Teaser Time!

My writing journey part 4. In the Beginning is less than a week away from re-release! For me it's crunch time with my editing road at a close I now have to reformat and upload! For you it's time for a peek.

A Close Call

Over the following months we bounced from one city to the next, blurring my memory. We changed our appearances by wearing layered clothing and hats we pulled off on the run. Our stay in each city lasted long enough for us pull off a couple heists, make money then we disappeared. We kept a low profile, ghost people, slipping in and out unnoticed. 

I took the time to keep up with our crime sprees through the newspaper. The police were clueless and never linked them together. Under the small crimes section in tiny print is where I found most our thefts listed with one exception- the judge’s house.

We got cocky and chose a house in a ritzy gated community belonging to a judge. Einstein posed as a landscaper replacement from a job agency with the usual crew and did inside surveillance. He staked out the judge’s property and found a small gap at the bottom of the fence big enough for us to squeeze underneath without getting scratched. After we squeezed under the gap we traipsed through the woods surrounding the inside of the gate, which backed up to his property. Einstein did his usual security system magic by cutting the outside wires and we were in the house. 

The judge’s house was full of valuables; diamond earrings, gold necklaces adorned with amethyst, rubies, emeralds, and onyx. We took small stuff that fit in our back packs to be carried out and pawned without drawing attention. 

While in the judge’s office I dug through his desk drawers and found a bundle of cash and a gold letter opener then the sirens wailed in the distance, forcing a shot of panic in my belly. Without thinking I stuffed the letter opener and cash into the bag. Einstein and I high-tailed it out of the house. The sirens howled behind us as we cut back through the woods and slid under the fence on our backs. I breathed a sigh of relief.

“That was too close.”

Einstein took my hand, helping me to my feet. “No kidding.” We slunk back to our temporary home and dumped our packs.

The wad of cash, jewelry, and letter opener rolled out of my back pack hitting the cement floor.

“Holy cow Cleo!” Einstein grabbed the letter opener and twisted it in his hand holding it up to the light. “Look at the engraving. We can’t sell this it belonged to a famous eighteenth century author.”

I lowered the wad of cash I held in my hand. “I… it was in my hand when I heard the sirens.”

“It’s solid gold. We’ll take care of it later.” He looked at the huge bundle of cash. “You want help counting?”

“Sure.” I handed him half the bundle, and he stole a kiss on my lips.

The grand total of our loot for the day amounted to $5,000 in cash, five new gold chains adorning various gemstones, diamond earrings, a silver place setting, brass candleholders, and a gold letter opener engraved with an eighteenth century authors name. 

The judge offered a reward for the return of the letter opener. We thought of various scenarios in which to collect the reward, but any of them led to police involvement. Chimes went off inside my head and I came up with a brilliant plan.

We wiped the letter opener clean, even though we always wore gloves, and found a drunk homeless man passed out in an alley, derelicts littered the shabbier parts of cities. I pressed the letter opener against his finger tips and left it under his hand while Einstein used a pay phone to call it in anonymously. A tall apartment building stood kitty corner to where the derelict man lay. We chose that building to meet back up and watched the scene from the fourth floor landing. The judge was grateful to have his letter opener back, and we took deep breaths that we pulled off framing the innocent homeless man.

Later this week... Another sneak peek!

Kim Cormack the author of the exciting Children of the Ankh series

After reading Sweet Sleep the first book in the Children of the Ankh series I was so captivated by the novel I thought it would be a great idea to interview Kim and meet the talented lady behind this incredible series.

