J is for Jamberry [A to Z Challenge 2015]

Today, I am talking nails. Namely, manicures and pretty things for nails. (This is one of those posts that doesn't fall into fantasy and science fiction so much as the "I like this so I'm going to write about it").

Don't flee! Hang with me for just a few minutes. I promise I'll be quick and there will even be Doctor Who at the end. I swear.

Have you ever heard of Jamberry Nails? I hadn't, either, until a friend posted pictures of a fabulous Jamberry manicure. Now, I love a good manicure. But I cannot describe how much I hate doing it myself. Seriously, brushing paint on my nails is like a two-year-old with a marker. Nothing good can come of it. And I really don't enjoy professional manicures. They hurt my nails and are expensive and take too long. So, when my friend told me that her Jamberry nail wraps take about twenty minutes to put on and last for two weeks, I was intrigued. Two samples later, I was hooked enough to become a Jamberry consultant myself.

This move gave me the fabulous exhibits A - C below:

That was all me, ladies and gentlemen. Seriously. The wraps bond to my nails, so I can do dishes, bury my hands in garden dirt, and bang them around in my generally ungraceful state and they stay on. Nail polish cracks on me after the first day. The bonding apparently keeps my normally fragile nails intact so I can grow longer and stronger nails now, to boot.

It is so worth the money: $15 for one sheet (3-4 manicures). Best of all, they're non-toxic and gluten-free.

Jamberry also has a make-your-own-design feature that produces the promised following Doctor Who fabulosity made by my consultant team's lead manager:

See? What self-respecting geek wouldn't want that on her nails?

For continuing adventures in Jamberry nails, feel free to follow my Instagram feed. You can also check out the pretties yourself at my consultant website. And, if you find yourself drawn in, don't lurk at the edges like I did - ask me your questions! Party hostesses can earn free nail pretties and online Facebook parties are the easiest way to get them. (Plus, then I get more pretties and we can compare our pretties and then it's all over.)

I have no idea what's in store for Monday's 'K' but come back then and we'll figure it out together!

I is for Icarus [A to Z Challenge 2015]

Another Friday means another flash fiction piece for Flash! Friday. I'm tired and out of sorts today but I just couldn't leave it alone after coming so close last week. It's a like a drug, I tell you. You can  read the actual entry here.

Enjoy and come back tomorrow for the letter 'J' and all the pretties that I am pairing with it....

Icarus

by Jessica Marcarelli

I kneel in the slime left by a thousand rain cycles and hold out my cup. Acid from the atmospheric vents overhead drips over the porcelain rim.

A man stumbles by, his skin blistered like all the other sufferers here. Rumor has it the disease rose from terraforming imbalances as the first miners arrived.

It’s called the Icarus Syndrome, taken from some Lost Earth myth. Named for the hubris of those who can’t leave well enough alone. They sent me. Government officials who can’t let go of a trillion pounds of whatever passes for coin these days out in the ‘verse. I was sent to spy out the ore that will power a thousand worldships.

Except the miners never found it.

And I’m not interested. My hope is in the ship legend told me was buried here. Solar wings on a battered hull. An engine fueled by the same acid falling into my cup. Soon, I’ll sail close enough to the bloated monstrosity of a star this system calls a sun to collect the energy the ship needs to make that one jump all the way back to the ancient world where humanity took its first wide-eyed steps into the void.

This vessel is my ticket home.

H is for HEMA [A to Z Challenge 2015]

HEMA stands for Historical European Martial Arts.

Before we go any further, I'll answer the first question I am always asked: no, it is not that thing at renaissance fairs where people dress up in costumes, hold royal courts, and often beat one another up with foam tubing. That is most likely the Society for Creative Anachronism or some other role playing, primarily creative, affiliation. It is also not theatrical fighting or a fencing sport. All three of these may or may not draw from historical materials or origins but do not observe the actual method of practical survival with historical weapons.

HEMA is exactly that. The term refers to the documented methods of historical European combat. It is used as a system for reconstructing medieval combat according to its original function through study and practice. You can read more about it here at the HEMA website.

I found out about both the organization and the concept of historical European martial arts through my husband. We're both history geeks and he loves studying historical combat and warfare. It started slowly, with the purchase of historically accurate swords, and has culminated in participation in a local HEMA chapter - the Phoenix Society of Historical Swordsmanship - for both of us. While my work schedule has forced me to stick to home practice and being the unofficial, sometimes-photographer of the group, hubby has advanced in skill and knowledge to the point that he teaches others. We have scores of books on the subject, various DVDs, and an entire closet full of gear and weaponry that we regularly use to beat one another over the head (a joke! Though it is very easy to injure the other person if you're too forceful).

