LOVE AND MEMORIES

Most literature has love as a thread woven through the story,  This strong emotion comes in many forms and here I have tried to capture the love between an ageing father and his daughter.
I would welcome your comments if this piece moves you to say something.


The phone rings and she hurries to answer it. “Hello?”
“Hi darl’, Dad here.”
“Hi Dad, How’s things?”
“Not too good honey.  I’ve got a small problem. Well, a big one, really.”
“What’s the matter?”
“I’m in town and I seem to have lost my car.”
“Has it been stolen? Or have you mislaid it?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why did you go to town Dad? The supermarket’s just down the road from you.”
“The dog needed food and I thought the car could use a run.”
“Jeeez Dad!”
“I felt like driving.”
“Sorry.  Of course you felt like driving.  Now let me think.  Did you park on the street or in a building?”
“I can’t remember.”
“Close your eyes and think.  What did you see when you stopped the car?”
“I saw traffic lights, on red.”
“Right.  Where are you now?”
“At the Police Station.”
“Can you stay there until I arrive?” Panic has put a crack in her voice.
“I’ll ask.  Don’t go away. …  “ 
In the silence her heart beat pounds in her head. She tries to breathe deeply, to relax. Will he forget he’s talking to her?   At last she hears footsteps and his voice.
“Are you still there Sue?”
“Yes Dad I’m here.”
“I can sit on a chair and have a cup of tea till you arrive.  Sue, my car’s gone and I can’t get home.”
“I know that Dad.  I’ll be about 15 minutes.  Do you have your watch on?”
“No, it’s missing.  I think someone’s stolen it. Why do people keep stealing my stuff?”
“It’ll be somewhere Dad.  I’ll find it once we find your car.”
“Thanks darl’. Don’t be long.  Did I tell you I’ve lost my car?”
Yes Dad.  Please don’t worry.  I’ll be there as soon as I can.
“And I can’t find my damn watch. I think the dog’s gone missing too. “
“I’m minding the dog and I’ll find your watch Dad.  Just stay there.   Promise me.”
“I promise Sue.  Did I ever tell you you’re a good girl?”
“Often Dad and I love you too.  Bye.”

AN EXCERPT FROM MY LATEST W. I.P.: "A STELLAR AFFAIR' , BEING RELEASED IN AUGUST.

Just a tempting taste of action from the fourth in the series about the genetically altered Corban family. Stella's Romance - "A Stellar Affair"

They walked along the river, the sounds of the city’s nightlife bouncing off the hard surfaces of the surrounding tall buildings. To Stella it felt as if the city was talking to her, urging caution and every warning horn from the auto-taxis seemed to be saying ‘beware’, ‘beware’ to her personally, instead of warning other cars that their proximity was dangerously close.
He slid his hand around hers, his grasp soft and warm, a comfort to her jangled nerves. She couldn’t pull her hand away. That would be rude. Not that she wanted to release his grasp. The smell of his after-shave tickled her nose, pleasant and sharp, a clean aroma that reminded her of the gum tree plantation she’d visited with her father last year.
On the other side of the river, standing under a streetlight she noted the figure of a man, watching. His shape and profile seemed familiar. Surely not Grandad? Would he really be there, checking on her safety? She’d stopped walking, her concentration on the figure’s outline had halted her steps. Could it be a security agent from the Nursery? No, Granddad has said none of the family was on the observation schedule for the coming week. The figure moved, walking away and from his gait she was sure it was her grandfather. She signed, more with acceptance of his concern than from frustration at his lack of trust. Perhaps it was Matt he didn’t trust? Not her.
“Let’s sit for a while.” Matt’s pressure on her back guided her to a long seat, nearby. This one had a back, not like the ones they’d walked past, all square with edges that cut the night, the giant’s toy blocks. The seat’s curved back fitted nicely when she leaned back to look at the stars. “There’s a falling star,” Matt said. “Make a wish.”
Closing her eyes tight she wished she could love this man unfettered by her genes and when she opened her eyes his face blotted out the stars above her. His lips closed gently over hers, soft and giving, while the trembling in his embrace spoke silently to her of his passion as he held her against his chest.
Several long moments later she gently pulled back, to take a deep breath. She’d forgotten to breathe! His eyes reflected the lamp behind them and his dark hair fell over his forehead, tickling her face. She stroked the hair out of his eyes, her gaze devoured his features, memorising them, printing them indelibly into her memory, because this could be the last time she saw him.

A WRITER'S HOLIDAY.

She lay sprawled on her beach towel, the sun beating on her back. The sound of the surf lulled her brain, relaxing her whole body.  Only the screech of the seagulls disturbed this strip of isolated sand and confident of the solitude in this cove she’d shed her bra’.

