Living the Dream

Welcome to June and another week of scenes to read from Tuesday Tales. This week, we have a word prompt, SOFT, and a 400-word limit to our scenes. I’ve started a new book and all of this month’s scenes will come from it. It’s intended for my Cocktails for You series, so it’s written in the first person. It comes with a temporary cover for the box set in which it will eventually be published. It’ll get a vector cover when I publish it on its own later this summer. Enjoy.

The first thing that penetrated my tired brain was the lack of cars in the driveway. Even if someone had chosen not to drive drunk, wouldn’t at least one of them have driven here tonight?

The second thing was how quiet it was. There were a few lights on in the house, but the only sounds belonged to crickets, frogs, and the whistle of a freight train in the distance. I got out of the van and went up to the front door. I rang the bell and waited. No one answered.

The hoot of an owl sent goosebumps racing down my spine. I recalled a book I’d read in high school about owls and premonitions of death and sorrow.

Where the hell was everyone? Had the place been raided and all of them carted off to jail? It would serve them right—at least Ken. If anyone skirted the letter of the law, it was him. He called it living on the edge; I called it stupid and irresponsible.

I stopped walking to check my phone for messages. None.

Going around the house, I heard soft music coming from the pool area. Maybe they’d all passed out. They weren’t spring chickens any longer, although thirty wasn’t exactly old age, but alcohol had a way of making even the young feel aged. I reached over the top and unbolted the gate, letting myself into the yard. Over the sounds of Blue Rodeo, I could hear the bubbling of the hot tub. The yard was littered with red and blue Solo cups and beer cans, proof that there had been one hell of a party here. I turned the corner and stopped cold. The pool deck and patio were deserted, but not so the spa area. A woman, naked at least from the waist up, her long blonde hair streaming down her back was kneeling in front of a naked man sitting on the edge of the tub, his back against the wall, his head thrown back, his eyes closed, his … I started to back away until the bells and whistles exploded inside my addled mind, and I recognized the mole on the man’s shoulder.

“Zak!” The word exploded from me.

He opened his eyes, blinked, and smiled. The woman stopped what she was doing and turned to look at me. Karen.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I screamed.

She giggled. “I would think that was obvious.”

That’s it. Stay safe, and don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales.

Well. it’s the end of May. The heat has arrived and I’ve been busy working in my flower beds. This is the last post from Beneath the Ashes. Next week we’ll have a new story for you. Our word prompt is CUP.

“Until Titus demands your presence in Rome and turns you into his errand boy once more,” she stated and coughed.

He pulled her into his arms. “Antonia, he is the Emperor. While I may have retired from the army, I serve at his pleasure. Once I’ve spoken to Pliny, we’ll go to my uncle Cassius’s house in Neapolis and stay there as long as you like. We won’t come back until every speck of dust has been cleaned away. Will that make you happy, my love?”

“What makes me happy is having you by my side, but I know the truth, Julius. Duty will always come first with you. You belong to the Emperor.”

“No. I serve Titus, but I belong to you.” He released her to get her another cup of wine.

“Drink this; then you should rest. We leave for Oplontis at dawn.” He picked her up gently and carried her out of her studio to their bedroom. He stood her beside the sleeping couch, helped her removed her chiton and settle into bed, covering her with the warm blanket. After she finished the cup of wine, he bent and kissed her, putting all of his love for her into that one kiss. He blew out the lamp, plunging the room into darkness.

“Julius, don’t leave me. Don’t leave us.” Her voice was filled with fear.

“I will never leave you, my love. I would sooner die than be forced to spend any more time away from you.”

He undressed and crawled into bed beside her, pulling her into him, his arms encircling her and the child, holding them tightly against him. He listened as her breathing changed, and she fell asleep. He tried to relax but couldn’t. What could have kept Lucius in Pompeii when the man knew how important the message he carried was? Could something have happened to him? He’d seen the way the dark clouds of ash had moved toward the south. What if Antonia was right, and he’d condemned them by waiting here? He only had the word of a priest that all would be well, and he knew from experience that their answers were rarely as truthful as they should be. He was asleep when the ground shook harder than it ever had startling him awake as it did Antonia. She cried out in fear. “I have you my love. I’ll never let go, you’re sa—”but he never finished the word.

