Ellison James's Blog, page 6

WIP Wednesday

I was planning on skipping ahead again for this week, but decided to post an earlier scene instead to provide some insight into Joe's personality. In this scene, Joe takes Paulina (Alexis) and Becky (the dancer) out to a local coffee shop after their shift at the bar. Joe is a wonderful gentleman and impresses becky, especially.

On a personal note, I must say that Becky was inspired by someone I knew as a teenager. That's all I'll say about that.

Enjoy,

"I see you like to ride in class," Alexis joked, as Joseph opened the passenger-side door of his truck for her."Hey, don't knock it," Joe said. "It gets me from A to B."She crawled into the middle of the bench seat and Becky sat beside her. Joe jumped in the driver's side and shut the door with a hollow thump. They drove the short distance down South Boulevard to a waffle restaurant, the light from the big yellow square-lettered sign diffused through the truck's dirty windshield as they pulled into a parking spot. Joe ran ahead and held the door open for them."Such a gentleman," Becky said."It's just the way my momma raised me," Joe said to Becky, but he looked at Alexis, winking at her as she walked through the door.They found a booth and Joe again waited until her and Becky sat on one side before he slid into the seat on the other side. She ordered a half-stack of pancakes and coffee, and Joe followed suit, ordering the same thing, right down to the coffee. Becky ordered some kind of mega-special with three eggs, a full stack of pancakes, three slices of bacon, and grits."Where do you put it all," she asked, as Becky handed her menu back to the waitress."Dancing is hard work," Becky said. "I Burn a lot of calories climbing up and down that pole."Joe shook his head in agreement. Lexi thought about it. It made sense. Becky's workday must've been like a six-hour marathon of aerobics. No wonder she was so skinny. The food arrived quickly, and when the waitress asked, Joe motioned for her to keep the coffee coming. They fell into silence as they ate, the only noise the occasional grunt from Becky as she stuffed her food into her mouth with a fork in one hand, and a spoon in the other.Lexi glanced at Joe to watch him eat, whenever she thought he wasn't looking. He was a quiet eater, very deliberate, and well mannered. His upbringing was clearly better than his current circumstances. His biceps stretched the material on his shirt each time he brought the fork to his mouth, and it sent a little thrill through her. She found his reserved power somehow alluring and sexy. He caught her looking at him a few times. Or, maybe she caught him looking at her. Either way, she felt she was getting to know him almost without words.Joe finished his food, but Becky was still going at it. In fact, she was eating the food Joe left on his plate. Lexi caught Joe glancing over at Becky, then back at her with a strange look on his face, and she nearly blew coffee through her nose trying not to laugh. She thought she even heard a little chuckle out of Joe, the first since she'd met him. She wanted to know more about him, but she didn't want to have to reveal to much of herself, not now, anyway."So, Joe," She said. "Do you do anything else, besides roughing up hoodlums?""I used to, but now, that's what I do--rough up hoodlums."Lexi shook her head. She wanted to ask him more, but was afraid it might lead to questions about her. But she'd opened the gate with her question, and she could tell, when he brought his coffee cup slowly down to the table, staring at her, he was about to force her hand."What about you, Paulina?" He said. "I know you're new here. Where you from?""Florida," was the first thing that came to mind. "Just moved up from Pensacola."Joe looked at her as if he could see right through her lie. He was probably thinking of some way to catch her in the lie. She was a terrible liar, always had been, and now she wished she did not have to lie, and despised Leo for putting her in this position."What made you decide to move from Pensacola to Montgomery?""I don't know. It's just where I ended up." She wasn't going to last long under this kind of interrogation. She figured changing the subject might help. "What about you," she said. "Have you always lived in Montgomery?""Born and raised here," Joe said. "Did a stint with the Army, but had to quit that gig to help my sick mother.""How is she now?"Joe fell silent, looking down at his napkin. Lexi thought she saw tears welling up in his eyes, but he played it off, like he had a sneeze coming on."His mother passed about six months ago," Becky said in a low voice, as she reached over and rubbed Joe's back."I'm so sorry."Joe looked up at her and said, "That's okay. It's just that she was the last of my family. She was a good person, but she got the cancer. It tore her up. She tried to hide it from me, but I could tell when I talked to her on the phone, she was really sick."Lexi reached for his hands, and he allowed her to take them in hers, or rather, laid her tiny hands on top of his big mitts. He smiled at her, and continued."It started affecting me on missions, so I was told to go take care of her.""They kicked you out of the Army because of your sick mom?""No," he said. "The job I was in, I wasn't really in the Army anymore. It's hard to explain. They gave me the option to come back after things were settled, but I couldn't""Why not," Lexi asked. She wondered what could have happened to make him live a life as a bounty hunter after doing something obviously more important for the government."My mom was sick for a long time. The last few months, she was in hospice care. She didn't have enough insurance to cover it all, and the bills piled up." "Wouldn't the Army help with that?""Well, like I said, I was technically out of the Army, and besides, their insurance doesn't extend to parents. I realized after she died, if I went back in my old job, I wouldn't make enough to pay off her medical and burial costs.""You make that much as a bounty hunter?""Recovery agents can make as much as they want, as long as they're willing to accept the risk.""Yeah," Becky said. "And plus, rumor has it, Joe's the best around."Joe said nothing to Becky's comment. He fell silent for the rest of the meal and coffee. Afterward, he drove them home, dropping off Becky first. She, surprisingly, lived in a small row house along South Boulevard. Once Becky told him she lived at the Woods RV Park, he needed no other directions. He didn't speak until they were turning down the gravel road in the back of the RV Park where the trailers lined its length."Which trailer are you in?"She told him it was the first one on the left. It was so quiet in the cab of the truck; Lexi heard the gravel crunching under the tires as Joe brought the truck to a stop in front of her rental. Joe got out of and ran around the front of the truck to open her door."You working tonight?" Joe asked, as she stepped out of the truck."Yep," she said. "I'm working every night I can.""Maybe I'll see you there," he said.She saw his eyes reflecting the moonlight. He looked sad, hurt, like he wanted to say something. They stood, motionless for a moment, and then reached up and kissed his cheek."Goodnight," he said, and ran back to the driver side of the truck, sliding quickly into the cab.After he drove away, she stood at the front of her trailer for a moment, wondering why she kissed him. She wondered why he left so quickly. Maybe talking about his mother wasn't the best way to avoid talking about her own past.

