Jamie DeBree's Blog, page 29
February 1, 2013
Friday Excerpt: The Minister's Maid
Excerpt from The Minister's Maid
Betsy couldn't stop herself from taking just one more peek at the grotesque image that would undoubtedly haunt her dreams for a long time to come. It was a picture of her, taken recently in the same French maid outfit she still had on, so whoever had gotten it either was here or had been. Whoever left it had photo-shopped her image with a noose around her neck, hanging from the barrister of the grand double staircase on the main floor. Her wrists looked like they'd been slit, and her blood pooled on the floor below.
"We're all in my suite, Ian...come on over." Harley disconnected the call and shoved the phone down in his front pocket. Looking thoughtfully at Betsy, he reached across the counter and took one of her hands. "He sounds pretty bad, sis - what were you fighting about? Did you hit on him again?"
"I'm sure it doesn't matter," Monica said. Betsy shot her a grateful look. "Whatever the problem, I'm sure they'll get over it--"
Harley shook his head, a chuckle of disbelief escaping. "Darlin', you don't know what you're talking about. Why don't you run upstairs and make sure our guest isn't foaming at the mouth because I'm not there. I'll be up as soon as I'm done here."
Betsy's heart broke for her new sister-in-law. Ashamed, she pulled her hand out of Harley's. "Harlen Majors." No woman deserved to be treated like that. Harley's expression softened and he reached for Monica, but she ran out of the kitchen. Betsy didn't blame her. "You should go after her," she said, knowing he wouldn't, but needing to say it. "That was uncalled for and you know it. She just wanted to help."
He met her gaze, his expression one of hurt and resignation. "I'll talk to her later. Your safety is more important right now. When did Derek get out of prison?" The front door opened and shut, and she tried to brace herself, knowing it could only be one person.
"A couple weeks ago. Look, I know I should have told you, but--" she stopped, the words caught in her throat as Ian appeared in the doorway behind Harley. Their eyes met, briefly, but she looked away, unable to face the regret in them. Her face flamed as the minister rounded the counter to stand beside her.
Harley pushed the photo across the counter to Ian. "Someone left this under her door. We need to get her out of here, at least until I can figure out what's going on with Derek."
Ian nodded. "I’ll take her. We can be gone in an hour." He grabbed the photo and flipped it over, hot, angry vibes coming off his body in waves.
"I don't want to go anywhere," Betsy said quietly, her eyes on the stone countertop. "If I run, he wins."
"If you run, you stay alive," Harley countered. "I've got all sorts of crap going on here right now, and Derek is just one more thing. I'll find him, and I'll make sure he doesn't bother you again, but you have to get out of here so I won't be worried about you every second of the day." He curled a hand over Ian's shoulder. "I really appreciate this. I don't care where, and I don't need to know, just find somewhere safe to hole up for a week or so. Charge it to the ranch."
"But I--" Betsy stood up, ready to fight. How dare they pass her around like some errant child in need of babysitting! She trembled where she stood, her muscles tied in knots of anger and frustration.
Harley held his hand up, giving her a stern look. "He's the only one I trust to take care of you, sis. Don't argue. Just go." He walked around the counter and gave her a quick hug, then headed for the door, pausing to glance back over his shoulder. "Don't give him any trouble, Bets. This is serious." Without waiting for an answer, he walked out, leaving her alone with her fear and the one man who could only make things worse.
Betsy bit her lower lip as the door slammed behind Harley. Keenly aware of Ian's presence, she didn't dare look his direction. Her face burned with embarrassment, not just because of what happened earlier in his office, but for being passed off on him like some recalcitrant child. Could this day get any more humiliating?
"You know he's right," Ian said, with none of the censure she'd expected in his tone. "There's no shame in staying safe."
She shook her head. He didn't understand. No one did. There was a reason Derek had tried to kill her before, aside from the alcohol problem everyone had blamed his actions on. He wouldn't stop hunting her until he got what he wanted, or until she was dead, preferably both. A chill settled in the base of her spine at the thought.
