Jamie DeBree's Blog, page 17
October 25, 2013
Serial Story: Jasmine Betrayal, Part 12
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 |
Jasmine Betrayal
Part 12
Genevieve stilled, frowning at Max. “My father was helping you set Jenkins up for the FBI?” She shook her head. “I don’t believe it. If you knew my dad, you’d know he would never get involved in something like that. He was in a lot of trouble as a kid, and I got the impression he wanted nothing to do with law enforcement of any kind after whatever it was he went through.”
Max shrugged, wincing as she started cleaning out the gash on his side. It was deep, and she tried to be gentle though it was more than he deserved.
“Sometimes you don’t have a choice. Once you get in bad with those types, they own you. That’s why I became an informant, and the guy I report to introduced me to your dad. We didn’t even know the whole plan at first, just that Pete was supposed to borrow the money, use it to fund several shipments of green tea out of China for the restaurant, and then pay Jenkins back six months later. I was supposed to make sure Jenkins worked out a certain interest deal on the loan, and that the tea shipments got delivered on time.”
Things were getting a whole lot clearer, and Genevieve didn’t like it one bit.
“Let me guess,” she said, slathering some expired ointment found under the sink on his side. “There were packages in with the tea that had to be delivered elsewhere, right?”
He nodded. “To Jenkins, after my handler saw them. that was the ‘interest’ Jenkins worked out with Pete, the brainchild of my handler.”
“And you have no idea how my father got involved.” She folded a pad out of cotton material, and then pressed it to the wound, wrapping long strips around his ribs to hold the pad in place, working automatically. She should have checked in more often. Should have been more of her father’s life. Maybe if she had, none of this would have happened.
He shook his head, grabbing her hands when she would have stepped away.
“I tried to convince him to give up the title when Jenkins sent his men - and me - after it, Gen. I swear. Even with his last breath he insisted that it was the key to your happiness. That the title could only go to his daughter. You.”
She gently removed her hands from his grasp with a sigh, and pushed her hair out of her face. Turning away, she went back to the table and picked up the paper she’d left there earlier, bringing it back to show Max.
“Well, here it is, for whatever good it will do me. It’s not like I can go back to the diner until it’s safe, and honestly, I don’t think I ever want to go back, not knowing the whole story.” She stared at the document, her eyes scanning down the rows of text, the official seals and ornate printed border. Turning it over, she scanned through more text, mostly legal jargon and inked signatures.
Frowning, she lifted the page higher, squinting at a small line of print underneath the last signature line on the page. Numbers, she finally decided, though she’d need a magnifying glass to figure out what they were.
“What is it?” Max asked. She shook her head, holding it out and pointing to the bottom of the document.
“There’s a line of numbers down there in tiny print. What do you suppose that means?”
He shrugged, squinting himself as he tried to read it.
“My guess would be some sort of account number,” he said finally, handing it back to her. “Maybe your dad left you more than you know.”
She sat down in a nearby chair, staring at the numbers again. It should be exciting, she supposed, but really, she was just tired. The numbers could mean anything, really. Or nothing at all. Without more to go on, there wasn’t any way to find out.
“Why didn’t you call your handler when all this went awry? Do you need to call him now? Maybe he can--”
Max shook his head. “He’s dead. Remember I told you the sting went bad?”
“Your handler was killed,” Genevieve guessed. “Is that when Jenkins sent you guys to get the title?”
“Yeah. But I bet it wasn’t the paper he wanted - it was that number. We need to find out what it means.” He thought for a moment. “You said your dad had a lawyer?”
Genevieve nodded. “Rick Landon. He’s in Little Rock.”
Max pointed to an old, beat-up phone book on the bedside table by a phone that looked every inch of it’s probable old age.
“Let’s call him. Don’t tell him about the numbers, just ask if your dad left anything else for you. It’s a long shot, but worth a try. Then we’ll get out of here. Find someplace we can hole up for awhile.”
She nodded, sitting with her back to him on the edge of the bed while she looked up the number and dialed. A woman answered on the third ring.
“May I speak with Mr. Landon, please?” She listened quietly as the woman answered her questions, and then carefully replaced the receiver.
“We have a problem, Max,” she said, not bothering to turn around. “Landon’s dead. And I wasn’t sure who else to ask for...Max?”
Twisting to look at him, she sighed. He lay on the bed, feet crossed, fingers interlaced over his stomach, fast asleep.
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 |
Jasmine Betrayal
Part 12
Genevieve stilled, frowning at Max. “My father was helping you set Jenkins up for the FBI?” She shook her head. “I don’t believe it. If you knew my dad, you’d know he would never get involved in something like that. He was in a lot of trouble as a kid, and I got the impression he wanted nothing to do with law enforcement of any kind after whatever it was he went through.”
Max shrugged, wincing as she started cleaning out the gash on his side. It was deep, and she tried to be gentle though it was more than he deserved.
“Sometimes you don’t have a choice. Once you get in bad with those types, they own you. That’s why I became an informant, and the guy I report to introduced me to your dad. We didn’t even know the whole plan at first, just that Pete was supposed to borrow the money, use it to fund several shipments of green tea out of China for the restaurant, and then pay Jenkins back six months later. I was supposed to make sure Jenkins worked out a certain interest deal on the loan, and that the tea shipments got delivered on time.”
Things were getting a whole lot clearer, and Genevieve didn’t like it one bit.
“Let me guess,” she said, slathering some expired ointment found under the sink on his side. “There were packages in with the tea that had to be delivered elsewhere, right?”
He nodded. “To Jenkins, after my handler saw them. that was the ‘interest’ Jenkins worked out with Pete, the brainchild of my handler.”
“And you have no idea how my father got involved.” She folded a pad out of cotton material, and then pressed it to the wound, wrapping long strips around his ribs to hold the pad in place, working automatically. She should have checked in more often. Should have been more of her father’s life. Maybe if she had, none of this would have happened.
He shook his head, grabbing her hands when she would have stepped away.
“I tried to convince him to give up the title when Jenkins sent his men - and me - after it, Gen. I swear. Even with his last breath he insisted that it was the key to your happiness. That the title could only go to his daughter. You.”
She gently removed her hands from his grasp with a sigh, and pushed her hair out of her face. Turning away, she went back to the table and picked up the paper she’d left there earlier, bringing it back to show Max.
“Well, here it is, for whatever good it will do me. It’s not like I can go back to the diner until it’s safe, and honestly, I don’t think I ever want to go back, not knowing the whole story.” She stared at the document, her eyes scanning down the rows of text, the official seals and ornate printed border. Turning it over, she scanned through more text, mostly legal jargon and inked signatures.
Frowning, she lifted the page higher, squinting at a small line of print underneath the last signature line on the page. Numbers, she finally decided, though she’d need a magnifying glass to figure out what they were.
“What is it?” Max asked. She shook her head, holding it out and pointing to the bottom of the document.
“There’s a line of numbers down there in tiny print. What do you suppose that means?”
He shrugged, squinting himself as he tried to read it.
“My guess would be some sort of account number,” he said finally, handing it back to her. “Maybe your dad left you more than you know.”
She sat down in a nearby chair, staring at the numbers again. It should be exciting, she supposed, but really, she was just tired. The numbers could mean anything, really. Or nothing at all. Without more to go on, there wasn’t any way to find out.
“Why didn’t you call your handler when all this went awry? Do you need to call him now? Maybe he can--”
Max shook his head. “He’s dead. Remember I told you the sting went bad?”
“Your handler was killed,” Genevieve guessed. “Is that when Jenkins sent you guys to get the title?”
“Yeah. But I bet it wasn’t the paper he wanted - it was that number. We need to find out what it means.” He thought for a moment. “You said your dad had a lawyer?”
Genevieve nodded. “Rick Landon. He’s in Little Rock.”
Max pointed to an old, beat-up phone book on the bedside table by a phone that looked every inch of it’s probable old age.
