Jake C. Wallace's Blog, page 12

Wednesday Briefs: Soul Seekers #1

##Copyright JC Wallace 2014
Each week a group of authors participate weekly in Wednesday Briefs Flash Fiction. Each installment is 500-1000 words long and is posted to our blogs each week. After you read the latest in my story, click on the link at the end to visit other flashers. 
Welcome to the first installment of Soul Seekers (working title). My previous story Diventando: Becoming has been pulled so I can prep it for publication. I will let you know in the future a date of publication. 


#1
Levi Reed paced his bedroom, frantically shaking his hands. Like a caged animal yearning for escape, he wore the same tread across the blue shag rug repeatedly. Waves of fear lashed out, tearing into his mind, forcing his attention. He paused pacing, stopping momentarily to jump up and down, as if the action were enough to shake the icy grip of panic. No such luck and he resumed pacing. The terror threatened to drown him beneath suffocating waves. Since that morning, the menace had been growing from a deep crevice within his mind. At first, it was just a small grain, barely detectable. By midday, that small grain had coalesced into the familiar companion that had accompanied him for his nineteen years of life, which rarely resting.
“Think,” he commanded, the sound of his voice doing little to settle his nerves. The time for tricks of distraction and deception had past. He was well into the throws of this nightmare. Fear, greater than any human should ever know, threatened his sanity. He cursed his ingrained weakness. Too weak for a man.
“You’re safe,” he said aloud, repeating the mantra several times, but the words were a hollow attempt at self-reassurance. “Come on Levi. Cut this shit out.”
Grasping his icy hands together and rubbing, he fought to to formulate a plan. Yes, a plan, he thought, but the adrenalin pumping through his veins forced thoughts to whirl about quickly. Clamping his eyes shut, he bent at the waist until his eyes were level with his knees. The action accentuated the racing beats of his heart, clamped beneath the ever-tightening muscles of his chest. The tighter they squeezed, the faster and harder his heart muscle pumped. Any minute, he imagined his heart would win and shatter his ribs into a million sharp, bony pieces.
Will-power was the only weapon he had against this enemy—sheer determination to keep up his defenses. Achingly, his mind continued to battle the ever-surging breakwaters threatening to overcome their dam. A dam he’d built in mind just to contain the fear, which, if allowed to overcome him, would shred his sanity into tiny reflective bits that would echo who he once was. His psyche had yet to smash but did bore endless, jagged cracks that had weakened its structure. Just a matter of time.
Not now. Not this time! His mind screamed at the unseen adversary.
“Focus! Breathe!”
Steadying himself, Levi gripped his knees with his hands, digging his nails into his skin through his sweatpants, the pain faint and distance. Crushing pain seared his chest as he forced a deep breath into his lungs and held it. “One…two…,” he muttered, fighting to keep the air from escaping prematurely, “three.” With strained control, he steadily allowed the air to escape. Quickly, he drew in another breath and repeated the pattern several times. His attention focused solely on this one last act to stop the panic, but he was interrupted by a noise.
A closing door. Footsteps in the hallway. The thin hollow core door to his room was the only barrier. Levi bolted upright. The walls of the room slanted and tipped. A surge of dizziness threatened to topple him. The footsteps pausing at his door brought reality crashing down. Everyone should be asleep. The distraction was the only pause his panic needed.
With unnerving ferocity, the fear breached his mental dam, forcing itself through fractures within the blockade. Panic pushed the release of adrenalin higher. His heart froze momentarily in his chest as the hormone invaded. Levi gasped and slapped his palm against his sternum. “No!” he cried.  The absence of the familiar thud pushed his fear past the edge of reason. Just as he thought his heart would never beat again, it exploded into beats faster than he could count. Numbness crept into the nerves of his right arm and leg. The sound of rushing blood roared in his ears.
Levi spun around as the door to his room opened. “Please, no,” he managed to utter.
Levi’s brother entered casually, looking down to kick something blocking the door. A blue NY Giants ball cap shielded his eyes from the overhead light. “I saw the light on and knocked but you didn’t…” As Logan raised his head, the last word caught in his throat. “Levi?”  Alarm replaced the relaxed smile on his face. 
Quickly, quietly, he closed the door behind him, his eyes never wavering from Levi. “It’s bad this time?” Part question but mostly a statement.
The twist of fear and panic on Levi’s face was a dead giveaway.
The sight of his brother rushing around the bed towards him, the determination of his stride, the familiar mask of worry on his older brother’s face took any fight Levi had left. Surrender was his only option now. Clawing at his throat, Levi could barely manage to whisper, “I…can’t…breathe!”
The tightening in Levi's chest rose to envelop his windpipe. Air was everywhere but none of the oxygen seemed to reach his screaming lungs.

