But fear not they plan to return next week.
in the meantime here are my fellow flasher's links
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Weds Brief
But fear not they plan to return next week.
in the meantime here are my fellow flasher's links
Monday, March 25, 2013
Happy Passover and Easter
I celebrate Passover, the holiday starts this evening.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Weds Brief
Here are this week's prompts:
"When you wish upon a star" or use: champagne, icon, boulevard or use spring in some way (doesn't have to be the season) or use a nonsense song - such as Mairzy Doats or "Are you crazy? You could have..." or use a photograph in some way or "tripping the light fantastic."
Weds Brief
“Hey, Tom?”
“Yeah, Joe?” Tom
answered his friend as he folded up the hoses they’d used on the last run. Every
time they came back from fighting a fire, someone had to stack the hoses in the
back of the fire truck.
“I was wondering if you could change shifts with me. My
daughter has a doctor’s appointment tomorrow and I was hoping we could swap.”
The guys sometimes covered for each other when they needed
to.
“Sure, Joe.” Joe had helped Tom in the past so Tom felt it
was no big deal to reciprocate.
“Oh, thanks, you’re a life saver.” Joe and Tom looked at one another and laughed
as Joe realized the ambiguous statement.
The change meant he and Ben would have to alter their
plans. It was nothing major; they were
going to an art gallery event downtown.
They would just have to postpone their visit.
Ben had mentioned he was going to be doing some showings that
afternoon so Tom decided he’d call him later.
The men at the firehouse never knew when the alarm would go
off, but when it did, like now, they were all ready to go at a moment’s
notice. The piercing noise punctuated
the urgency of the call they’d received about a traffic accident. Tom quickly joined his fellow firefighters
on the truck as they sped out of the station.
Their destination was
on Rockford Boulevard, which was about five miles away. As they drove up,
Tom looked out the side window to access the situation. There were two cars in the middle of the
intersection. One was a black BMW, but
the other car was somehow familiar. It
was a blue Nissan Pathfinder; it looked remarkably like the one Ben drove.
“Oh my God!” Tom got
out of the truck even before it had fully stopped. “Ben!”
“Hold on ,Tom, let the paramedics do their job,” Joe said as he and Billy held him back. The paramedics had arrived just a few moments
before the fire truck, so they were already evaluating the scene.
From where he stood Tom could see that the two cars had had a
head-on collision and both vehicles air bags had deployed.
“Please let me go, I have to see how Ben is.” Tom knew he couldn’t help rescue Ben, because
he was personally involved, but nothing, not even a herd of elephants, could
stop him from going over and seeing how he was.
“Okay, you can check on him, but don’t do any heroics.”
“Thanks, Cap.” Tom
was grateful they had such a great guy as the captain of their firehouse. Tom quickly went to the driver’s side of the
SUV. Ben was leaning his head back on
the rest.
“Ben?” Tom held his
breath as he helplessly watched the paramedics look Ben over. He didn’t show any outward signs of trauma;
it looked like the airbag took much of the damage.
Sam, one of the paramedics, along with Mary, his partner,
looked Ben over. They checked his vitals
Cough, cough.”ah oh…Tom?” Ben was coming around and the first person he asked for was Tom.
“I’m right here, Ben.”
He reached out and held his hand.
Mary put a cervical collar around Ben’s neck and put him on
a backboard.
Tom rode with him; no one would dare tell him otherwise.
Ben lucked out; he walked away with some bruising and a sprained
wrist. The man who hit him had run a red
light. He was in a hurry to get to a meeting and hit Ben, who had the green
light.
“Tom, stop fussing over me,” Ben said to him as Tom got him
settled in their bed upon their return home.
“That’s tough, after the scare I got I’m just thrilled
you’re alive and here for me to fuss over. I don’t know what I would do if
anything…” Tom got all choked up.
“Hey, baby, it’s okay. I’m fine.”
Tom settled next to him, their lips met. “Love you ,Ben.”
