by Sarah | Feb 25, 2013 | Character Interview, Guest Authors, Writing
Today I’m happy to have Sherry Gloag here with her heroine, Deborah Stavely from her regency romantic suspense, No Job For a Woman. I hope you enjoy getting to know Deborah as much as I did.
1. Tell us a little about yourself. How did you come to your author’s attention? Occupation?
Hello, Sarah. Thank you for inviting me to share a little bit about myself with you and your readers. My name is Deborah Stavely and my author, Sherry Gloag starts my story, a Regency romantic suspense, No Job For a Woman, when the life I have mapped out for myself after losing my husband, Harold, is threatened. I have been widowed for two years and since then have been running Stavely Manor and its lands and tenants in the way my late husband taught me.
Oh did I mention my eldest brother is Lord Worth and while a wonderful brother, is at times, meddlesome and stuck in the mores of what he perceives is the rightful place for a woman. My insistence to take over Harold’s role after his death offends Freddy’s sense of ‘rightness.’
You can imagine that I did not relish his interference when he heard about the little difficulty I was facing. Nor did I appreciate when he called upon his best friend, Julian Farnsworth, to back up his actions. I mean, I could deal with it myself. Couldn’t I…?
2. What or who is the greatest love of your life? Why? What drew you to them?
While this may appear to be a straightforward question, when I came to answer it, I found it complicated. Not—I hasten to add because I am capricious, but because as my life changed so did my allegiances. My family is the constant thread of love that weaves in and out of my life. No I don’t fall out of love with them, just that they fade into the background, as they should, when I met and married Harold Stavely. He was the love of my life. He was the man I hoped to create a family, and grow old with. Believe me stepping into his shoes and taking the reins of Stavely Manor was not only what Harold would have wanted, but it saved my sanity. So for a while, Stavely manor, after my family and my husband, became the love of my life. And then Julian Farnsworth re-entered my life and turned it upside down, well no, my neighbours did that before Julian arrived. It was Julian’s arrival that reveals the dark intent behind my neighbours increased interest in my affairs…
3. What’s your greatest fear?
Losing control and losing my independence. If I have been more amenable things would not have come to such a dangerous path and Julian would not have found himself fighting for his life.
4. What’s your motto in life?
I don’t know that I have one, but now you make me think of it I’d say ‘Seize the day.’
5. How do the other characters in your book view you?
*laughs, a throaty laugh of self acceptance” With exasperation most of the time, but make no mistake they love me with the same familial love I have for them. As for Julian… well, you’d have to ask him.
6. What do you prefer? To spread & hear gossip, or be the creator of gossip fodder?
I hate gossip, but if I hadn’t attended to it I may not be alive today to share my story.
7. What is it about you that is going to draw us readers in?
I am a real person, with the same kind of flaws everyone in your modern twenty-first century. The only difference is the time. I lived in what you now call the regency period, while you live in the twenty-first century.
8. What was your happiest moment?
There are too many to recount. That said, I nearly split my sides laughing when watching my brother and Julian sail across the lake after I’d removed the bung in the boat. They deserved it, they thought they’d stranded me up a tree. I won’t say more here as the tale is included in my story.
9. What trait do others find most deplorable about you?
Oh, that is easy. My need for independence.
10. The random question: If you were a color, what color would you be and why?
I can’t choose just one because I’m like a chameleon my colour matches my moods, but red because Harold always told me he loved my vibrancy. Yellow because it always makes me feel spacious and happy, and deep purple because I hate black, and purple is an intense colour that also grounds me.
*~*~*~*
No Job For a Woman
Blurb:
Julian Fanshaw answers a call for help from his life-long friend Lord Worth to help keep his friend’s widowed sister, Deborah, safe from her increasingly vindictive neighbours. It doesn’t take long to realise him or Freddie long to realise the Grangers aren’t using her as a long-promised act of revenge against them; but are playing a deeper and far more sinister game of their own.
Deborah Stavely is determined to overcome the increasing harassment from her neighbour without calling on her brother for help. So she is not pleased when Freddie intervenes and involves his friend, Julian Fanshaw.
Circumstances demand Julian and Deborah learn to work together and Julian dares to dream that he might gain the love of the only person he’s ever given his heart to.
But will Deborah live long enough to discover that by releasing everything she values, she will gain everything her heart desires?
Excerpt:
Julian Fanshaw ignored the other letters in front of him when he recognized one from his long-time friend Freddie Dalrymple, now Lord Worth. He broke the seal and scanned the single sheet with growing concern.
