This blog is no longer active. Please go to my website: http://www.lenorarain-leegood.com for the latest on my publications, or my other blog: http://www.roadtripsandmore.blogspot.com
The reason there was no post yesterday is because I was working on the quilt top at the right. (I'm trying to post something at least weekly, and on Mondays - just so any of you who are still out there will know ;-)
My living room faces west, and only gets the afternoon sun, and in the winter, it isn't a lot. I found this quilt pattern in a catalog, rushed down to my favorite quilt store (Stitch n Bug for you who are local to the Tri Cities of Washington) and, well, I've been busy for the last few days.
As you can tell, the quilt is bright, cheery, and when finished will be just perfect to snuggle under while reading or watching tv/movies.
Next project? Why, another quilt, of course, but one in blues, greens and yellows, if I'm remember correctly. But not one of a thousand stripes.
Also, getting ready for the Jam Session when my two SOCs come over from Seattle and we spend a hectic three days making jams! That takes lots of naps (need those quilts) both in preparation for and recouping from the week end;-)
My Gratefuls: *Good friends who are my Family of Choice *Patient ladies who taught me to quilt *Good water to drink and use that hasn't been privatized *Shelves full of books *A camera I may some day learn to use!
What I'm Reading Right Now: *Richard Wehterill: Anasazi Yes, I'm still reading it, but I'm more than half-way through
What I'm Working On: *The Veiled Healer, a short story rejected by a magazine where the editor was kind enough to tell me where the story is broken. *Jibutu and the Mage, a novel on which I am about to begin major revision.
And, remember, if you liked Brother Rat, you will really like Jiang Li! Honest. Trust me.
Welcome to “Brother Rat’s blog.” This blog will be updated as new works are published and or I find more things in my morgue. I hope you enjoy perusing the blog, and those works that are online (If any links are broken, please let me know by emailing me, lenoragood(at)charter(dot)net.
Novels:
My Adventures as Brother Rat –by Lin Yao, Queen Dowager, Land of Five Dragons, is an epic tale from Ancient China’s Warring States period of a young girl, Lin Yao, who desires above all to become a Healer, but must become the warrior, Brother Rat, to save her country—she wins the battle but loses the war and moves to the far away Land of Five Dragons where she becomes Queen, but is never far from her alter ego, Brother Rat.
“No matter what your tastes, “Brother Rat” will hook you from the first page and keep you intrigued until the last lines come to a close.” — Andrea Green, Reviewer
I am called Brother Rat.My elder brother gave me that name.Not because I am a boy (I’m not), nor because I was born in the Year of the Rat (I wasn’t).He called me that to make me angry and to get me to do what he wanted.He called me Brother Rat to make me brave.Sometimes he would tease me until the tears started to roll down my cheeks, then tell me that boys don’t cry, only girls cry, and I would quit crying.Although I was a girl, I loved my brother, and wanted to be just like him.
One day, when everyone in the village seemed busy doing something that did not require us, my elder brother and I played.Suddenly, we heard screams from far away. My elder brother grabbed me and stuffed me into a weed-choked ditch.He murmured, “Bandits!” under his breath, then told me, “Stay here, and do not come out until I come to get you.Be quiet, and do not cry.I will be back, later.Be brave, little Brother Rat. Be brave and be quiet!” Then he was gone.I heard many screams, then horses.Both the screams and the horses came closer and closer, but I closed my eyes, imagined myself a small rat hiding in the reeds, and stayed put.
I must have fallen asleep because I woke to find darkness and quiet.Elder brother had forgotten me.Or, perhaps he was playing a game to see how long I would stay quiet and hidden.The moon rose to join the stars as they crossed the heavens.Finally, I could no longer stand the quiet of my village – nor the grumblings of my stomach.I stood and climbed out of the ditch in which I had been hidden.There were no sounds.Not of women as they cooked the evening meal.No dogs whined for food.No men laughed as they gambled and drank tea. All I remember is silence.Even the crickets seemed quiet and subdued. I walked to our home, afraid to call out.Maybe the villagers tested me for something?
The moon shone through the door of our house, and inside were my mother and father, sleeping on the floor.I touched them, and they were cold and stiff.Both of them were quite dead.I went to the other homes, and everyone in the village was either dead – or gone.All the rice pots were broken.I, alone of my village, lived.
I went back to my home and went to the place Mama used to store our food, only to discover the bandits found it first.There was nothing in the house to eat.I was afraid to stay, and afraid to leave.Why had Elder Brother not come for me? Where was he?The stink of death overwhelmed me. I turned and ran.
