Jamie DeBree's Blog, page 13
January 24, 2014
Serial Story: Under His Wing, Part 3
This story is presented weekly in draft (unedited) form. Enjoy!
Part 1 | Part 2 |
Dunning Manor, Book 1
Under His Wing
Part 3
Stumbling backwards and praying the door would hold, Katie tripped and landed hard on an uneven stone floor. Peter yelled outside, pounding on the door and she knew she had to run, just in case the wooden bar broke.
Scrambling to her hands and knees, she started to rise, only to freeze when a pair of sandaled feet peeked under the edge of a swinging brown robe directly in front of her. Slowly, she lifted her head, half-expecting a skeleton face and a scythe to seal her fate.
Instead she looked into the face of a pixie...small and heart-shaped with the most delicate features and pure, unblemished skin. Light golden curls framed her features under a simple, oversized brown hood. Brilliant green eyes held compassion and sympathy, though there was a quiet strength there as well. And a serene smile curved the little bow mouth up at each corner.
Katie could still hear Peter trying to get in, but the sound was muted as the robed woman extended a fine-boned hand to help her up. Her grasp was much stronger than it looked, and a sense of well-being and peace flowed through as they touched.
“I am Zariah.” The pixie-monk’s voice was lightly melodic, yet strong. “Come. You are safe here - for a little while.”
Katie got to her feet, and was promptly enveloped in a moss-green robe of considerable weight that settled down over her head. Once she’d fitted her arms in the sleeves, Zariah passed a rope belt around her waist and tied it to keep the length from dragging.
“This way.”
Katie could barely hear the pounding on the door as she followed her strange guide through the expansive, cathedral-like room. Candles flickered and dripped along the walls - there must be hundreds, she thought. Rudimentary stone benches with no backs made two neat rows on either side of the passage where they walked. Directly ahead there was a wide raised platform lit by more candles on ledges at the back wall. In the center stood a wide square pedestal, each corner adorned with tiny gothic winged figures baring sharp teeth, long claws and wide bat-like wings.
Zariah led Katie up the shallow steps to the center of the dais, and motioned for Katie to stand in front of the pedestal while she moved to the back. A well filled with water shimmered in the center of the stone square.
“Katie Watson.”
The sound of her name made Katie look up, and she frowned.
“How did you know my name?”
Zariah didn’t blink. “No one finds Dunning Manor but by fate. Your need has been proven, fulfilling the first requirement of the Manor. As to the second, your sacrifice of personal service begins now.”
Katie held up both hands and began to back away. “Whoa, hold on. I never agreed to any sort of service, personal or otherwise. If you’ll just show me the back door--”
One finely-shaped eyebrow lifted under the brown hood.
“You do not wish our assistance, Katie Watson?”
Katie let her hands drop, looking at Zariah in disbelief.
“I don’t even know where I am, or what kind of assistance you’re offering. How can you expect me to make a decision like that with no information?”
Zariah cocked her head to the side, her expression curious.
“We offer refuge for those in need, and remediation for those who would do others harm. The man outside the door - he will kill you without our intervention. It has been seen.”
Katie wanted to argue, but she’d seen the look in Peter’s eyes. Heard the excitement in his voice. He probably would kill her - if not now, later.
“You said something about personal service. What would I have to do to get this help you’re offering?”
Zariah placed her hands on the stone well. “You will prepare a meal to offer your warrior this evening, and the next two evenings as well. After the third meal, your sacrifice will be complete, and your warrior will be allowed to offer his assistance and protection. You will both leave the manor for a period of one week, at the end of which the warrior will be summoned back to us. After the warrior is returned, you are never to visit the manor or request our assistance again.”
Katie nodded. She must be dreaming. Or going insane. Maybe she was actually roasting over that fire, her mind making up stories in those final moments before death. If that was the case, she was pretty sure she didn’t want to wake up.
Meeting Zariah’s even gaze, Katie crossed her arms over her chest.
“There’s only one problem with your little scenario. I can’t cook.”
Zariah’s little bow lips curved up in an indulgent smile.
“We know.”
Enjoy
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Part 1 | Part 2 |
Dunning Manor, Book 1
Under His Wing
Part 3
Stumbling backwards and praying the door would hold, Katie tripped and landed hard on an uneven stone floor. Peter yelled outside, pounding on the door and she knew she had to run, just in case the wooden bar broke.
Scrambling to her hands and knees, she started to rise, only to freeze when a pair of sandaled feet peeked under the edge of a swinging brown robe directly in front of her. Slowly, she lifted her head, half-expecting a skeleton face and a scythe to seal her fate.
Instead she looked into the face of a pixie...small and heart-shaped with the most delicate features and pure, unblemished skin. Light golden curls framed her features under a simple, oversized brown hood. Brilliant green eyes held compassion and sympathy, though there was a quiet strength there as well. And a serene smile curved the little bow mouth up at each corner.
Katie could still hear Peter trying to get in, but the sound was muted as the robed woman extended a fine-boned hand to help her up. Her grasp was much stronger than it looked, and a sense of well-being and peace flowed through as they touched.
“I am Zariah.” The pixie-monk’s voice was lightly melodic, yet strong. “Come. You are safe here - for a little while.”
Katie got to her feet, and was promptly enveloped in a moss-green robe of considerable weight that settled down over her head. Once she’d fitted her arms in the sleeves, Zariah passed a rope belt around her waist and tied it to keep the length from dragging.
“This way.”
Katie could barely hear the pounding on the door as she followed her strange guide through the expansive, cathedral-like room. Candles flickered and dripped along the walls - there must be hundreds, she thought. Rudimentary stone benches with no backs made two neat rows on either side of the passage where they walked. Directly ahead there was a wide raised platform lit by more candles on ledges at the back wall. In the center stood a wide square pedestal, each corner adorned with tiny gothic winged figures baring sharp teeth, long claws and wide bat-like wings.
Zariah led Katie up the shallow steps to the center of the dais, and motioned for Katie to stand in front of the pedestal while she moved to the back. A well filled with water shimmered in the center of the stone square.
“Katie Watson.”
The sound of her name made Katie look up, and she frowned.
“How did you know my name?”
Zariah didn’t blink. “No one finds Dunning Manor but by fate. Your need has been proven, fulfilling the first requirement of the Manor. As to the second, your sacrifice of personal service begins now.”
Katie held up both hands and began to back away. “Whoa, hold on. I never agreed to any sort of service, personal or otherwise. If you’ll just show me the back door--”
One finely-shaped eyebrow lifted under the brown hood.
“You do not wish our assistance, Katie Watson?”
Katie let her hands drop, looking at Zariah in disbelief.
“I don’t even know where I am, or what kind of assistance you’re offering. How can you expect me to make a decision like that with no information?”
Zariah cocked her head to the side, her expression curious.
“We offer refuge for those in need, and remediation for those who would do others harm. The man outside the door - he will kill you without our intervention. It has been seen.”
Katie wanted to argue, but she’d seen the look in Peter’s eyes. Heard the excitement in his voice. He probably would kill her - if not now, later.
“You said something about personal service. What would I have to do to get this help you’re offering?”
Zariah placed her hands on the stone well. “You will prepare a meal to offer your warrior this evening, and the next two evenings as well. After the third meal, your sacrifice will be complete, and your warrior will be allowed to offer his assistance and protection. You will both leave the manor for a period of one week, at the end of which the warrior will be summoned back to us. After the warrior is returned, you are never to visit the manor or request our assistance again.”
Katie nodded. She must be dreaming. Or going insane. Maybe she was actually roasting over that fire, her mind making up stories in those final moments before death. If that was the case, she was pretty sure she didn’t want to wake up.
Meeting Zariah’s even gaze, Katie crossed her arms over her chest.
“There’s only one problem with your little scenario. I can’t cook.”
Zariah’s little bow lips curved up in an indulgent smile.
“We know.”
Enjoy
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Romantic Suspense
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Horror | Flash Fiction | Non-Fiction
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January 22, 2014
Talkin' Books: Super-Spidey, Sanguinists & Romantic Comedies...
