Excerpts

These are excerpts from my published works or works in progress.

A Weekend Present For My Readers

I am currently engaged in edits for Eddie’s Prize. They are pretty intense but I think it’s going very well. I am sometimes swamped in embarrassment when my editor gently points out the third (or tenth) time I have made the same poor word choice. Thank goodness for editors! Any author who thinks they don’t need one is an idiot.

To celebrate, here is another short teaser from Eddie’s Prize:

Eddie woke suddenly, shocked it was broad daylight. He flung the covers back and lunged up in bed. A voice said “Oof!” as his elbow landed in a soft stomach. What—? Lisa! He had been well and thoroughly loved last night by his bride. He had loved her thoroughly, too. Their first time together had been a blur of desperate urgency. The second time …What a delight it was to be married to such a beautiful and creative woman. This was their honeymoon. They had no chores to get up for, nothing to do but get to know each other. He grinned down at her startled expression and watched it melt into a satisfied smile. They could stay in bed all day with no one to complain over their laziness. The thought had its appeal. He kissed her flat tummy in apology, and let his lips travel gradually north.

“Good morning, Mrs. Edward Madison,” he murmured against her throat. “Can you think of any reason we need to get out of bed today?”

Lisa stretched and rubbed against him. “Why?” she teased. “Was there something you needed to do in bed today? Catch up on your sleep? Or—” She dissolved in giggles when he fluttered his fingertips over her ribs. “Hey! Stop! I’m ticklish!”

Tuesday Teaser, January 15, 2013

I’ve been hard at work on edits for Eddie’s Prize. I’ve turned in the first round, but they aren’t done yet. Here is a little snip of the first time Lisa and Eddie go to visit Carla and Taye at the den.


 

Those guards sauntered over to meet them at the gate. One had short dark brown hair and a thick muscular wrestler’s build. The other was young, with a slight limp.

Eddie looked at the men behind the gate. “I’m Eddie Madison.”

“We know who you are.”

The younger guard sounded almost insolent. Lisa could feel Eddie’s annoyance in the way his hand tightened on her arm. “Taye Wolfe told me I could bring my wife to visit Mrs. Wolfe.”

“The Chief ain’t here.”

The burlier of the two guards elbowed the younger one. “Pipe down, Chad. Taye told us Mrs. Madison was welcome anytime.” He raised his voice to say, “Hey, Snake! Come here. Walk Mrs. Madison into the den. She’s here to visit the Lupa.”

One of the dogs loped over. Lisa blinked, realizing that it wasn’t a dog when a weird shimmer went over its fur and the fur … disappeared. A man stood in the dog’s place, a handsome man with long, dark curly hair whose muscular physique was completely bare. Lisa jolted in shock, but couldn’t help but run her gaze approvingly over his naked body.


 

Naughty New Year with Sky

Welcome to Maddy Barone’s stop on the Naughty New Years blog hop! If you fall off, you can Click Here to jump back on.

 

     My current series is a futuristic paranormal with werewolves, but there are no cool futuristic weapons or technology. Nuclear war decimated the population and sent people back to living like it’s the American frontier all over again, and the only government is run by strong, ruthless men.

     I decided to give you a teaser about Sky and Quill, two minor characters in a previous book who leave the werewolf den to live in Omaha since their chosen mates have been denied to them.

     Good luck in the prize drawings. I will be drawing a name from those who leave a comment on my blog for a $10 gift card to Amazon. Members of my newsletter are automatically entered twice. That is in addition to the drawings for ebooks by the Just Romance Me folks. So, Enjoy and good luck!

 

     The new year was only fifteen minutes away when the mayor of Omaha was admitted to Ms. Julia’s House of Joy. As host, Sky went to the entry to greet the latecomer to the New Year’s Eve party.

     “Welcome,” he said with a cordial smile which hid dark and bitter things. Did McGrath have any idea Sky considered him his greatest enemy? Mayor McGrath handed his luxuriously warm overcoat to a fifteen-year-old girl who, until a month ago, had been picking up johns on the icy streets of Omaha. Mayor McGrath gave her a patronizing smile and a pinch on the ass as she took his coat. Though his wolf yearned to tear out the mayor’s throat, Sky maintained his friendly expression through years of practice.

     “Tim, I’m glad you could stop in.” Sky shook the mayor’s hand and drew him into the reception room. “I’m sure you have several stops to make tonight.”

