Jason Halstead's Blog, page 33

I Survived the Black Widow

I spent a year living in southern Utah in a beautiful location called Moab. I highly recommend visiting if you like hiking and climbing. Incredible scenery and, as John Wayne once put it, “It’s where God put the West.” Activities include four wheeling, mountain biking, hiking, climbing (free and with ropes and spikes and stuff), white water rafting in the Colorado River, hunting elk / beer / deer / bighorn sheep / mountain lion / etc., or visiting multiple nearby national parks including the Grand Canyon and Dead Horse Point, where scenes from Thelma and Louise and The Last Crusade among other movies) were filmed. That was a helluva sentence, so go ahead and take a breath.

I bring up living in Moab because I came home from work for lunch one day and walked into my front door. I opened it first, not to worry. I ate my lunch with my family and then headed back to the same door to head back to work. I stopped abruptly though – there was a very large female black widow spider hanging right in the middle of the doorway at my waist height. I grabbed a shovel, relocated it to a safe place, then smashed the juices out of it.

There’s my creepy spider black widow story. My other Black Widow story is in the hands of my content editor (Lisa Shalek) as of this morning. I’m expecting great things from her, even though I was mighty impressed with it when I reread it and smoothed out a few issues. I’ll admit that I’m biased, so that’s where the third party editor comes in.

I’m leaning towards starting my eighth Vitalis book, Resurrection, but I’m not 100% on it. I’ve been working on brainstorming ideas for it. So far I’ve got quite a few, but I’m still looking for the threat to keep it exciting. Oh sure, there’s the constant danger of dinosaur like predators, hives filled with aggressive and poisonous creatures, and even dissension amongst the survivors. Not to mention the new species that’s living with a human who’s sanity is questionable. I’d really like those to be background threats though, not the main villain. I guess we’ll see what happens – just writing this has given me some possible ideas.

To learn more about Jason Halstead, visit his website to learn about him, his books, sign up for his newsletter, or check out some free samples of his books at http://www.booksbyjason.com.

I’m the King of the…Road?

This post isn’t about writing. It isn’t about editing. It isn’t about my books in any fashion. No, it’s about another one of my passions. Not my family or lifting weights either. No, this is about my motorcycle. For those of you playing along at home that guessed my bike as a Harley Davidson Road King (thus the title), you earned a point!

Speaking of said bike, I’ve made two payments on it now. I’ve had some issues and I’ve spotted some design changes I think should have been made to it. More so, I’ve got a list of customizations I hope to make to it as time (and funds) come my way. This is my first Harley and there are two reason for that. The first is due to their high cost and the second is because of the many quality issues Harley’s have had. Speaking of the first issue, the cost is still up there but to add to it if you want to get work done at a Harley Davidson shop, the rates are outrageous. Incentive to do the work on my own!

To elaborate on the second issue, Harleys have gotten a lot better over the years. The oil leaks are gone and the sticky cables seem to be stick free. They even have fuel injected engines these days and finding a hardtail is virtually impossible. So yeah, they’ve done a lot with their quality and selection. These days there’s a flavor of Harley for every style. Mine happens to be the Road King.

But some bugs and quirks persist. Take the keyless remote security system. It’s a device that allows the bike to start and work when it’s within 3′ – 6′ of the bike. That means you never put the key in the bike. That also means if you use the handlebar kill switch to kill the engine, you damn well better remember to flip the ignition switch on the gas tank to off or you’ll leave your lights on. Not that I’ve done that a few times, it’s just a flaw I noticed. Compounded by the difficult of having to remove one of the saddlebags, then the seat, then the battery cover in order to jump start the battery. And charging the battery back will take approximately a half hour ride – doing it for less than that might leave it unwilling or unable to turn over and start again. That’s what this friend of mine who’s got one just like mine told me…

Having successfully changed my shutdown procedure – in light of the report from my “friend” – I was disturbed to see my check engine light come on during a ride in to work one morning. The ambient temperature was in the mid 60s and everything else was perfectly normal. My cruise control also refused to work – all the more odd since it worked fine the night before. Two days later on my way home from work (outside temp in the upper 90s) the check engine and low battery lights came on. Then they went off. Then they came on. I was looking for a pattern but couldn’t find one. Rather than going to the gym I took it to the dealership to get it resolved.

Their resolution was that it had a bad regulator. Fifteen minutes later and at no charge to me (warranties rock), it was running smooth again.

