Ann Cory's The Story Board Winners...

On Friday, The Wild Rose Press authors participated in an all day chat with members of Ann Cory's Story Board. We had a wonderful time getting to know more about each other and the other story board members.

During the evening I offered giveaways and the winners are:

Mary Rieves - winner of a download of TWISTED SPELL
Barbara Huff - winner of a download of TWISTED SPELL
Michelle Yakel - winner of a download of HIT AND RUN

Thanks to everyone for participating!

Writing Oneself Out of a Corner...

Welcome to my writer's mind on this blustery winter's night. The day began as any other Monday...hop out of bed, shower, dress and rush to work to clock in seven minutes late. Freeze my buns off in my cold office because only cold air blows from the vent above my desk. Stare at the clock and wonder how I'm going to finish the latest chapter in my current manuscript. Sigh.

Kristin has escaped her abusive ex-husband's house with her three year old son, Joshua. She's desperate to keep the boy safely out of his father's clutches. Driving toward an unknown destination, she flips on the radio and hears...


. “…body of the prominent attorney, Peter Courtland, was found by the housekeeper. The nanny, whose name has not yet been revealed, remains in critical condition in Memorial Hospital. Mr. Courtland’s son is believed to be with his ex-wife, Kristin Smith. Police are urging anyone with information on Ms. Smith’s whereabouts, to contact them immediately.”

Good stuff. Now I have her in a real dilemma, just the way she needs to be to create a page-turning novel. But...now what? Okay, I like killing the bastard. He's mean and evil, and an attorney to boot. Satisfaction with a capital S. I even know who really killed him. But I haven't figured out why yet. Hmmm. Wheels turning. Maybe Peter owed him money. Nah. Peter is loaded. Money wouldn't be an issue. But Peter is a real scum-sucking bottom feeder (in the words of Grace Wilson, heroine in FOXFIRE).
What would cause someone to get so angry that they'd kill him in broad daylight?

(Back to reality). Boss walks in and asks me to book airline flights to bring his son home for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Sure thing! Log onto the internet and search out the best flights from Denver to Columbus. Two hours later confirm the flights and receive a big thank you.

(Back to my writing dilemma, and not feeling a bit guilty since I just spent two hours doing personal stuff for the President. What's a little mind tossing on my part going to hurt?) Okay, so Peter is dead. A man killed him and he had to have a good reason. Hmmm. What if Peter is involved in an illegal adoption ring? What if he failed to come through with a child? Oh! What if he planned to give his own son away? That would make a good twist. Nah. Peter's dead and Joshua is with his mom. Won't work. Aha! Peter is a renowned attorney, but his clientele are the big-money dilberts that can afford to pay the best to keep them out of jail. What if Peter screwed up and someone went to jail? Maybe a mobster's son or daughter. Wouldn't that make a man angry enough to kill? Might work.

(Back to reality) Director of Operations pops his head in to ask if I have a list of all personnel authorized to charge gasoline expenses. Explains a new program we are going to adopt. Give him info, smile and wave him on his way. Close door and get back to plotting.

Okay, last plot might work but will require a lot of layering to make it strong enough. Also, if Peter is such a hot attorney, losing a case would be major news and might easily pinpoint the real murderer. I've got it! Peter has been having an affair with one of his client's wives! The client has found out the truth and, being a less than upstanding citizen has no problem offing his attorney. No one would suspect him, for why would he kill the only man who can keep him out of jail? That might work.

(Back to reality) Pres pops his head in again. Hands me the signed expense reports and questions a Director's expense reasoning. Tell boss that I'll call and get the scoop. Wave him off. Go to the bathroom and soak my frozen fingers in a sinkful of hot water. Go back to office and lather hands with super moisterizer. Pop in a breath mint. Go back to plotting.

How will the murder affect Kristin? Will the cops let her keep Joshua? How will the murderer deal with Kristin since he believes she knows he was with Peter when she escaped with Joshua. Okay, Kristin saw a man pass her as she drove away from the mansion. She and the man made eye contact. He gave her a chill but she hasn't yet put together the argument she overheard with the man. If he becomes a suspect, he'll want to make sure Kristin doesn't tell. Yeah, that could make for some great suspense writing.

Oh, shucks, here comes the Pres again. Guess I better start plugging away at the pile of work on my desk. End of day...toss around some more ideas on the drive home. Check emails. Fix dinner. Clean kitchen. Head to office. Check emails. Update website. Open blog to do an entry...

