This has been a very busy week for me. I’ve been involved in a Facebook blog hop and will start another tomorrow. I’ve also had a week-long blog tour on Escape with Dollycas into a Good Book and presented an author talk at my local library. Because I want everyone to have a chance at the prizes and promotions I am offering, I have summarized them below. Most are ending very soon, so hop to it and enter a few or all of them. Good luck, and thanks for your interest.
XMAS HOP!
48 eBooks ! 2 swag packs ! $10 Amazon gift card! & an eBook gift of YOUR choice up for grabs! Today, December 11, is the last day to enter for all prizes that will be awarded on Monday, December 12, by all participating authors including myself. Don’t miss out. Check my Facebook author page for details and how to enter: https://www.facebook.com/debbie.delouise.author/
Newsletter Contest for a silver locket. To participate, you just need to subscribe to my author newsletter by filling out the pop-up form on my website at https://debbiedelouise.com. One winner will be announced on Thursday, December 15. I am giving away a duplicate necklace through the rafflecopter in my blog tour with Escape to a Good Book with Dollycas that ends today, December 11. Below are all the stops the tour has made. Each stop features a chance to enter the giveaway:
Starting tomorrow, December 12, I am one of over 100 authors participating in the Aurora Publicity Holiday Hop. Check my Facebook author page on Wednesday, December 14, for information on how to enter my contest and the prize I will be offering. https://www.facebook.com/debbie.delouise.author. For more details and to enter all the other author contests and giveaways going on the entire week, visit: https://www.facebook.com/events/1101537709967416
Thanks to the local folks who attended my author talk on Friday, December 9. Here is a photo from the event.
Welcome to the Canoples Investigations Exposes Space Dodger release tour. This is the third novel and fourth story in this series. Strap on your restraints and be ready for an exciting ride… oh, once you have the book in hand, you will discover there’s a special added attraction—the first chapter of Secret Society: A Canoples Investigations Novella!
There’s a carnival on the station, with all kinds of “legally” cloned animals, more than a few zero-G acrobats, and miniature clowns. BD’s ever present suspicious mind latches onto one thing when the advance team for Galactic Carnival arrives to begin preparations for a weeklong visit. The ringmaster looks familiar, but the man swears that he has never been to Canoples Station before. Even worse, children five and under are disappearing. A bit of investigating on BD’s part clues him in to the fact this has happened on every station Galactic Carnival has visited so far. He’s determined to uncover the true identity of the ringmaster and solve the mystery of the missing children, but at what cost. Is BD willing to lose his lifelong friends to solve this case? Will they prove Jenna Rock, Wade’s girlfriend, isn’t involved?
About K.C. Sprayberry
Born and raised in Southern California’s Los Angeles basin, K.C. Sprayberry spent years traveling the United States and Europe while in the Air Force before settling in northwest Georgia. A new empty nester with her husband of more than twenty years, she spends her days figuring out new ways to torment her characters and coming up with innovative tales from the South and beyond.
She’s a multi-genre author who comes up with ideas from the strangest sources. Those who know her best will tell you that nothing is safe or sacred when she is observing real life. In fact, she considers any situation she witnesses as fair game when plotting a new story.
Excerpt
It feels so good to have Mildred close. I can’t think of her as Jenna, even when she has on her trademark wig and is wearing stage makeup like she is now. Granted, she’s the premier space grunge/rap artist in the whole galaxy. Everywhere she goes, people want to touch and possess her, but here on Canoples Station, I do my best to give her the room she needs to wind down.
That is, until I got a message late last night from her. I still can’t believe what she’s done. That my girl, who has absolutely no investigative training, has stumbled onto and taken control of a situation that is potentially explosive and might endanger her life without consulting Security on any of the stations where she’s performed until now just boggles my mind.
“You know.” She giggles. “I dream about moments like this.”
Her comment startles me. Here we are, stuck near the space dock with so many people around that it’s hard to keep an eye on everyone, and she says that. Sometimes, I think Mildred is a lot like BD.
“What do you mean?” I take my gaze off the crowd to look at her.
Interview with the Author
What do you do to relax and recharge your batteries?
I read. Of course, I read. I’m an author and reading is vital to what we do, but I also have certain books that draw me back. Action/adventure, science fiction, and fantasy top the list. Also, real life crime books are very intriguing. I’ll also cook—as in I take over the kitchen and without a recipe of really anything more than some ingredients, create new dishes. The most recent one was a pasta salad that was nothing more than tossing the pasta with leftover ham, whatever veggies were in the fridge, and then adding a great natural balsamic/olive oil vinaigrette. Everyone loved that. Or my tacos in pasta shells, which was created one night when I forgot to pick up taco shells. That’s an often requested family favorite. My biggest relax and recharge my batteries is to grab my camera and go out into the country, just taking pictures of whatever I find interesting.
What truly motivates you in general? In your writing?
The story motivates me. I have to hear the characters and be able to visualize the scenes in order to write my books. Often times, I am writing with my eyes closed, thinking about the whole scene as it’s unwinding in my head, and getting down the small details that make the book important.
Where do your ideas come from?
