Teaser Tuesday 11-17-2009

 

Here’s an excerpt from Chapter 1 of

 IMMORTAL BEGINNINGS: RISE OF THE WARRIORS

 

Rose was pulled out of her thoughts by screams coming from the alley below. She leaned over the side and saw a man holding a young Veneficus girl against the wall.

Ugh. Why is it these mort guys just don’t understand the meaning of the word no!

Rose grasped her Kwan Dao and stepped off the roof. She landed soundlessly in a crouch a foot to the right of the man.

“I’m pretty sure when they scream like that it means they don’t like what you’re doing.”

The man turned around, surprised and eyed her up and down.

“What are you supposed to be? Some kind of cop or something?” He slurred.

He reeked of liquor as he leaned in to get a better look at her. She looked to the Veneficus girl and smiled.

“You can go honey.   I’ll make sure he can’t follow you.”

The girl nodded and quickly ducked under his arm and ran towards Main Street.

“Oh…you are huh? You just sent my entertainment away. Maybe you want to take her place?”

Rose couldn’t help but laugh.

“This must be your first time here. You see, around here we don’t have cops.  We have Warriors, and I happen to be one. If you think you can take me just cause I’m a girl…please be my guest. I would suggest in stead, that you call for a cab and get the hell out of here before you piss off anymore of the locals.”

The drunk stumbled clumsily toward her as she raised the blunt end of her Kwan Dao to his throat.

“You morts really aren’t that bright when you drink are you?”

She lowered her staff as he leaned back against the wall. His eyes were barely open. He raised one finger and tried to talk.

“I…”

Laughter erupted from the front entrance of the alley. She quickly leapt back onto the roof and looked down. The man was joined by a group of drunken teenagers. She watched as they took him by the arm and led him back inside the club. Shaking her head in disgust she returned to her sentry position to continue her watch.

“You know, it’s not really fair if your opponent can’t stand up much less see you clearly?”

Instinctively Rose jerked her broad sword from the sheath strapped to her back and whirled around, extending it toward the voice.

“You really need to get some R & R girl.  You’ve become way too jumpy.” Vitus placed his hand on the blade of her sword and lowered it to her side.

“Sorry, for some reason I’m wound too tight tonight. All of these morts here make it dangerous for our kind. They’re very unpredictable when there’s alcohol involved.” She sighed as she replaced the sword in its sheath.

“I know. Well, your shift is over I’ll take it from here. Darius was asking if you were going to go see him tonight?”

She smiled and cocked her head to one side. The mere thought of Darius sent trills of pleasure down her spine. It had been hours since she left him at The Showroom. She was anxious to see him again. Even though they’d been together for over a year she still longed for him when they were apart.

“What do you think?”

She picked up her Kwan Dao and leapt off the roof into the alley.

“Let me know if you need some backup.” She called as she ran toward The Showroom. Vitus’ laughter echoed behind her.

Teaser Tuesday 11-10-2009

 

Here’s another juicy tidbit from my NaNo project.  The blank line is intentional.  I don’t have a name for that character yet.  ENJOY!! 

Page 33 of

UNTITLED NANO

 

I was going to have to make the first move.  I gathered my courage and walked past him, toward the wading pool.  Thankfully he followed.  I could feel the warmth of his body as he walked behind me, gently splashing water against my back with each step he took.  When we reached the rushing water of the falls I stopped and turned to face him.  He smiled at me and stepped closer, his eyes were filled with mischief and desire.  I playfully stepped backward, allowing the water to crash over me.  I wasn’t sure how this was going to play out, but I was determined to find out.  He matched my steps with his own, gently moving me to the face of the cliff.  My back brushed against it as he stepped through the water.  He looked so handsome, coming out of the falls, stopping inches from my face.  I could feel his breath on my cheek as he placed his hand on the rocks beside my head.  My heart was pounding in my ears.  I breathed in his scent and awaited his inevitable kiss.  He locked his eyes on mine and I was frozen.  I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t do anything but stare into those almost black eyes as they bore into mine.  He leaned closer; my heart leapt in my chest and I felt my entire body erupt in chills.  He opened his mouth and took in a deep breath. 

“I’ve been dreaming of this moment for most of my life you know.” 

His breath was warm as it flowed against my face.  I could almost taste him.  His eyes were searching mine for some sign that this was what I wanted too.  I reached my hand out and brushed a lock of hair from his brow as I inched closer to him, willing him with my eyes to kiss me.  My hand lingered against his cheek.  His skin was soft.  The light stubble on his jaw tickled my fingertips.  The rushing water echoed around us as I moved my hand to his chest.  I looked up at him, waiting for him to wrap me in his arms and pull me into him. 