Nine pm and not a single page written. Welcome to my world.

Free Download - The Winner is...

...jennybrat

Congratulations to jennybrat, who won a free download of TWISTED SPELL! Send me an email at carolann@thewildrosepress with the format you'd like and I'll get your free download to you right away!

One Day to Go...A Humorous Tale

Only one day to go! Tomorrow night at 7pm est I'll be drawing the name of the winner to the FREE download of "Twisted Spell". To enter the drawing, all you have to do is read my October 16th entry and post your answer!

And now, as promosed, a humorous tale...

On Thursday, my dh and I headed off for our annual Fall Camping Trip. Here in Ohio the Fall has been much colder than usual, so we knew it would be a "bundle up" adventure. We arrived on Thursday afternoon and by the time we were set up, we realized several important things we'd left behind...essential things...the remote control for the TV (gotta watch Survivor) and the coffee pot. So...we drove back home, picked up fast food for dinner, gulped it down in the warmth of our own kitchen and then drove back to the campsite...arriving 20 minutes into Survivor. No roaring campfire that night. Friday--still a bit brisk, but overall, not too bad. Saturday, same thing. Repeat of Friday. Nice fire, cooked brats over it, enjoyed the day playing some "corn hole" (a beanbag toss kind of game) and after dark a few games of "speed" rummy. News reports said it would rain Saturday night and a cold front was coming in. We decided to get up early, eat and break camp so we'd miss the bad weather. Sunday morning...eat breakfast really fast...hurry to break camp. Fussed with the poles of the awning attached to the camper. Hubby climbs up the 4 ft. ladder to wrestle with the "bad word" things...the awning tips and dumps all the water collected on the top right down the front of his shirt and jeans. Ooooo, COLD!!! Back up the ladder, wrestle some more with the poles. Finally, success! We begin rolling it up toward the camper and realize we can't put it into the attached holder because the camper is still cranked up to full height. Hubby moves ladder and climbs up. His idea is that we'll put the rolled awning to the top of the camper and deal with it later. Great idea. He is stretching to put it up there and asks me to please steady the ladder. I turn and reach for the ladder at the exact smae time that...his pants fall down around his ankles!!!! Now I'm laughing so hard, hoping we won't get arrested and wishing I had my video camera! I pull his pants up, tears rolling down my cheeks while he climbs down and tightens his belt. Now, my dh doesn't just laugh. When he gets really tickled he giggles. And giggles. So, he's giggling, I'm belly laughing and finally I decided that God had made that happen. We were so frustrated and racing to beat the weather and God decided we needed to lighten the tension. We're home, unpacked and I'm still laughing. That's a sight that will remain behind my eyes forever...and probably find its way into a novel very soon!

Don't forget to enter the drawing! I'm sure you'll get a good laugh and a happy warm feeling when you read "Twisted Spell".

Til later...

Just Released Yesterday...

Halloween is fast approaching and I'm so excited to announce that TWISTED SPELL is now available at The Wild Rose Press. It's a sweet romance with two very opinionated characters...but sometimes opposites attract. If you love romance popping up where you least expect it, and a smile or two along the way, you'll probably love this story as much as I loved writing it. My husband gave it two thumbs up!
The contest for a free download of TWISTED SPELL is still open until Monday night, October 23. See my "Friday the 13th...And a New Contest" post on October 16th for the details!

Friday the 13th...and a New Contest

How does time pass so quickly? The whole weekend is gone and I haven't posted since last week. Let me tell you about my day on the most superstitious day of the year. The dreaded Friday the 13th.

Friday the 13th started off to be a horrid day. My internet service was inoperative. I'd spent the previous evening troubleshooting and came to the conclusion that the modem had crashed...the second one in four years. I removed it and took it to work with me and called the cable company hoping I could return it, get a new one, and hook it up myself. No such luck. They had to schedule an appointment and come out because it just might be something other than the modem. Rats. The earliest appointment was on Monday afternoon, and I had a deadline to meet over the weekend! Totally unacceptable to a writer. I decided to leave at noon on Friday since I had already put in lots of overtime. Hubby called and told me that WOW cable trucks were outside and he asked them if they were troubleshooting. They were...so I crossed my fingers and hoped I would arrive home and find my problem solved. Woo hoo! It worked. I hooked the modem back up and voila!

