Friday, April 5, 2013

Llullu the Llama's Debut!


This is Llullu the llama - a character from a book I'm posting this month.  It's funny (at least I hope so) sci-fi and is called; DR. AWKWARD: The Adventures of Bob Palindrome in Space.  It's a serial novel and I'm just waiting on the cover.

So, Llullu is a miniature llama.  In the future, there are no dogs, so Bob Palindrome has a miniature llama - about two feet tall.  I found this realistic llama online and bought it. Then I spent the weekend gluing eyelashes on her because she didn't look feminine enough.

Yes, I'm still working on getting the Bombay book up - this is something different.

I did a little photo shoot of Llullu in my office.  To simulate space, I used this weird scrapbooking paper.  It came out like this:

 
 
Not bad - right?  The flash set off the sparkles to look like stars.  I am also working on making her a space suit.  I have a graphic designer trying to do that now for the cover. 
 
 
Anyway, I thought I'd share a snippet with you, about Llullu, because she has quickly become my favorite character - even though she didn't exist in the first draft at all.  My critique group wants to start experimenting with DNA and llama breeding, because they too, now want a miniature llama.
 
Here's the sneak peek:
 
            Walking into the small, grey cottage he called home, Bob dropped his keys into a dish inside the front door and propped the mannequin leg against the wall.  Within seconds a black and white miniature llama trotted into the room, rubbed her head on Bob’s knee and batted eyelashes a super model would kill for.  Fortunately, since super models were exiled to their own planet (apparently, they made people feel bad about themselves) this was no longer an issue.
            “Hey Girl,” He rubbed the soft spot between her ears and the llama made a purring sound.  By the time he sat down in his favorite chair, Llullu the llama had brought him his newspaper disc and a rather drooly pair of slippers.  She settled down at his feet and proceeded to chew on the carpet.
            Bob leaned back and closed his eyes.  Heaven, he thought.  Just like back in my grandpa’s day.  Just me and a dog…well, llama to bring me my paper and slippers.  The fact he slipped and said “dog” made him sad for a moment.  Ever since the Mad Canine Flu, dogs had become, more or less against their wishes, extinct.  Humanity had to make due with whatever they could (there was even an extremely brief revival of the Pet Rock craze), but things just weren’t the same.


Here's another scene - one of my favorites featuring Llullu:


Bob picked up his bottle of beer and went into the kitchen to find food. 

            Not dinner, mind you.  That would imply preparation on his part.  Bob pulled a log of sausage and block of cheese from the fridge and got a sharp knife from the drawer.  Llullu trotted into the kitchen and sank onto the linoleum, legs splayed in every direction. 

            Bob put the knife on top of the sausage and began to slice downward.

            Click.

            He looked at the knife.  It hadn’t made contact with the cutting board yet.  And under normal circumstances, as far as he knew, sausage did not go click.

            The sound seemed quieter than before.  He put the knife down and walked into the living room and stood there, waiting.  Bob waited long enough to feel completely idiotic and when there was no corresponding sound, he headed back into his kitchen.

            Llullu was standing on the table with the sausage log pointing at the ceiling, halfway down her throat.  She tried to look sheepish, but instead just looked as though she’d been impaled by lunchmeat.  Bob sighed and walked toward her.  He detached the meat from his pet and cut off the part she’d drooled on.  After slicing up the cheese, he carried his plate back into the living room and joined his beer.

So that's Llullu the llama.  The first serial comes out in April, the next installment, TACO CAT should be out in June. 

I think Llullu would make a nice addition to our pirate crew.

The Assassin

13 comments:

Maureen said...

All in favor, drink rum!

Maureen said...

You know, I was talking to my mom about aliens this week. Space aliens. And said, "What if they don't want to take over the earth, or save us from our own stupidity. What if they just want our extra dogs and cats? Because pets don't exist in space?"

Mom laughed and looked a little confused. But willing to go along.

Maybe we need to write a book together, Leslie. We seem to think alike...

(Pirates run in every direction...)

Marnee Bailey said...

I told the boys they couldn't have a dog. But a llama....

It has potential.

Do they take to housetraining?

This serial sounds great, Leslie. Good luck with it.

And in space? How much fun. :)

I love that you glued eyelashes on the llama. I'm not sure why I laughed hysterically at that, but I did.

Hellie Sinclair said...

*LOL* I love her!!! I'm so glad you're writing this story...I love the weird-absurd it's got going on...hilarious. And I absolutely am behind the thought of banning all supermodels to their own planet. Can we do this now?

Janga said...

I <3 Lulu! She's funny and adorable--and smart too. :) A perfect pet. But the thought of a world without dogs makes me sad.

Leslie Langtry said...

Maureen - I'd TOTALLY write a book with you!
Marnee - I laughed hysterically when putting the eyelashes on. It made it very difficult.
Hellie - Yes, I really wish we could.
Janga - me too.

Terri Osburn said...

I love Llulu! And I might love her even more for the extra L in her name. I've been trying to figure out what pet I can slide into book 3. Bingo! (No worries, I wouldn't actually steel your idea. Tempting as it is.)

I second Hellie's Supermodel Relocation Request. And I LOVE that Llulu was smart enough to get him out of that kitchen. LOL! Can't wait to see her space suit.

Leslie Langtry said...

cute pets work, like guinea pigs, pugs, etc.

Maureen said...

I have the first line. "First, they came for our cats."

P. Kirby said...

Llulu is adorable!

Don't know much about llamas, except that they spit sometimes when annoyed or frightened, and occasionally make the most horrible noise. Went out one night to feed the horse and heard this dreadful, screechy, wailing sound. Thought maybe the chubacabra really did exist. Turned out to be the neighbors' llamas fussing about a coyote.

It would be neat if I could miniaturize the Wonder Horse to Llulu's side. Would make him so much more manageable.

Hellie Sinclair said...

Oh, I'd love to see the Wonder Horse dash his tiny feet in rabid anger at the infidels...in miniature form. *LOL*

Leslie Langtry said...

Funny you should mention coyotes - llamas are often used to guard sheep from coyotes. Who knew?

Janene said...

Llulu is absolutely adorable. Can't wait for the book to come out.