Books Finished: The Proteus Cure by F. Paul Wilson and Tracy L. CarboneIt Had to be You by Jill Shalvis
Books In Progress: The Blood Gospel by James Rollins & Rebecca CantrellAlways on My Mind by Jill ShalvisTatterdemon by Steve Vernon
Short Fiction: Drink in a Small Town by Peter Wood (Asimov's, March 2014)
Comic Books: Superior Spiderman #20 - 24
Dude. It's kind of crazy how fast the week goes when Monday...isn't. and Tuesday is the new Monday. I nearly forgot this post was due for today (it's around 12:30am Weds at the moment). Crazy!
It was a good week for books around here, as you can see. I finished The Proteus Cure , which I'd definitely recommend. It's twisty and turn-y and has a very intriguing premise that will make you think about DNA and genes and genetic modification. And flu shots. You're welcome.
I stayed up pretty much all night last Saturday reading It Had to be You , because Jill Shalvis is the queen of romantic comedy, and her books are like a drug - once I start one, I can can hardly put it down. Of course I'm testing my willpower to it's limits this week, since I started another one of hers on my Kindle, Always on My Mind as well. What was I thinking? I wasn't, honestly. Just reading. And laughing. And leaving the world behind.
I'm also rather deeply embroiled in The Blood Gospel , where Sanguinists and strigoi are pitted against each other in a race to find a treasure that only two humans can actually unlock. We'll just call it an amazing paranormal treasure hunt, which is vastly oversimplifying, but there it is in a nutshell. I'm half-done with it, and I'd be reading another chapter now if I wasn't writing this post...
As you can see, I got my comic book order - yay! Consequently I spent a little chunk of my birthday last week catching up on my Superior Spider-man , and man-o-man, things are convoluted and only getting worse in spider-land. And OMG...if you follow the world of comic books at all, you've undoubtedly heard that Peter Parker's coming back, and Superior Spidey will be no more! Ack! Should be interesting, given the mess Doc Ock has made of Peter's life. Hmm...
I even finally opened an issue of Asimov's this week, and read a short story about...well, if I tell you much, it'll ruin it. But Drink in a Small Town pretty much says...some of it. I keep forgetting I have the magazine on my tablet. I really need to take advantage of that. Looks like lots of great stuff in the March issue!
So lots of great reading last week, and more to come in the week ahead! Tell me, if you're so inclined...what was the last book you read, and did you like it?
Happy Reading!
Enjoy
this post? Support your author:
Books In Progress: The Blood Gospel by James Rollins & Rebecca CantrellAlways on My Mind by Jill ShalvisTatterdemon by Steve Vernon
Short Fiction: Drink in a Small Town by Peter Wood (Asimov's, March 2014)
Comic Books: Superior Spiderman #20 - 24
Dude. It's kind of crazy how fast the week goes when Monday...isn't. and Tuesday is the new Monday. I nearly forgot this post was due for today (it's around 12:30am Weds at the moment). Crazy!
It was a good week for books around here, as you can see. I finished The Proteus Cure , which I'd definitely recommend. It's twisty and turn-y and has a very intriguing premise that will make you think about DNA and genes and genetic modification. And flu shots. You're welcome.
I stayed up pretty much all night last Saturday reading It Had to be You , because Jill Shalvis is the queen of romantic comedy, and her books are like a drug - once I start one, I can can hardly put it down. Of course I'm testing my willpower to it's limits this week, since I started another one of hers on my Kindle, Always on My Mind as well. What was I thinking? I wasn't, honestly. Just reading. And laughing. And leaving the world behind.
I'm also rather deeply embroiled in The Blood Gospel , where Sanguinists and strigoi are pitted against each other in a race to find a treasure that only two humans can actually unlock. We'll just call it an amazing paranormal treasure hunt, which is vastly oversimplifying, but there it is in a nutshell. I'm half-done with it, and I'd be reading another chapter now if I wasn't writing this post...
As you can see, I got my comic book order - yay! Consequently I spent a little chunk of my birthday last week catching up on my Superior Spider-man , and man-o-man, things are convoluted and only getting worse in spider-land. And OMG...if you follow the world of comic books at all, you've undoubtedly heard that Peter Parker's coming back, and Superior Spidey will be no more! Ack! Should be interesting, given the mess Doc Ock has made of Peter's life. Hmm...
I even finally opened an issue of Asimov's this week, and read a short story about...well, if I tell you much, it'll ruin it. But Drink in a Small Town pretty much says...some of it. I keep forgetting I have the magazine on my tablet. I really need to take advantage of that. Looks like lots of great stuff in the March issue!
So lots of great reading last week, and more to come in the week ahead! Tell me, if you're so inclined...what was the last book you read, and did you like it?
Happy Reading!
Enjoy
this post? Support your author:
Romantic Suspense
| Erotic Romance | Contemporary Romance |
Horror | Flash Fiction | Non-Fiction
**Please
note - If this is your first time posting, your comment
will be moderated. Once you have been approved, future comments will post automatically.
January 20, 2014
On Routines, Learning, & Getting Stuff Done...
This week's to-do listPrevious list
Last week was about as unproductive as they come, with not one thing checked off on the ol' to-do list. I did make progress on a few things, but for the most part, it was a bust. Work was busy, motivation was low, and TV was good. And there was my birthday on Friday too, which didn't help with the motivation issue. Some weeks are just like that...nothing to do but keep moving forward.
Regular readers here know that routines are the lifeblood of...well...my life. Routines are how I get things done - when my routines are interrupted or fail for whatever reason, it pretty much shakes up my whole world. And yes, a lot of that is psychological, but it's also an efficiency thing. I tend to schedule things pretty tightly, according to how much time they should take, but nothing is one hundred percent predictable, so things run longer than they should on a regular basis, which tilts the whole weekly routine thing again.
I actually built "wiggle room" into my weekly writing schedule this year - quite a lot, actually. A whole day's worth (which equals about an hour) to expressly be used for catching up whatever gets pushed back or runs long from the first two days of the week. And aside from that, the last two days of the week are for working on drafts that are not serialized...so the scenes have no actual due-date. If I need to work serial scenes on those days too, I can.
And thank goodness for that, because I pushed it last week. I barely got my three regular Friday scenes done, and I haven't even started tomorrow's scene yet (it's on today's list). Like I said, it was one of those weeks.
But I had an epiphany last week - and it actually sort of bonked me over the fingers a couple times before it really sank in. Something finally sort of came to the forefront with my writing, and I'm starting to see what's wrong with my books. Why they aren't as good as they could be. Not that I thought they were perfect before (and I'm not saying they're bad either), but something just clicked as I was reading/writing last week, and I knew what I needed to learn to take my books to the next level.
This isn't something someone could have just told me...I mean, I knew it on a basic knowledge-type level. But it's different when you finally internalize a concept, and it becomes more of a "feeling" rather than just something you know. And sometimes it takes awhile for that knowledge to transfer from the head to more of an instinctual thing...but the only way that can happen is if you keep *doing* - keep practicing whatever it is that you can't quite grasp.
It's like the knitting technique I've been trying to master lately. I've restarted it no less than four times, and "undone" stitches several times when I knew I made a mistake. I've had the instructions in front of me the whole time, and it's an easy pattern, not difficult to understand at the head level in the least. But in practice, it's a lot more complex to pick up, and the only way *to* pick it up is just to keep practicing.
Same thing with the writing...there are a lot of craft-type techniques that I *know* in my head, but struggle to translate to the actual story. And the only thing I can do is just keep writing, keep practicing, keep hitting it from different angles until finally that "a-ha!" lightbulb comes on. It's a magical thing when that happens, no matter what I'm doing.
But I'll tell you what - all that floundering around trying to figure things out really screws with my routines. Dang it. Scenes take longer to write, yarn projects take longer to complete, and to-do lists don't get checked off. It's enough to drive a borderline OCD gal crazy.
And then there's my weekly goal to catch up with a month's worth of BSB bookkeeping - a task I'm failing miserably at. It's really not going to be so bad if I just get started, and do a little at a time. I just...need to force myself to do it. And schedule a time, probably, since clearly just letting it float for the week isn't working at all.
Honestly though, I've been letting the business side of my writing flounder for awhile now - I just don't really have the proper motivation to work it as hard as I probably should. But I am going to get back into it, just slowly. So I don't burn out (which is basically what I did last time).
