For members of the authors group to chat about their books.

Sneak preview

As per usual for a Sunday afternoon, we were taken to ‘frosty forest’, it’s real name being Rara Masuo forest. As per usual, it was cold.
A cruel wind whipped at our faces and bit our hands; even being nymphs and being able to resist many extreme temperatures we were having trouble to stop shivering. I glanced sideways. Curt’s teeth were chattering as he struggled to keep his scarf in place. He was only human after all. Everything was draped in a fine lair of crisp frost turning the vibrant colours of green into a cold and biter white.
“Don’t forget, today is your special assignment! Now, as you call it, buck up!” Mrs Wilca barked in her usual pompous tone. I was forcefully reminded of someone pretending to be posh in a 5-year-olds game, but sounding over the top.
The group of about 15 nymphs jostled and shoved as we struggled to form a tight semicircle around Mrs Wilca.
“May I remind you lords, ladies and future queens?” She exchanged a meaningful glance with me. “That today is of course, a day in which the queen-to-be is tested on her instincts. Now Linnac, stand over by the only oak tree in this forest.”
I walked calmly to a magnificent tree with old-ridged bark. Each step echoed higher than the forest canopies. I could no longer feel my feet. Huh, taken all the way out here just to study herb lore. We could have done that in a jungle full of rich soft soil with a warm climate, we had plenty. Oh no, we just have to go to a freezing place with packed tight soil and no visible way to grow anything.
I could hear nothing from where I was.
“Linnac come here now!” Mrs Wilca shouted. I took up a light jog and found a tiny bit of feeling had erupted in my toes. “Now your task for today is to grow a tree in two minutes. Everyone space out and take a seed.” I gasped.
“Two minutes!” I said in a small voice that was very high pitched, but the instructor had already moved off.
I positioned myself in the middle of the clearing, pale with shock. Two minutes! Even Mother Nature couldn’t grow a tree in two minutes.
“And begin!” She blew a short blast on her whistle.
I looked at the small seed in my hand. Well, first thing’s first. I bent down and inserted it into the soil and gently placed my palm over it. I couldn’t believe what I felt. A small throbbing, a bigger throbbing. I knew it was the plant’s life force; it knew I wanted it to grow.
I lifted my hand and the plant came with it. A sapling. I brushed my hands against it and it grew. Up and up, I kept a firm hold on it. I felt my feet lift from the floor…
“Times up! Now let’s see what you’ve all…” She let out an audible gasp as she looked up into the branches of my tree to see me sitting there. I looked around. Everyone else’s were no more than saplings. I slid down. Ellis had the misfortune to have a tropical plant which had not survived the climate; Curt’s had completely failed.
“Linnac. I’m, well, er im-impressed. Yes. You will have no homework. As for the rest of you,” She gazed sternly at the rest of the class. “You will have to practice that for next week. Now let’s give Linnac a round of applause.”
As they clapped, I glanced upward towards my tree. There was more than one oak in the forest now.

*This is a tiny preview of a typical lesson of my book. It's where Linnac first experiments with her new powers.*

Cool, I like it a lot! Great storyline!

Thanks! I e-mailed you the whole story up to where I've done so far. Do you like it?

Its a good start. But make sure you dont have Linnac being the best at everything.

I know, the only thing she's good at is anything to do with plants. She's rubbish at anything else apart from fighting and getting into life-threatning trouble again and again.

Battle of the Bards entry Not that I actually care...cause yall hate me anyway...

Peace is but a shadow of Death,
Desperate to forget its painful past,
Though we hope for promising years,
After shedding a thousand tears,
Yesterday's sorrow constantly nears,
And while the moon shines blue,
By dawn, it will turn a scarlet hue.

I think it's an amazing poem, but its such a shame no one else entered. And why do you think everyone hates you?

All authors, battle of the bards has a theme now- music. Use words to describe music. This is quite hard but if you give your poem a beat, it could sound like music. All entries must be in by 16th of March. Alternatively, you could rewrite a well-known (and it must be famous) song with your own lyrics. The entries for this must be posted on this thread by 20th of March. The prizes for both will be to rub it in everyone else's face or, if the winning entry is good enough, you may be instated into the children of war group.