by Sarah | Oct 27, 2011 | Challenge, Changing Tracks, Writing
“Wake up,” Jane hissed. She jammed her elbow into her friend’s side. “You start snoring and we’re done for.”
“I’m up,” Marjorie mumbled. “It’s just the dark is easier on my eyes than that dress. What was that woman thinking?”
“She’s thinking she looks like a proper lady should.”
Marjorie’s eyes opened at that and she flashed her teeth at Jane, “Well she looks like a circus clown. What’s she going on about now?”
“About the evils of recreational drugs, hippies and their protests. I’m pretty sure she mentioned Woodstock in there. Of course, pants are evil and heaven forbid we wear short skirts.” At that Jane tugged at her own tiny slip of a dress. It wasn’t modesty, she had none. It was anger. “Now get back to helping me instead of dozing there.”
“Does she know we went?” Marjorie sat up and grabbed a few bibles and her stamp, stamping them dutifully, if a bit slow. “And how did we get stuck with this boring job? I mean really, stamping the new bibles with our church’s name?”
“Well neither of us sew, and we don’t bake. This is really all that’s left for girls wishing to do something for their church. Besides, do you really want to be in the middle of that quilt circle?” Jane stamped the next book with a bit too much force. The judging eyes of Mabel Greene turned their direction.
In unison both women gave her their most saccharine of smiles. Marjorie dropped hers the second Mabel looked away. “I’m all for helping people, that’s why I signed up for this Auxiliary thing. We’ve done no community outreach, and been judged every week because we live free.”
“You’d think with the flood victims we’d be doing something other than stamping brand new bibles.” Jane frowned down at the book in her hands. “The money used to buy these could have gone to buy clothes for the children.”
“Does that woman ever shut up?”
“I wish she subscribed to the same rule as her husband. A good sermon should be like a woman’s skirt; short enough to rouse the interest, but long enough to cover the essentials. Like mine.” While short and still in style, Jane always kept her skirts a little longer than most.
“Just wear pants and you never have to worry.” Margie slammed down her bible on the table, the humor of her statement lost in the rise of her anger. Speaking of sermons, it was clear she was about to blow with one of her own.
“Is there a problem, ladies?” Mabel looked over at them, “Are you tired from all of your free living and merry making?”
“No. We’re tired of you and your hypocritical ways, Mabel Greene. Does your husband know you diverted the funds to buy these bibles instead of buying food and clothing for the flood victims over in the next town?”
Jane rose to her feet next to her friend. There wasn’t a lick of embarrassment. Not at all, after all, Marjorie was right. “There are children without clothes or food and you’re worried about the length of my skirt?”
“Not just the length of your skirt. It’s your loose ways, Jane.”
“Loose? I am far from loose, Mabel. Then again you don’t care do you? You’re the one that spreads the rumors that claim I sleep with half the town’s police force just because I am friends with them.”
Marjorie laced her arm through Jane’s. She alone knew the truth of Jane’s feelings for one man alone. “We don’t need them, Jane. This isn’t the only church in town. And who says we need a church to do good deeds?”
Truth was she liked the preacher at the church. Before Marjorie had gotten to town he was one of the few that supported her and believed in her amnesia. Marjorie had a point, though. They didn’t need the Auxiliary to do good deeds. “You know what, Marjorie? You’re right. Let’s go.”
“I bet Cole will contribute something,” Marjorie said as they walked out the door. “Man hasn’t stepped foot in a church in years, but he’s not about to let people suffer in favor of fresh clean bibles.”
Jane laughed, “Well he’d let people suffer – but not innocent lives and definitely not in favor of bibles.”
Speak of the devil himself, Cole was standing outside leaning on his motorcycle. His cockeyed grin gave away his excitement to see them get out early. “Hey, Janey.”
She let him tug her close and returned his kiss without restraint. “Hey.”
“Didn’t expect the two of you for another hour.”
“Well we told Mabel Greene to shove her bibles up her ass.” Marjorie grinned, “And it felt real good.”
“Wish I could have seen that. You should have told me, we could have sold tickets for a show like that.” Cole’s hand slipped along the line of Jane’s skirt. The man would tease her until the day she died. Not that she minded as long as he followed through. “What set you off?”
“They bought brand new bibles. The old ones were holding up fine, but she used the Auxiliary money to buy new bibles instead of helping the victims over in the next town. After the flood those people have nothing.”
Cole’s eyebrow quirked up and his lip quirked up, “That mean you two are planning on doing something?”