Then I downloaded my email and learned I had won first place in the Crimson Rose division for the first annual Wild Rose Press contest! My story will be included in an anthology which will be available in print after the first of the year. Then hubby and I went shopping for a new desk for my office. Found just what I wanted at Staples for $180.00. Since that was such a good bargain I decided to also get a flat screen monitor. They were on clearance. The one I wanted was not in stock, nor was the Sony which was $20 higher. So...the clerk offered me the display model Sony for 10% discount. I snatched it up. Then went to the cashier and the desk was also on clearance. I bought the desk and a 17" Sony flatscreen monitor for only $247 including tax!!!

Drove home all happy and found Amazon had delivered my book order. Woo hoo! No more worrying about Friday the 13th any more. Besides, for a woman born on Halloween, that should tell me not to be superstitious!

So I've decided to share my good luck with my readers. On my Author's page at The Wild Rose Press, you'll find the blurbs for my upcoming release, FOXFIRE. Find the answer to the question: "Tyler Sandford, DEA Agent, moves to Foxfire, Tennessee, in search of a killer. What is his cover to protect his true identity?" Just post the correct answer and I'll enter you in a drawing for a free download of my Halloween Story, TWISTED SPELL. Winning name will be drawn and posted here on the blog on Monday, October 23. Good luck!

I'm Holding My Book!!!

Now I know it's for real! I'm actually holding my book, HIT AND RUN, in my hands. I'm impressed with the printing and very excited about the numbers. My Pop Fiction friends all ordered on Monday, which drove my numbers on Amazon down from 3,000,000 to 10,000! I've been told anything under 100,000 is good. I've been watching for the past few days and my number has fluctuated from 12,000, 23,000, back to 11,000 and now is climbing at 45,000. Eeek. Sure wish I hadn't learned about the numbers. LOL!

I'm still very excited about having my book available in paperback format. I hope you all will consider buying HIT AND RUN. It might make a great present for the readers on your Christmas list (hint, hint).

Here's an excerpt which I hope will entice you to hop on over to Amazon.com and type in erhardt, hit and run. Setup:

Beth and Jilly are returning from a run through the park. As they approach the house, they see Jilly's husband, Keith, parked in the driveway.

"What do you want?" Jilly asked.

"I want to talk about these divorce papers." He pulled a packet from the car. "I'm not signing them. I want to come home. Honey, we can work things out, but not if you keep pushing me away."

"No, Keith. It's over."

"I'm sorry about the baby. I know you're upset, but I love you. I know you love me. In a few years, we can talk about having another baby. Please, just think about it."

"Sign the papers, Keith, and you'll be free," Jilly said.

He gave a bitter laugh. "But, I don't want to be free."

"It's over."

"Honey, it'll never be over. Don't you know that?" He reached his hand toward her.

Jilly backed away. "It was over the night you beat me and I lost our baby."

"What are you talking about? Beat you? Are you having a breakdown or something? How can you blame me for that? Come on, baby." He took her arm. "Let's kiss and make up."

"Leave her alone," Beth piped in.

Jilly jerked her arm free. "Beth, let me handle this."

Keith pointed at Beth. "You're the problem. Filling her head full of lies. You never wanted her to get married in the first place. You think she doesn't know you wanted me for yourself? Anyone could see you were jealous." He grabbed Jilly's arm. "But I chose Jily, and I'll never let her go."

And the Winners Are...

Last night I joined Coffee Time Romance for a nice chat and sharing of excerpts. What a great bunch of readers and authors! I ran two contests during the two hours of my time, and the winners are:

Halloween Contest - Michelle Yakel

Michelle won a Halloween themed dishtowel and matching hot mit. Congratulations!

Color of Hero's Eyes Contest - Cathiecaffey

Cathie won a special "love themed" bookmark and a bar of Godiva Chocolate. Contratulations!!

I'm in Print!!!!

Hit and Run is now available on Amazon.com. So for all of you who have waited for the print version, hop on over and pick up a copy! You can also order an autographed copy directly from my website. I'm so excited about this. It's almost like having a baby and waiting until it's born so you can hold it close to your heart. The good thing is it won't wake you in the middle of the night crying for a bottle. LOL!