Much to think about this week, eh?
In any case, it's Monday, but a federal holiday (Martin Luther King Jr. Day), so I'm off work and planning to get my writing caught up, some editing done, and the housework I so lazily put off this weekend caught up as well. Funny how "I should vacuum & clean off the dining room table" became "I'll spend the next three hours cleaning off the kitchen cupboard", isn't it? You know you've sunk to a new low when you procrastinate on chores with other cleaning projects. But my kitchen counter/mail center does look a lot better.
So far this morning, I've changed the burnt out lightbulb in the office and cleaned off the desk (yes, that's my desk up at the top of this post, and yes, that's "clean" - or clean enough to work on, anyways), so it's all ready for writing/editing. As soon as I post this, I'll make a list of everything I want to get done today, and break it up into chunks of sitting/activity, so I'm not sitting for more than an hour at a time (healthier to move once an hour!). A quick shower, another cup of tea, and I'll be off and running. It's gonna be a good day.
Enjoy
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Romantic Suspense
| Erotic Romance | Contemporary Romance |
Horror | Flash Fiction | Non-Fiction
**Please
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will be moderated. Once you have been approved, future comments will post automatically.
January 17, 2014
Serial Story: Under His Wing, Part 2
This story is presented weekly in draft (unedited) form. Enjoy!
Part 1 |
Dunning Manor, Book 1
Under His Wing
Part 2
Present Day, Lakeside, Pennsylvania
The pop of a burning log brought Katie back to consciousness with a jolt. Smoke stung her eyes and nasal passages, permeating her lungs as she took a deep breath that drew the thick heat down into her oxygen-starved lungs.
Coughing, she shook her head side to side and struggled against the ropes that held her arms and legs immobile. The fire was impossibly close, less than two feet in front of her, the bright orange and yellow flames shooting high against the black night sky.
The heat was intense and she tried again to move, panic rising in her chest as the need to get away, to find oxygen and cooler air grew more desperate. She couldn’t remember how she got here or even what she’d been doing before, but it didn’t seem important. All that mattered was getting free.
Getting air.
A flash of brilliant white light came from somewhere across and to the right of the fire as she felt whatever it was she was attached to wobble slightly. Between the flash and the fire, she was blind to anything beyond, and her heart raced even faster wondering what could be waiting beyond for her. Was that the white light people saw when they died? Was she dead then? Mere moments away?
Another flash from the left this time. She jerked away, the full-body movement enough to tilt her world on its axis where it hung for a long moment. And then she was falling sideways, toppling, her shoulder hitting the ground in a mini-explosion of dirt and tiny embers.
Her eyes squeezed shut against a jolt of pain in her right temple, and when she opened them again, she saw two thick poles lashed together in a triangle beside the fire pit, with another pole resting in the upper apex to extend out over the fire.
Half of a roasting spit. The roasting spit. Her heart felt like it would jump out of her chest as she began to tug and pull and wriggle against the ropes, her memory returning in a deluge of horrific mental images.
The coffee table book. The disturbingly pseudo-sensual images. Her dismissal of his claims that the photo shoot had been real.
His insistence that he’d show her.
“Ready to go, are we?”
She twitched at his voice near her ear, the only movement she could make still bound and lying on her side. She felt his fingers at her ankles, and then her feet were free. He brushed her wrists.
Katie closed her eyes, slowed her breathing and resisted the urge to fight as the ropes fell away from her wrists. She let him drag her upright, leaning heavily on him for support even as she tested her ability to put weight on her feet.
She knew from the photos that he wanted her to crawl out on the pole. To lay there over the fire, as if it didn’t burn while the flames licked her bare skin.
She just needed--
“I know what you’re thinking,” he said, leering down at her as he reached for her shirt. “Even if you did get away, I’d catch you. There’s nowhere to go. The terrain is rough - your feet can’t handle it.” He cut through her shirt from collar to hem with a knife, yanking it off her shoulders. “And pretty soon, you’ll be naked as a jaybird. You wouldn’t want to run into the wrong sort of guy just camping out here without your clothes now, would you? Who knows what he might think...or do?”
Maybe she could get the knife away from him. Kill him. Throw his body on the fire and run away. No one would ever know...or care. She followed the shiny blade as it flashed in the firelight, moving toward the button on her jeans. He was strong, but cocky.
He looked into her eyes as he cut the button and pulled her zipper down. There was no lust in his expression - he needed the fire for that. Just cool confidence that he would get what he wanted.
She weighed her options as he bent to shimmy her jeans down her legs. She could kick him, grab the knife, and run. She could push him and run, and forget about the knife. Unfortunately, with the top button gone and a loose fit, the zipper wasn’t going to hold her pants up at any kind of a fast clip, and she couldn’t afford to be slowed down by clothing once she got away.
So she let him take them off, dutifully stepping out of each leg. Before he could stand again, she bent down and shoved his shoulders as hard as she could, catching him off balance. He fell toward the fire, but she didn’t wait to watch, just spun on her heel and ran as fast as she could into the trees, twigs and shrubs biting at her legs, rocks and pine cones slicing the bottoms of her feet.
She wanted to look back, to see him burning in the fire he loved so much, but he hadn’t screamed, hadn’t made a sound. Just then she felt rather than heard the vibrations of his pursuit underfoot, and she pushed herself to run harder, faster, ignoring the pain, focusing on...
Squinting, she could just barely make out a large, dark house-like shape in the valley below. Dim lights flickered on what looked like a wide front porch, and huge, monstrous figures with tall, widespread wings sat sentinel all around the flat square roof.
There was nothing else around, and Katie had no idea where she was, but whoever lived in that house was her only hope. Zig-zagging down the moderate incline, she raced for the door, praying someone was home as she flew up the stairs, across the wooden slats and pounded hard with one fist on the door.
“Katie!” Peter called, and she finally looked back, wishing she hadn’t. He was close...too close. She tried the knob, nearly crying with relief when it opened of its own accord. Slipping inside as his feet hit the porch, she slammed the massive door shut, dropping the sturdy old-fashioned deadbolt across both doors just as his body hit the other side...
Enjoy
this post? Support your author:
Part 1 |
Dunning Manor, Book 1
Under His Wing
Part 2
Present Day, Lakeside, Pennsylvania
The pop of a burning log brought Katie back to consciousness with a jolt. Smoke stung her eyes and nasal passages, permeating her lungs as she took a deep breath that drew the thick heat down into her oxygen-starved lungs.
Coughing, she shook her head side to side and struggled against the ropes that held her arms and legs immobile. The fire was impossibly close, less than two feet in front of her, the bright orange and yellow flames shooting high against the black night sky.
The heat was intense and she tried again to move, panic rising in her chest as the need to get away, to find oxygen and cooler air grew more desperate. She couldn’t remember how she got here or even what she’d been doing before, but it didn’t seem important. All that mattered was getting free.
Getting air.
A flash of brilliant white light came from somewhere across and to the right of the fire as she felt whatever it was she was attached to wobble slightly. Between the flash and the fire, she was blind to anything beyond, and her heart raced even faster wondering what could be waiting beyond for her. Was that the white light people saw when they died? Was she dead then? Mere moments away?
Another flash from the left this time. She jerked away, the full-body movement enough to tilt her world on its axis where it hung for a long moment. And then she was falling sideways, toppling, her shoulder hitting the ground in a mini-explosion of dirt and tiny embers.
Her eyes squeezed shut against a jolt of pain in her right temple, and when she opened them again, she saw two thick poles lashed together in a triangle beside the fire pit, with another pole resting in the upper apex to extend out over the fire.
Half of a roasting spit. The roasting spit. Her heart felt like it would jump out of her chest as she began to tug and pull and wriggle against the ropes, her memory returning in a deluge of horrific mental images.
The coffee table book. The disturbingly pseudo-sensual images. Her dismissal of his claims that the photo shoot had been real.
His insistence that he’d show her.
“Ready to go, are we?”
She twitched at his voice near her ear, the only movement she could make still bound and lying on her side. She felt his fingers at her ankles, and then her feet were free. He brushed her wrists.