“Mikey.”  _____’s voice broke the spell between us. 

Michael’s eyes darted to the side then back to me. 

“What!”  He asked as he took a step away from me. 

I leaned back against the rock wall and sighed, finally able to breathe again. 

“Sorry, but…well…I need your help.”  He said. 

Michael reached up and gently brushed my cheek.  “Don’t move okay?”  He asked. 

I nodded and he turned form me, disappearing through the water. 

“What is it?  I’m kinda busy right now.”

His voice was muffled by the sounds of the falls.  I watched through the wall of water as he moved further away from it and vanished.  Did he just leave me here…alone?  What the hell?

NaNo Teaser Tuesday 11-3-2009

Here’s part of my NaNo project.  Hope you guys like it.

They took Max and Mom’s bags and we followed them out the doors. The smell of saltwater filled my nose as we walked outside. It was warm as a gentle breeze blew across my face. We reached Daniel’s pick-up and I stopped when I noticed a guy jump out of the back of the truck. He was tall, with deep tanned skin. His black curly hair bounced down into his eyes as he landed on the ground. I felt my heart jump in my chest. I had seen pictures of Michael over the years, but seeing him in person was so much better. I wished I had taken the time to at least go to the bathroom and check my hair and make-up before we left the airport. I knew I probably looked like a complete troll to him. His dark brown eyes locked on mine and he smiled widely at me.

“Here, let me get that for you.” He said in a lightly accented voice.

I felt my face flush and was thankful for the darkness that surrounded us.

“Thanks.” I squeaked.

Max looked up at me and shook his head. “What’s wrong with you?” He asked.

I jerked his hand, pulling him closer to me and glared down at him. He cowered away from me and I released him finally. He rushed to Mom and she patted him on top of his head.

“You wanna ride in the back with Michael?” She asked.

The thought of watching the wind blow his hair across his face made my heart race faster. I tried to make my voice sound as nonchalant as possible. I didn’t want him to know I had been in love with him for years. I felt like I had known him my whole life. Technically I did. I had watched him grow up through the pictures his parents had sent in their emails.

“Yeah, I guess.” I finally answered.

Mom knew I had the hots for him. She always picked on me, calling him my secret boyfriend. The secret being he didn’t know he was. Michael helped Daniel load the last of our luggage into the truck and leapt into the back. He reached his hand out for me and I took it nervously. His skin was soft and warm, just like I had imagined. I placed my foot on the tire and watched as his muscles flexed, pulling me into the truck. My heart was pounding in my ears and I was sure he could hear it. I looked into the cab of the truck and saw Mom and Daniel both looking back at us. They laughed lightly and turned back around. I was wrong, the beach wasn’t the only good thing about Guam. Michael being here made it worth leaving all of my friends behind. As we puled out of the parking lot I could feel the warmth radiating off of his skin. I fought the urge to look at him and settled for watching the scenery. Yeah, Guam was defiantly going to be a lot more exciting than I thought.

Teaser Tuesday 10-27-2009

Page 92 of The HalflingThis is from one that I’m editing right now.  Cami is pretending to be a Pureblood (born Vampire).  She is being hunted by a group of pureists that believe Halflings should not exist.  Zane is her new Pureblood boyfriend and Cason is a Pureblood that she is intrigued by.  Cason has just discovered that Cami is a Halfling and he agreed to keep her secret. 

NOTE: THE FOLLOWING SCENE HAS STRONG LANGUAGE AND ADULT SITUATIONS.

Zane stood there staring at me.  “You sure you’re okay?  You look a little freaked out.”

Great he noticed.  I couldn’t chance telling him the truth.  He wasn’t ready for that yet.  He would probably hate me. 

“Yeah, I’m fine.  I was just worried about being blinded is all.”  I laughed. 

He took my hand and led me toward my room.  I was glad he was there, but at the same time terrified that he would see through my lie and turn on me. 

“You gonna be okay for tonight?”  He asked in a sultry voice. 

I had almost forgotten about the dance.  Would I be able to put on a happy face and fake it for that long?  I wanted to go home and be with J-fer.  I felt safe with her. 

“Yeah, I’ll be fine once I get a shower and change.”  I said. 

“You need some help?  I’m an expert back washer.”  He said as we reached the door to my room. 

I wasn’t ready to go that far with him, but I knew if I wanted to keep the secret going I would need to seal the deal with him.  I decided now was as good a time as any. 

