V.L. Locey's Blog, page 92
June 4, 2014
Throwback Thursday Tune
This man. His voice. The lyrics. *fans face*
Don`t forget, if anyone has a song they would like to request for Throwback Thursday Tunes, just leave a note for me in the comments. Your name will be added to the header for the song you request!
Don`t forget, if anyone has a song they would like to request for Throwback Thursday Tunes, just leave a note for me in the comments. Your name will be added to the header for the song you request!
June 3, 2014
Please Welcome Cathy Boyd! Giveaway!
It`s always a rare pleasure for me to have a children`s author visit, not that Ms. Boyd only writes children`s books. She`s also quite the author when it comes to sexy vampires under the name Cathy Brockman! Take it away, Cathy!
*~*
Hello everyone! I’d like to thank Vicki for inviting us over to tell you about our School’s‘ Out~~ Let the Fun Begin, blog Party. Childlike muse is so excited about school being out that she is taking over my blog this week. * childlike muse squeals and does the happy dance*.
Childlike muse is going to be posting each day some fun filled ideas for summer fun. She will also be sharing some great kid-friendly recipes and crafts! We also have some friends that are going to join us so check out Dvora Swickle, Jr. Barker’s, Misty Harvey’s, and My blog next week. My kids are all grown, but I have two Grandies that come over a lot to visit and being a big kid myself we like to do lots of fun things together so I thought we would share some of them with you all. Also, Luke’s Dragon, my children’s book just came out in print so what better way to celebrate than throwing a party!
There will even be prizes! I will be giving away an Ecopy of my children’s book Luke’s Dragon every day to one lucky commenter. There is also a grand-prize that will be given away at the end of the week. What can you win? I am giving away a signed copy of Luke’s Dragon, Dvora is giving a signed copy of Snort, Sniffle and Drizzle and J.R. is giving an ecopy of the Adventures of the Frog Prince. There will be a rafflecopter link at the end of this post for the Grand Prize if you would like to sign up.( you can go back and tweet daily for more entries)
There is a Dragon on the loose! Where did it come from? Is it dangerous? Check out Luke’s Dragon, Book One in the Dreamland Series and find out!
Here is a sneak peek !CHAPTER ONEThe StormGigantic, 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! Sonic boom fireworks at Fourth of July celebrations made a sound like a mere whisper in comparison. As he awoke, he realized that the house was in total darkness. He lay still, clutching Gage as tightly as he could, his heart thumping loudly in his ears. “Dad! Dad!” Luke screamed!Luke’s father opened the bedroom door and in a soothing voice said, “Everything is fine, Luke. Lightning hit the transformer on the pole across the street. Don’t try to come down the stairs, you may fall. Try to relax and go back to sleep. After we get the baby calmed down, and I find the lanterns, I will bring you one up.” Tucking Luke back in and shutting the door behind him, Luke’s father left to find Luke a lantern.“Yeah, and quit squeezing me so tight! I can’t breathe!”Luke’s eyes grew wide in surprise as he felt a wiggle in his arms and let out a scream! “Luke! Please! You have to calm down!” Luke could hear his baby brother crying again. His mom sounded mad!“Yikes! You scream like a girl! I think I may be deaf now!”His hands shaking like a rattlesnake’s tail, Luke fumbled for the flashlight, knocking both it and the stuffed dragon to the floor. “Ouch! Now I think you dented my wing! Geesh!” the voice seemed to be coming from the floor. Luke covered his head.“What the heck! Who are you?” He called anxiously from under the covers.“Who is who?” The voice replied, mocking Luke’s tone.“Whoever is speaking!” Luke slowly slid the covers just below his eyes. “You should know who I am. You named me after all.”Something plopped on the bed. Luke started to scream again but a soft yet leathery hand, well more a talon than a hand, covered his mouth.“Don’t scream again, you will wake the baby, not to mention, I still can’t hear from the last one yet!”Luke looked up and there was his toy dragon not looking so much like a toy anymore. It wasn’t a whole lot bigger, maybe a little bit bigger than Luke, yet still looked different somehow. It was standing beside him looking as if nothing unusual was going on. Luke touched it and the soft cool feel of the slick vinyl felt warm and leathery.“You can’t be talking to me.” Luke sat up squinting his eyes, trying to adjust to the dark.“Gage?” Luke squeaked.“Yes?” the voice mocked him, rising at the end as Luke’s had done.“Is that really you?” Luke asked in wonderment.“I don’t see Woody or Buzz Light Year anywhere. Do you?” The dragon rolled his narrow, bright, green eyes.Luke smacked him on the head.“Ouch! What did you do that for?” The dragon whined.“Because you are a smart-aleck, and I’m not in the mood!”“I wouldn’t do that on a full moon if I were you,” the dragon snorted.“Why is that?” Could this really be happening? Luke thought wonderingly.“Because I am a were-dragon.” Gage said, as if stuffed animals talked every day and that were-dragons really existed and weren’t just in books and video games.
