Lori Devoti's Blog, page 18

Captured, excerpt

Not again. Leve wouldn't go through this again.

She sniffed the air. Blood, sweat, the smell of male. She'd seen the flash of light as the top of the chute was opened, heard the hellhound's body being rolled down the metal ramp, felt the impact as he collided with the ground.

He was unconscious. He hadn't moved since his elegant arrival.

She crept closer, moving on the balls of her feet, using her hands to keep her balance. It was poor form to kill a hellhound while he was blacked out, against the rules of the "kamp," but she wasn't in the Kamp Arena right now. She wasn't scheduled to return until after she'd been impregnated by this male, or whoever followed, until after she'd borne a son or daughter who would grow up to fight as she did now―every day for the enjoyment of the underground followers of the Kamp―or be sold to someone else looking to start their own pack. She almost spat at the thought.

She wouldn't lose a child again. She wouldn't.

Within arm's reach of the fallen hellhound, she slowly pushed herself to a stand. First she'd make sure he was unconscious and would stay that way, then she'd figure out the quickest way to end his life. With him gone, the immediate threat would be eliminated. Then she'd wait for her captors and plot a way to explode past them when they opened the damned chute. And as she waited, she'd savor thoughts of ripping them into little bits, feeding them to the hellhounds they kept stored in these cells beneath the Kamp Arena. Perhaps she'd even let one or two live, at least long enough to be thrown in the arena, used to bait some of the most crazed hellhounds.

How would the crowd enjoy that?

o0o

A few feet from Gray's head, there was a whoosh of air. He rolled, grabbed the foot that was being propelled toward him and jerked. The foot's owner fell, hard, onto the dirt beside him. He wrapped one hand around a boot and grabbed a denim-clad leg with the other―a firm, but most definitely feminine, denim-clad leg.

He paused for a second―a second too long. The female let out a grunt, pulled back her free leg and jammed it into the side of his face. He spat out blood and jerked again, this time pulling her body beneath his.

She continued to fight. With a snap her head collided with his. He bit back a curse, tried to ignore the blood now pouring from his nose.

He didn't know who this female was or why she had attacked him, but one thing was perfectly clear―she was fighting in earnest and with every intention of beating him, killing him.

He growled, let the fires inside him spill into his eyes, let her see that female or not, he had no intention of rolling over, letting her win.

She growled back, let her own eyes glow. Her teeth snapped near his ear and he jerked back.

"Not again. I won't go through it again. Jeg vil leve," she murmured.

I will live, he translated. The words were low, meant for her ears alone, he sensed, more a statement of conviction than threat or promise. Still, he couldn't stop his own response.

"Only if you back off," he warned, his ire growing, the bloodlust inside him igniting as the scents of anger and sweat swelled around them.

She laughed then, a cold noise, close to his ear. "But you don't want to kill me, do you? I've been here before. Survived this before. But this time, it won't happen. I won't let it happen."

How long had she been down here trapped in darkness? How far gone was her mind? He shook his head, tried to force her babbling from his thoughts. It didn't matter. Crazy or not. Tortured or not. She meant to kill him, and he had no intention of dying. His canine mind wouldn't worry about why she acted as she did, would only fight to win, no matter the cost. His canine form would end this battle quickly, perhaps saving them both.

With a roar, he let the bloodlust win out, let the magic sweep over him, let his body shift from human to hound. If only one of them could survive, he'd make sure it was him.

-o0o-

Read the rest…

Order Captured from Amazon or Barnes & Noble

Order Midnight Cravings from Amazon or Barnes & Noble

Another ebooks.com offer….

This one is for $5 off a $55 purchase, so almost 10%. July 555 Promotion at eBooks.com. Save $5 on $55 purchase. Use code – july555promocp. Until July 31, 2011 only

New Fun Indie Author Promotion & a Contest for You!

Moses Siregar, an indie author, came up with a fun idea for readers to learn about books by other indie authors that they might not know about otherwise.
The site is called Indie Author Rockstar. A number of authors apply then Moses narrows those down, weeding out any he thinks aren't up to par to even compete. From those Moses picks six at random. This is where the fun starts. Once those six authors are on the ballot, the other authors get to vote which one will be named Indie Rockstar for a month.
Now, here's what I need from you. Each month, I need your help picking which book should get Rockstar status. I'll post the details and you tell me in comments which one I should vote for. There are links to Amazon on each one so you can read the samples or buy the books–or just vote for the one that appeals to you the most.
And if you do, I'll enter you in a drawing for a free book. It can be a paperback version of one of my Nocturnes, a electronic version of Demon High or Love is All Around, or a random selection of a romance by one of my friends (paperback, mainly historical). I'll give the winner the choice. (For a paperback prize, must have a U.S. or Canada mailing address. Digital available worldwide.) Contest ends Saturday, July 15th, 2011.
So, here are the choices…which one should I vote for?

TAKEDOWN by Anna Murray
Jane Nelson stumbles across a criminal plot to crash financial markets and finds herself in the crosshairs of hired killers. She turns to a near stranger for help.
Jack Anderson, an expert on stock market game theory, can't turn Jane away. Although he has recently suffered from great persona

l losses, he will do whatever it takes to protect Jane and expose the evil scheme. If he can save their lives, he'll try to convince her they're meant for each other.