The pages she’d been reading held her cheek off the towel, keeping any grains of sand from seeping into her eyes. The erotic scene on page 94 had been a disappointment. She could write better than that! Dozing, languid and as relaxed as a floppy limbed baby, her mind arranged words, shuffled them to new places and rewrote the scene’s beginning.

 ‘The sun bounced off the white wall of the shed, blinding her gaze for a moment and in the shadow of the porch she couldn’t see his face.
 “Yes?”  Who was this man? “Can I help you?”
 “I hope so,” he murmured, taking a step toward her, causing her to step back and trip. Damn mat. How many times had she thought to remove it? Strong arms caught her as she fell and, her sight clearer in the shade of the hallway, she recognised their gardener.
 “Maxwell, thank you for catching me.” She struggled to stand but he held her tight against his chest.  She inhaled, breathing in the smell of tree pruning, earth and sweat. It all seemed rather nice and she gave up her struggle, resting against the smooth fabric of his shirt. She stroked his back thinking it funny how her hands found their way around his waist and slid down his tight buttocks to grasp them. As if all her daydreams had been answered he lifted her, his arms under her knees, and carried her into the conservatory, placing her gently on the daybed.
 “Are you hurt, M’am?”
 “I will be if you leave.  Here,” she patted the space beside her, “sit beside me for a moment until I recover……’
 That would read better than the original draft.  She sat up and pulled her duffle bag closer, searching in the bottom for a pen, snagging her notebook at the same time.

 “I’m pleased to see you working?”

 She gasped in shock, and wrapped her arms across her naked breasts before she dared to look up. She recognised his gnarly toes. His legs dripped, the hairs stuck in dark rivulets. There was sand between his toes.  Even on holiday he haunted her - her editor.

 “What do you want?” she asked, echoing her heroine’s words.

 “Have you finished those edits yet?”

WELCOME TO MY BLOG for the PARANORMAL BLOG HOP WEEKEND

I AM DELIGHTED TO BE PART OF THIS BLOG HOP. 
READ BELOW ABOUT MY 'NEXT BIG THING' -  MY LATEST STORY FROM THE GENETICALLY ALTERED CORBAN FAMILY SERIES. 

Look in the  'MY BOOKS' page and read excerpts from all three stories and choose which one you would like to win as a prize.  By leaving a comment you go into the draw.

REMEMBER - LOVE'S BRIGHT STAR is a free download at present on the Secret Cravings Publishing site.  You might like to read that and then choose a follow-on. 

Thank you for visiting my blog. I hope you return often and read my regular contributions.

Have fun with your blog hopping this weekend, a golden opportunity to catch up with the goings on of the talented authors who publish with Secret Cravings



MY NEXT BIG THING - STOP PRESS! 'A STELLAR AFFAIR' HAS BEEN ACCEPTED FOR PUBLICATION BY SECRET CRAVINGS.

Hi Jan, thank you for inviting me to take part in this blog hop. It's a great opportunity to talk about my next big thing.

I write futuristic novels about genetically altered people, spiced with romance and adventure.

Q. What is your next big thing?

The working title for my “Next Big Thing’ is ‘Stella’ after the main character, but I’ll  publish it as

 

‘A STELLAR AFFAIR’

This is the fourth in my series of romances about genetically altered people who endeavour to blend in with society. Set in the future Stella appeared as an infant in the first book, but is now in her mid twenties, multi-talented and very attractive. Falling in love with a ‘normal’ will put her and her whole family’s security at risk.

This is a futuristic romance with as touch of Sci Fi.

Your story in one sentence.
The story line could be summed up in one sentence. “She jumps between locations, he has to take a plane. Can love overcome their differences?” Of course there's a lot more to it than that - but you did say just one sentence!

How are my books published?
My books are published by Secret Cravings Publishing, a publisher of romantic e-books. They are now branching out into publishing Young Adult and New Adult e-books as well.  I don’t have an agent.   I submit my work directly to publishers, having checked their reputations on the www.editorsandpreditors website.
I have a fifteen thousand word piece being published as a single in June/July by Total-e-Bound, and a twenty thousand word manuscript, which is a follow-on, that they have, this week, accepted for publication.

How long did it take to write A Stellar Affair?
It took several months to write the first draft of 'Stella',  my ‘next big thing’. It’s 42,500 words and is about a third longer than my previous novellas.  As I wrote each chapter I sent it to my critique partners, which meant that by the end of the story I‘d made most of the corrections necessary and knew the story line ran smoothly without any plot holes. There will be further refinements necessary as it goes through the publishing edits, to fit the style of the publishers.

