Haven't updated my blog in over a week so I thought I'd share this little tidbit. Critique Circle , a writing website I've been a part of for quite some time. Has weekly writing excersises. Anyone who wants to can participate anonymously and other members vote on the best entry. At the end of the week the winner is announced. The prize? Bragging rights. Well I get to brag now because (clears throat loudly) I won. This was a while back but still, it's never too late to brag right? =)
The rules to this excersize were as follows:
Some think it's easier to write shorter fiction, but that's far from the truth.
I'd like everyone to write a 'drabble' a piece of exactly 100 words (title of maximally 5 words not included) on a chosen subject with a twist ending that's so common in this form of fiction. Hyphenated words and contractions like "I'm" count as one.
It shouldn't come as a surprise that every word needs to count...
I read this and thought easy peasy! Yeah, right it was much harder than I thought.
My entry:
This was it. She was going to do it this time no matter what. She wasn’t giving up. Biting her lip she concentrated hard. Up, around, over and in. Darn. Feeling the tears she took a deep breath. Don’t cry; remember what mom said about that.
She wiped her nose with the back of her arm and tried again. Up, over, in, around. It was working. The corners of her lips lifted slowly, and her eyes opened wide as she finished.
She looked around excited. There she is. “Mommy, mommy! I did it! I tied my shoe all by myself!”
Friday, January 21, 2011
Sunday, January 16, 2011
#SampleSunday - Excerpt of Forever Mine
This week sample is another excerpt of my debut YA romance novel Forever Mine available on Amazon and B&N Nook .
The set up: Sarah has already gushed about the best friend she longs to go back home to Sydney, more than once. However Angel assumes Sydney is a girl. For now Sarah has let the assumption go without correcting him. In this scene Sarah and Angel are on their first real date strolling the shops in Old Town San Diego.
Angel walked over to where Sarah had stopped and was looking at little turtle figurines with heads that bobbled. He tapped the little head to make it wiggle.
“You like that?” He grimaced.
“It’s cute.”
“My sister has a bunch of those. Ever since her friends found out she liked them they’ve started buying her more. So she collects them now.” Angel chuckled. “I remember the time some idiot brought one to the restaurant for her. My brother Alex broke the head off.”
Sarah looked at him weird. “Why’d he do that?”
Angel was still smiling. He picked out a couple the turtles for his sister and turned back to Sarah, “She was only fifteen. That’s way too young for a boyfriend.”
He watched as Sarah crinkled her nose and she got that little wrinkle between her eyes. He was beginning to love all her expressions. “Maybe he was just a friend.”
“No such thing.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean there’s no such thing as guy’s and girls being friends.” Angel moved along the aisle still not seeing anything that grabbed him. He stopped when he noticed Sarah hadn’t moved.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” She walked toward him. “You really believe that?
“Believe what?”
“That guys and girls can’t be friends?”
Angel stopped looking through all the junk on the shelves and turned his attention to Sarah. “Yeah, don’t you?”
“No. I think it is possible.”
“Really?” He lifted an eyebrow. “You have a lot of guy friends, Sarah?”
Sarah cleared her throat and glanced back at the souvenirs on the shelf. “Not a lot. But I have some.”
The set up: Sarah has already gushed about the best friend she longs to go back home to Sydney, more than once. However Angel assumes Sydney is a girl. For now Sarah has let the assumption go without correcting him. In this scene Sarah and Angel are on their first real date strolling the shops in Old Town San Diego.
Angel walked over to where Sarah had stopped and was looking at little turtle figurines with heads that bobbled. He tapped the little head to make it wiggle.
“You like that?” He grimaced.
“It’s cute.”
“My sister has a bunch of those. Ever since her friends found out she liked them they’ve started buying her more. So she collects them now.” Angel chuckled. “I remember the time some idiot brought one to the restaurant for her. My brother Alex broke the head off.”
Sarah looked at him weird. “Why’d he do that?”
Angel was still smiling. He picked out a couple the turtles for his sister and turned back to Sarah, “She was only fifteen. That’s way too young for a boyfriend.”
He watched as Sarah crinkled her nose and she got that little wrinkle between her eyes. He was beginning to love all her expressions. “Maybe he was just a friend.”
“No such thing.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean there’s no such thing as guy’s and girls being friends.” Angel moved along the aisle still not seeing anything that grabbed him. He stopped when he noticed Sarah hadn’t moved.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” She walked toward him. “You really believe that?
“Believe what?”
“That guys and girls can’t be friends?”
Angel stopped looking through all the junk on the shelves and turned his attention to Sarah. “Yeah, don’t you?”
“No. I think it is possible.”
“Really?” He lifted an eyebrow. “You have a lot of guy friends, Sarah?”
Sarah cleared her throat and glanced back at the souvenirs on the shelf. “Not a lot. But I have some.”
Sunday, January 9, 2011
#Sample Sunday - Excerpt from "Charli"
This is a WIP that's been sitting on the back burner until I can get my Moreno Brothers series completed. It is a paranormal romance. This is actually based on something I overheard my mother and aunt talking about when I was a little girl. I don't remember what the story was but what stayed with me all these years was the eerie description of the strange woman and her dogs that my aunt had seen one night.
Premise of the story:
Seventeen-year old Charlotte (Charli) has been sent to live with her estranged bachelor uncle in Los Angles after her father has been sent to a mental institution. This is her first morning in her new room at her uncles and she recalls the dream she had the night before, triggering a eerie memory from her childhood. Enjoy and don't forget to comment. =)
I must’ve been more tired than I thought because I didn’t even remember falling asleep and even when I woke the next morning I was so tired. It was unusual for me to remember my dreams but last nights dream was so vivid. It was almost as if I’d been awake but I couldn’t have been.
