*The images in this
specific piece are granted copyright privilege by: Public Domain, CCSAL,
GNU Free Documentation Licenses, Fair Use Under The United States Copyright
Law, or given copyright privilege by the copyright holder which is identified
beneath the individual photo.
**Some of the links will
have to be copied and then posted in your search engine in order to pull up
properly
***The CRC Blog welcomes submissions from published and unpublished fiction genre writers for INSIDE THE EMOTION OF FICTION. Contact CRC Blog via email at caccoop@aol.com or personal Facebook messaging at https://www.facebook.com/car.cooper.7
****Rebecca Gomez Farrell’s WINGS UNSEEN is #55 in the never-ending series called INSIDE THE EMOTION OF FICTION where
the Chris Rice Cooper Blog (CRC)
focuses on one specific excerpt from a fiction genre and how that fiction
writer wrote that specific excerpt. All INSIDE THE EMOTION OF FICTION links
are at the end of this piece.
Name of fiction work? And were there other names you considered that you would like to share with us? Wings Unseen. It was once titled Lansera, the name of one of the fictional countries in the book. It was also titled Feathered Heads in a later draft, which was an absolutely horrible name, but I knew I needed something other than Lansera. I'm so glad I finally came up with Wings Unseen, which readers will see functions on multiple levels in the narrative.
Has this been published? And it is totally fine if the answer is no. If yes, what publisher and what publication date? Yes, Wings Unseen was published by Meerkat Press in August 2017.
https://www.meerkatpress.com/
What is the date you began writing this piece of fiction and the date when you completely finished the piece of fiction? I began thinking about it in college, around the year 2000. I worked on it in bits and pieces over the next decade, finishing the final draft in 2013.
Where did you do most of your writing
for this fiction work? And please describe in detail. And can you please
include a photo? Although coffee shops play an
essential role in my writing habits, the bulk of my work on Wings
Unseen was completed at my
home in Durham, NC, where my husband and I lived from 2007-2013.
And a good
portion of that time was spent on our deck, from which I'd watch my three cats
playing in the very green grass and hunting voles and shrews in the woods
behind our house. It was a lovely place to live, until late spring when the
tiger mosquitoes would come out along with the humidity. Let's just say that my
hatred for those mosquitoes also found its way into the book.
What were your writing habits while
writing this work- did you drink something as you wrote, listen to music, write
in pen and paper, directly on laptop; specific time of day? When Wings Unseen was nothing more than a
collection of images in my head, I wrote those images down on sheets of a
notepad. Then, when I had an afternoon I could spend writing, I would tear a
sheet out at random and get to work. Once all my scenes were complete, and many
of them went through my critique group, I went to my next draft, which
consisted of ironing out just what the plot was, developing the necessary
timeline, and making all the scenes tie together.
Oh, and it's a courtesy in this world for
people to greet and dismiss each other by clasping their hands together and
then raising their elbows up. The higher and longer the gesture is held, the
more deference is given.
Please include the excerpt and include page numbers as reference. The excerpt can be as short or as long as you prefer.
Why is this excerpt so emotional for you? And can you describe your own
emotional experience of writing this specific excerpt? This moment is a common experience in grief – not arriving
to study with a fantasy world's religious order, of course, but having a moment
of panic that you've forgotten about the person who has died, and that you're
betraying them when you realize it. Earlier in the book, Serra explains that
her brother, Agler, gave her that handkerchief the last night she saw him,
during another rather emotional moment in the narrative. So she has imbued the
handkerchief with meaning; it symbolizes all she's lost. If she had let the
carriage go off with that handkerchief, she may have never forgiven herself for
it. It's just a piece of fabric, but for Serra, it's the only connection she
has to her immediate family members, who have all passed away. So the relief
she feels when she finds it, despite how rash her panic may have appeared, is very
relatable for people who have also lost loved ones.
Please include the excerpt and include page numbers as reference. The excerpt can be as short or as long as you prefer.