I’m dying, he rationalized, or worse.
# #
Check out the other flashers below!
TC CollinsMA ChurchChris T. KatSarah HayesShelly SchulzJim DunawayAndrew Q. GordonTali SpencerJon KeysCia's StoriesNephy’s World Julie Lynn Hayes

Tease Me Thursday!

Welcome to another week of Tease Me Thursday! Here we show you 7 - seven words, seven sentences, or seven paragraphs. Read my snippet and then check out the other authors on the hop!
This is from my short story Pink Lace and Stolen Hearts, which is the story I am wrote for the Goodreads’ Love’s Landscape event. First, read the beautiful prompt I chose as well as the picture that came with it.


Prompt and Picture
Dear Author,

This is my roommate and best friend, Greg. He’s been depressed, and maybe even suicidal, ever since his boyfriend found out that he likes to wear feminine underwear, especially the sheer styles like the one in the picture above. He was so in love with that loser. He even told me that he was holding off from having sex until they got to know one another, because he wanted it to be perfect. He’s old-fashioned that way— a history major who’s enthralled with the history of dating and romantic relationships throughout the centuries. He believed he could find his own Prince Charming and have a Happily Ever After romance. Because he’s a bit embarrassed and unsure of himself about his underwear fetish, he’d always wear “tighty whities” when he was with Simon, or Simple Simon as I like to call him in my mind. Why Simon never questioned that a flamboyant gay man like Greg would wear simple white briefs, I’ll never know. 

When Greg started to feel comfortable in their relationship, and was ready to go all the way, he finally got up the nerve to wear his favorite pair of undies—a silky smooth, sheer lace, pink bikini with tiny embroidered roses. He was hoping to please Simon, but when he saw them, Simon became enraged, smacking Greg in the face, calling him sick, and storming out the door.

Now, there’s Greg standing at the railing, looking at nothing in particular, lost, forlorn, sad, all the things that I don’t want him to be. I love him— as a friend, and maybe even more, though I’ve never told him. I’m straight, at least I think I am, but when I first saw him in a pair of pretty powder blue panties, I swear my heart skipped a beat, and I think I even drooled a little. My reaction made me question my own sexuality, but I haven’t explored anything further with him. I’m happy that he trusted me enough to reveal his secret to me, but now my heart is broken for him due to Simon’s rejection.

Greg is so special, so wonderful, please dear author, give him a love story, even if it can’t be with me. He deserves to find happiness with someone who loves him unconditionally and appreciates all the facets of his personality.

Sincerely,

Barb ~rede-2-read~


Excerpt from Pink Lace and Stolen Hearts


My gaze was plastered on that black sheer fabric encasing a perfectly round ass. This was so unfair. For months, I’d struggled, wishing away those thoughts and feelings, trying to ignore how my body reacted to memories of Greg in those fucking panties, yet here he was sporting another pair—another mouthwatering pair. My hands itched to touch that sheer material, longed to run my hands over his warm skin, and that wasn’t right. I didn’t think being gay was wrong. To me love was love, but I wasn’t gay. I just wasn’t.
Suddenly, Greg turned, as if he’d sensed I was there, and I caught a glimpse of the pink pouch of the thong cradling his package. The only thing that came to mind seeing his hard, lean body was “beautiful.” I thought a man was beautiful. No, I thought Greg was beautiful.
When I caught sight of Greg’s face, tears readily rolling down his cheeks, all thoughts of him in those sheer underwear fled. A red mark covered his cheek, bright and highly visible despite the hazy, grey light of the room. Instead of feeling discomfort over seeing those tears, I felt enraged.
“What the fuck?” I growled and rushed to him, unable to avoid scowling. As I neared, he ducked his head, his shoulders quaking, the muscles of his stomach contracting with each jagged inhale and exhale.
Putting my hand under his chin, I gently raised his head. His eyes, desperate for something—I wasn't sure exactly what—searched my face.
“What happened?” I asked, although I had a pretty good idea what with Simon missing.
With those words, he crumbled before me, sobbing gasps, his anguish so palpable I felt it in my very cells. He looked so lost, arms wrapped tight around his chest, shaking and so ready to fragment.
Check back for an update of when this story will be available!

Wednesday Briefs #27 Diventando: Becoming

##Copyright JC Wallace 2014
Welcome to another installment of Diventando: Becoming. Each week a group of authors participate weekly in Wednesday Briefs Flash Fiction. Each installment is 500-1000 words long and is posted to our blogs each week. After you read the latest in my story, click on the link at the end to visit other flashers. 
If you are new to Diventando: Becoming and haven’t read the previous chapters, click on Wednesday Briefs in the left hand column and start with #1. Enjoy and leave a comment to let me know what you think.

