Goals for 2013: Update

 by Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73

So, a while ago, I posted about my writing goals for 2013. I figured I'd give an update.

Submit my second Laurel Highlands Mystery story. 

I admit, I haven't done this one yet. Mostly because I've been bogged down in other things. See, when I wrote the original list, I forgot a very important goal, which is...

Complete and submit my Black Orchid Novella Contest entry.

How this slipped my mind I have no idea. But it did. The contest deadline is 31 May, so there is time. I'm finishing up review of comments from my critique partners now (yay for critique partners) and should finish this week. Which means I'll have some time to let it simmer again while I work on other things (namely the synopsis for Hero's Sword #5 and started the SFD of Hero's Sword #4). This shouldn't derail me too much, but really, I should just submit that story and get it done.

Read at least one craft book per month.

This one I'm making good progress on. I completed Fiction Attack! and am working my way through Revision & Self-Editing. I usually read a chapter and then apply it, which has been working really well. Next up will be Plot & Structure, also by James Scott Bell. And if you're thinking I'm a huge JSB fan, you're right. If you are a writer, I seriously urge you to pick up some of his books (notably P&S and Revision). He's got a great writing and teaching style.

Complete revisions of Hero's Sword 3 by tax day (4/15).

Ha! One that I completed! Well, sort of. I need to do another read through, I think, looking for more stuff from Revision & Self-Editing. But I did complete another two rounds and trimmed another 2,000 words by the end of March, so I'm going to call this a "win."

Complete the SFD of Hero's Sword 4 by May 31 and first revisions by July 31.

Haven't started - mainly because I was struggling with an idea for book #5. But I've got that now, so I'll probably tackle that synopsis next, which will set me up to start the SFD.

Complete and submit two more Laurel Highlands Mystery stories by the end of summer.

Not started yet. These are generally between 8,000 and 15,000 words (long story story to novelette). I've got at least two ideas sketched out. If I can get two more complete and submitted by fall, that gives me four. A fifth is scheduled to come out in an anthology at the end of the year. That allows me to...

Plan an anthology release of the Laurel Highlands Mysteries by the end of 2013

Not started yet. This is not to say that the anthology will be released at the end of this year - but I will have a plan. I've got decent hopes that I can get the next two sent to Mysterical-e and since they say they like series, there's a decent chance they'll be accepted. If so, the anthology may include a brand new story. Timing of the release TBD, but I can have a plan by year end (especially since one of my targeted craft/business reads is exactly how to make a plan).

So there I am - a little status update. Because part of setting goals is being accountable. So if you've read to the end, thanks for helping me stay on track. I owe you one. =)

The Liebster

by Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73

So a few weeks ago, I got a very nice comment from L.D. Masterson presenting me with a blog award (me, who'd have thunk?). And I've been a very naughty person, but honestly, the task of finding 11 other bloggers with fewer than 200 followers was daunting to say the least.

So here were the rules:

1. Thank the blogger who presented you with the Liebster Award, and link back to his or her blog. (easy)

2. Answer the 11 questions from the nominator; list 11 random facts about yourself, and create 11 questions for your nominees. (easy)

3. Present the Liebster Award to 11 bloggers, who have blogs with 200 followers or less, whom you feel deserve to be noticed. Leave a comment on the blogs letting the owners know they have been chosen. (No tag backs.) (um, yeah, this one was hard)

4. Upload the Liebster Award image to your blog. (easy)

Questions from L.D to me:

What is your favorite...

...room in your house? No question, the den/library. It's small, cozy, cool in the summer, warm in the winter, and has a door to shut out the world. Oh yeah, and it's filled with books. =)

...flavor of ice cream? Chocolate. But not just plain chocolate. Give me something with attitude. I particularly like one (the brand/name escapes me now) that is a darker chocolate and has rasperry-filled chocolate hearts in it. Fortunately for my hips, I don't buy it very often because I could easily sit down with the entire half-gallon and a spoon.