“Let’s call him. Don’t tell him about the numbers, just ask if your dad left anything else for you. It’s a long shot, but worth a try. Then we’ll get out of here. Find someplace we can hole up for awhile.”
She nodded, sitting with her back to him on the edge of the bed while she looked up the number and dialed. A woman answered on the third ring.
“May I speak with Mr. Landon, please?” She listened quietly as the woman answered her questions, and then carefully replaced the receiver.
“We have a problem, Max,” she said, not bothering to turn around. “Landon’s dead. And I wasn’t sure who else to ask for...Max?”
Twisting to look at him, she sighed. He lay on the bed, feet crossed, fingers interlaced over his stomach, fast asleep.
Enjoy
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Romantic Suspense
| Erotic Romance | Contemporary Romance |
Horror | Flash Fiction | Non-Fiction
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October 23, 2013
Talkin' Books: Escape & Analytics...
Books Finished: My Funny Valentine by Rhonda Nelson (Sweet Temptations boxed set)Rescue My Heart by Jill Shalvis
Books In Progress: Two Graves by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
Tatterdemon by Steve Vernon
Short Fiction: None
Comics Read:None.
Short & sweet this week, much like my reading time/choices. I finished My Funny Valentine
(which isn't a Valentine's day novel, though it could be - Valentine is
the last name of the heroine), which was cute and a feel-good little
story.
Then I went back to Tatterdemon for awhile...still enjoying it, even though it's quite gory...
My
week last week went south in a pretty big hurry, and in times like
those, I need...escapist fare. Not only was the day job killing me
mentally, but I was having a little personal pity party about my books
& writing. Rescue My Heart went on sale
for $1.99 (I believe it still is - go grab a copy!), so rather than
wallow in my annoying personal "issues", I grabbed a copy and started
reading, determined this time to read not *just* for pleasure, but also
to figure out what it is about her novels that suck me in and won't let
go.
I have a really hard time
reading critically when I pick up a piece of fiction, unless it sucks,
which most don't. But I really want to know what draws me into the books
I like, because I want to work that quality into my own writing voice
so I can draw others in. Sneaky, right? Obviously I can't/won't copy
other authors - it's more than that. It's about taking what draws me to
them, and twisting the basic quality to work with my own voice.
I
got about a chapter in before all that went out the window, of
course...because once again, I was sucked into the story. But I did
manage to force myself to step back and consider what I'd read, and why
it was compelling every time I had to close the book for awhile. The
results were...enlightening. And yes, I did still enjoy the book very
much even while analyzing my response to it, because I saved the
analytics until I had to stop each day. I need to do that with more of
what I read...it's a good way to study the writing craft "in the wild".
Way more fun than reading books on writing!
In any case, the job has leveled out, and so have my stress levels, so it's back to Tatterdemon and Two Graves this week. And a couple of Batman: Year Zero comics calling my name too, dang it!
Enjoy
this post? Support your author:
Books In Progress: Two Graves by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
Tatterdemon by Steve Vernon
Short Fiction: None
Comics Read:None.
Short & sweet this week, much like my reading time/choices. I finished My Funny Valentine
(which isn't a Valentine's day novel, though it could be - Valentine is
the last name of the heroine), which was cute and a feel-good little
story.
Then I went back to Tatterdemon for awhile...still enjoying it, even though it's quite gory...
My
week last week went south in a pretty big hurry, and in times like
those, I need...escapist fare. Not only was the day job killing me
mentally, but I was having a little personal pity party about my books
& writing. Rescue My Heart went on sale
for $1.99 (I believe it still is - go grab a copy!), so rather than
wallow in my annoying personal "issues", I grabbed a copy and started
reading, determined this time to read not *just* for pleasure, but also
to figure out what it is about her novels that suck me in and won't let
go.
I have a really hard time
reading critically when I pick up a piece of fiction, unless it sucks,
which most don't. But I really want to know what draws me into the books
I like, because I want to work that quality into my own writing voice
so I can draw others in. Sneaky, right? Obviously I can't/won't copy
other authors - it's more than that. It's about taking what draws me to
them, and twisting the basic quality to work with my own voice.
I
got about a chapter in before all that went out the window, of
course...because once again, I was sucked into the story. But I did
manage to force myself to step back and consider what I'd read, and why
it was compelling every time I had to close the book for awhile. The
results were...enlightening. And yes, I did still enjoy the book very
much even while analyzing my response to it, because I saved the
analytics until I had to stop each day. I need to do that with more of
what I read...it's a good way to study the writing craft "in the wild".
Way more fun than reading books on writing!
In any case, the job has leveled out, and so have my stress levels, so it's back to Tatterdemon and Two Graves this week. And a couple of Batman: Year Zero comics calling my name too, dang it!
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.
October 21, 2013
Brain Power (or lack thereof), Candy & Feeling Stupid...
As you've probably guessed by the lateness of this blog, it's been a "day". Or a couple of days, actually. I've gotten to the point in my fall where I have so much going on in my feeble little brain that it's both overloaded and rebelling, which is never a good thing. Halloween decorations, my alter-ego's blog event this month, upcoming books, covers that need re-doing ASAP, drafts that need to be finished, insanely huge/intensive projects at the day job, hubby's health issues, dog health issues...it's actually kind of amazing I sleep so well at night, honestly. Then again, I don't go to bed until I can't keep my eyes open any longer (due to the crazy "to-do" list), so that helps...
In any case, all that to say, I'm rather short on available brain power these days. If you notice I'm not around/as social at the moment, that's why. When I have to actually use the ol' noggin for long periods of time each day, my energy for being social gets used up on all the other stuff that needs doing. Just the way things go, unfortunately.
So why didn't I write this post last night as usual? Well, odd schedules, a graveyard to work on, a trip to Costco, a turkey to wrangle (he *was* dead when I started...it was more giblet wrangling that anything else) and cook, and my alter-ego's blog event to maintain. By the time I had time to work on this post, it was after 1am, and my brain was fried from everything else.
My buddy Ardee-ann was just recently extolling my blogging virtues (thank you, dear!). Ironic that I have to go and prove I'm human so soon after that post, eh? I hate when that happens...
My brain is fried tonight too, from an extraordinarily long and gnarly day at the day job (no breaks, obviously, and I chose to read at lunch rather than write this), but it's early enough I can still press it just a little bit further. Unfortunately, there hasn't been and won't be any writing today/tonight. Which sucks, but sometimes there's nothing to be done about it. Tomorrow will be better, I hope.Tonight, I have more work to do on the alter-ego's blog, as much as possible before I allow my brain to melt into a pile of grey, watery mush.
You're welcome. You know I'm all about the imagery...
We did finally buy our Halloween candy this weekend, so that was fun. And yes, I did try a few pieces yesterday too. Can't very well give it out without testing it, right? Besides, I need to figure out what to be stingy with, just in case I decide to do NaNo, right? Although the smarter choice would be to make sure it *all* goes out the door so I don't have to worry about ballooning into a...well, balloon next month (yeah, whatever. Brain fried, remember?).
Aside from the whole lack of mental energy thing, the thing that annoys me the most about having so many things swirling in my brain at once is feeling (and looking) like I'm an idiot. I forget things I should know - things I normally would know, except I don't have any processing power left with which to access them. This leaves me looking stupid more often than I care to admit...mostly at the day job. It's extraordinarily frustrating, because I know if *I* were someone talking to me at that moment, I'd absolutely be thinking about what an idiot I am just then. LOL So it's not like I hold it against people - I totally get it. I just wish it didn't happen so often. Ah well. Keeps me humble, in any case.
And that's another good reason to keep mum on social media when my brain is fried. Keeps me from looking stupid in front of so many people all at once.
In happier news, next week I'll be on vacation from the day job. A much needed and welcome break that should get me back to being...well, not stupid by the time it's over. LOL Hopefully I'll be able to get a lot of writing done as well, and of course Halloween will come and go then as well. Good times.