 
Owen lowered his head, remembering that day in the hospital hallway when Turk had aimed the gun at his head. Turk could have had his revenge and ended the demon responsible for killing his father. Instead, he’d chosen to save Owen, had chosen to find a way to rid him of the demon. Turk had turned his back on hundreds of years of tradition, on duty and honor and on his family’s vengeance and chosen Owen, at least for now. That was a decision Owen couldn’t ever let Turk regret. Owen could either continue to believe he was better off dead or accept the monumental sacrifice Turk had made in saving him. When Owen decided to honor Turk’s efforts, something foreign bloomed in his chest closely resembling hope.
“If there’s any chance to change this, to get this demon out of me and keep me whole and alive, I’ll take it. I’ve had a death sentence over my head for so long that I have no clue what it’s like to actually live without it.” What would a life be like without the daily fear of a disease that was slowly destroying his body or the threat of that disease fighting its way out of remission? Was that even possible?
“Wayne said they thought you had leukemia.”
Owen snorted. “I thought I had leukemia. I was told I had some form of leukemia that kept coming back. I’m not sure what the rest of my family thought.” But that wasn’t totally true. The Incubus had shown him the past where his mother had spoken with Dr. Celo about the Incubus and...
“Exorcism,” Owen said his tone of excitement raising Turk’s brow.
“Yes. Like I’ve said it’s rumored to be possible—”
“No, I heard about the exorcism from my mother.”
Turk dropped his arms, his face showing his confusion. “Your mother?”
Owen nodded surprised by his enthusiasm. Turk had “heard” of the possibility of exorcism, a rumor, something that had never added up, but Owen didn’t have the luxuries for maybes or possibilities. However, Dr. Celo had mentioned the exorcism in that memory which Owen had thought the demon conjured. Apparently, that had been an actual memory. Hearing the same information twice from more than one person increased the likelihood of its truth, right?
“I don’t know how but the Incubus showed me something from my past. I was in the clinic. I have no clue which time since I’ve been there many times when my illness...” Fuck, not illness. Dr. Celo knew about the Incubus, his mother knew, and while they were working to help him they could have told him the truth, should have fucking told him. “...whenever I needed medication. Anyway, my mother and Dr. Celo were talking in my room. I don’t remember this happening but, then again, generally by the time I needed to go to the clinic I was really sick.”
Turk rested his hand on Owen’s shoulder and Owen smiled, grateful that Turk saw that he was still there despite a demon that’d killed his father living inside of him.
“They were whispering and Dr. Celo said that they needed to do something more or he feared my body eventually would shut down. My mother asked him about someone in South America who might be able to an exorcism.”
“Dr. Celo’s records indicate he was continually working on more effective ways to stop the Incubus from emerging. Each time you were ill, those were times when the formula he’d come up with would start to have negative side effects on your body, making you really sick.”
“This was all in the records I had sent to the hospital?”
Turk nodded.
“I guess I should have read them.” Owen chuckled. “My friend Drew hacked Dr. Celo’s computer and downloaded the files. He printed them for me and sent them to Dr. Noel for my appointment. Guess Drew didn’t read them either.”
“Dr. Noel knew of the secret research happening at the hospital into non-human entities and shared the information with the director. Apparently, you’d used your mother’s address. They had people staking out your house since those records arrived but you were nowhere to be found apparently. When you send idiots to do a job...” He shook his head. “Anyway I think we need to talk with your mother and Dr. Celo.”
My gut clenched at the thought of seeing my mother, confronting her. I nodded slowly, as a wave of fatigue washed over my body, my mind ready to shut down from overload. Despite that, one thought, though sent my heart racing.
“How long is this medication going to work?”
Turk looked away, and Owen saw him swallow several times before he looked back. “Each time the Incubus has come forth, he’s gained strength. Each time he will need less energy to take over and...”
“How long Turk?” Owen asked forcefully. He needed the truth no matter how crappy that truth was.
“From the tests they ran, they estimated about a month.”
Owen chewed on his bottom lip. “A month from now or a month from when I started getting the drug?”
“When you first got it.”
Fuck that meant he only had about two weeks left — maybe. Two weeks to find some rumored priestess who may or may not be somewhere in South America. Suddenly, his odds had dropped drastically.
When Turk wrapped his arms around Owen and pulled him close, Owen laid his head on Turk’s chest, reveling in the warmth soaking into his body. He couldn’t explain how right being in Turk’s arms felt, how safe.
“I’ve called in some favors from some powerful people. Let’s just say they aren’t the most upstanding of humans beings however, they owe me, and I believe they can help us to locate this priestess. I can tell you that she does exist and one of my sources has possibly pinpointed her location but she is not in South America. She’s in Jamaica. But as to the claim she can exorcise the demon? That truth has yet to be proven.”
More hope welled in Owen’s gut, pooling and rising and this time he allowed the expansion.
Turk touched Owen’s chin and prompted him to look up. What Owen saw at that moment, in that beautiful face, caught his breath. No one in his twenty-seven years had ever looked at him with such caring or longing...or love?  “I promise with everything that I have and everything that I am, I will find this person and get that asshole out of you.”
Turk leaned down and kissed Owen, slowly and gently, the kiss sealing his vow.
 