For the Canoples Investigations series, the story began on the afternoon of September 11, 2001. Writing that day had become impossible, just like many people found they couldn’t function after the devastating news struck. My youngest was about two months away from his sixth birthday and once we got home from kindergarten, he asked me why bad people want to hurt so many other people all at one time. This child needed to understand why his nice safe world didn’t feel that any longer. All I could tell him is that was a time when we looked for heroes, for people who stand up against injustice and put the world right again. He sadly said that it was too bad there weren’t any kids around who could do that. That moment was when the characters of BD, Carl, Cassie, and Terry began to fight their way to the surface. It would take another ten years before I could write their tales, but once I started, they have never let me release them for long.
I am devoted to my job, my duty. Nothing stands in the way of ensuring the residents of Canoples Station safe from whatever threatens us. But I don’t rush madly into a situation. I go by the rules, always. That goes back to when my dad, Tom Bradford, disappeared. He is the former Chief of Security. Everyone thought he’d been attacked and killed, but I knew better. Only I couldn’t tell anyone what was only suspected at the time, not even my younger brother. To make matters worse between us, I was thrust into the position of his father, a job he didn’t want me to have and one I took on reluctantly. That has caused more than a few problems between us.
When and where were you the happiest?
I’m happiest when Mildred is around. She’s the love of my life. Most people know of her as Jenna Rock, the space grunge/rap singer, but they don’t realize that’s only a persona she adopts to hide her true feelings. Mildred is a wonderful, loving, caring woman, even though her parents abandoned her on Mistlich when she was little more than a toddler. That she survived and became a galaxy wide success is a miracle.
What is it that you most dislike?
People who break the rules. We have rules for a reason. They are there for the citizens of the space stations to have an orderly, normal life. Lawbreakers, those who think the rules are for others and not themselves, always upset the balance. This is why I take my job as a Security officer so seriously. Our lives would be madness unless people like me are there to ensure order.
A WINNER will be chosen on 12 Dec. Good luck!
Please note that Facebook and WordPress are not responsible for this giveaway.
Each individual author is responsible for delivering their prize.
*Entrees must have a Kindle address.
The tour will run until December 11. Below is the schedule, links, and what each blog will feature. There will also be a special rafflecopter giveaway to one lucky winner of a silver locket that is featured in our recent release, Between a Rock and a Hard Place.December 4 – Dalene’s Book Reviews – REVIEW, EXCERPT
I hope you will follow the tour to learn more about me, my cozy mystery series, my latest release, and my future writing endeavors.
I also have a newsletter contest for the same silver locket that I will give to one lucky, random winner from my subscriber list on December 15. To participate, you just have to be a subscriber. To sign up, just fill out the pop-up form at https://debbiedelouise.com or send your email address to me at debbiewriter@yahoo.com with a request to join my newsletter.
If you’re local, you can also hear me talk at the Hicksville Public Library on Friday, December 9 at 2 p.m.
I’m excited to announce my blog tour with Lori Caswell of Escape with Dollycas into a Good Book. The tour will run from December 4 to December 11. Below is the schedule, links, and what each blog will feature. There will also be a special rafflecopter giveaway to one lucky winner of a silver locket that is featured in our recent release, Between a Rock and a Hard Place.
Another 22 Stories – Michael Ross – Available NOW! ONLY £0.99 and on Kindle Unlimited!
BLURB:
As with the other books, Another Twenty Two Short Stories is a varied group of tales. This book contains no erotica, sci-fi or fantasy fiction. However, there are stories that should tickle the imagination and to ask: Why did that happen? What happened next? Can I trust the narrator?
A girl playing her banjo on the beach is interrupted by a stranger, a young girl in Moscow 1932 goes searching for bread, a couple make a nostalgic return to Vienna, a man struggled through an overgrown forest carrying a mysterious box, a millionaire staring out of his penthouse suite is badly shaken by what he witnesses, a young girl comes home to find all she had to eat is cold sausage and chips, an Edwardian doctor’s life is turned upside down by the arrival of the British Prime Minister.
Twenty two stories that are all very different, intending to stimulate the reader’s imagination and creativity.
It was a strange and twisting road that led to the publishing of my second novel.
Born and raised in Bristol, England. I spent my adult life in business, the majority of that time marketing cars. I eventually owned the largest Saab specialist in the world, before a divorce put an end to that part of my life.
This led me to leave Bristol to live halfway up a mountain in the Welsh valleys, start a part time six year English Literature course at Bristol University, and attend creative writing classes in Cardiff.
My interest in English literature flourished and I have won several prizes for my short stories. My first book, ‘Twenty Short Stories – Settling a score,” reached No 6 in the Short Stories Best Sellers and is still available. My second novel, a romantic thriller entitled Hand Over Fist was released earlier this year
Chasing What’s Already Gone evolved from a short story Carpe Diem in my second anthology Twenty One Short Stories. I could not get the two main characters out of my head and I had to find out what happened to them after the end of the short story.
I now live very happily halfway up that mountain in the Welsh Valleys with my wonderful partner, Mari, and our rescue dog, Wolfie.
Her Confession, book #2 of The Black Door Trilogy is out now in eBook and paperback format.
Blurb:
Gabriella Woods is adapting to Darion Milano’s daring world.
As Gabi tries to break down Darion’s defenses, and help him move on from his damaged past, she hopes he can offer her the love and security she desperately requires.
Darion likes that Gabi is pushing her boundaries, but he has his own dilemmas…
With his outrageous ex-wife in the picture, a constant threat, Gabi finds herself agreeing to Darion’s open-minded adventurous fantasies. The bond they share appears stronger than ever.