Katie closed her eyes, slowed her breathing and resisted the urge to fight as the ropes fell away from her wrists. She let him drag her upright, leaning heavily on him for support even as she tested her ability to put weight on her feet.
She knew from the photos that he wanted her to crawl out on the pole. To lay there over the fire, as if it didn’t burn while the flames licked her bare skin.
She just needed--
“I know what you’re thinking,” he said, leering down at her as he reached for her shirt. “Even if you did get away, I’d catch you. There’s nowhere to go. The terrain is rough - your feet can’t handle it.” He cut through her shirt from collar to hem with a knife, yanking it off her shoulders. “And pretty soon, you’ll be naked as a jaybird. You wouldn’t want to run into the wrong sort of guy just camping out here without your clothes now, would you? Who knows what he might think...or do?”
Maybe she could get the knife away from him. Kill him. Throw his body on the fire and run away. No one would ever know...or care. She followed the shiny blade as it flashed in the firelight, moving toward the button on her jeans. He was strong, but cocky.
He looked into her eyes as he cut the button and pulled her zipper down. There was no lust in his expression - he needed the fire for that. Just cool confidence that he would get what he wanted.
She weighed her options as he bent to shimmy her jeans down her legs. She could kick him, grab the knife, and run. She could push him and run, and forget about the knife. Unfortunately, with the top button gone and a loose fit, the zipper wasn’t going to hold her pants up at any kind of a fast clip, and she couldn’t afford to be slowed down by clothing once she got away.
So she let him take them off, dutifully stepping out of each leg. Before he could stand again, she bent down and shoved his shoulders as hard as she could, catching him off balance. He fell toward the fire, but she didn’t wait to watch, just spun on her heel and ran as fast as she could into the trees, twigs and shrubs biting at her legs, rocks and pine cones slicing the bottoms of her feet.
She wanted to look back, to see him burning in the fire he loved so much, but he hadn’t screamed, hadn’t made a sound. Just then she felt rather than heard the vibrations of his pursuit underfoot, and she pushed herself to run harder, faster, ignoring the pain, focusing on...
Squinting, she could just barely make out a large, dark house-like shape in the valley below. Dim lights flickered on what looked like a wide front porch, and huge, monstrous figures with tall, widespread wings sat sentinel all around the flat square roof.
There was nothing else around, and Katie had no idea where she was, but whoever lived in that house was her only hope. Zig-zagging down the moderate incline, she raced for the door, praying someone was home as she flew up the stairs, across the wooden slats and pounded hard with one fist on the door.
“Katie!” Peter called, and she finally looked back, wishing she hadn’t. He was close...too close. She tried the knob, nearly crying with relief when it opened of its own accord. Slipping inside as his feet hit the porch, she slammed the massive door shut, dropping the sturdy old-fashioned deadbolt across both doors just as his body hit the other side...
Enjoy
this post? Support your author:
Romantic Suspense
| Erotic Romance | Contemporary Romance |
Horror | Flash Fiction | Non-Fiction
**Please
note - If this is your first time posting, your comment
will be moderated. Once you have been approved, future comments will post automatically.
January 15, 2014
Talkin' Books: A Lot of Thrills...
Books Finished: None
Books In Progress: The Blood Gospel by James Rollins & Rebecca CantrellThe Proteus Cure by F. Paul Wilson and Tracy L. CarboneTatterdemon by Steve Vernon
Short Fiction: None
Comics Read:Harley Quinn #1Superman Unchained #5Origin II #1
It's nearly 1:30am, and I have to get this done and put myself to bed, so just a quick post this week (yes, really!):
I'm so closed to finished with The Proteus Cure that I tried to stay up and finish it tonight. Like most books, it moves quickly at the end...and while somewhat predictable, there's also a big complication that...well, complicates everything. Great read...I'd highly recommend it.
The Blood Gospel is awesome so far, as all Rollins books are. I hate to put it down, and I'll probably power through and finish it this weekend. Yes, it's that good.
My comic book order hasn't come in yet, dang it, so the only comics I read this week were those I bought last week. Harley Quinn is very cool...I'm loving her! And Origin II just annoyed me, because now I have another comic to buy, and a whole book that came before to read. Ugh.
Superman Unchained is always intriguing, and there are some hard questions to be answered soon, which always makes for good storytelling, though I love this particular series more for the artwork.
And that's pretty much it...more next week, and happy reading!
Enjoy
this post? Support your author:
Books In Progress: The Blood Gospel by James Rollins & Rebecca CantrellThe Proteus Cure by F. Paul Wilson and Tracy L. CarboneTatterdemon by Steve Vernon
Short Fiction: None
Comics Read:Harley Quinn #1Superman Unchained #5Origin II #1
It's nearly 1:30am, and I have to get this done and put myself to bed, so just a quick post this week (yes, really!):
I'm so closed to finished with The Proteus Cure that I tried to stay up and finish it tonight. Like most books, it moves quickly at the end...and while somewhat predictable, there's also a big complication that...well, complicates everything. Great read...I'd highly recommend it.
The Blood Gospel is awesome so far, as all Rollins books are. I hate to put it down, and I'll probably power through and finish it this weekend. Yes, it's that good.
My comic book order hasn't come in yet, dang it, so the only comics I read this week were those I bought last week. Harley Quinn is very cool...I'm loving her! And Origin II just annoyed me, because now I have another comic to buy, and a whole book that came before to read. Ugh.
Superman Unchained is always intriguing, and there are some hard questions to be answered soon, which always makes for good storytelling, though I love this particular series more for the artwork.
And that's pretty much it...more next week, and happy reading!
Enjoy
this post? Support your author:
Romantic Suspense
| Erotic Romance | Contemporary Romance |
Horror | Flash Fiction | Non-Fiction
**Please
note - If this is your first time posting, your comment
will be moderated. Once you have been approved, future comments will post automatically.
January 13, 2014
On Birthdays, Trousseaus, & Sweet White Wine....
This Week's To-Do ListLast Week's List
Top o' the week to ya! Yes, we have a long, long ways to go until Friday, but considering this Friday is my 39th birthday, it's a worthwhile slog to get there (for me, anyways). Except in years that the 17th falls on a weekend or happens to be the same day as Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is observed, I take a vacation day from the day job. So unless something dire happens at work that only I can fix (very, very doubtful), Friday I'll be sleeping in, taking a slow, easy day, and going to dinner with my husband after he gets home from work.
I truly can't imagine a better birthday, honestly.
As I was thinking about birthdays the other day, and drinking my nightly half-glass of wine, I started thinking about when I got my hummingbird crystal wine glasses (shown above). I was sixteen years old, and my mom had given both my sister and I hope chests (do people do this anymore?) at some point along the way, wherein we were to store things to save for when we grew up and got married and had a household of our own. This included some old baby clothes and toys, and also more traditional trousseau items like linens and in our case, dish/glassware. Either my mom or one of my close relatives sold Avon at the time, and in the catalog there was this beautiful set of real crystal that included champagne glasses, wine glasses, a candy dish, salt & pepper shakers, candlestick holders...and other things I can't remember at the moment. I thought the hummingbird pattern on them was absolutely gorgeous, and when asked what I wanted for my birthday, I asked for those.
I remember getting part of the set for Christmas, and part for my birthday, and I was just so very pleased with them...almost in awe that I owned something so beautiful at that point in my life (we were never well-off, so it was a pretty big splurge for my mom, even discounted). But it was more than that too. It was a sixteen-year-old's hope for the future, for her own romance someday. I packed them up carefully in my trunk and they remained there until I bought my first house and moved out on my own nearly ten years later. I used them when I lived by myself (I was dating my husband at the time). And now here I am, 23 yrs later, fulfilling the hopes of my sixteen-year-old self and still enjoying those glasses with the man I love.
We have quite a few options now when it comes to wine glasses around here. But the hummingbird glasses are still my favorite - beautiful, elegant, and the perfectly shape/size for a nightly "drink with dinner". Funny how that happened, isn't it?