...holiday? Hmm, toss-up between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Both have family and good food. But I'd probably have to go with Christmas because of the opportunity to share the joy of others as they open gifts.

...vacation spot? I think I'll have to go with mountains on this one. Shocking, I know. But I love trees and grand vistas. I just don't want to go in the winter. Mid-spring or early autumn (all those vibrant colors) is best.

...genre for reading? Oh, heavens. I read almost anything. But for a tried-and-true read, I gravitate to crime-fiction and fantasy. Unsurprisingly, that's mostly what I write.

...breed of dog? Living? LOL Actually, anything that doesn't look like a mop that is missing a handle, isn't a yipper, or isn't an ankle-biter. I'm a sucker for German shepherds, chocolate labs, and greyhounds. I really want a retired greyhound some day.

...time of the day? Mid-afternoon. By then I'm reasonably awake, it isn't so far into the day that I'm exhausted and ready for bed, and I feel alert and productive.

...sports team (any sport)? Probably any team associated with my alma mater, St. Bonaventure University. I've become so jaded with pro sports these days. The game has definitely become a secondary consideration for a lot of athletes.

...book from your childhood? Oh, goodness. There are so many, I really don't want to pick one. But if I have to, probably Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express. That was the first mystery to really make me say, "Why didn't I see that?"

...sleepwear? This totally depends on the season. In the winter, long-sleeve t-shirt with fleecy pants (I don't like being cold). In the summer, a light-weight sleep shirt. The only thing I hate worse that being cold is overheating.

...year in your life so far (not counting this one)? The sappy thing to say would be the year I got married or the year one of my kids was born. But I'm going to go with 2012. I finally published something and started to get some traction with fiction writing, which is something I've been trying to do for, oh, forever.

Eleven random facts about me:

1. I got my first gray hair at age 15 (thanks Grandma).

2. I was a red-head for almost 15 years (see #1 above - thanks, Clairol).

3. I love to cook (but not just "make dinner).

4. I think Firefly might be one of the best TV shows ever.

5. While I love chocolate, I do think there is such a thing as "too much chocolate."

6. I love reading while soaking in a bubble bath.

7. Even more than I love chocolate, I think I love salty, crunchy snacks.

8. Unlike most of my family, I can neither wiggle my ears nor curl my tongue.

9. My favorite vacation spot is actually my front porch.

10. I don't dislike cats as much as I say I do.

11. I'm addicted to chai lattes (if only they weren't so fattening).

Eleven questions for others to answer.

Details are appreciated, but not required (and will make this more fun).

1. If you could be any kind of animal, what would it be?
2. Name a book that you really loved, but are really kind of embarrassed you love.
3. What is your favorite article of clothing?
4. If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
5. Who is the historical person you'd most like to meet?
6. Who is your favorite composer/musician?
7. What was your most embarrassing moment?
8. What is the one thing you wish you could change about how you look?
9. Would you rather do the cooking or wash the dishes?
10. Do you prefer shoes or bare feet?
11. If you could play any musical instrument, what would it be?

My eleven award recipients:

Okay, I couldn't find eleven. But here are a few fine folks you should check out:

Annette Dashofy: Writing, Etc.
Kaye George: Travels with Kaye
Edith Maxwell: Edith Maxwell
Gigi Pandian: Gigi Pandian
Jenna Bennett/Jennie Bentley: Jenna Bennett/Jennie Bentley
C. Lee McKenzie: The Write Game

Star Chasers

or How You Shouldn't Overreact to a One-Star Review

by Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73

Recently, I came upon this post, expounding on the importance of the one-star review, and how detrimental it can be, especially to indie authors. What particularly caught me was this quote:

Despite her not even having read the book, she has managed to bring my 5 star rating down to 4 stars. This means a great deal of indie book sites will now not include my book in their free lists or advertising lists of the day.

Now, I've blogged about reviews before - the importance of leaving them and the importance of being honest. And if you've followed this blog at all (and I assume you have because, hey, you're here), you know I've done reviews - and posted them to Amazon and Goodreads.