"You don't get it," she said quietly, pretending to examine her chipped French manicure. "He won't stop until he finds me. He can't."
Enjoy
this post? Support your author:
Romantic Suspense
| Erotic Romance | Suspense/Thriller
| 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 30, 2013
Recommended Read: A Kiss for Midwinter by Courtney Milan
by now (who hasn't?), and this novella packs a really big wallop in a
smallish package. It's Christmas themed, but don't let that stop you -
the holiday is just part of the setting, and a rather small thing when
you look at the story as a whole.
A Kiss for Midwinter
starts with a girl in rather dire straits
and a fledgling doctor who keeps his mouth shut when he knew better only because he has to.
The actual story is what happens when the two are finally grown up, and
finally the doctor has a chance to help the now-woman, though in a very
different and possibly far more profound way. In turn, she gives him
some much-needed perspective, but the path to get there is so intense
and painful that you won't be able to put this story down until you are
assured of the requisite happy ending (or I couldn't, anyways - it was
2am on a work night, thank you very much).
There are some very frank discussions in this story that one might
not expect and that would have been completely scandalous back then (and
it's noted)...but one wonders how much different the world might be if
more of those types of conversations had taken place back then.
I thoroughly enjoyed this, and if you're a fan of historical
romance (heck, even if you just like contemporary romance), I bet you
will too.
I'm not a
professional reviewer, I don't accept offerings direct from writers or
publishing houses (so don't email asking me to review your book - that's an
excellent way to ensure I never read it), and there's a very good chance
I know the authors of over half the books I'll recommend, so my opinion
is likely biased on any given day. This is just me telling you about a
great book I recently read. Nothing more, nothing less.
**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 28, 2013
On Journals, Uncooperative Stories & Dog Sweaters...
I set up three new blogs last week. Depending how
well you know me, you're probably either shaking your head or shrugging
your shoulders. The new blogs aren't really meant to be "blogs" so much
though. More like online journals for certain activities I enjoy -
namely, crocheting, Smurf collecting & stamp collecting. Actually,
that's probably closer to the original definition of a blog than what we
commonly think of them now - "blog" = "web log"...or in this case,
project journals wherein I plan to keep track of projects &
collections. Honestly, that's more what my tea & nail blogs are
too...just journals where I keep track of notes and things I've done.
They are on a schedule, but the new blogs won't be - it may be days or
weeks between posts, but it doesn't matter because it's just a place to
keep track.
I keep thinking that I don't keep
journals anymore - and I don't, if you consider a journal the paper and
pen sort of thing. But my blogs serve as my journals, and I think
they're just as effective. After having my journals read by others
before (when I didn't exactly authorize it), I never put extremely
personal or negative thoughts on paper anyways, so the form matters less
for me, I think.
As an aside, did you know my buddy Dolly Garland has online journaling workshops through Kaizen Journaling?
Check it out, if you're interested in keeping paper journals...she has
all the information you could ever need or want, and makes journaling
look like fun!
As for my new blogs, they're
all pretty bare yet, but if you're interested, you'll find them linked
up in the "Who/Where Else Am I?" menu above, or you can get to them
through JamieDeBree.com under "Hobbies/Collections".
Did
I get any writing done in the midst of all this, you might ask? Yes,
yes I did, actually. Last Monday I was off work, and I actually spent
most of the day working on three separate story drafts. I managed to get
the serial chapters done that needed to be done, and spent the rest of
the week working on that one short story I really wanted to finish up.
Only it hasn't exactly been in a cooperative mood, which is both
frustrating and annoying. Every time I think I'll be able to finish it
up, there's more that has to be said (who doesn't hate a short story
that doesn't actually tell the whole story?), or fleshed out, or
added/explored to make the whole thing logical and complete. Add to that
the fact that this week was super-busy at work which leaves me less
brain power to work with at night, and we have a short story that still
isn't finished. Dang it.
This week. I'm fervently hoping that this week I can get it finished up and to the editor. I need to move on!
Due
to my little brain-issues this week, I am almost finished with the
sweater I'm crocheting for Mica though. The body is done, and I just
need to finish up the collar and belly straps to call it complete.
