Ginger Simpson's Blog, page 59

Sunday Snippets with Ginger Simpson #Sundaysnips

I'm sorry I'm late in getting this up, but this week has been hectic with unpacking moving boxes ad naseum, and trying to get settled. I've still got a long way to go, but I just realized I hadn't scheduled my post...so here are six paragraphs from my WIP - Deceived .  This is the follow-up to Betrayed, which is based on a true story.

“I’ll have the ribeye, medium well, with a baked potato and salad with ranch.”  Cassie closed her menu and smiled up at the waitress.

“I’ll have the same, but make my steak rare.”  Will’s gaze didn’t leave Cassie’s face.

The waitress walked away with a promise to return with their salads and bread.  Cassie’s stomach rumbled.  She hadn’t eaten all day and recollections of the plump yeast rolls from Huckleberry’s made her mouth water.  Will’s constant assessment of her made her uneasy and she glanced around the filled restaurant, noting the myriad of diverse patrons rather than maintain eye contact with him.

“You are so beautiful.”  His voice pulled her attention back to him.

“Oh, please.  I have mirrors in my house.  You know what ‘they’ say about the old gray mare?”

“Okay, then let me rephrase that.  I think you’re beautiful.”

Now "hop" on over to the following blogs and see what surprises are in store for you there:

http://www.jamiehill.biz/ (Jamie Hill)

http://triciamg.blogspot.com (Tricia McGill)http://medievalnovels.blogspot.com (Vijaya Schartz)

http://connievines.blogspot.com (Connie Vines)
Oh, and Happy Mother's Day!

SWEETS BY GINGER SIMPSON

AHA...the title fooled you, didn't it?  You expected a recipe for cookies or fudge, but this post has nothing at all to do with food.  Tricky, huh?
I hope my former publisher, Lea Schizas from Muse it Up Publishing, doesn't mind me hi-jacking her idea for a blog topic.  Back when I was published with Muse, Lea had the great idea to create a TWOOK for each book offered.  The main reason, when you needed to tweet, you had something at your fingertips to use. and if we all used #twook, they would be tied together.  Everyone should have these on file.  I belong to Ask David.com, and every once in a while you get to tweet about one of the books you have listed there.  I've used these many times.  I can't actually call them TWOOKS anymore, because that would really be stealing, so I call mine SWEETS (Short tweets).    Anyhow...here are the ones I keep handy:

First Degree Innocence – Ten years for a crime she didn’t commit and smack dab in a bully’s grasp.   http://amzn.com/B004A90CXM
Culture Shock- A move becomes a nightmare; new neighborhood and a serial killer targeting her look-alikes.  http://goo.gl/r70iKJ
White Heart, Lakota Spirit – Captured by Indians, Grace must now decide where her heart lies.   http://goo.gl/Qb81Iu
Time Tantrums– Two women, two eras, two puzzled husbands.  She looks like his wife but claims she isn’t.  http://goo.gl/5QqXXl
Sarah's Heart and Passion– Her heart aches for the half-breed who saves her, but is it love or pity? http://amzn.com/B00LRZD3NI
Odessa – Saved by a handsome traveler, perhaps she should have listened to his warnings about saloon work. http://goo.gl/LNJVHI The Locket – Can a pendant that causes the one wearing it to commit murder really be considered a gift?   http://goo.gl/irFdo0 Betrayed - Cassie Fremont joins an Internet dating site and too soon learns the cost to ride the roller coaster from Hell.  http://amzn.com/B00GXKW7OI
Destiny's Bride- A new bride abandoned on the prairie must decide whether the Indian she saves will be her savior or…http://goo.gl/42KX Shortcomings- Our shortcomings don't define us unless we let them.  Will Cindy overcome hers?  http://amzn.com/B00J16ZA90
A Novel Murder- Why don't the images she sees show the murderer?  It's hard to report a case when you only see death through the eyes of a killer.  http://goo.gl/Apw0QT Hattie's Heroes- Can a raging river sweep a pioneer traveler into the future?  If so, what does she find to connect her to the future?  http://goo.gl/j8P2A3 Ellie's Legacy- Ellie's heart proves to be her worst enemy when she sets out to prove she can do anything the new ranch foreman can.  http://goo.gl/lwqgh8 Time-Invested- Separated by miles and war, will Megan and Ryan find the HEA they seek, or will WWII make Ryan a statistic?  http://goo.gl/HqxQl6 Beaches - Can a local bar, a handsome guy, and getting the attention she misses at home make a wife think twice about her marriage...and what will she decide? http://amzn.com/B00J573RZE
Discovery – In each of seven stories, someone makes a discovery.  Dare to be entertained?  http://amzn.com/B00IP06KFG
Ages of Love :  Love comes at different stages of life, whether you’re young or old, Chastity, Faith and Hope discover just how special relationships can be. http://amzn.com/B00IB24NMK
Try and create catchy lines that will draw a reader's attention. You can actually use a hashtag to categorize them with their genere...#mystery, #romance, #historical...you get my drift. They actually come in handy on lots of social media. Whether they work or not...I have no idea.  *lol*

