V.L. Locey's Blog, page 100
February 3, 2014
Tuesday Tales - Field
Welcome to Tuesday Tales! This week I`ll be sharing excerpts from my 2013 NaNoWriMo novel, Laco Law – The Gnarled Oak. Laco Law is an M/M historical western romance, set in the fictional county of Laco, Texas in 1867.
This week our word prompt is 'Field’. In this excerpt Zeke and Clay are confronted with their first possible clue concerning Clayton`s kidnapped nephew, Boyden.
A note for my readers: This is a gay romance novel, and so the romance that occurs is man on man. If this is not your cup of tea, no one will think less of you if you read no further.
As this is my NaNo work, it is quite rough. I do ask that you overlook any glaring mistakes you may find. Please do check out the other wonderful writers after you`re done reading by clicking on the Tuesday Tales link at the bottom. Thanks for stopping in!
“They have damn fine lemonade at the Double Sun,” I relayed to the man sitting rigid as a new fence post at my left elbow.
“Nice for you,” he commented. “I shared a trough with two horses and a dog.”
There was not one thing I could say to that comment that would alleviate the way the world treated Ezekiel Fire Sky. I wanted to try though, but didn`t know how to go about it. What could I say that would not sound trite?
“You`re the best deputy I have ever had the pleasure of working with.”
Zeke snorted like a fat sow in slop. “I`m the only deputy you`ve ever worked with, Pan.”
“That`s neither here or there,” I said as we put some distance between us and the Double Sun. Hessie was feeling her oats. She pranced along, ears high, filled with energy. “I was trying to convey . . .”
“I know what you were trying to say.” Zeke`s big grey threw his head as if to challenge my mare. Hessie tried to grab a nip. “I like working with you too, Clayton,” he said before giving his horse its head. Dog raced off yipping with excitement, his tail barely visible after he ran into the lush field.
“Smug bastard,” I murmured with humor, laid down low on my mare`s back, and then told her to run like the wind. The race was freeing. The warm wind battering my face, Hessie`s mane blowing across my eyes, the tender knowledge that somehow – among all the darkness in my life – something bright was beginning to glow within Zeke and I.
When we finally slowed we had covered several miles. Zeke had won. I accused him of cheating. He informed me that his people were just superior in horsemanship skills among many other things. I stood up slightly in the stirrups, my hand dipping into my front pocket. Hessie was too spent to act out. I looped the reins over the pommel then gently opened Charlie`s hidden missive. What was scribbled on the tiny scrap of meat wrapping paper was perplexing.
Big cow hide small package
I read it over a few times then handed it to Zeke. He pushed his hair from his face before he read. Dog trudged along, tired as the horses from the long run they had enjoyed.
“What does this mean?” he inquired. I raised then lowered a shoulder. We both worked the cryptic message over in our minds. “Did he ram a gift up a cow`s ass?”
I snickered at the mental imagery of that tiny Chinaman anally assaulting a longhorn with a gaily wrapped present. We rode silently for a few moments longer.
“It`s not to be taken literally, I suspect. Maybe he means that we should check out the cattle for some sort of clue?” I asked, removing my hat to allow the wind to blow over my sweaty scalp.
“What kind of clue could cows have?” Zeke wondered aloud. The creak of leather mixed nicely with the rustling grass. Scores of little yellow birds swooped and dove amid the rushing wind currents. “Should we go find where the herd is gathered for some reason? Branding, maybe?
“That`s a good thought.” I was transfixed by a blue bird among all the yellow warblers. Boyden had always had a fondness for blue. We had taken special note of the rusty-breasted blue birds back in Louisiana. Jays thrilled him terribly. He had gathered a wooden box filled with various blue beads, feathers, and bits of thread or string. Anything blue grabbed his hazel eyes. Becky used to say she thought her son was one of those bower birds she had read about.
I hadn`t realized that Hessie had stopped until Zeke nudged my foot with his. The stirrups clanked dully. I coughed while dragging the back of my hand under my eyes. When I had possession of myself, I looked over to see Zeke staring out at the ocean of green grass.
“Do you know anything about cattle drives?” I asked, secretly thankful for the man`s ability to pretend he didn`t see me falling apart.
“Little,” he said then wet his lips. “Beef are rounded up from grazing ground. Then, those who need it are branded. After all have the ranch mark, they ride them to the trails,” he said as we picked up the pace a bit. “Used to be the drives ran up the Shawnee Trail to Kansas City or St. Louis. Your war came along. Lots of beef was sent to the armies, or was supposed to be,” he amended when I made an odd face.
If any beef had come to my regiment, we grunts surely never saw it. Zeke stared at me intently for a heartbeat or so, and then fell back to talking about cattle drives. I cursed myself for slipping like that. “Rumor has it that some man named McCoy has built stockyards in Abilene, Kansas, and is willing to take the Texas cattle that no one else will take.”
I rode along mulling over Kansas, round-ups, cattle, ticks on Texas beef spreading sickness among the herds, the lack of meat when I wore grey, and the knowledge that time was slowly running out for Boyden. It had been close to a month since Becky had been killed, I had been shot, and a little sandy-haired boy had been taken.
“How do you know so much about it?” I asked when I returned to the conversation.
“Just do,” he said mysteriously. Guess I wasn`t the only man sitting on secrets. I opted not to push him about his, and I hoped he would respect my need for privacy as well. So far he hadn`t pushed too hard and for that he had my eternal thanks.
“Good enough,” I commented casually. A blow fly landed on Hessie`s neck. I crushed it between my fingers. “So, do we ride back to Laco for provisions, or do we ride across Price land to investigate this baffling clue from Charlie the Chinese Butler?”
“Riding back to Laco will cost us valuable time,” Zeke said, those bright blue feathers dangling from his hat band tickling his temple with each gentle gust. Boyden would love those feathers. “I say we hunt as we go. The cattle, they`re still grazing here on Price land, so the paddocks where branding would take place should be empty.”
“Alright, we`ll double around, skirting the cattle and the cowpokes that ride with them,” I responded, my eyes already roaming the swaying tides of buffalograss, thistle, and little barley for the telltale signs of suspicious shapes sneaking through the tall grasses. Guess the war never quite leaves a man.
Copyright 2013 ©by V.L. Locey
*~*~*
Click on the link below to return to the Tuesday Tales main blog for more great reads from the talented authors of Tuesday Tales.
Tuesday Tales
See you next week with more from the old West!
This week our word prompt is 'Field’. In this excerpt Zeke and Clay are confronted with their first possible clue concerning Clayton`s kidnapped nephew, Boyden.
A note for my readers: This is a gay romance novel, and so the romance that occurs is man on man. If this is not your cup of tea, no one will think less of you if you read no further.
As this is my NaNo work, it is quite rough. I do ask that you overlook any glaring mistakes you may find. Please do check out the other wonderful writers after you`re done reading by clicking on the Tuesday Tales link at the bottom. Thanks for stopping in!
“They have damn fine lemonade at the Double Sun,” I relayed to the man sitting rigid as a new fence post at my left elbow.
“Nice for you,” he commented. “I shared a trough with two horses and a dog.”
There was not one thing I could say to that comment that would alleviate the way the world treated Ezekiel Fire Sky. I wanted to try though, but didn`t know how to go about it. What could I say that would not sound trite?
“You`re the best deputy I have ever had the pleasure of working with.”
Zeke snorted like a fat sow in slop. “I`m the only deputy you`ve ever worked with, Pan.”
“That`s neither here or there,” I said as we put some distance between us and the Double Sun. Hessie was feeling her oats. She pranced along, ears high, filled with energy. “I was trying to convey . . .”
“I know what you were trying to say.” Zeke`s big grey threw his head as if to challenge my mare. Hessie tried to grab a nip. “I like working with you too, Clayton,” he said before giving his horse its head. Dog raced off yipping with excitement, his tail barely visible after he ran into the lush field.
“Smug bastard,” I murmured with humor, laid down low on my mare`s back, and then told her to run like the wind. The race was freeing. The warm wind battering my face, Hessie`s mane blowing across my eyes, the tender knowledge that somehow – among all the darkness in my life – something bright was beginning to glow within Zeke and I.
When we finally slowed we had covered several miles. Zeke had won. I accused him of cheating. He informed me that his people were just superior in horsemanship skills among many other things. I stood up slightly in the stirrups, my hand dipping into my front pocket. Hessie was too spent to act out. I looped the reins over the pommel then gently opened Charlie`s hidden missive. What was scribbled on the tiny scrap of meat wrapping paper was perplexing.
Big cow hide small package
I read it over a few times then handed it to Zeke. He pushed his hair from his face before he read. Dog trudged along, tired as the horses from the long run they had enjoyed.
“What does this mean?” he inquired. I raised then lowered a shoulder. We both worked the cryptic message over in our minds. “Did he ram a gift up a cow`s ass?”
I snickered at the mental imagery of that tiny Chinaman anally assaulting a longhorn with a gaily wrapped present. We rode silently for a few moments longer.
“It`s not to be taken literally, I suspect. Maybe he means that we should check out the cattle for some sort of clue?” I asked, removing my hat to allow the wind to blow over my sweaty scalp.
“What kind of clue could cows have?” Zeke wondered aloud. The creak of leather mixed nicely with the rustling grass. Scores of little yellow birds swooped and dove amid the rushing wind currents. “Should we go find where the herd is gathered for some reason? Branding, maybe?
“That`s a good thought.” I was transfixed by a blue bird among all the yellow warblers. Boyden had always had a fondness for blue. We had taken special note of the rusty-breasted blue birds back in Louisiana. Jays thrilled him terribly. He had gathered a wooden box filled with various blue beads, feathers, and bits of thread or string. Anything blue grabbed his hazel eyes. Becky used to say she thought her son was one of those bower birds she had read about.
I hadn`t realized that Hessie had stopped until Zeke nudged my foot with his. The stirrups clanked dully. I coughed while dragging the back of my hand under my eyes. When I had possession of myself, I looked over to see Zeke staring out at the ocean of green grass.
“Do you know anything about cattle drives?” I asked, secretly thankful for the man`s ability to pretend he didn`t see me falling apart.