# #
 
Check out the other flashers this week.
Jon KeysNephylim
MA Church
Chris T. Kat
Grace Duncan
Lily Sawyer
Cia Nordwell
Shelly Schulz
Sarah Hayes
Elyzabeth VaLey
Andrew Q. Gordon
Tali Spencer

Mia Kerick is here today with the Us Three Blog Tour!

Description:A Harmony Ink Press Young Adult Title In his junior year at a public high school, sweet, bright Casey Minton’s biggest worry isn’t being gay. Keeping from being too badly bullied by his so-called friends, a group of girls called the Queen Bees, is more pressing. Nate De Marco has no friends, his tough home life having taken its toll on his reputation, but he’s determined to get through high school. Zander Zane’s story is different: he’s popular, a jock. Zander knows he’s gay, but fellow students don’t, and he’d like to keep it that way.  No one expects much when these three are grouped together for a class project, yet in the process the boys discover each other’s talents and traits, and a new bond forms. But what if Nate, Zander, and Casey fall in love—each with the other and all three together? Not only gay but also a threesome, for them high school becomes infinitely more complicated and maybe even dangerous. To survive and keep their love alive, they must find their individual strengths and courage and stand together, honest and united. If they can do that, they might prevail against the Queen Bees and a student body frightened into silence—and even against their own crippling fears.
Book Links: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4857http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4858https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21473632-us-three?from_search=true 

Excerpt  
zanderZ@catchme.com
Danny-
Two e-mails, two nights in a row—this is a fucking record for me, huh? Well, I’ve got some shit weighing on my mind. Need an objective viewpoint. Seriously, I can’t go to my buds at school. They only see things one way. And it’s not necessarily my way.
Remember Mrs. Phelps from the French department? Well, she teaches Survey of French, and overall, she’s pretty cool, but she doesn’t take any crap from her students. So today she put us into groups for our French project, which makes up like a full third of our grades so it’s nothing to sneeze at, you know? Somehow I got stuck with this giant oaf of a kid named Nate DeMarco, who basically never says “boo” but just glares at everybody, so I have no idea if he’s going to contribute at all or just shove us up against a wall and tell us to get the job done for him, or else. And you know how I told you about that superbrain, Casey Minton, the kid who all the girls rag on? I got stuck in a group with him, too, which is good for the letter grade but sucks for… for about every other reason.
Those girls, Liz Trainer, Elly Warren, and Marcy Lewis (yeah, from the “Fighting Lewis Brothers”—she’s their baby sister) wanted Casey in their group because he’d carry their weight in the project so they could goof off for the next few weeks, but Mrs. Phelps had her own ideas. She stuck each of the girls into separate groups, and put Casey with Nate and me. So the girls were pissed; they could see that their big Survey of French class party was over before it had even begun. And shit, they tore the kid a new one, never stopping for the next thirty minutes, as if he’d been the one to divide the class into groups. They loud-whispered stuff like, “You better cover your ass, Zander, if you want to keep it dry, because Casey’s gonna be drooling all over it,” and “If Casey suggests a sleepover to work on the project, you better wear your ass-chastity belt,” and “Since it is a French project, if you sit too close to him, the little homo might try to French kiss you and call it part of the project.” You get the picture. It was ugly. And yours truly got caught in the cross fire.
Yeah, wah, wah, poor me.
I’m pretty sure the kid wanted to keel over and die. After about half the class was over, he turned kinda red, raised his hand, and then asked if he could go to the nurse. Which left Nate DeMarco and me sitting there, gawking at each other, with absolutely nada to say about our topic, French cooking. And we need to have a proposal all laid out for Mrs. Phelps by Friday. Just shit, right?
Casey Minton had better get his ass to school tomorrow or I’m up Shit creek, no paddle in sight.
>>>NEED ADVICE NOW>>>
ZZ