A Prayer Before Surgery

A good friend to Dishin' It Out is having surgery today and Ginger and I would like to offer our support, prayers, hugs and love for a successful outcome and a super speedy recovery!
I join Ginger in holding the very best thoughts... "If God brings you to it, he'll see you through it!"
Jamie and Ginger

A PAGE STRAIGHT FROM FRANK TALABER #apagestraightffrom

Add caption Raven's Lament byFrank Talaber
AT TIMES WE ARE BROKEN...
Brook Grant stared at the ‘Dear John’ letter Georgina left last month. Her empty closet and dresser answered any questions he might have had about a possible reconciliation. To distract himself, he flipped through the pages of his journal again, trying to retrace his footsteps at Ninstints. The totems had intrigued him then, filled him with an ache for what was lost. How could the vibrancy of the Haida and their artistry be reduced to yellowed photographs consigned to musty books?

            Reading his entries brought the realization he’d lost that feeling of living on the edge, like walking between worlds. Georgina’s departure left him feeling empty. Adrift, with no compass to guide him.

            She was supposed to be his one true love. Soul mates. But somewhere, between the illusion of commitment and his belief in the relationship, he let it all slip away; including the romance. Just like the Haida at Sghaan Gway, where now only enigmatic gods etched into cedar remained; she was gone.

            His diary peered back at him like the faces in the totems. Where had he gone wrong? Seeking the answers, he’d begun searching his diaries only to come across the memoirs of his trip to the Charlottes. Evocative memories, yet none bringing him any solace. How could you let her go? How did you not see this coming? Did you care?

            He’d written, ‘There are nights on the West Coast, particularly on the mist-shrouded isles of the Queen Charlottes, when the fog rolls in so thick it mutes the background thunder of the surf. Nights, when if you look closely enough, wavering shapes emerge in the full moon’s shimmering light. A breath of cold wind brushes against your face and you shiver, believing as the Haida do, that you’ve been caressed by the spirits. Soon you begin to understand why they say everything has a soul and that we are anchored to this realm and to our physical bodies only by tenuous threads of waangaay, of spirit.

            The Haida call this place Xhaaydla Gwaayaay, the Islands on the Boundary between worlds.            The three Watchmen that crowned most poles squinted out from under top hats of outlandish ferns, bearing coats of moss and lichens, staring with empty eyes and mute tongues. Eternally watching.'

Calling, but to what?

            A line from a familiar song played in his head: only time can mend a broken heart. Then how do you fill a gaping hole in your soul?

            Staring with empty eyes and mute tongues, the totems towered in his memory. Silent faces full of voices speaking to a quiet place inside him where he was unbroken. The place he needed to return to.
BUY LINKS:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B00UC42WKKhttp://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00UC407R0

I Dug It! Remember Me by Kelly Janicello

Jamie says:

Remember Me? by Kelly Janicello is Kelly's debut novel and it's absolutely amazing. Romantic suspense just the way I like it, characters with a sense of humor, with some very hot romance thrown in. The heat level in this one is similar to my A Cop in the Family series, a little steamier than mainstream, which I enjoy. 

Ryli Madigan is a rookie cop who is thrust into the big leagues by circumstances. She’s smarter than she gives herself credit for, possibly because she has some demons she’s battling.

Brody McKenna is my kind of action hero, sexy, protective, and too damn funny. He knows what he should do, but it’s not always what he wants to do. Fighting a few demons himself, it’s only when the two join forces that either one of them can figure things out.

I highly recommend Remember Me? and suggest you allow a few hours to read because once you start, you won’t want to put it down.
Remember Me? by Kelly Janicello is available at Amazon here:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LH76XE2 
or by request at a bookstore near you!

5 Stars!
——————————————

As a child, Ryli Madigan witnessed a heinous murder burying it deep in her mind. Years later as a rookie police officer she takes down an armed suspect in a convenience store and finds herself assigned to the Detective’s Division. She must work with the veteran detective shot during the robbery she thwarted. Ryli clashes with Brody McKenna, who pursues her on a more personal level despite his deep-seated mistrust of women.
While tracking a serial killer Ryli is plagued by haunting nightmares. The stakes grow higher as she and Brody uncover a cold case involving her family concealed by one of their own. Brody suspects her terrifying dreams are really flashbacks. Their personal attraction raises the stakes in their pursuit of the man responsible for a murderous spree. Will Ryli remember her past before it’s too late?