So disaster averted, right? I hope so. I’ve put a few miles on it since then without any more hiccups. My only remaining complaint is the heat. This is my fourth cruiser I’ve owned but the first one that was strictly air cooled. My next bike, I have to say, is definitely going to be liquid + air cooled. I’ve never been on a bike before that was downright miserable to ride at times because of the heat coming off the engine. Now this is only when stuck in traffic or riding slowly in 80+ degree weather, but there’s enough of that to go around to make it a serious factor for consideration.

Bikes I’ve owned and my thoughts on them:

Honda Shadow 1200cc (nice looking cruiser, okay power, didn’t like the stock seats or handlebars)

Kawasaki Nomad 1500cc (great looking cruiser / tourer, not so great seats, decent power with proper aftermarket parts, rode like a tank (aka didn’t turn all that well))

Honda VTX 1800cc (really great looking cruiser, needs aftermarket seats, great power before and after aftermarket pipes / fuel chip, a great ride)

Harley Davidson Road King Classic (really great looking cruiser, decent seat, good power with stock parts, too damn hot)

To learn more about Jason Halstead, visit his website to learn about him, his books, sign up for his newsletter, or check out some free samples of his books at http://www.booksbyjason.com.

 

The Life of Writing

I received an email yesterday from Kobo, the ebook distribution company, letting me know that their Writing Life author website was open for business. I was happy to see this! Now I have another venue for getting my books directly to the public! If you’d like to browse through what I’ve got on there (same as everywhere else), here’s the link: http://www.kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=jason+halstead

And because I can’t allow a post to be this short, I cranked out another chapter and a half yesterday on Black Widow! No progress today yet, but there’s plenty of daylight left.

Here’s my question to you guys – what would you like to see next? I’m tentatively planning on working on Vitalis next, but that’s not etched in stone. I’ve got some other ideas, including a third Dark Earth series book, starting a brand new Dark Earth series called Lost Treasures, an independent book that’s a romance / action / adventure novel, or even starting up a brand new fantasy series. I’d love to have my readers give me some feedback and let me know what they’d like to see. You guys and gals are important, you should be a part of the process!

Oh, and as always don’t forget to visit my Facebook page and throw a like on it, I’ll like you right back!

To learn more about Jason Halstead, visit his website to learn about him, his books, sign up for his newsletter, or check out some free samples of his books at http://www.booksbyjason.com.

I Hope You Like This

It’s been a busy time for me lately. I’m two weekends overdue on posting a chapter in Betrayal’s Hands and I’m still not sure when I’ll get to it. For that I apologize. Also for not posting much on here recently I apologize – my focus has been pulled in another area. Well, a couple of areas really…

The first is an attempt on my part to generate some love for my Facebook page. I’ve been reading up on some articles written by people who are far better at marketing than I am and they seem to think that having a well liked Facebook page can make a difference. Well, mine’s only moderately liked, if that. If anybody reading this wants to take a few seconds and a couple of clicks to help a brother out, I’d be mighty appreciative! Here’s the link: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Books-by-Jason/161622180537541. And now you see how the title of the post ties in to the body (“I hope you like this”…as in I really hope people will click on that link and then “like” my Facebook page. Come on, you can’t find stuff that cheesy just anywhere – I have to work for it!).

The other thing tying me up is the feverish desire I have to crank out Black Widow. I’ve been churning out 2500+ words a day on it for a while now, though most days I hit 3000 or more words. It’s a bold statement, but I’m really hoping I can finish the rough draft this week. That’s bold because I’ve got around 20,000 words still to go on it. Fortunately for me, I love a challenge!

As for Black Widow, I’m really enjoying where this story is taking Katalina Wimple (the main character). Kat, or Katie, is being forced by circumstances to overcome some handicaps she’s acquired over the years and her personal evolution is amazing. She’s even stopped threatening me as much as she used to – and trust me, that’s a milestone in itself! Also, readers of my recent release, Bound, will be happy to see the main characters from that book reappearing in Black Widow, although their roles are secondary to Kat and Skylar.

What sort of trouble has Kat gotten herself into this time? Well this time it found her, rather than the other way around. I won’t be too specific but I will share that she’s facing a mix of problems, both mundane and spiritual. It’s a continuation of the same type of spirit-based shamanism found in prior Lost Girls books with a hint of Poltergeist thrown in for a little violence and terror.

I’ll be happy to share more as I get it written. My targeted release date is mid – late August. Here’s to hoping fate conspires with me to get it down in short order!