My Halloween story is coming out soon. It's a fun story about Halloween, misconceptions, first impressions, and love. I really enjoyed writing this one, and I'm thinking of bringing the characters into a full length novel soon.



Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful weekend!

The Book is in the Mail

Ah, what sweet words to hear from my publisher. The print version of my book is ready to go. It should be up on Amazon real soon. I'll keep you posted. I'll be filling the autographed pre-orders from my website soon, so if you haven't yet signed up, please hop over to my site and do so.

On Friday, October 6, The Wild Rose Press authors will be participating in an all day event with Coffee Time Romance. Please join me from 8pm - 10pm EST along with Wild Rose Author, Christine Columbus. I'll be sharing some excerpts, answering any questions, and giving away some prizes. Stop by and say hello. I'd love to hear from you. Many other authors will be available to answer questions and they will share their excerpts throughout the day. Come and meet us and have some fun!

Woo Hoo - Happy Dance Time!!!

I am so excited. I just heard from my publisher that my novel, FOXFIRE, is going to be published!! This is my favorite novel. I fell in love with the characters in this one, and I hated to end the book. Usually the first novel is our "baby", and that was HIT AND RUN. However, FOXFIRE is my "baby". I can't wait to see this one in publication.

Gotta run...I'm too excited to type.

Welcome to My Crazy Life

I think I'm living in a situation comedy. You every watch the Simpsons? I only watched them one time and decided it was too far out for me. However, that episode I did see a character called "The Crazy Cat Lady". One of my co-workers keeps sending me clips through email. Why? Because I am the crazy cat lady! If you haven't read one of my older posts, we have a feral cat colony living in our back yard (and we live in a residential subdivision). We felt sorry for them and began feeding them and they had several litters of babies in our woodpile under the deck. Okay, so I searched and found an organization who helped us get them all neutered/spayed. Whew! No more babies anyway. The black cat is "Boo". The cream colored one is marked just like a "ragdoll" and she has blue eyes. Her name is "Mittens". The black and white one is a male, "Oreo".

Okay, now if that is crazy enough, my hubby has been acting "very strange" lately. I'm really worried about him but this is kind of funny. Tonight he received his license plate stickers and he was in the kitchen trying to decide if he should wait until tomorrow to put them on (his birthday and they expire tomorrow) or go ahead and do it now. Well, why not do it now? You know "never put off til tomorrow what you can do today." He heads outside and the telephone rings. I answer. It's our son. He wants to talk to Dad. I walk outside to the driveway and through the gate and hand him the phone. Then I look down and see...something wet and bubbly on the driveway. Hmmm. What is this? I keep staring and it keeps running and finally it dawns on me. I ask him if he "took a leak". He nods. I, staring open-mouthed, can't believe what I'm hearing or seeing. "Well, I had to go," he said.

Today I had to sit through a "drug free workplace" meeting. Mind you, two years ago, I had to take the "train the trainer" drug free training, the supervisor drug-free training, and the employee drug-free training. Now why do I have to take this over again? And we had a lot of warehouse workers and drivers in this session. Funny, how one man kept naming ingredients for Meth, the issues of working with drug users, the effects of specific drugs and alcohol, and then when the trainer talked about the random drug tests we have to take, this person asks, "Why do I have to keep taking them all the time? I'm always the one who has to go. I think they are picking on me." At that time the guy sitting next to me and I both lost it. I laughed so hard I had a coughing fit and had to leave the room!

Now I'm probably burning dinner while writing this blog entry...

And here is my horoscope for the day: Some zany ideas will put you in a tailspin. Your first instinct may be to pass on these kooky brainstorms, but hold on. Write everything down and save it for later. A lot of this may come in handy pretty soon.

Egads, welcome to my crazy life!!

New Socks and a New Contract - It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This

I stole this picture from my daughter's blog. She is a very skilled knitter. Last year she made me a pair of socks and I loved them so much I wore a hole in the toe. I didn't want to tell her, but finally I broke down and let her know. Would you believe she was able to reknit that toe back together in the same pattern and you can't even tell! She uses like four needles to make these socks (I think it's an addiction). Please check out her blog to see all the other beautiful things she's made or is in progress. Anyway yesterday she called and asked me to meet her for lunch. She gave me this pair of socks. Aren't they gorgeous! And these socks are so warm. They are really soft wool of some kind.

