Sorry about missing last week. I couldn’t drag myself to the computer to do this (even though I skipped class and didn’t even have that to contend with). NaNoWriMo is going incredibly slow for me. Meaning, I’m not really writing lately. I need to fix that if I want to even hit 0,000 words this month. I’m looking at getting another part-time job starting in December to help make up for some of the bills (the advantage to seasonal jobs is becoming clear), and I’m preparing for another move sometime in mid-December. Back to Fort Worth I go.

Thus is the insanity of life.

My SO and I did get a puppy! This one will actually stay with us unlike the husky (she went to live with the SO’s parents). Puppy is a pitbull mix and is named Caprica (if you watch a certain show, you’ll be encountering a theme soon enough).

Likewise, I have a blog tour that begins today! Yay!! Amy, my awesome beta reader and amazing friend, is first up on the blog tour with an excerpt and promo. I’m sure that her post will be up soon–I’m up incredibly early! So check out her page and the post to get some more information and goodies on Dying Embers, which is going to be released on December 1! w00t!

But enough of the “chit chat” and onto WIPpet Wednesday! WIPpet Wednesday is an awesome and amazing thing where writers post excerpts of their WIP (Work In Progress). The only rule is that it in someway correlates with the date. Likewise, if you don’t have a current WIPpet, you can always start a new one for your post. Once you create the post, you go here and link it up with all the others, then hop around the blogs and comment–because we are all comment whores–just so that we know you were there. And Ta Da! WIPpet Wednesday is done!

For this week, you get twenty paragraphs (they’re small, most of it is dialogue) from chapter 6 of Fallen from Grace. In this part you really get to see just how far Grace has fallen. She and her girlfriend, Amya, are cleaning out Grace’s mentor’s house (he recently died), and they have had themselves a HUGE spat. This is the end result–the fall. This chapter is titled Conspiracy Theory, in case you were wondering.

As soon as they were inside, Amya took her straight down to the bathroom and started the water. She started to strip of Grace’s clothes and then shoved her into the tub, the water hot on Grace’s skin. Grace shuddered but eventually stretched out her legs and let the heat seep into her skin and muscles. She ached.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve run that much,” Grace commented to no one in particular.

“Three miles, Grace.”

“What?” Grace looked up to find Amya peeking her head into the shower.

“You ran three miles. Took me twenty minutes to find you and catch up with you. Luckily you were going straight ahead and didn’t stop moving.”

Grace shivered and rubbed her hands over her arms. Amya turned the temperature up more, and Grace scooted fully under the spray, curling her legs up again. If anything, she needed the wake up call. She would still be talking to Captain Brandon, whether or not Amya agreed to it. It just meant that their relationship would be on the rocks of sorts.

There was soap on her back. Grace turned her head over her shoulder and saw Amya leaning into the tub, rubbing her hands over her back and creating suds. Grace said nothing and turned back toward the spigot, reveling in the calming sensation. They would have to finish the two other rooms before the day was out, but she didn’t care that they were wasting time. And it didn’t seem Amya cared either.

After ten minutes, Grace rinsed off and stepped out. Amya handed her one of the towels that was still hanging up from before David and Carol left for their last car trip. Grace swallowed the lump in her throat and died her body. She redressed and moved to sit back on the bed in the guest bedroom.

Amya started to pack up the closet by pulling everything out of the dresser drawers. Grace looked at her fingers and then up at Amya.

“You don’t believe me. You just believe that I believe.”

“You’re right,” Amya said without turning around to look. “I believe that you think their deaths are all connected, and I believe that you are absolutely convinced of it. I’m pretty sure this is one of those times where we just agree to disagree.”

“So you won’t support me.”

“I will support you in your beliefs.”

“That’s a cop out,” Grace spat. “Fucking cop out.”

Amya turned around with her hands on her hips and shook her head. Grace knew what was coming. If she didn’t do something to fix the situation, then Amya would be leaving and probably be gone for good. There was a fleeting moment where she cared, and Grace tried to grab hold of it and keep it close to her, but she couldn’t. She just didn’t care anymore.

“Leave,” Grace whispered.

Amya said nothing in return and made no move to exit. She stood stock still with the closet behind her and two dresser drawers open. Grace stared at her, utterly defeated this time. She was tired of fighting.

“Just go.”

Time seemed to stretch and bend, but finally Amya took the first step toward the door. She looked back twice before leaving the room and heading outside. Grace heard the front door slam shut, the vibrations shuddering throughout the house. She rocked onto her back, the mattress hitting her spine and she stared at the ceiling. She had no more tears left. She had no more sobs or worries or wants. Grace took a deep breath and said the only word that came to mind.

“Good.”

Thanks to K.L. Schwengel for hosting this amazing thing. And thanks to Amy at UnchainedFaith for starting off my blog tour with a hop and a dance!! Be sure to check out both of their wonderful posts.