June 2014 Aspiring Author Spotlight- Brady Payne (AAS #6)

Ah…What can I say about this young man?  Brady and I go way back…No, literally WAY back!  Brady and I became friends in kindergarten when he was the goofy little boy who played Cowboys and Indians with me, put another boy in the toy chest, and ran around the gym coach after we ran our first mile, screaming, “Call 911!” a dozen times before fake fainting on the floor.  My coach just stepped over him.  I met Brady again in the 5th grade where we became best friends and it…it scared my teachers because Brady and I were complete opposites!  He always had this playful smirk and mischievous glint in his eyes, but all I knew was that Brady was my friend.  We played Pokémon at recess a lot; I was the trainer and he was my Rapidash (he even made up a Rapidash rap).  From then on, Brady has and will always be one of my dearest, precious friends. 

We’ve been through a lot together and yes, Brady is sneaky, tricky, and acts all tough, but there is one thing that he quietly outshines everyone at; his loyalty.  It runs deep in his veins, coursing through him like a mighty, roaring river. Brady may be a bad boy to most at times and he has had some hard times, but once he decides you belong to his group, he will be faithful to you, protects you until the dragon’s burn the Earth.  He poked at me a lot over the years and sometimes, he would make me flustered just for his pleasure, but I knew if I was in trouble, he would not hold back a punch to whoever was causing me distress.  If I didn’t feel pretty enough, he would reassure me I was (from 5th to 8th grade, he always gave me chocolates for Valentine’s day and our junior year, he gave the 12 most important women in his life an orange rose and I was one of them.  To this day, I adore orange roses).  He’s your brother, your partner, your bickering buddy, your loyal friend to the end.

For as long as my dad and I can remember (Brady LOVES my family and my husband a little TOO much…), Brady has loved to read and get ensnarled in the world of fantasy.  He confided in me a few months ago that he wanted to support my work and had always wanted to write a story.  I was so thrilled by this that I knew he had to be an Aspiring Author Spotlight! He may be a “Payne” in the neck at times and have two middle names instead of one, but he’s still a hidden treasure that I am dusting off and sharing with the world.  I am proud, honored, and beyond happy to now present the unique, one and only, Mr. Brady Payne to my site! 🙂 

June- Brady Payne- Aspiring Authors Spotlight Questions

When you wake up in the morning, how do you see life?

• Through blurred eyes (I do not do mornings)

How did writing find its way into your life?

• Honestly, I love books very few things give me as much pleasure in life. Good books come from writing so it was only logical in my mind.

What does writing do for you?

• Allows my imagination to run rampant.

What sort of genre or type of writing do you do?

• Fantasy to science fiction some modern military

Do events in your life or people you know affect your writing?

• People, yes. Events not so much.

What are you currently work on or what was the last thing you wrote?

• It has been awhile, due to work, but last thing I wrote is the attached short story.

Can you tell us a little about it and its inspiration?

• At the time I was reading a Ghost Recon book, so I combined that with a paintball game I had played and viola.

What are your goals for the future?

• Hopefully to work on my writing skills and become an author on par with my favorites.

What are your interests or hobbies?

• Reading and Gaming

If you could be a superhero, what are your powers and how would you use them to help the world?

• Me? A Superhero? Clearly you don’t know me well… I would be something more akin to Deadpool, Deathstroke, Loki. You know those “bad guys” you hate that you love. The ones who one minute are trying to take over the world, the next they team up with the “good guys” save the world from an outside source. Typically for their own sake., buuuut the world is saved regardless. As for superpowers? Able to control the elements. ALL OF THEM….

What advice would you give people who want to write?

• Honestly? Just try. When you’re done trying have someone read it objectively. They will provide you with input. Add what you feel like adding. Take it to the same person have them read it and provide input again. Then take it to someone else and have them do the same. Add as needed. Repeat. That way you get multiple input from multiple angles to try and cover as much as possible.

If you could be remembered for one thing or thought, what would it be?

• My kids to be better than I.