In my dream I was sound asleep when I heard the annoying barking of a dog. I tried to ignore it but when I heard other dogs joining in and the barking getting really panicky it reminded me of something. A memory so vivid I remember everything down to the finest detail.
When I was a little girl about six years old, my grandparents dropped me off at a friend’s house, a couple they’d known for years. I was told my father was ill and they were taking him to the doctors. I spent the entire day there. It was a bit unusual because if my dad needed a sitter there was always a closer friend that could help out but that day none of them were available.
After a long day of playing with their twin daughters, I must’ve knocked out because the next thing I remember was waking up in my grandpa’s arms as he carried me out to the car. My head rested on his shoulder and I heard hushed voices as he walked. It was late and someone had thrown a blanket over me. The barking is what woke me. The same as in my dream, first one dog then others joined. I heard my grandpa’s friend try to hush his own dog by the side of the house.
I was finally in my grandpa’s truck. He buckled me in and put the blanket over me. He was parked on the street and he walked around the back of the truck to his side. That’s when I saw her. A very tall woman wearing what looked like a long dark raincoat coat with a hood. She stood in the middle of the street, absolutely still. The hood somewhat shrouded her face. But I could see the red lips and few strands of long dark hair that straggled out from under her hood.
The fact that she was standing perfectly still in the middle of street at night time wasn’t the oddest thing about the scene. It was the dogs. I’ll never forget the dogs. There were six of them. And they all sat just as still as she was in front her, in perfect lines of two. The image of Santa’s reindeer had come to my mind. I didn’t know much about dogs but they were huge. What struck me most was that as much as the neighborhood dogs were going crazy barking, her dogs sat there calmly, looking straight ahead, completely unaffected by the noise the other dogs made.
My Grandpa got in the truck and tried starting it up. Even though she was standing just a few yards away he hadn’t noticed her. The old truck hacked as he turned the key in the ignition. I was used to it taking a few tries. The whole time I couldn’t’ take my eyes off the woman and her dogs. Then she moved. It was so slight if my eyes hadn’t been fixated on her I would’ve missed it. Her head moved up a bit but just enough to unveil a pair of big dark beautiful eyes. They were penetrating but in a such good way. She was …magnificent. Instantly I felt my breath taken away. And then just as suddenly I was locked in her gaze. Her eyes somehow got bigger, darker. I couldn’t look away, move, or even speak. I’m not sure if I even breathed for those few moments.
Everything went absolute silent. And then I heard her voice. I don’t know how. Her lips didn’t move, she was still yards away and the doors and windows of the truck were closed but I heard it as clear as if she were sitting right there next to me.
“It is almost time, little one.” Her voice matched her face. It was like silk, it was music, it was… intoxicating. It felt so good in my ear I smiled.
The next thing I remember I woke up in my bed in my grandparent’s house. In the small room I shared with my dad. Only that morning I was alone. When I asked my grandpa about the woman with the dogs he had no idea what I was talking about.
I found out years later, the day I’d spent at there friends was first of several interventions my family had, had for my drug addicted father. Of course at the time I didn’t even realize my dad had a problem. All I knew is he was...different. He did things and said things sometimes that didn’t make any sense. But he’d been that way as long as I could remember so it didn’t seem odd to a six-year-old.
As the years passed he got worse.
I shook my head refusing to dwell on those memories. Instead my thoughts went back last nights dream. In the dream the barking woke me and so I sat up in my bed. I waited to see if the barking would stop but it only got louder. I stood and walked to the window and there she was in the middle of the long driveway. My memories had kept her exactly as when I’d seen here so many years ago. The dark coat, the dogs, the red lips. I could see now the dogs were Great Danes. No wonder they’d seemed so big to me as a child. I waited almost holding my breath for her to move to look at me like she had that one night.
Then she did. Again her movement was so slight, and her eyes came into view. They were just as enchanting as they’d been the first time only this time there was something different. I didn’t know what it was but it worried me. Somehow I could sense that she was anxious, frightened. I felt her fear run through me and I shivered.
Our eyes locked and I was paralyzed where I stood. But it didn’t scare me. I welcomed it. Everything went silent and her voice flowed in my ears like a beautiful song.
“It is time.”
That’s when I woke up. In my bed under my blankets just as I had lied down the night before and I knew I’d been dreaming. But I was so tired.
Thanks for reading!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
#DaSample "Shades of Gray" By Joleene Naylor
Today's sample is brought to us by Joleene Naylor. Vampires!
From Shades of Gray by Joleene Naylor, Book 1 in the Amaranthine series: Where vampires live in the shadows and don’t sparkle.
(Jorick and Katelina are attacked by a pair of vampires while staying in a motel room. Jorick defeats the vampires just as his friend shows up to give them a ride…)
The men returned to the car and Jorick slid into the front passenger seat. As the door banged shut, he glanced over his shoulder to offer Katelina a tight but reassuring smile.
She wanted to ask him what was going on but figured it was pointless. Besides, she wasn't sure she really wanted to know at the moment. She did, however, want away from the horrible place; away from the pink motel and the ugly carpet and hideous orange drapes and bloody footprints.
The driver climbed in and asked Jorick quietly, “Are we ready?”
Jorick nodded and dropped back into the seat. He closed his eyes wearily as the car shuddered into gear and they pulled out of the parking lot.
“I take it they found you?” The driver glanced sideways for a moment and Katelina could see his perfect profile. His strange eyes and golden brown hair made him look like a lion. It wasn't just his appearance, though. There was something very feline about him, the feeling of controlled power lurking beneath a peaceful exterior, like a cat coiled and ready to spring on its prey.
“Yes.” Jorick opened his dark eyes. The street lights flashed past them and splashed dark, twisted shadows across his weary face. “They found us.”
