Ginger Simpson's Blog, page 58

Friday Freebits with Ginger Simpson #frifreebits

Walt opened the bank door and followed Aunt May to a large mahogany desk where a rather stern-looking man sat.  Deep furrow in his brow indicated he didn't smile very often, and the nameplate in front of him read Harvey Palmer, President.
Palmer?  Cecile Palmeer...were they related?  The question zipped though his mind, but the man's measuring look over the top of his glasses told Walt it wasn't the appropriate time to make small talk, so he didn't ask.
"Good morning, Mr. Palmer," Aunt May said in a very authoriative voice.  "This is my newphew, Walt Williams, and we're here to see about a loan.
Harvey Palmeer offered her a chair and reached over his large desk and shook Walt's hand.  Walt took a seat next to his aunt.
"As you know, Mr. Palmer," Aunt May said, "I own the boarding house in her town.  The reventue provides me with a very comfortable, yet not extravagant lifestyle. "  She pulled a ledger from her handbag and opened it.  "This should offer proof of my income and continuing profits."
He briefly glanced at the figures and flashed a smug smile. “It’s just too bad your boarding house is in… well shall we say, a less then desirable part of town. Word has it that some of the people you cater to have questionable backgrounds.”
She locked gazes with him. “Look, Mr. Palmer, you may not approve of the manner in which I support myself, but as a businessman, you have to admit that loaning me money would be a sound investment.”  She looked at Walt and patted his hand. “My nephew has his heart set on buying a piece of land, and I’m ready and willing to mortgage my boarding house to get the money he needs.”
Walt felt a pang of guilt for putting his aunt under such unpleasant scrutiny on his behalf. “Well, I don’t know exactly how much I can loan you,” Harvey Palmer countered. “Like I said, location of the collateral property is important.”
“Mr. Palmer, where my boarding house is situated has nothing to do with its worth. It’s the only one in town, and I have proven it’s a solid investment. I expect you to put aside your prejudice and act wisely by granting my request.”
Harvey Palmer steepled his fingers below his chin. “I fear if I loan money on your establishment, I’m going to be overrun with similar requests. I’m sure you understand my predicament.”

***
Just a note.  Cecile Palmer is the banker's daughter and has met and is quite smitten with Walt, and he with her.  This is just the beginning, and Walt wants desperately to whisk Cecile away to the new "ranch" he's trying to buy.  Will Harvey Palmer help him realize a dream, or has Walt just met his nightmare?
Destiny's Bride is available on my Amazon page.

Throwback Thursday ~ Secrets and Lies by Jamie Hill

I'm resurrecting one of my older titles for Throwback Thursday, but rather than my standard excerpt I'm giving you a juicy moment from the middle. If you haven't read it, I hope you'll check it out here:
http://amzn.com/B005ZF5AXC

