Hello! It’s snowing out there tonight and I’m drinking tea from Paris called Noel a Pekin. It’s a black tea from China  with jasmine green tea, mango, passion fruit and pineapple. I’m not sure how that comes to be considered a Christmas in Peking tea, but there you go. It’s a good night to drink it and knit.

I do have a new snip for you tonight. It is shorter than I’d wanted it to be, but at least I have new words. Here is my Confession Is Good For The Soul statement. It’s true I’ve been very busy. Working full time and a little overtime at the day job 7am-4:00pm. And after work looks like this: Monday=Word Weavers, Tuesday=visit Mom, Wednesday=church, Thursday=SCA meetings, Friday=clean, laundry, etc., Saturday=sleeping late, visit mom, PLAY!!!, Sunday=church and knitting and reading. So actually I DO have some time available to write. Not a lot, but if I was more disciplined I could find an hour a day.  I will try harder to get myself back into the habit of writing. Thank you for being so patient with me.

My local critique group (we call ourselves the Word Weavers) has started a new format for our meetings. We will do critiques for only the first 30-40 minutes. Then we will do a timed writing sprint for 30 minutes. we’ll finish up with 15-20  minutes of talking about what we did during the sprint. I am loving it. Although last night my laptop battery died only 5 minutes in. I got my notebook and pen out and wrote long hand for about 2 minutes when my pen died. I couldn’t believe it!! I sat fuming with my knitting for the remaining 20 minutes. Gosh, it makes me laugh now but last night I was mad. 

So here is the little bit I managed to write the past week. I’m not sure it will make it to the book. But it can be re-written or moved around, or even just deleted if it doesn’t work. The important thing is I’m writing. You gotta start somewhere. Stephen King said that you can’t edit a blank page. So, here you go!

Cole cast one last look around the moonlit river bank before turning and trotting back toward Omaha. He’d seen no men hiding, heard not a hint of trucks or other traffic, and hadn’t caught any unfamiliar scent carried on the night air. His patrol was over. With his paws heavy with mud, and his legs coated with drying goop, all he wanted was to be clean so he could bask in his mate’s warmth.

He wished Todd would just turn his army around and go home. That wasn’t likely. The next best thing would be for him to just attack so this stupid little war could be ended. The initial attack this morning was only a feint, probably to test Omaha’s readiness. Well, they were ready. Ready to send Todd packing with his tail between his legs. Cole wanted to bring his sweet mate home to the den so they could start their life together and he couldn’t do that until Todd was dealt with.

Cole approached the wall of Omaha, careful of where he placed his paws so as to not leave paw prints leading to the small back gate in Omaha’s wall. He quietly woofed to let his cousin xxxxx (haven’t decided who yet) know he was ready to come back in, and the door opened just wide enough to let his furred body slip in.

Paint was there with XXXXX. “Anything?”he asked. When Cole shook his wolf’s head, Pain nodded. “Go report to your dad and get home.”

XXXXX shot him a sly grin. “You stink. Better wash before you wrap yourself around your mate.”

Cole wrinkled his nose in a snarl and ran down the street to the house designated as the eastern headquarters. He shifted to human at the steps of the building. It was one of those buildings from the Times Before that housed two families. One side was set up as the headquarters; the other was crammed with beds for the City Guard to sleep in when they weren’t on duty. Cole felt a tiny moment of regret for them. They would be away from the families for days at a time but he got to return to the Limit where his mate awaited him.

Naked,he went into the HQ side and followed his ears to the room which must have been a dining room at one time. His dad was there with Captain Dean Erickson,leaning over a map spread out on the table. Two pimply teenagers were there too, both using so many words to give their report that Cole could barely make out what they were trying to say. The boys stopped, mouths hanging open, when they saw Cole come in. They appeared to be either horrified or fascinated by his nakedness.

“Wolf,” one mouthed to the other.

Cole resisted the urge to show them his teeth. He gave his report to Captain Erickson, describing where he had gone and what he’d seen in brief, concise statements. His dad nodded approvingly.

“You have eight hours down,” he told Cole. “Then get back here.” He cracked a shadow of a smile. “And try to spend some of those hours in sleep.”