“Little,” he said then wet his lips. “Beef are rounded up from grazing ground. Then, those who need it are branded. After all have the ranch mark, they ride them to the trails,” he said as we picked up the pace a bit. “Used to be the drives ran up the Shawnee Trail to Kansas City or St. Louis. Your war came along. Lots of beef was sent to the armies, or was supposed to be,” he amended when I made an odd face.
If any beef had come to my regiment, we grunts surely never saw it. Zeke stared at me intently for a heartbeat or so, and then fell back to talking about cattle drives. I cursed myself for slipping like that. “Rumor has it that some man named McCoy has built stockyards in Abilene, Kansas, and is willing to take the Texas cattle that no one else will take.”
I rode along mulling over Kansas, round-ups, cattle, ticks on Texas beef spreading sickness among the herds, the lack of meat when I wore grey, and the knowledge that time was slowly running out for Boyden. It had been close to a month since Becky had been killed, I had been shot, and a little sandy-haired boy had been taken.
“How do you know so much about it?” I asked when I returned to the conversation.
“Just do,” he said mysteriously. Guess I wasn`t the only man sitting on secrets. I opted not to push him about his, and I hoped he would respect my need for privacy as well. So far he hadn`t pushed too hard and for that he had my eternal thanks.
“Good enough,” I commented casually. A blow fly landed on Hessie`s neck. I crushed it between my fingers. “So, do we ride back to Laco for provisions, or do we ride across Price land to investigate this baffling clue from Charlie the Chinese Butler?”
“Riding back to Laco will cost us valuable time,” Zeke said, those bright blue feathers dangling from his hat band tickling his temple with each gentle gust. Boyden would love those feathers. “I say we hunt as we go. The cattle, they`re still grazing here on Price land, so the paddocks where branding would take place should be empty.”
“Alright, we`ll double around, skirting the cattle and the cowpokes that ride with them,” I responded, my eyes already roaming the swaying tides of buffalograss, thistle, and little barley for the telltale signs of suspicious shapes sneaking through the tall grasses. Guess the war never quite leaves a man.
Copyright 2013 ©by V.L. Locey
*~*~*
Click on the link below to return to the Tuesday Tales main blog for more great reads from the talented authors of Tuesday Tales.
Tuesday Tales
See you next week with more from the old West!
February 2, 2014
Sports Romance Blog Hop Kicks Off!
There is so much hockey/sports excitement it barely fits on the header!
Not only am I taking part in the Sports Romance Blog Hop, sponsored by Cassandra Carr, which is running from February 3rd to the 5th, I am thrilled to be one of the authors of the new Hockey Romance website. If you`re a fan of sexy men on skates then you`re in the right place! Since the Winter Olympics are starting this week, the timing of our new website launch could not be better. I know I`ll be keeping a close eye on the ice hockey competitions in Sochi, as well as many other competitions.
To help celebrate our the launch of our new website, as well as this great blog hop, I`ll be giving away a PDF copy of my newly released hockey romance, Pink Pucks & Power Plays, to one lucky reader! All you have to do is leave a comment telling me your favorite hockey/sports memory. Make sure to leave your contact information so I can get a hold of you. There will be more about the giveaway after you meet the authors of Hockey Romance.
If the Winter Olympics have you all a flutter and daydreaming about seriously sexy athletes then wow, have we got a treat for you! Yes, come on over and check out our amazing new website showcasing the best the romance world has to offer in hockey fiction, Hockey Romance http://www.hockeyromance.com .
Hockey Romance focuses on hot hockey players in the world of fiction, following their bad boy antics both on and off the ice. Ranging from sweetly romantic to down-and-dirty kinky, the Hockey Romance website caters to every need and taste. Read about the women who tame these testosterone-overdosed guys, find out if the players are as skillful in the bedroom as they are on the rink, and what really happens in the locker room!
All heat levels and pairings are represented, so no matter if you like M/F, M/M, kinky, sweet – one of our authors will have you covered!
Oh, yes, it’s hot in here!
And with a host of talented authors to keep stoking the fire with new romantic and sexy stories, love and lust is only a click away. Between us we have an impressive library of tempting and titillating books to warm even the coldest nights. So while you’re watching the sure-to-be-awesome hockey tournament in Sochi and shouting for your team, feel free to wonder just what’s below those layers of padding, and then pick up a novel from a Hockey Romance author and get up close and personal with a sexy player of your own.
Website - http://www.hockeyromance.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/hockeyromance
Hockey Romance Authors
Cassandra Carr http://www.booksbycassandracarr.com
Cassandra Carr is a multi-award winning romance writer. When not writing she enjoys watching hockey and hanging out online. Cassandra's books have won numerous "Best Book Of" awards and her novella Unexpected Top was nominated in the E-book Erotic Romance category of RT's Reviewers' Choice Awards.
She thinks the best part of being a writer is how she writes about love and sex while most others struggle with daily commutes, micro-managing bosses and cranky co-workers. Her inspiration comes from everywhere, but she'd particularly like to thank the Buffalo Sabres, the hockey team near and dear to her heart.
Jami Davenport http://www.jamidavenport.com
An advocate of happy endings, Jami writes sexy romantic comedy, sports heroromances, and equestrian fiction. Jami lives on a small farm near PugetSound with her Green Beret-turned-plumber husband, a Newfoundland cross with a tennis ball fetish, a prince disguised as an orange tabby cat, and anopinionated Hanoverian mare.
Jami works in IT for her day job and is a former high school businessteacher and dressage rider. In her spare time, she maintains her small farmand socializes whenever the opportunity presents itself. An avid boater,Jami has spent countless hours in the San Juan Islands, a common setting inher books. In her opinion, it is the most beautiful place on earth.
Catherine Gayle http://www.catherinegayle.com/index.html
Catherine Gayle is a bestselling author of Regency-set historical romance and contemporary hockey romance with a New Adult feel. She’s a transplanted Texan living in North Carolina with two extremely spoiled felines. In her spare time, she watches way too much hockey and reality TV, plans fun things to do for the Nephew Monster’s next visit, and performs experiments in the kitchen which are rarely toxic.
Lily Harlem http://www.lilyharlem.com
Lily Harlem is an award-winning author of contemporary erotic romance. She lives with her husband in the UK and since leaving a career in nursing writes full time. She is published by houses on both sides of the Atlantic including Ellora’s Cave and HarperCollins and also self-publishes her work.
Her Hot Ice series regularly receives high praise and industry nominations and she’s never happier than when she’s dreaming up the next story for her bad-boy heroes of fictional hockey team the Vipers. Usually when writing she’s accompanied by a cat on her lap and a dog at her feet, both rescued from the shelter and constant companions.
Kelly Jamieson www.kellyjamieson.com
Kelly Jamieson lives in Winnipeg, Canada and is the bestselling author of over thirty romance novels and novellas. Her writing has been described as “emotionally complex”, “sweet and satisfying” and “blisteringly sexy”. If she can stop herself from reading or writing, she loves to cook. She has shelves of cookbooks that she reads at length. She also enjoys gardening in the summer, and in the winter she likes to read gardening magazines and seed catalogues (there might be a theme here...) She also loves shopping, especially for clothes and shoes.
V L Locey http://thoughtsfromayodelinggoatherder.blogspot.com/
Vicki loves worn jeans, belly laughs, anything romantic, Greek mythology, New York Rangers hockey, comic books and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.) She shares her life with her husband, herToni Aleo http://tonialeo.com
Toni Aleo is the author of the Nasvhille Assassins series. When not rooting for her beloved Nashville Predators, she’s probably going to her husband’s and son’s hockey games and her daughter’s dance competitions, taking pictures, scrapbooking, or reading the latest romance novel. She lives in the Nashville area with her husband, two children, and a bulldog.
Suzan Butler http://suzanbutler.com
Suzan Butler is a romantic fiction author with a penchant for Dr. Pepper, ice hockey, and world domination.
She lives in Texas under a not-so-secret identity with two monsters, writing books and planning the next step in her evil plans into the twilight hours of the night because that’s when it’s quiet in the house.
Bianca Sommerland http://www.im-no-angel.com
Bianca Sommerland was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec. When not reading neurotically or writing as though the fate of the world rests on her keyboard, she is either watching hockey or teaching her daughters the beauty of a classic, steel pony while reminiscing about her days in Auto Body Mechanics.
Her time is balanced with utmost care between normal family life, and the internal paranormal realm where her characters reside. For the most part, she succeeds.
*~*~*
Now for the giveaway details. It`s pretty simple, I promise. All you have to do is leave me a comment telling me your favorite hockey/sports memory, and your contact information. If you do not leave your contact information I`ll simply move over your comment, since I honestly do not have the time to track down people. So please, leave your email address! I`ll draw a winner Thursday morning after entering all the names into the Random Thing Picker.
Good luck, thank you for hopping, and I hope we see you often at the Hockey Romance website as well as our Facebook page. Please make sure you visit all the wonderful writers taking part in our Sports Romance Blog Hop.
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Not only am I taking part in the Sports Romance Blog Hop, sponsored by Cassandra Carr, which is running from February 3rd to the 5th, I am thrilled to be one of the authors of the new Hockey Romance website. If you`re a fan of sexy men on skates then you`re in the right place! Since the Winter Olympics are starting this week, the timing of our new website launch could not be better. I know I`ll be keeping a close eye on the ice hockey competitions in Sochi, as well as many other competitions.
To help celebrate our the launch of our new website, as well as this great blog hop, I`ll be giving away a PDF copy of my newly released hockey romance, Pink Pucks & Power Plays, to one lucky reader! All you have to do is leave a comment telling me your favorite hockey/sports memory. Make sure to leave your contact information so I can get a hold of you. There will be more about the giveaway after you meet the authors of Hockey Romance.
If the Winter Olympics have you all a flutter and daydreaming about seriously sexy athletes then wow, have we got a treat for you! Yes, come on over and check out our amazing new website showcasing the best the romance world has to offer in hockey fiction, Hockey Romance http://www.hockeyromance.com .
Hockey Romance focuses on hot hockey players in the world of fiction, following their bad boy antics both on and off the ice. Ranging from sweetly romantic to down-and-dirty kinky, the Hockey Romance website caters to every need and taste. Read about the women who tame these testosterone-overdosed guys, find out if the players are as skillful in the bedroom as they are on the rink, and what really happens in the locker room!