Luke chuckled. “There’s no such thing as a were-dragon!”“Yeah, and you said I couldn’t talk either. But here I am, in the flesh. Well...scales.” The dragon looked down at his body, wagging his long tail and knocking a book off the table. “Oops! Sorry!”“Where I come from, anything that someone can imagine is real.” Gage said.
About the author
Cathy Brockman has a childlike side Cathy Boyd that is the author of Luke's DragonCathy has decided to never grow up! She loves to crochet, sew, cook, and garden. She hates to throw anything away and loves turning trash into treasures. She also collects dolls and loves making clothes for them.She also likes to spend time with her grandchildren, doggie Molly, that thinks she is one of the kids and her backyard full of kitties.Cathy loves making friends so you can stalk her—ooops---follow her at
Website: Cathy Brockman Romance: http://cathybrockmanromances.wordpress.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cathy.brockman1Twitter: @cathybrockman- https://twitter.com/Cathy_BrockmanGood Reads Author page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6427897.Cathy_BrockmanAmazon Author Central: http://www.amazon.com/Cathy-Boyd/e/B007BPYWJCPinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/199cathy/ Here is that give away I promised
Rafflecopter codea Rafflecopter giveawayStop by to enter today’s contest then hop over to J.R. Barker http://www.jrbarker.info/ Dvora Swickle dvoraswickle.com
*~*
Hello everyone! I’d like to thank Vicki for inviting us over to tell you about our School’s‘ Out~~ Let the Fun Begin, blog Party. Childlike muse is so excited about school being out that she is taking over my blog this week. * childlike muse squeals and does the happy dance*.
Childlike muse is going to be posting each day some fun filled ideas for summer fun. She will also be sharing some great kid-friendly recipes and crafts! We also have some friends that are going to join us so check out Dvora Swickle, Jr. Barker’s, Misty Harvey’s, and My blog next week. My kids are all grown, but I have two Grandies that come over a lot to visit and being a big kid myself we like to do lots of fun things together so I thought we would share some of them with you all. Also, Luke’s Dragon, my children’s book just came out in print so what better way to celebrate than throwing a party!
There will even be prizes! I will be giving away an Ecopy of my children’s book Luke’s Dragon every day to one lucky commenter. There is also a grand-prize that will be given away at the end of the week. What can you win? I am giving away a signed copy of Luke’s Dragon, Dvora is giving a signed copy of Snort, Sniffle and Drizzle and J.R. is giving an ecopy of the Adventures of the Frog Prince. There will be a rafflecopter link at the end of this post for the Grand Prize if you would like to sign up.( you can go back and tweet daily for more entries)
There is a Dragon on the loose! Where did it come from? Is it dangerous? Check out Luke’s Dragon, Book One in the Dreamland Series and find out!
Here is a sneak peek !CHAPTER ONEThe StormGigantic, 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! Sonic boom fireworks at Fourth of July celebrations made a sound like a mere whisper in comparison. As he awoke, he realized that the house was in total darkness. He lay still, clutching Gage as tightly as he could, his heart thumping loudly in his ears. “Dad! Dad!” Luke screamed!Luke’s father opened the bedroom door and in a soothing voice said, “Everything is fine, Luke. Lightning hit the transformer on the pole across the street. Don’t try to come down the stairs, you may fall. Try to relax and go back to sleep. After we get the baby calmed down, and I find the lanterns, I will bring you one up.” Tucking Luke back in and shutting the door behind him, Luke’s father left to find Luke a lantern.“Yeah, and quit squeezing me so tight! I can’t breathe!”Luke’s eyes grew wide in surprise as he felt a wiggle in his arms and let out a scream! “Luke! Please! You have to calm down!” Luke could hear his baby brother crying again. His mom sounded mad!“Yikes! You scream like a girl! I think I may be deaf now!”His hands shaking like a rattlesnake’s tail, Luke fumbled for the flashlight, knocking both it and the stuffed dragon to the floor. “Ouch! Now I think you dented my wing! Geesh!” the voice seemed to be coming from the floor. Luke covered his head.“What the heck! Who are you?” He called anxiously from under the covers.“Who is who?” The voice replied, mocking Luke’s tone.“Whoever is speaking!” Luke slowly slid the covers just below his eyes. “You should know who I am. You named me after all.”Something plopped on the bed. Luke started to scream again but a soft yet leathery hand, well more a talon than a hand, covered his mouth.“Don’t scream again, you will wake the baby, not to mention, I still can’t hear from the last one yet!”Luke looked up and there was his toy dragon not looking so much like a toy anymore. It wasn’t a whole lot bigger, maybe a little bit bigger than Luke, yet still looked different somehow. It was standing beside him looking as if nothing unusual was going on. Luke touched it and the soft cool feel of the slick vinyl felt warm and leathery.“You can’t be talking to me.” Luke sat up squinting his eyes, trying to adjust to the dark.“Gage?” Luke squeaked.“Yes?” the voice mocked him, rising at the end as Luke’s had done.“Is that really you?” Luke asked in wonderment.“I don’t see Woody or Buzz Light Year anywhere. Do you?” The dragon rolled his narrow, bright, green eyes.Luke smacked him on the head.“Ouch! What did you do that for?” The dragon whined.“Because you are a smart-aleck, and I’m not in the mood!”“I wouldn’t do that on a full moon if I were you,” the dragon snorted.“Why is that?” Could this really be happening? Luke thought wonderingly.“Because I am a were-dragon.” Gage said, as if stuffed animals talked every day and that were-dragons really existed and weren’t just in books and video games.
