Crystal

AFTER SUNSET ON THE CLOUDLESS night the temperature dropped. Chilled, Nicholas cared about nothing. Mother would have admonished him for being out without proper clothing, but mother was no longer alive. He lay on his back upon the grass beyond the dark lifeless farmhouse. His paralyzing grief unwilling to relent, he lay still staring up to the Milky Way. Motionless he wished to become as small as he could. He tried to lock his thoughts away so he would not feel. His arms out to his side, he raked his fingers through the grass, clutching the grass, hoping to become part of the earth. He did nothing to clear the grime from his lips, or the dirt clogged in his hair, or the tears swelling his eyes. If he thought enough, he could think his heart stone, and if he thought even harder, he could become stone. He envied the rocks rolling at his fingertips. Rocks were not alive. Rocks had no feelings.

“Nicholas.” A woman’s voice called. Her euphonious intonations, delicate, light and pleasing to the ear contrasted the feelings he battled. Was he dreaming, he thought? Nicholas pushed up on his arms. Searching, his eyes turned in the darkness, but were useless in the inky blackness. Starlight did little to illuminate his surroundings. He pushed back on knees and perched on his heels, eyes still searching the darkness.

Nicholas.” He thought he wanted to die when he heard his name. “Who is there? He asked, “Where are you?” he lay back to the ground and stared at the stars. “Nicholas, child of two worlds. Despair not. You are not alone. Everything happens for a reason.”

“Reason?” Nicholas said, tightening his jaws. “Whoever you are, my parents are dead. Do you hear me?” He whimpered, “and you…you spew out philosophical platitudes. Show yourself.” Although Nicholas would not stand, he searched but managed to find no one. “Who is there? Where are you? Please, show yourself to me. Do I know you?”

He waited but heard nothing further. He thought it might have been his imagination. Just topping the grass, he saw a glowing sapphire mist rolling toward him. Carrying the mist, a mild breeze abruptly stopped before him, where it whirled and stacked up. Nicholas heard the voice emanate from the mist. “We have not met, but you do know me. I am part of you.” “What are you talking about?” Nicholas said, “Everyone I love has been taken from me.” “Not everyone,” whispered the mist. It began to uplift and thicken further. The floating face of a woman began to form at the level of Nicholas’s eyes. “Who are you? And what do you want?” he muttered, turning his face away. “You said not everyone. Do not trifle with me. I warn you. I am unwell…” “Hello ‘Unwell.’ I am Crystal, your grandmother.” Whispered the voice, “I can help you, Nicholas.”

“Grandmother? I don’t understand.” He said glumly. “Both my grandparents…” he whimpered, thinking of his adoptive parents “and my birth parents are long dead, since I was an infant. An now so are my adoptive parents.” He said dolefully, glimpsing the cold, dark farmhouse. “How can I believe you? How can I believe anyone, anymore?” “Use your gift, Nicholas. Your heart will tell you if I speak the truth.” The mist wafted around Nicholas reaching his face. Materializing against his cheek, her hand affectionately wiped tears from his eyes. Formed from the most delicate iridescent ice crystals, the sapphire mist, assumed the features of the most beautiful woman Nicholas had ever seen. Throughout her body, the colors of the Aurora sparkled individually with increasing intensity as Crystal affectionately stroked Nicholas to comfort him. “You do not know how special you really are.” She uttered kindheartedly. “I would suppose I’m important enough…” He grumbled. “I mean to say you Nicholas are here because of love.” “My parents loved each other and me, I suppose. Is that what you mean?” Nodding, she continued. “In life I was the daughter of Lady Hydra.” “She is a powerful being.” Nicholas murmured. “I fell in love with a mortal.” She said. “As did my mother.” He said. “We were married and I had a daughter, Margaret; your mother. Although, you are not immortal, Nicholas, you do possess all the magic of the linking. “I know little of the linking or any magic I possess. My father said it is what relates and drives all living things. He knew those things.” Nicholas said, peering into her face. “But, what I do know is that I never knew you.”

“But, I you.” She said, smiling. “My mother, the great Lady Hydra, foretold of your destiny. She told of you to your mother in a vision, for she knew your mother would never see you grow up.” “Father Time showed me that.” Nicholas said. Crystal nodded, “Of that I am aware.” She pushed her ethereal face within inches of Nicholas’s. “With the help of the Powers That Be; you were given all the tools and support you need to restore the balance of the Aurora Kingdoms.”

“Rise.” Crystal said, placing her hands on Nicholas, she helped him to stand. The dulcet tones of her voice seemed to reassure and comfort him. Movement in his peripheral vision, upon the dark grass, darker shadows came to him. Nicholas turned his head. A throng of Oddlings came toward him. “Except the help and strength of all, your friends. All are part of you. We are here to guide and support you.”

Nicholas recognized many familiar faces, and some new ones. Beast, Ursa, and Ursara, stood beside Nicholas, accompanied by several more: Elves, Trolls, Gnomes, Centaurs, Minatare, Sprites, Pixies, Fairies and many other Oddlings. They seemed to come out of nowhere. Each Oddling bowed before Crystal, after which they began working together to clean up the area.

You know someone cares for you when they spend the entire day trying to make you feel better.

  A special thanks to all who joined us for the Online book signing yesterday.  We had a great time fielding your questions and comments.

Please keep them coming.

  I'm attempting to set up several book signings so here is a repost of the December 5, 2012 Press release. Looking forward to speaking with you, Wednesday, February 27, 2013 at 2;30 pm Central time, at the online b  ook singning . Check out our events page for the details.

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/12/prweb10192104.htm

  We've begun screening readers for the production of How Nicholas Became Santa Clause tha audiobook.