“Love you too, Tom.”
They held each other. Tom said a prayer of thanks before
they both fell asleep.
TBC
my fellow Flashers:
Monday, March 18, 2013
Congrats to the winner of my contest
Congrats to you Anya. I have e mailed you.
Thank you to all who entered. Have a great week
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Happy St. Patrick's Day! I'm having a contest
In honor of this special day I am running a contest. I am giving away a copy of one of my books. Reader's choice. To enter just leave your name and contact info. The contest runs all day Sun March 17th till midnight eastern time. I'll be announcing the winner on Mon.
May the luck of the Irish be with you.
Saturday, March 16, 2013
St. Patrick's Day Contest coming soon
I thought I'd give you all a heads up that I am running a contest starting tomorrow, St. Patrick's Day.
Please stop by to find out more
Please stop by to find out more
Friday, March 15, 2013
Welcome author Lynn Rae
I'd like to welcome author Lynn Rae to my blog today. Let's give her a warm welcome and find out more about her book. "Bent Boot Road."
Interview Q & A
Other than writing, what other jobs or professions have you undertaken or considered?
I have worked as a librarian, a museum curator, a customer service representative for an HVAC parts manufacturer, and in a deli. Writing is something new, but I have found that a lot of my previous work experiences have helped me come up with some interesting ideas for stories.
Which fictional character would you most like to have met?
Jack Reacher. Isn’t everyone’s answer Jack Reacher? I would take that man out for some good coffee and feed him some diner food and try to get him to tell me some stories. Then I would try to convince him that he could try shopping for clothing at a more upscale location once in a while. Then he could teach me some cool fight moves before I drop him off at the side of the highway.
Blurb for Bent Boot Road
Lydia Back has problems; a dead end job cataloging artifacts no one wants to see, an office in a dusty basement storage room, and she’s just discovered that her friend is missing. Adding to her frustration is the arrival of a too-charming private investigator who needs her help.
Carter Harris has no problems; he has his own successful business and is enjoying a few days in a scenic southern Ohio town to gather information on a missing professor. But his local contact turns out to be an uncooperative woman who prefers traipsing around the forest to having a civilized conversation with him.
While working together, they begin to uncover the secrets that lurk under the surface of other people’s lives and also discover an inconvenient attraction. When danger looms, Carter and Lydia realize it will be impossible to survive without each other.
Excerpt from Bent Boot Road by Lynn Rae
So
now they were heading down a narrow township road, trees overhanging
the vehicle. The road itself was narrow, graveled asphalt with crumbling
edges. It was primitive and he couldn’t imagine trying to drive on it
in icy or snowy conditions. Yet again he was glad that he had a rental.
His Audi shouldn’t be exposed to such a surface. Back’s face was buried
in the county road map and she had resisted his efforts at conversation
for the last mile. He decided to try again, the local radio station kept
fading in and out due to interference from the hills looming over them
and he was bored. Whenever he was bored he made questionable decisions,
or so his mother had warned him.
“How are your hands, Back?”
She folded the county map and glanced at him before pulling out one of Dr. Cooper’s maps to look at next.
“They are okay, sore but I’m managing.”
He
nodded, he was making progress now. Her nose was back to reading or
surveying or viewing the map, whatever you might call it. He had no
idea, since interstates and urban areas were his specialty. All this
overgrown deserted rural environment was confusing. Back had told him
that the Mullins lived on Bent Boot Road and he’d laughed, sure that she
was joking. She hadn’t been, and that’s why she had been sulking and
silent next to him.
“Give me some background on the Mullins couple, so I am prepared.”
She
sighed and looked up at the passing trees. They hadn’t even passed a
mailbox, let alone seen another car or house for quite a while. It was
creepy.
“He is a retired engineer, so he’s pretty particular about things, and she puts up with it.”
“That’s it, the one sentence definition of them?”
“Pretty much.”
“Sounds like a successful marriage to me.”
