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Thursday, May 3, 2012

The Writer's Voice Entry

The Writer's Voice
I'm trying something new for me. I've entered a writing contest. For details, click the link under the picture.

Here's my entry (#157) for BURNT AMBER:

With two weeks left in her Istanbul exchange program, Sybil discovers that the tiny verse her biological parents tattooed on her hip is a link to some cryptic, djinn-channeling gypsies. Then she bumps into Haydon, who triggers her fiery energy with his touch - the same djinn energy the gypsies warned to keep secret.

Sybil delves into djinn lore until a fanatical priest tosses her and Haydon into the chauvinistic clutches of the djinn world. She strives to find her place in the djinn scheme, while determining if Haydon’s real motivation is her crown. In the process, she’s pulled into a power struggle with her father’s rival, Konstantin, and faced with a choice: marry Konstantin’s son for a slim chance at regaining her humanity, or face a future cut off from both worlds forever.

BURNT AMBER is a 66,000 word novel inspired by the tale of 12th century Crusader castle, Kızkalesi, and the life of Zabel, the queen of Armenian Cilicia. The story should appeal to fans of DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE.




The human shape is a ghost,
Made of distraction and pain.
-Rumi
A familiar, nasty feeling coiled up like a ball of hot barbed wire in my stomach. I took a deep breath, held it for three counts, and released. The sensation inched back down to almost bearable.
Anna glanced over at me, concerned. “Something wrong, Sybil? You look a little pale.”
“I’m fine.” I lifted my chin and forced a smile to prove it. “Twisted my ankle on the uneven sidewalk.”
Uneven was a generous word for the narrow streets of old Istanbul. The pavement in front of each building was a different level than the neighbor’s, and in the dark it made a plausible excuse for me to steal a minute and rest. I balanced myself against a defunct streetlamp, bending down to adjust the strap on my glittery bronze sandal. “We’re not really dressed for this adventure.”
The light flickered on above us, setting Anna’s platinum hair aglow like a beacon for street urchins. She fussed with the hem of her shirtdress in a futile attempt to cover her long Scandinavian legs. “I agree. But it’s not everyday someone offers me a session with a genuine, Romani fortuneteller. We’re lucky Seyhan has the connections for it.”
“Hmm.”  I detected the “genuine”, but my secret intuition insisted that visiting a gypsy psychic was the very last thing I should do, especially when the best of those was located in the depressed, back alley underworld of the Sulukule area.

28 comments:

  1. Good luck with this!! Yay!! I like the set up here - two women in some godforsaken street in Istanbul about to meet a gypsy psychic! Great stuff, thank you for sharing! Take care
    x

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  2. Awesome setting! Best of luck with this! :)

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  3. Oh this sounds fabulous!! Good luck girl!!

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  4. I remember this query! Gypsies and Djinn for the win. Best of luck, Carolyn.

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  5. Love the setting and the premise! Good luck!

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  6. This sounds fantastic. Though I was already interested after reading the synopsis, your writing excerpt truly did suck me in. More, please!

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  7. I really liked the voice! Good luck!

    -Allie S #137

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  8. Thanks for the comments! I haven't had the chance to check the other entries yet. I'm hoping to visit everyone on the linky list on Monday.

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  9. Good luck. -April, #61

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  10. Cool premise! I lived in Turkey for 5 months, so I'm a sucker for stories in that setting!
    - Carla, #152

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  11. I really like your blurb- or whatever you want to call it. GOod luck and let me know how it goes!!! Great working with you today. who would have thought that way off fantasy/Istanbul story maker can have something in common with down-home i 60-yaers-ago Charlotte story teller!
    Go for it, Carolyn!

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  12. You had me at Istanbul--I would read this in a second. Good luck!

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  13. "like a beacon for street urchins" was my favorite part, lol. I like this a lot!

    Good luck in the contest!

    Summer - #40

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  14. I really like your style, and the premise - nice and fresh. It's also interesting to me in particular as it mentions a mystic (cryptic) tattoo. A mark of family, perhaps?

    Good luck!

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  15. The premise is very intriguing - I'm a fan of stories involving djinn - and the voice in the excerpt is strong. Good luck!

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  16. Carolyn! That's fantastic! And Krista's done some great things on her blog. Best of luck w/your entry--you know I love it! Keep us posted~ :o) <3

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  17. This sounds right up my alley. Good luck!

    ~Nicole, entry 68

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  18. Great setting and premise! It sounds like a lot of fun! Good luck!!

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  19. I love the setting! And the premise--gypsies and djinn and The Daughter of Smoke and Bone? Nice.

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  20. Nice comparison novel~ I loved Daughter of Smoke and Bone, so your query excites me! And I love foreign settings~ nicely done :) Good luck in the contest!

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  21. Good luck! Istanbul and djinn intrigue me :-)

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  22. Yay! Djinn! Love your story and your first page has great imagery.

    Good luck!

    Brandi #199

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  23. Stopping by to wish you best of luck in the contest!

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  24. Istanbul, gypsies, djinn? You had me at all three!

    <3 medieval castles, too :) ;)

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  25. I love your writing! :) Best of luck!

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  26. Great opening paragraph! Good luck to you as the contest continues. Thanks for stopping by my blog as well! WVC #28

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  27. This sounds like a great read! I'd love to see more of it.

    Thanks for stopping by my blog :)

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