Wings Unseen, Chapter 12 excerpt, pages 66-68
Bini cried when the priestess said no, she couldn’t stay. They had
arrived at Enjoin after three days riding in the carriage. Her normally tidy
braid frayed, Bini clasped Serra’s hand. The servant’s skin felt smooth and
cool as always, but her composure was the opposite. The pollen that had drifted
inside whenever Serra drew the curtains for fresh air had reddened Bini’s eyes,
and her dress had wrinkled on the journey. Both worsened at this farewell.
Serra must have looked much the same. As they hugged, she felt the
black mourning ribbons Bini wore and was touched by her handmaid’s loyalty. The
same black shreds of ribbon were tied around Serra’s arms. Sometimes, she
wondered if they wrapped around her mind.
“I will be fine.” Though if honest, being left here with no one
familiar frightened Serra. Alone was all she had craved for over a week, but
with Bini leaving too, Serra found the idea less appealing than it had sounded
in the throne room when the Brother invited her to come to Enjoin. Perspectives
could change so swiftly. Had Agler thought the same as he burned?
“Oh, Lady Serra, don’t let them make me leave you, not so soon
after your brother’s death. You need me!”
Serra breathed in the scent of Bini’s salve, libtyl oil and the
milky nectar of soothpricklers that made her skin so cool and inviting. She put
on her fixed smile and poise that had been given much practice of late and
pulled away from her handmaid. “It will be fine, I promise. The priests and
priestesses will look after me here. Besides, who else but Madel could give me peace?”
Bini gave another loud sob, but she withdrew. “Goodbye, Lady
Serra.” She sniffled. “I will relay all the plans we discussed for the wedding
to the queen. We will make it perfect for you.” Bini raised her elbows in
farewell. Serra returned the courtesy then took Ser Allyn’s hand and allowed
him to help her down from the carriage. He was in charge of the small group
that had brought her here: Bini, the carriage driver, and a pair of mounted
guards who had hauled her trunk and their provisions on a cart.
“Where should we put her belongings?” Ser Allyn asked the priestess
who greeted them, a slight woman with the strawberry-blonde hair that people
from the Western regions sometimes had—hair like Janto’s. Her garb was simple,
a thin, ivory-colored garment. Serra envied her; in this thick air, Serra's own
traveling gown made her feel twenty pounds heavier. If she had traveled more
often, she might have known it would be far too confining for this weather.
“You may take them back with you. We will provide all the Lady
needs.”
Ser Allyn made to insist, or at least that’s what Serra thought
the quick reddening of his face meant. His cordiality stopped him as it nearly
always did.
“It’s fine,” Serra said for the third time in two minutes. “My
clothes would do me no good here. I did not think to ask advice on packing, and
besides”—she leaned up on her tiptoes to whisper in his ear—“I would not want
the other initiates thinking me pretentious. The princess should not put on
airs, correct?”
He regarded her thoughtfully. “The trunk will go back with us.”
Sers Irven and Rullo, who sat their
horses heroically in the heat, tunics soaked with sweat, dismounted to place it
back on the cart.
“You are welcome to refresh yourselves here,” the priestess
offered.
Ser Allyn waved the thought away. “This trip was unplanned—I
cannot stay away from the king for long. But if you would replenish our water
pouches . . .”
“I will send someone to you with fresh water.” The priestess
raised her elbows to him and then to Serra. “Follow me, Lady Gavenstone.”
Serra followed the priestess down the short path toward the Temple
of Enjoin, the central sanctuary of Lansera. It was the same shape as all other
temples she'd seen, though perhaps twice as immense. The glass dome roof was
capped by a model of Madel’s hand reaching skyward. In the towns, temple walls
were painted with vibrant, colorful murals done by artisans. Enjoin's were
plain white with a sheen of yellow from the pollen of Lake Ashra’s flowering
bushes.
Serra’s arm itched as she walked. When she reached to scratch it,
the mourning ribbons dragged against her hand, and the sensation shocked her
like a bee sting. She whirled around, heart pounding, and ran as fast as she
could to the cart that held her trunk. How could I forget, even for a
moment? She lifted her skirt and jumped to where the trunk rested, tripping
over all the fabric.
“The key,” she demanded of Sers Irven and Rullo on their horses.
