V.L. Locey's Blog, page 121

Storytime Trysts - Blue & Silver Bows

Hey guys and dolls! Remember Jonah and Dana, the new couple from White Moon, Yellow Leaves? Well, they`re about to go on their first date. Hurry on over to Storytime Trysts for the first issue of my two part holiday tale Blue & Silver Bows.

Enjoy!




Storytime Trysts

A Book and a Cuppa - Drums of Autumn

*Flips through thesaurus*


Magnificent. Superb. Amazing. Fantastic. Brilliant. Romantic.

All the above words fit when describing the fourth book in the Outlander series, Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon. As a writer, I sit in awe of Ms. Gabaldon. How does she do it? How does she pen such breathtaking romance? How does she weave dry, boring, historical fact so remarkably into her story? How does she write such vibrant, loving, strong characters? The woman is amazing, and so are her books.



This fourth novel is just as strong as the other three that I`ve read so far. This time we not only have the tale of Jamie & Claire Fraser, we have the story of their daughter, Brianna and her love, Roger.

Oh. My. Gosh. I adore the two youngest lovers almost as much as I do Claire and Jamie! How does she do it? I was compelled to turn each of the one thousand and seventy pages as quickly as possible. In this book Roger makes a discovery that he tries to hide. Of course, Brianna also discovers this disturbing bit of information. The knowledge of what lies ahead for her mother and Jamie sends Brianna through the stones and into the unknown past. Roger follows a few weeks later.

Brianna has no idea of what risks to her own future she is taking. All she knows is that she must find her mother and the father she has never met. Can she change history? Claire and Jamie couldn`t when they tried to avert the tragedy of Culloden. Brianna faces her own heartbreaking situations as she faces being forever trapped in the past, possibly without the man she loves.

I truly adored this book. There were a two little things that I felt could have been handled differently, and I`ll chat about them to ensure I`m as fair as I can be.

One was how things ended with Ian, Jamie`s nephew. I won`t say exactly what happened but I will say I was rather disappointed. It felt to me like this very important character was sort of shuffled off to make room for new ones. As a writer I fully understand this. We can really only balance so many secondary characters in one story well. Maybe it was just me but I felt Ian could have been given a bit more of a fulfilling ending. And please, do not think that it has anything to do with the girl he chose to stay with. It did not. It felt convenient is all, perhaps a tad too convenient.

The second tiny nitpick is towards the end the book drug a bit. Since we`re talking about a book of well over a thousand pages, it`s bound to drag in parts. I think that Ms. Gabaldon could have compressed the last five chapters into one pretty easily. It`s not a good thing when the reader is mumbling to themselves ‘Really? There`s five more chapters?!’ and I confess, I was doing that. But, we did get lots of detail in those last five chapters so it wasn`t all for naught. As I said, two teeny little niggles in a book filled with sweeping romance, humor, adventure, action, and time travel.

A solid five star read. The picked nits may very well just be me so please, don`t think this book isn`t up to par with the rest, it is. I have my copy of book five, The Fiery Cross sitting in my to-be-read stack. I`ll be leaping back through the stones after I read a few different books, rest assured! Nothing will keep me from Jamie and Claire and the extraordinary love they share.

Tuesday Tales - Silent

Welcome back! This week we`ll continue the story of The Silver Box.


Libby and Ares are the stars of my Gods & Goats trilogy. The word prompt this week is ‘Silent’ so the story will reflect the prompt. As these are original stories written in a week, some errors may be found. I do apologize for those in advance. Try not to let them boggle you down though if possible.

Please do check out the other wonderful writers after you`re done reading by clicking on the Tuesday Tales link at the bottom. Thank you for stopping in. May the gods smile upon you!





The Silver Box


*~*~*



I in no way condone violence against animals. I`m an animal lover that even goes so far as to embrace Minotaur`s, although they`re technically only half-animal. That being said, I also will protect that which is mine. I have, on occasion, had to dispatch a raccoon or opossum or weasel that thought my chickens would make a fine midnight snack. It is not a pretty thing but it is part of being a woman alone on a farm. After Matt died it was up to me to take the baseball bat out and dispatch the nocturnal raiders trying to kill my poultry.