Julian, my friend, I am writing to implore you to put aside whatever plans you have in hand and to set out immediately to stay with us for an indeterminate period of time.
Thoroughly alarmed, Julian flipped the page in his hand to discover it had been dispatched more than a week ago.
If I bring to mind a certain student up at Oxford with us, and reveal that he and his wife are, and have been, my sister’s neighbors for several years, it will give you but an inkling of the root of my concern.
It has come to my attention, due to the arrival of his brother upon the scene, and recent events concerning my sister, Deborah, I am persuaded you need not only to know what is happening here, but be on hand to assist in circumventing any consequences of actions taken against her.
I have taken the liberty of gathering some friends together for a couple of shooting parties, thereby creating a reason for your presence.
Since his return from the Peninsular, Julian kept promising himself a trip to Worth’s Norfolk estate. Unfortunately in the last eighteen months, time and circumstances had worked against him.
Casting the letter aside, Julian strode to the door and called for his butler.
“I am leaving immediately for Norfolk. Please see that my bags are packed and have my horse ready within the hour.”
“You do not intend to use your chaise, sir?”
“No. I’ll ride, with a stop to visit Mr. Sewel. Arrange for Becket and French to follow me in the chaise with everything I’ll need for a month.”
Not by so much as a flick of an eyelid did Thomas reveal he recognized the name of his master’s man of business.
“Very good, sir.”
Author Bio:
Multi-published author, Sherry Gloag is a transplanted Scot now living in the beautiful coastal countryside of Norfolk, England. She considers the surrounding countryside as extension of her own garden, to which she escapes when she needs “thinking time” and solitude to work out the plots for her next novel. While out walking she enjoys talking to her characters, as long as there are no other walkers close by.
Apart from writing, Sherry enjoys gardening, walking, reading, and cheerfully admits her books tend to take over most of the shelf and floor space in her workroom-cum-office. She also finds crystal craft work therapeutic.
Buy Links:
Sweet Cravings Publishing
[amazon_link id=”B0095II45G” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Amazon.com[/amazon_link]
Amazon.co.uk
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords
Manic Readers
Nook
Book Strand
All Romance
by Sarah | Feb 24, 2013 | Books, Hybrid, Tuesday Tales, Writing
Another Tuesday Tales, the same story – still without a title.
The prompt this week is sand – and I knew immediately what I would do.
Remember, this is a meme with many contributing authors, so make sure to click the link at the bottom of the image to take you to see more!
Anyhow, as always this is un-edited mostly, so forgive any errors. :
With a heavy heart and a heap of trepidation I opened my eyes. The devastation before me wrenched my heart down to my stomach. Ancient stone buildings lay in ruin. Sand swept across them, drifting up until most of the destruction was little more than tall dunes in a vast desert.
“Kryztalia. It couldn’t be.” Even through my denial I knew it was true. I recognized the destroyed town on instinct alone, for nothing of familiarity could be seen.
“It is, Jyoti. All of the citizens were killed in the blink of an eye.” My father trudged forward through the sand, climbing a dune to the evidence of stone peeking out from the top of it. “Kryztalia gone.”
“Who would have done such a thing?” Before he could respond the answer sank into my consciousness. “The Vanggars?”
“Very astute, Jyoti.”
“But they were our allies throughout the wars.” I followed his path up the dune, pausing beside him to survey the land. Far as the eye could see was sand and ruin, where once vegetation and even a river had flowed. Hot wind ruffled my human hair, and soothed the sting of my hand. “Why attack now?”
“The new prince was unhappy with my answer to his request.”
“That is why you require me? What was his request…me?”
“It is Alatus Vanggar. What do you think?”
“I think that he is a selfish brat that acts as though he’s a one-hundred year old youngling.” I lifted my chin. “You cannot believe that I would return for this. For him. A match made in fiery hell just to appease a spoiled child-man.”
“Not at all. I believed you would return to help us fight. The spoiled youngling, as you call him, has a vast appeal and charm.”
“Snake oil salesman.”
My father chuckled, “You always did like the old west, Jyoti. You date even yourself using that term.”
“I don’t care. So what you’re telling me is that he has used charm to gain followers.”
“Those who have forgotten what happened eons ago, or are itching for a new fight, and then there are the younglings eager to rush to his promises.”
“Which has made him capable of great devastation in little time.”
“Precisely.”