Cole bounded up the back steps of The Limit and paused just outside the mudroom to shake his fur out before shifting back to man. He was cold and muddy, so the shower he’d dreamed of would be welcome, but as he padded inside, he caught the faintest hint of his mate’s scent woven through faint aroma of soap. She had been here a few hours ago, maybe mopping the floor he was dirtying with his muddy feet.

Footsteps sounded from the kitchen and a hand flicked the mudroom light on. The young woman screamed when she saw him and fled back to the kitchen. He glanced down at himself. Why would she scream? He wasn’t that dirty. Oh. Maybe it wasn’t the drying mud caking his legs that scared her. Where were the jeans he’d left here before he followed his father out?

More footsteps came, and he looked up to see his mother, sister and Aunt Rose come in. The elderly woman who ran the house was with them. Her silver eyebrows rose as she stared at him.

“Oh, my goodness,” she said mildly, and disappeared.

“Colby,” his mom said anxiously. “Is everything okay?”

He was about to reply with when Ms. Mary came back, holding a towel.

“It’s a shame, really,” she said in her quavering old voice, “but I suppose you should cover up. I don’t know how I’ll ever fall asleep now, with my heart pounding like a teenager’s.” She turned her head to speak to someone behind her. “Such a handsome young man you have, dear Georgina.”

Gina passed through the opening the other women made for her. Ms. Mary handed her the towel with a wink. Gina’s cheeks were brightly pink, but she was smiling.From the very first moment he’d seen her pouring hot chocolate in that coffee shop downtown, Cole had thought she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Her face didn’t have the perfect lines of Mrs. Madison’s, and her body wasn’t the classic voluptuous hourglass like Aunt Amanda’s, but the color in her cheeks was enchanting, and the hint of a naughty smile on her lips as she came to him made him smile back.

Mine, said the wolf fiercely.

“Mine,” agreed the man happily.

It’s been quite a while since I posted. I’m sorry about that. I’m still getting settled in my new apartment. I’m pleased to say it’s been a great place for me. The only noise I hear is people in the hall or going up and down the stairs. No loud music or rowdy kids. Color me happy!

My little office is about done. I will post pictures next time so you can see how cozy it is. The sewing room is back to being a disaster right now, and one of my brothers asked me to sew/quilt him a table runner. His house in Minneapolis was built in 1929 (I think) and he wants to keep the original Arts and Crafts feel to it. So I’ve ordered some 1930s feedsack reproduction fabric and I need to get the sewing room squared away so I can get to the sewing machine.

My local critique group, the Word Weavers of Fargo Moorhead, is starting something new. We’ll meet every Monday evening and spend an hour doing critiques, and then 30 minutes of writing sprints. No talking. Only typing. That means I hope next Tuesday I’ll have an actual teaser for you. I really have to get back to writing. We’re on overtime again at work, and I’m trying to get everything over here from Mom’s, and I’m spending time with mom, and church, and knitting, and SCA… Something has to give!!

I am planning to do my Annual Christmas Stocking giveaway in a couple of weeks. The stocking will be stuffed with books, gift cards, swag, and candy. I’ll be sending out a newsletter for people to enter to win in about ten days. If you are interested but don’t get the newsletter, there is a sign up at the right.

Pictures next time, and hopefully a little teaser.  🙂

Well, I’ve been in my new place for a little over 2 weeks and I am about 75% unpacked. I really like the place. It’s been amazingly quiet. It’s close to work, and close to the interstate so I can drive to mom’s. I have had very little time to sit and relax. Or do anything, really. Between work, going to mom’s, going to various evening meetings, church, knitting, writer’s group, etc. I haven’t gotten any writing done. This is it, the grand total of what I’ve written in the past three weeks:

Cole cast one last look around the river bank before turning and trotting back toward Omaha. He’d seen no men hiding, heard not a hint of trucks or other traffic, and hadn’t caught any unfamiliar scent carried on the night air. His patrol was over. With his paws heavy with mud, and his legs coated with drying goop, all he wanted was to be clean so he could bask in his mate’s warmth.

I was hoping to have at least a few hundred words for you tonight, but I am out of time. And energy. I volunteered to bring the dessert for the dinner at church tomorrow, and for some brilliant reason I thought I would bake something. (Somebody shoot me.) I managed to get the bakeware unpacked and washed, so I’m off now to mix up some cookies. Peanut butter blossoms since I have the ingredients for those.

