Silent Echoes is a "Games of Zeus" novel but it's not a traditional mythological conundrum. No, as the author, I’ve taken quite the liberties in creating a situation Zeus could have use to mess with we puny humans.
So, to have a little fun as Silent Echoes releases this month, my host here at Burning Impossibly Bright has challenged me to create a Game of Zeus out of Tag!
How could Zeus use Tag upon two unsuspecting humans? How could he manipulate a seemingly innocuous game into a maniacal, devious relationship conflict? Oh, let me count the ways ... or rather, let me show you.
Tag
From Wikipedia, Tag (also known as tip, tig, tiggy, dobby, dob, it,[1] chasey,[2] and many other names[3] is a playground game that involves one or more players chasing other players in an attempt to "tag" or touch them, usually with their hand. There are many variations; most forms have no teams, scores, or equipment.
A group of players (two or more) decide who is going to be "it", often using a counting-out game such as eeny, meeny, miny, moe. The player selected to be "it" then chases the others, attempting to get close enough to tag them—touching them with a hand—while the others try to escape. A tag makes the tagged player "it" - in some variations, the previous "it" is no longer "it" and the game can continue indefinitely, while in others, both players remain "it" and the game ends when all players have become "it". [4]
There are many variants which modify the rules for team play, or place restrictions on tagged players' behavior. A simple variation makes tag an elimination game, so those tagged drop out of play. [5] Some variants have a rule preventing a player from tagging the person who has just tagged them (known as "no tag-backs", "no returns", or "can't tag your master").[6]
Before we get to the ultimate Tag Romance ... let me tell you a little about Silent Echoes.
For years, Ian Sands has enjoyed his life as a bachelor, taking advantage of singlehood and exploring his own definition of passion—whoever she may be. Blonde. Brunette. Tall. Short. Hot. Not. Five months ago, all that changed.
Ian's been celibate, frustrated and desperately seeking answers to why one woman, who doesn't play by girls' rules, haunts his every waking moment.
As a renovations specialist, Taylor Marsh lives, works and breathes construction—a profession her southern belle of a mother would rather Taylor not touch. The same goes for Ian; Mama Marsh would never approve of him.
Like Ian, though, each time he and Taylor draw near, something compels her to get closer.
Something else tells her to run away.
Fast.
As much as their histories suggest they shouldn't be together, neither Taylor nor Ian can deny the pull, and the two succumb, indulging in a relationship that brings pleasure to body, mind and soul.
Doing so, though, also ushers in a series of events both should have foreseen as well as one final outcome neither expected.
Links:
And now ...
Tag
Eeny, meeny, miney, mo, catch a tiger by it's toe. We've all heard this and probably used it at one time. In choosing who's going to be "IT" maybe? In a rousing game of tag? Oh yeah. I've been there. Tag is a staple of childhood, playground fun.
How then, can tag be made into a romantic game? I'm sure anyone could see this one coming as if there weren't a base to land on and be "safe".
He (or she!) can be "IT" and he (or she!) will run and chase after him. She'll be the marathoner with the stamina of a thousand horses. He, however, will be the sprinter who can get farther away and hide. They don't need the safe spot. They'll just keep going. Running circles around each other, never reaching each other.
That's what Zeus will want.
But in a good game of Tag, the IT has to change a few times. So, coming together, these two will reach each other, establish their relationship and build upon it.
Only to be torn apart with another cry out of "You're it!" and the game begins anew.
When will one or the other player win? In a true game of tag, which has no points, no winning move and no end, the answer is ... never.
Then how in the world could these two players, who are supposed to be playing against each other, never reaching an end, finally get the ultimate reward of love, life and whatever else comes next?
Well ... that's for another time, in another story. But definitely one made straight from a children's game. A Game of Zeus.
And there you have it. What do you think? Is Tag a possible Game of Zeus?
Aimee is a romantic at heart and a southern transplant with a bit of the accent (but not a whole bunch). She's married to her high school sweetheart, and with him, she's produced three native North Carolinians, two of whom share the same DNA.
With an MBA and a degree in Applied Mathematics, there's absolutely no reason she should be writing romance novels. Then again, she shouldn't need a calculator to add two numbers, either ... but she does.
Connect with Aimee: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Haha! Sounds like a lot of fun :)
ReplyDelete- Ellie at The Selkie Reads Stories
Thanks so much for having me, Ambur! :)
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Aimee! :) Thanks for sharing your new version of "tag" with me! :D
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