V.L. Locey's Blog, page 109
August 16, 2013
Dear Jon - Chapter # 3
The next chapter in my M/M historical romance Dear Jon is up over at Storytime Trysts.
I hope you enjoy this romantic trip back in time.
Storytime Trysts
August 14, 2013
What`s New From Cassandra Carr
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Well it certainly looks like Cassandra has something exciting for us! Check out her information below, and if you`ve a hankering for hot hockey players, grab a copy of her free - yes, you read that right - book Moving Day available now! Here`s some info from the lovely lady herself about her newest release.
*~~~*
Title: Moving Day
Author: Cassandra Carr
Words: Approx 6500
Series: Storm Series 1.5 (bridge story between book 1, Should've Known Better and book 2, Underneath It All)
Price: FREE
Release date: August 8, 2013
Releasing through:WattpadSmashwordsAmazon
Blurb:It's moving day for Sebastian, who's making a home with Sarah. Though Rob couldn't be happier for his friends, after the move has been completed he finds himself at loose ends, questioning the direction his own life is heading. Unbeknownst to him, Sebastian and Sarah are worried about the same thing and hope he can find someone special. Will he ever get his happy ending, or is Rob doomed to eternal bachelorhood?
For more information, see Cassandra's website at http://www.booksbycassandracarr.com.
August 12, 2013
Tuesday Tales - Picture Prompt
Hello! It`s time for Tuesday Tales again. This week I`ll be sharing an excerpt from my new adult WIP (Work In Progress) Love of the Hunter, an M/M mythological romance. This week we`re writing to a picture prompt and the snippet must not be longer than 300 words. Since this is a rough draft there may be some mistakes. I do apologize for any boo-boo you may find.
In today`s excerpt Orion arrives at the eastern end of the world.
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!
The cry comes again. I bound through the rounded arch then skid to a halt when I find two young men approaching. One is Kedalion, a servant of my half-brother, Hephaestus. The other, who Kedalion is leading by the hand, is much taller than the servant. He carries himself well. His eyes are bandaged with filthy strips of bloody material.
“This is not a safe place for you,” I quickly say. “Helios does not brook strangers near his home.”
Kedalion bows deeply. I glance up at the young man. His dark curly hair is damp and clinging to his regal cheekbones. He is well made but not yet into his manhood, although I suspect it would not be long before he fills out. His frame is large and made to carry muscle. I am impressed with his height. Not many can look a god in the eye.
“Oh glorious and golden Apollo, my master bid us come here to have the sun god heal Orion`s eyes.”
“My sibling is sadly mistaken if he thinks Helios will do any such favor for a mere human," I say.
“I am not a mere human,” the young male states his voice vibrating on the cusp of manliness, just as mine is. “I am Orion, a son of Poseidon. It is with his blood that I walked across the sea with Kedalion on my shoulders to find Helios.”
He does have regal bearing, and his height and width of shoulder speak of godly ichor in his veins I note.
“Tell me truthfully,” I growl at Hephaestus` servant, “Did this one who claims to be of godly descent walk upon the ocean surface?”
“Yes! I swear upon my life, golden son of Zeus!” Kedalion cries out.
“Then I shall go rouse the Titan, come.”
Copyright 2013 ©by V.L. Locey
*~*~*
Thanks for stopping in to visit! For more free reads by great authors follow the link back to the Tuesday Tales main blog.
Tuesday Tales
See you next week!
In today`s excerpt Orion arrives at the eastern end of the world.
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!
The cry comes again. I bound through the rounded arch then skid to a halt when I find two young men approaching. One is Kedalion, a servant of my half-brother, Hephaestus. The other, who Kedalion is leading by the hand, is much taller than the servant. He carries himself well. His eyes are bandaged with filthy strips of bloody material.
“This is not a safe place for you,” I quickly say. “Helios does not brook strangers near his home.”
Kedalion bows deeply. I glance up at the young man. His dark curly hair is damp and clinging to his regal cheekbones. He is well made but not yet into his manhood, although I suspect it would not be long before he fills out. His frame is large and made to carry muscle. I am impressed with his height. Not many can look a god in the eye.
“Oh glorious and golden Apollo, my master bid us come here to have the sun god heal Orion`s eyes.”
“My sibling is sadly mistaken if he thinks Helios will do any such favor for a mere human," I say.
