"Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, 'What! You too? I thought I was the only one.'" ~ C. S. Lewis

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Blog Fests!

Today there are 2, that's right, TWO fantastical blog fests that I have signed up for. The first is the Last Line Blog Fest (It's not first 'cause it's better, it's first 'cause I happened to talk about it first. Just sayin') And it's sponsored by the lovely Lilah Pierce.

So for this one we're supposed to post the last line (plus a little bit more for set up) of a scene, chapter or book.

Here we go.

Both excerpts are actually from my historical fiction WIP entitled Unexpected Miracles. This is the manuscript that is hiding in the bowels of my computer waiting for a complete overhaul. But there are a few scenes that I really like and they both happen to fit the two blogfest scenes for today. So I'm hoping for some constructive feedback, because I think soon I'm going to try to dive back into this story.

This scene isn't the end of the book, but it is the end of these two secondary main characters' (yes, you heard that right) journey. So without further ado:

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Kristy was gently touching the edge of the satin fabric, her face pensive. Brandon waited quietly until she was ready to speak. “Brandon Carter, I think I have loved you for a long time. You are the kindest, most patient and loving man I have ever known. I made you wait a very, very long time,” she laughed a little with a laugh that was half a sob. “But you have waited with good grace and now I am happy to accept your proposal.”

It took Brandon a moment to realize what had just happened. “Did you say yes?” he asked in disbelieving tones. When Kristy nodded, he whooped and jumped up. Then he started to reach for Kristy, but she warned him back, her hands held gingerly over the fabric, not wanting it to become soiled.

“But what is this for?” she asked, gesturing to the white satin. Absent-mindedly she fingered the softness. “It is beautiful,” she said, “But I can’t imagine what I would use it for.”

“Your wedding dress, of course,” Brandon said. “I ordered it just for you.”

A flush came into Kristy’s face and she closed the package back up. “It’s lovely, but you know I can’t wear white.” Her face was bright red now and her fingers fumbled to tie the twine back around the package. “Mama and I will make a nice cream colored dress, or maybe I can just wear my pale blue. It’s new and you said you liked how it brought out the blue in my eyes.”

Brandon put a finger under her chin and raised her face to meet his. “Kristy,” he said, as he gazed intently into her eyes. “God has forgiven you, I have forgiven you and you have forgiven yourself. In my eyes you are as pure as you ever were and God has given me a gift in you.”

“But think what people will say,” Kristy protested, tears beginning to brim in her eyes.

“After everything you have been through, after everything that we have been through, do you really care what Mrs. Mayweather has to say about your wedding attire?”

“I suppose not,” Kristy said, opening the package to peek at the fabric again. “It really is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”

Brandon draped an arm around her shoulders and Kristy nestled into his embrace. “I would be honored to wear this as my wedding dress, Mr. Carter. Thank you.” Brandon pressed a kiss to the top of her head. What a miracle that Kristy was really his at last.


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It might be a little longer than what Lilah intended (sorry) but she said 25 lines and I took that as lines of text, not sentences.

On to (0r onto?) Blog Fest #2.

This is the Baking Blog Fest sponsored by Charity Bradford and here we had to post a scene of our main character baking. I wasn't going to do this one, but then I remembered this scene and, here you go!

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Catherine’s fall had sent the entire Carter family spinning. Brandon knew his mother was the center of the family, but he wasn’t aware just how much she did until she could no longer do it. Although Catherine had insisted that all of her boys learn basic cooking skills, there were some interesting results as Brandon and Darrell tried to prepare the meals.

Thoughts of Travis and Kristy were a constant presence in Brandon’s mind, but he was far too busy with family concerns to do anything else.

“Ma,” Brandon said, calling over his shoulder as he stood at the stove. “Is the gravy supposed to have lumps in it for texture?” He poked at the mixture with a spoon. It was a strange grey color and looked more like porridge than gravy.

“Did you dump all the flour in at once?” Catherine said, exasperation tingeing her voice. Brandon knew she wasn’t irritated with him as much as she was irritated that she couldn’t care for her family. “I told you, put a little in at a time and stir it thoroughly. Throw it out and start over. What you’ve got there is probably better suited for glue than food.”

Brandon dumped the pot upside down over the slop pail and looked in horror as nothing came out. He shook it harder and a few chunks slid slowly out, but most of it stayed firmly stuck to the pot.

Taking the spoon he tried to scrape out the indigestible mess, but it was hard and the mixture was drying faster than he could scrape. With a grimace, Brandon set the pot down and filled it with water. He hoped the pot would be salvageable, but it didn’t look very promising.

“Do we really need gravy?” Brandon asked, getting out another pan.

“I guess not,” Catherine sighed as she shifted uncomfortably in the rocking chair. She sniffed. “What is that smell?” she asked.