     The mayor accepted a glass of champagne from a server. “Naturally, I want celebrate with as many of my people as possible, but I wouldn’t miss your party. Where better to ring in the New Year than at one of the fastest growing businesses in town? You’ve done a lot with the place in the past few years.”

     Sky smoothed his sapphire blue silk tie with a self-satisfied smirk. At least, he hoped it looked self-satisfied. “Thanks, Tim. We’re managing to turn a nice profit, as I’m sure you’ve noticed by our taxes.”

     “Yes.”

     Tim McGrath’s tone was distracted. His gaze was fixed on LaToya, the newest lady in the house. He waved her eagerly over. LaToya shot a pleading look at Sky. He nodded at her and she came over, reluctance showing in her stiff steps. Sky looped an arm over her shoulders and pulled her close to his side.

     “This is LaToya James,” he said. “LaToya, say hello to Mayor McGrath.”

     “H-h-hello,” she whispered.

     “Hello, young lady. Aren’t you a pretty little thing. I want you to join me after midnight.”

     Sky produced a smile intended to convey regret. “LaToya is new. She just turned eighteen on Christmas Eve. I’m not ready to share her yet.” Without giving the mayor a chance to respond, he brushed his lips over LaToya’s hair. “Help Patricia in the kitchen, baby, and send Aimee over to us.”

     The mayor chuckled while he watched LaToya hurry away. “One of the perks of being the owner of a whorehouse is sampling the employees?”

     Sky shrugged enigmatically.

     “I heard you’re engaged to a girl back home.” McGrath sipped his champagne with a raised brow.

    And you’ve been married to a good woman for nearly thirty years, Sky inwardly sneered.  Doesn’t stop you from humping any girl you can get your hands on. He nodded at Aimee as she joined them. She was beautiful and young enough to interest McGrath, and fully aware what she could expect from the mayor. “Tim, this is Aimee Chambord. I don’t think you’ve met her before?”

     The mayor smiled widely at Aimee’s gaping décolletage. “Why no, I don’t believe I’ve met Ms. Chambord. Can I get you a glass of champagne, my dear? Will you excuse us, Sky?”

      Sky waved them off with hidden relief. He circulated through the large set of reception rooms, checking to see that the bouncers were alert and none of his ladies was being mistreated. He was an Alpha wolf, and the men and women who worked in this house were his Pack, to protect and provide for. And —his eyes went cold when they found McGrath— kill for.

     He glanced at his reflection as he passed a mirror on the landing of the main staircase. His black hair was neatly cut, his black silk suit was expensively elegant, his tie the same vivid blue as his eyes.  A wave of weary disgust passed over him. No one in the Clan would recognize him. Even he didn’t recognize himself some days. There were times he doubted his wolf approved of him.

     Quill, his cousin and beta, joined him, handing him a glass of champagne. Ms. Julia, the lady who had saved them when they’d first come to Omaha years ago, came with him and stood between them at the fancy carved railing. The three of them looked down over the dozens of people coming together to watch the clock count down the last few minutes of the year 2069.

     “I’m leaving in the spring,” Quill said quietly.

     Sky knew the day was coming when Quill wouldn’t be able to bear the vice and intrigue of Omaha, but he flinched anyway. “I understand, but I’m going to miss you.”

     “Come with me,” Quill urged.

     Sky watched McGrath as the man sipped champagne from Aimee’s cleavage. “I can’t. I have to finish what I’ve started.”

     Ms. Julia, aging but not stupid, patted his arm. “What about your fiancée, honey? You let everyone think the wrong thing, but you can’t fool me. You love that girl. Go get her and bring her home.”

     Rose. The mate his wolf had chosen for him five years ago. Longing so deep and sharp it was painful cramped Sky’s belly. He wrapped one hand over the bannister to brace himself. He could almost feel her blond hair under his fingers, the trembling warmth of her mouth under his. “I can‘t bring her here.”

     Ms. Julia pursed her lips. “No girl is going to wait forever, you know, not even for a handsome young devil like you.”

     “She’ll wait.” Grim certainty rang in Sky’s voice. Taye would see to it. But, oh, God, how he wanted to see her.

     Quill met his eyes over the top of Ms. Julia’s silvering head and Sky knew that Quill understood. The two of them, deprived of their mates for over five years, understood each other’s pain all too well.

     “Five!” shouted the crowd. “Four! Three! Two! ONE! Happy New Year!”

     As horns blared and confetti swirled, Sky lifted his glass. “To Rose,” he whispered, and drank.

