OMG on the last 5 mins AGAIN. You're killing me...
In other news I'm working on revisions for Trapt in Troy. I've been lucky to spend some quiet time in the library thanks to my daughter needing to be tutored to pass the 11th grade.
I have to thank the school for this option. Her anxiety was off the charts, but her meds are kicking in and she's even talking about going back to school in Sept. That's huge for me. She's missed all of the 4th quarter and over 50 day between the 1st-3rd.
Luckily she has the grades.
Showing posts with label revisions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label revisions. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Friday, December 3, 2010
How Much Is Too Much?
Rewrites that is...
What would you do?
A few months ago I wrote a book and subbed it to one of my publishers. All names are being withheld for obvious reasons. Said publisher wrote back a few weeks later that they really liked the story, but would I mind losing the first few – okay five pages. Also could I make some minor changes to the next twenty pages to leave the reader guessing as to the heroine’s guilt in a certain situation? Leave them guessing.
I liked the second idea. I felt it would make a more interesting read, but I was uncertain about cutting all five pages. I felt the reader learned about the heroine and her goals, motives and reasons for some of her actions.
I made ALL the requested changes and resubbed.
A few more weeks go by and I receive another nice letter. This is really good, but not quite there yet. If you could just add a little to the beginning to show the readers her motives and reasons for acting in particular ways that would be great.
Hmmm, I thought I’d done that originally.
I mulled the ideas over and even brainstormed with a writer friend. She made some great suggestions and offered to read the book to see what might be needed. She returned with, “I thought it was going to be awful and need lots of work, but this is fantastic AS IS.”
I thanked her and explained what they were looking for now. Again she tossed some ideas my way and I took them to heart. I wrote up a brief summary and sent the ideas off. They liked it, but maybe do it this way instead, I was told.
Finally I asked my writer friend to look at the original version. Deep down I kept coming back to this copy. Not sure why, but it was a gut feeling.
She read it and loved it. She got what made my heroine tick. She understood her motives for doing certain things and she related to her. She was drawn into the story. She felt one of my other publishers would jump on the chance to publish this story.
Now I’m torn. I’ve invested a lot of time with the first publisher, but yet, I’m growing uncomfortable to the changes. I feel like I’m losing “my” story and writing someone else’s. Believe me, I’m far from one of those diva writer’s who refuse to make changes. I’m probably the opposite and a little naïve. I tend to make all the suggested changes, per my editors.
This time I’m having too much difficulty doing that.
So do I dig in my heels and submit this story to one of my other publishers or do I kept brainstorming until I get it “right” in their eyes.
Stay tuned and I’ll let you know what I decide in the coming weeks!
Have a great weekend!
What would you do?
A few months ago I wrote a book and subbed it to one of my publishers. All names are being withheld for obvious reasons. Said publisher wrote back a few weeks later that they really liked the story, but would I mind losing the first few – okay five pages. Also could I make some minor changes to the next twenty pages to leave the reader guessing as to the heroine’s guilt in a certain situation? Leave them guessing.
I liked the second idea. I felt it would make a more interesting read, but I was uncertain about cutting all five pages. I felt the reader learned about the heroine and her goals, motives and reasons for some of her actions.
I made ALL the requested changes and resubbed.
A few more weeks go by and I receive another nice letter. This is really good, but not quite there yet. If you could just add a little to the beginning to show the readers her motives and reasons for acting in particular ways that would be great.
Hmmm, I thought I’d done that originally.
I mulled the ideas over and even brainstormed with a writer friend. She made some great suggestions and offered to read the book to see what might be needed. She returned with, “I thought it was going to be awful and need lots of work, but this is fantastic AS IS.”
I thanked her and explained what they were looking for now. Again she tossed some ideas my way and I took them to heart. I wrote up a brief summary and sent the ideas off. They liked it, but maybe do it this way instead, I was told.
Finally I asked my writer friend to look at the original version. Deep down I kept coming back to this copy. Not sure why, but it was a gut feeling.