But honestly, everyone take a pill and calm down.

In another article (which of course I now cannot find), it was posited that approximately a third of readers will love a book, a third will hate it, and a third will just feel ambivalent. This sounds pretty logical to me. People are different. They all like different things. Heck, isn't that why there is such a plethora of genres and sub-genres in fiction? Some people like sci-fi, some like romance. Some like light romance, some like erotica. And even within those sub-genres, not every fan of the genre likes every book. Some find the characterization well-drawn and the plotting compelling, some don't.

To this I say: to each her own.

There's a popular saying that the sure way to fail is to try and please all people. It's true for a lot of things, including writing. People are so varied that it's an impossible task. Now, the author of the above quote bemoans that this four-star rating is going to exempt her from certain promotional channels. Having looked for those same channels for my own book, I have to say I've never come across one that demands a five-star rating average. Four stars, four and a half stars, but never five. But since I certainly haven't explored the nooks and crannies of the Internet for every possible channel, for the sake of argument I'll assume they exist.

What do you suppose the real problem is here?

To me, the problem is the channels. By insisting on a five-star average (which means every blessed review is five stars), they have set the bar impossibly high. No author in existence can do this. And I embarked upon a little research to see if I'm just out there or if I'm right. I picked four authors considered "greats" and four "great" books. I put "great" in quotes because really, it is kind of subjective. But as a lit major, I feel generally comfortable saying these four authors rank at the top of the literature pyramid. Here is what I found

• Jane Austen, Pride & Prejudice: Amazon rated 4.5 stars
• F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby: Amazon rated 4.2 stars
• Ernest Hemingway, For Whom the Bell Tolls: Amazon rated 4.3 stars
• William Shakespeare, Romeo & Juliet: Amazon rated 4 stars (random edition)

So right off the bat, these four pillars of English literature would be exempt from these promotional channels insisting on a five-star rating. So I wandered over to my own book, which currently has a 4.6-star rating. Now, am I honestly a better author than Austen, Fitzgerald, Hemingway, and Shakespeare?

I'm not that proud/egotistical/delusional.

Now let's look at those reviews. Right off the bat, I see a lot of "This sucks," and "Worst book ever." I agree, these are not helpful. But really, I think readers are intelligent enough to weed these out.

For the Shakespeare, a number of one-star reviews were given because of the book condition (it clearly said "used" in the product description, so why give a book a one-star review for not being new?) and because it did not have line numbers as advertised (I assumed these were needed for academic purposes). A legit gripe if that is indeed something you required - but a one-star review gripe?

And then I found this gem of a review for Romeo & Juliet:

This was by far the worst science fiction novel I have ever watched. While the story of two lovers may seem romantic to some people, the use of spaceships and alien robots was very unneccesairy. The worst part of this play had to be the end where both charaters joined up with Marty McFly to save the universe. Thumbs down to you sir! The remix WAS better.

Obviously a joke, right? (Or at least I devoutly hope it was a joke because if it's not, wow, just wow.) But it's still a one-star review. Amazon's engine is not smart enough to filter out a joke review. So poor Will got slammed because some doofus simply didn't like his play and decided to make a joke about it.

I believe readers are smart enough to gloss over this, too.

Speaking of readers, I do a lot of that too, you know. Personally, I am suspicious of books by relative unknowns with nothing but five-star reviews. Because while a review that says "this sucks" is not helpful, neither is a review that says, "Most awesome book ever!" Neither provides any details, why the reviewer felt that way.

And seriously, with all the millions of books in print, "most awesome book ever"?

As a reader, I don't give a lot of five-star reviews. To me, five stars is "I couldn't find any major flaws and any fan of this particular genre should definitely read this." More common is four stars, "An extremely enjoyable read and I highly recommend it to fans of the genre." A couple times I've done three stars: "Enjoyable read, worth picking up, but get it from a library."