Yesterday I even made a couple of polymer clay bone-shaped buttons for
the straps...I think they'll be a very cute finishing touch. Once I'm
finished, I'll post project pictures to the Hookin' It
blog, if you're interested. Hopefully that will be finished this week
too. It's getting cold again...and poor Mica freezes when he has to go
outside.
So what else am I working on this week? Let's see...
- Format & release a recently edited short story- Finish that uncooperative story- Two serial scenes- Finish up Mica's sweater- Work on the two other drafts in progress (1 scene each?)- Input sales info into Quickbooks (I suck so bad at this!)- Get back to work on the organization project in the basement
That's
more than enough, really. I'll work on the collections catalogs too if I
get a spare minute or two (or just need a break from other things).
Here we go, eh?
Enjoy
this post? Support your author:
Romantic Suspense
| Erotic Romance | Suspense/Thriller
| 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 25, 2013
Friday Excerpt: Tempest
Charlie's gaze drifted to the sky, hoping the weather would hold. The
weather on any mountain was bound to be unpredictable, but Tempest
had a reputation for throwing surprises at unsuspecting hikers no
matter what time of the year it was. She'd heard it had something to
do with the surrounding topography and where the mountain sat in
relation to the jet stream, not that it mattered when a freak
thunderstorm or blizzard hit. The landscape was incredible though,
especially the area around Tempest Lake, formed from a dormant
volcano crater a hundred years ago. For Charlie, there was no better
way to spend the summer than guiding people over the mountain,
regardless of the risks.
A tingling sensation built between her shoulders. Someone – or
something, was watching. She eased off the boulder, her pulse jumping
as she scanned her surroundings. Reaching for the yellow spray
canister on her belt, her gaze swept over the trees to her left,
paying close attention to the thick bramble between. Bears could be
foraging lower for food this time of year, if the upper elevations
were depleted. Her senses were on full alert and she turned in a
slow, deliberate circle, her instincts urging her to run. Hide.
Then she swung toward the parking lot. Her gaze locked on to a
gorgeous pair of intense chocolate brown eyes and she nearly gasped
at the jolt of awareness that shot down her spine. It had been a long
time since a man had triggered that particular feeling.
"Dr. Charlotte Reynolds?" The smooth, velvety voice
resonated through her body, and Charlie felt the blood rise in her
face at the amused up-turn of his full, soft-looking lips. "I
didn't mean to startle you."
She blinked, swallowing hard as she dropped her gaze, deliberately
replacing the bear spray while she tried to recover her composure.
"It's okay. I—um..."
Words failed as she caught sight of his black leather work boots, and
followed them up to military style pants tucked in. A black t-shirt
pulled tightly across a rock-hard chest did nothing to slow her
racing heartbeat. Just below his chin a small scar beckoned to her
for a kiss. Moist heat pooled between her legs, and she looked away,
her eyes lighting on the others, all watching with ill concealed
interest.
Great first impression, professor. Pull yourself together. Looking
back down at the clipboard, she scanned the list.
"You must be Jake Nelson?" At his nod, she checked off his
name, and then remembered the woman who was supposed to be with him.
Desire doused with reality, she peered around the distracting new guy
to find a petite redhead standing slightly to the side. "And
you must be Adrienne Winters."
The girl nodded, her long hair hanging in frizzy ringlets that framed
her narrow face. She looked bored, not exactly dressed for hiking in
her tennis shoes and designer shirt. Charlie noticed a large backpack
with two bedrolls attached leaning against a nearby tree, and guessed
that Jake would be carrying the supplies for them both. She couldn't
help the tinge of disappointment she felt.
"You can call me Charlie," she said briskly, checking
Adrienne off the list and stowing the clipboard in her gear. "If
you'd both join the rest of the group behind me, we can go over a few
safety rules and then get started."