She read it and loved it. She got what made my heroine tick. She understood her motives for doing certain things and she related to her. She was drawn into the story. She felt one of my other publishers would jump on the chance to publish this story.
Now I’m torn. I’ve invested a lot of time with the first publisher, but yet, I’m growing uncomfortable to the changes. I feel like I’m losing “my” story and writing someone else’s. Believe me, I’m far from one of those diva writer’s who refuse to make changes. I’m probably the opposite and a little naïve. I tend to make all the suggested changes, per my editors.
This time I’m having too much difficulty doing that.
So do I dig in my heels and submit this story to one of my other publishers or do I kept brainstorming until I get it “right” in their eyes.
Stay tuned and I’ll let you know what I decide in the coming weeks!
Have a great weekend!
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Swamped!
Wow someone is looking down on me lately. I’ve been swamped. Between edits for Wild Lickins, FLE’s for Ignited due out the 26th and the cover art for Wild Lickins (which is an Ice Cream Shoppe for those wondering J) things have been non-stop.
I must be getting popular because people are requesting my books on Astatalk. It frustrates the hell out of me that people would steal from writers who bust their butts to put books out for loyal FANS. I liked it better when I wasn’t so popular. I liked the first year when my sales weren’t thru the roof, but I was SELLING books, not being ripped off.
Okay enough of my rant on that subject.
Today it’s time to work on that article and finish revising Research Required, unless something else pops up.
Oh and I’m excited I started a new story, currently titled Dante’s Desire. I’m only 5 pages in, but it feels good to be writing again. A new year and a fresh start.
I must be getting popular because people are requesting my books on Astatalk. It frustrates the hell out of me that people would steal from writers who bust their butts to put books out for loyal FANS. I liked it better when I wasn’t so popular. I liked the first year when my sales weren’t thru the roof, but I was SELLING books, not being ripped off.
Okay enough of my rant on that subject.
Today it’s time to work on that article and finish revising Research Required, unless something else pops up.
Oh and I’m excited I started a new story, currently titled Dante’s Desire. I’m only 5 pages in, but it feels good to be writing again. A new year and a fresh start.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Spread Thin
I feel like I'm being pulled in every direction! I have so much shopping to finish, luckily after today I'm on vacation. I told the DH the weekend is all about him and Christmas shopping. We need time away from the filled house!
I received a rejection for now with Research Required. It needs some revising. It seems I forgot to make my hero likable halfway through. She's right. I did forget to turn him around and make him lovable. I had the hot sex down! LOL
I'll be working on that Monday. I have too much other stuff to concentrate on now. I'm still finishing the last sex scene for Naughty Cupid due Jan 1.
My mom arrives Wednesday for a few a week of visiting and looking at places for her to move here.
Wishing everyone a Happy Friday and a terrific weekend!
BTW, Regina Carlysle has a new release today...check it out!
Book 4 in the High Plains Shifters series.
Blurb:
From the moment Cactus Mackey rescues Sara Farmer from outlaw wolves, he knows she belongs to him—and he’s more than ready to mess up some sheets with the sassy female. But she has secrets and wants to run. Infuriating woman! He might have to tie her to his bed but he’s not about to give up until she belongs to him, body and soul.
As danger chases her, Sara knows it’s a huge mistake to fall head over heels for the sexy lycan cowboy from Wolf Creek Ranch. A single touch from this shockingly seductive man melts her like butter under the hot Texas sun, and has her yearning for impossible things. The man is big trouble to her heart and running may no longer be an option.
From the moment Cactus Mackey rescues Sara Farmer from outlaw wolves, he knows she belongs to him—and he’s more than ready to mess up some sheets with the sassy female. But she has secrets and wants to run. Infuriating woman! He might have to tie her to his bed but he’s not about to give up until she belongs to him, body and soul.
As danger chases her, Sara knows it’s a huge mistake to fall head over heels for the sexy lycan cowboy from Wolf Creek Ranch. A single touch from this shockingly seductive man melts her like butter under the hot Texas sun, and has her yearning for impossible things. The man is big trouble to her heart and running may no longer be an option.