Natalie was irritable and sleeping all the time. The first week of January, she barely wanted to get out of bed. It wasn't until she started throwing up in the mornings that it occurred to Alex what the problem might be. He left her alone for a few minutes while he went to the store, and when he returned he slapped a small box on the nightstand next to her bed. "What is that?" she asked groggily. "An early pregnancy test. Read the instructions and take it." Try as he might, he knew his tone was not pleasant. Natalie appeared surprised. "Why would I…we said we were going to wait…" she looked at him. "Oh my God." He felt his eyes brim with tears. "Just take it, please. I have to know. We have to know." She sat up and looked at the box. "Oh, Alex, no. It can't be. I can't be!" He picked up the box and thrust it at her. "Go find out." She opened the package and read the instructions. "It says to use first morning urine." "We're not waiting until morning. Do it now." She looked at him with wide, frightened eyes. "Please," he added carefully. She nodded and took the test into the bathroom, emerging a few minutes later. "Five minutes." "Okay." He nodded and paced the room. "It never occurred to me," she said sullenly, and sat on the edge of the bed. He looked at her incredulously. "Didn't the doctor talk to you about the possibility?" She shrugged. "She asked me if I was on birth control and I said yes." He knelt in front of her. "Natalie, you're not. Remember, we talked about this? Pills, diaphragms, whatevers…those are you being on birth control. Condoms are mebeing on birth control." He balled his hands into fists. "I told you to talk to your doctor about getting you on something, dammit!" "So you're saying this is my fault?" "I never said that." He willed himself to calm down. Okay, maybe I said it in a roundabout kind of way. But I didn't mean it. He looked at the clock. "It's been five minutes." She stood up silently and he followed her to the bathroom. She picked up the test stick. "Plus sign means yes, minus means no." She looked at it. She studied it. She handed it to him, and he studied it. "It looks like a freaking blue minus sign on top of a pink plus sign." "I thought so, too." He tossed the stick on the counter. "So much for that fifteen dollars. We know exactly what we knew ten minutes ago. Nothing." She rubbed her hands over her arms. "I don't think you're angry about the fifteen dollars." He walked out of the bathroom and sat on the edge of the bed. "Gotta start somewhere." "You're angry that I might be pregnant?" She faced him. "You're not?"
--------------------------
Find all my titles at my publisher's website, Books We Love:  http://bookswelove.net/authors/hill-jamie/ 
Thanks for stopping by!
 

A Page Straight From Ginger Simpson #apagestraightfrom

Beaches byGinger Simpson
This book is rated for adult reading only
Katie Franklins shredded a paper napkin and tossed the remnants on the kitchen table.  Her best friend, Irene sat across from her and let Katie rant. She needed a good listener right now.  The mess she’d made on the table reminded her of her life—in bits and pieces. Staring into the cup of coffee in front of her, she shook her head at her reflection. “I’m a married woman.  I have to end this affair!” The words replayed in her mind until she wanted to tear her hair out. Her shoulders sagged but she looked at Irene, seeking an answer. “How did I get into such a predicament? Falling in love with one man while still married to another? Honestly? My body’s sensual needs must have possessed my subconscious mind and made me commit this sinful deed.  What do I do?” Male attention was the magnet that drew her to Joey, and now she couldn’t imagine life without him. At twenty-eight, attracting a twenty-five-year-old flattered her.  His smile, his broad shoulders…everything about him stirred passion she hadn’tfelt in ages. She never intended to fall into bed with him; the attraction was just too much.  Being near him blurred her reasoning.Irene, like a trained counselor, offered no solution, instead let Katie work through her own issues. “Joey makes me feel sensuous and alive…so unlike the relationship between me and Rick. With Joey, I discovered my lost confidence and found desire again. But is it real?  Seven years ago Rick looked at me with the same accepting love in his eyes. How did our marriage go so wrong?  She flashed back to earlier days…when Rick’s touch ignited a fire within her soul.  “You know, Irene, there was a time when I actually waited for Rick to come home…wanting to taste his kisses and feel his hands on my body, but something happened after Brandon was born.  The passion just dwindled away.” Wasn’t having a child supposed to bring people closer together…make them a family? A baby sure hadn’t worked any magic in their home. In fact, her pregnancy ended any intimacy she and Rick shared.  Oh, they still had sex, but other than physical release, they shared nothing with one another. Katie lowered her head into her palms and heaved a sigh.“Maybe if I’d lost the baby weight sooner, I never would have gone with you to Beaches.  What if…oh Hell, no matter what scenario I apply to my predicament, nothing changes.  Should a few extra pounds matter if you truly love someone?” Katie closed her eyes and shuddered, the frustration becoming more than she could bear. “Why can’t Rick see I’m the same person I’ve always been. Even when I was heavier, I had the same heart, feelings and needs… I didn’t really change, but he did.  His endless cruel puns got to me…turned our marriage sour and made me doubt my feeling for him.  He drove me right into Joey’s arms…didn’t he?”Irene shrugged.Katie took a sip of cold coffee and then released a loud breath.  “It’s taken me several months, but now I’m back to what I weighed before I got pregnant.  What I don’t understand is Rick’s sudden renewed interest in me.”  She fisted her hands and pounded on the table, sloshing her decaf over the cup’s side. “How can I forget all the terrible things he said or forgive how degraded he made me feel? Am I wrong to hold on to the hurt?”Irene picked up her cup and blew away the steam.  Her gaze focused on Katie.  “Do you blame me?”“No…” She shook her head.  “No way.  You didn’t hold a gun to my head and make me go with you. We just happened to be in Beaches the same night Joey was there.  That’s not your fault.  Still, I can’t stop fantasizing about him, but do I even have the right?” Tension pounded in her temples. She never expected things to become so confusing. Was it fate or luck that drew her to her lover? Was he just a passing fancy or was he the reason to end her marriage? Katie rose from the table and poured her remaining coffee down the sink.  She used what was left of the napkin to mop up her spill then threw the wadded paper into the garbage. Katie sucked her bottom lip between her teeth and stared out the window over the sink. The gray clouds scudding by defined her mood. “No matter how I look at things, I’m still married and what I’m doing is wrong. Even if Rick’s touch leaves me cold, and his sexual innuendos do nothing to entice me, he’s still my husband.  You know, I actually dread his coming home from work, and especially, bedtime. He won’t take no for an answer no matter how much I protest.”
  Tears she’d successfully restrained all morning trickled down her cheeks like the rain pinging against the windowpane. One way or another, she needed to make a decision, and soon.