 

 

 

Merry Christmas! A Deleted Scene from Eddie’s Prize

My Tuesday Teaser this week is from Eddie’s Prize, but since it didn’t move Eddie and Lisa’s story forward, it has been removed from the manuscript. That made it the perfect Christmas present for my readers. Let me give you a little set up here. It is early November and Lisa is at the den to visit Carla. Eddie dropped her off there on his way north to visit a friend. The two women are sitting in the room that connects to Carla and Taye’s bedroom. Taye set it aside for Carla’s sole use. As they are sitting and talking about what their married lives are like, Sky comes to the den with Rose, whom he rescued from Two Bears.

     Carla cocked her head to listen to a distant howl. “Is that Taye? Already?” She glanced at her watch. “It’s only half past four. Maybe he finished hunting early.”
     But it wasn’t Taye. Agitated voices sounded in the hall, getting closer to the listening women, and a peremptory knock sounded before the door was flung open to admit a tangle of bodies. They poured in like cats dumped out of a sack, all bristling fur, claws and yowls.
     Lisa felt bombarded by the invasion, staring at the people flooding into the room without comprehension at first glance of who they were or even how many there were. To settle herself, Lisa counted them. There was a man a little older than she was, tall and muscular, and barely dressed in cut offs, with black hair loose to his waist. He stood to one side of the door with arms folded over his chest and a grim scowl on his face. Snake hovered beside him, but he looked wide-eyed and anxious rather than grim. A third man wore leather clothes like an Indian in a cowboy movie and his black hair was in two braids. His nose might have had a proud Roman arch at one time, but was grossly bruised and swollen now. He seemed to be under the angry guard of two men who must be wolves who’d recently changed back to man form, because they were naked. Lisa would have liked to examine their fine physiques at her leisure, but, remembering Eddie’s little lecture, she forced her eyes to the couple who seemed to be the center of this ruckus.
     The man of the pair wasn’t actually a man, but a teen-aged boy dressed only in a dark blue wool breechcloth and leather moccasins. His nicely developed body said he was full grown, but his handsome face held a soft boyishness that said high school. His arm was around a young woman, his body leaning toward her as if to shelter her. In contrast to the long black hair that streamed over the young man’s brown-skinned back, the woman’s hair was short and blond, and her skin was the pale sort that probably burned lobster-red after only minutes in the sun. He was tall and slimly muscular, and moved with protective grace. She was of middle height, and her long limbs reminded Lisa of Alexander the colt’s gawky stick legs. Lisa guessed neither of them was over eighteen. The boy pulled the girl further into the room, toward the couch where she and Carla sat.

 

Keep Reading

 

Merry Christmas!

 

Tuesday Teaser 12/9/12: Wolf’s Prize

Oops! Really late again! Here’s a snip from Quill and Ellie’s book.

     Paint nodded with satisfaction and patted Ellie’s arm. “Good girl.”

     Rage roared through Quill. “Don’t touch my mate,” he snarled through clenched teeth.

     Paint raised his hands. “Fine. Geez, you’re as bad as Snake.”

     Ellie watched Paint retreat before lifting wide eyes to Quill. “Am I?” she asked quietly.

     Quill took deep breaths to control his wolf. “Are you what?”

     “Your mate?”

     “Yeah.” That came out too roughly. Quill cleared his throat and gentled his voice. “Yes, you are.”

Tuesday Teaser: Eddie’s Prize

Here you go: a little snippet from Eddie’s Prize. This is a scene that takes place the night before the Bride Fights.

 

      It was after midnight when Eddie crept on bare feet to the room Lisa and Carla had been given. His parents were finally in bed. They had stayed up late discussing the applicants for the Bride Fight, deciding who would be allowed to enter, but had banned him from joining the conversation.

      The furious whispers coming from the women’s room fell silent when he tapped softly. After a moment, Carla voice said, “Who is it?”

      “It’s me. Eddie. Can I come in? I want to talk to you.”

      After a moment the door opened and Carla stepped back to let him in. She was dressed for bed, her still-damp brown hair in a braid down her back. Eddie looked past her to where Lisa sat hunched on the side of the bed, her blond hair glorious in the dim glow of the lamp, her pale face miserable. Her fingers pleated a corner of the sheet with jerky movements. Eddie wanted to hug her and tell her everything would be okay. Instead he put his hands in his jeans’ pockets and tried to smile.

      “What do you want?” Carla asked rudely.

      “Sh! Not so loud,” Eddie whispered. “Let’s not wake up my parents.”