So...no list this week, because as much as I need one, I'm too tired/fried to actually make one tonight. You can just imagine me like the Energizer bunny, just keeps going and going and going and going...
Meanwhile, I'll be over in that corner hiding under the table, and trying not to drool watching TV, knitting and letting my brain recover for tomorrow's round...
Enjoy
this post? Support your author:
In any case, all that to say, I'm rather short on available brain power these days. If you notice I'm not around/as social at the moment, that's why. When I have to actually use the ol' noggin for long periods of time each day, my energy for being social gets used up on all the other stuff that needs doing. Just the way things go, unfortunately.
So why didn't I write this post last night as usual? Well, odd schedules, a graveyard to work on, a trip to Costco, a turkey to wrangle (he *was* dead when I started...it was more giblet wrangling that anything else) and cook, and my alter-ego's blog event to maintain. By the time I had time to work on this post, it was after 1am, and my brain was fried from everything else.
My buddy Ardee-ann was just recently extolling my blogging virtues (thank you, dear!). Ironic that I have to go and prove I'm human so soon after that post, eh? I hate when that happens...
My brain is fried tonight too, from an extraordinarily long and gnarly day at the day job (no breaks, obviously, and I chose to read at lunch rather than write this), but it's early enough I can still press it just a little bit further. Unfortunately, there hasn't been and won't be any writing today/tonight. Which sucks, but sometimes there's nothing to be done about it. Tomorrow will be better, I hope.Tonight, I have more work to do on the alter-ego's blog, as much as possible before I allow my brain to melt into a pile of grey, watery mush.
You're welcome. You know I'm all about the imagery...
We did finally buy our Halloween candy this weekend, so that was fun. And yes, I did try a few pieces yesterday too. Can't very well give it out without testing it, right? Besides, I need to figure out what to be stingy with, just in case I decide to do NaNo, right? Although the smarter choice would be to make sure it *all* goes out the door so I don't have to worry about ballooning into a...well, balloon next month (yeah, whatever. Brain fried, remember?).
Aside from the whole lack of mental energy thing, the thing that annoys me the most about having so many things swirling in my brain at once is feeling (and looking) like I'm an idiot. I forget things I should know - things I normally would know, except I don't have any processing power left with which to access them. This leaves me looking stupid more often than I care to admit...mostly at the day job. It's extraordinarily frustrating, because I know if *I* were someone talking to me at that moment, I'd absolutely be thinking about what an idiot I am just then. LOL So it's not like I hold it against people - I totally get it. I just wish it didn't happen so often. Ah well. Keeps me humble, in any case.
And that's another good reason to keep mum on social media when my brain is fried. Keeps me from looking stupid in front of so many people all at once.
In happier news, next week I'll be on vacation from the day job. A much needed and welcome break that should get me back to being...well, not stupid by the time it's over. LOL Hopefully I'll be able to get a lot of writing done as well, and of course Halloween will come and go then as well. Good times.
So...no list this week, because as much as I need one, I'm too tired/fried to actually make one tonight. You can just imagine me like the Energizer bunny, just keeps going and going and going and going...
Meanwhile, I'll be over in that corner hiding under the table, and trying not to drool watching TV, knitting and letting my brain recover for tomorrow's round...
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.
October 18, 2013
Serial Story: Jasmine Betrayal, Part 11
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 |
Jasmine Betrayal
Part 11
“Max, you have to wake up. Come on...I can’t carry you.”
There was a distinct note of rising panic in the voice trying to rouse him, and Max groaned as he forced himself back to consciousness and the pain that apparently went along with it. His eyelids were heavy, and it was all he could do to pry them open as a cool hand patted his cheek.
Genevieve was leaning over him, bloodshot eyes clouded with worry as she glanced past him, then looked back at his face. Past her head and above them both he saw the roof of a car - not his, not hers. He remembered stealing the stranger’s car, and laying down in the back seat. After that, nothing.
“Thank god you woke up.” She looked past him again, clearly nervous about something. “Can you walk? We really should get inside...”
“Where are we?” he asked, suppressing another groan as he rose to sit on the seat. His side burned like he’d been scratched by a tiger, heat radiating out in all directions under his skin.
Genevieve took his hand, tugging him toward the open door. “At a hotel in a Memphis suburb - I didn’t catch the name. Let’s go inside, I’ll clean that wound out and then we should keep going, find a hospital.”
“No hospital.” He swung his legs out and stood, surveying the general area for a moment. The hotel was a dive, and while there were a few restaurants and small businesses in the general area, it was a very sparse-looking community overall. “Are you sure you weren’t followed?”
Genevieve nodded, lifting one of his arms to rest on her shoulder, and sliding an arm around his waist. “At first, there were a couple cars hanging back. I lost them on the backroads though, and then just kept going to be sure. We crossed the state line into Tennessee about half an hour ago.”
He leaned on her more than he would’ve like as she helped him to Room 212, three doors away. The key was still a key, and she had to jiggle it a few times before the lock would disengage, but the room itself seemed clean enough, the wide king-sized bed soft when he half-sat half-fell onto it.
Genevieve went back and locked the door, flipping the light switch on as she drew the seventies-style flower print curtains closed.
“Let me help you take off your shirt,” she said, leaving the car keys and a piece of paper on the table next to the door. He couldn’t stop a wide grin as she reached for him, giving her pause. “What?”
He wiggled his eyebrows. “Normally women want a little foreplay before they start taking off my clothes. The direct approach is refreshing.”
She shot him a frigid look and grabbed the hem of his t-shirt, pulling it up and off over his head in a not-so-gentle fashion. He hissed in a breath as air hit the gash in his side, and she bent over, her fingers probing lightly on either side of the wound.
“You wanna play with me?” She stood up and met his gaze, her expression hard. “Let’s play. You tell me the whole story about my father, why he borrowed money for you and why you killed him, and I’ll consider not throwing you back to Jenkins’ dogs when we’re done. Deal?”
He thought about it for a moment, then nodded slowly. With Jenkins dead, it would take a little while for his men to fall in line behind someone else. If all went well, they’d be taken into custody before that happened, or at least the only people who knew about Pete Morano’s deal.
“Okay.” Max watched as she grabbed a pillow, taking the thin cotton case off and tearing it into strips. “First off, you should know I’ve been an informant to the FBI for the last three years. Your dad was helping me set up a sting that didn’t work out. That’s why he borrowed the money.”
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 |
Jasmine Betrayal
Part 11
“Max, you have to wake up. Come on...I can’t carry you.”
There was a distinct note of rising panic in the voice trying to rouse him, and Max groaned as he forced himself back to consciousness and the pain that apparently went along with it. His eyelids were heavy, and it was all he could do to pry them open as a cool hand patted his cheek.
Genevieve was leaning over him, bloodshot eyes clouded with worry as she glanced past him, then looked back at his face. Past her head and above them both he saw the roof of a car - not his, not hers. He remembered stealing the stranger’s car, and laying down in the back seat. After that, nothing.
“Thank god you woke up.” She looked past him again, clearly nervous about something. “Can you walk? We really should get inside...”
“Where are we?” he asked, suppressing another groan as he rose to sit on the seat. His side burned like he’d been scratched by a tiger, heat radiating out in all directions under his skin.
Genevieve took his hand, tugging him toward the open door. “At a hotel in a Memphis suburb - I didn’t catch the name. Let’s go inside, I’ll clean that wound out and then we should keep going, find a hospital.”
“No hospital.” He swung his legs out and stood, surveying the general area for a moment. The hotel was a dive, and while there were a few restaurants and small businesses in the general area, it was a very sparse-looking community overall. “Are you sure you weren’t followed?”
Genevieve nodded, lifting one of his arms to rest on her shoulder, and sliding an arm around his waist. “At first, there were a couple cars hanging back. I lost them on the backroads though, and then just kept going to be sure. We crossed the state line into Tennessee about half an hour ago.”