On the subject of wine, I can't really handle red wine (headaches, stuffy nose, general misery, thanks), but white doesn't bother me. I tend to prefer sweet wines as well, and in the past couple of weeks we've tasted some really fabulous Rieslings, Moscatos, and Chardonnays. I have to say, I wasn't too sure about this particular resolution, but I'm really enjoying it so far. We're trying all sorts of different labels, but if the past week or so has been any indication, it'll be hard to choose a few favorites. Although price will probably force that issue for us eventually, but for now, we're experimenting. If you have a favorite sweet white wine, by all means, share the name! I'll put it on our list.
And now it's 1am, and I really need to get to bed. Here's hoping that the week flies by for all of us, and that your Friday will be as good as mine!
Enjoy
this post? Support your author:
Top o' the week to ya! Yes, we have a long, long ways to go until Friday, but considering this Friday is my 39th birthday, it's a worthwhile slog to get there (for me, anyways). Except in years that the 17th falls on a weekend or happens to be the same day as Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is observed, I take a vacation day from the day job. So unless something dire happens at work that only I can fix (very, very doubtful), Friday I'll be sleeping in, taking a slow, easy day, and going to dinner with my husband after he gets home from work.
I truly can't imagine a better birthday, honestly.
As I was thinking about birthdays the other day, and drinking my nightly half-glass of wine, I started thinking about when I got my hummingbird crystal wine glasses (shown above). I was sixteen years old, and my mom had given both my sister and I hope chests (do people do this anymore?) at some point along the way, wherein we were to store things to save for when we grew up and got married and had a household of our own. This included some old baby clothes and toys, and also more traditional trousseau items like linens and in our case, dish/glassware. Either my mom or one of my close relatives sold Avon at the time, and in the catalog there was this beautiful set of real crystal that included champagne glasses, wine glasses, a candy dish, salt & pepper shakers, candlestick holders...and other things I can't remember at the moment. I thought the hummingbird pattern on them was absolutely gorgeous, and when asked what I wanted for my birthday, I asked for those.
I remember getting part of the set for Christmas, and part for my birthday, and I was just so very pleased with them...almost in awe that I owned something so beautiful at that point in my life (we were never well-off, so it was a pretty big splurge for my mom, even discounted). But it was more than that too. It was a sixteen-year-old's hope for the future, for her own romance someday. I packed them up carefully in my trunk and they remained there until I bought my first house and moved out on my own nearly ten years later. I used them when I lived by myself (I was dating my husband at the time). And now here I am, 23 yrs later, fulfilling the hopes of my sixteen-year-old self and still enjoying those glasses with the man I love.
We have quite a few options now when it comes to wine glasses around here. But the hummingbird glasses are still my favorite - beautiful, elegant, and the perfectly shape/size for a nightly "drink with dinner". Funny how that happened, isn't it?
On the subject of wine, I can't really handle red wine (headaches, stuffy nose, general misery, thanks), but white doesn't bother me. I tend to prefer sweet wines as well, and in the past couple of weeks we've tasted some really fabulous Rieslings, Moscatos, and Chardonnays. I have to say, I wasn't too sure about this particular resolution, but I'm really enjoying it so far. We're trying all sorts of different labels, but if the past week or so has been any indication, it'll be hard to choose a few favorites. Although price will probably force that issue for us eventually, but for now, we're experimenting. If you have a favorite sweet white wine, by all means, share the name! I'll put it on our list.
And now it's 1am, and I really need to get to bed. Here's hoping that the week flies by for all of us, and that your Friday will be as good as mine!
Enjoy
this post? Support your author:
Romantic Suspense
| Erotic Romance | Contemporary Romance |
Horror | Flash Fiction | Non-Fiction
**Please
note - If this is your first time posting, your comment
will be moderated. Once you have been approved, future comments will post automatically.
January 10, 2014
New Serial Story: Under His Wing, Part 1
Happy Friday! You may remember that last year, I did a little experiment with "live writing" late at night, and I started a paranormal romantic suspense story titled Dunning Manor. I wasn't happy with how it was turning out though - the late hour meant I was just tired and not able to be fully involved with the story. So I ended the experiment, but I'm still very much interested in writing the story.
So after one reader vote (thank you, Ardee-ann!) and no waffling at all on my part, I've decided to serialize the rewrite of that draft here, starting today. You'll notice it has a new title - Dunning Manor is now the name of the series, and this will be Book 1. With any luck, there will be many more books to follow...I'm pretty excited about getting this done - right, this time.
So without further ado, I give you the start of Under His Wing. A new installment will be posted every Friday, and this particular story will be sweet(ish - no graphic sex scenes).
Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy it!
Dunning Manor, Book 1
Under His Wing
Part 1 - Prologue
1801, Adirondack Foothills
The air was still, his wife’s passionate cries long faded as Thomas Grady dropped another armful of straw against the back of the house. He stood back to survey the past half-hour’s work: a two-foot berm circling the foundation gleaming pale gold in the waning moonlight.
Part of him wished he’d never heard the boys gossiping in town. Or that he’d stayed away a little longer. Or come home sooner. But Lila had made her choice - several days ago according to those two drunks at the poker table. And Thomas had arrived at the Stattler homestead in plenty of time to hear the proof for himself.
She’d disgraced him, and herself. Her sin couldn’t go unpunished.
Going back to where he’d left his small pack, he picked up the bottle of whiskey and downed one more gulp. Then he poured out the rest across the straw and tossed the bottle down in the pile. Retrieving a match from his pocket, he struck it on a shingle, watching the flame burn for a long second before flicking it down on the berm. The flames jumped up and caught the arm of his shirt before he could back away, biting his skin as he tried to slap it out with his other hand. Dropping to the ground, he smashed his arm into the dirt for relief.
The fire from the house was so bright it hurt his eyes, the heat blistering just two feet away. Getting to his feet, he watched as the orange and yellow monster enveloped the house in seconds.
He thought he heard voices cry out, knew it was her. And him. There was no way out - he’d made sure of that, and the flames licked over the roof as Thomas stumbled back to pick up his bag.
The townsfolk would be here soon - a fire this big wouldn’t go unnoticed for long. He’d have to leave, of course, and never come back, but the way she’d shamed him, he’d have done that anyway. With one last look at the pyre, he blew one last kiss to the only woman he’d ever loved and then ran through the trees for the hills.
Three days later Thomas was parched, weary, and heartsick. He stumbled across one more stream, refusing to drink, and passed up some of the fattest blueberries he’d ever seen on the other side. It wouldn’t be long now. His body was shutting down, his thoughts rattling around like dried beans in a baby rattle. When he reached the top of the hill, he was going to sit down under that huge pine and stare out at the mountains while the rest of his life withered away.
As it should, after what he’d done. Though even as he reached his goal and dropped down to lean against the rough bark, he knew he’d have done it all over again.
A disturbing thought.
The sun was setting over the mountains, the sky turning orange and purple and pink. Lila had always loved the sunrise best, but him...he’d been a sunset man all his thirty years. As the color begin to fade, he closed his eyes, focusing on each breath, wondering which one would be his last.
When he finally drifted off, he thought he heard a rough male voice calling his name...
Enjoy
this post? Support your author:
So after one reader vote (thank you, Ardee-ann!) and no waffling at all on my part, I've decided to serialize the rewrite of that draft here, starting today. You'll notice it has a new title - Dunning Manor is now the name of the series, and this will be Book 1. With any luck, there will be many more books to follow...I'm pretty excited about getting this done - right, this time.
So without further ado, I give you the start of Under His Wing. A new installment will be posted every Friday, and this particular story will be sweet(ish - no graphic sex scenes).
Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy it!
Dunning Manor, Book 1
Under His Wing
Part 1 - Prologue
1801, Adirondack Foothills
The air was still, his wife’s passionate cries long faded as Thomas Grady dropped another armful of straw against the back of the house. He stood back to survey the past half-hour’s work: a two-foot berm circling the foundation gleaming pale gold in the waning moonlight.
Part of him wished he’d never heard the boys gossiping in town. Or that he’d stayed away a little longer. Or come home sooner. But Lila had made her choice - several days ago according to those two drunks at the poker table. And Thomas had arrived at the Stattler homestead in plenty of time to hear the proof for himself.
She’d disgraced him, and herself. Her sin couldn’t go unpunished.
