At first, he wasn’t sure what kind of animal it might be, but Tupper liked watching as Freydolf added reticulated lines until the tiny animal looked shaggy and real. Then, he switched his attention to the creatures head, teasing away unneeded flakes of stone until a muzzle poked out, sloping up to a broad brow adorned with a pair of curving horns.
As Freydolf used a shiv to give them texture, Tupper glanced warily at the sculptor’s face; his people were sometimes picked on for their passing resemblance to herd beasts. To his relief, the Pred’s expression was one of serene concentration; his half-smile bore no hint of malice or mockery, so the boy relaxed.
Finally, Freydolf asked, “What do you think, lambkin?”
“A ram?”
“Aye,” he said, offering him the finished sculpture. Its head tilted at a proud angle, and there were curls on its chest and fetlocks. “He’s a noble little thing.”
—Galleries of Stone, Book 1: Meadowsweet
Curling Horns. While Tupper is adjusting to life in the Statuary, his new master decides that the best way to explain his magic is to … well, to show off a bit. Freydolf crafts a small ram from Continue reading OLEXI: My Indie Imprint
Local Author. This past weekend, I took part in a special event at Barnard Elementary here in San Diego. With “Writers in Wonderland,” parents and teachers invited kids to play with words in so many fun ways. Flamingo Croquet. Parts-of-Speech Twister. Author Quest. A raffle with wonderful books as prizes. Booths for creating poetry, flash fiction, and comics. And of course, local authors like me, who were ready to answer questions about being writers. I was so happy to have print editions of the Byways books ready in time!
C. J. Milbrandt 