Book one             Sweet Sleep

 The dark mass of her violator suddenly appeared beside her, leaning in so close that she could smell his putrid breath, moist over her face. Every hair on her body was standing on end. The electrical power between Kayn and the man in the dark was like a charge.
     He ran a finger over her exposed breast and said, “You were never to be born; this situation had to be corrected.”
     Kayn saw his knife glint in the light from the moon. It was raised above her chest. Yes, she thought, let it be over now. She shut her eyes as the knife sliced into her chest. Kayn opened her eyes again with acceptance; she felt no more pain. She stared deeply into his eyes as hers filledwith tears.
     He tried to regain his composure and with a voice thick with emotion he said, “To this life unto the next.”
     He slowly began to cut some kind of symbol on the skin on Kayn’s chest above her heart. She lay limp in his arms, still conscious of what was happening, yet free from the pain and fear now.He pulled her close to cradle her naked body in his arms like a baby, rocking her broken,violated flesh in his arms, stroking her blood soaked hair. He began to sob as if he were repentant in some way for how he had tortured her.
     As her vision flickered one last time, the man was gone; it was her mother looking into her eyes. Her mother’s eyes were filled with so much love that it seemed to release her from her pain and fear as it had when she was a small child. Her mother cradled her as a baby, rocking her back and forth. She was safe now in her mother’s arms. She was at peace. Mommy, her heart sang, you’re here to save me.
    The warmth of her mother’s love enveloped her tortured soul. She looked into her mother’seyes. She touched Kayn’s face and started to sing a song that she had sung to her every night when she was very small.
     Sleep, sweet sleep till the morning
Just dream away and close your eyes
My love you’ll be safe until the morning
Sleeping in my heart, all through the night
Although bad dreams come to scare you
My love will scare them all away
My heart…
     The lights flickered, the pain went away, and her mother was holding her, singing: “Sleep,sweet sleep.”
    

 The Beginning

Interview

Elle: So, what have you written?

Kim: I have a few children’s books out. That is the genre I started in. I had a nightmare and changed genres. The nightmare started at the teenage girl being dropped off by a friends father, walking towards her front door to see it slightly ajar, and moving in the wind. I woke up at the end of the creepy song. That’s where, Sweet Sleep came from. I’m three books in to the main series, and have just started a side series. There’s book one: Sweet Sleep. Book two: Enlightenment, and then before book three the side series begins with, Wild Thing. I’d like to have Book three in the series out by the end of the year. Let There Be Dragons is the title. In this series the dragons are emotional, but there are a few figurative green scaly ones down the road. I have a few other books that I’m planning on releasing independently this year. One of them is called, “Bring Out Your Dead.” The other is called, “The Repopulation Project.” These ones aren’t related to the Children of Ankh series. One is Young Adult Paranormal. With much younger characters and the other is old school Scifi. I have some more childrens books written. It’s the illustrations that take a while. I need to find the time to illustrate. The books I’ve been writing are quite dark and comical. I’m sure I’ll have a few days where I’ll need a short mental vacation, and I’ll spend those days illustrating.  
Elle: Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special? 

Kim: Kayn is an endearingly weird. She definitely marches to her own drummer. She’s able to see the big picture, yet she’s still longing, and grieving on some level for the life she’s lost.  Kevin is her best friend, her life line. He’s the one tie to the life she used to have. In the first book she’s trying to tread water, and except the insanity. Her relationships mirror some of my own. My friends are weird and wacky in the best possible way. It takes someone pretty special to understand the purpose behind the grief she’s being forced to face. By book two in the series she’s learned that she has to except herself. She has to find her own way. She’s thrown into situations that have no logic. A part of her is still holding on to the past. It’s more about the fantasy of him. You only miss the man you wanted him to be. 

Elle: What genre are your books?

Kim: They are Paranormal Fantasy, Romance. This is the direction I’m drawn to.

Elle: What draws you to this genre?

Kim: I truly believe that your instincts lead you to where you’re supposed to be. Mine lead me to this genre, to this series. I’m just going with it.

Elle: Where do the your ideas come from?

Kim: The original idea was a dream. I listen to music and preplan future scenes. 

Elle: What is the hardest thing about writing?

Kim: Writing the book is the fun part. The beginning of the editing process is fun, but as you go over the book, and over, repeditively. It can become a rather mid numbing.  

Elle: What is the easiest thing about writing?
Disappearing into my mind. 

Elle: If your latest release is part of a series, tell us a little about the series?

Kim: The Children of Ankh series is actually not about Children. The series title comes from 1000 years ago, when breeding with mortals became illegal under immortal law. The third tiers, (immortals) Started something called the Correction. They sent teams to do a mass disposal of all of the partially immortal

children. An Angel (Gaurdian) named Azariah, saved 17 immortal children in Rome. These were the Children of Ankh. They became the first clan, Ankh. Eventually the brothers of prophecy, split the clan into three sections. Frost, became the leader of Ankh. Tiberius, became the leader of Triad, and Thorne became the leader of Trinity. 