To learn more about Jason Halstead, visit his website to learn about him, his books, sign up for his newsletter, or check out some free samples of his books at http://www.booksbyjason.com.

The Woes of the Written Word

This post is dedicated to editing. Not how to edit, nor what a wonderful thing a good editor is. Rather it’s about the different styles of editing and how very misunderstood the concept of editing is. I’m far from above making the mistake of misunderstanding it as well, it took several books and years for me to be able to wrap my brain around it. Truth be told, I’m sure I’m still missing out on a lot.

You see I hate typos and grammatical mistakes. They infuriate me because they’re so easy to miss. I assumed, years ago, that by sending out my work to an editor they would magically be corrected. Then I’d get reviews or comments complaining about how my book needed editing. I keep my hair short for many reasons, not the least of which is so that it’s too hard for me to pull it out when stuff like that happens.

The misconception is that all editing is the same. It’s not. All of my books are edited, and nearly 95% of those are done by a third party person as well as myself (and sometime by other parties as well). The third party is the content editor. A content editor is reading the story and looking for it to make sense and to make it flow better. They help revise poorly worded areas and also catch other things that drag a story down or make it difficult to read / understand. These people can truly make a story shine, yet to the average reader they have no idea these people exist or that they aided in the publication of a given story.

Then there’s the copyeditors, or proofreaders. They look for the formatting and typographical errors. Copyeditors are the parade soldiers in dress uniforms that people see. They make a writer and a reader feel like they’re being protected from the barbarian hordes wielding fragmented sentences. In reality, the copy editor has less of an impact on the story than anyone else does, yet their work is the most visible. For me, most of my stories have not been reviewed by a proper third party copyeditor. I admit this and regret it, but when it comes down to managing costs it’s a difficult burden to bear. Instead I try to do my own proofreading (shame on me, I know), and try to sucker anyone else I know to do the same. As time and money becomes available I send stories off to be copyedited, but I write faster than I can afford to edit so it’s a growing backlist.

So my friends, when I say I’m a stickler for editing, I mean it. That doesn’t mean you won’t find superfluous errors with no impact on the story though, it only means the story itself has been polished and shined to be something fun and provoking. I’d love to be able afford to provide both, but that requires more sales. How can you help? Tell your friends what you’re reading and how much you like it – it helps even more if the book your reading is one of mine! Tweet about it, post it on Facebook, blog about it, or write a glowing review on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, iTunes, Sony, Kobo, or wherever you go it. And keep checking back, I’m always writing the next book – my current project is Black Widow, book four in the Lost Girls series, which I’m hoping to release in August.

To learn more about Jason Halstead, visit his website to learn about him, his books, sign up for his newsletter, or check out some free samples of his books at http://www.booksbyjason.com.

Ever Feel Like a Lost Soul? Great, Get Yours Here!

There I go again playing with words. This time it’s a very productive month for me – Bound was released last week and now Voidhawk – Lost Soul is available for your e-reading pleasure! I plan on making a print version available in a week or so, but I recommend the ebook, it’s much cheaper! Voidhawk – Lost Soul is book 5 in the Voidhawk saga. Rather than read about me talking about it, here’s the blurb and the awesome cover art, along with links to get it yourself!

The new Empress of the elves thought the only thing standing in the way of prosperity for the reunited Elven Empire were the scattered elven rebels that clung to their racist ways. Progress seemed slow but certain until an old enemy emerges from the past. Beset by potential foes from every angle and unsure of who they can trust, the crew of the Voidhawk is near the end of their luck. Outnumbered by beings beyond their power, even the greatest sacrifice may not be enough to keep the void safe and return what was lost.

Amazon

Amazon UK

Barnes and Noble (coming soon)

To learn more about Jason Halstead, visit his website to learn about him, his books, sign up for his newsletter, or check out some free samples of his books at http://www.booksbyjason.com.

Bound to End Up On Your E-Reader

…I hope! Bound just happens to be the name of my newest release. It’s an edgy romance novel, and by edgy I mean it has some delightfully naughty points in it. The story centers around a boy who makes a mistake and spends the next ten years of his life paying for it, then he has the chance to start fresh but realizes he doesn’t have a clue. Enter the female lead – the same young lady who was indirectly responsible for ruining his life in the first place. His father warned him about girls like her…

Wrongfully imprisoned for a crime he committed, James Macavoy’s regimented life is suddenly turned upside down when he’s released from prison into a world that’s all but forgotten about him. Sabrina’s the one person that remains for Jimmy, the woman who’s very existence made it possible for Jimmy’s life to be ruined.