Hope you enjoyed this little post. My goal in this scene was to provide some background information on Joseph Johnson. I need to depict him as a more gentle soul and work on his likeability as a character because, later on in the story, he is forced to do some nasty mean stuff.

As always, comments and critiques are welcome.

WIP Wednesday

I've skipped ahead again, just a little. In this scene, Paulina has finished her second night at work, Joseph Johnson had come in the bar earlier, and a new character, Norman "Knuckles" Taylor is formally introduced. Knuckles approaches Sam, the bartender, as informs him that Paulina (Alexis) should be a dancer.

Sam doesn't like the idea of his new waitress becoming a dancer, and he especially doesn't like the idea of his dancer, Becky, trying to wait tables. Nonetheless, Sam lacks the power to outright deny the demands of Knuckles.

Sam was washing glasses, trying to keep up with the busy night, when Knuckles left his table and came to the bar, leaning over it and motioning him close."Who's the new girl?""That's Paulina, our new waitress," Sam said. "Why, did you have a problem with her?""No," Knuckles snorted. "No problem at all. In fact, I'd like to see more of her.""What do you mean?" Sam knew exactly what he meant, and he didn't like it one bit."I mean, can she dance?""I didn't hire to dance," Sam said. "I need a good waitress, and she's the best I've had in here in a long time.""Why don't you take that stick, Becky, and put her on the floor taking orders, and put Paulina on the stage." Knuckles gestured toward Paulina, making a sweeping motion toward the stage. "That woman's got some meat on her bones." Knuckles chuckled, and his goons joined in, laughing in unison.It was like something out of a Saturday morning cartoon, or an old-time gangster movie. Maybe that's where Knuckles and his gang got their playbook. Sam looked at Paulina as she worked her way from one table to the next. She moved with fluidity, as if she'd been doing this for years, but he doubted she could dance. He looked over to the dance floor. Becky was throwing herself into the pole, spinning around it and sinking slowly to the floor in the splits. She could dance, but she was no waitress. He'd lose business with Paulina on the stage. It'd be even worse with Becky on the floor. He grabbed a tumbler and shoved it over the bristles of the brush, stalling for time, hoping that Knuckles would suddenly burst out in laughter again, and tell him he was just kidding."Hey, I'm talking to you." Knuckles reached across the counter and poked at him, before squeezing a handful of his shirt into his hand.He wasn't laughing."She's not a dancer," Sam said. "She's a good waitress, the best I've had in here in awhile, and it's only her second day." Besides, what would I do with Becky?""Becky's none of my concern," Knuckles poked his finger into Sam's chest. "You tell Paulina she's gonna dance, and me and my boys here will tip her well if she does.""What if she doesn't want to dance?" Sam already knew what Knuckles was going to say, but it didn't hurt to ask."If she won't dance, you'll fire her. If you don't fire her, I'll have your bar fired, if you know what I mean." Knuckles made a wide sweeping gesture with his arms. "Can you imagine this entire place reduced to ashes? What would you do then?""I'll do what I can." Sam stopped washing glasses, grabbing a towel instead, and squeezing it till his fingers hurt."You'll get her to dance, or I'll become very upset," he said as one of his goons flicked a lighter, bringing it to flame. "And I think you know, bad things happen when someone makes me upset."Knuckles turned, and walked out of the bar, his entourage following behind him. Sam squeezed his towel again as Knuckles passed the table where Joe Johnson sat, and Joe looked up at him. But Knuckles paid him no attention, either not seeing him, or not recognizing the bounty hunter.

