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Excerpt
“Can I ask you something?” Lacy asked quietly.
Jace looked over his shoulder. “Anything.”
“This tattoo on your back.” She ran a finger down his spine. He shivered.
“Yeah?”
“Why do you have it? I mean, what made you get a wolf-dragon tattoo? It’s unique.”
“Do you want the short answer or the long one?” She trailed her finger back up his spine. “Just tell me what was on your mind. Did you design it?”
“Yeah, I did,” he said, his voice husky. Her fingers kept tracking his spine and he found concentration difficult. “I’ve always been fascinated with dragons. The symbolism behind the myth. I love everything about them. But the dragon needs temperance. With great power comes arrogance, conceit, and a thirst for even more power.” He chuckled and glanced at her.
“Just about everything you’ve accused me of.”
Her hand stilled. “Jace, I—”
“It’s okay,” he reassured her, giving her leg a squeeze. “Don’t feel bad.”
“Go on,” she urged.
He continued to tread water. “Well, the dragon holds immense possibility while the wolf relies on his instincts to guide him. Combined, the dragon sees all the possibilities before him, but the wolf chooses based on instinct. His heart guides him. It’s a balance. The dragon embodies primordial power. The wolf checks it with his ability to relate to others. The wolf takes on everything the dragon is—his protection, loyalty, fearlessness, and strength—and enhances it, makes it stronger. The two combined incorporate everything I want to be. The tattoo is a reminder. Especially when I’m having a bad day.”
She laughed. “Or when someone accuses you of being conceited?”
“Pretty much,” he admitted. “Do you like it?”
“I do. You said you designed it. Does that mean you drew this?”
“Yeah. I knew what I wanted.”
“Wow.” She sounded impressed. “I had no idea you could draw. You’re talented.”
He grinned. “Girl, you have no idea just how talented I am.”
“And the dragon rises.”
Laughter burst from his chest. “Touché.”
A red-eared slider swam their direction. “Look.” He pointed at the turtle’s nose jutting out of the water.
Her grip around his neck tightened. “Let’s go back.”
“He won’t hurt you,” he said, laughing, but swam back anyway. He helped her out then hoisted himself on the dock beside her. He retrieved his shirt and offered it to her. “Dry off with this.”
She took the shirt and mopped her face. “Pond water is so gross, but that was fun.” She gave him a demure smile. “Thanks. I needed that.”
He spent the rest of the day making her laugh. Being her distraction. But as the afternoon waned, so did her spirits. She shifted from cheerful to pensive. The temperature dropped as the western sun burned to the ground. “I guess we’d better get back.”
She sighed. “Yup. Duty calls.”
They untied their horses and started back. When Highway 11 stretched before them like a winding, black snake, he trotted up beside her and grinned. “I saw the girl I used to know today.”
They crossed the highway onto Monroe land then she turned and faced him, eyes full of pain and regret. “That girl is gone, Jace. She doesn’t exist anymore. If that’s who you’re looking for then give up because you’re wasting your time.” She gave Acer a nudge and galloped away. Frustrated, he urged his horse forward. She wasn’t going to run. Not this time. He raced beside her and grabbed her reins.
Eight hooves skidded on dirt and loose gravel and halted in a dusty cloud between the two farmhouses. His horse whinnied, tossing her head. She jerked her reins out of his hands. “That was a stupid thing to do,” she shouted. “I could’ve been thrown!” Chest heaving, he jumped off his horse. His boots thudded on the gravel. He stomped around Acer, trying to check his frustration. The girl was scared, and he didn’t want to demolish the progress he made today. He reached up and plucked her out of the saddle. “Stop running from me, girl.” He studied her and saw her demeanor shift from anger to fear. “I’m not going to hurt you. If you’d crawl out of your pain long enough, you’d see that.” She flung her hands up, eyes glistening.
“You don’t think I’m trying? I’m drowning trying to save everyone else, but
who’s gonna save me?” She bit her lower lip and looked away. He drew her into his arms and to his surprise, she didn’t fight him. He rested his chin on her head and whispered, “Hold on to me. I’ve got you.”
The Book Junkie Reads . . .Reckless Dreams Interview with . . . Susy Smith . . .
How would you describe you style of writing to someone that has never read your work? I’m a minimalist at heart. I love Hemingway and McCarthy and live by the axiom, “bring every word you write to task.” I edit as I write, I can’t help that. I think you must engage the reader’s imagination, but not over stimulate it. When I read a book, it bugs me when the author fills in what could’ve been left to my own inspiration and intelligence. I write in third person POV, I always have. Many authors write in first person POV and I admire them! It’s harder than you’d think. I think I’ll be pegged as a regionalist writer, and that’s okay. My novel, Asylum, is based in Osage County, Oklahoma, a place where I grew up. My upcoming works will also be based in Oklahoma.
Do you feel that writing is an ingrained process or just something that flows naturally for you? When I sit down to write, sometimes the words come faster than I can type. Other times, it feels like I’m sweating blood to get the words out of my head. When that happens, I grab at least three pencils and my notebook. I go through a lot of pencils! I wish I could say the words just flow naturally all the time, but that’s not the case.
Have you found yourself bonding with any particular character(s)? If so which one(s)? Yes, and surprisingly not the main characters in my debut novel, Asylum. I think with Lacy and Jace, I was bonded to them from the start. Before I wrote a single word, they were alive in my writer’s brain. Cat’s character really surprised me. Her name originally was Lilly, and I still think of her as Lilly. She’s the spunky woman in her midlife that keeps everyone in line, Lacy included. She uses nonsensical metaphors and serves as a comic relief at times. I found myself really getting into her character development. She’s also one of my editor/friend’s favorite characters and she – to this day — does not like the name Cat.
Do you have a character that you have been working on that you can't wait to put to paper? Oh boy, do I ever! With The Asylum Series I’m projecting a total of four books. Currently, I’m right in the middle of the sequel to Asylum. I don’t really have a title for it yet, although I’m tossing around a couple of ideas. Anyway, Lacy’s brother, AJ, is talked about in Asylum, and introduced in the sequel (WIP). He will be the main male character in the third book, and I can’t wait to get him out of my head and into print. He’s rugged and raw and hot! AJ is damaged goods, has a mouth on him (much like his sister, Lacy, only worse), and can’t be bothered with romantic relationships. I have a lot in store for AJ (mwahahaha!)
Can you share your next creative project(s)? If yes, can you give a few details? I’ve started a romantic paranormal YA series that I’m dying to get into. My brain tends to have a one-way footbridge which means I can’t write two things at the same time. I hope to learn to do that soon, because these characters are itching to come to life. When I say paranormal, I’m not talking vampires, werewolves, dragons, or demon shifters. This series will be about a seventeen-year-old kid, Carter, who has his own rock band, Carter 9, and inherits a family curse which is passed from father to son.https://www.susysmith.com/
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An intriguing cover, synopsis and excerpt, Asylum sounds like my kind of read and I am glad to see that it is the first story in a series. I have purchased a copy and can't wait to start reading. Thank you for sharing your bio and book details and for offering a giveaway
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ReplyDeleteThis sounds very interesting!