With this pronouncement the car fell silent except for the sound of the motor and the wheels on the pavement. They soon left the small town of Dunwick behind them. As it shrunk in the darkness, Katelina began to relax. Though, she longed for a cigarette to sooth her nerves. She knew that it wouldn’t really make things better. How many times had Sarah lectured her about that, after all? But somehow things would seem saner if she had one. She wanted a cigarette and her own bed and her telephone. She wanted to curl up under the covers and call Sarah and tell her about this horrible nightmare she’d had, and then she wanted to call her mother and make arrangements for Grave Day like usual. She just wanted reality.
But, her reality wasn’t pretty. She’d just been attacked by two vampires and the two packs of cigarettes she’d bought had been abandoned in the motel room with the food; her last twenty dollars gone for nothing, after all. Somehow this was a deeply disheartening thought.
She leaned her face against the cool glass and stared out into the night flying past them, the trees illuminated and ghostly in the harsh brightness of the headlights. The rhythm of the tires on the pavement droned in her ears. She closed her eyes and tried to relax to the vibrations of the car. She hadn’t been awake for very long, but she was already as exhausted as Jorick looked. Her muscles were taut, and her left shoulder was aching again.
The driver’s voice interrupted her thoughts, his tones low enough that he probably thought she couldn’t hear him.
“So this is the... erm... her?”
“Yes, this is Katelina,” Jorick answered.
“What are you planning to do with her?”
The question hung in the air and Katelina felt herself wanting to know what he’d say, her ears tensing for the sound of his answer. Finally, after what felt like uncountable minutes, Jorick cleared his throat. “I don't know,” his voice was sad. “I admit I didn't expect things to happen this way.”
“I told you it was a bad idea, Jorick.” His tone was flat, as though they’d discussed it too many times already.
“I know, I know.” Jorick said quietly. He seemed resigned to this fact. “I just hated to leave her hanging, never knowing what really happened to him. Besides, who's to say that Claudius wouldn't have gone after her sooner or later? She is a reasonable suspect, you know. Would it be better for it to come as a complete shock?”
“And I suppose you broke it to her gently?” The driver snorted. “I understand your reasoning, Jorick, your true reasoning, but I still stand by my original opinion.”
“I'm sure you do, Oren. I'm sure it wouldn't have haunted your dreams, but we're different.”
“We didn't used to be, not before....” Oren trailed off.
“Yes, I know. I'll bet you don't even dream anymore, do you?”
There was silence and then very quietly he said, “No, Jorick. I don't.”
Buy the book:
Amazon US (paperback)
Amazon US (kindle)
Smashwords - http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/5809
Website:
Bio:
Joleene Naylor grew up in southwest Iowa surrounded by corn and very little entertainment – so she made her own. She’s been writing and drawing since she was a child, with a leaning towards fantasy, horror and paranormal. It’s this love of all that goes bump in the night that lead her to write the Amaranthine vampire series. In her spare time she’s a freelance artist and photographer. Joleene does freelance book cover art, maintains blogs full of odd ramblings, illustrates a webcomic and hopes to win the lottery. However, unless she starts buying tickets she may never actually win anything.
COVER ART FAQ:
http://coverart.joleenenaylor.com/
Books by JOLEENE NAYLOR:
To read sample chapters and more, visit my website!
http://www.joleenenaylor.com/
You never know what you'll find in the shadows.....
From Shades of Gray by Joleene Naylor, Book 1 in the Amaranthine series: Where vampires live in the shadows and don’t sparkle.
(Jorick and Katelina are attacked by a pair of vampires while staying in a motel room. Jorick defeats the vampires just as his friend shows up to give them a ride…)
The men returned to the car and Jorick slid into the front passenger seat. As the door banged shut, he glanced over his shoulder to offer Katelina a tight but reassuring smile.
She wanted to ask him what was going on but figured it was pointless. Besides, she wasn't sure she really wanted to know at the moment. She did, however, want away from the horrible place; away from the pink motel and the ugly carpet and hideous orange drapes and bloody footprints.
The driver climbed in and asked Jorick quietly, “Are we ready?”
Jorick nodded and dropped back into the seat. He closed his eyes wearily as the car shuddered into gear and they pulled out of the parking lot.
“I take it they found you?” The driver glanced sideways for a moment and Katelina could see his perfect profile. His strange eyes and golden brown hair made him look like a lion. It wasn't just his appearance, though. There was something very feline about him, the feeling of controlled power lurking beneath a peaceful exterior, like a cat coiled and ready to spring on its prey.
“Yes.” Jorick opened his dark eyes. The street lights flashed past them and splashed dark, twisted shadows across his weary face. “They found us.”
With this pronouncement the car fell silent except for the sound of the motor and the wheels on the pavement. They soon left the small town of Dunwick behind them. As it shrunk in the darkness, Katelina began to relax. Though, she longed for a cigarette to sooth her nerves. She knew that it wouldn’t really make things better. How many times had Sarah lectured her about that, after all? But somehow things would seem saner if she had one. She wanted a cigarette and her own bed and her telephone. She wanted to curl up under the covers and call Sarah and tell her about this horrible nightmare she’d had, and then she wanted to call her mother and make arrangements for Grave Day like usual. She just wanted reality.
But, her reality wasn’t pretty. She’d just been attacked by two vampires and the two packs of cigarettes she’d bought had been abandoned in the motel room with the food; her last twenty dollars gone for nothing, after all. Somehow this was a deeply disheartening thought.
She leaned her face against the cool glass and stared out into the night flying past them, the trees illuminated and ghostly in the harsh brightness of the headlights. The rhythm of the tires on the pavement droned in her ears. She closed her eyes and tried to relax to the vibrations of the car. She hadn’t been awake for very long, but she was already as exhausted as Jorick looked. Her muscles were taut, and her left shoulder was aching again.