"Being Compared To Danelle Steel is better than Chocolate...at least today," says Ginger Simpson

I'm so exited.  First I got a terrific deal on 3 months of advertising on Goodbooks.  My foray into the self-pubbed world will be featured on the Amazon U.K. site.  Check it out. http://www.goodebooks.net/UKavail.html 

Then to top my day, I got this wonderful review on The Well .



TITLE:   The Well                                                             AUTHOR:  Ginger Simpson DATE: 5/6/2015REVIEWER:  Carol Langstroth
REVIEW:Carol Langstroth
Mind Fog Reviews




:

Anything You Want...You Got It

When I'm working on a manuscript the characters, settings and situations are always running through my mind. Some of my most genius creative moments have come to me while brushing my teeth, LOL
Driving to the day job I listen to the radio and sometimes a song will strike my fancy as 'fitting' the story I'm working on. Last week while driving I heard Roy Orbison's You Got It (anything you want, you got it...) and it totally fit the story I'm currently writing. One of the main characters has expressed love to the other, who is hesitant to commit at this point in life. But the first character is insistent to the point of offering, "Anything you want...you got it." The song is now on my current writing playlist.
The list changes every couple of months and currently includes Michael Buble's Haven't Met You Yet and It's a Beautiful Day . A new addition is Phillip Phillips' Home and Gone, Gone, Gone . If you haven't heard these, check them out on YouTube.
While I was there watching Roy Orbison of course I was invited to check out similar titles and had to stop and watch a collection of hits by The Traveling Wilburys, (Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Tom Petty Jeff Lynne, and Roy Orbison.) Those guys were great. I wish they'd done more together.
I also loved the combo of Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson and Waylon Jennings singing The Highwayman . I don't know if they did other songs, but that one was a classic.
Music influences my writing every day. My tastes are eclectic and constantly changing. You can usually find something by Billy Joel on my playlist, and Cher. Oh, and Keith Urban. Geez, the list goes on and on. I love to listen to music especially when writing, and walking. For my walks I need lively tunes like Pharrell's Happy . (Anything to keep me smiling, motivated, and walking!)
 Have a Happy week!