Enjoy
this post? Support your author:
Romantic Suspense
| Erotic Romance | Suspense/Thriller
| 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 23, 2013
Recommended Read: Superstitions by J. Carson Black
anywhere (hence the no cover art thing - sorry!), but if you head to Amazon and do a search, it'll come up
there. I try not to post links just to a single store unless it belongs
to the author (I prefer to post links to the author's site, so you can
discover more of his/her books while you're at it), and I'm too lazy to
hunt down links for multiple stores, but you're all well aware of how to
search your favorite online bookstore, right?
In
any case, this is a rather intriguing little story set loosely against
the backdrop of a "true legend" of The Lost Dutchman's Mine. It's got
all the elements of a western - great setting, attitudes that match
those you'd expect on an old west ranch or town, and enough historical
tidbits thrown in to make it feel very authentic (yes, I read westerns
exclusively for a couple years when I was younger - Zane Grey, all the
way, baby).
And of course the
basic elements one would expect from a romance are there as well,
including a love triangle that will have you wanting to strangle each of
the players for different reasons at one point or other. So...good
romantic conflict & tension, in a nutshell.
The
suspense and romance were well-balanced, I think...which is nice, since
it's sometimes hard to find that anymore (and hard to do well too,
believe me - I'm constantly trying). The pacing is a little slow for a
modern romance, but it's a western, and the slower, more even pacing is
perfect for that. It certainly doesn't lag or get boring, but at the
same time it's easy to leave and pick up again when you need to. Handy,
in my opinion.
If you're looking
for a good weekend read, or something to unwind with at the end of the
day, this will certainly fit the bill and leave you with a pleasant,
"all is right with the world" feeling when you're finished.
I'm not a
professional reviewer, I don't accept offerings direct from writers or
publishing houses (so don't email asking me to review your book - that's an
excellent way to ensure I never read it), and there's a very good chance
I know the authors of over half the books I'll recommend, so my opinion
is likely biased on any given day. This is just me telling you about a
great book I recently read. Nothing more, nothing less.
**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 21, 2013
On Brain Power, Priorities & Comic Book Inspiration...
bummer, but there's no avoiding the day job. And I've been thinking
about the projects I need to get done there and how I can organize my
time better to work more efficiently, so I think these days off have
actually given me a better perspective on what I do daily. I'm hoping
that will alleviate some of the "brain drain" I've been dealing with in
the evenings as I try to shift focus to my night job - writing and
publishing. We'll see, but I'm optimistic. Sometimes a simple schedule
change is the key to productivity and better productivity always leads
to a better attitude. Better attitude = less stress, no matter what it
is I happen to be working on.
I've been thinking a lot about priorities too -
which applies more to my writing/publishing (at work, priorities are
largely set by the deadlines of others). Without the weekly serial story
deadlines, I'm completely reorganizing how I work on stories...and it
still feels weird. I have a specific number of stories I want to publish
this year and I really want to plan ahead so that in my busiest months
(August through November), I've written enough that I can be working on
drafts but have stories ready to publish to meet my goals. So I'm
scheduling stories for all four genres I want to publish in this year,
and tentative publishing dates, and I hope to have that done by the end
of today.
My time off hasn't been all work
though! I've also been reading a fantasy draft by a friend that is
awesome, and I can't wait for her to get the first and second books
published, and write the third one. Because I'm demanding like that.
I've also been buying and reading comic books - and enjoying it! I feel
like it's really expanding my literary and art world perspectives, which
can only be a good thing. And I've got the seed of an idea for a new
series to write as well. Ideas are everywhere, you know. You just have
to be open to them!
As for last week's
list...well, I started off strong, and ended up only getting about half
of it done. Part of the issue was being so busy this past weekend - we
were out of the house for a good 3-4 hours both Saturday and Sunday,
which is pretty abnormal for us. Needless to say, a lot of the
organizing and financial stuff just didn't get done. I did finish
updating my personal web site though, which is good. You can go explore
at JamieDeBree.com if you're so inclined.