“I am not a mere human,” the young male states his voice vibrating on the cusp of manliness, just as mine is. “I am Orion, a son of Poseidon. It is with his blood that I walked across the sea with Kedalion on my shoulders to find Helios.”
He does have regal bearing, and his height and width of shoulder speak of godly ichor in his veins I note.
“Tell me truthfully,” I growl at Hephaestus` servant, “Did this one who claims to be of godly descent walk upon the ocean surface?”
“Yes! I swear upon my life, golden son of Zeus!” Kedalion cries out.
“Then I shall go rouse the Titan, come.”
Copyright 2013 ©by V.L. Locey
*~*~*
Thanks for stopping in to visit! For more free reads by great authors follow the link back to the Tuesday Tales main blog.
Tuesday Tales
See you next week!
August 9, 2013
Dear Jon - Chapter # 2
The next chapter in my M/M historical romance Dear Jon is up over at Storytime Trysts.
I hope you enjoy this romantic trip back in time.
Storytime Trysts
August 7, 2013
Garden Check
Last night Mister, Miss, and yours truly set off to check our garden. We share a large patch with a good buddy of Mister`s, and yes, if you`re reading this Debbi, those are Mark`s tomatoes. I was informed I`d be in trouble for taking one for me and one for my mother-in-law, but I informed my hubby that I`m not scared of Mark, even if he is two feet taller than I am.
So, aside from tomato filching, the trip to the garden gave us these images to share. Sometimes it amazes me how beautiful the Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania really are. There is nowhere else I would rather live.
This little fellow was being pestered by flies, so the image is blurry, and I`m sorry about that-
Mister checking the green beans-
A couple of hot tomatoes if I ever saw them-
Clouds over the mountain top-
Sammy Scarecrow guarding the pumpkin patch-
White pumpkins! Something new we added this year to the regulation orange pumpkins we`re growing-
The homeless kitten my mother-in-law is babysitting. I am almost sure she will end up keeping it. I would too, she`s so cute!
And that`s the evening news from the hillside farm. Oh! I did promise I would let you all know about my To Love a Wildcat series, as I had submitted to a publisher a few weeks ago. I am thrilled beyond words to say that Secret Cravings Publishing has contracted the entire five book series! *Sigh* Hot hockey hunks, strong women to love them, and lots of spicy bed-play . . .
2014 is going to be the year of the Wildcat around these parts!
So, aside from tomato filching, the trip to the garden gave us these images to share. Sometimes it amazes me how beautiful the Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania really are. There is nowhere else I would rather live.
This little fellow was being pestered by flies, so the image is blurry, and I`m sorry about that-
Mister checking the green beans-
A couple of hot tomatoes if I ever saw them-
Clouds over the mountain top-
Sammy Scarecrow guarding the pumpkin patch-
White pumpkins! Something new we added this year to the regulation orange pumpkins we`re growing-
The homeless kitten my mother-in-law is babysitting. I am almost sure she will end up keeping it. I would too, she`s so cute!
And that`s the evening news from the hillside farm. Oh! I did promise I would let you all know about my To Love a Wildcat series, as I had submitted to a publisher a few weeks ago. I am thrilled beyond words to say that Secret Cravings Publishing has contracted the entire five book series! *Sigh* Hot hockey hunks, strong women to love them, and lots of spicy bed-play . . .
2014 is going to be the year of the Wildcat around these parts!
August 5, 2013
Tuesday Tales - Smooth
Hello! It`s time for Tuesday Tales again. This week I`ll be sharing an excerpt from my new adult WIP (Work In Progress) Love of the Hunter, an M/M mythological romance.
In today`s excerpt we meet Apollo`s sister as the siblings spend some time together. This passage is a bit long, but I didn`t want to break it up and lose any of the interaction between the twins.
This week our word prompt is ‘Smooth’. Since this is a rough draft there may be some mistakes. I do apologize for any boo-boo 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!
With Helios gone I run back to the stables to gather my archery equipment. As predicted, the quiver is filled with freshly crafted golden arrows.
“My thanks, Father and Uncle,” I say before jogging leisurely from the palace grounds. I spend the morning simply running. I enjoy it. As I run I arrange words in my head. They ebb and flow like the river I run alongside of. I love words, how they feel on my tongue, how they string together to make others laugh or sigh or weep. Words are powerful. Sometimes I feel they are more powerful than any weapon Hephaestus can make. Jogging along slowly I never see the silver shaft that rips through my chiton. I feel the fletching dance over my sweaty abdomen and hear the blade driving into and through a tree, but my eyes, godly as they are, never see my sister`s arrow.