I WISH

by Wren Emerson
All she ever wanted was a chance to settle down in one place.
Thistle Nettlebottom knows her life isn't exactly normal. She travels the country with her secretive mother and bestselling author grandmother in a pink RV going from book signings to crazy research trips. She's never been to public school or had a boyfriend, but she can pick a lock and hotwire a car. One day the phone rings and they set a course to a tiny town that's not on any maps. Suddenly, Thistle finds her whole life changing.
She's finally found the home she's been searching for.
Thistle soon realizes that Desire isn't like other towns and she's not like other girls. The family she trusted has lied to her about everything her entire life and the things she doesn't know about herself could cost her everything. Her legacy as one of the most powerful witches the town has ever seen has made her enemies that have been waiting patiently for a chance to destroy her. Thistle needs to learn to use her powers to protect herself before they succeed.
Be careful what you wish for.
Thistle has a power unique even among the magic wielding witches of Desire. She can wish things into existence. At first she enjoys the freedom of having everything her heart desires, but she soon realizes that her power comes at a terrible price. She's losing her grip on her sanity at a time when she can't afford any weakness. Her enemies are closing in quickly, but she might not have the strength to save herself.
(Have to say this one has my favorite cover…not that you can judge a book by its cover and all that jazz.)

IMPEDING JUSTICE by Mel Comley
Detective Inspector Lorne Simpkins comes up against her long-time nemesis, The Unicorn. After leading Simpkins and her partner into a trap, in which Pete is killed, Lorne comes to the conclusion the criminal is obtaining insider information, enabling him to stay one step ahead of them.
Can Lorne uncover who the mole is before The Unicorn harms her daughter?
BONUS! Impeding Justice is FREE right now at Amazon!


BURN OUT by Traci Hohenstein
Lt. Samantha (Sam) Collins, a firefighter, vanishes after a warehouse fire the week before she was to testify at her estranged husband's trial for drug charges. The only clue to her disappearance is a firefighter helmet that was left behind at the scene.
Rachel Scott founded Florida Omni Search after her own daughter disappeared when she was four. She has worked with law enforcement agencies all over the United States in locating missing people. Sam's mother calls Rachel for assistance in locating her daughter. However, the search for Sam takes her on a journey that she never expected.
As she digs deeper into Sam's past, she finds out more about the marijuana operation her husband Ken, a former police officer, was involved with.

In her desperate, terrifying search for Sam, Rachel also discovers clues about her own missing daughter, Mallory.
Will she locate Samantha in time and also find out what happened to her own daughter?



BLUE BELLS OF SCOTLAND by Laura Vosika
Shawn Kleiner has it all: money, fame, a skyrocketing career as an international musical phenomenon, his beautiful girlfriend Amy, and all the women he wants– until the night Amy has enough and leaves him stranded in a Scottish castle tower.
He wakes up to find himself mistaken for Niall Campbell, medieval Highland warrior. Soon after, he is sent shimmying down a wind-torn castle wall into a dangerous cross country trek with Niall's tempting, but knife-wielding fiancee. They are pursued by English soldiers and a Scottish traitor who want Niall dead.
Thrown forward in time, Niall learns history's horrifying account of his own death, and of the Scots' slaughter at Bannockburn. Undaunted, he navigates the roiled waters of Shawn's life– pregnant girlfriend, amorous fans, enemies, and gambling debts— seeking a way to leap back across time to save his people, especially his beloved Allene. His growing fondness for Shawn's life brings him face to face with his own weakness and teaches him the true meaning of faith.



BROKEN GLASS by John Hindmarsh
Steg de Coeur, his family murdered to further an armed takeover of Homeworld by the House of Aluta, flees to space just ahead of corporate mercenaries and warrants issued for his arrest for treason against the Empire. Adventures follow as his ability to link with computers develops, in emulation of the Acolytes who attend the mysterious Glass Complex of Homeworld. Steg purchases a commission in the Imperial Fleet where he aids in the capture of an alien space ship preying on Imperial shipping lanes. He is court-martialled on false charges and marooned on Hellfire, a desert planet controlled by the House of Aluta. Steg takes over the computer-based mining equipment and creates havoc, eventually escaping with Milnaret of Fain, a pleasure companion. Duels, deaths, enlistment in Imperial Special Forces, and exploration of ancient portals drives the tension. The pace is rapid with well developed and solid characters and a compelling storyline.

eBook Sale at ebooks.com!

Just a quick post about an ebook sale I thought you might be interested in…

US Independence Day Promotion at eBooks. 15% off selected ebooks. Use code – independencecp. Valid July 1-7, 2011 only

TryDay, Free and Bargain eBooks for you to Try!

Today, two free ones!
Another book by Julie Ortolon, Dear Cupid.
Once upon a time, there was a redhead named Kate Bradshaw who naively believed Happily Ever After lay a heartbeat away. One kid, one divorce and a stack of bills later, Kate's sour attitude isn't winning any points with the love-struck readers of her Dear Cupid advice column. If she's gong to keep her job, she needs a man to remind her that romance can be fun. Someone attractive. Someone easygoing. Someone with whom she can polish her rusty flirting skills—and absolutely nothing more. Enter Michael Cameron…
One might think a drop-dead-handsome movie animator would have no problem finding a wife. As Kate soon discovers, one would be sorely mistaken. A little too attached to his shabby bachelor pad couch and rumpled Hawaiian shirts, Michael is counting on Dear Cupid to turn him into husband material. Little does Kate know Michael's secret plan: Convince Kate to give love a second chance.