All heat levels and pairings are represented, so no matter if you like M/F, M/M, kinky, sweet – one of our authors will have you covered!
Oh, yes, it’s hot in here!
And with a host of talented authors to keep stoking the fire with new romantic and sexy stories, love and lust is only a click away. Between us we have an impressive library of tempting and titillating books to warm even the coldest nights. So while you’re watching the sure-to-be-awesome hockey tournament in Sochi and shouting for your team, feel free to wonder just what’s below those layers of padding, and then pick up a novel from a Hockey Romance author and get up close and personal with a sexy player of your own.
Website - http://www.hockeyromance.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/hockeyromance
Hockey Romance Authors
Cassandra Carr http://www.booksbycassandracarr.com
Cassandra Carr is a multi-award winning romance writer. When not writing she enjoys watching hockey and hanging out online. Cassandra's books have won numerous "Best Book Of" awards and her novella Unexpected Top was nominated in the E-book Erotic Romance category of RT's Reviewers' Choice Awards.
She thinks the best part of being a writer is how she writes about love and sex while most others struggle with daily commutes, micro-managing bosses and cranky co-workers. Her inspiration comes from everywhere, but she'd particularly like to thank the Buffalo Sabres, the hockey team near and dear to her heart.
Jami Davenport http://www.jamidavenport.com
An advocate of happy endings, Jami writes sexy romantic comedy, sports heroromances, and equestrian fiction. Jami lives on a small farm near PugetSound with her Green Beret-turned-plumber husband, a Newfoundland cross with a tennis ball fetish, a prince disguised as an orange tabby cat, and anopinionated Hanoverian mare.
Jami works in IT for her day job and is a former high school businessteacher and dressage rider. In her spare time, she maintains her small farmand socializes whenever the opportunity presents itself. An avid boater,Jami has spent countless hours in the San Juan Islands, a common setting inher books. In her opinion, it is the most beautiful place on earth.
Catherine Gayle http://www.catherinegayle.com/index.html
Catherine Gayle is a bestselling author of Regency-set historical romance and contemporary hockey romance with a New Adult feel. She’s a transplanted Texan living in North Carolina with two extremely spoiled felines. In her spare time, she watches way too much hockey and reality TV, plans fun things to do for the Nephew Monster’s next visit, and performs experiments in the kitchen which are rarely toxic.
Lily Harlem http://www.lilyharlem.com
Lily Harlem is an award-winning author of contemporary erotic romance. She lives with her husband in the UK and since leaving a career in nursing writes full time. She is published by houses on both sides of the Atlantic including Ellora’s Cave and HarperCollins and also self-publishes her work.
Her Hot Ice series regularly receives high praise and industry nominations and she’s never happier than when she’s dreaming up the next story for her bad-boy heroes of fictional hockey team the Vipers. Usually when writing she’s accompanied by a cat on her lap and a dog at her feet, both rescued from the shelter and constant companions.
Kelly Jamieson www.kellyjamieson.com
Kelly Jamieson lives in Winnipeg, Canada and is the bestselling author of over thirty romance novels and novellas. Her writing has been described as “emotionally complex”, “sweet and satisfying” and “blisteringly sexy”. If she can stop herself from reading or writing, she loves to cook. She has shelves of cookbooks that she reads at length. She also enjoys gardening in the summer, and in the winter she likes to read gardening magazines and seed catalogues (there might be a theme here...) She also loves shopping, especially for clothes and shoes.
V L Locey http://thoughtsfromayodelinggoatherder.blogspot.com/
Vicki loves worn jeans, belly laughs, anything romantic, Greek mythology, New York Rangers hockey, comic books and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.) She shares her life with her husband, herToni Aleo http://tonialeo.com
Toni Aleo is the author of the Nasvhille Assassins series. When not rooting for her beloved Nashville Predators, she’s probably going to her husband’s and son’s hockey games and her daughter’s dance competitions, taking pictures, scrapbooking, or reading the latest romance novel. She lives in the Nashville area with her husband, two children, and a bulldog.
Suzan Butler http://suzanbutler.com
Suzan Butler is a romantic fiction author with a penchant for Dr. Pepper, ice hockey, and world domination.
She lives in Texas under a not-so-secret identity with two monsters, writing books and planning the next step in her evil plans into the twilight hours of the night because that’s when it’s quiet in the house.
Bianca Sommerland http://www.im-no-angel.com
Bianca Sommerland was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec. When not reading neurotically or writing as though the fate of the world rests on her keyboard, she is either watching hockey or teaching her daughters the beauty of a classic, steel pony while reminiscing about her days in Auto Body Mechanics.
Her time is balanced with utmost care between normal family life, and the internal paranormal realm where her characters reside. For the most part, she succeeds.
*~*~*
Now for the giveaway details. It`s pretty simple, I promise. All you have to do is leave me a comment telling me your favorite hockey/sports memory, and your contact information. If you do not leave your contact information I`ll simply move over your comment, since I honestly do not have the time to track down people. So please, leave your email address! I`ll draw a winner Thursday morning after entering all the names into the Random Thing Picker.
Good luck, thank you for hopping, and I hope we see you often at the Hockey Romance website as well as our Facebook page. Please make sure you visit all the wonderful writers taking part in our Sports Romance Blog Hop.
February 1, 2014
We`re Having Fun on Pinterest!
I have a special treat to share with you. Over on Pinterest you`ll find a story board for Pink Pucks & Power Plays! I had a blast making this, and I plan to do so for some of my other books when I can grab some time. Enjoy the images!
Pink Pucks & Power Plays Story Board
Pink Pucks & Power Plays Story Board
January 29, 2014
Welcome Angel A. Walker!
I`m quite thrilled to have Angel A. Walker here today! Not only is she a talented author, she is also one of the lovely ladies that I have lunch and coffee with monthly. Take it away, Angel!
*~*~*
Thanks Vicki for inviting me today.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with my work, Such is Love is the second book in my Such is Life series. Being a first time self-published author I figured today I would talk a little about the dreaded sequel. I don’t know if you guys are familiar or not with how many people feel about sequels, but usually they aren’t good. Most people don’t believe the first one could be topped. Writing Such is Love I felt that feeling over me. That people who loved the first weren’t going to feel the same about the second. That I would hear those awful words, “She should have stopped at the first one.” I don’t know if any of you have experienced this feeling, but I would have to tell ya it stopped me in my tracks.
I doubted myself for a year about the second book coming out. Would people like it? Will people bother to venture onto the third? What if I’m a one hit wonder?
The point of all this today is for those of you who have ever had this feeling I’m here to route you on. Don’t let your fear of failure stop your success. I’ve gotten an overwhelming support from my friends, family, and fans of the series. Rooting me on everyday wondering what was in store for Melissa and Brett. Wondering if they would one day be together. Posting comments on FB and emailing me. Without the support I don’t know if I would have ever continued. So if you are a writer or a reader, remember that your support could be what gets another author the push they need. I know it helped me and next week is my book signing for Such is Love and I can’t wait. I also couldn’t thank the people in my life anymore. They are the reason I continue to write.
Oh, and don’t forget every review counts!
*~*~*
BLURB
Melissa Jones is packed and ready to go Canada with her closest friends. The good part is that after years of being the single girl, she’s finally in a relationship with old flame Shawn Edwards. The bad part is her assistant and ex-fling Brett Thomas has started dating her longtime friend Tracy Rumsey. As a last minute addition to the trip Brett is bringing not only his good looks but also his feelings for Melissa along. Tensions are high but everyone wears their smiles for the sake of the trip. Friendships and relationships will be tested in this second installment of the romantic comedy Such is Life series. By the end of the trip the good and the bad will come out. Fires and floods won’t compare to the secrets that will be brought to the surface. It goes to show all might look good on the outside even though there’s a storm brewing within.