Sunday Snippets from Ginger Simpson #sundaysnips

A slight, salty taste lingered in her mouth as she shuddered from the cold and questioned her higher power.  What should she do now? Only an idiot would’ve run out into such weather, and with very little on, to boot. Chilled to the bone, she had nowhere to go but home. On leaden legs, she trudged toward her house. When she opened the front door, the room was dark…no trace of him.  Had he gone to bed?Katie hurried to the bathroom, trying not to leave a water trail. She shrugged out of her soggy gown and towel-dried her hair, all the while contemplating whether or not to sleep on the sofa.Why should she be uncomfortable?  She stared through red eyes at her image in the mirror, fluffed her damp locks and lifted her chin.  No way was she giving him the satisfaction of driving her out of her own comfy, king-sized bed.She tiptoed into the bedroom, noting an outline beneath the covers that verified her assumption. He faced away from her. Sliding between the sheets, she made very little movement, fearing she’d wake him. Not wanting him to touch her, she stayed well to her side of the mattress. Despite her attempts to avoid another confrontation, he rolled over.
“Wanna do it?” His voice sliced the silence.
This book is rated for adult reading only!
All my books are available on my Amazon page!
Now hop on over to the following participants and glimpse their entries today:
http://www.jamiehill.biz (Jamie Hill)http://triciamg.blogspot.com (Tricia McGill)http://medievalnovels.blogspot.com (Vijaya Schartz)http://connievines.blogspot.com (Connie Vines)

No Friday Freebits Today from Ginger

Rather than post six paragraphs from one of my books, I'm going to take a different approach and actually blog..about, gasp, Politics.

Is anyone else but me worried about the direction our nation is headed?  I was born and raised in a democratic home, by a legacy of democratic voters, but it took me many adult years to realize I needed to pay attention to elections and assume responsibility forelected officials for whom I voted.  I'm no longer affiliated with either party because I choose to vote a person rather than a symbol.

Our current president was not my choice, but I'm pretty sure those who follow my facebook know that. I regret that differing opinions has cost me friendship, but I consider that a lack of maturity and not really being a friend.  My decision against Obama had nothing to do with race or party rather qualifications, and I believe his lack of them has led us to this point.  Besides, my beliefs were validated when his own wife, at his innaguration,declared to finally be proud to be an American.  For some of us, it was a sad day.  She'd never been proud before and this was our first lady?????

One big fear is despite his appearance as a charitable leader, those to whom Obama has granted immunity are mostly those unlikely to be able to support themselves, thus increasing the overwhelming number of people on welfare.  I'm all for being a helpful person, and I do believe in paying it forward, but I resent having to support those who abuse the system, are employable, but choose to let the tax payers support them...and when did I become the birth control police?

My greatest fear is that the party to which my family belonged for years somehow believes the criteria for a great president is to have a vagina.  I believe in equality, and the time may well come for a female to step into the oval office as the POTUS, but I also believe that now, when our country is at a crossroads with Muslim territories who have no respect for women, is NOT the time.  Hilary Clinton would certainly not be a good role model and example, in my opinion, because of her reputation for dishonesty, lack of leadership and the questionnable acts that follow her and her husband.
Lying Harry Reid Crying John Boehner
A large part of this country's dilemma is the division of our nation by two major parties.  Family legacy or loyalty dictates that voters choose which side of the line to stand on and on which topics they vote.  Ignorance of government affairs on both sides often result in sending the same stale politicans back to congress and the outcome never results in new and invigorating ideas. Our whole system needs to be overhauled, and terms of days past ignored when considering new and improving ideas.  Some would equate a unified single party system with a "Hitleristic" attitude.  Sometimes, change in a different direction, with a more positive attitude can result in positive outcomes.  Don't we owe it to ourselves to try something different.  If you don't know something is broken, you can't fix it, but when you know the government is in need of an overhaul and you continue to expect positive outcomes, won't you always be disappointed?   Let's fix America...all we need is someone we can respect and who has a history of success.  I'm sure we can find someone....somewhere.  :)

BTW, these are my own opinions, and I own them.

If you're interested in the author and not the aspiring politician, Ginger Simpson, please visit my Amazon page.

Mother's Day ~ Movie Quote Trivia Answers

Thanks to everyone who stopped by to check out my Movie Quote Trivia on Monday. Here are the answers:

1) Easy

"It's not like my mother is a maniac or a raving thing. She just goes a little mad sometimes. We all go a little mad sometimes. Haven't you?" 

