Jerin of Yarholm - Oh, those Warrior Wanna-be's

Scene from Illuminated: Book 1 of the White Road Chronicles:

The doors to the inn burst open. A burly youth with an angry scowl stood in the entrance. He held a three-foot log in his upraised hand and a loaded slingshot that swayed like a pendulum in the other. His pale blue eyes scanned the now quiet room.

“I’ve had enough!” His voice rumbled like a snowy avalanche. “Enough of you blasted little pests planting weeds in my crops! Enough of you spoiling my milk and everything else I try to do! Heads will roll. I swear it!” 

DezPierre hopped from his seat. “Oh dear, Jerin’s on a rampage again. Stay here, Miss. I need to help smooth this out.” He hurried off to face the irate youth.

 When Jerin first appeared in Illuminated, my only purpose for him was to get Alyra onto the White Road. After that, I planned to send him back home to deal with his pesky Okbold problem. 

However--

Jerin glared at them all, his stubbly chin jutted out in contempt. He nearly matched the height of a grizzly, with sinewy arms and legs thick like pillars, though he looked no more than twenty summers.

The log swayed threateningly above his block-shaped head.

“I don’t plan to bust up the tavern, Rog. Just their heads, that’s all. They’ve got to go, and they’ve got to go now.”

DezPierre spoke up. “Oh, come now, boy. Why all this anger? Come and have a sit with Ol’ Dez, yes? We work this out. We learn to live together and get along, yes?”

“No!” Jerin brought the stick down over his head. The club hit the ground so hard, it splintered into pieces. DezPierre darted under a table and continued his peace talks from there. 

“Foolish boy! Is this necessary? I tries to be reasonable. All this-” He waved his twig like arms around, “-is big mistake, yes? Perhaps you not clear all weeds from your fields before planting, eh? Is this not possible? And perhaps you set milk too close to stove and it sours, no?”

Jerin paused a moment as if considering. “No. I planted a whole field of corn and instead, produced blasted dandelions. The milk came out of the cow soured and somehow curdled into moldy cheese in a matter of a day. So, no, the mistake wasn’t mine.” 

DezPierre glanced at the others, and with an innocent laugh, said, “Oh… well then… I thinks everyone had better… run!”

Jerin of Yarholm, was not to be sent back home so easily.

And this, my friends, is the true nature of a Warrior.

I pictured Channing Tatum when I first met Jerin, but not as pretty.
Jerin of Yarholm is a huge man, all block-like features, simplistic attitude, but a big heart.

He's a black and white thinker. If he's going, then you better get a move on. He doesn't like to goof around. Creatures are trouble. All of them. Even the nice ones. Trouble, trouble, trouble and best avoided.


And he's a fighter who must learn how to choose his battles and become more than just another foot solider.

Truth is, being a Warrior, is more than swinging a sword. Lots more.


So, I had this bit character. And as I said, I'd fully intended to send him back home. General Marcel had other ideas and felt Jerin needed to make the trip to Aloblase with Alyra.

Alyra and I weren't very happy about that at first. But we warmed up to the big oaf.

Warriors can be intense.

They're crusaders, after all, fighting for the greater good.
They're bold, and generally opinionated. Really opinionated. Really.
And they are generally at the forefront of whatever is going on.
They argue well.
They often believe the only right opinion is theirs.
They are constantly in motion.

Know anyone like this? I've met a few.

In the church, I see them on the worship teams. Leading a congregation in praise is akin to taking up a sword and hefting off the head of an enemy.

Warriors are also found in the missionaries who go into dangerous places. It's like taking a thrill ride to them, they love the adventure and the feeling of making a difference.

Warriors are those who go out into the streets preaching to the lost.

Warriors are also those who stand up to a bully who's picking on someone else.
Warriors are those who want to change what's wrong. Who fight for the rights of others.
Warriors are willing to go into the unknown places and bring aid, despite what it might cost them.

A warrior is a great friend to have. Truth. 
They are loyal, firm, steadfast and diligent in what they do.


Have you seen any Warrior types in your life? If you find one traveling along the same path you are journeying on, I'd encourage you to strike up a friendship. You'll need a bit of patience and understanding, but you'll have a true and valiant friend indeed.
  


Here is Jerin's Song from the Illuminated Playlist. One thing Warriors need to figure out is what, exactly, they are fighting for. This is Jerin's story in Illuminated. As Marya the Healer said, there is a difference between being a warrior and just being a soldier. A big difference. 




In other news....

Luminosity is nearing publication. The cover is in the works and I have to say, it's stunning and I can't wait to do the cover reveal party.