*~*~*
EXCERPTInstead of stopping at a Denny’s or a Perkins we decided on fast food, which made Shawn very happy. It was getting late and we didn’t want to waste time with sitting down and eating. Shawn hopped in the back with Tracy to get some sleep since he spent most of his day running around New York. Shawn and Tracy are two people who get in a car and if they aren’t driving pass right out. Shawn wasn’t lying when he said we were up late. There wasn’t even the slightest bit of exaggeration there. For an hour Brett and I didn’t speak to one another. I handed him his food and we listened to music and sang. I never really noticed his great belting voice until he started singing along to the radio. But then again why wouldn’t he have a great singing voice? Good looking guys, with a nice bodies, and a great personalities always have a great singing voices. It comes along with the package of being beautiful and perfect.I stared at him as he continued to sing along with Maroon 5. I couldn’t help but smile at him because I never heard him belt out before. When we went to Mansfield last year he would sing but he was really quiet. Who could pass up a guy who has a great singing voice? Another reason to fall for him. Meat Loaf’s Paradise by the Dashboard Light came on and he practically jumped out of his seat. He turned up the radio and he commenced to rocking. I knew the song too, but I was so shocked by his excitement that I didn’t join in on the song. I was even more stunned when it got to the baseball commentary and he knew the whole section. It was hilarious watching him jam out, drumming against the steering wheel, and swinging his thick dark hair back and forth. I had no other choice but to sing along with the female part the second it came on. I think he was stunned because he stared at me while I sang. He finally sang again when the “let me sleep on it” part began. Once the song ended we had ourselves a chuckle and a slight awkward moment due to what I assume was the lyrics. “Do you love me forever?” It was the exact question I’d been asking myself. It felt like I was really asking him. I wish I could ask him that without a song being the pretext. It’s something that I wanted to ask him for a long time and it felt like singing that song kind of lifted the weight off my shoulders although he didn’t really answer. And by some chance if I ever asked him if he loved me and he replied, “let me sleep on it” I would probably hit him. Funny thing is he probably knows I would hit him. He always tells me the two things I got from my mother was my ability to hold my liquor, and my violence. My two least favorite attributes about her. He looked over at me again and smiled. I could tell he wanted to say something but he kept looking away every time he opened his mouth. The situation was unbelievably frustrating. I wish I was the type of person who could trust her instincts and go with what she wants, but I always fear getting hurt. I blame Derrick. He was always constantly pulling me in close and then pushing me further away. That’s why it’s hard for me to be able to take risk. One might say I took a risk with Shawn, but it wasn’t a risk, it was a safety net. The more and more I thought about Derrick the angrier I became. And the angrier I became the more I relied on my relationship with Shawn. The more I relied on my relationship with Shawn, the further things between Brett and I slipped away. There was no risk in my decision at all. It was just like me to take the safest route. Sometimes I wanted to stand in the middle of the desert and scream at the top of my lungs. I wish I could turn to him right now and say I want to be with you, and I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I panicked and ran when things between the two of us began. I’m sorry it’s taking me a year to say this. I will admit that I knew I made a mistake the minute I got off the phone with Shawn. I’m also sorry that this isn’t our trip together. I’m so pathetic. Even I am underway of becoming bored with my constant back and forth behavior. I also have to take into consideration one thing. What if he doesn’t feel the same way? My gut says that he does, but if I were him I don’t know if I would necessarily want to try something that broke his heart once already. To him I turned him down, and to me I chickened out. What a way for one situation to be viewed two different ways. I debated with myself for another hour while we were on the road. It’s was nine and we were about three hours outside of Ontario. The roads were jammed which meant he couldn’t go his normal Mach speed. I could tell he was getting tired by the way he was driving. It was pretty early so I didn’t know why he was tired, unless he and Tracy stayed up all night. What was the best way to ask him if he and Tracy had sex? It took us a year to kiss I couldn’t imagine him bedding her right away. Maybe that’s just wishful thinking. He could simply be more attracted to her than he was to me. Maybe she was a better kisser than me. There are many possibilities and it seemed like none were a positive in my direction. I turned around to make sure Tracy and Shawn were still asleep. Tracy was leaning up against Shawn and Shawn’s face was up against the window. They were both most definitely knocked out. “Aren’t you supposed to be keeping me awake?” Brett asked. “I have been keeping you awake.” I swiveled around in my seat. “What would you like to talk about?”He leaned forward and turned down the music just enough for the two of us to hear each other. “I want you to ask me the question you have been debating on for the past five hours.”“What? I have no idea what you’re talking about!” I laughed out of nervousness. “Whatever you say, but I know you want to ask me about Tracy,” he whispered. I let out a deep breath. “Will you please get out of my head? I’m not thinking what you are thinking I’m thinking, but I am thinking what you are probably thinking now.”With all the traffic he came to a stop. “You do realize that doesn’t throw me off the original topic right? Maybe that would have worked two years ago, but not now baby.” “Baby?” I spoke softly.“You know what I meant.” He looked down at my lips then back on the road as the traffic moved. “Why is it that you have barely talked to me all week?”“What do you mean, Brett?”“What do you think I mean? We get coffee every morning, we eat lunch together every afternoon, and most weekends we rent a movie…if ‘you know who’ isn’t around.” He nodded back toward Shawn. “I don’t know I guess I missed you that’s all. Are you sure you don’t mind that I’m here with Tracy?” I shook my head yes but said no, “I guess I don’t see why you would want to come? But maybe I’m thinking about this all wrong, maybe….”“Melissa, come on now. You know why I came.”“I really don’t, Brett, I really don’t,” I answered while looking in the side mirror to make sure Shawn was asleep. “I have been wracking my brain trying to figure out the answer, but I don’t have one. All I know is I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have ignored you this week because you were with Tracy. You haven’t done that to me and I shouldn’t do that to you.”“I accept your apology Melissa, but…why did I come?” His expression and tone was one hundred percent serious. I thought I would answer him, but Shawn tapped me on the shoulder and I almost jumped out of my seatbelt.
Such is Love will be released digitally on Valentine`s Day, February 14th, 2014.*~*~*
Links for Such Is Life
http://www.amazon.com/Such-Life-Angel-A-Walker-ebook/dp/B007I7GIRM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1390944478&sr=8-3&keywords=such+is+lifehttp://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/such-is-life-angel-walker/1109402952?ean=2940013926196
*~*~*
Thanks Vicki for inviting me today.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with my work, Such is Love is the second book in my Such is Life series. Being a first time self-published author I figured today I would talk a little about the dreaded sequel. I don’t know if you guys are familiar or not with how many people feel about sequels, but usually they aren’t good. Most people don’t believe the first one could be topped. Writing Such is Love I felt that feeling over me. That people who loved the first weren’t going to feel the same about the second. That I would hear those awful words, “She should have stopped at the first one.” I don’t know if any of you have experienced this feeling, but I would have to tell ya it stopped me in my tracks.
I doubted myself for a year about the second book coming out. Would people like it? Will people bother to venture onto the third? What if I’m a one hit wonder?
The point of all this today is for those of you who have ever had this feeling I’m here to route you on. Don’t let your fear of failure stop your success. I’ve gotten an overwhelming support from my friends, family, and fans of the series. Rooting me on everyday wondering what was in store for Melissa and Brett. Wondering if they would one day be together. Posting comments on FB and emailing me. Without the support I don’t know if I would have ever continued. So if you are a writer or a reader, remember that your support could be what gets another author the push they need. I know it helped me and next week is my book signing for Such is Love and I can’t wait. I also couldn’t thank the people in my life anymore. They are the reason I continue to write.
Oh, and don’t forget every review counts!
*~*~*
BLURB
Melissa Jones is packed and ready to go Canada with her closest friends. The good part is that after years of being the single girl, she’s finally in a relationship with old flame Shawn Edwards. The bad part is her assistant and ex-fling Brett Thomas has started dating her longtime friend Tracy Rumsey. As a last minute addition to the trip Brett is bringing not only his good looks but also his feelings for Melissa along. Tensions are high but everyone wears their smiles for the sake of the trip. Friendships and relationships will be tested in this second installment of the romantic comedy Such is Life series. By the end of the trip the good and the bad will come out. Fires and floods won’t compare to the secrets that will be brought to the surface. It goes to show all might look good on the outside even though there’s a storm brewing within.
*~*~*
EXCERPTInstead of stopping at a Denny’s or a Perkins we decided on fast food, which made Shawn very happy. It was getting late and we didn’t want to waste time with sitting down and eating. Shawn hopped in the back with Tracy to get some sleep since he spent most of his day running around New York. Shawn and Tracy are two people who get in a car and if they aren’t driving pass right out. Shawn wasn’t lying when he said we were up late. There wasn’t even the slightest bit of exaggeration there. For an hour Brett and I didn’t speak to one another. I handed him his food and we listened to music and sang. I never really noticed his great belting voice until he started singing along to the radio. But then again why wouldn’t he have a great singing voice? Good looking guys, with a nice bodies, and a great personalities always have a great singing voices. It comes along with the package of being beautiful and perfect.I stared at him as he continued to sing along with Maroon 5. I couldn’t help but smile at him because I never heard him belt out before. When we went to Mansfield last year he would sing but he was really quiet. Who could pass up a guy who has a great singing voice? Another reason to fall for him. Meat Loaf’s Paradise by the Dashboard Light came on and he practically jumped out of his seat. He turned up the radio and he commenced to rocking. I knew the song too, but I was so shocked by his excitement that I didn’t join in on the song. I was even more stunned when it got to the baseball commentary and he knew the whole section. It was hilarious watching him jam out, drumming against the steering wheel, and swinging his thick dark hair back and forth. I had no other choice but to sing along with the female part the second it came on. I think he was stunned because he stared at me while I sang. He finally sang again when the “let me sleep on it” part began. Once the song ended we had ourselves a chuckle and a slight awkward moment due to what I assume was the lyrics. “Do you love me forever?” It was the exact question I’d been asking myself. It felt like I was really asking him. I wish I could ask him that without a song being the pretext. It’s something that I wanted to ask him for a long time and it felt like singing that song kind of lifted the weight off my shoulders although he didn’t really answer. And by some chance if I ever asked him if he loved me and he replied, “let me sleep on it” I would probably hit him. Funny thing is he probably knows I would hit him. He always tells me the two things I got from my mother was my ability to hold my liquor, and my violence. My two least favorite attributes about her. He looked over at me again and smiled. I could tell he wanted to say something but he kept looking away every time he opened his mouth. The situation was unbelievably frustrating. I wish I was the type of person who could trust her instincts and go with what she wants, but I always fear getting hurt. I blame Derrick. He was always constantly pulling me in close and then pushing me further away. That’s why it’s hard for me to be able to take risk. One might say I took a risk with Shawn, but it wasn’t a risk, it was a safety net. The more and more I thought about Derrick the angrier I became. And the angrier I became the more I relied on my relationship with Shawn. The more I relied on my relationship with Shawn, the further things between Brett and I slipped away. There was no risk in my decision at all. It was just like me to take the safest route. Sometimes I wanted to stand in the middle of the desert and scream at the top of my lungs. I wish I could turn to him right now and say I want to be with you, and I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I panicked and ran when things between the two of us began. I’m sorry it’s taking me a year to say this. I will admit that I knew I made a mistake the minute I got off the phone with Shawn. I’m also sorry that this isn’t our trip together. I’m so pathetic. Even I am underway of becoming bored with my constant back and forth behavior. I also have to take into consideration one thing. What if he doesn’t feel the same way? My gut says that he does, but if I were him I don’t know if I would necessarily want to try something that broke his heart once already. To him I turned him down, and to me I chickened out. What a way for one situation to be viewed two different ways. I debated with myself for another hour while we were on the road. It’s was nine and we were about three hours outside of Ontario. The roads were jammed which meant he couldn’t go his normal Mach speed. I could tell he was getting tired by the way he was driving. It was pretty early so I didn’t know why he was tired, unless he and Tracy stayed up all night. What was the best way to ask him if he and Tracy had sex? It took us a year to kiss I couldn’t imagine him bedding her right away. Maybe that’s just wishful thinking. He could simply be more attracted to her than he was to me. Maybe she was a better kisser than me. There are many possibilities and it seemed like none were a positive in my direction. I turned around to make sure Tracy and Shawn were still asleep. Tracy was leaning up against Shawn and Shawn’s face was up against the window. They were both most definitely knocked out. “Aren’t you supposed to be keeping me awake?” Brett asked. “I have been keeping you awake.” I swiveled around in my seat. “What would you like to talk about?”He leaned forward and turned down the music just enough for the two of us to hear each other. “I want you to ask me the question you have been debating on for the past five hours.”“What? I have no idea what you’re talking about!” I laughed out of nervousness. “Whatever you say, but I know you want to ask me about Tracy,” he whispered. I let out a deep breath. “Will you please get out of my head? I’m not thinking what you are thinking I’m thinking, but I am thinking what you are probably thinking now.”With all the traffic he came to a stop. “You do realize that doesn’t throw me off the original topic right? Maybe that would have worked two years ago, but not now baby.” “Baby?” I spoke softly.“You know what I meant.” He looked down at my lips then back on the road as the traffic moved. “Why is it that you have barely talked to me all week?”“What do you mean, Brett?”“What do you think I mean? We get coffee every morning, we eat lunch together every afternoon, and most weekends we rent a movie…if ‘you know who’ isn’t around.” He nodded back toward Shawn. “I don’t know I guess I missed you that’s all. Are you sure you don’t mind that I’m here with Tracy?” I shook my head yes but said no, “I guess I don’t see why you would want to come? But maybe I’m thinking about this all wrong, maybe….”“Melissa, come on now. You know why I came.”“I really don’t, Brett, I really don’t,” I answered while looking in the side mirror to make sure Shawn was asleep. “I have been wracking my brain trying to figure out the answer, but I don’t have one. All I know is I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have ignored you this week because you were with Tracy. You haven’t done that to me and I shouldn’t do that to you.”“I accept your apology Melissa, but…why did I come?” His expression and tone was one hundred percent serious. I thought I would answer him, but Shawn tapped me on the shoulder and I almost jumped out of my seatbelt.