I had no idea where to go, but Elder Brother had spent many hours telling me of the wonders of Wu Shi-En, the city of the King at the end of the road.He said it was a city of silks and gold; a city of wealthy people who ate oranges every day, and had honey for their rice cakes.Surely, if the city was so wondrous, there would be a family who would feed a small child?I began to run down the road in the direction my brother had pointed.
I do not know how far I ran nor how long it took me. I remember when the sun came up, I no longer ran, but walked along the road.I remember hearing horses behind me and feared the bandits were coming back to kill me. I slid off the road and into a bamboo grove where I fell asleep—exhausted, hungry, and very scared.I dreamed Mama offered me oranges and rice and hot tea.I could smell the oranges and opened my eyes.
A soldier sat on his horse, watching me.He peeled an orange and offered me a piece.I scrambled to my feet, watching the proffered segment.Nearly faint with hunger, I asked,“Are you a bandit?”He laughed.
“No, little one.I’m not a bandit.Would you like a bite of my orange?”
“Thank you, Honorable Sir.Yes, please.”My stomach growled as I took the segment.I popped it into my mouth, and never had anything tasted so wonderful.No sooner had the juice hit my stomach, than it came right back up!Never had I been so embarrassed.
“So, you haven’t eaten in a while, have you?”He dismounted, and walked to the stream by the bamboo and wet a rag.“Here, wipe your face.I have some cold rice in my pack.Had I known you hadn’t eaten, I wouldn’t have offered you the orange.”
I’m sure I must have eaten the rice and told him how I came to be on the road to Wu Shi-En, but I don’t remember.I vaguely remember him picking me up, and placing me in front of him on his horse. Memories of the ride on the magnificent horse I came to know as Man Killer, memories of being handed to an old man, of being put to bed, of wandering in and out of fever are old and bunched together like the petals of dried flowers tossed in a bowl.It is hard to look at a single petal, surrounded by many others of different colors and types and pull out the one petal of chrysanthemum, or the one lotus, or the one plum blossom.
The Thunder Dragons stomped across the sky, hurling their lightning spears at each other when I woke.Rain fell in sheets, and the wind whipped it against the house.I snuggled down in my bed, and hoped Mama wouldn’t make me go out in this weather. I wasn’t really afraid of storms, I just didn’t like them.And then I remembered.
“And what shall I do with the child when she wakes?”The voice came from close by, a woman’s voice.A voice tired of work.
“I don’t know, Lu.Perhaps you could use her in the kitchen?” That voice was a man’s voice.An old man but one of vitality.The woman’s name was Lu. Now, would she identify the man for me?
I looked out from the blankets, and saw I was in a small room, and the voices came from just the other side of the door.The only light in the room came through the open door.There were no windows, at least none I could see. Perhaps night blanketed the earth. I heard steps going away, and then all I heard was the storm.The next time I woke, the sun shone, and I could hear laughter, and what sounded like digging.I crawled out from the blankets and walked to the door.The door did not open to the outside, as I expected.It opened to a long, narrow room with other doors. The wooden floors’ high polish reflected light, and the hall as I later learned it was, did not seem dark.
I walked out and to the left, toward the sounds.Surely I must be in the palace of the King, so huge was this building. I came to a huge room, full of gorgeous furnishings—chairs of beautifully carved wood, porcelains with bright paints, lamps and silk pillows, a panoply of color and, to my child’s mind, wealth. As marvelous as these were to look at, my eyes went to the wall that opened out on to the garden.Never had I seen such a garden! Mama had a small vegetable garden, but this garden was a riot of greens, with bright flowers in reds and yellows and whites.I could see water through some of the foliage.I did not know such beauty existed on this earth.Perhaps I had died, and this was heaven?
“Well, Little One, I see you’re up.Are you hungry?” I turned to the voice, and there on a stool in the shade sat an old man dressed in brown.He appeared thin, and his hair had streaks of silver in it.His face, lined with wrinkles, smiled a welcome.
I managed to nod a yes. Until then, I hadn’t realized how hungry I was.
“Come, then, we will go into Lu’s kitchen and get you something to eat.” He stood, introduced himself as the Healer Chen Shen, Healer to the King, and took my hand as we walked to Lu’s kitchen. Thanks to the soldier, Chang, I had, indeed, come to Wu Shi-En.And though it was not all silks and gold, the city was much larger than my village.And I did find a home in which to live, and learn, and become an apprentice Healer.
Happy Tuesday!