Until her confession changes everything.
Is Darion pushing Gabi to her limits, and further away from him?
Or is Gabi in too deep to give Darion up, regardless of her identity that he’s slowly stripping away?
A world of temptation, truths, and ultimate tests.
Valentine grew up in England. Studying English language and literature, as well as law, she worked in a solicitors for many years before moving to Spain. She does however still visit the UK, which in a way, will always be home.
Returning to her lifelong passion of writing books, she’s also a weekly columnist for The Ibizan newspaper on: lifestyle and fashion. Her other interests include reading, shopping and a nice glass of wine to shows such as Sons Of Anarchy, Dexter, Gossip Girl and SATC. She’s a social media addict, and loves connecting with new people.
For more information, please visit: www.s-valentine.wix.com/books. If you join her newsletter, you will be the first to receive sneak peeks of chapters, teasers, news, giveaway prizes and more!
Shay is scientific experiment #318. Science may have created her, but she refuses to allow it to blind her to the difference between right and wrong…
Synthetic Hominid Assumed Youth (S.H.A.Y.) is eighteen years old, which means she has completed Phase One: Developmental. Shay no longer requires the assistance of her Optional Human Parent, Darla, who has guided her in the process of discovering her morality. Shay loves her easy, charming life aboard the marine research facility and doesn’t want it to change.
Phase Two: Experimental. All S.H.A.Y. ages 18-20 will experience loss…
Darla shouldn’t have to die because of an experiment. The thought of losing the only parent she’s ever known is too much. Determined to make sure the scientists at the facility don’t get their way, Shay entraps Darla in a transport device to escape across the Miami Border. There, on the mainland, law enforcement will keep her human parent safe.
Escape Mission: Failed…
Shay crashes into one of the Lone Keys off the coast of Florida, abandoned to all humanity, except for the stranger who drags her ashore. Shay must get Darla to safety or she will die of radiation poisoning trapped inside the Freeze Portal, but Shay can’t do it alone.
The boy who found her, an Ersatz Reproduction Intelligence Clone (E.R.I.C.), is her only hope. He has adaptation skills she needs to complete her mission. Eric was created by the same scientists who want to kill Darla, though. She tries to keep their interaction strictly business, but it’s hard to hate him. He’s flirty, charming and not to mention devastatingly handsome.
Shay must put her trust in Eric’s hands if she wants to save Darla from her fate. It may be worth her heart, but will it be worth her life?
“Well then, I’m not going to get in the water.” I bent over, grabbing my clothes. He helped me, handing me my shirt.
I snatched it from him. “I’ll just wait up here for you to get back.”
He laughed, poking me in the stomach. “Look, creampuff, I’m not going in without you.”
“Oh yes you will, or I’ll—”
“You’ll what? Talk to yourself some more?”
I narrowed my eyes at him, stumbling as I tugged my pants on.
“You’re the one who needs my help, remember?”
“You make me sick.” My shirt slipped down over my head and I struggled with the buttons.
He smiled. “Take your clothes off.”
“Don’t tell me what to do.”
Amie groaned. She stood beside me, rolling her eyes. “You’re just creating more and more sexual tension with the E.R.I.C. Soon, you’ll forget all about your Darla and I’ll have no human mother for S.H.A.Y. 319.”
“I won’t!” I unzipped my pants again. “I’ll do whatever it takes to save them both.”
Eric backed away. “Whoa, there, I was just teasing you.”
“I’m not talking to you.”
He rolled his eyes. “Right, I forgot, you have others here with you.”
“I’m not doing this for you, you’re the enemy. I’m trying to save my, my—”
“You’re trying to save your ‘what’ exactly?”
“It doesn’t concern you. Just follow me into the water. That way, we can get started.”
“Are you hitting on me?” His eyes widened. “I enjoy a little banter and all, but—”
I shoved him. “Like I’d ever flirt with you.”
Christina Leigh Pritchard was born and raised in South Florida. Her first stories were written at the age of nine in spiral notebooks and in the various diaries she kept. Stories she wrote from age nine to twelve fill about four storage boxes!
Since she’s upgraded to a computer, she’s completed over fifty books and still going strong. Her genres include science fiction, dark fantasy, young adult, drama, suspense, historical romance, multicultural, comedy, poetry and many more.
The Braille Club Undone is the third book in The Braille Club series and is AVAILABLE NOW!
Blurb:
The Braille Club fulfils desires and fantasies. It guarantees members—sensory overload. Pleasure comes in many forms. Some playful and exciting, others…twisted by evil. Would you risk pain in exchange for pleasure?
Benedict and Sienna Harrison are left reeling…
Siena and Benedict—newlyweds and owners of the exclusive Braille Club—are determined more than ever to protect their family. “Knox,” their new home seems safe; but a presence lurks in the shadows. Watching, waiting. When the weak link is identified, their whole world will be blown apart.
Simon Lawrence will stop at nothing to satisfy his desires…
But his wife, Tess, has other plans. Tired of her husband’s infidelity, she resorts to desperate measures. However, Simon won’t let this new woman slip through his fingers. Distraught, Tess will stop at nothing to protect them and her secret. How far will she go to save her husband…from himself?
