Kay Springsteen's Blog, page 7

Sweet Saturday Sample!

Hey! A Lot Like A Lady will soon have a sister book. Kim and I are slaving away as you read this on Annabella’s story. In the meantime, did you know you can pick up the e-version of A Lot Like A Lady for only 99 cents on Amazon and Barnes & Noble? Here’s a little taste of Juliet’s story just to pique your interest…

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“Have you been to London?” Juliet couldn’t help asking.

“When Father was alive.” Annabella sighed a bit impatiently. “My real father. I was a child, but I recall the splendor, the fun. All those beautiful ladies and dashing gentlemen.”

A smile tugged on Juliet’s lips. “It sounds truly wonderful.

And now you can be one of those beautiful ladies.” She piled Annabella’s golden locks loosely on top of her head and held them there with one hand. “And maybe the Duke of Wyndham will match you with one of those dashing noblemen.”

Annabella laughed without mirth. “He’ll more likely see me wed to a rag-mannered rake and expect me to swoon in the man’s arms.” She placed the back of her hand against her forehead. “Or perhaps he’ll match me with some fop who cares more about his appearance than his finances.” She shuddered. “The choices are all dreadful if I cannot marry for love.”

“For love?” Juliet pulled the comb away from Annabella’s hair and stood still. That’s about as likely t’happen as a queer little imp spinnin’ straw into gold. Juliet almost laughed out loud. The idea of a member of the peerage marrying solely for love was even more laughable than Regina’s plan to gain a husband for her only child.

Annabella stiffened. “Yes, for love.”

“Maybe you will find love… in London.” Juliet gazed at

Annabella’s reflection in the mirror. “It all sounds so wonderful and exciting, I wish—” She sank her teeth into her lower lip.

Annabella’s dark green eyes flashed as they met Juliet’s in the mirror. “What do you wish, Juliet?”

Heat suffused Juliet’s cheeks. She tried to look away, but Annabella’s sharp gaze held her enthralled. So she shrugged. “Nothing. It’s silly, really.”

“Of course it’s not silly.” Annabella laughed. “Just tell me. What were you going to say?”

Juliet set the comb on the vanity tray with a sigh and stepped away. Annabella wouldn’t be put off now. “It’s simply… if I had the opportunity to go to London, to see all the magnificence I’ve only heard about… I’d want to go.”

Annabella’s eyes widened. Her lips parted and a slow smile pulled them gently upward. “Would you?”

Juliet shivered. When the young mistress wore that look, it usually meant she was contriving some foolhardy scheme.

“Annabella…” Juliet backed away and found herself up against the bedroom door. “What willy-nilly plan are you hatching in that chicken brain of yours?”

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Sweet Saturday Sample

Is it really the middle of summer already? Where has the year gone? Okay, I was going to share a bit more from Heartfelt, but I was afraid of ruining a little surprise I set up in that one. So…. how about a little bit more from upcoming Something Like a Lady, the Regency romance I currently have in progress with my writing partner, Kim Bowman?

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“You could have gone to London and—”

“Oh, be quiet! I — wonderful, Annabella. Now you’re talking to yourself.”

As if to agree and scold her at the same time, her stomach rumbled and cramped with hunger pains. The little bit of bread and cheese she and Juliet had been able to sneak out of the main house hadn’t lasted long, and now the bread was completely gone, pilfered by a ruddy mouse. Annabella glared at the cook pot. She should have chosen something lighter, easier to throw.

And then what? Wrestle the field mouse for the crust? Have you really sunk that low? Her stomach rumbled again. Perhaps…

A single horrid lemon sat in the middle of the table, its rough yellow peel mocking her. Of course the filthy mice couldn’t possibly have made off with those. No, they had to go for the bits of food she found palatable. She snatched up the oblong fruit and rolled it between her palms. If she cut into it, the lemon wouldn’t last very long before it spoiled. She should wait until she was desperate. She released a heavy sigh and thought again of the mouse and her crust of bread.

She was desperate.

Why, oh, why had she not rationed her food better so it would last longer?  She picked up a long knife—the only one she could find in the derelict cottage. Then she sank her teeth into her bottom lip as she concentrated. The dull knife fought with the thick peel and the lemon rolled out of her hand once, but finally she managed to slice off the end. The acidic scent rose to torment her nostrils and her hand shook as she raised the slice to her mouth.

The bitter, sour juice squirted onto her palate. Of its own accord, her face scrunched up and a shudder wracked her body. The juice hit the back of her throat and her stomach gave a mighty heave. Try as she might, she simply couldn’t bring herself to swallow down the tart fruit.