Such is Love will be released digitally on Valentine`s Day, February 14th, 2014.*~*~*
Links for Such Is Life
http://www.amazon.com/Such-Life-Angel-A-Walker-ebook/dp/B007I7GIRM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1390944478&sr=8-3&keywords=such+is+lifehttp://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/such-is-life-angel-walker/1109402952?ean=2940013926196
January 28, 2014
Says Who?
That`s what I want to know.
I know that sounds a little childish, but I`m curious. Just who is it that sets all this stuff up that we`re supposed to abide by? I suppose I should clarify a bit.
A couple weeks ago I was joyfully visiting my M/M groups on Facebook. I belong to quite a few groups : some for male-male writers and some for male-female writers, some for writers of any genre, some for fans of comics, and a few for Rangers groupies . . . I mean backers.
As I was reading through the many posts one in particular caught my eye. It was from another author who was getting quite upset about the audacity of some male-female writer crossing her genre to pen a male-male tale.
Oh wait, I just answered my own question. That upset author was the one who said it. Well, we`ll carry on anyway because there is a point in this post somewhere.
But why was this being said in the first place? I mean, isn`t it hard enough being an author? Now we have to battle with others in our field saying we can`t write what we wish. That we have to stay in one genre. Why? If I feel like writing a M/F hockey romance, then I write it. Why shouldn`t I? If the muse tells me to pen a M/M shifter story, I pen it.
I suppose I just don`t understand why we as authors can`t stand together. So who cares if Joe Journalist is a het author but wants to pen a lesbian story? Why is that bad? Is there some law I don`t know about? As long as Joe is a good author with respect for his characters, go for it I say.
See, the way I look at it is that romance is romance. Love is love. I don`t write gay love any differently than I do straight love. Why would I? Isn`t this the kind of thinking GLBT people and their allies are fighting against? Don`t call it 'Gay Marriage' just call it 'Marriage', right? So why would the gay genre be unwilling to accept a het writer into our ranks? Or am I not in the ranks because I write both?
I don`t get it. If we`re all writing about romance, why keep this genre barrier between us? If our stories are showing two people falling in love . . .
Well, you all get the gist. Maybe someday soon we can all stop insisting on putting labels on things. Maybe someday we can all be just romance writers. Maybe someday we can all just give each other a hug. Who says? I says.
What do you say?
I know that sounds a little childish, but I`m curious. Just who is it that sets all this stuff up that we`re supposed to abide by? I suppose I should clarify a bit.
A couple weeks ago I was joyfully visiting my M/M groups on Facebook. I belong to quite a few groups : some for male-male writers and some for male-female writers, some for writers of any genre, some for fans of comics, and a few for Rangers groupies . . . I mean backers.
As I was reading through the many posts one in particular caught my eye. It was from another author who was getting quite upset about the audacity of some male-female writer crossing her genre to pen a male-male tale.
Oh wait, I just answered my own question. That upset author was the one who said it. Well, we`ll carry on anyway because there is a point in this post somewhere.
But why was this being said in the first place? I mean, isn`t it hard enough being an author? Now we have to battle with others in our field saying we can`t write what we wish. That we have to stay in one genre. Why? If I feel like writing a M/F hockey romance, then I write it. Why shouldn`t I? If the muse tells me to pen a M/M shifter story, I pen it.
I suppose I just don`t understand why we as authors can`t stand together. So who cares if Joe Journalist is a het author but wants to pen a lesbian story? Why is that bad? Is there some law I don`t know about? As long as Joe is a good author with respect for his characters, go for it I say.
See, the way I look at it is that romance is romance. Love is love. I don`t write gay love any differently than I do straight love. Why would I? Isn`t this the kind of thinking GLBT people and their allies are fighting against? Don`t call it 'Gay Marriage' just call it 'Marriage', right? So why would the gay genre be unwilling to accept a het writer into our ranks? Or am I not in the ranks because I write both?
I don`t get it. If we`re all writing about romance, why keep this genre barrier between us? If our stories are showing two people falling in love . . .
Well, you all get the gist. Maybe someday soon we can all stop insisting on putting labels on things. Maybe someday we can all be just romance writers. Maybe someday we can all just give each other a hug. Who says? I says.
What do you say?
January 27, 2014
Tuesday Tales - Mirror
Welcome to Tuesday Tales! This week I`ll be sharing excerpts from my 2013 NaNoWriMo novel, Laco Law – The Gnarled Oak. Laco Law is an M/M historical western romance, set in the fictional county of Laco, Texas in 1867.
This week our word prompt is 'Mirror’. In this excerpt Clay and Zeke ride out to see what they can find out about the Double Sun ranch.
A note for my readers: This is a gay romantica novel, and so the romance that occurs is man on man. If this is not your cup of tea, no one will think less of you if you read no further.
As this is my NaNo work, it is quite rough. I do ask that you overlook any glaring mistakes you may find. Please do check out the other wonderful writers after you`re done reading by clicking on the Tuesday Tales link at the bottom. Thanks for stopping in!
We rode up to the front of the grand home. The front door opened. A small Chinaman scurried out, his almond-shaped eyes as wide as they could grow. He was dressed in white pants with a matching white shirt. His black hair was pulled back severely from his face. His long plait hung over his left shoulder.
“Morning, is your mistress to home?” I called, still seated on my horse. The reception we would receive could be questionable after all. “Mister Barnabas Wright gave us permission to come calling on Mrs. Price. We`re the law from Laco,” I said while tapping my silver star for emphasis.
His eyes seemed riveted to Zeke I noted. When I cleared my throat the thin man nodded several times, backing up the wide wooden steps as he bowed over and over while I dismounted with a small groan of pleasure.
“Laco lawman happy welcomed,” he said. “Indian no welcome. Stay outside while lawman visits proper.”
I started to argue with the servant. Zeke slid from his horse.
“It`s fine. I don`t want to go inside anyway.” He took Hessie`s reins. I stared at his stiff back as he headed to the watering trough, Dog at his side. A tug on my elbow pulled me from my deputy. I removed my hat as I climbed to the front door. Rattan furniture was placed on the porch to encourage restive conversations.
My boots sounded heavy on the dustless entryway. The door was closed quietly behind me. The tiny fellow with the amiable smile rushed into a room to my left. I followed, ducking slightly to avoid hitting my forehead on the door-frame. I noticed the woman in the wheelchair first off. The room, although it was filled with delicate furniture, vases, frilly lace curtains, gilded mirrors, and flowers paled in comparison to the blonde woman smiling engagingly up at me.
She was nearly swallowed by the huge front wheels of her mobile chair. Her eyes were intelligent pools of bright blue. Her skin was flawless. She wore her hair swept up softly. Her day gown was the same blue as her eyes. Over her lap was a thin blanket. Her feet were turned in terribly as they rested on a metal footrest. This was a woman born into money I sensed right off.
“Ma`am,” I said with a polite nod.
“Please, Sheriff, won`t you sit and have some lemonade with me? Charlie, fetch us a fresh pitcher of lemonade, and a tray of those vanilla cookies Sophia whipped up last night.”
“Yes, Missus Price,” Charlie grinned before bowing out of the room. I eased myself onto a tiny couch that had legs that I feared would buckle within minutes. Mrs. Price beamed at me. My ears grew hot.
“I had heard that Laco acquired a new sheriff. No one told me he was so handsome,” she said, tipping her head to the side. I stammered awkwardly under her perusal. She laughed at my unease. “Well, aren`t you a delightful man?! Handsome and humble! I wish I had a daughter to foist upon you, Sheriff!”
“I`m not exactly the marrying type, Ma`am,” I confessed. She pooh-poohed that away.
“Every man is the marrying kind, Sheriff. He just has to be offered the proper dowry.” It was said lightly but the words dropped around us like cold iron ingots.
“Not meaning to argue, Ma`am, but not every man can be led to marriage with only the promise of a large dowry,” I murmured just as Charlie entered with a rolling cart laden with silver trays, crystal pitcher, and two tall glasses. Mrs. Price watched her butler with the eye of a predatory bird. “I hope you don`t think me presumptuous, Ma`am, but have you noticed anything untoward occurring within the boundaries of your land?”
“Untoward? I`m not sure I quite understand what you mean, Sheriff. Charlie, pleasepay attention! You`re spilling sugar all over the floor,” Mrs. Price scolded. I met the brown eyes of the servant. His face showed his shame, but his eyes were trying to convey something else. Whatever it was, it fled when he had to go fetch a broom to clean up the spilled sugar from the shiny tile floor. “I hope it`s not too sweet?”