Virinder Bashir desires the freedom of the club…
Forced to marry Noor Chaudry, a beautiful, ruthless, and desperate woman, Virinder rejects their arranged marriage, seeing through her façade. During his sensual Braille lessons however, Noor becomes the center of his fantasies. After tragedy comes a blooming love, but not everyone wants them to live happily ever after.
A new client tempts Anna Dunbar down a dangerous, yet exciting path…
Manager of Harrison’s and the Braille Club, Guy Walker’s relationship with Anna Dunbar is failing. Feeling neglected, Anna’s flirting ignites Guy’s determination to win her back. Their mutual development of a new Braille Club Zone reawakens their dark desires, but will these desires unite…or destroy them? Cords and ropes aren’t the only strings being pulled at the Braille Club. Danger lurks beneath deadly desires and obsessive fantasies… Will you indulge your desires and enter the Braille Club once again?
Five star review! As an avid follower of The Braille series, I couldn’t wait to read the next instalment from J A Kerr. Book 3 doesn’t disappoint! With increasingly complex storylines and clever introductions to fresh characters, you are taken on a roller coaster of a ride; experiencing contradictory emotions as the book gathers pace. Definitely darker than the first two books, Kerr manages to balance romance with danger, and offers the reader fascinating insight into “edgier” elements of sexual desire. Braille club die hards will enjoy the twists and turns of familiar relationships however “Undone” takes them to another level, setting up a tantalising finale that will keep you guessing! Great read, highly recommend! – Marie Lynch.
Author Bio
I was born in the spring of 1967 at Paisley’s Ross Hospital in Scotland and grew up in Glasgow. I was an office administrator and latterly a recruitment consultant before marrying and relocating to The Netherlands with her husband. After two years, I moved to Cheshire where my first child was born and returned to work part-time. My final relocation took me back to my home town of Glasgow where I welcomed the arrival of my second child. I raised my family whilst harbouring dreams of becoming a writer. In September 2013, I took the plunge and started my first book.
When I set out to write these books, I wanted to create something that mirrored exactly the kind of books I like to read. My top picks are always originals featuring strong male and female protagonists with attitude. The Braille Club Series books are a great mix of genres. Although sensuality plays a big part, there is also intrigue and a touch of thriller.
I love to connect.
Never miss a thing sign up to my fun monthly http://bit.ly/1VY3q4E Keeping up with a KERRdashion…for all my book gossip, giveaways and updates 🙂
Ever since Violet Forrester first moved next door to Brianna, she has been tortured relentlessly…
It seems like Brianna has everything, and yet she still doesn’t have the one thing she really wants; the one thing that Violet cares about the most—Blake Edwards.
After years of letting Brianna walk all over her, Violet’s finally had enough. She’s tired of sitting back and watching Brianna flirt with her boyfriend, steal her friends, and push her around. She’s finally ready to stand up for herself.
To do this, Violet and her new friend, Lena, devise a plan to make Brianna realize that not everything is hers for the taking, and Violet knows the perfect way to do it…
After all, nothing is better than revenge.
That is, until someone gets hurt.
SCARLET AWAKENING
With the drama of the school year behind them, sisters Lena and Ella Snotty are off to California for the summer…
Their parents have recently separated, and the sisters are becoming closer, though Lena can’t get past wanting to know more about their fractured family. While unpacking, Lena finds a photo of their mother with the twins she gave up for adoption, and notices something very strange.
In the photo, there’s a man she’s never seen before…
Assuming it must be the man who adopted the twins, Lena and Ella set out to find him so they can meet their younger siblings. As they search, Lena reconnects with Carter Anderson, the boy she dumped abruptly the year before, causing her to wonder whether or not she should return to Virginia in the fall.
Did the man in the picture truly adopt the twins—or is John Symmes someone else altogether?
A journey through the past might just change their lives forever…
PLAYING WITH FIRE
Ella Snotty is worth more than a quickie…
After a family scandal tore their family apart, seventeen-year-old Ella chooses to stay in California with her mom for the rest of the school year. Things are lonely since her sister Lena went to live with their dad. But at least she has her new boyfriend, Shane Quinn, to make things a little less depressing.
Ella isn’t the only girl who thinks Shane is swoon-worthy…
Shane takes Ella out to blow off some steam, and the party isn’t short on alcohol. When a tipsy old flame “falls” into Shane’s lap, her spontaneous kiss makes Ella more than a little jealous. And when details of Shane’s dating history surface, Ella is determined to be more than a fling.
The V-word will slow things down…
Afraid Shane wants to use her for a little fun, Ella lies and says she’s a virgin. According to his reputation, Shane has commitment issues. Maybe it’ll make him stick around long enough for them to form a real connection before the physical sparks fly. But is he worth the lie? And what happens when both of their insecurities come crumbling down like a house of cards?
She wants his heart. He’s afraid to commit. As the pressure mounts, will they find comfort in each other? Or will they learn that when playing with fire, you risk getting burned?
The hot summer sun was beating down on us as we sat together on the side of the pool. Leaning forward, I dipped one foot into the water and made small circles, causing the clear water to ripple and shine in the bright sunlight. I could feel the heat radiating off of his body as he snaked his arm around my waist. Despite the heat I leaned into him, resting my head on his shoulder as I breathed in his scent. The strong smell of his aftershave mixed with citrus from his shampoo enveloped me, fogging my thoughts.