 ##
  About the Author: Mia Kerick is the mother of four exceptional children—all named after saints—and five nonpedigreed cats—all named after the next best thing to saints, Boston Red Sox players. Her husband of twenty years has been told by many that he has the patience of Job, but don’t ask Mia about that, as it is a sensitive subject.Mia focuses her stories on the emotional growth of troubled men and their relationships, and she believes that sex has a place in a love story, but not until it is firmly established as a love story. As a teen, Mia filled spiral-bound notebooks with romantic tales of tortured heroes (most of whom happened to strongly resemble lead vocalists of 1980s big-hair bands) and stuffed them under her mattress for safekeeping. She is thankful to Dreamspinner Press for providing her with an alternate place to stash her stories.Mia is proud of her involvement with the Human Rights Campaign and cheers for each and every victory made in the name of marital equality. Her only major regret: never having taken typing or computer class in school, destining her to a life consumed with two-fingered pecking and constant prayer to the Gods of Technology.My themes I always write about:Sweetness. Unconventional love, tortured/damaged heroes- only love can save them. Author Links:http://miakerick.com/https://www.facebook.com/mia.kerickhttp://www.amazon.com/Mia-Kerick/e/B009KSTG9E/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1389575652&sr=1-1https://twitter.com/MiaKerickhttps://www.goodreads.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C&query=mia+kerick  Enter the tour giveaway! Prizes

(50 by 60 inch) Us Three Book Cover Blanket(XL) Us Three Tee Shirt (XL) Us Three Tee Shirt Coffee Mug with Mia's Logo and books images on itTeddy Bear with Mia's logo


a Rafflecopter giveaway

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/OTFiYmIxNTI5NThhYTU3MTk3NmZmZmM5OWJiNTY4Ojk=/

   

Dare to Love Forever picked up by Amber Allure!

I am so exicted! My NaNoWriMo story, Dare to Love Forever, is being picked up by Amber Allure! Check out the blurb:
Carson is a Tabula Rosa Vampire—a dangerous rarity in the world of vampires. With one bite, he can wipe clean a vampire's mind, turning them into mindless drones. Because of this, Carson has spent his entire twenty-three years sheltered at home. All that changed with the murder of his family. Now on the run and near death, Carson meets Lieutenant Lincoln Samuels, a beautiful vampire who tries to heal him and in doing so turns Carson into something no one has ever seen before.Lincoln is a Sanatore Vampire and a Lieutenant in the New Vampire Justice police force in Utica, NY. Late one night, he is called to a local Vampire Blood Market where he finds a starving Tabula Rosa vampire ready to be executed by one of his officers. Feeling a strong connection to Carson, he wants to heal the broken man despite knowing the risks he takes in doing so. Healing Carson might mean destroying himself. Lincoln must overcome past fears of loss or he may lose himself as well as Carson.Can these two vampires who have loved and painfully lost in the past, learn to trust one another, defeat the evil rising against them, and dare to love forever? The tentative release date is the weekend of June 1st. Check back for info!

Curiosity Killed Shaney Blog Tour Winners!

Curiosity Killed Shaney Blog Tour Winners!



The Curiosity Killed Shaney blog tour has ended! And Rafflecopter has been busy picking the winners of the great prizes and here they are! Congrats everyone!


 Raine - $25 Amazon Gift Card
HB - Free copy of Curiosity Killed ShaneyCornelia - Free copy of Curiosity Killed Shaney
Miri - T-shirt
Marsha - T-shirt
Corrine - Mug
Elise - Mug
Jayson - Mug
Wendy - $5 Amazon gift card
Mary - $5 Amazon gift card

All winners have been emailed.

Autism Awareness Blog Hop!

 Hi everyone! Welcome to my blog post to celebrate Autism Awareness Month. I want to thank RJ Scott for allowing me to participate in her blog hop to raise awareness of autism. Anyone who comments on this post will be entered to win a copy my new release Curiosity Killed Shaney. The contest will end on 4/15 at 11:59 EDT. An excerpt of the story will follow the blog post.

 
Autism Fact:  Autism is a spectrum condition. This means that while all people with autism share certain difficulties, the condition affects them differently.
 Every day at work, I help to increase the independence of individuals with autism and help their families. I work in Vermont (USA) as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. BCBAs use the basic principles of behavior change through applied behavior analysis to increase skills (some include social, academic, play and self-help), increase levels of functioning and independence, and develop and increase verbal behavior in individuals with autism. Just because someone has a diagnosis of autism that doesn’t mean their lives can’t be full and enriched. I have, and continue, to work with some of the greatest kids and adults with autism and their families. Unfortunately, there are many myths about autism that continue to be perpetuated by popular media and misinformed people. Here are some of those myths and misconceptions I hear most and the truth behind them.

 Myth: Autism is a hopeless diagnosis.
Early detection and intervention of autism is very important. In 1987, O. Ivar Lovaas, Ph.D., a pioneer in treating autism, published a long-term outcome study synthesizing 25 years of research showing that 47 percent of the children who received intensive behavior therapy in early childhood treated were able to reach levels of function equivalent to their peers without autism. In addition, a large majority of individuals with autism can go on to lead independent and successful lives.
  