      “Are you supposed to be here?” Carla asked.

      That made Eddie smile. “Of course not. I’m going to be fighting tomorrow. If the other men knew I was here they’d think I was taking unfair advantage.”

      Carla’s glare could have parted his hair. “You’re fighting tomorrow? In this stupid Bride Fight thing?”

      “Sh!” said Eddie again. “Yes, for Lisa.” Did that sound rude? “You’re very pretty too,” Eddie hurried to say. “But—”

      Carla cut him off with the first real smile he’d seen from her. “That’s okay. I hope no one shows up to fight for me.”

      Eddie remembered the dozens of men who had passed through his father’s office that evening, especially Taye Wolfe, who had stood with arms folded grimly over his chest for the entire visiting hour, glaring at each and every admiring comment made about Carla.

      Eddie didn’t say anything. He looked over at Lisa. She had crumpled the sheet in one fist and was gazing at him pitifully. She reminded him of a half-drowned kitten. The prettiest, sweetest half-drowned kitten he could imagine.

 

Tuesday Teaser 11/13/12: Wolf’s Prize

Here is a little snip from Book 5.  A man named Jeremy has been sent to Taye to tell him that his little cousin Ellie needs help. Enjoy!

 

         
        The Wolfe compound was large and well guarded by a solid stone wall eight feet high. It looked to Jeremy like Mrs. Overdahl hadn’t exaggerated her cousin’s wealth. Only a man of means could hold a place like this. Jeremy presented himself at the gate and waited for the small reinforced window in the gate to open to ask his business.
            The face in the small window was cold with suspicion. “Who are you and what do you want?”
            “I’m Jeremy Potter, here on business from Mrs. Overdahl, Mr. Wolfe’s cousin. I have an urgent message from her.”
            The gate was opened instantly and two very large dogs pressed against him, herding him into the compound. His horse came with him, snorting uneasily. A cluster of half-naked Native American men stood watching him. One of them looked him over.
            “Give me all your weapons.”
            Jeremy silently handed over his pistol and his knife, and waved a hand at the rifle in the saddle scabbard. “That’s all.”
            The guy nodded. “Snake, Blaze, take him in to see the Chief. Paint, look after his horse.”
            Two men flanked Jeremy like guards. When he got into a large room with a big fireplace he understood why he was being treated like a possible threat. Beside the fireplace sat a hugely pregnant woman with long brown hair. Standing protectively beside her on one side was a fiercely scowling man, and on the other side a three-year-old boy scowled just as fiercely. From the looks of their faces, they were obviously father and son. Several men lounged around the room, bodies appearing relaxed, but eyes keenly watchful. Their stares made Jeremy want to squirm. He turned his attention back to the man beside the woman.
        “Mr. Wolfe?”Jeremy asked.
        The man gave one sharp jerk of his head.
        “I’m Jeremy Potter. I work for the Ryan Thomas Trading Company.” There Jeremy stalled briefly. “Your cousin, Mrs. Overdahl, sent me with a message for you.”
        “Oh, thank goodness!” said the woman. “We haven’t heard from Ellie in ages. How is she?”
       When Jeremy hesitated, the weight of the eyes on him grew heavier. “She’s well,” he said carefully. “But she needs your help.”
        Taye Wolfe leaned forward, dark eyes hard under lowered brows. “What do you mean?”
        Jeremy swallowed. “Her husband has died, and she has been sold to the Trading Company to be taken to Ellsworth. The men there are having a Bride Fight in a week or so …”
        A snarl jerked Jeremy’s head around. He saw nothing but men with angry faces. No longer lounging in relaxed sprawls, they looked ready to spring. Most of the men were clearly Native American, but one of them had curly brown hair rather than straight black hair. He was on his feet, practically shaking. With rage? Jeremy was certain it was rage that clenched his fists and jaw. Jeremy hesitated before turning his back on the man.
        Taye Wolfe’s set, angry face wasn’t any less scary. A bead of sweat rolled down the back of Jeremy’s neck.
         “Where is my cousin?” Wolfe rasped.

The Bewitching Blog Hop! (and a sneak peek at Glory & Shadow)

 

Welcome to Maddy Barone’s stop on The Bewitching Just Romance Me blog hop. If you have fallen off the tour or want to join, just click here. On this bloghop you can win free books, gifts cards, and a new Kindle Paperwhite ereader.