Luke chuckled. “There’s no such thing as a were-dragon!”“Yeah, and you said I couldn’t talk either. But here I am, in the flesh. Well...scales.” The dragon looked down at his body, wagging his long tail and knocking a book off the table. “Oops! Sorry!”“Where I come from, anything that someone can imagine is real.” Gage said.
About the author
Cathy Brockman has a childlike side Cathy Boyd that is the author of Luke's DragonCathy has decided to never grow up! She loves to crochet, sew, cook, and garden. She hates to throw anything away and loves turning trash into treasures. She also collects dolls and loves making clothes for them.She also likes to spend time with her grandchildren, doggie Molly, that thinks she is one of the kids and her backyard full of kitties.Cathy loves making friends so you can stalk her—ooops---follow her at
Website: Cathy Brockman Romance: http://cathybrockmanromances.wordpress.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cathy.brockman1Twitter: @cathybrockman- https://twitter.com/Cathy_BrockmanGood Reads Author page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6427897.Cathy_BrockmanAmazon Author Central: http://www.amazon.com/Cathy-Boyd/e/B007BPYWJCPinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/199cathy/ Here is that give away I promised
Rafflecopter codea Rafflecopter giveawayStop by to enter today’s contest then hop over to J.R. Barker http://www.jrbarker.info/ Dvora Swickle dvoraswickle.com
June 2, 2014
Tuesday Tales - Bottom
Hello! It`s time for Tuesday Tales again.This week I`ll be sharing excerpts from my 2013 NaNoWriMo novel, Laco Law – The Gnarled Oak. Laco Lawis an M/M historical western romance, set in the fictional county of Laco, Texas in 1867.
This week our word prompt 'Bottom'. In this excerpt Clayton, Zeke, and the boys try to make their escape.
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!
Zeke cleared his throat. I kissed my nephew soundly on his cheeks before I placed his bare feet on the ground. The slop bucket had been knocked bottom over top as the boys had flown from their cage.
“We got to get these boys out of here,” Zeke said gently. We climbed out of the cellar, keeping the boys behind us.
“We have only come to free the children!” I yelled when we encountered heavy gunfire at the top of the basement stairs. “If you let us leave with them, I will not return!”
A second ticked by. I threw a questioning look at my deputy who was crouched on the left side of the busted doorframe. Zeke shook his head. I agreed. They would not accept those terms. I would not have either. Every word was a lie. I planned to kill every single bastard involved in this slavery ring. I suspect they may have picked up the loathing in my voice. So be it. I whispered to the ten boys itching to be free to stay low and run when they were told to run.
“Make sure he gets out of here safely,” I told Zeke then I ran the gauntlet. Ezekiel cursed at my back as I charged down that hallway, shooting as quickly as I could work my Henry`s lever. At this juncture I did not care if I lived or died, but I would be damned if I would let another person I loved die because of cowardice.
Yes, I was scared. But I was also resolved. By the time I reached the end of the hallway that led to the kitchen, I had a rather nasty gouge above my ear from a bullet. The wound was bleeding copiously but the upper floor was silent. I stumbled into the kitchen, blood filling my right ear. Zeke and the boys came thundering down the hall. The mob of lads made a beeline for the kitchen door. I was simultaneously hugged by Boyden and dressed down by Zeke.
Thankfully the upbraiding was in Tonkawa so Boyden`s ears were not scathed too badly. While moving though the kitchen, Zeke removed a hand towel from a small drying rack, slapped it into my hand, then cussed at me yet again in his native tongue. Boyden was clinging to me like a dog tick, his head rested on my shoulder. We ran out into the night. I held my Henry in one hand, my nephew in the other. The towel was held against the crevice in my skull by Boyden.
There we were faced with two options. Pursue the lisping man and what remained of his underlings, or get the boys to the barn then off the property. Boyden`s weight on my hip made the decision for us. With Zeke driving the chuck wagon, and me riding alongside them, we rode from that den of depravity with as much speed as could be mustered. My kith and kin rode in front of me, his scrawny frame resting against my chest. We may have arrived in San Antonio looking like a pack of vagabonds, but that did not lessen the joy of those recently freed. Nor the joy in my own heart when I looked down upon Boyden`s yellow-brown hair, or into the black eyes of my deputy who was assessing me with great worry.
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!
June 1, 2014
May 30, 2014
Holly J. Gill Pays A Visit
Please welcome Holly to our little corner of the interweb. She`s here to share some information on the fourth book in her Desires series.