He leaned on her more than he would’ve like as she helped him to Room 212, three doors away. The key was still a key, and she had to jiggle it a few times before the lock would disengage, but the room itself seemed clean enough, the wide king-sized bed soft when he half-sat half-fell onto it.
Genevieve went back and locked the door, flipping the light switch on as she drew the seventies-style flower print curtains closed.
“Let me help you take off your shirt,” she said, leaving the car keys and a piece of paper on the table next to the door. He couldn’t stop a wide grin as she reached for him, giving her pause. “What?”
He wiggled his eyebrows. “Normally women want a little foreplay before they start taking off my clothes. The direct approach is refreshing.”
She shot him a frigid look and grabbed the hem of his t-shirt, pulling it up and off over his head in a not-so-gentle fashion. He hissed in a breath as air hit the gash in his side, and she bent over, her fingers probing lightly on either side of the wound.
“You wanna play with me?” She stood up and met his gaze, her expression hard. “Let’s play. You tell me the whole story about my father, why he borrowed money for you and why you killed him, and I’ll consider not throwing you back to Jenkins’ dogs when we’re done. Deal?”
He thought about it for a moment, then nodded slowly. With Jenkins dead, it would take a little while for his men to fall in line behind someone else. If all went well, they’d be taken into custody before that happened, or at least the only people who knew about Pete Morano’s deal.
“Okay.” Max watched as she grabbed a pillow, taking the thin cotton case off and tearing it into strips. “First off, you should know I’ve been an informant to the FBI for the last three years. Your dad was helping me set up a sting that didn’t work out. That’s why he borrowed the money.”
Enjoy
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Romantic Suspense
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October 16, 2013
Talkin' Books: Romance, Horror & Comic Catch-Up...
Books Finished: Hot Secrets by Lisa Renee Jones
Books In Progress: Two Graves by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
Tatterdemon by Steve Vernon
My Funny Valentine by Rhonda Nelson (Sweet Temptations boxed set)
Short Fiction: None
Comics Read:Superior Spiderman #17 & #18
Morbius #9
It's
been a strange week or so...very busy, but in a steady, sort of
annoying way. I really just need to accept this as my "new normal" until
December, methinks, but I'd really like to get a little more reading
time in per day. Twenty minutes at lunch just isn't cutting it for me,
really. But it's my own fault, I know. I could find more time, if I made
more of an effort.
Last night I
was tired, worn down, and decided to close the computer early and work
on the comic book stack beside my chair. I was hoping to get a few
chapters in on the Two Graves novel too, but
hubby doused the light early (that's my nightstand novel...I should
bring it out to the living room, I suppose). I did get a few chapters
further in that last week, but it's slow going, as print always is
anymore. Mostly because I'm up pretty late, but the hubby's not.
In
any case, while others seem to be able to breeze through comic books
quickly, I can't. I realize they don't have many words, but the thing
is, I read the words, but I also stop to savor the artwork on every page
- each frame, and all the little details that quite literally "show"
the words that we'd normally read in text-based work. I mean, that's the
whole point of a comic book, right? Author and illustrator working
together to tell a story in a more visual medium. For me, rushing
through a comic book in five minutes is like going to an art gallery and
then just sort of walking quickly past all the art...missing the point
of the excursion completely.
Perhaps
it just takes me longer than the average person to process the
visuals...but I enjoy the time spent doing so. It takes me around 20
minutes to enjoy the average comic book...that's three an hour. For
comparison, I can easily finish a 50k novel in an hour and a half or so -
I'm not a slow reader.
In any case, I digress. And I admit that I've been putting off these two Superior Spiderman
issues due to my uncertainty of whether I still liked the character or
not. I'm happy to say though, that these issues won me back a little
last night...Ock's character was sliding toward tolerable again,
although the "future spidey" was rather odd. We'll see what the next
issue holds, eh?
I was exceedingly sad to get to the end of Morbius #9 and see that it was the last issue for the series. Dang it. A good ending, but I'd have liked to see it continue. *sigh*
On the romantic suspense end of the spectrum, I finished Hot Secrets
and it was really good, as most of Lisa Renee Jones novels are. I'll
eventually hunt down the rest of the series...who doesn't love a hot,
hunky security guy saving the day, right?
I started Tatterdemon over the weekend after reading an excerpt posted on my alter-ego's Month O'Screams
event this month. The excerpt was a historical prelude to the actual
story, and I have to say, it's creepy and quite enjoyable so far, though
I'll warn you, it's bloody. Still, a great horror read for the month,
if you're so inclined, and on sale for 99 cents...
I also started My Funny Valentine
as sort of a "counterbalance" one not-so-great day (horror isn't
generally a good choice when the attitude is already at "irritable").
I'm enjoying the story, but there are quite a few misused words, and
words missing letters that are quite distracting. Normally I wouldn't
mention it (a few errors per book is to be expected), but it is pretty
prevalent in this particular novel, so readers should be warned.
Authors, take note: there are lots of people out there willing to
proof-read for free (or a copy of the book). No need to skip that step
even if you're poor.
In any case,
it's still a fun story, with some great romantic tension...and it comes
in a boxed set of three that is also on sale for 99 cents at the moment
(and at that price, you can skip over some minor word usage errors, eh?
Or I can, anyways.).
And that's
where I'm at for this week...so tell me, what are you reading this
month? Something appropriate for the season, perhaps? Anything you'd
like to recommend?
Enjoy
this post? Support your author:
Books In Progress: Two Graves by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
Tatterdemon by Steve Vernon
My Funny Valentine by Rhonda Nelson (Sweet Temptations boxed set)
Short Fiction: None
Comics Read:Superior Spiderman #17 & #18
Morbius #9
It's
been a strange week or so...very busy, but in a steady, sort of
annoying way. I really just need to accept this as my "new normal" until
December, methinks, but I'd really like to get a little more reading
time in per day. Twenty minutes at lunch just isn't cutting it for me,
really. But it's my own fault, I know. I could find more time, if I made
more of an effort.
Last night I
was tired, worn down, and decided to close the computer early and work
on the comic book stack beside my chair. I was hoping to get a few
chapters in on the Two Graves novel too, but
hubby doused the light early (that's my nightstand novel...I should
bring it out to the living room, I suppose). I did get a few chapters
further in that last week, but it's slow going, as print always is
anymore. Mostly because I'm up pretty late, but the hubby's not.
In
any case, while others seem to be able to breeze through comic books
quickly, I can't. I realize they don't have many words, but the thing
is, I read the words, but I also stop to savor the artwork on every page
- each frame, and all the little details that quite literally "show"
the words that we'd normally read in text-based work. I mean, that's the
whole point of a comic book, right? Author and illustrator working
together to tell a story in a more visual medium. For me, rushing
through a comic book in five minutes is like going to an art gallery and
then just sort of walking quickly past all the art...missing the point
of the excursion completely.
Perhaps
it just takes me longer than the average person to process the
visuals...but I enjoy the time spent doing so. It takes me around 20
minutes to enjoy the average comic book...that's three an hour. For
comparison, I can easily finish a 50k novel in an hour and a half or so -
I'm not a slow reader.
In any case, I digress. And I admit that I've been putting off these two Superior Spiderman
issues due to my uncertainty of whether I still liked the character or
not. I'm happy to say though, that these issues won me back a little
last night...Ock's character was sliding toward tolerable again,
although the "future spidey" was rather odd. We'll see what the next
issue holds, eh?
I was exceedingly sad to get to the end of Morbius #9 and see that it was the last issue for the series. Dang it. A good ending, but I'd have liked to see it continue. *sigh*
On the romantic suspense end of the spectrum, I finished Hot Secrets
and it was really good, as most of Lisa Renee Jones novels are. I'll
eventually hunt down the rest of the series...who doesn't love a hot,
hunky security guy saving the day, right?
I started Tatterdemon over the weekend after reading an excerpt posted on my alter-ego's Month O'Screams
event this month. The excerpt was a historical prelude to the actual
story, and I have to say, it's creepy and quite enjoyable so far, though
I'll warn you, it's bloody. Still, a great horror read for the month,
if you're so inclined, and on sale for 99 cents...