Look for Illuminated to go on sale in July. For those who haven't read it, you might want to before book two comes out.

I'm excited about this project now that I've settled on it being a series. I'm a fan of book series. Yes, it's hard waiting for the next one to come out, but I love being vested in a character's life and seeing them grow. And I hate when it ends!

I'm still missing Hogwarts. I have a dream Rowling might go back there... someday.

Anyway, keep checking back for more news. I've finished my rewrites and am in the editing process.

Soon! Alyra's adventures will continue, along with all her friends, Lotari, Stitch, Katrina and Jerin. Plus, there's new fun characters you'll meet as well. Oh, and DezPierre is most definitely back! Poor Alyra.

Happy Reading.

Update on Luminosity

I've been a busy girl. 

So-- here's my (semi)-lame excuses on why I haven't blogged in two... maybe three weeks.

1. I chipped a tooth and had to work a bunch of extra substitute jobs to earn enough money to get it fixed. Even with insurance, I'm still left with a hefty bill. 

2. I came across a word tracker to help me keep up with my progress. Thing is, the word tracker was one from NaNoWriMo. If you've never heard of NaNoWriMo, that's the HOLY COW I MUST BE CRAZY challenge thousands, if not more, writers take in November to write 50,000 words in a month.

Guess what? I have found that I can write 50,000 words in a month and once finished a novel for kids during one of these challenges. So, I set my goal for 60,000 words for the month (since the word tracker only worked for a month) and attempted to get my book's rewrites finished in that month.

Guess what? I kind of did it. Kind of meaning, I only have four scenes left to write, but I don't want to write them until I've gone back and done the edits on the other chapters. I like to keep things unfinished so I don't get into the mind frame that I'm finished with this and get tired of it.  It's a mental thing... that's all I can say.

3. And Guess What-else? When attempting to write 60,000 words in a month, while working two or three days a week all day, plus still working my night job at the book store... some things get forgotten: such as getting out of my pjs, eating, being out in the sun. Has anyone seen my dog? Didn't I have a teenager hanging around here at one time or another?

Ha, kidding. sorta.
Anyway, so yeah, I've been busy.

I found this on facebook or somewhere and it's on my desktop to keep me inspired. lol

Here's the good news! Yes, I actually have some.
If my estimates are correct... stop rolling your eyes, I can do this!
If my estimates are correct, Book Two: Luminosity should be variable by the end of July.
(yes, that's the final, for real, not gonna change my mind again, title of the next book. For really real.)

I've set a goal to finish my edits by the end of June, before I go off for a week anniversary get-a-way.
TWENTY-FIVE years, baby!! They should like give out awards and hold a celebration for those who make it this many years. You know?

 (focus, focus! Cut me a break, I've been mad-writing for the past month and that does things to people. lol.) 
Anyway, after I do my edits, I'll give the story over to a couple of beta readers. I'm still on the look out for an editor... which I'm confident I'll find someone. Of course, then I have to fix the mistakes. Hopefully, I'll catch more this time than my first time.
I feel more confident about how to load the books, what I want for my cover and all that. I've climbed that big mountain of first print and now walk confidently toward my destination.

If only I had a map. Oh well.

And now that I'm out of my writing frenzy and back in Reality, I have more blog post to work on. A house to clan up. A dog and kid to find. (kidding.)

I'm working on Jerin's bio and will have that out soon.

So keep checking back. When I have the book cover done I'll start sharing more about what happens in Book Two. I'm pleased with how it turned out.

I've come to the conclusion that this story has a will and mind of its own. I've also come to the conclusion that I don't have just four books in this series, but even more. So for those of you who like Alburnium, Alyra, and her friends, they have several stories in the making and just might be around awhile longer than I anticipated.

In Illuminated, Book One- Jerin takes a lot of time to draw out a map of where they will be going and how long it should take, and all the places they can stop. About halfway though their journey, he's crumpled up the map and shoved it down into the bottom of his pack.

This is often the way of our best laid plans. Which is why I love this scripture so much:

Proverbs 16:9-
In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps. 

This is simply life. We try to grab hold and make things work our way, but if we're walking God's path, he has his own plans. So, better to relax and enjoy the ride, is what I say.

Like Jerin, I plotted out this book, and I will still use my scenes and plot notes, just not the way I intended. This is and always will be God's book. I've prayed often asking for his direction and guidance while writing. He has a plan for this. And if that means I have to keep changing my plans, then so be it.

I'll never lose with him as my guide.

Are you up for a new journey? Or perhaps... a quest?