Excerpt:
“Don’t let me go.”
Cactus went still at the whispered demand. The woman’s lips moved against his throat and just that simple touch had sensation rocketing through his body to settle in his cock. She’d been traumatized enough and he hated like hell that holding her this way made him hard enough to hammer nails but it couldn’t be helped. He’d been semi-erect since the moment he’d first clapped eyes on her. The instant attraction caught him off guard but then, was a man ever really prepared for the first moment he met the she-wolf who was destined to be his mate?
Probably not.
He settled his cheek against her tousled blonde curls and instinctively tightened his arm around her. Her name was Sara and he and others from the Wolf Creek Pack of Cloverfield, Texas had just saved her and her sister, along with Rayne Poteet, from a gang of rogue lycans. The sorry fucks made it their business to steal unmated she-wolves from the safety of their homes.
Except this woman, Sara, didn’t have a home.
Hell if she didn’t. Her home was with him.
“I won’t, darlin’. Not in this lifetime.”
Cactus sat in the backseat of the big duely double cab truck with his charge safely curled on his lap. He lifted his head from Sara’s hair and spoke over the roar of the engine. “How much longer until we’re home, Gabe?”
Cloverfield’s sheriff, who was driving them home, caught his eye in the rearview mirror. The big lycan was steering with one hand and holding Sara’s sister, Kate, close to his side. Cactus watched the big, gruff wolf’s hand stroke comfortingly over Kate’s body as she huddled against him. “About half an hour or so,” he murmured. “Almost there.”
Following behind them on the narrow stretch of twisted highway was a van full of the criminal lycans and their leader, Selena. Tonight full pack justice would be handed out to the lot of them. There would be little chance of escape for this bunch and the bloodthirsty half of his nature, his beast, would relish the chance to end their reign of terror.
Cactus returned his attention to the woman in his arms. Earlier, he’d lifted her up and carried her from the maze of old RVs and mobile homes where the captives had been held and settled her in the backseat of the truck. No one had questioned him but then, no one would dare. He wasn’t the kind of man who put up with interference from others. Cactus Mackey was a two-hundred-year-old lycan and old enough to handle his own affairs just fine. He settled back to look at the woman who he knew was his mate.
“How are you feeling?”
Her answering sigh almost broke his heart. She gave him a single look from eyes the color of Texas bluebonnets then closed them. Lowering her cheek to his chest, she settled her hand there too. Her fingers moved restlessly against his pecs and Cactus caught his breath. “I don’t know.”
“Don’t worry about it. We’ll get you home soon. I’ll tuck you in nice and tight and make sure you rest up.”
“Sounds nice,” she whispered. “Tell me your name.”
“Cactus. Cactus Mackey.”
Again, that little sigh. “Funny name.”
He smiled. “What’d you expect? I’m a Texan.”
Sara shifted in his lap and his cock tightened. Gods! She had to feel the damn thing prodding her sweet, nicely plump ass. His balls went hard. Fighting off the powerful urge to fuck her right here in front of the gods and everybody was suddenly the hardest challenge he’d ever faced. Literally. But Cactus wasn’t a man who took advantage of wounded creatures and Sara was wounded, for sure. Downright shocky. Whatever had possessed him to drag her into his lap that way? Damn it! She’d been hurt, traumatized and emotionally battered. He’d felt the trembling of her body and needed to comfort her so he didn’t think twice about pulling her into his lap. She’d needed to know he represented safety and that she and her sister would be cared for in this town he called home.
“I’m Sara Farmer.”
Cactus tightened his hold and breathed in her scent. It wrapped around him like a benediction. Mine. Mine. Mine. The words whispered through his mind and he wondered if she felt it too.
“You banged up a bit?”
“I was but I heal pretty quickly for being unmated.”