Now that job belongs to the war god. That`s one of the reasons we women keep men around: To kill things, to lift heavy stuff, and to make love to us until we`re too worn out to whimper. And to love us as well, but if you`ve got a spider the size of a roasting chicken sharing the shower with you all you want is the man to kill the damned thing. Romance and roses takes a backseat to squishing spiders.

All that being said, and skipping the part about the spiders in the shower because I get the creeping willies when I think about that miserable arachnid of a week ago, I had no choice but to take on the tiger. I didn`t want to. To my knowledge this species is extinct - was extinct - would be extinct. Killing just one of the beautiful cats seemed terrible. But the tiger killing Harmonia was unthinkable. The horse was on his own, the farting nasty hay bag. I crept forward until I could get my fingers on Harmonia`s dropped shield.

With a bellow to rival that of any charging rhino I ran at the tiger. He stopped his silent stalk. His ears twitched and his amber eyes widened. I charged at the huge cat, screaming like a banshee and hammering my shield with my sword, hoping the tiger would bolt. The cat took off like a scalded hare thank Hera. No, scratch that. Thank Zeus.

I watched the feline melt into the Turkish landscape feeling rather good about not having to poke anything with my sword. Something jabbed me in the middle of my back. I spun around and found a bunch of very tall and formidable women surrounding me.




They all carried bows and quivers on their backs. Each woman was powerfully muscled. Also, each woman wore only a makeshift skirt crafted from an animal skin low on their rounded hips. I noticed that lack of a top quickly. I also noted as I lowered my sword and Harmonia`s shield gingerly, that each warrior woman had only one breast. I had read about this but it seemed to be fact. Removing the right breast made it easier for archery you see.

I allowed my weapons to hit the lush ground. Harmonia had been hauled from the freaked out nag and pushed rather rudely into my side. She threw her helm to the ground, whipped her long dark hair from her face and glowered at the Amazon`s intimidating us.

“How dare you touch me!?” the goddess snarled like a wet tabby. I took a step back and let her have center stage. “Do you not know your betters?! Do you not know the daughter of Ares when she is in your midst?! Heinous vile females! You shall not lay a hand upon me and my father`s-”

“Slave,” I offered with a weak smile.

“My father`s slave again, or I shall bring the wrath of the war god and Olympus down upon you!” she shouted, her tiny hands rolled into tight fists. Waves of godly power rolled off of her and it was not serenity this time. It was pure aggression and one-hundred percent her daddy`s gift to her. “Now, you shall take us to Otrere with speed or I shall peel open your skulls and feed your brains to the scavengers!”

Yep, that sounded just like her papa. The Amazon`s stared at the goddess for a very long minute then one - a tall dark woman with flowing red and black hair - barked out an order. The women lowered their heads then laid their hands over their breast. Harmonia nodded at the show of deference. Fear was led to the daughter of Ares and we mounted PDQ. The scouting party – brought in by my noise no doubt – kept us surrounded as we made our way through the thick woods of their homelands.

“Uhm, question,” I whispered beside Harmonia`s pretty ear. Fear tossed his head. “Would you have really opened their skulls and fed their brains to the scavengers?”

“Aye, if needed. I am not fond of vulgar bloodshed, but if they had harmed you I would have killed them all and taken their spines home to father as proof of vengeance,” she explained, her fingers loosely wound in Fear`s white mane. “Thankfully I need not call upon father`s gifts often. I much prefer using my mother`s gifts of love, harmony, and tranquility.”

“I`ve never seen this side of you,” I confessed. She made a worried sound. “No, I don`t find if offensive. Trust me, if I can live with your father and his daily threats to pull someone`s spleen out through their nose, I can certainly deal with you showing your sassy side on occasion,” I hugged the young immortal and she reached back to stroke my cheek. My whole body grew spongy with accord.