Going back to where he’d left his small pack, he picked up the bottle of whiskey and downed one more gulp. Then he poured out the rest across the straw and tossed the bottle down in the pile. Retrieving a match from his pocket, he struck it on a shingle, watching the flame burn for a long second before flicking it down on the berm. The flames jumped up and caught the arm of his shirt before he could back away, biting his skin as he tried to slap it out with his other hand. Dropping to the ground, he smashed his arm into the dirt for relief.
The fire from the house was so bright it hurt his eyes, the heat blistering just two feet away. Getting to his feet, he watched as the orange and yellow monster enveloped the house in seconds.
He thought he heard voices cry out, knew it was her. And him. There was no way out - he’d made sure of that, and the flames licked over the roof as Thomas stumbled back to pick up his bag.
The townsfolk would be here soon - a fire this big wouldn’t go unnoticed for long. He’d have to leave, of course, and never come back, but the way she’d shamed him, he’d have done that anyway. With one last look at the pyre, he blew one last kiss to the only woman he’d ever loved and then ran through the trees for the hills.
Three days later Thomas was parched, weary, and heartsick. He stumbled across one more stream, refusing to drink, and passed up some of the fattest blueberries he’d ever seen on the other side. It wouldn’t be long now. His body was shutting down, his thoughts rattling around like dried beans in a baby rattle. When he reached the top of the hill, he was going to sit down under that huge pine and stare out at the mountains while the rest of his life withered away.
As it should, after what he’d done. Though even as he reached his goal and dropped down to lean against the rough bark, he knew he’d have done it all over again.
A disturbing thought.
The sun was setting over the mountains, the sky turning orange and purple and pink. Lila had always loved the sunrise best, but him...he’d been a sunset man all his thirty years. As the color begin to fade, he closed his eyes, focusing on each breath, wondering which one would be his last.
When he finally drifted off, he thought he heard a rough male voice calling his name...
Enjoy
this post? Support your author:
Romantic Suspense
| Erotic Romance | Contemporary Romance |
Horror | Flash Fiction | Non-Fiction
**Please
note - If this is your first time posting, your comment
will be moderated. Once you have been approved, future comments will post automatically.
January 8, 2014
Talkin' Books: Two Graves Complete & Comic Tragedy...
Books Finished: Two Graves by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
Books In Progress: Tatterdemon by Steve Vernon
The Proteus Cure by F. Paul Wilson and Tracy L. Carbone
Short Fiction: None
Comics Read:Superior Spiderman #20Superman: Unchained #4Harley Quinn #0
And...we're
back to books! I had big plans to actually include photos in today's
post, but I sort of stayed up until 2am finishing Two Graves
last night, and then this morning's break at work was preempted by all
sorts of crises, so lunch break blogging it is. Which is why this is
going to be super-quick, and photo-less.
In any case, I did finish Two Graves ,
as noted above. The last third of the book is the best part, but most
of the set-up was really, really fragmented, and personally I think at
least one side-plot could have been left out without any impact to the
story whatsoever. It's a tome of a book, but it didn't need to be. And
I'll say I thought Pendergast stepped a bit out of character here and
there too, which was odd. But I waffle on that every time I think about
it. Here's hoping the next one is a bit more cohesive.
I'm working through The Proteus Cure
on my lunch breaks, which makes it slow-going (and obviously not
today). It's holding my interest for sure...the premise is fascinating,
but it's starting to drag a bit for me. I'm ready for it to pick up and
move a bit, so hopefully it will do that soon.
And I was all set to catch up with my neglected Superior Spiderman
comics, only to find that while I have 20, 22, 23, and 24 at home, but
somehow issue 21 was lost in the last major cleaning spree (I subscribe
to that, so I'm sure they sent it...). Ack! So I read 20, and now I'm waiting
on a replacement issue of 21 to finish catching up with that. Which
kind of sucks, because I really kind of need to know what happened next
in this storyline...like yesterday! Dang it. See? Cleaning is dangerous...
I also caught up with Superman: Unchained #4, which was very intriguing (and I *love* the artwork for this series), and finally read the 0 issue of Harley Quinn ,
which is absolutely hilarious, but also a trip through about a zillion
different types of comic book art, so I'd highly recommend it for anyone
who hasn't read comics before just for the artwork (and the fact that
the fourth wall is broken repeatedly and unapologetically throughout -
too funny). Needless to say, I ran out and bought the #1 issue of Harley Quinn last weekend, along with Superman: Unchained #5, and issue #1 of Origin II (Wolverine, as if I needed a new series to follow).
I
may have bought a couple of collected editions while I was at the comic
book store too. Shh! Those are insanely expensive, but the artwork on
those glossy pages is just beautiful...
In any case, I have the latest sale book from Jill Shalvis (Lucky Harbor #7 - It Had to be You ) on my Kindle just begging me to read it, but I'm forcing myself to wait until I finish The Proteus Cure first. And the next print book up now that I'm done with Two Graves is Blood Gospel by James Rollins & Rebecca Cantrell, which I absolutely cannot *wait* to get started on.
As for comic books, I've got a serious catch-up binge planned for this weekend, including all those Superior-Spiderman issues, the entire series of Grimm ,
the new comics I bought last weekend, and a few others on my TBR pile
so I can sort of clean that up and maybe actually keep up with the ones
I'm following a little better this year.
And that was far less quick than it should have been, so until next week, Happy Reading!
Books In Progress: Tatterdemon by Steve Vernon
The Proteus Cure by F. Paul Wilson and Tracy L. Carbone
Short Fiction: None
Comics Read:Superior Spiderman #20Superman: Unchained #4Harley Quinn #0
And...we're
back to books! I had big plans to actually include photos in today's
post, but I sort of stayed up until 2am finishing Two Graves
last night, and then this morning's break at work was preempted by all
sorts of crises, so lunch break blogging it is. Which is why this is
going to be super-quick, and photo-less.
In any case, I did finish Two Graves ,
as noted above. The last third of the book is the best part, but most
of the set-up was really, really fragmented, and personally I think at
least one side-plot could have been left out without any impact to the
story whatsoever. It's a tome of a book, but it didn't need to be. And
I'll say I thought Pendergast stepped a bit out of character here and
there too, which was odd. But I waffle on that every time I think about
it. Here's hoping the next one is a bit more cohesive.
I'm working through The Proteus Cure
on my lunch breaks, which makes it slow-going (and obviously not
today). It's holding my interest for sure...the premise is fascinating,
but it's starting to drag a bit for me. I'm ready for it to pick up and
move a bit, so hopefully it will do that soon.
And I was all set to catch up with my neglected Superior Spiderman
comics, only to find that while I have 20, 22, 23, and 24 at home, but
somehow issue 21 was lost in the last major cleaning spree (I subscribe
to that, so I'm sure they sent it...). Ack! So I read 20, and now I'm waiting
on a replacement issue of 21 to finish catching up with that. Which
kind of sucks, because I really kind of need to know what happened next
in this storyline...like yesterday! Dang it. See? Cleaning is dangerous...
I also caught up with Superman: Unchained #4, which was very intriguing (and I *love* the artwork for this series), and finally read the 0 issue of Harley Quinn ,
which is absolutely hilarious, but also a trip through about a zillion
different types of comic book art, so I'd highly recommend it for anyone
who hasn't read comics before just for the artwork (and the fact that
the fourth wall is broken repeatedly and unapologetically throughout -
too funny). Needless to say, I ran out and bought the #1 issue of Harley Quinn last weekend, along with Superman: Unchained #5, and issue #1 of Origin II (Wolverine, as if I needed a new series to follow).
I
may have bought a couple of collected editions while I was at the comic
book store too. Shh! Those are insanely expensive, but the artwork on
those glossy pages is just beautiful...
In any case, I have the latest sale book from Jill Shalvis (Lucky Harbor #7 - It Had to be You ) on my Kindle just begging me to read it, but I'm forcing myself to wait until I finish The Proteus Cure first. And the next print book up now that I'm done with Two Graves is Blood Gospel by James Rollins & Rebecca Cantrell, which I absolutely cannot *wait* to get started on.
As for comic books, I've got a serious catch-up binge planned for this weekend, including all those Superior-Spiderman issues, the entire series of Grimm ,
the new comics I bought last weekend, and a few others on my TBR pile
so I can sort of clean that up and maybe actually keep up with the ones
I'm following a little better this year.