I also started My Funny Valentine
as sort of a "counterbalance" one not-so-great day (horror isn't
generally a good choice when the attitude is already at "irritable").
I'm enjoying the story, but there are quite a few misused words, and
words missing letters that are quite distracting. Normally I wouldn't
mention it (a few errors per book is to be expected), but it is pretty
prevalent in this particular novel, so readers should be warned.
Authors, take note: there are lots of people out there willing to
proof-read for free (or a copy of the book). No need to skip that step
even if you're poor.
In any case,
it's still a fun story, with some great romantic tension...and it comes
in a boxed set of three that is also on sale for 99 cents at the moment
(and at that price, you can skip over some minor word usage errors, eh?
Or I can, anyways.).
And that's
where I'm at for this week...so tell me, what are you reading this
month? Something appropriate for the season, perhaps? Anything you'd
like to recommend?
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.
October 14, 2013
Gloomy Weather, Reflection & Planning...
Yay for a Monday off from the day job! Boo for the fact that it's been raining since yesterday! It's cold, wet, and downright gloomy - the dang rain could at least have the decency to switch to snow. I'd be happier, the dogs would be happier...better all around. *sigh*
To all my Canadian friends, Happy Thanksgiving! To all my US friends, Happy Columbus Day. Thanks to the holiday, I'm at home on my couch instead of in my cubicle at the day job, which is very groovy for a Monday.
Last week was insanely busy, and while I did get a lot done, it was less than I'd hoped. As usual, I guess. I did get some book business-y stuff finished up that I'd been working on for awhile, so that was good. I really don't think there's any chance at all that I'll be caught up with my current drafts & writing projects in time to do NaNo though. I want to, really I do, but the commitments I currently have writing-wise absolutely have to be finished before Dec. 1st...there isn't any other option. Unless I can really start churning out words, I'm thinking NaNo is a no-go for me this year. Pity, since I had two rather excellent stories that would have been fun to work on for that.
Ah well. Nothing to be done about it now. I should be able to get a few good writing sessions in today, working around a vet appointment for Lucy-dog this afternoon. And I have the last week of October off from the day job - part of which will be spent on Halloween stuff, but I should still have some extra writing time there too. So I'm not giving up *just* yet...but it's good to keep things in perspective.
Of course all this could have been avoided if I'd just stuck to my original publishing plan for this year, instead of jumping into a project that *seemed* innocuous, but ended up being far bigger than I'd imagined. Now I'm stuck seeing it through, but next year, no matter what shiny new thing pops up to try to tempt me, I'm sticking to whatever plan I come up with in December as far as publishing schedules go. It will make my life much less stressful, if nothing else.
In that spirit, a slightly leaner to-do list for this week:
- Serial installments for the three stories I have going- As much progress as possible on the holiday serial series- Cover art & editing for the story coming out in November- Update web sites/store (quick updates needed)- Crochet another two afghan squares- Knit every evening for an hour
And that's it, I think. No huge deadlines looming, so I'm going to take it easy and focus on getting as much writing done as possible.
Speaking of which, I have 40 minutes until the hubby gets home for lunch...might as well get some words in, eh?
Here's to brighter weather ahead (I hope!), and lots of wordage this week....
Enjoy
this post? Support your author:
To all my Canadian friends, Happy Thanksgiving! To all my US friends, Happy Columbus Day. Thanks to the holiday, I'm at home on my couch instead of in my cubicle at the day job, which is very groovy for a Monday.
Last week was insanely busy, and while I did get a lot done, it was less than I'd hoped. As usual, I guess. I did get some book business-y stuff finished up that I'd been working on for awhile, so that was good. I really don't think there's any chance at all that I'll be caught up with my current drafts & writing projects in time to do NaNo though. I want to, really I do, but the commitments I currently have writing-wise absolutely have to be finished before Dec. 1st...there isn't any other option. Unless I can really start churning out words, I'm thinking NaNo is a no-go for me this year. Pity, since I had two rather excellent stories that would have been fun to work on for that.
Ah well. Nothing to be done about it now. I should be able to get a few good writing sessions in today, working around a vet appointment for Lucy-dog this afternoon. And I have the last week of October off from the day job - part of which will be spent on Halloween stuff, but I should still have some extra writing time there too. So I'm not giving up *just* yet...but it's good to keep things in perspective.
Of course all this could have been avoided if I'd just stuck to my original publishing plan for this year, instead of jumping into a project that *seemed* innocuous, but ended up being far bigger than I'd imagined. Now I'm stuck seeing it through, but next year, no matter what shiny new thing pops up to try to tempt me, I'm sticking to whatever plan I come up with in December as far as publishing schedules go. It will make my life much less stressful, if nothing else.
In that spirit, a slightly leaner to-do list for this week:
- Serial installments for the three stories I have going- As much progress as possible on the holiday serial series- Cover art & editing for the story coming out in November- Update web sites/store (quick updates needed)- Crochet another two afghan squares- Knit every evening for an hour
And that's it, I think. No huge deadlines looming, so I'm going to take it easy and focus on getting as much writing done as possible.
Speaking of which, I have 40 minutes until the hubby gets home for lunch...might as well get some words in, eh?
Here's to brighter weather ahead (I hope!), and lots of wordage this week....
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.
October 11, 2013
Serial Story: Jasmine Betrayal, Part 10
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 |
Jasmine Betrayal
Part 10
Genevieve had just opened the floor safe that sat under a corner of the Persian rug when all hell broke loose. A short, high-pitched whistle drew her attention, and she looked up to see Max and Jenkins fall to the ground, Max on top. By the time Genevieve made it to the other side of the room, Jenkins had rolled, reversing their positions and sitting on Max’s chest, the point of his gun pressed against Max’s temple.
Blood was pooling under Max’s right side.
Reaching to the side, Genevieve grabbed the large, thick glass vase from her buffet - a gift from her father just because she’d mentioned she liked it one day. Raising it up with both hands, she brought it down hard on Jenkins’ head, connecting with a crack that made her stomach turn as the man toppled to the floor.
For a long moment she just stood there, glancing from the smear of blood on the vase to the rapidly growing pool of red under Jenkins’ head. She’d done that. She’d cracked a man’s skull open.
This. Was. Not. Happening.
Vaguely aware of Max moving below her, she stepped back, dropping the vase to the floor. It hit the rug and rolled to rest against the coffee table, leaving a thin trail of red in it’s wake.
Her knees gave out and she dropped down to the edge of the couch, staring at the body on the floor until Max’s large form blocked her view.
“We have to go,” he said, holding out a hand. “His men will be here soon if they aren’t already, and they won’t hesitate to kill us both. Come on.”
She noted his other hand pressed against his side, blood staining his fingers as it seeped through.
“You’re hurt,” she said, her brows drawing together before she remembered she shouldn’t care. “You need--”
“It’s just a scratch, and we need to get out of here. Come on, Gen. Let’s go.”
Scuffling in the hallway made her heart pound again, and she stood, ignoring his hand.
“How? We’re too high to jump, and they’re waiting for us. Where do we go?”
Max turned away to rifle through Jenkins’ pockets, holding a cell phone when he turned back again. He held it up, and then tapped on the screen for what felt like forever as Genevieve watched.
“I just sent a text to his entire list that we’re on the fifth floor instead of the fourth. Listen.”
Genevieve heard footsteps running in the hall...away from the door. “I can’t believe that actually worked,” she whispered. “What are we waiting for? Let’s go.” She went to the door, but Max stopped her with a hand on her arm before she could open it.
“Let me go first. I’m sure they left one or two people behind. Which way is the stairwell?”
“Left,” she said, moving back a few steps. “At the end of the hall.”