I inhaled the hot air, letting it fill my lungs. They pulsed within my chest at the heated boost before I blew out the air. “Are you really wanting to fight again?”
“I’ve tried politics, I’ve tried reason. That’s why I’ve waited so long to tell you.”
“Good King Jdyne. So tired of battle, he chooses words.”
“We were all tired of battle.”
“I remember. I was rather enjoying peace.”
*~*
Hope you enjoyed it! Click on the Tuesday Tales badge to see more excellent entries!!
*~*
by Sarah | Feb 20, 2013 | Character Interview, Guest Authors, Writing
Today I’m happy to welcome Gray Dixon to Sarah’s Storylines. To celebrate the release of her novel, Master Knight, she brought along her character Marcus Knight for an interview. The interview went…well, the way I love to see character interviews go. Please sit back and enjoy 🙂
*~*
GRAY: Hey, Marcus. I’m so happy you decided to share with the readers.
MARCUS: My pleasure, pet. It’s the least I could do for my word master. (An eyebrow shoots up and the corners of his mouth turn up revealing a wicked grin.)
GRAY: *blushes* Oh Marcus, you’re so bad. Can we change the subject and you tell us a little about yourself. How did you come to my attention?
MARCUS: If I remember correctly, you came to me. I guess I should amend that and say you came to us. My friends and I were watching a Dallas Cowboys game at Club Tabu for Sports Night and you walked in. Our lives were never the same.
GRAY: Oh, yes, I remember that night. You’ve changed my life too. Tell us more. What do you do for a living?
MARCUS: I’m a businessman, an entrepreneur really. I started the parent company, Knight Enterprises, on a dare from my buddies at Texas A & M. My little computer gaming business eventually turned into a worldwide multi-millionaire conglomerate, acquiring eleven smaller companies from Dallas to Hong Kong to New York. Of course, my favorite is Club Tabu which I co-own with my friends.
GRAY: A self-made man. How sexy is that, right? What or who is the greatest love of your life and why?
MARCUS: Thanks Gray. Strong, powerful, wealthy men are usually considered sexy, but to me it’s just my job. Work used to be my passion, my love, my reason for success. However, today I’ve found a new love, one that makes getting up in the morning and going to bed at night. I lost her once and those were the worst seven months of my life, even after the cheating wife and stalker. I wanted perfection, but in the end I discovered what I wanted was a woman who complimented me and enjoyed the whips and chains that excite as much as I do. All the rest falls in place after that.
GRAY: *shivers run down the spine* Oh, she must be treasure. With that being said, what’s your greatest fear?
MARCUS: Losing her again, of course. Enough said.
GRAY: Okay then. Do you have a motto in life?
MARCUS: Not really, but if I have a code I try to live by it’d be play safe, sane and always with consent.
GRAY: I agree, those are good words to live by in any lifestyle choice. Switching up a bit here, how do the other characters in your debut book view you?
MARCUS: We get along great. We may have a few disagreements now and then, but I’ve known the guys since college and a couple longer. Mitchell Prince works for Knight Enterprises as the chief counsel. Simon Tempest only appears briefly and he’s new to the group. I bought out his music production company but offered him a position to stay on. You’ll get to meet him next year, as well as the others making cameo appearances throughout the series. I guess it all depends on you, my pet.
GRAY: Yes, it does. You bad boys better behave or I’ll give you some of my own version of bondage and discipline. *winks*
MARCUS: I wouldn’t do that, pet. Topping from the bottom is something I don’t tolerate. Let’s just get back to the questions, shall we?
GRAY: *swallows hard* Yes, Sir. What do you prefer? To spread and hear gossip, or be the creator of gossip fodder?
MARCUS: Neither. I’m a straight-shooter. If I don’t like something, I’ll tell you. I don’t have to go behind someone’s back and fabricate or perpetuate another’s gossip to get pleasure from doing so. Communication, and I mean honest, true communication, is vital in any relationship whether business and personal. If I don’t like you, I’ll say so. If I don’t like what you’re doing, I’ll voice my opinion. If I want to bring you pleasure, I expect you to tell me how.
GRAY: I so agree, Sir. What is it about you that will draw readers in?
MARCUS: My magnetic personality, of course. *Grins* If you were to ask Khari, she’d probably say how well I use my hands and voice to make her insides do flip-flops and her skin tingle with pleasure.
GRAY: Alrighty, I think it’s time to shift gears here and ask random, innocuous questions. If you were a color, what color would you be and why?