And, woo hoo, I received a contract from The Wild Rose Press for my Halloween Story, "Twisted Spell". It's a Sweetheart Rosette (aka short story) and will only be available as an e-book download. I had so much fun with this one. I love Halloween. It's my birthday! So naturally I had to step up to the plate and pen this little fun sweet romance. Here's a little teaser:

Blurb:

Dora is a preschool teacher who has a nasty neighbor she wishes she could cast an evil spell over. On Halloween she points a finger at him and mutters a meaningless string of words. When he runs away, frightened by her witch's costume and supposed spell, she figures it serves him right for being so grouchy.

But when she returns home to find him injured, she is amazed to find how handsome he is when he's not yelling at her. Will she be able to resist the spell he seems to be casting on her?

Excerpt:

Dora was half-way through her sewing project when a terrible ruckus erupted outdoors. First came Boo’s loud screech, followed by a yelping dog. She ran out the back door at the same time her neighbor exited his. He began screaming at Boo. Boo jumped the fence and scurried through the kitty door to safety.

Then Mr. Grinch glared at her. “Keep that blasted cat out of my yard!” He pointed a finger at her. “Or else!”

She placed her hands on her hips. “Or else, what?” She stuck out her chin.

His face turned the color of her late blooming red roses. “Lady, what kind of nut case are you?”

“I’m a witch.” She narrowed her eyes and pointed back at him. “And you’d better not hurt my cat. Or else.” She left him sputtering a string of obscenities and went inside to check on Boo, who was calmly grooming himself in his favorite spot on the sofa.

The next morning Dora hurried out the door in full witch attire, complete with a pointed hat. Heading for her carport, she watched Boo leap onto the fence separating her yard from her grouchy neighbor’s. Then she saw that horrid man pointing a super-soaker water gun at her cat. “Hey!” Dora yelled, marching toward the fence.

Mr. Grinch stopped. His eyes widened and something akin to fear darkened his gaze.
Unable to resist, she pointed a finger and muttered, “Eye of newt, and spider legs…”

Her neighbor ran inside the house, slamming the door behind him.

Balancing Act

Some days I feel as if I'm walking on a tightrope across a vast expanse with nothing below as far as the eye can see.

Every high wire artist knows one must have perfect balance on both sides to avoid falling. As an author, executive assistant, wife, mother, grandmother, cook, housekeeper, bookkeeper, blogger, and webmistress I struggle with keeping the correct balance. The main problem is finding time to do all the things that need to be done and still find the time and energy to write.

I'm fairly organized with every aspect of my life except for...my home office. Though I clean and organize, just a few days later I have accumulated piles of papers, books, mail, and so much more.

Then today I read my horoscope and it says:
The stars hand you an all-access pass to your heart and soul. It's time to explore. Learn what makes you tick and what holds you back from being the best you can be. Dig deep and learn all you can.

Oh, no!!!

A Chicken Soup Day

Okay, I put on a pot of 15-bean soup when I left for work today. We had bean soup and cornbread. Yummy! So why the title of this blog entry? Well...

I returned home today to find a message on my answering machine from one of the editors of Chicken Soup for the Soul books. She had been trying to email me (at an old address) for permission to publish my story "Hands of Time" in an April 2007 release of Chicken Soup for the Mother Daughter Soul 2.

This is a story I wrote back in 2002 in about one hour. It just poured onto the screen with no editing. I submitted it to Chicken Soup after my writing group encouraged me. I was surprised and happy when they published it in the Chicken Soup for the Soul Celebrates Mothers. This was a small hard back book accompanied by photographs by Sharon Wohlmuth. A year later they published the story in its entirety in Chicken Soup to Inspire a Woman's Soul. This will make the third Chicken Soup book it will appear in!

My story "Through the Eye of a Child" is out this month in A Cup of Comfort for Grandparents.

And in just a week or so my book "Hit and Run" will be available in print. I consider these early birthday presents!

Yes, October 31 is coming soon. Be sure to check out my contest on my website and enter to win a gorgeous necklace.

The Planets are Aligning

I've always been intrigued by things mystical, magical, and mysterious. I'm a natural born detective. I believe in psychic ability. I'm enthralled with beginnings and endings, and I'm filled with curiousity. I have a keen sense of intuition. I work hard for the things I want and do not believe in giving up. Some may see me as secretive and elusive, but I'm very loyal. At times I may coil in upon myself to regenerate. I'm passionate about all things and people in my life.

