Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Weds Brief

I'm sorry to say that I did not write a thing this week.  I had a cold and Tom and Ben were too busy taking care of me   :D

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 just wanted to wish you all a Happy Passover and Easter!

I celebrate Passover,  the holiday starts this evening.


Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Weds Brief

It's that time of the week.   Time to Flash.

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

I'd like to announce the winner of my contest.   And the winner IS.... Anya Millar.

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



 
I wanted to wish all of you, whether you're Irish or Irish for today,   a Happy St. Patrick's Day.

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

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





Well it's that time of the week.  Time to Flash.   Here is what Tom and Ben are up to this week.


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

 
My fellow flashers:

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Weds Brief

Well it's that time to Flash.

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. 


 My fellow Flashers:




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.


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.
Consuming everything within my town.

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.

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.
Courage stirs my desire to win.
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.

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.

 The buy link for the poetry book is http://www.amazon.com/dp/147837022x   

  my website is Books and Paintings by JoAnne http://www.booksandpaintingsbyjoanne.com 



 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