MARCUS: Black, but I do like blue, to match my eyes. Why? Because they look good on me. *Leans back in chair, crosses arms over his chest and winks* Don’t you agree?
GRAY: *clears throat* Um, I’m supposed to ask the questions, Sir. I think we need to move on. I think I’ll stick with a few lightning speed questions instead. Are you ready?
MARCUS: Pet, I’m always ready, are you?
GRAY: *sighs* Okay. Blondes, Redheads, or Brunettes?
MARCUS: I love all women, but I prefer blonde, especially the color of Khari’s. Long, bouncy curls and slightly disheveled.
GRAY: (trying to stay composed) Boxers or Briefs?
MARCUS: Commando all the way baby.
GRAY: (quickly losing composure with that image) Chocolate, Strawberry or Vanilla?
MARCUS: Definitely not vanilla, but I’ll take a scoop of each and lick the melting cream from—
GRAY: Sir, that’s too much information for the readers!
MARCUS: What? I was going to say lick from the cone. What did you think I’d say?
GRAY: (mouth still agape) Oh, I…I just thought, oh never mind. Next one. Soft and Sweet or Up Against the Wall?
MARCUS: You’re really asking me that? Seriously? Up Against The Wall. Hands pinned above your head. Legs spread. Blindfolded. And—
GRAY: Oh, please stop, Sir. This isn’t going well. I’m losing control. Let’s just end the interview with a thank you Master Knight for sharing some interesting information for the readers. I understand you’ve brought little excerpt to share as well. Why don’t we go ahead and bring that up. I’d like to also a heartfelt thank you Sir for being gracious in granting this interview. I know how busy you are and look forward to reading more about you and Khari.
MARCUS: My pleasure, pet. I hope I brought you and the readers a little pleasure today. I always strive to do just that. A little pain combined with the right kind of pleasure is always good.
*~*~*
The Masters of Tabu center around the journey of college friends from Dallas, Texas, seeking redemption, healing and love when they least expect it. Hot days and sizzling nights await—Marcus Knight, Mitchell Prince, Jared King, Shane Marshal, Brock Dragon and Jagger Squire with Simon Tempest, a friend of Marcus Knight rounding out the co-owners of Club Tabu, a BDSM private club.
Dallas will never be the same.
BLURB:
Marcus Knight, entrepreneur and CEO of Knight Enterprises, is a Dom with a darker side. After a nasty divorce, he’s sworn off any emotional involvement with any woman. By accident he meets a woman at a party when he travels to New York City for business. She’s too young and inexperienced with his lifestyle. Or so he thinks.
Khari Bradford, small town girl in search of fame and fortune on the Broadway stage. On a chance meeting, she meets an older man who captivates her. Within a short time, she becomes his newest submissive, but wonders how she ended up with him instead of on Broadway.
Will her new aspiration have her lose both dreams, Broadway and her Knight after discovering he has no intentions of staying in New York or with her? Will Marcus return to Dallas and give Khari her dream, but lose the woman who makes his heart sing?
BUY LINKS:
Secret Cravings Publishing
Barnes & Noble
[amazon_link id=”B00BHO2GZU” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Amazon[/amazon_link]
All Romance Ebooks
Bookstrand
*~*~*
LOG LINE/TAG LINE: A Princess in search of her Knight in shining armor.
STORY EXCERPT:
He had to think fast to keep her from dropping her gaze again and tripping him over the line to take her full mouth with his.
“Sorry, I was taken aback by your beauty. My offer still stands. Do you need my help?”
She blinked a few times before answering. “Sure. Do you have success with that line or are you kidding?”
“What? No, no. I mean it. You’re quite breathtaking.”
“Thank you.” She bit her lip again. “Are you one of Sandra’s clients or one of the brokers scoping out the property?”
Keep control, man. “Neither,” he said as he opened the metal door, and they proceeded down the stairs.
“Oh.”
An hour later, he’d assisted with ushering out the stragglers from the party, disposed of all the trash, and secured the penthouse. The caterers had taken care of the rest.
As they waited for the elevator, Marcus made his move. “The evening’s still young. May I take you for drinks?” he blurted out just as the bell chimed and the doors swooshed open.
“Um, I have an early day tomorrow. But, thanks. Maybe some other time.”
They descended to the lobby in total silence. He’d never been so tongue-tied with a woman, but she was so different. The quiet submissive nature of her personality was evident, and he should have had no problems, but he lost all reasoning with her.