Elle: Tell us a little about you as a person.

Kim: I’m a mom, with two kids. I worked in early childhood education for twenty years.  After I was diagnosed with M.S  I began writing this series. I’m a genuinely positive person. I laugh at myself a lot. I’ve always been seriously accident prone. I’m easily just as quirky as my characters. 

Elle: Besides writing what are your favorite things to do?

Kim: It used to be running. I replaced my inability to do one thing with the ability to do another. I paint sometimes, rather horribly, but it’s fun. (My painting really suck. I’m not being negative, they really suck lol ) I can own it. I do it as relaxation therapy. 

Elle: Do you have a favorite movie and/or book?


Kim: I love funny movies. Wrong funny movies.  SuperTroopers etc…. I also watch a lot of B Horror movies with my 19 year old daughter. Snake head terror was epic. I watch a lot of Scifi. The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe By C.S Lewis will always be my favorite book. 

                          Book two  Enlightenment

Kayn followed Frost as he climbed down the steep embankment.  They group of them grabbed the branches of trees and ferns to keep themselves from sliding down the hill.  She could see the vehicle, smoking and crushed. You could not even tell what he had started out driving. Kayn thought, Maybe he is already gone? Maybe they won’t have to kill him?
            Frost looked at her and ordered, “Don’t touch anything… trust me.  If you do, what happens next will not be pleasant.”
            “What are you going to do to him if he’s still alive?” Kayn whispered.
            He answered, “I’ll have to break his neck. It has always been the most efficient way to kill someone quickly. It will look like it happened in the accident.”
I’m just going to break his neck. No big deal. It seemed absolutely absurd to talk casually about ending someone’s life.    
Frost whispered, “Then the car needs to be completely engulfed in flames. This has to happen long before the ambulance comes. We don’t want them to touch anything. Everyone take your glove off and put it in your pocket. We have to make our point quickly.”
Kayn watched as everyone pulled their gloves off without hesitation. She reluctantly tugged her own white leather fingerless glove off of her hand.         
She whispered, “Why are we going to burn him?”  Kayn looked up as her heart pounded a panicked rhythm in her chest. She could see Lexy staring at her with a look that almost read as concern.
            Lexy whispered, “There’s a chance that more people will have to die if this doesn’t happen quickly. Just breathe hun, this is not on you.”
Zach walked over and put his arm around her. He pulled her close to him and whispered in her ear, “Just watch, try to pay attention.”
Kayn shut her mouth, swallowed, then breathed deeply. She wanted to look elsewhere and pretend this wasn't actually happening. She didn’t want to be a part of this. She turned around and placed her eyes against his shoulder.
            Zach whispered, “It will all make sense, but only if you’re watching.”
            Grey said, “I’ve got the fire handled, if you have him handled.”
            Kayn, unable to help hold her tongue, whispered to Zach, “Isn’t there another way?”
             Frost heard her and whipped his head around to meet her accusing eyes.  He said, “I’ll tell you what, sweetheart; let’s just ask him what he wants to do? Let’s give him a choice.”
Kayn hated it when Frost used that particular condescending tone. She wasn’t stupid. She just had this apparently foreign thing called empathy. She watched Frost as he took those final strides towards the vehicle alone.
            Frost leaned forward into the vehicles window and shook the man a little,” Hey buddy, you okay?”
            The man came to and moaned,” I’m stuck in here, I can’t move. I thought it would be a long time before help found me down here.”
            “It depends on how you define help,” Frost replied calmly.
The man grew silent, his instinct for self preservation obviously triggered by Frost’s strange response.
            “We don’t have a lot of time. I’m terribly sorry. I’m going to have to skip the pleasantries and get right to business. Let me show you something.” Frost took the switchblade out of his pocket. To the mortal’s horror he stabbed himself through his own hand with his knife. Frost’s symbol of Ankh on his palm exploded with