My
sole goals for today are to get the current short story I'm working on
done, plus tomorrow's serial scene. As for the rest of the week, I'm
shooting for this:
- Two more serial scenes written- Two short story drafts started- One more short story edited- Input last year's sales into Quickbooks- Work on the basement reorganization project- Load of laundry every day (trying to get caught up)- Four workouts...two at home, two at the gym- More work on Mica's sweater- Catalog one stamp/stamp sheet and one smurf
So
lots, but much of it will be done during my nightly writing times and
the rest can be done in short time blocks between dinner and workouts
(aside from the financial stuff & organizing, which can be weekend
projects).
Ready? Here we go...
Enjoy
this post? Support your author:
Romantic Suspense
| Erotic Romance | Suspense/Thriller
| 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 18, 2013
Friday Excerpt: Deadly Chai
Excerpt from Deadly Chai (Jan. 17, 2013)
“Anna?
Are you okay?” Strong hands grasped her upper arms and pushed her
back a step as she looked down in dismay.
“What
the hell, Detective? You couldn’t just say my name or something?”
She dropped the empty cup and swiped ineffectively at the front of
her coat as the last drops of tea slid down. Lucky she’d been
wearing it, or the hot liquid would have scalded her through the
thinner material of her shirt. Glancing up as he released her arms,
she noted his irritated look.
“I
told you not to drink it,” he said, brushing liquid off his own
jacket. “I thought you were in trouble, so I was coming to rescue
you. You’re sure you’re okay? Do you feel queasy or anything?”
Anna
shook her head. “I’m fine. I don’t feel weird or anything, but
I thought you might want to test it at least. It sure tasted good.”
She looked back at The Trusty Mug, wondering how weird it would look
if she went back right away. She could see the counter behind the
windows, but Will wasn’t in view. He must have gone in back after
she left.
“So
does this mean Will didn’t do it, because I’m okay? Or do you
need another cup of tea to test? Because I told him I’d be back
later for more. I could go now and just tell him I spilled it...”
Erik
looked over her shoulder and then grabbed her hand, pulling her away
from the windows and toward her car.
“I
think Will’s probably okay, though I’d still like to come with
you later, just to make sure. For now, you need to just go to the
office, like always. I’ll meet you there in a little bit.”
“Fine.
See you later.” Anna sighed, tossed her damp coat into the back
seat and got into her car, the spicy flavor still lingering on her
tongue. She tried to remember if there were any other coffee shops in
the area where she could get a replacement. Facing the day without
caffeine wasn’t an option.
She
pulled out of the drive and turned right, back-tracking three blocks
to a small coffee kiosk that inhabited the corner of a grocery store
parking lot. It seemed deserted, but she imagined most people would
have gotten their morning coffee by now. Pulling up to the window,
she ordered a tall Chai from the handsome young man inside, admiring
the muscles that rippled under his tight t-shirt as he worked. She
stifled a grin, wondering if he’d ever considered underwear
modeling.
He
gave her the cup as she handed over the money, and she took a small
sip as she waited for her change. It was good. Maybe even better than
what Will had made. Another, bigger sip, and she held out her hand,
surprised when there were suddenly two figures swaying in front of
her eyes. She fought the urge to pass out as someone opened her door,
pushed her over to the passenger seat and crawled behind the wheel.
One of the back doors opened and shut, and she felt the car begin to
move as she succumbed to the fog in her mind.
Enjoy
this post? Support your author:
Romantic Suspense
| Erotic Romance | Suspense/Thriller
| 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 17, 2013
Happy Birthday to Me, Gift for You
[image error]
Anna's
life as an accountant is pretty mundane - just ask her. One of the
bright spots in her day is stopping in at The Trusty Mug for a cup of
whatever tasty tea happens to be in season. But when a handsome
detective asks her to help him check out what he believes is a baseless
tip, her life will never be the same...
If you're looking for my typical steamy scenes, I'm afraid you won't find one in this story - these stories are more the family-friendly variety as they're more focused on the suspense. But I think it turned out rather well, personally, and it was a lot of fun to write. I hope you enjoy it!
It's available pretty much everywhere now, except Kobo (slow) and Smashwords - something's wrong with their publishing system. It's available for the regular price of $1.49...
BUT!