SUNDAY SNIPPETS WITH GINGER #sundaysnips

This week I'm offering six paragraphs from one of my two works-in-progress, Deceived .  Last week, I offered a sampling of its predecessor, Betrayed .  Despite being told by my current publisher that my relationship novel was not selling and they wouldn't be accepting any beyond my next submission in that genre, I've decided to finish the story because I personally "lived" the event with my sister as she tried to recover from her Internet dating experience.  Of course, I fictionalized names and added a few phony facts. :)

I'm hoping for encouragement to continue writing this story, so leave me a comment and tell me what you think about both books.

Hadn’t she learned her lesson? Cassie Fremont mentally kicked herself as she busied herself with a much overdue house cleaning.  She'd just returned from her second date...lunch...with a man she met on the Internet. One would suspect after what she'd been through, she would’ve known better.  Her sigh sliced the silence as she thought back on her disastrous past.  She tried never to let the name, “Evan Dennis,” drift into her mind, but she couldn't help wondering if he'd found another sucker who believed  he actually gave a damn about her.

Clearing the devastation Evan had wreaked on her emotionally and financially had taken years.  By the time the proverbial smoke had cleared, Cass realized“sucker” was the only word fit to describe her any anyone else who accepted his line of charming bullshit.

Leaving the dust cloth splayed on the end table, she widened the slats on her mini blinds and peered out the front window at cars passing on the street.  Who rode in them, where were they bound, and were they happy?  Distracting thoughts kept her from the task of cleaning and thinking of Evan.  With any luck, he rotted in Hell.

 Having already married once and divorced, she’d taken back her maiden name to try to erase fifteen years of heartache, but nothing, nothing, could eradicate the bad memories of being cheated on by her first husband.   With no self-esteem left, she'd lost herself in Evan, and then discovered he’d been a cheater, too, but in an entirely different way.

  Past experiences left her cold and unyielding to the idea of male company for five long and lonely years, killing any chance she'd had with Brian Green, the police detective she dated for a time while he investigated the dead-end Evan had become.  Then Will appeared. Something about him thawed her icy protective barrier and penetrated her defenses.

Maybe she’d been seduced by his handsome face, trim body, longish hair, or chocolate eyes that saw through to her soul, or...perhaps she was just a desperate, aging woman who needed male companionship and sex.

  Cassie furrowed her brow, fought niggling doubts about men, and  backed away from the blinds.  She resumed dusting, but still her naive actions played in her mind.  Was Will really the one for her? Their first meeting had been on a dating site despite her swearing she'd never visit one again after the disaster with Evan. Depression and lack of finances kept her housebound, and surfing the Internet became her only entertainment. In a weak and stupid moment, she'd created another profile, but that night, she'd actually gone online with the intention of removing it.  That's when she saw Will's picture.

****

This is the intro to the story, and if you haven't read Betrayed , you might have read it as Embezzled Love.  I previously released this story through another publisher who dealt only in paperback, and of course I don't know if I sold any, so I thank Books We Love for giving it new life, cover and title.

Deceived is the continuation of Cassie's journey to find love.  You can probably tell by the title, she's not lucky in that department...or maybe she is now.  :)  Check out my Amazon page for all my books.

Now, hop on over to the following blogs and see what's cookin' there:

http://www.jamiehill.biz (Jamie Hill)http://triciamg.blogspot.com (Tricia McGill)
http://medievalnovels.blogspot.com (Vijaya Schartz)

Movie Quote Trivia Answers

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

1) Easy

"So we finish the 18th and he's gonna stiff me. And I say, 'Hey, Lama, hey, how about a little something, you know, for the effort, you know?' And he says, 'Oh, uh, there won't be any money, but when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness.' So I got that going for me, which is nice."



Answer: Bill Murray starred as Carl Spackler in Caddyshack, 1980



2) Medium

"How 'bout this for a number? Six. That's how old my other daughter is, eight is the age of my son, two is how many times I've been married - and divorced; sixteen is the number of dollars I have in my bank account. 850-3943. That's my phone number, and with all the numbers I gave you, I'm guessing zero is the number of times you're gonna call it."

Answer: Julia Roberts starred as Erin Brockovich in Erin Brockovich, 2000


3) Movie Buff

"Funny enough, I was just talking to my friend about that. Our speedometer has melted and as a result it's very hard to see with any degree of accuracy exactly how fast we were going."

Answer: John Candy starred as Del Griffith (along with Steve Martin as Neal Page) in 1987's Planes,Trains and Automobiles.

Thanks again for stopping by!


 

Movie Quote Trivia ~ Are You Up For The Challenge?

