One word in sixty seconds: Gears

She slathered more grease on the actuating arms and a few of the more rusted teeth of the gears.

"I'm not sure this is going to help. This piece of junk has sat far too long without any care."


She closed the cover of the mammoth war machine and stepped back. "Punch it Louis!"

He turned his cap backward and pumped diesel through the veins of this metal creature. When Louis pressed the ignition switch the gears and plates trembled before breaking their bond of rust and years of dirt.The armored suit took one step then another.

She let out a yell and raised her  grease smeared arms in victory.  If they can revive a few more of these beasts, the allies may yet have a chance.

OneWord.com is a website for getting the muse warmed up. Each day you get one word and sixty seconds in which to write what it inspires.This is my entry for today's One Word. What's yours? For more of my past One Word entries, check out my One Word Profile EliseV.
Your turn, 60 seconds. Go!

Tentacle

Photo prompt courtesy photographer  Danielle Tunstall

His eyes snapped open, darted about the darkened bedroom. The room was too quiet, too still. His breath panted. They were almost here. No, not again.

A soft whirring sound made his muscles tense and jump. Then he felt the warmed air on his feet from the vent just below his bed. It was just the heat, he let out a breath.

There was a sound a claw scratching on the wall. The breath turned into a gasp as a dark blur shifted in the corner of his vision. His body stiffened and stilled, his heart raced until all he could hear was his pulse pound in his ears.

“Please.” His voice squeaked as his hands gripped the bed sheet.

The room fell into utter silence, until it began to quake. Mild tremors that caused nick nacks to clank on shelves, then stronger until the bed moved side to side. His hands tightened onto the mattress. “Please, please.”

The quake stopped as he begged into the still silence of the room. He began to pant, his fists balled around the sheet and pulled it up to his face. The clack of claw on the tiled floor became louder.

He tried to hold his breath, if he was still enough they may not see him. Sudden pain coursed though him as electricity lit every nerve ending on fire. The blaze faded enough for him to catch a breath.

It was difficult to take that desperate breath as though a weight sat upon his chest. He couldn’t sit up, couldn’t move any part of him.

Out of the corner of his eye he could see a blur, it reached out to press something by his head. He attempted to struggle against his paralysis as he felt his body being lifted then lowered. Cool thick liquid oozed over his skin until he was submerged.

He tried to hold his breath but it was too long and his lungs gulped in the gel. It burned as it filled his lungs. Then he felt them, their tentacles crept across his skin. Some of the creatures latched on. He screamed wordless as the tentacles bore into his flesh.

They crawled over his face reaching into his ears and mouth. He felt first one then another push its way down his throat. His screams were choked off by the creatures. Sensations of the arms inside him probing made him were sickening.

Worse as the paralysis wore off. He screamed and pleaded for mercy from the things. After minutes that seemed like hours of hell he felt the shock of pain down his spine once more.

The electricity jolted his body forcing the tentacles to flee their host.  He cried out in pure agony until….

He sat up, screamed wildly, his hands pulled at his face, hair and clothing. His breath came in hard gasps. He could see his reflection in his dresser mirror. The realization made him look around the room.

It was morning… He pulled off his shirt and tossed it aside as he searched his chest and arms for any evidence. Nothing. “It was a dream… just another nightmare.”

He didn’t know why they had begun, but hoped they would end soon as he swung his feet to the floor.

His foot stepped on something soft…wet…  His pulse in his throat, he looked down to what it was. A tentacle. 

Writing Process: The Physical and the Mental Guest post by Mark Collington

Today we have author Mark Collington guesting in the Ludis! So pour a cuppa, kick back and enjoy the read. Don't forget to leave a little comment love at the bottom! 

Whenever people ask me about my writing process, I’m always intrigued as to whether they mean the physical process of sitting down to write, or the mental process of deciding which words to write. So I guess I’ll try and talk about both.

I’m one of those nocturnal authors. I’ve always found that my most productive hours are between about 11pm and 4am. Not sure why, they just are. Maybe it’s the silence and the lack of external distractions. Maybe it’s that I get appalled when people suggest waking up earlier than 9:30am. When I do sit down to write, it’s in a dark room, usually just one lamp, and with my laptop (my handwriting is awful, left hander’s curse, and I can’t imagine anyone wanting to write an entire novel by hand and then type it up). I’ll settle down with a cup of coffee, a can of coke, and a glass of water (yes, all three at once, something nice about the temperature and flavor combination….and the caffeine high) and can sit there and just get involved in the writing.