My interest in HEMA began as an education for my fantasy writing. Neither my husband or I appreciate the creative liberties that Hollywood - and modern society - has long taken that make swordsmanship look ridiculously hard. (For example, most single-handed European swords are not heavy, weighing in at about 2-4 pounds. I am not muscular by any means and I can easily hold one up for several minutes. Also, a twenty-minute fight is simply not accurate. Most one-on-one combat I've seen is over in seconds. ) I was determined to make my fighting scenes realistic.

Not only has it made my writing stronger and more accurate, it's just fun. I mean, where else can I whack someone with a sword or wrestle him to the ground with a dagger?

G is for Games [A to Z Challenge 2015]

I love a good game: board games, card games, video games, role playing tabletop games...you name it. Video games, especially, are high on my interest list. I have over a hundred games in Steam and am constantly intrigued by new titles that my husband or friends find. I love the story lines and worlds. Fantasy and science fiction come alive in the most remarkable ways onscreen. In fact, we could be here all day as I tell you about all my adventures in the various games I own.

But that's not the point of this post. Recently, I have found new entertainment in card games. Two, in particular, have taken up the last few weekends: Star Wars the Card Game and Lord of the Rings the Card Game.

I love a good card game and have owned several in the past, namely trading card varieties, but all have fallen short of what I really would like them to be. Most are too complicated or not involved enough to be worth repeating. These two games are nothing like those. Both core sets furnish two players with all they need to do battle.

Star Wars the Card Game is head to head combat of good versus evil between the two players. Light versus dark, Jedi against Sith, Empire against Rebellion, smugglers against scum: who will win? A clever countdown timer forces the light side player to hurry through the deck and take risky gambles while the dark side must protect its territories at all costs or risk losing everything.

Lord of the Rings the Card Game allows two players to join together as their own little fellowship against the game itself. It seemed an almost too-easy concept at first but it is really quite challenging. Themed player decks allow you to choose between healing, fighting, movement abilities, and strategy to try and win. Some decks work well together better than others, so it's wise to consider your teammate's choices when making your own. Once again, a timer counts down against the players with every turn, forcing you to make quick decisions to stay ahead of the doom of Middle-earth.

Both games are more adult in nature and require a fair amount of brain power but are easy to learn once you get into the swing of things. Plus, as a writer, I found myself making up stories as to why certain things were happening as I played, which made for an entirely new level of enjoyment.

If you're any sort of tabletop game player (or even just a fan or one or both universes), I highly recommend both. What do you think? Any particular games you all enjoy?

F is for Flash!Friday [A to Z Challenge 2015]

 Between work and yesterday's issues, I'm still a bit under the weather, so I'll be making today's letter really simple (thank you to all who wished me well - you're all so kind!).

Today is 'F' so I have decided to cover Flash! Friday's winner announcements. Not only because the weekly challenge rocks but also because of one very personally important little tad bit of a thing....

I got a special mention for my Crucifix story! I've been participating in Flash! Friday for a while now and this is the first time I've gotten even a nod in my direction. This being after an incredibly dry creative period wherein almost nothing has been written. I was truly over the moon about it this morning. It made my day and is such an encouragement to keep pursuing my dreams.

The other runners-up stories and especially the winner's are totally worth a read, too. ;)

Go explore the stories today, my readers, and enjoy another round of mad blog hopping courtesy of yours truly. I will be back tomorrow evening with G for Games....

E is for Energy [A to Z Challenge 2015]

Energy is what I have too little of today. Do you know that aching weariness that seeps deep into your bones and slows every action you attempt? That's what I often go through. Not only am I still recovering from the surgery I mentioned in Thursday's post, but I also have thyroid disease and the last vestiges of adrenal fatigue. Today, all three have conspired against me and my brain is moving slower than a snail.

So, I will simply absorb others' words today and perform lots of blog hopping. While I do, allow me to offer this small token to your own visit: a tidbit from one of my most favorite poems.

The Lady of Shalott

Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Part I

On either side the river lie
Long fields of barley and of rye,
That clothe the wold and meet the sky;
And thro' the field the road runs by
       To many-tower'd Camelot;
The yellow-leaved waterlily
The green-sheathed daffodilly
Tremble in the water chilly
       Round about Shalott.