light. This triggered the rest of their hands to light up the landscape like fallen stars. The man eyes widened a touch. He began to flail and thrash wildly, his arms free but his legs crushed beneath the dashboard. The man with moments left had to give it one last shot. He screamed with all of the fight he had left inside for someone to help him. They all looked at each other knowing the question that would inevitably come out of his mouth now.
            He stammered, “What in the hell are you people? Are you aliens, or something?”
             “Or something,” was Frost’s reply.
            Lexy reached out and touched Frost’s shoulder. He touched the wounded man’s shoulder, sending some of Lexy’s healing energy throughout his body to take away his pain.
             He held up his hand and it was fully healed. Kayn watched the wounded man as he struggled to accept his impossible situation. A look of peace travelled through his eyes as he whispered, “I’m going to die, aren’t I?”
            Frost answered, “I am going to give you a choice. I know you’re scared. I understand how crazy this must sound to you.  It is of the highest importance that you make an attempt to absorb the gravity of what I’m about to tell you.”
The man’s panicked breathing calmed. He seemed to understand the importance of this moment in time.
            “Tonight when they bring you to emergency, everyone you come in contact with will get sick. Some of them will even die. Your family is going to come and see you while you are in surgery. You’ve been exposed to a virus. Your son dies within the first twenty four hours. Your pregnant wife will die by the following day. She will take your unborn daughter with her in passing. The child in your wife’s womb is tremendously valuable, more valuable than you can possibly fathom. She has an important role in future events. That unborn child will go on to do extraordinary things... miraculous things. If you choose life, I promise you that nobody will ever know that it was you who started this epidemic. You are only a carrier. You will have no symptoms. The choice is your life, or your family’s life. Everyone you love and many more will die or you die, right now. There is only a minute to make up your mind. We will abide by whatever you decide.”
The man looked into Frost’s eyes and then towards Kayn. She stood behind the group. Her eyes clouded with tears for she knew what this man was going to say.    
Without one single moment of hesitation, he whispered, “Me...I choose it to be me.”
            “You won’t feel a thing.  Nobody will ever know what happened today. To your family this will look like a random accident. Your life next time around can be easier... It might even be better than it was this time.”
             “No, it couldn’t possibly be better,” the man whispered. “This time was perfect. I would do it all again, even if I knew this was how it would end.”
             “That’s what I like to here. You were blessed, be at peace.” Frost replied. He touched his brow with his palm, lighting up his symbol. The man’s eyes closed. They opened again, and they were vacant of his being. Kayn knew his soul had already been delivered to the in-between, leaving only what was left of his broken, empty-looking human shell behind.  Frost snapped his neck without ceremony. The man lay slumped in the driver’s seat. Kayn sobbed not because she was upset. The man’s last words about his family and his final moments had such peace and beauty. She reached in to grab the picture of his family off of the visor to remember him by. This selfless man deserved to be remembered.
            Grey smacked her hand away, “Everything in this car burns, and anyone who touches anything in it.”
Kayn turned to look at Frost. Wait a minute. Grey was going to have to burn Frost?
Frost said, “Just do it.” He held out his arms. They had come in contact with the driver’s skin.
            Kayn looked at Grey and then at Frost in a panic. He wasn’t going to burn Frost, was he?
Grey said, “You ready buddy?”
            “Never for this part,” Frost said meekly, “but it’s not exactly a choice, now is it?”
            Grey whispered, “Sorry.” His hands hovered a few inches above Frost’s skin for a second, and brilliant flames of orange engulfed his muscular arms. Frost’s skin began to bubble, and melt away from the meat.  A pitchy sound of anguish spilled from between his parted lips. His eyes rolled back in pure agony. He collapsed to his knees on the frozen forest floor. Kayn staggered backwards in shock.  Grey walked over and lit the car on fire. The interior was instantly engulfed in flames.  Lexy knelt in front of Frost. She touched either side of his face gently. The raw exposed skin on his arms immediately started to heal.
             She embraced him for a second, “Shhh, it’s okay.” His wounds began to heal. They scabbed and closed up. Lexy was starting to look a little faint.
            Lexy whispered, “Sorry, I can’t keep going. Not unless you want to carry me up that hill.”
There was a quite ominous slant to the hill. Kayn hadn’t noticed how steep it was on the way down. Her mind had been elsewhere.