That’s it. Stay safe, and don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales.

Once again, the authors from the ABB present you with 8 new contemporary romance novels, perfect for your summer reading pleasure.

They never intended to become heroes…
But actions speak louder than words.

Find true love with these accidental heroes, in the pages of EIGHT BRAND NEW, full-length steamy stories, from New York Times and USA Today Bestselling, Award-Winning Authors.

TWO HEARTS’ ACCIDENTAL HEROES by Tamara Ferguson, USA Today bestselling author: Rick O’Neill has never been able to forget Shanna Weldon, the girl he suspected was being abused and had tried to help. There was evidence that she could be alive after her disappearance ten years earlier. Was she really a trafficking victim or could she be part of the organization?

SAVING ME by Natalie Ann, USA Today bestselling author: A relaxing day of golf soon turns into a life saved and the love of a lifetime found.

BAYOU HEAT by Suzanne Jenkins, USA Today bestselling author: After a devastating loss, Maggie embarks on a new chapter in her life when she takes a boat ride at dusk and discovers a body floating in the canal.

TARGETING LUCY by Cynthia Cooke, USA Today bestselling author: When a serial rapist is after the woman he used to love, can Jared Halloway protect Lucy, and keep his heart from breaking all over again?

WE’RE ALL STARS by Mona Risk, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author: She points at two children drowning. He saves them and turns their lives upside down.

BORN A HERO by Mimi Barbour, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author: Bryce’s day turns upside down when he reaches out to help an elderly lady during a raging storm. By the time he gets her to her house, the levee breaks, and they’re in deep… ahh, water.

FINDING MELINDA by Susanne Matthews, International bestselling author: If she isn’t Melinda Crites, who is she? And why is someone trying to kill her? Can she trust anyone? Especially the stranger who makes her heart sing?

COMPROMISED by Taylor Lee, USA Today bestselling author: She’s as gorgeous as she is outrageous. He’s a political superstar. What quickly becomes a face-off is complicated by their passionate love affair.

Most of us define ourselves by being the person we believe ourselves to be, sons or daughters of a long line of ancestors who came before us, but how would you feel is everything you believed about yourself turned out to be false?

If she isn’t Melinda Crites, who is she? And why is someone trying to kill her? Can she trust anyone? Especially the stranger who makes her heart sing.

When a family Christmas present among siblings backfires, Melinda Crites faces an identity crisis. Not only is she not a real Crites, but she also has no idea who her biological parents are, beyond the information in the DNA analysis.
Struggling with this new knowledge, Melinda decides to join the platform and see what comes of it. Within a month of retesting to make sure there hasn’t been an error made, she’s contacted by a man who claims to be her biological brother and invites her to visit him and the rest of his family in Sydney, Nova Scotia. Desperate to find herself once more and discover her roots, she agrees to go, hoping that by learning the truth, she’ll be able to find her center once more and get on with her life. What she doesn’t expect is to fall in love with her brother’s partner.

When Marc Mason, CFO for Mason-Scott Aquaculture, the largest seafood growing and processing enterprise on Cape Breton, learns that his business partner and best friend, Darcy Scott may have located his missing twin, he agrees to help his best friend discover more about the mysterious Melinda Crites. If she really is his sibling, Darcy plans to give her a share of the business and the family wealth. If she isn’t, then he’ll expose her for the fraud she is.

But not everyone is excited to welcome a long-lost relative, and when a car tries to run down Melinda outside her hotel, quick action on Marc’s part saves her life. The last thing he wants from her is hero worship. She may or may not be a fraud and has no reason to trust him, but how can he let anything happen to the woman who calls to his soul?