“You sure you’re not gonna get in trouble for skipping out on last period?”  I said as I placed my hand on his chest. 

He smiled at me and reached behind me for the doorknob.  “I could care less about missing class right now.” 

He opened the door and walked into the room.  Once he turned the lock he faced me and reached his hand out to me. 

“I want this to be special.  Something you remember for the rest of your life.” 

I wished I could get Cason’s face out of my mind.  The more aroused I got by Zane’s touch the more I thought about Cason.  He led me to the bed and gently placed himself on top of me, kissing me as he began to remove my shirt.  His touch was so cool against my skin it sent chills all over my body. 

“I want you.”  He whispered as he lowered his lips to my breast. 

I moaned with pleasure as he caressed my skin with his tongue. 

“I want to taste you.”  He said softly as he moved his mouth down my stomach. 

Fear shot through me.  If he drank from me he would know I was a Halfling.  I was certain a guy like him had tasted Halfling blood before and would know the difference.  Before I could move his mouth away from my hip I felt his fangs pierce me.  I cried out as he began to drink from me.  Suddenly he pulled away, looking down at me with shock. 

“What the hell?  You taste like a Halfling Cami!” 

He staggered back from me and stood against the wall.  Questions filled his eyes as he shook his head in disbelief. 

“Zane, please, you have to understand.  I didn’t want to lie to you but I’m in trouble and if anyone finds out I’m a Halfling I could be killed.” 

The words spilled out of me as I sat up and buttoned my shirt closed.  He was still staring at me.  His face turned from shock to anger. 

“You filthy whore!” 

He crossed the room.   I was caught by surprise when his hand landed against my cheek, knocking me back onto the bed.  Tears welled up in my eyes as I looked pleadingly at him.  He stood over me with his fist raised.  His eyes were full of hate as he struck me again. 

“How dare you!  I actually liked you and you lie to me about something this important?  Do you have any idea what you could have done to me?  What you would have cost me if anyone found out?”  

I rolled away from him and curled up into a ball on the bed. 

“Please, stop.  I won’t tell anyone.  I swear.”  I cried as he grabbed my legs and pulled me toward him. 

“You’re damn right you won’t.  I’ll make sure of it!” 

The last blow was hard and sent my head spinning.  I felt the darkness close in around me as his voice echoed in my ears. 

“I’ll make you pay you Halfling whore!”  He seethed.

ETA.  Edited to reflect comment from Jen W.-Thanks

Teaser Tuesday 10-20-2009

This excerpt is from my novel The Bond.  The MC (Cleo) is helping Molly move out of an abusive home.  Cleo is a 100 yr old vampire and Molly is a somewhat ‘new’ vampire.  Molly’s brother (Lewis) did some nasty things to Molly and this scene is where both Cleo and Molly confront him seperately as Molly is leaving her parent’s house for the last time… ENJOY!

pg. 275  of  THE BOND 

“Man that was brutal. They needed to hear it though, I just can’t believe I did it without crying.” She said as she rummaged through her closet for a suitcase.
I simply nodded and went to work helping her pack her belongings. Each trip I made to the car her mother stared at me while her father paced the floor. They knew they were helpless to stop us. When the last bag was packed Molly looked around her room.
“Well, I guess this is it.” She said with a sigh.
We headed to the front door together.
“Cleo, can you take this to the car for me?  I would like to say goodbye to them, in private.”
“No problem.”
I took the bag from her and headed out the door. When I looked up I was face to face with Lewis.
“Hey good looking where you off to?” He asked as he flashed a smile at me.
I placed the bag on the porch and looked up at him.  His eyes were cold and menacing as I glared into them.
“I made a promise not to kill you myself for what you’ve done to Molly.  I never said anything about breaking a few bones though.” I seethed.
He took a step back from me.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know what you’re talking about. Molly must be making things up again. She’s got a problem with that you know.”
I couldn’t believe my ears. He was actually denying it. I stepped closer to him and looked deep into his eyes locking them into my gaze.
“You filthy human.  If you ever touch another girl the way you did Molly you will become so overcome with guilt that you’ll take your own life. You’ll do it slowly and painfully. First you’ll chop off your manhood and place it in a pot of boiling water, to cleanse it from the filth you used it for. Then you’ll rip your own tongue out for all the lies you’ve told about her. Finally you’ll slowly cut each finger off one by one for every time you touched her. You will drown in your own blood and die…slowly.”
I watched as the persuasion took a firm hold. I knew this would make Molly angry, but he deserved it. He finally nodded and I knew it had worked. I released my hold on his mind and picked up the bag. He stared after me as I headed to the car. He was still standing there when Molly walked outside. I could hear her as she spoke to him.
“You’ll never be able to hurt me again Lewis. I forgive you for what you’ve done to me, but I will never forget it. If I hear you ever hurt another little girl the way you did me I’ll kill you where you stand and no jury in the world would convict me. Do you understand?” She snarled through her teeth.
He nodded numbly, still in a daze from my earlier persuasion. She stalked past him and got in the car.
“Let’s go.” She said as I cranked the engine and headed toward home.

