K.C. Kendricks's Blog, page 39

We have a new family member - Loki

June 24, 2018

After two years, we finally have a new kitten. He has some pretty big paws to fill but I think this one can do it. 

Meet Loki! Loki is the Norse god of mischief and misadventure, and so far this critter has lived up to his name. We considered calling him Screech, for obvious reasons (he can screech), but decided it wouldn't be very dignified when he's a mature feline. Loki does fit him and he's already responding to it so I'd say it was a good choice. 

Like Shooter, this one is a Tuxedo. They are known for having personality. If this one is even half the cat Shooter was, we'll have something special. It's going to be a joy to watch him grow and mature. Equally fun will be watching him and Deuce develop the dog/cat bond. It's starting to happen which I think is very cool. 

I'm sure Deuce and Loki will provide me with plenty of blogging material in the coming years, most of which will be on Deuce's Day. Deuce does have a unique perspective on cats. 

KC 
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45678

June 13, 2018


I suppose I'm easily amused. Back on March 30, the odometer in the Charger rolled up to 44444.  I took a picture and stopped to play combinations of 4 in the lottery. I didn't win anything, but I helped make someone's dreams come true. At least, I hope I did. 

Today I hit the next number - 45678. It's kinda cool so I pulled over and took a quick picture. Not bad mileage for a 2011 model car considering the national average per car is 15,000 miles a year. According to that figure, I should have upwards of 100,000 miles on the car. Huh.

Part of me wants to stop by my insurance agent's office and shove my cell phone straight up his arse, picture and all. They will not drop my annual driving to below 7500 miles. I've had the car three years and only about nineteen thousand of those miles are mine. Do the math... that's just a tick above six thousand miles a year. Insurance companies are greedy money grabbers. But enough of my bitching about it. I've got another thousand dollars in dividends accumulated and I'm pulling it out after my anniversary date. I'll throw it at my money guy and he'll make more money with it than the insurance agency does. 

I'm not sure how to convert 45678 into a lottery win but I'm going to think on that between now and quitting time. Who knows? It might be my dreams coming true for a change.

KC Kendricks
www.kckendricks.com
twitter.com/kckendricks
pinterest.com/kckendricks
facebook.com/kckendricks
(do you sense a pattern here?)

Catching Fireflies for this week's MidWeek Tease

June 6, 2018


Welcome to this week's MidWeek Tease! Thanks to our host, Angelica Dawson, the MidWeek Tease blog hop presents some of the best teases you'll read this week. 

Today I have an excerpt from Catching Fireflies, the final-to-date story set in the Southern Cross circle of friends. 

Be sure to check out all of this week's blog hop participants either by using the linky list at the end of this post or by visiting midweektease.blogspot.com.

Enjoy!