Hope you enjoyed this scene. As always, comments and critiques are welcome. You may have noticed my diminished posting as of late. Please bear with me as I enter the final stretch in completing the draft for this story.

WIP Wednesday

This week, I've skipped ahead just a little to introduce the next character, Norman "Knuckles" Nelson, a local crime boss that takes a liking to Alexis, and wants her to dance in the Pink Pony Bar and Grill. Unfortunately, Joe Johnson also meets Knuckles as he picks him up as a new skip.

Hope you enjoy this weeks post. I may be skipping around a little more as the week progress since I may be done with the draft to this story soon. After that, I would like to continue posting little snippets of the story until it is published, or I have other stories to reveal.

Enjoy,

The next day, despite not having a job to go to, Joe woke up with the Sun, just after five in the morning. Last night's skip securely in jail and no chance of getting hold of Jake for his money until he opened his bail bond office at ten, he was forced to cook a hearty breakfast and clean his apartment from top to bottom just to pass the time. Finally, the apartment reeking of pine oil, and the air conditioning already straining against the late morning heat, he checked the clock and swept his skip ticket off the table and bolted out the door to his truck."Damn dude, you spend the night in a pine forest or something," Jake said the moment Joe came through the door."Now you know what clean smells like," Joe responded. "You know, your office could use a little GI detail.""Yeah right, you gonna do it?""You're a big time bondsman. Hire yourself a maid." "I'm not that big time," Jake said with a snicker. "What brings you here today? You looking for more information on Lefty?""No need. I brought him to the station last night." Joe handed Jake his prisoner ticket from the police station. "Just coming by to get paid.""Damn Joe, that was the fastest pick up I've seen," Jake said, as he worked the dial on his big freestanding safe."I got lucky," Joe said. Found him in the first place I checked.""Funny," Jake said as he handed Joe a small stack of bills. "They're usually in the last place you check.""I caught him hassling some woman in an alley by the Pink Pony. I just strapped him up and brought him in, was back to my apartment by midnight."Joe counted the money and stuffed it in his pants pocket. He took a hard look at Jake, staring until he started shuffling his feet."What," Jake said. "The money's all there, isn't it?"Joe said, "Yeah, it's all there." He turned to leave but stopped short. He just had to ask."Look, Jake. I know you just paid me for a skip, but you got anything else?"Jake stared at him for a moment, then said, "Lefty was a pretty big score. Why don't you take a break. Spend some of that money. You're gonna wear yourself down taking one skip after another, Joe. Why don't you save some energy for your full time gig?"Joe looked down at his shoes. "I don't have a full time gig. I got laid off yesterday. Boss said they have to downsize with the economy and all.""Damn, I'm sorry to hear that, Joe." Jake put his hand to his chin, looking like he was considering something, and then pulled a file from the top of a stack of papers on his desk. "I just got this new skip in, but it's a risk.""You know me, Jake. I'm all about the risk." Joe held out his hand for the file. "What was bail on this one?"Jake handed him the file and said, "a million.""A million dollar bail?" Joe had to force himself not to cough as he said it. "That's a hundred-thousand dollar skip ticket. Who is this guy?"His name is Norman Taylor but most know him as Knuckles.""Knuckles? What is it about thugs and stupid nicknames?" Joe forced a laugh, but he knew with a million dollar bail, this skip wouldn't be easy."This one's no joke. He's kind of the local crime boss. He's had his hands in everything from extortion to murder." Jake continued while Joe thumbed through the file. "He never goes anywhere without protection, and he's known for recruiting ex-military baddies like you. Are you okay with that, Joe?""A hundred thousand could pay off all my Mom's medical bills. Hell yeah I'm okay with it.""I don't doubt you could bring Knuckles in on your own," Jake said. "You just have to know that you may have to go through a former teammate to get to him.""I got no heartache taking out a rogue operator if he's he's between me and a hundred thousand. I need this, Jake.""Just be careful with this one, Joe." Jake put a hand on his shoulder. "You'll have to take your time on this one, be smart, catch him without all his protection.""No problem," Joe said. "Just have my money ready when I come to collect." He leaned in and gave Jake a big man hug, slapping his back hard, before leaving his office, full of energy and restored hope.