I stop and fold my arms over my chest in feigned anger. “So you try to shoot your twin in the stomach? Imagine what mother would say if you had missed,” I call out. Artemis steps from behind a scraggly copse of shaggy-barked trees, a wry smile on her face.
“Mother would scold me but I never miss, so your point, my brother, is moot,” she announces primly then runs at me. I catch her and swing her in circles. She is like a colt, all long bare legs and skinny arms, much like me, but she is filling out as well. Her small breasts flatten against my chest. I hug her tightly. She clings to me, her head lolling back as sweet, lyrical laughter rolls from her. Caught up in the tinkling rhapsody of her laugh I stumble backwards. A short shriek escapes her then we plummet into the Okeanos. I hold tightly to her as we drift downstream. Artemis begins to wiggle to free herself from the bear hug I have her in. She grows angered. I smile at her underwater then I release her. She rises to the surface quickly. I bob up afterwards.
“Asinine oaf!” she spits, splashing from the bubbly waterway. I swim to the bank. The wet rocks are smooth and cool under my bare soles as I exit the river. “You have doused my quiver!” Artemis snarls, shaking the silver cylinder at me. I shrug my shoulders. That angers her even more. She throws her apple wood bow down to the sandy shore. I lay my golden bow beside hers then drop down into a crouch, intent on plucking a small crab from the tiny round rocks. “Why must you always be such a fool?”
“You sound like Helios,” I say, pinching the crab between my forefinger and thumb. Its blue shell is pretty as I turn it to catch the new rays of the sun.
“I did not mean to,” my sister replies softly. I glance up at her. She is frozen as if she had looked into Medusa`s eyes, her hands twisting water from her thick golden ponytail. I slough her words off. There are no secrets between her and me. I stand and show her the tiny crab. She smiles at me then turns to peel her wet clothes from her body.
I watch the short chiton slide over her head then flutter down her arms. Her back is smooth, sweet, pale, and muscled. Her waist dips in, her girlish hips beginning to round. She would have good hips for bearing children but she is a virgin and shall forever remain so. I tire of holding the crab so I release him then follow my sister`s lead. Soon we are both naked, stretched out in the hot sun with our robes and quivers drying in a steady wind. We talk about everything and nothing. We grow drowsy and sleep, her head pillowed on my bicep. Upon waking she sits up. I roll to my side to look up at her. I enjoy seeing the sun in her hair.
“I brought sustenance,” Artemis announces, crawling over the sand to find a leather pouch. She opens it, peeks inside then scowls at me. “Our ambrosia is wet.”
“It will still be as sweet,” I say, getting to my feet to join her. I take the honeyed comb from her fingers. The first bite slides over my tongue, caressing my mouth. I swallow then hand it to Artemis. We sit down; legs folded like water flowers and eat.
“It has been days since I had any ambrotos,” I confess. My sister scowls, hands the food of the gods back to me then sucks the dripping golden elixir from her fingers.
“It is no wonder you are not thriving,” she scolds. I laugh and tell her she sounds like mother. “Perhaps you should listen to her. You must not allow Helios to starve you! You are Phoebus Apollo! Son of Zeus!”
“Calm yourself, my sister,” I chuckle, chewing and swallowing rapidly. Each bite fills me with life. “I can manage with the food I hunt.”
“Eating the bounty of the wood is not the same as well you know!” she gets to her small feet and walks to the river to wash her long fingers. “Meat and bread and fruit are fine for humans, but we are gods. We require ambrosia and nectar. I shall inform father that Helios is starving you!”
“You shall do no such thing!” I bark, suddenly filled with anger at her. I push to my feet and stalk to her, grabbing her bicep to jerk her upward. “I will not sup with that bastard! I will not enter his domain and grovel in front of him for my days ration! I am no slave, Artemis, I am Apollo!”
I shake her. She is intimidated. I release her arm quickly when I see her reaction to my aggressive display.
“You have my apologies,” I ground out. She nods while rubbing her upper arm where I had squeezed it. Perhaps I was growing in mass and muscle after all? “It is just that I refuse to beg him, my sister. I will suffer and learn at his side. Then, when our father announces I am ready, I will strike Helios down and take that which he clings to with such vigor.”