The only time I have left one and two-star reviews is when the book is only available for a scandalous amount of money (a hardcover for $35-$40) and there are what I consider major flaws that I think someone should be aware of before spending that money - and they are usually things I wish someone had told me.

So yeah, do I wish more people would learn how to leave a useful (not a good) review? Sure. Is it likely to happen? Probably not. What I wish more is that authors, particularly indies who are already under pressure (self or otherwise) would take a deep breath and realize that a one-star review is not the end of your fiction career. Into every life a few one-stars must fall. It's just the Way Things Are.

If there are promo channels insisting on five-star averages, shame on them. You are not helping. And you are not making me want to work with you anyway.

And at the end of the day, they need me more more than the reverse.

Author Interview: Joyce Yarrow

by Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73


Today, I'm pleased to welcome author Joyce Yarrow to the blog for an interview. Here is the blurb for Joyce's latest book, Code of Thieves:

Full-time private investigator/part-time poet Jo Epstein travels to New York and eventually to Russia to help clear her emigre stepfather—who is framing him for murder and who is sending him threatening messages in Russian nesting dolls (matryoshkas)? Her investigation takes her on a journey into her stepfather’s past and into the honor-bound code of the “vory,” a Russian criminal syndicate.

Here's Joyce with more.

~~~~~~~

1. You said on your website that “settings are characters.” What do you mean by that?

Well, it is often said that a place ‘has character’ – and since our environment has such power to shape us, I would take it one step further. Cities and towns, suburbs and wilderness all share the qualities of a living organism, both symbolically and in reality. This is why streets are called arteries, mountains taunt us with their grandeur, and Billy Joel sings about being in a ‘New York’ state of mind.’

As I see it, my job as a writer is to bring to life the physical universe in which a story takes place, so that the border between character and setting blurs and the two merge in the reader’s mind to create an alternate reality. Raymond Chandler was a master at this, to the point where a mini-industry has sprung up in Los Angeles, taking mystery fans on tours of the settings portrayed in his books. Here’s a classic example: “The muzzle of the Luger looked like the mouth of the Second Street tunnel, but I didn't move. Not being bullet proof is an idea I had had to get used to.” From The Big Sleep.

When I traveled to Russia in search of settings for Code of Thieves, each place I visited—Vladimir Central Prison, the Moscow Metro, the Matryoshka Factory, et al—became a character in its own right, revealing its unique personality and inviting traumatic events to transpire there.

2. Do you revisit certain themes in your writing and, if so, what are they?

This is a dangerous question to ask a writer who feels that self-consciousness is a hazard of the trade. In my estimation, themes are for readers to find on their own when stimulated by a good story. On the other hand, each book I write has a strong intent. The intent of Ask the Dead was to show how a detective seeks on many levels. The intent of Code of Thieves was to prove that revenge always acts like a boomerang—coming back to destroy the perpetrator—no matter how many years it takes to complete its trajectory.

3. What is one thing you must have when you write?

Time.

4. If your book was going to be made into a movie, what would the soundtrack be like and who would write it?

I did create a video book trailer for The Last Matryoshka (the hard back edition of Code of Thieves). For the soundtrack, I mixed the voices of the Russian Army Chorus with urban American bass & drum beats, reflecting the two continents where the story is set. Istoria’s book trailer for Code of Thieves also includes a wonderful Russian folk song.

Howard Shore did a fantastic job on the music for Eastern Promises and if Code of Thieves were to be made into a feature film, I’d love to see him score it collaboratively with Herbie Hancock.

5. If you could meet any three people (living or dead) who would they be and what would you talk about?

I would love to meet author Ruth Rendell and ask her how she developed the capacity to see so clearly into dark hearts.

If I could meet Albert Einstein I’d ask him how to split the atom of peace.

It would be an honor to meet Salman Rushdie and talk about how he managed to explore so many complex facets of India through one character’s eyes in Midnight’s Children.