Thank you Vicki for having me on your blog, promoting my forth book in the Desires series Embracing Desires BlurbDan and Stacie are preparing for the biggest day of their lives and everything is perfect. Stacie has her Hen night; Dan his stag night – both in Desires. Angel is being the wonderful host, but all is not what it seems. Five days before the wedding Dan and Stacie find themselves, devastated and destroyed, and on the brink of separation. Stacie feels that her life is falling apart. She cannot breathe or think because of the agony of losing Dan, the man she thought she could trust and spend the rest of her life with. Her world has been shattered. But Dan wants her back. Stacie longs to embrace what is important in her life. When she finds out the truth of what happened will it be too late to save the biggest embrace of all?
Excerpt
She called and waved at Mike when she saw him enter the bar. Mike made his way towards her as she grinned like a Cheshire cat, batted her eyelids, and took hold of his arm, snuggling into his chest “I need a huge favour,” she told him.
“What is that, sexy?”
“I need to swap an item of clothing with you,” she explained while lifting her head to look into his huge blue eyes.
“Any suggestions?” He waggled his brows, adding a grin.
“I think your underwear,” Chrissie spoke out. Stacie turned to her, looking horrified at such a suggestion. No way was she about to remove her skirt and show the restaurant her pussy, but if truth be told hardly anyone would notice. After all, this was Desires.
Stacie hid behind a large musical note chair and removed her tutu. That’s when she noticed Mike’s bare backside. He took off his trunks without any hesitation, clearly used to being naked. She rolled her eyes giggling. He passed her his trunks as she passed him her skirt. She put his trunks on and felt like an idiot because it was too big for her. She came out and saw Mike struggling to get her small tutu on and she was worried he would ruin it. She whipped off her tiara and placed that in his hair and he stood proud with his cock on full show, parading his assets. Mike didn’t care. He strutted around the restaurant without a care in the world, but again when she glanced around, many men had their genitals out so he was nothing out of the ordinary.
Mike arrived back, smiling and shaking his head. “Well that was entertaining.”
Author Biography
A wife and mother of three, Holly J. Gill is a romance writer whose favorite genre is erotica. She has three books published with Secret Cravings called the Desires series about a sex club and how two people go through the trials of falling in love. In Holly’s spare time she loves spending time with her family, friends, listen to music, watch movies, and travel around England enjoying the beautiful countryside.
Buy Links:
http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=products_all&filter_author=174&zenid=f09f4e68299264fc401c554ef325efbf
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Holly-J.-Gill...
http://www.amazon.com/Holly-J.-Gill/e...
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/holly-j.-gill
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/holly-j.-gill
http://www.allromanceebooks.com/store...
Links to me:
https://www.facebook.com/hollyjgillauthor?ref=hl
http://hollyjgill.blogspot.co.uk/?zx=b9ccabad8f15e367
https://twitter.com/Desirestouching
https://plus.google.com/u/0/107879443337932231480/posts
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6860426.Holly_J_Gill
May 28, 2014
Throwback Thursday Tune
Don`t forget to drop a comment if you like the selection this week.
I`m also open to suggestions if you have a tune that is near and dear to your heart. Or, if you just want to chat about how awesomely cool Stevie Nix is that`s cool as well. I so wanted to be her when I was a teenager. Did anyone not own a copy of Rumors?
I`m also open to suggestions if you have a tune that is near and dear to your heart. Or, if you just want to chat about how awesomely cool Stevie Nix is that`s cool as well. I so wanted to be her when I was a teenager. Did anyone not own a copy of Rumors?
May 27, 2014
Please Welcome Layna Pimental
Today Layna Pimental is here to share some information about her new historical romance, A Gentleman Always Finds Out. What a beautiful cover, and what a handsome gentleman!
*~*
Historical Romance w/some sensuality (3 flame)Short Story/NovellaWord Count: 19,000/ 59 pages
Available at Secret Cravings Publishing http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=book_info&cPath=10&products_id=881&zenid=5b2bd0951778aafc9da088f75ac8d8e4
Blurb:Ruined and jilted, Mariah Harris, with her cousin, plots against the rogue who dared to insult her and her family. What she doesn’t expect is for their plan to lead them astray…on the wrong side of the law.
Julian Kingsley is ready to give up working for the crown, only he’s given one last mission. He agrees, but gets more than he bargains for. When a dalliance with a mysterious woman suddenly reveals her connections to his case, he’s honor bound to turn her in, but his heart can’t seem to give her up.
Excerpt:May 15, 1816London, England
“Edwina Mosley, you are out of your ever-loving mind! We look like…You are dressed as a strumpet and well…I am in breeches. I look far too feminine to be a man!” Mariah Harris scowled and clenched her fists at her sides. This whole plot was idiotic, and if they were not thrown in Newgate, they would certainly end up in Bedlam.