 If adapting to a life without walls isn’t hard enough, Jimmy must decide if he can love her or hate her.

Bound on Amazon

Bound on Amazon UK

Bound on Smashwords

Bound on Smashwords (coming soon)

To learn more about Jason Halstead, visit his website to learn about him, his books, sign up for his newsletter, or check out some free samples of his books at http://www.booksbyjason.com.

Insert Snazzy Headline Here

I pondered for quite some time on a topic for this blog post. I thought about trying to capitalize on current events in some way, but whether Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes get a divorce or not has no bearing on me. Similarly, I have no opinion or interest in whether Anderson Cooper is publicly coming out. So that left me with a whole lot of nothing catchy to use as Twitter-bait. Instead I decided to let the readers create their own subject. It seemed like a good idea at the time…

So what’s the purpose of this post? To share current events as they apply to me and anybody who’s interested in what those events may be. I’m referring to localized current events – for example after years of hearing about it and even sampling other people’s streams, I’ve never noticed or cared about Pandora. Until today. I fired it up since I don’t have my iTunes library loaded on my laptop and holy crap, this thing is awesome! I can now burrow away and work for hours without any awareness of the passing of time! How cool is that?

In other news, the edited copy of Voidhawk – Lost Soul hit my desk last night. I’ve been working on it and, so far, I’m four chapters through it. My editor, Lisa Shalek, rocks! She’s the kind of editor that wants a story to make sense and pushes me to add details where they’re needed (or eliminate them). She also slips in entertaining comments throughout that leave me greatly amused. It took a few books to thicken my skin but now that I’m there, I’ve also grown to the point where even the first drafts aren’t in need of as much work. Now I think she just enjoys poking me with sharp sticks for fun instead of because I deserve it.

Bound, a stand alone novel that happens to take place in my Dark Earth setting, has been sent to Amazon, Smashwords, and Barnes and Noble. I’ll fire off another post when it’s ready – probably tomorrow, complete with links and cover art. It’s a great one, but it departs slightly from my typical style. This one is almost pure romance, and by romance I mean adult romance. Yeah, it could probably earn an NC-17 or maybe even a little higher rating for a few scenes that take place in it. I’m trying to broaden my offerings a little and reach out to more people that don’t realize they can enjoy different styles of books. Cross-genre is how I roll…

And here’s what a lot of people want to hear – I spent a lot of hours in the car over the weekend (driving to Michigan and back, not just because it’s fun to go sit in the car in my garage). All that time driving caused me to do a lot of thinking. Somehow, in spite of all that time I still don’t care that Anderson Cooper is gay. I did come up with a lot of great ideas to add into Black Widow, my current project (The Lost Girls series, book 4). I had some neat new ideas for a book I’ll be working with my wife on at some point (hopefully in the near to mid future) – that one will be a stand alone novel (action / adventure, thriller, romance, etc.). And last but far from least, I also stumbled across some great ideas for the next Vitalis book. And yes, I mean book, damn it. I’m planning on having this one is going to be the longest one yet, aside from the omnibus. Right now the working title is ‘Resurrection’.

So stay tuned, I’ll have release news for Bound very soon! And hopefully I can get Voidhawk – Lost Soul out in a week or two. Of course that means I have to work harder and faster on Black Widow, but that’s okay, I’m loving how this one is trying to write itself for me.

To learn more about Jason Halstead, visit his website to learn about him, his books, sign up for his newsletter, or check out some free samples of his books at http://www.booksbyjason.com.

The Fear of Betrayal

Here’s chapter 15 of Betrayal’s Hands. It’s nearing the original stories end, but I think I’ll need to rewrite the ending to make it a complete story. Originally I’d hoped for a trilogy but I lost my steam in taking the story any further beyond this initial volume…at least for now. Perhaps when the characters in my other series and stories stop being so damn interesting and fun I’ll revisit Cor, Teri, and Anna…but that’s for the future!

 

Chapter 15

 

“Why did we leave the forest?” Teri asked as they stood along the edge of the Darkwood. The morning sun offered hope of a pleasant day, though neither one felt their mood brightened.

“There are things in the northern reaches of the Darkwood you’d not want to run into,” Cor said. “Things that make your last boyfriend look like a family pet.”

Teri made a face at Cor behind his back for his comment about Krev, but otherwise let the barb go unanswered. Instead she asked, “So where do we go? This way leads to Aradmath.”