6. What’s up next for you?

I am co-writing a novel with Indian writer Arindam Roy that covers two generations of crime, romance, and adventure. The book is set in India and N. America and explores multiple strands of society in both settings. I will embark on my 3rd trip to India next month – this time to go to my first Indian wedding and then to a writing residency at Hesse Centre in Bhimtal.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Joyce Yarrow was born in the SE Bronx, escaped to Manhattan as a teenager and now lives in Seattle with her husband and son. Along the way to becoming a full-time author, Joyce has worked as a screenwriter, singer-songwriter, multimedia performance artist and most recently, a member of the world music vocal ensemble, Abráce.

Joyce is a Pushcart nominee, whose stories and poems have been widely published. Her first book, Ask the Dead (Martin Brown 2005), was selected by The Poisoned Pen as a Recommended First Novel and hailed as “Bronx noir”. Her latest book, Code of Thieves, takes place in Brooklyn and Moscow. It was published in hardcover (as The Last Matryoshka) by Five Star/Cengage and is now available for Kindle and other ereaders through Istoria Books. (www.IstoriaBooks.com). A new edition featuring an essay by Joyce and an interview with her will be released April 2013.

Joyce considers the setting of her books to be characters in their own right and teaches workshops on "The Place of Place in Mystery Writing."

What people are saying about Code of Thieves:

"Intricately layered like the Russian nested doll of the title..." Library Journal
"You'll want to discover the secrets buried in The Last Matryoshka..." Lesa Holstine, Lesa's Book Critiques
"Joyce Yarrow....may very well prove herself to be the Mickey Spillane of the 21st century...." Seattle Post Intelligencer

Code of Thieves is available for Kindle  and Nook now. Versions for Nook and other e-readers will be available within 3 months.

Look at other Istoria Books offerings here: http://www.istoriabooks.com

The Difference of a Year

by Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73

I was going through my email last week, looking for something, when I stumbled on a couple of messages I've kept around for encouragement. They were sent after a workshop I attended in early March of last year. It was a pretty rough experience and left me doubting my ability to cut it as a writer.

Let me set the stage. I had a novel I'd been working on, off and on, for about 10 years. Yes, you read that right - 10 years. But I'd completed the first draft (finally) the previous summer due to a period of unemployment. I'd submitted a part of it for critique and been told it hadn't sucked. I'd lived with it so long, I figured I knew everything about it by now.

Well, I didn't. That workshop made it glaringly obvious that this manuscript had serious problems. And I despaired of ever fixing it. After crying a bit (okay, more than a bit), I put the story away. Faced with yet another rewrite, I just couldn't bear to look at it any more.

But I knew that I had more to learn. About that time is when I started working seriously in short fiction. I read. I attended more workshops (in person and online). And I kept writing.

Fast forward to March 2012:

• I have one book published (the first in the Hero's Sword series), with a contract for three more.
• I have a short-story accepted for publication in an online magazine.
• I have another short story accepted for publication in an anthology.
• I've learned (through workshops and books) a ton about just why that first novel manuscript didn't work.

What a difference a year makes.

The biggest difference in where I was in March 2011 and where I am in March 2012? No, not the books or the workshops (although they have undoubtedly helped). It's something intangible, something I think every successful writer does even if they can't articulate it.

It's perseverance. "Stick-to-it-iveness." A plain-old refusal to give up.

It's changing the mindset from "I'll never get this right" to "I am going to get this right - eventually."

Because honestly? I've wanted to write fiction forever. Really. If you'd asked me at any point in my life what I hoped to be doing in 10 years, I'd have said I'd be a published author (no really, it was part of my answer in an interview in 1998)

And I finally made it happen. Not because I'm talented, or a genius, or the next Stephen King. I just wouldn't give up. Call it what you will - stupidity, stubbornness, whatever.

Am I a NYT or Amazon best seller? No, not yet. Still working on that. And that's something I can't control.