I raised the sweaty glass to my lips. The lemonade was tart but perfectly made. I rested the glass on my knee. My pants were filthy. I surely did not belong in this sitting room.
“No, Ma`am, it is just perfect.” I said. She smiled in acknowledgement of her skilled staff.
“So, you seem to think my land is being used for nefarious purposes,” she said after nibbling the edge off a pale white cookie. “My husband would be the one to consult about such things. Since my riding accident, I`m afraid I`m relegated to house matters.”
“Well , Ma`am, my Paw-Paw always said that while a man thinks he runs the show, it`s the woman who truly does. I suspect you are more than aware of what happens on your land,” I commented. Our eyes met. She grinned widely. What a beautiful, sharp woman she was. I could see myself falling for such a woman if I were not the kind of man I am. Even with her being ten or more years my senior.
“I must say your accent is beyond charming.” Mrs. Price asked if I would wheel her to the window. I placed my glass to the cart, got to my dusty boots, then rolled her to the nearest window. A delicate hand with fine blue veins across the back pushed aside a curtain as sheer as a morning mist. “I see that the rumors about your deputy are also true. Tell me, Sheriff Moore, whatever possessed you to choose such a person as your right-hand man?”
I looked through the pane of glass. Zeke was lounging in the shade of a huge oak beside one of many horse barns. Dog sat beside his master. Our horses were sleepily standing ass to face, using their tails to chase away the flies on the other`s long faces.
“He saved my life. I figure that gives a man the right to be judged on his own merits.”
She looked over her shoulder at me. “Hmm, you`re a rare breed of man, Sheriff,” she murmured as if deep in thought. “Most men would shoot such a man on sight. You make him your deputy. Perhaps the genteel ladies of Georgia raise a more sophisticated manner of man than the women of Texas do?”
“Perhaps, Ma`am.” She nodded, fully aware that I knew she was searching for information.
“Yes, I should think you do know about genteel ladies,” she said, her sight remaining on my deputy so long I began feel some unease settling upon me. When she was done, she let the lacy curtain drop back into place. “I wish I could assist you, as I find you quite pleasant to chat with, but I honestly do not know of anything out of the ordinary taking place on the Double Sun.”
“I thank you for your time, and the refreshments, Mrs. Price,” I said. She inclined her golden head then produced a small bell from underneath the rose-toned blanket on her lap. She rang it gently.
Copyright 2013 ©by V.L. Locey
*~*~*
Click on the link below to return to the Tuesday Tales main blog for more great reads from the talented authors of Tuesday Tales.
Tuesday Tales
See you next week with more from the old West!
This week our word prompt is 'Mirror’. In this excerpt Clay and Zeke ride out to see what they can find out about the Double Sun ranch.
A note for my readers: This is a gay romantica novel, and so the romance that occurs is man on man. If this is not your cup of tea, no one will think less of you if you read no further.
As this is my NaNo work, it is quite rough. I do ask that you overlook any glaring mistakes you may find. Please do check out the other wonderful writers after you`re done reading by clicking on the Tuesday Tales link at the bottom. Thanks for stopping in!
We rode up to the front of the grand home. The front door opened. A small Chinaman scurried out, his almond-shaped eyes as wide as they could grow. He was dressed in white pants with a matching white shirt. His black hair was pulled back severely from his face. His long plait hung over his left shoulder.
“Morning, is your mistress to home?” I called, still seated on my horse. The reception we would receive could be questionable after all. “Mister Barnabas Wright gave us permission to come calling on Mrs. Price. We`re the law from Laco,” I said while tapping my silver star for emphasis.
His eyes seemed riveted to Zeke I noted. When I cleared my throat the thin man nodded several times, backing up the wide wooden steps as he bowed over and over while I dismounted with a small groan of pleasure.
“Laco lawman happy welcomed,” he said. “Indian no welcome. Stay outside while lawman visits proper.”
I started to argue with the servant. Zeke slid from his horse.
“It`s fine. I don`t want to go inside anyway.” He took Hessie`s reins. I stared at his stiff back as he headed to the watering trough, Dog at his side. A tug on my elbow pulled me from my deputy. I removed my hat as I climbed to the front door. Rattan furniture was placed on the porch to encourage restive conversations.
My boots sounded heavy on the dustless entryway. The door was closed quietly behind me. The tiny fellow with the amiable smile rushed into a room to my left. I followed, ducking slightly to avoid hitting my forehead on the door-frame. I noticed the woman in the wheelchair first off. The room, although it was filled with delicate furniture, vases, frilly lace curtains, gilded mirrors, and flowers paled in comparison to the blonde woman smiling engagingly up at me.
She was nearly swallowed by the huge front wheels of her mobile chair. Her eyes were intelligent pools of bright blue. Her skin was flawless. She wore her hair swept up softly. Her day gown was the same blue as her eyes. Over her lap was a thin blanket. Her feet were turned in terribly as they rested on a metal footrest. This was a woman born into money I sensed right off.
“Ma`am,” I said with a polite nod.
“Please, Sheriff, won`t you sit and have some lemonade with me? Charlie, fetch us a fresh pitcher of lemonade, and a tray of those vanilla cookies Sophia whipped up last night.”
“Yes, Missus Price,” Charlie grinned before bowing out of the room. I eased myself onto a tiny couch that had legs that I feared would buckle within minutes. Mrs. Price beamed at me. My ears grew hot.
“I had heard that Laco acquired a new sheriff. No one told me he was so handsome,” she said, tipping her head to the side. I stammered awkwardly under her perusal. She laughed at my unease. “Well, aren`t you a delightful man?! Handsome and humble! I wish I had a daughter to foist upon you, Sheriff!”
“I`m not exactly the marrying type, Ma`am,” I confessed. She pooh-poohed that away.
“Every man is the marrying kind, Sheriff. He just has to be offered the proper dowry.” It was said lightly but the words dropped around us like cold iron ingots.
“Not meaning to argue, Ma`am, but not every man can be led to marriage with only the promise of a large dowry,” I murmured just as Charlie entered with a rolling cart laden with silver trays, crystal pitcher, and two tall glasses. Mrs. Price watched her butler with the eye of a predatory bird. “I hope you don`t think me presumptuous, Ma`am, but have you noticed anything untoward occurring within the boundaries of your land?”
“Untoward? I`m not sure I quite understand what you mean, Sheriff. Charlie, pleasepay attention! You`re spilling sugar all over the floor,” Mrs. Price scolded. I met the brown eyes of the servant. His face showed his shame, but his eyes were trying to convey something else. Whatever it was, it fled when he had to go fetch a broom to clean up the spilled sugar from the shiny tile floor. “I hope it`s not too sweet?”
I raised the sweaty glass to my lips. The lemonade was tart but perfectly made. I rested the glass on my knee. My pants were filthy. I surely did not belong in this sitting room.
“No, Ma`am, it is just perfect.” I said. She smiled in acknowledgement of her skilled staff.
“So, you seem to think my land is being used for nefarious purposes,” she said after nibbling the edge off a pale white cookie. “My husband would be the one to consult about such things. Since my riding accident, I`m afraid I`m relegated to house matters.”
“Well , Ma`am, my Paw-Paw always said that while a man thinks he runs the show, it`s the woman who truly does. I suspect you are more than aware of what happens on your land,” I commented. Our eyes met. She grinned widely. What a beautiful, sharp woman she was. I could see myself falling for such a woman if I were not the kind of man I am. Even with her being ten or more years my senior.
“I must say your accent is beyond charming.” Mrs. Price asked if I would wheel her to the window. I placed my glass to the cart, got to my dusty boots, then rolled her to the nearest window. A delicate hand with fine blue veins across the back pushed aside a curtain as sheer as a morning mist. “I see that the rumors about your deputy are also true. Tell me, Sheriff Moore, whatever possessed you to choose such a person as your right-hand man?”
I looked through the pane of glass. Zeke was lounging in the shade of a huge oak beside one of many horse barns. Dog sat beside his master. Our horses were sleepily standing ass to face, using their tails to chase away the flies on the other`s long faces.
“He saved my life. I figure that gives a man the right to be judged on his own merits.”
She looked over her shoulder at me. “Hmm, you`re a rare breed of man, Sheriff,” she murmured as if deep in thought. “Most men would shoot such a man on sight. You make him your deputy. Perhaps the genteel ladies of Georgia raise a more sophisticated manner of man than the women of Texas do?”
“Perhaps, Ma`am.” She nodded, fully aware that I knew she was searching for information.
“Yes, I should think you do know about genteel ladies,” she said, her sight remaining on my deputy so long I began feel some unease settling upon me. When she was done, she let the lacy curtain drop back into place. “I wish I could assist you, as I find you quite pleasant to chat with, but I honestly do not know of anything out of the ordinary taking place on the Double Sun.”
“I thank you for your time, and the refreshments, Mrs. Price,” I said. She inclined her golden head then produced a small bell from underneath the rose-toned blanket on her lap. She rang it gently.
Copyright 2013 ©by V.L. Locey
*~*~*
Click on the link below to return to the Tuesday Tales main blog for more great reads from the talented authors of Tuesday Tales.
Tuesday Tales
See you next week with more from the old West!
January 25, 2014
Please Welcome Cathy Brockman!
I`m happy to be hosting the lovely Cathy Brockman today! It`s not often I get authors of childrens books here, so this is a special treat.
*~*~*
Thank you, Vicki, for having me here today! Childlike Muse and I are so excited that you asked us in for a little chat. Let me introduce myself properly.
I am Cathy Boyd and Cathy Brockman. No you are not seeing double! There is just one me (I bet you`re glad about that, I doubt the world could handle two of us) We just write both children and adult books and use two names to keep it separate!(we wouldn’t want the little ones getting l hold of the grown up stuff ,would we?)*child-like muse taps Vicki on the shoulder excitedly*Ok! Ok ! I’ll get to the point! We are here today to tell you about our new release of Luke’s Dragon. I got the idea for this story one day when it was storming.
I remembered the tornado that came through our town. I thought I would write a story to help children that has been through such devastation deal with their fear. What better way than to have a favorite stuffed animal that comes to life and help us through.
