Monday, May 23, 2011

Power of Tension Blogfest





This week, Cally Jackson and Rachel Morgan are hosting The Power of Tension Blogfest. We are to post an excerpt (300 words or less) that drips with tension and leaves the reader wanting to know more. My entry is from my epic fantasy, In the Seventeenth Year. Enjoy!

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“They’re coming up the walk,” the limping man said.

Keenan ignored the excited murmurs buzzing through the room. None of the others knew the reason for the meeting. Moira dismissed their questions, saying only that she would explain everything when Ellis and Garrick arrived. They gave Keenan curious stares, but Moira did not introduce him, and his sullen manner successfully discouraged any attempts at conversation.

Keenan steeled himself as he watched the door. After contemplating Moira’s story all afternoon, he still he did not know what to make of it. He would never have believed it, save for one fact: Father did not deny her claim. On the contrary, he knew exactly what she was talking about.

What interested Keenan most was that his supposed “mother” had kept his brother. If she could keep one son, why not both? Why did she leave him to face Father and his dagger night after night, while she and her other son lived a peaceful life just one hour away? If Moira was telling the truth, and he could only conclude that she was, then his mother possessed the coldest heart in all of Fairfax.

The door handle jiggled. Keenan felt a twinge of excitement, despite himself. What were these people, his “family,” like? Would his brother look like him? He had not thought to ask if they were identical twins.

“Here they come,” Moira whispered in his ear.

The door swung open.

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That's it! Thanks for reading, and please click here for links to the rest of the entries.

Have a great Monday, everyone! Did you do anything fun over the weekend? I finished painting the basement (whew!) and spent Sunday at Six Flags.

52 comments:

Brian's Home Blog said...

Wow, that was good, but were they identical or not?!?!

Lydia Kang said...

I loved how this ended, with Moira's whisper!

This weekend we went to Kansas City--a little too close to the tornados, for my comfort level!

Anonymous said...

I'm not a participant, but I enjoyed reading this so much. Now I WANT TO KNOW what happens after the door swung open.

Jemi Fraser said...

Yikes! You've done a great job here!! I REALLY want to know what happened and what happens next! Nice writing :)

notesfromnadir said...

This is a fine excerpt to demonstrate tension. I was wondering why the guy was limping at the start of this piece. Now I want to know what happens when the door opens.

Talli Roland said...

Wow - talk about a cliffhanger! Thanks, Susan!

Glad to hear you had a good weekend (besides the basement painting!).

Teralyn Rose Pilgrim said...

This is an interesting dynamic. I loved it!

Joanne said...

Great tension going on here, and bringing family into the mix definitely serves to heighten it even more!

I managed to squeeze in a little gardening in the couple hours of sunshine eeked out of the weekend!

Charity Bradford said...

Lovely building of tension. So many questions waiting to be answered. Nice job!

Hanny said...

Nice! This'll be fun!

Crystal Collier said...

Great job! Definitely filled with unresolved questions.

Amy said...

That was great and I so want to know what happened next! Nice job! :)

Old Kitty said...

Bad Susan!!! What happened?!!?? Who or what?!?! came through the door?!?!?! Ooooh!! If this was written on paper, I'd be turning the paper over back and forth looking for what happened next!! Yay!! Great excerpt!!! Well done you! take care
x

blankenship.louise said...

Great job sketching the situation so quickly. I'd keep reading.

Jennifer Shirk said...

Oh that was really great!!!

This weekend? I planted flowers and hung out with friends. It was fun. :-)

Anonymous said...

This was a great piece - making me want for more!

Grace

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Nice work! Great excerpt :)

Sarah Ketley said...

So what happens when the door opens? - Great job!

Sarah

Trisha said...

Wow - fascinating! I very much want to read on and find out how the reunion goes! And how their lives in general progress from here.

Brenda Drake said...

I feel the mystery of what his family will be like, and I also feel the resentment. The tension with the door clicking and what would be on the other side made me want to read on. Great job! :D

Bossy Betty said...

It's working! I want more!

J.C. Martin said...

Wow, great emotional tension! A refreshing change from all the action-packed scenes entries! Great job!

Anonymous said...

So many unanswered questions. I guess if we want the answers, we just have to read the book, right? ;-)

Thanks for entering, Susan!

Anonymous said...

Oh wow, love the topic you've chosen for your tense moment. Leaves us all wondering and hoping with him :O)

Laurel Garver said...

Nice work! You've definitely piqued my curiousity.

BTW, I answered your editing question on my blog today! Stop by for your answer.

Raquel Byrnes said...

Ooh, that last whisper really did it for me. It really amps up the already tense feeling. Great job.
Edge of Your Seat Romance

Gabriela Lessa said...

Great scene! Leaves me wanting more!

S.A. Larsenッ said...

I love the inner contemplation!!

Anonymous said...

Well done! I hope to read more blogfest posts. :)

Deniz Bevan said...

Oooh! And then what?

Sari Webb said...

Oh I so want to know what they're like! This was a slow build tension, but it was great. :)

Stephanie said...

Okay, I want to know what happened! I'm guessing Keenan's opinion of his mother isn't quite accurate. She must have had a good reason for leaving him. Loved the tease about "Father and his dagger"

Cindy said...

I want to know what happened too! Thanks for sharing and about the tension blog fest.

Michael Di Gesu said...

Well done. I love that you took time to build up the tension. Interesting details wove through the prose. What the reader can "read" between the lines is even more intriguing...

Unknown said...

Love the cliffhanger at the end and need to hear more about this family! Well done.

Stina said...

Great excerpt. :D

Congrats on the basement. Want to do mine next?

Gabrielle said...

That was great. Now I'm curious about what all this is about.

Theresa Milstein said...

Excellent tension. I want to know what his family is like!

Unknown said...

Anticipation and excitement. This works great as an entry to the blogfest!

Carolyn V said...

Oh my gosh! Such great tension. =)

Gwen Gardner said...

I definitely want to know who came through the door!! It dripped with tension - good job!

MTeacress said...

Wait, I want to see who is coming in the door. :)

Jackee said...

Wow! That's packed with tension, Susan. :o) Can't wait to read more. Thanks for sharing!!!

Kittie Howard said...

Hi, I'm dropping in from Rachel's fest. I really enjoyed what you wrote, wanted to know more - loved that ending! Great job!

Jo Schaffer said...

Dun, dun, duuuun! I sense a confrontation about to explode!

Kim said...

What a way to hook your audience. Well done!

Ellie Garratt said...

Ooo...I'm hooked. Please give us the rest of the scene! Fantastic tension.

Power Of Tension Blogfest

Anonymous said...

This story could go in so many directions. That's what build tension. What would the twin look and be like? Wow! Could he be evil disguised as good, then blame his brother for his murders?

Susanna Leonard Hill said...

Wow! Well done. I definitely want to know what happens next!
(BTW, my brother's name is Garrick - I've never heard it used anywhere else!)

Unknown said...

Now that is tension - getting ready to meet part of your family for the first time - and they're right there on the other side of the door!

Thanks for entering :-)

Anonymous said...

Beeeautifully done! I love that you went with the family drama concept - always makes for great, tense scenes. Good job!

Anonymous said...

But... I need to know MORE! Great job leaving us hanging!