Answer: Anthony Perkins played Norman Bates in 1960's Alfred Hitchcock film, Psycho.



2) Medium

"First you told me he was gonna be retarded, then you told me he was gonna be blind AND deaf. If I'd dug his grave every time one of you geniuses told me he was gonna die, I'd be eating f 'n' chop suey in China by now."

Answer: Cher played Rusty Dennis, mother of Rocky Dennis, played by Eric Stoltz, in 1985's Mask. (Based on a true story.)

Sam Elliott also starred in the film, and I'm posting a picture of him just because I can. :D






3) Movie Buff

"Why are you hiding back there? You don't have to hide from me - I'm Peg Boggs, your local Avon representative and I'm as harmless as cherry pie... "


Answer: Dianne Wiest played Peggy Boggs in Tim Burton's 1990 film, Edward Scissorhands. Johnny Depp starred in the title role, and the movie was Vincent Price's last movie ever.


Thanks for playing along!

A PAGE STRAIGHT FROM GINGER SIMPSON #apagestraightfrom

  The Well ByGinger Simpson
She glanced around the property and gasped.  The house’s windows were shuttered, and the ground between the house and barn, once worn smooth by wagon wheels and walking back and forth to gather eggs and feed the stock now showed overgrowth.  The corral was empty, and wheel marks still etched the dusty ground beyond the yard and disappeared into an endless prairie. The barn doors squealed in protest against the wind and created an eerie, lonely sound.

She turned wide eyes on the stranger then lowered her chin to her chest and slowly shook her head.  “My family is supposed to be here.  I wondered why they never answered my cries for help.”

“How on earth did you end up in the well?” He ignored her apparent concern for her missing family, and his gaze drifted beyond  her wet cloaking dress to her worn boots.  “We’ll need to find you a change of clothes before you catch the ague.”

“Never mind my clothes,” she spat.  “Put me down and I’ll prove this is my home.”

“First, answer my question.”  He held her firmly.

She leaned her head back and locked gazes with him. “All right. I fell.  Pa told me I needed to stretch out the amount of water left because of the long dry spell, so I leaned over to see how much remained in the well, and the old stone collapsed beneath me. I yelled for help, but no one came, and eventually someone covered the opening.  I can’t imagine why Ma, Pa or Hannah never checked on me.  I guess they figured I was dead and the  well was my grave.  I was certain I was going to die until you came along.”

Her gaze drifted to a wet outline on his shoulder, where her head had rested.  “Oh Lord, I’m ruining your shirt.  You’d best put me down.”

“Are you sure?”

“You said I needed a change of clothes, and I have dry ones inside.  Come with me and I’ll show you people really live here.”

Logan lowered her to her feet and she immediately crumpled into a  helpless heap on the ground.  He stood back with his hands on his hips.  “I guess your fall did more damage than you want to admit.  You have dried blood on your cheek.”

**********

This book is my foray into self-publishing.  I can't guarantee it's error free but I had two beta readers help proof and I love the story and Harlee's relationship with Logan.  You can find The Well on my Amazon page.  Join me next week for another page from who know's who.  *lol*

Movie Quote Trivia ~ Mother's Day Edition

Time for another game of Movie Quote Trivia. This one is in honor of yesterday's Mother's Day in the USA. I'll give you three quotes, ones I consider easy, medium, and Movie Buff! Can you name the movie and better yet, the character who said the lines? Try not to cheat!

1) Easy

"It's not like my mother is a maniac or a raving thing. She just goes a little mad sometimes. We all go a little mad sometimes. Haven't you?"


2) Medium

"First you told me he was gonna be retarded, then you told me he was gonna be blind AND deaf. If I'd dug his grave every time one of you geniuses told me he was gonna die, I'd be eating f 'n' chop suey in China by now."


3) Movie Buff

"Why are you hiding back there? You don't have to hide from me - I'm (name removed), your local Avon representative and I'm as harmless as cherry pie... "

Good luck! I'll post the answers on Thursday. Thanks for playing along.