Among their kind unmated females were slower to heal injuries than a full-fledged lycan. Until she consummated things with her mate and finally released her wolf, it would be that way. He didn’t respond but glanced out the window of the truck and watched the miles of desert flash by as they motored their way deep into west Texas. Some might not find the country pretty but to him, the flat prairie with its buttes and plateaus was heaven. His kind had fought the Comanche and Apache Indians generations ago claiming the land as theirs. They’d built their homes, ranches and businesses with sweat and hard work and had won Texas independence from Mexico. Cactus had been one of many of Cloverfield’s lycans to fight side by side with others to build Texas into a force in this burgeoning country.
“She asleep?” The rumbling question came from Gabe and Cactus glanced down at his charge.
“Yeah.”
“So is Kate. Poor little thing.” The comment seemed strange coming from the burly lycan who wore an air of suppressed violence around him like an aura. “Figure we should take them to the ranch.”
Cactus swallowed the denial that rushed to his lips. He wanted Sara with him but knew Gabe was right about that. Quinn, their lupa and wife of their alpha, Joe McKinnon would take care of them for the time being until it was decided what was to be done with the kidnapped sisters. They needed the care that only a woman could offer. Gods knew, he didn’t know shit about that stuff. Both Sara and Kate had said they hadn’t been assaulted but maybe they didn’t want to speak the truth to a bunch of rough-looking men.
His belly knotted.
If any of those rogues had laid a finger on Sara there would be hell to pay. No doubt about it.
“So what do you think, Cactus?” Gabe prodded, catching his gaze once again in the rearview mirror.
Cactus nodded. “Yep, I reckon that would be best.”
Later he spotted the familiar landscape that included lines of fence that days before he’d been repairing along with Dusty, another Wolf Creek cowboy. The spread was huge, dominating most of the area around Cloverfield. The only ranch that came close belonged to Rayne’s dad, Angus Poteet, and these days he farmed windmills more than he raised cattle.
Almost home.
Huge limestone pillars rose up in the distance signaling their approach to the ranch. They sat on opposite sides of the entry road, like sentinels. Gabe took a left through the gates and satisfaction sank tender claws into his heart as he thought of his modest brick house where a nice hot shower and fresh coffee were waiting. He glanced down at the still sleeping Sara and wondered what she’d think of the home he’d built. Hell, who was he kidding? His decorating skills were sadly lacking. In fact, the last woman who’d been in his place admitted with a sniff that he decorated like a man.
Sara shifted on his lap and Cactus studied her features in repose. Her face was a neat, pretty little oval, her lips were full and her nose was small with an obstinate little tilt at the very end. If this had been a better time, he might’ve kissed her there or traced the line of barely visible freckles that marched across the bridge. He already knew she was soft and curvy since most of those lush curves were pressed intimately against his own body.
He wanted inside this woman so much he could practically taste it.
The truck pulled to a stop in front of the ranch house, a huge two-story limestone structure that had been built years before the battle of Texas Independence, and saw Quinn McKinnon and their housekeeper, Maria, standing on the porch. The pack’s lupa was a beautiful woman, tall, blonde and curvy enough to make a wolf’s mouth water. She was also intelligent and funny. Joe adored her and so did the pack. As she marched across the front yard toward them, he noted the look of worry on her face.
Just then, Sara blinked up at him.
“We’re home,” he said.
Little lines formed between her brows as she frowned. “Home?”
“My home. Yours too, I reckon.”
Her hands went to her face for a quick rub before she pushed her tangled hair back. She glanced out the window and Cactus felt the fine tremor that swept her body. Tenderly, he pulled the blanket closer around her and smiled. “It’ll be okay. Quinn has been waiting for you.”
“Quinn?”
“Your lupa.”
More alert, she looked frantically toward the front seat “Katie? Katie, are you okay?”
Silence fell. Finally Gabe spoke up. He’d stepped from the cab of the truck and was reaching in for Sara’s sister. “She’ll be okay. Don’t you worry. She’s just in shock.” He lifted her blanket-covered body and tucked her against him. “Figure she’ll talk when she’s ready.”
Cactus got out of the truck prepared to lift Sara into his arms but she drew back and looked at him. “I can walk.”