 People have often asked me whether I listen to music when I write. The answer is yes, music is an important part of my life, but when I’m writing I ban (give or take) anything with lyrics, and will sometimes have it so it’s barely audible. Any other time I love good quality vocals in my music, but they can be too distracting to the “writing process.” Its purpose becomes to provide a beat for the work, something to listen to in those moments when I need a short breather, and to block out some of the other, more disruptive noises—I used to live in the countryside surrounded by all manner of noisy night time creatures and farm animals, now I live three feet from the sidewalk in upstate New York and it’s a whole other type of night time creature. Some of my favourites to listen to are movie soundtracks (Hans Zimmer and Harry Gregson-Williams tend to provide well there), Apocalyptica, the instrumental/orchestral versions of Kamelot and Nightwish, and a small instrumental rock group from Albany called Yoma.

As for the mental side of things, you’ll see articles about how meticulously J.K. Rowling planned her series (with accompanied photo of scrawled blue biro), or hear advice of how you have to have a clear plan written down. That’s not how I work. I plan massively. In fact I have plots already in place that aren’t likely to appear for another seven books or so. But I don’t write it all down in notebooks. It’s truly a mental process—if it’s good enough to put in a book, then I’ll remember it.

Most of what I write in any one session I’ll have outlined mentally beforehand, and maybe thought of a few key phrases while driving, walking, standing in the shower, anytime I’m doing something that requires only a small amount of thought. And from there, I let the narrative and the characters take it away and flow freely.

 In all honesty, I do occasionally take a few brief notes to keep track of my various plot strands, but nowhere near what I’m aware that some people do. I find it too restrictive—one of the first novels I wrote I planned out scene-byscene and the result held little feeling because it was just following a preordained plan. I have also looked back at the brief notes I’ve made after I’ve finished a section and seen something about where a plot is going, or what a character will do and thought “wow, I was really wrong, [that character] wouldn’t have done that…”

 For me, the writing process is a source of great joy. It holds elements of quiet contemplation, or having a laugh with a group of your friends (even if these ones are imaginary). I can get very excited about what I’m doing, even if it’s 3 in the morning, dark, and everyone else is in bed.

About author Mark Collington 
Mark Collington was born in the south-east of England in the early 90s. At the age of ten he moved to Mid-

Wales, and started writing a novel for the first time at 14. He graduated from Bangor University with a Bachelors degree in English with Creative Writing. He is currently studying for an MA at SUNY at Albany in upstate New York.

While not into 'traditional' sports, Mark enjoy fencing and archery.

He spends a lot of time reading, listening to a wide range of music, and playing a variety of instruments.

About Kingdom Come
In the distant future, the world has been reconstructed into the Realms, controlled by a mysterious unseen entity called Kingdom. Jasper Montague-Smythe, a private detective in the 1930s L.A. Realm, is struggling with a stack of clients and a growing caseload. As he juggles disappearances, blackmail, kidnapping, and murder, he also finds himself custodian of a woman who doesn’t belong in his Realm. Drugged and confused, she needs his help. Can he afford to take the time? Can he really afford not to? 

Yet an even larger problem looms: Kingdom’s Enforcers have started disappearing. Now it’s fallen to Jasper to find the cause and stop it before it’s too late.

Where to find Mark on the web: 
Twitter 
Facebook 
Amazon
Barnes&Noble

Author Chat with CP Bialois Author of Call of Poseidon

Gladiator's Pen welcomes Author CP Bialois to the Ludis! Refill your mug and sit back as we chat with the author of Call of Poseidon. 

Who is CP Bialois:

 I was born and raised in Pennsylvania and as a child I got into everything. Mostly things I shouldn’t have. To keep me out of trouble, and to save their sanity, my dad tried to get me interested in various things. Being all boys like army, construction, cowboys and indians, and superhero toys. He used them and movies to help me find an interest aside from tearing the house apart. It worked but no more so than when we began learning to read in school.

For me “Watch Spot run” didn’t hold my interest so I struggled to learn to read because of it. I wanted fun things to do and to his credit my father bought a stack of comic books and began teaching me to read with those. The teachers couldn’t believe how I went from one of the worst readers to one of the best because of comics and I’m sure she’s still in disbelief to this day. If she remembers me.

Since then I’ve written short stories here and there on various topics until one day I broke through the thirty page barrier and wrote my first novel. I still don’t know how I did it, but thanks to the support of my wife and friends I now have several books ready to be edited and published over the next year or two.

Are you a full time writer or do you bring home the bacon with a “day job”?

 I’m a full time writer but I’m also looking for something to help subsidize what I’m doing. I’ve also taken up editing, reviewing, and doing what else I can to help other authors achieve their goals.

Most writers are avid readers, do you prefer to read the same genre you write in?

 Yes and no. There’s no question that if you want to write something you have to read book in that genre to understand it better but my interests are all over the place. I do try to read similar works to what I’m working on in an effort to keep me motivated but I’ve found, for me at least, that reading out of the box stimulates me more and adds to the story.

What was the first story you ever wrote?

 Wow, that goes back a long way. I’d have to say it was a two pager about the Transformers after I saw the episodes “The Return of Optimus Prime”. It was about the potential for their war to be over and to finally have peace.