She grunted and folded a map. Carter was still bored. Time to make a questionable move.
“So tell me Back, are you seeing anyone?”
She
unfurled the map and pulled it up higher so that he couldn’t see her
face anymore. Silent, and he was sure she was glowering.
“So, anyone serious, or just casual dates? No one? What’s your type?”
The
map rattled violently and she pushed it down on her lap with a grunt,
wrinkling it irreversibly. Carter had to repress a grin, he was getting a
reaction now.
“Are you going to continue this line of questioning?”
“Yes.”
“Criminy
Harris, there are far more interesting things to talk about, like the
collapse of the Soviet Union and the impact on the future of
geopolitical power.”
“Too heavy. Let’s keep it light.”
“I thought we weren’t going to talk about that sort of thing.”
“I’m not asking you about sex, I’m asking you about dating. They aren’t the same thing.”
She
shot a foul look his way and leaned her head back on the rest, sighing
loudly. “We have one more mile on this road and then we turn. I’ll talk
until we need to turn onto Bent Boot Road.” This last sentence was
pronounced in a growl. So she was still irritated by his scoffing.
“So, are you seeing anyone?”
“Not that it matters at all, but no, I am not.”
“Why not?”
“I guess I haven’t met that special someone.” This reply was in a saccharine tone.
“Do you want to know if I am seeing anyone?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because it is completely irrelevant.”
“Not
to me. I like going on dates.” And he liked sex, but he had a sense
that she would open the door and leap from the moving car if he
mentioned that. Carter had been too busy for either activity the past
few months, but prolonged exposure to Lydia Back was stimulating all
sorts of impulses.
She groaned and began to roll the map up, making far too much noise in his opinion.
“Fine,
tell me all about your fabulous girlfriend and your fabulous life back
in Fabulous Columbus. Where they don’t have streets with silly names.”
“At least you admit it is a silly name.”
“It’s
not a silly name, you thought it was a silly name. I think it is a fine
name, one that the people of Bent Boot are proud of.” She sounded a bit
self-righteous.
“The people of Bent Boot?”
“Yes, the People of Bent Boot,” she snarled back.
Bio for Lynn Rae
Lynn Rae is a romance writer residing in Columbus, Ohio. With
professional experience in fields ranging from contract archaeology to
librarianship along with making donuts and teaching museum studies, Lynn
Rae enjoys incorporating her real-life adventures into her writing
(except the naughty parts). This is her first novel with Sweet Cravings
Publishing.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Weds Brief
Weds Brief
It turned out that trip to the British Isles was going to
have to wait until later in the spring.
That was when Tom and Ben’s could schedule time off of work.
“Hey Tom, would you want to go to the Netherlands?”
“The Netherlands, why do you want to go there?” Tom asked him. He was sitting in their office, looking at
his laptop. They’d talked about going to Ireland to see the castles but Ben
never mentioned wanting to go to the Netherlands.
“Windmills, I’ve always wanted to see the windmills. That and tulips. I just love tulips.”
“I should have known by the sea of tulips you have growing
in our front yard.” Tom had to admit their house stood out with
the pop of color that the sea of red created in the spring. “I guess we can spend a weekend there and go
from there to Ireland.”
“Oh Tom!” Ben threw
his arms around Tom’s neck and planted a kiss on his lips. “It’s going to be so much fun, I can hardly
wait.” Ben sat in Tom’s lap and their lips met again.
“I can’t wait to get away with you.” Tom’s hand caressed his face. “See Europe together.”
“Me neither.” Ben tightened his arms around Tom. He loved
him so much he never wanted to let go.
“Meow.” Their cat
jumped up on the desk in front of the two men.
“Hi Love.” Tom
reached out to pet the cat behind the ears.
“Oh my goodness, I forgot about her. What are we going to do
with her?”
“How about we ask Donna?” Tom suggested their next door
neighbor. She had two cats and a dog
and had watched their home when they’d gone away before, even picked up their
mail for them. “We can ask her if she
can watch Love.”