_*_*_*_*_*_


“That glass had better have the same amount in it when I get back.” Aubrey swiped his index finger over his heart, specifically his left nipple, up and down then side-to-side. The man was all tease and I liked it. I wasn’t ready for anyone serious. I carried his glass over to Mark and requested another. I watched as he made Aubrey another drink - virgin. I looked at him, questioningly. “Apparently Aubrey doesn’t touch anything with alcohol in it. I’ve no clue why. The man’s a mystery to everyone except Chad.” I thanked him for making the drink as he handed it to me. “A little mystery isn’t a bad thing, is it?” “No, Dale, it’s not. But don’t expect too much. He’s only here for the commitment ceremony.” “Thanks. That’s good to know.” I turned and reclaimed my spot beside Aubrey, handing him his drink as I sat. Brett was delivering the first steaks to those who liked to hear it go “moo” when they stuck a fork into it. Aubrey echoed my preference for medium-well to well when Brett asked. I touched my glass to his again.  “Ah, I’ve learned something else about you. Now I’ve got a very important question for you. Sauce, or no sauce?” “Hon, I’ve been thinking of nothing but sauce since I saw you standing in the driveway.” I grinned at him, appreciating his wicked sense of humor. “You are so bad. I was talking about steak sauce.” “If you see me put anything on a steak, you’ll know it was ruined before it got to me, and I’m pretty sure Brett isn’t going to do that.” “I have a feeling you’re right about that.” I sipped my drink, wondering if I should pry into why he didn’t imbibe. He beat me to it. “You’re wondering why I don’t drink.” It was a statement, not a question, and I gave him a nod. “So you’re psychic, too?” “No, but everyone wonders why a man of my comparative youth isn’t out getting inebriated every night of the week, a behavior best described as gauche.” “That’s not a word I hear often. Hmm…Brett just motioned for us to get our plates.” Aubrey batted his eyelashes and smiled at me. I shook my head. “Nope. You have to go fix your own plate.” I stood and held my hand out to pull him up. He sighed and wrapped his fingers around mine. I was right - his hands were strong. We fixed our plates with a veritable feast. Steak, grilled mushrooms and peppers, fresh diced tomatoes in light vinaigrette, a cold couscous salad, macaroni salad and fresh fruit. I gathered from the conversation meals at Brett and Mark’s place were somewhat potluck. The hosts simply looked in the larder and presented what appealed to them on the spur of the moment, and whatever leftovers they had in the refrigerator, but it sure worked. I grabbed the last steak knife and squeezed in at the table beside Sam. Drat that flirty Aubrey for parking his very fine little butt between the two old guys. I’m sure he did it because they fawned over him - and he was just as bad over them. It was honest and genuine, and fun to watch even with so many questions hammering inside my head. Would he really take a walk with me this evening? The sun was well on its way toward the far horizon, and I loved being along the shore at dusk…crap. How the hell had this happened? When I crawled out of bed this morning all I had on my mind was a long, peaceful, albeit cold, winter on the island. I was going to rest, relax, rejuvenate - and not get all hot and bothered over any guy that crossed my path. But here I sat doing just what I didn’t want to do. Funny how life constantly gives a person what they think they don’t want. Aubrey smiled at me. Shit. I’d taken his bait and if I wasn’t careful, he’d set the hook. 

ABOUT CATCHING FIREFLIES:


Dale Langley longs for some triple R time - rest, relaxation and rejuvenation. He accepts his cousin’s invitation to winter over on Ocracoke Island, far away from the hustle and bustle of life on the mainland. He’s always loved being a rolling stone, traveling for his job without the worry of a place to call home, but it’s time for something different. Now Dale anticipates several blissful months to learn how to be still with no demands on his time while he prepares for the next phase of his life.
Aubrey Zimmerman came to Ocracoke to attend a friend’s commitment ceremony. Never one to settle down, Aubrey’s had enough of involvements that took him from man to man without a place to call home. He needs a break - and a little solitude. House sitting while his friend is on his honeymoon is the perfect way to clear his head and catch up on his sleep. At least it seemed that way until Dale arrived and Aubrey realized sleep is the last thing he needs.
Fate has changes in store for Dale and Aubrey, the sort neither one knew they wanted. Sometimes the more you wander the closer to home you get

AVAILABLE AT:

store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/catching-fireflies-4

www.barnesandnoble.com/w/catching-fireflies-kc-kendricks/1115091858     
itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1119029727
amazon.com/Catching-Fireflies-Southern-Cross-Book-ebook/dp/B01GD5U5QE       

KC Kendrickswebsite at: http://www.kckendricks.comblog: http://kckendricks.blogspot.comTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricksmailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeysPinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/kckendricks

Restoring a memory

June 1, 2018

And so it goes. Today is the last day of my annual spring vacation and I'm feeling ambivalent. I've crossed a lot of home and garden items off my list - pro. I didn't take much time for myself - con. Today, Saturday and Sunday remain but I'm not hopeful I'll actually take time to be lazy. 

This particular vacation I've been working on refinishing my maternal grandmother's set of Eastlake platform rockers. I know I'm talking about the project quite a bit but the memories of hours spent sitting in one of those rockers talking with my grandmother (my Mam) are alive and vibrant within me. Some of those memories define who I am at my core. 

My grandfather built the house he and my grandmother lived in. He and his cadre of brother-in-laws did all the work. The stone foundation, the framing, the brick exterior, the kitchen cabinets. That's the way it was done back then. The kitchen had two almost ceiling to floor west-facing windows. Pop built extra-wide window sills for flower pots. Apparently, after Mam brought home the rockers, the sills were only used for setting one's coffee cup on. I remember those sills as having a lot of coffee rings on them. 