We broke from the woods at that moment. Fear paused and snorted when faced with a rift in the landscape that gave me vertigo. Sparks and flame erupted from his nostrils sending the nearest Amazon`s a few feet to the left and right. Harmonia steadied the nag. We dropped down into a gorge, the earth having been sliced open by the river that was flowing under our steed`s large hooves centuries ago. Up ahead was a small waterfall. Since no-one was moving up the wet, rocky sides I assumed we would go through the tumbling water.



“I take it that will lead us to Themiscyra?”

Harmonia bobbed her head. “Aye, to the city of the Amazon`s and home of their queen, Otrere.”

“Super,” I sighed, all my mellowness and tranquility disappearing like the flocks of green and blue birds soaring over the vale. “Well, in for a penny as they say. Tally ho!”


*~*~*


Click below to go to Tuesday Tales

Tuesday Tales

See you next Tuesday as The Silver Box continues!





















What Makes a Leading Lady?

A few weeks ago we talked about heroes. Today I`d like to talk about heroines and what I feel makes a good one in my humble.




Over my many years of being an avid reader I`ve come across just about every type of leading lady there is. From sweet to sassy to sinful and seductive, from good to evil to some who make you wonder if they`re even human, I`ve read them all. So when it was my turn to bring a woman to life on the pages of a book, what was it I was hoping to do? I can tell you what I wasn`t going to do right off.

I was not going to write a teenager. Nothing against those under twenty for there are many I adore (Love you Percy, Harry and Katniss!) but I am a fifty-one year old woman. I simply cannot relate to the problems of a teenager any more. Even with a teen in the house I can`t write about the trials and tribulations of those in high school. I`ve tried, numerous times, and it just doesn`t work for me.

I am far too old and crotchety to pen someone like Bella Swan who curled into a ball, spent months in a funk because Edward left, and then tried to kill herself to get his attention. I won`t go into the message that sends young impressionable women. All I`ll say is that if my man left me I`d cry for a day or two then I`d go out and find a new one or adopt a cat. Upon further reflection, I think I`d go for the cat. They`re quiet, don`t snore in your ear, don`t eat the ice cream up, don`t make crass bodily sounds at the dinner table, and don`t make you watch all day marathons of ‘How It`s Made’.

I wasn`t going to create a great leading lady, get her married or mated and then let her fade into the background. You all know I adore and worship J.R. Ward. I wish I could write men like the WARDen does. And her sex scenes singe my fingers as I grip the books! But even my beloved WARDen slips when it comes to keeping the strong women she creates strong. Many of the ladies in Caldwell simply blend into the background after they get their man. I did not want to allow this to happen to my heroine. She had to be more than an ornament that was quickly forgotten.

So I had to pen a woman: a grown, mature woman who had been around the block a time or two. And this woman had to stay front and center.

This woman had to be resilient. She had to have wit and humor because you can`t survive long in this world if you can`t laugh at yourself and others. Above all, she had to be tough enough to make it alone. She might not like being alone but she managed. Enter Libby Simons.



Libby is everything that I find attractive in a heroine. She is down-to-earth. She`s funny as hell, sharp, clever, loyal, warm-hearted, relatable, and dependable. She`s not a kid. Libby is creeping up on forty. She`s not a Bond girl. She`s a hard-working farmer who rarely wears make-up. Goats don`t care if you have eyeliner on, trust me on that one. My Gods & Goats books are Libby`s story. Ares is her love and her lover but it is Libby that is the star.

I love a story where the woman is out there kicking butt and chewing bubblegum just like the men are. My heroine doesn`t sit back and wait for her man to come save her. Please. Libby is right there at Ares side, battling against the minions of Hades like a dervish. Don`t believe me? Here`s a wee peek at some action from the next book in the Gods & Goats Trilogy Of Heroes & Haybales Libby goes up against a Chimera-



*~*~*

I got to my feet, my eyes locked on the snake that was lashing side to side, looking for a place to strike. Roars and hisses and other-worldly blats filled the underground hiding place, Ares` snarls melting into the din. Then his back hit the wall and the snake struck. Ares` lance glanced off the emerald serpent`s head and deflected the strike. The lion growled. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end. Ares cursed fluently at the beast as he tried to drive his pike upward into the lion’s neck.