Who am I? I'm a scorpio, and I'm a writer.

My horoscope for the day:

Someone in a position that counts could help you make your dreams come true. Go out of your way to convey the depth of your planning and the passion behind your ideas, and this person is sure to get on board.

OSU Tailgate Party

Each day I wake up with excitement wondering what adventures are in store for me. Keeping a positive attitude is one of the things I strive to do daily. I try to look at thing optimistically, and I'm always ready to learn or try something new. I'm not really an outgoing party animal...quite the opposite in fact. I tend to be shy around people I don't know or don't know well. That said, can you imagine me actually attending an OSU (The Ohio State University) Tailgate Party? See my grin...I did it! I really did it! I've never seen anything like this in my life. I've never ventured close to the "horseshoe" on game day. Shucks, they turn over cars and set things on fire around campus on game day. **shudder**

My adventure today started when I asked my daughter to accompany me to the Great American Tailgate Party hosted by Jack Daniels. We headed off with our tickets in hand with no idea what we were in for! Where would we park?

Surely there would something fairly close to our function. So we turned down Lane Avenue and immediately found ourselves in the worst traffic jam I've ever seen. The streets were crowded with students proudly wearing their colors and they were packed tightly shoulder to shoulder! An hour later we finally parked in a shopping center about one and a half miles away. It took us a half hour to walk back and we found ouselves jammed into an area where everyone was screaming and drinking and we couldn't budge an inch. To top it all off, we are both around five feet tall, and these hunks were six feet and over. We finally managed to push and shove our way toward the Jack Daniels Tent where we were invited only to find we couldn't get in that way. Sooooo we had to make our way back out and up to the next gate.

I won't bore you with all the details, but I can now say I attended an authentic OSU tailgate party. Great food, good drinks, and a big screen TV for those who didn't have tickets and wanted to watch the game there. We left with our loot as soon as the game started and made it back to our car just as a tow truck was busy loading up two car next to ours. Yep, they tow away cars of people who park there and head off to the game! Five minutes later and we wouldn't have had transportation. Home again, home again and now I'm limping around with padding over the blisters on my feet. I'm sure this day will find it's way into a book before long. Isn't it fun the things we will collect? I wonder when I'll ever wear the Jack Daniels T-shirt and the plastic necklace, let alone drink something again from that plastic cup?

Do You Understand E-Books? Do you Like Contests?

What do you know about e-books? There is a divided audience between those who like to hold a book in their hand and those who enjoy reading on the computer screen (or a PDA device). Most people who say they prefer holding a book haven't ever tried an e-book. I like both e-books and print books. I like to take a print book to bed and read it to help me fall asleep. I also like e-books. I have an old Palm Vx which I've used to read many different books. It's lightweight and very compact (the size of a man's wallet). I carry it in my purse when I'm traveling or to work. I store the e-books on my computer. The problem with that is the screen is very small.

I decided recently to try downloading a free reader device and purchased several e-books that are formatted for it. I use MobiPocket. The advantage of this is that I can read these from my computer screen--much larger print than a paperback or PDA device. It's fun! I have a virtual bookshelf that shows all the books I've purchased. With the click of my mouse I can choose a book to read. When I'm finished reading, I click my mouse to "bookmark" the page. It's so cute. One corner of the page folds down, and I don't have to feel guilty about doing it! When I'm ready to read that book again, it opens right to the page where I left off, just as if I had placed a bookmarker in a "print" version. Now I have the best of all reading worlds!

Why don't you give it a try? E-books are fun, easy, and very economical. What do you have to lose by giving it a try? There are tons of e-books available through many different internet bookstores, but my favorite place to shop is The Wild Rose Press Bookstore.

To entice you to try an e-book, I'm giving away a very special gift on my birthday-- Halloween, October 31st. You could be a winner if you qualify by reading Hit and Run and answering the question: Where does Ryan propose to Beth?

Download a copy of Hit and Run now. so you can enter the contest before October 31st.

You can find out more about the prize (hint: it's a necklace) and submit your contest entry form at my website.

******
My horoscope for today: The stars get practical on you, especially when it comes to your health. Is it any wonder you feel lousy if you're drinking too much caffeine, not sleeping enough and eating too much fast food? Straighten up and fly right.
******

Inside the Villian's Head

My horoscope for today: It's all about you, baby! The spotlight turns in your direction, and the stars amp up your magnetism. You're practically irresistible. Some might coast on their charm, but not you -- you're all about action.

