Tina Gayle's Blog, page 68

Football Moment of Joy

Yes, it's not football season but teams are still having their spring games.

This is one game I would have enjoyed being in the stadium for, not only because I like the Nebraska football team, but I can appreciate what they did to make one little boy's dream come true.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/7-old-cancer-survivor-runs-touchdown-during-nebraska-233901185--ncaaf.html


Some of you probably have seen this on yahoo. A feel good story for people who love football and how it can inspire us all to work hard to achieve or dreams.

Tina

Taming the Time Eating Monster

Make Quick Decisions
This may sound elementary but a quick decision can save time and money.

For example that stack of mail that you just brought in. What is the best way to handle it?



Let’s look at some options:
My option, which I must admit is the wrong one, is to lay it on the table and deal with it later.
Get rid of the Garage - throwing away the ads* and junk mail, set the letters aside to open later. (This may sound simple but if you can make a quick decision on the things you don’t need that less you’ll have to deal with later.)

* Point here is if you do look through ads, only pick the ones where you will shop, or only keep the ones that you will have time to visit this week.

Open everything and sort by need – bills, things to be shredded, letter that need action.

The bills get sorted by their due date and put in a place where I can write out the checks and send in. (A quick five-minute task)

A box next to the shredder will get the shredding stuff to let the kids do or if (I have a few minutes)

Letters that need attention, will be set up in another area for when, you got it (I have five-minutes)

Do everything at once.As you can see there are many ways to break a task down into small bites. The main point is to make a quick decision on what you need and what you don’t. If the out come is not important – a quick decision can save time and teach you how to make a decision without regrets.
Don’t get drug down by the undercurrents of life’s tides.
Ride the waves and enjoy life.

Tina

Undivided Attention - Can You Do It?

In today's world, we are all running somewhere to the grocery store, work, gym, school...

What we need to remember is that the people we care about need us too. In an article I read today they were talking about give our love ones our undivided attention.

How often do we do this?

Every day right?

No, most of us are always in a hurry to do something else.

The article suggested we give our love ones twenty minutes of our undivided attention. Is it easy probably not, but it can help keep the bond strong.

I know I need this time. I tried to connect with my children at least once a week. Even if it isn't for twenty minutes. I just need to hear their voice and let them know I love them.

With my husband, I like to hear about his day and tell him about mine. Is it earth shattering stuff?

No. We just reconnect and have a chance to get out the joys and pains of the day.

Can you do this?

Yes. Take a moment and listen you might be surprise what your lover, child, friend has to say.

And if that person is too busy to hear you. Write them a note. When reading a person is giving you their undivided attention.

So feel free to leave a comment you'll have my undivided attention.

Tina

Spring Forward into a Perfect Body

Every year, we all start with the same goal of getting into shape.

I manage like others to go on a diet. Hey, I might even lose a few pounds.

The treadmill gets a workout and then I lose momentum. Why?

I believe because I'm an impatience person. I want instant results.

Don't we all?

The problem, I have finally figured out is the goal itself.

Lose weight - is an easy measurable goal.

Problem is it can also be frustrating if you don't get those pounds to drop quickly.

So this year I changed my goal - get into shape.
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Not so easily measured -- and so in a way easier to achieve -

- being able to walk upstairs without getting winded.
- take a walk with the dog and not be sore the next day.
- carry in the groceries and not have to take ten trips.

These sound silly but what I really wanted to achieve is doing everyday task without struggling.

Am I in the best shape ever?

 No, but I can keep working at it with out giving up.

Do I still worry if I miss a session on the treadmill?

Yes, but I give myself a break and try harder tomorrow without beating myself up for failing.

All of us have goals, we just need to keep working at them and forgive ourself if we don't reach them.

It's all about remembering to just keep trying.


Here's to us all having a slim summer body, and if not, that we just have a great summer.