How about an excerpt? :
CHAPTER ONE
The Storm
Gigantic, jagged streaks of lightning flashed through the sky as Luke stared out the window beside his bed, his big blue eyes wide with fear. Yeah, he knew a twelve-year-old boy shouldn’t be so afraid of storms, but he just couldn’t help remembering when the tornado came through town, literally blowing close to half of it away. Sure it happened almost five years ago, but every time it stormed this bad, he remembered it like it was yesterday. Everyone in town managed to survive, but that didn’t stop the memories. Every flash, every boom of thunder, and with every howl of the wind, he could see and hear the windows shatter when his family huddled together in the bathroom. He could feel the goose bumps on his arms and the hair standing on his neck from the fear of the approaching storm.
Hearing him moving around frantically in his room, his mother shouted, “Luke, it’s going to pass over us. Go to bed. You have school in the morning!” Luke looked out again. Man, it sure is dark, but the thunder and lightning has stopped. The wind had quieted down considerably, too. He grabbed his favorite stuffed dragon off the dresser where he kept it. Well, except for stormy nights like this. So what if he was too old to sleep with a stuffed animal? Who’s gonna know, but him and the toy? It couldn’t talk!
Gage wasn’t any ordinary stuffed animal. He wasn’t small and furry or plush. Larger than a bed pillow, he was made of a soft vinyl, his scales artfully crafted in shades of reds, yellows and oranges. Luke’s Aunt Cathy had given it to him for Christmas a couple of years back, when he was into reading adventure stories of dragons and such. Well he still was, and he still liked the dragon. Tucking Gage in beside him, and putting his favorite DVD in the machine, Luke turned the lamp on by the bed. Why do they call those bulbs black when they look blue? Luke wondered to himself? Before he knew it, he had drifted off to dreamland.
Luke was jerked awake abruptly by a deafening BOOM!
*~*~*
You can find Luke’s Dragon here:
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Lukes-Dragon-Dreamland-Casey-Harvell-ebook/dp/B00HVF440O/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1389887364&sr=1-1&keywords=Luke%27s+Dragon+by+Cathy+Boyd
Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/398537
*~*~*
A little about the author:*~*~*
I love to meet new friends and fans! You can find me at-
Website Cathy Boyd: http://cathybrockmanromance.wordpress.com/
Grown up website: Cathy Brockman Romance: http://cathybrockmanromances.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cathy.brockman1
Twitter: @cathybrockman- https://twitter.com/Cathy_Brockman
Good Reads Author page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6427897.Cathy_Brockman
Goodreads Luke’s Dragon https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20559841-luke-s-dragon
Amazon Author Central: http://www.amazon.com/Cathy-Boyd/e/B007BPYWJC
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/199cathy/
*~*~*
Thank you, Vicki, for having me here today! Childlike Muse and I are so excited that you asked us in for a little chat. Let me introduce myself properly.
I am Cathy Boyd and Cathy Brockman. No you are not seeing double! There is just one me (I bet you`re glad about that, I doubt the world could handle two of us) We just write both children and adult books and use two names to keep it separate!(we wouldn’t want the little ones getting l hold of the grown up stuff ,would we?)*child-like muse taps Vicki on the shoulder excitedly*Ok! Ok ! I’ll get to the point! We are here today to tell you about our new release of Luke’s Dragon. I got the idea for this story one day when it was storming.
I remembered the tornado that came through our town. I thought I would write a story to help children that has been through such devastation deal with their fear. What better way than to have a favorite stuffed animal that comes to life and help us through.
How about an excerpt? :
CHAPTER ONE
The Storm
Gigantic, jagged streaks of lightning flashed through the sky as Luke stared out the window beside his bed, his big blue eyes wide with fear. Yeah, he knew a twelve-year-old boy shouldn’t be so afraid of storms, but he just couldn’t help remembering when the tornado came through town, literally blowing close to half of it away. Sure it happened almost five years ago, but every time it stormed this bad, he remembered it like it was yesterday. Everyone in town managed to survive, but that didn’t stop the memories. Every flash, every boom of thunder, and with every howl of the wind, he could see and hear the windows shatter when his family huddled together in the bathroom. He could feel the goose bumps on his arms and the hair standing on his neck from the fear of the approaching storm.
Hearing him moving around frantically in his room, his mother shouted, “Luke, it’s going to pass over us. Go to bed. You have school in the morning!” Luke looked out again. Man, it sure is dark, but the thunder and lightning has stopped. The wind had quieted down considerably, too. He grabbed his favorite stuffed dragon off the dresser where he kept it. Well, except for stormy nights like this. So what if he was too old to sleep with a stuffed animal? Who’s gonna know, but him and the toy? It couldn’t talk!
Gage wasn’t any ordinary stuffed animal. He wasn’t small and furry or plush. Larger than a bed pillow, he was made of a soft vinyl, his scales artfully crafted in shades of reds, yellows and oranges. Luke’s Aunt Cathy had given it to him for Christmas a couple of years back, when he was into reading adventure stories of dragons and such. Well he still was, and he still liked the dragon. Tucking Gage in beside him, and putting his favorite DVD in the machine, Luke turned the lamp on by the bed. Why do they call those bulbs black when they look blue? Luke wondered to himself? Before he knew it, he had drifted off to dreamland.
Luke was jerked awake abruptly by a deafening BOOM!
*~*~*
You can find Luke’s Dragon here:
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Lukes-Dragon-Dreamland-Casey-Harvell-ebook/dp/B00HVF440O/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1389887364&sr=1-1&keywords=Luke%27s+Dragon+by+Cathy+Boyd
Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/398537
*~*~*
A little about the author:*~*~*
I love to meet new friends and fans! You can find me at-
Website Cathy Boyd: http://cathybrockmanromance.wordpress.com/
Grown up website: Cathy Brockman Romance: http://cathybrockmanromances.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cathy.brockman1
Twitter: @cathybrockman- https://twitter.com/Cathy_Brockman
Good Reads Author page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6427897.Cathy_Brockman
Goodreads Luke’s Dragon https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20559841-luke-s-dragon
Amazon Author Central: http://www.amazon.com/Cathy-Boyd/e/B007BPYWJC
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/199cathy/
January 22, 2014
Road Trip!
I just love travelling via the interweb, don`t you?
Over the next several weeks, I`ll be on the road, just like my Wildcats hockey team minus the possible fisticuffs and resulting sin bin time, to promote Pink Pucks & Power Plays.
While it`s true, I don`t have a huge charter jet like the Wildcats do, I do happen to be the proud owner of the Ranger-Mobile, complete with snazzy bumper sticker!
Yep. I`ll be tooling around the internet, visiting blogs and meeting new friends starting today and spanning the majority of February. But don`t fear! I`ll return to my home rink to share Tuesday Tales, as well as host some great authors that are on the road as well!
I hope you`ll drop in at the lovely blogs that I`ll be visiting, I`ll leave links for each stop I make. If possible, it would be great to let the authors coming here see your support. We writers do love hearing from readers!
So, I suppose I had best pack my bag, grab my big Wildcats foam finger, and gas up the Ranger-Mobile. Looks like it`s going to be a whirlwind road trip!
Today you can find me at M.S. Spencer`s blog:
M.S. Spencer Tale Spinner
Over the next several weeks, I`ll be on the road, just like my Wildcats hockey team minus the possible fisticuffs and resulting sin bin time, to promote Pink Pucks & Power Plays.
While it`s true, I don`t have a huge charter jet like the Wildcats do, I do happen to be the proud owner of the Ranger-Mobile, complete with snazzy bumper sticker!
Yep. I`ll be tooling around the internet, visiting blogs and meeting new friends starting today and spanning the majority of February. But don`t fear! I`ll return to my home rink to share Tuesday Tales, as well as host some great authors that are on the road as well!
I hope you`ll drop in at the lovely blogs that I`ll be visiting, I`ll leave links for each stop I make. If possible, it would be great to let the authors coming here see your support. We writers do love hearing from readers!
So, I suppose I had best pack my bag, grab my big Wildcats foam finger, and gas up the Ranger-Mobile. Looks like it`s going to be a whirlwind road trip!
Today you can find me at M.S. Spencer`s blog:
M.S. Spencer Tale Spinner
Pink Pucks & Power Plays Release Day!
Today is the day fans of steamy sports romance! Alain and Viviana`s novel is now available for purchase.
You can grab your copy of Pink Pucks & Power Plays at the Secret Cravings Publishing store by following this link:
Pink Pucks & Power Plays
As soon as the book is available on Amazon, ARe, B&N, and other major retailers I`ll add the buy links to this post. I hope you enjoy the To Love a Wildcat series as book one introduces you to the couple that starts it all! Thank you for your continued support. I truly am humbled by the outpouring of love from friends, fans, and readers.
Yours as ever,
V.L. Locey
You can grab your copy of Pink Pucks & Power Plays at the Secret Cravings Publishing store by following this link:
Pink Pucks & Power Plays
As soon as the book is available on Amazon, ARe, B&N, and other major retailers I`ll add the buy links to this post. I hope you enjoy the To Love a Wildcat series as book one introduces you to the couple that starts it all! Thank you for your continued support. I truly am humbled by the outpouring of love from friends, fans, and readers.
Yours as ever,
V.L. Locey
January 20, 2014
Tuesday Tales - Hill
Welcome to Tuesday Tales! This week I`ll be sharing excerpts from my 2013 NaNoWriMo novel, Laco Law – The Gnarled Oak. Laco Law is an M/M historical western romance, set in the fictional county of Laco, Texas in 1867.
This week our word prompt is ‘Hill’. In this excerpt Clayton and Zeke get a clue about the cryptic last words of an outlaw, as well as an unexpected visitor. It is revealed in a part of the book I haven`t shared here that our visitor was born with a birth defect known as a cleft lip.
A note for my readers: This is a gay romantica novel, and so the romance that occurs is man on man. If this is not your cup of tea, no one will think less of you if you read no further.
As this is my NaNo work, it is quite rough. I do ask that you overlook any glaring mistakes you may find. Please do check out the other wonderful writers after you`re done reading by clicking on the Tuesday Tales link at the bottom. Thanks for stopping in!
“Morning,” I said. Zeke made a noise that could have been a reply. Or it could have been the sound of a catamount with a bowel blockage. Dog rejoined me. Zeke was slow leaving the cot. His shirt was in his hand when he emerged from the cell. His trousers were partially undone. The band dipped dangerously low under his pelvic bone.