            Melody reached for Frost, “I’ll finish healing you."
             Frost said, “We have to go hun, and I’m okay, see.” He showed her his now perfect skin.
           Kayn stood frozen in the moment. Her heart pounded beneath her rib cage. The sound of flickering flames mixed with the vile scent of the noble man's flesh as it burned. She watched as his mortal shell floated away in the pungent billowing smoke. It disappeared into the sky above. She knew that she would never forget the scent of burning flesh, and how selfless that man had been today. How selfless, dare she think the name …Frost had been. Someone had to fix things that fell through the cracks.  A kind, decent man had died tonight. His demise had a purpose, a clear purpose. It had saved his family and who knows how many more families from being touched by a glitch in fate’s design.

            She followed the others silently. She climbed the slippery slope by grabbing branches and ferns. Struggling, she pulled herself upwards.  She could picture Lily sitting there with the engine idling. Kayn could hear the vehicle’s engine purring. She was trying to think of anything else. Anything but what she had just seen. Kayn’s hand clasped a fern and the exposed root from a tree. It created an almost perfect handle. She dug her heels into the dirt and rock that slipped beneath her feet with icy trickery. She was actively ignoring the scent of burning human flesh. This night would mark her brain. She now knew what burning human flesh smelled like. Kayn suspected this scent would stay with her always.  
         Book Three      Let There Be Dragons


She walked with Lexy for what felt like hours into the backdrop of the crimson sunset. Something changed and the silky sensation of her steps in the sand gave way to the rustling of grass underfoot.  She now stood in the center of and an endless field.  Her soul had brought her to see something beautiful. This scene now felt like a devastating symbol of her mortality.  The field, overflowed with delicate purple flowers. She closed her eyes and listened to the soothing hum of the bumble bees, hoping it would bring her back to a better time and place.  Visions of her childhood flashed through her line of sight. There they were as children, lying in the field together, as always, watching the clouds drift by.  Kayn ran towards the bees, waving her arms and they took flight. She crawled around and yanked the flowers from the soil. Lexy made no attempt to stop her. The girl that looked to fields of bees for solace was gone. She couldn’t be the girl that saw purple flowers and reminisced about her best friend slipping one of them into her shoe as a child. He was gone. She wanted to burn this whole field to ash and kick it into the air. She wanted to do that to every memory she had of him. He’d slit her throat during the testing and left her to bleed out into the sand. When she’d retaliated, she’d become a dragon. She wanted to destroy everything beautiful and right for it was all a lie...

Where to find Kim and her amazing books

Watch the Corvallis Press website for up to date information on the release http://www.corvallispress.com 

My personal website and blog http://www.kimcormack.com

http://www.thechildrenofankh.com

http://www.childrenofankh.com
Amazon Author Page

Twitter 

https://twitter.com/kimcormack

https://twitter.com/childrenofankh

https://twitter.com/kimcormackweb

https://twitter.com/sweetsleep2

https://twitter.com/hotchickdiaries

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http://www.quora.com/Kim-Cormack

Follow Kim on Twitter. She follows back :-)

@kimcormack

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@TriadTiberius

Mouse and Katt by John Tucker

John Tucker has the ability to spin a nail biter. He ranks with the best of the horror/suspense mongers. Mouse and Katt is a short novella depicting his talent.





My Review: 

Author John Tucker has a flare for suspense. Mouse and Katt is about an unlikely pair of strangers who cross each other’s path. The setting is the early 20th century. Elijah is a traveling sewing machine salesman who picks up 13 year old Beth Ann or Mouse. The night is stormy and she’s soaked, as the pair travel together more and more about each other’s’ lives and intentions are revealed. The suspense builds the more the reading understands about each character. I read the book in about an hour unable to tear myself away.

I loved the dialogue and inside thoughts of each character it breathed life into Mouse and Katt giving them dimension and quality. The plot thickens into a jaw-dropping climax that left me smiling. The only fault in this story is it’s too short. I wanted more after reading.

John has many other books. Each will leave a lasting impression on the mind. I invite you to check them out.

