Candle and Quill Issue 05: March 2018
Candle and Quill issue 05 includes the original short-story “Pareidolia”, while also bringing a conclusion to the “Signals” series. To round out short-story content, Irrika’s story continues as well with part 02 of the “Opal Lagoon” series.
If three new short stories aren’t enough to whet your appetite, “A Boy Named Zephyr” and “Ten Nights” also continue. Zephyr fights to keep a dangerous secret amidst unwelcome guests, while David struggles with family strife that seems to lure the visitor back into his life after its long absence.
Candle and Quill Issue 05 is currently available for purchase here, as well as from a variety of online retailers.
Forward
The Gift of Sight: I’ve had a lot of time to think. Now completely unencumbered, I realize that glasses and contact lenses are not the solution most people see them as. Not having to deal with them anymore is truly life-changing, and I cannot stress just how debilitating they truly are.
Creative Writing
Signals, Part 03: “Do you want me to go and check it out Bert?”
Bert shook his head. “I’m perfectly capable of looking after my own possessions!” he snapped.
“Bert? Are you alright? You’re not acting like yourself.”
Opal Lagoon, Part 02: When Irrika arrived at the water, she was not prepared for the sight that awaited her. She had figured that she stood a better chance at scavenging along the coastline, as anything washed out would likely be carried back in by the tide, and to her horror, she had been right.
Pareidolia: “And what about shadows?” Renata asked.
“Shadows? What do you mean?”
Renata moved her hand along her peripheral vision. “Around here. This morning, I could’ve sworn I saw someone moving just beside me, but they were gone when I turned and looked.”
Original Novel: Ten Nights
Chapter 05: Shrouded in Fog: As he spoke, the doorknob to Dustin’s room began to slowly turn, and the metallic creak of the spring within it rang out in the silence.
“You see that too, right?” David asked as he motioned towards the door.
Sample Novel: A Boy Named Zephyr
Chapter 05: Awakening: Arthur tapped nervously with his foot as one of the tendrils whipped across the sky and began a lazy arc in the direction of the segment. “Zephyr,” he said distractedly, “would you please turn out the lights? I need to see what is going on out there and that glare is rather distracting.”
Writing Tips
Minor Issues have Major Consequences: Several dozen pages later however, I was annoyed, I had a thumb that felt like I had taken a hammer to it, and my wrist crunched like a cement mixer. What had been a minor issue had taken its toll page by page, until it culminated in very real consequences.
Extras
Gemsong Saga Characters: Zephyr Ardzen: Zephyr Ardzen was born on Segment 05-05 of the Outer Arc of Lutia as the only child of the noble house of Ardzen. As a son of nobility, Zephyr’s childhood was lived within the lap of luxury.
Gemsong Saga Tech: Natural and Synthetic Crystals: The world of the Gemsong Saga Series is based around crystal technology. It is the lifeblood of industry, the wheels of commerce, and the power that allows the people of the world to traverse the skies above the abyss.