“Honey, you’re barefoot. I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”
“I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not.” He wasn’t about to stand there arguing so he lifted her up, despite her protests. Quinn and Maria began to fuss as they followed him and Gabe up the steps and into the house. The instant they were inside, Sara wiggled to get free. Reluctantly, Cactus set her on her dirty, bare feet grabbing her shoulder to steady her as she staggered a bit. When she’d regained her footing she raced across the room and went to her knees before her sister, whom Gabe had settled on a big leather sofa.
Sara reached for her hands and stared into her face. Cactus noted that despite a slight variation in the shades of blonde in their hair, the sisters were almost identical. For the first time in awhile, he felt a flash of alarm at the vacant expression on Katie’s face. Gabe stood nearby, a muscle working in his strong jaw.
“Kati-did, talk to me,” Sara encouraged. “You’ve been so strong. Don’t leave me now. Come on.”
Still Katie didn’t speak. She looked out on the world with a vacant stare and Cactus watched in horror as tears fell from Sara’s eyes to roll slowly down her cheeks. “It has all been too much, hasn’t it?” she whispered. “You’ve been so strong. I’ve been so proud of you. We handled the problem with Dad, didn’t we? We got away. You and me. We did it together. This other thing was nothing after that.” Sara choked and drew her sister into her arms. Turning her face into Katie’s hair, she whispered a savage command. “Stop it! Don’t go away! I mean it, Katalin!”
Questions coalesced in Cactus’ mind. What the fuck was going on? The urge to protect Sara and her sister held him in its grip and, for the first time in over a century, he felt utterly helpless. He hated it.
He stepped forward wanting to do something, wanting to discover what the hell she meant by her little speech but Quinn caught his gaze and shook her head. His lupa went to the pair and she gave Gabe a look.
“Cactus!” Gabe’s voice broke the spell.
Understanding, he gently drew Sara to her feet and pulled her against him as Gabe lifted Kate and followed Quinn and Maria up the stairs.
When they were alone, Sara stepped away and turned to face him. Waves of grief rolled from her to him. A tsunami of pain flashed through his system along with an unmistakable electrical charge that sizzled along his flesh.
“Gods!” She choked on the word as her hands went over her mouth. Tears pooled in her beautiful eyes and he couldn’t stand it another fucking minute. He went to her and cupped her face to press kisses on her forehead, her cheeks. Her salty tears dampened his lips and needing to comfort more than he needed his next breath, he settled his mouth on hers. She tasted of tragedy and passion and loss and Cactus drank each emotion, each fear as if he could draw them into himself and save her from feeling them. The blanket had fallen from her shoulders when she’d gone to comfort her sister and now she wore only an oversized tee shirt. Both women had been stolen from their beds so there was nothing unusual in that.
Cactus sent his tongue deep into her mouth, stroking the walls of her cheeks as he tasted her slowly. Drinking her gasping breath, he drew back to nip her bottom lip with his teeth. “You’re safe,” he whispered, shocked at the gruff sound of his own voice. “I won’t let anything happen to either of you. Trust me.”
“I do. I shouldn’t but I do. What is happening between us, Cactus?”
Bending, he pressed his mouth to the slender column of her throat as his hands took a journey over her back. Finally he answered her, his lips moving on her tender flesh. “You’re mine.”
“I am. At least, I think so. Gods! I shouldn’t be feeling this way after all that’s happened.”
Cactus went still at the whispered demand. The woman’s lips moved against his throat and just that simple touch had sensation rocketing through his body to settle in his cock. She’d been traumatized enough and he hated like hell that holding her this way made him hard enough to hammer nails but it couldn’t be helped. He’d been semi-erect since the moment he’d first clapped eyes on her. The instant attraction caught him off guard but then, was a man ever really prepared for the first moment he met the she-wolf who was destined to be his mate?
Probably not.
He settled his cheek against her tousled blonde curls and instinctively tightened his arm around her. Her name was Sara and he and others from the Wolf Creek Pack of Cloverfield, Texas had just saved her and her sister, along with Rayne Poteet, from a gang of rogue lycans. The sorry fucks made it their business to steal unmated she-wolves from the safety of their homes.