Grab your copy of Irresistible Accidental Heroes today! https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0C1F1JWGB

Welcome to this week’s Tuesday Tales and another scene from Beneath the Ashes. Picture prompt scenes are limited to 300 words. Here’s my picture. Enjoy.

“I appreciate that, thank you. I do feel badly about being dumped on you like this. No one wants a guest who overstays her welcome.”

He shook his head. “You could never do that, and please. from now on, this is your home, too.”

She unfastened her seatbelt, opened the car door, and grabbed her purse off the floor.

“Leave the backpack.” He reached for her hand and led her out of the garage onto the terrace.

“It’s incredible,” she whispered, staring ahead at the Bay of Naples.

“I love my work in Herculaneum and Pompeii, but the minute I saw this place, I knew it was the house I wanted. It was a ruin, having sat empty longer than it was ever occupied, and barely escaping the damage from two wars and countless earthquakes, but I belonged here.”

“The … the statues.” She seemed pale, but that could be the light. “Where did you find them?”

“They were here when I bought the house. The original Casa della Sirena is built over the ruins of a villa built before Vesuvius erupted. I had a look at the old plans, but I don’t think the place was ever completed. The statues were here when the casa was built in the early twentieth century. Sadly, the owner had no children, so it sat here alone and unwanted after his death.”

“But it’s so beautiful.”

Not as beautiful as you, he wanted to say. Instead, he led her toward the house.

“There’ll be a full moon tonight. I love sitting out here with a glass of brandy after dinner, watching it rise. There’s nothing quite like it.” He crossed the terrace and opened the door. “Rosa,” he called into the chouse. “Our guest has arrived.”

That’s it. Stay safe, and don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales.

Welcome to this week’s Tuesday Tales. I’m pleased to say that spring appears to be here to stay! This week, our word prompt is STONE. I’m continuing with my contemporary paranormal romance, Beneath the Ashes.

Lucie stared at the man whose voice caressed her like a lover even if his appearance didn’t seem familiar. The remnants of his cologne, a cedar-based one that she’d always found appealing, tickled her nostrils and touched her memory.

Pull yourself together, Lucie. This isn’t the time to go off again.

He’d made an overture of friendship. The next step was hers.

“Thank you, Dr. Tedesco. The picture was taken after a day on the site. I’m sure I still had dirt on my face.” She moved closer to his and held out her hand.

Instead of shaking it, he took it gently, raised it to his lips, and kissed it, his salt and pepper beard as soft as silk, stroking the area where it touched her skin, sending lava racing through her veins to pool in her core. She shuddered, swaying slightly, and caught her breath audibly. He released her.

The pulse at the base of his throat, clearly visible since the shirt was unbuttoned at the neck, throbbed hard enough for her to see. Had he felt something, too?

“Please, you must call me Mario, and like Trent, I’ll call you Lucie. We’ll leave the titles to the students. We’re equals here, and speaking of here, are you ready to peek into the abyss?”

She was certain he meant more by his words than what he was saying. The heat of desire filled her. She swallowed. What was wrong with her? This man wasn’t her type—far from it. She forced herself to calm down and behave the way she always had when out of her element, drawing on a stoicism she’d mastered long ago when her parents had divorced.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.” Was that breathy voice hers? Damn. As off kilter as she was, it was a miracle that she could frame a cohesive thought, let alone speak it. How could this stranger’s touch illicit such a powerful response? She swallowed, searching for words. “I wasn’t aware that there was much to see from up here, but yes, that would be great.” It would give her a chance to prepare herself for what might come, to try and figure out what game fate was playing now, and design a response to it. For every action, there was a reaction. All she needed was to know which one would be the right one. Moving closer to him, she crossed the uneven ground, littered with rocks and stones. She stumbled, and Mario grabbed her before she could fall, the heat of his touch burning its way through her.

That’s it. Stay safe, and don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales.

Welcome to this month’s Insecure Writer’s Support Group blog. After a month of blogging from A to Z I feel the need to keep going, so today’s blog is perfect for that. This month’s question:

When you are working on a story, what inspires you?