The prize I’m giving away to one commenter on this post is a cute little shawl I knit myself. See? The perfect thing to keep your shoulders warm. The winner will also receive a paperback copy of either Sleeping With the Wolf or Wolf’s Glory, their choice. 🙂 If you would like to win, just leave a comment below. As always, those who are signed up to receive my newsletter are entered twice in the drawing. Comments must be left before 5:45pm central time. I will announce the winner on Sunday night before 9pm central time.

And to get you in the mood for Halloween, here is a snippet about Glory and Shadow (the hero and heroine from Wolf’s Glory), a year after they have mated.

               

Glory folded her arms, considering the exterior of the small house her mate had built for her. It was painted white, with a wide porch of natural wood on three sides, and a chimney made of native Black Hills stone climbing the fourth. A wisp of smoke rising from the chimney showed white in the sapphire blue of the late afternoon sky. Glory stepped back a few yards, looking at the postcard-perfect view of the house against the reds and golds of the autumn foliage. It was cute. Glory didn’t do cute. How could she turn cute into scary? Halloween was only two weeks away. Except for last year, she’d always gone all out decorating for her favorite holiday. Last year … Well, last year she’d been too busy to do anything for Halloween. Between surviving a plane crash, meeting and marrying a hunky werewolf, and finding out she’d gone forward to a time after Armageddon, she’d completely lost track of the days.

 

But this year would be different. Glory put her hands on her hips, strolling from one end of the house to the other, considering where the spider webs would look most effective.

 

“Sunshine.”

 

At the scolding sound of her hunky werewolf’s voice, Glory turned to see him walking toward her from his mother’s house a hundred yards away. Shadow was, as always, all but naked in just moccasins and a breechcloth. His hair, black and thick and heavy, hung down his back to his butt, leaving his broad, beautifully muscled chest bare. At six feet and six inches tall, he was the only man who made Glory feel petite. Hell, he was six inches taller than she was, and almost outweighed her. The fierce Lakota Wolf Clan warrior, who was a terrifying sight in battle, tenderly cradled a pink and blue bundle in one arm.

 

“Sunshine,” he scolded again. “You are supposed to be lying down, resting.”

 

“I will. I just wanted to think about how to decorate for Halloween.” She lifted her lips for his kiss and twitched the edge of the baby blanket aside to peek at their daughter’s face. “Hey, there, little Miss Vicki,” she cooed.

 

 “Sh, she’s sleeping.” Shadow hooked his free arm around her waist and towed her up the steps of the porch into their house. “I thought you wanted to call her Victoria.”

 

“Well, yeah.” Glory watched him set the baby down in her cradle with as much care as if the afghan Lisa Madison had made was wrapped around nitroglycerin. “Victoria for my grandmother, Jillian for Jill, and Tara for your mom. But Victoria Jillian Tara Wolfe is a big mouthful for such a little thing.”

 

Not that Vicki had felt that little while she was being born. The books in Kearney’s library that talked about the joy and beauty of childbirth were lucky she wasn’t allowed to burn them. Joy and beauty, her ass. Still, Glory didn’t remember the pain nearly as vividly she remembered the expression on Shadow’s face: terror and joy and awe, all mixed together, as he held the screaming scrap of humanity that was his daughter in his big hands. Glory wished cameras still existed. She never wanted to forget that sight or that moment in time.

 

“Hm … I wonder what she should be for Halloween? I think I could put together a little witch costume. Do you think we could get a pointy hat to stay on her head?”

 

“Sunshine, she’s only five weeks old.”

 

Glory reluctantly agreed. “She’s too young this year, but soon she’ll be going all around the neighborhood Trick or Treating, going to parties, playing with the boys …”

 

“PLAY—” Almost too late, Shadow remembered to keep his voice low. “Playing with boys?” he hissed, his eyes taking on that weird werewolf glow.

 

“Uh-huh. You know, Chase and Raven and Matt.”

 

His eyes went back to normal. “Oh, her cousins, you mean.”

 

Glory hid a grimace. Their daughter was going to have a hell of a time finding a boy brave enough to date her. That was years away, though, and Glory’s thoughts were on something in the here and now. She watched her mate put another log on the fire, admiring the way the muscles in his back bunched and smoothed as he moved. Her mate was mouthwateringly sexy. “For this year, I have the perfect costumes for us.”

 

He turned in a flare of hair, eyes wide in apprehension. “I don’t wear costumes,” he warned her.

 

“Good,” she purred. “I like you naked best. I thought I could be Little Red Riding Hood and you could be the Big Bad Wolf.” She let her fingers comb through his hair, smooth down his chest to the knot of the cord that held his breechcloth up. “But I don’t have a costume, so I guess we’ll just have to pretend. If I took off my clothes, could you pretend to take a red cloak off me?”