For today only, Deadly Chai is my gift to you when you use the coupon code "GIFTME" in the Brazen Snake Books store! Put it in your cart, check out, download the appropriate file for your reader or system, and copy it over. Piece of cake.
To download your copy or find links to the other stores where it's available if you prefer, click here!
Happy reading!
January 16, 2013
Comic Book Musings & Recommended Read
[image error]
Witchblade #1 at ComiXology
What's this, you say? What the heck is a comic book doing on a romantic suspense writer's blog?
My answer: Expanding our horizons, baby.
Witchblade is one of the first digital comics I read (recommended by Carol Ward), and while I'm not sure how far I'll continue with this particular series, the first free one intrigued me enough to buy the second. I walked away a few times and kept coming back and the story is stuck in my head at the moment, which is generally a good sign that I should keep reading...and so I shall. That's all I'll say about this particular book, because you can read it yourself for free. ComiXology is sort of the "iTunes" for comic books (says one of those tech magazines). Great site for finding nearly everything comic book in one spot...
I've long been a proponent of reading as widely as possible in all
different areas of literature (don't give me crap about "genre fiction
isn't literature" either - words that tell a story in some format or
other = literature for the purposes of this discussion). And throughout
my life I've read at least *something* in every genre and literary niche
out there. I think it helps make a person well-rounded in their
thinking to be exposed to ideas and stories presented in different ways,
and that holds especially true for writers. Just my opinion, but I'm
fairly stalwart about it.
One of the niches I personally haven't read much in at all is
graphical story representations - comic books & graphic novels. Part
of this is because I'm a very text-based person - images, especially
bright, colorful images kind of put my brain on overload, and I end up
not getting as much information out of things presented to me
graphically as I do from straight text. Yes, I realize I'm in the
minority there, but that's how it is. Sunday morning comic strips I can
handle. Simple comic books like Archie, sure. But I've never really
gotten into the more mainstream comics largely because the crowded pages
and color bursts are really just sort of intimidating to me, and I feel
lost when I look at the page and can't decide whether I should be
reading left to right, up to down or in a circle of sorts. I kind of
almost need a connect-the-dots like training course, sad as that sounds.
Even so, last week's episode of The Big Bang Theory convinced me I
should give it another shot. I won't spoil it - just go watch the ep.
where the girls decide to buy comic books. It's excellent, as always.
I decided I needed to try again. So I went online and started
looking at what was out there. I picked out some early Smurfs comics
(because they'll go with my Smurf collection), and a few others to try
both on the advice of more knowledgeable friends and my own taste as I
was browsing. I placed a couple of orders and then decided I should sign
up for some RSS feeds to learn more about them, since the artwork is
such a very large part of what a comic book *is*.
I found ComiXology
and digital comic books, and checked out a few that looked interesting,
all the while wondering how a digital comic could possibly compare to a
print one, since the art is so important to the work. Reading a pdf
file on my PC was a less than stellar experience. And then I opened the
app on my tablet and chose the "guided" option.
Remember how I said I needed a "connect the dots" sort of training
experience to learn how to read comic books? The guided digital option
for my tablet app is exactly that, and I found myself completely
engrossed in the story as soon as I quit worrying about how to follow it
from panel to panel. You'd think the art would suffer, but it really
didn't - at times when the panel was too big, it would just zoom out
after showcasing the text, so I still got the whole of it, but I never
had to try to take in the whole page of graphical information all at
once.
I think I'm hooked. The stories, despite the insanely small amount
of text are just as complex as any novel (I thought I was a sparse
writer - how do they do that?!), and while I'm sure there are some I'd
find rather cheesy (never been a big "Kablooey!" fan), there are flavors
for everyone, just like in text-based fiction. I'll admit to having
been rather naive in thinking comics were mainly cheesy super-hero
stories for kids. Most of those I've been drawn too are certainly *not*
kid appropriate. Not a fan of bare skin comic style? Cruise on
past - there are plenty of issues and heroes and such with enough
clothing to make anyone comfy. Garfield and The Smurfs come immediately
to mind, both of which I plan to have in my collection (and ironically,
neither of which have all that many clothes for the characters, now that
I think about it).