“Want to take a swim?” Blake looked at me with a small smirk on his sun-tanned face that made my heart melt.
I couldn’t help but notice the way his blue eyes twinkled every time he looked at me. A small breeze blew a few strands of his black hair into his eyes as I cupped his cheek with my hand.
“I dare you,” I whispered as I leaned in closer to him, pressing my lips gently to his.
He kissed me back softly, allowing his lips to mold and move in sync with mine, before pulling back and smirking at me. “I never turn down a good dare!” he exclaimed with a laugh as he shoved me into the pool.
The cold water slapped against my body, folding in around me on all sides until I was completely submerged. I had just barely managed to take in a breath before I had been so rudely shoved into the pool, and I was thankful that I had. When my toes touched the bottom of the deep end I kicked off of the concrete, propelling myself back upward. Once my head broke the surface I rubbed the chlorinated water from my eyes and squinted up at where Blake had been sitting moments ago.
A chorus of giggles erupted from the opposite direction and I turned my head to see Blake walking toward the fence that separated my yard from my neighbor’s, laughing at something that Brianna, the stuck up princess who lived next door, had said. She giggled, tossing her hair lightly as she spoke again, leaning her body against the wooden fence. As Blake drew near her, she leaned her body forward and pulled him into a tight hug, pressing her chest to his body while rolling her eyes at me, and smirking. I responded with a glare that only deepened when she mouthed the word, “Mine,” before she pulled away. The only word she has known ever since we were little.
Since I was younger, and even now, Brianna has been associated with some of my worst memories. As I watched her talk to my boyfriend while tossing me sly glares I remembered seventh grade when Brianna had done everything in her power to make my life miserable. Not even a month into the school year she had found a way to turn all of my friends against me. She dug a hole into my friend group, put herself in, and took me out. She had a leader quality in her, that was for sure. All of my friends followed her in spreading rumors about me, and isolating me from the main group.
I had learned at a young age how to entertain myself, and I had even gotten use to being alone. Her actions, and the actions of my so-called friends had shown me that trust shouldn’t be doled out easily. Trust is something to be given to those who deserve it. That was something that had stuck with me, and was probably the reason I had so few friends to this very day.
Logically, I knew that I was able to change that, but my trust issues ran deep, and I blamed Brianna. Even at a young age she had been conniving and evil. Nothing about her personality has really changed. She’s still conniving and evil—just more so.
That was just one of the many times that the stuck up bitch, formally known as Brianna Richardson, had taken something that was mine and made it hers, and I was tired of it. Brianna was the type of girl who had been spoiled and put on a pedestal her whole life, and I hated people like that. I wanted to rip the silver spoon from her smirking mouth and shove it where the sun doesn’t shine. It was about time that she learned other people have feelings too, and I was just the person to teach her that.
SCARLET AWAKENING – EXCERPT 2
I pulled a long sleeve sweater from deep within the confines of my suitcase, and stared at it quizzically. Wow, I really did go overboard packing. I know that I had said that I was packing in preparation for anything that came my way, but seriously, a long sleeve sweater? Did I think that sometime during my visit, San Diego was going to be hit by a blizzard?
Shaking my head, I folded the sweater neatly and tucked it away into the bottom drawer of my dresser. I had been unpacking for nearly two hours now, and so far I hadn’t gotten far. I blamed my lack of progress on my short attention span, and my laziness. So far, I had managed to organize each drawer according to clothing article. I had separate drawers for bottoms, tops, bathing suits, undergarments, pajamas, and miscellaneous. The sweater was placed into the miscellaneous drawer where it was accompanied by a thin raincoat, sweat pants, and a pair of gray leg-warmers. Seriously, I had a packing problem.
My phone buzzed on the dull hardwood floor just a few inches away from my thigh. I scooped the phone up and smiled at the screen when I saw that the message was from Violet. She had been sending me cute videos of her sister, Lilly, all morning. Lilly had started taking dance lesson a few months ago, and she had her first recital coming up in a week so she would practice throughout the house, despite her mom’s efforts. I unlocked the phone, which instantly opened the message to show another video. Along with the video, Violet had sent a message telling me to listen to her mom.
Smiling, I hit play on the video, and watched closely as the camera focused on a dancing, tutu-clad Lilly. She was spinning around the Forrester’s living room, weaving in and out of the furniture and doing ballet-style leaps over little obstacles that littered the floor. The obstacles were little stuffed animals, and toys that Lilly had probably set up.
“Watch this, Lizzie,” Lilly’s voice blasted from my phone’s speaker. She stopped moving and faced the camera head on, then smiled so brightly that her eyes scrunched up some. Her dark curls continued to bounce around her face from the previous motion. “I, Lilly Forrester, am going to do something that no other dancer can do.” She raised her arms high over her head, and proceeded to do a cartwheel from the living room into the dining room where her mom was.
I heard Mrs. F. let out a shriek, and it soundly like she was about to have an aneurysm or something. The shriek caused Lilly to lose her footing, and fall onto her butt. “No cartwheels!” Violet’s mom spoke loudly. She wasn’t yelling, but she was definitely worked up. “You could break your neck!” Then the video ended, and I laughed loudly at her words. Mrs. F. was known for being an extreme worrywart. I thought that it was hilarious, while Violet thought that her mom was crazy. I was sure that if I had grown up with her as my mom, I would think she was crazy too.