“Yeah, I think that is a great idea. I’ll give her a call now and ask her.” Ben took Love into the kitchen to feed her
and make the call.
“So what did she say?”
Tom asked as Ben joined him again in the office.
“She said she’d love to help us, just tell her when.”
“Well, we have Love taken care of.”
“Yeah, now how about I take care of my handsome
firefighter?” Ben took his seat in Tom’s
lap.
They’d moved their extracurricular activities to the
bedroom. If there was one thing Ben was
good at, it was taking care of Tom.
“Oh wow! What was that?”
Tom cried out when Ben tried something new.
“I don’t know what it’s called but I’m going to call it the
‘windmill.’” Ben christened the new
maneuver.
Tom lay back in bed, sweat covering his body.
“Did you like it?”
Ben wasn’t sure he did the right thing.
It just seemed to him that they basically did the same stuff during
their lovemaking and he thought it was time to switch things up.
“That’s putting it mildly. That was incredible.”
“Thank goodness for Google.”
Ben laid his head on Tom’s chest.
“Are you doing research for our sex life?” Tom asked.
“I just wanted to spice things up a bit, I hope you don’t
mind, baby.” Ben looked into Tom’s
eyes. The smile that broke out on his husband’s face and shone
through his eyes were all the confirmation Ben needed.
“And that is one of the many reasons I love you. Thank you for thinking of me, and us. I’ll have to return the favor. I can’t wait to get you over in Europe and
see if I can find ways to spice things up too.”
“Mmmm, me too.” Ben
smiled as they lay there cuddling.
TBC
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Weds Brief
I used a photo that will appear at the end of this post
Weds Brief
If there was one thing about firefighting it was that one
day was different from the next—one day they could fight a house on fire or handle
a multi-car accident.
It was all good and well if no one got hurt of died, but Tom
knew that was all part of the job. Which
was why counseling was part of his life too.
It was wonderful to have a supportive partner like Ben, but Tom rarely
talked about the gruesome details of his job at home. He saved that for his
co-workers and the shrink.
Tom never knew when a simple call could turn so wrong, so
fast.
“Just don’t come near me!”
Like right now. A fender bender had turned into a man ready to jump off
the overpass, into the freezing Conestoga River. It was March and, just like the cliché, it was
coming in like a lion. It was cold, it
was breezy, and it had just started to snow.
Tom would love to be at home in front of a cozy fire with Ben snuggled
in his arms, enjoying a steaming mug of hot cocoa, but here he was trying to
figure out how to talk the distraught man out of making a horrible decision.
“Look, mister, it’s okay. Please step back over the railing
and we can talk about it.”
“No! You don’t know what I did!” The man had run a stop light and hit the
corner of a building. Judging by the
slightly crushed hood and minor damage to the dress shop, he couldn’t have been
going too fast.
“What’s your name?”
“What does it matter to you?”
“I’d like to know who I’m talking to.”
“It’s Randy, not that it matters now anyway. I’ll be dead in a few minutes.”
“Randy, whatever you did I’m sure it’s not as bad as you
think it is.” Tom wasn’t trained to talk
someone off the ledge, but he was the first one to find the man after they’d
noticed the car door open and the vehicle empty. They’d all searched and Tom was the one to find
him first.
“It’s terrible. I lost my job, my girlfriend broke up with
me when she found out, and I’m being evicted from my apartment. I’ve got nothing. I’m a big loser. No one would care if I ended things
now.” The man shifted position, closer
to the edge.
“Take it easy. I care. I don’t want you to jump. Come with
me, I’ll help you.”
“Yeah, right.” The man wiped the tears running down his
check with his sleeve.
“Randy, I mean it. Please give me a chance.”
Tom reached out to Randy, after a long pause, Tom was
relieved when their hands clasped and he was able to pull the man back over the
railing and into his arms.