It’s hard to answer this question becasuse for me, it depends on the book. If I’m writing a story based on where I’ve been, then it’ll be pictures and souvenirs. If I’m writing a book based of a place I’ve never been, a historical event, a book about something like genetics, or even a suspense novel, then the answer is research. What I learn along the way can become a scene in the book or a means to fuel a character’s actions. Currently, I’m working on a novel that blends scenes from the past with those of the present. I’m writing a book for my Timeless Love series where the characters died in 79 CE when Pompeii erupted. Now, the two have been reborn and have a chance to be together again.

I have a Bachelor of Arts degree with a concentration on English and history, many of the history courses based on Ancient civilizations, specifically Greek and Roman. I did additional research on Pompeii. I was surprised to discover that while there’s a Latin word for earthquake, there isn’t one for volcano. How to explain the earthquakes around Mount Vesuvius? They believed that beneath the mountain was the lair of the giant Vesuvius, imprisoned there by Vulcan. When he awoke, the earth shook until Vulcan settled him again. Big earthquakes like the one in 62 CE that did so much damage meant there had been a battle between the god and his prisoner. In these days of modern science, it’s hard to believe anyone could be that naive.

So, I guess my answer to the question would be research motivates and inspires me. Check out the other answers here.

https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html

Have you ever wanted a do-over, a chance to go back and make things right? At times, we all do, but for Neil and Nancy, they may have a chance to do just that.

Four years ago, a car accident robbed Nancy Frost of her child and her mother, taking what was left of her marriage with it in the process. A forensic accountant, she agrees to look at a company’s books in a divorce case, trying to find hidden assets, but her meeting with the lawyer goes terribly wrong when the restaurant is attacked.

The moment US Marshal Neil Copeland discovers his wife has been shot in a Baltimore restaurant, he rushes to her side, determined not to let her down again. As the police investigate, evidence suggests the attack was a ploy to hide a specific hit. When a professional assassin tries to kill Nancy a second time, it’s clear that she was the target and whatever’s going on is a lot more complicated than they think.

When Nancy awakes after a month in an induced coma, not only does she not remember the attack on the restaurant, she doesn’t remember marrying Neil.

Faced with the challenge of protecting his wife from a powerful, faceless enemy, Neil must bring her up to date, dredging up all the sorrow that tore them apart in the first place, hoping something will jar her memory.

As he races against time, can he save her from an unknown assassin and convince her to give the love they once had a second chance?

You can pick up Sworn to Protect this month for only 99 cents! As always, it’s free to read on Kindle Unlimited https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072MHFQJF

Welcome to this week’s Tuesday Tales. Our word is INTENSE, and I’ve used the verb form of the word in a post from my current work in progress on a new book from a new series called Timeless Love. The first book, Beneath the Ashes, deals with a love lost when Mount Vesuvius blew its top and destroyed Pompeii, Herculaneum, and much of the area around the Bay of Naples. The idea for this story originated ten years ago when I wrote a short story on the topic.

Enjoy a quick taste of Beneath the Ashes.

Lucie’s heart pounded as she struggled to hide what was happening to her. She clenched her hands on her lap. Damn! She’d done so well all day and now … The feelings of déjà vu intensified as they neared the site of the Villa dig. As had happened in Rome, the past superimposed itself on the present. Along the bumpy, makeshift road, she glimpsed the shadows of the citrus trees that had produced the sweetest oranges. Beside them was the apricot orchard, and next to it, the olive grove.

When Trent stopped the vehicle, the house Julius had designed specifically for her, for them, wavered in front of her, shaded by the stone pine trees, the other bushes, and the plants surrounding it, welcoming her home. Beyond it would be his pride and joy, his vineyards. Far off in the distance, no more than mere dots of black and white on the verdant hill, sheep grazed.

Twisting in her seat, she looked back at Vesuvius, seeing not only a mountain with a rounded top, but the volcanic monster with a jagged crown who’d caused death and destruction.