As with my other stories, I've spent the first three chapters building characters, and establishing relationships. In future scenes, one can expect the action and suspense to increase in alternating paths until I have to reveal some secrets.

Hope you enjoyed this week's work in progress post. As usual, comments, critiques, bitches, and especially encouragement, is welcomed.

WIP Wednesday

Today, I'm posting the scene where my two main characters, Alexis and Joseph, are brought together by fate (or could it be luck) and meet for the first time. I'm not going to proclaim the meeting goes well, since they are both so strong-willed, but maybe they will have occasion in the future to meet again under better circumstances.

Enjoy,

Joe walked across the old crumbling asphalt parking lot, and over patches of loose gravel in front of the abandoned auto parts store toward the bar. As he crossed the alley, he heard a voice and, looking into the darkness, he saw a man and a woman in the shadows by a garbage dumpster. The man said something, and the woman jerked her hand away from him. Joe's body reacted before his mind even realized the two were not standing in the dark for romance. The woman was backing up, and the man was advancing toward her."You alright Ma'am," he heard himself say as he closed the distance between him and the assailant grabbing at the woman. He made it to the man in five easy steps. The man was preoccupied with the woman, allowing Joe the opportunity to wrap his arm around the man's neck and drag him away from the woman, making sure to jerk his knee into the man's back at every step backwards. Joe kept dragging the man backwards until he was brought off balance and went to the ground. He then knelt down with his knee in the man's back again, rolling him over onto his stomach, and yanking his arms behind him. Joe grabbed his zip straps out from the left side of his waistband, and tightened them around the man's wrist before bringing his attention back to the woman."Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Joe looked up at the woman, standing among the dark shadows of the alley. He could only make out her general shape in the dark, but he was certain he saw her eyes, just for a brief moment, nearly glowing, something primal reflecting in them through the darkness. His eyes adjusted to the darkness of the alley, and the two standing in front of him came into better view. He recognized the man as Lefty, the local sleaze ball, and the very skip Jake contracted him to bring in. His luck was certainly changing from earlier in the day. The thug wannabe down and secure, Joe turned his attention back to the woman."It's alright, I got him under control," He said to the woman, as he jerked Lefty up by his cuffed wrists. Standing closer to the woman, he got a better look at her. She looked, not too pleased that he stopped Lefty from doing to her ... whatever it was he was thinking of doing. In fact, the smug look on her face made her seem completely ungrateful that he just saved her life, or, at the very least, her honor. Her pale skin reflected the dim light from the crescent moon overhead, and contrasted sharply with her dark hair. Joe didn't usually think much of white women, but even in the dark, he saw something special in her, a kind of confidence, a deep, animalistic skill for survival. He was beginning to wonder if he hadn't shown up, if she would've taken care of Lefty herself. Then she spoke, and removed any doubt about her confidence."I'm alright," the woman said. "I didn't need any help." She crossed her arms, and moved into a stance that, even in the darkness, came off as arrogant."Yeah, I could tell, you had everything under control," he said, with as much sarcasm as he could muster.She glared at him; a cold hurt showing in her eyes, even through the dark, and he regretted the words as soon as he said them. Truth was, the woman looked like she could take care of herself. She was taller than most women, with a solid build. She was more hard-rubenesque than stick-thin, and her eyes showed strength. Even in the dark alley, her eyes conveyed volumes. Joe liked beautiful eyes, and he liked a strong woman. He decided to take on a different approach in talking to her."I didn't get your name.""I didn't give it," she said as she turned, and began to walk away. "Like I said, I had everything under control until you showed up.""Sorry if I interrupted your ass-kicking, but I've been looking for this guy." Joe left out the fact that he had just started looking for him."Well, you got him," she said as she walked toward the street. "Can I get back to work, now?""You work here?""No, asshole, I don't work here. Not on the street. I'm a waitress at the Pink Pony.""Oh, I didn't mean ..." But it was too late. She'd already rounded the corner and disappeared. "Wait," Joe yelled after her as he moved as quickly as he could to the street, while pushing Lefty in front of him.He reached the crumbling parking lot just as the woman stepped into the building, the door closing behind her."My name's Joe," he yelled as the door closed."Damn you, Lefty," Joe said as he jerked him toward his truck and pushed him along. "You just cost me a date.""More like, I just put the two of you together," Lefty countered. "Who are you, anyway?""Nobody really, Lefty. I'm just the guy that gets paid for collecting trash like you and bringing them to jail."