The driver’s voice interrupted her thoughts, his tones low enough that he probably thought she couldn’t hear him.
“So this is the... erm... her?”
“Yes, this is Katelina,” Jorick answered.
“What are you planning to do with her?”
The question hung in the air and Katelina felt herself wanting to know what he’d say, her ears tensing for the sound of his answer. Finally, after what felt like uncountable minutes, Jorick cleared his throat. “I don't know,” his voice was sad. “I admit I didn't expect things to happen this way.”
“I told you it was a bad idea, Jorick.” His tone was flat, as though they’d discussed it too many times already.
“I know, I know.” Jorick said quietly. He seemed resigned to this fact. “I just hated to leave her hanging, never knowing what really happened to him. Besides, who's to say that Claudius wouldn't have gone after her sooner or later? She is a reasonable suspect, you know. Would it be better for it to come as a complete shock?”
“And I suppose you broke it to her gently?” The driver snorted. “I understand your reasoning, Jorick, your true reasoning, but I still stand by my original opinion.”
“I'm sure you do, Oren. I'm sure it wouldn't have haunted your dreams, but we're different.”
“We didn't used to be, not before....” Oren trailed off.
“Yes, I know. I'll bet you don't even dream anymore, do you?”
There was silence and then very quietly he said, “No, Jorick. I don't.”
Buy the book:
Amazon US (paperback)
Amazon US (kindle)
Smashwords - http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/5809
Website:
Bio:
Joleene Naylor grew up in southwest Iowa surrounded by corn and very little entertainment – so she made her own. She’s been writing and drawing since she was a child, with a leaning towards fantasy, horror and paranormal. It’s this love of all that goes bump in the night that lead her to write the Amaranthine vampire series. In her spare time she’s a freelance artist and photographer. Joleene does freelance book cover art, maintains blogs full of odd ramblings, illustrates a webcomic and hopes to win the lottery. However, unless she starts buying tickets she may never actually win anything.
COVER ART FAQ:
http://coverart.joleenenaylor.com/
Books by JOLEENE NAYLOR:
To read sample chapters and more, visit my website!
http://www.joleenenaylor.com/
You never know what you'll find in the shadows.....
Monday, January 3, 2011
#DaSample- Cattitude by Edie Ramer
Todays daily sample is brought to us from Edie Ramer.
Edie Ramer is an award-winning indie author whose short stories have been published in national magazine. She’s gotten a lot of great reviews for CATTITUDE, which is about a cat who switches bodies with a woman and keeps her cat attitude—even as someone tries to kill her and she falls in love with her former owner. It’s on sale at most online places for only 99 cents.
Enjoy the excerpt!
Belle jerked her head away from Max’s chest. Wasn’t it bad enough she was inside this human body? With these clumsy arms that didn’t propel her forward when she wanted to leap and run? With this ugly furless skin? And now Max wanted to take her to the hospital. How could he do something so horrible?
Three years of sitting on Tory’s lap, being petted while they watched Tory’s favorite TV show, The Love Chronicles, had taught Belle what happened in hospitals. People would poke and prod her and stick her with needles. Plus, she might fall in love, lose her memory, be murdered by someone disguised as a doctor, and maybe have a baby. A human baby.
No! She was not going to let that happen.
Belle’s arms dropped from around his back. Her palms slammed into his chest and he lurched backward. The blanket slid off her shoulders and pooled around her ankles. She leaped, twisting to face the ditch and thicket of trees. The heaviness of her new body made her land with a stagger. Then she followed her feline instincts and sprang forward.
“What the hell—” Max shouted.
Belle lurched. Her human legs didn’t want to obey her. She tried to force them to move faster, but it was like wading through snow. Crouching to avoid low tree branches, she darted into the trees at a fraction of her normal speed.
This was her environment. As fast as Max was, he wouldn’t catch her unless she let him, even with his clumsy limbs.
“Get back here,” he called. “I’m trying to help you.”
“She looks pretty damn healthy to me.” The amusement in Ted’s voice carried to Belle. “If she wants to go, let her.”
“I’m not leaving until I find her,” Max said.
Crashing noises came from the trees near the road. Max. She put her hand over her mouth, to stop a cry from coming out. She’d never thought she’d run from him. Never thought he’d be the one that made her heart thump in fear.
Her human feet made noises too. She glanced down at them. They were covered with soft-soled tie shoes like the ones Max and Ted wore. Maybe if she walked on the balls of her feet, she wouldn’t crunch with every step. She’d be quiet . . . like a cat.
For two steps she tried, but walking this way was slower than stalking an ant. The crashing noises moved to her left. Close, too close. Belle spied a tree with low branches, grabbed the closest branch and pulled herself up. Her arms ached, as if they didn’t want to do this. She set her mouth and commanded them to obey.
This human body was so clumsy. No stretch, no agility, no energy.
Belle hated it. Where was her cat body? She wanted it back.
Max smashed through the woods, leaves crunching beneath his shoes, branches cracking. Belle changed her opinion that dogs were the clumsiest creatures. Her muscles straining, she pulled up to another branch, then another.
None of the branches had leaves. If he looked up . . .
Biting back gasping breaths, Belle hung on. Max walked below her, looking at the ground, as if for tracks. Stopping, he glanced around.
“Where are you?” he shouted.
Belle clasped the branch, its bark rough on her soft human hands. She couldn’t go to the hospital. She had to stay here, find her cat body and claim it back.
Don’t look up. Don’t look up. Don’t look—
She stopped her silent commands. The last time she wanted something so fervently was when Caroline flung her into the path of the car. Her frantic plea had worked, but look what happened. If it worked this time, she might change into a bird.