I shook my head; still smiling to myself about the video as I typed back a reply about how her mom was hilarious, before setting my phone back on the ground and staring into my suitcase again. I would probably be done now if I had continuously stuck with unpacking when I first started. I had begun right after breakfast, and Ella and I had decided to have a race to see who could finish first. She won.
It wasn’t fair really. I had more to unpack than she did, so I should have gotten a head start. It had only taken her half an hour to unpack everything. How was that possible? When she finished and had come up to brag about her winning, I no longer saw the point in rushing, and began to take my sweet time. I had even taken a break to go talk to grandpa who had been doing a little organizing of his own. Apparently grandma had given him the task of cleaning out the once guest room that had been converted to a storage room. She didn’t want me to be stuck up in the attic room for my whole visit. I was fine being in the attic, but grandma disagreed.
So when I went to see grandpa, he had been in the middle of trying to figure out the most effective way to begin cleaning the room. In my opinion the most effective way to begin cleaning was to start, but he was sure that there was a certain way that he needed to tackle his task. When I left him, he was grumbling about who was the person to come up with the saying, “Happy wife, happy life.” At the moment, making grandma happy by cleaning was not making his life happy.
Sighing, I shook my thoughts from my mind and reached into my bag again, pulling out a cute, red sundress that I had gotten on my last trip to the mall with Ella. I hadn’t worn it yet, but I was excited to get the chance too. Red had always been my favorite color. Not only was it just a nice color in general, but also I felt like it made me look sexy, and mysterious. It probably didn’t, but a girl could dream. Standing, I went to hang the dress up in my closet, along with the other dresses that I had already hung up. This unpacking thing was rapidly becoming tedious.
With a groan, I leaned my back against the foot-board of my bed that faced the closet. Maybe I could convince Ella to help me finish up? Just as I was about to stand, my eye caught a little corner of a piece of paper that was poking out from behind the dresser. I furrowed my brows at the sight of it, wondering what it could be. The rest of the room had been completely empty when I arrived, so I was curious to see what this was. It was probably nothing, but either way my interest was piqued.
Pushing myself away from the bed, I walked toward the dresser, crouching down next to it as I gripped the corner of the paper and pulled it from its hiding place. I unfolded it, seeing the back first. There was one sentence scrawled across the back. It was short, and sweet.
Keep us in your memories.
That was all that it said. There was no name signed under it, or even a date. Just that one sentence. Now I was really curious. Flipping the paper over, my jaw dropped almost instantly. It was a picture of my mom in the hospital, holding one bundle of white in each arm, with a man standing next to her. I could see now why there was no name or date listed on the back. The date was obvious. The picture had to have been taken on August 8th, the day that my mom gave birth to the twins. That was the first and last time that she had seen them. I assumed that the man in the picture was the guy who had adopted them, and probably the owner of the handwriting on the back as well.
I stood hurriedly, and took the stairs down from my room to go find Ella. Luckily, she was sitting in her room listening to music. I entered without knocking, earning a glare. I didn’t care though. I knew that she would want to see this.
Moving toward where she was sprawled across her bed, I trusted the photograph out to her. She took it curiously, staring at the front in silent before flipping it over to read the back.
“Do you recognize him?” she asked me, eyebrows furrowed.
I shook my head no. “He’s got to be the guy who adopted the babies. Why else would he be in the picture?”
Ella shrugged in response, staring at the front of the photo again. I stood in silence for a moment as she just sat, holding the picture and frowning down at it. Then, with a smile curving her thin lips upward, she met my eyes. “If we found him, we would probably find the babies too.”
I bit my lip as realization crashed over me. “We could finally meet them.”
PLAYING WITH FIRE – EXCERPT 3
The music blasting from the speakers in the living room was so loud that it felt like the house was pulsing to the beat. There were giant speakers set up against the walls, and each piece of furniture, with the exception of a few couches, had been moved out of the living room to make space for a makeshift dance floor. From my position on the loveseat in the corner I could see a group of drunk girls gyrating and grinding against each other to a completely different beat. Each girl was dressed as a cat, and I almost groaned audibly at their costume choice. There were so many damn cat outfits that I’d lost count. Is originality frowned upon on Halloween too, of all days?
Next to me, Carter laughed as one of the girls stumbled in her leopard-print heels and almost toppled over before she was caught by one of her more sober kitty-friends.
“Why aren’t you out there?” Carter asked, leaning toward me and yelling over the music so he could be heard.
I shrugged. Normally I was the type of girl who spent the night dancing in the middle of the crowd until my thighs burned, buttonight was different. I just wasn’t in the mood to dance, or to be social at all. I hadn’t even wanted to come to the party. If it weren’t for Shane and Carter, I would probably be at home right now squandering away the night watching old Disney Halloween movies and avoiding my homework assignments until the last minute. “I can’t find Shane,” I answered. It wasn’t the exact reason, but it was more or less true. About an hour into the party, Shane had disappeared. I told myself the only reason I was wondering where he’d gone was because he was the reason I was here, but everyone knew that wasn’t true.
Carter smirked at me. Shane and I had been dating, for lack of a better word, for nearly three months now and yet he still teased me about it every chance he got. I never teased him about how whipped he was when it came to my sister. The least he could do was extend that same courtesy to me.