TOP PICK –Romantic Times Magazine

Get Dear Cupid at

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A Hint of Rapture by Miriam Minger


Beloved Enemy

When Maddie Fraser's father was killed fighting for Bonnie Prince Charles, the spirited Scottish lass swore to avenge his death. Hooded and disguised, she led a series of daring raids against the forces of the Crown—vowing to love no man until the English invaders were driven from her native soil.
Captain Garrett Marshall was entrusted with the capture of the mysterious brigand called "Black Jack." But the sensuous, azure-eyed beauty hidden beneath the bandit's manly garb tested Garrett's loyalty to his King. Inflamed by a desire he could not ignore, the handsome officer would wed his bewitching enemy to save her from the gallows. But first he'd have to quell her hatred…and conquer her heart.

Get A Hint of Rapture at:

Smashwords

Amazon

Writer Wednesday: Sexy Read from Jennifer Stevenson, Excerpt!

Today for Writer Wednesday, an excerpt!

I met Jennifer Stevenson a few years back at WisCon, then our paths continued to cross until it just got so darn awkward we HAD to admit we knew each other. ;-) Anyway, now I think we can officially claim the title "friends."

Jennifer writes sexy contemporaries with lots of humor. If you like hot and like to laugh, she is for you!

Now, here's Jennifer talking about her newest release Dezyrah's Talk Dirty To Me.

I wrote this story for an RWA critique session.  My chapter does "hot nights" when the authors bring their sex scenes.  I was feeling pretty cocky, because whatever I decided to bring, people always loved my sex scenes, right?  Then I noticed that the fine print said, "BRING TEN PAGES."  Turned out that all my sex scenes ran twenty to forty pages. Oops.

So I wrote Dezyrah's Talk Dirty To Me

I did it in all-dialogue for two reasons: one, I'd read some Terry Bisson short stories in all-dialogue which blew my mind, and I wanted to try that.

 And two, it was the only way I could think of to get all the sex in in ten pages.  I just didn't have room for all the other stuff you have to have in a good romance sex scene:  setting, emotional context (did they just have a fight? is this their wedding night?), what they're both wearing and doing and feeling and thinking, action and reaction, plot movement, character growth, oh lordy you need all that and more.  Plus good sex.

So I thought, I can imply 90% of all that if I just do the dialogue, right?  If I'm good.

Read it, please, and let me know if I'm that good.

Jennifer Stevenson's ebooks are available at Book View Cafe.  All her work can be found at Amazon and Kindle

Excerpt from Dezyrah's Talk Dirty To Me

by

Jennifer Stevenson

…………

Dezyrah's Talk Dirty To Me, How can I help you honey?

Um, is, is this Dezyrah?

Nobody but, honey.

Hi, uh, my name is Wayne, and I'd like to, to….

Spit it out, loverboy. You shy? This your first time with Dezyrah?

It's my first time with any pho–I mean, yeah.

Good! I mean, I want to be your first, Wayne. I want to set the standard…high for you.

Thank you. I guess.

You sound very sexy, Wayne. I can tell we're going to have a good time. Now give me your big, loong credit card number and we'll start rocking.

Um, okay. Uh, Discover Card, expires June 2010, 1212-3434-5656-0000.

I do love a man who ends it with lots of Ooohs. And what do you know, Wayne? Your credit checks out hot! We can talk all night if you want.

That's nice. I mean, I like your voice, Dezyrah. You sound sort of familiar and homey…and sexy.

I'm so glad to hear it. Now tell me what you like. For the next ten minute minimum, Dezyrah belongs to you.

Um, well. Uh.

Y-e-e-s?

Uh.

Shy, hm? Okay, let's do a little intake. Costs another dollar but you'll be glad we did.

Intake?

Tell me about the best time you ever had, ever, Wayne. Who you were with, what truck you were driving–

How did you know I have a truck?

Oops. Doesn't every macho guy have a truck, loverboy?

Actually I was on my bike.

On your bike.

Yeah. I met this incredible waitress and, but, like, no way I was doing it on my Harley, and my buddy lent me his Chevy.

Oh. Whew. For a minute there I thought you were going to tell me you were on your ten speed. You sound like an early developer, Wayne.

Do I?

I bet you were a demon at spin-the-bottle.

I was. I mean, was I? I guess.

Wayne, I don't want to make this hard for you–well, I do, but in the best way. But Dezyrah's Talk Dirty To Me has a kind of thing about guys who won't meet her halfway, talkwise, know what I mean? I mean, dirty talk is my specialty. Dezyrah talks dirty, and then you have to talk back.

Funny, my wife used to complain about that. We're not divorced. Separated. That is, I'm sort of single.

Whatever, honey. You want to just sit there and breathe heavy, I can give you a referral to a girlfriend of mine, very discreet, you don't even say your credit card number, just beep it right into the phone. Want her number?

Nno–no, thanks. I mean, you got a heavy-duty referral from my buddy–

The one with the Chevy Bonneville?

That's the one. He said you were the greatest.

That's sweet of him. I'll be sure to give him a discount next time. But if you don't feel good about this–

No! I'm–well, I like your voice, Dezyrah. You've got me–I mean, I'm feeling sort of up for it.

That's what I like to hear! Oh, Wayne, talk dirty to me!

Buy for only $.99  at Amazon!

Free Fiction: Follow the Signs romantic short story

This is a short story I wrote quite some time ago. It's my one and only historical romance, set in the Missouri Ozarks in 1918.

If you've bought my digital version of Love is All Around, this story was in the back, but aside from that it has never been published. It's not like most of what I write now, but I think it is cute and wanted to share. :) I'll post it under free reads on my web site a bit later.

I'm planning to do more of this. Actually, I'm thinking of posting full novels as serial installments on my blog, but I need to get organized.

But for now….Follow the Signs.

Follow the Signs

 1918 Missouri Ozarks

"Get the dishes." Esther Blackwell yanked off her bonnet and motioned to the dented metal plates.