Tina

Egg-cerpt Revive (Problem with Cell Phones)

 Blurb - Needing to revive her live and jump start her heart, Jennifer Larson faces the biggest challenge of her life, moving into an unplanned future. While the rest of the Executive Wives Club continue to mourn their husbands, Jen is tempted into the future by a sexy chiropractor, Hagan Chaney. But does he really love her or is he only after her money? Excerpt“I shouldn’t kiss you. Not with the current mess my life is in but…” She slid her hands around his neck and fell against him in a full frontal attack. Plush breasts lay flat against his chest, and the whole length of her luscious body caressed his. Blood pounded through his veins and a roar sounded in his ears.If she wanted to talk about whose life was in a bigger mess, some people might claim he’d win. The past—he shook his head to clear his thoughts—didn’t determine the future.Bull’s-eye. For once, he felt right on target and had no plans to deviate off course.He lifted his hand to cup her cheek and skimmed his fingers over smooth skin. Oh, how he yearned for this woman. Why, he couldn’t say, didn’t care. They’d work out whatever problems that arose.Now, he had to allow her time to grow used to having a man in her life again.Tilting her face toward his, he stared into her eyes. A dark flame burned in their depths. He inched closer and heavy lids veiled the blazing fire. Velvety soft lips greeted his.After one little nibble, he couldn’t resist sinking into the pure bliss of kissing her. A groan rumbled in his throat and he gave himself over to the pleasure. Heat ignited and he broke out in a sweat. His hands took on a will of their own, sliding to her shoulders, down her back, tugging her closer and keeping her pinned to him.The rough wool of her coat chafed against his palm and warned of a scratchy exterior. She might fight him every step of the way by resisting his advances or denying the strong attraction between them but...She melted against him and her hands tunneled through his hair. The light scrape of nails raked his scalp, igniting his nerve endings. His brain grew foggy. Only his tongue pumping hard into her mouth kept sanity in sight.He’d replayed their last kiss in his mind for days, but it paled in comparison. Her body hadn’t trembled with hard shock waves in his memory. Nor had she tugged on his hair in the same demanding way. Her taste, with its unique flavor, hadn’t held the smooth caress of chocolate. When had she partaken of the tasty treat?Pulling away, he stared at her heat-stained cheeks. Lips slightly swollen, air swished in and out of her mouth on quick little breaths. She didn’t speak, but her hands stayed buried in his hair.“Want to try another one?” Hagan held her tight, afraid if he loosened his hold she’d race away. “No phone, no dog, no one to stop us from enjoying a second kiss.”Jen kept her eyes on his, unwilling to admit she’d relinquished control. “Wrong. I have my cell phone.”He leaned in and whispered against her lips, “Then I better hurry.”His mouth seized hers, snatched the air from her lungs and threw her off balance. The wicked punch of his tongue plunged her into a firestorm. Bold, battering desire caught fire. Passion flared. The war on her senses shut down all logic.Only the heat, the inferno sliced her in half and demanded she surrender to Hagan’s eagerness—her needs. Breasts aching, she hated the barrier her coat created, which kept the caress of his rock-hard chest at bay. She shimmied against him, silently wishing their clothes would simply disappear.Hagan slid his hand over her hips and under her jacket.She moaned encouragingly and eased her mouth from his. “Hagan, I...”A low chime rang between them.“Damn,” Hagan grumbled and scrambled in his pocket with one hand. “I can’t believe this. We must be cursed or something.”Jen eased away, chuckling at the truth of his statement.Could Craig’s spirit somehow be watching and dwarfing her attempts to become involved with someone else? She smiled at the whimsical theory. Craig couldn’t have cared less what she did while alive. Why would he care now?After retrieving his cell, Hagan flipped it opened. “What’s up, Dad?”“Are you in town?” A deep voice growled from the phone.She wiggled and laid her hands on Hagan’s chest to create a little more space between them.“No, why?” He tightened his grip, not allowing her to move.“Because the weather is bad and visibility has dropped to less than a quarter of a mile. How soon are you headed back?” Jen glanced over her shoulder. Hagan dropped his hands to his sides, and she walked back into the living room. The front window displayed the blizzard raging outside. Snow, several inches thick, had already accumulated on her car.She’d known about the weather forecast but had pushed the possibility of a snowstorm aside. Hagan had called every day, wanting to see more houses. With this being his only day off until Sunday, he’d stressed his eagerness to visit the houses she’d found today.How could she refuse his request? He’d understood when she claimed to have other commitments earlier during the week. Now, she had to man up and perform her job, even if she had a good reason for avoiding him.She ran her finger above her lips and recalled the moments before Hagan’s phone rang—the heat, the man, the yearning to forget everything and jump him. What would it be like to be held, touched, and loved by Hagan?Memories of Craig rolling over and falling immediately to sleep after sex filled her head. Once his needs were met, he had no more desire for her and complained if she tried to snuggle, saying her nearness disturbed his ability to rest.No, sleeping with Hagan wasn’t a good idea. Sex required a certain amount of trust. And what did she know about him?She glanced around at the deserted house. Not the place or the time to let things get out of hand.
 Read First Chapter of "Revive" and Reviews