“Aw, do you miss him?” he questioned, still smirking. The fact that his face was painted as the Joker only added to my annoyance. It was as if his smirk was extra defined.
I rolled my eyes dramatically.
“Hey, I’m only messing with you,” he said loudly, placing a hand on my shoulder. He offered me a small smile when I made eye contact. “If you find the alcohol, I can promise you you’ll find Shane.”
“Come with me?” I had to lean into his ear as I asked. I could barely hear my own voice.
He nodded in response and we both got to our feet. As soon as our butts left the couch, the wolf and Little Red Riding Hood swooped in to take our seats, then proceeded to make out. Her grandmother would be so disappointed.
Carter led the way out of the room and down the hall toward the kitchen. I’d only been in this house one other time for a party at the beginning of the year, and was surprised I remembered my way around. As we entered the room, we wove in and out of people who were standing around, guzzling substances from their red plastic cups. Some people had really gotten into the Halloween spirit and went all out for their costumes, while others had taken the easy route by sticking animal ears on their heads and calling it a night. If I had originally planned on coming to the party then my costume would’ve been way better than it was. Instead, I was wearing the same costume I wore last year to Brianna’s Halloween party—Marilyn Monroe.
I scanned the room as Carter and I made our way through the growing throng of our peers. Shane wasn’t anywhere in sight. I was rapidly becoming annoyed. How rude is it to force someone to come to a party with you, and then just ditch them? Very.
I followed closely behind Carter as he exited the kitchen through a sliding glass door and headed out onto the deck. The hot day had turned into a warm, breezy night. The sky was dark, but light came from tiki torches and the many candle-lit, carved pumpkins that surrounded the backyard. Almost instantly after I stepped out onto the porch, Shane walked up to me with a big smile on his handsome face.
“Ella!” he yelled, throwing his arms around me and pulling me in for a bone-crushing hug. The strong smell of alcohol hit my nose as he nuzzled his head into the crook of my neck. “I missed you,” he mumbled against my skin, sending tingles down my spine when he kissed my neck. The way my body reacted to him only served to annoy me further. I was mad at him for making me come out tonight, and then leaving me on the couch for nearly an hour while he drank. He did not deserve my affection right now.
I pushed him back by his shoulders, keeping him at arm’s length as I said, “If you missed me then you would’ve come inside and gotten me. Have you been out here the whole time?”
He nodded hard, causing his blond hair to fall into his eyes. Then, catching me off guard, he placed his hands on my cheeks and guided my face to his. He kissed me hard for a moment before I pulled away. If it was possible, he tasted worse than he smelled. Carter laughed as I scrunched my nose in disgust.
“What are you doing?” I groaned, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. I ignored the hurt in his eyes as he pouted.
“I just wanted to kiss you,” he answered, running a hand through his hair and glancing to the side.
I sighed, pulling him away from the door, down the steps into the yard, and over to a lawn chair. Carter followed us and stood with his arms crossed over his chest, just watching us in amusement. “You smell terrible,” I said, trying not to stand downwind of him. “How much did you drink?”
Shane shrugged as he dropped down into the chair. My gaze trailed from his face to his chest, which was on full display in his costume. He was one of the people who had taken the easy route out for a costume, and bought a cheap boy scout’s vest from the costume store earlier today. He paired it with some khaki shorts, and was ready for a night out. The vest was open and showed off his tan abs and muscular arms. I wasn’t the only one who was noticing either. Other girls were milling around the yard, obviously checking him out, and it was kind of pissing me off.
Shane pulled me down onto the chair with him, hugging me tightly to his chest. His muscular arms flexed as they circled my waist, and he leaned down to rest his chin on my shoulder. He sighed deeply. “You smell so good,” he commented.
Carter rolled his eyes. “I’m gonna go see if I can find him a bottle of water or something. He’s gotta sober up before he gets home or his mom will have an aneurysm.”
“Okay, hurry back. We should leave soon. I’m tired.” As if my body was trying to prove my words, a yawn escaped my parted lips. Behind me, Shane hugged me tighter. I shifted positions uncomfortably, trying not to gag at how horrible he smelled.
“Got it,” Carter replied, turning to head back into the house where I could see people dancing in the kitchen through the plate glass door.
More people were beginning to come outside, probably because of how crowded it was inside. It was hot in there, and there was hardly any space to move around. The only downside to being out here was that the music was only a dull thud. You could hear the beat, but it was hard to tell what song was playing. At least outside I could actually hear myself think.
I turned my head slightly so I could see Shane’s face as his head rested on my shoulder. When I moved, he opened his eyes and his gaze met mine. Then he shifted his eyes and looked around in front of us. Returning his gaze to mine, he sat up as he said, “He’s gone!”
He looked so cute and happy that I couldn’t help but smile at him. “Carter?”
Shane nodded in response. “I was waiting for him to leave.”
“Why is that?”
He smirked. “So I could do this,” he answered, turning me slightly as he leaned in to kiss me again. I pulled away before he could.
I placed my hands on his chest and held him back as he tried to lean in again. “Damn boy, you need to calm down. Your hormones are on a whole ’nother level right now.”
“It’s the outfit.” He raised an eyebrow at me as he pulled at the material of my white dress. “I always had a thing for Marilyn Monroe.” He winked, and even in his drunken stupor he managed to look so sexy that I almost swooned. How that was possible, I had no clue.