“Yes, of course, dear. I thought you understood our plan from the beginning. It is a sound one, cousin. Once I stop the messenger and beg his assistance, you will sneak out of those bushes and snatch his bag,” Edwina retorted with a drawl. “My sources have informed me that he passes through here every night at the same time. So, we shall not be waiting long.”
How can she be so sure? Mariah gritted her teeth and curled her toes in irritation. “If there was ever a moment I regret, it was telling you about this mess with Crispin. I only meant to find out where he is staying in London and who with. My poor father is convinced he will come back, but if he does, it will only be for food and shelter.” Nothing more. He had successfully made Mariah the largest fool in all of Kent. That blasted scoundrel!
“Mariah, I am positive this plan will work. Once the satchel is in our possession, we will rifle through for anything addressed to Crispin. From there, you will be free to humiliate the stupid sod and carry on with your life. Now, stop being a ninny and go hide. Hurry! I think I hear a horse.”Mariah wandered into the shrubbery, hoping she did not step on an adder, or even worse, walk through a spider’s web.Good heavens, if papa ever found out I dressed in a man’s riding outfit, he would send me away to a nunnery for certain.
A few moments passed before the sound of a galloping horse approached. The beast slowed his gait by trotting as he grew closer, coming to a halt where Edwina stood next to a wagon.
She pleaded in a tone befitting a damsel in distress, “Please, sir. I am in need of assistance. I implore you. I should have been home hours ago, but the cart…”
“Say no more, miss. I will see what I can do.” the messenger stated plainly. “Should I dare ask how long you have been stranded for?”
“Only for an hour, sir. I am on my way to London and thought to stop in Maidstone for the night.”
When Mariah popped her head out, she spotted the young man climbing down from his mount. Off in the distance, a rickety cart approached, the driver swaying in his seat. Now, we are were done for. Before they had left her shop, Edwina had managed to convince her that this road was not much travelled on after dark. Only the gent delivering messages from the militia in the north would be expected. What were the odds—on this particular night—that another traveler would pass through?
Sliding the sack off his shoulder, the messenger crouched down by the rear wheel of the pony wagon she and her cousin had sabotaged.
Not long after, Mariah heard the trundling of the other cart squeal until it came to a stop. A middle-aged man stumbled out, falling flat on his face. Too foxed to drive successfully, he clearly would not pose a problem to the scenario.
Now is my chance. Mariah leapt out of the bushes and, while everyone was too distracted in aiding the sotted fool, she grabbed the bag before running back to her hiding spot. Only this time, she did not stop. She ran like the devil until she found the meadow in which she had left her own clothing and horse.
Heart racing, she dropped the cap her long hair had been tucked into, kicked off her shoes, and quickly stripped out of the breeches and loose-fitting shirt she wore. Then, she slipped on her cream-colored riding gown and strapped the satchel to the mare, covering it with the blanket she had used to conceal her dress while in disguise.
She wasted no time taking her place in the saddle. Wrapping her cape around her shoulders, she shifted the side so that it hid the blanket as well before riding back to the inn where she planned on meeting with Edwina. It would be a miracle if they were not caught after this ludicrous theft.The only visual she retained during the trip was the gallows, and it was that image which kept her from slowing her pace. She had never committed a crime before, and this would take the bucket as far as mischief went. Never in all her twenty-one years had she stooped so low. It was unprecedented, outlandish, and completely unforgivable.
Leave it to the man she had foolishly thought she was in love with. No one could drive her to the brink of madness like Crispen. His words meant nothing. In hindsight, his pledge of love and fidelity was meaningless. His ploy to get under her skirts had worked, and now she was ruined.
In return, Mariah would ruin him. And I cannot wait to see his face when he is discovered.
BIOGRAPHYBorn and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Layna discovered her love of reading at an early age. When she isn’t devouring salacious romance novels or writing, she enjoys losing herself in researching ancient history and mythology, weaponry, and hiking. She lives in Northern Ontario, with her husband and two daughters.Layna is a member of the Romance Writers of America, creator of the Romance Author at Large blog, and is a monthly contributor at 69 Shades of Smut. For updates on her upcoming releases, or to leave her a comment, you can find at:
Blog/Website: www.laynapimentel.comTwitter: www.twitter.com/LaynaPimentelFacebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorLaynaPimentel
Want to be the first to catch some sneak peeks into my upcoming releases, subscribe to my newsletter here:http://eepurl.com/FOPP1
May 26, 2014
Tuesday Tales - Author
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 'Author’. In this excerpt Clayton and Zeke`s search for Boyden ends.
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!
A Negro lad appeared in the yard. He was carrying a slop bucket. He paused, scanned the grounds, and upon sighting us, went about his duty after throwing his shaved head in the direction of the rear door. We wasted no time in gaining access to the kitchen. Angry voices now echoed through the house. The food preparation area was large, neat, and thankfully empty. A wide door hung open. My deputy and I framed it, each looking out into the corridor.