The rockers arrived long before I did as the picture of my mother holding a newborn me attests. Mam found them at a sale or auction and brought them home in the trunk of her car. She made new cushions for them - once. Now, over sixty years on, they need a lot of tender loving care. So that's my current project. I'm refinishing the chairs and they will have a place of honor in my sunroom office. It seems fitting they sit in the same room as my grandmother's favorite lamp and my great-grandfather's desk. 

I'm excited to have the project underway, but I'm almost equally annoyed at the condition of the chairs. Oh, I get it. To my grandparents, they were simply chairs. The spot in Mam's sunny kitchen where all the problems of the world were solved with a cup of coffee and quiet conversation. Little did my grandparents realize the legacy those old chairs would help create. 

It's difficult to predict where the chairs will one day end up. I look at those in the next generation and think that because the chairs are not in pristine condition those girls won't want them. Nor do they have the memories of lazy Sunday afternoons shared. My grandmother - their great-grandmother. There is the disconnect of generations in that. 

But perhaps by the time I leave this world one of them will have cause to need a rocking chair in a sunny spot to ponder their memories. I can only hope their's will be as rich as mine. 

KC 
www.kckendricks.com

RIP little Jaws - Blogger killed my virtual pet

May 28, 2015

He's gone. Blogger decided to no longer support third-party gadgets and killed my virtual goldfish, Jaws. He lived here for ten years. I fed him every day. 

Rest in peace, little Jaws. You will be missed. 

KC

PS. I wonder why Blogger did not kill the Writing Tip of the Day add on? What do they have against goldfish? 

Ah, vacation

May 24, 2018

My spring vacation is a high point in my year. From January 2 to the Friday before the Memorial Day holiday, I don't take time off the day job. Who wants to take vacation time when it's cold, snowy and/or wet outside? Not me. I'm not crazy. 

As of 4:00 PM this afternoon, I'm "off" for ten days. I've already completed two items on my to-do list. Small things to be sure but it feels great to have two lines drawn on the list. 

Tomorrow we're up early to head to town to run a few errands. And cross off a few items. Saturday, Sunday, and Monday are rest days. Days to just hang out and not concentrate on chores. We'll probably do something just keep boredom at bay, but no stress. Next Tuesday, the weather will dictate what we do next. 

It'll feel good to get some of the home and garden projects finished. That's what vacation time is for - to make us feel better. Heck, I might even get some writing done!

To each their own. 

KC

MidWeek Tease - Between the Moon & the Deep Blue Sea

May 23, 2018
Welcome to my corner of the Midweek Tease blog hop! Every Wednesday a group of authors band together to present excerpts from published works and sometimes a work-in-progress. Be sure to check out all the blogs by using the linky list at the bottom of this post. 
This week here at Between the Keys it's Between the Moom & the Deep Blue Sea. Enjoy!
_*_*_*_*_*_
Between the Moon and the Deep Blue SeaContemporary gay romance Book four of the Southern Cross series

Chad Collier’s had enough of providing stud service to rich men. It’s true he’s had more fun than any one man deserves, but now it’s time to make a plan for the rest of his life. At the urging of a mentor, he takes a leap of faith and breaks with his old ways. A job interview lands him smack in the path of Darcy Paulson, the sort of rich man Chad vowed to avoid.
Darcy Paulson came of age as the prodigal son in a wealthy manufacturing dynasty. Every man he’s ever met has been after his money until Chad Collier shows up on his doorstep. Darcy finds Chad prickly, standoffish, and utterly irresistible. Smitten by Chad’s dark good looks and determination to stand on his own two feet, Darcy is happy to give him an opportunity. It doesn’t take long for them to figure out that some private, no-strings fun is what they both need.
An unexpected event brings them face-to-face with the truth. The magic that happens between the moon and the deep blue sea is something a man can’t own, and it can be fully experienced only in the arms of a lover...