Amazon- Author Page
Facebook
Blog
Twitter

Mouse and Katt
Amazon U.S- Mouse and Katt
Amazon U.K

Sweet Sleep by Kim Cormack

Every so often a really fantastic book comes along that I absolutely can't put down. Sweet Sleep is one of those books.

 My Review:

Sweet Sleep by Kim Cormack is an intense YA novel reminding me something of Alyson Noels Immortal series. Don’t get me wrong the novel and series is quite unique. Kayn and Chloe are twins, completely opposite in every way except their identical looks. Kayn the light innocent twin who doesn’t attract guys, loves to run and has few friends except Kevin. Chloe the dark twin who attracts guys to the point of their insanity. They were special from conception. 
 Suspense and action fill the story from the start when Kayn is brutally knifed and spends months in the hospital in an induced coma while her body heals. Her best friend Kevin stays by her side. In the months of her coma Kevin changes from a puny teen to a tall, muscled sizzling hot guy. When she awakes her life is different, she’s different – neither she nor Kevin are what she thought. It’s at this point she becomes familiar with immortals and the Ankh discovering the secret behind her and Chloe’s conception.
The novel is long but fast paced and intense. I easily read the first hundred pages before I realized it. My mind was so focused on the story I didn’t want to put it down. There’s fighting, secrecy, legends, vile beasts, telepathic communication and more.


For readers who love a fantastic yet realistic story filled with scheming and passion this is the book.

Where to find Sweet Sleep
Amazon-Sweet Sleep:The Children of Ankh Book 1 (Volume 1)
Amazon.co.uk/ Kindle
Barnes and Noble

Where to find Kim and excerpts
Blog
Website
Facebook
Facebook/Children of the Ankh
Facebook/ The Hot Chick Diaries
Twitter - @kimcormack
Twitter - @childrenofankh

Fated from birth

I lie in bed my mind unable to rest all of my characters flashing through my brain. Eilida flickers then remains constant. Her life ill-fated from the start, destined to survive until death with a bad case of the heebee-jeebees.

She is a young lady who skids by deaths door not unharmed by alive, afraid to give herself to another. The everlasting fear of commitment. Jay her "boyfriend" whom she runs from - never staying over night. He is the hot science geek.

At a party she's the girl with no interest in the jocks and meat-heads. Instead she's the girl sneaking off with the good looking nerd.

She's a jeans and T-shirt girl who prefers to spend time reading and writing. She yearns to fill her head with knowledge and desires men whom are intellectual equals.

Her pain lingers as a deep stab wound to the soul. 

Eye of the Storm Eilida's Tragedy.

Tome Tender: Eye of The Storm: Eilida's Tragedy by Elle Klass (...

Tome Tender: Eye of The Storm: Eilida's Tragedy by Elle Klass (...: Eye of The Storm Eilida

Deleting the -ing starts

My writing journey part 3. I've been sharing my weaknesses in writing over the past couple weeks. So far I've discussed my usage of adverbs and had or forms of had. Today I share another weakness starting sentences with verbs ending in -ing. 

Shaping my manuscript by taking out pesky words.

I shaped my manuscript when I took out the pesky words.

The -ing problem is easily fixed by changing the form of the verb. The problem alone isn't -ing ending verbs but using them as sentence starts. Below is an excerpt from City by the Bay Baby Girl Book 2. 

Using my best southern drawl, “Bee-utiful night, idn’t it? This is m’ ferst trip to San Fran-cisco and I jus cain’t get over how bee-utiful it is.” The couple seemed alarmed by my sudden appearance. “I’m so sorry, I forget to introduce m’self. Cleo, shat for Cleopaitra, cause m’ daddy always said I look like an Egyptian princess. And ya are?”

“Not as happy to meet you,” he said.

“Babe, that’s rude,”mystery woman whispered towards him, a stern look on her face. It definitely wasn’t the wife. This women was buxom as well, walnut brown hair framing her heart shaped face adorned by a set of amethyst colored eyes. She too was young.  “I’m sorry, pleased to meet you Cleo. I’m Jeanne and this is my husband Fred. So tell, where are you from?” she said in an extra sugary voice.