As quickly as the vision had arisen, it vanished, leaving behind the damage done to the farmer’s field by the machinery, tents, fencing, and other paraphernalia that now surrounded her. The only thing that remained of her delusion were the sheep. Her hands trembled and cold sweat snaked down her back.

Trent glanced at her.  “Are you okay? You seem a little pale.”

“Just tired,” she managed to say. “I suppose I’m still a little jet-lagged.”

Trent opened his door. “Yeah. Usually takes me a week to settle after I come back from a trip home. Mario’s on his way, and he looks lemony. This work is important to all of us, but it consumes him, and anything that might interfere tends to make him cranky—not that you’ll interfere, but you might present a distraction. Like me, he’s not expecting anyone like you, so if he seems like a stunned mullet, completely stonkered, you’ll have to give him a break.”

She blinked. At times his Australian expressions stymied her. “I’m assuming you mean he’ll be surprised because he was probably expecting a mousy old lady, with the dust of the ages bending her back, or a crusty old battle-axe fighting for recognition in a world of men. I did notice that all your staff is male.”

That’s it. Stay safe, and don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales.

We made it! Today is the last day of the challenge. I’ve enjoyed writing these posts and hope you have enjoyed reading them, too, and that in the process, you’ve learned a bit about me, my writing style, and my books.

My last post for Z this year is Did You Know that with all of the authors and books out there these days, an Indie writer has to be zealous about her craft? Zealous means to be devoted, diligent, enthusiastic, passionate, fanatical about something. It means sacrificing and sweating over it, and spending countless hours on it.

As a writer, I am all of those things. I put in hours at the computer writing, researching, reading, blogging, doing anything I can to get my books noticed. When it comes to facts about histroy or locations I’m fanatical about getting things right. I may get down on myself every now and then because what I believe is an incredible book isn’t making it, but I don’t give up. I simply switch gears and try something else. I start each new book full of zeal and hope that this one will be the one.

This is it for the year. If you’ve enjoyed my posts, follow me. I don’t post every day, but I do announce new book releases here.

It’s a typical spring day here, one with dark skies and rain, but since I have to work to meet the deadline on my new book, it works for me.

Today, my Did You Know? is all about Young Adult fiction. Did you know that along with all the other books I’ve written I did write a Young Adult Suspense Novel? Prove It is a clean story, geared to the 12-18-year-old reader, but that will appeal to older readers looking for easy to read suspense. It was written as a gift for my granddaughter and deals with peer pressure and sports. discussing the ugly practice of gambling on high school sports. At the time I wrote the book, I’d been reading about a mother who’d murdered a competitor to secure a spot on a cheerleading squad. If a parent would do that, what else would they do? That’s when I found articles on the gambling.

Writers try to make their novels appealing to the readers by creating believable plots. In this case, I just had to Prove It!

High school sports can be more dangerous than you think!

Ivy Hill’s track star, Liam Howard, has his future all mapped out: date Hannah Connors, win the New Horizon scholarship, get a spot on the next Olympic team, and then go to medical school. Sounds simple, especially when he’s well on his way to achieving his dream. But someone else has other plans. Ignoring the most recent threatening note, Liam goes out for his regular practice run and is struck by a vehicle and left for dead.

Hannah refuses to believe Liam will never walk or run again, especially when she learns the person behind the accident may be her own track coach. Working with Erik Jenkins, Liam’s best friend, she searches for proof, but Erik vanishes on his way to see the coach. Now, it’s up to her, Liam, and their friends, to find Erik and the evidence they need to put a hit and run driver behind bars. But time may be running out for both Erik and Liam as someone tries to finish the job they started, regardless of collateral damage. Read the free preview to see for yourself.

That’s it for me today. Find other bloggers and their posts here. https://tinyurl.com/3we8aa84

Come back tomorrow when I’ll give you a Did You Know? for the last letter of this year’s challenge, the letter Z. Enjoy your day.