Myth: Autism is cause by ________. (poor parenting, vaccinations, environmental factors, mental health issues.)
Autism is a neurological, developmental disorder that shows abnormalities in brain structure and neurotransmitter levels. Symptoms of autism generally appear around the age of two of younger. The exact cause of autism has not been determined however, genetics plays a part. If one twin has autism there is a 90% chance the other twin will have autism as well. Parents with a child with autism have a greater chance of having another child with autism than the general population. Lastly, there is no link between vaccines and autism. A 1988 study linking vaccines to autism has been retracted and false.
 
Myth: Autism is the diagnosis of the day.
Autism is not a new phenomenon. The earliest known description of a child with autism is 1799. Leo Kranner first described autism in 1943. Greater knowledge and early screening have led to an increase in diagnosing those on the lower end of the spectrum.
 
Myth: More individuals from lower socioeconomic classes are diagnosed with autism than those from higher socioeconomic classes.
Autism is not diagnosed more in any one socio-economic class. Actually, those in higher socioeconomic classes are more likely to have higher instances of autism diagnoses due to greater access to resources.
 
Myth: Individuals with autism are violent.
Though there have been recent news stories relating autism to violence, violent acts from autistic individuals usually arise from sensory overload or emotional distress, and it is unusual for individuals with autism to act violently out of malice or pose any danger to society. Many individuals with autism are self-injurers and are more of a danger to themselves than others.
 
Thanks for stopping by! Visit other stops on the Autism Blog Hop!!
     Available at   
R&P Publishing        Amazon         Barnes and Noble
ARe        BookStrand
 Blurb: Shaney's curiosity is always getting him into trouble, including stumbling into a ritualistic circle and being imbued with an energy that will eventually tear him apart. He soon finds out that Hudson, a man he cares for deeply, might be responsible for his misfortune. Add in the betrayal by his best friend Todd and the desire of a demented occultist named Silas to control the energy inside of him and there seems to be no way out. Can Shaney find a way to rid his body of the nefarious energy before he dies a horrible death?
 
Excerpt
 
“How old are you?” Shaney asked. The silence was driving him batty.
The side of Hudson’s jaw twitched. “Twenty-six.”
“And Hudson. Is that like Rock Hudson or the Hudson River?
Another flinch of that muscle but that movement wasn’t an angry twitch. The man couldn’t be nervous, could he?
“Hudson River.”
“Cool. Named after a river. I think I was named after a three-year-old. Is your middle name River?”
“No.”
“Does anyone call you Huds for short?”
“No.”
“Uh-huh.”
And those were the last words they spoke to each other until they reached the cabin.
As the trees thinned, the one-story fishing cabin came into view. Not as eerie as Shaney had pictured in his head. The green paint was weathered and a few shingles were missing, but overall the building was well-maintained. The windows were the old metal frame kind with single panes of glass. Definitely a summer cabin. Winters in the Adirondacks got down right bitter, often dipping into the double-digit negative numbers. Shaney hated the cold as much as his balls did. Hibernation was his winter activity of choice. This, of course, made the other natives scoff since the area was all about winter sports. They were less than thirty minutes from the Olympic Village of Lake Placid. Maybe if they had something exciting, like Extreme Ice Fishing, Shaney could be drawn out of his warm apartment, if only for the entertainment value. He envisioned ice fisherman sitting on their buckets while skiers pulled behind snowmobiles zigged and zagged around them. One missed zag and fishermen, poles, and fish would all go flying.
“Shaney!”
Shaney looked up to see Hudson scowling; jaw clenched tight, dark eyes glaring. Man, had anyone ever looked that annoyed with Shaney?
“What?” 
“Care to join me?” He growled.
“Sure,” Shaney said and followed until the man stopped short. Shaney’s sneaker slid in the mud and he tried to stop, but his body plastered itself to Hudson’s backside. Shaney’s arms automatically wrapped tight around Hudson’s waist to steady his legs.
Oh, hells bells, this feels so good. The heat from Hudson went straight to Shaney’s groin and for just a second Shaney breathed in leather and earth and sweat. When his brain caught up, Shaney jumped back as if his body had come into contact with a hot surface.
Hot is right, he thought as his sneakers slipped again, and he ended up sprawled on his back in the mud. Without hesitation, Hudson reached down and grabbed Shaney’s wrist, yanking him upright.
Hudson surveyed Shaney from head to toe and Shaney felt every inch as a caress. Why did Hudson make Shaney squirm in his skin, make him desire the feel of the strong man over him, under him, behind him…anyway he could get him? After only two hours with the plaid-covered hunk, Shaney’s sexual tension had risen to levels that were about to blow his heads off—all three of them.
Suddenly, Hudson’s jaw unclenched and his eyes lightened. Even his shoulders relaxed. Shaney’s breath caught at the soft openness gazing down at him. Butterflies beat furiously in the pit of Shaney’s stomach. He ran his tongue across his bottom lip. Hudson’s eyes intently followed the movement. Slowly, he lifted his hand toward Shaney’s face. Was he going to touch Shaney? Yes, touch me. Shaney wanted to step closer and nuzzle his cheek into that palm. A slight hesitation of his hand, a flicker of something in Hudson’s eyes, and Shaney froze. Hudson’s hand continued up and a light brush of fingertips across the bump on his scalp sent shivers zinging down Shaney’s spine. There wasn’t enough air.
“Does it hurt?” Hudson asked in a low, rough voice as he watched his own fingers stroking Shaney’s head.
Please, don’t ever stop.
“Not too much anymore. I guess if I knocked it again, probably.” Shaney’s gaze never left Hudson’s face. How rare was that open honesty?
Hudson’s eyes flicked down to meet Shaney’s and for one perfect moment, Shaney stopped thinking. But as quick as a rabbit fleeing a fox, Hudson’s hand snapped back and the tension that had been momentarily absent, now filled Hudson’s face. 
 