Purchase ebook at:

www.smashwords.com
www.barnesandnoble.com
www.kobobooks.com
itunes.apple.com
At Amazon

Egg-cerpt by Stacy Juba

Twenty-Five Years Ago Today by Stacy Juba

Should we dig for the truth when Pandora’s Box is a coffin of buried secrets?

Kris Langley has always been obsessed with murder. She blames herself for the violent death of her cousin when they were kids and has let guilt invade every corner of her existence. Now an editorial assistant and obit writer, Kris stumbles across an unsolved murder while compiling “25 Years Ago Today” items from the microfilm. Determined to solve the case and atone for the death of her cousin, Kris immerses herself in the mystery of what happened to Diana Ferguson, a talented artist who expressed herself through haunting paintings of Greek mythology.

Not only does Kris face resistance from her family and her managing editor, she also clashes with Diana’s suspicious nephew, Eric Soares – until neither she nor Eric can deny the chemistry flaring between them. She soon learns that old news never leaves the morgue and that yesterday’s headline is tomorrow’s danger, for finding out the truth about that night twenty-five years ago may shatter Kris’s present, costing her love, her career, and ultimately, her life.

Available in e-book and audiobook formats from retailers including:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Twenty-Five-Years-Ago-Today-ebook/dp/B003U4WVKA/ref

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/twenty-five-years-ago-today-stacy-juba/1017979048?ean=2940011980930
Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Twenty-Five-Years-Ago-Today/book-fc55-OLdikey2hFgy_jaDA/page1.html?s=ujwec_jtbU2U134hnmDkXA&r=7
Audible: http://www.audible.com/pd/ref=sr_1_3?asin=B00B8VUQM2&qid=1359725371&sr=1-3


More retailers, reviews and book trailer at: http://stacyjuba.com/blog/books-2/twenty-five-years-ago-today/


Excerpt

Cheryl came up behind Kris. Her voice sounded sad and tired. "Please don't tell my mother too much, even if you're making progress. I don't want to raise her hopes."
Kris glanced back at Irene, who hunched on the couch, turning the locket over in her hand. "I'll be careful with what I say. My aunt would've been eager, too."
"How was your cousin killed?"
"She was strangled, kidnapped by a neighbor while walking alone. We were twelve."
Cheryl heaved a sigh. "I'm sorry. I remember reading about that. It happened locally, didn't it?"
"Yes."
"I know you're a terrific writer. I couldn't have been happier with the business story. I'm just concerned about my mother."
"I understand," Kris said. "I won't let you down."
She trudged out to her car and brushed off her windshield. She waited behind the steering wheel as the defroster warmed the interior. Not knowing Diana's whereabouts must have tormented Irene. Kris's family had agonized over Nicole's disappearance. As one day blended into the next, Nicole had seemed further and further away.
Finding her was worse.
Kris had learned a new phrase that May, a litany that surged back into her mind, drumming to the beat of the windshield wipers. If only.
If only it hadn't rained the afternoon Nicole had disappeared.
If only she hadn't climbed into the car with Randolph Coltraine.
If only Aunt Susan had been home when Nicole called for a ride.
Kris swallowed the metallic taste in her mouth. If only I didn't trick her.
She chose the long route home, driving fast. She hadn't driven in New York and had forgotten the thrill of a climbing speedometer. Her first week back, she'd landed a speeding ticket.
Kris skidded onto the Fremont State College campus, her tires kicking up tufts of snow. She passed dorms, tennis courts and the library before parking in front of the deserted baseball field. White trees cast shapeless shadows across the broad expanse of snow. A chunk of ice slid off the roof, hitting the front window. Kris jumped, her hand to her heart.
"No one's out there," she murmured, gazing into the woods. "Not now."
But once.
Beyond those trees, Diana had lain dead.
Police had crowded the scene, their search over.
Middle-aged reporter Dex Wagner had scribbled in his notebook.
Twenty-five years ago today.