“You bet we are. And you’re going to help.” Jane leaned against him. He wasn’t the only one that could tease. She moved in for a kiss but stopped just shy of touching her lips to his, “Right?”
“What’s in it for me?”
“Me.”
“I’ll do whatever you want.”
*~*~*~*~*
***I took characters from my (currently being queried) novel, Changing Tracks – and moved them forward in time 100 years. From the 1870’s to 1969.
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by Sarah | Oct 24, 2011 | Giveaway, Holidays, Reviews
I don’t know about you, but this year just totally flew by in our house. One minute it was February, and now it’s suddenly the end of October! Christmas is coming up fast and I feel totally unprepared for it. I just bought the first couple of Christmas gifts Friday night. Compared to last year at this time when I had it ALL done…I’m grossly unprepared.
One thing I know I’m going to be using to my advantage is Shutterfly.
For the grandparents there are a ton of options. We can dive into the photo gifts shop. There we could find coffee cups, t-shirts and even necklaces that we can add images of their much-loved grandchildren to.
But, I think in the end the best grandparent gift ever is a calendar. 12 months of their precious grandchildren? What grandparent isn’t going to love that?
If they didn’t all read my blog I’d tell you what I am going to end up getting 🙂
For the first time ever this year I’m taking a big-girl step. I’m getting Christmas Cards together. I saw this style at Shutterfly and knew it would be perfect. I had so many great photos of the kids from our photo shoot back in June, that this card let me use a lot of them. And feature all three of the kids without leaving anyone short changed.
Now that I’m finally set on my cards, how would you like some help with yours?
I’m giving away THREE codes for 25 cards from Shutterfly! Put your pictures from this year to great use and get some FREE cards!!!
All you have to do to enter the giveaway is leave a comment here telling me what your favorite part of the holidays is.
That’s it!
With three prizes to be won, there’s no need for extra entries!
*Giveaway CLOSED
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*For my post I was received free cards. My opinions are my own.
**Are you a blogger? Want a chance at 25 free cards this holiday season? Register here: http://goo.gl/DDw7Q
by Sarah | Oct 20, 2011 | Challenge, The Tribe
“Seriously?”
“Yes.”
“I’d really rather go out and find us a fresh kill than eat this.”
Velli rolled her eyes and handed him the chop sticks, “You’re three hundred years old. You’ve never eaten sushi?”
“Not on your life.” With a low growl, Kane grabbed the chopsticks and poked at the assemblage of rolls and nigiri on his plate. “What is that?”
“Use your nose and tell me.”
“It all smells like Lake Erie in the seventies.”
“You’re an uncouth oaf.” Velli dipped her roll in wasabi and held it out to him, “Eat. You’ll like it.”
“There’s a beak in it.”
“It’s a carrot, you dope. Eat.”
His nose wrinkled and his mouth twisted into a tight curl. The longer it sat in front of his face, the higher his lip curled up. “No. I’ll wait, Shift tonight and get something more appetizing.”
“The big tough man is afraid of a little sushi.” A giggle escaped and she stuffed the roll in her mouth. With a sigh, she sat back in her chair. “You’ve eaten fresh fish from the river.”
“Only when we were in Werewolf territory and all the local game was in hiding. I was desperate and it took all of our effort not to throw it back up.”
“Then eat that one. There’s no seafood in it.”
“The scent transfers the taste.”
“You should Shift into a chicken.”
“I just don’t get why we had to eat here when there’s a perfectly good steak house across the street.” Once again his chop sticks poked at the nigiri in front of him.
“Because you want me happy. I haven’t had sushi in weeks. I want sushi.” The moment he opened his mouth to protest she shoved a california roll in his mouth. “Now shut up and eat. Unless you want to have a very cold bed tonight.”
For a moment it looked like he was going to spit the food back out. His body wrenched when his gag reflex kicked in. There was no chewing, only one large gulp as he swallowed it whole. “I ought to spank you for that.”
“Really? Oh goody…let me do it again.”
*~*~*~*~*
***Same characters as last week’s post. I loved this prompt but was at a loss as to what to write for it. Then my friend and alpha-reader suggested these two arguing. It worked really well 😀
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by Sarah | Oct 16, 2011 | 100 Words, Challenge
It’s never ending.
More. Better. Bigger. Nicer.
What’s in front of us. What’s right here. It’s never enough.
Someone else always has something better. Something nicer. Something WE want.
How do they do it when we struggle so much? How did they get that new car? How come we never get ahead?
Every time we get a toe-hold, the rocks crumble to dust and we fall again.
Stuck between not enough, and without anything.
Then we turn.