The acid taste intensified the longer she let it set on her tongue. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t force the foul lemon down and finally had to spit it out. To say she’d made a muck of it was putting it lightly. She deserved to die here in the cottage alone for letting her pride get in the way and causing her to send her dear friend Juliet to London in her place. Annabella’s food supply would be gone in another day or so, sooner if she couldn’t keep the pest mouse at bay. Now that the foul creature had absconded with her last crust of bread, all she had left was the lemon and a single turnip, which she had no idea how to cook. She’d chewed on its mate the evening before. The bitter root had tasted nothing at all like her favorite creamed turnips.

 <><><><> Ahhh, poor Annabella… Maybe someone should tell her the adage about life handing one lemons and what to do with them… But I have a feeling if anyone tries they’ll get more than an ear stuffed with said lemons. <><><><> You can read about her friend in London right now in A Lot Like a Lady. Available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble at 99 cents for a limited time!

Back to SWEET SATURDAY SAMPLES!

Sweet Saturday Samples/Heartfelt

Coming soon! Heartfelt – the story of Dan and Trish and Bella continues.

<><><>ANOTHER BOOK FROM KAY SPRINGSTEEN’S HEART STORIES<><><>

“I ran a couple of op scenarios.” Dan spoke into his chest and kept his voice low. “I know Edgerton’s keen on sending small units in ahead of everyone else, but I’m not convinced it wouldn’t be better to give a show of force. Maybe send in some recon first but for the major op, bigger might be better… more intimidating.”

Nick shifted and huffed out a breath. “It’s a humanitarian mission.”

Dan drew in a few deep, even breaths as he battled with exactly how much he could tell his old friend without creating a breach in security.

In the end, Nick spared him the agony of the decision. “Oh. I see. Hmm…” He let out a harsh chuckle. “Edgy sure loves his piggyback rides.” He stood. “I think I’ll see if Ashley made it home yet.”

Dan didn’t bother to caution against loose pillow talk. Even if Nick did decide to share that part of his life with Ashley, she’d refuse to listen.

“Say, ah… you might want to catch up to your kid,” said Nick from several yards away. “She and her friend are across the street with Mrs. Schmidt playing with a bunch of kittens.”

“What?” Dan pushed to his feet, startling Jack, who whimpered. “When did that happen?”

“They ran over about the time you were trying to figure out how not to tell me what you didn’t just tell me.” Nick laughed. “Probably spotted the ‘free kittens’ sign the old lady just posted on the split rail fence.”

Kittens? Free kittens? As in ‘these kittens need new homes’ free kittens? Oh, crap no!

“Why didn’t you say something, man?”

“I dunno. Didn’t know I had to,” said Nick, his voice laced with laughter. “The path’s to your right, two steps. Then a left turn and straight on until you reach the road.”

“Come on, Jack.” Dan followed the instructions, feeling with his toe for the raised edge of the asphalt path when the dog stopped, signaling an obstacle. “If Bella brings home a kitten, Trish’ll have my head.”

RETURN TO SWEET SATURDAY SAMPLES!

Sweet Saturday Samples/Sneak Peek at Something Like A Lady

A sneak peek at Something Like A Lady (written with Kim Bowman):

April 10, 1813

Haselmere, England

“Drop that this instant, you scoundrel!” Annabella raised the iron cooking pot over her head with both hands and flung it in the direction of the gray rodent that scampered across the floor of the dusty, deserted kitchen. The pot landed with a dull thud about a foot from the mouse and then rolled onto its side. With a hideous squeak, the mouse disappeared behind a work table, dragging the crust of bread with it.

“Oh!” Annabella shrieked with rage as she picked up an iron meat skewer and chucked it like a spear in the direction the filthy rodent had gone. “That was my last bit of bread, you vile creature!”

Silence fell like a blanket. The dust she’d raised in her battle with the little beggar floated in the air and Annabella sneezed.

Oh yes, this is much better than going to London and spending the Season. Starving. Fighting rodents for the last of your food. Lonely. Having to sneak out after dark to get water from the creek to wash. No way to get a message to Juliet. I certainly am teaching my mother and that son of the devil Markwythe a lesson. And poor Juliet must be going quite mad.

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Thank you for stopping by! You can pick up the first part of the story, A Lot Like A Lady, for only 99 cents at Amazon (Kindle) and Barnes & Noble (Nook) through the end of the month.

Most other Astraea Press e-book titles are also on sale for 99 cents at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Something for everyone.

Return to Sweet Saturday Samples!

Sweet Saturday Samples/Sneak Peak at Something Like A Lady

A sneak peak at Something Like A Lady (written with Kim Bowman):

April 10, 1813

Haselmere, England

“Drop that this instant, you scoundrel!” Annabella raised the iron cooking pot over her head with both hands and flung it in the direction of the gray rodent that scampered across the floor of the dusty, deserted kitchen. The pot landed with a dull thud about a foot from the mouse and then rolled onto its side. With a hideous squeak, the mouse disappeared behind a work table, dragging the crust of bread with it.