“Apollo,” she whispers. I glance from the river to her. She is so lovely, so natural and beautiful. “Please, my dearest only brother, do not let hatred and violence overtake your gentle soul. Would you be as Ares is? Always lusting for war and women, a barbarian god lost to his blood-lusts?”
“I would be a man, aye!” I argue. Her face falls. “You cannot understand, Artemis, for you are a female! There is no shame in our father`s eyes when he looks upon you,” I hiss, stalking over to jerk my chiton from the drying rock. When I turn to face her, she is standing defiantly, assessing me with wary eyes, her budding breasts unfettered and sun-kissed. I blanch. Have my words and actions changed things between us?
“When you speak with such anger it frightens me, Apollo,” she confesses. I stare at her, my bow and quiver in my hands. I stand there like a dullard, not like a prince of Olympus. “You are changing, Apollo, and I am not sure it is for the better. Why can you not try to be as Father wishes? He worries so for you, my brother. He only wants you happy, and to dandle grandchildren upon his knee. Why can you not drop this infatuation with-”
I spin around, heat flowing up into my face. “Do not speak his name as if he were but a mere dalliance! What father wants is for me to live as he wishes, love whom he bids, and procreate upon demand! If you trulylove me, you will understand who I am and not besiege me to be that which I am not!”
Artemis blinks at me, her cheeks tinting pink with humiliation. She skitters over to the rock. I turn to give her privacy, my throat closed so tightly I fear no breath would pass through it. Never have she and I spoken so to each other. Always we were of the same mind and soul. We grew in the same womb, suckled the same breasts, slept in the same cradle. Now, suddenly, we are as strangers to each other.
“I must return to Selene,” I hear her say as I stare at the clouds moving rapidly overhead. “We must ready the stags.”
“Artemis?” I call. She does not answer.
I glance over my shoulder and she is gone.
Copyright 2013 ©by V.L. Locey
*~*~*
Thanks for stopping in to visit! For more free reads by great authors follow the link back to the Tuesday Tales main blog.
Tuesday Tales
See you next week!
In today`s excerpt we meet Apollo`s sister as the siblings spend some time together. This passage is a bit long, but I didn`t want to break it up and lose any of the interaction between the twins.
This week our word prompt is ‘Smooth’. Since this is a rough draft there may be some mistakes. I do apologize for any boo-boo 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!
With Helios gone I run back to the stables to gather my archery equipment. As predicted, the quiver is filled with freshly crafted golden arrows.
“My thanks, Father and Uncle,” I say before jogging leisurely from the palace grounds. I spend the morning simply running. I enjoy it. As I run I arrange words in my head. They ebb and flow like the river I run alongside of. I love words, how they feel on my tongue, how they string together to make others laugh or sigh or weep. Words are powerful. Sometimes I feel they are more powerful than any weapon Hephaestus can make. Jogging along slowly I never see the silver shaft that rips through my chiton. I feel the fletching dance over my sweaty abdomen and hear the blade driving into and through a tree, but my eyes, godly as they are, never see my sister`s arrow.
I stop and fold my arms over my chest in feigned anger. “So you try to shoot your twin in the stomach? Imagine what mother would say if you had missed,” I call out. Artemis steps from behind a scraggly copse of shaggy-barked trees, a wry smile on her face.
“Mother would scold me but I never miss, so your point, my brother, is moot,” she announces primly then runs at me. I catch her and swing her in circles. She is like a colt, all long bare legs and skinny arms, much like me, but she is filling out as well. Her small breasts flatten against my chest. I hug her tightly. She clings to me, her head lolling back as sweet, lyrical laughter rolls from her. Caught up in the tinkling rhapsody of her laugh I stumble backwards. A short shriek escapes her then we plummet into the Okeanos. I hold tightly to her as we drift downstream. Artemis begins to wiggle to free herself from the bear hug I have her in. She grows angered. I smile at her underwater then I release her. She rises to the surface quickly. I bob up afterwards.
“Asinine oaf!” she spits, splashing from the bubbly waterway. I swim to the bank. The wet rocks are smooth and cool under my bare soles as I exit the river. “You have doused my quiver!” Artemis snarls, shaking the silver cylinder at me. I shrug my shoulders. That angers her even more. She throws her apple wood bow down to the sandy shore. I lay my golden bow beside hers then drop down into a crouch, intent on plucking a small crab from the tiny round rocks. “Why must you always be such a fool?”