The goat head dropped and it caught one horn under the edge of Ares` shield and ripped the circlet of gold from the god`s forearm. The shield flew across the cavern and embedded in the wall. I shouted at Ares, warning him to watch the snake then the lion attacked, its jaws clamping down on Ares` shoulder. The war god snarled in agony as his fist came up under the lion`s chin. The cat did not let go. Golden ichor flowed from the exposed area of Ares` corded neck. That was when I ran at the combatants. The snake tail lashed out at me, fangs long enough to go through my upper arm were dripping with venom. Ares grunted my name. The goat cried out in anger and tried to drive its horns into the war god’s helmet.

Ares threw up a now bloody forearm and the spikes of his brace slammed into the goat’s nose and eyes. It screamed. The lion roared and tried to get another chomp in. I ran at the snake undulating in mid-air, its glowing eyes just looking for an opening. I knew that I had to eliminate at least one-third of the trio. When I got close enough, the snake darted to the left then aimed at my leg. I danced to the right and swung down with the bronze sword. It opened up a wound on top of the snake`s head. Black blood bubbled out. Ares shouted at me to retreat. I opted to pretend I hadn`t heard him. We were in this together. I wasn`t going to sit there like some Mary-Sue! I had my bandana on!!



*~*~*

Woo-hoo! You tell them Libby! My girl is no Mary-Sue when it comes to action. Libby`s life is hers to lead and she faces the trials and tribulations of what may come with her chin up and her bandana firmly tied around her head.

This bit of action has got me thinking that perhaps I`ll chat about writing action and how I came to learn the hard lessons of a very important aspect of writing what many romance books skip over sadly. But until next time tell me about your heroine. What makes her special? What role does she play in her book and her own life? Is she a shy gal or a grab the bull by the horns type of woman?

The Next Big Thing

Howdy guys and gals! I`m really tickled to have been tagged in a really fun blog event called ‘The Next Big Thing’ by the always perky Mia Fisher! Mia is a fellow author and genuine sweetheart. You can visit her here on her Facebook page. *Big Hugs*

Mia Fisher


Okay, so what this post is supposed to do is fill you in on the next book due out from yours truly. That will be my romantic/comedy short Two Guys Walk into an Apocalypse, part of an anthology published by Torquere Press due for release the first week of January 2013.

Below are some fun questions about the book and the characters. At the end I`ll tag another writer and so it goes. I hope you enjoy my Next Big Thing!



*~*~*



Title of the book –

He Loves Me for My Brainsssss




*~*~*


Where did the idea come from?





The call for submissions came from Torquere Press. Let`s face it, zombies are hot right now. Who here watches The Walking Dead religiously? *Waves hand and swoons over Daryl*I happened to see the call and thought to myself ‘Hmm, a romantic zombie apocalypse story with gay leads? I can do this!’ and I put my mind to coming up with something that would work. It was not easy to find the right blend of romance, horror, and comedy at first. That took some tweaking but I finally hit the right mix I think.

*~*~*

What genre does your book fall under?








It would have to be romance.

*~*~*

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie adaptation?




Oh this is easy. For Paul, the one who tells the story, my choice is Alex Skarsgard. *Sighs dreamily*



For Gordon, Paul`s partner, it is hands down Eric Bana. *Swoons*



Both are skilled actors and could pull off the complexities of comedy in a horror setting. I also think they would make a very attractive couple.

*~*~*

What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?



Come take a bite out of Two Guys Walk into an Apocalypse!

*~*~*

How long for the first draft?



Probably close to three months, maybe a little less. As I said the real trick was making sure I had enough horror for the zombie fanatics and enough comedy and romance for the Rom/Com fans. There were some things added and some taken out to give it a nice mixture that should appeal to all.

*~*~*

What other books would you compare this story to?





I honestly can`t think of another book that is similar to Two Guys. The screenplays for Zombieland and Shaun of the Dead are close and gave me great inspiration for how to weave comedy and horror but they`re not novels. The addition of two gay men as romantic leads is what makes this story quite different. I`ve read Max Brooks` books and had the joy of hearing him speak, but his zombie novels are not romances. So yeah, I can`t think of a story that has all the unique little things that Two Guys Walk into an Apocalypse has.