Thanks for stopping by Stacy,

Tina

Excerpt for Mona Karel

My Killer My Love

Mona Karel




Black Opal Books

Paranormal Romance/326 Pages

When an immortal enforcer is sent to punish an innocent woman, she wakens the soul he'd forgotten he possessed.

http://www.amazon.com/My-Killer-Love-ebook/dp/B00529AJ6Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1345823615&sr=1-1&keywords=my+killer+my+love

http://bookstore.blackopalbooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=14&products_id=12

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/my-killer-my-love-mona-karel/1102269106?ean=2940012506559

http://mona-karel.com/

Published May 22, 2011

When an immortal enforcer is sent to punish an innocent woman, she wakens the soul he'd forgotten he possessed.

Paranormal Romance
Ultimate Sacrifice
Eternal Struggle


#MonaKarel

She hurt and feared on so many different levels. Poor Mykhael, not able to deal with one part of his heritage,shunned by the other part. Poor Kendra, who’d kept herself uselessly locked away from the rest of the world. For what?

Two incomplete souls, lost in their own world, locked away from any other. There was some sort of a message here, maybe even a solution to many of their problems. She was too weary, or her mind was not yet ready to understand.

Straightening her legs, she stood, using the wall for a partial support. Mykhael watched, but didn’t step forward. This she had to do on her own, she realized. He’d made so many first moves. Now it would be her turn.

She hesitated, halfway across the room and asked the question plaguing her for so long.

“When you go back, will you be accepted as a worthwhile member of the exalted group, or will you continue as an outcast?”
He shrugged, and it seemed as though it truly did not matter. “I am not exactly certain. At one time, that was my greatest ambition. Now, I find my existence has taken a new direction.”

She stepped forward the rest of the way, stopping close enough to him to feel his heat.

“What direction? What are your goals now, Mykhael?”

Hesitantly, he lifted his hand and touched the side of her face with infinite gentleness. For a moment, it seemed as though he would speak, defining their relationship in concrete terms. Instead, after a moment, he dropped his hand to her shoulder, supporting her unobtrusively.

“I cannot speak most of them clearly as yet. You, Kendra? Do you know your ambitions?”

“They have also changed, long range at least. Although, if we don’t solve the Atrahasis’s problems, long-range is a deceptive term. Short range, I believe I’d like to take you up on your offer of a while ago.”

“To sleep in your bed together?” A new, soft smile softened the lines of his face. “You would not be treating me as a bimbo, would you?”

She considered it as she took his hand, leading him unresisting toward the cot. “Perhaps. But if we are both mindless bimbos, we will match perfectly, and nothing else will matter, will it?”

She was not allowed to walk the last few steps.

Egg-cerpt for Collapse

COLLAPSE by Richard Stephenson

FROM AMAZON:

Over 5K paid ebook downloads since July of 2012!
Top 10 Paid Bestseller in the War, Political, Dystopian, and Political Thriller categories!

BOOK ONE in the NEW AMERICA series.

What would it take for the United States to fall from within? In a not too distant future, America is put to the test. With the American people deep in The Second Great Depression and two of the most powerful hurricanes on record to contend with, the United States is in no condition to deal with hidden terrorists on its soil, maniacal politicians, and the most formidable military threat the world has seen since the Third Reich.

This is the story of three men from three very different walks of life: Howard Beck, the world's richest man, also diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome; Richard Dupree, ex-Navy SEAL turned escaped convict; and Maxwell Harris, a crippled, burned-out chief of police of a small Texas town. At first, they must overcome their own struggles and fight for their survival against impossible odds. In the end, the unlikely trio must band together to save their beloved country from COLLAPSE.

Empires topple. Nations crumble. Civilization is fragile. In 2027, America will fall.

REVIEW HIGHLIGHTS:

"Sweeping, character driven apocalypse." "Stephenson starts with a bang and doesn't lose momentum." Steven Konkoly, best selling author of "The Jakarta Pandemic" and the "Black Flagged" series.

"Outstanding futuristic thriller." "Mr. Stephenson grabs you - literally pulls you - directly into the novel and gets your pulse racing right into the heads of his character." Michael Gallagher, Amazon Hall of Fame Reviewer and his "Kindle Books and Tips" blog has been the #1 bestselling paid subscription blog in the Amazon Kindle Store since 2010.