“Georgia. Nice to meet ya,” I stated. The elevator wound to a stop, and the doors glided open welcoming us in. From the corner of my eye I spied him press the button for the third flood. 

Then he asked, “Floor?”

“Three.” 

“Oh, goody,” he said in a mocking tone. 

Knowing he was more than annoyed with my disruption to his evening with the lady, I looked him square in the eye and formed the largest smile I could muster.She wasn’t the woman and I probably should have gone back to the car; however, I didn’t. My curiosity drove me on. 

The couple couldn’t get out of the elevator fast enough, giggling and whispering as they went. I had no doubt they were having fun at my expense. I walked slowly behind them, fumbling in my pocket pretending to search for my key, as I walked up to room number 316. They never looked back at me, and soon entered their room. The façade was over, and I wasn’t sure what to do next, but someone else had other plans.

Abruptly, I turned on my heel to face a redhead, the redhead, Mrs. Nomes. Her flaming red big-hair gave her a very gnome-like appearance. Inwardly I laughed at my own observation. “I’ve been watching you sweety. What are you up to?” Oops, maybe he had gotten bored and had traded her in for a younger model, seeing her close up she had to be at least thirty.

“I’s just headin’ back to ma car, lef ma room key thare.” She looked at me quizzically. I may have went too heavy on the accent. “Scuse me.” I pushed past her, and felt her fingers grasp the camera cord around my neck, halting my forward motion and giving me a jerk. 


“You’re coming with me.”

I counted 2 -ing sentence starts which should be used sparingly in fiction.
5 adverbs
7 had or forms of

Here is the edited excerpt.

I used spilt-second thinking and pulled the cord dangling from the camera around my neck to appear touristy, and stepped out of my corner, joining them at the elevator. 

 “Bee-utiful night, idn’t it? This is m’ ferst trip to San Fran-cisco and I jus cain’t get over how bee-utiful it is.” The couple seemed alarmed by my sudden appearance. “I’m so sorry, I forget to introduce m’self. Cleo, shat for Cleopaitra, cause m’ daddy always said I look like an Egyptian princess. And ya are?”

“Not as happy to meet you,” he said.

“Babe, that’s rude.” The mystery woman whispered towards him, a stern look on her face. It wasn’t the wife. This woman was buxom as the wife, walnut brown hair framing her heart shaped face adorned by a set of amethyst colored eyes. She too was young. 

“I’m sorry, pleased to meet you Cleo. I’m Jeanne and this is my husband Fred. So tell, where are you from?” She used an extra sugary voice.

“Georgia. Nice to meet ya.” The elevator wound to a stop, and the doors glided open welcoming us. From the corner of my eye I spied him press the button for the third floor. 

“Floor?”

“Three.” 

“Oh, goody,” he said in a mocking tone. 

I knew he was more than annoyed with my disruption to his evening with the lady, I looked him square in the eye and formed a large smile. She wasn’t the woman and I should have gone back to the car; however, I didn’t. My curiosity drove me. 

The couple ran walked out of the elevator, giggling and whispering as they went. No doubt they were having fun at my expense. I walked behind them, fumbling in my pocket pretending to search for my key, as I walked up to room number 316. They never looked back at me and soon entered their room. The façade was over, and I wasn’t sure what to do next, but someone else had other plans.

Abruptly, I turned on my heel to face a redhead, the redhead, Mrs. Nomes. Her flaming red big-hair gave her a gnome-like appearance. Inwardly, I laughed at my own observation. “I’ve been watching you sweety. What are you up to?” Oops, maybe he got bored and traded her in for a younger model, seeing her close up, she had to be at least thirty.


“I’s just headin’ back to ma car, lef ma room key thare.” She scrunched her eyes and blinked several times. I may have went too heavy on the accent. “Scuse me.” I pushed past her, and felt her fingers grasp the camera cord around my neck, halting my forward motion and giving me a jerk. 

How many did you count?
I counted no -ing sentence starts.
2 adverbs
3 had or forms of

All 4 books have been edited. I'm doing one last sweep as I read through. Once I complete my final sweep each book will be ready for re-release! I'm excited!

A multi-talented author and colleague Manuela Cardiga graciously designed new covers for each book. They are amazing and I can't wait to show them off. Click her name and check out her poetry, fiction, and graphic design on her website.