“I told you I’d show you the way to Nordlamar,” Cor said gruffly. “It’s to the north. I’ll take you through the fens on this side, then you’re on your own.”

“I don’t want to go there,” Teri lied in a quiet voice.

Cor glanced at her and saw that she was lying. He shook his head, baffled by the contradictions posed by the small female. “It’s a good place for a girl like you. Lots of people be happy to help you out, and you can meet a good man there.”

Teri’s jaw dropped. “How dare you,” she said, stunned. “I don’t need to meet a good man, I…” It was true, she didn’t want a good man. She wanted Cor.

“Fine,” He snapped, interrupting her. Shrugging, he turned away from her before muttering, “There’s plenty of good women you could meet too, if that’s your mind.”

Confused by this last comment, Teri remained too stunned by it to mount a retort. Cor started walking, keeping near the verge of the woods, and Teri was forced to trail after him. After a few minutes of walking in silence Teri’s face began to burn. She’d realized what he’d meant by his last comment. She tucked her chin down, trying to hide her embarrassment. It wasn’t unheard of in Aradmath, the joining of two women, but it was hardly polite conversation.

The pace he set wasn’t as brutal as that of the prior day. Teri found she could keep up with the big man, although it took most of her energy and concentration to do so. She wondered for a brief moment if Cor could have out-walked Krev with his long legged pace.

She had little chance to talk throughout the day, even when he stopped to rest she found herself too tired for thought. When she caught her breath embarrassment stayed her tongue. Cor’s wit was rapier sharp and no matter what she said he always seemed to be able to infuriate her with his retort.

That night, fatigued and aching, she nevertheless stirred up the energy to ask of him, “Why can’t you be nice?”

Cor looked at her, surprised by the blunt question. He almost laughed at her, then realized it might not be what she wanted by way of a response. He shook his head and muttered something under his breath about women.

“I saved you, didn’t I?” He asked, annoyed. “I’m taking you somewhere where you’ll be safe. I even kept you a maiden, as you claim to be.”

He stood up from where he’d been tending the fire and stared at her, then with a growl he turned and moved off into the darkness descending around the campsite. She caught something from him about never satisfying a woman as he stalked off to make sure nothing came at them from the swampy fens they were on the border of.

Teri, frustrated with Cor’s strange behavior, shook her head. “Claim to be?” She kicked at an offensive dirt lump, “Why would I claim to be something I’m not?” She vented her frustrations aloud. Suddenly a thought occurred to her which had been hiding in the back of her consciousness for some time. “He thinks… that Krev… that I…” Hysterical laughter pealed from her and she collapsed against a tree trunk. Tears ran unheeded down her face, and the giggles simply couldn’t be put down.

This was how Cor found her when he came storming back from the fen. “What the…” He reached out and shook her gently, and then realizing she was hysterical, and without thinking, he slapped her across the face. As soon as the blow connected, he was backing away. Teri had stopped laughing, and was sitting slumped against the tree with her hand over her face.

She’d been slapped before. Much harder, in fact. Cor’s blow almost seemed playful compared to Krev’s heavy handed discipline. Still, she hadn’t expected it. It stung and surprised her, and the simple fact that he did it made her eyes fill with tears. She looked up at him through her fingers and saw the look on his face.

She gasped.

Teri had expected a glare or a look of smugness. What she saw made her heart open for him in spite of his brutality. It was brutality that, she now knew, was unintentional. He looked like someone that had just accidentally killed his own family.

“Cor,” she said, letting her hands fall away. Already a red mark was appearing on her cheek.

He backed up another step, his hands coming up in front of him defensively. “I… No. No, not again!” He backed up another step and then whispered with moisture in his eyes and pain in his voice. “I’m sorry.”

He was gone then, turning and stumbling not only away from the campsite, but into the fens.

“No!” Teri cried after him, scrambling to her feet and following into the marsh. “Wait! Please!” She stumbled on a hummock and splashed into the muddy water. When she looked up, he was gone. Determined not to let him flee to his death, she followed doggedly, stumbling and splashing in the fen water. “Don’t leave me!” she wailed, suddenly afraid of what it might mean for them both if he continued to run. She might indeed lose her life, but from the look on his face, she felt it possible that Cor would lose his soul.