"Collapse is a real page-turner. Stephenson does a masterful job of building a suspenseful ending to each chapter and then shifting to another character's story; this makes it difficult to put down this book." Blaise Ciabaton, Editor of TwistedSciFi.com.

"Vivid characters, fast paced story." Lisa Bedford, editor and owner of The SurvivalMom.com

PURCHASE COLLAPSE AT AMAZON



CONNECT WITH RICHARD:

www.twitter.com/RStephenson5
www.twitter.com/CollapseNovel
www.facebook.com/NewAmericaSeries
http://rastephensonauthor.blogspot.com/

Egg-cerpt from Lizzie Starr

Wild Keltic Carouselle*lizzie starr

Just when Bryce decides to give up looking for the masked dancer who captured his heart and get on with his life, his darlin’ daughter climbs onto the lap of a captivating woman in a coffee shop and calls her Mommy. He certainly wouldn’t mind exploring the possibility.

Carrie’s vacation is over. Although she loves her job, she dreads returning. Especially when a blonde-haired cherub insists she’s ‘Mommy’. Add the girl’s intriguing father, and Carrie believes she’s finally ready for a real relationship. But memories of a horrific attack surface, bringing doubt and fear.

Then one of Bryce’s fathers is kidnapped by a cult. Not knowing if the abduction was of human or Fey origin, Bryce must chance seeming crazy and losing Carrie with tales of the Faerie Otherworld. Dare he take her to Faerie and declare his love—or are the forces aligning against them too much to overcome?
Short excerpt
A faint pink covered Carrie’s cheeks and she glanced away. Bryce took the opportunity to study the woman cradling his daughter so carefully in a completely relaxed, natural embrace.
Her highlighted, golden brown hair was pulled back with a clip. Strands had escaped the confinement and trailed loosely around her face and down her neck. A tiny spot of whipped cream, a remnant from her beverage, hovered just above her upper lip. A shapely lip, poised above the lush, kissable pout the lower.

Yep. Definitely kissable.
Her lips moved and pulled into a wide smile. Guiltily, Bryce lifted his gaze. Chocolate brown eyes twinkled as if she fought to control some hidden amusement.
He’d been caught.
“Uh, sorry for staring.”
“’S okay. Actually, I’m used to it.”
He could believe that.
“But, it’s not usually my face being stared at.” Carrie chuckled, a low throaty sound that insisted he respond. He did, in a pure, naturally male way. His gaze dropped to her breasts. She chuckled again, her body moving against the soft material of her shirt.
The Sahara Desert would seem lush and tropical in comparison to the sudden dryness in his mouth. Her breasts were—perfect. Neither overly large, nor small enough to need padding. Nope, there was no padding there. In fact, if she even wore a bra, it had to be one of those soft athletic things. He could see the tantalizing, firming peak of...
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords
This is *lizzie starr 
*lizzie always made up games and stories to keep her company, so, a witch lived in Grampa’s weather research station and was only held at bay by waving a certain weed. An ancient road grader morphed into boat a carrying wild adventurers to islands filled with sheep that turned into lions and cannibals. Now, filled with fantasy and love, the stories of her imagination have found their way into the mundane world. And when *lizzie has to return to that mundane life, she’s *the Lunch Lady* at a private school. Author and lunch lady~~what a combination!                                           *lizzie adores hearing what you think about her tales of romance with a sparkling twist. You can visit her blog at http://starrwords.blogspot.com, her  website at www.lizziestarr.com or contact her at:lizistarr@gmail.com
www.lizziestarr.comhttp://starrwords.blogspot.comwww.twitter.com/lizziestarrwww.facebook.com/lizzie-starramazon author pagegoogle+ Goodreads  
Thanks Lizzie for stopping by you know I love your books,

Tina

Egg-cerpt for Rhinoceros Dreams: Stories

Rhinoceros Dreams: Stories by Jessica Knauss
 
Blurb: These three charming stories celebrate and defend some of the world's largest and rarest animals. 

"Rhinoceros Dreams" tells how Allie, a woman fascinated with rhinoceroses, finds true love in the human world with a bookworm. Can he ever truly understand her? Can she make her rhinoceros dreams come true? Previously published in This Mutant Life and Jake's Monthly Anthology.