He nodded. “Count ten seconds, then come out behind me. If I haven’t cleared the hall by then, it won’t matter.” He didn’t wait for her agreement, just slipped out the door. She started counting, slowly, her lips moving but no sound coming out for fear of drawing attention.
When she got to ten, she took a deep breath and poked her head out the door, looking right first, then left.
The hall was empty - even Max had disappeared.
Knowing she had to get out of the building, she sprinted toward the stairwell and flung herself around the corner, right into a massive male form.
“Stay close,” Max said in a hushed tone, steadying her on her feet and then starting down the stairs, motioning for her to follow. She followed him to the ground floor and out through the front doors where Max slowed to a walk and looped an arm over her shoulder. She thought it was for show until he leaned in close and she remembered his injury. Slipping an arm around his waist, she tried to support him as much as she could.
“We need transportation,” he said, breathing harder than he should have been. “A car, a cab, something. Soon.” His face was pale and a glance down at the blood trail on the sidewalk was anything but reassuring.
Neither were the footsteps she could hear closing in on them from behind.
A man was getting out of his car to their right, and she veered off, bumping into his side as he went past them on the sidewalk. Ignoring the insult and matching finger directed at her, she got Max to the side of the car, glanced back to make sure the man was gone and pulled his keys out of her pocket.
Max grinned, as she unlocked the car and pushed him into the back seat.
“When this is over, I want to know where you learned how to do that,” he said.
She slid behind the wheel and gunned the engine, tires squealing on the road all around as she backed into traffic. Gunfire made her flinch as she peeled out down the street, swerving around one corner, and then then next to leave their pursuers behind.
“When this is over,” she said, meeting Max’s eyes in the rearview mirror. “I want to know everything you know about my father, and his death. Everything.”
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 |
Jasmine Betrayal
Part 10
Genevieve had just opened the floor safe that sat under a corner of the Persian rug when all hell broke loose. A short, high-pitched whistle drew her attention, and she looked up to see Max and Jenkins fall to the ground, Max on top. By the time Genevieve made it to the other side of the room, Jenkins had rolled, reversing their positions and sitting on Max’s chest, the point of his gun pressed against Max’s temple.
Blood was pooling under Max’s right side.
Reaching to the side, Genevieve grabbed the large, thick glass vase from her buffet - a gift from her father just because she’d mentioned she liked it one day. Raising it up with both hands, she brought it down hard on Jenkins’ head, connecting with a crack that made her stomach turn as the man toppled to the floor.
For a long moment she just stood there, glancing from the smear of blood on the vase to the rapidly growing pool of red under Jenkins’ head. She’d done that. She’d cracked a man’s skull open.
This. Was. Not. Happening.
Vaguely aware of Max moving below her, she stepped back, dropping the vase to the floor. It hit the rug and rolled to rest against the coffee table, leaving a thin trail of red in it’s wake.
Her knees gave out and she dropped down to the edge of the couch, staring at the body on the floor until Max’s large form blocked her view.
“We have to go,” he said, holding out a hand. “His men will be here soon if they aren’t already, and they won’t hesitate to kill us both. Come on.”
She noted his other hand pressed against his side, blood staining his fingers as it seeped through.
“You’re hurt,” she said, her brows drawing together before she remembered she shouldn’t care. “You need--”
“It’s just a scratch, and we need to get out of here. Come on, Gen. Let’s go.”
Scuffling in the hallway made her heart pound again, and she stood, ignoring his hand.
“How? We’re too high to jump, and they’re waiting for us. Where do we go?”
Max turned away to rifle through Jenkins’ pockets, holding a cell phone when he turned back again. He held it up, and then tapped on the screen for what felt like forever as Genevieve watched.
“I just sent a text to his entire list that we’re on the fifth floor instead of the fourth. Listen.”
Genevieve heard footsteps running in the hall...away from the door. “I can’t believe that actually worked,” she whispered. “What are we waiting for? Let’s go.” She went to the door, but Max stopped her with a hand on her arm before she could open it.
“Let me go first. I’m sure they left one or two people behind. Which way is the stairwell?”
“Left,” she said, moving back a few steps. “At the end of the hall.”
He nodded. “Count ten seconds, then come out behind me. If I haven’t cleared the hall by then, it won’t matter.” He didn’t wait for her agreement, just slipped out the door. She started counting, slowly, her lips moving but no sound coming out for fear of drawing attention.
When she got to ten, she took a deep breath and poked her head out the door, looking right first, then left.
The hall was empty - even Max had disappeared.
Knowing she had to get out of the building, she sprinted toward the stairwell and flung herself around the corner, right into a massive male form.
“Stay close,” Max said in a hushed tone, steadying her on her feet and then starting down the stairs, motioning for her to follow. She followed him to the ground floor and out through the front doors where Max slowed to a walk and looped an arm over her shoulder. She thought it was for show until he leaned in close and she remembered his injury. Slipping an arm around his waist, she tried to support him as much as she could.
“We need transportation,” he said, breathing harder than he should have been. “A car, a cab, something. Soon.” His face was pale and a glance down at the blood trail on the sidewalk was anything but reassuring.
Neither were the footsteps she could hear closing in on them from behind.
A man was getting out of his car to their right, and she veered off, bumping into his side as he went past them on the sidewalk. Ignoring the insult and matching finger directed at her, she got Max to the side of the car, glanced back to make sure the man was gone and pulled his keys out of her pocket.
Max grinned, as she unlocked the car and pushed him into the back seat.
“When this is over, I want to know where you learned how to do that,” he said.
She slid behind the wheel and gunned the engine, tires squealing on the road all around as she backed into traffic. Gunfire made her flinch as she peeled out down the street, swerving around one corner, and then then next to leave their pursuers behind.
“When this is over,” she said, meeting Max’s eyes in the rearview mirror. “I want to know everything you know about my father, and his death. Everything.”
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.
October 9, 2013
Talkin' Books: Historical Sci-fi & Other Odds n Ends...
Books Finished: Dance with the Enemy by Linda Boulanger
Magical Misfire by Carol R. Ward
Books In Progress: Two Graves by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
Hot Secrets by Lisa Renee Jones
Short Fiction: The Goblin Moon by Cynthia Moyer
Comics Read:None
As I said last week...busy month. But October always is, right? In any case, I finished Dance with the Enemy ,
which was good, and ended better than I thought it would. I'm waffling
on picking up the next one, but only because historical romance (well,
this is sort of historical...more sci-fi, I guess) is long by it's very
nature, and when life is busy, I want books I can cruise through
quickly. Snack-sized, you might say. Great book though - I'd certainly
recommend it.
I also finished Magical Misfire ,
and naturally it was *better* than I remember it (because this is the
final, edited version, of course). It's a swashbuckling adventure of
medieval and magical proportions, and actually fits quite nicely with Dance with the Enemy,
aside from the fact that it's not a romance (but there's romance in
it...). So...you know. Pick the both up for double the reading
pleasure...
I've gotten far enough in Two Graves
now that I'm peeved I haven't been able to pick it back up in several
days. Here's hoping the next time I get to it, I'll have several hours
to steep myself in the story, because really, it needs me to...
Hot Secrets
is a romantic suspense I picked up for...well, nothing at the beginning
of the month, and it's both hot, and rather suspenseful, so I'm
enjoying it very much. Again, annoyed every time I have to put it down,
which is more often than I get to pick it up these days. *sigh* Luckily,
it's not a huge book, so I'm just about done with it, and as much as I
want the others in the series, I'll refrain for awhile. I have a ton of
new books to read...
In short fiction, I read The Goblin Moon this week to check it out for the Month O'Screams
event on my alter-ego's blog. I decided to just post an excerpt there,
because it's just that much fun...people should buy it, and it's only 99
cents (and a quick read). A perfect little "treat" for Halloween.
And
that's it for this week...I'd like to hope I'll have more reading time
next week, but alas, it's not to be. Dang it. And now I have all these
great horror/suspense/thrillers on my kindle from that Month O'Screams
event just begging to be read, which is quite thrilling, really. I even
bought a zombie novel. And I'm not really keen on the whole zombie thing
either...