Brandon’s hazel eyes widened. He flung open the oven door and a roll of black smoke exploded from the oven and filled the room. Catherine started to cough as the smoke reached her and Brandon ran to the kitchen door, opening it wide to try to air out the room. Gavin entered and went into an exaggerated gagging fit. Brandon glared at him, but the thirteen year old clutched his throat.

“I’m dying, I’m dying,” Gavin said, stumbling across the room and falling into a heap on the floor. Brandon ignored him, stepping over his brother’s twitching legs as he tried to fan the smoke toward the door.

Once the air had cleared, Brandon pulled a tray out of the oven. Gavin looked at the hardened lumps and made a face. “What were those?” he asked.

“Biscuits,” Brandon said shortly.

Picking one up, Gavin knocked it against the tray. The biscuit clanged and Gavin grimaced. “Ma’s never sound that way,” he said. “And hers are usually toasty brown, not black.”

“Just take them outside and throw them to the pig,” Brandon said.

Gavin took the tray carefully. “Okay,” he said. “But I don’t think even the pig can eat these.” Then he ran out the door, avoiding his brother’s swiping hand.

Brandon sank into a chair. “Well, that’s no gravy and no biscuits,” he said. “I can’t possibly ruin anything else today, can I?”

Catherine hesitated before asking, “You did put the chicken in earlier, right?”

Looking over, Brandon saw the pan with the raw chicken sitting on the sideboard. With a groan he slid off the chair and sprawled onto the floor. “I’m dying, I’m dying,” he said, covering his face with his hands.


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There you have it! Two blog fests, one post and I'm out :)


I'm actually setting this to post in the morning, since I have to work 8-5, so it will be later before I make it around to all y'all's posts. I will make it, though! I promise!

15 comments:

sarahjayne smythe said...

Wow. Two blogfest entries in one day. :) Go!You! I really liked the second one and the description of the gravy. That's happened more than once in real life. And I really loved that last line.

Charity Bradford said...

Oh, I'm laughing right now. I loved the descriptions and humor in the baking scene. Great job!

I also felt the tenderness in the first one. It was sweet and full of hope. Yay you!

Jemi Fraser said...

I've seen gravy just like that! :)

Great job!

Unknown said...

I loved them both. You have a lovely voice it permeates the writing. Great Blog entries.

Hannah said...

I've totally made biscuits like that. What can I say? I get distracted easily.

Andrew Rosenberg said...

I thought those biscuits would cook themselves! And chicken should know what to do. Funny!

Anonymous said...

I felt such a nice, tender feeling reading the first entry. She sounds naive, sweet, and honest like a genuine heroine. He sounds perfect. It makes me want to know just what it was that they went through together and came out so happy and full of hope.

Anonymous said...

So sweet! That was a great entry, thank you so much for participating!

Raquel Byrnes said...

I loved the "I'm dying...legs twitching..." reminds me of my brothers.

Great posts.

Melanie Sherman said...

The first one was very sweet, showing innocence is in the spirit, not just the physical. Wear that white!

The second one was quite funny. I can really identify with the lumpy gravy. Hahaha.

Jessica Bell said...

Re the second entry - love the relationship development here. I could really picture this scene. Nice work!

Mia Hayson said...

I read through this yesterday but forgot to comment. Not because I didn't want to. I thought I HAD commented but it seems I haven't *facpalm* I'm such a dolt.

The baking scene was really cool :~) I think I loved the first one best though because of how sweet it was. It made my heart melt a little.

Excellent stuff :~D

Rebecca T. said...

First, thank you all for the comments. Saturday I tried to get around to as many of you who did the blogfests as possible (which wasn't very many) but I'm gonna keep at it! So if I didn't comment on yours, I just didn't get to it yet :)

@sarahjayne: Glad you liked it. I love this light scene, because it's surrounded by some serious stuff.

@Charity: Thanks! Glad the humor, and the tenderness stood out.

@Jemi: I know, right!

@Elaine: *blushing* thank you. I have been feeling so blah over this WIP. I'm starting to get excited about it again.

@Palindrome: I don't usually burn things. Naomi now, is a different story :P

@Iapetus999: Thanks for stopping by! hehehe

@Catherine: They do go through a lot and they definitely have issues they work through to get to this point. Glad my intent came across :)

@Lilah: Thank you for hosting! and then stopping by and reading :)

@Raquel: Yup - I have brothers too :) Inspiration!

@Melanie: Thanks for the comments. Exactly!

@TAA: Thank you!

@Mia: no worries :) Glad it made your heart melt.

Thank you all again!

Sarah Ahiers said...

you did two blogfesst in one day? you crazy! i can barely get around to doing one every now and then

Rebecca T. said...

@Falen: Yes, but all I did was post them, since they came directly out of my WIP. :) And I'm STILL trying to catch up on reading everybody's! *crazy muppet arm running commences*