Wednesday Writing: A Snippet from the first appearance of the Atonement Pigs

Posted on by Teagan Riordain Geneviene

Wednesday, January 17, 2023

Deme and Honeybell…  Image from Lexica

Welcome, everyone.   I hope your week is going well.  Maybe it’s just that it’s early in the year, but I was feeling a little reflective.   If I had never written my first published novel, Atonement, Tennessee then I would have never started this blog.  I wouldn’t have written any of the 1920s serials, or the many other serials I’ve posted here.  I would never have met any of you wonderful people. 

The Atonement stories were not among those blog serials (most of which I have now “bookized”).  Sorry if you’re getting confused.  My current weekend serial IS set in Atonement, TN, and some of the characters from the original novels are in this new serial.  All that brings me to the subject of this post — those mischievous little otherworldly pigs.  They have become very popular characters in my current serial.  

CGI by Teagan via Imagine

The glowing pigs actually didn’t show up until I wrote the second novel, Atonement in Bloom.  I’m sharing a snippet from “Bloom” that includes them.  For those who only know the pigs through the serial, I thought you might like to see their first appearance.  So, they’re getting a little feature today.

The setting:  After a strange day, Ralda Lawton is having a restless night. First, she has a frightening dream, but she manages to go back to sleep.  Then she wakes again, thanks to her calico cat, and…

A Glowing Warning

Image collage by Teagan

Lilith made an odd meow and jumped up from her spot on the bed and over to the dresser.  I closed my eyes tighter, because it seemed almost as if the light switch had been flipped.  I cracked open my eyes, desperately wanting to sleep.  I reached for the nightstand lamp to turn it off, but found that it was not lit.  Yet the bedroom was illuminated by a soft radiance.

My gaze moved from the lamp to the dresser where I’d heard Lilith jump.  From that vantage point she watched something in feline fascination.  Sleepily I sat up so I could see what had her attention.  When I looked, I questioned both my wakefulness and my sanity.

Glowing pigs gathered around, circling my brass bed, snuffling and snorting.  After a moment their random grunts came together as one rhythmic voice — grunt-snort, snuffle-grunt-snort.  The chant went on until it started to sound like my name, Ral-da, Esme-Ral-da.

One pig moved away from the rest of its drift, as I had learned a group of young pigs was called.  I marveled to realize that it had blue eyes.  I didn’t know pigs could jump, but it bounded onto the foot of my bed.  Sitting back on its curly porcine tail, it locked its sapphire orbs onto my own eyes.  Maybe I could have looked away from that intent gaze, but I was too dumbfounded to try.

Lexica

“Deme, no.  You are too bold!” I heard one of the other pigs say.

“Don’t be silly Honeybell,” replied the pig that jumped onto my bed.  “Besides, you know this must be done.”

I actually put my finger into my ear and twisted it around, as if I could fix the crazy things I was hearing.  Even in a dream, pigs shouldn’t talk.  And of course I must be dreaming.  It had to be the wretched brass bed messing with me again.

The pig on the foot of my bed snorted in a way that sounded like chuckling when the other one spoke.  I gathered this blue-eyed one’s name was Deme.

“Ralda-Esmeralda, you must take great care,” Deme spoke to my continued amazement.  “There are too many supernaturals in Atonement, Tennessee, too many different plans are in play at once.  More than one of them is very dangerous!  And the Keeper of the Eastern Gate is not present to protect you,” the porcine voice warned me.

♣ ♣ ♣

Had Ralda fallen into another dream?  Surely such a thing couldn’t happen.  Yet then again, Atonement, TN is no ordinary town.  If you want to know what really happened, then you’ll have to read Atonement in Bloom.  

I hope you’ll join me this weekend for another serial episode with Pepper Riley and the current cast of characters — including Deme, Honeybell, and Moccus — in Atonement: Bad Bishop.  Hugs.

♣ ♣ ♣

Oh yes… the obligatory shameless self-promotion…

Atonement in Zugzwang, Book 1

If you haven’t followed the serial, the searchable Kindle (e-book) is a perfect way to start.  Likewise, if you want a refresher since this new serial is absolutely tied to Book-1, I’ve given you an easy way to catch up.

Universal Purchase Links
Kindle: relinks.me/B0CHNX2X6T

Paperback  relinks.me/B0CHL7DL6Q

The Rest of the Atonement Series

Atonement kindle covers Cat eyes shelf 2023

Atonement, Tennessee

Full series of e-books with one click:  relinks.me/B087JV25JT

Kindle:  relinks.me/B00HGWKRA8

Paperback: relinks.me/1481826948

Also in Spanish, translated by Olga Núñez Miret! The title for the Spanish-speaking market is Expiación y Magia

Atonement in Bloom

Kindle:  rxe.me/5RRBLH

Paperback:  relinks.me/1726882128

The Glowing Pigs, Snort Stories of Atonement, Tennessee

Kindle   rxe.me/LTBDNH

Paperback   relinks.me/1725891972

♣ ♣ ♣

This is a work of fiction.  Characters, names, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, locales, or events is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2014 and 2024 by Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene

All rights reserved. 

No part of this work may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission.  Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.

All images are either the property of the author or used with permission, or from free sources.

58 thoughts on “Wednesday Writing: A Snippet from the first appearance of the Atonement Pigs”

    1. Woah, Jacquie! You’ve been stuck in the spam folder all this time. Come out for some fresh air.
      This surprises you after Fang, the pink fairy armadillo character? LOL. Seriously though, I appreciate your wonderful feedback. Thanks very much. I hope the weather is improving there. Have a beautiful weekend. Big hugs.

      Liked by 1 person

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  11. I remember enjoying Atonement in Bloom, Teagan and Deme and Honeybell were two of my favorite characters, You had so many, it’s hard to pick one, but I was glad to see these guys return in your current serial. Of course, I also enjoyed ‘Snort Stories’ – so much to love.

    Liked by 1 person

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  20. Such great memories from both novels. Thanks, Teagan! I recommend them both to anybody who hasn’t had the pleasure yet. They are wonderful! Big hugs and love to Daphne and Velma!

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Thank you kindly, Dave. The pigs were “loosely inspired” by the herd of stolen pigs in the Welsh myth of Gwydion fab Don — as were a few of the Atonement characters in the novels. It’s kind of a “What might be the untold story of those pigs?” Hugs.

      Liked by 1 person

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    1. Hi, Robbie. I’m flattered, knowing how towering your stack of waiting to be read books must be.
      The TV news is devastating… I think you will enjoy the book. There are lots of plants too, and a supernatural that you’ll love to hate. And of course, Lilith the calico. 🐱 Hugs.

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