"How many we need?" Ruby Daniels reached for the stack, her hands shaking, whether from excitement or nerves she wasn't sure.

"One for each of us, of course," Esther replied. "Patty, you start."

With a work-hardened hand, Patty Snider took the top dish. Looking over her shoulder she carefully pulled her long skirt to the side and stepped backwards around the tiny kitchen. When she reached a row of ladder-back chairs lined up against the wall she asked, "Which should I take?"

"It don't matter. Just keep walking backwards," Esther ordered.

Patty wedged the first chair in the row under her left arm and continued her backwards trip. When she reached the old plank table, she set the chair in place and dropped her plate in front of it. Ruby jumped at the clatter of metal hitting wood.

"All right, you next." Esther nodded to Ruby.

Ruby took a plate and began her journey. She wasn't sure why she'd agreed to this "dumb supper." She didn't believe in conjuring, but Esther had a way of talking a person into doing just about anything.

"Your left shoulder," Esther yelled.

Ruby jumped. She'd about slipped and looked over the wrong shoulder. It didn't make sense that you could only look one way, but what about this pretend dinner did? She halfway expected this was just another way for Esther to be in charge. But as her friend had pointed out, none of them were getting any younger and if they wanted to catch a husband before they were all old maids they needed to take matters into their own hands. Holding a dumb supper might not get them husbands, but it couldn't hurt matters any either.

The way Esther told it, they each had to walk backwards around the kitchen like they were setting up for supper. Then they stood behind their empty chairs and waited. The image of their true love would be reflected back at them from their plates.

Esther said she knew some gals over near Osage that held a dumb supper, and they were all married within a week. Not to some local dirt farmer either, but to rich city boys. They all moved away and had big fancy houses with electricity and flush toilets.

Ruby stumbled backwards and fell into a chair.

"Well, get up. No telling who you're gonna call up now, but you don't need to mess it up for the rest of us." Esther tapped her foot.

Ruby leaped up and scurried backwards, dragging her chair. Finally at the table, she positioned it next to Patty's and silently set her plate down. Gripping the sides of her chair, she waited for Esther to make her way around the room.

Esther walked backwards with a sure stride. Made you wonder if she hadn't tried this a time or two before. Ruby pushed the unchristian thought aside. Esther was a fine girl. If a dumb supper brought husbands, Esther wouldn't need more than one.

"All right, now look in your plate and see your true love," Esther murmured.

Ruby hopefully studied her plate. The worn gray metal gleamed back at her. Was that a nose she saw there? She squinted her left eye. Maybe blue eyes? She opened her left eye and snapped the right one shut. Black hair? She could almost make out his chin, was that a cleft? She so loved a man with a cleft chin. No, wait, no cleft, but it was strong and square, like that movie star, Tom Mix. She'd seen one of his picture shows last year in Rolla. She'd spent the next month dreaming of running off to the west. No, now that was fading. Dang it, she couldn't get a fix on her true love. Wasn't he out there?

"You'uns fixing supper? Seems a bit late, but I can always eat." Beau Nelson stood in the doorway, a dead coon draped over his shoulder. Before Ruby could reply, he dropped the animal next to the door and, in two quick steps, strode to the chair she guarded, pulled it out, and sat down.

oOo

No way around it, Beau had ruined her dumb supper and if Esther was to be believed, her chance at finding true love. He was always popping up at the wrong time. Just this May she'd got up early and snuck down to the spring. Esther had sworn to her that a girl who took a peek in a spring before breakfast on May Day would see her future husband. There she'd been all full of plans, staring into the bubbling water and who comes splashing along, ruining everything, but Beau. He had some big old tale about hunting roots, but she knew it was God punishing her.

Throwing spells was devil's work. She knew that, but at sixteen and not a marriage prospect in sight, she was getting desperate. It wasn't like she could pick out a feller on her own, and even if she could, pickin's were slim. There weren't more than a couple of men of marriageable age around these parts and one of them was Beau. And Beau didn't count, at least not for her.

Until they were ten he'd about lived at her house. His daddy'd been a widower, and Beau had needed a woman's hand raising him. He'd been closer to Ruby than her own brothers.

That's why she agreed to the dumb supper. It was time to get married and the only single man around seemed to be Beau. Esther had told her and Patty the story about the gals in Osage, and it sounded innocent enough. But God had caught them and sent his message in the form of Beau to stop them.

Ruby smacked her raspberry basket into a blackjack that grew beside the muddy path. She needed a new plan. She wasn't going to find a husband gathering berries, but her momma told her not to come home till her basket was full. To make matters worse, the bushes near Ruby's house were all picked over. She'd have to go onto the Nelsons' land, not that Beau's daddy would mind, but Ruby didn't want to run into Beau. He was probably hooting it up over her and her friends holding a dumb supper. She wasn't in the mood to have him laughing at her.

It was too dang hot to be picking berries. Dropping her basket on the ground, Ruby gathered up her skirt and tucked it into her waistband. It wasn't really proper to go around with your legs exposed, but she reckoned it didn't matter when you were on your way to being an old maid. She picked up her basket and trudged over the hill to the Nelsons'.

The place looked different. A new rocker sat on the porch and new curtains hung from the window. Ruby knocked on the front door. She couldn't pick all their berries without at least stopping by to say evenin'. Beau's hound, Rascal, bayed in response, but there was no sign of Beau, his daddy, or his step-mom.

Ruby jumped off the porch and looked around the clearing. About a hundred yards behind the cabin were signs of building. A mule was hooked to a flat-bed wagon loaded with lumber. Not rough-sawn logs, but smooth, planed lumber. Not many folks around here had the resources to pay for fancy wood like that. Ruby got a firm hold on her skirts and wandered toward the construction.