Sample of Work

Paintball War

            All appears to be quiet as Silent quickly sprints to the nearest bunker. Temporarily safe behind cover, he peeks over the top in search of any movement. His breath is blowing forth in ragged gasps, sounding similar to a freight train taking off from the station, slamming against the mouth guard of his special ops helmet, causing his goggles to fog ever so slightly at the bottom. His adrenaline is flowing furiously through his veins, causing his heart to sound like a snare drum in a marching band, heightening his senses causing every color to leap forward and appear more vivid and alive. There, in the distance, he notices the slightest trembling of the leaves. Slowly he raise his TAR-21 and looks through his acog scope in that direction. “Pswt,Pswt,Pswt.” His silenced rifle whispers out a three round burst at the three man squad from Greece, causing them to scatter like roaches when the lights come on, and foolishly hide in the bunker directly in front of him. At that time, the point man, Elf, from your squad emerges from the bushes about five meters to the left and behind the unsuspecting Greeks. The heavy gunner, Chronos, and squad leader (known only as Sarge) finally catches up to him. Chronos plows forward, like a bull in heat, only stopping his tremendous momentum when he comes to rest beside Silent in his bunker. Sarge moves like a wisp making very little sound as he quickly and quietly darts to a position slightly ahead and to the right of Silent’s position, laying a few rounds down range with his HK417 assault rifle, causing the enemies to keep their heads lowered in fear. Chronos raises his instrument of terror, a M249 Squad Automatic weapon, known more widely as the SAW, and swiftly lays down a torrent of bullet fire, tracer rounds slicing a line through the air, homing in at the enemy at an astonishing 1000 rounds per minute, distracting them with a hellish frontal assault, obliterating all thoughts of their flank and rear. Silent uses the distraction to quickly leap frog his way forward to a position to the right and behind the unfortunate squad. Using a series of military hand signals Silent and Elf silently and swiftly approach from behind, like some strange two headed poisonous snake, tensed right before it makes that lightning fast lunge into the enemies jugular. The opposing squad has unfortunately, for them, allowed their entire attention to become focused upon the Chronos and Sarge, centering their entire universe on the actions of those two. Silent and Elf’s gun scream out a cacophony of terror upon the unsuspecting opponents, bringing their entire universe into a screeching halt. When the bright splotches of color bloom from torsos of the dead enemies, it, dementedly, reminds Silent of some twisted type of flower blossoming.

The enemies fall to the ground delving deeply into the eternal slumber. The squad furtively glances around to make sure there are no hidden enemies lurking in the forest around them waiting for an unknowing enemy to lower their defense so their jaws can close around their throat. Finding no hidden traps they approach the dead squad. Silent and Chronos start to search the corpses for any Intel that could further assist them with their mission. Finding nothing the squad slips back into the brush as silently as death creeping upon an old mans deathbed.

Silent and his team take up positions around the area  hoping that the fireworks hasn’t drawn anyone towards them. Most the time out on these fields of woe a single gunshot draws the enemies like flies towards honey, while a multitude of them will draw an entire organized defense. After what feels like an eternity, Silent receives the hand signal from Sarge to move out. Moving like wraiths the Special ops squad flickers through the forest in a standard line formation staying far enough apart that any ambushes would have trouble instantly eliminating the entire squad but close enough to respond to any given circumstance.

In the distance they see the true objective, the enemy HQ, looming like a hulking disfigured beast of legend. Sarge swiftly signals Elf to circle the base and bring back any info regarding outward scouts from the base. Quietly, Silent radios back to HQ, telling them how many guards they have set up at the base and requesting reinforcements. While he’s on the radio, Elf returns and helps him relay the positions of the outward scouts. HQ radios back saying reinforcements will be there in about ten minutes.

Quickly Silent’s squad strips off the insignias of their team and dons the insignias of Greece. Luckily for them, Greece has approximately 2000 Soldiers to keep track of, so their squad will look no different than any of the other individuals milling around, like ants on an anthill, guarding their precious HQ. Quietly, Silent and his squad slip into the belly of the beast, where they blend in with the hapless sentries, and steadily, but nonchalantly, working their way closer to the valuable enemy Intel. Finally, their objective is within their sights. In anticipation Silent lunges forward, only to be restrained by Sarge, like the master holding the hound back as it strains its leash. Silent glances back at Sarge and he shakes his head signaling to wait for something. Silents nerves are in your throat practically choking the life out of him in anticipation. Every time he sees one of the enemies glance his direction, his fingers tighten upon the trigger housing of his SMG, thinking his cover has been exposed, waiting for the first cry of alarm to signify the hailstorm of bullets to zero in upon his position , like a nest of angry hornets. Suddenly, Silent hears a shout of alarm! In panic he starts to bring his gun into the firing position, preparing for the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse to gallop upon his position and raise hell upon his squad. Then he, unexpectedly, notices that the alarms are coming from the front of the base. Relieved, he watches as the Greece army runs to their positions to repel the attack of Silent’s teammates, unaware that there is a snake in their midst. Using the distraction provided for them, Sarge orders everyone to the shelter containing the Intel. As they approach they look in and see three guards positioned at various fire angles around the suitcase. Fortunately they are looking in the direction of the frontal assault. The squad aims in, and unleashes a volley of hell fire and brimstone upon them. Once they have dropped to the floor dead, the squad rushes in and snatch the suitcase. Wasting no time Silent’s squad quietly slips out the same direction it entered. They use their skills to ghost back to HQ and turn in the Intel, revealing the future plans of the enemy. After many congratulations and slaps on the back the General in command asks if any other squads are willing to make another assault upon a different enemy outpost. Without hesitation, Silent’s squad unanimously volunteers for the honor, grabs, some refreshments, and takes a quick breather. After a few minutes they are back on the field again  ready to reap havoc upon the enemies.

Bio on Brady:

Mr. Payne would like to remain anonymous in his life, but he did leave me two words for you to take into your hearts:

“Mikki Toi”

Truer words have never been spoken. 🙂