And that was far less quick than it should have been, so until next week, Happy Reading!
January 6, 2014
On Serial Stories, Weekly Lists & Other Fun Stuff...
Top o' the Monday to ya!
The resolutions have been made, the gauntlet thrown down, and now it's time to start working to achieve those new goals for the year. Also, if you've been reading the weekly serial story, you'll know that Jasmine Betrayal ended last Friday - and that means we need a new serial story to start this week! It's always so exciting to start a new story, or continue on with one I've had to put aside, depending on how you vote (see below).
I do love it when the holidays are over and I can get my normal grove back. And I especially love January - not just because it's my birth month (or actually, maybe it is? Childhood imprinting, or something like that, eh?). It's fresh, clean, and generally snowy. It just "feels" like everything's been rebooted, so to speak. Or maybe it's just my attitude, as I find my "zen" again after the stress of holiday festivities...
In any case, we have a few matters of business to take care of. First, there's the oh-so-important serial story to consider. Here are the choices for the next blog serial...comment here, hit me on FB, leave a message on Twitter, comment on G+ or Goodreads, or heck, you can even email me if you prefer...whatever it takes. Tell me what you want to read next from the following list, and the story with the most votes wins. You'll note that I'm not going to continue the tea series at this time - for now, I think three is enough, and there are other, longer projects hanging out there I'd like to work on. So here's the list - what would you like to read next?
A. Dunning Manor (paranormal romantic suspense - gargoyles)B. Live With Me (romantic suspense - Candace's (from Sleep With Me) story - second novella in the "Be With Me" series)C. MacKenzie Saves the World (sweet romance already in progress, would just move over to this blog rather than stay on the separate one)
These are the three books I'd like to get done and published this year under this name, which is why they're the ones on the list. Voting closes Wednesday at midnight (MST), so I'll have time to write the scene for Friday.
Second order of business...I won't be posting my weekly to-do lists here any longer, but rather I'll provide a link to where you can see them in my Evernote file if you'd like, and you'll even be able to go back and see when I check them off through the week. Below each item on the list, I'll make a note of just how and when I fit it into my schedule that day, so those of you who are interested will be able to see exactly how I slot things in that need to get done (or decide they can't be, and abandon them for the week). This should take away any "magic" that seems to be involved with accomplishing a list of goals, and instead show that *anyone* can find or make the time for things if they make an effort. And if you don't want to know, don't click the link. It's that simple.
Normally the link will be right at the top of each Monday's post. Today, since I'm talking about it down here, the link is here: Weekly To-Do List: Jan. 5 - 11, 2014
The schedule for this blog will remain basically the same. Monday a newsy/rambly post, Wednesday we'll talk books (reading), and the serial fiction installment on Friday.
Other Fun Stuff:
- I plan to bundle the Fantasy Ranch books into one convenient collection and have it available by the end of the month. I'm pretty excited about that, actually.
- The Minister's Maid will be getting a new cover soon. I'm still trying to decide whether to re-cover the whole series or not. Either way, the book will be *free* to download in all online outlets within the next few weeks.
- The Holiday Pact series and Mr. Mysterious will be available by the end of the month.
- The next installment of MacKenzie Saves the World will be online Tuesday.
- The audiobook of Deadly Chai should be available soon.
So there you go! Lots of cool stuff happening soon, and much more to come this year. Away we go!
Enjoy
this post? Support your author:
The resolutions have been made, the gauntlet thrown down, and now it's time to start working to achieve those new goals for the year. Also, if you've been reading the weekly serial story, you'll know that Jasmine Betrayal ended last Friday - and that means we need a new serial story to start this week! It's always so exciting to start a new story, or continue on with one I've had to put aside, depending on how you vote (see below).
I do love it when the holidays are over and I can get my normal grove back. And I especially love January - not just because it's my birth month (or actually, maybe it is? Childhood imprinting, or something like that, eh?). It's fresh, clean, and generally snowy. It just "feels" like everything's been rebooted, so to speak. Or maybe it's just my attitude, as I find my "zen" again after the stress of holiday festivities...
In any case, we have a few matters of business to take care of. First, there's the oh-so-important serial story to consider. Here are the choices for the next blog serial...comment here, hit me on FB, leave a message on Twitter, comment on G+ or Goodreads, or heck, you can even email me if you prefer...whatever it takes. Tell me what you want to read next from the following list, and the story with the most votes wins. You'll note that I'm not going to continue the tea series at this time - for now, I think three is enough, and there are other, longer projects hanging out there I'd like to work on. So here's the list - what would you like to read next?
A. Dunning Manor (paranormal romantic suspense - gargoyles)B. Live With Me (romantic suspense - Candace's (from Sleep With Me) story - second novella in the "Be With Me" series)C. MacKenzie Saves the World (sweet romance already in progress, would just move over to this blog rather than stay on the separate one)
These are the three books I'd like to get done and published this year under this name, which is why they're the ones on the list. Voting closes Wednesday at midnight (MST), so I'll have time to write the scene for Friday.
Second order of business...I won't be posting my weekly to-do lists here any longer, but rather I'll provide a link to where you can see them in my Evernote file if you'd like, and you'll even be able to go back and see when I check them off through the week. Below each item on the list, I'll make a note of just how and when I fit it into my schedule that day, so those of you who are interested will be able to see exactly how I slot things in that need to get done (or decide they can't be, and abandon them for the week). This should take away any "magic" that seems to be involved with accomplishing a list of goals, and instead show that *anyone* can find or make the time for things if they make an effort. And if you don't want to know, don't click the link. It's that simple.
Normally the link will be right at the top of each Monday's post. Today, since I'm talking about it down here, the link is here: Weekly To-Do List: Jan. 5 - 11, 2014
The schedule for this blog will remain basically the same. Monday a newsy/rambly post, Wednesday we'll talk books (reading), and the serial fiction installment on Friday.
Other Fun Stuff:
- I plan to bundle the Fantasy Ranch books into one convenient collection and have it available by the end of the month. I'm pretty excited about that, actually.
- The Minister's Maid will be getting a new cover soon. I'm still trying to decide whether to re-cover the whole series or not. Either way, the book will be *free* to download in all online outlets within the next few weeks.
- The Holiday Pact series and Mr. Mysterious will be available by the end of the month.
- The next installment of MacKenzie Saves the World will be online Tuesday.
- The audiobook of Deadly Chai should be available soon.
So there you go! Lots of cool stuff happening soon, and much more to come this year. Away we go!
Enjoy
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Romantic Suspense
| Erotic Romance | Contemporary Romance |
Horror | Flash Fiction | Non-Fiction
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January 3, 2014
Serial Story: Jasmine Betrayal, Part 22 (Final)
This story is presented weekly in draft (that means unedited)
format every Friday right here on the blog for free. When the story is
done, it will be edited, polished and available for sale at all your
favorite online retailers.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21
Jasmine Betrayal
Part 22
“No! Don’t!” Genevieve watched in horror as Max ran outside. She went to the window, pulling the blinds apart enough to watch as he reached two figures lying flat on the ground. Another shot kicked up dirt several yards away, and she frowned. If it was a sniper out there, he wasn’t very good. There was absolutely nothing blocking Max from the direction the bullets came from.
There was some shuffling on the ground and then Max and the two elderly people got up and...sprinted to the diner. Definitely not elderly then, though they definitely looked the part. FBI?
She watched until they reached the diner and Max let them in the back door. No more shots were fired, and Genevieve let the blinds fall back in place. Jenkins men wouldn’t have bothered with disguises, so it must be the FBI, but why were they here so early? And only two?
And who the heck was shooting? Why had he missed?
She paced the trailer, not sure what to do next. She was so tired of all this, so tired of running and people trying to kill her. What she wouldn’t give to have it all just disappear.
The door to the trailer burst open and for a second, she forgot to breathe as the bright light coming in behind the person obscured his features in shadow. When Max was finally out of the shadow, she breathed a sigh of relief.
“What’s going on? Who were those people?”
He shook his head, a look of disbelief on his face.