"Not Extinct Yet," available exclusively in this collection, happens in an alternate world in which animals can talk. Intrepid rhinoceros linguist Suzanne takes on the responsibility to save her African rhino friends from extinction by mindless poaching. When you want to know something about a rhino, you should always ask a rhino!

"A Business Venture in Glue" is a weird flash fiction that uses a rhino escaped from a zoo to suggest themes of collectionism and possession. Previously published in Stanley the Whale.

The magic of rhinos lies not in superstitions about their horns, but in their majesty and in all creatures' basic right to live.

“This story is so original and surreal that it’d be a crime not to accept it. This is high-quality, intriguing-premise Magic Realism at its finest.” —Jake Johnson
 Find it at
Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0093TWVY2
Kindle UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0093TWVY2
Kindle Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0093TWVY2
Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rhinoceros-dreams-jessica-knauss/1113050650?ean=2940044853973
Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Rhinoceros-Dreams/book-XKKzRNW8P0C1xwTpI7G2qg/page1.html?s=M2VaMOCHL0yqcI-AL9bFgA&r=1
Diesel: http://www.diesel-ebooks.com/item/SW00000222466/Knauss-Jessica-Rhinoceros-Dreams/1.html
Sony: https://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/jessica-knauss/rhinoceros-dreams/_/R-400000000000000803304
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/222466
 
Excerpt from “Not Extinct Yet”
 
Suzanne came into the kitchen dressed for work in a sensible suit. With bitten-down fingernails, she had affixed a pin showing the two-horned face of an African rhinoceros, surrounded by a heart, to her lapel. “Hey,” said her husband Derek, rustling his daily news at the table. “The British are at it again.”
Suzanne sighed. “Always with the sheep.”
“Yep. Apparently, there’s a law for debate in Parliament this time.”
“Not legalization?”
“Marriage between human and ovine may soon be a reality! Get this.” He started to read aloud. “An anonymous source recounted his personal experience. ‘Miranda was out in the moor grazing with the rest of the flock when I looked deep into her eyes. It was love. We fell to talking and we’ve never been apart since.’ The Miranda in question gave no comment.”
“Call me traditional, but there’s something not quite right about that,” said Suzanne as she buttered some toast.
“Sure, she can talk, but does this guy let her? No. It’s the same old story. Control, control, control.” Derek crumpled the paper and took his plate to the sink.
Suzanne kissed her husband. “All right, off to the university’s salt mines with you.”
“You know he made up that name. Who ever heard of a sheep who called herself Miranda?”
Ever since the Discovery, the lines between domestic animals and their supposed owners had blurred. In 1999, a team of researchers in Borneo discovered that the parrots there could actually connect thought to their speech, that it wasn’t mere copying. An international community of scientists carried out the same experiment with parrots all over the world and found it to be true among all species. To the delight of the pirate movie industry, most parrots were endowed with a biting wit and loved the camera. It wasn’t long before some of the more serious-minded parrots claimed exploitation, and the pirate movie fad ended, almost exactly on schedule with public taste.
The parrots’ cover was blown, and animal specialists everywhere turned to the back yard, the farm, and the wild to make contact with their favorite objects of study. Over the next decade, more than half the world’s known non-human animal species were found to have some degree of speech capability.
Suzanne had led the rhino discovery team in South Africa. Over the course of months, they tracked several family groups – called “crashes” – of white rhinoceroses, using satellite equipment and a rusty truck. They finally zeroed in on one family group in particular. Every night, they brought the truck a few feet closer to where the family was resting.
On a moonlit night in the middle of 2006, Suzanne followed her heart and stepped out of the truck into a little copse of trees where the family was sheltering. Her boots made scraping sounds on the dirt as she crept ever so slowly toward a beautiful rhino cow who seemed to be standing watch, a little separated from her crash. As Suzanne stepped within a yard’s distance, she hardly dared breathe. The rhino flicked her tail. Suzanne stood still. Her throat like sandpaper, she whispered, “Hello?”
The rhino snorted and tossed her head as if she were shooing flies. The moonlight made her eyes sparkle. Suzanne began to shake.
“Um, the parrots have talked,” she continued. “We humans have found out that most mammals have the power of speech….”
 
Jessica blogs at jessicaknauss.blogspot.com, where you can find her Twitter and Facebook addresses as well as many more places to see her and her books.