“You sound like Helios,” I say, pinching the crab between my forefinger and thumb. Its blue shell is pretty as I turn it to catch the new rays of the sun.
“I did not mean to,” my sister replies softly. I glance up at her. She is frozen as if she had looked into Medusa`s eyes, her hands twisting water from her thick golden ponytail. I slough her words off. There are no secrets between her and me. I stand and show her the tiny crab. She smiles at me then turns to peel her wet clothes from her body.
I watch the short chiton slide over her head then flutter down her arms. Her back is smooth, sweet, pale, and muscled. Her waist dips in, her girlish hips beginning to round. She would have good hips for bearing children but she is a virgin and shall forever remain so. I tire of holding the crab so I release him then follow my sister`s lead. Soon we are both naked, stretched out in the hot sun with our robes and quivers drying in a steady wind. We talk about everything and nothing. We grow drowsy and sleep, her head pillowed on my bicep. Upon waking she sits up. I roll to my side to look up at her. I enjoy seeing the sun in her hair.
“I brought sustenance,” Artemis announces, crawling over the sand to find a leather pouch. She opens it, peeks inside then scowls at me. “Our ambrosia is wet.”
“It will still be as sweet,” I say, getting to my feet to join her. I take the honeyed comb from her fingers. The first bite slides over my tongue, caressing my mouth. I swallow then hand it to Artemis. We sit down; legs folded like water flowers and eat.
“It has been days since I had any ambrotos,” I confess. My sister scowls, hands the food of the gods back to me then sucks the dripping golden elixir from her fingers.
“It is no wonder you are not thriving,” she scolds. I laugh and tell her she sounds like mother. “Perhaps you should listen to her. You must not allow Helios to starve you! You are Phoebus Apollo! Son of Zeus!”
“Calm yourself, my sister,” I chuckle, chewing and swallowing rapidly. Each bite fills me with life. “I can manage with the food I hunt.”
“Eating the bounty of the wood is not the same as well you know!” she gets to her small feet and walks to the river to wash her long fingers. “Meat and bread and fruit are fine for humans, but we are gods. We require ambrosia and nectar. I shall inform father that Helios is starving you!”
“You shall do no such thing!” I bark, suddenly filled with anger at her. I push to my feet and stalk to her, grabbing her bicep to jerk her upward. “I will not sup with that bastard! I will not enter his domain and grovel in front of him for my days ration! I am no slave, Artemis, I am Apollo!”
I shake her. She is intimidated. I release her arm quickly when I see her reaction to my aggressive display.
“You have my apologies,” I ground out. She nods while rubbing her upper arm where I had squeezed it. Perhaps I was growing in mass and muscle after all? “It is just that I refuse to beg him, my sister. I will suffer and learn at his side. Then, when our father announces I am ready, I will strike Helios down and take that which he clings to with such vigor.”
“Apollo,” she whispers. I glance from the river to her. She is so lovely, so natural and beautiful. “Please, my dearest only brother, do not let hatred and violence overtake your gentle soul. Would you be as Ares is? Always lusting for war and women, a barbarian god lost to his blood-lusts?”
“I would be a man, aye!” I argue. Her face falls. “You cannot understand, Artemis, for you are a female! There is no shame in our father`s eyes when he looks upon you,” I hiss, stalking over to jerk my chiton from the drying rock. When I turn to face her, she is standing defiantly, assessing me with wary eyes, her budding breasts unfettered and sun-kissed. I blanch. Have my words and actions changed things between us?
“When you speak with such anger it frightens me, Apollo,” she confesses. I stare at her, my bow and quiver in my hands. I stand there like a dullard, not like a prince of Olympus. “You are changing, Apollo, and I am not sure it is for the better. Why can you not try to be as Father wishes? He worries so for you, my brother. He only wants you happy, and to dandle grandchildren upon his knee. Why can you not drop this infatuation with-”
I spin around, heat flowing up into my face. “Do not speak his name as if he were but a mere dalliance! What father wants is for me to live as he wishes, love whom he bids, and procreate upon demand! If you trulylove me, you will understand who I am and not besiege me to be that which I am not!”