“You should’ve just let me die. Now you’ll probably put the strait
jacket on me and take me away to the crazy house.”
“No, Randy, no crazy house.
We’re going to take you to the hospital and make sure you’re okay and
then you’ll get the help you need.”
“Sure.” Randy was obviously angry. “And what about you? Now that you got me off the ledge, so to
speak, you’ll just disappear. Job done.”
Tom had never allowed himself to get personally involved, it
wasn’t really the best thing you could do for yourself on a job like this. But Randy touched a chord within him. “I’ll come with you to the hospital.”
The paramedics had come over to take charge of Randy.
“Promise?” Randy
asked as he was put on the gurney.
“Promise.” Tom
climbed in the ambulance with the distraught man. And rode to the hospital.
They checked him over.Tom stayed with him as long as he
could. But he had to get back to the
station. A psychiatrist came in and he had to leave in any case.
“Thanks,” Randy said from the hospital bed. They were
keeping him overnight for observation.
“You’re welcome.”
Tom left the hospital and was very happy when his shift ended and he
could go home.
“Ben?” Tom came into
their home. Love greeting him as he put
his coat away in the hallway closet.
“Hi Tom, how was your day…umph.” Tom had enveloped Ben in a bear hug before
the man could finish what he was saying.
“What’s all this about?”
Ben pulled back a bit so he could look Tom in the eye.
“Rough day. I had to stop a man from jumping off an
overpass. He wanted to end it all.”
“Oh, Tom, is he okay?”
“Yeah, he’s at the hospital right now, they’re evaluating
him.”
“More important to me is how are you?” Ben wrapped his arms around Tom and held him.
“I’m okay now, just glad to be home with my honey.”
Ben pampered Tom with a wonderful dinner and dessert. Which consisted of apple pie alamode and a
massage and some toe-curling lovemaking.
Afterwards Ben had fallen asleep but when he woke a short
time later he noticed Tom was busy on his laptop.
“Looking at anything interesting?” Ben asked him.
“Yeah, I think we need a break from everything. It’s time to plan a vacation.”
“Yeah? Did you have
anyplace in mind?” Ben scooted closer to
him and looked at a photo Tom had up on the screen.
“I love old buildings, especially castles and ruins. I’ve always wanted to go to Ireland and
England. How does this place look?”
“What is this place?”
Ben asked.
“It’s the Ballycarbery Castle located in County Kerry,
Ireland.”
“Looks wonderful. I’d
love to go. “
“You sure?” Tom
didn’t know how much convincing he’d need to do on Ben, but obviously none.
“Yep, I’ve always wanted to go see the British Isles
too. Hey, while we’re in Ireland. we can
kiss the Blarney Stone.”
“Sure, but I’d much rather kiss you instead.” And that is what Tom did.
TBC
Here is Ballycarbery Castle.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Welcome Author Jo Anne Myers to my blog
I'd like to give a warm welcome to Jo Anne Myers. She has written a book of poetry. Let's find out more about her.
Her past four years felt like an eternity,
as we watched her grow and see…
Her awkward times, turned to cherished memories,
The Indian mascot defined her;
and “The Times of My Life,” her graduation song.
Those rough years became her joy,
as high school trained her for life’s hurdles.
From the tantrums and parties she threw.
1-How long have you been writing? Since childhood.
2- What is your favorite genre to write? Probable paranormal since it is so creepy and mystifying
3-What are you working on now? I just finished a biography true-crime that occurred in my hometown in 1982, and took 25 years to solve.
4-When you begin a story do you start with character or plot? Character, so I know what type of story, fantasy, paranormal etc, to write about.
5-Tell us about your latest/upcoming release. What inspired it? “The Crime of the Century,” My inspiration came from it being a true case and took so long to solve, also the man convicted was innocent, which was a whole other story in itself.
Here three poems from her book
IN A LAND ONCE CALLED
PARADISE
The road seemed endless,
with each step they took.
