SFR Brigade Presents (2/1/13)

The Science Fiction Romance Brigade is hosting a blog-hop in which all participants post a snippet from a SFR novel or manuscript. Whether you are curious about science fiction romance or an avid fan, this is your chance to get a taste of what is available or soon to come. And it's absolutely free!
My first entry is science fiction romance - very, very old-style. It's from my Victorian Science Fiction (also known as Steampunk) manuscript, "The Love and Legacy of Sylvia Long." To give you an idea of the story, here is a short summary:

Moments from being married to the man of her dreams, Sylvia Long is abducted by Gabriel Villeroi, leader of an unorthodox band of explorers known as S.N.U.F.F., the Society of the Novel, the Unorthodox, the Fantastic, and the Futuristic. Swept into a world of invention and the supernatural, Sylvia discovers some extraordinary truths about her past as well as a growing affection for Gabriel. Together they must face the horrors and wonders of legend in order to save the world. And yet they find the greatest threat of all is not fantasy but very real indeed.

The following scene takes place immediately after Sylvia's abduction by Gabriel:

“This is the second time you have alluded to this substantial offer of yours. I tell you no matter what it entails, it interests me not. Your offer – and you – can go to the blazes. If you have any sense of decency, you will let me go.”
“I have concluded the opportunity I am proffering must be seen to be believed.” He pushed away from the wall to approach the bedside. Then he leaned in, lifting a platinum tress from my shoulder and rubbing it between his fingertips. “You will have to suffer my presence a bit longer,” his long-lashed eyes met mine, “my decency be damned.”
I had provoked him. The last thing I needed to do was make this man angry or spiteful. He had already kidnapped me, what he would do next? I tried another tactic. “Sir, please, I didn’t mean my harsh words. I promise no retribution if you will just let me go. I beg you to do so.”
He stepped back, releasing my hair. “Cease your pleas, Sylvie. Nothing you can say will change our current course. I am obliged to show you what is yours by right. It is my duty. You cannot dissuade me.”

Please let me know what you think by leaving a comment below! Don't forget to go here and take a look at the other amazing entries in the SFR Brigade Presents. And thanks for stopping by!

Autumn's Herald: Saturday Symbol Fairy 9/29/12

Here in New Mexico, autumn is heralded not by a riotous change in the colors of tree leaves but by an abundant outcropping of roadside flowers such as purple aster and sunflowers.

The Spanish name for a sunflower is girasol meaning "turn to the sun," based on the fact the flower's face does exactly that. And so, a sunflower symbolizes the faithful love of God as well as loyalty, adoration and optimism. Because the flower itself looks like a sun, it also represents warmth and happiness.

Of Friends and Lemons: Saturday Symbol Fairy 9/22/12

Today is a day of visitors. First, a few guests will be at my house then after hours and hours of dance and rehearsal, I'll be (stamina-willing) off to see an old friend. Whenever I attend a party, I try to bring, or I'm required to bring, my family's passed-down version of lemon bars. There is truly no better way to say thanks and I love you than the flaky, tangy and sweet deliciousness of lemon custard baked on top of a sugary pastry.

So, therefore, lemon is this weeks symbol! Lemon represents fidelity in love as well as purity, longevity and friendship. A perfect token of hospitality and appreciation!

Saturday Symbol Fairy 9/15/12

This post is short and sweet as I am crazy busy creating choreography for East Mountain Dance's production of the "Nutcracker." This is the first time EMD has done a traditional, as opposed to unique, Christmas show. It is exciting but daunting. And an unbelievable amount of work. One of the pieces I am rehearsing today is the Columbine Doll from the opening party scene. My little sister danced this number, beautifully, ages ago. I love this photo of her.

And so, this week's symbol is the doll. Dolls symbolize youth and innocence. They can also act as a surrogate for an individual, representing a person positively, like in the use of a corn doll for fertility, or negatively in Voodoo and malicious magic, to inflict pain and injury on another.

Saturday Symbol Fairy 9/8/12

This year, I was invited to put a piece in a University of New Mexico Dance Program Alumni Concert (I graduated from UNM with a M.A. in Dance History and a M.F.A. in Choreography). The concert is a big deal and I am truly honored to be included. Given the theme of the show, I've chosen to revamp two of my older numbers. The first is a dance based on synchronized swimming performed to the song "Her Bathing Suit Never Got Wet" by The Andrew Sisters.

For the second number, I am hoping to reconstruct a duet of "sleepwalking" done to the Emily Browning version of "Sweet Dreams" from the "Sucker Punch" soundtrack. There are two problems, however. One, I need to turn the duet into an ensemble number in less than a months time. And two, I don't have a video recording of the first version. It is going to be a challenge.

So, in honor of my first day-long rehearsal, this weeks symbol is dancing. In many cultures, dancing is a symbol of ecstasy. This is seen in the whirling dervishes of Islam, the Dionysian and Bacchic dances of antiquity, and in African masquerade. It is believed that the trance state brought on by these ritual dances allows the participate to communicate or be possessed by divine spirits. Dance can also represent the cyclical nature of the universe. The depiction of Shiva's Wheel of Flames as the Nataraja, or Lord of the Dance, symbolizes the rhythmic movement of the cosmos whereas round dances like English Morris dancing are thought to help the sun on its path through the heavens. Dance is also used as celebration and, as in the Chinese Lion dance, to ward off evil spirits.