Hope you enjoyed this scene and, as always I would love your comments and/or criticisms on the work. Always keep in mind that what I post here on WIP Wednesdays, is my first draft. I know it seems odd that I would post something for readers that is less than fully edited and perfected, but I want you all to have the opportunity to see the work as it's being developed-exactly as it was when it first dribbled out of my mind, through my fingers, and onto the screen.

One last note, in the coming weeks, I will begin skipping ahead scenes to post only what is most important or exciting. Of course, I'm going to hide some pivotal scenes otherwise, how could you later enjoy reading the finished story? I will be finished with the draft by the end of February and am way behind on scenes posted. So, in order to merge the end of my WIP posted scenes for this story, and the actual release and publication, I'll have to do some skipping ahead.

Until next week ...

Great News and Freebies Too

For those of you who buy books from Amazon, you are probably already aware of Kindle Prime, the program that allows Kindle owners to borrow books with no return date with membership.

Amazon has also recently added a program for independent authors to better market their books, so I've decided to enroll a couple of my stories into the program.

I am proud to announce that Wednesday, 25 January 2012 and Thursday, January 26, 2012, I will be offering two of my stories FREE at Amazon!

I'm offering two stories from my Sex in Public Series , Window Treatment and All the Right Places FREE for two days. Please follow the links below if interested in having these two stories on your Kindle, or PC FREE!







Click Here to go to the Amazon page for Window Treatment

















Click Here to go to the Amazon page for All the Right Places














Pass it on! Tell all your friends! Download fast, and often!

WIP Wednesday

This week's work in progress post is a short scened building suspense before Joseph and Alexis officially meet for the first time. I would guess, you'll realize this is not love at first sight, which will become even more evident by next week's scene.
One thing I want to express in this scene is Lexi's vulnerability. I know she's all tough on the outside, and she can take care of herself but, whether she likes it or not, sometimes she needs to be rescued, not necessarily from others, but from herself.

This scene is, by far, the one most likely to be rewritten. I'm not sure I like it yet, and feel there is much to be removed, and maybe even some things added for clarity.

Enjoy.