Bare-chested, Beau grabbed a board and yanked it off the wagon. His father stood a few feet away next to a pile of limestone rocks.

"Ruby Daniels, what brings you over our way?" Beau's daddy grinned at her.

Beau stopped what he was doing and pulled a rag out of his pocket to wipe a bead of sweat off his forehead.

Ruby swung her basket. "I was hoping you wouldn't mind if I picked a few of your berries. Mom said to tell you, you can have your pick of some jam or a cobbler for the kindness."

"Your momma knows I'd never turn down one of her cobblers."

Maybe Beau hadn't said anything to his daddy about walking in on them conjuring. She glanced over at him. His chest was bronzed by the sun. She'd never noticed before how broad his shoulders were or how his stomach was hard and rippled, like the washboard she used every Thursday to scrub Pa's trousers.

What was wrong with her? It wasn't right for a single gal to have thoughts like that about a man and especially not one she'd known as long as Beau. She had no business noticing his bare chest. With a guilty flush she checked to see if Beau had noticed her blunder.

Beau wasn't looking at her. Not at her face at any rate. His eyes seemed somewhere south of there. With a start she realized her skirt was still tucked up with her legs bare to the breeze and Beau's gaze. She dropped her skirt and jerked around to face Beau's father.

He looked from her to Beau before another grin split his face.

Ruby twisted the basket in her hands.

"So you're picking berries?" Beau's daddy prompted her.

"Yeah, I sure do appreciate you letting me, and I'll tell Mom about the cobbler."

Beau shifted from one boot-clad foot to another.

His daddy bent over and grabbed a rock from the pile. "Well, I better get back to work. This son of mine is in an almighty hurry to finish this house." With a wink he turned away and began lining the rocks into what looked like a wall.

"How you doing, Ruby?" Beau wandered toward her. "I'm sorry if I spoiled your supper the other night. I didn't know you'uns was doing something special."

"Oh, it wasn't nothing special. Just Esther fooling around. You know how she likes to pretend at conjuring and such." Ruby shoved her hand into her pocket, searching for her lucky buckeye. "It was just for fun."

With the buckeye firmly grasped in her hand she felt more sure of herself. "What you building?"

"A house." Beau looked her in the eye. He had eyes as clear a blue as ice on a sunny December morning. Funny, another thing she'd never noticed before.

Blinking she looked down at her feet. "A house. Who for?"

"Me. It's getting about time I settle down, start a family." Beau glanced at his father who appeared to be busy with the rocks, but by the stiff way he stood Ruby suspected he was listening to their conversation.

"Oh, I didn't know you were stepping out with anybody." She ran her thumb over the buckeye, feeling for the indentation of the eye.

Beau took a step closer to her. "Not yet, but it's about time. Just wanted to get a start on the house. It's not right to talk to a girl about marrying until you got a place to go, and I don't want to start life with Pa and my step-ma. That ain't no life for a bride, leastways not mine."

"That's very forward thinking of you." Ruby squeezed the buckeye until she thought it might split in two. "She'll be a lucky girl. No matter who you choose."

"I hope she thinks so." His blue eyes locked onto her brown ones. "Sometimes it's hard to figure what gals want."

"Well, just don't you run off and get married without telling us all." Ruby tried to sound cheerful, but a nervous laugh escaped. "You jump the broom without me knowing and I might just have to take one to your backside."

He took another step forward. His legs brushed against her skirts, sending them to swaying. Ruby took a deep breath. The musky smell of sweat mingling with the sharp scent of pine almost knocked her over. What was happening? She'd never felt this way around Beau before, all nervous-like, and there was a funny feeling in her stomach, like the time she ate Esther's biscuits, the ones where she forgot the baking soda.

"We've known each other a long time, ain't we, Ruby?" he asked.

"Yeah, too long for you to sneak off to the preacher without telling me." She forced a grin. "I might have a thing or two to tell this new bride."

Beau reached for her basket. "Ruby…."

"Beau, James, you 'bout done? Time for supper." Beau's step-mother stood at the back of their cabin, a wooden spoon in her hand.

"I didn't know your ma was home. She didn't answer when I knocked on the door." Ruby moved her basket so it was behind her back.

"She was probably gathering greens. Ruby…."

"I don't want to rile her. You better get going. I'll see you at the next social." Ruby waved to Beau's father and hurried up the path.

She was happy for the interruption. She wasn't used to the feelings being around Beau had stirred up today. It was most likely all the talk of house building and broom jumping. Not something a single girl with no prospects liked to discuss. But her heart was still beating kind of fast, and she could still smell Beau, still see him standing there all shiny with sweat. She couldn't sort it out alone. She'd talk to Esther, get her take on it.

oOo

 "Sit down, Ruby. I'm getting all wore out just watching you." Esther patted the chair next to her.

Ruby rubbed her hands on her apron and slipped into the chair.

"Now, let's hear it. Who'd you see in your plate the other night?" Esther poured a bit of coffee from Ruby's mother's good china cup into the saucer and took a sip.

Patty stabbed a chunk of pie crust with her fork. "I don't guess I saw nothing. Alls I remember is Beau busting in with that coon. I was mighty afraid he was going to tell my mom what we were up to. She like to split a seam last time she found out we was throwing spells."

Esther set the saucer down, leaving a splash of cream-colored coffee on the table cloth. "We weren't throwing spells. We was just insuring our futures. There ain't nothing wrong with that.

"But you say the only thing you remember is Beau?" She arched her brows.