When they reached the exit door and stepped out of the building, she turned to him, smiled and shook his hand. “Thank you for helping me, Marcus. I appreciate it.”
“My pleasure. Are you sure about that drink?”
She widened her smile. “I’m sure.” She turned and walked away.
As he watched her run down the sidewalk toward the subway station, he lamented about not getting her number. Didn’t matter, he had come up with a better plan and put it into action the next morning.
About the Author
“What’s to tell?” Gray Dixon asked. The nom de plume of erotica writer of hot, sexy stories for the adult crowd loves walks along the beach at sunset, a glass of wine over a romantic dinner and a night of love.
On the serious side, she’s married to her Dear Heart for many years, has three children, many grandchildren, a dog, a couple of fish, a big yard with lots of fruit trees, two cars and a house. Ah, the American Dream she loves to describe. She likes a lot of different things, crafts, watching the History Channel, reality shows (not all, but some), travel, and of course writing. She’s worked hard all her life in many interesting fields and enjoyed all of them, but she finally found enough time to relax and enjoy escaping into the worlds she created through her stories. She mainly writes erotica with BDSM elements, and hopes readers will enjoy the tales she weaves.
Gray Dixon can be found on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gray.dixon.50
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GrayDixon
Between the Pages of Black and White… Blog: http://graydixon.blogspot.com
by Sarah | Feb 18, 2013 | Excerpt, Guest Authors, Writing
I’m pleased to have Lacie Nation here today to spotlight her wonderful book, Silent Tears. I’ve enjoyed reading her snippets during Hump Day Hook and am thrilled to have a copy in my inbox having won it last week. I can’t wait to dive in very soon. For now, enjoy this wonderful excerpt and then head on out and buy it yourself!
Excerpt:
She bowed her head in a slow nod as he moved past her and left them alone. His office was nearly soundproof, so the pounding music from the club below was nothing but a low thump.
“What can I do for you, Ms. DeLuca?” Brax walked around the desk and leaned back against it crossing his feet at the ankles.
“Don’t you think Ms. DeLuca is a little formal considering we are to be married in a few months?”
“Perhaps it is, but that would depend on what you’re doing here.” He crossed his arms over his chest.
“I thought since we are, in fact, going to be husband and wife, maybe we could get to know each other.”
“I can promise you, you don’t want to marry me.”
“You’re absolutely right, but since neither of us have a choice in the matter, why not learn all we can about each other. Many things have changed in the twelve years since we’ve seen each other.” She took a step closer to him and her eyes traveled from his face all the way down to his wing tipped shoes.
Brax stood up to his full six feet four inches. With two long, powerful strides, he closed the distance between them and circled around her like a vulture. The curls from earlier were gone and her hair was straight and glossy. Her legs were bare instead of covered in panty hose and her skin looked silky smooth.
“You don’t want to know me, Camellia.”
“Why is that, Braxton?” Her voice sounded a little breathy as she spoke.
“Because, I’m a very bad man.” He pulled out his .45 and ran the barrel from her temple to her collarbone. Cam shivered, but never showed any sign of being threatened as her eyes followed his every move. “I do things that would make you shudder.”
“Show me.”
“Show you what?” He stepped closer, so close that her breasts were pressed against his chest.
Having her body so close to his made him want her in a way he had never wanted another woman. Brax had a hard time figuring out what emotion was stronger. Figuring out what she was hiding, or taking her to his bed.
“Show me how bad you can be.” Her gaze never left his. He pushed her hair away from her face with the end of the gun.
As the words left her mouth, Brax saw a brief flash of confusion cross her face. As if she couldn’t believe she had said what she had. Before he could think anymore about it, she recovered and was back to being the sexy, sassy woman she’d been when she walked in his office.
He leaned in even closer. “I don’t think you’re ready for that, bambina.”
“Trust me, Mr. Godfry, I’m no baby.” Before Brax even realized she’d moved, there was a knife at his throat.
Their eyes met, neither of them backing down an inch. A woman who could hold her own was incredibly sexy. Her gaze was sharp and cunning, but as he looked her right in the eyes, he knew for a fact she had secrets. Even if he hadn’t seen her in years, he had known her better than anyone else before she left. A person could change over time, but there were still little mannerisms that were ingrained to deep to disappear completely. The way she flexed her jaw as she looked at him told him was her tell.
“Tell me your secrets, Camellia.”
“I have no secrets,” she hissed and pressed the knife harder against his neck. The cold steel of the blade nicked his skin.