“Oh!” Annabella shrieked with rage as she picked up an iron meat skewer and chucked it like a spear in the direction the filthy rodent had gone. “That was my last bit of bread, you vile creature!”

Silence fell like a blanket. The dust she’d raised in her battle with the little beggar floated in the air and Annabella sneezed.

Oh yes, this is much better than going to London and spending the Season. Starving. Fighting rodents for the last of your food. Lonely. Having to sneak out after dark to get water from the creek to wash. No way to get a message to Juliet. I certainly am teaching my mother and that son of the devil Markwythe a lesson. And poor Juliet must be going quite mad.

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Thank you for stopping by! You can pick up the first part of the story, A Lot Like A Lady, for only 99 cents at Amazon (Kindle) and Barnes & Noble (Nook) through the end of the month.

Most other Astraea Press e-book titles are also on sale for 99 cents at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Something for everyone.

A Word About Content for Younger Readers

Today I’m welcoming author, Lisa Orchard, who is here to talk about writing for younger readers. 

Hello Everyone! My name is Lisa Orchard and I’m guest blogging today for Kay. I want to take a few minutes and thank her for allowing me to be here today and chat with everyone. Thanks Kay!

I’m a Young Adult author and my second book will be available tomorrow from Astraea Press it’s titled, “The Super Spies and the High School Bomber”. I’m here today to discuss writing for the Young Adult Genre, because it’s different than writing for any other genre.

As a writer for this age group, I’m always trying to teach the reader, while at the same time show characters that are believable. Let’s face it, they have to be realistic teenagers! J

I also have to be careful not to offend anyone. In my book “The Super Spies and the High School Bomber” I had to tone down a section just for that reason. In the story I had emphasized a characteristic, (I’m not telling which one!) for a humorous affect. My editor caught this and informed me that this could be offensive to someone who had that particular distinction. Of course, I felt bad! I didn’t want to offend anyone or hurt his or her feelings.  So I de-emphasized that characteristic.

At that moment, I realized how careful I had to be. Not only did I not want to offend anyone, but I also didn’t want to encourage derogatory behavior.  Especially, with all the problems involving teasing and bullying in today’s schools. I needed my characters to set a good example for my readers.  I had to do all of this and write something entertaining enough so the reader will want to keep reading. This is no small task!

With all these goals in mind my second book in the Super Spies series evolved. It’s titled “The Super Spies and the High School Bomber.”  Below are the cover and the blurb. Check out my story and let me know if I accomplished my goals. Thanks so much for your time today!

My book will be available tomorrow on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Astraea Press.

Please visit me on my social media sites:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lisa-Orchard/328536613877060

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lisaorchard1

Website:  www.lisaorchard.com

The first book in the Super Spies series is titled, “The Super Spies and the Cat Lady Killer”.   You may find this on Amazon or on Barnes and Noble.   And for a limited time, a genuine bargain at only 99 cents!

 

Reading is Winning

While Astraea Press is having the big, big midsummer blowout sale, I thought I’d run a little contest. Leave a comment here between now and Thursday, July 26, 2012, and you will be automatically entered to win ANY 99-cent Astraea Press e-book of your choice in either Kindle or Nook versions.

All you have to do is finish this sentence by filling in the blank:

When I ____, I always take at least one book.

Three people who fill in the blank will win their choices of one 99-cent e-book from Astraea Press, winner to be chosen by random drawing. Contact information must be provided to qualify. And while you wait, why not peruse the Astraea Press selections! Lots of choices for only 99 cents. Reading…a great way to relax in the summer heat!

Sweet Saturday Samples – Heartfelt

From HEARTFELT (a Heartsight story):

Dan set his laptop on the table in the conference room and took his seat. “At ease,” he murmured to Jack, who promptly sprawled out. “Lazy.” Dan reached down and scratched the German shepherd between his ears.

From across the table came the tinny sounds of snorts and then mini-explosions followed by cheers mixed in with a chorus of “Ow-ow-ow!”

“Nick, what are playing now? It sounds like talking cockroaches.”

The sounds abruptly cut off. “Sorry. It’s just a game APP. I’m hurling birds at pigs.”

Dan opened his mouth but nothing came out as he tried to make sense of what his friend had just said. Finally, he had to ask the obvious question. “Why?”

“Ahh, eye-hand coordination, reflexes, honing trajectory skills?” Nick laughed. “Ashley got me hooked on it.”

“Ashley!” That… was a surprise. “She hates video games.”

Nick’s suggestive chuckle filled the air. “Yeah… exactly. She gets in this zone when she’s working on one of her art projects… and nothing cracks that bubble. Not even the suggestion of a little afternoon delight.”

Now, that Dan understood and he laughed softly. “Trish does the same thing. It’s like she goes off into a world where no one and nothing else exists. I’m convinced it’s all part of being married, son.”