Except this woman, Sara, didn’t have a home.
Hell if she didn’t. Her home was with him.
“I won’t, darlin’. Not in this lifetime.”
Cactus sat in the backseat of the big duely double cab truck with his charge safely curled on his lap. He lifted his head from Sara’s hair and spoke over the roar of the engine. “How much longer until we’re home, Gabe?”
Cloverfield’s sheriff, who was driving them home, caught his eye in the rearview mirror. The big lycan was steering with one hand and holding Sara’s sister, Kate, close to his side. Cactus watched the big, gruff wolf’s hand stroke comfortingly over Kate’s body as she huddled against him. “About half an hour or so,” he murmured. “Almost there.”
Following behind them on the narrow stretch of twisted highway was a van full of the criminal lycans and their leader, Selena. Tonight full pack justice would be handed out to the lot of them. There would be little chance of escape for this bunch and the bloodthirsty half of his nature, his beast, would relish the chance to end their reign of terror.
Cactus returned his attention to the woman in his arms. Earlier, he’d lifted her up and carried her from the maze of old RVs and mobile homes where the captives had been held and settled her in the backseat of the truck. No one had questioned him but then, no one would dare. He wasn’t the kind of man who put up with interference from others. Cactus Mackey was a two-hundred-year-old lycan and old enough to handle his own affairs just fine. He settled back to look at the woman who he knew was his mate.
“How are you feeling?”
Her answering sigh almost broke his heart. She gave him a single look from eyes the color of Texas bluebonnets then closed them. Lowering her cheek to his chest, she settled her hand there too. Her fingers moved restlessly against his pecs and Cactus caught his breath. “I don’t know.”
“Don’t worry about it. We’ll get you home soon. I’ll tuck you in nice and tight and make sure you rest up.”
“Sounds nice,” she whispered. “Tell me your name.”
“Cactus. Cactus Mackey.”
Again, that little sigh. “Funny name.”
He smiled. “What’d you expect? I’m a Texan.”
Sara shifted in his lap and his cock tightened. Gods! She had to feel the damn thing prodding her sweet, nicely plump ass. His balls went hard. Fighting off the powerful urge to fuck her right here in front of the gods and everybody was suddenly the hardest challenge he’d ever faced. Literally. But Cactus wasn’t a man who took advantage of wounded creatures and Sara was wounded, for sure. Downright shocky. Whatever had possessed him to drag her into his lap that way? Damn it! She’d been hurt, traumatized and emotionally battered. He’d felt the trembling of her body and needed to comfort her so he didn’t think twice about pulling her into his lap. She’d needed to know he represented safety and that she and her sister would be cared for in this town he called home.
“I’m Sara Farmer.”
Cactus tightened his hold and breathed in her scent. It wrapped around him like a benediction. Mine. Mine. Mine. The words whispered through his mind and he wondered if she felt it too.
“You banged up a bit?”
“I was but I heal pretty quickly for being unmated.”
Among their kind unmated females were slower to heal injuries than a full-fledged lycan. Until she consummated things with her mate and finally released her wolf, it would be that way. He didn’t respond but glanced out the window of the truck and watched the miles of desert flash by as they motored their way deep into west Texas. Some might not find the country pretty but to him, the flat prairie with its buttes and plateaus was heaven. His kind had fought the Comanche and Apache Indians generations ago claiming the land as theirs. They’d built their homes, ranches and businesses with sweat and hard work and had won Texas independence from Mexico. Cactus had been one of many of Cloverfield’s lycans to fight side by side with others to build Texas into a force in this burgeoning country.
“She asleep?” The rumbling question came from Gabe and Cactus glanced down at his charge.
“Yeah.”
“So is Kate. Poor little thing.” The comment seemed strange coming from the burly lycan who wore an air of suppressed violence around him like an aura. “Figure we should take them to the ranch.”
