Weekend Writing Warriors - Silver Sky at Dawn. April 18, 2016

Thanks for stopping by today. Last week, we left off with little kindergarten aged Teddy Lee of Silver Sky at Dawn trying to make the sign for "I love you" to his mother, Lorena. His big sister, Leesa Shayne, is about to give herself a baby ulcer as she walks her baby brother across the street so they can board the school bus. Lorena is trying to stay focused on the morning routine, but having just found adulterous texts in her husband's phone, she can't really pull it together.

“Come on Teddalee!” Leesa’s eyes were wide with worry, as though she feared she couldn’t hold off the nonexistent traffic much longer. Her purple backpack sparkled in the bus’s headlights as she guided her six-year-old brother, whose mind was always about three clicks ahead of his body, around the front of the bus and up the steps.

Through the window, Leesa successfully molded Teddy’s fingers into the proper sign. He smashed it to the glass proudly.

I returned it as the bus’s doors squeaked shut. With a jerk, the giant vehicle roared to life and bounced down the street and out of sight.

With that, my babies were gone. Safe on the bus that would take them to school. Far away from the toxic environment of our happy home.

There is more where this came from! Get back to the rest of the WeWriWa clan here! 

WeWriWa - 4/10/16 - Silver Sky at Dawn

Welcome to this weekend's ten sentences from Silver Sky at Dawn. The school bus just pulled up and Lorena is seeing off the loves of her life -- her six year old son and eight year old daughter. To get back to the bloghop for WeWriWa, click here. 

“Bye Mommy, they called in unison, racing for the yellow scholastic beacon. At eight-years-old, Leesa Shayne led the way. Stopping short, she flung out her arms at just the right moment, ensuring her brother stopped and looked both ways before crossing our rural street.

Teddy Lee turned around at the last minute, deep dimples puckering his plump cheeks, and waved a little hand at me. “Buh-bye Mama. I wuv you!”

That boy’s face could light up the night good as any candle.

I made the sign for ‘I love you’. I had a working knowledge of sign language, and taught Leesa and Teddy as many as I could.

He stared at his hand, trying to make the sign back at me.

Thanks for stopping by!! 

Cover Reveal for Silver Sky at Dawn and 4/3/16's WeWriWa

Good morning! Thanks for stopping by this week's excerpt from Silver Sky at Dawn. Now, I have a cover to show you, too!  Last week, Lorena discovered her husband's infidelity but before emotions could overwhelm her, her daughter pushed open the door. Which just about brings us up to speed.

         The morning routine played out in monotonous slow-motion. I located the sneaky Pop-Tarts. I packed the lunches for my second grader and kindergartner to the tune of Neil Diamond on the kitchen radio. “Kids on a perfect deployment schedule,” I’d teased to anybody who commented on the stair-step siblings. What I didn’t share with many people was the fact that Leesa Shayne had come with me from my first failed marriage. Little Teddy Lee was the only product of this one. Let people think we’re a perfect family.

After teeth were brushed and my daughter’s blonde mane tamed, the bus pulled up five minutes early. Thank goodness. 

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Would you like an ARC for Silver Sky at Dawn? 

Email me at author.madeline.mccandless@gmail.com and I will get you one!

Silver Sky at Dawn -- who is at the door? Weekend Writing Warriors - Easter

Happy Easter Sunday, one and all. This is my Weekend Writing Warriors ten-sentence snippet from my upcoming romance, Silver Sky at Dawn. To get back to the other blog hop authors, click on the link above!  

To bring us up to speed, Lorena had just discovered her sleeping husband's adulterous text messages and was contemplating something horrific with the pillow when the door creaked . . . 

                   My precious daughter rubbed her big blue eyes and her blonde mane, half brushed, hung to her shoulders. “Mommy,I can’t find the Pop-Tarts.”

            My anger cooled at the sight of Leesa Shayne, “I’ll be right there, baby.”

            She rubbed her eyes again, blinking big, innocent blinks. “Okay.” She turned to close the door, but stopped short, glancing over her shoulder, “I love you, Mommy.”

            I offered what smile I could, hiding all of my residual rage behind it -- protecting my baby, shielding her. “I love you, baby girl.”

            If I kill him, I’ll never see my baby girl again, or my boy. The thought of my babies forced me to swallow my pride and climb out of the bed, my back turned to the mess of lies and deceit that lay in our king sized pillow top, snoring as though he didn’t have a care in the world.

Thank you for stopping by! I hope you enjoy the rest of your Easter weekend!

Silver Sky at Dawn - Meet Lorena. (WeWriWa, 3/20)

            Welcome blog readers and WeWriWa fanatics! The introductory post to my debut novel Silver Sky at Dawn was posted on Sara Barnard's blog last week, so if you would like to check it out to get your bearings, click on her name above. 

           Click here if you would like to get back to the rest of the Weekend Writing Warrior bloggers.

After accidently spilling a glass of water on her sleeping husband's phone, Lorena discovers a slew of text messages -- between her husband and his lover. Read what Lorena does . . . then feel free to comment and tell me -- what would you do if it was you in her shoes?

             My hands shook as a flash of fire burned my face. “Is there anything you need to tell me, Johnny?” Staring at the wall, our framed marriage certificate filled my vision. I willed it to fall off its nail.

            “I dunno what you’re talking about,” he muttered as he buried his face back into the pillow, muffling his words. “As usual.”

            Deny, deny, deny. You’d told me once that was how you always got out of trouble, deny something long enough, it will eventually go away.

            The urge to shove another pillow, hard, over the back of his head was strong. So strong that I almost didn’t hear the creak of the door as my fingers curled into the green satin pillowcase.

I hope you enjoyed this excerpt! 

Welcome to the wonderous world of author Madeline McCandless

Thanks for stopping by! My name is Madeline McCandless, native Texan and aspiring author. I've written my first novel-length manuscript, Silver Sky at Dawn, with two more books planned in the series and am learning all about not only the writing but the publishing process as well.

Here is the setting for Danny Silver Sky's story on the Paiute Reservation in Oregon.

Keep up with my writings and other interesting tidbits here! I'm on Twitter -- @AuthorMadelineM and Facebook.

Each Sunday, I'll share tidbits from Silver Sky at Dawn - right here with the Weekend Writing Warriors!