Artemis blinks at me, her cheeks tinting pink with humiliation. She skitters over to the rock. I turn to give her privacy, my throat closed so tightly I fear no breath would pass through it. Never have she and I spoken so to each other. Always we were of the same mind and soul. We grew in the same womb, suckled the same breasts, slept in the same cradle. Now, suddenly, we are as strangers to each other.
“I must return to Selene,” I hear her say as I stare at the clouds moving rapidly overhead. “We must ready the stags.”
“Artemis?” I call. She does not answer.
I glance over my shoulder and she is gone.
Copyright 2013 ©by V.L. Locey
*~*~*
Thanks for stopping in to visit! For more free reads by great authors follow the link back to the Tuesday Tales main blog.
Tuesday Tales
See you next week!
August 2, 2013
Dear Jon - Chapter # 1
The first chapter in my M/M historical romance Dear Jon is up over at Storytime Trysts.
I hope you enjoy this romantic trip back in time.
Storytime Trysts
July 31, 2013
We`ve Been Hopping!
And we`re not toads!
If there is one aspect of having farm animals, it`s that they keep you busy. There seem to be spurts of down time – when all the hoof trimming, shots, worming, and various other things – are done and you think you can relax.
Nope! That`s when things go off the track leading to Relaxation Station.
The past week my critters have been in all sorts of mischief, trouble, and plain old predicaments.
First my three goslings – No, none are named Ryan – decided it was the week to begin acting like the teenagers they are.
They busted out of their coop when I went in with water before bedtime. That meant I had to chase them around to herd them back in for a safe nights sleep. They`ve been seen pinching Andre, our broad-breasted bronze turkey. The chickens have informed me that some very serious goose chest shoving has been occurring while everyone is having a nice snack of whole kernel corn in the afternoon. I gave them a firm talking to accompanied by a finger wagging, so we`ll see what happens with the hooligans.
Then my black Lab Trinity somehow got stung on the left ear.
The poor dog’s ear is a good two inches thick. We`ve been giving her Benadryl as the vet said for a few days, and finally today I`m noticing that the swelling is going down. I don`t know what stung her, but it must be something she is highly allergic to.
Yesterday one of our milking does *cough* Bethany *cough* managed to find a way out of the fence.
How she did this Mister and I cannot figure out. We can find no hole anywhere big enough for a full-grown Nubian to wriggle through, but the little devil surely did make a bid for freedom. Of course that also resulted in a fine chase with blue language from Mister to rival mine when I was herding wayward goslings.
Finally, to top off the critter shenanigans, the same night Mister and I are getting ready to go to the movies, my breeding buck, Perseus, decides to snap off a horn scur.
For those who don`t know what a horn scur is it`s when during the disbudding of a goat kid, you don`t get all the horn area burned well enough to kill the growth. Bucks are especially horny – pun intended – and we always seem to have some creep up on our bucks.
This accident occurred roughly one hour before the new Wolverine movie began. We certainly couldn`t leave the thing hanging down in his face, attached by a small strip of flesh. So, we wrestle the poor dude into a corner, remove the scur, slather the bloody area with tar to keep the rassafrassin` flies off it, and then come inside to shower, yet again, to remove the lovely odor of a breeding buck in late July. I dare say the people in the theater appreciated our cleanliness.
To be fair, the dog and the buck weren`t being contrary . . . the goslings and Bethany though, now they were being rather bad! Seems the only group that hasn`t been in some sort of predicament the past week has been the cats.
*Glances at Lucius and Lu-Lu in wary expectation*
July 29, 2013
Tuesday Tales - Bargain
Hello! It`s time for Tuesday Tales again. This week I`ll be sharing an excerpt from my new adult WIP (Work In Progress) Love of the Hunter, an M/M mythological romance.
In today`s excerpt we see exactly how the eternally youthful god, Apollo, has been forced to live, and the abuse he suffers at the hands of a bitterly defeated Titan.
This week our word prompt is ‘Bargain’. Since this is a rough draft there may be some mistakes. I do apologize for any boo-boo 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!
I study the path that leads to the temple as I walk. It is lined with ground shells. Or perhaps it is the many bones of those who have tried, and failed, to enter this shrine at the eastern end of the earth. Helios does not take kindly to visitors. If not for his fear of Zeus and his powers, I would have been incinerated just as the hapless humans seeking to own the sun were. I find a rounded chunk of calcium and kick it ahead of me, my chiton drying as is my hair. The hot winds feel good. They whip around the home of the Titan, lifting my yellow curls playfully. One zephyr, Eurus, the eastern wind, tries to tug my chiton from my shoulder. I spin around, scuffing up clouds of dust in an attempt to wrest my robe from the wind god and his spirits.