"Yeah, him coming through the door." Patty drained the last of her coffee and dropped the cup with a plunk.

"There, you see." Esther grabbed Patty's empty cup and held it up to the light. "A ring of grounds. You know what that means, a wedding. You're getting married, that's a sure fire sign. And it came right when you were talking about seeing Beau at the dumb supper." She took a deep breath and exclaimed, "You're marrying Beau Nelson before the year's out."

"You think?" Patty didn't look too sure. "Beau ain't got no money, not that material goods is important to me, but I just don't see how we'd get on. Besides, I always kind of thought Ruby'd…."

Esther broke in, "I forgot about Ruby. Now who'd you see, Ruby?"

Ruby had picked up Patty's empty cup and was studying the pattern of grounds in the bottom. She'd have never put Patty and Beau together. She liked them both and had known them all her life, but they just didn't seem like much of a match. Patty was pretty, but a little on the needy side, and Beau, well, he wasn't one to coddle a person. Not to mention that Patty liked to take regular shopping trips to Rolla, and the Nelsons were known more for holes in their shoes than money in their pockets.

But Esther was sure right. The sign was there in her hand. Maybe Beau getting hitched to Patty explained him building that big house. He must be trying to impress Patty. Ruby hoped he didn't overstretch himself. Patty was nice and all, but not worth a lifetime of debt.

"Ruby?"

"Oh," Ruby set the cup down. "I don't know. Nobody you'd recognize. Dark hair, blue eyes, square chin."

"Don't you think that sounds like B–" Patty began.

"Frank Johnson," Esther leaned back in her chair with a satisfied smile.

Ruby and Patty both stared at her.

"Frank Johnson," she explained. "He's that preacher visiting from Springfield. Dark hair, blue eyes, square chin–has to be him."

"That preacher?" Ruby wasn't one to question Esther, but she wasn't sure Frank Johnson matched the image in her dinner plate. "Isn't he bald?"

"Not bald, just a little light on top's all, and what he has is definitely dark," Esther replied.

"And isn't he kind of old?"

"Not old, he can't be over forty five. That's not much older than your momma. You can't be getting picky when the signs point the way."

"I think he's fascinatin'," Patty said. "Were you listening to his sermon last Sunday? When he said all them people in the cities fishing and shopping on the Lord's Day were going to burn in the fires of eternal damnation, I got chills. I did."

Ruby liked her men with more hair and less years. The preacher part should have made up for his other short-comings, but much as Ruby didn't want to admit it, it didn't. She hoped there wasn't a special place in hell's fires for the shallow. She was headed there for sure.

Added to that, Esther'd said Beau was Patty's true love. Ruby knew she couldn't marry Beau, but it hadn't stopped her from having unclean thoughts about him. She'd wanted to get Esther's advice, but she couldn't admit to thinking about Beau's naked chest now. She'd look like a man-thieving tramp. No, she should be happy for Patty and Beau and concentrate on winning the preacher for herself.

oOo

It had been three weeks, and Ruby had done her best to follow Esther's directions. She'd gone to every service they had at the First Baptist Church, even Wednesday night when she'd rather been listening to Pa playing the banjo with her Uncle Wilbur. She'd worn her best dress every time. It was a wonder it wasn't worn through with all the washings, and she'd even sat in the front row with Patty. There was nowhere to hide up there. When Brother Frank started hopping around turning all red and slinging sweat, she and Patty got sprayed but good. Ruby couldn't even sneak a book inside the hymnal. She tried once, but Patty frowned so much Ruby was shamed into shoving it under her seat.

Ruby figured Patty'd been doing her part too. She'd seen her walking with Beau near the church a couple of times, but there hadn't been any engagement announcement yet. She'd been tempted to wander over to the Nelsons' a time or two, but she'd resisted. It wouldn't be right to be seen sniffing around her friend's intended, even if it wasn't official. Beau'd walked her direction after church last Sunday, but she'd hightailed home, leaving Patty to make eyes at him. She and Beau had been friends a long time, and she missed him, but it was time to put childhood friendships behind them.

She was mulling this over when Brother Frank strolled up to the bench where she sat waiting for her mother to get done at the mercantile. "Miss Daniels it's good to see you. I was just talking to your daddy the other day about how refreshing it is to have young, God-fearing women like yourself and Miss Snider in a congregation. Gives me hope for the future."

He lowered himself onto the bench next to her. Ruby edged over to leave more space between them.

"Your daddy seems like a nice man. It's a shame he don't come to church more. I hate to think of such a fella dying and spending eternity in hell." He dug a square of tobacco out of his coat pocket and bit off a hunk. "Have you talked to him? You know it's your Christian duty to help save all the souls you can."

Ruby nodded. She knew she should be working at charming the preacher, but truth be told it took all her concentration just to stay planted. Try as she might, she couldn't see herself hitched to Brother Frank. If it was him or nothing, she was going to have to pick nothing.

"Now, Miss Snider, she's a woman who knows her Christian duty. Why last week she stood up at the social and testified she had taken Christ our Lord and Savior into her heart. It was a beautiful thing."

Ruby didn't remember that, but she had spent most of the evening eating rhubarb cobbler in the coat room. It had been the only way to avoid Beau. He'd looked particularly good that evening. Funny how, now she knew he was marrying Patty, he just kept looking better and better, like a big box under the Christmas tree with somebody else's name on it. She could hardly resist jumping on it and ripping it open.

Brother Frank had kept talking, but now he paused as if waiting for a reply.

 "Hmm?" Lost in a world where Beau was shoved in her stocking Christmas morning, Ruby missed his question.