Do you outline or fly by the seat of your pants?

 I use a combination of both. I know in my mind how I want the story to start, what I want to happen, and how to end it but the rest I let it go and see where the story takes me. Often times it creates a major headache with continuity when its time to edit.

Describe your writing place? (you can provide a pic if you like)

 In general I can write anywhere but I prefer the local library or Starbucks. As long as I can sit comfortably with my headphones I’ll pound out a story.

Tell us about your latest release, Call of Poseidon.

 In Call of Poseidon, a conch shell that allows the person holding it to summon the power of Poseidon resurfaces in the Museum of Natural History in New York.

The night of a preview showing, an Illuminati agent steals the Conch shell Poseidon gave to his children ruling Atlantis to return it to it’s proper owners. To catch them a disgruntled police detective and a rookie FBI agent  are teamed together to find the agent and conch shell before it’s too late.

Where did the inspiration for this book come from?

 I’ve always been a big fan of mythology, Greek, Roman, and Norse so one day I was kicking around an idea about bringing it into the current day. It originally was a short story idea that developed into something more than I expected.

Did you learn something new about yourself or writing while working on this novel?

 Definitely. The biggest experience was that I could write a novel. Before all I could write was a maximum of thirty to forty pages. When the last page was done it was like a restraint disappeared for good.

What authors have influenced your own writing?

 For me Stephen King, Sue Grafton, Margaret Weiss, Tracy Hickman, Tom Clancy, and Mark Twain are at the top of the list.

What is your favorite coffee house drink or treat?

 Mochafrappucino from Starbucks. It can’t be beat.

Do you have any works in progress for us to look for in the future?

 The Sword and the Flame series scheduled to begin publishing towards the end of March. It’s a two book fantasy series in the vein of Dungeons and Dragons and Dragonlance. I’m also editing a science fiction novel called The Last World where Earth is the final existing colony from a once galaxy sized empire of humans. 

What would you like to say to your readers and/or fellow writers?

 I hope they enjoy my work as much as I do creating it.

Where to find CP Bialois and his books.

 Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorCPBialois

Twitter: @cpbialois

Blog: http://cpbialois.wordpress.com/

Blog: http://callofposeidon.wordpress.com/

Blog: http://theswordandtheflame.wordpress.com/

Author Chat with M.J. Goodnow

Gladiator's Pen welcomes author MJ Goodnow to the Ludus. He is a man with a message to inspire others. So get comfortable and refill your cuppa as we chat.

Tell us about M J Goodnow

 Well, I was born in New London, Connecticut and made my way around the tri-state area of Connecticut, New York and New Jersey. Eventually settling in Minneapolis.

I studied to become a Jesuit Priest before I realized the priesthood wasn’t for me. Now I am a Deans List student at Ashford University, a father and an author.

  

When did you begin writing?

 1990, to be exact.

I was a student of the game at Norwich Free Academy. It started with 5 or 6 short stories and became what is now Red Storm Regime.

  

You’ve recently released two novels Evolution of the Fallen and Red Storm Regime.  Evolution of the Fallen centers around four mentally challenged teens. What inspired the idea for this novel?  

As a young adult counselor at an agency in Connecticut, I saw the horrors of mental illness and trauma. I too suffer from PTSD, which in-fact, is the reason I write. To let go, get it out, and to find recovery through my writing and hopefully inspiring others.

Red Storm Regime you penned with Maria Pacha. Please tell us a bit about this story.

Red Storm Regime, or the codename RG is, was, and what it is. A glimpse into the mind I carried when I was a reckless teenager living  with PTSD and having been staring into walls, passed those walls and to the now.

Do you find it difficult to Co-author a novel?

No, our worlds seem to never collide with it’s story and necessary evils. There are times when words “no” and “yes” are used for deliberate purposes of the story.

These books are very different Evolution of the Fallen is a YA and Red Storm Regime is Sci Fi / Fantasy. Do you have a preference on a specific genre you like to write in?

I by my peers am considered a multi genre author. So be it.

Do you find one genre harder to write than the other?

I do, especially with research and insight into something I do know. If I don’t know about a certain thing, I don’t write about it. If I do, for instance Evolution, I’ll put my head on the chopping block to advocate for something I strongly believe in.

  

Inquiring minds want to know… What your favorite coffee house drink is

A bit of Columbian regular coffee with a mix of french vanilla. I am weird, geesh.

  

Do you have a writing space or routine? 

Late nights and early mornings are specific times for me.

Is there a message or something you want your readers to be able to get out of your books?

There is always pain and suffering, but we always must rise against it, to defeat it.

Tell us 3 things people may not know about M.J. Goodnow

I am an ordained minister

Black is my favorite color

I have two children and a loving fiance

  

Where can we find you and your books? 

Amazon.com

BarnesandNoble.com

regimeguard.com

Facebook