But when I go to Amazon, I get to see a book, an honest-to-goodness book cover, with my name on it. I can control that. I can write and learn and publish myself. And that is pretty freaking cool.

A year ago, five years ago, 25 years ago - I wouldn't have thought it would happen. But it did. And all I really did was show up, keep doing, and stuck to it.

So when my daughter, 12, looks and says, "I'd like to work for a fashion magazine someday, but it probably won't happen" I know what to say.

Keep dreaming, keep working, keep showing up. Persevere.

Because hey, you just never know.

Calendar image courtesy of tanakawho - used under Creative Commons

Author Interview: Michael Brookes

by Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73

Today, I'm pleased to welcome author Michael Brookes to the blog for an interview. Michael's latest book, Conversations in the Abyss, available now. Here's the blurb:

Stealing Lazarus’s miracle gifted him immortality. Combined with his natural ability of invading and controlling people’s minds this made him one of the most dangerous people on Earth.

But the miracle came with a price. His punishment was to be imprisoned within the walls of an ancient monastery and tormented by an invisible fire that burned his body perpetually. To escape the pain he retreated deep into his own mind.\

There he discovers the truth of the universe and that only he can stop the coming Apocalypse.

Here's Michael with more.

1. You work in two creative fields: games and writing. Do you find that they support each other or are they two completely separate parts of your life?

They complement each other. I write a lot of documentation as part of my job. Much of this is public, or at least publisher facing so it has to be interesting as well as informative. Spending more time writing helps improve the writing I do for work as well improving the quality of my novel writing.

And in a happy convergence I have been asked to write the official novel for our new game Elite: Dangerous.

2. What are the major themes you deal with in your writing?

In my latest book I deal with the nature of reality, meta physics and what makes humans different.

3. What’s the one thing you must have when you write?

My laptop! I also require Jaffa Cakes.

4. If you hosted a dinner party, who are six people you’d invite (living or dead)?

I’d invite a varied group:

Assuming he really exists I’d first invite Lucifer and along with him Jesus, I’m sure the two would have plenty to talk about.

I’d then invite Ian M Banks, my favourite author. I’d love to pick his brain.

I think Bill Clinton would have some good stories to tell.

There has to be a pretty face at the table, but preferably somebody with brains as well, so Helen Mirram would receive an invite.

John Milton as the writer of the greatest story ever told would be more than welcome.

5. If your book was made into a movie, who would you want to write the soundtrack?

I think a German band called Grendel (cyber goth) with suitable orchestral backing would do a good job.

6. What’s up next for you?

I have a first draft called Faust 2.0 that needs developing. It’s about an Internet chatbot that starts granting wishes. I also have the third novel in the trilogy to write and the game novel as well. Busy times :-)

Conversations in the Abyss is available now from Amazon US and UK.

About the author

Michael Brookes is an Executive Producer with a leading UK games developer. Working in games and writing are two of his life passions and considers himself fortunate to be able to indulge them both. He lives in the east of England, enjoying starry skies in the flattest part of the country. When not working or writing he can sometimes be found sleeping. Which is good as that is where many good ideas come from.

Also by Michael:

The Cult of Me
For too long he dwelt apart, watched those who passed him by. With his unique abilities he entered their minds and inflicted terrible suffering upon them. They didn't even know who he was. The game has lasted for years, but now the game has become stale. On an impulse he decides to make a final and very public last stand. After surrendering himself to the police he enacts his plan to seize the prison for his final bloody act.

There he discovers that he's not as unique as he once thought.

Buy it on Amazon today

An Odd Quartet
A quartet of dark short stories (10,000 words) to thrill and chill.

The Yellow Lady
Grave robbing is a dirty business, in more ways than one. When he disturbs the grave from a childhood scary story he discovers it's not always treasure to be found.

This Empty Place
At the heat death of the universe, Death contemplates his existence.