Belle shuddered. Being a bird would be worse than being a human. Cats ate birds.
Max raised his head—a movement that made Belle swallow a whimper—and he called out, “If you come right now, I’ll help you. I won’t let anyone hurt you. You have my word on it.” He cocked his head, listening and waiting.
Belle clung to the branch, afraid to breathe. Her hands were growing colder by the second. She wanted to drop into his arms and let him take care of her. But she was a cat, not a puny human who let Max do everything for her like his mother, sister and sometimes Ted. Sure, she let Max feed and water her, but look what she did in return. He didn’t see any mice in his house, did he?
She didn’t need Max to fix this. She’d fix it herself.
Buy the book: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords
Find out more about Edie and her books at her website.
Edie Ramer is an award-winning indie author whose short stories have been published in national magazine. She’s gotten a lot of great reviews for CATTITUDE, which is about a cat who switches bodies with a woman and keeps her cat attitude—even as someone tries to kill her and she falls in love with her former owner. It’s on sale at most online places for only 99 cents.
Enjoy the excerpt!
Belle jerked her head away from Max’s chest. Wasn’t it bad enough she was inside this human body? With these clumsy arms that didn’t propel her forward when she wanted to leap and run? With this ugly furless skin? And now Max wanted to take her to the hospital. How could he do something so horrible?
Three years of sitting on Tory’s lap, being petted while they watched Tory’s favorite TV show, The Love Chronicles, had taught Belle what happened in hospitals. People would poke and prod her and stick her with needles. Plus, she might fall in love, lose her memory, be murdered by someone disguised as a doctor, and maybe have a baby. A human baby.
No! She was not going to let that happen.
Belle’s arms dropped from around his back. Her palms slammed into his chest and he lurched backward. The blanket slid off her shoulders and pooled around her ankles. She leaped, twisting to face the ditch and thicket of trees. The heaviness of her new body made her land with a stagger. Then she followed her feline instincts and sprang forward.
“What the hell—” Max shouted.
Belle lurched. Her human legs didn’t want to obey her. She tried to force them to move faster, but it was like wading through snow. Crouching to avoid low tree branches, she darted into the trees at a fraction of her normal speed.
This was her environment. As fast as Max was, he wouldn’t catch her unless she let him, even with his clumsy limbs.
“Get back here,” he called. “I’m trying to help you.”
“She looks pretty damn healthy to me.” The amusement in Ted’s voice carried to Belle. “If she wants to go, let her.”
“I’m not leaving until I find her,” Max said.
Crashing noises came from the trees near the road. Max. She put her hand over her mouth, to stop a cry from coming out. She’d never thought she’d run from him. Never thought he’d be the one that made her heart thump in fear.
Her human feet made noises too. She glanced down at them. They were covered with soft-soled tie shoes like the ones Max and Ted wore. Maybe if she walked on the balls of her feet, she wouldn’t crunch with every step. She’d be quiet . . . like a cat.
For two steps she tried, but walking this way was slower than stalking an ant. The crashing noises moved to her left. Close, too close. Belle spied a tree with low branches, grabbed the closest branch and pulled herself up. Her arms ached, as if they didn’t want to do this. She set her mouth and commanded them to obey.
This human body was so clumsy. No stretch, no agility, no energy.
Belle hated it. Where was her cat body? She wanted it back.
Max smashed through the woods, leaves crunching beneath his shoes, branches cracking. Belle changed her opinion that dogs were the clumsiest creatures. Her muscles straining, she pulled up to another branch, then another.
None of the branches had leaves. If he looked up . . .
Biting back gasping breaths, Belle hung on. Max walked below her, looking at the ground, as if for tracks. Stopping, he glanced around.
“Where are you?” he shouted.
Belle clasped the branch, its bark rough on her soft human hands. She couldn’t go to the hospital. She had to stay here, find her cat body and claim it back.
Don’t look up. Don’t look up. Don’t look—
She stopped her silent commands. The last time she wanted something so fervently was when Caroline flung her into the path of the car. Her frantic plea had worked, but look what happened. If it worked this time, she might change into a bird.
Belle shuddered. Being a bird would be worse than being a human. Cats ate birds.
Max raised his head—a movement that made Belle swallow a whimper—and he called out, “If you come right now, I’ll help you. I won’t let anyone hurt you. You have my word on it.” He cocked his head, listening and waiting.
Belle clung to the branch, afraid to breathe. Her hands were growing colder by the second. She wanted to drop into his arms and let him take care of her. But she was a cat, not a puny human who let Max do everything for her like his mother, sister and sometimes Ted. Sure, she let Max feed and water her, but look what she did in return. He didn’t see any mice in his house, did he?
She didn’t need Max to fix this. She’d fix it herself.
Buy the book: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords
Find out more about Edie and her books at her website.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
#Sample Sunday - Excerpt of "Forever Mine"
The set up for this scene: This is the morning after Sarah's first night out with Angel Moreno. He's already called her first thing in the morn and asked to see her again. She's getting ready and has a conversation with her step cousin Valerie regarding her relationship with her best friend Sydney back home and Angel's possible reaction to knowing her best friend is a guy.
Sarah couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so alive. Standing under the shower with the warm water running over her body she thought of Angel, as she lathered herself and smiled.
The past year had been all but hell, and the past two months had been worst, with Sydney having to drag her out of her funk every time. But now she felt jubilant. It scared her a little. She was still very aware of the fact that this was Angel. The Angel she’d heard so much about. But he said he was looking forward to getting to know her. He sounded so sincere, and his kisses, God those kisses. Just thinking about them made her quiver all over.
Sydney’s call woke her up just after seven, and they talked until Angel called. He knew she was going out last night for the first time since she’d been out here, and was anxious to see how it went. Sarah told him everything, not wanting to leave anything out, especially about the kissing. Sydney hadn’t been surprised at all that Angel was interested in Sarah and was happy she sounded so excited, but warned her to take it slow.