...though I may *be* a zombie by the end of this month...
Enjoy
this post? Support your author:
Magical Misfire by Carol R. Ward
Books In Progress: Two Graves by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
Hot Secrets by Lisa Renee Jones
Short Fiction: The Goblin Moon by Cynthia Moyer
Comics Read:None
As I said last week...busy month. But October always is, right? In any case, I finished Dance with the Enemy ,
which was good, and ended better than I thought it would. I'm waffling
on picking up the next one, but only because historical romance (well,
this is sort of historical...more sci-fi, I guess) is long by it's very
nature, and when life is busy, I want books I can cruise through
quickly. Snack-sized, you might say. Great book though - I'd certainly
recommend it.
I also finished Magical Misfire ,
and naturally it was *better* than I remember it (because this is the
final, edited version, of course). It's a swashbuckling adventure of
medieval and magical proportions, and actually fits quite nicely with Dance with the Enemy,
aside from the fact that it's not a romance (but there's romance in
it...). So...you know. Pick the both up for double the reading
pleasure...
I've gotten far enough in Two Graves
now that I'm peeved I haven't been able to pick it back up in several
days. Here's hoping the next time I get to it, I'll have several hours
to steep myself in the story, because really, it needs me to...
Hot Secrets
is a romantic suspense I picked up for...well, nothing at the beginning
of the month, and it's both hot, and rather suspenseful, so I'm
enjoying it very much. Again, annoyed every time I have to put it down,
which is more often than I get to pick it up these days. *sigh* Luckily,
it's not a huge book, so I'm just about done with it, and as much as I
want the others in the series, I'll refrain for awhile. I have a ton of
new books to read...
In short fiction, I read The Goblin Moon this week to check it out for the Month O'Screams
event on my alter-ego's blog. I decided to just post an excerpt there,
because it's just that much fun...people should buy it, and it's only 99
cents (and a quick read). A perfect little "treat" for Halloween.
And
that's it for this week...I'd like to hope I'll have more reading time
next week, but alas, it's not to be. Dang it. And now I have all these
great horror/suspense/thrillers on my kindle from that Month O'Screams
event just begging to be read, which is quite thrilling, really. I even
bought a zombie novel. And I'm not really keen on the whole zombie thing
either...
...though I may *be* a zombie by the end of this month...
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.
October 7, 2013
On Event Organizing, Knitting & Web Site Updates...
I'm pretty bleary-eyed as I write this...it's been a really long
weekend full of work, work and more work. Next time I decide to host a
big blog party (speaking of the Month O'Screams event on my alter-ego's blog)? Just shoot me, K? That'll be less painful.
Just
to be clear, this has nothing to do with the other authors, who have
all been great and are sending me wonderful material to work with. No,
this is about my Type A (I don't admit that often, so make a note)
personality and having to do things "just so" or not at all. Thing is,
that doesn't apply to *everything*, just things I'm organizing. Because
organization = efficiency, and that equals less work. Most of the time,
anyways.
In any case, the reason
this blog event is kicking my butt is because I wasn't organized to
begin with, before it even started. I decided to do it on a whim, and
that's never a good idea (but it is sometimes the only way to get
something done - and the best way to learn what works/what doesn't). The
good news is, Alex's visibility is rising, so it's working as far as
that goes (from 64 post views per day to 200 per day in one week - for comparison, VP here gets around 600 post views per day). And after it's all over, I'll write a post over
on the book biz blog explaining what I did, what's working and what's
not. And what I'll do differently next time (yeah, I know what I said
above, but despite my complaining, it'll be fun once I have the details
worked out, and it's great for visibility *and* meeting other
authors/finding great new books in your genre).
Readers,
that means there will be similar blog events coming to my other blogs
eventually as well. It'll be fun (she says, hoping that's the truth)!
What else is going on? Well, I
did take a few hours to do some housework yesterday, which is good
because my butt was tired of being sat on, and since I skipped it the
week before, the house really needed a basic level of cleaning. And I've
been proofing more audio files - horror/suspense stories at the moment,
but Deadly Chai is also in production, English Breakfast will be listed soon, and I'm thinking about putting The Biker's Wench up for narration as well.
As
far as the knitted Christmas gifts I have going, I'm going to have to
either knit a lot faster, or use a lot bigger needles to get everything
done. Knitting seems to take me a lot longer than crochet, even though I
don't think I'm working too much slower. Smaller stitches, though. One
surprising thing about knitting is that it takes less yarn than crochet,
which gives me hope that I might eventually be able to turn the two
lovely skeins of mint green yarn in my stash into a sweater someday...
As
for my list last week, I got quite a bit done, but not nearly what I'd
hoped. The big thing I did Saturday was to update several of my web
sites that were direly in need of updating - JamieDeBree.com, BrazenSnakeBooks.com, and AlexWesthaven.com. I also updated the BSB store,
which was only slightly out of date (and could still use some work).
Yes, it did take me most of the day, but everything is much better now. I
still need to update my second alter-ego's site, this blog, and decide
what I'm going to do with the Fantasy Ranch site and blog. I think I may
take those down, at least for now...readers can find my Fantasy Ranch
books at several of my other sites, and I won't be working on that
series again for awhile at least. But given the blog party work and
audio stuff, those will wait until next month.
This
week, another long list, but I should be able to spread it out a bit so
it doesn't seem quite so monumental. That's the plan, anyways. One step
at a time...
- Scenes for my two blog serial stories, plus a scene for Dunning Manor on Friday- Finish the last Halloween holiday serial story, start one of the Thanksgiving stories- Flash fiction horror story for Friday- Do the edits for LC (kinda forgot about that last week!)- Two blog posts for the Month O'Screams party (no, I haven't written mine yet - getting there!)- Formatting & uploading print copies for my last two horror shorts- Audio proofing for 2 horror stories (tonight!)- Promo/sharing for the MOS event- Giveaway drawing Friday (MOS)- Stop everything and knit while watching TV for one hour per night this week (seriously)- Crochet two more afghan squares this coming weekend
And
that's it. There's more that I *want* to do, but this is what *needs*
to be done, so I'll focus on these and call it good. Everything else
will still be waiting next week...it's not like work ever really goes
away, right?
Here's hoping this week is calm, organized and on the right side of Murphy's Law...
Enjoy
this post? Support your author:
weekend full of work, work and more work. Next time I decide to host a
big blog party (speaking of the Month O'Screams event on my alter-ego's blog)? Just shoot me, K? That'll be less painful.
Just
to be clear, this has nothing to do with the other authors, who have
all been great and are sending me wonderful material to work with. No,
this is about my Type A (I don't admit that often, so make a note)
personality and having to do things "just so" or not at all. Thing is,
that doesn't apply to *everything*, just things I'm organizing. Because
organization = efficiency, and that equals less work. Most of the time,
anyways.
In any case, the reason
this blog event is kicking my butt is because I wasn't organized to
begin with, before it even started. I decided to do it on a whim, and
that's never a good idea (but it is sometimes the only way to get
something done - and the best way to learn what works/what doesn't). The
good news is, Alex's visibility is rising, so it's working as far as
that goes (from 64 post views per day to 200 per day in one week - for comparison, VP here gets around 600 post views per day). And after it's all over, I'll write a post over
on the book biz blog explaining what I did, what's working and what's
not. And what I'll do differently next time (yeah, I know what I said
above, but despite my complaining, it'll be fun once I have the details
worked out, and it's great for visibility *and* meeting other
authors/finding great new books in your genre).
Readers,
that means there will be similar blog events coming to my other blogs
eventually as well. It'll be fun (she says, hoping that's the truth)!
What else is going on? Well, I
did take a few hours to do some housework yesterday, which is good
because my butt was tired of being sat on, and since I skipped it the
week before, the house really needed a basic level of cleaning. And I've
been proofing more audio files - horror/suspense stories at the moment,
but Deadly Chai is also in production, English Breakfast will be listed soon, and I'm thinking about putting The Biker's Wench up for narration as well.