*~*~*

What about your book may pique the reader’s interest?






Well, it has sex! That always piques me. But it also has a ton of laughs, some really scary moments, and a totally committed couple who are so much in love even a damned zombie uprising won`t break them apart. And that is what really made me fall in love with this short story: Paul and Gordon`s love. *Sighs dreamily* I`m just a sucker for a good romance….


*~*~*


Woo and hoo, that was a blast! I hope you enjoyed finding out a bit about my next big thing! Now I`m tagging the bubbly and loverly Angel Walker who`ll fill you in on what she has coming out next for your reading enjoyment!



Angel Walker

Tuesday Tales - Wine

Welcome back! This week we`ll continue the story of ‘The Silver Box’.


Libby and Ares are the stars of my Gods & Goats trilogy. The word prompt this week is ‘Wine’ so the story will reflect the prompt. As these are original stories written in a week, some errors may be found. I do apologize for those in advance. Try not to let them boggle you down though if possible.

Please do check out the other wonderful writers after you`re done reading by clicking on the Tuesday Tales link at the bottom. Thank you for stopping in. May the gods smile upon you!








The Silver Box




*~*~*



     Ares has two war horses - Fear and Dread – that pull his golden chariot.







They are miserable, contrary, flatulent, fire-snorting steeds that hate me with a passion. I am not overly fond of them either.

“Pick which one you wish to ride,” Ares said then tugged on the golden reins to bring the horses front feet back to earth. When I said nothing he glanced under Fear`s black stomach. He did not have to bend over to do so. The horses are as big as minivans and not half as smart.

“Perhaps we should ride Dread, he seems less prone to violence,” Harmonia said.

I nodded. My helm slipped down over my eyes. This is the problem with borrowing armor from your lover. It`s all way too big. The helmet rotated around my skull. The cuirass needed a much bigger chest than mine to fill it, and the greaves covered my knees and half my thighs. At least I had a nicely weighted celestial bronze short sword hanging at my side. Hephaestus sure can work a forge!

“He is a far more docile beast,” Ares agreed and handed the reins to Harmonia. She looked awesome in armor of polished silver, a matching helmet with a bright green plume running down her back, sparkling silver shield and lance. As her father led Fear back into the cow pasture I sneered at the nag that was eye-balling me openly.

“Have you ever ridden before?” Harmonia asked, leaping up onto the ivory steeds back like it was second nature. It probably was for her. As a daughter of Aphrodite she oversaw marital harmony but as a child of Ares she also rode into war with her father, her twin brothers Deimos (Dread) and Phobos (Fear), Ares` sister Eris (Discord) and Eris` son, Strife, to ensure harmony in battle.

“I used to love the pony rides at the fair,” I muttered as she extended her hand down to me. I eyed that tiny palm like it was a rattlesnake.

“Then you have knowledge of the equestrian skills,” Harmonia smiled and brushed my nose with her fingertips. All unease left my body. I grabbed her hand and up I went onto Dread`s wide back. He pawed at the driveway, eager to be off. Harmonia handled the massive beast with grace and poise. I grabbed her around the waist. My legs were spread so wide I felt like a wishbone in the hands of two greedy children.

“Keep a tight rein on him lest he get his head,” Ares said, exiting the cow barn and turning his face into the wind and snow. “Follow the coast of Greece and Anatolia until you find the Caspian Sea. The land of the Sarmatian`s lies between the mighty lake and the Vistula River. Do not drop into the city of Themiscyra unannounced. Ride up upon the royal city and proclaim your birthright to the guards, my daughter, and you shall be granted immediate access. Bunting,” he grabbed my bare thigh and squeezed. I turned my head and looked down at him, “Do not speak of our relationship with Otrere. She is a jealous woman that has never truly forgiven me for leaving her.”