She got out of the shower and dressed. She went back in the restroom to get her blow dryer and ran into Valerie, still in her sleep clothes, a long t-shirt and basketball shorts. “Where are you going so early?”
Sarah’s cheeks reddened. “Angel is picking me up.” She tried not to smile too big.
Valerie’s jaw dropped and eyes popped wide open. “He is?”
Sarah nodded, smiling sheepishly. She grabbed the blow dryer and started back to her room with Valerie in tow. “Oh my God, you’re so lucky! Was that who called so early this morning?”
Sarah stopped at her bed and looked through her purse. She didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. The more she made out of this, the harder it would be if she turned out to be Angel’s flavor of the week. A faint haze of pain sunk in, just thinking about it. But she knew it was a definite possibility.
“No, that was Sydney,” she said. “Angel called while I was on the line with him.”
Valerie rolled her eyes. Sarah knew what Valerie thought of Sydney. She’d never actually met him but she didn’t understand their friendship. “There’s no way that guy is not in love with you,” she’d said, many times.
Sarah also knew Valerie resented the fact that she had preferred, literally begged to stay in Flagstaff with him and his family, rather than come and live with Valerie and her Aunt. Even now, she talked more and was closer to him than she’d ever been with Valerie.
Valerie plopped on Sarah’s bed. “Are you gonna tell Angel about Sydney?”
“I already did.” She left out the part about Angel referring to Sydney as a she this morning, and the fact that she hadn’t corrected him.
Valerie’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, “Really? What did he say?”
Sarah made a face. “Valerie, we hung out one night; you honestly think he cares?”
“I’m telling you, guys are territorial.”
She shrugged. “Well, territorial or not, I’m not his girlfriend -”
“Yet,” Valerie interrupted. “We’ll see what he thinks of Sydney once you two get serious.”
Sarah felt something tighten in her chest. She thought about how he’d gotten right to the subject of Jesse when they got to the beach. How stone faced he’d turned when she told him she’d gone out with him. But with Sydney it was totally different. He’d have to understand.
“What makes you so sure we’ll be getting serious? You, yourself said he’d never had a girlfriend. Why would he want one now?”
It was almost a rhetorical question. She didn’t really want to hear the answer. Valerie was ruining this for her. It was way too soon to start worrying about what Angel would think about her relationship with Sydney.
She’d given it some thought when she realized Angel had assumed Syd was a girl. But she pushed it to the back of her mind. She’d cross that bridge when she came to it. At the moment, she wasn’t even sure she’d ever have to.
Valerie made herself comfortable against the headboard. “It’s the way he was with you last night, Sarah. I’ve never seen him act like that before. He’s never been one for public displays of affection. But last night it was so obvious he wanted everyone to see you were with him.”
Sarah tried to hide her exhilaration.
“I’m just saying,” Valerie continued. “If you were like me, I wouldn’t worry about it. Just tell him all about Sydney and if he walks, oh well, too bad for him, on to the next. But you’re not like me. You’re sweet, sensitive little Sarah. And I saw the way you looked at him last night too, missy. You’re already falling for him. So, unless you want troubles, you should start weaning Sydney off your everlasting devotion.”
The butterflies in Sarah’s stomach stirred, threatening to take off in a wild spin. Sarah walked back to her purse, eyeing Valerie. She put her make up on silently. She hardly wore any, so it didn’t take very long. She was about to respond to Valerie’s observation, when her phone rang, making her jump. Valerie smiled eagerly.
“Is it him?
Sarah looked at the caller ID and nodded. Valerie flew off the bed and ran over to Sarah’s side, leaning in to try and hear him. Sarah looked at her and giggled. She flipped the phone open and answered.
Sarah gave him the directions with Valerie glued to her side the whole time. When she hung up Valerie groaned. “God, he even sounds hot. I swear you are so lucky!”
Sarah tried to play it cool, but the swarm in her stomach had spun out of control. She’d barely had enough time to absorb what had happened the night before, and now he was on his way to pick her up again. She smiled at Valerie and hurried to finish herself up.
She filled her aunt in on her plans, and gathered her purse together. He drove a white mustang. She could tell it was an older model but it was still nice. She looked out the window and watched him get out of the car. He wore dark carpenter jeans and a long sleeve gray crewneck shirt that hugged his chest perfectly.
“I’m leaving!” she yelled at no one in particular and walked out to meet him.
Forever Mine just recently recieved a 5 Star "Top Pick" Review from Night Owl Reviews!!
Available on Amazon Kindle US, Amazon Kindle UK and B&N Nook
Sarah couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so alive. Standing under the shower with the warm water running over her body she thought of Angel, as she lathered herself and smiled.
The past year had been all but hell, and the past two months had been worst, with Sydney having to drag her out of her funk every time. But now she felt jubilant. It scared her a little. She was still very aware of the fact that this was Angel. The Angel she’d heard so much about. But he said he was looking forward to getting to know her. He sounded so sincere, and his kisses, God those kisses. Just thinking about them made her quiver all over.
Sydney’s call woke her up just after seven, and they talked until Angel called. He knew she was going out last night for the first time since she’d been out here, and was anxious to see how it went. Sarah told him everything, not wanting to leave anything out, especially about the kissing. Sydney hadn’t been surprised at all that Angel was interested in Sarah and was happy she sounded so excited, but warned her to take it slow.
She got out of the shower and dressed. She went back in the restroom to get her blow dryer and ran into Valerie, still in her sleep clothes, a long t-shirt and basketball shorts. “Where are you going so early?”
Sarah’s cheeks reddened. “Angel is picking me up.” She tried not to smile too big.