As
far as the knitted Christmas gifts I have going, I'm going to have to
either knit a lot faster, or use a lot bigger needles to get everything
done. Knitting seems to take me a lot longer than crochet, even though I
don't think I'm working too much slower. Smaller stitches, though. One
surprising thing about knitting is that it takes less yarn than crochet,
which gives me hope that I might eventually be able to turn the two
lovely skeins of mint green yarn in my stash into a sweater someday...
As
for my list last week, I got quite a bit done, but not nearly what I'd
hoped. The big thing I did Saturday was to update several of my web
sites that were direly in need of updating - JamieDeBree.com, BrazenSnakeBooks.com, and AlexWesthaven.com. I also updated the BSB store,
which was only slightly out of date (and could still use some work).
Yes, it did take me most of the day, but everything is much better now. I
still need to update my second alter-ego's site, this blog, and decide
what I'm going to do with the Fantasy Ranch site and blog. I think I may
take those down, at least for now...readers can find my Fantasy Ranch
books at several of my other sites, and I won't be working on that
series again for awhile at least. But given the blog party work and
audio stuff, those will wait until next month.
This
week, another long list, but I should be able to spread it out a bit so
it doesn't seem quite so monumental. That's the plan, anyways. One step
at a time...
- Scenes for my two blog serial stories, plus a scene for Dunning Manor on Friday- Finish the last Halloween holiday serial story, start one of the Thanksgiving stories- Flash fiction horror story for Friday- Do the edits for LC (kinda forgot about that last week!)- Two blog posts for the Month O'Screams party (no, I haven't written mine yet - getting there!)- Formatting & uploading print copies for my last two horror shorts- Audio proofing for 2 horror stories (tonight!)- Promo/sharing for the MOS event- Giveaway drawing Friday (MOS)- Stop everything and knit while watching TV for one hour per night this week (seriously)- Crochet two more afghan squares this coming weekend
And
that's it. There's more that I *want* to do, but this is what *needs*
to be done, so I'll focus on these and call it good. Everything else
will still be waiting next week...it's not like work ever really goes
away, right?
Here's hoping this week is calm, organized and on the right side of Murphy's Law...
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.
October 4, 2013
Serial Story: Jasmine Betrayal, Part 9
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 |
Jasmine Betrayal
Part 9
Max remembered Pete Morano’s confession as the old man lay dying with his head in Max’s lap. For a half-second, he considered the cost of breaking his promise. Genevieve deserved to know the truth, though it would change her life forever.
But it wasn’t his truth to tell.
“Yes,” Max finally said, a part of him dying along with the last spark of hope in her eyes.
She nodded, and then turned to Jenkins still standing in the kitchen doorway.
“If I give you the deed, you’ll leave me alone?”
Max started to protest, but stopped when she shook her head.
Holding up a hand, she fixed him with a cold stare. “Stay out of this, Max. You’ve done enough.”
Jenkins shrugged. “While I’d like to just let you go, I’m afraid that’s just not possible. You both know way too much already about my business, which makes you both liabilities. However, if you hand that deed over, I can promise you won’t suffer. If not, well...”
Three long strides was all it took for Max to place himself in front of Genevieve. He could feel the heat from her body at his back as she sat on the arm of the couch. Jenkins laughed, raising the gun level with the center of Max’s chest.
“Touching, Westlake. If you want to die first, that’s fine with me. We’ll have more fun without a chaperone anyway, right Ms. Morano?”
“Wait!” Genevieve’s fingers dug into the back of Max’s shirt as she used him as leverage to stand up.
“What if I give you the deed in exchange for his life?” she said, trying to move out from behind him. Max simply stepped to the side, still blocking her path. “He’s on your side anyways. Why would you need to kill him?”
Jenkins raised his eyebrows, leaning slightly to look around Max. “He betrayed me, just as he betrayed you. Why would I want to keep him around? For that matter, why do you care if he dies? Really, you should thank me for avenging your father’s death. I can think of a few ways--”
“That’s enough.” Max mentally measured the distance between Jenkins and himself. If he could get Genevieve out of the way, he could rush Jenkins and take the gun. He’d get shot - no way to avoid this close, but if he swung out to the side...
“Go get the deed, Gen. There’s nothing we can do to stop him now.” Behind him, her fingers tightened in his shirt, her nails digging into the skin underneath.
“My name is Genevieve,” she practically growled. “And if he’s going to kill us anyway, there’s no point in making things any easier for him.”
Max barely refrained from rolling his eyes. Yes, she had every reason to be mad, and once he got her out of here, he’d leave her alone for good. But surely she was smart enough to realize he wanted her to move away from him?
He reached back and grabbed her hands, giving them a squeeze before letting them drop.
“Just do it, Gen. I don’t want you behind me when he shoots.”
Jenkins shook his head as Max finally felt Genevieve move away. He waited until he could see her from the corner of his eye, far enough to the side that a bullet meant for him couldn’t hit her.
His attention fully on Jenkins, he waited until their captor was focused on Genevieve.
Max lunged for the gun.
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 |
Jasmine Betrayal
Part 9
Max remembered Pete Morano’s confession as the old man lay dying with his head in Max’s lap. For a half-second, he considered the cost of breaking his promise. Genevieve deserved to know the truth, though it would change her life forever.
But it wasn’t his truth to tell.
“Yes,” Max finally said, a part of him dying along with the last spark of hope in her eyes.
She nodded, and then turned to Jenkins still standing in the kitchen doorway.
“If I give you the deed, you’ll leave me alone?”
Max started to protest, but stopped when she shook her head.
Holding up a hand, she fixed him with a cold stare. “Stay out of this, Max. You’ve done enough.”
Jenkins shrugged. “While I’d like to just let you go, I’m afraid that’s just not possible. You both know way too much already about my business, which makes you both liabilities. However, if you hand that deed over, I can promise you won’t suffer. If not, well...”
Three long strides was all it took for Max to place himself in front of Genevieve. He could feel the heat from her body at his back as she sat on the arm of the couch. Jenkins laughed, raising the gun level with the center of Max’s chest.
“Touching, Westlake. If you want to die first, that’s fine with me. We’ll have more fun without a chaperone anyway, right Ms. Morano?”
“Wait!” Genevieve’s fingers dug into the back of Max’s shirt as she used him as leverage to stand up.
“What if I give you the deed in exchange for his life?” she said, trying to move out from behind him. Max simply stepped to the side, still blocking her path. “He’s on your side anyways. Why would you need to kill him?”
Jenkins raised his eyebrows, leaning slightly to look around Max. “He betrayed me, just as he betrayed you. Why would I want to keep him around? For that matter, why do you care if he dies? Really, you should thank me for avenging your father’s death. I can think of a few ways--”
“That’s enough.” Max mentally measured the distance between Jenkins and himself. If he could get Genevieve out of the way, he could rush Jenkins and take the gun. He’d get shot - no way to avoid this close, but if he swung out to the side...
“Go get the deed, Gen. There’s nothing we can do to stop him now.” Behind him, her fingers tightened in his shirt, her nails digging into the skin underneath.
“My name is Genevieve,” she practically growled. “And if he’s going to kill us anyway, there’s no point in making things any easier for him.”
Max barely refrained from rolling his eyes. Yes, she had every reason to be mad, and once he got her out of here, he’d leave her alone for good. But surely she was smart enough to realize he wanted her to move away from him?
He reached back and grabbed her hands, giving them a squeeze before letting them drop.
“Just do it, Gen. I don’t want you behind me when he shoots.”
Jenkins shook his head as Max finally felt Genevieve move away. He waited until he could see her from the corner of his eye, far enough to the side that a bullet meant for him couldn’t hit her.
His attention fully on Jenkins, he waited until their captor was focused on Genevieve.
Max lunged for the gun.
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.