"You know if she's keeping company with anyone?" he asked.

"Who? Patty?"

"I don't mean to be forward, but I thought, you being her friend, you'd be able to tell me. I haven't noticed her sitting with anyone special, but since I'm not from around here I wasn't sure and I thought…."

The man was rambling like a drunk rooster, and he looked ready to bust. His hands were shaking, sweat was dripping, and his face was turning red. He was almost as worked up asking about Patty as he got hopping around behind the pulpit.

He was interested in Patty, not Ruby. Relief washed over her. She hadn't looked forward to hurting him, and Patty'd make a much better preacher's wife. Oh, but what about Beau? Patty was taken, and somebody needed to tell the preacher, but Ruby didn't have the heart.

"No, not a soul."

oOo

Ruby had lied to a preacher. Sure it was with good intentions, but it was still a lie. A big old gallywhomper of a lie. There was no help for it. She had to fess up. She plodded up the trail to the Nelsons'.

They'd made a lot of progress in the past month. The house was framed out, a two-story with a fireplace for winter and a sleeping porch for summer. Beau knelt at the bottom of the staircase hammering a board into place. A big ole black snake lay stretched across the doorframe, soaking in the afternoon sun. Ruby kept an eye on it as she squeezed past.

"Hey, Beau."

He dropped the hammer and leaped to his feet. "Ruby, you been scarce lately."

"I thought it best. What with things the way they are and all." She studied her thumbnail.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, but I need to talk to you now. I've done something, and I feel real bad about it. I know it wasn't the right thing to do, but I just couldn't stop myself."

She sneaked a look at Beau. He looked a little pale, but he didn't stop her.

"Brother Frank, he's a real nice man."

"And?" Beau balled his fists at his side.

"The kind, well, I didn't want to hurt his feelings. And we were talking, and I wasn't expecting it, but there it was, and I just didn't think." Apology complete, she sighed and looked up. "You think you can forgive me?"

Beau uncurled his hands and balled them back up. His eyes narrowed to slits, he replied, "I'm not exactly sure what you're asking forgiveness for."

"Well, lying to him. I told him Patty wasn't seeing nobody special."

Beau relaxed his hands and let out a laugh that echoed across the holler and back. "Why you telling me? Shouldn't you be telling him or Patty or maybe the feller she's seeing?"

Ruby blinked in confusion. "But you are the feller she's seeing."

He laughed again. "So that's what's been going on with you. I ain't seeing Patty. Where'd you get such a notion?"

"The signs, Esther said they pointed to you and Patty, and me and Brother Frank."

"But Brother Frank is interested in Patty."

"Appears so. Guess I'm doomed to being an old maid."

"You want to be an old maid?"

"Of course not. That's an ignorant question." Ruby glared at him.

"Me neither. I mean, I want to get married soon too." He ran his hand through his hair, messing up the dark locks. "I come into some money. Sold mineral rights on the fifty acres I got from my grandaddy. Some city folks paid me real nice for them. It was enough to build this house, and still leave a nice nest egg for me and my bride."

"But you said you're not seeing Patty."

"I'm not." He took a deep breath and stepped toward her. "What signs make you think you're going to be an old maid?"

"Well there was the dumb supper. We were all staring at our plates trying to make out who our husbands were going to be and mine was real foggy. I was beginning to make something out when you broke in and plopped right down in my seat. I couldn't see nothing then but the back of your head."

Beau smiled. "Anything else?"

"Before that. You remember May Day at the spring? I was looking for the reflection of my true love and here you came tromping through stirring up the water. There wasn't nothing to see after that but your big, wet feet."

Beau reached out and took her hand. "Anything else?"

"Well, no, not that I can recall." Ruby felt strange. Her heart was beating faster and her face kept tilting up towards Beau's.

"How many signs you think you'd need to know for sure?"

"I guess three."

"How about that?" He nodded toward the front door where another snake had joined the one she snuck past earlier. "You know what two snakes in a house means?"

Ruby sucked in her lower lip and grasped it between her teeth. "Somebody's getting married."

"Somebody in the house. Who you see in this house?"

He leaned in with his lips so close to hers she could feel his breath against her mouth. "Who you see in this house, Ruby?"

She rested her hand against the rough material of his shirt. "You and me."

His lips brushed hers. "You gotta follow the signs, now don't you?"

-oOo-

TryDay, Bargain ebooks (and other) for you to try and today FREE books.

There have been so many great free reads released lately, I just have to talk about a few more.

First something a bit different–not an ebook–a podiobook! Have you heard of these? There is a great site called Podiobooks.com where author/publishers/producers can post their work and listeners can download for free! Then if you enjoy the work, you can give a donation and the creator gets 75% of whatever you donate on that book's page. This is a great deal for listeners (readers) and authors.

I downloaded my first book yesterday and I found a winner. Some of the sound effects are a bit loud/distracting for me, but it is a really professionally produced book and the actual content is really funny. Give it a listen for yourself.

Space Casey by Christiana Ellis

Some heroines will steal your heart. This one will steal your wallet. In the future, mankind has expanded to fill the solar system, but when a snarky con-woman steals the wrong spaceship, she finds herself stranded in a distant galaxy. She is humanity's first emissary to a galactic civilization, and all she wants to do is go home. Preferably, without being arrested

Download as mp3 files here.

If you aren't into audio or podio books, here are a couple of ebooks (also free) for you to try.

After the Fire by Kathryn Shay

Detective Megan Hale comes to Hidden Cove, leaving behind painful memories of her policeman husband killed in the line of duty. But when she meets fireman Mitch Malvaso, Megan's heart is set ablaze-even if it knows the risks.