A wicked fantasy about running my tongue over then into the hills and gulley's under his hip bone appeared out of the blue. I waved a hand at the lone seat. Zeke filled it and then some. Removing the towels from last night`s menu highlight, we lifted the black cups of coffee from the gravy. The brew was hot, strong, and invigorating.
“What`s the plan for today?” Zeke asked, licking an escaped drop of coffee from his fleshy lip. My mind wandered just a bit. Dog sitting on my boot to stare forlornly at his owner brought me back.
“Bath and a shave,” I commented, placing my cup to the desk. I grabbed a towel to lift the leftovers to my chin.
“I like the way you smell,” he tossed out before he dove into his food.
“I like the way you smell too,” I countered. A cloud of steam rushed skyward from the chicken gravy. I could smell sage seasoning the lumpy mass. Zeke shot me a look, his fork never slowing as our eyes held. “I was thinking last night . . .”
“That what you Anglo`s call it?” he inquired without missing a chew. My reply was a wry eyebrow. Zeke smiled at his food.
“The thinking took place before you came back. After you come back, well, then thinking got kind of difficult,” I confessed with a shade of pink touching my ears.
“Yeah, it did,” he concurred. “So what were you thinking about before stuff got difficult?”
“Double Sun,” I said. I decided to ignore the word game he seemed to want to play. This was a new side to Ezekiel Fire Sky. It made me uneasy since I had no experience with a slightly playful deputy. “You ever hear of it? Is there some kind of Indian meaning behind it?”
“Unless it has meaning to the Tonkawa, I wouldn`t know. Don`t assume we all hold the same beliefs or tell the same legends,” he said without rancor for my ignorance.
“Apologies,” I mumbled. Sometimes it slapped me in the face how sheltered Becky and I had been back in the bayou. “Does it have meaning to you?”
“No, it`s gibberish from a dying man,” he said between dripping forkfuls. I noticed a fine line of whiskers riding along his jaw. It looked rather enticing. “Maybe he saw two of everything. Or maybe he was looking into the eyes of your God as death came for him.” Zeke shrugged a shoulder. I couldn`t tear my gaze from his new facial hair. It was on the tip of my tongue to ask why his beard was so scant. Surely he was manly enough to grow a fine beard. I could attest to his how vigorous his manhood was.
Someone appearing in the doorway shattered the private moment. Zeke shot to his bare feet. I swallowed loudly while lowering my plate from under my chin. Miss Sarah skittered inside then hurried to close the door behind her. She was all in grey, as usual, but she had decorated her bonnet with yellow flowers. She looked quite fetching, aside from her deformity. She held a tiny black purse in front of her bosom.
“Miss Sarah,” I said as I dabbed at the corners of my mouth with the hotel towel, “I was not expecting to see you. Please, have a seat.” I waved at the chair the Indian had just vacated. She blinked once then paraded right past the towering Tonkawa with her tiny purse held before her. I met Zeke`s bewildered look over the top of Miss Sarah`s smoky-colored bonnet. She sat primly, purse on her lap, hands folded over purse. Dog wiggled closer. She patted his head once then looked up at me.
“I just wished you to know that not everyone feels the same way others feel.”
“Thank you kindly, Miss Sarah,” I said with sincerity. No wonder Becky had found such favor with this woman. She was not one to be cowed easily. Her eyes darted to Zeke who was now loitering in the corner, eating as fast as he could chew and swallow. His dark eyes were narrowed. I had no idea what Indian`s thought about those born with such gruesome malformations. Mayhap he was befuddled with her terrible speech. Whatever he was thinking was closely guarded. “It`s refreshing to know that some people are of a higher intelligence than others.”
She snorted loudly then quickly covered her misshapen mouth with a tiny hand.
“Tell me, Miss Sarah,” I walked over to her then dropped into a crouch at her left side. Her cheeks flamed. “Have you ever heard the term Double Sun?”
“Oh yes! That`s the ranch that Brooks Price owns,” she gushed, her eyes lighting up at the mention of the man`s name. I dropped to one knee. Her perfume was reserved yet pleasant, rather fitting for a spinster.
“Price as in the Price Railway?” Miss Sarah nodded briskly at my query. “Are you sure?” I asked. Dog seemed to take umbrage with me horning in on the lady. He shoved his long nose under my arm. Miss Sarah patted him liberally after I rose.
“Quite sure, Sheriff,” she said as Dog`s rear leg twitched. “Why do you ask?”
Copyright 2013 ©by V.L. Locey
*~*~*
Click on the link below to return to the Tuesday Tales main blog for more great reads from the talented authors of Tuesday Tales.
Tuesday Tales
See you next week with more from the old West!
This week our word prompt is ‘Hill’. In this excerpt Clayton and Zeke get a clue about the cryptic last words of an outlaw, as well as an unexpected visitor. It is revealed in a part of the book I haven`t shared here that our visitor was born with a birth defect known as a cleft lip.
A note for my readers: This is a gay romantica novel, and so the romance that occurs is man on man. If this is not your cup of tea, no one will think less of you if you read no further.
As this is my NaNo work, it is quite rough. I do ask that you overlook any glaring mistakes you may find. Please do check out the other wonderful writers after you`re done reading by clicking on the Tuesday Tales link at the bottom. Thanks for stopping in!
“Morning,” I said. Zeke made a noise that could have been a reply. Or it could have been the sound of a catamount with a bowel blockage. Dog rejoined me. Zeke was slow leaving the cot. His shirt was in his hand when he emerged from the cell. His trousers were partially undone. The band dipped dangerously low under his pelvic bone.
A wicked fantasy about running my tongue over then into the hills and gulley's under his hip bone appeared out of the blue. I waved a hand at the lone seat. Zeke filled it and then some. Removing the towels from last night`s menu highlight, we lifted the black cups of coffee from the gravy. The brew was hot, strong, and invigorating.
“What`s the plan for today?” Zeke asked, licking an escaped drop of coffee from his fleshy lip. My mind wandered just a bit. Dog sitting on my boot to stare forlornly at his owner brought me back.
“Bath and a shave,” I commented, placing my cup to the desk. I grabbed a towel to lift the leftovers to my chin.
“I like the way you smell,” he tossed out before he dove into his food.
“I like the way you smell too,” I countered. A cloud of steam rushed skyward from the chicken gravy. I could smell sage seasoning the lumpy mass. Zeke shot me a look, his fork never slowing as our eyes held. “I was thinking last night . . .”
“That what you Anglo`s call it?” he inquired without missing a chew. My reply was a wry eyebrow. Zeke smiled at his food.
“The thinking took place before you came back. After you come back, well, then thinking got kind of difficult,” I confessed with a shade of pink touching my ears.
“Yeah, it did,” he concurred. “So what were you thinking about before stuff got difficult?”
“Double Sun,” I said. I decided to ignore the word game he seemed to want to play. This was a new side to Ezekiel Fire Sky. It made me uneasy since I had no experience with a slightly playful deputy. “You ever hear of it? Is there some kind of Indian meaning behind it?”
“Unless it has meaning to the Tonkawa, I wouldn`t know. Don`t assume we all hold the same beliefs or tell the same legends,” he said without rancor for my ignorance.
“Apologies,” I mumbled. Sometimes it slapped me in the face how sheltered Becky and I had been back in the bayou. “Does it have meaning to you?”
“No, it`s gibberish from a dying man,” he said between dripping forkfuls. I noticed a fine line of whiskers riding along his jaw. It looked rather enticing. “Maybe he saw two of everything. Or maybe he was looking into the eyes of your God as death came for him.” Zeke shrugged a shoulder. I couldn`t tear my gaze from his new facial hair. It was on the tip of my tongue to ask why his beard was so scant. Surely he was manly enough to grow a fine beard. I could attest to his how vigorous his manhood was.
Someone appearing in the doorway shattered the private moment. Zeke shot to his bare feet. I swallowed loudly while lowering my plate from under my chin. Miss Sarah skittered inside then hurried to close the door behind her. She was all in grey, as usual, but she had decorated her bonnet with yellow flowers. She looked quite fetching, aside from her deformity. She held a tiny black purse in front of her bosom.
“Miss Sarah,” I said as I dabbed at the corners of my mouth with the hotel towel, “I was not expecting to see you. Please, have a seat.” I waved at the chair the Indian had just vacated. She blinked once then paraded right past the towering Tonkawa with her tiny purse held before her. I met Zeke`s bewildered look over the top of Miss Sarah`s smoky-colored bonnet. She sat primly, purse on her lap, hands folded over purse. Dog wiggled closer. She patted his head once then looked up at me.
“I just wished you to know that not everyone feels the same way others feel.”
“Thank you kindly, Miss Sarah,” I said with sincerity. No wonder Becky had found such favor with this woman. She was not one to be cowed easily. Her eyes darted to Zeke who was now loitering in the corner, eating as fast as he could chew and swallow. His dark eyes were narrowed. I had no idea what Indian`s thought about those born with such gruesome malformations. Mayhap he was befuddled with her terrible speech. Whatever he was thinking was closely guarded. “It`s refreshing to know that some people are of a higher intelligence than others.”
She snorted loudly then quickly covered her misshapen mouth with a tiny hand.
“Tell me, Miss Sarah,” I walked over to her then dropped into a crouch at her left side. Her cheeks flamed. “Have you ever heard the term Double Sun?”
“Oh yes! That`s the ranch that Brooks Price owns,” she gushed, her eyes lighting up at the mention of the man`s name. I dropped to one knee. Her perfume was reserved yet pleasant, rather fitting for a spinster.
“Price as in the Price Railway?” Miss Sarah nodded briskly at my query. “Are you sure?” I asked. Dog seemed to take umbrage with me horning in on the lady. He shoved his long nose under my arm. Miss Sarah patted him liberally after I rose.
“Quite sure, Sheriff,” she said as Dog`s rear leg twitched. “Why do you ask?”
Copyright 2013 ©by V.L. Locey
*~*~*
Click on the link below to return to the Tuesday Tales main blog for more great reads from the talented authors of Tuesday Tales.
Tuesday Tales
See you next week with more from the old West!
