May/June 2014
©
2014, Leigh Talbert Moore
Everywhere I went, I held my breath expecting to run
into Jack. It was inevitable that we would see each other, and I wanted to get
it over with. He knew Julian and I were together, but I wanted to see how I’d
react to being confronted with him here, alone. I didn’t have to wait any
longer because as I made my way past the tables, there he was, sitting by
himself in a back corner booth.
“Jack.” I was incredibly nervous. I wasn’t
sure how I would react to hearing his voice.
He looked up and saw me. His blue
eyes widened almost imperceptibly, and then he laid his head back against the
wooden panel of the booth. “Anna.”
His voice was low and slightly
loose, and I noticed a half-empty pitcher on the table in front of him. None of
it mattered because he was so amazingly handsome in the dim yellow light. He
was almost unchanged from our last meeting at homecoming—the night I left early
and Julian sat with me while I cried. I still cringed at that memory.
The blue
oxford he wore made his eyes seem to glow, but I was filled with relief.
I
didn’t melt at the sight of him. I wasn’t that fragile little girl anymore. I
had someone now who meant more to me than the infatuation that had defined
almost a year of my life, and all I felt for the guy in front of me was
friendship. I wanted us to be friends if that were possible. Julian was his
half-brother, after all.
Jack’s eyebrows pulled together in a frown. “What are
you doing here?”
“I… I didn’t expect to see you.”
“Well, it looks like you
found me.” He was still frowning, and I was starting to feel a pain in my chest
that I hadn’t felt in a long time. We could be friends at least, couldn’t
we?
“Were you hiding?” I tried to joke. “Wow, it's been what? Almost a
year?”
“Six months.” His tone was sharp, and I decided the answer to
friendship was No.
“Well, I’d better go. I’m sure we’ll see each other around.
I’m at Loyola now. Full scholarship. It was the best offer I got, so I took
it.” The way he was acting, I was hoping he didn’t remember how much he’d had
to do with my decision to apply here.
“You were always very smart. Speaking of
smarts, how’s Julian?”
“He’s at Savannah now.”
Was this about Julian? He slid
to the side of the booth and stood to face me. I’d forgotten how tall he was as
he leaned forward to close the space between us.
“Tell me, was Julian on the
pass-fail system as well, or did you grade him on a curve?” His voice was low
and sarcastic, and I could smell the alcohol on his breath. My pulse ticked up
a notch. This was not the friendly reunion I’d envisioned.
“I don’t
understand.”
“You were so good at riding the fence. After I left, did you
run straight to Julian or did you wait a day or two for appearances?”
“I
don’t know what you’re talking about. You broke up with me.”
“Right. No
discussion. No argument.”
“Do you have a head injury?” My voice rose as my
tension built. “You were determined... You said… You told me you
needed to end it. Jack, I waited for you.”
“You waited? Why?” He leaned back
and the look in his eyes immediately called up the first night I’d encountered
his father. It could have been the same man standing in front of me now.
“I
don’t know. I don’t even recognize you anymore.”
“I’m me,” he smiled holding
out his arms, slightly wobbly.
“You’re not Jack. Not my Jack.”
“I never was
your Jack.” The smile left his face, and the cold withdrawal returned.
“Right.
You told me many times, but I wanted…” I wouldn't finish that sentence. It was
all in the past, and I wasn't going back there. Still, my whole body was tight,
every muscle on alert.
“Wanted what?”
“What’s happened to you?”
He looked as
if he would sit back in the booth, but after a pause, he turned back and
grabbed my arm roughly, pulling me into his embrace. His kiss was hard and
aggressive, and I put my hands on his shoulders and pushed myself free.
“Stop
it! What are you doing?”
“Just trying to remember what I’ve been missing.”
“If
you’re missing anything, it’s your own fault. You could have called me at any
time. I’d have waited forever if you’d only asked me to.”
“I didn’t know
you needed to be asked.”
“That’s not fair.” A tear spilled down my cheek, and
I was leaving then. This was crazy, and why the hell was I crying anyway? He
was the one rewriting history, clearly still trying to mess with my
head.
I was so angry and hurt, I could barely see where I was going,
but I stopped as I opened the door to leave. Looking back through the
center window, I saw him slump back down in the booth, head back against the
wall, eyes closed. He might be messing with my head, but one thing was
certain--something was very wrong. The question I faced was whether to
walk away from it or try and help him.
* * *
And on that note, I'm headed back into the cave, reader-friends!
Have a super week~