Business at the bar was relatively slow most of the night, although the pace was steady. Customers came and went, creating a rise and fall in activity, rather than a steady flow. One lonely dancer graced the stage, moving suggestively to old worn out rock and roll songs. Lexi wanted to talk to the woman, but stayed just busy enough to be serving drinks each time the dancer took a break. Besides, during every break, the dancer went into the small crowd sitting with a customer.She finally caught the dancer leaving the stage after a short set. Business in the bar was in a slow lull, so Lexi decided she would take a short break, and get to know only other female employee in the bar. She gave the woman a smile as she left the stage, and followed her to a table along the outside wall of the bar."Mind if I sit with you," Lexi said as she pulled out a chair. "By the way, my name's Paulina." Lexi gave her the name she gave everyone else since arriving in Montgomery."Sure. Be my guest," the woman said, not mentioning her name, instead taking a tube of cherry chap-ice chap stick off the table, and running it in a circle across her lips.The woman lifted a container of bottled water up, snapping the cap open, and bringing it to her lips. Lexi watched, as she tipped the bottle up, drinking about half of it in one long pull. Lexi wondered why a dancer in a shady strip club would choose water over any of the harder drinks probably provided free to her while she worked. The woman suddenly stopped, looking at Lexi through her uplifted water bottle."What, you never saw a dancer drinking water on her break?" The woman sat the bottle back down on the table, screwing the cap on, a wry smile forming as she stared at Lexi. After what seemed a lifetime of staring, the woman finally broke her gaze, picking up the tube of chap stick again for another two laps around her lips."Becky," she said, as she pushed the cap onto the chap stick tube. "My name's Becky.""Nice to meet you, Becky." Lexi watched her stand the chap stick tube upright on the table, and slide her water bottle toward her. Becky moved with a grace and fluidity that Lexi thought was beyond that of a dancer in a club. She wondered if Becky had some other professional dancing experience. Lexi asked. "How long have you worked here?""About a year or so." Becky stared at her again, as if trying to see beyond her eyes, and into her soul. "I started out in the New York ballet. After an injury, I moved to Vegas. I did the circuit there for awhile, and then ended up here.""That's a big jump, Vegas to Montgomery, Alabama. How did that happen?"Becky grabbed at her chap stick again. "Let's just say, a relationship brought me here, and when it ended, I was stuck." She uncapped the chap stick tube with a pop, and ran it around her lips again, like a car racing around a track.Lexi decided not to press the issue any further, afraid of what might have happened to Becky that she couldn't leave. She looked away, not wanting to go any deeper into conversation. Across the dark room, she saw Lefty raising his glass and shaking it until ice cubes spilled out the sides onto the carpet."Looks like you've met our resident sleaze ball," Becky said as she pushed her chair back, and got up from the small round table."Yeah, he's been making me nervous all night." Lexi got up, and extended her hand. "It was nice meeting you, Becky."Yeah, same to you. Take care of yourself ... Paulina. Don't let guys like Lefty get to you. If you do, you won't last a week here.""Thanks," Lexi said. "I'll keep that in mind." She glance over to him and saw he was still holding his glass up, an expectant look on his face. "I guess I better go fill his drink before he has a fit."Becky strolled seductively back to the stage, grabbing the pole, and beginning a slow dance in the middle of a song. Lexi waited for another minute before making her way over to Lefty's table, just to make him sweat a little.It didn't take long for the bar's crowd to dwindle down to nearly nothing. By nine o'clock, the bar was empty except for the creepy, greasy-haired man, Sam called Lefty. Lexi wanted to show Sam that she was a valuable employee, willing to take initiative and get things done. She found some plastic trash bags behind the bar, and walked through the bar, emptying ashtrays and garbage cans. She filled both bags by the time she worked her way to the side door, leading out to alleyway, and the dumpsters.She hoisted the heavy plastic bags up, and backed into the door, moving into the alley backward. once outside, she dropped the bags and jumped for the door, but it closed before she reached it, leaving her stranded and alone in the dark alley. After throwing the bags into the dumpster, she turned to walk out of the alley to the front of the building, and he was there. Lefty's dark shadow filled the small alley space as he double-stepped, closing the distant between him and Lexi."What's a pretty little thing like you doing out here alone," Lefty said as he reached over and grabbed Lexi's arm at the elbow.Lexi said nothing, giving him a nasty look as she yanked her arm away. Undaunted, Lefty moved in closer, gripping her elbow again. She felt the hairs on her arms tickling her skin, and a primal urge to attack flash through her mind, as he pushed her against the side of the dumpster."Leave me alone," she said, as she did her best to will the shift away. This was the last thing she needed on her first night of work. She couldn't afford to bring attention to herself, but she couldn't just let this creep take advantage of her either. Lefty moved in to her so close, she could smell the bourbon on his breath. His lips were parted, not in a smile, but in that way a child or an unintelligent adult might let their mouth fall open when the attention is required for some mundane task overruns their brain's ability to manage other bodily functions. Lexy clinched her jaw and balled her hand into a fist as she slid across the cold metal of the dumpster, choking back her rage against a flood of memories. It didn't help that Lefty kept moving against her, his open mouth venting a putrid cloud of alcohol and stomach bile."Come on, Baby, I saw you looking at me in the club." Lefty leaned into her, pushing his nasty body against her, running the stub of his half-finger across her cheek. "I know you want it."That was it. Lexi felt the hair on her arms thickening, her canines growing painfully in her mouth. She yanked her arm out of his grip again, and let a low growl build within the depth of her throat."You alright ma'am?" A voice came from the alley entrance.

As always, your comments and critiques are welcome. I will add that I may skip ahead a few scenes at a time in the near future. It seems my draft will be complete soon, and after the first edit, ready to go out to beta readers. Once changes are made suggested by betas, I'll send it off to the editor for another few rounds with the machete.

To Honor King

"In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." ~ Martin Luther King Jr.
First off, I stole this from another blog. It's ok though, I know the person writing that blog.

I would like to dedicate this special post to the memory of a visionary, and in celebration, not of his death, but his life.

This Monday we all enjoy the holiday of Martin Luther King's birthday. Of course, his birthday actually fell on January 15th, but in order to allow as many holidays as possible to land on a Monday, we instead, celebrate his birthday on the third Monday of January.

We should all be thankful for this holiday as it traveled a rocky road coming into being. Campaigning for this holiday began shortly after King's assassination, but many resisted it. Some believed that King's contributions did not warrant a holiday. Others were dead-set against it because of King's personal opinions on the Vietnam war.

The state of Arizona nearly lost its hosting of the Superbowl when it cancelled Columbus day to be replaced by MLK day. Virginia attempted to combine MLK day with the holiday celebrating the birthdays of General Jackson, and General Lee. They finally realized, years later, that combining holidays for two confederate generals with a black civil rights activist would not be ... prudent?

Even Ronald Reagan, the President signing the bill into law in 1983, was not convinced of the need for the holiday. He begrudgingly signed the bill after it was passed by overwhelming majority in congress. The first official MLK holiday was observed in 1986, although all of the United States did not honor the holiday until 2000.