Willows whiten, aspens shiver.
The sunbeam showers break and quiver
In the stream that runneth ever
By the island in the river
       Flowing down to Camelot.
Four gray walls, and four gray towers
Overlook a space of flowers,
And the silent isle imbowers
       The Lady of Shalott.

Underneath the bearded barley,
The reaper, reaping late and early,
Hears her ever chanting cheerly,
Like an angel, singing clearly,
       O'er the stream of Camelot.
Piling the sheaves in furrows airy,
Beneath the moon, the reaper weary
Listening whispers, ' 'Tis the fairy,
       Lady of Shalott.'

The little isle is all inrail'd
With a rose-fence, and overtrail'd
With roses: by the marge unhail'd
The shallop flitteth silken sail'd,
       Skimming down to Camelot.
A pearl garland winds her head:
She leaneth on a velvet bed,
Full royally apparelled,
       The Lady of Shalott.


If you would like to read the entire poem, you can find it here. I highly recommend taking the time if you have it. It's truly beautiful.

Until tomorrow, dear readers!

D is for Darkness [A to Z Challenge 2015]

  "There is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silent because the King is asleep....God has died in the flesh and hell trembles with fear.... This is the day when our Savior broke through the gates of death."   -- Ancient Catholic Homily for Holy Saturday [PG 43, 440A, 452C; LH, Holy Saturday, OR]

I've long known the importance of Holy Thursday and Good Friday, but this is the first year that I feel I more fully understand the solemnity of Holy Saturday. It is not just a time of waiting for Easter Sunday - it has its own vital place in Holy Week. Jesus did not just lie in the tomb. He continued his messianic work. It is a dark day for us, still, but also a day of hope, pregnant with the coming joy of the completion of our salvation.

This is my first A to Z Challenge participation which landed on Easter happenings. I wanted something appropriate for the day. I found the following beautiful hymn, written by Fr. Tomás Luis de Victoria, a 16th century Spanish priest and composer.

I'll see you all again next week. Until then, have a most blessed and joyous Easter!

Recessit Pastor Noster  (Our Shepherd Has Departed)

Recessit Pastor Noster,
Fons aquae vivae,
Ad cuius transitum,
Sol obscuratus est.

Our Shepherd has departed,
The fount of living water,
And at His passing,
The sun has darkened.

Nam et ille captus est,
Qui captivum tenebat primum hominem.
Hodie portas mortis et seras pariter,
Salvator Noster disrupit.

But now that one was made a prisoner,
He who held prisoner the first man.
Today the gates of death along with its locks,
Were broken asunder by Our Savior.

Destruxit quidem claustra inferni,
Et subvertit potentias Diaboli.

He has indeed destroyed the barriers of Hell,
And has overthrown the powers of the Devil.

Nam et ille captus est,
Qui captivum tenebat primum hominem.
Hodie portas mortis et seras pariter,
Salvator Noster disrupit.

But now that one was made a prisoner,
He who held prisoner the first man.
Today the gates of death along with its locks,
Were broken asunder by Our Savior.

C is for Crucifix [A to Z Challenge 2015]

Today's post is a story written for Flash! Friday.

For those not in the know, writers from all over the internet meet up each week at Rebekah's blog to write a 200-word max story from a two-part prompt. Winning gets you attention, an interview on the blog, and more attention.

As I perused the other entries, I must say that this one by Mark K. King held me riveted. Such visceral beauty in so little space. Please read it if you have the chance. It's well worth it.

Without further ado, here is my own entry (the word prompt was "blunder"):

Crucifix

by Jessica Marcarelli

The desert sands are unfriendly to a lone runner who carries no provisions. But I can’t stop.

The cat of nine tails tore flesh from bone. The crowds jeered and screamed all around the whipping post. Blood spattered my sandals.

Overwhelming heat suffocates my lungs. I pant for air that will not come. I can’t stop.

He stumbled during his forced march through the streets and I turned away. Someone else took the wooden beam. It might have been me if I had not denied my belief in the scrutiny of the long night before.

My legs begin to shake. Every step drives fresh agony into aching muscles. But I can’t stop.

On the hill of his crucifixion, I abandoned my fellow believers...and him. When the hammers fell and the nails pushed through his wrists, I fled. In fear and revulsion and grief, I ran as if my own grave had opened before me.

