From the Cutting Room Floor, Part 4

by | Feb 24, 2013 | Uncategorized

As promised, the rest of the original opening to First Contact: Tolar was a patchwork quilt of independent provinces, a pastoral world of technologically-backward people, a pre-industrial culture of scholars and artisans. Earth’s partners in the Trade Alliance had at...

From the Cutting Room Floor, Part 3

by | Feb 23, 2013 | Uncategorized

First Contact, the first of the two stories in Into Tolari Space, didn’t originally start with the words, “And now, the Tolari were calling.” At the suggestion of a member of my critique group, I cut the first almost-600 words and redistributed much...

Snippet Sunday

by | Feb 18, 2013 | Uncategorized

At an undisclosed time, Storaas lies musing after his heart nearly fails him. Click below and find out a little more about the Sural’s history. A heart attack, the humans call it. I experienced a heart attack. The apothecaries say the shock of seeing a man I had...

Kirkus Review!

by | Feb 15, 2013 | Uncategorized

Kirkus Reviews gave me a Valentine’s Day gift in the form of a wonderful review, quoted in full below: “In the first in a series, Meierz’s debut, a rich sci-fi love story about a female teacher sent to a foreign planet to tutor the daughter of its rulers...

From the Cutting Room Floor, Part 2

by | Feb 10, 2013 | Uncategorized

And here’s the rest of the scene posted yesterday. “He was a good friend for many years,” the Sural continued. “But I knew he might someday move against me. I knew he would blunder when he tried and be caught.” A good friend? Marianne shook her head; that...

From the Cutting Room Floor, Part 1

by | Feb 9, 2013 | Uncategorized

Here’s a scene that got cut and never made it back into the story. I’m posting half today and half tomorrow. “You recall the Detral, beloved?” the Sural said. “How could I possibly forget him? He put a poisoned arrow in you.” “Do you recall how easily he...

Tidbit Tuesday

by | Feb 5, 2013 | Uncategorized

Snippet Sunday got overlooked this week, so here’s a Tidbit Tuesday for you.             Last day of the summer festival. Marianne admired the … maypoles … lining the city square. No more new...

I’d Be Home

by | Jan 31, 2013 | Uncategorized

If I’d gone to my critique group this evening, I’d be back home again by now. They say when life hands you a lemon, make lemonade. Perhaps this evening, the lemon was my illness rearing its ugly head and leaving me unable to leave the house, the sugar was...

Snippet Sunday

by | Jan 27, 2013 | Uncategorized

            May pole, Marianne thought. It’s a may pole.             Apothecaries in yellow with blue ribbons danced and wove with indigo-robed scholars...