I still buy both print and digital text-based fiction, depending on
what it is, the cost, the author and a host of other things. I have a
small but prized collection of very old hardbacks you'll have to pry out
of my skeletal hands to take away. Yet I prefer to read ebooks in
almost every instance due to the convenience. So there's a place for
both in my life.
I suspect that comic books will be the same for me. They aren't
terribly expensive even in print, so I'll buy print copies of those I
want to keep for collector's value, and do much of my reading via
digital apps on my tablet. The best of both worlds, IMO. And digital
means I can read from the start of a series at a reasonable price,
rather than paying hundreds of dollars for an out-of-print, hard to find
copy. Good stuff.
Once a month, I think I'll feature a comic book as one of my recommended reads. It'll be fun!
So there you have it - my latest way of expanding the mind. Have you read a comic book recently? Which one?
If not, why?
I'm not a
professional reviewer, I don't accept offerings direct from writers or
publishing houses (so don't email asking me to review your book - that's an
excellent way to ensure I never read it), and there's a very good chance
I know the authors of over half the books I'll recommend, so my opinion
is likely biased on any given day. This is just me telling you about a
great book I recently read. Nothing more, nothing less.
**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 14, 2013
On New Stories, Tea & Birthdays...
happening, and there's been a lot going on this past week. It's kind of
crazy, actually. My apologies for not getting an excerpt up last Friday.
Things at the day job were...odd...and that kind of bled into my
personal life towards the end of the week. I'll have one up this week
for sure.
If you're following the last two remaining serial novels, I did post a new scene for each last week: The Handyman's Harem Girl | Sleep With Me.
Unfortunately I didn't finish the short story I'm working on, but I did
get another scene written for that as well. I'm hoping this week will
be more productive for writing.
Thanks to Heidi Sutherlin for providing the last little piece of artwork I needed to finalize the Deadly Chai cover. Deadly Chai is the first short story in the BeauTEAful Summer collection, and will be released on Thursday, Jan. 17th in ebook format.
[image error]
Anna's life as an accountant is pretty mundane - just ask her. One of
the bright spots in her day is stopping in at The Trusty Mug for a cup
of whatever tasty tea happens to be in season. But when a handsome
detective asks her to help him check out what he believes is a baseless
tip, her life will never be the same...
Why
Thursday instead of Friday, you might ask? Because this Thursday is my
birthday, and I like to release a book on my birthday when I can. It's a
little gift to me that another project is done and out there. And if
you come back here on Thursday, I'll post a code for a free download of Deadly Chai in the BSB store, for one day only. My gift to you.
In other semi-related news, I've started a new tea project over at Tea on Tap (my long neglected tea blog). You can read about it here,
and feel free to join in if you'd like. Could be enlightening, could
just be a good excuse to drink more tea. Win-win either way, in my
book.
I
was a bit surprised when I went back to last week's list and found that
I'd completed nearly the whole thing. That almost never happens, so
despite my relatively "blah" attitude, it was a good and rather
productive week overall. This week I've got a bit more to do, but if all
goes as planned I should have Thursday, Friday and next Monday (for
sure, because that's a federal holiday) off from the day job, which
means more time to work on stuff I really want to get done. Very cool.
I
still need to close out that last anthology project, and finish that
short story, and look for cover art images for the next short. The last
thing left undone was the workouts - I worked out twice last week, not
my requisite three times. Other than that, mission accomplished.
This week...a lot of editing & writing ahead:
- Edit three short stories- Publish Deadly Chai- Finish current short story draft- Close out anthology project- Scope out artwork for current short cover- One scene each for serials in progress- Start one new story draft- Continue catching up finances for BSB (started last week)- Keep working on Mica's sweater (started this past weekend)- Three workouts- Finish cleaning/organizing the main areas of the basement- Update all blogs
That should do nicely, I think. Here's to short weeks, birthdays and many more words!
Enjoy
this post? Support your author:
Romantic Suspense
| Erotic Romance | Suspense/Thriller
| 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.