“Release my robes at once, foolish sprite!” I yell, tugging violently to free the sky blue garment. The laughing winds of the east race off, my chiton bouncing merrily from one gust to another high above my head. I run back down the path, my bow and quiver slapping my backside. I curse the winds as they race further ahead. Even Apollo cannot catch the wind. I pause in the chase when I hear the first rumbling sounds of the sun chariot. I quickly turn and dash up the hill. I must not be late to take the reins of the steeds or I shall feel Helios` whip. One does not bargain with a Titan. I push my body. Olympian blood courses through me, fueling my muscles and heart with heavenly golden ichor.
The chariot races overhead. The light is so bright my eyes water. I cannot see clearly and run into a marble column. Down to my naked ass I go. I scrabble to my feet, pushing my weaponry back onto my shoulder. I dare not be late. The stables are many hectares away. I run as fast as I can my arms and legs pumping, still I know I will not arrive on time. I can feel the horses touch down on the earth. The ground trembles. My feet blur as I run onward, hoping now to only receive one lash with the fiery whip.
I skid around the side of the stable. The whip flies out, snaking around my right ankle. Helios jerks upon the flaming lash. My leg is wrenched out from underneath me. I land on my side. The Titan pulls me to him. I writhe and scream for mercy but I know there will be none. The four horses stamp the ground, their flaming hooves singeing the grass. I throw my arms over my face. Helios steps from the chariot, a glowing ball of fire that can turn even me to ash with a flick of his finger. He pulls me away from the horses, the whip burning through my skin, tears flowing down my cheeks.
“Shall I call you the weeping god, son of Leto?” Helios taunts, dragging me like a ragged doll across the yard. I roll from one side to the other, trying to free myself. “Crying like a mortal girl child,” the Titan thunders down at me then with a jerk of his wrist the whip tears free. Flesh rips and smolders and I scream in agony. I beg for his forgiveness. He reaches down. I curl into a ball. “You fill me with shame,” he sneers in my face. I flop to my stomach. The whip lands across my lower back. The biting fingers instantly sear through my skin. I kick and twitch. I bite through my lower lip until thick golden blood fills my mouth. I do not cry out. That seems to please the Titan for no other lashing do I receive.
“Your father,” he spits out the word with distaste, “bid you sent here to me to learn my ways and stop your feminine mewling over a lost boy love. He has given me freedom to make a god out of you, and so help me Apollo I shall do as bid by him. Now attend to my steeds.”
I sit up, sniffling quietly. The Titan stalks across the grass, his lash leaving a burnt snaking mark on the withered lawn. My ankle throbs terribly as does my back. They would heal. When next it was time for Helios to ride across the sky all that would remain of his cruelty would be a faint pink scar. That is his pleasure. He knows that he cannot kill me lest he incurs the wrath of Zeus, but he can whip me to mold me. That Zeus does not object to.
My father is worried. I know it and my sister knows it. Even my mother has whispered warnings to me when she visits, which is not often for she fears the Titan sun god. They do not understand how I could have loved another male so deeply when such things are to be cast aside once a man is a man, or so they believe in the learned city of Athens. So they turn a blind eye to the violence that Helios directs at me. Secretly, I feel they hope he can beat me into being the god they wish me to be.
Copyright 2013 ©by V.L. Locey
*~*~*
Thanks for stopping in to visit! For more free reads by great authors follow the link back to the Tuesday Tales main blog.
http://tuesdaytales1.blogspot.com/
See you next week!
In today`s excerpt we see exactly how the eternally youthful god, Apollo, has been forced to live, and the abuse he suffers at the hands of a bitterly defeated Titan.
This week our word prompt is ‘Bargain’. Since this is a rough draft there may be some mistakes. I do apologize for any boo-boo 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!