Weighed down by their gear,
emotions and fear.
They walked on every so fast.
Knowing each step might be
their last.
The rain poured and the sun
beat down.
As each side’s casualty
became a mass.
Sounds of guns echoed all
around.
As refuge became weeds and
tall grass.
Each soldiers level of honor
and courage was found.
As they fought bravely
alongside the screams and death sounds.
While evils of man lingered
amongst fields of rice,
devastation reigned in a land
once called paradise.
SOMETHING EVIL STIRS
Something evil stirs in my
town.
A growing unrest.
A defiant unease, a growing anxiety.
Moving ever so softly, like whispers on the wind.
This thing comes swiftly.
No warning-as silent as breath.
Drenched in malice, it nears.
A friend to chaos, sloth and death.
So quick-a malignant mass.
Leaving behind the useless and morally dead.
So forceful, that many become chaff.
A growing unrest.
A defiant unease, a growing anxiety.
Moving ever so softly, like whispers on the wind.
This thing comes swiftly.
No warning-as silent as breath.
Drenched in malice, it nears.
A friend to chaos, sloth and death.
So quick-a malignant mass.
Leaving behind the useless and morally dead.
So forceful, that many become chaff.
Consuming everything within
my town.
It fed well-as always.
Until the next time-devouring all.
It fed well-as always.
Until the next time-devouring all.
Slipping into homes, like fog
on the bay.
Youthful disenchantment
suffocates all.
Beware the beast is red as fire.
A mass of hate and poison.
Our dictators battle the war with little success,
for the King and his court, squabble like school boys.
Beware the beast is red as fire.
A mass of hate and poison.
Our dictators battle the war with little success,
for the King and his court, squabble like school boys.
Only harmony will sooth the
beast.
A legion of unity, to succeed is needed.
Something evil stirs.
I am ready-standing tall and strong.
I draw strength from within.
Honor rules my mind.
A legion of unity, to succeed is needed.
Something evil stirs.
I am ready-standing tall and strong.
I draw strength from within.
Honor rules my mind.
Courage stirs my desire to
win.
For the beast is-procrastination.
For the beast is-procrastination.
Ode to Keesha (my granddaughter)
Her past four years felt like an eternity,
as we watched her grow and see…
From the mom who urged her to do
better.
To the fine woman she turned out
to be.
Her awkward times, turned to cherished memories,
and the crowded halls she learned
to call home.
The Indian mascot defined her;
and “The Times of My Life,” her graduation song.
Those rough years became her joy,
as high school trained her for life’s hurdles.
From the tantrums and parties she threw.
To her many admirers who smiled
and pursued.
Most strangers she now calls friends.
A makeshift family to love to the end.
Most strangers she now calls friends.
A makeshift family to love to the end.
Her life is now a bright future,
as petty jealousies and
heartbreaks mend.
She’s not a little girl anymore.
But nearly grown and out the
door.
Long after the drama, she’ll
realize how far,
her tears, and hard work got her.
AUTHOR BIO:
JoAnne hails from the Hocking Hills region of southeastern Ohio. She also canvass paints, and sews. When not exercising her hobbies or working outside the home, JoAnne spends time with relatives, her dogs Jasmine and Scooter, and volunteers her time within the community. She is a member of the Hocking Hill's Arts and Craftsmen Association, The Hocking County Historical Society and Museum, and the Hocking Hills Regional Welcome Center. JoAnne is a mother of three and grandmother of eight. She believes in family values and following your dreams
Her original canvass paintings, can be found at: http://www.booksandpaintingsbyjoanne.com
JoAnne's upcoming novels are:
"MURDER MOST FOUL," a detective/mystery
"WICKED INTENTIONS" a paranormal anthology
"LOVES', MYTHS' AND MONSTERS'," a fantasy anthology
"FLAGITIOUS," a novella anthology
"THE CRIME OF THE CENTURY," a biography true-crime
"TWISTED LOVE," a true crime anthology
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