Wednesday, July 10, 2013

A snippet for WIPpet Weds . . .

Here's my first post for WIPpet Weds from my work in progress, Years of Stone. I'm using the first 7 sentences (for July, month 7) that open Section 2.

Chapter 23: Hobart Town (December 1842)

 “Ew, mate. You’ve got the stink of death on you.”
“I’d laugh. But you’re too close to the truth.” Mac stood by the water pump in Doc Morrell’s back yard.
“You got lucky, man,” said Mackey. “You being assigned out to Doc Morrell. ‘Tis better than being out in the bush. Bet you thought you were going to the dogs.”
 “What happened? Nobody will tell me.”
“Talk to Doc Morrell. He knows.” Mackey finished filling two large jugs of water. “Best clean up afore you see him.”
Mac took a quick wash at the pump and presented himself to Doc Morrell in his front office.
The morning light showed every line on Doc Morrell’s face. “You’ve got a few new bruises, I see.”
#   #   # 
Posting this makes me wonder what people will say, especially since there's no blurb. Oh, well. Here's the draft blurb for the book cover:

In 1842, Deidre Scott undertakes a perilous four-month journey to follow Mac McDonnell, the man she loves, a fisherman who has been sentenced to seven years for resisting evictions on an island in the Orkneys, Scotland. The story begins just as they reach the dreaded penal colony, Van Diemen’s Land (present day Tasmania, Australia). 
 They survive a shipwreck, only to be separated as Mac begins work on a road gang, while Deidre cobbles together a job. Befriended by Lady Franklin, the wife of world-famous explorer, Sir John Franklin, Deidre begins teaching at the Cascades Women’s Factory, always finagling ways to improve conditions for Mac. She discovers a hidden world through Kate Dallow, her ship-mate, and  she is besieged by proposals.
 Through Deidre’s efforts. Mac is reassigned from a chain gang to Doc Morrell in Hobart Town, but even Doc cannot help him, once Mac fights with Constable Johnson. Mac must find a way to survive the prison at Port Arthur. Will Deidre and Mac find each other once again? Will they build a new life for themselves in colonial Van Diemen's Land?
WIPpet Weds, dreamed up by K. L. Schengel, asks writers to post a little something that relates to the date. So for July, that might be 7 words, 7 sentences, 7 paragraphs, etc. Then jump to the LINKY on her site, share, and read on. 
Hobart Town, Mount Wellington (Wikipedia)

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15 comments:

  1. AnonymousJuly 10, 2013 at 2:08 PM

    Hooray, new WIPpeteer! I like this snippet; I enjoy the style of the dialogue, and it made me want to know more. So glad you posted more information. :)

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    1. Beth CampJuly 10, 2013 at 7:45 PM

      Thanks for visiting and commenting. It's fun to try out this weekly sharing of wip, and I'm looking forward to reading what others have written as well.

      Delete
  2. AnonymousJuly 10, 2013 at 3:24 PM

    I love period pieces and yay for new WIPpeter! "The smell of death" ... it really does have a distinct smell.

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    1. Beth CampJuly 10, 2013 at 7:46 PM

      Thank you for such a positive welcome. I'll check out your site as well!

      Delete
  3. UnknownJuly 10, 2013 at 4:36 PM

    Welcome Beth! Nice WIPpet and I love the premise for the story. The time and setting has so much potential!

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  4. AnonymousJuly 10, 2013 at 5:43 PM

    *huge round of applause* Hi Beth! And thanks for finding me on Facebook. Love having new WIPpeteers join the ranks. I just hope you'll find it more fun than the ranks Mac is going to be joining. Lovely inaugural excerpt to share.

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  5. AnonymousJuly 10, 2013 at 6:10 PM

    Ah ha! So is this scene just after the fight with Constable Johnson?

    I really like the premise. When will it be out?

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    1. Beth CampJuly 10, 2013 at 7:43 PM

      Hello, Regi. Thanks for commenting. This was my first post on WIPpet (and I'm also on ROW80).

      My goal is to have either Standing Stones or Years of Stone out by the fall. I'm on the last-I-hope edit of Years of Stone (the snippet for WIPpet). Actually, this scene comes just before the fight with Constable Johnson, but I plugged in the blurb for the book, so worse follows.

      I'm a self-published author. My first book of short stories (The Mermaid Quilt & Other Tales) was to practice the art of self-publishing and to rev up to self-publish my historical fiction. Somewhere I read that putting two books out relatively close to each other will build audience. What do you think?

      Thanks for the warm welcome to WIPpet!

      Delete
    2. AnonymousJuly 11, 2013 at 12:37 AM

      According to the self-publishing "guru" I follow, the trick is to make sure readers know where to find you and to put out series of books. The two book thing would probably work in conjunction with that. It would give people something to read so your writing stays fresh in their minds while you crank out the next book. I'm not "there" yet, though, so I'm only passing on info. and speculation. =0)

      It's nice to have you join us. =0)

      Delete
  6. UnknownJuly 10, 2013 at 7:24 PM

    Yay, glad you joined the WIPpeteers! I loved the exchange of dialogue between the characters and the accents. Sounds like there is a lot the two main characters have to go through just for the CHANCE to be together again. Yeesh! ;)

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  7. Eden "Kymele" MabeeJuly 10, 2013 at 8:41 PM

    I've read some of your other posts about Van Diemen's Island before, Beth, but this is the first time I've read any of your fiction revolving around it--I can't help but wonder if you'll be somehow involving the point where Lady Franklin's husband is lost, but that could easily overwhelm the story of Diedre and Mac... though the backdrop of the large prison population in Tasmania itself is going to be intense enough to possibly do that too. Sounds neat!

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  8. AnonymousJuly 10, 2013 at 10:08 PM

    I love the dialogue in this piece. It has an Australian ring to it without being too cliche.

    The blurb also catches my attention, though I do shudder a bit at any and all mentions of Port Arthur prison.

    Welcome to the WIPpeteers! :D

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  9. UnknownJuly 11, 2013 at 5:10 PM

    Welcome to the WIPpet side! :) Glad you joined this. Really enjoyed reading your snippet and you are super kind (kinder than me) by providing the blurb. Sounds like an interesting book.

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  10. Kate FrostJuly 12, 2013 at 5:54 AM

    Welcome to the WIPpeteers Beth! I always like anything historical and I liked this extract - great opening line with 'the stink of death'. Really helpful to have the blurb along with it too and it's an intriguing idea.

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  11. UnknownJuly 12, 2013 at 4:40 PM

    Sorry I'm so late in saying this - but welcome to WIPpet Wednesday! This sounds like an interesting story and I look forward to reading more :)

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