Wedding Details

The ceremony was wonderful. I fought the tears in my eyes from the back row as I watched my best friend’s face light up when his bride walked into the room. I knew in that moment that he was making the right choice. That he loved her and she loved him. They are sailing away to the Bahamas for their honeymoon today. I have to go a full week without talking to him. I’m not sure I will survive. For a large chunk of my life I was the most important woman in his life, now I’m not. I know he will always be there for me and love me, but I can’t help but feel like I have lost a part of him. However, I have gained a wonderful new friend in this process. His bride has touched my heart and won my respect. She gained it all the moment I saw the way she looked into his eyes. She makes him smile and loves him in a way I never could. That alone makes me forever in her debt. Well, enough mushy stuff for tonight.
Next post is Teaser Tuesday!!! Yeah. I gotta figure out what to put up now…

Best Friend’s Wedding

Today I am blessed to watch my best friend finally get married.  He and I have known one another for more than half of my life.  There were many times that I feared he would be alone forever.   I prayed for this day for him.  He means so much to me.  He is my other half.  Without him in my life I would be lacking something wonderful.  I will post more tonight about the wedding.   Wish me luck.

Info Dumping…

So, today I decided that instead of writing something on one of the three works in progress I have; I would do some quick edits.  Spelling errors, run on sentences, things of that sort.  The entire first chapter of one of my WIP’s is page after page of ‘info dump’.  “How did this happen?”  I ask myself.  I didn’t notice it when I wrote it.  I posted a huge bold banner at the top of the manuscript page that said. ‘THIS IS FULL OF INFO DUMP.  FIX IT!!!’ 

 I have a good idea how to fix it, but at this point I’m not excited by this particular work.  I’ve found that if I’m not excited about it the writing stinks!  (hence the reason I have 3 WIP’s going at once.)  I finished quick edits on one of the other ones this morning, so maybe I’ll work on it tomorrow when I get up. 

The info dump issue got me to thinking back to my college days.  I have numerous textbooks on writing.  I decided that if I was going to be actively writing, then I needed to refresh my memory on some key points.  Tonight I started with narrative sequencing and shaping narrative structure.  Tomorrow is point of view, then on to describing.  I hope that during my refresher course I can eliminate the bad habit of info dumping as well as a few other ones.

Teaser Tuesday 10-14-2009

THIS IS THE FIRST PAGE OF  “THE FALLEN ONE”

 

Screeching noises pulled me from the darkness. I opened my eyes to blurry images. Strong hands grasped my shoulders and pulled me from the ground.

“Are you completely insane! You’re lucky I was here. What are you trying to do get yourself killed?”

The voice was angry and impatient. He grasped my arm and pulled me against the wall. The sound grew louder as a large object rushed before our faces. I leaned toward the object curiously and stretched out my hand.

“You really are insane! Get over here.”

The angry voice pulled my arm back and stood in front of me. He wrapped his body protectively around mine. The damp wall sent chills up my already cold body as he pressed me into it. His frame was rough and warm as it crushed against mine.

The object disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared. I looked at my surroundings. It was dark and damp wherever I was. The smell of urine and mold assaulted my nose as I took in a deep breath through it and I coughed loudly.

“Not what you expected is it? They never tell anyone the whole truth about what it’s like once you get here. I can’t believe you would land here of all places though. Don’t they at least point you in a direction before you jump nowadays? You’re supposed to have someone waiting for you on this side.” He hesitated for a moment in the midst of his rant. “Here put this on.”

He removed a dark piece of cloth from his body and wrapped it around me forcefully.

“We need to at least try to keep you warm.”

I looked up at the face of the voice for the first time and stared curiously at his irritated expression. He was nice looking to me. His eyes sparkled like blue diamonds beneath the faint light from above. His dark hair was pulled back loosely at the nape of his neck. I noticed dark markings along one side of his throat. He was familiar to me and I couldn’t figure out why.