The Look Challenge

   I've been tagged in The Look Challenge by fellow writer and friend Jo Denton. Here's the way it works: You take your current manuscript and find the first instance of the word "look". Then you post the surrounding paragraphs as an excerpt of the book on your blog. Lastly, you tag five more blogging authors who you think might be a good choice for the game.

   I am working on a new series, which is still a big secret as to the overall title and genre :-) But here's an excerpt from the first book titled, "Alexiah" which is a romance of course, lol, but also a ??? This first book deals with the end of the world on 12/21/12 and I still haven't figure out the overall genre yet.

"A" is for Alexiah

   Moaning, Alexiah rolls over onto her back and shields her eyes from the harsh sun. It takes her a few moments to remember what has happened. She struggles to sit up and then touches a tender spot on her head. She can feel the large bump and the dried blood in her hair. She looks around and sees nothing. No trees, no houses, no people, nothing. “Oh God what did you do?” She whispers as she looks at the vast emptiness. Everywhere she turns;  there is nothing but dirt, rocks, and mountains. Alexiah drops her head into her hands and cries.

*****

   Alexiah lights a couple of candles before pulling the door shut. She slides the bolt lock and shivers. “Okay Sam, I guess we are locked in for the night. I’m not sure what time it is, but if the clock is right, it’s about 6:15 p.m. The dog wags his tail and Alexiah pats him on the head and looks around the small shelter. “Now what? What are we supposed to do Sam?” Alexiah feels the hot tears sting her eyes and squeezes them shut. Taking a deep breath and blowing it out hard, she tells herself, “Stop it Alexiah. Crying is not going to help.” She glances around the small, but well stocked shelter, and seeing the notebooks that John stocked up on, she smiles. “He was the writer not me, but…”
She grabs the top one, a new pen from the box and sits down at the small table. “Now what do I write?” She looks down at the blank page. “Think Alexiah, think.”

Now to choose five others that I hope will participate. Hint, hint. :-)

http://danniehill.wordpress.com/

http://zenscribbles.wordpress.com/

http://dianadouglas.wordpress.com/

http://sydneyaaliyah.wordpress.com/

http://davidccassidy.com/

Okay and now a sneak peek just for Jo who recently read the first book in my series, "Chris' Journey Turning Different Corners, Her Journey Begins" Here is an excerpt from the second book, "A Corner For Life"

The Envelope

   Chris walks in, drops her keys on the counter, and pulls the envelope out of her pocket before sitting down on the couch. Unfolding it she looks at her name scrawled across the front. 

Chris

She slips her finger under the flap and pulls out the folded sheet of paper.

   My Dearest Chris

        I wanted to give this to you the day you walked away from me at the cemetery. I’ve given it to Brent in the hopes that he might see you again. You see Chris, Brandon was my only nephew and I started a trust fund for him the day he was born, adding to it every year on his birthday. I had set it up so that he would have access to it on his twenty first birthday but with his sudden demise I know he would want you to have it. From what I’ve heard you loved him deeply. Maybe someday I can get to know the girl who brought so much joy into his life.

                                         

Sincerely,

     Elliot Monroe  

     213-555-8632

   

   As Chris is reading there is a knock on the door and she wipes the tears away with the back of her hands. “Yeah”

Sue pokes her head in. “Hey, is that how you answer a door? Yeah…What’s up with...” Sue walks over, sits down, and puts her arm around Chris. “Are you okay?”

Chris hands her the letter and then looks at the cashier’s check. 

   “How much did he give you?”

Chris holds the check out for Sue to see.

   “Five thousand dollars? You’ve got to be kidding me. What are you going to do with it?”

   “Sue do you know how badly I could have used this a couple of years ago? Now I have two jobs, my rent is paid, I have food and clothes and I don’t ever want to worry about where I’m going with all my possessions in a plastic grocery bag again.”

   “So are you going to put it away and save it?”

   “Nope. You know that little store front that every time we pass by, you drool?”

   “I don’t drool. And no you can’t do that.”

   “Yes I can. We are going to use this money to fulfill your dream of opening an aerobics studio.”

Oh and while you're at it check out my other blog. There's a new post about book covers!

http://karensdifferentcorners.wordpress.com/2012/09/25/judging-a-book-by-its-cover-not-me-part-1/