“Well, Marilyn is taking a vow of abstinence.”
Shane groaned. His mood changed so quickly. He went from flirtatious to looking like someone just ran over his puppy.
I laughed lightly as he pouted. “We really need to get you home.”
Shane instantly took the bait and his smirk returned full force. “You wanna take me home?”
“Yes, but not in the way you’re implying,” I answered, rolling my eyes at how cheesy his suggestion was. Then I glanced up and looked toward the door, hoping to see Carter coming out, but he wasn’t. “Where is Carter? He said he’d be right back.”
Shane waved my question off. “Who needs Carter? All he does lately is talk about Lena. He’s boring.”
“That’s not boring, that’s adorable.”
Shane scowled.
Sighing, I tried to push myself up, but Shane tightened his arms around me so I couldn’t stand. “Shane, I’m going to find Carter. Just wait here for me to get back. Do not move.”
Pouting, he let me go. Then he crossed his arms and leaned back in the chair, frowning.
“Seriously, don’t go anywhere.” I stared at him until he said he wouldn’t move, and then I headed back toward the house.
As soon as I entered through the back door the sound of the music filled my ears again. Everything was loud inside. People were yelling over the music, laughing, and singing. I had no idea how I was supposed to find Carter if he wasn’t in the kitchen. After I looked around the room and saw that he wasn’t there, I continued to push my way through the crowd. I hardly recognized anyone from school other than people who hung out with Carter and Shane. When I was almost out of the kitchen, a tall girl dressed as a pirate came hurtling around the corner and ran straight into me, spilling the cups of beer she had in each hand all over the front of my dress and down my legs. I groaned loudly, shaking the beer from my hands, and then holding the front of my dress away from my body as she apologized and ran off.
Now I’m going to smell like beer, I thought with a sigh. Holding my now wet dress away from my body, I walked down the main hall, scanning the throng of people for Carter. As I neared the bathroom door, it opened, and out walked Carter with a satisfied expression on his face. I almost wanted to hit him.
When he spotted me, he laughed, but it was covered by the music.
I marched toward him, taking him by the arm and pulling him to the kitchen, where he grabbed one of the many bottles of water that sat amongst the nearly empty bottles of liquor. Then we headed back outside, into the night.
“You look horrible,” Carter commented, gesturing to my beer stains.
I frowned in response. “Thanks, that’s what every girl wants to hear,” I said, the sarcasm heavy in my voice. “Let’s just get this water to Shane, so we can get out of here.”
Carter nodded, and we both turned our attention away from each other and to where I left Shane. I was happy to see he was still sitting there. I took the four patio steps down to the yard, and froze as I watched some girl stumble toward Shane. It was like one of those scenes in a movie where the main character knows in her gut that something bad is about to happen, but is powerless to stop it.
The girl was dressed scantily as a damn black cat, with her dark hair curled and two little cat ears sticking out of her hair at the top. When she got to Shane she plopped down into his lap, tossed her arms around his neck, and kissed him with everything she had in her. My heart clenched at the sight, and I felt anger bubble up inside of me. My head swam for the two seconds that she kissed him until Shane pushed her away. I felt like my blood was boiling, I was so mad.
Shane stood up, placing the girl on her feet and holding his hands up in a surrendering motion. I watched as his lips moved, and then the girl crossed her arms and stormed off. As soon as she turned away from him, Shane turned slightly and his gaze met mine. He looked apologetic, and it seemed as if that one action had sobered him up quick.
I didn’t know what to think. Why the hell did she feel comfortable enough to just come over and start kissing him? Was I missing something?
I didn’t wait to find out though, because as soon as Shane took a step toward me, obviously coming to explain, I turned away and headed back into the house. It was time to go.
I should’ve stayed home.
Taylor Henderson is a psychology major at the University of Mary Washington who was born and raised in Northern Virginia. She has been an adamant reader and writer since she was young, and has always found solace in the worlds and characters that other authors have brought to life in their works. Taylor plans to continue writing, and hopes to expand to different genres in the future.
This has been a very busy week for me. I’ve been involved in a Facebook blog hop and will start another tomorrow. I’ve also had a week-long blog tour on Escape with Dollycas into a Good Book and presented an author talk at my local library. Because I want everyone to have a chance at the prizes and promotions I am offering, I have summarized them below. Most are ending very soon, so hop to it and enter a few or all of them. Good luck, and thanks for your interest.
XMAS HOP!
Newsletter Contest for a silver locket. To participate, you just need to subscribe to my author newsletter by filling out the pop-up form on my website at https://debbiedelouise.com. One winner will be announced on Thursday, December 15. I am giving away a duplicate necklace through the rafflecopter in my blog tour with Escape to a Good Book with Dollycas that ends today, December 11. Below are all the stops the tour has made. Each stop features a chance to enter the giveaway:
Starting tomorrow, December 12, I am one of over 100 authors participating in the Aurora Publicity Holiday Hop. Check my Facebook author page on Wednesday, December 14, for information on how to enter my contest and the prize I will be offering. https://www.facebook.com/debbie.delouise.author. For more details and to enter all the other author contests and giveaways going on the entire week, visit: https://www.facebook.com/events/1101537709967416
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Ruff Drafts 