See their bright faces.
The smiles and sparkling eyes.
Asking us to play. To hug. To love.
Then. Only then.
We are satisfied.
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For the first time ever, I wrote this to its conclusion…stopped…hit word count…and it was 100 words exactly. Without trying, editing or effort. Now I am the one satisfied 😉
Please, visit Velvet’s site to check out other more worthy entries…
by Sarah | Oct 14, 2011 | Writing
So there’s this thing coming up in two weeks.
It’s called NaNoWriMo.
Maybe you’ve heard of it?
I used to participate. Every year faithfully for four years. I started in 2004. Thought, “This will be so easy.”
I failed.
50,000 words in one month, and I failed.
I failed in ’05, ’06, FINALLY winning in 2007 by the skin of my teeth.
Once I’d finally achieved the elusive defeating of the challenge I stopped trying.
I don’t know what it is about that bloody challenge that makes me incapable of completing it. Maybe it’s the fact that it frequently falls around Mercury going into retrograde? Maybe it’s the pressure?
See, the first year I signed up for it I thought it would be easy for one simple reason. From April until August of that year I had written approximately 500,000 words. 50k seemed like a small feat. The next year? A similar phenomenon.
Last month I wrote 90k without breaking a sweat. Someone in one day I accomplished 10k. I still don’t know how I did it, I just know that I did and that I love everything I wrote.
So while I’d love to give myself the challenge of NaNo, I’ll be skipping out again. I’ll keep writing, and maybe I’ll get to 50k or maybe I won’t.
If you’re doing NaNo, I wish you the best of luck. It’s a great program, and I love the support system, forums, and encouragement it provides to new and experienced writers alike. I wish I didn’t feel so cursed and uninspired every time I did it.
by Sarah | Oct 13, 2011 | Challenge
Of all the dilemma’s in the world to have – this one was one you could chew on.
Lounging on the side of the hill while the Warriors held a game of lacrosse in the field below, she could soak in the pleasure of dissecting it. For the moment she could push aside all of her guilt, her past shame. The sun was bright enough, the men gorgeous enough, that only good thoughts could occupy her mind.
In the middle of the field in deep discussion were the two team leaders. Appropriately they were the two men she was focused on, and the best men in the entire Tribe. Hands down.
To the left was Reed. Her husband.
To the right, Kane. Her lover.
On the surface there was no difference between them. How was she supposed to choose? Both had the bronze skin of their Native people. Deep color enriched by the well fitting light tan buckskins they both wore.
Kane’s black hair was short, shorn by a few years in the US Army. Even short it was thick and full, and the unruly stage of regrowth it was at suited him. On the other hand, Reed’s was long. Braided tight and smooth down his back. In the white world he might have gotten funny looks, but here it belonged.
Reed was an amazing man. Thoughtful, kind, always forgiving. His heart was far too big to be real. But she knew it to be true. He’d always been like that. Of course, Kane was gruff, sarcastic, sometimes snarky. A bit conceited. It came with his age, she supposed. Still, there was a consideration, an understanding within him that she felt that few people saw. She felt privileged to be one of them.
They were both Warriors. Strong and fierce, with bodies to match. Well lined, hard muscles. All wonderfully revealed in their minimal clothing. Their fighting skills were comparable. Reed was better with a knife, but Kane excelled with a bow and hand to hand combat.
She had known Reed since they were both still in the papoose. Their mothers were best friends. He was the son of the Chief, she the daughter of the Medicine Man. They were destined for each other. Reed knew almost everything about her.
It was the ‘almost’ that ruined the perfection of her feelings for him. The things he didn’t know. The things she was too ashamed to tell him. The ways she’d betrayed him. The ways she’d betrayed herself.
Kane had just walked into her life a month ago. He didn’t know her secrets either, but something urged her to tell him. In one look it was like he knew her soul. Like it wouldn’t matter to him if she told him the truth. Maybe he would be the one that understood. After all, he was no angel himself.
It was his own secret withholding that ruined what might have been a deeper relationship for them. For all their time together she knew little about him, and he knew just as little about her. Their connection was strong, but their time limited.
In the end what would it matter?
The only choice to be made wasn’t between these two men. It was between life and death.
Because she knew she would betray them both.
And that would kill her.
*~*~*~*~*
***The image is the cover for the novel I’m writing. These characters are my current focus and when I saw “Knife Skills” the first thing I thought of was Reed and his prowess w/ the blade. So, this piece emerged.
“Wake up,” Jane hissed. She jammed her elbow into her friend’s side. “You start snoring and we’re done for.”