The shouting grew louder. A young man replied. He was slapped soundly. I pointed at the hall with my Henry. Zeke slipped out of the kitchen, his revolver handle tickling his fingertips. The house smelled of lemon wax. I stepped out into the corridor. Soft crying could be heard ahead. The adult, a deep-voiced man with a thick lisp, asked the whimpering child if he understood how bad he had been. The lad answered in the affirmative. I ran my sights over the hall, searching for a door that would lead to the basement.
“Lower your panth, William,” the lisper commanded. Zeke looked back at me. We went into the study shoulder to shoulder. One wall was filled with books, the author`s golden names glowing in the lamplight. The boy spied us first. He drew back in fright. The lisper, a reedy man in a finely tailored suit of dark grey with wild golden hair, spun around when I spoke.
“I`d suggest you drop that,” I said, my eyes on the bullwhip he clutched in his pale hand. “Furthermore, I suggest you turn to face the wall with your hands behind your back. I`m placing you under arrest for various acts of depravity and vice,” I informed the man.
He seemed torn for a moment, as if he contemplated using the whip in his hand upon us. My rifle, and Ezekiel`s revolvers, aimed at a spot between his shifting eyes nudged him into making a sound decision. The whip tumbled from his fingers. He turned to face the wall. The boy cried out a warning.
Zeke and I dropped instantly. An oil painting blew apart when a bullet slammed into it. I dove for the young boy. My arm went around his waist. We rolled towards the nearest shelter, a large settee. Shielding the child the best I could, I rose up, found the open doorway and then fired in the general direction of the door. Zeke had taken refuge behind a table that was far too small to protect him. The man in the doorway fired into the room. I heard footfalls as well as the lisping man shouting orders to his underlings.
“Where is the lesson room?” I asked the cowering boy at my side. Zeke was peppering the doorway with shots. The young man pointed a crooked finger at the door that we now fought over. His hand was nothing but a claw, not unlike the hands of the elderly. I thanked him, told him to keep his head down until he knew it to be safe, then meet the other boys at the barn. He covered his head with skinny arms and hands that were swelled at the joints. I found Zeke reloading his revolver. We looked at each other. I stood up after a brief silent glance. My Henry decimated the doorframe as well as the wall in the corridor. Zeke used my cover fire to slip around the doorframe. He put a neat hole in the head of one of the lisping man`s underlings.
“Follow me!” I barked to my deputy, shoving bullets into my rifle as we ran towards the end of the corridor. We were fired upon several times, and spent a few tense moments crammed into a small closet that contained canned goods. We both fell to our knees when a mason jar of beets exploded all over us and the closet. Zeke went high, I went low, and we managed to get to the basement door. The door was solidly locked. I put my boot beside the knob twice. When it buckled but remained locked, I used the Henry to pick the damned lock.
Zeke dropped another henchman as I shot the lock. I kicked at the doorframe. A sharp crack echoed down the smoke-filled hallway. The acidic stench of gunpowder was strong. Zeke went first, as he was out of ammunition. I fired thrice into the gloom of a smoky hall then rushed down a dark set of stairs. The air was cooler down here, moister. I ran into Zeke.
“It`s locked,” he hissed, rattling a knob in the darkness.
“Break it down.” Children on the other side were calling out for assistance. “Break it down now!” I shouted as the heavy trample of men running upstairs reverberated down to us in the basement.
I was rudely shoved aside. The dull sound of a man`s shoulder hitting a door filled the small area. The second attempt to bust down the door loosened the hinges. The fourth impact tore the nails from the frame. The hinges screamed. The door fell inward, the bottom hinge hanging fast despite its pummeling. A soft glow blinded the two of us for a moment. I called for my nephew, my heart hammering behind my ribs in fear that he would not be here. If the boy had indeed been sent overseas I did not know how I would . . .
“Uncle Clayton?”
I pushed around Zeke wrestling his way through the young men that had bubbled out of their lesson room like ants from a disrupted hill. The room was a tiny, stinking, underground pit. A lone kerosene lamp burned. Beds were blankets on the damp ground. The outhouse was an overflowing spittoon in the center of the room. Boyden was seated on a blanket, his eyes wide with fright, his cheeks hollow from poor feed. His sandy-blond hair was lank and hung around his gaunt face. I tripped as I rushed over to gather the boy into my arms. He stank terribly. I held him to me as tightly as I could. We both wept uncontrollably.
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 'Author’. In this excerpt Clayton and Zeke`s search for Boyden ends.
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!
A Negro lad appeared in the yard. He was carrying a slop bucket. He paused, scanned the grounds, and upon sighting us, went about his duty after throwing his shaved head in the direction of the rear door. We wasted no time in gaining access to the kitchen. Angry voices now echoed through the house. The food preparation area was large, neat, and thankfully empty. A wide door hung open. My deputy and I framed it, each looking out into the corridor.
The shouting grew louder. A young man replied. He was slapped soundly. I pointed at the hall with my Henry. Zeke slipped out of the kitchen, his revolver handle tickling his fingertips. The house smelled of lemon wax. I stepped out into the corridor. Soft crying could be heard ahead. The adult, a deep-voiced man with a thick lisp, asked the whimpering child if he understood how bad he had been. The lad answered in the affirmative. I ran my sights over the hall, searching for a door that would lead to the basement.