He glimpsed the tent flap leading inside. Smiling clumsily, Shamus lifted the flap to the tent entrance. In he stepped. Peter close behind. “Come, Peter. Maybe it’ll be better inside.

I-it w-w-will be fun,” simpered Shamus.

“I hear the fun in the quaver of your voice,” quipped Peter, shaking his head, his eyes scanning the ensuing darkness. His feet searched for the ground. BUT THERE WAS NO GROUND.

“Peter! The step. “Don’t ---I’m falling. WAIT…” cried Shamus. With their first tandem step, they felt no ground, BUT IT WAS TOO LATE. Their momentum carried them forward into an abyss.

“BLAST-T-T-T….” shouted Peter. Through the simple tent entrance they stepped and found themselves inexplicably tumbling through tree branches, leaves, and underground into an open black sky. They plummeted.

Nicholas Clause and the Darkley Heart has begun.

Exerpt:

Thwack--like the kick of a Jenny ass, the arrow slammed into his right shoulder. Rocking him from his feet, the force of the arrow lifted and hurled him backward. Slicing through flesh, weaving through bone and sinew, the searing pain electrified his brain. Having exited the rear of his shoulder, the arrowhead pinned him to the tree behind. Her yellow eyes burning into his, Shawn gasped, watching the woman melt into the body of the lioness. It was she who shot him. “It was ye, all along. You low damnable trickster!” shouted Shawn, pressing his back into the rough tree bark.

 Thanks to all our readers for helping us reach 10,321 hits on the Google add for How Nicholas Became Santa Clause. 

When you work together to face obstacles together staying strong as a couple is possible. Agree to follow a common course of action even though you may not be in complete agreement. Weather dating or married all couples face adversity, of this I speak first hand. My  husband  and  I  will  be  celebrate  our  thirty-­‐fourth  wedding   anniversary  this  April.  Together my husband faced prejudice, familial estrangement, unemployment, and the premature births of six children with consequences that remain today and the death of a daughter, parents, siblings and pets. It appears that just when things seem to be leveling out and will ride smoothly for a while, fate steps in to make everyone work harder.    

When  I  played  house  as  a  child,  pretend  did  not  include  two  children  that   spend  their  entire  lifetime  unable  to  talk  or  walk.  Pretend  did  not  include  my   parents  and  siblings  not  speaking  to  me  because  my  husband  is  not  white.  Pretend   did  not  include  the  death  of  our  first-­‐born  daughter  or  the  miscarriage  of  triplets   and  two  sets  of  twins.  Pretend  did  not  include  my  husband  needing  to  work  two  jobs   because  the  IRS  takes  an  entire  salary  as  theirs,  as  if  one  of  our  child.  Pretend  did   not  include  the  loss  of  family  and  support  over  the  choice  of  a  mate.    Darrell  and  I   had  to  find  these  things  out  on  our  own.            

Stress  can  poison  any  relationship,  even  those  founded  in  friendship.  We   insist  everyone  with  whom  we  interact  be  respectful.  Sir  or  ma’am  addresses   everyone  including  children,  grandchildren  and  pets.  Darrell  and  I  have  successfully   managed  to  work  together  and  are  pleased  our  progeny  have  learned  to  do  so.  “I   can’t  should  be  removed  from  every  language,”  has  become  a  mantra  that  keeps  the   family  on  track.    Those  who  can  help  those  who  can’t,  all  must  work  together.  We   don’t  go  to  bed  angry.            

Staying  strong  as  a  couple  is  possible  as  long  as  the  couple  is  willing  to  do   the  work  necessary  to  achieve  common  goals.    Enter  a  relationship  with  realistic   expectations.    Expect  hard  times.    Expect  to  have  so  standalone  at  times.    Expect   that  illness  or  a  lack  of  funding  may  occur,  then  make  three  plans  of  action.     When  you  have  plans  in  place  the  stress  that  can  break  a  relationship  is  less.  If   one  plan  does  not  work,  another  will.  There  is  strength  with  a  plan  in  hand.   Darrell  and  I  have  practiced  in  psychiatry  for  thirty  years  and  have  worked  with   many  families  that  are  broken.    What  they  have  in  common  is  a  high  levels  of   stress  caused  by  the  lack  of  education  and  the  lack  of  self-­‐respect.      

     For me there is a little bit more to a Christmas Village than just a childhood memory. The Village Mom began building every Thanksgiving evening held a secret, about which I'm unsure my brothers or their children never knew. Mom told me the year my parents were married, Dad's father Alexander Wroblewski gave them a present comprised of five hand carved cottages, a hand carved church, a hand carved bridge, and several hand carved trees. Grampa Wroblewski had painstakingly carved replicas of the sections of a town in Russia where he and Grandma  Angie had once lived.

     He said he wanted my parents to "remember that all things are connected and begin as small roots that can neither stand or grow on their own."

     When my husband and I moved into our new home, the one thing I wanted to do for the family we created together was build a Christmas Village so to carry on the tradition. When my children and my daughter's roommate gave me a Village for Christmas, it brought my childhood full circle.  :)I will cherish the gift always, and grow it as large and as long as room will permit. 

      My Mom's Christmas Village was some of the foundation upon which the Aurora Kingdoms and the Orphic Forest was formed. Please visit our gallery to see our Christmas Village. 

"....The Linkage is the Energy. It connects all things in our world. It is, neither good nor evil. What matters is the way humans and Oddlings choose to use it. You could say it is the magic created by either love or hate. It can be affected, by the moral nature of the living Soul. It is not flawless.”

Imagine life as a spiders web - each fiber of silk is a life that has touched another.  No strand can stand alone, each has a purpose, each is affected by the others even when not directly (linked) connected. Take heed when you feel that little something that makes you hesitate, stop and listen, someone or something, man or animal, is trying to protect you.:)

Sandy