An Excerpt from Hit and Run -- Villian's POV

Keith read the legal mumbo jumbo again. The words blurred through a red haze of anger. Drawing in a deep breath, he fought against the rage he'd been fighting all his life. Would he never get past the anger?

Jilly had helped him. He'd slept without nightmares for a long time after marrying her. If only--

The doorbell rang. He dropped the papers with a curse. The doorbell sounded again with a relentless shrill. He stomped to the front door and found Roger Parkins leaning on the button.

"What the hell do you want?"

Roger moved and the ringing ceased.

"You know what I want, Carson. You owe me money."

"I told you I'd get it."

Roger shoved his way into the house. "Your time's up. Pay me now, or I go to the cops."

Keith clenched his fists. It would be so easy to take this dope out with one swing. Just one. The anger simmered just on the verge of erupting, but he managed to push it back. His temples throbbed, making it difficult to focus. "I need more time." He opened his fingers, one at a time, releasing the tension.

"How much time?" Pacing across the living room, his frayed pant cuffs dragging the floor, Roger tried unsuccessfully to portray a menacing offensive.

"Two weeks," Keith responded.

"Too long." The pacing continued.

"What's your hurry, man?" Keith asked. "I told you I'd get it."

A noticeable tic pulsed under Roger's right eye. "I need it now."

"Give me a week."

"A week? I've been waiting weeks already. You're stalling me."

"I'm having a little problem getting my hands on the cash. Give me a week."

Roger pointed a finger in Keith’s face. "One week, or else." He glared at Keith for a moment, spun and scurried out the door to his truck as if the devil were on his heels.

"Don't hold your breath," Keith muttered.

Roger gunned the motor and the dark blue pickup fishtailed away.

Stupid loser. He'd never see a penny of the money. Every dime belonged to Keith. He'd earned it. Paying Roger wouldn't get him off his back. He'd blackmail Keith forever if he buckled. Besides Keith had plans of his own. Plans that didn't include a wife, a sobbing kid, or this hillbilly junction.

He sauntered back to the kitchen and picked up the papers again. He'd have to find a way to deal with the turn of the cards. Swallowing the last ounce of beer, he smashed the empty can against the table. Staggering into the living room, he dropped into his recliner. He had no intention of giving Jilly a divorce and no intention of paying blackmail money to the druggie.

Keith stretched out his legs and folded his arms behind his head. Roger had to be dealt with. Keith couldn't take a chance on letting him run off at the mouth to the cops. Roger knew about the prostitute in Denver. It was an accident. Keith hadn't meant to kill her. His mistake was running and now he couldn't stop.

Anger had been the bane of his existence since he'd left his old man for dead all those years ago. Usually he could control it, but sometimes it got too intense. It was during one of those moments when he'd hurt that prostitute.
He had to silence Roger soon.

The wheels began to turn.

He had a lot of planning to do.

Party Time!!

Tommie: Come on out everyone, party time!!

Beth: What are you doing, Tommie? We can't all be out at one time. You know the rules.

Kristin: Who says we have to follow the rules?

Tommie: Rules, smules. It's party time!! The blog owner is busy packing for a trip. She's going to take four days off and we get to take over!

Beth: You can be an incredible dumb*&& Tommie. If she goes, we go. Everyone knows that.

Kristin: Well, maybe we don't have to. I have an idea.

Tommie: Do tell. You wimps don't know the first thing about revolt. Stick with me. I can show you how it's done. After all I work for one of the top covert government agencies in the world.

Beth: And you're full of yourself, aren't you? You think you're so tough, but I know you're all talk.

Tommie: Talk? I'm a woman of action, not just words.

Beth: Then why are you stuck in Chapter three?

Kristin: Ladies, please!!! Stop. This is crazy. The last thing we need to do is fight. You know what happens when things get all heated up.

**a long pregnant silence**

Suddenly the air begins to change. The very essence of it grows heavy, weighing upon the entities floating in the swirling vortex. A chill descends.

Riker: Tommie? Where are you? You know I'm going to find you. You're next. You're the next kill.

Keith: Bethie? I'm coming for you...soon.

Peter: You can't hide from me forever, Kristin. I have the means to track you down, and when I do...