Through an Author's Eyes - Part 2

Good morning FFFs,

It's a lovely rainy morning here. I woke to the soft patter of raindrops on the roof above my head. I don't know about you, but I like quiet summer rain. No big storms, just gentle rain.

Anyway, it's been another busy week, though not quite like last week. I did have to do some more rearranging of parts and editing and changing of "Finding Joy" though. It just wasn't fitting right. Now it is. I don't think I'll reach the end of it today. Oh, well. I'm almost done. I think.

I worked on designing the real cover for "Dylan's Story." I can't wait to show it to you all! Then I've been working on the final parts of the Bike Trip book. I'm waiting for two pictures, have to design one last page or two, and then I can upload it! After working on this book for 2 years, I'm ready to be done with it.

Let's see, did I do anything else of interest? Oh, yes, I designed my template for a 4 x 6 book. :) Yep, I'm going to publish some small Christmas books! I have so many Christmas stories (I usually write 1-3 each year) that I wanted to publish them. But I didn't want to just do them in a regular book with lots of stories. Small books sounded fun. So, when I heard that someone else did a book that small, I knew I was going to too. I could end up with 6 or more Christmas books this year. Won't that be fun? I love Christmas stories! Do you?

Okay, that's that. Here's the next part of the story. Enjoy. :) And have a wonderful 4th of July! Do you have any plans?

Through an Author's Eyes

Part 2

    “I don’t think I’ve ever heard the name of the town before. It sounds a bit strange.”
    Savanna laughed. “Yep, but if you think that one’s amusing, what will you say when we go to Boring, which is the largest town around. Or to Cats Claw or Cattleton.”
    “I suppose,” Annette began slowly, “if there are a lot of ranches around, Cattleton would fit. But Cats Claw? And Boring?” Stopping in her tracks, Annette turned slowly. “There really isn’t a town called Boring, is there?” Disbelief filled her voice.
    “Yep.”
    “Let’s just get my luggage. I’ll try to process the names as I go. Boring? Is it really dull in that town?”
    Tucking her thumb in the shoulder strap of her purse, Savanna shook her head. “Nope. But I like Gone better. Here’s the luggage claim.”
    It took only a few minutes for Annette to spot her luggage and haul both suitcases off the conveyer. Thankful that the cases had wheels, the girls pulled them along through the busy airport and out into the bright sunlight of early afternoon.
    Once settled in the car, Savanna pulled out her cell phone and pressed a number. “Hi, Dad. I got her. . . . Yep. . . . We’re about to head out now. We might stop in Gone . . .” She chuckled into the phone. “Yes, that’s what I was thinking. Got to start right, you know.” There was a moment of silence before she said, “All right. Thanks. See you soon. Bye!”

    Before long the two girls were driving down the highway chattering and laughing.
    “So, what’s the population of these remarkably named towns?” questioned Annette.
    “I can’t remember what Boring and Gone are. Cats Claw is sixty-three, if I remember right, and Cattleton is–” Savannah wrinkled her nose in thought though her eyes never left the highway. “I think it’s around eighty, but we can ask Dad or Levi. They’d know. At least Levi should, he drives there often enough.”
    “Oh?”
    “Uh huh. His girl lives there. Her name’s Jaina Forthright. I have a feeling there’s going to be a purposal before very long. Maybe while you’re here.”
    Annette gave a little squeal of excitement. “I’d love that! I was thinking of having two of my characters, I don’t don’t know who yet, get engaged in my story, and it would be so much fun if there was one happening in real life!”
    “What’s your story about?”
    “It’s a girl who goes to live with some friends for the summer while her dad, he’s in the military, though I don’t know what branch, is stationed overseas. Her mom is with him. There in some country like Japan or something like that. Anyway,” Annette shifted a little in her seat and tucked her right foot up under her left leg, “I’m sort of basing what happens in it, off of what I do out here. Only I’m changing the names, of course. But I don’t know if I’ll change the town names. They are so unique.”
    “Does that mean we’ll have to have lots of adventures?”
    Annette laughed a little. “Well, I don’t want any house or barn fires, I’m not fond of kidnapping, and I don’t really want to end up in the hospital with a broken bone. Anything else, I might be up for.”
    “Rattlesnakes? Stampedes? Cattle rustlers?” Savanna teased. “Which would you prefer?”
    “None. Couldn’t we have something like getting lost for a little while when we drive somewhere, or maybe finding an old house or cabin somewhere that we could explore? Or maybe–” Annette let her sentence remain unfinished as she stared ahead at the landscape with its towering mountain peaks in the distance, the rolling hills before them dotted here and there with cattle, the long stretch of road which rounded a curve and disappeared; the trees, the flowers, the grandeur of it all left her speechless.
    Somehow Savanna sensed she was taking in the scene and after a minute said softly, “Paint it for me.”
    Reaching behind the driver’s seat, but still keeping her eyes on the beauty before her, Annette fumbled for a moment in her carry-on before pulling out NEO. Hardly looking at her fingers as they settled on the key pad, she began to write.

*

    The sky was blue, the sort of blue that speaks of baby boys and robin’s eggs, and not a cloud was to be seen. The mountains, peak after peak, rose into the sky, some with snow still in crevices, others only a dusty purple. From the distance it was hard to distinguish the treelines on the mountains. Only the patches of darker color indicated where they might be. Below the mountains were the grazing grounds of cattle. Green and lush, carpeted in places with vibrant colors which could only be flowers, the pastures covered the rolling hills. Right through the middle of the pasture lands, winding like a gray ribbon up and down and around the hills, enclosed on either side by wire fences was the road. It was empty at the moment except for their car. It was the sole motor occupant following the asphalt road wherever it might lead.

*

    Letting out a sigh, Savanna spared a glance at her cousin. “Wow! Dad has read your other books and says he’s looking forward to seeing how you describe the great west.”
    Turning her writing device off, Annette leaned back in her seat and relaxed. “I just write what I see.”
    The girls fell into a comfortable silence. Finally Annette, who had fallen into a doze, roused to hear Savanna say, “There’s the city limit of Gone.”
    After blinking a moment at the afternoon sun, Annette focused her attention on a green sign coming closer. Sure enough there it was: Gone Ridin.’ She shook her head. However did people come up with names for their towns?
    The town began to pop up on either side, first a house, then two, a gas station, more houses, and before long they were driving down the main street.

What's the strangest town name you've ever heard?

Do you like writing descriptions?

What adventure would you like to experience?