 

He swallowed hard. “Sunshine, is it too soon? It’s only been a few weeks.”

 

“Almost six weeks. Jill says everything has healed up just fine after the birth.” She succeeded in loosening his breechcloth. It dropped, showing that though his words were reluctant, his body wasn’t. She took him in her hand, loving the heat and the weight of him. “I’ve missed you, Big Guy.”

 

His teeth caught her earlobe. “I’ve missed you, Sunshine. I’ll go slow, I promise.”

 

 “Go as fast as you want, but remember the baby’s sleeping. Don’t roar and howl at the end like you always do.”

 

“Me?” He let go of her ear to give her a wolfish grin. “Who is it that screams my name when she comes?”

 

She faked a scowl. “I’m not anywhere near as loud as you.”

 

Shadow lifted her lightly into his arms and shouldered his way into their bedroom. “We’ll see,” he threatened.

 

Glory surrendered to his hands and mouth. This was a contest she could live with. And if she lost, well, she could live with that too.

 

Twenty minutes after their bedroom door closed, a roar and a scream woke the baby. In the cradle her grandfather had carved for her, Victoria blinked startled blue eyes, shoved a tiny fist into her mouth and fell back asleep.

 

 

 

 

Tuesday Teaser: Eddie’s Prize

This is from when Lisa is coming into Kearney for the first time. She and Carla are in a horse-drawn wagon a day after the plane crash.

 

Carla leaned toward Lisa. “Are you okay?” she asked with compassion. “Are you thinking about the little boy?”

Lisa nodded jerkily. Unlike some children she had encountered on planes, the four-year-old redhead sitting in the seat in front of her had been a perfect angel, quietly coloring and playing giggling peek-a-boo games with his mother. When the plane had finally come to its metallic screeching stop on the prairie, the mother was dead and the little boy so badly hurt that he could only cry almost soundlessly. Lisa had picked him up and numbly carried him out of the plane, allowing Carla to help her down to the ground, but never letting the boy go. She had hummed to him while he bled and cried and finally died. Lisa didn’t know what his last name had been. His mother had called him Alexander. All she had left of him was his blood on her clothes and the memory of his half-smile when he looked up at her right before he died.

That memory was too precious and too painful to linger on at this moment. There were other people counting on her and Carla now, those too hurt to go for help themselves, who needed doctors so they could live. The mayor of Kearney, Nebraska would get the crash survivors the help they needed. Even the crazy men from Odessa had done what they could to help by bringing them here. For the two hundredth time, Lisa forced her thoughts away from the crash to focus on the here and now.

 She stared past the driver’s shoulder. “Is this an actual town? It looks as dilapidated as some of the abandoned houses we passed on our walk.”

 Buildings looked like they had been half torn down and their windows taken away. There was a familiar fast food restaurant to their right, looking like it had been out of business for fifty years, abandoned for the elements to fade and wear away.

“The recession must have hit this area hard,” Carla suggested doubtfully.

 Further in, roads became smoother, and it looked like efforts had been made to clean things up. They rolled past walls that separated whole blocks. The road went from dirt to something like cobblestones. The wagon seat bounced like a car with bad shocks. Even Carla, tough as she was, looked a little green. Lisa was afraid her lunch was going to escape. Soon they began seeing people, all men, come out of buildings and take notice of them.

“Women!” shouted one, pointing at the wagon.

Eddie’s Prize Teaser

Today I wrote my heart out and completed Chapter 23 of Eddie’s Prize. I really like how the end is coming together. Only one more chapter and I can type “The End” of the rough draft. It’s possible that I will actually finish tomorrow as planned. However, tomorrow is a very busy day (sunday school, church, church annual meeting, knitting with the gals, etc) so I don’t want to absolutely count on it. Still, I’m pretty darned happy. To celebrate, here is a teaser from the chapter I wrote tonight:

          Eddie returned to his cold, empty house and pondered Bree’s words. He wanted his wife back. He missed the look of happy pride on her face when he complimented the supper she’d prepared. Every supper she put in front of him had told him she loved him, just as much as the words she murmured to him in bed had. His world was crumbling about him. Without her arms to hold it together, it would shatter.

          Alone, between cold sheets on the bed he’d made love to his wife in, he gave in to tears. He needed Lisa. He needed her love even more than he needed his mother’s approval.