Something New and Different...

I have a sinking suspicion that I might be getting sick again. I woke up yesterday with that nasty taste in the back of my throat, the one that always means a cold or sinus infection is on it's way, so I've spent the past two days downing orange juice and airborne and cursing my friend who got me sick the first time. Though, honestly, this go around is probably been because of the weather; first it's hot, then it's cold, then it's hot, then it's cold . . . it sucks.

But on to the fun stuff, shall we?

I completed my first Etsy order and shipped it out on Saturday.

Since then I've started creating a couple of Halloween tribal belly dance bodices to put up on my Etsy store. I stumbled across some amazing spiderweb fabric while I was getting the fabric for the order together, and it was just begging to be made into something - so I happily obliged it. I just wish I had thought of it sooner, but better late than never.

(See? Isn't it awesome fabric?)

I'll share pictures of the finished product as soon as it's done!

My progress on ROW 80 is chugging along. I finished chapter nine of TUO, but I worry that two of the characters are giving away too much information too soon and that it might spoil the surprise. But I'm being good and letting it go until the beta readers can take a look and tell me what they think.

I went back through and reworked some scenes in the other contemporary project in an attempt to make the hero more likable.

In addition to that I gave in and started working on the new project idea that popped up in my head last week. So far it's a lot of fun; it's kinda steampunk, but only just barely, with hints of Sherlock Holmes and Jack the Ripper. Oh and the main character is a prostitute, and most of the scenes take place in a brothel as a result of that.

I told my husband about the new story and he just shook his head. He does that a lot when it comes to my crazier ideas - but they all work out so you would think he would learn to trust me by now ...

Since it's Wednesday, that means it's time for WIPpet Wednesday!

WIPpet Wednesday is run by the lovely K.L. Schwengel. To join, just share a piece of the WIP that you are working on. The length of the piece you share must somehow relate to the date. For example, since today is 10/23/13 you could share 23 paragraphs from chapter 10, or 10 sentences from chapter 23, or 1023 words from page 13. You can even add the numbers in the date together to come up with how much you should share! The crazier the math involved, the better! Once you've posted what you want to share, add a link to your blog at the linkie that will be included at the end of this post.

For today's WIPpet, I was going to continue with Maya's prologue from the Descendants. However, I realized the length and the events that happen in the part I wanted to share were better suited for next Wednesday's post - so I'll be sharing 13 paragraphs from my new project instead (10-23=13).

This new world of mine is based loosely on Victorian England, but the place doesn't have a name yet. Mary is a lady of the evening at the famous Madam Mince's brothel. In the chapter before this, Mary had a customer spend the night that her protege does not approve of. She questions why Mary is so willing to sleep with him, so Mary explains a thing or two to the girl.

Hannah picked up Mary’s robe off of the floor and hung it on a hook by the door. She then took a seat on a stool nearby, where she would wait until Mary was ready to return to her room.

Mary had spent many an hour in her youth waiting on her old mistress while she was being trained, and remembered well how boring it was. Usually she tried to be quick, but today she found herself lingering and enjoying the sensation of the warm water flowing about her skin. She stretched out in the bath and leaned her head against it’s tiled back. She was sorely tempted to doze off, as the judge had been unusually demanding the night before -- rising for four rounds when he normally only did two -- but a fear of drowning prevented her from giving into her desires.

“How can you stand him?” Hannah asked softly, her voice breaking the silence that had previously only been interrupted by the drip of the tap.

“Because I must.” Mary replied. She finally reached for the wash cloth and bar of lavender soap sitting on the side of the bath and began to scrub at her skin.

“But he’s so rude and old and ugly.”

“Hannah.” Mary sighed, then stopped to take a breath, reminding herself that the girl had not been born into the business like most. While most ladies of the evening were ready for their first encounters at sixteen, she was still learning, having been brought to the house only the year before. “If they pay, then you must provide them the company they ask for, regardless of their age or how they behave. Not every client is going to be young and dashing.”

“I know . . . but . . .  can’t you have a preference? Like how the judge chooses you because you are so exotic.”

“You won’t earn any money that way. And if you don’t earn any money, Madam Mince won’t keep you around.” Though, perhaps, that was what Hannah wanted. She could have a paramor at home that she longed to return to -- but what man would want a former lady for a wife? Even if her virtue was intact, she was tainted from spending so long in their company. Best to disabuse her of the notion now. “Then you’ll have to take whatever you can get, whenever you can get in order to survive. And they aren’t gentle out there. At least here you have a feather bed, food to eat, and the bully boys will protect you if things go wrong.”

The girl worried her bottom lip with her teeth. After a moment or so, she spoke again, her voice soft. “If it’s so safe, then why are you saving the money to leave?”

Mary frowned. Did the whole house know of her plans? “I am not saving the money to leave,” she lied. “I am saving it for when I am no longer wanted.”

“No longer wanted!” Hannah cried out in surprise.

Even though she didn’t want to scare the girl away from the business, she couldn’t hide the truth. “Beauty fades.” She found herself admitting. “The best ladies have only a few decades in them at most, before they end up toiling in a factory or worse. Save every penny so that won’t happen to you.”

The girl nodded, her bouncing curls wilting like a flower in the bathing room’s humid air.

Like I said, it's been a lot of fun to write. Probably because I'm not worrying about details at this point - I'm just going with the flow and seeing where things take me.

To read more ROW 80 updates - go here.
To read more WIPpet Wednesday posts - go here.