“Lower your panth, William,” the lisper commanded. Zeke looked back at me. We went into the study shoulder to shoulder. One wall was filled with books, the author`s golden names glowing in the lamplight. The boy spied us first. He drew back in fright. The lisper, a reedy man in a finely tailored suit of dark grey with wild golden hair, spun around when I spoke.
“I`d suggest you drop that,” I said, my eyes on the bullwhip he clutched in his pale hand. “Furthermore, I suggest you turn to face the wall with your hands behind your back. I`m placing you under arrest for various acts of depravity and vice,” I informed the man.
He seemed torn for a moment, as if he contemplated using the whip in his hand upon us. My rifle, and Ezekiel`s revolvers, aimed at a spot between his shifting eyes nudged him into making a sound decision. The whip tumbled from his fingers. He turned to face the wall. The boy cried out a warning.
Zeke and I dropped instantly. An oil painting blew apart when a bullet slammed into it. I dove for the young boy. My arm went around his waist. We rolled towards the nearest shelter, a large settee. Shielding the child the best I could, I rose up, found the open doorway and then fired in the general direction of the door. Zeke had taken refuge behind a table that was far too small to protect him. The man in the doorway fired into the room. I heard footfalls as well as the lisping man shouting orders to his underlings.
“Where is the lesson room?” I asked the cowering boy at my side. Zeke was peppering the doorway with shots. The young man pointed a crooked finger at the door that we now fought over. His hand was nothing but a claw, not unlike the hands of the elderly. I thanked him, told him to keep his head down until he knew it to be safe, then meet the other boys at the barn. He covered his head with skinny arms and hands that were swelled at the joints. I found Zeke reloading his revolver. We looked at each other. I stood up after a brief silent glance. My Henry decimated the doorframe as well as the wall in the corridor. Zeke used my cover fire to slip around the doorframe. He put a neat hole in the head of one of the lisping man`s underlings.
“Follow me!” I barked to my deputy, shoving bullets into my rifle as we ran towards the end of the corridor. We were fired upon several times, and spent a few tense moments crammed into a small closet that contained canned goods. We both fell to our knees when a mason jar of beets exploded all over us and the closet. Zeke went high, I went low, and we managed to get to the basement door. The door was solidly locked. I put my boot beside the knob twice. When it buckled but remained locked, I used the Henry to pick the damned lock.
Zeke dropped another henchman as I shot the lock. I kicked at the doorframe. A sharp crack echoed down the smoke-filled hallway. The acidic stench of gunpowder was strong. Zeke went first, as he was out of ammunition. I fired thrice into the gloom of a smoky hall then rushed down a dark set of stairs. The air was cooler down here, moister. I ran into Zeke.
“It`s locked,” he hissed, rattling a knob in the darkness.
“Break it down.” Children on the other side were calling out for assistance. “Break it down now!” I shouted as the heavy trample of men running upstairs reverberated down to us in the basement.
I was rudely shoved aside. The dull sound of a man`s shoulder hitting a door filled the small area. The second attempt to bust down the door loosened the hinges. The fourth impact tore the nails from the frame. The hinges screamed. The door fell inward, the bottom hinge hanging fast despite its pummeling. A soft glow blinded the two of us for a moment. I called for my nephew, my heart hammering behind my ribs in fear that he would not be here. If the boy had indeed been sent overseas I did not know how I would . . .
“Uncle Clayton?”
I pushed around Zeke wrestling his way through the young men that had bubbled out of their lesson room like ants from a disrupted hill. The room was a tiny, stinking, underground pit. A lone kerosene lamp burned. Beds were blankets on the damp ground. The outhouse was an overflowing spittoon in the center of the room. Boyden was seated on a blanket, his eyes wide with fright, his cheeks hollow from poor feed. His sandy-blond hair was lank and hung around his gaunt face. I tripped as I rushed over to gather the boy into my arms. He stank terribly. I held him to me as tightly as I could. We both wept uncontrollably.
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!
May 25, 2014
Happy Memorial Day
Honoring those who serve.
May 23, 2014
Liza O`Connor Pays a Visit
Liza shares why Dani never had a date since Junior High School before Sam showed up.It certainly wasn’t because she wasn’t pretty. She was one of the two prettiest girls in Jr. High. The other was Andrea Collins. The two girls couldn’t have been more different. Andrea wore overly sweet perfume, padded bras, mini-skirts and four inch high heels. Her red hair was truly red and she loved the boys.
Dani wore no makeup, favored her gramp’s old cowboy hats, bluejeans and T-
One other detail you need to know. The two girls hated each other.Here’s an excerpt from the book when Dani talks about her past with Trent (Trevor).