Clouds collide overhead. Darkness evaporates the light. Freezing wind scatters the heat. A cry fills the heavens with agony. I collapse into the sands and weep. It is over. He is gone and my last act was to betray him.

Salt and dust fill my tongue as I plead for forgiveness.

B is for Baby [A to Z Challenge 2015]

As I stated yesterday, my personal vignettes are oftentimes not fantastical but full of the trials and vices and sorrows of life.

Today is one of those times.

I have not been able to write for some time. I've always had the usual writer's block woes and procrastinating struggles but, two months ago, all of those things ceased to matter. You see, at the beginning of February, I lost my baby to a ruptured ectopic pregnancy. Surgery and my subsequent recovery only magnified the loss and my inability to do anything approaching "normal." That included what I thought would help me heal if only I could make the words come.

I've always had this idea that great sorrow, turmoil, or stress made for amazing feats of writing. We've all read about the great writers and artists who were in such turmoil that their souls fairly exploded with the art we admire.

I wonder, now, if they wrote and painted despite their sorrows, not from them. Novelist and psychologist Karen E. Peterson wrote:

"As writers....We are convinced that our art grows out of our suffering, and if we let some Freudians take away our suffering, then they'll take away our writing voices, too. Perhaps this is true for a few writers, but in my twenty-seven years of experience with writers...the opposite has been true. Usually, when writers consult with me, it's because their art is not growing out of their suffering. They're just suffering...."

My suffering is a black whirlpool of pain - there is no beauty there that I can form into breathtaking stories. But, my faith and trust in God has lent comfort to my sorrows. My family and friends have offered their love, care, and support and the blackness has receded. As my healing forms, so do the first tendrils of the words for which I have been waiting.

What do you think? Does suffering produce the beauty of art? Or is it our ability to stretch our minds past the turbulence of life's sorrows that helps us create?

A is for Anything [A to Z Challenge 2015]

 Anything goes here on Vision of Other Worlds this A to Z Challenge. In past years, I have planned elaborate themes, written for hours upon hours, edited mercilessly, and so on. This year, I've got nothing...and everything. I have no idea what I'm doing. I just decided to join the challenge today. Last chance. It seemed like a good one. And, hey, I've got nothing better to do, so why not?

If you don't know what the A to Z Challenge is, go take a look. Basically: I blog every day for the month of April, all the way through the alphabet. You still have time to join if you'd like to be a part of it.

As for this blog, if you like what you see today, please do visit throughout the month. You can subscribe to the RSS feed, follow posts on Google+, friend me on Facebook, or tweet to me on Twitter. Or, all of the above, should you so choose.

Anything?

Really?

Yes. But within the scope and reason of this blog and my own interests. Which, if you're new here, you'll probably want to know. So, here goes....

The Authoress

That's me. I like the title "authoress." It's an archaic word to modern ears but it, and many old words like it, are just so descriptive and full of life that they make my mind thrill to their use.

I write stories. Short, long, flash, novels, novelettes, poetry - anything that has something to do with fantasy and science fiction attracts my muse. Several of my short works have been published. You can view some of them here. None of my novels have yet been published but I'm working on it. As a matter of fact, you'll probably see some new stories appear here this month, as part of the Challenge.

I reside in the Southwest of the USA, am married, and have one insanely adorable cat that rules far more of the household than she has any right to.

Activities

My hobbies and interests are varied and don't always seem to go together, but I like the eclectic excitement it provides me. I am an avid reader and collector of books, love studying history and languages, and have, to my chagrin, been called a hipster. I am a geek: I love Star Wars, Tolkien, video games, RPGs, science fiction TV series, and still think Pluto is a planet. I stargaze, shop for antiquities, garden, cook, and take loads of pictures on Instagram and Flickr.  I used to work as a photographer and now work at the library while selling some of the most awesome nail wraps I've ever been addicted to (See? There's even some girly girl in there.)

I could go on but I think you might be getting the idea....

And the blog?

This is a refuge for people like me. Its primary function is to detail my love of fantasy and science fiction and my road to telling my own stories in those genres. But there's a lot of my life here, even when it's not so fantastical, and interesting things I come across, even when they don't involve a spaceship or Wookiee. The name says it all: Visions of Other Worlds. My own or another's, real life and fiction, what might have been and what could be, and so much more.

So, this month is about those other worlds. Sometimes it will be fiction. Other times may involve personal stories. You might be in for a writer's rant or a geek's outrage.

 Join me. I'd love to have some fellow travelers for the journey.