I was going to say something snide but he slapped Dread`s white ass at that moment. The cutting comment turned into a wimpy squeak of terror as the horse took off. We rode straight at my lovely house and then Dread got some air. Whinnies of joy echoed down the valley as Ares` horse threw his weight skyward. I hung onto Harmonia for dear life, eyes closed and pulse racing in my ears. My eyes were watering terribly as we soared through the bitter cold night sky. I glanced over the right side of Dread and saw my mountain bathed in inky darkness, the lights from the few homes along my road fading into nothingness as Harmonia put her sandaled heels into the war stallion`s sides.

Travelling with a god or goddess is tricky business. They can manipulate time and space with a whispered word. They can make themselves appear as small clouds or flocks of birds to skip under radar. When you move through time with one, it feels as if your stomach is being pulled out of your nostrils. Teleporting is even worse. Humans cannot handle the disassembling of their atoms despite what we`ve seen on the transporter bay of the USS Enterprise.

I tucked myself into Harmonia`s back as snugly as I could. The higher we flew the colder it got. My nose was running as we cleared the clouds. I think it was beginning to freeze to my upper lip. My, wouldn`t I just look spiffy meeting another of Ares ex-lovers?

“Close your eyes and do not let go,” Harmonia said over her shoulder.

I nodded. She spurred the horse for more speed. Dread gave her all he had. We were flying so fast the air threatened to rip off my helmet. Then the change of time happened. It was like driving into a brick wall without a seatbelt. My body was flung to the front then whipped backwards as a thousand light bulbs went off simultaneously.

The lights I assumed were stars snapping as we magically moved back in time. My stomach cramped. I broke into a sweat. My ears popped and I grew disoriented and dizzy. Harmonia felt my grip slackening as passing out tapped me on the forehead and asked if it could come in for a cuppa. Her left hand dropped the reins and she clamped onto my wrist. I then did the sensible thing and fainted.

I came around sometime later. I was warm. It was nice. Much nicer than have icy snot flash-frozen to your face I will say that. I rolled to the right and gagged a time or two. Nothing came up thank Hera. No, let`s not thank Hera. I`m mad at her for making me get snot frozen to my cheeks. We`ll thank Zeus for awhile.

“Libby, `tis time to awaken; we have many miles yet to go.”

I knew that soft, sweet voice. It was Harmonia, the goddess who slept in my spare bedroom. The daughter I never had.

“Wine,” I coughed. Harmonia laughed softly and lifted my blubbery body upwards. A flask was placed in my hands and with her assistance I gulped down some delightful red wine seasoned with orange zest. Dread was somewhere nearby, snorting noxious sulfur scented clouds. Or was that the other end of the rotten beast?

“Are you recovered enough to ride? We must make haste through this land,” Harmonia inquired. I swiped at my mouth with the back of my hand.

“I`m good, just a bit more wine.” I washed the taste of time travel from my mouth, rinsing and not spitting cause that`s just a waste. I opened my eyes. We were in a deep valley with mountains of grey reaching up to caress a crystal blue sky. I lowered the wine skin and got to my feet slowly. The air was dry and carried the scent of fresh water and decaying trees. I inhaled deeply. It reminded me, in a way, of the way my Pennsylvania woodlands smells on a summer day. “Which way do we have to go?”

“Down,” Harmonia answered tugging the wine from my hands to cork it. She whistled one high note and Dread, the white gas bag, ambled out of the woods, his mouth filled with long blades of sharp grass. He and I had a moment of eye-to-eye battle and then he tossed his head as if to say ‘Bring it, puny mortal woman!’

“This horse hates me,” I told Harmonia as she was kneeling beside me, her hands linked to give me a boost.

“He does not hate you, he simply knows that you fear him,” she said as I placed a sandal into her hands. I grabbed his long white mane and the horse danced to the side. A ripe curse came out of me. We tried again, and again, and then once more, just for shits and giggles. Finally, Harmonia, fed up with the horse and me I`m sure, jumped up on the beast`s back. He kicked and snorted and frothed. She struggled with the huge stallion.