Curiosity Killed Shaney Blog Tour Giveaway!!
Shaney is so excited about his story being told that he is giving away some great prizes!
P.S. He’s really excited to give them away!
Prizes:
1- $25 Amazon Gift Card
2 Curiosity Killed Shaney Ebooks
2 of Maximus’ “Duct Tape” T-shirts
3 “Freeze Warlock” Coffee Mugs
2 $5 Amazon Gift Cards
  
You can enter daily along the blog tour, as often as you like! 

Enter Shaney’s Giveaway!




Now Free on Smashwords - Trey's Greatest Gift!

Now Free on Smashwords!
 Trey is positive that his birthday couldn't be any worse. First, his boyfriend cheats on him during his birthday party. And then when Trey escapes to a local club, two men he is dancing with drug him. Luckily, someone is watching over Trey, someone who's always been there no matter what. Trey is about to find out who his greatest gift really is.  Smashwords  

Blurb for Dare to Love Forever being submitted today!

Dare to Love Forever is finally going in for submission today! Thanks to some help from Raine O'Tierney there is now a blurb! Check it out!


Blurb
Carson is a Tabula Rosa Vampire—a dangerous rarity in the world of vampires. With one bite, he can wipe clean a vampire's mind, turning them into mindless drones. Because of this, Carson has spent his entire twenty-three years sheltered at home. All that changes with the murder of his entire family. Now on the run and near death, Carson meets Commander Lincoln Samuels, a beautiful vampire who tries to heal him and in doing so turns Carson into something the vampire world has never seen before.
 
Lincoln is a Sanatore Vampire and heads a team in the New Vampire Justice police force in Utica, NY. Late one night, he is called to a local Vampire Blood Market where he finds a starving Tabula Rosa vampire ready to be executed by one of his officers. Feeling a strong connection to Carson, he wants to heal the broken man despite knowing the risks he takes in doing so. Healing Carson might mean destroying himself. Lincoln must overcome past fears of loss or he may lose himself as well as Carson.

Can these two vampires who have loved and painfully lost in the past, learn to trust one another, defeat the evil rising against them, and dare to love forever?


I also want to thank Julie Lynn Hayes who wrote the bulk of my synopsis!! Both of you ladies rock my socks!! When I hear more about DTLF, I will let you all know!