“Where is the key?” Their astonishment at her impetuous behavior showed only in
their eyes. Ser Irven fumbled in his saddle bag and pulled out a key covered
with engravings of Gavenstone’s vines. Serra grabbed it, her hand shaking as
she turned the lock. Where did I put it? She had been in such a hurry to
pack; Ser Allyn would faint from the sight of so many pricey gowns tossed in
disarray. Luckily, he had gone into the carriage with Bini.
Her fingers grazed the pebbled exterior of Janto’s seeing glass,
and she hesitated, wishing for it, too, but it wasn’t what her heart wanted
right then. There. Agler’s handkerchief
peeked out from beneath a set of her undergarments. She snatched it and held it
close to her chest, closing her eyes in relief. When she opened them, she found
all her companions staring at her with concern. Bini’s eyes filled once again
with tears.
“I am sorry.” Serra clutched the cloth in her hand. His ring she
had left for safe-keeping in her room, but this she could not part with. “I
forgot something I needed, that’s all. I did not mean to worry you.”
Ser Allyn disapproved, but the others nodded with understanding.
She supposed a near-princess who had lost a brother was allowed a few moments
of gracelessness. Serra took Ser Irven’s hand to disembark then gave Bini
another hug. “Thank you, again.” She raised her elbows to them. “Have a safe
journey home. Tell the queen I will miss her greatly.”
XXX
Most recently, that includes a reprint of
my horror short story, "Thlush-a-Lum," in the Fright into Flight anthology from Word Horde. I am expecting a
humorous fantasy tale, "An Inconvenient Quest," and a romantic urban
fantasy tale, "Wishing for More," to be published within the next
year in Stupefying Stories and Selene Quarterly, respectively.
Becca co-leads the 400-member strong East Bay Science Fiction and
Fantasy Writers Meetup group and organizes a chapter of the national Women Who
Submit Lit organization, which encourages all writers who identify as women
and/or genderqueer to send their work out for publication. She is also a
regular participant in the local literary reading scene.
Becca’s food, drink, and travel
blog, theGourmez.com, has garnered multiple accolades and influences every
tasty bite of her fictional worldbuilding.
Social media:
@theGourme
(Right: Becca at her book launch for WINGS UNSEEN)
(Right: Becca at her book launch for WINGS UNSEEN)
INSIDE THE EMOTION OF
FICTION links
001 11 15 2018 Nathaniel
Kaine’s
Thriller Novel
John
Hunter – The Veteran
002 11 18 2018 Ed
Protzzel’s
Futuristic/Mystery/Thriller
The
Antiquities Dealer
003 11 23 2018 Janice
Seagraves’s
Science
Fiction Romance
Exodus
Arcon
004 11 29 2018
Christian Fennell’s
Literary
Fiction Novel
The Fiddler
in the Night
005 12 02 2018 Jessica
Mathews’s
Adult
Paranormal Romance
Death
Adjacent
006 12 04 2018 Robin Jansen’s
Literary
Fiction Novel
Ruby the
Indomitable
007 12 12 2018 Adair Valerez’s
Literary
Fiction Novel
Scrim
008 12 17 218
Kit Frazier’s
Mystery Novel
Dead Copy
009 12 21 2019 Robert Craven’s
Noir/Spy Novel
The Road
of a Thousand Tigers
010 01 13 2019 Kristine Goodfellow’s
Contemporary
Romantic Fiction
The Other
Twin
011 01 17 2019 Nancy J Cohen’s