I figured I`d just wait it out and leaned against a tree in some shade. Dread was feeling his oats after a nice run obviously. I glanced to the side as he and the goddess went round and round. Something moved from one tree to the next. I straightened up and squinted into the moving patches of shade and sun. Harmonia was cursing in Greek, which is very unlike her.

“I think there`s something out there,” I said. Dread was making such a racket she didn`t hear me. I pushed from the tree and stepped forward, reaching down to find the handle of my short sword. It may seem overly paranoid but if you`d have faced the monsters that I`ve faced since I hooked up with Ares, you`d pull your sword first and ask questions later too.

Dread was screaming. I inhaled when I saw what was stalking closer. Now I understood why the horse was freaking out. I took a step backwards as the Caspian Tiger dropped down into a crouch not ten feet from where I stood, his amber eyes locked on the white horse and its rider.









*~*~*


Click below to go to Tuesday Tales

Tuesday Tales

See you next Tuesday as ‘The Silver Box’ continues!

The Envelope Please.....

The winner of the print copy of Of Gods & Goats is Millie from A Goat`s View of Eden Hills blog! Millie, I`ll be getting in contact with your human right away so I can mail your copy to you!


Thanks to everyone for stopping in and commenting.

Cookies, Memories, Recipes, and Hopping!

Morning gang! It`s Cyber Monday, time to get those credit cards fired up for some internet shopping. I try to do most of my shopping locally but its hard living as rurally as I do. I find I have to hit the internet at times for a few gifts I just cannot find in the hills of Pennsylvania. Having one Wal-Mart to shop at does make the choices rather limited.


It`s funny how the holidays bring out the sweet and treat monster in all of us. I`ve already had my family requesting fudge be made. I`ll probably break down and do a pan or two of fudge but I have cut back over the years. All that sugar isn`t good for any of us or our waist lines. I remember when I was a kid I too used to request something every Christmas season. Sand tart cookies.

My mother- God rest her soul - made THE BEST sand tarts ever. I distinctly recall that moment when you`d take that warm cookie from the cooling rack and dunk it into your mom`s coffee. That`s probably where I got my love of java! There are a thousand different cookie recipes but my mother`s is the absolute best. I thought I`d pass it along to you. Feel free to give it a whirl but watch out for sneaky kids eying your cup of coffee after the cookies come out of the oven.





Sand Tarts





2 pounds butter

2 cups white sugar

5 eggs

8 cups all purpose flour

1 egg white

1 tablespoon of milk

¼ cup cinnamon sugar

¾ pecan halves (optional) We never cared for the pecans as kids and used sprinkles to decorate.



1. Cream the butter, sugar and eggs together. Add just enough flour to stiffen. Dough should be slightly sticky. Place dough in the refrigerator and let chill overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a very small bowl combine the egg white and the milk. Set aside.

3. Remove small amount of dough from the refrigerator and on a lightly floured surface roll it out very thin. Cut out rounds with a biscuit cutter or drinking glass dipped in flour. Place cookies on a cookie sheet and paint the top with the egg white mixture. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, and top with a pecan half. Repeat until all the dough is used up.

4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 10 minutes and the edges are slightly browned. Watch these cookies closely for they burn very easily.

*~*~*


Today is the last day for our mini blog hop so get to commenting for your chance to win a print copy of Of Gods & Goats. The winner will be chosen this evening at 8 PM Eastern and announced shortly thereafter. Please do stop by and visit with the other authors who are hopping along with me. I know they`ve got some great stuff to give away as well!


Jean Joachim

T.c. Hightower

Jessica Sales

Kathleen Ball

Sherry Gloag




See you this evening with the winner`s name!

A Preview from 'Of Heroes & Haybales'!

That`s right, the second book is done and now deeply in edits. *shakes fist at rassafrassin` commas and apostrophes* Below you`ll find a loverly interlude from the novel where Libby and Ares are celebrating the Fourth of July at Lake Ironbottom. Since the cover art for the book is still a work-in-progress I`ve added some images that fit the series. You know, a little romance....a little action....a little humor....a little spice... Wink-wink.

As this is a rough copy of the manuscript there may be errors that I haven`t gotten around to tidying up yet. Please try to overlook those if possible. Enjoy your peek at Of Heroes & Haybales, due out in April of 2013!