Wednesday Briefs #26 Diventando: Becoming

Copyright JC Wallace 2014  Welcome to another installment of Diventando: Becoming. Each week a group of authors participate weekly in Wednesday Briefs Flash Fiction. Each installment is 500-1000 words long and is posted to our blogs each week. After you read the latest in my story, click on the link at the end to visit other flashers.  If you are new to Diventando: Becoming and haven’t read the previous chapters, click on Wednesday Briefs in the left hand column and start with #1. Enjoy and leave a comment to let me know what you think.     Owen’s mind blanked and he went with the first thing that came to mind. Humor was good, right? “So you’re coming up on the big 3-0, huh?” Turk’s furrowed his brow, an endearing, puzzled look on his face. “Wha—oh, yeah.”Well, that had flopped. The comfort Owen had felt with Turk when they’d first met, the easy laughter, quiet comfort, instant attraction, hadn’t returned. A Hunter and the demon he wanted dead together in the same room weren’t conducive to any of those feelings. At least Owen was no longer in the restraints, he thought, trying to find anything positive about the situation.Owen shook his head as the thoughts returned to beat about in his brain...an Incubus inside of him, Turk a hunter who was one hundred and twenty-nine years old, people chasing after them to take Owen back, and do what? Yeah, freaky, but what was more important was getting the Incubus out of his damned body. “Can you really the demon out without cutting off my head?” Owen braced for the inevitable no, but it didn’t come. Turk looked Owen dead on. “There may be a way. It’s been a rumor for years but none of the pieces ever added up. Frankly,” he rubbed his hands together nervously, “I hadn’t tried to find out more about it.”Owen stared back indignantly. “You never thought to try and exorcise a demon? You just slice their heads off and who gives a fuck that they are a person?” Owen stood, towering over a seated Turk. He pointed a finger into his chest while Turk stared back, mouth gaping. “I may have a demon inside of me. I may not be able to control it without this!” Owen shoved the IV bag into Turk’s face. “But I’m a person. A person who doesn’t want to hurt anyone. A person who wants to live my life and be happy and write code and create virtual worlds and date and love and buy a house and, who knows, get fucking married someday! But I can’t because some demon decided to impregnate my mother with his fucking evil seed. So, what? That makes me evil too? Not worth saving? Well, fuck you Hunter! And screw you, too, while I’m at it!”Owen’s chest heaved and he struggled to stop the tremors in his hands and legs, struggled to keep the nausea at bay, struggled to avoid collapsing and cancelling out the bravado he’d managed. Turk ducked his head. “I haven’t…because I’ve never come across a person where the demon hadn’t already taken over completely.”He barely uttered the words with enough force to be heard, but Owen had heard every single one. They sunk in, crashing into his gut with a resounding thud.“Oh,” Owen said, sitting hard onto the bed. “So once that happens then...”Turk nodded. “Yeah. There’s nothing to do then but kill the host to exorcise the demon.”“Exorcise the demon,” Owen muttered, images flashing through his head of Turk wielding a sword and taking off the demon’s head. He groaned knowing all of this was only going to get worse. “But you’ve killed this demon before. He’s shown me memories of you with a sword and swinging dead on.”The muscle ticked in Turk’s jaw. Owen swore he could hear his teeth grind together. “I have killed it once before.”Silence. God, who dropped something so significant without adding something else?“And?” Owen prodded.“And, Incubi are a race of demons whose true form is transcendent of humans. They exist in a universe parallel to ours. The incubi on this plane were released from that universe by a sorcerer over five hundred years ago and placed inside of humans. They can’t survive outside of their host for long. This sorcerer was trying to make an army of super humans to please his King and assist him in conquering neighboring kingdoms. Well, never trust a demon because they turned on the sorcerer and the King and killed them along with the rest of the kingdom.”An entire kingdom. Damn. And, oh shit. “My ancestors in Scotland have been fighting these demons ever since, trying to eradicate them from the earth. I am from a long line of hunters assisted by practitioners of magic and sorcery.”Something about the way Turk had said trying caused the hair on Owen’s body to stand on end. The cold shiver of foreboding stretched his last nerve to the breaking point. “Trying? Are you saying they can’t be killed?” Owen’s last nerve was ready to snap.Turk stood and rubbed at the stubble on his chin. “At first, it was thought that killing the host killed the demon, but over time that was found to be untrue. Due to the transcendent nature of the Incubi, they can move onto other living things and survive until finding a suitable host.”“You mean like animals?”“Animals, bugs, rodents. Anything close by when the host expires, until they can move onto a human host. Generally that just takes a bite or ingestion. It doesn’t do much good to have an animal host. It limits the Incubi’s access to the power they need to gain strength. The Incubi need humans, require access to the power created during sexual arousal. Not just intercourse, although mutual orgasm complete with swapping of fluids generates the most power.”“So this is why I was able to see you kill this demon...well, kill his host, because he wasn’t contained when his host died?” Fuck, Owen hated the word “host” because that’s what he was, only useful for a parasite sucking energy and killing. Turk sighed and crossed his arms over his chest, sadness overtaking the harshness of his eyes. “About twelve hours without the energy of the host, an Incubus doesn’t have the energy to maintain its life force and dies. The demon killed my father...” Turk’s voice broke momentarily and he turned his head as he swallowed hard. Owen waited, curbing his desire to wrap a comforting arm around Turk. Once he’d squashed his sorrow Turk said, “My father was the only one left standing who could perform the ritual to trap the demon. I was in training and accompanying my father on the hunt with one other practitioner who was wounded and unconscious. I had to kill the demon to save our lives.”“That was very brave of you,” Owen said. ‘Brave’ wasn’t the word for Turk. Owen couldn’t even hope to be half as fearless as a man who hunted such dangerous creatures. Turk clenched his fists at his side. “It took every ounce of willpower I had not to end that creature when I’d been told we’d found him.” Turk turned to him, hard eyes softening. “Until I saw that it was you.” # # Check out the other flashers this week below or at http://wedbriefsfic.com/  NephylimJon KeysMA Church Chris T. KatVictoria AdamsShelly SchulzLily Sawyer TC Collins Grace Duncan Cia Nordwell Jim Dunaway Elyzabeth VaLey A.R. VonJulie Lynn Hayes