Valerie’s jaw dropped and eyes popped wide open. “He is?”
Sarah nodded, smiling sheepishly. She grabbed the blow dryer and started back to her room with Valerie in tow. “Oh my God, you’re so lucky! Was that who called so early this morning?”
Sarah stopped at her bed and looked through her purse. She didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. The more she made out of this, the harder it would be if she turned out to be Angel’s flavor of the week. A faint haze of pain sunk in, just thinking about it. But she knew it was a definite possibility.
“No, that was Sydney,” she said. “Angel called while I was on the line with him.”
Valerie rolled her eyes. Sarah knew what Valerie thought of Sydney. She’d never actually met him but she didn’t understand their friendship. “There’s no way that guy is not in love with you,” she’d said, many times.
Sarah also knew Valerie resented the fact that she had preferred, literally begged to stay in Flagstaff with him and his family, rather than come and live with Valerie and her Aunt. Even now, she talked more and was closer to him than she’d ever been with Valerie.
Valerie plopped on Sarah’s bed. “Are you gonna tell Angel about Sydney?”
“I already did.” She left out the part about Angel referring to Sydney as a she this morning, and the fact that she hadn’t corrected him.
Valerie’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, “Really? What did he say?”
Sarah made a face. “Valerie, we hung out one night; you honestly think he cares?”
“I’m telling you, guys are territorial.”
She shrugged. “Well, territorial or not, I’m not his girlfriend -”
“Yet,” Valerie interrupted. “We’ll see what he thinks of Sydney once you two get serious.”
Sarah felt something tighten in her chest. She thought about how he’d gotten right to the subject of Jesse when they got to the beach. How stone faced he’d turned when she told him she’d gone out with him. But with Sydney it was totally different. He’d have to understand.
“What makes you so sure we’ll be getting serious? You, yourself said he’d never had a girlfriend. Why would he want one now?”
It was almost a rhetorical question. She didn’t really want to hear the answer. Valerie was ruining this for her. It was way too soon to start worrying about what Angel would think about her relationship with Sydney.
She’d given it some thought when she realized Angel had assumed Syd was a girl. But she pushed it to the back of her mind. She’d cross that bridge when she came to it. At the moment, she wasn’t even sure she’d ever have to.
Valerie made herself comfortable against the headboard. “It’s the way he was with you last night, Sarah. I’ve never seen him act like that before. He’s never been one for public displays of affection. But last night it was so obvious he wanted everyone to see you were with him.”
Sarah tried to hide her exhilaration.
“I’m just saying,” Valerie continued. “If you were like me, I wouldn’t worry about it. Just tell him all about Sydney and if he walks, oh well, too bad for him, on to the next. But you’re not like me. You’re sweet, sensitive little Sarah. And I saw the way you looked at him last night too, missy. You’re already falling for him. So, unless you want troubles, you should start weaning Sydney off your everlasting devotion.”
The butterflies in Sarah’s stomach stirred, threatening to take off in a wild spin. Sarah walked back to her purse, eyeing Valerie. She put her make up on silently. She hardly wore any, so it didn’t take very long. She was about to respond to Valerie’s observation, when her phone rang, making her jump. Valerie smiled eagerly.
“Is it him?
Sarah looked at the caller ID and nodded. Valerie flew off the bed and ran over to Sarah’s side, leaning in to try and hear him. Sarah looked at her and giggled. She flipped the phone open and answered.
Sarah gave him the directions with Valerie glued to her side the whole time. When she hung up Valerie groaned. “God, he even sounds hot. I swear you are so lucky!”
Sarah tried to play it cool, but the swarm in her stomach had spun out of control. She’d barely had enough time to absorb what had happened the night before, and now he was on his way to pick her up again. She smiled at Valerie and hurried to finish herself up.
She filled her aunt in on her plans, and gathered her purse together. He drove a white mustang. She could tell it was an older model but it was still nice. She looked out the window and watched him get out of the car. He wore dark carpenter jeans and a long sleeve gray crewneck shirt that hugged his chest perfectly.
“I’m leaving!” she yelled at no one in particular and walked out to meet him.
Forever Mine just recently recieved a 5 Star "Top Pick" Review from Night Owl Reviews!!
Available on Amazon Kindle US, Amazon Kindle UK and B&N Nook
Sunday, December 19, 2010
#SampleSunday- Excerpt of Forever Mine
Today I'm sharing an excerpt from my debut novel Forever Mine now available on Amazon and B&N The Nook , temporarily priced at $.99 for the holidays. The premise of Forever Mine is about 17 year old Sarah Lynn Fierro who is sent to live with her aunt in California after her single mom is sent to jail. She has no intentions of staying, that is until she meets Angel Moreno and is unexpectedly swept off her feet. This is the scene of their first conversation after having had a few awkward encounters prior. Angel has come to her rescue from a pushy guy who was trying to force a hug from her. I'd appreciate any thoughts/Comments. Happy reading!
Released, Jesse fell to one knee, coughing and gasping for air. Again, Angel turned to face Sarah. He took a few steps her way. She still held her hand to her chest, and her eyes remained on Jesse who, now on his feet, continued to cough. She finally looked at Angel, with those eyes that were beginning to haunt him.
He was determined not to clam up again. “Are you sure you’re okay?” He fought back the urge to pull a strand of hair away from her face. She smiled at him for the first time.
“Yeah, thanks.” she replied. “You didn’t have to do that. He was just being a little pushy. I could’ve handled it.” She stood up straight putting her hand to her waist.
“Yeah, maybe you could’ve. I just don’t have patience for idiots.”
A few people noticed the scuffle and slowed as they walked by, but not enough to call the attention of any teachers.
Again she turned to watch Jesse huff away embarrassed, still coughing and rubbing his throat.