Who writes in a similar form?
I don’t know of any other romance writers who are using the same type of characters as I have created.? No doubt there are science fiction writers who would write along similar lines.  Perhaps Nalini Singh’s romances would be the closest. Hers are set off-world and have characters with various skills. Although futuristic my stories are set in New Zealand and Australia, in areas I have travelled through or are familiar with. What I don’t know - I google! God bless Google Earth.

What’s next?
I’m waiting to hear whether Secret Cravings will accept 'A Stellar Affair.' They will give me a decision within a week and as they have taken the other three, I hope they will take Stella.  If they do, I will then have to move on and decide which story rattling around in my head will jump to the top of the queue and become my “Next Big Thing.”
I became hardened to rejections before having success with the first in the series, called Love’s Bright Star. I take any suggestion made by publishers very seriously and thanks to their comments I was able to improve and enrich Love’s Bright Star’s content until it became good enough to be accepted. The lessons learned stood me in good stead with the sequels.

Are you going to self-publish?
NO - not at present. I don’t mind the editing process with the publishers. They provide the cover art, editors, formatting and arrange the sale outlets: therefore it’s up to me to conform to their style of content. The two publishing companies, both of e-books, have different styles and require different alterations. I’m happy to oblige because the thought of self-publishing makes me quake at the knees.

Look at "MY BOOKS" page, (at the top) and see my covers, plus read excerpts from my three published futuristic novellas.

To read about other authors taking part in this blog hop, visit the sites listed below and read about their “Next Big Thing”
Daisy Banks at: www.daisybanksnovels.yolasite.com and her new site: http://daisybanks.wordpress.com. Look at her fabulous covers, read the blurbs and be tempted.
Daisy writes romantic fantasy and historical romance.

Jan Goldie at: www.shellbewritemate.blogspot.com Jan writes Junior Fiction and Young Adult fantasy. Her blog is full of interest.

Lee Murray as guest blogger at: http://thephantomparagrapher.blogspot.co.nz/2013/05/guest-post-next-big-thing-lee-murray.html Lee is a prize winning author with her YA novels

http://garth2112.wordpress.com  Garth Lawless writes YA fanatasy. pop over and view his covers and his work.

These blogs will hop you on to other authors busy with their NEXT BIG THING.

DESIRE

She was glorious. She was exquisite - and she was his. He desired to protect her, to wrap her in his arms and defy the world to hurt her;  this would be his future and his mission for life. Her voice reminded him of a bird’s song; her small trills of melody caressed his ears. Her breath on his neck fluttered like the kiss of butterflies; her scent brought back memories of their summer picnics, hot days and shared passion.  This woman would carry his seed and rear his children.  To her he would gift his life’s work and its rewards.  ‘This one is the one” his heart sang.

LOVE IS A LUXURY

The flash of light caught his attention. He stopped, his feet on each side of the ring. It lay on its side, the band caught in the dip between the paving tiles.  Around him the commuters flowed, their path split by his stationery figure. A shoulder bumped him and then another.  He bent and picked the ring up, grasped it tightly in his fist and moved to the side of the passage, muttering ‘excuse me’s to the constant river of bodies heading to the commuter trains. He reached the quieter space hard against the wall, and leaned against the bricks while his gaze quartered the floor. In the snatched views between the pounding feet, he looked for a container, a broken box, something that had once held the ring.
There.  A gap in the crowd revealed a small box near the opposite wall. Waiting for a chance he changed sides and retrieved it. Inside the satin lid he read “Abercrobies Fine Jewellery, High Street’.  In the dim lighting of the passage the ring sparkled as he slid it into the empty slit.

He needed a diamond ring to convince Kathy he loved her.  She’d said so.  “Prove it to me,” she’d said. “Buy me a ring.” He’d thought her instruction lacked love but what did he know of women and their ways? This was his first foray into the emotional dance of courtship. He may not get another chance as good as this.  A ring like this would convince Kathy of his devotion, wouldn’t it?
Then he remembered Anthony Trollope’s quote.  He’d been reading a lot of Trollope lately.  What was it again?
‘Love is like any other luxury. You have no right to it unless you can afford it’
He certainly couldn’t afford Kathy, that much he’d learned in the last few weeks. Ah well, if she loved him she’d wait till he saved the money. If she didn’t wait then she wasn’t the one. He turned against the flow and headed back to the main street, turning right to find the jewellers further up the road. He clutched the box , not risking it dropping through the hole in his pocket.
To steal another’s dream would only bring him more bad luck.