Castle in the Mountains by Gray Artus
Welcome to Olympus, where the Muses of Greek Mythology are charged with the responsibility of discovering, inspiring, and guiding the young incarnations of legends past until they once again take the form of greatness.
Embark on an enchanting journey through Architects of Illusion (Echoes of Olympus, #1), a YA fantasy novel series inspired by my backyard neighbors, Biltmore Estate, in honor of George Vanderbilt‘s extraordinary legacy.
Join me, and a cast of brilliant film composers, as we awaken your imagination to the magic of the mountains during this year’s international A to Z Challenge (representing #TeamDamyanti).
▶ For a detailed PHOTO TOUR of Biltmore House, including a great image of the double lane bowling alley installed in 1895 (one of the oldest in the nation), click HERE! Want to read more? Visit my A to Z “Sneak Peeks” page!
Bowling Night
I WAS navigating the bowels of the stone behemoth, losing faith in my inner compass, when I heard it. Echoes of rumbling thunder and rolling claps bounced off my skull.
Curiosity pulled me down the dusky limestone tunnels into the mouth of a cavern. The soaring brick walls were alive with a vibrant gypsy parade of characters captured in a kaleidoscope of colors. For a moment, I was lost in the swirling sea of dancing dyes.
A deafening crash jarred my bones. Against my better judgement, I followed the source into an adjoining hallway teeming with students. Stretching to the tips of my toes, I craned my neck over the swarm of patchwork heads buzzing with energy and the occasional expletive.
Nudging the nearest boy, I asked, “Are we under attack?”
He glanced down at me, his liquid green eyes working to place my foreign face. “Depends on who you’re rooting for,” he quipped, a pleasing lilt to his voice. He nodded his head towards the back wall. “My team’s gett’n slaughtered. Have a look for yourself,” he added, moving aside.
I climbed onto the piano bench, gaining an outstanding view of the chaos. The air, thick with a hundred breaths, split with a sharp crack. A spray of ivory pins scattered across the double lane alley, followed by a wave of cheers and the fluttering of tiny wings.
My head spun with images of the impossible.
“Whoa! Wha-what? Why—” I stumbled, earning a glare from the girl whose head met with my hip.
“We don’t have an automated system,” the boy offered, misunderstanding my confusion. “Someone’s gotta reset the pins,” he shrugged apologetically.
“Are those…an-angels?” I stutter, my gaze glued to the chubby cherubs darting across the lanes, pins grasped between alabaster fingers. One flitted past, catching my eye. His tiny stone lips puckered in a kiss, alabaster dimples flashing.
“Angels? Those mischievous buggers?” he let out a raucous laugh. “There’s not an angelic ounce carved into their bums.”
© 2014 Samantha Redstreake Geary
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WriterlySam 
oh my goodness! the angel bums!!!! i die of laughter on the inside. i’m at work or i would make a like a goose out loud!
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I live to entertain:)
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Love the angelic-bottom touch 🙂
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Gotta keep a wary eye on cherubs. They’re feistier than they look:)
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Definitely not what she was expecting! Now, rack ’em up.
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If you lived a little closer, you could join the Biltmore’s bowling league:) The gargoyles run the snack bar!
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Too funny and perfectly described! I was there!
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I was there, too, and let me tell ya, those cherubs are speedy pin setters. Cheeky, but efficient:)
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That takes me back to childhood. Nice job, Sam.
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I aim to please, Mary:) You should visit my neck of the woods one day. I’ll take ya bowling at the Biltmore:)
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I love your imagery. Great scene!
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Thanks! I had a ball writing this novel:)
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“There’s not an angelic ounce carved into their bums.”
Funny, I say that about the twins…
Good stuff, Sam! I can see it so clearly in my head!!
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I can see that being applicable to the boys:)
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Love your “chubby cherubs”!
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The little “angels” in this house are little “stinkers”:)
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Haha…this was cute!! 🙂
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Thanks:) They’ll be more cheeky cherubs to come!
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Great descriptive passage with a little twist at the end. Made me smile!
Jamie Dement (LadyJai)
http://writebackwards.we3dements.com
http://caringforaveteran.wordpress.com
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I’m all about the TWISTS! Each excerpt will have one (or more:)
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I enjoyed the reading. The pin setters were an unexpected delight!
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The may be a bit glib, but those little cherubs can move some pins:)
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You paint your story with an artistic flow. Loved the not-so perfect cherubs and the bum reference, though. 😉
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Thank you:) I prefer painting with words–trust me, you don’t want to see me pain on canvas *avert your eyes*
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Real nice piece of flash, could be taken either way : )
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These cherubs do enjoy a good flashing, so be on guard:)
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Great piece! and the angelic bum comment is really funny!
Happy A to Z-ing!
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Their chubby bums come in handy on bowling nights:)
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I love the music–would love it more with higher end sampled instruments or real ones, but hey, we can’t all afford the thousands it takes to hire performers, eh?
Cherubs…mischievous buggers… Awesome.
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Alas, most composers must make due with the resources they have available. If you’re looking for full orchestra magic, audiomachine’s upcoming PHENOMENA was recorded at Air Studios in London and it’s ahhhmazing!
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That was so much fun! Thanks for visiting the Untethered Realms blog. 🙂
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Thanks for swinging by, Christine! Don’t forget your bowling shoes:)
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Lol. 🙂 Loved it. Of course Olympians must have their fun as well!
anna @ Deeply Shallow
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Oh, the fun is just getting started:)
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Flawless! My goodness, girl. Whether is serious or good old silly fun, you nail this world and everyone in it.
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Here’s hoping I pull it off throughout the 60K+ you’ll be reading through:)
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Awesome to read this — I just signed our family up for summer bowling, haha! Wonder if there will be cherubs resetting our pins as the days warm up. This was really cute!
I’m participating in AtoZ, too.
See you around!
~Andi-Roo
@TheWorld4Realz
TheWorld4Realz.com
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I’m trying to play some catch-up. Don’t want to miss a single installment of your story… (I know it’s almost like cheating, because we’re supposed to read on a daily basis… LOL. But “cheating” means I get the story flow…)
Love the alabaster-dimpled, chubby bummed cherubs…
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