His friend snickered. “I’m way too much of a newlywed to accept that.” He shuffled some papers and coughed slightly. “So I started playing this stupid bird game one day and found the one thing that cracks the bubble and pulls her out of the zone.”

“What? Snorting pigs?”

“Pretty much.” Nick blew out a satisfied sigh. “The sound bothers her and I dare her to make me turn it off, and from there it gets physical. You should try— Sorry, man.”

<><><><> Thank you for reading! Watch for this one Fall. 2012<><><><>

Just released! Abiding Echoes (Justin and Beth)

Astraea Press is having a summer blowout sale on electronic books (you can read them on your computer, too with Kindle or Nook application available free). Enter Astraea Press in the search bar for Amazon and Barnes & Noble for dozens of 99-cent clean reads in many genres – you may find a new favorite author!

What Can You Do With a General…?

One of my favorite movies is White Christmas – I love everything about it, but most especially how a general was so loved that he inspired the loyalty and the LOVE of the men who served under him. Consider this song from the movie, sung by Bing Crosby:

We do not live in a throw away society… not really. But you wouldn’t know it. Our military heroes serve and then come home and they’re welcomed and then it’s time to move on down the line. Welcome home the next hero, “You did a good job, Marine/Soldier/Airman/Seaman…take your number and head to retirement. Find a job, integrate into the live you served to protect. Yep, even you who lost and arm, your legs, a part of your brain, your emotional stability…”

And we have another segment of our population that society gives a pat on the head to and then moves on to the next “well done.” Dogs. Particularly dogs who have belonged to an elderly person who loved their pets but who can no longer care for their loyal friends.  What can you do when an elderly person passes on and leaves behind an older pet, or when an elderly person becomes so frail he or she loses independence and ends up in a nursing home? In the perfect world, a family member would step up and love the person’s best friend. But it doesn’t always happen that way…

The two most loyal “people” I know are military personnel and dogs. I read the story of “Duke” today. He’s being fostered currently by a shelter local to me here in Virginia. For EIGHT YEARS, ever since he was  a pup, he was the faithful companion of a loving owner. He was her protector and her motivator. Finally, though, the inevitable happened, and she could no longer motivate enough… no longer partner with her loyal companion to take care of him as he took care of her. This HAD to have broken her heart just as much as it broke his. This guy has some years left in him. He has some issues – he’s timid around men because he’s not used to them. But doesn’t he deserve more than society to simply pat him on the back and say “Well done, son” as they then forget about him and all the years he spent caring for his person?

Please… Share his story. You never know who you might reach – someone who can and wants to help him. Duke’s Story.

Sweet Saturday Samples: Heartfelt

This is from my next release, Heartfelt.

“Hello-o-o…oh, my.” Trish stepped from the hallway into complete insanity. A hurricane couldn’t have upset her orderly kitchen more than her husband and daughter. “Breakfast, huh?”

Dan stood near the sink, running a plate under the steady stream of water gushing from the faucet. He smiled over his shoulder and water drained off the plate to puddle on the counter top. “Hey, babe. Did you sleep well?”

Trish felt the ready smile slipping from her face as she took in the extent of the disaster. Her gran’s over-sized cast-iron frying pan sat atop the stove on the far back burner, still containing about a dozen sausage links resting in congealing grease. A smaller frying pan sat on the front burner with brown-crusted scrambled eggs shoveled into a pile in the center. Yum. Yet another pan had been pushed off to the side, that one containing what might have been sautéed onions… before they’d been overcooked by about ten minutes. And, oh goody, half a loaf of bread had been burned crispy in the toaster and set aside on her good meat platter. Well, that explained the acrid aroma clinging in the air. Someone had made an attempt at scraping the black off of a couple of pieces, so the white enamel sink was peppered with dark bits of burned bread.

In his bed near the back door, Jack raised his head and regarded her with dark hopeful eyes. His harness was in place but the U-shaped handle hadn’t been clipped on. Heaving a long-suffering sigh, he laid his muzzle back on his paws.

The guests had apparently eaten…something, since Dan was rinsing off a stack of four plates. Either they’d eaten or hidden their food in her potted plants in the dining room. She peered through the arched doorway but mid-morning sunlight stretched its rays through the open windows into a deserted room. A light breeze blew in off the beach, and it smelled like rain was on the way.

Wally scampered from somewhere behind Trish and made a beeline for her braided ficus tree. With a mighty leap from about the middle of the room, he sailed through the air and landed with the precision of a jet on a carrier. Trish’s jaw dropped at the feat.

Then he started to claw at the dirt. Oh, no. No. No!

“Cat!” she screamed just as he squatted and sent her a serene stare.

Next to her, Bella giggled. “Daddy says—we need to get—a litter box.”

“And a new bag of potting soil,” said Trish through her gritted teeth.

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Coming Autumn 2012! Return to Sweet Saturday Samples.