“CIA, if you can believe it. Apparently they’ve been tracking Jenkins too, watching his international shipments, and apparently they have this place bugged. They heard the calls we made, and decided to intercept early. Things are going to get really dicey around here very soon - I think we’d better clear out.”
“But the diamonds, all the evidence...”
Max grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the back of the trailer. “I showed them where the diamonds are, and told them they could get any of the other information they need from the FBI after this is all done. You and I are leaving. Now.”
She jumped as he released her hand, stepped back, and kicked out one of the back windows.
“What about the sniper?” she asked as he finished pushing out the screen and stuck edge pieces.
“He won’t be expecting us to leave this way, so if you jump down and stay low, he might not even see us. We’ll make a run for the truck...as soon as you land, run for it, okay?”
She nodded, swallowing the lump of fear in her throat.
“Okay.” She took a deep breath, and then crawled through the opening as fast as she could, anxious to get as far away from the place as possible. Staying low like Max had said, she ran for his truck, surprised when he got in about the same time she did. She hadn’t even heard him behind her.
Shots hit the truck bed as Max started the engine and peeled out, reaching over to pull her down across the seat.
“Stay low,” he growled, the truck swerving from side to side as he left the clearing behind. “Just a few more minutes to be sure.”
There were no more shots after that, and she sat up, watching the world go by at breakneck speed as Max drove them towards the highway. They stopped twice for a quick break, gas and snacks, and then it was back on the highway until he pulled into the driveway of the little house in Memphis. Killing the engine, he got out of the truck, went around and pulled her door open, and then pulled her into his arms.
She gasped, holding on tight as he carried her up to the door.
“What are you doing?” she said, looking all around and expecting the bad guys to jump out from behind every shrub and building. “What if someone sees us? We have to--”
“Shhh.” He unlocked the door and pushed it open, carrying her over the threshold. “If the bad guys aren’t rounded up by now, they will be by morning. I’m ninety-nine percent sure we weren’t followed, and if we’re really lucky, that blinking message on my machine will be very good news for both of us.” He put her down, holding her for a moment longer to make sure she was stable and pressed a quick kiss to her lips as he reached out to push the button.
“We’ve got the package - thanks for the tip.”
Genevieve frowned at the short message. “What does that even mean? They got the tea? The diamonds? Jenkins’ men? Why are you smiling?”
Max chuckled. “It means you’re free, Gen. Everything’s done.”
She shook her head, confused. “That can’t be all there is to it. It’s too easy. I need more information. Who was that - can we call him?”
Max laughed again, picking her up and tossing her over his shoulder.
“If there was a problem, he’d have said so. I’ll call tomorrow and we can figure out how to get the rest of the evidence in, and to who. But right now,” he carried her into the bathroom and put her down in front of the tub. “We are going to take a shower, and go to bed. In that order.”
She put her hands on her hips, raising her eyebrows.
“Oh really? Is that a request, or an order? Because I think--”
Max hauled her into his arms and kissed her, hard and long and every thought she’d been thinking flew right out of her head as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back.
“No more thinking,” he said, his fingers sliding underneath the hem of her shirt.
She couldn’t have argued if she wanted to.
###
Thanks for reading - I hope you enjoyed the story! Jasmine Betrayal is now off to the editor (or will be soon). The draft will be available here on the blog for one more week, and then it will disappear as the next serial story begins. Something completely different...
Enjoy
this post? Support your author:
format every Friday right here on the blog for free. When the story is
done, it will be edited, polished and available for sale at all your
favorite online retailers.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21
Jasmine Betrayal
Part 22
“No! Don’t!” Genevieve watched in horror as Max ran outside. She went to the window, pulling the blinds apart enough to watch as he reached two figures lying flat on the ground. Another shot kicked up dirt several yards away, and she frowned. If it was a sniper out there, he wasn’t very good. There was absolutely nothing blocking Max from the direction the bullets came from.
There was some shuffling on the ground and then Max and the two elderly people got up and...sprinted to the diner. Definitely not elderly then, though they definitely looked the part. FBI?
She watched until they reached the diner and Max let them in the back door. No more shots were fired, and Genevieve let the blinds fall back in place. Jenkins men wouldn’t have bothered with disguises, so it must be the FBI, but why were they here so early? And only two?
And who the heck was shooting? Why had he missed?
She paced the trailer, not sure what to do next. She was so tired of all this, so tired of running and people trying to kill her. What she wouldn’t give to have it all just disappear.
The door to the trailer burst open and for a second, she forgot to breathe as the bright light coming in behind the person obscured his features in shadow. When Max was finally out of the shadow, she breathed a sigh of relief.
“What’s going on? Who were those people?”
He shook his head, a look of disbelief on his face.
“CIA, if you can believe it. Apparently they’ve been tracking Jenkins too, watching his international shipments, and apparently they have this place bugged. They heard the calls we made, and decided to intercept early. Things are going to get really dicey around here very soon - I think we’d better clear out.”
“But the diamonds, all the evidence...”
Max grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the back of the trailer. “I showed them where the diamonds are, and told them they could get any of the other information they need from the FBI after this is all done. You and I are leaving. Now.”
She jumped as he released her hand, stepped back, and kicked out one of the back windows.
“What about the sniper?” she asked as he finished pushing out the screen and stuck edge pieces.
“He won’t be expecting us to leave this way, so if you jump down and stay low, he might not even see us. We’ll make a run for the truck...as soon as you land, run for it, okay?”
She nodded, swallowing the lump of fear in her throat.
“Okay.” She took a deep breath, and then crawled through the opening as fast as she could, anxious to get as far away from the place as possible. Staying low like Max had said, she ran for his truck, surprised when he got in about the same time she did. She hadn’t even heard him behind her.
Shots hit the truck bed as Max started the engine and peeled out, reaching over to pull her down across the seat.
“Stay low,” he growled, the truck swerving from side to side as he left the clearing behind. “Just a few more minutes to be sure.”
There were no more shots after that, and she sat up, watching the world go by at breakneck speed as Max drove them towards the highway. They stopped twice for a quick break, gas and snacks, and then it was back on the highway until he pulled into the driveway of the little house in Memphis. Killing the engine, he got out of the truck, went around and pulled her door open, and then pulled her into his arms.
She gasped, holding on tight as he carried her up to the door.
“What are you doing?” she said, looking all around and expecting the bad guys to jump out from behind every shrub and building. “What if someone sees us? We have to--”
“Shhh.” He unlocked the door and pushed it open, carrying her over the threshold. “If the bad guys aren’t rounded up by now, they will be by morning. I’m ninety-nine percent sure we weren’t followed, and if we’re really lucky, that blinking message on my machine will be very good news for both of us.” He put her down, holding her for a moment longer to make sure she was stable and pressed a quick kiss to her lips as he reached out to push the button.
“We’ve got the package - thanks for the tip.”
Genevieve frowned at the short message. “What does that even mean? They got the tea? The diamonds? Jenkins’ men? Why are you smiling?”
Max chuckled. “It means you’re free, Gen. Everything’s done.”
She shook her head, confused. “That can’t be all there is to it. It’s too easy. I need more information. Who was that - can we call him?”
Max laughed again, picking her up and tossing her over his shoulder.
“If there was a problem, he’d have said so. I’ll call tomorrow and we can figure out how to get the rest of the evidence in, and to who. But right now,” he carried her into the bathroom and put her down in front of the tub. “We are going to take a shower, and go to bed. In that order.”
She put her hands on her hips, raising her eyebrows.
“Oh really? Is that a request, or an order? Because I think--”
Max hauled her into his arms and kissed her, hard and long and every thought she’d been thinking flew right out of her head as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back.
“No more thinking,” he said, his fingers sliding underneath the hem of her shirt.
She couldn’t have argued if she wanted to.
###
Thanks for reading - I hope you enjoyed the story! Jasmine Betrayal is now off to the editor (or will be soon). The draft will be available here on the blog for one more week, and then it will disappear as the next serial story begins. Something completely different...
Enjoy
this post? Support your author:
Romantic Suspense
| Erotic Romance | Contemporary Romance |
Horror | Flash Fiction | Non-Fiction
**Please
note - If this is your first time posting, your comment
will be moderated. Once you have been approved, future comments will post automatically.