When he came to his senses, Cor was a good distance ahead of the girl in the dark marsh. He could hear her splashing about behind him. Stopping, he crouched in the dark, struggling to pull himself together. “Cor?” She called to him. “Please, I’m not hurt…” He could tell she was crying now, her voice growing hoarse with the tears. “Don’t leave me alone…”

The fens were dark and there was an unpleasant smell rising from the murky water. Not the smell of plants and earth that Teri had expected, but more a stench of death, of rotting flesh and putrescence. The scent and the darkness, coupled with sounds echoing from hidden places, amplified Teri’s fear.

“Please Cor…” Teri was sure he couldn’t hear her. He was gone and she was alone in this terrifying place. She continued to splash through the muddy water, her clothes soaked through and her body chilled to the bone. She started to shake, but more from fear than cold. She stopped moving and sat despondently on one of the taller hummocks rising from the marsh.

“How am I going to get out of this?” She wept aloud to herself, and then she straightened some. “At least if I die here, it will be better than going back.” She sighed, and picked herself up to continue wading through the water.

Cor shuddered, still crouched in the shadows only a few paces ahead of the girl. His face was wet with tears he couldn’t remember, and his heart still raced. He wondered for a moment how he had gotten himself into this mess, he was in no position to be responsible for a girl, even a pretty one like Teri. Gathering the tattered remnants of his dignity to his breast, he stepped out from his concealment.

Teri shrieked as a dark shape moved towards her from the dense brush. Flailing her arms wildly, she would have landed in one of the deeper pools if the blackness hadn’t caught her first. She thrashed and struck out at her captor, until the black beast growled, “Stop that you little fool! Unless you’d like me to let you drown?”

Cor’s voice sent little thrills up and down Teri’s spine, and she began to weep in earnest her relief at having found him. “Thank the Lady you came back!” was what he thought he heard from the face pressed into his chest. His hand reached down and tipped her face up so that he could see her. He chuckled softly at the image she presented, all mud and weeds. Her pretty eyes peered solemnly out from behind a mask of mud.

“They wouldn’t recognize you now.” He smiled, feeling a bit better from her obvious joy at their reunion.

“No,” she giggled, “I don’t suppose they would.”

The moment, tender and filled with promise, was fleeting. As much as the desires Cor had hidden deep within himself fought to be let loose, his caution overpowered them. “Come, the fens are no place to spend the night.”

Teri’s greatest concern wasn’t the dangers of the swamp, but rather the fright she must look. She just knew that if she were cleaner Cor would have been unable to resist her, swamp or no. She reached up and wiped some of the grime from her cheeks, hoping to make a difference. She knew how precious the moment was; how rare and possibly unique the opportunity.

“Come, this is no place to dally,” he said again, his tone softening the effects of the words.

Cor pulled away from her and turned, aiming for the southern edge of the fens. Teri hurried to stay close to him, reaching out and capturing her hand in his. Cor took a deep breath but otherwise made no sign he noticed.

Once back at their campsite Cor grudgingly allowed a small campfire so that Teri could warm herself. She, in turn, grew bold by the turn of events. “How much water do we have?” She asked him.

“Two skins we filled earlier, why?” Cor asked her, uncertain.

“I need to get out of these muddy clothes and clean them,” she said, untying the laces on the crudely sewn dress she’d made for herself over the winter.

Cor felt his heart beat faster. He looked forward to seeing her, but didn’t welcome the distraction and confusion it would bring. Reluctantly he said, “Let it dry on you, there’s no water safe to drink until we clear the fens.”

Teri’s final hopes were dashed against the rocks. She’d been ready, then and there, to let Cor have her. She bit her lip and blinked away the tears of rejection. After a long moment of fighting to maintain her composure she asked, “may I at least wash my face?”

Cor gave her one of his rare smiles and nodded, “won’t help, but go ahead.”

Teri’s mouth fell open in spite of herself. Fresh tears sprang to her eyes and a small squeak of protest escaped her mouth. She stood up and turned away, stomping a few feet away from him, where she hugged her arms about herself.

How could he? She could not believe that he could just so callously insult her like that. Perhaps the Aradmathian view of women being little better than property was true. Perhaps she was no more than a object of passing fancy.

She was surprised when she felt Cor’s hand on her shoulder, pulling gently at her. She resisted at first, and only when he gave up and removed it did she turn to face him.

“I’m sorry,” he said, the words sounding strange coming from a man such as he. “I meant it could not improve your looks.”

Teri, without thinking, reached out to slap him. Cor jerked his face back, surprised by her speedy and sudden attack. Her fingers still grazed his lips and chin, leaving a tingling sensation in their passage.