INTRO:
His low, husky voice rippled over me in the small space. I stood still, unmoving, caught between fight and flight, as his warm palm stroked my side. I looked up into his glittering eyes and fell into his intent. Hot blood pooled in my groin. My cock surged full in a handful of pounding heartbeats. Darcy’s dark pink tongue flicked over his lips, leaving them moist. He meant to kiss me and, against all better judgment, I wanted him to do it. I gripped his hips and pulled him closer.
Darcy’s lips touched mine, soft and clinging, whispering promises. The sweet contact jolted through me with its unexpected tenderness. His tongue teased my lower lip, and all too soon he pulled away and left me wanting more. Darcy’s thumb traced the path across my mouth his tongue had taken. He licked his lips, as though he could still taste me. All the while I stood rooted to the floor, aching for him to kiss me again, and cursing my own cowardice. I knew if I kissed him, he wouldn’t push me away, but I…
“I won’t hurt you, Chad. I swear.”
“Don’t promise me anything, Darcy. You don’t know where my head is these days.” His hands skimmed my sides. “Fair enough. Just don’t lie to me and tell me you don’t want to be kissed again.”
I let my hands fall from his hips. “What I want and what’s best for me right now are several galaxies apart.”
Darcy studied me for the longest thirty seconds of my life, then nodded. “Okay. I’m backing off.” The corner of his mouth twitched in a quirky smile. “I don’t want to, but I will.”
The tiny spark of hope longing for him to push me past my reluctance died, and only when it faded did I realize what I’d done…

EXCERPT:
If the blowjob was hot, was it still stupid? I knew the answer was ‘yes’, but I kissed him anyway. I didn’t linger at his lips – I needed to catch my breath.
“So. Darcy. You always carry a rubber in your pocket?”
He snorted and rolled me onto my back. “I’m gay. What do you think? Don’t you?”
“I usually do, but this wasn’t in the plan, you know.” I grabbed his hands to stop him from pulling my pants completely off. “Let me up.”
“Oh no. I want you, Chad. I’ve got another rubber, and this was in my plan.”
His intent jolted through me. He meant to fuck me right here on the floor. I held him at arm’s length. “Now, wait a minute. This isn’t going to work for me.”
Darcy froze. His expression darkened as he moved toward anger. “You think it’s acceptable to leave me hanging, all hot and bothered, so long as you get off?”
“Don’t get pissy with me, Darcy. I’ve never let a guy up my ass, and this…”
“Never!”
“For God’s sake, don’t look so shocked. I’ll laugh, and you’ll be all hurt.” I twisted out of his grasp and tried to yank my jeans up. Strong hands closed around my hips to pull me back into the curve of his body. Soft lips nibbled on the back of my neck as his fingers teased my ass.
“I agree. The kitchen floor isn’t the place for auspicious beginnings. My bed is.”
I’d gone all shivery from what he was doing to my butt. The light strokes of his fingertips brought to memory the moans of pleasure I’d drawn from other men. Could he do that to me?
“Let me go, Darcy. I not ready for this.”
I felt the anger snap through him. It was there in the way the length of his lean body stiffened, the sharp intake of his breath. Abruptly, he shoved away from me and rolled to his knees.
“My mistake, Chad. You won’t get the chance to use me again.”
His words cut painfully into the part of me that struggled to break free of the mistakes of the past. I tripped my way to my feet, tossed the used rubber in the trashcan, and zipped up.
“I’m not using you. You started this. Yeah, I was wrong not to stop you, but you bushwhacked me – twice now!” 
Darcy got to his feet with more grace than I’d mustered and glared at me. Even pissed off, he had pretty blue eyes. 
“Why the fuck didn’t you stop me? Oh, yeah. Must have been that woody you popped up for me, huh?”
“Pardon me all to hell for being human! I never said I don’t find you attractive.”
Darcy’s eyebrows slid toward his hairline. I refused to blink under his scrutiny.
“Andrew says you’re broke.”
Maybe I was broke in more ways than one, but Darcy referred to my lack of funds. “What if I am? Do you think I’d come all this way looking for work if I had money?”
“Why didn’t the ex, what was his name? Sidney? Why didn’t he set you up?”
“Because I wouldn’t take his money. I didn’t want it. So now what are you going to do, Mr. Paulson? Offer to pay to fuck me?”
Darcy looked me up and down, then shrugged. “I’m going to eat my dinner unless it’s charred to ash.”
I stood, my mouth hanging open, as he got the bottle of wine out of the freezer and a corkscrew out of the drawer.
I hadn’t even gotten my hands on his dick.