I WILL get unpacked and be able to settle down to write soon. I just need to remember to breathe.  🙂

I am having more trouble than usual with my asthma and breathing. I have had nasal polyps, asthma, and allergic reaction to aspirin for about 3 decades now. It’s called Samters Triad or AERD. I’ve had five sinus surgeries. Nothing cures it. If I had toenail fungus or erectile dysfunction I would have a dozen treatments to choose from. But breathing? Nah, that’s not important.

Three years ago, I underwent Aspirin Desensitization at the Mayo Clinic. I think it has been very helpful. Even now with my nose so plugged up I can still breath through my nose almost always. After years with breathing through my mouth, sleeping with my mouth closed is amazing. The sense of smell isn’t what I’d like it to be, but I do still get occasional whiffs of coffee or cinnamon pine cones. And I’ve had only three sinus infections in the past three years. A record!

Tonight I heard there may be a new and possibly effective treatment available in the next year. It is called Dupilumab. It is currently approved for dermatitis and eczema, but it works for polyps too. A two year long study was completed this summer. I’m so hopeful it hurts.

https://www.mdmag.com/conference-coverage/aaaai-wao-2018/claus-bachert-md-phd-dupilumab-for-nasal-polyps

What a week!

I spent hours (like nine!) on Saturday trying to set my newsletter up to be GDPR compliant, and adding a pop up form to the website so people could easily sign up. Grr. I broke my website banner. I’m not sure how, but after a couple of hours I slapped a few book covers up so there would be SOMETHING there. I need to email the woman who designed my website and see if she can fix it. Sheesh. I am a Luddite. 🙁

Anyway, the old newsletter will be discontinued on May 31. I have set up a new one, so if you would still like to get the newsletter please

SIGN UP FOR THE CURRENT NEWSLETTER HERE

What else is going on for me? I leave for The Annual Reader & Author Get Together in Ohio in two weeks. I am so excited by that! Amazon Kindle Worlds are being discontinued by Amazon. My two Kindle World books will be coming down in mid-July, and then with Paige Tyler’s kind permission, I will be re-publishing them on all platforms. That is Amazon,. Barnes & Noble, Kobi, iBooks, etc.  More info to come in on those things in the near future. On to Gina and Cole.

As always, this has not been edited or even reviewed. There are probably a ton of goofs that I will fix when I start revisions. Enjoy!

Five hours later Gina was in the mudroom, dressed in the same borrowed jeans, sweater and socks, plus a shabby winter coat that had once been brown and was now nondescript beige, and a brown wool hat that was a little too big. Gina didn’t mind at all. This trip to Omaha would be as cold as last night, but the addition of the winter gear would make her much more comfortable. Colby was wearing the ill-fitting jeans and a threadbare flannel shirt, but not shoes or coat. He said he would be fine. Wolf warriors didn’t feel the cold like humans did. Gina hid her doubts about this. Maybe if he got cold he would turn into his wolf again.

She gave Nikki a tight hug. “Thank you so much for everything you’ve done. Remember to burn my dress right away.”

The older woman returned the hug. “It’s a shame to destroy it, but I will.”

Beside her, Cole nodded firmly. “If the Kansas-Missourians come and see that dress they’ll know you’ve helped us. I hate to think of what they would do to you.”

Mr. Andrews shuddered. “No worries. They’ve never crossed the river, and if they do, we haven’t seen you.”

Cole shook his hand. “The Pack owes you.”

“Oh, I don’t know.” Mr. Andrews smiled at his wife. “If it wasn’t for your kin saving Nikki I wouldn’t be the happy man I am today.”

Gina’s breath caught. The older man wasn’t handsome, but the tenderness on his face when he looked at his wife made him attractive. Her heart ached a little in longing. She wanted a man to look at her like that after more than twenty-five years of marriage. She flicked a glance at Cole. If she accepted him, would he look at her like that?

After one more hug and a round of handshakes, Cole led her out to the yard. They walked past the gate and down the road. When Gina turned around to look back at the house, she saw Nikki wave to her from the mudroom door.  She waved back.

“They were so nice,” she said, stuffing her hands in her coat pockets. “It’s a miracle that we took shelter with someone you knew.”

“Actually, I don’t know them. Nikki lived at the Plane Women’s House and knew my parents. When we get home, I’ll take you to the Plane Women’s Eatery for supper.”