“Gods, woman!” Cor said, holding his hands up defensively. “That’s not it! I meant that you are pretty no matter what mess you’ve made of yourself!”

Teri’s hand no covered her own face, and fresh tears ran from her eyes clearing a path of dirt and mud from her cheeks. “Cor… I’m sorry! I thought you meant… I thought…”

“You thought I was like your betrothed?” Cor guessed.

Teri nodded, too ashamed to speak.

Cor chuckled self-deprecatingly. “I’m probably worse,” he said. Then he shrugged and turned away and headed back to their campsite.

Teri followed him, sitting down on a rock and reaching for her skin of water. She splashed some in her hands and then proceeded to rinse her face reasonably clean. She looked up at him and found him watching her afterwards.

“Less a swamp rat and more of a drowned rat,” he said with a smile.

Teri understood he meant no insult this time, though his smile was what it took to convince. She smiled in return and thanked him, then blurted out the question truly bothering her. “Why are you so hard on yourself? What horrors have you done?”

Cor blinked in surprise at her question, then sighed. “I’ve too much blood on my hands,” he admitted finally, staring at her challengingly.

“Too much blood? You were a soldier, weren’t you?”

Cor shrugged. “Yes, I was.”

Teri looked at him curiously. Something about his manner clued her in that she had guessed poorly. “That’s not it, is it?”

Cor chuckled darkly again. “This is no game, lass. I was a soldier, that’s where I learned how to kill. It’s what I do best,” he said. Then, in almost a whisper he admitted, “and I learned that it’s easy to do… more so when the innocent fall before me.”

Teri’s eyes widened at his vague but chilling confession. She couldn’t imagine the man that had saved her butchering the innocent. It seemed so out of character. Sure, he had his grumpy moments – a lot of them, in fact. But even at his worst she couldn’t imagine him committing such an evil action.

“I don’t know what you did, nor who you are,” Teri said softly and slowly, making sure each word was spoken as heartfelt as she meant it. “But I do know that I cannot see such a person in you.”

“You don’t know me,” he said. Anxious to be done with the conversation, he rose up from his seat. “I’ll take watch, get some sleep.”

“Cor, wait!” Teri said.

With an impatient pose he turned to face her. “What?”

Pressing the time she had remaining to her, she said. “I’ve grown to know you well over the winter and now. You are bothered, true, but you are a caring and gentle person. One who only commits to force when no other option is available.”

Sarcastically, he said, “like when I slapped you earlier.”

Teri shook her head emphatically. “No! I let my emotions get control of me and needed it, I think, to make me stop. I realized that you thought I loved Krev, or that I had lain with him.”

“And that amuses you?”

“Yes, it does,” she said, smiling. Her smile faded as she made herself remember her captivity to the half-ogre. “Krev was a monster and a brute. At best I could get him to talk with me at times, but I was his slave. He made me do things for him, some unpleasant, some horrible.”

“And yet you remain a maiden?” Cor asked, his tone one of disbelief.

Teri could accept his suspicion at her claim. It was a bold one to make, that a simple bandit would leave her, a young and attractive woman, untouched. “He insisted that I would fetch a better price as a maiden.”

Cor nodded, understanding the claim as possible. “He made me do other things for him in place of that,” Teri openly admitted.

“Other things?” Cor was curious, even if the question bordered on the inappropriate.

Teri blushed but wouldn’t relinquish his gaze nor the rare moment of openness between them. If it meant spilling her soul to him she would do it, if only it would get him to open up to her in turn. She would do anything to help him, she realized. Anything at all.

“Yes, other things. He taught me how to pleasure a man with my mouth and hands, and taunted me with the threat that one day he would take me in other… well, my maidenhood would remain intact, at least.”

Cor watched her carefully for her reaction. She spoke openly and honestly, it seemed, and though she was embarrassed she confessed willingly to him. “And these are the things you offered to me once?”

Teri nodded, a fresh surge of redness appearing on her cheeks. “Yes, I did,” she said softly. She wondered if he wanted them now. In spite of the sadness she felt at the thought that he might use her thusly, she felt a tingle in her belly and in her loins at the thought of it.

“And do you still offer them?” He pressed.

The excitement at her progress with him dropping considerably, she nevertheless held her ground. “If you desire me in such a way, yes.”

“Sounds like it must have been horrible,” he muttered before he could bite off the bitter sarcasm. He did, indeed, desire her, but not like that. No, if that was all she offered then he was by far better off abandoning her as soon as possible. Once she was safe, of course.