BETWEEN THE MOON AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA
Amazonwww.amazon.com/Between-Moon-Deep-Southern-Cross-ebook/dp/B01GBW5ASM
iTunes itunes.apple.com/us/book/between-moon-deep-blue-sea/id1117952555?mt=11
Barnes & Noble/Nook http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/between-the-moon-and-the-deep-blue-sea-kc-kendricks/1109557464?ean=2940153219127
KOBO www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/between-the-moon-and-the-deep-blue-sea-1
KC KendricksVisit my website at http://www.kckendricks.comFollow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricksJoin my mailing list at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeysRead my personal blog: http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

The danger of emotion

May 20, 2018

Our lives are being overshadowed by the lunatic fringe. 

Is it politically correct to call some of the people the organized media creates reports about "lunatics"? Probably not but I don't much care at this juncture. There's a feeding frenzy of unhealthy emotion and questionable mental health happening in the mainstream. It's frightening. 

The tragedy of others fills social media. People become unhinged and spew forth vitriolic emotion. They become a siphon of some celebrity's stated opinion. It has become all too real for them. Too few are able, or perhaps willing, to set aside emotion long enough to examine the root cause. 

There is a crisis of mental health in the world today. 

We spend our days listening to the lunatic fringe call everyone who doesn't agree with them racist, sexist, absurdist, obstructionist, abortionist, antagonist, capitalist, socialist, communist, fascist, bigamist, conformist, non-conformist, leftist, conservativist, cultist, diversionist, ideologist - the ist list goes on forever. If we don't agree with someone, we're labeled an IST of some sort. 

Worse than that, we're labeled a HATER and that hurts. But that's the point - to cause us pain. To elicit a strong emotional response which in turn causes us to say something "they" can latch on to and use against us to manipulate our thoughts and actions. Spending one's waking hours trying to control other people is not healthy behavior. People who have good mental health and who can control their emotions do not harm others unless in self-defense. 

It's time to spend less time and money on labeling and more time and money on solving. And to do that we need to stop. Stop and think. Speak responsibly. Act responsibly. Teach responsibly. Love responsibly. Guide responsibly. Nurture responsibly. 

It's time to set fear aside, not pass it on. 

KC Kendricks

New cover - Hot August Comes

May 19, 2018

Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night with an idea? Yea! I'm glad I'm not alone. 

Deuce woke me about three-ish. It's difficult to sleep when an eighty-five-pound dog wants you to pay attention to him. In this instance, he needed to go outside in the middle of the night. We'd no sooner hit the mattress again when the idea that Hot August Comes needed a new cover hit me. 

Thanks, muttly. I'll keep after this one until I get it perfect because the story deserves it. 

_*_*_*_*_

Hot August Comes

Leo Corbin shook the dust of Westfall off his shoes to pursue opportunities among the bright city lights. When his mother suddenly dies, Leo returns home to settle her estate. His grief at her passing quickly turns to shock at what she left behind and rekindles old questions about the identity of his father.
Harrison Wade stuck by his father to help run the family farm. Life for a gay man in Westfall has limitations, but Harrison knows how to make the best of them. When Leo Corbin returns to town, Harrison’s quiet existence tilts. Leo is the guy who put an end to the high school bullying Harrison endured so many years ago. Harrison quickly discovers his old boyhood crush on Leo has matured into an adult attraction.
As the mercury rises, Harrison and Leo’s friendly buddy arrangement heats up. When hot August comes to Westfall, they discover home is more than where a man hangs his hat. It’s where he gives his heart.

AVAILABLE AT: 

Amazon: www.amazon.com/Hot-August-Comes-KC-Kendricks-ebook/dp/B01GDML8CC

Apple/iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/ book/id1119165777
KC Kendricks www.kckendricks.com www.twitter.com/kckendricks Join my mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeysRead my personal blog: http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

That rainy day feeling

May 18, 2018

Spring is a mixed weather bag in my little corner in the world. It goes from snow to ninety-degrees to frost warnings to rain. Lots and lots of rain. It can rain for days without ceasing. 

It's been raining every day for the last five days. Luckily, it's been a soft, gentle rain that has been absorbed into the ground. A mere two miles away, on the other side of the mountain, they've not been so fortunate and are dealing with flooding. 

Not to belittle what my eastern neighbors have been through, I saw this meme and smiled. 

I know the feeling, my furry friends. I know the feeling. 

KC
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