I believe the memory of Martin Luther King Jr. is deserving of a national holiday.

King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 for his efforts to bring about civil change in a non-violent manner. Think he did nothing to bring about non-violent change. I'll just say this: If it weren't for King, we'd be witnessing change through the likes of Malcolm X and other (not so non-violent) activists.

I would also say that he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace back when it meant something - for things he accomplished.
Okay enough rant. The bottom line here is that, we should all take the time on Monday, even if it is only a few minutes out of the day, to honor Martin Luther King Jr. for what he was able to accomplish for this country. We should thank him for always striving to bring about tough social change and equality through peaceful protest.

I believe that he did more to educate people on social issues than anyone since. Sure, we can't say we live in anything close to a perfect society yet, and we probably never will, but we're a lot further along then we would be if it weren't for Martin Luther King Jr.

We should all strive to see others by some measure beyond skin color.

We should learn to rejoice in the diversity, and struggles of all people in our society, rather than squabble over such petty things as the pigment of one's skin.

Okay, sir. You can have your soap box back now.

WIP Wednesday

This week, Joseph Johnson collects information on his skip, and heads out to look for him. This is the scene before the scene that will put Joe and Lexi together, and on an irreversible path to a relationship. But, there will be plenty of barriers to that relationship. Eventually, Lexi will have to reveal four truths about her to Joe.

Just a reminder. What you read each week on work in progress Wednesday is a scene in draft form. I'll repeat:

THESE PREVIEW SCENES ARE IN RAW DRAFT FORM.

I just want readers to know that, even if you follow my scenes each week, you can still expect a great reading experience in the future, and when this story is published as a novel.

Enjoy:

Joe looked over the file Jake gave him. The man in the picture looked like the typical thug wannabe. The skip was a diminutive white guy with greasy hair and a pock-marked face. Of course, most arrest photos weren't taken when the perpetrators were at their best. Jake filled him in on what he knew, while Joe flipped through the pages of the file."The guy you're looking for is Louis Thompson. His only known alias is Lefty. I guess I shouldn't really say alias, more like a nickname. I don't think he's proud of it."Joe looked up from the file. "How'd he get the nickname? Is he left-handed, or something?""He is now. At least he has to shoot left-handed. Seems he lost half his trigger finger in some kind of freak accident while trying to rob a convenience store."What was bail on this one?" Joe asked, as he thumbed through the file until he found the remark about the missing right index finger."Fifteen grand," Jake said. "Your take's ten percent, same as always."Joe looked for patterns in Lefty's arrest records. The man had been arrested for everything from grand theft to solicitation, with at least five of his arrests coming from some form of sexual harassment of dancers in the local strip clubs. Lefty missed a recent court appearance after posting bail from a attempted car heist and short-lived low-speed chase. The notes on the record showed the reason it was a low speed chase was because he stole a stick shift vehicle and couldn't get it out of first gear. The police followed him for more than ten miles on the freeway until someone finally just passed him, and threw out a spike strip in front the car he stole. Joe wondered why a wannabe thug would work so hard at being bad, but still believe that just finding a job at some fast food restaurant was out of the question. He continued to flip through the many pages of his file, getting into Lefty's head, trying to think where he might show up next.Joe threw the file back on Jake's desk. "Got anything recent on this guy? Where's he like to hang out?" He asked, as Jack swept the file up from the desk, putting into a large cabinet against the wall."Pick a strip club and hang out long enough, and he'll probably show up.""That's it?" Joe reached behind his back, shifting his concealed holster along his back, before fanning his shirt and pulling it back down over his waist. "This loser spends all his time in strip clubs?""I'd say Lefty spends most of his waking hours in strip clubs. Most of his harassment arrests were in strip clubs. Police say he's just not smart enough to find another hangout." Jake snickered at his own comment. "Only thing is, you'll never see him north of South Boulevard.""What's the deal with that," Joe said. "He afraid of getting out of yelling distance from his mom's house?""No. Rumor has it, He's afraid of getting too close to the police station.""Does he not know there's a station on South Boulevard?""I guess he doesn't see them as a threat, since he's always done his jail time at the main station across the street." Jake slapped Joe across his broad back as they walked to the door. "Like I said, he's not the knife in the drawer."Joe got into his truck and gave Jake a wave as he pulled out into traffic, heading south on Union Street. Street lights shot bright cones of light below them, leaving contrasting shadow around them along the dark street as he continued south until he arrived at the intersection with South Boulevard. the Greyhound bus station was an island of light on his left, while neon lights from the Pink Pony bar and grill across the street on his left cut through the night in cloudy pink hues.Good a place as any to start.Joe stomped on the accelerator, and his truck sputtered and lurched across six lanes of traffic, and onto the service road in front of the bar. He drove past the bar, parking in the darkened lot of an auto parts store long out of business. As he turned the key and waited for his truck engine to sputter to a stop, he took a deep breath and went through his mental checklist, preparing for a long night in bars and strip clubs.