“I take it you don’t like Andrea.”“Nope. She stole my crayons in kindergarten, my homework in middle school, my boyfriend in junior high, and my reputation in sophomore year by telling everyone she’d seen Cougar and me doing it under the bleachers, which was a bald-faced lie, but Cougar bragged he had, so everyone believed it.”Trent squeezed her hand, wishing he could give her support. Dani’s life was hard and she needed a hug. However, Sam wouldn’t appreciate Trent doing the job for him.“Thank you for removing Andrea from my GPS. While she caused you a great deal of pain in the past, karma has clearly set matters right. You’ve become a successful young business woman and a fabulous person. Andrea, on the other hand, wears god-awful perfumes, has fallen to one of the worst professions there is, and I suspect Cougar is probably one of her customers.”Dani squeezed his hand in return. “He and half the town. She only charges ten dollars, so most of the males seek her out.”“Well then, karma has given her the life she tried to give you.”
Later Dani explains more to Trent
“Do you remember meeting Cougar?”“Big, muscular bully?”
“That’s the one. He was Denton High’s all-time high-scoring football player. Get him the ball and he’d run right over the opposing team. I remember one game where he crossed the goal line dragging three defensive players along like burlap bags.”“Was he as big as he is now?”“Actually, bigger. While he denies it, I’m pretty sure he used steroids growing up. He slimmed down two years ago when the state troopers arrested the local supplier of steroids and sent him to prison for the other fine drugs he handled. I expect Cougar will swell again once the criminal gets released.”“Please don’t tell me you liked him.”Her eyes rounded in outrage. “Hated him. However, once he claimed I was his girl, no other boys would speak to me, in fear of their lives. So Sam is the first guy I’ve dated since junior high.”“You mean, even after you graduated, no one would date you?”“Sam’s the only one.”“Did you try dating people outside of Denton?”“I don’t have time to go bar hopping. I have my own place to tend.”“So Sam was your first?”She stood up and walked away. “That’s none of your business.”Trent stared at her in confusion. Why did his question make her angry? Clearly, she had misunderstood him. Mentally, he ran through his words and how they might be taken.“Oh! I don’t want to know about your first time. I asked if Sam was your first adult boyfriend.”She returned and sat beside him, covering her face with her hands. “Sorry and yes, Sam is my first adult boyfriend, although I often question the word ‘adult’.”Trent laughed as he recalled many of Sam’s temper tantrums over the years. “Perfectly normal. That’s the general consensus about all men.”“Honestly, I’m not really sure how Sam ranks in relation to other guys.”“I’d call him a catch. He’s got a lot of good qualities.”“So do you”Trent shook his head. “I’m not there yet.”(Insert cover) Climbing Out of Hell Book 4 of the seriesA Long Road to LoveRomantic ComedyBillionaire Trent Lancaster has destroyed his relationship with the only woman who ever loved him. Now we discover the full truth of what happened. He actually had reasons for his behaviors. Still, there is no going back. Trent has lost Carrie forever, but he would rather die than marry Coco, so he does just that. Trent gives away most of his possessions, fakes his death, and starts over with a new face and a better attitude in a small town in Iowa where his half-brother Sam is sheriff.Losing his true love has fundamentally broken Trent to his core. His only chance for happiness is to become the better man Carrie had always seen inside him. True change is not easy. Can Trent grow up and become a man we can love?
Links Released May 1, 2014 Book Four of the series:A Long Road to LoveClimbing out of Hell Amazon “Easily, the best of the series!”
Other books in the A Long Road to Love seriesBook OneWorst Week Ever Amazon “Love this book and couldn't stop laughing from beginning to end.” 5 stars – Alves - Amazon
Book TwoOh Stupid Heart Amazon “Be warned though, this book is completely different from The Worst Week Ever. Yes, there is still humor, dry wit, situations that you would think...NOT AGAIN but this one humanizes Trent more.” 5 stars - Brian’s Mom – Amazon
Book ThreeComing to Reason Amazon Once again, Ms. O’Connor has written a brilliant book about the complexities of relationships, good and bad. Again, to me, the book is the best break up book EVER and it left my heart singing in the end. Best.Book.Ever…
Other Books by Liza O’ConnorSaving Casey Ghost Lover
Liza O’ConnorAuthor Bio:Liza lives in Denville, NJ with her dog Jess. They hike in fabulous woods every day, rain or shine, sleet or snow. Having an adventurous nature, she learned to fly small Cessnas in NJ, hang-glide in New Zealand, kayak in Pennsylvania, ski in New York, scuba dive with great white sharks in Australia, dig up dinosaur bones in Montana, sky dive in Indiana, and raft a class four river in Tasmania. She’s an avid gardener, amateur photographer, and dabbler in watercolors and graphic arts. Yet through her entire life, her first love has and always will be writing novels. She loves to create interesting characters, set them loose, and scribe what happens.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT LIZA O'CONNOR & UPCOMING BOOKS:
Liza's Blog and Website Facebook Twitter
Don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter for the $50 Gift Card.Plus, at each stop 1 commenter who requests a book and leaves their email will win one of the following:Worst Week EverOh Stupid HeartComing to ReasonGhost Lover
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