Gina would settle for getting to Omaha. She would feel safer there. She dreaded this walk. “How long until we get to Omaha?”

“That depends on how fast we walk. If we keep at this pace, it will be about five hours. Maybe a little longer. If we slow down or get bogged down in mud, it will be around seven hours.” He tilted his head and looked up at the sky. “It’s ten o’clock now, so even if we move slowly we should get to the gates of Omaha before dawn.”

She lengthened her stride. Cole put a hand on her arm.

“Don’t rush. You’ll get tired faster. We’ll keep to the roads as much as possible. It’s easier walking and any tracks we leave will blend with other tracks, but we have to go cross country at one point.”

She wanted to deny being tired, but he would probably know she was lying. She was not as tired as she was last night, but they had been walking for only twenty minutes so far. “Okay.”

His hand slid down her arm into her pocket and clasped her hand. “Are you cold?”

“No.” It wasn’t a lie, but if he asked again in an hour she would probably have a different answer. “You can let go of my hand.”

His fingers tightened over hers. “No.”

She stopped on the road. His momentum carried her half a step further before she dug in her heels. “You want me to accept you? Then stop being so bossy. You don’t have the right to just grab my hand and then refuse to let go when I tell you to.”

The cold moonlight showed his eyes go from narrow to wide. His mouth dropped open, and then closed. “Your hands will be cold. Nikki didn’t have any mittens or gloves for you.”

“So you were holding my hand only to keep me warm?”

He blinked. She could see a struggle on his face. “Not completely.” He pulled his hand out of her pocket and bent a little to look into her face. “Sorry. I’m an alpha. I know I’m bossy. My sister complains about it all the time. I’ll try to do better, I promise.”

That was a pretty decent apology. “Okay. I can’t ask for more than that.”

She started walking again. She would try to learn to love him and he would try to not be bossy. They walked in near silence for two hours before Cole guided her into a field. Clouds had covered the moon, making it hard to Gina to see.

“Time for some harder walking,” he said apologetically.  “About two miles through some fields, and then we’re on the main road to Omaha.” He hesitated. “If you need help, let me know.”

She accepted his hand to climb down into a ditch and back up into a field, and then tucked her hands firmly back into the coat pockets. Gina couldn’t see five feet ahead. The road had been a hard surface, mostly clear of snow and mud, but the field was different. She tried to move briskly, but after only ten minutes she lost speed. Cole hadn’t touched her since he’d released her hand. Now, as she slogged through only half frozen mud and stumbled over ridges in the dirt, she knew it was time to ask for help.

She turned to look up at him. “Cole, can we slow down a little?”

His smile almost glowed. She narrowed her eyes, ready to slap down his gloating, but he didn’t look like he was gloating.  He looked … happy. Happy? She opened her mouth to say something, but her mud caked shoe caught on a branch half buried in the muddy slush, and with her hands buried in her pockets she couldn’t keep her balance. The only reason she didn’t pitch face first into the muck was Cole. He swooped and caught her before she hit the ground.

“Are you all right?” he asked, and she could have sworn he sounded honestly concerned.

Being held so close to his warm chest let her know just how cold she had gotten. “Yes.” She wiggled her foot, which was several inches above the ground. “No damage done.”

He didn’t let her down. “Would you― Could I ―” He blew a breath out. “It would be better if I could hold onto you, at least until we get back to a road.”

Her mouth dropped open. “You mean carry me?”

Even in the dark she could see how his eyes lit up. “Yes, that would be good.”

“No!”

“But then there would be only one set of footprints,” he coaxed.

She stared up at him, uncertain. “Even if they come after us, will they be able to see our tracks in the dark? You’re just want to hold me.”

“Maybe,” he admitted with a smile.

Still no gloating. It confused Gina. “I can walk.”

He sighed. “Okay.” He set her down. “But can I hold your hand? Just so you won’t fall?”

Her hand was cold. “Okay.”

His broad palm wrapped around hers seemed to warm her whole body. They didn’t speak much on their trek over the uneven ground, but she liked his hand tucked into her pocket. Holding hands with a man was another thing she hadn’t done before. It was strangely comfortable. She felt a connection between them, as if their joined hands were a bridge from her heart to his. No wonder lovers held hands.