Cactus swallowed the denial that rushed to his lips. He wanted Sara with him but knew Gabe was right about that. Quinn, their lupa and wife of their alpha, Joe McKinnon would take care of them for the time being until it was decided what was to be done with the kidnapped sisters. They needed the care that only a woman could offer. Gods knew, he didn’t know shit about that stuff. Both Sara and Kate had said they hadn’t been assaulted but maybe they didn’t want to speak the truth to a bunch of rough-looking men.
His belly knotted.
If any of those rogues had laid a finger on Sara there would be hell to pay. No doubt about it.
“So what do you think, Cactus?” Gabe prodded, catching his gaze once again in the rearview mirror.
Cactus nodded. “Yep, I reckon that would be best.”
Later he spotted the familiar landscape that included lines of fence that days before he’d been repairing along with Dusty, another Wolf Creek cowboy. The spread was huge, dominating most of the area around Cloverfield. The only ranch that came close belonged to Rayne’s dad, Angus Poteet, and these days he farmed windmills more than he raised cattle.
Almost home.
Huge limestone pillars rose up in the distance signaling their approach to the ranch. They sat on opposite sides of the entry road, like sentinels. Gabe took a left through the gates and satisfaction sank tender claws into his heart as he thought of his modest brick house where a nice hot shower and fresh coffee were waiting. He glanced down at the still sleeping Sara and wondered what she’d think of the home he’d built. Hell, who was he kidding? His decorating skills were sadly lacking. In fact, the last woman who’d been in his place admitted with a sniff that he decorated like a man.
Sara shifted on his lap and Cactus studied her features in repose. Her face was a neat, pretty little oval, her lips were full and her nose was small with an obstinate little tilt at the very end. If this had been a better time, he might’ve kissed her there or traced the line of barely visible freckles that marched across the bridge. He already knew she was soft and curvy since most of those lush curves were pressed intimately against his own body.
He wanted inside this woman so much he could practically taste it.
The truck pulled to a stop in front of the ranch house, a huge two-story limestone structure that had been built years before the battle of Texas Independence, and saw Quinn McKinnon and their housekeeper, Maria, standing on the porch. The pack’s lupa was a beautiful woman, tall, blonde and curvy enough to make a wolf’s mouth water. She was also intelligent and funny. Joe adored her and so did the pack. As she marched across the front yard toward them, he noted the look of worry on her face.
Just then, Sara blinked up at him.
“We’re home,” he said.
Little lines formed between her brows as she frowned. “Home?”
“My home. Yours too, I reckon.”
Her hands went to her face for a quick rub before she pushed her tangled hair back. She glanced out the window and Cactus felt the fine tremor that swept her body. Tenderly, he pulled the blanket closer around her and smiled. “It’ll be okay. Quinn has been waiting for you.”
“Quinn?”
“Your lupa.”
More alert, she looked frantically toward the front seat “Katie? Katie, are you okay?”
Silence fell. Finally Gabe spoke up. He’d stepped from the cab of the truck and was reaching in for Sara’s sister. “She’ll be okay. Don’t you worry. She’s just in shock.” He lifted her blanket-covered body and tucked her against him. “Figure she’ll talk when she’s ready.”
Cactus got out of the truck prepared to lift Sara into his arms but she drew back and looked at him. “I can walk.”
“Honey, you’re barefoot. I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”
“I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not.” He wasn’t about to stand there arguing so he lifted her up, despite her protests. Quinn and Maria began to fuss as they followed him and Gabe up the steps and into the house. The instant they were inside, Sara wiggled to get free. Reluctantly, Cactus set her on her dirty, bare feet grabbing her shoulder to steady her as she staggered a bit. When she’d regained her footing she raced across the room and went to her knees before her sister, whom Gabe had settled on a big leather sofa.
Sara reached for her hands and stared into her face. Cactus noted that despite a slight variation in the shades of blonde in their hair, the sisters were almost identical. For the first time in awhile, he felt a flash of alarm at the vacant expression on Katie’s face. Gabe stood nearby, a muscle working in his strong jaw.
“Kati-did, talk to me,” Sara encouraged. “You’ve been so strong. Don’t leave me now. Come on.”