Facts About Tigers For Kids by Shalu Sharma - review

After spending 12 years teaching in the public schools I can say the majority of children love tigers. They are beautiful creatures and intense predators. Shalu Sharma's book is loaded with amazing pictures and facts about these awesome creatures.



My Review

Facts About Tigers For Kids is a short interesting read all about tigers. Tigers are majestic creatures! Shalu includes information about their life cycle, hunting style, comparisons to lions, where tigers live, and much more. The book is written for children and sure to be loved by many around the globe. She includes wonderful pictures, and encourages people to help save the tiger from becoming extinct as fewer and fewer tigers exist in our world.

Find Here:
Amazon- Facts About Tigers - For Kids
Amazon.uk 

Jeniann Bowers - The Lighter Side of Silliness Review

I was provided the opportunity through Double Decker Books ot review Poetry: The Lighter Side of Silliness. It's no secret I love Jeniann Bower's poetry and have read most her books.

This poetry book is different in the sense it's sole purpose is to share fun and leave the reader smiling.

My review:

Poetry: The Lighter Side of Silliness is exactly as the name suggests, silly and fun. It is a short read filled with crazy little poems such as Stinky Toes, Balloons, and Scary Nights. Each is a handcrafted anecdote related to the author’s children and their home life. I found myself grinning and laughing unable to put the book down. Instead I had to turn the page and move onto the next poem. I have read many of Jeniann Bower’s books and loved each one.  This one has a feel similar to Collection of 25 days of Christmas Poetry in the sense it’s carefree and whimsical.  It’s a great read for any day and a pick-me-up when the day doesn’t start off on the right foot.


Warning – be prepared to smile.

Blurb: Poetry: The Lighter Side of Silliness

 Spring Dance

Rain falls at my feet,
Splish, Splash,
What a treat
Spring bash

Spring is here
With a cheer
That old man winter is gone
Up at dawn
To splish and splash
Mud puddle dash

Where to Find The Lighter Side of Silliness:
Amazon-Poetry: The Lighter Side of Silliness
Amazon U.K.

A few places to find Jeniann
Poetry Is... Blog
Twitter
Facebook
Goodreads
Google+

Desiree's Detective by Manuela Cardiga and Desiree Cronson

I must post a warning: Expect tears of hysterics and tightened abs caused by fits of laughter.

Manuela Cardiga is an exceptionally talented author whose list of talents don't stop there. She is also a talented graphic artist as can be seen on her covers and the cover on my book Eye of the Storm Eilida's Tragedy. And a humble person and history buff.

She shared with me the history behind the story. Yes, the story is fictional but there are tidbits based on truth. 

In the story Louis XIV queen has a black child born to her. In history this truly happened. She claimed the reason was due to the dwarf jester giving her a fright when she was pregnant. The king was sad as the princess was very beautiful. The child was sent to a convent as in the Desiree's Detective. This information came Madam de Montespan's diaries.

Loius XIV had a passion for his grand daughter in law Jean de Becu and she becomes the Kings official mistress. Can't give away spoilers so you're going to have to read and find out if this is in the story.

Here is my review

Desiree’s Detective is a quick, fun, sexy read. The setting is eighteenth century Paris. Desiree is a young somewhat naïve girl who attempts to solve the palace mystery, murdered court jesters, in place of her cousin Noelle. Noelle is a self-absorbed young woman who’s about her beauty and station in life. She’s hired as the palace detective but becomes easily side-tracked with a young man. 

Manuela Cardiga designs characters and situations that kept me laughing as I turned each page. Their sexual escapades are masterfully crafted and hilarious.  The short is loaded with subplots such as the philandering king and queen who love sex but not with each other. They both want a child – an heir to the throne and attempt a comical solution. Desiree’s a virgin whose sexual naiveté gets her into precarious situations.


For the reader who desires to spend a few hours in fits of laughter.

Where to find Manuela and her books
Blog
Amazon U.S.- Maneula Cardiga
Amazon U.K 

Desiree's Detective
Amazon U.S- Desire's Detective
Amazon U.K.
Barnes and Noble
Goodreads