“Careful there, Cam. A little tighter and you will have the entire Godfry family on your ass.” He pressed his gun to the side of her head because at the moment she wasn’t a beautiful woman, but an enemy who posed a threat. She backed off, but he did not, and as she moved away from him, his arm extended out straight, keeping his aim on her. “Try that shit again, and woman or not, I will put a bullet through you.”
“Noted, now that we’re clear on that, how about a drink?” A slow, sexy little smile graced her lips.
Brax flipped the safety on and holstered his weapon. “We’ll be lucky if both of us make it out of this marriage alive.”
Blurb: Braxton Godfry thought he had it all. He’s filthy rich, women lined up just to be with him, and his family was the most powerful mafia family in the world. Everything changes in the blink of an eye when his father announces Braxton is to be married to the daughter of his father best friend and ally. Braxton realizes his wife to be, Camellia DeLuca, is the only girl he had ever loved. Camellia isn’t the same carefree girl Braxton knew when they were young. She is a trained killer and a savvy business woman who has secrets that could end Braxton. When a mafia war erupts and threatens to rip Braxton Godfry’s family apart, he will know the pain of silent tears. Blood will flow like a river and vengeance will be had as Braxton fights for the life of his love and his family.
Buy Links:
[amazon_link id=”B00BHKYV7A” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Amazon[/amazon_link]
Barnes & Noble
Sweet Cravings Publishing
All Romance Ebooks
by Sarah | Feb 17, 2013 | Hybrid, Tuesday Tales, Writing
Another Tuesday Tales, the same story – still without a title.
The prompt this week is spider, and I used it REALLY early on because I had no idea how to fit it into the story.
Remember, this is a meme with many contributing authors, so make sure to click the link at the bottom of the image to take you to see more!
Anyhow, as always this is un-edited mostly, so forgive any errors. :
“You want me to die. Simple as that. No explanation required?” I scoffed and folded my arms across my chest. “And what’s in the box? What plague have you brought me?”
“I’m not quite sure. It could be as simple as a spider or as complex as a simulated virus. I only asked that it not be painful for you.” My father continued to hold the box in front of me, I could feel the smoldering power of his will pressing on me.
“Impossible. I have settled in here. I’m attached to this family. The children.”
“They are not yours. It should be of little consequence.”
“Do you think me completely heartless?” My pulse started to race. The ambient temperature rising further, my hand once again burning. I stepped back from the offending red box. “Unlike you I care about them.”
“You’ve been known to be plenty heartless when the need called for it. I’ve seen you slay young ones weaker than those two.” He pointed at the family portrait on the wall. “When the need called for it.”
Tears welled up behind my ears, dousing some of the rising heat of my soul. I shook my head, “Never on purpose. They were casualties of war. A war I fought and survived just as you did, Father.”
“And now we must do everything in our power to maintain that peace. If war erupts again those two children and this entire world could be at risk of another annihilation.”
“Don’t be so dramatic. That hasn’t happened since the dinosaurs were wiped out. Millions of years, Father.”
“Jyoti. Have you ever known me to exaggerate?” His silver hair gleamed in a stray beam of sunlight as wind picked up outside. The planes of his human features shimmered with hints of silver under the flesh. His disguise had been hastily and not quite thoroughly formed. Even the gray eyes gleamed with hidden fire.
Concern lodged a lump of emotion thick in my throat. My father was many things, melodramatic was not one of them. “What has happened?”
“I’ll show you.”
I jerked my hand back from his reach. “I will maintain this form.”
He sighed and nodded. “Fine. For now you will.” The red box disappeared in a burst of fire.
Still hesitant, I set my hand into his and stepped close to him.
In another burst of fire my living room faded to black and all I could feel was the burn of fire and wind as we moved fast. I closed my eyes, soaking in the heat in a way I hadn’t enjoyed for fifteen years.
“You miss it.” His voice was warm and kind again. “Why do you fight?”
“Of course I miss it. It is where I am from, what I am. That doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy the life I have now. My home, my family, my friends. Being human is not as tedious as you make it to me.” I still refused to open my eyes, even as the fire faded and the world around us came into reality again.
“Look, Jyoti.”
Opening my eyes might mean being swayed to his point of view. My nails dug into his flesh until the thin layer cracked under the pressure and scales resisted the same fate.
“You must, child.”
*~*
Hope you enjoyed it! Click on the Tuesday Tales badge to see more excellent entries!!
*~*