Still Katie didn’t speak. She looked out on the world with a vacant stare and Cactus watched in horror as tears fell from Sara’s eyes to roll slowly down her cheeks. “It has all been too much, hasn’t it?” she whispered. “You’ve been so strong. I’ve been so proud of you. We handled the problem with Dad, didn’t we? We got away. You and me. We did it together. This other thing was nothing after that.” Sara choked and drew her sister into her arms. Turning her face into Katie’s hair, she whispered a savage command. “Stop it! Don’t go away! I mean it, Katalin!”
Questions coalesced in Cactus’ mind. What the fuck was going on? The urge to protect Sara and her sister held him in its grip and, for the first time in over a century, he felt utterly helpless. He hated it.
He stepped forward wanting to do something, wanting to discover what the hell she meant by her little speech but Quinn caught his gaze and shook her head. His lupa went to the pair and she gave Gabe a look.
“Cactus!” Gabe’s voice broke the spell.
Understanding, he gently drew Sara to her feet and pulled her against him as Gabe lifted Kate and followed Quinn and Maria up the stairs.
When they were alone, Sara stepped away and turned to face him. Waves of grief rolled from her to him. A tsunami of pain flashed through his system along with an unmistakable electrical charge that sizzled along his flesh.
“Gods!” She choked on the word as her hands went over her mouth. Tears pooled in her beautiful eyes and he couldn’t stand it another fucking minute. He went to her and cupped her face to press kisses on her forehead, her cheeks. Her salty tears dampened his lips and needing to comfort more than he needed his next breath, he settled his mouth on hers. She tasted of tragedy and passion and loss and Cactus drank each emotion, each fear as if he could draw them into himself and save her from feeling them. The blanket had fallen from her shoulders when she’d gone to comfort her sister and now she wore only an oversized tee shirt. Both women had been stolen from their beds so there was nothing unusual in that.
Cactus sent his tongue deep into her mouth, stroking the walls of her cheeks as he tasted her slowly. Drinking her gasping breath, he drew back to nip her bottom lip with his teeth. “You’re safe,” he whispered, shocked at the gruff sound of his own voice. “I won’t let anything happen to either of you. Trust me.”
“I do. I shouldn’t but I do. What is happening between us, Cactus?”
Bending, he pressed his mouth to the slender column of her throat as his hands took a journey over her back. Finally he answered her, his lips moving on her tender flesh. “You’re mine.”
“I am. At least, I think so. Gods! I shouldn’t be feeling this way after all that’s happened.”
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Light at the end of the tunnel
I managed to do the revisions for Cabin Fever. Cut 8k from the story. It was painful, but I'm going to use it in another story. The edits for Chicken Soup were simple. Faxed that over. Now that's off my plate. I'm going to read Cabin Fever one last time before sending it to my editor.
Managed to get some words written on His Submissive, my short for Noble Romance. Gave myself a deadline of next Friday to have it to that editor.
Once those are done, it's back to Research Required, which is half done. I have a few ideas written in my handy dandy notebook.
One more day 'til Friday! YAY!
Managed to get some words written on His Submissive, my short for Noble Romance. Gave myself a deadline of next Friday to have it to that editor.
Once those are done, it's back to Research Required, which is half done. I have a few ideas written in my handy dandy notebook.
One more day 'til Friday! YAY!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Revision Day
Enough of the slacking for me.
Yesterday I spent the day with the granddaughter. She's growing so quickly. I can't believe she's already 3 months old. We're having our first overnight Labor Day weekend. It's baby T's mom and dad's b-day, so grandma and grandpa are babysitting while they go away to NH for the night. This should be interesting. Haven't had a baby in the house in...well 12 years. LOL
I'm determined to get the revisions for Cabin Fever done and back in my editor's inbox by Friday. Hopefully she'll like the changes and contract it.
Received my short for Chicken Soup for the Soul: All in the Family in the mail yesterday. That needs to be edited and faxed back by Friday. Will get that done today!
Hope everyone has a wonderful Wednesday.
Enjoy the Hump Day Hottie!
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