Happy Labor Day from Alpha Antiare

Please welcome today's guest, Lynda K. Scott, who's here to tell us about Labor Day.... in another world.

First, thanks to the ladies at Pink Fuzzy Slipper Writers for having me here today. Luckily, these musings can be done ahead of time…so between chatting with anyone still in town today, I’m very likely cranking up the grill and cooking our Labor Day burgers.

But thinking about holidays makes me wonder what our characters do for holidays. In fact, what kind of holidays would they celebrate? How would they celebrate them?

Since we have a holiday at hand, let’s talk about Labor Day. Normally, I’d suspect any society that has members who work for a living would have a holiday akin to Labor Day which, according to the US Department of Labor, is the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. In other words, it’s a tribute to the workers who built the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

But…Not every nation on this planet celebrates Labor Day. I don’t profess to know why. I think it’s a grand holiday myself. After all, what other holiday celebrates the common working stiff? So, according to my logic, the planet where the hero of my novel, Heartstone, hails from would have a day very similar.


Would it be a “relax-at-home BBQ fest with family and friends” commemoration? Probably not. In that culture, they revere the efforts, or the labor, of clan members that keep the clan strong and prosperous. In studying Eric, the hero of Heartstone, I see a culture that has some similarity to oriental cultures where the elder members of the clan are respected and held in high regard. That makes sense. These elder members have worked all their lives to make their clans strong.

Since they’re a close knit group, I can see a celebration where food is involved (what good celebration or holiday doesn’t involve food???) It might be held in a park, or large backyard area simply because they’d need the room for all the younglings to run and play. Food…no one would want to spend hours in the kitchen prepping a lot of food or carefully balancing a fragile plate, glass and utensils on their knees, so I see finger foods as the style of food they’d prefer. Something that could be snatched from a plate piled high with succulent offerings, the juices dribbling over the finger and licked away.

Would it be called Labor Day? Maybe. Or maybe it would be called Family (Clan) Day as everyone gathered to renew their affections and loyalties and introduced new members of the clan to the older ones…Mmm. I think I’ve just described a family reunion.

Does it sound good to you? Maybe we should contact our elected representatives and tell them we want a new holiday…Family Day. What do you think?

Heartstone Excerpt from the unused Prologue (which can be found at www.lyndakscott.com)

"I'll fight the Gawan with sword or blaster, fang or claw," Eric said firmly. "But I will not take a wife."

The words hung in the study like a laser-flare over a battlefield. Like a flare, they caused a moment of absolute stillness in the two men. Sharp beams of light from the Antiare sun speared through the windows hitting a jeweled prism on the low table to Eric’s right and burst into coruscating splinters. Through the richly carved moonwood door, Eric caught the soft murmurs of his mother and Orianna as they exchanged pleasantries in the reception room. Doubtless, the girl was trying to woo the mother as she did the son, he thought sourly. Orianna was persistent but, as lovely as she was, he would not wed her.

Behind the massive black calani wood desk, Tiernan d'Ebrur lifted a reproving brow. His hair and eyes were the color of bright silver coins. The round collar of his tunic was the same silver gray and stood in contrast to the remainder of the garment's deep blue color. He sported the Ebrur House badge, a black wolf silhouetted by full Harrer, on his left shoulder. Eric wore a similar badge on his dark gray tunic. But where Eric's House badge was bordered by a plain silver edge, a gold and silver braid surrounded Tiernan's badge.

Not that Tiernan needed that lofty sign of office. His intelligence and force of will would dominate any gathering. Certainly, he dominated this meeting. As House Lord, Tiernan could be ruthless or charming, though he often professed to prefer charm as his weapon of choice. In Tiernan's opinion, one Eric shared, force of arms was best left as a last resort.

After a lengthy silence, he gave Eric an odd, understanding look. "You misunderstand, grandson. We are not offering a contract of true marriage. The liaison is one of Gar'Ja."

"Gar'Ja?" Eric stood, going to the sideboard to refill his glass. Relief and resentment mingled in his chest. At one time, the mental and emotional link between Gar’Jalon, husband, and Gar’Jael, wife, symbolized the deepest and truest of bonds between a man and a woman.

Great News! If you buy Heartstone through the Mundania site, you can use the code
LSCOTT10 at checkout and receive a 10% discount on your total (Heartstone plus any other book you might want) purchase.

http://www.mundania.com/book.php?title=Heartstone
Trade Paperback
240 pages
$13.95
978-1-60659-233-5

eBook
$4.99
978-1-60659-232-8

Eric d'Ebrur is out of time. He must find the legendary Heartstone and
fulfill the ancient Gar'Ja bond he shares with the Stonebearer. But
when he finds her, he discovers that love can be more dangerous than
the Gawan threat. Eric can defeat the mind-controlling Gawan but will
it cost him the woman he loves?

After terrifying episodes of hypersensitivity, Keriam Norton thinks
she's losing her mind. When handsome shapeshifter Eric d'Ebrur saves
her from the monstrous Gawan, she's sure of it. But insane or not,
she'll find the Heartstone and, if she's lucky, a love to last a
lifetime.

Heartstone is also available on Amazon.com if you prefer (but there’s no discount there)
http://www.amazon.com/Heartstone-Lynda-K-Scott/dp/1606592335/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1281979082&sr=1-1

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