*~*~*


     “Why are you so belligerent of a sudden?” the man behind me asked. I let the pine bough I was holding snap back and smiled devilishly when I heard it impact his face. My caboose stopped so quickly I thought my arm might dislocate. I was tugged back, spun around and enveloped in a pair of arms that felt like steel bands. “Speak to me of what ails you, Bunting. Has your monthly female course come upon you?”


     “Why is it that men always think that when a womans mad it`s because of her friend?” I snapped upward. It was hard to make out his face in the dark but his massive shoulders rose and fell, the motion lifting my arms up and down as he held me.

     “I did not ask if Lora-Mae were upsetting you. I asked if `twas your menses that has you in such a foul mood.”

     My mouth opened. Then closed silently. A smile replaced the frown I had been wearing. I shook my head and rose up to my toes, snaking my arms free so I could run my fingers over his beard.

     “No, it`s not my menses that has me so riled. I haven`t gotten it yet,” I whispered, moving my hands to the back of his block head. I tugged and he lowered his forehead to mine. Wood-smoke from the many campsites blew across us, as did the wet, earthy smell of Lake Ironbottom. “I just want a little time with you alone.”

     “Ah,” he replied. “Aye, I too would like some time alone with you. I still carry the passion of this morning.”

     When his pelvis crushed against mine I could feel he was still carrying passion. I wet my lips.




     “Let`s get a little further from the campers, shall we?”

     He was all up for that. And a few other things as well. Off we went, skipping through Penn`s Woods like a couple of nymphs, until all we could hear was the sound of bullfrogs and the first set of fireworks whizzing into the night sky. I squinted and peered through the thick copse beside the lake. Only a few fires could be seen. Then I turned and launched myself at Ares. His mouth came down over mine roughly. It didn`t take long for us to get into a froth.

I was now hanging from him, my head back and my left leg riding up his side. His teeth and tongue were moving up and down my neck. I watched an explosion of red and green illuminate the sky. I made a sound of appreciation but rest assured, it wasn`t because of the gunpowder lightshow overhead. My sandal slid from my foot when Ares grabbed my thigh and hiked my leg higher on his side. Something then hit Ares in the back with so much force the man flew forward. I was summarily dropped and landed on my ass.



     I heard the war god collide with a tree and his breath rush from him. I got to my feet right before whatever the hell it was backhanded me into the lake. I came up sputtering and madder than a wet goatherder, trying to catch the breath that had been knocked out of me. Another volley of sound and light erupted and I caught a glimpse of what Ares was now wrestling with on the shore.

For most normal caprine raisers, the sight of a winged person/deity/monster with three human bodies from the waist up, all clad in silver armor might put you off your oatmeal. I, it is well known, am not normal. All I felt was anger for having what was promising to be one hell of a tumble beside the lake interrupted. That and some deep pain across my chest. Whatever the hell that creature was, and I had a damned good notion hell was the right word to use; it was giving Ares all he could handle and then some. The fireworks fizzled out. Darkness engulfed the lake once more.


*~*~*

I hope you enjoyed that small tidbit. Don`t forget to stop in and visit the others lovely bloggers who are hopping along all this weekend! And don`t forget to leave your comments on the blog hop posts for your chance to win an autographed copy of Of Gods & Goats.

Jean Joachim

T.c. Hightower

Jessica Sales

Kathleen Ball

Sherry Gloag

Storytime Trysts

Saturday is here and so is the fourth and final chapter of my contemporary romance White Moon, Yellow Leaves over at Storytime Trysts. I have a warm, tingly feeling about Dana and Jonah, don`t you?



Is there anything better than a warm romance on a chilly fall day??

Storytime Trysts




Don`t forget we`re still hopping along! After reading Dana & Jonah`s story, why not drop a comment here? It will give you another chance at that signed print copy of Of Gods & Goats! And remember to check out all the other authors who are participating. You can find their links below.

Jean Joachim

T.c. Hightower

Jessica Sales

Kathleen Ball

Sherry Gloag