Sunday, December 15, 2013

Snowflakes & Beeswax for Snippet 12/15/13

Right now, August seems like nothing more than a very distant memory, but I do recall looking at my mare, Nagg, the first week of that hot month and being shocked to see that her  all dressed up in her mid-October coat (her hair color changes every week, the Horse of a Different Color in the Wizard of Oz doesn't hold a candle to my girl). In the 19 years we've been together, that's never happened. I instantly had a bad feeling about the up coming winter. 

Now it's the middle of December and Michigan is dealing with temperatures normally only experienced during late January and February. Nagg was right. I'm crossing my fingers and hoping to find her all dressed up for May. 

This week, for my WeWriWa/Sunday Snippet post I'm sharing the start of one of my favorite scenes from Snowflakes & Beeswax. Not only is it my favorite, if I remember correctly, it's also the first scene I wrote for these characters, and one of the few I didn't end up editing and rewriting a half-dozen times. 

I hope you like it as much as I do.

Several talented writers are participating in this week's WeWriWa. You owe it to yourself to check out the snippet's they've posted on their blog. 


Madelyn shifted her weight from one foot to the other and pressed her palms to her jumpy stomach, “aye.” 
 A support beam pressed into her spine. Clover’s earthy scent clung to his fingers as he reached over and stroked Madelyn’s cheek.  
“Good.” 
Madelyn licked her dry lips. She gestured blindly at Clover who watched the pair of them, her expression one of pure bovine patience. “I can finish the milking … and the rest of the chores while you prepare to return to London.” 
Oliver placed his brow against hers and chuckled, “I don’t want to.” 

Oops, I wasn't planning on a cliffhanger, but these things do happen. I promise to post the
next eight sentences next week :) Or, you could head over to Amazon and pick up a copy of the paperback or download the ebook to your Kindle if you don't want to wait a week. 

Thanks for stopping by. Make sure you stay warm and safe on this blustery Sunday!

30 comments:

  1. Cows are no help when it comes to moment like these . . . But at least they won't bring it up at awkward moments, either. :D

    Truly lovely snippet!

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  2. You got that right, Sarah! Lovely scene here, and it proves my idea that just letting your characters loose makes for some perfect moments. Thanks for picking this one to post :)

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    1. It's funny how characters seem to know what's best for them, even if the writer doesn't always see it the same way. Thanks for stopping by, Marcia!

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  3. I agree with the previous two comments - the characters are opening up, which always draws the readers in. I also like the book's title. Good snippet!

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  4. That's a lovely scene, I enjoy the cow's attitude (so true to life)...excellent excerpt! Takes me back to when I was a kid (no not in the 1800's LOL) and our neighbors had a dairy farm. Good luck with your winter!

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    1. Is it possible that I'm starting a trend. Could bovine-themed romance novels be the new trend? Last year, Jessica Subject released a pretty good sweet romance novella, Accidental Romance, that was set on a dairy farm. I think you'd like it.

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    2. And, if you're in the mood for a cozy mystery with a bovine theme, check out Ryan Bright's No Signal.

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  5. The snippet made me bring up the link to look at the blurb for the story. It sounds like a very sweet romance. My favorite kind!

    Don't freeze with the weather being so temperamental.

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  6. I love Clover in this scene. If he doesn't want to go, maybe he should stay. ;o)

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    1. Thank you. I'm pretty fond of Clover, and I'm inclined to agree with you regarding Oliver and what he should do.

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  7. Romance in the barn. I love this snippet and the bovine presence. Warms my hear on this frigid day.

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  8. Romance is in the air. :) I loved the cow's attitude and the visual you always bring to your snippets! Great 8!

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  9. I've read and liked the book, so I won't bring in spoilers. But I want to know what color your mare is! (I have a series on the genetics of horse color, and I know of at least two mechanisms for seasonal change of color.)

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    1. Thanks, Sue Ann, I'm glad you liked it. Technically, Nagg is a buckskin, though even at her lightest blonde she's still pretty dark and has a fair amount of smut shading over the top of her rump. Colorwise she's pretty close to the Man in Snowy Rivers horse. She's out of a seal brown mare and dark bay stud. Her Grandsire on the dam's side was a palomino (Comet's Haymaker) which is where the color comes from. Her mother had, if I remember correctly, 6 foals, and every other one was a buckskin, and the inbetweeners were dark bay. Someday, I'll post a few photos of Nagg's color changes. She goes from blond, to a kind of muddy water bay, to a really dark bay.

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  10. TEASE!;) Great snippet.
    At least Nagg gave you a little bit of a warning;).

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    1. I stole it's attitude from a few of the cows my dad has owned over the years ;)

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  12. I'm not sure this posted (my browser had a freak out) so trying again:

    Isn't it great how Nature and animals are so much better at predicting weather than human and technology are?

    I love the touches of physical reactions in this snippet -- the dry lips, etc.

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    1. My computer frequently freaks out, it's so irritating. I've always found nature to be far better about weather predictions and, even better, they don't get hysterical every time the weather changes. The weather people around here often act like the storm of the century is brewing and we end up getting a thimble full of snow. Ridiculous.

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  13. You successfully made us feel the tension and nervousness. Wonderful 8.

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    1. That's what I was aiming for. Thanks for stopping by :)

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  14. Great job setting the scene! Buuuuuut, you're a tease ;) Enjoyed your 8.

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  15. Beautiful imagery and a really sweet snippet!

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  16. I can see why that is your favorite scene… and I love the cliffhanger!

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  17. A cliffhanger indeed, but also a lovely snippet.

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