Cozy Mystery
Trimmed To
Death
012 01 20 2019 Charles Salzberg’s
Crime Novel
Second
Story Man
013 01 23 2019 Alexis Fancher’s
Flash Fiction
His Full
Attention
014 01 27 2019 Brian L Tucker’s
Young Adult/Historical
POKEWEED: AN ILLUSTRATED NOVELLA
015 01 31 2019 Robin Tidwell’s
Dystopian
Reduced
016 02 07 2019 J.D. Trafford’s
Legal
Fiction/Mystery
Little Boy
Lost
017 02 08 2019 Paula Shene’s
Young Adult
ScieFi/Fantasy/Romance/Adventure
My Quest
Begins
018 02 13 2019 Talia Carner’s
Mainstream
Fiction/ Suspense/ Historical
Hotel
Moscow
019 02 15 2019 Rick Robinson’s
Multidimensional
Fiction
Alligator
Alley
020 02 21 2019 LaVerne Thompson’s
Urban Fantasy
The Soul
Collectors
021 02 27 2019 Marlon L Fick’s
Post-Colonialist
Novel
The
Nowhere Man
022 03 02 2019 Carol Johnson’s
Mainstream
Novel
Silk And
Ashes
023 03 06 2019 Samuel Snoek-Brown’s
Short Story
Collection
There Is
No Other Way to Worship Them
024 03 08 2019 Marlin Barton’s
Short Story
Collection
Pasture
Art
025 03 18 2019 Laura Hunter’s
Historical
Fiction
Beloved
Mother
026 03 21 2019 Maggie Rivers’s
Romance
Magical
Mistletoe
027 03 25 2019 Faith
Gibson’s
Paranormal
Romance
Rafael
028 03 27 2019 Valerie Nieman’s
Tall Tale
To The
Bones
029 04 04 2019 Betty Bolte’s
Paranormal
Romance
Veiled
Visions of Love
030 04 05 2019 Marianne
Maili’s
Tragicomedy
Lucy, go
see
031 04 10 2019 Gregory Erich Phillips’s
Mainstream
Fiction
The Exile
032 04 15 2019 Jason Ament’s
Speculative
Fiction
Rabid Dogs
033 04 24 2019 Stephen P. Keirnan’s
Historical
Novel
The
Baker’s Secret
034 05 01 2019 George Kramer’s
Fantasy
Arcadis:
Prophecy Book
035 05 05 2019 Erika Sams’s
Adventure/Fantasy/Romance
Rose of Dance
036 05 07 2019 Mark Wisniewski’s
Literary
Fiction
Watch Me
Go
037 05 08 2019 Marci Baun’s
Science
Fiction/Horror
The
Whispering House
038 05 10 2019 Suzanne M. Wolfe’s
Historical
Fiction
Murder By
Any Name
039 05 12 2019 Edward DeVito’s
Historical/Fantasy
The
Woodstock Paradox
040 05 14 2019 Gytha Lodge’s
Literary/Crime
She Lies
In Wait
041 05 16 2019 Kari Bovee’s
Historical
Fiction/Mystery
Peccadillo
At The Palace: An Annie Oakley Mystery
042 05 20 2019 Annie Seaton’s
Time Travel
Romance
Follow Me
043 05 22 2019 Paula Rose Michelson’s
Inspirational
Christian Romance
Rosa &
Miguel – Love’s Legacy: Prequel to The Naomi
Chronicles
044 05 24 2019 Gracie C McKeever’s
BDMS/Interracial
Romance
On The
Edge
045 06 03 2019 Micheal Maxwell’s
Mystery
The Soul
of Cole
046 06 04 2019 Jeanne Mackin’s
Historical
The Last
Collection: A Novel of Elsa Schiaparelli
and
Coco
Chanel
047 06 07 2019 Philip Shirley’s
Suspense/Thriller
The
Graceland Conspiracy
048 06 08 2019 Bonnie Kistler’s
Domestic
Suspense
The House
on Fire
049 06 13 2019 Barbara Taylor Sissel’s
Domestic
Suspense/Family Drama
Tell No
One
050 06 18 2019 Charles Salzberg’s
Short Story/
Crime Fiction
“No Good Deed” from Down to the River
051 06 19 2019 Rita Dragonette’s
Historical
Fiction
The
Fourteenth of September
052 06 20 2019 Nona
Caspers’s
Literary
Novel/Collage
The Fifth
Woman
053 06 26 2019 Jeri Westerson’s
Paranormal
Romance
Shadows in
the Mist
054 06 28 2019 Brian Moreland’s
Horror
The
Devil’s Woods
055 06 29 2019 Rebecca Gomez Farrell's
Epic Fantasy
Epic Fantasy