Forced Entry
Terrorists seize an average suburban house. A Special Forces hostage rescue team is sent in and encounter more than they were trained for.

The Reluctant Demon
A young demon prepares to take his possession exam.

Buy it on Amazon today

Storm Clouds: Hero's Sword Vol 2, Excerpt 1

While I finish edits and await cover art, here is a sneak peek at the first chapter of Storm Clouds: Hero's Sword Vol. 2.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kids milled all around me, excited babble filling the air. The last bell of the day rang, signaling our release. I slung my backpack over my shoulder and shut my locker. Someone banged into me, sending me to my knees. “Watch it, dorkface.”

Trina Poppelman’s sparkly pink backpack bounced in front me as she walked to the door with her cheerleader buddies. I wished I had my bow so I could sink an arrow into the stupid, silver “T” decorating the bag.

Okay, I don’t really have a bow. Not in this world, anyway.

My name is Jaycee Hiller. I play this game called Hero’s Sword. A few weeks ago, I was actually transported into the game and became my avatar, Lyla Stormbringer. I had a sword, and a bow, and went on a quest to protect the lady of the estate of Mallory. Then I came back.

If that sounds confusing to you, imagine how I feel.

I got to my feet and brushed off the knees of my jeans. When I’d returned from Mallory, I’d been inspired to stand up to Trina for a while. Well, maybe for a day. But now I was back to my usual routine at Tanner Middle School - namely, trying to hide.

“Hey Jaycee, I think you dropped this.”

I turned my head, and my heart relocated itself to somewhere in my throat. Nate Fletcher, who has been my secret crush for, like, forever, stood there with my zippered pencil case, black with the Hero’s Sword logo, in his hand. “Thanks,” I said. Was my voice always that squeaky? I tried to think of something cool or funny to say, but my mind was as blank as a freshly washed whiteboard.

“Well, have a great weekend.” Nate waved and headed for the front doors with everyone else.
The mass of kids around me had thinned. “Yeah, have a great weekend,” I said. “See you on Monday. Did I mention I like your hair?”

Now that Nate was gone, a million things I could have said crowded my brain. Great timing, as always.

“Uh, Jayce, who are you talking to?” My best friend, Stu Porter, was standing beside me looking concerned.

I stuffed the pencil case in my open bag. “Nobody. Nate Fletcher, but he’s gone. So what are you doing this weekend?”
I walked through the front doors, Stu at my side.

“My mother says if I don’t get the grass cut this weekend, she will ban me from Hero’s Sword until I do,” Stu said, his face sorrowful. His red hair blazed in the sun, making it look like his head was on fire. “And she says I have to help her clean and close the pool, which is going to be completely gross.”

I patted him on the shoulder. “Look at it like a quest. Fearlessly battling the evil slime monster threatening to consume the Empire.” Stu chuckled. We always walked home from school together, at least as far as the turn onto my street. We chatted about Hero’s Sword and our fantasies of defeating cheerleaders for the entire walk.

I waved to Stu, walking backwards as I started down my street. “See you online this weekend?”

“If I get all my chores done, sure. Wish me luck.”

I waved in response, turned, and jogged the rest of the way to my house, your typical suburban thing with a neat front yard. I wished I was allowed to cut the grass. With my luck, my mother would have something else in store for me, something exciting like polishing the silver.

“Hey Mom,” I called as I stepped inside. She was in the dining room, counting out her fancy china and silverware for the party she was hosting tomorrow. I tried to sneak upstairs.

“Jaycee, come in here please,” Mom said as I placed my foot on the stairs. This would not be good.

I wasn’t wrong. “Yeah, Mom?” I stood in the doorway, as if that would protect me from what came next. Fat chance.

“You know my book club is meeting here tomorrow, and I need help getting ready,” she said. “I’ll wash the china. Get the silver polish from the kitchen and get to work, please.” She pushed the box containing her good silver toward me.

I dropped my backpack. “Why can’t you use the every day stuff?” I gave her my best sullen look.

“Because I only host once a quarter, and there’s no reason not to use the good silver,” Mom said. “I know it’ll interfere with your precious video game time, but really, you’ll have all weekend for that. Now go.”

I grabbed the box and stomped off to the kitchen. This would take forever.