Teri blinked the moisture from her eyes that his verbal slap caused her. She took a deep breath and said insistently, “There was no pleasure from it for me. He was a cruel monster that used me for his pleasure and beat me if I refused or did not perform to his liking. With you it would be different, I think. I hope.”

Cor looked at her, at a loss for words. He opened his mouth and then shut it, deciding he dare not say anything before thinking it through. Finally he nodded and said, “Yes, I would never beat you.”

Teri smiled sadly. “That’s a kindness, but it’s not what I meant.”

Cor nodded, suspecting as much. “I… yeah, well, I’m going to make sure nothing followed us out of the swamp. Get some rest, we’ve a hard day ahead of us tomorrow.”

Teri nodded and watched as he turned and left the campsite. He looked back at her once then was gone into the darkness. She sighed longingly. “Why won’t you love me?” She asked softly of the night.

 

To learn more about Jason Halstead, visit his website to learn about him, his books, sign up for his newsletter, or check out some free samples of his books at http://www.booksbyjason.com.

I Have the Coolest Toys!

For those that know me, the title of this post might raise an eyebrow. Sorry to disappoint, but I’m not talking about those kinds of toys.

When I was a kid riding the school bus to elementary school I remember being too old for toys like action figures and such. It wasn’t cool, you see, but I sure did like playing with G.I. Joe and Transformers. I would even take one of them to school each day, stashed away in my school bag. Some people had a security blanket. Others had a teddy bear. I had play soldiers. That probably says something about me even at an early age… if it helps I always preferred the good guys over the bad guys.

Expanding upon the story, I somehow ended up one day sitting with the cool kid in the back seat of the bus. You know who I’m talking about, he was the good looking kid that was bigger and more athletic than everybody else, not to mention more socially adept than the rest of us could ever hope to be. He was also the guy who could determine the social status of every other guy in his grade just by what he said about them. Frightening power, in hindsight.

So I’m sitting with this kid and I’m scared shitless. Yeah, this guy was that cool and who was I? Just a stupid kid that liked to play with toys. Travis never played with toys, he was sooooo much more grown up and, well, cool! Well, somewhere along the way that particular toy came out and yes, there was some teasing that took place. I don’t remember the specifics at all. What I remember was that pretty much every day after that one the rest of the year he wanted me to sit with him and we’d break out whatever the day’s toy was and, in a very grown-up and cool / macho way, we’d play with it.

That was the last year of that. I don’t remember the grade or how old I was, but I do know it didn’t persist beyond that. Maybe I grew up too, but the toys stayed at home. Before too much longer the toys ended up being boxed away too, but thankfully my desire to play with them never did. I evolved into playing role playing games with friends, but time and distance eventually ended that as well. Soon my toys were gone, all I had was the memories of the good times. I felt like Al Bundy reliving his glory days of high school football before he became a shoe salesman.

I was reminded of this the other day when my daughter, who’s a month away from being 6 years old, sat in front of my salt water aquarium with my younger son (age 3) and went on and on telling him stories about the fish. He tried to add his own embellishments, but it was an amazing sight. She still plays with toys, though the Barbies don’t get nearly as much playtime as they used to. Instead she spends a lot of time in books and drawing / coloring, telling stories and making things up. Is she destined to be a writer like her old man struggles to be? I don’t know, but I wouldn’t put it past her. In a few years I hope to write a book with her to see if it clicks (or if not, to at least help with the college fund).

The epiphany I had at that moment was that I still play with toys. Sure, I’ve got the manly grown up toys like a Harley and power tools, but I’m talking about the toys we keep stashed away for our private time. No, I already told you this wasn’t about those kinds of toys, I mean the ones that allow you to make up your own stories and your own scenarios. The characters are people you create, with talents and quirks that you pick out. The toys are in my head, and when you read my books they’re in your head too. Oh, and because some of you just won’t let it go, on rare occasions there might even be a book that has those kinds of toys in it.

The moral of the story is that the toys may change, but we’re never too old to play with them!

In other news, keep an eye out for a pending new release from me called Bound. It’s got all sorts of great toys in it, from drug labs to hockey sticks to racy underwear and more! It’s technically a romance novel, but readers of my books will know that I’ve yet to meet a genre I can’t step outside of and take somewhere else!

To learn more about Jason Halstead, visit his website to learn about him, his books, sign up for his newsletter, or check out some free samples of his books at http://www.booksbyjason.com.