As always, your comments, critiques, and/or complaints are welcome.

The Big O

Why is it that a woman's orgasm is considered a scientific mystery, while a man's just a sloppy mess?

About three quarters of all women say they cannot achieve orgasm through coitus alone. Well then, isn't it time you try something else?

This phenomenon has been studied from all angles, and scientists have tried to explain it as everything from the distance one's clitoris is from the vaginal opening to the way a woman walks.

According to these studies:

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/ReproductiveHealth/sex-study-female-orgasm-eludes-majority-women/story?id=8485289

http://scienceblog.com/17315/female-orgasm-ability-related-to-walking-style/

Really, it boils down to genetics and, yes, I'll say it ... evolution.

While women have evolved to attract and hold onto a mate, men have evolved to inseminate as many women as possible, and as quickly as possible.

Okay, that's about as simple as I can make it, without confusing myself. I think that, for women, the big moment is a lot more about emotion and psychology than animal lust.

Does this mean that a woman cannot enjoy moments of sheer abandon? Hells no! I think it is more like, women have a greater capacity for emotion connected to sex than most men. Keep in mind this is all just my opinion, and not backed up by facts.

That's what I like to write about. Why not have a strong character who also happens to be a woman? What's wrong with a woman expressing her sexual desires, wants, and needs? Nothing!

In my novel, Lovestruck Succubus, my main character, Azra, takes this to a whole new level. She doesn't just desire sex, she needs it. It is sustenance to her, and orgasm comes in the form of satiation. Unfortunately for her, the big O also comes with an unwanted side-effect. She inadvertently sucks the life out of her lovers as she climaxes. For a man maybe that wouldn't be such a big deal, but Azra still craves a long-term relationship - love - over anything else. Can she ever find this? Find out for yourself with a copy of my novel today.

It's on sale at Amazon right now for only $.99 a great bargain! Of course, it's still available everywhere else too, but it's ON SALE at Amazon! Here's a link:

Lovestruck Succubus at Amazon

If you prefer paperback, it's still available in that format at Amazon as well.

Yeah I know. I couldn't help it. I just felt it was time for more selfless, shameless promotion. I hope it works.

Character Assassination

I've been working on the first draft of the follow-up to my first novel, Lovestruck Succubus since about August of 2010. Okay, not so much a draft but would you believe general outline? Well, maybe I've gotten just a little farther than that. Problem is, in this next novel, I'm going to have to kill of some characters and I must say ... it's killing me.
No, I'm not going to divulge which character (or characters) I've slated for execution. You'll just have to wait and read the next installment to find out.

I suppose this is why it is taking me so long to finish the story. I've grown to love all my characters, even the bad ones, and I loath to let any of them go. I read a lot, and know that many stories start with characters that don't make it to the finale, but they're usually minor characters--and these are major players I'm talking about here.

What about you? How do you feel about major characters taking the long nap in stories? Are you okay with it, as long as they're bad seeds? What if one of the heroes of the story dies? Do you throw the book and run from the room, texting all your friends to avoid this author as you go? Or, are you okay with it?

Just a refresher for those of you who've never been privy to my ramblings about future stories (I know, something a writer should never do. Leave me alone, snobby writers) or who've simply forgotten, the next story in the series is titled Demon Among Wolves . In this installment, Azra is living in Ellijay with Raif, who accepted the pack's offer to join them.

She must maintain the facade that she is a shape shifting werewolf like the rest of them. In the course of the story, we'll find out that Tarmin was not as bad off as Azra thought he was when she last saw him. He is working in the background, building an army of demons to rid the world of that nasty virus they created eons ago called werewolves. He figures taking out Azra will be a bonus. Meanwhile, Azra is doing her best to keep the rest of the pack believe she's one of them while she mysteriously starts to become, not more like them, rather, more like a mortal human. Something is amiss, and she soon, but maybe not soon enough, realizes there be spies in the family.

It all climaxes in an epic battle in which lives are lost, sacrificed, and spared in order to move forward. I won't give away the ending, but suffice it to say, no one will be spared their innocence, and the few that remain to rebuild will be few.

Anyway, this is where I struggle. by creating this epic battle in which lives are lost, I am forced to decide who lives, and who dies.

 I leave you with this. Does it matter to you if characters die in a story? Are you okay with it if the lives sacrificed are for a greater good?

What are your thoughts? Comments and criticisms welcome.