“He’ll be fine.”
Sarah shrugged and they started back slowly toward the gym.
Walking so close, side by side, Angel was distracted when their hands touched for just a second. He refocused on his reaction to seeing Jesse push himself on her. It was typical of him to want to help but he had gone a little overboard. He could’ve just pushed him off. Instead, he really wanted to see Jesse hurt.
He stared at her now, eyes narrowing. “Is he a friend of yours?”
Sarah glanced his way but turned away quickly. “That’s not what I would call it.”
Angel tightened his jaw and stared straight ahead. “What does that mean?”
She focused on the cheerleaders, who were now staring at them, especially Dana. Angel was oblivious to them, his eyes fixed on Sarah now.
She finally looked back at him. “We hung out once, a long time ago.”
Hung out? “You dated him?”
“Not exactly.”
She never completely looked him in the eye, and the frustration was getting heavier. Jesse was one of the biggest assholes he knew. He couldn’t imagine her being involved with him in any way.
They reached the gym before he could push further, and she gazed at him. She put her hand on his arm and every hair on his body stood at attention.
“Thanks again for what you did back there.”
Angel couldn’t help stare at her eyes.
“I’ll see you around.” She took her hand off his arm and began to walk away.
What? That’s it? No way was he letting her get away so fast. He grabbed her hand as she turned from him. It was soft and small in his big brawny hand. His heart raced.
She turned to look at him he tried focusing on something other than her eyes, but it was impossible.
“Are you going to the game on Friday?”
She studied him for a moment and then cleared her throat. “I can’t. I’m working.”
A few guys turned the corner and strolled toward them. She tugged her hand but he held it tight. He glanced at the guys and back at her.
“Work, huh? 'Til what time?”
“Not sure yet, I’m babysitting, so it depends on what time their parents get home.”
She tugged her hand again, this time just hard enough that Angel let go, and she started to walk away again.
Angel frowned. “Well, there’s a party after, maybe you can go to that, if they get home early?”
She was at the locker room entrance, when she turned back to look at him.
“Maybe.” She waved and disappeared behind the door.
Angel stood there staring at the locker room door. This was ridiculous. Why was he so bad at this all of a sudden? Then it dawned on him. He’d never actually asked a girl out. The irony made him chuckle. He’d always just hook up with someone at a party, or dance, and then ended up parking with her somewhere. Even with all the girls he’d been with, he’d never been inclined to actually ask any of them out, and now that he was trying to, he sucked at it.
**************
Released, Jesse fell to one knee, coughing and gasping for air. Again, Angel turned to face Sarah. He took a few steps her way. She still held her hand to her chest, and her eyes remained on Jesse who, now on his feet, continued to cough. She finally looked at Angel, with those eyes that were beginning to haunt him.
He was determined not to clam up again. “Are you sure you’re okay?” He fought back the urge to pull a strand of hair away from her face. She smiled at him for the first time.
“Yeah, thanks.” she replied. “You didn’t have to do that. He was just being a little pushy. I could’ve handled it.” She stood up straight putting her hand to her waist.
“Yeah, maybe you could’ve. I just don’t have patience for idiots.”
A few people noticed the scuffle and slowed as they walked by, but not enough to call the attention of any teachers.
Again she turned to watch Jesse huff away embarrassed, still coughing and rubbing his throat.
“He’ll be fine.”
Sarah shrugged and they started back slowly toward the gym.
Walking so close, side by side, Angel was distracted when their hands touched for just a second. He refocused on his reaction to seeing Jesse push himself on her. It was typical of him to want to help but he had gone a little overboard. He could’ve just pushed him off. Instead, he really wanted to see Jesse hurt.
He stared at her now, eyes narrowing. “Is he a friend of yours?”
Sarah glanced his way but turned away quickly. “That’s not what I would call it.”
Angel tightened his jaw and stared straight ahead. “What does that mean?”
She focused on the cheerleaders, who were now staring at them, especially Dana. Angel was oblivious to them, his eyes fixed on Sarah now.
She finally looked back at him. “We hung out once, a long time ago.”
Hung out? “You dated him?”
“Not exactly.”
She never completely looked him in the eye, and the frustration was getting heavier. Jesse was one of the biggest assholes he knew. He couldn’t imagine her being involved with him in any way.
They reached the gym before he could push further, and she gazed at him. She put her hand on his arm and every hair on his body stood at attention.
“Thanks again for what you did back there.”
Angel couldn’t help stare at her eyes.
“I’ll see you around.” She took her hand off his arm and began to walk away.
What? That’s it? No way was he letting her get away so fast. He grabbed her hand as she turned from him. It was soft and small in his big brawny hand. His heart raced.
She turned to look at him he tried focusing on something other than her eyes, but it was impossible.
“Are you going to the game on Friday?”
She studied him for a moment and then cleared her throat. “I can’t. I’m working.”
A few guys turned the corner and strolled toward them. She tugged her hand but he held it tight. He glanced at the guys and back at her.
“Work, huh? 'Til what time?”
“Not sure yet, I’m babysitting, so it depends on what time their parents get home.”
She tugged her hand again, this time just hard enough that Angel let go, and she started to walk away again.
Angel frowned. “Well, there’s a party after, maybe you can go to that, if they get home early?”
She was at the locker room entrance, when she turned back to look at him.
“Maybe.” She waved and disappeared behind the door.
Angel stood there staring at the locker room door. This was ridiculous. Why was he so bad at this all of a sudden? Then it dawned on him. He’d never actually asked a girl out. The irony made him chuckle. He’d always just hook up with someone at a party, or dance, and then ended up parking with her somewhere. Even with all the girls he’d been with, he’d never been inclined to actually ask any of them out, and now that he was trying to, he sucked at it.
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