I love movies, and certain lines have stuck with me over the years. I thought it'd be fun to play a game of Movie Quote Trivia. 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

"So we finish the 18th and he's gonna stiff me. And I say, 'Hey, Lama, hey, how about a little something, you know, for the effort, you know?' And he says, 'Oh, uh, there won't be any money, but when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness.' So I got that going for me, which is nice."


2) Medium

"How 'bout this for a number? Six. That's how old my other daughter is, eight is the age of my son, two is how many times I've been married - and divorced; sixteen is the number of dollars I have in my bank account. 850-3943. That's my phone number, and with all the numbers I gave you, I'm guessing zero is the number of times you're gonna call it."

3) Movie Buff

"Funny enough, I was just talking to my friend about that. Our speedometer has melted and as a result it's very hard to see with any degree of accuracy exactly how fast we were going."

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

 

FRIDAY FREEBITS WITH GINGER #frifreebits

Slapping reins and creaking wheels disturbed the dawn's silence as Walt drove out of the yard.  Cecile waved on last time then stood shivering until he had disappeared from sight.

Suddenly, the quiet returned, this time bringing a hollow feeling that forced out her tears.  Gazing around through the blur, he realized how truly alone she was.  Just her and the animals, at least that's what she hoped as she ducked inside and closed the front door, sliding the locking bar across it.

The warmth inside felt good  next to the fire.  She choked back her sadness and resolved to be brave.  A little extra work never hurt anyone, and time alone would let her reflect on her life.  Well-earned blisters grated nosily together when she rubbed her palms back and forth over the flames, and she grimaced, knowing she would only earn more with her added chores.  What happened to those blemish-free hands she once had?

Her thoughts turned to Walt.  Where was he now?  Was he thinking of her?  She smiled, picturing his handsome face and appreciating how wonderful he made her feel.  Despite her nervousness at the moment, her life was better because he was part of it.  She looked around the dismal room, realizing she could life anywhere as long as they were together.

Although tempted to crawl back into bed and sleep until her husband came home, she admonished herself for acting so childish.  She donned her work clothes, imagining the look on her father's face if he saw her dressed for farming.  His little girl milking the cow and gathering eggs; he'd faint dead away.  She forced herself out of the cabin's coziness into the cool morning air.

"Okay Bossie, here I come.  My hands are nice and warm for you."



*****
Destiny's Bride is available with my other work at Amazon.  This was my debut novel that earned four stars from The Romantic Times...back in 2003 when it was entitled, Prairie Peace.  If I could redo this novel again, I'd adhere to all the rules I've learned since then.  Thank you Books We Love for giving Cecile another chance.

A PAGE STRAIGHT FROM GINGER SIMPSON #apagestraightfrom

Borrowed from Google Images Sarah's Getaway byGinger Simpson
The storm raged, and the silhouettes of dancing trees shone through the window with each lightning strike. After each flash, a crack of thunder rent the air and rumbled the old cabin walls.  Sarah huddled in a corner, shivering  beneath a blanket wrapped around her shoulders to ward off the cold.  The electricity was out, and there was no way she dared venture outside for wood to light the fireplace.  So much for a weekend getaway to forget the stress of working. What she wouldn’t give to be back in the city, snuggled in her big comfy bed with her hunky husband, Wolf, but those days were gone...wiped away the night he was killed in a car accident six months ago. Now she traveled, in a trance-like state, back and forth to the publishing office that employed her.
Her thoughts were jarred by another loud boom.  Startled, she curled into a smaller ball and pulled her woolen cover tighter.  Somewhere in the forest, a tree crashed to the ground and the floor quaked beneath her feet. Despite mourning her husband’s death, her mouth curled into a smile as the oft-asked question, “if a tree falls in the forest…” crossed her mind.  At least the timber hadn’t fallen on the mountain vacation home she and Wolf had purchased together, and that was a good thing, however from the distance between the thunder and lightning, the tempest swirled right overhead.  Maybe she hadn’t escaped Mother Nature’s vengeance yet.  Sometimes Sarah prayed for death too.  Her faith dangled the hope that she would be reunited with her beloved husband.
Sarah’s pocket quivered from the pulsation of her cellphone.  She’d turned the ringer off while she worked on her first novel, but now didn’t mind a distraction from researching the old west.  Writing the genre brought her closer to her dearly departed.  She fished for her phone and grasped it, then held it to her ear.  
“Hello.”  She answered as thunder roared overhead again, causing her to duck her head to her meet her folded knees.
No one answered.  
“Hello!”  Sarah yelled a second response into the mouthpiece, still huddled in her woolen cocoon.

This is the first page from my current WIP which will be the followup to Sarah's Heart and Passion. I truly loved that story and wanted to continue the saga. Sadly, Wolf's passing is going to make a big impact on Sarah's life. I hope you'll be as anxious as I am to see what happens.