I study the path that leads to the temple as I walk. It is lined with ground shells. Or perhaps it is the many bones of those who have tried, and failed, to enter this shrine at the eastern end of the earth. Helios does not take kindly to visitors. If not for his fear of Zeus and his powers, I would have been incinerated just as the hapless humans seeking to own the sun were. I find a rounded chunk of calcium and kick it ahead of me, my chiton drying as is my hair. The hot winds feel good. They whip around the home of the Titan, lifting my yellow curls playfully. One zephyr, Eurus, the eastern wind, tries to tug my chiton from my shoulder. I spin around, scuffing up clouds of dust in an attempt to wrest my robe from the wind god and his spirits.
“Release my robes at once, foolish sprite!” I yell, tugging violently to free the sky blue garment. The laughing winds of the east race off, my chiton bouncing merrily from one gust to another high above my head. I run back down the path, my bow and quiver slapping my backside. I curse the winds as they race further ahead. Even Apollo cannot catch the wind. I pause in the chase when I hear the first rumbling sounds of the sun chariot. I quickly turn and dash up the hill. I must not be late to take the reins of the steeds or I shall feel Helios` whip. One does not bargain with a Titan. I push my body. Olympian blood courses through me, fueling my muscles and heart with heavenly golden ichor.
The chariot races overhead. The light is so bright my eyes water. I cannot see clearly and run into a marble column. Down to my naked ass I go. I scrabble to my feet, pushing my weaponry back onto my shoulder. I dare not be late. The stables are many hectares away. I run as fast as I can my arms and legs pumping, still I know I will not arrive on time. I can feel the horses touch down on the earth. The ground trembles. My feet blur as I run onward, hoping now to only receive one lash with the fiery whip.
I skid around the side of the stable. The whip flies out, snaking around my right ankle. Helios jerks upon the flaming lash. My leg is wrenched out from underneath me. I land on my side. The Titan pulls me to him. I writhe and scream for mercy but I know there will be none. The four horses stamp the ground, their flaming hooves singeing the grass. I throw my arms over my face. Helios steps from the chariot, a glowing ball of fire that can turn even me to ash with a flick of his finger. He pulls me away from the horses, the whip burning through my skin, tears flowing down my cheeks.
“Shall I call you the weeping god, son of Leto?” Helios taunts, dragging me like a ragged doll across the yard. I roll from one side to the other, trying to free myself. “Crying like a mortal girl child,” the Titan thunders down at me then with a jerk of his wrist the whip tears free. Flesh rips and smolders and I scream in agony. I beg for his forgiveness. He reaches down. I curl into a ball. “You fill me with shame,” he sneers in my face. I flop to my stomach. The whip lands across my lower back. The biting fingers instantly sear through my skin. I kick and twitch. I bite through my lower lip until thick golden blood fills my mouth. I do not cry out. That seems to please the Titan for no other lashing do I receive.
“Your father,” he spits out the word with distaste, “bid you sent here to me to learn my ways and stop your feminine mewling over a lost boy love. He has given me freedom to make a god out of you, and so help me Apollo I shall do as bid by him. Now attend to my steeds.”
I sit up, sniffling quietly. The Titan stalks across the grass, his lash leaving a burnt snaking mark on the withered lawn. My ankle throbs terribly as does my back. They would heal. When next it was time for Helios to ride across the sky all that would remain of his cruelty would be a faint pink scar. That is his pleasure. He knows that he cannot kill me lest he incurs the wrath of Zeus, but he can whip me to mold me. That Zeus does not object to.
My father is worried. I know it and my sister knows it. Even my mother has whispered warnings to me when she visits, which is not often for she fears the Titan sun god. They do not understand how I could have loved another male so deeply when such things are to be cast aside once a man is a man, or so they believe in the learned city of Athens. So they turn a blind eye to the violence that Helios directs at me. Secretly, I feel they hope he can beat me into being the god they wish me to be.
Copyright 2013 ©by V.L. Locey
*~*~*
Thanks for stopping in to visit! For more free reads by great authors follow the link back to the Tuesday Tales main blog.
http://tuesdaytales1.blogspot.com/
See you next week!
July 26, 2013
Wind in White Birch - Issue # 30
Today, over on Storytime Trysts, you`ll find the final issue of Wind in White Birch.
I have greatly enjoyed sharing the romance of Jonah and Dana with you, and I hope to return to White Birch lodge in the future.
Starting next week, I`ll be sharing a new free romance read. This time we`ll be stepping back in time for a M/M historical romance. I hope you enjoy Dear Jon when it launches next Saturday exclusively at Storytime Trysts.
Storytime Trysts