Get it Free at Smashwords

Or at Amazon

Through a Dark Mist by Marsha Canham

I've had Marsha as a guest here for Writer Wednesday and posted about one other of her books being free, but here is another one! Think ROBIN HOOD!

Book One of the author's Robin Hood trilogy, Award-winning, Best Historical of the Year from Romantic Times: "A legend is brilliantly brought to life on the pages…it unfolds with all the adventure, rollicking good humor, wildly exciting escapades, cliff-hangers, and, most of all, smoldering sensuality any reader could desire."

Get for Free at Smashwords!

Also, have you checked out the free reads on my site?

And, if you haven't tried Demon High yet–now is the time! It is only $.99! (digital version only)

Buy it here:

Amazon

Amazon U.K.

Barnes & Noble

Smashwords

Free Ebooks! Writer Wednesday becomes READER Wednesday!

I'm out of author interviews for the moment. So, I thought I'd round up a few FREE ebooks for everyone to try.  All of these are by authors I either know, have read or have heard great things about. And there is something for just about everyone: one mystery, one Regency and one Paranormal romance shapeshifter!

Murder on the Mind by L L Bartlett

A mugging leaves insurance investigator Jeff Resnick with a fractured skull, and graphic nightmares of murder. But when a local banker is found dead, Jeff believes the attack left him with a sixth sense, and finds himself probing into dangerous secrets that touch his own traumatic past. Originally published by Five Star/Cengage.

"A tightly paced story with a good kick at the end."–RT Magazine

Free at Smashwords!

 

Cotillion by Georgette Heyer

Young Kitty Charing stands to inherit a vast fortune from her irascible great-uncle Matthew–provided she marries one of her cousins. Kitty is not wholly adverse to the plan, if the right nephew proposes. Unfortunately, Kitty has set her heart on Jack Westruther, a confirmed rake, who seems to have no inclination to marry her anytime soon. In an effort to make Jack jealous, and to see a little more of the world than her isolated life on her great-uncle's estate has afforded her, Kitty devises a plan. She convinces yet another of her cousins, the honorable Freddy Standen, to pretend to be engaged to her. Her plan would bring her to London on a visit to Freddy's family and (hopefully) render the elusive Mr. Westruther madly jealous. Thus begins Cotillion, arguably the funniest, most charming of Georgette Heyer's many delightful Regency romances.

No sooner does Kitty arrive in London than she becomes embroiled in the romantic difficulties of several new acquaintances. Kitty's French cousin, Camille, a professional gambler, has won the heart of her new friend, Olivia–who also happens to be the object of Jack Westruther's dishonorable intentions. Meanwhile, Kitty's doltish cousin Lord Dolphinton has fallen in love with a merchant's daughter who's embattled with his mother and needs his help. Finally, there is Kitty herself, who begins to wonder if the dandified Freddy might not be the man for her after all. As in all of Georgette Heyer's books, Cotillion transcends genre–it is, quite simply, wonderful literature. Historically accurate down to the finest details of dress, deportment, and speech, Heyer was also a master at creating unforgettable, comic characters, and Kitty Charing and Freddy Standen stand out as one of her most charming romantic duos ever.

Free at Amazon!
Free at Barnes & Noble!

 

Seduced by the Wolf by Terry Spear

His first priority is to protect his pack… Werewolf pack leader Leidolf Wildhaven has just taken over a demoralized pack. With rogue wolves on the loose causing havoc and the authorities from the zoo suddenly zeroing in on the local wolf population, the last thing he needs in his territory is a do-gooder female, no matter how beautiful and enticing she is…She'll do anything to help wolves…Biologist Cassie Roux has dedicated her life to protecting wolves in the wild. On a desperate mission to help a she-wolf with newborn pups, the last thing Cassie needs right now is a nosy and entirely too attractive werewolf pack leader trying to track her down…With rogue wolves and hunters threatening at every turn, Cassie and Leidolf may find their attraction the most dangerous force of all…

Free at Amazon!
Free at Barnes & Noble!

TryDay, Bargain Ebook for you to try: contemporary romance by Julie Ortolon

Today's TryDay pick is a contemporary romance by Julie Ortolon. I met Julie a few years ago at a Ninc conference in New York and we hit it off immediately. She is also the author who has been right there with me during the whole self-publishing ebook ride. Falling for You is a backlist contemporary romance originally published by St. Martins.

What happens when Mr. Slow and Steady…

The forecast is smooth sailing for Oliver Chancellor, scion of Galveston's premier financier. Destined to take his place in the hallowed marble corridors of his family's bank, Chance is content with the future that's been mapped out for him, right down to his upcoming engagement to a prim debutante enthusiastically approved by his socialite mother.

Finds himself on a collision course…

But when beautiful Rory St. Claire crosses his path, Chance recklessly plunges into uncharted territory with nothing but his heart to guide him-and a beautiful woman to tempt him…

With Ms. Full-Speed-Ahead?

Propelled by a lifelong goal to buy the island home reportedly haunted by her colorful ancestors, Rory desperately needs Chance's help in securing a business loan, and she won't take no for an answer. In the midst of convincing the hesitant blue blood to take a chance on her dream, Rory unexpectedly lands in Chance's arms, stunned by his red-blooded passion-and her own awakened desire. Now, the mismatched pair can't keep their hands off one another, and something tells Rory she's headed for trouble-trouble in the name of love…

And, yes, Falling For You is another bargain ebook priced at just $.99!

Buy it at:

Amazon Kindle

Barnes & Noble Nook

Smashwords